Overexpression of LIMK1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in gastric cancer

Practical Three-Component Regioselective Synthesis of Drug-Like 3-Aryl(or heteroaryl)-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]cinnolines as Potential Non-Covalent Multi-Targeting Inhibitors To Combat Neurodegenerative Diseases

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are one of the prominent health challenges facing contemporary society, and many efforts have been made to overcome and (or) control it. In this research paper, we described a practical one-pot two-step three-component reaction between 3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one (1), aryl(or heteroaryl)glyoxal monohydrates (2a-h), and hydrazine monohydrate (NH2NH2•H2O) for the regioselective preparation of some 3-aryl(or heteroaryl)-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]cinnoline derivatives (3a-h). After synthesis and characterization of the mentioned cinnolines (3a-h), the in silico multi-targeting inhibitory properties of these heterocyclic scaffolds have been investigated upon various Homo sapiens-type enzymes, including hMAO-A, hMAO-B, hAChE, hBChE, hBACE-1, hBACE-2, hNQO-1, hNQO-2, hnNOS, hiNOS, hPARP-1, hPARP-2, hLRRK-2(G2019S), hGSK-3β, hp38α MAPK, hJNK-3, hOGA, hNMDA receptor, hnSMase-2, hIDO-1, hCOMT, hLIMK-1, hLIMK-2, hRIPK-1, hUCH-L1, hPARK-7, and hDHODH, which have confirmed their functions and roles in the neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), based on molecular docking studies, and the obtained results were compared with a wide range of approved drugs and well-known (with IC50, EC50, etc.) compounds. In addition, in silico ADMET prediction analysis was performed to examine the prospective drug properties of the synthesized heterocyclic compounds (3a-h). The obtained results from the molecular docking studies and ADMET-related data demonstrated that these series of 3-aryl(or heteroaryl)-5,6-dihydrobenzo[h]cinnolines (3a-h), especially hit ones, can really be turned into the potent core of new drugs for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), and/or due to the having some reactionable locations, they are able to have further organic reactions (such as cross-coupling reactions), and expansion of these compounds (for example, with using other types of aryl(or heteroaryl)glyoxal monohydrates) makes a new avenue for designing novel and efficient drugs for this purpose.

Prognostic values of tumor size and location in early stage endometrial cancer patients who received radiotherapy

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the correlation between tumor size, tumor location, and prognosis in patients with early-stage endometrial cancer (EC) receiving adjuvant radiotherapy.

METHODS

Data of patients who had been treated for stage I-II EC from March 1999 to September 2017 in 13 tertiary hospitals in China was screened. Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate associations between tumor size, tumor location, and other clinical or pathological factors with cancer-specific survival (CSS) and distant metastasis failure-free survival (DMFS). The relationship between tumor size as a continuous variable and prognosis was demonstrated by restricted cubic splines. Prognostic models were constructed as nomograms and evaluated by Harrell's C-index, calibration curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

The study cohort comprised 805 patients with a median follow-up of 61 months and a median tumor size of 3.0 cm (range 0.2-15.0 cm). Lower uterine segment involvement (LUSI) was found in 243 patients (30.2%). Tumor size and LUSI were identified to be independent prognostic factors for CSS. Further, tumor size was an independent predictor of DMFS. A broadly positive relationship between poor survival and tumor size as a continuous variable was visualized in terms of hazard ratios. Nomograms constructed and evaluated for CSS and DMFS had satisfactory calibration curves and C-indexes of 0.847 and 0.716, respectively. The area under the ROC curves for 3- and 5-year ROC ranged from 0.718 to 0.890.

CONCLUSION

Tumor size and LUSI are independent prognostic factors in early-stage EC patients who have received radiotherapy. Integrating these variables into prognostic models would improve predictive ability.

PDZ and LIM Domain-Encoding Genes: Their Role in Cancer Development

PDZ-LIM family proteins (PDLIMs) are a kind of scaffolding proteins that contain PDZ and LIM interaction domains. As protein-protein interacting molecules, PDZ and LIM domains function as scaffolds to bind to a variety of proteins. The PDLIMs are composed of evolutionarily conserved proteins found throughout different species. They can participate in cell signal transduction by mediating the interaction of signal molecules. They are involved in many important physiological processes, such as cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and the maintenance of cellular structural integrity. Studies have shown that dysregulation of the PDLIMs leads to tumor formation and development. In this paper, we review and integrate the current knowledge on PDLIMs. The structure and function of the PDZ and LIM structural domains and the role of the PDLIMs in tumor development are described.

MicroRNA-143 as a potential tumor suppressor in cancer: An insight into molecular targets and signaling pathways

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs), which are highly conserved and small noncoding RNAs, negatively regulate gene expression and influence signaling pathways involved in essential biological activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell invasion. MiRNAs have received much attention in the past decade due to their significant roles in cancer development. In particular, microRNA-143 (miR-143) is recognized as a tumor suppressor and is downregulated in most cancers. However, it seems that miR-143 is upregulated in rare cases, such as prostate cancer stem cells, and acts as an oncogene. The present review will outline the current studies illustrating the impact of miR-143 expression levels on cancer progression and discuss its target genes and their relevant signaling pathways to discover a potential therapeutic way for cancer.

LIM Kinases, LIMK1 and LIMK2, Are Crucial Node Actors of the Cell Fate: Molecular to Pathological Features

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) and LIM kinase 2 (LIMK2) are serine/threonine and tyrosine kinases and the only two members of the LIM kinase family. They play a crucial role in the regulation of cytoskeleton dynamics by controlling actin filaments and microtubule turnover, especially through the phosphorylation of cofilin, an actin depolymerising factor. Thus, they are involved in many biological processes, such as cell cycle, cell migration, and neuronal differentiation. Consequently, they are also part of numerous pathological mechanisms, especially in cancer, where their involvement has been reported for a few years and has led to the development of a wide range of inhibitors. LIMK1 and LIMK2 are known to be part of the Rho family GTPase signal transduction pathways, but many more partners have been discovered over the decades, and both LIMKs are suspected to be part of an extended and various range of regulation pathways. In this review, we propose to consider the different molecular mechanisms involving LIM kinases and their associated signalling pathways, and to offer a better understanding of their variety of actions within the physiology and physiopathology of the cell.

The phosphorylation level of Cofilin-1 is related to the pathological subtypes of gastric cancer

The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship between multiple proteins belonging to the LIMK/Cofilin pathway, including LIMK1, LIMK2, Cofilin-1, and p-Cofilin-1 and clinical features of gastric cancer (GC) patients, including overall survival, TNM stages, and pathological subtypes. The expression of LIMK1, LIMK2, Cofilin-1 and p-Cofilin-1 in the GC tissues and adjacent normal stomach tissues from 141 patients were detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Spearman rank correlation coefficients were used to measure the relationship between different TNM stages, pathological types, and selected parameters. OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and survival curves were compared using the log-rank test. Our results showed that, compared to those in the adjacent normal stomach tissues, LIMK1, LIMK2 and Cofilin-1 were up-regulated while p-Cofilin-1 was down-regulated in the GC tissues. LIMK1 level was positively correlated to the TNM stages of GC. According to the published dataset, the expression levels of both LIMK1 and LIMK2 were correlated to the overall survival time of GC patients. The level of Cofilin-1 was significantly different between GCs of different TNM stages. Moreover, most importantly, this is the first study to reveal that the level of Cofilin-1 is higher, and the level of p-Cofilin-1 is lower in the diffuse type of GC compared to that in intestinal type. Taken together, our study demonstrated that multiple factors in LIMK/Cofilin pathway including LIMK1, LIMK2, Cofilin-1, and p-Cofilin-1 were associated with the clinical and pathological features of GC, which is potentially helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of GC.

Comparative Analysis of Small-Molecule LIMK1/2 Inhibitors: Chemical Synthesis, Biochemistry, and Cellular Activity

LIM domain kinases 1 and 2 (LIMK1 and LIMK2) regulate actin dynamics and subsequently key cellular functions such as proliferation and migration. LIMK1 and LIMK2 phosphorylate and inactivate cofilin leading to increased actin polymerization. As a result, LIMK inhibitors are emerging as a promising treatment strategy for certain cancers and neurological disorders. High-quality chemical probes are required if the role of these kinases in health and disease is to be understood. To that end, we report the results of a comparative assessment of 17 reported LIMK1/2 inhibitors in a variety of in vitro enzymatic and cellular assays. Our evaluation has identified three compounds (TH-257, LIJTF500025, and LIMKi3) as potent and selective inhibitors suitable for use as in vitro and in vivo pharmacological tools for the study of LIMK function in cell biology.

LIMK1: A promising prognostic and immune infiltration indicator in colorectal cancer

Studies have shown that LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) is upregulated in a variety of tumors and may be a potential detection target. The present study analyzed the expression difference of LIMK1 and its relationship with tumor clinicopathological characteristics and tumor microenvironment in colorectal cancer (CRC). The transcriptomic data of LIMK1 with CRC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and GEO databases for analyzing the expression of LIMK1 mRNA and the correlation with the prognosis of patients. The protein expression of LIMK1 was obtained from the Human Protein Atlas. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Kaplan-Meier was used to evaluate the expression characteristics and prognostic differences of LIMK1 in CRC. STRING was used to analyze co-expression genes of LIMK1. The tumor immune estimation resource was applied to the correlation between LIMK1 expression and immune infiltrates. The present study verified LIMK1 expression at the level of clinical samples collected from the Tianjin Medical University General Hospital and cell lines using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The mRNA and protein expression of LIMK1 were both upregulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent tissues in CRC. The expression levels of LIMK1 were positively associated with clinical-pathological features of CRC including lymphatic invasion (P=4.00×10⁻²) and high pathologic stages (P=4.20×10⁻²). The AUC value of LIMK1 in CRC was 0.937 (95% CI: 0.918-0.957) through ROC analysis. Under the best cut-off value (4.009), the sensitivity and specificity were 98 and 81.9%. LIMK1 expression was mainly related to CD4⁺ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells in the immune microenvironment of CRC. In conclusion, the high expression of LIMK1 in CRC was closely related to the clinical features and prognosis of patients. Therefore, LIMK1 was a promising prognostic indicator and a potential target for immunotherapy in CRC.

LIMK1 Interacts with STK25 to Regulate EMT and Promote the Proliferation and Metastasis of Colorectal Cancer

Objective

To investigate the interaction between LIMK1 and STK25 and its expression in colon cancer and its effect on the malignant evolution of colon cancer.

Methods

Fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of the LIMK1 gene in cancer and adjacent tissues of 20 clinical colon cancer samples. The overexpression plasmids of LIMK1 and STK25 were constructed. An shRNA specific to LIMK1 was synthesized and transfected into colon cancer cell lines. The expression levels of EMT-related markers in cell lines were detected by real-time PCR. The effects of LIMK1 and STK25 on the proliferation and invasion of colon cancer cell lines were detected by CCK-8 assay, Transwell, and clonogenesis.

Results

LIMK1 interacted with STK25 and was highly expressed in colon cancer. High expression of LIMK1 and STK25 is associated with poor prognosis in colon cancer patients. LIMK silencing inhibits proliferation, invasion, and EMT of colon cancer. Cotransfection of LIMK1 and STK25 promotes the malignant progression and EMT of colon cancer.

Conclusion

Protein interaction between LIMK1 and STK25 occurs. Overexpression of LIMK1 and STK25 plays a role in promoting cell proliferation and invasion in colon cancer tissues and cells. They also play a role in promoting the occurrence and development of colon cancer.

Upregulation of LIMK1 Is Correlated With Poor Prognosis and Immune Infiltrates in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Background

Protein-coding gene LIM Domain Kinase 1 (LIMK1) is upregulated in various tumors and reported to promote tumor invasion and metastasis. However, the prognostic values of LIMK1 and correlation with immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma are still not understood. Therefore, we evaluated the prognostic role of LIMK1 and its correlation with immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma.

Methods

Transcriptional expression profiles of LIMK1 between lung adenocarcinoma tissues and normal tissues were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The LIMK1 protein expression was assessed by the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) and the Human Protein Atlas. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to differentiate lung adenocarcinoma from adjacent normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier method was conducted to assess the effect of LIMK1 on survival. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed by the STRING. Functional enrichment analyses were performed using the “ClusterProfiler” package. The relationship between LIMK1 mRNA expression and immune infiltrates was determined by tumor immune estimation resource (TIMER) and tumor-immune system interaction database (TISIDB).

Results

The expression of LIMK1 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly upregulated than those in adjacent normal tissues. Increased LIMK1 mRNA expression was associated with lymph node metastases and high TNM stage. The ROC curve analysis showed that with a cutoff level of 4.908, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity for LIMK1 differentiate lung adenocarcinoma from adjacent controls were 69.5, 93.2, and 71.9%, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed lung adenocarcinoma patients with high- LIMK1 had a worse prognosis than those with low- LIMK1 (43.1 vs. 55.1 months, P = 0.028). Correlation analysis indicated LIMK1 mRNA expression was correlated with tumor purity and immune infiltrates.

Conclusion

Upregulated LIMK1 is significantly correlated with poor survival and immune infiltrates in lung adenocarcinoma. Our study suggests that LIMK1 can be used as a biomarker of poor prognosis and potential immune therapy target in lung adenocarcinoma.

MicroRNA-125a-5p targets LIM kinase 1 to inhibit cisplatin resistance of cervical cancer cells

Cervical cancer (CC), also known as invasive cervical carcinoma, is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the function of microRNA (miR)-125a-5p on CC progression and cisplatin (DDP) resistance. For this purpose, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to assess the expression of miR-125a-5p and LIMK1 in CC tissues, corresponding normal tissues and cells (human CC cell lines: C-33A, CaSKi; human cervical epithelial cells: HUCEC). Cisplatin (DDP) resistant cervical cancer cell lines were established (C-33A/DDP and CaSKi/DDP cell lines). RT-qPCR results demonstrated that miR-125a-5p or LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) expression was downregulated or upregulated in C-33A/DDP and CaSKi/DDP cells, respectively. MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis and Western blotting were employed to detect the proliferation, apoptosis rate, IC₅₀ of DDP and the expression of drug resistance-related proteins (P-glycoprotein and glutathione S-transferase-π). The targeting relationship between miR-125a-5p and LIMK1 was confirmed by the TargetScan database and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. In CC tissues and cell lines, compared with normal tissues or HUCEC, miR-125a-5p expression was downregulated and LIMK1 expression was upregulated. The transfection with miR-125a-5p mimics decreased the proliferation of CaSKi/DDP cells, increased the apoptosis rate, reduced the IC₅₀ of DDP, and downregulated the expression of drug resistance-related proteins; conversely, LIMK1 overexpression decreased the apoptosis rate, increased the IC₅₀ of DDP, and upregulated the expression of drug resistance-related proteins. The luciferase reporter gene assay demonstrated that miR-125a-5p targeted and negatively regulated LIMK1. miR-125a-5p could partially reverse the effect of LIMK1 on the proliferation, apoptosis, IC₅₀ of DDP and the expressions of drug resistance-related proteins. The findings of the present study indicated that miR-125a-5p sensitizes CC cells to DDP by targeting LIMK1, hence increasing the anticancer efficacy of cisplatin.

Cofilin-1, LIMK1 and SSH1 are differentially expressed in locally advanced colorectal cancer and according to consensus molecular subtypes

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the deadliest cancers, wherein early dissemination of tumor cells, and consequently, metastasis formation, are the main causes of mortality and poor prognosis. Cofilin-1 (CFL-1) and its modulators, LIMK1/SSH1, play key roles in mediating the invasiveness by driving actin cytoskeleton reorganization in various cancer types. However, their clinical significance and prognostic value in CRC has not been fully explored. Here, we evaluated the clinical contribution of these actin regulators according to TNM and consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) classification.

Methods

CFL-1, LIMK1 and SSH1 mRNA/protein levels were assessed by real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analyses using normal adjacent and tumor tissues obtained from a clinical cohort of CRC patients. The expression levels of these proteins were associated with clinicopathological features by using the chi square test. In addition, using RNA-Seq data of CRC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we determine how these actin regulators are expressed and distributed according to TNM and CMSs classification. Based on gene expression profiling, Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to evaluated overall survival.

Results

Bioinformatic analysis revealed that LIMK1 expression was upregulated in all tumor stages. Patients with high levels of LIMK1 demonstrated significantly lower overall survival rates and exhibited greater lymph node metastatic potential in a clinical cohort. In contrast, CFL-1 and SSH1 have expression downregulated in all tumor stages. However, immunohistochemical analyses showed that patients with high protein levels of CFL-1 and SSH1 exhibited greater lymph node metastatic potential and greater depth of local invasion. In addition, using the CMSs classification to evaluate different biological phenotypes of CRC, we observed that LIMK1 and SSH1 genes are upregulated in immune (CMS1) and mesenchymal (CMS4) subtypes. However, patients with high levels of LIMK1 also demonstrated significantly lower overall survival rates in canonical (CMS2), and metabolic (CMS3) subtypes.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that CFL-1 and its modulators, LIMK1/SSH1, are differentially expressed and associated with lymph node metastasis in CRC. Finally, this expression profile may be useful to predict patients with aggressive signatures, particularly, the immune and mesenchymal subtypes of CRC.

Requirement for LIM kinases in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive disease for which only few targeted therapies are available. Using high-throughput RNA interference (RNAi) screening in AML cell lines, we identified LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) as a potential novel target for AML treatment. High LIMK1 expression was significantly correlated with shorter survival of AML patients and coincided with FLT3 mutations, KMT2A rearrangements, and elevated HOX gene expression. RNAi- and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated suppression as well as pharmacologic inhibition of LIMK1 and its close homolog LIMK2 reduced colony formation and decreased proliferation due to slowed cell-cycle progression of KMT2A-rearranged AML cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) samples. This was accompanied by morphologic changes indicative of myeloid differentiation. Transcriptome analysis showed upregulation of several tumor suppressor genes as well as downregulation of HOXA9 targets and mitosis-associated genes in response to LIMK1 suppression, providing a potential mechanistic basis for the anti-leukemic phenotype. Finally, we observed a reciprocal regulation between LIM kinases (LIMK) and CDK6, a kinase known to be involved in the differentiation block of KMT2A-rearranged AML, and addition of the CDK6 inhibitor palbociclib further enhanced the anti-proliferative effect of LIMK inhibition. Together, these data suggest that LIMK are promising targets for AML therapy.

Effects of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin-1 signaling pathway on proliferation, invasion, and migration of human osteosarcoma cells

Purpose

To explore the effects of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 signaling pathway on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of human osteosarcoma cells.

Methods

The expression of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 was detected by immunohistochemistry in osteosarcoma tissues. The osteosarcoma cell line MG63 was transfected and divided into Mock, Control siRNA, si‐PAK4, LIMK1, and si‐PAK4+LIMK1 groups. Then, the cellular biological features of MG63 cells were detected by CCK‐8, wound‐healing, Transwell, and flow cytometry methods. The relationship of PAK4 and LIMK1 was performed by co‐immunoprecipitation test, and the protein expression of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 was determined by Western blotting. Finally, the effect of PAK4 on the growth of osteosarcoma was verified by subcutaneous transplantation model of osteosarcoma in nude mice.

Results

The expression of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 in both osteosarcoma tissues and cells was up‐regulated. Positive PAK4, LIMK1, and Cofilin‐1 expressions in osteosarcoma were associated with the clinical stage, distant metastasis, and tumor grade. The MG63 cell viability, migration, and invasion, as well as the expression of PAK4, p‐LIMK/LIMK, and p‐Cofilin‐1/Cofilin‐1, were restrained by the knock down of PAK4 while it promoted apoptosis. PAK4 silencing also suppressed the growth of subcutaneous transplanted tumor in nude mice. Co‐immunocoprecipitation showed that LIMK and PAK4 protein can form complex in osteosarcoma cells. Besides, LIMK1 overexpression reversed the inhibition effect of PAK4 siRNA on the growth of osteosarcoma cells.

Conclusion

The expression of PAK4/LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 pathway in osteosarcoma tissues was up‐regulated. Thus, PAK4 inhibition may restrict the osteosarcoma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration but promote its apoptosis via decreasing the activity of LIMK1/Cofilin‐1 pathway.

Up-regulation of LIMK1 expression in prostate cancer is correlated with poor pathological features, lymph node metastases and biochemical recurrence

This study aimed to explore the association between LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) expression in prostate cancer (PCa) tissues with advanced pathological features, lymph node metastases and biochemical recurrence. A total of 279 PCa specimens from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy and 50 benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) specimens were collected to construct tissue microarray, which were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for LIMK1 expression subsequently. Logistic and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the relationship between LIMK1 expression and clinicopathological features of patients with PCa. Immunohistochemical staining assay demonstrated that LIMK1 expression was significantly higher in PCa than BPH specimens (77.1% vs 26.0%; P < .001). LIMK1 expression was significantly higher in positive lymph node specimens than corresponding PCa specimens (P = .002; P < .001). Up‐regulation of LIMK1 was associated with prostate volume, prostate‐specific antigen, prostate‐specific antigen density, Gleason score, T stage, lymph node metastases, extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion, and positive surgical margin. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that LIMK1 was an independent risk factor for PCa lymph node metastasis (P < .05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that the up‐regulation of LIMK1 was an independent risk factor for biochemical recurrence. Kaplan‐Meier analysis indicated that up‐regulation LIMK1 was associated with shortened biochemical‐free survival (BFS) after radical prostatectomy (P < .001). In conclusion, LIMK1 was significantly up‐regulated in PCa and positive lymph node specimens and correlated with lymph node metastasis and shortened BFS of PCa. The underlying molecular mechanism of LIMK1 in PCa should be further evaluated.

MiR-128-3p suppresses breast cancer cellular progression via targeting LIMK1

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women all over the world. MiRNAs are a type of small noncoding RNA that can regulate various cellular processes via binding different target genes in cancer cells. In this study, we found that miR-128-3p could suppress cellular proliferation and motility abilities of breast cancer. In addition, we found that overexpression of miR-128-3p arrested breast cancer cells in G0/G1 phase by affecting expression of CDK4/CDK6/Cyclin D1 and CDK2/Cyclin E1. Furthermore, we confirmed that LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1) is a direct target gene of miR-128-3p and that overexpression of miR-128-3p could suppress the expression levels of LIMK1 and Cofilin 1, which is downstream of LIMK1. TCGA clinical database showed that miR-128-3p was highly expressed in breast cancer patients and that high expression of miR-128-3p indicates a better prognosis of breast cancer. Our findings demonstrated that miR-128-3p could regulate cellular progression of breast cancer via regulating the LIMK1/CFL1 signaling pathway, and this new avenue could broaden existing versions of molecular mechanisms in breast cancer and perhaps represent potential novel direction of breast cancer treatment in the future.

DANCR promotes HCC progression and regulates EMT by sponging miR-27a-3p via ROCK1/LIMK1/COFILIN1 pathway

Objectives

This research aims to verify that the long non‐coding RNA differentiation antagonizing nonprotein coding RNA (LncRNA DANCR) could modulate the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it thus may work as a novel biomarker to render new orientation for early diagnosis and clinical therapy of HCC.

Materials and methods

Firstly, qRT‐PCR was used to detect the expression of genes including LncRNA DANCR and miR‐27a‐3p. Next, MTT assay, Ethynyldeoxyuridine (EdU) analysis and clone formation assay were used for investigating cell growth and proliferation. Meanwhile, transwell assay and wound healing assay were applied to evaluate the capacity of cell metastasis and motility, respectively. In addition, bioinformatic analysis and dual‐luciferase reporter assay were applied to analyse molecular interaction. Next, we conducted immunofluorescence and Western blot for mechanic investigation. Last but not the least, xenograft tumours in nude mice were built by subcutaneously injecting Hep3B cells stably transfected with sh‐NC and sh‐DANCR to detect proliferation and SMMC‐7721 cells stably transfected with sh‐NC and sh‐DANCR to investigate metastasis.

Results

The results of qRT‐PCR and bioinformatic analysis revealed the high expression of DANCR in HCC. DANCR accelerated proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells and the knockdown of DANCR had the opposite effect. Meanwhile, xenograft tumours in sh‐DANCR group grow slower and have smaller volumes compared with negative control group. Next, the antineoplastic effect of miR‐27a‐3p on cell growth and motility of HCC was confirmed. In addition, we clarified that DANCR acted as a ceRNA to decoy miR‐27a‐3p via mediating ROCK1/LIMK1/COFILIN1 pathway. In the end, we validated that DANCR/miR‐27a‐3p axis regulates EMT progression by cell immunofluorescence and Western blot.

Conclusions

In a word, DANCR promotes HCC development and induces EMT by decoying miR‐27a‐3p to regulate ROCK1/LIMK1/COFILIN1 pathway.

MiR-106a directly targets LIMK1 to inhibit proliferation and EMT of oral carcinoma cells

Background

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) expression levels are closely associated with microRNA (miRNA) processing. Higher levels of LIMK1 are reported during the progression of many cancers. Our study explored the interaction between LIMK1 and miR-106a in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to detect the levels of LIMK1 and miR-106a in OSCC tissues and cell lines. The rates of cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were assessed to determine the biological functions of miR-106a and LIMK1 in OSCC cells. The mRNA and protein levels of LIMK1 were measured using quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting. Luciferase assays were performed to validate LIMK1 as an miR-106a target in OSCC cells.

Results

We found that the level of miR-106a significantly decreased and the expression of LIMK1 significantly increased in OSCC tissues and cell lines. There was a close association between these changes. Knockdown of LIMK1 significantly inhibited the proliferation and EMT of OSCC cells. The bioinformatics analysis predicted that LIMK1 is a potential target gene of miR-106a and the luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-106a could directly target LIMK1. Introduction of miR-106a to OSCC cells had similar effects to LIMK1 silencing. Overexpression of LIMK1 in OSCC cells partially reversed the inhibitory effects of the miR-106a mimic.

Conclusion

MiR-106a inhibited the cell proliferation and EMT of OSCC cells by directly decreasing LIMK1 expression.

A novel gene expression-based prognostic scoring system to predict survival in gastric cancer

Analysis of gene expression patterns in gastric cancer (GC) can help to identify a comprehensive panel of gene biomarkers for predicting clinical outcomes and to discover potential new therapeutic targets. Here, a multi-step bioinformatics analytic approach was developed to establish a novel prognostic scoring system for GC. We first identified 276 genes that were robustly differentially expressed between normal and GC tissues, of which, 249 were found to be significantly associated with overall survival (OS) by univariate Cox regression analysis. The biological functions of 249 genes are related to cell cycle, RNA/ncRNA process, acetylation and extracellular matrix organization. A network was generated for view of the gene expression architecture of 249 genes in 265 GCs. Finally, we applied a canonical discriminant analysis approach to identify a 53-gene signature and a prognostic scoring system was established based on a canonical discriminant function of 53 genes. The prognostic scores strongly predicted patients with GC to have either a poor or good OS. Our study raises the prospect that the practicality of GC patient prognosis can be assessed by this prognostic scoring system.

Regulation of drug resistance and metastasis of gastric cancer cells via the microRNA647-ANK2 axis

Due to a lack of effective methods for early diagnosis, the majority of patients with gastric cancer (GC) are diagnosed during the late stages of the disease, which are often accompanied by metastasis. For these patients, despite being considered an important therapeutic modality in the treatment of cancer, chemotherapy is usually not effective due to multidrug resistance (MDR). The expression levels of MDR/metastasis-associated genes are regulated by numerous microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs). The expression of miR-647 in GC tissues and SGC7901/VCR cell line (drug resistance to vincristine) was detected by qRT-PCR. The effect of overexpression of miR-647 on drug resistance was evaluated by measuring the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of SGC-7901/VCR to vincristine and tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, drug-induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry, as well as the ability of cell migration and invasiveness detected by wound healing and transwell assay. Furthermore, underlying targets of miR-647 were predicted by TargetScan and MicroRNA; meanwhile, the expression of ANK2, FAK, MMP2, MMP12,CD44,SNAIL1 were observed by qRT-PCR and western blot analysis. The present study established that the expression levels of miR-647 were downregulated in GC tissues from patients with metastasis and in the vincristine-resistant SGC7901 (SGC-7901/VCR) GC cell line. The IC₅₀ value for vincristine was significantly decreased, whereas the proportion of cells in G₀/G₁ phase and the drug-induced apoptotic rate were significantly increased following upregulation of miR-647. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that miR-647 overexpression led to decreased migration and invasion of SGC-7901/VCR cells. Overexpression of miR-647 was also demonstrated to sensitize tumors to chemotherapy in vivo. In addition, miR-647 overexpression was able to reduce the expression levels of ankyrin-B, focal adhesion kinase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2, MMP12, cluster of differentiation 44 and snail family transcriptional repressor 1. In conclusion, these findings demonstrated that miR-647 may function as a novel target to ameliorate drug resistance and metastasis of GC cells.

LIM kinase 1 interacts with myosin-9 and alpha-actinin-4 and promotes colorectal cancer progression

Background:

LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1) is a key regulator of the cytoskeletal organisation involved in cell proliferation and migration. Even though LIMK1 is frequently dysregulated in epithelial cancers, the role and mechanisms of LIMK1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear.

Methods:

Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to examine the expression and clinical significance of LIMK1 in CRC samples. Loss- and gain-of-function assay was performed to investigate the effects of aberrant expression on cellular biological behaviour of CRC cells in vitro and in vivo. Immunoblotting and immunoprecipitation was used to screen LIMK1-related signalling pathways and downstream factors.

Results:

In this study, our results showed that LIMK1 was upregulated in CRC tissues and localised in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus of CRC cells. Overexpression of LIMK1 in cytoplasmic and nuclear subcellular compartments was closely related to tumour metastasis and poor prognosis of CRC patients. Enhanced expression of cytoplasmic and nuclear LIMK1 significantly increased cell proliferation and migration by driving epithelial–mesenchymal transition and activating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway in vitro as well as promoting growth and metastasis of CRC xenografts, whereas opposite effects were achieved in LIMK1-silenced cells. Furthermore, we identified two tumour metastasis-associated proteins, MYH9 and ACTN4, as direct targets of LIMK1, which were required for a LIMK1-mediated aggressive phenotype.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that LIMK1 plays a critical role in promoting CRC progression at subcellular level. Our findings provide new insights into the metastasis of CRC and advocate for the development of clinical intervention strategies against advanced CRC.

Downregulation of LIMK1-ADF/cofilin by DADS inhibits the migration and invasion of colon cancer

This study aimed to explore whether the downregulation of LIM kinase 1 (LIMK1)-actin depolymerization factor (ADF, also known as destrin)/cofilin by diallyl disulfide (DADS) inhibited the migration and invasion of colon cancer. Previous studies have shown that silencing LIMK1 could significantly enhance the inhibitory effect of DADS on colon cancer cell migration and invasion, suggesting that LIMK1 was a target molecule of DADS, which needed further confirmation. This study reported that LIMK1 and destrin were highly expressed in colon cancer and associated with poor prognosis of patients with colon cancer. Also, the expression of LIMK1 was positively correlated with the expression of destrin. The overexpression of LIMK1 significantly promoted colon cancer cell migration and invasion. DADS obviously inhibited migration and invasion by suppressing the phosphorylation of ADF/cofilin via downregulation of LIMK1 in colon cancer cells. Furthermore, DADS-induced suppression of cell proliferation was enhanced and antagonized by the knockdown and overexpression of LIMK1 in vitro and in vivo, respectively. Similar results were observed for DADS-induced changes in the expression of vimentin, CD34, Ki-67, and E-cadherin in xenografted tumors. These results indicated that LIMK1 was a potential target molecule for the inhibitory effect of DADS on colon cancer cell migration and invasion.

Role of miR-647 in human gastric cancer suppression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate various oncogenes concomitantly, resulting in tumor suppression. They regulate proliferation and migration pathways in tumor development, suggesting a potential therapeutic role. In the present study, we found that miR-647 was markedly downregulated in gastric cancer (GC), and was significantly correlated with reduced tumor size and metastasis. In addition, miR-647 was also reduced in GC cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-647 in the GC cell lines inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and induced cell apoptosis. miR-647 also significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Notably, we found that miR-647 overexpression suppressed the migration and invasion of the cancer cells, particularly liver metastasis in nude mice. miR-647 also reduced the expression levels of genes associated with proliferation and metastasis in tumors, including ANK2, FAK, MMP2, MMP12, CD44 and SNAIL1. Overall, our findings demonstrated that miR-647 exerts powerful antitumorigenic effects in vitro and in vivo, and may represent a promising therapeutic agent against GC.

MiR-138-5p targeting LIMK1 suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation and motility

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed female cancer.

Diallyl disulfide suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and proliferation by downregulation of LIMK1 in gastric cancer

Diallyl disulfide (DADS) has been shown to have multi-targeted antitumor activities. We have previously discovered that it has a repressive effect on LIM kinase-1 (LIMK1) expression in gastric cancer MGC803 cells. This suggests that DADS may inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating LIMK1, resulting in the inhibition of invasion and growth in gastric cancer. In this study, we reveal that LIMK1 expression is correlated with tumor differentiation, invasion depth, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. DADS downregulated the Rac1-Pak1/Rock1-LIMK1 pathway in MGC803 cells, as shown by decreased p-LIMK1 and p-cofilin1 levels, and suppressed cell migration and invasion. Knockdown and overexpression experiments performed in vitro demonstrated that downregulating LIMK1 with DADS resulted in restrained EMT that was coupled with decreased matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and increased tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3) expression. In in vitro and in vivo experiments, the DADS-induced suppression of cell proliferation was enhanced and antagonized by the knockdown and overexpression of LIMK1, respectively. Similar results were observed for DADS-induced changes in the expression of vimentin, CD34, Ki-67, and E-cadherin in xenografted tumors. These results indicate that downregulation of LIMK1 by DADS could explain the inhibition of EMT, invasion and proliferation in gastric cancer cells.