UBE2K promotes the malignant progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating c-Myc

Silencing UBE2K inhibits the growth of glioma cells by inducing the autophagy-related apoptosis

Glioma is a central nervous system (CNS) malignant tumor with high heterogeneity and mortality, which severely threatens the health of patients. The overall survival of glioma patients is relatively short and it is critical to identify new molecular targets for developing effective treatment strategies. UBE2K is a ubiquitin conjugating enzyme with oncogenic function in several malignant tumors. However, whether UBE2K participates in gliomas remains unknown. Herein, in glioma cells, UBE2K was found highly expressed in U87 and U251 cells. Subsequently, U87 and U251 cells were transfected with si-UBE2K to silence UBE2K, with the si-NC transfection as the negative control. In both U87 and U251 cells, the cell viability was sharply reduced by transfecting si-UBE2K for 48 and 72 h. Markedly decreased colony number, reduced number of migrated cells and invaded cells, and declined relative wound healing rate were observed in si-UBE2K transfected U87 and U251 cells. Moreover, the Bcl-2 level was markedly reduced, while the Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 levels were sharply increased in U87 and U251 cells after the si-UBE2K transfection. Furthermore, the p62 level was signally declined, while the Beclin-1 and LC-3 II/I levels were greatly increased in U87 and U251 cells by the si-UBE2K transfection. Furthermore, the facilitating effect of si-UBE2K on the apoptosis and autophagy in U87 and U251 cells was abolished by the coculture of 3-MA, an inhibitor of autophagy. Collectively, UBE2K facilitated the in vitro growth of glioma cells, possibly by inhibiting the autophagy-related apoptosis, which might be a promising target for treating glioma.

Interaction of SMAC with a survivin-derived peptide alters essential cancer hallmarks: Tumor growth, inflammation, and immunosuppression

Second mitochondrial-derived activator of caspase (SMAC), also known as direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding proteins with low pI (Diablo), is known as a pro-apoptotic mitochondrial protein released into the cytosol in response to apoptotic signals. We recently reported SMAC overexpression in cancers as essential for cell proliferation and tumor growth due to non-apoptotic functions, including phospholipid synthesis regulation. These functions may be associated with its interactions with partner proteins. Using a peptide array with 768 peptides derived from 11 selected SMAC-interacting proteins, we identified SMAC-interacting sequences. These SMAC-binding sequences were produced as cell-penetrating peptides targeted to the cytosol, mitochondria, or nucleus, inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in several cell lines. For in vivo study, a survivin/baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5)-derived peptide was selected, due to its overexpression in many cancers and its involvement in mitosis, apoptosis, autophagy, cell proliferation, inflammation, and immune responses, as a target for cancer therapy. Specifically, a SMAC-targeting survivin/BIRC5-derived peptide, given intratumorally or intravenously, strongly inhibited lung tumor growth, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and inflammation, induced apoptosis, and remodeled the tumor microenvironment. The peptide promoted tumor infiltration of CD-8+ cells and increased cell-intrinsic programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, resulting in cancer cell self-destruction and increased tumor cell death, preserving immune cells. Thus, targeting the interaction between the multifunctional proteins SMAC and survivin represents an innovative therapeutic cancer paradigm.

RBCK1 overexpression is associated with immune cell infiltration and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

RBCK1 is an important E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays an important role in many major diseases. However, the function and mechanism of RBCK1 in pan-cancer and its association with immune cell infiltration have not been reported. The purpose of this study is to find out the expression of RBCK1 in cancer, and to explore the relationship between RBCK1 and the prognosis of patients. Our results show that the expression of RBCK1 is up-regulated in a variety of malignant tumors, and is closely related to the prognosis of patients. Further studies have shown that RBCK1 regulates protein expression in the nucleus and plays an important role in ribosome and valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation. Genetic variation analysis showed that RBCK1 was mainly involved in missense mutations in multiple tumors, and mutated patients showed poor prognoses. Further studies showed that RBCK1 may be interacted with proteins such as RNRPB, MCRS1, TRIB3, MKKS and ARPC3. Through protein interaction analysis, we found 43 proteins interacting with RBCK1 in liver cancer. We also analyzed immune cell infiltration and found that RBCK1 expression was positively correlated with T cells and macrophages, while it was negatively correlated with neutrophils, NK cells, and DCs in liver cancer. Finally, we confirmed experimentally that RBCK1 can significantly inhibit the apoptosis and invasion of HCC. Therefore, we speculate that RBCK1 plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of HCC.

SMAC Mimetics for the Treatment of Lung Carcinoma: Present Development and Future Prospects

BACKGROUND

Uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation, which originate from lung tissue often lead to lung carcinoma and are more likely due to smoking as well as inhaled environmental toxins. It is widely recognized that tumour cells evade the ability of natural programmed death (apoptosis) and facilitates tumour progression and metastasis. Therefore investigating and targeting the apoptosis pathway is being utilized as one of the best approaches for decades.

OBJECTIVE

This review describes the emergence of SMAC mimetic drugs as a treatment approach, its possibilities to synergize the response along with current limitations as well as future perspective therapy for lung cancer.

METHOD

Articles were analysed using search engines and databases namely Pubmed and Scopus.

RESULT

Under cancerous circumstances, the level of Inhibitor of Apoptosis Proteins (IAPs) gets elevated, which suppresses the pathway of programmed cell death, plus supports the proliferation of lung cancer. As it is a major apoptosis regulator, natural drugs that imitate the IAP antagonistic response like SMAC mimetic agents/Diablo have been identified to trigger cell death. SMAC i.e. second mitochondria activators of caspases is a molecule produced by mitochondria, stimulates apoptosis by neutralizing/inhibiting IAP and prevents its potential responsible for the activation of caspases. Various preclinical data have proven that these agents elicit the death of lung tumour cells. Apart from inducing apoptosis, these also sensitize the cancer cells toward other effective anticancer approaches like chemo, radio, or immunotherapies. There are many SMAC mimetic agents such as birinapant, BV-6, LCL161, and JP 1201, which have been identified for diagnosis as well as treatment purposes in lung cancer and are also under clinical investigation.

CONCLUSION

SMAC mimetics acts in a restorative way in the prevention of lung cancer.

The abdominal aortic aneurysm-related disease model based on machine learning predicts immunity and m1A/m5C/m6A/m7G epigenetic regulation

Introduction: Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are among the most lethal non-cancerous diseases. A comprehensive analysis of the AAA-related disease model has yet to be conducted. Methods: Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) was performed for the AAA-related genes. Machine learning random forest and LASSO regression analysis were performed to develop the AAA-related score. Immune characteristics and epigenetic characteristics of the AAA-related score were explored. Results: Our study developed a reliable AAA-related disease model for predicting immunity and m1A/m5C/m6A/m7G epigenetic regulation. Discussion: The pathogenic roles of four model genes, UBE2K, TMEM230, VAMP7, and PUM2, in AAA, need further validation by in vitro and in vivo experiments.