Chemically synthesized cinobufagin suppresses nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis by inducing ENKUR to stabilize p53 expression

Cinobufagin Suppresses Lipid Peroxidation and Inflammation in Osteoporotic Mice by Promoting the Delivery of miR-3102-5p by Macrophage-Derived Exosomes

Background

Cinobufagin, the primary active compound in toad venom, is commonly used for anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic purposes. However, its specific bone-protective effects remain uncertain. This research aims to ascertain the bone-protective properties of cinobufagin and investigate underlying mechanisms.

Methods

Mice were ovariectomized to establish an osteoporosis model, followed by intraperitoneal injections of cinobufagin and cinobufagin-treated RAW.264.7-derived exosomes for therapy. MicroCT, HE staining, and TRAP staining were employed to evaluate bone mass and therapeutic outcomes, while mRNA sequencing and immunoblotting were utilized to assess markers of bone metabolism, inflammation, and lipid peroxidation. Osteoblast and osteoclast precursor cells were differentiated to observe the impact of cinobufagin-treated exosomes derived from RAW264.7 cells on bone metabolism. Exosomes characteristics were studied using transmission electron microscopy and particle size analysis, and miRNA binding targets in exosomes were determined by luciferase reporting.

Results

In ovariectomized mice, cinobufagin and cinobufagin-treated exosomes from RAW264.7 cells increased trabecular bone density and mass in the femur, while also decreasing inflammation and lipid peroxidation. The effect was reversed by an exosomes inhibitor. In vitro experiments revealed that cinobufagin-treated exosomes from RAW264.7 cells enhanced osteogenic and suppressed osteoclast differentiation, possibly linked to Upregulated miR-3102-5p in RAW-derived exosomes. MiR-3102-5p targets the 3'UTR region of alox15, thereby suppressing its expression and reducing the lipid peroxidation process in osteoblasts.

Conclusion

Overall, this study clarified cinobufagin's bone-protective effects and revealed that cinobufagin can enhance the delivery of miR-3102-5p targeting alox15 through macrophage-derived exosomes, demonstrating anti-lipid peroxidation and anti-inflammatory effects.

Differentially expressed circular RNA profiles and comprehensive analysis of circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network in microsatellite instability-high endometrial cancer

The clinical benefit of anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)-based immunotherapy among patients with microsatellite instable (MSI) endometrial cancer (EC) precedes that of microsatellite stable (MSS) EC, the mechanisms of which have not been fully understood. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) were reported to modulate immune evasion in several types of malignancies, while their roles in the immune regulation in EC remain largely unknown. Here, we conducted circRNA array analysis and mRNA-Sequencing of 10 MSI EC samples and 10 MSS EC samples and identified 1083 differentially expressed circRNAs (DE-circRNAs) and 864 differentially expressed mRNAs, based on which we constructed a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA comprehensive network consisting of 35 DE-circRNAs, 56 predicted miRNAs and 24 differentially expressed mRNAs. Finally, we confirmed hsa_circ_0058230 being positively correlated with CD8+ T cells infiltration, suggesting that it might take a part in anti-tumor immunity in EC.

Increased CCT5 expression is a potential unfavourable factor promoting the growth of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Chaperonin containing TCP1 subunit 5 (CCT5) encodes the CCT5 protein subunit of chaperonin-containing TCP-1 (CCT/TRiC) complex, and is shown to be upregulated in tumour pathogenesis. The study aim was to investigate the differential expression of CCT5 between nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and noncancerous nasopharyngeal tissues, and the correlation between CCT5 expression and clinicopathological parameters/prognosis in patients with NPC.

METHODS

Microarray assay data were evaluated for differential expression between NPC and noncancerous nasopharyngeal tissues. CCT5 expression in NPC and noncancerous nasopharyngeal tissues was determined at mRNA and protein levels by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Relationships between CCT5 expression in NPC, clinical parameters, and prognosis were statistically analysed. CCT5-mediated cell proliferation was assessed using EdU and cell counting kit-8. Western blot and co-immunoprecipitation were utilized to explore E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase parkin (PARK2)-induced degradation of CCT5.

RESULTS

Microarray data showed CCT5 levels to be significantly increased in NPC versus noncancerous nasopharyngeal tissues, which was confirmed by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical assays. Increased CCT5 protein levels positively correlated with tumour size, tumour recurrence, and clinical stage, and inversely correlated with patient's overall survival. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that enhanced CCT5 protein expression is an independent prognostic factor for patients with NPC. Overexpression of CCT5 markedly induced NPC cell proliferation. Finally, PARK2, as a suppressive E3 ubiquitin-ligase enzyme, was shown to bind CCT5 and induce degradation in NPC.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased CCT5 may be an unfavourable factor promoting NPC growth. Binding of PARK2 to CCT5 was associated with CCT5 degradation, suggesting that PARK2 is an upstream negative modulator in NPC.

Unveiling the enigmatic role of MYH9 in tumor biology: a comprehensive review

Non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (MYH9), a member of the non-muscle myosin II (NM II) family, is widely expressed in cells. The interaction of MYH9 with actin in the cytoplasm can hydrolyze ATP, completing the conversion of chemical energy to mechanical motion. MYH9 participates in various cellular processes, such as cell adhesion, migration, movement, and even signal transduction. Mutations in MYH9 are often associated with autosomal dominant platelet disorders and kidney diseases. Over the past decade, tumor-related research has gradually revealed a close relationship between MYH9 and the occurrence and development of tumors. This article provides a review of the research progress on the role of MYH9 in cancer regulation. We also discussed the anti-cancer effects of MYH9 under special circumstances, as well as its regulation of T cell function. In addition, given the importance of MYH9 as a key hub in oncogenic signal transduction, we summarize the current therapeutic strategies targeting MYH9 as well as the ongoing challenges.

Exploring the nexus between MYH9 and tumors: novel insights and new therapeutic opportunities

The myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) gene, located on human chromosome 22, encodes non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NM IIA). This protein is essential to various cellular events, such as generating intracellular chemomechanical force and facilitating the movement of the actin cytoskeleton. Mutations associated with thrombocytopenia in autosomal dominant diseases first highlighted the significance of the MYH9 gene. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated the pivotal roles of MYH9 in various cancers. However, its effects on cancer are intricate and not fully comprehended. Furthermore, the elevated expression of MYH9 in certain malignancies suggests its potential as a target for tumor therapy. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of literature summarizing MYH9's role in tumors and the therapeutic strategies centered on it, necessitating a systematic analysis. This paper comprehensively reviews and analyzes the pertinent literature in this domain, elucidating the fundamental structural characteristics, biological functions, and the nexus between MYH9 and tumors. The mechanisms through which MYH9 contributes to tumor development and its multifaceted roles in the tumorigenic process are also explored. Additionally, we discuss the relationship between MYH9-related diseases (MYH9-RD) and tumors and also summarize tumor therapeutic approaches targeting MYH9. The potential clinical applications of studying the MYH9 gene include improving early diagnosis, clinical staging, and prognosis of tumors. This paper is anticipated to provide novel insights for tumor therapy.

MiR-2110 induced by chemically synthesized cinobufagin functions as a tumor-metastatic suppressor via targeting FGFR1 to reduce PTEN ubiquitination degradation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Tumor cell metastasis is the key cause of death in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). MiR-2110 was cloned and identified in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive NPC, but its role is unclear in NPC. In this study, we investigated the effect of miR-2110 on NPC metastasis and its related molecular basis. In addition, we also explored whether miR-2110 can be regulated by cinobufotalin (CB) and participate in the inhibition of CB on NPC metastasis. Bioinformatics, RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization were used to observe the expression of miR-2110 in NPC tissues and cells. Scratch, Boyden, and tail vein metastasis model of nude mouse were used to detect the effect of miR-2110 on NPC metastasis. Western blot, Co-IP, luciferase activity, colocalization of micro confocal and ubiquitination assays were used to identify the molecular mechanism of miR-2110 affecting NPC metastasis. Finally, miR-2110 induced by CB participates in CB-stimulated inhibition of NPC metastasis was explored. The data showed that increased miR-2110 significantly suppresses NPC cell migration, invasion, and metastasis. Suppressing miR-2110 markedly restored NPC cell migration and invasion. Mechanistically, miR-2110 directly targeted FGFR1 and reduced its protein expression. Decreased FGFR1 attenuated its recruitment of NEDD4, which downregulated NEDD4-induced phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) ubiquitination and degradation and further increased PTEN protein stability, thereby inactivating PI3K/AKT-stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling and ultimately suppressing NPC metastasis. Interestingly, CB, a potential new inhibitory drug for NPC metastasis, significantly induced miR-2110 expression by suppressing PI3K/AKT/c-Jun-mediated transcription inhibition. Suppression of miR-2110 significantly restored cell migration and invasion in CB-treated NPC cells. Finally, a clinical sample assay indicated that reduced miR-2110 was negatively correlated with NPC lymph node metastasis and positively related to NPC patient survival prognosis. In summary, miR-2110 is a metastatic suppressor involving in CB-induced suppression of NPC metastasis.

Immunoenhancement effect of cinobufagin on macrophages and the cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression mouse model

Cinobufagin (CBG) is a natural active substance. Although its various pharmacological activities have been explored, the immunomodulatory activity of CBG remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities of CBG ex vivo and in vivo. The immunomodulatory activity of CBG was investigated in RAW 264.7 cells. CBG showed no significant toxicity to cells. Additionally, 0.5-8 μg/mL CBG significantly increased the phagocytosis ability of macrophages and the secretion levels of IL-1β and TNF-α. Thus, it exerted immunomodulatory effects. We established the immunosuppressive model induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX) in mice and studied the immunomodulatory activity of CBG in vivo. The experimental results showed that the intervention of CBG alleviated the CTX-induced weight loss, restored the lymphocyte nuclear cell number, and promoted the secretion and mRNA expression of cytokines IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-6, and IL-12. Moreover, CBG increased the immune organ index, protected the growth of the spleen and thymus, and improved the pathological changes in immunosuppressed mice. Western blot results showed that different concentrations of CBG upregulated the phosphorylation level of PI3K/Akt/mTOR in the spleen of CTX-induced immunosuppressed mice. This suggests that the immunomodulatory effect of CBG may be related to the regulation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing CBG immune enhancers and opens up new ideas for the comprehensive utilization and development of CBG in factories.

E3 ubiquitin ligases in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and implications for therapies

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is one of the most common squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is one of the pathogenic factors involved in the oncogenetic development and progression of NPC. E3 ligases, which are key members of the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS), specifically recognize various oncogenic factors and tumor suppressors and contribute to determining their fate through ubiquitination. Several studies have demonstrated that E3 ligases are aberrantly expressed and mutated in NPC and that these changes are closely associated with the occurrence and progression of NPC. Herein, we aim to thoroughly review the specific action mechanisms by which E3 ligases participate in NPC signaling pathways and discuss their functional relationship with EBV. Moreover, we describe the current progress in and limitations for targeted therapies against E3 ligases in NPC. KEY MESSAGES: • E3 ubiquitin ligases, as members of the UPS system, determine the fate of their substrates and may act either as oncogenic or anti-tumorigenic factors in NPC. • Mutations or dysregulated expression of E3 ubiquitin ligases is closely related to the occurrence, development, and therapeutic sensitivity of NPC, as they play important roles in several signaling pathways affected by EBV infection. • As promising therapeutic targets, E3 ligases may open new avenues for treatment and for improving the prognosis of NPC patients.

FGFR families: biological functions and therapeutic interventions in tumors

There are five fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs), namely, FGFR1-FGFR5. When FGFR binds to its ligand, namely, fibroblast growth factor (FGF), it dimerizes and autophosphorylates, thereby activating several key downstream pathways that play an important role in normal physiology, such as the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, phospholipase C gamma/diacylglycerol/protein kinase c, and signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways. Furthermore, as an oncogene, FGFR genetic alterations were found in 7.1% of tumors, and these alterations include gene amplification, gene mutations, gene fusions or rearrangements. Therefore, FGFR amplification, mutations, rearrangements, or fusions are considered as potential biomarkers of FGFR therapeutic response for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, it is worth noting that with increased use, resistance to TKIs inevitably develops, such as the well-known gatekeeper mutations. Thus, overcoming the development of drug resistance becomes a serious problem. This review mainly outlines the FGFR family functions, related pathways, and therapeutic agents in tumors with the aim of obtaining better outcomes for cancer patients with FGFR changes. The information provided in this review may provide additional therapeutic ideas for tumor patients with FGFR abnormalities.

Cinobufagin: a promising therapeutic agent for cancer

OBJECTIVES

Cinobufagin is a natural active ingredient isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Venenum Bufonis (Chinese: Chansu), which is the dried secretion of the postauricular gland or skin gland of the Bufo gargarizans Cantor or Bufo melanostictus Schneider. There is increasing evidence indicating that cinobufagin plays an important role in the treatment of cancer. This article is to review and discuss the antitumor pharmacological effects and mechanisms of cinobufagin, along with a description of its toxicity and pharmacokinetics.

METHODS

The public databases including PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Elsevier were referenced, and 'cinobufagin', 'Chansu', 'Venenum Bufonis', 'anticancer', 'cancer', 'carcinoma', and 'apoptosis' were used as keywords to summarize the comprehensive research and applications of cinobufagin published up to date.

KEY FINDINGS

Cinobufagin can induce tumour cell apoptosis and cycle arrest, inhibit tumour cell proliferation, migration, invasion and autophagy, reduce angiogenesis and reverse tumour cell multidrug resistance, through triggering DNA damage and activating the mitochondrial pathway and the death receptor pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Cinobufagin has the potential to be further developed as a new drug against cancer.

Regulatory network and targeted interventions for CCDC family in tumor pathogenesis

CCDC (coiled-coil domain-containing) is a coiled helix domain that exists in natural proteins. There are about 180 CCDC family genes, encoding proteins that are involved in intercellular transmembrane signal transduction and genetic signal transcription, among other functions. Alterations in expression, mutation, and DNA promoter methylation of CCDC family genes have been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of many diseases, including primary ciliary dyskinesia, infertility, and tumors. In recent studies, CCDC family genes have been found to be involved in regulation of growth, invasion, metastasis, chemosensitivity, and other biological behaviors of malignant tumor cells in various cancer types, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and thyroid cancer. In this review, we summarize the involvement of CCDC family genes in tumor pathogenesis and the relevant upstream and downstream molecular mechanisms. In addition, we summarize the potential of CCDC family genes as tumor therapy targets. The findings discussed here help us to further understand the role and the therapeutic applications of CCDC family genes in tumors.

MYH10 Combines with MYH9 to Recruit USP45 by Deubiquitinating Snail and Promotes Serous Ovarian Cancer Carcinogenesis, Progression, and Cisplatin Resistance

The poor prognosis of serous ovarian cancer (SOC) is due to its high invasive capacity and cisplatin resistance of SOC cells, whereas the molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. In the present study, the expression and function of non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIB (MYH10) in SOC are identified by immunohistochemistry, in vitro, and in vivo studies, respectively. The mechanism of MYH10 is demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation, GST pull-down, confocal laser assays, and so on. The results show that the knockdown of MYH10 suppressed SOC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, and cisplatin resistance both in vivo and in vitro. Further studies confirm that the MYH10 protein functional domain combines with non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (MYH9) to recruit the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubiquitin-specific proteases 45 and deubiquitinates snail to inhibit snail degradation, eventually promoting tumorigenesis, progression, and cisplatin resistance in SOC. In clinical samples, MYH10 expression is significantly elevated in SOC samples compared to the paratumor samples. And the expression of MYH10 is positively correlated with MYH9 expression. MYH10+/MYH9+ co-expression is an independent prognostic factor for predicting SOC patient survival. These findings uncover a key role of the MYH10-MYH9-snail axis in SOC carcinogenesis, progression, and cisplatin resistance, and provide potential novel therapeutic targets for SOC intervention.

Toad venom-derived bufadienolides and their therapeutic application in prostate cancers: Current status and future directions

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Specially, the high incidence rate and prevalence of drug resistance have rendered prostate cancer (PCa) a great threat to men’s health. Novel modalities with different structures or mechanisms are in urgent need to overcome these two challenges. Traditional Chinese medicine toad venom-derived agents (TVAs) have shown to possess versatile bioactivities in treating certain diseases including PCa. In this work, we attempted to have an overview of bufadienolides, the major bioactive components in TVAs, in the treatment of PCa in the past decade, including their derivatives developed by medicinal chemists to antagonize certain drawbacks of bufadienolides such as innate toxic effect to normal cells. Generally, bufadienolides can effectively induce apoptosis and suppress PCa cells in-vitro and in-vivo, majorly mediated by regulating certain microRNAs/long non-coding RNAs, or by modulating key pro-survival and pro-metastasis players in PCa. Importantly, critical obstacles and challenges using TVAs will be discussed and possible solutions and future perspectives will also be presented in this review. Further in-depth studies are clearly needed to decipher the mechanisms, e.g., targets and pathways, toxic effects and fully reveal their application. The information collected in this work may help evoke more effects in developing bufadienolides as therapeutic agents in PCa.

Combined time-restricted feeding and cisplatin enhance the anti-tumor effects in cisplatin-resistant and -sensitive lung cancer cells

Combination therapy as an important treatment option for lung cancer has been attracting attention due to the primary and acquired resistance of chemotherapeutic drugs in the clinical application. In the present study, as a new therapy strategy, concomitant treatment with time-restricted feeding (TRF) plus cisplatin (DDP) on lung cancer growth was investigated in DDP-resistant and DDP-sensitive lung cancer cells. We first found that TRF significantly enhanced the drug susceptibility of DDP in DDP-resistant A549 (A549/DDP) cell line, illustrated by reversing the inhibitory concentration 50 (IC₅₀) values of A549/DDP cells to normal level of parental A549 cells. We also found that TRF markedly enhanced DDP inhibition on cell proliferation, migration, as well as promoted apoptosis compared to the DDP alone group in A549, H460 and A549/DDP cells lines. We further revealed that the synergistic anti-tumor effect of combined DDP and TRF was greater than that of combined DDP and simulated fasting condition (STS), a known anti-tumor cellular medium. Moreover, mRNA sequence analysis from A549/DDP cell line demonstrated the synergistic anti-tumor effect involved in upregulated pathways in p53 signaling pathway and apoptosis. Notably, compared with the DDP alone group, combination of TRF and DDP robustly upregulated the P53 protein expression without mRNA level change by regulating its stability via promoting protein synthesis and inhibiting degradation, revealed by cycloheximide and MG132 experiments. Collectively, our results suggested that TRF in combination with cisplatin might be an additional novel therapeutic strategy for patients with lung cancer.

ENKUR recruits FBXW7 to ubiquitinate and degrade MYH9 and further suppress MYH9-induced deubiquitination of β-catenin to block gastric cancer metastasis

ENKUR was shown as a suppressor in some tumors. However, the biological role of ENKUR on gastric cancer (GC) and its related molecular mechanisms is not clear. Here, we first observed that ENKUR significantly inhibited cell migration, invasion, and metastasis in GC. The molecular basis showed β-catenin-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling was inactivated in ENKUR-overexpressing GC cells. In addition, ENKUR knockdown markedly restored cell migration and invasion. Subsequently, ENKUR bound to MYH9 and decreased its protein expression by recruiting E3 ubiquitin ligase FBXW7 to form an ubiquitinated degradation complex. The downregulated MYH9 protein weakened the recruitment of the deubiquitinase USP2 and thus promoted the degradation of β-catenin protein, which finally suppressed EMT signaling. Finally, the oncogenic transcription factor c-Jun bound to ENKUR promoter and reduced its expression in GC. In clinical samples, decreased ENKUR expression promoted the unfavorable prognosis of GC. Our data proved the vital role of ENKUR on suppressing cell migration, invasion, and metastasis and demonstrated its potential as a therapeutic target for GC.

DHW-208, A Novel Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K) Inhibitor, Has Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Activity Through Promoting Apoptosis and Inhibiting Angiogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide with high prevalence and lethality. Due to insidious onset and lack of early symptoms, most HCC patients are diagnosed at advanced stages without adequate methods but systemic therapies. PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway plays a crucial role in the progression and development of HCC. Aberrant activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is involved in diverse biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and angiogenesis. Therefore, the development of PI3K-targeted inhibitors is of great significance for the treatment of HCC. DHW-208 is a novel 4-aminoquinazoline derivative pan-PI3K inhibitor. This study aimed to assess the therapeutic efficacy of DHW-208 in HCC and investigate its underlying mechanism. DHW-208 could inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of HCC through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in vitro. Consistent with the in vitro results, in vivo studies demonstrated that DHW-208 elicits an antitumor effect by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR-signaling pathway with a high degree of safety in HCC. Therefore, DHW-208 is a candidate compound to be developed as a small molecule PI3K inhibitor for the treatment of HCC, and our study provides a certain theoretical basis for the treatment of HCC and the development of PI3K inhibitors.