EMT in cervical cancer: Its role in tumour progression and response to therapy

circCUL3 drives malignant progression of cervical cancer by activating autophagy through sponge miR-223-3p upregulation of ATG7

Circular RNA (circRNA) has emerged as a pivotal regulatory factor in cancer biology, yet its exact role in cervical cancer remains incompletely understood. In this study, we investigated the functional role of circCUL3 in cervical cancer and explored its potential as a therapeutic target. Functional gain and loss experiments were conducted in Hela and Siha cell lines to elucidate the biological functions of circCUL3 in cervical cancer. The results revealed that circCUL3 overexpression significantly enhanced cell viability, migration, and invasion while suppressing apoptosis, while circCUL3 knockout displayed the opposite effects. Mechanistically, we identified hsa-miR-223-3p as a target of circCUL3, with its expression being negatively regulated by circCUL3. Furthermore, we discovered that circCUL3 could sequester miR-223-3p, leading to the upregulation of ATG7 expression, and this was linked to the regulation of autophagy in cervical cancer cells. In vivo validation using a xenograft mouse model further supported our in vitro findings. Notably, we found that chloroquine (CQ), an autophagy inhibitor, restored miR-223-3p expression and counteracted the oncogenic effect of circCUL3 overexpression. In conclusion, circCUL3 potentially contributes to the malignant progression of cervical cancer by acting as a sponge for miR-223-3p, resulting in the upregulation of ATG7 and the activation of autophagy.

Regulation of cervical cancer via G15-mediated inhibition of G protein-coupled estrogen receptor

Cervical cancer is among the most common gynecological malignancies. G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) is involved in the development of various tumors; however, its role in cervical cancer remains unclear. We investigated whether G15, an inhibitor of GPER, can regulate its expression and affect cervical cancer progression. We examined the biological behaviors of G15-treated SiHa and HeLa cells using Cell Counting Kit-8, monoclonal proliferation, plate scratching, and Transwell invasion experiments. Western blotting was used to detect the expression of GPER, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, Bcl-2, Bax, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1). The expression of GPER, E-cadherin, vimentin, and PD-L1 in cervical cancer and adjacent tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between GPER expression and clinicopathological characteristics was analyzed. The expression of GPER in cervical cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues, and it was detected in the membrane and cytoplasm of SiHa and HeLa cells. The proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of SiHa and HeLa cells were reduced after G15 treatment. The G15-treated groups exhibited higher expression of E-cadherin and Bax and lower expression of N-cadherin, vimentin, Bcl-2, GPER, p-PI3K, p-AKT, and PD-L1 than the control group. The expression of E-cadherin was lower and that of vimentin was higher in cancer tissues than in paracancerous tissues; PD-L1 was highly expressed in tumor and stromal cells in cancer tissues but not in paracancerous tissues. G15 functions by regulating the GPER/PI3K/AKT/PD-L1 signaling pathway and may serve as a new immunotherapy for treating patients with cervical cancer.

High M2-TAM Infiltration and STAT3/NF-κB Signaling Pathway as a Predictive Factor for Tumor Progression and Death in Cervical Cancer

INTRODUCTION

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in the progression, invasion, and metastasis of cervical carcinoma (CC). Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are significant components of the CC TME, but studies on their correlation with CC progression are still controversial. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between TAM infiltration, the STAT3/NF-κB signaling pathway, and Overall Survival (OS) in CC patients.

METHODS

In a retrospective study, 691 CC patients who had received a definitive histopathologic diagnosis of CC scored by the FIGO staging system and not undergone preoperative treatment were selected from a database. The effect of TAM infiltration on tumor progression biomarkers using Tissue Microarray (TMA) and immunohistochemistry was evaluated. Furthermore, the impact of the expression of these biomarkers and clinical-pathological parameters on recurrence-free (RF) and OS using Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression methods was also analyzed.

RESULTS

High stromal CD163 + 204 + TAMs density and via STAT3 and NF-κB pathways was relevant to the expression of E-cadherin, Vimentin, MMP9, VEGFα, Bcl-2, Ki-67, CD25, MIF, FOXP3, and IL-17 (all p < 0.0001). In addition, elevated TNM staging IV had a strong association correlation with STAT3 and NF-κB pathways (p < 0.0001), CD25 (p < 0.001), VEGFα (p < 0.001), MIF (p < 0.0001), and Ki-67 (p < 0.0001). On the other hand, overall and recurrence survival was shown to be strongly influenced by the expression of SNAIL (HR = 1.52), E-cadherin (HR = 1.78), and Ki-67 (HR = 1.44).

CONCLUSION

M2-TAM and via STAT3/NF-κB pathways had a strong effect on CC tumor progression which reverberated in the severity of clinicopathological findings, becoming an important factor of poor prognosis.

Endothelial cell specific molecule 1 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer via the E-box binding homeobox 1

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism of endothelial cell specific molecule 1 (ESM1) promoting cervical cancer cell proliferation and EMT characteristics through zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1)/EMT pathway.

METHODS

The correlation between ESM1 expression and prognosis of cervical cancer patients was analyzed by bioinformatics. SiHa, HeLa cell lines and corresponding control cell lines with stable ESM1 expression were obtained. Cell proliferation ability was detected by CCK-8 assay. The invasion and migration ability of Hela and SiHa cells were detected by Transwell assay and scratch closure assay. Expressions of EMT-related markers E-cadherin and Vimentin were detected by real-time PCR. The ability of silenced ESM1 to tumor formation in vivo was detected by tumor formation in nude mice. The effects of aloe-emodin on inhibit ESM1 expression and its inhibitory effect on cervical cancer cells in vitro and in vivo were analyzed by the same method.

RESULTS

ESM1 was highly expressed in cervical cancer, and the high expression of ESM1 was associated with poor prognosis of cervical cancer patients. CCK-8 results showed that the proliferation, invasion and migration of Hela and SiHa cells were significantly reduced after siRNA interfered with ESM1 expression. Overexpression of ESM1 promoted the proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. Mechanism studies have shown that the oncogenic effect of ESM1 is realized through the ZEB1/PI3K/AKT pathway. High throughput drug screening found that aloe-emodin can target ESM1. Inhibitory effect of aloe emodin on ESM1/ZEB1/EMT signaling pathway and cervical cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

The silencing of ESM1 expression may inhibit the proliferation, invasion, metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting ZEB1/PI3K/AKT. Aloe-emodin is a potential treatment for cervical cancer, which can play an anti-tumor role by inhibiting ESM1/ZEB1.

Cervical cancer cell-derived Tie1 expression via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway promotes tumor progression

BACKGROUND

Tie1 orphan receptor has become a focus of research, Tie1 can form a polymer with Tie2, regulate the Ang/Tie2 pathway and play a vital role in pathological angiogenesis and tumor progression, the function of Tie1 has remained uncertain in the progression of cervical cancer (CC). Here, we investigated the functional influences of Tie1 overexpress on CC in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

We used Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis to detect the relative expression of Tie1 in CC, and we analyzed its connection with the overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS)of CC patients. To prove the role of Tie1 in cell proliferation and metastatic, Tie1 expression in CC cell lines was upregulated by lentivirus.

RESULTS

The high expression of Tie1 in tumor cells of cervical cancer tissues is significantly correlated with FIGO stage, differentiated tumors, tumors with diameters, deep stromal invasion. We found that cell progression was promoted in Tie1-overexpress CC cell lines in vivo and in vitro. Tie1 potentially exerts a commanding influence on the expression of markers associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our research indicates that Tie1 is highly connected to CC progression as it may play a role in the EMT process through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

HPV16-miRNAs exert oncogenic effects through enhancers in human cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is a human papillomavirus (HPV)-related disease. HPV type 16 (HPV16), which is the predominant cause of cervical cancer, can encode miRNAs (HPV16-miRNAs). However, the role of HPV16-miRNAs in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

Human cervical cancer cell lines SiHa (HPV16-positive) and C33A (HPV-negative), and cervical cancer tissues were collected to investigate the expression levels of two HPV16-miRNAs (HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6). The overexpression and knockdown of HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 were performed using the lentiviral vector system and miRNA inhibitors, respectively. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis and H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing (CHIP-seq) experiments were utilized to explore the roles of HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 facilitated by enhancers. CCK8, EdU, transwell, and wound healing assays were performed to verify the effects of HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 on cell proliferation and migration.

RESULTS

HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 were highly expressed in both SiHa cells and tissue samples from HPV16-positive cervical cancer patients. RNA-seq analysis showed that HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 induced the upregulation of numerous tumor progression-associated genes. H3K27ac CHIP-seq experiments further revealed that HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 modulated the expression of critical genes by regulating their enhancer activity. The functional study demonstrated that HPV16-miR-H1 and HPV16-miR-H6 increased the migratory capacity of SiHa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data shed light on the role of HPV16-encoded miRNAs in cervical cancer, particularly emphasizing their involvement in the miRNA-enhancer-target gene system. This novel regulatory mechanism of HPV16-miRNAs provides new insights and approaches for the development of therapeutic strategies by targeting HPV16-positive cervical cancer.

Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor inhibits cervical cancer progression via regulating macrophage phenotype

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is a common gynecologic malignant tumor, but the critical factors affecting cervical cancer progression are still not well demonstrated. Mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor (MANF) has been widely recognized as an anti-inflammatory factor to regulate macrophage polarization. In this study, the effect and mechanism of MANF on cervical cancer were preliminarily explored.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier curve was used to show the overall survival time of the involved cervical cancer patients with high and low MANF expression in cervical cancer tissues. MANF was highly expressed in peritumoral tissues of cervical carcinoma by using immunohistochemistry and western blot. MANF mRNA level was detected by using qRT-PCR. Dual-labeled immunofluorescence showed MANF was mainly expressed in macrophages of cervical peritumoral tissues. Moreover, MANF-silenced macrophages promoted HeLa and SiHa cells survival, migration, invasion and EMT via NF-κB signaling activation. The results of tumor formation in nude mice indicated MANF-silenced macrophages promoted cervical tumor formation in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our study reveals an inhibitory role of MANF in cervical cancer progression, indicating MANF as a new and valuable therapeutic target for cervical cancer treatment.

Exploring MiR-484 Regulation by Polyalthia longifolia: A Promising Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Cervical Cancer through Integrated Bioinformatics and an In Vitro Analysis

BACKGROUND

MiR-484, implicated in various carcinomas, holds promise as a prognostic marker, yet its relevance to cervical cancer (CC) remains unclear. Our prior study demonstrated the Polyalthia longifolia downregulation of miR-484, inhibiting HeLa cells. This study investigates miR-484's potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target in CC through integrated bioinformatics and an in vitro analysis.

METHODS

MiR-484 levels were analyzed across cancers, including CC, from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The limma R package identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-miR-484 CC cohorts. We assessed biological functions, tumor microenvironment (TME), immunotherapy, stemness, hypoxia, RNA methylation, and chemosensitivity differences. Prognostic genes relevant to miR-484 were identified through Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier analyses, and a prognostic model was captured via multivariate Cox regression. Single-cell RNA sequencing determined cell populations related to prognostic genes. qRT-PCR validated key genes, and the miR-484 effect on CC proliferation was assessed via an MTT assay.

RESULTS

MiR-484 was upregulated in most tumors, including CC, with DEGs enriched in skin development, PI3K signaling, and immune processes. High miR-484 expression correlated with specific immune cell infiltration, hypoxia, and drug sensitivity. Prognostic genes identified were predominantly epidermal and stratified patients with CC into risk groups, with the low-risk group showing enhanced survival and immunotherapeutic responses. qRT-PCR confirmed FGFR3 upregulation in CC cells, and an miR-484 mimic reversed the P. longifolia inhibitory effect on HeLa proliferation.

CONCLUSION

MiR-484 plays a crucial role in the CC progression and prognosis, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for targeted therapy.

RANK/RANKL axis promotes migration, invasion, and metastasis of osteosarcoma via activating NF-κB pathway

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most prevalent primary bone tumors with a high degree of metastasis and poor prognosis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular mechanism that contributes to the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and OS cells have been reported to exhibit EMT-like characteristics. Our previous studies have shown that the interaction between tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 11 (TNFRSF11A; also known as RANK) and its ligand TNFSF11 (also known as RANKL) promotes the EMT process in breast cancer cells. However, whether the interaction between RANK and RANKL enhances aggressive behavior by inducing EMT in OS cells has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we showed that the interaction between RANK and RANKL increased the migration, invasion, and metastasis of OS cells by promoting EMT. Importantly, we clarified that the RANK/RANKL axis induces EMT by activating the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Furthermore, the NF-κB inhibitor dimethyl fumarate (DMF) suppressed migration, invasion, and EMT in OS cells. Our results suggest that the RANK/RANKL axis may serve as a potential tumor marker and promising therapeutic target for OS metastasis. Furthermore, DMF may have clinical applications in the treatment of lung metastasis in patients with OS.

Pathogenomics model for personalized medicine in cervical cancer: Cross-talk of gene expressions and pathological images related to oxidative stress

An increasing number of studies have shown that oxidative stress plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Cervical cancer (CC) is a disease of unique complexity that tends to exhibit high heterogeneity in molecular phenotypes. We aim here to characterize molecular features of cervical cancer by developing a classification system based on oxidative stress-related gene expression profiles. In this study, we obtained gene expression profiling data for cervical cancer from the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus) (GSE44001) databases. Oxidative stress-related genes used for clustering were obtained from GeneCards. Patients with cervical cancer were divided into two subtypes (C1 and C2) by non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) classification. By performing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, differential expression analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) between the two subtypes, we found that subtype C2 had a worse prognosis and was highly enriched for immune-related pathways as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways. Subsequently, we performed metabolic pathway analysis, gene mutation landscape analysis, immune microenvironment analysis, immunotherapy response analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis of the two isoforms. The results showed that the isoforms were significantly different between metabolic pathway enrichment and the immune microenvironment, and the chromosomes of subtype C1 were more unstable. In addition, we found that subtype C2 tends to respond to treatment with anti-CTLA4 agents, a conclusion that coincides with high chromosomal variation in C1, as well as C2 enrichment of immune-related pathways. Then, we screened 10 agents that were significantly susceptible to C2 subtype. Finally, we constructed pathogenomics models based on pathological features and linked them to molecular subtypes. This study establishes a novel CC classification based on gene expression profiles of oxidative stress-related genes and elucidates differences between immune microenvironments between CC subtypes, contributing to subtype-specific immunotherapy and drug therapy.

lncRNA799/TBL1XR1/ZEB1 Axis Forms a Feedback Loop to Promote the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Cervical Cancer Cells

Cervical cancer is a common malignancy among women worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are frequently involved in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the potentials of lncRNA799 in cervical cancer. mRNA and protein expression were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively. Cellular functions were assessed using CCK-8, wound healing and transwell analysis. The binding potential of zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) on the promoter of lncRNA799 was predicted utilizing the JASPAR database, and was then verified by luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. Furthermore, the gene interactions were assessed using RNA immunoprecipitation and co-immunoprecipitation assays. The results demonstrated that lncRNA799 was upregulated in cervical cancer cells. However, lncRNA799 deficiency suppressed the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, lncRNA799 could interact with eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 to maintain the mRNA stability of transducin (β)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) and promote the interaction between ZEB1 and TBL1XR1. Additionally, the results showed that ZEB1 could transcriptionally activate lncRNA799. Taken together, the present study suggested that the lncRNA799/TBL1XR1/ZEB1 axis could form a positive feedback loop in cervical cancer and could be, therefore, considered as a potential therapeutic strategy for cervical cancer.

KLF5 inhibits the migration and invasion in cervical cancer cell lines by regulating SNAI1

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important biological process by which malignant tumor cells to acquire migration and invasion abilities. This study explored the role of KLF5 in the EMT process of in cervical cancer cell lines.

OBJECTIVE

Krüpple-like factor 5 (KLF5) is a basic transcriptional factor that plays a key role in cell-cycle arrest and inhibition of apoptosis. However, the molecular mechanism by which KLF5 mediates the biological functions of cervical cancer cell lines has not been elucidated. Here, we focus on the potential function of ELF5 in regulating the EMT process in in vitro model of cervical cancer cell lines.

METHOD

Western-blot and real-time quantitative PCR were used to detect the expression of EMT-related genes in HeLa cells. MTT assays, cell scratch and Transwell assays were used to assess HeLa cells proliferation and invasion capability. Using the bioinformatics tool JASPAR, we identified a high-scoring KLF5-like binding sequence in the SNAI1 gene promoter. Luciferase reporter assays was used to detect transcriptional activity for different SNAI1 promoter truncates.

RESULT

After overexpressing the KLF5 gene in HeLa cells, KLF5 not only significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of HeLa cells, but also increased the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expression of N-cadherin and MMP9. In addition, the mRNA expression of upstream regulators of E-cadherin, such as SNAI1, SLUG, ZEB1/2 and TWIST1 was also decreased. Furthermore, KLF5 inhibiting the expression of the SNAI1 gene via binding its promoter region, and the EMT of Hela cells was promoted after overexpression of the SNAI1 gene.

CONCLUSION

These results indicate that KLF5 can downregulate the EMT process of HeLa cells by decreasing the expression of the SNAI1 gene, thereby inhibiting the migration and invasion of HeLa cervical cancer cells.

Overexpression of SOCS2 Inhibits EMT and M2 Macrophage Polarization in Cervical Cancer via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway

OBJECTIVE

SOCS2 is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein family associated with the occurrence and development of multiple cancers. This study revealed the expression and molecular mechanisms of SOCS2 in cervical cancer.

METHODS

In this study, RT-qPCR, Western Blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of SOCS2 in cervical cancer tissues and tumor cells. We overexpressed SOCS2 in SiHa cells via lentivirus. In-vitro experiments were used to investigate the changes in cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability before and after SOCS2 overexpression. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and EMTrelated proteins. M0 macrophages were co-cultured with the tumor-conditioned medium. The effect of SOCS2 on macrophage polarization was examined by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

SOCS2 expression level was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues. SOCS2 was negatively correlated with CD163+M2 macrophages. Overexpression of SOCS2 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. The expressions of Twist- 2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were decreased, while the expression of E-cadherin was increased. Moreover, the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 were decreased. After the addition of RhIL-6, the expression of E-cadherin protein in the LV-SOCS2 group was reversed. CM in the LV-SOCS2 group inhibited the polarization of M2 macrophages.

CONCLUSION

SOCS2 acts as a novel biological target and suppressor of cervical cancer through IL- 6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

The involvement of MALAT1-ALKBH5 signaling axis into proliferation and metastasis of human papillomavirus-positive cervical cancer

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV), for example, with types 16 and 18, is closely associated with cervical cancer development, which continues to threaten women's health globally. Although HPV oncogenes have been recognized as the main cause of transformation of normal cervical epithelial cells, non-coding RNA could also be involved in the initiation and promotion of cervical cancer development. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), a well-documented long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), has been previously reported to exert roles in HPV-positive cervical cancer; however, the detailed underlying mechanism has yet to be investigated. In the present study, high expression levels of MALAT1 in HPV-Positive Cervical Cancer cells were confirmed, and silencing MALAT1 resulted in decreased rates of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, both in vitro and in a zebrafish xenograft tumor model. Moreover, the results obtained showed that silencing MALAT1 led to down-regulation of the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) demethylase ALKBH5 via regulating miR-141-3p expression, which caused a decrease in the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and MMP9 expression, thereby suppressing cell migration and invasion. Taken together, the results obtained have suggested that the MALAT-ALKBH5 signaling axis may be activated in HPV-positive cervical cancer cells, which could contribute to cell proliferation and metastasis through the regulation of key genes, such as MMP2 or MMP9. The findings of the present study should both help to improve our understanding of the underlying tumorigenic mechanisms of HPV-positive cervical cancer and be of further use in the development of potential therapeutic drugs.

DPY30 promotes colorectal carcinoma metastasis by upregulating ZEB1 transcriptional expression

DPY30 belongs to the core subunit of components of the histone lysine methyltransferase complex, which is implicated in tumorigenesis, cell senescence, and other biological events. However, its contribution to colorectal carcinoma (CRC) progression and metastasis has yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the biological function of DPY30 in CRC metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Herein, our results revealed that DPY30 overexpression is significantly positively correlated with positive lymph nodes, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and CRC metastasis. Moreover, DPY30 knockdown in HT29 and SW480 cells markedly decreased EMT progression, as well as the migratory and invasive abilities of CRC cells in vitro and lung tumor metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, DPY30 increased histone H3K4me3 level and promoted EMT and CRC metastasis by upregulating the transcriptional expression of ZEB1. Taken together, our findings indicate that DPY30 may serve as a therapeutic target and prognostic marker for CRC.

Histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP promotes the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of cervical cancer cells by activating N-cadherin

BACKGROUND

Dysregulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cervical cancer metastasis and associated with histone acetylation. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms of histone acetylation in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis are still elusive.

METHODS

We systematically investigated the expression patterns of histone acetylation genes and their correlations with the EMT pathway in cervical cancer. The expression of CSRP2BP among cervical cancer tissues and cell lines was detected using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry analyses. The effects of CSRP2BP on cervical cancer cell proliferation and tumorigenicity were examined by cell growth curve, EdU assay, flow cytometry and xenotransplantation assays. Wound healing assays, transwell migration assays and pulmonary metastasis model were used to evaluate the effects of CSRP2BP on cell invasion and metastasis of cervical cancer cells in vivo and in vitro. RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) and luciferase reporter assays were used to uncover the molecular mechanisms of CSRP2BP in promoting cervical cancer EMT and metastasis.

RESULTS

We prioritized a top candidate histone acetyltransferase, CSRP2BP, as a key player in cervical cancer EMT and metastasis. The expression of CSRP2BP was significantly increased in cervical cancer tissues and high CSRP2BP expression was associated with poor prognosis. Overexpression of CSRP2BP promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo, while knockdown of CSRP2BP obtained the opposite effects. In addition, CSRP2BP promoted resistance to cisplatin chemotherapy. Mechanistically, CSRP2BP mediated histone 4 acetylation at lysine sites 5 and 12, cooperated with the transcription factor SMAD4 to bind to the SEB2 sequence in the N-cadherin gene promotor and upregulated N-cadherin transcription. Consequently, CSRP2BP promoted cervical cancer cell EMT and metastasis through activating N-cadherin.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that the histone acetyltransferase CSRP2BP promotes cervical cancer metastasis partially through increasing the EMT and suggests that CSRP2BP could be a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for combating cervical cancer metastasis.

DDIT4 Facilitates Lymph Node Metastasis via the Activation of NF-κB Pathway and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

This study was aimed to identify a novel metastasis-promoting molecule and elucidate its functional and prognostic roles in cervical cancer. DDIT4 (DNA-damage-inducible transcript 4), a hypoxia-inducible gene, was identified by analyzing multiple microarray databases. The correlation between DDIT4 expression in immunohistochemistry and clinicopathological characteristics in the public database and our cohort was evaluated by statistical analysis. Transwell® assay and wound-healing assay to determine cell migration and invasion were performed. DDIT4 was knocked down using siRNA or lentiviral vectors. The potential downstream pathways of DDIT4 were explored and verified by a gene set enrichment analysis and western blotting. The in vivo metastatic capability was determined with the use of an intraperitoneal injection mouse model. In the analysis of the public database and our cohort, DDIT4 high expression was significantly related to short overall survival and lymph node metastasis in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. The knockdown of DDIT4 attenuated the migration and invasion activity of tumor cells in vitro and reduced the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins and the NF-κB pathway in cervical cancer cells. DDIT4 also promoted tumor progression in the mouse model. Our results indicate that DDIT4 can be a prognostic indicator in cervical cancer and promote lymph node metastasis, augmenting malignancy via the EMT and NF-kB pathways.

CREB1 activation promotes human papillomavirus oncogene expression and cervical cancer cell transformation

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) infect the oral and anogenital mucosa and can cause cancer. The high-risk (HR)-HPV oncoproteins, E6 and E7, hijack cellular factors to promote cell proliferation, delay differentiation and induce genomic instability, thus predisposing infected cells to malignant transformation. cAMP response element (CRE)-binding protein 1 (CREB1) is a master transcription factor that can function as a proto-oncogene, the abnormal activity of which is associated with multiple cancers. However, little is known about the interplay between HPV and CREB1 activity in cervical cancer or the productive HPV lifecycle. We show that CREB is activated in productively infected primary keratinocytes and that CREB1 expression and phosphorylation is associated with the progression of HPV+ cervical disease. The depletion of CREB1 or inhibition of CREB1 activity results in decreased cell proliferation and reduced expression of markers of epithelial to mesenchymal transition, coupled with reduced migration in HPV+ cervical cancer cell lines. CREB1 expression is negatively regulated by the tumor suppressor microRNA, miR-203a, and CREB1 phosphorylation is controlled through the MAPK/MSK pathway. Crucially, CREB1 directly binds the viral promoter to upregulate transcription of the E6/E7 oncogenes, establishing a positive feedback loop between the HPV oncoproteins and CREB1. Our findings demonstrate the oncogenic function of CREB1 in HPV+ cervical cancer and its relationship with the HPV oncogenes.

MiR-520d-3p suppresses the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer cells by targeting ZFP36L2

MiR-520d-3p has recently been reported to have anti-tumor function in several cancers, including glioma and gastric cancer. However, the biological function and its mechanism of action remain unclear in cervical cancer (CC). In this study, we observed that miR-520d-3p expression was lowly expressed in CC specimens compared with adjacent normal specimens using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Moreover, low miR-520d-3p expression was correlated with FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis by Chi-square test. Functionally, overexpression of miR-520d-3p suppressed the proliferation and migration and invasion of two CC cell lines (HeLa and SiHa) using CCK-8 assay and wound healing assay. After target prediction, luciferase reporter assay showed that zinc finger protein 36 ring finger protein-like 2 (ZFP36L2) was a direct target of miR-520d-3p in CC cells. The expression levels of ZFP36L2 at protein and mRNA were significantly increased in CC tissues compared with adjacent tissues. The expression of ZFP36L2 was negatively correlated with miR-520d-3p in the patients with CC. Importantly, ZFP36L2 overexpression abolished the effects of miR-520d-3p on cell proliferation, migration and EMT process in CC cells. In conclusion, our findings indicate that targeting miR-520d-3p/ZFP36L2 axis might be a promising therapeutic target for CC treatment.

UCHL1 acts as a prognostic factor and promotes cancer stemness in cervical squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The incidence and death rate of cervical cancer rank fourth among female malignant tumors worldwide. A growing number of researches are devoted to exploring more effective treatment methods and cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to be a potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer. In our study, we focused on the expression and function of UCHL1 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC).

METHODS

We detected and the expression of UCHL1 in 134 CESC patients through immunohistochemistry and further confirm UCHL1 was a prognostic factor by univariate and multivariate analysis. Then, according to TCGA database for CESC, we found that UCHL1 expression correlated with the markers associated with CSCs (CD133, ABCG2 and SOX2). Therefore, we used western blot and spheroid formation assays to future evaluate the function of UCHL1 on cancer stemness in C-33A and SiHa cell lines. At the same time, we detected the cell proliferation, migration and invasion change by CCK-8 assay, scratch assay and transwell assay, when UCHL1 was knockdown or overexpressed. Finally, xenograft models were used to examine the effect of UCHL1 in vivo.

RESULTS

We found the expression of UCHL1 in mRNA and protein was higher in tumor than in paired normal tissue and was a prognostic factor in CESC. The UCHL1 high expression group showed a shorter survival in the overall survival. According to TCGA database, the expression of UCHL1 was correlated with CD133, ABCG2 and SOX2. The results of sphere-forming ability and CSCs related markers expression were showed UCHL1 promoted cancer stemness in CESC. Similarly, CCK-8 assay, scratch assay and transwell assay were applied to demonstrate that overexpression of UCHL1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion in SiHa, but when UCHL1 was knockdown in C-33A, the function of UCHL1 displayed the opposite result. Finally, knockdown UCHL1 inhibited CESC tumor propagation in xenograft models.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that UCHL1 is a prognostic factor and correlated with cancer stemness, proliferation, migration and invasion of CESC, which may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for CESC treatment.

Identification of cervical cancer stem cells using single-cell transcriptomes of normal cervix, cervical premalignant lesions, and cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of mortality among gynecological malignancies. However, the identification of cervical cancer stem cells remains unclear.

METHODS

We performed single-cell mRNA sequencing on ∼122,400 cells from 20 cervical biopsies, including 5 healthy controls, 4 high-grade intraepithelial neoplasias, 5 microinvasive carcinomas of the cervix, and 6 invasive cervical squamous carcinomas. Bioinformatic results were validated by multiplex immunohistochemistry (mIHC) in cervical cancer tissue microarrays (TMA) (n = 85).

FINDINGS

We identified cervical cancer stem cells and highlighted the functional changes in cervical stem cells during malignant transformation. The original non-malignant stem cell properties (characterized by high proliferation) gradually diminished, whereas the tumor stem cell properties (characterized by epithelial-mesenchymal transformation and invasion) were enhanced. The mIHC results of our TMA cohort confirmed the existence of stem-like cells and indicated that cluster correlated with neoplastic recurrence. Subsequently, we investigated malignant and immune cell heterogeneity in the cervical multicellular ecosystem across different disease stages. We observed global upregulation of interferon responses in the cervical microenvironment during lesion progression.

INTERPRETATION

Our results provide more insights into cervical premalignant and malignant lesion microenvironments.

FUNDING

This research was supported by the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2023A1515010382), Grant 2021YFC2700603 from the National Key Research & Development Program of China and the Hubei Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (2022CFB174 and 2022CFB893).

The Immunohistochemical Expression of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers in Precancerous Lesions and Cervical Cancer

In the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, cells lose their epithelial phenotype and gain mesenchymal features. This phenomenon was observed in the metastatic phase of neoplastic diseases, e.g., cervical cancer. There are specific markers that are expressed in the EMT. The aim of this study was to determine the localization of and associations between the immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of TWIST, SNAIL, and SLUG proteins in precancerous lesions and cervical cancer. The IHC analysis disclosed higher expressions of EMT markers in precancerous lesions and cervical cancer than in the control group. Moreover, stronger expression of TWIST, SNAIL, and SLUG was observed in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3) vs. CIN1, CIN3 vs. CIN2, and CIN2 vs. CIN1 cases (p < 0.05). In cervical cancer, IHC reactions demonstrated differences in TWIST, SNAIL, and SLUG expression in grade 1 (G1) vs. grade 2 (G2) (p < 0.0011; p < 0.0017; p < 0.0001, respectively) and in G1 vs. grade 3 (G3) (p < 0.0029; p < 0.0005; p < 0.0001, respectively). The results of our study clearly showed that existing differences in the expression of the tested markers in precancerous vs. cancerous lesions may be utilized in the diagnosis of cervical cancer. Further studies on bigger populations, as well as in comparison with well-known markers, may improve our outcomes.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards cervical cancer screening among women living with human immunodeficiency virus: Implication for prevention strategy uptake

AIM

To explore the knowledge, attitude and practices of cervical cancer screening among HIV-infected women in public health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

The study was conducted from 1st January 2020 to 28th February 2020. We used a structured questionnaire for data collection. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse relationships among latent variables (knowledge, attitude and practice).

RESULTS

The overall knowledge, attitude, and practice scores of cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV were 6.86/11 (62.4%), 6.41/7 (91.6%) and 2.92/8 (36.5%), respectively. Overall, knowledge was positively and significantly associated with attitude (r = .53, p < .001) and practice (r = .38, p < 0.001). Additionally, attitude and practice were significantly associated (r = 0.29, p < .001). Our findings support the reinforcement of current public health interventional programmes to improve the knowledge about cervical cancer and screening uptake.

miR-508-5p serves as an anti-oncogene by targeting S100A16 to regulate AKT signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in lung adenocarcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Our aim was to expose the effect of miR-508-5p on the developmental and biological behaviour of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAC).

METHODS

The KM plotter was used to analyze the survival significance of miR-508-5p and S100A16 expression in LUAC patients. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the expression of miR-508-5p and S100A16 in LUAC tissue and LUAC cell lines. CCK8, colony formation and Transwell were performed to evaluate the effects of miR-508-5p and S100A16 on cell proliferation and metastasis. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify that S100A16 were targets of miR-508-5p. Western blot analysis was performed to analyze protein expression.

RESULTS

Results showed that low miR-508-5p expression in LUAC tissues indicated poorer overall survival of LUAC patients and miR-508-5p was downregulated in LUAC cell lines compared to the normal human lung epithelial cell line. miR-508-5p mimics could inhibit A549 cell proliferation and metastasis abilities, while miR-508-5p Antagomir showed the opposite effect. We identified S100A16 as one direct target of miR-508-5p, and rescuing S100A16 expression could reverse the effect of miR-508-5p mimics on A549 cell proliferation and metastasis. miR-508-5p could involve the coordination of AKT signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progress using western-blot assays and rescuing S100A16 expression could reverse the inhibited AKT signaling and EMT progress induced by miR-508-5p mimics.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that miR-508-5p targeted S100A16 to regulate AKT signaling and EMT progress in A549 cells, resulting in impaired cell proliferation and metastasis activity, suggesting that miR-508-5p might be a promising therapeutic target and an important diagnostic and prognostic marker for improved LUAC therapeutic schedule.

Effects of Fractionated Radiation Exposure on Vimentin Expression in Cervical Cancers: Analysis of Association with Cancer Stem Cell Response and Short-Term Prognosis

Elucidation of the mechanisms for the response of cancer stem cells (CSCs) to radiation exposure is of considerable interest for further improvement of radio- and chemoradiotherapy of cervical cancer (CC). The aim of this work is to evaluate the effects of fractionated radiation exposure on the expression of vimentin, which is one of the end-stage markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and analyze its association with CSC radiation response and short-term prognosis of CC patients. The level of vimentin expression was determined in HeLa, SiHa cell lines, and scrapings from the cervix of 46 CC patients before treatment and after irradiation at a total dose of 10 Gy using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. The number of CSCs was assessed using flow cytometry. Significant correlations were shown between vimentin expression and postradiation changes in CSC numbers in both cell lines (R = 0.88, p = 0.04 for HeLa and R = 0.91, p = 0.01 for SiHa) and cervical scrapings (R = 0.45, p = 0.008). Associations were found at the level of tendency between postradiation increase in vimentin expression and unfavorable clinical outcome 3-6 months after treatment. The results clarify some of the relationships between EMT, CSCs, and therapeutic resistance that are needed to develop new strategies for cancer treatment.

14-3-3 and Smad2/3 are crucial mediators of atypical-PKCs: Implications for neuroblastoma progression

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a cancer that develops in the neuroblasts. It is the most common cancer in children under the age of 1 year, accounting for approximately 6% of all cancers. The prognosis of NB is linked to both age and degree of cell differentiation. This results in a range of survival rates for patients, with outcomes ranging from recurrence and mortality to high survival rates and tumor regression. Our previous work indicated that PKC-ι promotes cell proliferation in NB cells through the PKC-ι/Cdk7/Cdk2 cascade. We report on two atypical protein kinase inhibitors as potential therapeutic candidates against BE(2)-C and BE(2)-M17 cells: a PKC-ι-specific 5-amino-1-2,3-dihydroxy-4-(methylcyclopentyl)-1H-imidazole-4-carboxamide and a PKC-ζ specific 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-naphthalenetrisulfonic acid. Both compounds induced apoptosis and retarded the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of NB cells. Proteins 14-3-3 and Smad2/3 acted as central regulators of aPKC-driven progression in BE(2)-C and BE(2)-M17 cells in relation to the Akt1/NF-κB and TGF-β pathways. Data indicates that aPKCs upregulate Akt1/NF-κB and TGF-β pathways in NB cells through an association with 14-3-3 and Smad2/3 that can be diminished by aPKC inhibitors. In summary, both inhibitors appear to be promising potential neuroblastoma therapeutics and merit further research.

PLAC8 contributes to the malignant behaviors of cervical cancer cells by activating the SOX4-mediated AKT pathway

Cervical cancer (CC) is the primary cancer-related cause of morbidity and mortality in women. Previous studies have shown that placenta-specific 8 (PLAC8) has different functions in multiple malignancies. This study aimed to explore the function and regulatory mechanism of PLAC8 in CC. Bioinformatics and immunohistochemical analyses demonstrated that PLAC8 was significantly upregulated in CC tissues compared with normal tissues. Gain/loss-of-function experiments showed that siRNA-mediated knockdown of PLAC8 suppressed cell migration and invasion, while PLAC8 overexpression promoted cell motility. Moreover, PLAC8 was revealed to affect the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process by upregulating epithelial (E)-cadherin and decreasing the expression of mesenchymal markers of EMT, including vimentin, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1), neural (N)-cadherin, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and MMP-2 in PLAC8-silenced cells. PLAC8 activated the AKT pathway, as proven by the downregulation of p-AKT_Ser473 and p-AKT_Thr308 expression after PLAC8 knockdown. Furthermore, PLAC8 overexpression upregulated the expression of sex-determining region Y-related high-mobility group box transcription factor 4 (SOX4), which is reported to mediate the activation of the AKT pathway, and SOX4 deficiency reversed the cellular functions caused by PLAC8 overexpression. Overall, the present study indicates that PLAC8 may facilitate CC development by activating the SOX4-mediated AKT pathway, suggesting that PLAC8 may serve as a potential biomarker for CC treatment.

Endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 drives cervical cancer progression

The expression, biological functions and underlying molecular mechanisms of endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) in human cervical cancer remain unclear. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that ESM1 expression was significantly elevated in human cervical cancer tissues, correlating with patients' poor prognosis. Moreover, ESM1 mRNA and protein upregulation was detected in local cervical cancer tissues and various cervical cancer cells. In established and primary cervical cancer cells, ESM1 shRNA or CRISPR/Cas9-induced ESM1 KO hindered cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, in vitro cell migration and invasion, and induced significant apoptosis. Whereas ESM1 overexpression by a lentiviral construct accelerated proliferation and migration of cervical cancer cells. Further bioinformatics studies and RNA sequencing data discovered that ESM1-assocaited differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were enriched in PI3K-Akt and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) cascades. Indeed, PI3K-Akt cascade and expression of EMT-promoting proteins were decreased after ESM1 silencing in cervical cancer cells, but increased following ESM1 overexpression. Further studies demonstrated that SYT13 (synaptotagmin 13) could be a primary target gene of ESM1. SYT13 silencing potently inhibited ESM1-overexpression-induced PI3K-Akt cascade activation and cervical cancer cell migration/invasion. In vivo, ESM1 knockout hindered SiHa cervical cancer xenograft growth in mice. In ESM1-knockout xenografts tissues, PI3K-Akt inhibition, EMT-promoting proteins downregulation and apoptosis activation were detected. In conclusion, overexpressed ESM1 is important for cervical cancer growth in vitro and in vivo, possibly by promoting PI3K-Akt activation and EMT progression. ESM1 represents as a promising diagnostic marker and potential therapeutic target of cervical cancer.

Caulerpa racemosa extract inhibits HeLa cancer cells migration by altering expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition proteins

Introduction: Cervical cancer is caused by persistent infections of human papillomavirus types 16 and 18. Also, it is classified as a malignancy since it is able to spread itself to other sites and form a metastasis. Lymph nodes metastasis is an important factor related to cervical cancer survival. The previous study reported that Caulerpa racemosa has an anti-cancer effect by inducing apoptosis by inhibiting p53 protein degradation in HeLa cancer cells. In this study, we conducted a follow-up test to determine the anticancer effect of Caulerpa racemosa as an antimetastatic agent on HeLa cancer cells.

Methods: A true experimental study with a post-test-controlled group design was carried out on four groups of HeLa cell cultures by presenting different concentrations of Caulerpa racemosa extract. Moreover, to identify the antimetastatic effect, HeLa cells treated with Caulerpa racemosa extract were subjected to the woud healing scratch test and immunofluorescence staining assays. Data analysis was gained with qualitative and quantitative approaches. Quantitative methods such as One-way analysis of variance, Tukey’s multiple comparison test, and Pearson’s correlation were conducted.

Result: We found that Caulerpa racemosa significantly inhibit HeLa cells wound healing migration. We also demonstrated the effect of Caulerpa racemosa in downregulating Snail and Vimentin protein expression and upregulating E-Cadherin protein expression.

Conclusion:Caulerpa racemosa extract inhibits HeLa cancer cells migration by altering important regulator proteins expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways.

Triptonide Inhibits the Cervical Cancer Cell Growth via Downregulating the RTKs and Inactivating the Akt-mTOR Pathway

The high incidence and mortality of cervical cancer (CC) require an urgent need for exploring novel valuable therapeutics. Triptonide (TN) is a small molecule monomer extracted from the Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. Our results showed that TN, at only nanomolar concentrations, strongly inhibited growth, colony formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion of established and primary human cervical cancer cells. TN induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in cervical cancer cells. Moreover, cervical cancer cell in vitro migration and invasion were suppressed by TN. It was however noncytotoxic and proapoptotic to normal cervical epithelial cells and human skin fibroblast cells. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) of RNA sequencing data of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in TN-treated cervical cancer cells implied that DEGs were enriched in the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling and PI3K-Akt-mTOR cascade. In cervical cancer cells, RTKs, including EGFR and PDGFRα, were significantly downregulated and Akt-mTOR activation was largely inhibited after TN treatment. In vivo, oral administration of TN significantly inhibited subcutaneous cervical cancer xenograft growth in nude mice. EGFR and PDGFRα downregulation as well as Akt-mTOR inactivation was detected in TN-treated HeLa xenograft tumor tissues. Thus, TN inhibits human cervical cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Its anticervical cancer activity was associated with RTK downregulation and Akt-mTOR inactivation.

Immune Pathway and Gene Database (IMPAGT) Revealed the Immune Dysregulation Dynamics and Overactivation of the PI3K/Akt Pathway in Tumor Buddings of Cervical Cancer

Tumor budding (TB) is a small cluster of malignant cells at the invasive front of a tumor. Despite being an adverse prognosis marker, little research has been conducted on the tumor immune microenvironment of tumor buddings, especially in cervical cancer. Therefore, RNA sequencing was performed using 21 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded slides of cervical tissues, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed. Immune Pathway and Gene Database (IMPAGT) was generated for immune profiling. "Pathway in Cancer" was identified as the most enriched pathway for both up- and downregulated DEGs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Mapper and Gene Ontology further revealed the activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. An IMPAGT analysis revealed immune dysregulation even at the tumor budding stage, especially in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis, with a high efficiency and integrity. These findings emphasized the clinical significance of tumor buddings and the necessity of blocking the overactivation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway to improve targeted therapy in cervical cancer.

Downregulation of S100A9 Reverses Cisplatin-Resistance and Inhibits Proliferation and Migration in Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma

Purpose

Patients with hypopharyngeal carcinoma (HPC) often progress to an advanced clinical stage at diagnosis. Cisplatin has been widely used in first-line chemotherapy for advanced HPC. However, acquired chemotherapeutic resistance leads to recurrence, metastasis, and a poor survival rate. Therefore, identifying new drug targets to improve treatment effects is still in need.

Methods

To screen the differential expression genes (DEGs) and proteins (DEPs), we conducted transcriptomic and proteomic analysis on cisplatin-sensitive cell lines (FaDu) and cisplatin-resistant cell lines (FaDu/DDP) of hypopharyngeal carcinoma. DEGs and DEPs, possibly the most associated with cisplatin-resistance, were verified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot (WB), respectively, and the biological function of the screened S100A9 was further tested by CCK8, wound healing, and transwell assays.

Results

We identified S100A9 as a target for resensitizing the response to cisplatin in an acquired resistance model. S100A9 overexpression was significantly related to cisplatin resistance. Functional studies in vitro models demonstrated that downregulation of S100A9 overcame cisplatin-resistance and inhibited proliferation and migration. Later, we verified that downregulation of S100A9 suppressed the interleukin-6 (IL6) expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway.

Conclusion

In all, S100A9 plays a crucial role in cisplatin-resistance, proliferation, and migration of HPC. Targeting S100A9 may become a novel strategy for the treatment of HPC.

The IncRNA SCIRT Promotes the Proliferative, Migratory, and Invasive Properties of Cervical Cancer Cells by Upregulating MMP-2/-9

Objective. The morbidity and mortality of cervical cancer (CC) rank the fourth-most common among cancers in females, seriously threatening women’s health and affecting their quality of life. However, the molecular mechanism of CC development remains poorly understood. This study investigates the role of lncRNA SCIRT in the development of CC. Methods. The expression profile of long noncoding RNA stem cell inhibitory RNA transcript (lncRNA SCIRT) in CC (n = 34), tumor-adjacent tissue, and CC cell culture was determined through fluorescence quantitative PCR. The knockdown /overexpressed lncRNA SCIRT vectors were constructed and transfected into cells, and the effects of knockdown or overexpression of lncRNA SCIRT on the proliferative, invasive, and migratory properties of CC cells were determined through Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony forming, and Transwell experiments. Western blot was employed to determine the knockdown/overexpression efficiency of SCIRT and its role on the expression of proteins (e-cadherin, n-cadherin, vimentin, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2) in CC cells. Finally, SCIRT knockdown on the proliferative ability for CC cells was determined through tumorigenic experiment in nude mice. Results. LncRNA SCIRT was highly expressed in CC tissues and cells, and significantly linked with clinical/pathology-based characteristics of patients, including Federation Internationale of Gynecologie and Obstetrigue (FIGO) stage, tumor dimensions, and lymph-node metastasis. SCIRT knockdown markedly reduced CC proliferative, colony forming, and invasive properties, while overexpressing SCIRT promoted the proliferative and invasive properties of CC. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that SCIRT knockdown upregulated e-cadherin and downregulated n-cadherin, vimentin, MMP-9, and MMP-2. Meanwhile, overexpressing SCIRT of lncRNA SCIRT had the opposite effect. Tumorigenic experiment showed that SCIRT knockdown could markedly reduce CC proliferative property the nude mouse. Conclusion. LncRNA SCIRT was highly expressed in CC clinical cases. Knockdown/overexpressing SCIRT affected CC proliferative/invasive properties. Hence, lncRNA SCIRT is a promising drug-target and a new biological diagnostic molecule for CC patients.

Oncogenic circular RNA circ_0007534 contributes to paclitaxel resistance in endometrial cancer by sponging miR-625 and promoting ZEB2 expression

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) have been implicated in the development of human cancer and paclitaxel resistance. CircRNA circ_0007534 has been described as a key oncogenic circular RNA that is upregulated in a variety of cancer tissues. However, whether circ_0007534 causes EMT and paclitaxel resistance in endometrial cancer is still unknown. In this work, we revealed that circ_0007534 levels were significantly higher in endometrial cancer tissues, and that high circ_0007534 expression was associated with poor differentiation, advanced tumor stage, cancer invasion, cancer metastasis, and poor prognosis in endometrial cancer patients. Overexpression of circ_0007534 boosted endometrial cancer cell proliferation, invasion, EMT, and paclitaxel resistance. Knockdown of circ_0007534 restored paclitaxel sensitivity and reversed EMT in endometrial cancer cells. We also showed that circ_0007534 enhanced endometrial cancer aggressiveness, progression, and paclitaxel resistance by sponging microRNA-625 (miR-625) and subsequently increasing the expression of the miR-625 target gene ZEB2. Our cell functional studies demonstrated that inhibiting miR-625 or increasing ZEB2 mimicked the effects of circ_0007534 overexpression. Consequently, our data show that circ_0007534 plays a crucial role in EMT and paclitaxel resistance through miR-625/ZEB2 signaling. Targeting the circ_0007534/miR-625/ZEB2 pathway might be an effective strategy for overcoming paclitaxel resistance in endometrial cancer.

DYNLT3 overexpression induces apoptosis and inhibits cell growth and migration via inhibition of the Wnt pathway and EMT in cervical cancer

The role of the dynein light chain Tctex-type 3 (DYNLT3) protein in the biological behavior of cervical cancer and its relative molecular mechanisms were investigated. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect DYNLT3 protein expression in cervical cancer tissues. Cell proliferation and apoptosis rates and invasiveness and migratory capacities were determined by CCK-8 assays, BrdU staining assays and colony formation assays, fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), wound healing assays, and Transwell invasion assays of cervical cancer cells after DYNLT3 modulation. The expression levels of Wnt signaling pathway- and EMT-related proteins were examined by Western blotting. Furthermore, the effects of DYNLT3 on the tumorigenicity and metastasis of cervical cancer in nude mice were analyzed by performing immunohistochemistry, and we found that the expression level of the DYNLT3 protein was higher in human normal cervical tissues than in cervical cancer tissues. Overexpression of DYNLT3 obviously attenuated the proliferation, migration and invasion of CaSki and SiHa cells, and promoted cell apoptosis. Upregulation of DYNLT3 expression markedly decreased the expression of Wnt signaling pathway-related proteins (Dvl2, Dvl3, p-LRP6, Wnt3a, Wnt5a/b, Naked1, Naked2, β-catenin and C-Myc) and EMT-related proteins (N-cadherin, SOX2, OCT4, vimentin and Snail), and increased the expression of E-cadherin and Axin1. However, the opposite results were observed after down-regulation of DYNLT3 expression. Up-regulation of DYNLT3 expression significantly inhibited tumor growth in a nude mouse model, while downregulation of DYNLT3 showed the opposite results. In addition, the major metastatic site of cervical cancer cells in mice was the lung, and downregulation of DYNLT3 expression increased cancer metastasis in vivo. DYNLT3 exerted inhibitory effects on cervical cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation, migration and invasion, promoting cell apoptosis in vitro, and inhibiting tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, possibly by suppressing the Wnt signaling pathway and the EMT.

Identification and validation of a prognostic signature related to hypoxic tumor microenvironment in cervical cancer

Background

Hypoxia is a common microenvironment condition in most malignant tumors and has been shown to be associated with adverse outcomes of cervical cancer patients. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia-related genes on tumor progress to characterize the tumor hypoxic microenvironment.

Methods

We retrieved a set of hypoxia-related genes from the Molecular Signatures Database and evaluated their prognostic value for cervical cancer. A hypoxia-based prognostic signature for cervical cancer was then developed and validated using tumor samples from two independent cohorts (TCGA-CESC and CGCI-HTMCP-CC cohorts). Finally, we validated the hypoxia prediction of ccHPS score in eight human cervical cancer cell lines treated with the hypoxic and normoxic conditions, and 286 tumor samples with hypoxic category (more or less) from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database with accession GSE72723.

Results

A risk signature model containing nine hypoxia-related genes was developed and validated in cervical cancer. Further analysis showed that this risk model could be an independent prognosis factor of cervical cancer, which reflects the condition of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment and its remodeling of cell metabolism and tumor immunity. Furthermore, a nomogram integrating the novel risk model and lymphovascular invasion status was developed, accurately predicting the 1-, 3- and 5-year prognosis with AUC values of 0.928, 0.916 and 0.831, respectively. These findings provided a better understanding of the hypoxic tumor microenvironment in cervical cancer and insights into potential new therapeutic strategies in improving cancer therapy.

Biological and Clinicopathological Characteristics of OPN in Cervical Cancers

Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common gynecological malignancy. Recently, an increasing number of studies have indicated that osteopontin (OPN) is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for CC. However, the biological role and detailed mechanism of OPN in CC remain unclear.

Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and a clinical sample microarray were used in our study. To identify the clinicopathological characteristics of OPN in CC, we compared the expression of OPN between normal and CC tissue samples and analyzed the correlations between OPN expression and multiple clinicopathological features. To identify biological processes involving OPN, OPN-associated genes were screened with Pearson correlation analysis and applied in hallmark gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). Additionally, leukocyte infiltration was evaluated based on OPN expression. Finally, OPN-related signaling pathways were identified by GSEA.

Results: OPN expression was higher in CC samples than in normal tissue samples and positively correlated with age, FIGO stage, tumor size, lymphovascular invasion and an unfavorable prognosis. OPN-associated genes were mainly enriched in the immune response, and increased OPN expression was accompanied by increased M2 macrophage infiltration. Additionally, OPN was correlated with hypoxia, high glycolytic metabolism, apoptosis, angiogenesis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and multiple signaling pathways (the p53 pathway, the PI3K/Akt pathway, IL6/STAT3 signaling, mTORC1 signaling and KRAS signaling).

Conclusion: Our study showed that OPN is involved in immunological activities and multiple tumor processes, identifying it as a potential therapeutic target and useful prognostic factor in CC patients.

Cobimetinib Sensitizes Cervical Cancer to Paclitaxel via Suppressing Paclitaxel-Induced ERK Activation

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Chemoresistance remains the main cause of treatment failure in cervical cancer and novel therapeutic strategies are required. Cobimetinib, a potent yet selective inhibitor of MEK1 and 2, is currently used to treat melanoma clinically. In this work, we identified cobimetinib as a promising candidate for treating cervical cancer. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> The in vitro and in vivo efficacies of cobimetinib were examined using cervical cancer cell cultures and xenograft mouse model. Its combination with paclitaxel was analyzed using the combination index. Immunoblotting was performed on MAPK and ERK pathways. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Cobimetinib displays a potent anti-cervical cancer activity in a panel of cell lines regardless of cellular origin and HPV presence, and its combination with paclitaxel is synergistic in inhibiting cervical cancer cells. This is achieved by the growth inhibition and caspase-dependent apoptosis induction, through inhibiting MAPK/ERK activation. In addition, paclitaxel activates ERK in cervical cancer cells, and this can be reversed by cobimetinib. We finally confirm the efficacy of cobimetinib alone and its combination with paclitaxel in the cervical cancer xenograft mouse model. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> Our preclinical findings will accelerate the initialization of clinical trials to use combination of cobimetinib and paclitaxel for treating cervical cancer. Our work also emphasizes the therapeutic value of targeting MAPK/ERK to overcome chemoresistance in cervical cancer.

Fatty acid synthase as a potential new therapeutic target for cervical cancer

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) is the rate-limiting enzyme for the de novo synthesis of fatty acids in the cytoplasm of tumour cells. Many tumour cells express high levels of FASN, and its expression is associated with a poorer prognosis. Cervical cancer is a major public health problem, representing the fourth most common cancer affecting women worldwide. To date, only a few in silico studies have correlated FASN expression with cervical cancer. This study aimed to investigate in vitro FASN expression in premalignant lesions and cervical cancer samples and the effects of a FASN inhibitor on cervical cancer cells. FASN expression was observed in all cervical cancer samples with increased expression at more advanced cervical cancer stages. The FASN inhibitor (orlistat) reduced the in vitro cell viability of cervical cancer cells (C-33A, ME-180, HeLa and SiHa) in a time-dependent manner and triggered apoptosis. FASN inhibitor also led to cell cycle arrest and autophagy. FASN may be a potential therapeutic target for cervical cancer, and medicinal chemists, pharmaceutical researchers and formulators should consider this finding in the development of new treatment approaches for this cancer type.

Cancer Stem Cells and Their Possible Implications in Cervical Cancer: A Short Review

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common type of gynecological malignancy affecting females worldwide. Most CC cases are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV). There has been a significant decrease in the incidence and death rate of CC due to effective cervical Pap smear screening and administration of vaccines. However, this is not equally available throughout different societies. The prognosis of patients with advanced or recurrent CC is particularly poor, with a one-year relative survival rate of a maximum of 20%. Increasing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) may play an important role in CC tumorigenesis, metastasis, relapse, and chemo/radio-resistance, thus representing potential targets for a better therapeutic outcome. CSCs are a small subpopulation of tumor cells with self-renewing ability, which can differentiate into heterogeneous tumor cell types, thus creating a progeny of cells constituting the bulk of tumors. Since cervical CSCs (CCSC) are difficult to identify, this has led to the search for different markers (e.g., ABCG2, ITGA6 (CD49f), PROM1 (CD133), KRT17 (CK17), MSI1, POU5F1 (OCT4), and SOX2). Promising therapeutic strategies targeting CSC-signaling pathways and the CSC niche are currently under development. Here, we provide an overview of CC and CCSCs, describing the phenotypes of CCSCs and the potential of targeting CCSCs in the management of CC.

YTHDF2 interference suppresses the EMT of cervical cancer cells and enhances cisplatin chemosensitivity by regulating AXIN1

M6A reader YTH structural domain family 2 (YTHDF2) has been recognized to play an oncogenic role in numerous tumors, but its role in cervical cancer has not been extensively discussed yet. This paper was designed to explore the role of YTHDF2 in cervical cancer and identify its underlying mechanism. The expression of YTHDF2 was first determined in cervical cancer cells by quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Then, the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process were observed in YTHDF2-knockdown Hela cells using wound healing, transwell and immunofluorescence assays. The cisplatin chemosensitivity of Hela cells was also investigated by assessing cell activity with cell counting kit-8 and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling). After MeRIP-Seq assay and actinomycin D treatment to confirm the binding relationship between YTHDF2 and AXIN1, the migration, invasion, EMT process, and cisplatin chemosensitivity were assessed again in Hela cells silenced by YTHDF2 and AXIN1 or treated with Wnt agonist. YTHDF2 was increased in cervical cancer cells, and depletion of YTHDF2 led to reduced migration, invasion and EMT process but enhanced chemosensitivity of cisplatin in Hela cells. Furthermore, YTHDF2 could bind to and stabilize the expression of AXIN1. When the YTHDF2-knockdown Hela cells were further transfected with AXIN1 knockdown or treated with Wnt agonist, the effects of YTHDF2 knockdown on the migration, invasion and EMT process were partially abolished, together with reduced cisplatin chemosensitivity. To sum up, we reported that YTHDF2 interference could suppress the EMT of cervical cancer cells and enhance cisplatin chemosensitivity by regulating AXIN1.

The Effect of Irisin on Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Expression of Metastasis Markers in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines

INTRODUCTION

Irisin is a newly discovered myokine released from skeletal muscle during exercise. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes that play a key role in the metastatic process via degrading extracellular matrix. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of irisin on expression of metastatic markers MMP2 and MMP9 and induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells.

METHODS

In this study, we examined the effect of different concentrations of irisin on induced apoptosis and cell viability of two cell lines, LNCaP and DU-145, by using flow cytometry and MTT assay, respectively. The expression of MMP2 and MMP9 genes was also analyzed by real-time PCR after irisin treatment. Data were analyzed using the comparative cycle threshold 2^-∆∆Ct method.

RESULTS

Cell viability was reduced in both LNCaP and DU-145 cell lines at different concentrations of irisin. However, this decreased cell viability was strongly significant (p < 0.05) only at 5 and 10 nM concentrations of irisin in the LNCaP cell line. Furthermore, irisin could induce apoptosis in both cell lines at a concentration of 10 nM compared to 5 nM. Real-time PCR results also demonstrated a decreased expression in MMP2 and MMP9 genes in a concentration-dependent manner in both cell lines.

CONCLUSION

These results showed the anticancer effects of irisin on cell viability of both LNCaP and DU-145 cell lines and also on the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 genes occurred in a dose- and time-dependent manner.

TIM-1 promotes proliferation and metastasis, and inhibits apoptosis, in cervical cancer through the PI3K/AKT/p53 pathway

Background

T-cell immunoglobulin mucin-1 (TIM-1) has been reported to be associated with the biological behavior of several malignant tumors; however, it is not clear whether it has a role in cervical cancer (CC).

Methods

TIM-1 expression in cervical epithelial tumor tissues and cells was detected by immunohistochemistry or real-time quantitative-PCR and western blotting. CC cells from cell lines expressing low levels of TIM-1 were infected with lentiviral vectors encoding TIM-1. Changes in the malignant behavior of CC cells were assessed by CCK-8, wound healing, Transwell migration and invasion assays, and flow cytometry in vitro; while a xenograft tumor model was established to analyze the effects of TIM-1 on tumor growth in vivo. Changes in the levels of proteins related to the cell cycle, apoptosis, and Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were determined by western blotting.

Results

TIM-1 expression was higher in CC tissues, than in high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, or normal cervical tissues, and was also expressed in three CC cell lines. In HeLa and SiHa cells overexpressing TIM-1, proliferation, invasion, and migration increased, while whereas apoptosis was inhibited. Furthermore, TIM-1 downregulated the expression of p53, BAX, and E-cadherin, and increased cyclin D1, Bcl-2, Snail1, N-cadherin, vimentin, MMP-2, and VEGF. PI3K, p-AKT, and mTOR protein levels also increased, while total AKT protein levels remained unchanged.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that TIM-1 overexpression promoted cell migration and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis in CC through modulation of the PI3K/AKT/p53 and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, and may be a candidate diagnostic biomarker of this disease.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09386-7.

The Impacts of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs)-Derived Periostin on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) of Cervical Cancer Cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to the migrating and invading behaviors of cells. Periostin is one of the essential components in the extracellular matrix and can induce EMT of cells and their sequential metastasis. But its underlying mechanism is unclear. The Hela and BMSC cell lines were assigned into Periostin-mimic group, Periostin-Inhibitor group and Periostin-NC group followed by analysis of cell migration and invasion, expression of E-Cadherin, Vimentin, β-Catenin, Snail, MMP-2, MMP-9, PTEN, and p-PTEN. Cells in Periostin-mimic group exhibited lowest migration, least number of invaded cells, as well as lowest levels of Vimentin, β-Catenin, Snail, MMP-2, MMP-9, p-PTEN, Akt, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-PDK1 and p-cRcf, along with highest levels of E-cadherin and PTEN. Moreover, cells in Periostin-NC group had intermediate levels of these above indicators, while, the Periostin-Inhibitor group exhibited the highest migration rate, the most number of invaded cells, and the highest levels of these proteins (P < 0.05). In conclusion, BMSCs-derived Periostin can influence the EMT of cervical cancer cells possibly through restraining the activity of the PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathway, indicating that Periostin might be a target of chemotherapy in clinics for the treatment of cervical cancer.

TUSC3 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion in cervical squamous cell carcinoma via suppression of the AKT signalling pathway

The decreased expression of tumour suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3) is associated with proliferation in several types of cancer, leading to an unfavourable prognosis. The present study aimed to assess the cellular and molecular function of TUSC3 in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). Levels of mRNA expressions of TUSC3 were analysed in CSCC tissues and six cell lines using qRT-PCR. Immunohistochemistry(IHC) was used to evaluate the protein expression level of TUSC3 in four paired specimens, 220 paraffin-embedded CSCC specimens and 60 cases of normal cervical tissues(NCTs), respectively. Short hairpin RNA interference was employed for TUSC3 knockdown. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated using growth curve, MTT assay, wound healing, transwell assay and xenograft tumour model, respectively. The results demonstrated that TUSC3 mRNA and protein expression levels were downregulated in CSCC samples. Multivariate and univariate analyses indicated that TUSC3 was an independent prognostic factor for patients with CSCC. Decreased TUSC3 expression levels were significantly associated with proliferation and an aggressive phenotype of cervical cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the knockdown of TUSC3 promoted migration and invasion of cancer cells, while the increased expression of TUSC3 exhibited the opposite effects. The downregulation of TUSC3 facilitated proliferation and invasion of CSCC cells through the activation of the AKT signalling pathway. Our data demonstrated that the downregulation of TUSC3 promoted CSCC cell metastasis via the AKT signalling pathway. Therefore, TUSC3 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and potential target for CSCC.

LncRNA Opa interacting protein 5-antisense RNA 1 (OIP5-AS1) promotes the migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through targeting miR-147a/insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) pathway in cervical cancer tissues and cell model

BACKGROUND

Two factors involved in regulation, long noncoding RNA Opa interacting protein 5-antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA OIP5-AS1) and microRNA-147a, were found in cervical cancer. Therefore, the investigation of the specific regulation of miR-147a by OIP5-AS1 was performed in cervical cancer.

METHOD

The cervical cancer tissues were collected from patients with cervical cancer (n = 50). The expression of OIP5-AS1, miR-147a, proteins in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCT) or western blotting. Cell motility and the relationship between OIP5-AS1 and miR-147a were detected or analyzed by wound healing test, Transwell assay, dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assay or Pearson correlation in OIP5-AS1, or miR-147a over-expressed and/or suppressed cervical cancer cells.

RESULTS

OIP5-AS1 showed the high-expression and miR-147a showed the low-expression in tumor tissues collected from patients with cervical cancer and cell lines Hela, CaSki, Siha, and ME-180. The low-expression of OIP5-AS1 suppressed the motility of Caski cells, as well as up-regulated the level of E-cadherin, which a key protein in EMT. There were targeting sites between miR-147a and OIP5-AS1. OIP5-AS1 induced the down-regulation of miR-147a, so miR-147a was inversely correlated with OIP5-AS1. The down-regulation of miR-147a increased IGF1R and E-cadherin, and these increases were alleviated by OIP5-AS1 knockdown.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA OIP5-AS1 promotes the migration, invasion and EMT of cervical cancer cells via targeting miR-147a/IGF1R pathway.

miR-200a/b/-429 downregulation is a candidate biomarker of tumor radioresistance and independent of hypoxia in locally advanced cervical cancer

Many patients with locally advanced cervical cancer experience recurrence within the radiation field after chemoradiotherapy. Biomarkers of tumor radioresistance are required to identify patients in need of intensified treatment. Here, the biomarker potential of miR-200 family members was investigated in this disease. Also, involvement of tumor hypoxia in the radioresistance mechanism was determined, using a previously defined 6-gene hypoxia classifier. miR-200 expression was measured in pre-treatment tumor biopsies of an explorative cohort (n=90) and validation cohort 1 (n=110) by RNA sequencing. Publicly available miR-200 data of 79 patients were included for validation of prognostic significance. A score based on expression of the miR-200a/b/-429 (miR-200a, miR-200b and miR-429) cluster showed prognostic significance in all cohorts. The score was significant in multivariate analysis of central pelvic recurrence. No association with distant recurrence or hypoxia status was found. Potential miRNA target genes were identified from gene expression profiles and showed enrichment of genes in extracellular matrix organization and cell adhesion. miR-200a/b/-429 overexpression had a pronounced radiosensitizing effect in tumor xenografts, whereas the effect was minor in vitro. In conclusion, miR-200a/b/-429 downregulation is a candidate biomarker of central pelvic recurrence and seems to predict cell-adhesion-mediated tumor radioresistance independent of clinical markers and hypoxia.

HPV16 E6 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of human cervical cancer cells by elevating both EMT and stemness characteristics

In most cases of cervical cancer, the high-risk of the disease is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). Surgery or radiation usually benefits patients with early cervical cancer, while the metastatic one is uncurable and new therapeutic strategies and approaches are required. In this study, HPV16 E6 silence or overexpression were carried out to evaluate the possible mechanisms of HPV16 E6 function in cervical cancer cells with different HPV16 E6 expression background. HPV16 E6-positive cervical cancer cell Siha exerts significantly stronger cell invasion and migration potentials than the HPV16 E6-negative C33A cells. HPV16 E6 silence significantly weakened the potentials of cell invasion and migration, cell proliferation and stemness characteristic in Siha cells. Meanwhile, the overexpression of HPV16 E6 effectively promoted the cell proliferation and stemness characteristic in C33A cells. Our data also indicated a positive association between HPV16 E6 and the levels of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cell stemness. The ectopic expression of OCT4 could effectively reverse the inhibitory roles of HPV16 E6 silence on cell migration, invasion, and stemness in Siha cells. More interestingly, we found that HPV16 E6 might promote the OCT4 expression by impairing the direct binding of p53 on the promoter and activate its transcription. Taken together, our results indicated that HPV16 E6 could promoted the potential cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of human cervical cancer cells by modulating EMT and cell stemness. Our data provide a novel mechanism for how HPV16 E6 acts as a key risk factor for cervical cancer development and progression. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

miR-92a-3p Promoted EMT via Targeting LATS1 in Cervical Cancer Stem Cells

miR-92a-3p (microRNA-92a-3p) has been reported to be dysregulated in several cancers, and as such, it is considered to be a cancer-related microRNA. However, the influence of miR-92a-3p on biological behaviors in cervical cancer (CC) still remains unclear. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect miR-92a-3p levels in CC stem cells. Here, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, Transwell cell invasion assay and flow cytometry assay were used to characterize the effects that miR-92a-3p and large tumor suppressor l (LATS1) had on proliferation, invasion and cell cycle transition. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-92a-3p and LATS1. Western Blotting was used to investigate the related signaling pathways and proteins. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) showed that miR-92a-3p was upregulated in CC tissues and closely associated with overall survival. miR-92a-3p promoted proliferation, invasion and cell cycle transition in CC stem cells. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-92a-3p bound to the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of the LATS1 promoter. LATS1 inhibited proliferation, invasion and cell cycle transition. Results measured by Western Blotting showed that LATS1 downregulated expressions of transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ), vimentin and cyclin E, but upregulated the expression of E-cadherin. Re-expression of LATS1 partly reversed the effects of miR-92a-3p on proliferation, invasion and cell cycle transition, as well as on TAZ, E-cadherin, vimentin, and cyclin E. miR-92a-3p promoted the malignant behavior of CC stem cells by targeting LATS1, which regulated TAZ and E-cadherin.