ZSCAN16 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of bladder cancer via regulating NF-kB, AKT, mTOR, P38 and other genes

Unveiling nature's potential weapon: Magnolol's role in combating bladder cancer by upregulating the miR-124 and inactivating PKC-δ/ERK axis

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BC) is a challenging disease to manage. Researchers have been investigating the potential of magnolol, a compound derived from Magnolia officinalis, as an anti-cancer agent. However, the exact regulatory mechanism of magnolol and its impact on the NF-κB signaling pathway in BC remain unclear.

MATERIALS

To comprehensively evaluate its therapeutic potential, the researchers conducted a series of experiments using BC cell lines (TSGH8301, T24, and MB49) and in vivo animal models.

RESULTS

The results of the study demonstrated that magnolol exhibits cytotoxic effects on BC cells by activating both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis signaling pathways. Additionally, the expression of anti-apoptotic genes was downregulated by magnolol treatment. The researchers also uncovered the regulatory role of PKCδ/ERK and miR-124-3p in the NF-κB pathway, which may be influenced by magnolol. Treatment with magnolol led to the inactivation of PKCδ/ERK and an increase in miR-124-3p expression, effectively inhibiting NF-κB-mediated progression of BC. Importantly, the administration of magnolol did not result in significant toxicity in normal tissues, highlighting its potential as a safe adjunctive therapy with minimal adverse effects.

CONCLUSION

These findings position magnolol as a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of BC. By activating apoptosis signaling pathways and inhibiting NF-κB pathway through the upregulation of miR-124-3p and downregulation of PKCδ/ERK activation, magnolol holds promise for suppressing tumor progression and improving patient outcomes in BC. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of magnolol in the future.

Bioinformatics analysis of key biomarkers for bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent genitourinary cancers. Despite the growing research interest in BC, the molecular mechanisms underlying its carcinogenesis remain poorly understood. The microarray datasets GSE38264 and GSE61615 obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were analyzed and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, which were then verified using a dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). By taking the intersection of the two microarray datasets, the common DEGs were identified and these were selected as candidate genes associated with BC. The DEGs were further subjected to Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis, and the protein-protein interaction network was constructed. Further module analysis was performed using STRING and Cytoscape. A total of 362 DEGs were identified, including 13 hub genes, and the GO analysis revealed that these genes were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix organization, positive regulation of cell proliferation, angiogenesis and peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation. The expression changes of PTPRC, PDGFRA, CASQ2, TGFBI, KLRD1 and MT1X in the different datasets indicated that these genes were involved in the development of BC. Next, the differential expression of these genes was verified in the TCGA dataset, and ultimately, these 13 genes were determined to be related to the occurrence and development of BC. Finally, the cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of patients with BC were collected and subjected to reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, the results of which were consistent with the bioinformatics prediction. The present findings provide several vital genes for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of BC.

Loss of MAGEC3 Expression Is Associated with Prognosis in Advanced Ovarian Cancers

Simple Summary

Familial studies connect variants in the X-linked gene MAGEC3 to early-onset ovarian cancers. In this retrospective cohort study, we determined that, unlike other MAGE family members, the MAGEC3 protein is normally expressed in ovarian tissue but is lost in half of the ovarian cancers. Similar to other predisposition genes like BRCA2, survival modeling suggests that expression loss is associated with favorable progression-free survival, and continued expression is associated with response to platinum therapy. Because of the assumed antigenicity of MAGE genes, we tested and observed associations with lymphocyte infiltration, NY-ESO-1 seropositivity, and the co-expression of tumor antigens at Xq28. Using transcriptomic modeling, we predicted that MAGEC3 expression is associated with stress-related cell cycle stalling and DNA repair pathway expression.

Abstract

Rare variants in MAGEC3 are associated with BRCA negative, early-onset ovarian cancers. Given this association, we evaluated the impact of MAGEC3 protein expression on prognosis and transcription. We quantified normal and tumor protein expression of MAGEC3 via immunohistochemistry in n = 394 advanced ovarian cancers, assessed the correlation of these values with clinicopathologic and immunological features and modeled survival using univariate and multivariate models. To extend these results, we quantified MAGEC3 protein expression in n = 180 cancers and used matching RNA sequencing data to determine MAGEC3-associated differentially expressed genes and to build an RNA-based model of MAGEC3 protein levels. This model was tested in a third independent cohort of patients from TCGA’s OV dataset (n = 282). MAGEC3 protein was sporadically lost in ovarian cancers, with half of the cases falling below the 9.5th percentile of normal tissue expression. Cases with MAGEC3 loss demonstrated better progression-free survival [HR = 0.71, p = 0.004], and analyses performed on predicted protein scores were consistent [HR = 0.57 p = 0.002]. MAGEC3 protein was correlated with CD8 protein expression [Pearson’s r = 0.176, p = 0.011], NY-ESO-1 seropositivity, and mRNA expression of tumor antigens at Xq28. Results of gene set enrichment analysis showed that genes associated with MAGEC3 protein expression cluster around G2/M checkpoint (NES = 3.20, FDR < 0.001) and DNA repair (NES = 2.28, FDR < 0.001) hallmark pathways. These results show that MAGEC3 is a prognostic biomarker in ovarian cancer.

Knockdown of MCM8 inhibits development and progression of bladder cancer in vitro and in vivo

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer is a frequently diagnosed urinary system tumor, whose mortality remains rising. Minichromosome maintenance eight homologous recombination repair factor (MCM8), a newly discovered MCM family member, has been shown to be required for DNA replication. Unfortunately, little is known concerning the roles of MCM8 in bladder cancer.

METHODS

The present study, we aimed at probing into the impacts and detailed mechanisms of MCM8 in bladder cancer progression. In this study, MCM8 expression level was detected through immunohistochemistry staining (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western blot assay. Silenced MCM8 cell models were constructed by lentivirus transfection. In vitro, the cell proliferation was evaluated by the MTT assay. The wound-healing assay and the transwell assay were utilized to assess the cell migration. Also, the cell apoptosis and the cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry. Moreover, the Human Apoptosis Antibody Array assay was performed to analyze the alterations of apoptosis-related proteins. The in vivo experiments were conducted to verify the effects of MCM8 knockdown on the tumor growth of bladder cancer.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that compared with normal adjacent tissues, MCM8 expression in bladder cancer tissues was strongly up-regulated. The up-regulation of MCM8 expression in bladder cancer may be a valuable independent prognostic indicator. Of note, MCM8 inhibition modulated the malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells. In terms of mechanism, it was validated that MCM8 knockdown made Akt, P-Akt, CCND1 and CDK6 levels down-regulated, as well as MAPK9 up-regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our study demonstrated an important role of MCM8 in bladder cancer and created a rationale for the therapeutic potential of MCM8 inhibition in human bladder cancer therapy.

Lobaplatin Enhances Radioactive 125I Seed-Induced Apoptosis and Anti-Proliferative Effect in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Suppressing the AKT/mTOR Pathway

Introduction

In recent years, radioactive ¹²⁵I seed implantation combined with chemotherapy has been regarded as a safe and effective treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the mechanism underlying this success is still unclear.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the apoptosis and anti-proliferative effect induced by ¹²⁵I in A549, H1975, and H157 cells and determined whether a sensitizing concentration of lobaplatin (LBP) could enhance these effects. We performed in vitro experiments on A549, H1975, and H157 cells; we investigated the effects of ¹²⁵I or lobaplatin (LBP) alone, or in combination, on cellular apoptosis and proliferation by performing flow cytometry, Bax/Bcl2 ratio, TUNEL, cell viability assay, cell cycle, and EdU. To further verify our findings, a subcutaneous tumor mouse model was established. Moreover, AKT/mTOR pathway was detected to determine whether this pathway was involved in the anti-cancer effect of ¹²⁵I and LBP by up-regulating or down-regulating the expression of mTOR.

Results

Based on our results, the sensitizing concentration of LBP could enhance the ¹²⁵I-induced apoptosis and anti-proliferation effect. Furthermore, the subcutaneous tumor mouse model obtained the consistent results. More importantly, the AKT/mTOR pathway was down-regulated after the treatment of ¹²⁵I and LBP, and the anti-cancer effect of ¹²⁵I and LBP could be compromised by up-regulating the mTOR expression.

Conclusion

Our study proved that LBP promotes the apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects of ¹²⁵I in NSCLC cells by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway and provides a foundation for future studies and enhanced combinatorial approaches for NSCLC in the clinical setting.