[Neuroendocrine prostate cancer: Natural history, molecular features, therapeutic management and future directions]

Ultrastructural changes associated to the neuroendocrine transdifferentiation of the lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549

The neuroendocrine transdifferentiation has been found in many cancer cell types, such as prostate, lung and gastrointestinal cells and is accompanied by a lower patient life expectancy. The transdifferentiation process has been induced in vitro by the exposure to different stimuli in human lung adenocarcinoma. The aim of this work was to identify the morphological characteristics of the neuroendocrine phenotype in a human lung cancer cell line, induced by two cAMP elevating agents (IBMX and FSK). Our results showed two phenotypes, one produced by IBMX with higher volume, cell size and increased number of secondary projections, and the other produced by FSK with higher area, roughness of the membrane, cell neurite percentage, number of outgrowths per cell and increased number of primary projections. In conclusion, we describe some morphological and ultrastructural characteristics of the neuroendocrine phenotype in A549 human lung cancer cell line promoted by IBMX and FSK to contribute to the understanding of the autocrine or paracrine signaling within the tumor microenvironment.

Neuroendocrine Differentiation of Prostate Cancer-An Intriguing Example of Tumor Evolution at Play

Our understanding of neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) has assumed a new perspective in light of the recent advances in research. Although classical NEPC is rarely seen in the clinic, focal neuroendocrine trans-differentiation of prostate adenocarcinoma occurs in about 30% of advanced prostate cancer (PCa) cases, and represents a therapeutic challenge. Even though our knowledge of the mechanisms that mediate neuroendocrine differentiation (NED) is still evolving, the role of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as a key driver of this phenomenon is increasingly becoming evident. In this review, we discuss the molecular, cellular, and therapeutic mediators of NED, and emphasize the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in orchestrating the phenotype. Understanding the role of the TME in mediating NED could provide us with valuable insights into the plasticity associated with the phenotype, and reveal potential therapeutic targets against this aggressive form of PCa.

Identification of a key candidate gene‑phenotype network mediated by glycyrrhizic acid using pharmacogenomic analysis

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is primarily used as an anti-inflammatory agent in cases of chronic hepatitis. However, its underlying mechanisms in diverse biological processes and its reported benefits are yet to be fully elucidated. In the current study, an analytical method based on pharmacogenomics was established to mine disease-modulatory activities mediated by GA. Five primary protein targets and 138 functional partners were identified for GA by querying open-source databases, including Drugbank and STRING. Subsequently, GA-associated primary and secondary protein targets were integrated into Cytoscape to construct a protein-protein interaction network to establish connectivity. GA-associated target genes were then clustered based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. The tumor necrosis factor axis was revealed to be a primary module regulated by GA-associated targets. Furthermore, 12 hub genes were queried to assess their potential anti-cancer effects using cBioPortal. The results indicated that pharmacogenomics-based analysis improved understanding of the underlying drug-target events of GA and provided predictive and definitive leads for future studies.