The Emerging Hallmarks of Cancer Metabolism

Glutaminase inhibition as potential cancer therapeutics: current status and future applications

Alterations in normal metabolic processes are defining features of cancer. Glutamine, an abundant amino acid in the human blood, plays a critical role in regulating several biosynthetic and bioenergetic pathways that support tumour growth. Glutaminolysis is a metabolic pathway that converts glutamine into various metabolites involved in the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and generates antioxidants that are vital for tumour cell survival. As glutaminase catalyses the initial step of this metabolic pathway, it is of great significance in cancer metabolism and tumour progression. Inhibition of glutaminase and targeting of glutaminolysis have emerged as promising strategies for cancer therapy. This review explores the role of glutaminases in cancer metabolism and discusses various glutaminase inhibitors developed as potential therapies for tumour regression.

Untargeted metabolomics of blood plasma samples of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. HCC is often diagnosed late because patients with early-stage cancer have no apparent symptoms. Therefore, it is desirable to find a reliable method for an early diagnosis based on the detection of metabolites - biomarkers, that can be detected in the early stages of the disease. Untargeted metabolomics is often used as a tool to find a suitable biomarker for several diseases. In this work, untargeted metabolomics was performed on blood plasma samples of HCC patients and compared with healthy individuals and patients with liver cirrhosis. A combination of liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry was used as an analytical method. More than a thousand peaks were detected in the blood plasma samples, from which mainly amino acids, carboxylic acids, lipids, and their derivatives were evaluated as potential biomarkers. The data obtained were statistically processed using the analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and principal component analysis.

Discovery of novel natural-product-derived mutant isocitrate dehydrogenases 1 inhibitors: Structure-based virtual screening, biological evaluation and structure-activity relationship study

Mutations in IDH1 are commonly observed across various cancers, causing the conversion of α-KG to 2-HG. Elevated levels of 2-HG disrupt histone and DNA demethylation processes, promoting tumor development. Consequently, there is substantial interest in developing small molecule inhibitors targeting the mutant enzymes. Herein, we report a structure-based high-throughput virtual screening strategy using a natural products library, followed by hit-to-lead optimization. Through this process, we discover a potent compound, named 11s, which exhibited significant inhibition to IDH1 R132H and IDH1 R132C with IC50 values of 124.4 and 95.7 nM, respectively. Furthermore, 11s effectively reduced 2-HG formation, with EC50 values of 182 nM in U87 R132H cell, and 84 nM in HT-1080 cell. In addition, 11s significantly reduced U87 R132H and HT-1080 cell proliferation with GC50 values of 3.48 and 1.38 μM, respectively. PK-PD experiments further confirmed that compound 11s significantly decreased 2-HG formation in an HT-1080 xenograft mouse model, resulting in notable suppression of tumor growth without apparent loss in body weight.

Non-genetic heterogeneity and immune subtyping in breast cancer: Implications for immunotherapy and targeted therapeutics

Breast cancer (BC) is a complex and multifactorial disease, driven by genetic alterations that promote tumor growth and progression. However, recent research has highlighted the importance of non-genetic factors in shaping cancer evolution and influencing therapeutic outcomes. Non-genetic heterogeneity refers to diverse subpopulations of cancer cells within breast tumors, exhibiting distinct phenotypic and functional properties. These subpopulations can arise through various mechanisms, including clonal evolution, genetic changes, epigenetic changes, and reversible phenotypic transitions. Although genetic and epigenetic changes are important points of the pathology of breast cancer yet, the immune system also plays a crucial role in its progression. In clinical management, histologic and molecular classification of BC are used. Immunological subtyping of BC has gained attention in recent years as compared to traditional techniques. Intratumoral heterogeneity revealed by immunological microenvironment (IME) has opened novel opportunities for immunotherapy research. This systematic review is focused on non-genetic variability to identify and interlink immunological subgroups in breast cancer. This review provides a deep understanding of adaptive methods adopted by tumor cells to withstand changes in the tumor microenvironment and selective pressure imposed by medications. These adaptive methods include alterations in drug targets, immune system evasion, activation of survival pathways, and alterations in metabolism. Understanding non-genetic heterogeneity is essential for the development of targeted therapies.

GPRC5A promotes paclitaxel resistance and glucose content in NSCLC

Lung cancer is one of the most common and malignant cancers worldwide. Chemotherapy has been widely used in the clinical setting, and paclitaxel is the first-line therapy for lung cancer patients but paclitaxel resistance is the main problem. First, we successfully established paclitaxel-resistant lung cancer cells treated with elevated doses of paclitaxel for 3 months, as confirmed by the CCK-8 assay. Paclitaxel-resistant cancer cells increased glucose content. Second, Gtex, Oncomine, and gene expression omnibus database data mining identified GPRC5A, G protein-coupled receptor, as the most prominent differentially expressed gene in drug-resistant datasets including gemcitabine, paclitaxel, and gefitinib overlapped with the microarray data from cancer cell metabolism. Third, qPCR analysis and western blot technique showed that GPRC5A mRNA and protein levels were significantly enhanced in paclitaxel-resistant lung cancer cells. Fourth, functional analysis was conducted by siRNA-mediated transient knockdown of GPRC5A. Silencing GPRC5A significantly decreased paclitaxel resistance and glucose content. In the end, retinoic acid substantially upregulated GPRC5A proteins and promoted glucose content in two lung cancer cells. Kaplan-Meier plot also confirmed that lung cancer patients with high expression of GPRC5A had a relatively lower survival rate. Our study provided a potential drug target GPRC5A, which may benefit lung cancer patients with acquired paclitaxel resistance in the future and a theoretical basis for future preclinical trials.

Dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors as a progressive strategy for cancer therapy

In mammals, nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is a crucial enzyme in the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) synthesis pathway catalyzing the condensation of nicotinamide (NAM) with 5-phosphoribosyl-1-pyrophosphate (PRPP) to produce nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). Given the pivotal role of NAD+ in a range of cellular functions, including DNA synthesis, redox reactions, cytokine generation, metabolism, and aging, NAMPT has become a promising target for many diseases, notably cancer. Therefore, various NAMPT inhibitors have been reported and classified as first and second-generation based on their chemical structures and design strategies, dual-targeted being one. However, most NAMPT inhibitors suffer from several limitations, such as dose-dependent toxicity and poor pharmacokinetic properties. Consequently, there is no clinically approved NAMPT inhibitor. Hence, research on discovering more effective and less toxic dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors with desirable pharmacokinetic properties has drawn attention recently. This review summarizes the previously reported dual-targeted NAMPT inhibitors, focusing on their design strategies and advantages over the single-targeted therapies.

Lactate dehydrogenase B as a metabolism-related marker for immunotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common malignancies. Lactate dehydrogenase family genes (LDHs) play a critical role in tumor metabolism, but their functions in HNSCC have not been investigated thoroughly. Thus, we aimed to explore the value of LDHs in HNSCC.

METHODS

The association between LDHs expression and mutations, methylation, copy number variations (CNVs), alternative splicing (AS) and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) was investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The expression level of LDHs in OSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was verified by qPCR. Algorithms, such as ssGSEA, ESTIMATE, xCell and TIDE were utilized to analyze the characteristics of immune infiltration. Pathway alternations were enriched by GO, GSEA and KEGG analysis. The Mantel test was employed to elucidate the correlation between metabolism and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Subsequently, MTT and colony formation assays were utilized to assess the impact of LDHB knockdown on cellular proliferation. Additionally, ATP and lactate assays were performed to examine metabolic alterations. Co-culture experiments further investigated the effect of LDHB knockdown on T cell differentiation.

RESULTS

LDHs were completely analyzed in multiple databases, among which LDHB was differentially expressed in HNSCC and significantly associated with prognosis. Low LDHB expression had better clinicopathological characteristics. Downregulated LDHB expression was associated with enhanced immune cell infiltration and could influence tumor metabolism. Despite having worse cytotoxic T lymphocyte dysfunction, the LDHBlow group was predicted to respond more favorably to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) therapy. Moreover, the correlation between metabolism and TME was depicted. In vitro, LDHB knockdown resulted in inhibited cell proliferation, increased lactate levels and decreased ATP levels, while promoted the Th1 differentiation of T cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provided a comprehensive analysis of the LDHs and illustrated low LDHB expression could inhibit tumor cell proliferation and ATP production by influencing metabolism, with improved immune cell infiltration and better response to immunotherapy.

Cyclopeptide RA-V from Rubia yunnanensis restores activity of Adagrasib against colorectal cancer by reducing the expression of Nrf2

Adagrasib (MRTX849), an approved and promising KRAS G12C inhibitor, has shown the promising results for treating patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) or colorectal cancer (CRC) harboring KRAS-activating mutations. However, emergence of the acquired resistance limits its long-term efficacy and clinical application. Further understanding of the mechanism of the acquired resistance is crucial for developing more new effective therapeutic strategies. Herein, we firstly found a new connection between the acquired resistance to MRTX849 and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The expression levels of Nrf2 and GLS1 proteins were substantially elevated in different CRC cell lines with the acquired resistance to MRTX849 in comparison with their corresponding parental cell lines. Next, we discovered that RA-V, one of natural cyclopeptides isolated from the roots of Rubia yunnanensis, could restore the response of resistant CRC cells to MRTX849. The results of molecular mechanisms showed that RA-V suppressed Nrf2 protein through the ubiquitin-proteasome-dependent degradation, leading to the induction of oxidative and ER stress, and DNA damage in CRC cell lines. Consequently, RA-V reverses the resistance to MRTX849 by inhibiting the Nrf2/GLS1 axis, which shows the potential for further developing into one of novel adjuvant therapies of MRTX849.

Advances in the interaction of glycolytic reprogramming with lactylation

Lactylation is a novel post-translational modification (PTM) involving proteins that is induced by lactate accumulation. Histone lysine lactylation alters chromatin spatial configuration, influencing gene transcription and regulating the expression of associated genes. This modification plays a crucial role as an epigenetic regulatory factor in the progression of various diseases. Glycolytic reprogramming is one of the most extensively studied forms of metabolic reprogramming, recognized as a key hallmark of cancer cells. It is characterized by an increase in glycolysis and the inhibition of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, accompanied by significant lactate production and accumulation. The two processes are closely linked by lactate, which interacts in various physiological and pathological processes. On the one hand, lactylation levels generally correlate positively with the extent of glycolytic reprogramming, being directly influenced by the lactate concentration produced during glycolytic reprogramming. On the other hand, lactylation can also regulate glycolytic pathways by affecting the transcription and structural functions of essential glycolytic enzymes. This review comprehensively outlines the mechanisms of lactylation and glycolytic reprogramming and their interactions in tumor progression, immunity, and inflammation, with the aim of elucidating the relationship between glycolytic reprogramming and lactylation.

Sterol-like drugs potentiate statin-triggered prostate cancer cell death by inhibiting SREBP2 nuclear translocation

There is an urgent need to provide immediate and effective options for the treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) to prevent progression to lethal castration-resistant PCa (CRPC). The mevalonate (MVA) pathway is dysregulated in PCa, and statin drugs commonly prescribed for hypercholesterolemia, effectively target this pathway. Statins exhibit anti-PCa activity, however the resulting intracellular depletion of cholesterol triggers a feedback loop that restores MVA pathway activity, thus diminishing statin efficacy and contributing to resistance. To identify drugs that block this feedback response and enhance the pro-apoptotic activity of statins, we performed a high-content image-based screen of a 1508 drug library, enriched for FDA-approved compounds. Two of the validated hits, Galeterone (GAL) and Quinestrol, share the cholesterol-related tetracyclic structure, which is also evident in the FDA-approved CRPC drug Abiraterone (ABI). Molecular modeling revealed that GAL, Quinestrol and ABI not only share structural similarity with 25-hydroxy-cholesterol (25HC) but were also predicted to bind similarly to a known protein-binding site of 25HC. This suggested GAL, Quinestrol and ABI are sterol-mimetics and thereby inhibit the statin-induced feedback response. Cell-based assays demonstrated that these agents inhibit nuclear translocation of sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2 (SREBP2) and the transcription of MVA genes. Sensitivity was independent of androgen status and the Fluva-GAL combination significantly impeded CRPC tumor xenograft growth. By identifying cholesterol-mimetic drugs that inhibit SREBP2 activation upon statin treatment, we provide a potent "one-two punch" against CRPC progression and pave the way for innovative therapeutic strategies to combat additional diseases whose etiology is associated with SREBP2 dysregulation.

RNA epigenetic modifications in digestive tract cancers: Friends or foes

Digestive tract cancers are among the most common malignancies worldwide and have high incidence and mortality rates. Thus, the discovery of more effective diagnostic and therapeutic targets is urgently required. The development of technologies to accurately detect RNA modification has led to the identification of numerous RNA chemical modifications in humans (epitranscriptomics) that are involved in the occurrence and development of digestive tract cancers. RNA modifications can cooperatively regulate gene expression to facilitate normal physiological functions of the digestive system. However, the dysfunction of relevant RNA-modifying enzymes ("writers," "erasers," and "readers") can lead to the development of digestive tract cancers. Consequently, targeting dysregulated enzyme activity could represent a potent therapeutic strategy for the treatment of digestive tract cancers. In this review, we summarize the most widely studied roles and mechanisms of RNA modifications (m6A, m1A, m5C, m7G, A-to-I editing, pseudouridine [Ψ]) in relation to digestive tract cancers, highlight the crosstalk between RNA modifications, and discuss their roles in the interactions between the digestive system and microbiota during carcinogenesis. The clinical significance of novel therapeutic methods based on RNA-modifying enzymes is also discussed. This review will help guide future research into digestive tract cancers that are resistant to current therapeutics.

Roles of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) holds a prominent position among global cancer types. Classically, HCC manifests in individuals with a genetic predisposition when they encounter risk elements, particularly in the context of liver cirrhosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), which are transcription factors activated by fatty acids, belong to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily and play a pivotal role in the regulation of energy homeostasis. At present, three distinct subtypes of PPARs have been recognized: PPARα, PPARγ, and PPARβ/δ. They regulate the transcription of genes responsible for cellular development, energy metabolism, inflammation, and differentiation. In recent years, with the rising incidence of HCC, there has been an increasing focus on the mechanisms and roles of PPARs in HCC. PPARα primarily mediates the occurrence and development of HCC by regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammatory responses, and oxidative stress. PPARβ/δ is closely related to the self-renewal ability of liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) and the formation of the tumor microenvironment. PPARγ not only influences tumor growth by regulating the glucose and lipid metabolism of HCC, but its agonists also have significant clinical significance for the treatment of HCC. Therefore, this review offers an exhaustive examination of the role of the three PPAR subtypes in HCC progression, focusing on their mediation of critical cellular processes such as glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other pivotal signaling pathways. At the end of the review, we discuss the merits and drawbacks of existing PPAR-targeted therapeutic strategies and suggest a few alternative combinatorial therapeutic approaches that diverge from conventional methods.

Interplay between altered metabolism and DNA damage and repair in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy and is often associated with both DNA repair deficiency and extensive metabolic reprogramming. While still emerging, the interplay between these pathways can affect ovarian cancer phenotypes, including therapeutic resistance to the DNA damaging agents that are standard-of-care for this tumor type. In this review, we will discuss what is currently known about cellular metabolic rewiring in ovarian cancer that may impact DNA damage and repair in addition to highlighting how specific DNA repair proteins also promote metabolic changes. We will also discuss relevant data from other cancers that could be used to inform ovarian cancer therapeutic strategies. Changes in the choice of DNA repair mechanism adopted by ovarian cancer are a major factor in promoting therapeutic resistance. Therefore, the impact of metabolic reprogramming on DNA repair mechanisms in ovarian cancer has major clinical implications for targeted combination therapies for the treatment of this devastating disease.

Unraveling the molecular landscape of breast muscle development in domestic Yuzhong pigeons and European meat pigeon: Insights from Iso-seq and RNA-seq analysis

The mechanisms governing gene regulation in domestic Yuzhong pigeon breast muscle development remain largely elusive. Here, we conducted a comparative analysis using Iso-seq and RNA-seq data from domestic Yuzhong pigeons and European meat pigeons to uncover signaling pathways and genes involved in breast muscle development. The Iso-seq data from domestic Yuzhong pigeons yielded 131,377,075 subreads, resulting in 16,587 non-redundant high-quality full-length transcripts post-correction. Furthermore, utilizing pfam, CPC, PLEK, and CPAT, we predicted 5575, 4973, 2333, and 4336 lncRNAs, respectively. Notably, several genes potentially implicated in breast muscle development were identified, including tropomyosin beta chain, myosin regulatory light chain 2, and myosin binding protein C. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed critical signaling pathways in breast muscle development, spanning carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, estrogen signaling, PI3K-AKT signaling, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, oxidative phosphorylation, pentose phosphate pathway, fructose and mannose metabolism, and tight junctions. These findings offer insights into the biological processes driving breast muscle development in domestic Yuzhong pigeon, contributing to our understanding of this complex phenomenon.

Role of blood metabolites in mediating the effect of gut microbiome on the mutated-RAS/BRAF metastatic colorectal cancer-specific survival

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have linked alterations in the gut microbiome and metabolic disruptions to the invasive behavior and metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC), thus affecting patient prognosis. However, the specific relationship among gut microbiome, metabolite profiles, and mutated-RAS/BRAF metastatic colorectal cancer (M-mCRC) remains unclear. Furthermore, the potential mechanisms and prognostic implications of metabolic changes induced by gut microbiome alterations in patients with M-mCRC still need to be better understood.

METHODS

We conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate the causal relationship of genetically predicted 196 gut microbiome features and 1400 plasma metabolites/metabolite ratios on M-mCRC-specific survival. Additionally, we identified significant gut microbiome-metabolites/metabolite ratio associations based on M-mCRC. Metabolite information was annotated, and functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses were performed on shared proteins corresponding to significant metabolite ratios, aiming to reveal potential mechanisms by which gut microbiome influences M-mCRC prognosis via modulation of human metabolism.

RESULTS

We identified 11 gut microbiome features and 49 known metabolites/metabolite ratios correlated with M-mCRC-specific survival. Furthermore, we identified 17 gut microbiome-metabolite/metabolite ratio associations specific to M-mCRC, involving eight lipid metabolites and three bilirubin degradation products. The shared proteins corresponding to significant metabolite ratios were predominantly localized within the integral component of the membrane and exhibited enzymatic activities such as glucuronosyltransferase and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, crucial in processes such as glucuronidation, bile secretion, and lipid metabolism. Moreover, these proteins were significantly enriched in pathways related to ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and bile secretion.

CONCLUSION

Our study offers novel insights into the potential mechanisms underlying the impact of the gut microbiome on the prognosis of M-mCRC. These findings serve as a meaningful reference for exploring potential therapeutic targets and strategies in the future.

The role of novel protein acylations in cancer

Novel protein acylations are a class of protein post-translational modifications, such as lactylation, succinylation, crotonylation, palmitoylation, and β-hydroxybutyrylation. These acylation modifications are common in prokaryotes and eukaryotes and play pivotal roles in various key cellular processes by regulating gene transcription, protein subcellular localization, stability and activity, protein-protein interactions, and protein-DNA interactions. The diversified acylations are closely associated with various human diseases, especially cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the distinctive characteristics, effects, and regulatory factors of novel protein acylations. We also explore the various mechanisms through which novel protein acylations are involved in the occurrence and progression of cancer. Furthermore, we discuss the development of anti-cancer drugs targeting novel acylations, offering promising avenues for cancer treatment.

The role of cytidine 5'-triphosphate synthetase 1 in metabolic rewiring during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in non-small-cell lung cancer

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) contributes to the poor prognosis of patients with cancer by promoting distant metastasis and anti-cancer drug resistance. Several distinct metabolic alterations have been identified as key EMT phenotypes. In the present study, we further characterize the role of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced EMT in non-small-cell lung cancer. Our study revealed that TGF-β plays a role in EMT functions by upregulation of cytidine 5'-triphosphate synthetase 1 (CTPS), a vital enzyme for CTP biosynthesis in the pyrimidine metabolic pathway. Both knockdown and enzymatic inhibition of CTPS reduced TGF-β-induced changes in EMT marker expression, chemoresistance and migration in vitro. Moreover, CTPS knockdown counteracted the TGF-β-mediated downregulation of UDP-glucuronate, glutarate, creatine, taurine and nicotinamide. These findings indicate that CTPS plays a multifaceted role in EMT metabolism, which is crucial for the malignant transformation of cancer through EMT, and underline its potential as a promising therapeutic target for preventing drug resistance and metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer.

SIRT7 knockdown promotes gemcitabine sensitivity of pancreatic cancer cell via upregulation of GLUT3 expression

Gemcitabine serves as a first-line chemotherapeutic treatment for pancreatic cancer (PC), but it is prone to rapid drug resistance. Increasing the sensitivity of PC to gemcitabine has long been a focus of research. Fasting interventions may augment the effects of chemotherapy and present new options. SIRT7 is known to link metabolism with various cellular processes through post-translational modifications. We found upregulation of SIRT7 in PC cells is associated with poor prognosis and gemcitabine resistance. Cross-analysis of RNA-seq and ATAC-seq data suggested that GLUT3 might be a downstream target gene of SIRT7. Subsequent investigations demonstrated that SIRT7 directly interacts with the enhancer region of GLUT3 to desuccinylate H3K122. Our group's another study revealed that GLUT3 can transport gemcitabine in breast cancer cells. Here, we found GLUT3 KD reduces the sensitivity of PC cells to gemcitabine, and SIRT7 KD-associated gemcitabine-sensitizing could be reversed by GLUT3 KD. While fasting mimicking induced upregulation of SIRT7 expression in PC cells, knocking down SIRT7 enhanced sensitivity to gemcitabine through upregulating GLUT3 expression. We further confirmed the effect of SIRT7 deficiency on the sensitivity of gemcitabine under fasting conditions using a mouse xenograft model. In summary, our study demonstrates that SIRT7 can regulate GLUT3 expression by binding to its enhancer and altering H3K122 succinylation levels, thus affecting gemcitabine sensitivity in PC cells. Additionally, combining SIRT7 knockdown with fasting may improve the efficacy of gemcitabine. This unveils a novel mechanism by which SIRT7 influences gemcitabine sensitivity in PC and offer innovative strategies for clinical combination therapy with gemcitabine.

Biomarker Identification and Risk Prediction Model Development for Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma Lung Metastasis Based on Primary Lesion Proteomics

PURPOSE

The rising global high incidence of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) has led to a significant increase in patients presenting with lung metastasis of DTC (LMDTC). This population poses a significant challenge in clinical practice, necessitating the urgent development of effective risk stratification methods and predictive tools for lung metastasis.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Through proteomic analysis of large samples of primary lesion and dual validation employing parallel reaction monitoring and IHC, we identified eight hub proteins as potential biomarkers. By expanding the sample size and conducting statistical analysis on clinical features and hub protein expression, we constructed three risk prediction models.

RESULTS

This study identified eight hub proteins-SUCLG1/2, DLAT, IDH3B, ACSF2, ACO2, CYCS, and VDAC2-as potential biomarkers for predicting LMDTC risk. We developed and internally validated three risk prediction models incorporating both clinical characteristics and hub protein expression. Our findings demonstrated that the combined prediction model exhibited optimal predictive performance, with the highest discrimination (AUC: 0.986) and calibration (Brier score: 0.043). Application of the combined prediction model within a specific risk threshold (0-0.97) yielded maximal clinical benefit. Finally, we constructed a nomogram based on the combined prediction model.

CONCLUSIONS

As a large sample size study in LMDTC research, the identification of biomarkers through primary lesion proteomics and the development of risk prediction models integrating clinical features and hub protein biomarkers offer valuable insights for predicting LMDTC and establishing personalized treatment strategies.

An analysis of the vaginal microbiota and cervicovaginal metabolomics in cervical lesions and cervical carcinoma

Background

To explore the role of vaginal microbiota and metabolomics in the progression of cervical dysplasia.

Methods

The patient group consists of female patients with low-grade, high-grade cervical dysplasia, and cervical cancer. Normal cervix samples from health volunteers were used as controls. The metabolic fingerprints of cervicovaginal lavage were analyzed using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, while the vaginal microbiota was examined through 16S rRNA sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was adopted to investigate the interplay between hosts and microbes. The vaginal metabolic and microbiota profiles of 90 female patients with cervical dysplasia and 10 controls were analyzed to discover the biological characteristics underlying the progression of cervical cancer.

Results

We found that Valyl-Glutamate, N, N'-Diacetylbenzidine, and Oxidized glutathione, which were involved in oxidative stress response, were discriminators to distinguish the normal cervix, invasive cervical carcinomas, and CIN3 from others. Cervical carcinoma was characterized by a large variety of vaginal microbes (dominated by non-Lactobacillus communities) compared to the control. These microbes affected amino acid and nucleotide metabolism, producing metabolites with cervical carcinoma and genital inflammation compared to the control group.

Conclusions

This study revealed that cervicovaginal metabolic profiles were determined by cervical cancer, vaginal microbiota, and their interplays. ROS metabolism can be used to discriminate normal cervix, CIN3, and invasive cervical carcinoma.

Metabolic Reprogramming Is an Initial Step in Pancreatic Carcinogenesis That Can Be Targeted to Inhibit Acinar-to-Ductal Metaplasia

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer and is crucial for cancer progression, making it an attractive therapeutic target. Understanding the role of metabolic reprogramming in cancer initiation could help identify prevention strategies. To address this, we investigated metabolism during acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM), the first step of pancreatic carcinogenesis. Glycolytic markers were elevated in ADM lesions compared with normal tissue from human samples. Comprehensive metabolic assessment in three mouse models with pancreas-specific activation of KRAS, PI3K, or MEK1 using Seahorse measurements, nuclear magnetic resonance metabolome analysis, mass spectrometry, isotope tracing, and RNA sequencing analysis revealed a switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis in ADM. Blocking the metabolic switch attenuated ADM formation. Furthermore, mitochondrial metabolism was required for de novo synthesis of serine and glutathione (GSH) but not for ATP production. MYC mediated the increase in GSH intermediates in ADM, and inhibition of GSH synthesis suppressed ADM development. This study thus identifies metabolic changes and vulnerabilities in the early stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis. Significance: Metabolic reprogramming from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis mediated by MYC plays a crucial role in the development of pancreatic cancer, revealing a mechanism driving tumorigenesis and potential therapeutic targets. See related commentary by Storz, p. 2225.

TRIM65/NF2/YAP1 Signaling Coordinately Orchestrates Metabolic and Immune Advantages in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths worldwide. Significantly activated uridine nucleotide and fatty acid metabolism in HCC cells promote malignant proliferation and immune evasion. Herein, it is demonstrated that the tripartite motif 65 (TRIM65) E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, O-GlcNAcylated via O-GlcNAcylation transferase, is highly expressed in HCC and facilitated metabolic remodeling to promote the accumulation of products related to uracil metabolism and palmitic acid, driving the progression of HCC. Mechanistically, it is showed that TRIM65 mediates ubiquitylation at the K44 residue of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2), the key protein upstream of classical Hippo signaling. Accelerated NF2 degradation inhibits yes-associated protein 1 phosphorylation, inducing aberrant activation of related metabolic enzyme transcription, and orchestrating metabolic and immune advantages. In conclusion, these results reveal a critical role for the TRIM family molecule TRIM65 in supporting HCC cell survival and highlight the therapeutic potential of targeting its E3 ligase activity to alter the regulation of proteasomal degradation.

MICAL1 promotes the proliferation in acute myeloid leukemia and is associated with clinical prognosis and immune infiltration

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most common hematopoietic malignancies that has a poor prognosis and a high rate of relapse. Dysregulated metabolism plays an important role in AML progression. This study aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of MRGs using TCGA and GEO datasets and further explore the potential function of critical MRGs in AML progression. In this study, we identified 17 survival-related differentially expressed MRGs in AML using TCGA and GEO datasets. The 150 AML samples were divided into three molecular subtypes using 17 MRGs, and we found that three molecular subtypes exhibited a different association with ferroptosis, cuproptosis and m6A related genes. Moreover, a prognostic signature that comprised nine MRGs and had good predictive capacity was established by LASSO-Cox stepwise regression analysis. Among the 17 MRGs, our attention focused on MICAL1 which was highly expressed in many types of tumors, including AML and its overexpression was also confirmed in several AML cell lines. We also found that the expression of MICAL1 was associated with several immune cells. Moreover, functional experiments revealed that knockdown of MICAL1 distinctly suppressed the proliferation of AML cells. Overall, this study not only contributes to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying AML but also provides potential targets and prognostic markers for AML treatment. These findings offer robust support for further research into therapeutic strategies and mechanisms related to AML, with the potential to improve the prognosis and quality of life for AML patients. Nevertheless, further research is needed to validate these findings and explore more in-depth molecular mechanisms.

Biological impact and therapeutic implication of tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma

The tumor microenvironment is a complex space comprised of normal, cancer and immune cells. The macrophages are considered as the most abundant immune cells in tumor microenvironment and their function in tumorigenesis is interesting. Macrophages can be present as M1 and M2 polarization that show anti-cancer and oncogenic activities, respectively. Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) mainly have M2 polarization and they increase tumorigenesis due to secretion of factors, cytokines and affecting molecular pathways. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among predominant tumors of liver that in spite of understanding its pathogenesis, the role of tumor microenvironment in its progression still requires more attention. The presence of TAMs in HCC causes an increase in growth and invasion of HCC cells and one of the reasons is induction of glycolysis that such metabolic reprogramming makes HCC distinct from normal cells and promotes its malignancy. Since M2 polarization of TAMs stimulates tumorigenesis in HCC, molecular networks regulating M2 to M1 conversion have been highlighted and moreover, drugs and compounds with the ability of targeting TAMs and suppressing their M2 phenotypes or at least their tumorigenesis activity have been utilized. TAMs increase aggressive behavior and biological functions of HCC cells that can result in development of therapy resistance. Macrophages can provide cell-cell communication in HCC by secreting exosomes having various types of biomolecules that transfer among cells and change their activity. Finally, non-coding RNA transcripts can mainly affect polarization of TAMs in HCC.

Targeting Metabolic-Redox Nexus to Regulate Drug Resistance: From Mechanism to Tumor Therapy

Drug resistance is currently one of the biggest challenges in cancer treatment. With the deepening understanding of drug resistance, various mechanisms have been revealed, including metabolic reprogramming and alterations of redox balance. Notably, metabolic reprogramming mediates the survival of tumor cells in harsh environments, thereby promoting the development of drug resistance. In addition, the changes during metabolic pattern shift trigger reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, which in turn regulates cellular metabolism, DNA repair, cell death, and drug metabolism in direct or indirect ways to influence the sensitivity of tumors to therapies. Therefore, the intersection of metabolism and ROS profoundly affects tumor drug resistance, and clarifying the entangled mechanisms may be beneficial for developing drugs and treatment methods to thwart drug resistance. In this review, we will summarize the regulatory mechanism of redox and metabolism on tumor drug resistance and highlight recent therapeutic strategies targeting metabolic-redox circuits, including dietary interventions, novel chemosynthetic drugs, drug combination regimens, and novel drug delivery systems.

Mitochondrial bioenergetics as a cell fate rheostat for responsive to Bcl-2 drugs: New cues for cancer chemotherapy

Pro-survival BCL-2 proteins prevent the initiation of intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondria-dependent pathway) by inhibiting the pro-apoptotic proteins BAX and BAK, while BH3-only proteins promote apoptosis by blocking pro-survival BCL-2 proteins. Disruptions in this delicate balance contribute to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance. Recent advances in cancer therapeutics involve a new generation of drugs known as BH3-mimetics, which are small molecules designed to mimic the action of BH3-only proteins. Promising effects have been observed in patients with hematological and solid tumors undergoing treatment with these agents. However, the rapid emergence of mitochondria-dependent resistance to BH3-mimetics has been reported. This resistance involves increased mitochondrial respiration, altered mitophagy, and mitochondria with higher and tighter cristae. Conversely, mutations in isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2, catalyzing R-2-hydroxyglutarate production, promote sensitivity to venetoclax. This evidence underscores the urgency for comprehensive studies on bioenergetics-based adaptive responses in both BH3 mimetics-sensitive and -resistant cancer cells. Ongoing clinical trials are evaluating BH3-mimetics in combination with standard chemotherapeutics. In this article, we discuss the role of mitochondrial bioenergetics in response to BH3-mimetics and explore potential therapeutic opportunities through metabolism-targeting strategies.

Exploring the causal relationship between glutamine metabolism and leukemia risk: a Mendelian randomization and LC-MS/MS analysis

Objective

This investigation sought to delineate the causal nexus between plasma glutamine concentrations and leukemia susceptibility utilizing bidirectional Mendelian Randomization (MR) analysis and to elucidate the metabolic ramifications of asparaginase therapy on glutamine dynamics in leukemia patients.

Methods

A bidirectional two-sample MR framework was implemented, leveraging genetic variants as instrumental variables from extensive genome-wide association studies (GWAS) tailored to populations of European descent. Glutamine quantification was executed through a rigorously validated Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) protocol. Comparative analyses of glutamine levels were conducted across leukemia patients versus healthy controls, pre- and post-asparaginase administration. Statistical evaluations employed inverse variance weighted (IVW) models, MR-Egger regression, and sensitivity tests addressing pleiotropy and heterogeneity.

Results

The MR findings underscored a significant inverse association between glutamine levels and leukemia risk (IVW p = 0.03558833), positing lower glutamine levels as a contributory factor to heightened leukemia susceptibility. Conversely, the analysis disclosed no substantive causal impact of leukemia on glutamine modulation (IVW p = 0.9694758). Notably, post-asparaginase treatment, a marked decrement in plasma glutamine concentrations was observed in patients (p = 0.0068), underlining the profound metabolic influence of the therapeutic regimen.

Conclusion

This study corroborates the hypothesized inverse relationship between plasma glutamine levels and leukemia risk, enhancing our understanding of glutamine's role in leukemia pathophysiology. The pronounced reduction in glutamine levels following asparaginase intervention highlights the critical need for meticulous metabolic monitoring to refine therapeutic efficacy and optimize patient management in clinical oncology. These insights pave the way for more tailored and efficacious treatment modalities in the realm of personalized medicine.

Metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer: A new therapeutic strategy

Cancer metabolism is now a key area for therapeutic intervention, targeting unique metabolic reprogramming crucial for tumor growth and survival. This article reviews the therapeutic potential of addressing metabolic vulnerabilities through glycolysis and glutaminase inhibitors, which disrupt cancer cell metabolism. Challenges such as tumor heterogeneity and adaptive resistance are discussed, with strategies including personalized medicine and predictive biomarkers to enhance treatment efficacy. Additionally, integrating diet and lifestyle changes with metabolic targeting underscores a holistic approach to improving therapy outcomes. The article also examines the benefits of incorporating these strategies into standard care, highlighting the potential for more tailored, safer treatments. In conclusion, exploiting metabolic vulnerabilities promises a new era in oncology, positioning metabolic targeting at the forefront of personalized cancer therapy and transforming patient care.

Physiology of malate dehydrogenase and how dysregulation leads to disease

Malate dehydrogenase (MDH) is pivotal in mammalian tissue metabolism, participating in various pathways beyond its classical roles and highlighting its adaptability to cellular demands. This enzyme is involved in maintaining redox balance, lipid synthesis, and glutamine metabolism and supports rapidly proliferating cells' energetic and biosynthetic needs. The involvement of MDH in glutamine metabolism underlines its significance in cell physiology. In contrast, its contribution to lipid metabolism highlights its role in essential biosynthetic processes necessary for cell maintenance and proliferation. The enzyme's regulatory mechanisms, such as post-translational modifications, underscore its complexity and importance in metabolic regulation, positioning MDH as a potential target in metabolic dysregulation. Furthermore, the association of MDH with various pathologies, including cancer and neurological disorders, suggests its involvement in disease progression. The overexpression of MDH isoforms MDH1 and MDH2 in cancers like breast, prostate, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, alongside structural modifications, implies their critical role in the metabolic adaptation of tumor cells. Additionally, mutations in MDH2 linked to pheochromocytomas, paragangliomas, and other metabolic diseases emphasize MDH's role in metabolic homeostasis. This review spotlights MDH's potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target, advocating for further research into its multifunctional roles and regulatory mechanisms in health and disease.

Uncovering SIRT3 and SHMT2-dependent pathways as novel targets for apigenin in modulating colorectal cancer: In vitro and in vivo studies

Despite significant advances in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), identification of novel targets and treatment options are imperative for improving its prognosis and survival rates. The mitochondrial SIRT3 and SHMT2 have key roles in metabolic reprogramming and cell proliferation. This study investigated the potential use of the natural product apigenin in CRC treatment employing both in vivo and in vitro models and explored the role of SIRT3 and SHMT2 in apigenin-induced CRC apoptosis. The role of SHMT2 in CRC patients' survival was verified using TCGA database. In vivo, apigenin treatment restored the normal colon appearance. On the molecular level, apigenin augmented the immunohistochemical expression of cleaved caspase-3 and attenuated SIRT3 and SHMT2 mRNA expression CRC patients with decreased SHMT2 expression had improved overall and disease-free survival rates. In vitro, apigenin reduced the cell viability in a time-dependent manner, induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, and increased the apoptotic cell population compared to the untreated control. Mechanistically, apigenin treatment mitigated the expression of SHMT2, SIRT3, and its upstream long intergenic noncoding RNA LINC01234 in CRC cells. Conclusively, apigenin induces caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in CRC through modulation of SIRT3-triggered mitochondrial pathway suggesting it as a promising therapeutic agent to improve patient outcomes.

Electron transport chain inhibition increases cellular dependence on purine transport and salvage

Mitochondria house many metabolic pathways required for homeostasis and growth. To explore how human cells respond to mitochondrial dysfunction, we performed metabolomics in fibroblasts from patients with various mitochondrial disorders and cancer cells with electron transport chain (ETC) blockade. These analyses revealed extensive perturbations in purine metabolism, and stable isotope tracing demonstrated that ETC defects suppress de novo purine synthesis while enhancing purine salvage. In human lung cancer, tumors with markers of low oxidative mitochondrial metabolism exhibit enhanced expression of the salvage enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase 1 (HPRT1) and high levels of the HPRT1 product inosine monophosphate. Mechanistically, ETC blockade activates the pentose phosphate pathway, providing phosphoribosyl diphosphate to drive purine salvage supplied by uptake of extracellular bases. Blocking HPRT1 sensitizes cancer cells to ETC inhibition. These findings demonstrate how cells remodel purine metabolism upon ETC blockade and uncover a new metabolic vulnerability in tumors with low respiration.

Inhibition of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) in cancer: a patent review

INTRODUCTION

Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) from nicotinamide. In addition to its role as essential redox cofactor, NAD also functions as a substrate for NAD-consuming enzymes, regulating multiple cellular processes such as DNA repair and gene expression, fundamental to sustain energetic needs for tumor growth. In this sense, NAMPT over-expression represents a common strategy that several tumor types adopt to sustain NAD production. In addition to its enzymatic role, NAMPT behaves as cytokine-like protein with pro-inflammatory function. Increasing evidence demonstrated that NAMPT inhibition represents a promising anti-cancer strategy to deplete NAD and impair cellular metabolism in cancer conditions.

AREAS COVERED

By using Espacenet, we collected the patents which identified new molecules, compounds, formulations and methods able to inhibit NAMPT from 2007 to date.

EXPERT OPINION

Most of the collected patents focused the attention on the ability of different compounds to inhibit the enzymatic activity of NAMPT, lacking other important aspects related to the extracellular role of NAMPT and the ability of alternative enzymes to counteract NAMPT-mediated NAD depletion. It is necessary to consider also these aspects to promote novel strategies and create novel inhibitors and molecules useful as anti-cancer compounds.

Blockage of TMEM189 induces G2/M arrest and inhibits the growth of breast tumors

Cancer is the major cause of premature death in humans worldwide, demanding more efficient therapeutics. Aberrant cell proliferation resulting from the loss of cell cycle regulation is the major hallmark of cancer, so targeting cell cycle is a promising strategy to combat cancer. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the dysregulation of cell cycle of cancer cells remains poorly understood. TMEM189, a newly identified protein, plays roles in the biosynthesis of ethanolamine plasmalogen and the regulation of autophagy. Here, we demonstrated that the expression level of TMEM189 was negatively correlated with the survival rate of the cancer patients. TMEM189 deficiency significantly suppresses the cancer cell proliferation and migration, and causes cell cycle G2/M arrest both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, TMEM189 depletion suppressed the growth of breast tumors in vivo. Taken together, our work indicated that TMEM189 promotes cancer progression by regulating cell cycle G2/M transition, suggesting that it is a promising target in cancer therapy.

FPR3 reprograms glycolytic metabolism and stemness in gastric cancer via calcium-NFATc1 pathway

Aerobic glycolysis accelerates tumor proliferation and progression, and inhibitors or drugs targeting abnormal cancer metabolism have been developing. Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) significantly contribute to tumor initiation, metastasis, therapy resistance, and recurrence. Formyl peptide receptor 3 (FPR3), a member of FPR family, involves in inflammation, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. However, studies in exploring the regulatory mechanisms of aerobic glycolysis and CSCs by FPR3 in gastric cancer (GC) remain unknown. Here, we demonstrated that overexpressed FPR3 suppressed glycolytic capacity and stemness of tumor cells, then inhibited GC cells proliferation. Mechanistically, FPR3 impeded cytoplasmic calcium ion flux and hindered nuclear factor of activated T cells 1 (NFATc1) nuclear translocation, leading to the transcriptional inactivation of NFATc1-binding neurogenic locus notch homolog protein 3 (NOTCH3) promoter, subsequently obstructing NOTCH3 expression and the AKT/mTORC1 signaling pathway, and ultimately downregulating glycolysis. Additionally, NFATc1 directly binds to the sex determining region Y-box 2 (SOX2) promoter and modifies stemness in GC. In conclusion, our work illustrated that FPR3 played a negative role in GC progression by modulating NFATc1-mediated glycolysis and stemness in a calcium-dependent manner, providing potential insights into cancer therapy.

Aquaporins in colorectal cancer: exploring their role in tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug response

Aquaporins (AQPs) are small, integral proteins facilitating water transport across plasma cell membranes in response to osmotic gradients. This family has 13 unique members (AQP0-12), which can also transport glycerol, urea, gases, and other salute small molecules. AQPs play a crucial role in the regulation of different cellular processes, including metabolism, migration, immunity, barrier function, and angiogenesis. These proteins are found to aberrantly overexpress in various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Growing evidence has explored AQPs as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target in different cancers. However, there is no comprehensive review compiling the available information on the crucial role of AQPs in the context of colorectal cancer. This review highlights the significance of AQPs as the biomarker and regulator of tumor cells metabolism. In addition, the proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis of tumor cells related to AQPs expression as well as function are discussed. Understanding the AQPs prominent role in chemotherapy resistance is of great importance clinically.

Concurrent inhibition of IR, ITGB1, and CD36 perturbated the interconnected network of energy metabolism and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells

Altered energy metabolism is an emerging hallmark of cancer and plays a pivotal in cell survival, proliferation, and biosynthesis. In a rapidly proliferating cancer, energy metabolism acts in synergism with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), enabling cancer stemness, dissemination, and metastasis. In this study, an interconnected functional network governing energy metabolism and EMT signaling pathways was targeted through the concurrent inhibition of IR, ITGB1, and CD36 activity. A novel multicomponent MD simulation approach was employed to portray the simultaneous inhibition of IR, ITGB1, and CD36 by a 2:1 combination of Pimozide and Ponatinib. Further, in-vitro studies revealed the synergistic anticancer efficacy of drugs against monolayer as well as tumor spheroids of breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231). In addition, the combination therapy exerted approximately 40% of the apoptotic population and more than 1.5- to 3-fold reduction in the expression of ITGB1, IR, p-IR, IRS-1, and p-AKT in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell lines. Moreover, the reduction in fatty acid uptake, lipid droplet accumulation, cancer stemness, and migration properties were also observed. Thus, targeting IR, ITGB1, and CD36 in the interconnected network with the combination of Pimozide and Ponatinib represents a promising therapeutic approach for breast cancer.

TRIM2 promotes metabolic adaptation to glutamine deprivation via enhancement of CPT1A activity

Cancer cells undergo metabolic adaptation to promote their survival and growth under energy stress conditions, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unclear. Here, we report that tripartite motif-containing protein 2 (TRIM2) is upregulated in response to glutamine deprivation by the transcription factor cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor (ATF4). TRIM2 is shown to specifically interact with carnitine O-palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1A), a rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid oxidation. Via this interaction, TRIM2 enhances the enzymatic activity of CPT1A, thereby regulating intracellular lipid levels and protecting cells from glutamine deprivation-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, TRIM2 is able to promote both in vitro cell proliferation and in vivo xenograft tumor growth via CPT1A. Together, these findings establish TRIM2 as an important regulator of the metabolic adaptation of cancer cells to glutamine deprivation and implicate TRIM2 as a potential therapeutic target for cancer.

CircABHD2 Inhibits Malignant Progression of Endometrial Cancer by Regulating NAD+/NAMPT Metabolism Axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) perform important functions in the regulation of diverse physiological and pathological processes. CircABHD2 exhibits down-regulation in both endometrial cancer (EC) cells and tissues, but the biological roles and mechanisms of action in EC are still unclear. This study aims to provide a theoretical basis for the role of circABHD2 in EC and potential targets for individualized precision therapy. Dysregulated circRNAs were identified using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) from EC tissues and validated using RT-qPCR. CCK-8, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay, cell cycle, and apoptosis assay were used to evaluate the effects of circABHD2 on EC cells. Metabolomics assay and western blot analyses were used to investigate the potential mechanisms of circABHD2. From sequencing of RNA (RNA-Seq) analysis of EC tissues, we obtained 19 dysregulated circRNAs, including 8 upregulated ones and 11 downregulated ones. Using RT-qPCR on 32 EC tissues and 19 normal endometrial tissues, we confirmed that circABHD2 was downregulated in EC tissues. The expression levels of circABHD2 were closely relevant to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage and differentiation degree of EC. Functional experiments demonstrated that overexpression of circABHD2 decreased proliferation, migration, invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. Un-targeted metabolomic assay revealed 31 differential metabolites in EC cells overexpressing circABHD2. KEGG analysis of differential metabolites indicated that NAD+ is the core metabolite regulated by circABHD2. NAMPT is one key enzyme involved in the synthetic pathway responsible for NAD+. Subsequent experiments confirmed that by inhibiting NAMPT protein expression in EC cells, cirABHD2 can inhibit NAD+ level, suggesting that circABHD2 may inhibit EC by regulating the metabolic axis of NAD+/NAMPT. CircABHD2, a downregulated circRNA in EC cells and tissues, inhibits the malignant progression of EC via the NAD+/NAMPT metabolic axis. This discovery presents a promising diagnostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for EC.

Gastric cancer immunosuppressive microenvironment heterogeneity: implications for therapy development

Although immunotherapy has revolutionized solid tumor treatment, durable responses in gastric cancer (GC) remain limited. The heterogeneous tumor microenvironment (TME) facilitates immune evasion, contributing to resistance to conventional and immune therapies. Recent studies have highlighted how specific TME components in GC acquire immune escape capabilities through cancer-specific factors. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms and targeting the immunosuppressive TME will enhance immunotherapy efficacy and patient outcomes. This review summarizes recent advances in GC TME research and explores the role of the immune-suppressive system as a context-specific determinant. We also provide insights into potential treatments beyond checkpoint inhibition.

A Novel Amino Acid-Related Gene Signature Predicts Overall Survival in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an extremely harmful malignant tumor in the world. Since the energy metabolism and biosynthesis of HCC cells are closely related to amino acids, it is necessary to further explore the relationship between amino acid-related genes and the prognosis of HCC to achieve individualized treatment. We herein aimed to develop a prognostic model for HCC based on amino acid genes.

METHODS

In this study, RNA-sequencing data of HCC patients were downloaded from the TCGA-LIHC cohort as the training cohort and the GSE14520 cohort as the validation cohort. Amino acid-related genes were derived from the Molecular Signatures Database. Univariate Cox and Lasso regression analysis were used to construct an amino acid-related signature (AARS). The predictive value of this risk score was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curve, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) and immune characteristics evaluation were used to explore the underlying mechanisms. Finally, a nomogram was established to help the personalized prognosis assessment of patients with HCC.

RESULTS

The AARS comprises 14 amino acid-related genes to predict overall survival (OS) in HCC patients. HCC patients were divided into AARS-high group and AARS-low group according to the AARS scores. The K-M curve, ROC curve, and univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis verified the good prediction efficiency of the risk score. Using GSVA, we found that AARS variants were concentrated in four pathways, including cholesterol metabolism, delayed estrogen response, fatty acid metabolism, and myogenesis metabolism.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that the AARS as a prognostic model based on amino acid-related genes is of great value in the prediction of survival of HCC, and can help improve the individualized treatment of patients with HCC.

CCL2 and Lactate from Chemotherapeutics-Treated Fibroblasts Drive Malignant Traits by Metabolic Rewiring in Low-Migrating Breast Cancer Cell Lines

While cytostatic chemotherapy targeting DNA is known to induce genotoxicity, leading to cell cycle arrest and cytokine secretion, the impact of these drugs on fibroblast-epithelial cancer cell communication and metabolism remains understudied. Our research focused on human breast fibroblast RMF-621 exposed to nonlethal concentrations of cisplatin and doxorubicin, revealing reduced proliferation, diminished basal and maximal mitochondrial respirations, heightened mitochondrial ROS and lactate production, and elevated MCT4 protein levels. Interestingly, RMF-621 cells enhanced glucose uptake, promoting lactate export. Breast cancer cells MCF-7 exposed to conditioned media (CM) from drug-treated stromal RMF-621 cells increased MCT1 protein levels, lactate-driven mitochondrial respiration, and a significantly high mitochondrial spare capacity for lactate. These changes occurred alongside altered mitochondrial respiration, mitochondrial membrane potential, and superoxide levels. Furthermore, CM with doxorubicin and cisplatin increased migratory capacity in MCF-7 cells, which was inhibited by MCT1 (BAY-8002), glutamate dehydrogenase (EGCG), mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (UK5099), and complex I (rotenone) inhibitors. A similar behavior was observed in T47-D and ZR-75-1 breast cancer cells. This suggests that CM induces metabolic rewiring involving elevated lactate uptake to sustain mitochondrial bioenergetics during migration. Treatment with the mitochondrial-targeting antioxidant mitoTEMPO in RMF-621 and the addition of an anti-CCL2 antibody in the CM prevented the promigratory MCF-7 phenotype. Similar effects were observed in THP1 monocyte cells, where CM increased monocyte recruitment. We propose that nonlethal concentrations of DNA-damaging drugs induce changes in the cellular environment favoring a promalignant state dependent on mitochondrial bioenergetics.

Preoperative low plasma creatine kinase levels predict worse survival outcomes in bladder cancer after radical cystectomy

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

To evaluate the prognostic significance of preoperative creatine kinase (CK) levels in bladder cancer (BCa) patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

570 BCa patients with RC were identified between 2010 and 2020. 108.5 U/L of CK levels were defined as the cutoff value. Logistic regression analysis and Cox regression models were performed to evaluate the association between CK levels and oncologic outcomes. Subgroup analyses were performed to address cofounding factors.

RESULTS

Preoperative low CK levels were associated with worse recurrence-free survival (RFS, log-rank P = 0.001) and overall survival (OS, log-rank P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis revealed that preoperative low CK levels were an independent predictor for worse RFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.683; P < 0.001) and OS (HR: 1.567; P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The preoperative low CK level independently predicts worse survival outcomes in BCa after RC. Incorporating it into prediction models might be valuable to assist risk stratification.

ACSL3 regulates breast cancer progression via lipid metabolism reprogramming and the YES1/YAP axis

OBJECTIVE

Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation is a metabolic pathway whose dysregulation is recognized as a critical factor in various cancers, because it sustains cancer cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis. The acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain (ACSL) family is known to activate long-chain fatty acids, yet the specific role of ACSL3 in breast cancer has not been determined.

METHODS

We assessed the prognostic value of ACSL3 in breast cancer by using data from tumor samples. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays were also conducted to determine the roles and downstream regulatory mechanisms of ACSL3 in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

ACSL3 expression was notably downregulated in breast cancer tissues compared with normal tissues, and this phenotype correlated with improved survival outcomes. Functional experiments revealed that ACSL3 knockdown in breast cancer cells promoted cell proliferation, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistically, ACSL3 was found to inhibit β-oxidation and the formation of associated byproducts, thereby suppressing malignant behavior in breast cancer. Importantly, ACSL3 was found to interact with YES proto-oncogene 1, a member of the Src family of tyrosine kinases, and to suppress its activation through phosphorylation at Tyr419. The decrease in activated YES1 consequently inhibited YAP1 nuclear colocalization and transcriptional complex formation, and the expression of its downstream genes in breast cancer cell nuclei.

CONCLUSIONS

ACSL3 suppresses breast cancer progression by impeding lipid metabolism reprogramming, and inhibiting malignant behaviors through phospho-YES1 mediated inhibition of YAP1 and its downstream pathways. These findings suggest that ACSL3 may serve as a potential biomarker and target for comprehensive therapeutic strategies for breast cancer.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and transketolase: Key factors in breast cancer progression and therapy

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women and is a serious threat to women's health. The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is a mode of oxidative breakdown of glucose that can be divided into oxidative (oxPPP) and non-oxidative (non-oxPPP) stages and is necessary for cell and body survival. However, abnormal activation of PPP often leads to proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the rate-limiting enzyme in PPP oxidation. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate hydrogen (NADPH) produced by G6PD is the raw material for cholesterol and lipid synthesis and can resist the production of oxygen species (ROS) and reduce oxidative stress damage to tumor cells. Transketolase (TKT) is a key enzyme in non-oxPPP. Ribose 5-phosphate (R5P), produced by TKT, is a raw material for DNA and RNA synthesis, and is essential for tumor cell proliferation and DNA damage repair. In this review, we describe the role and specific mechanism of the PPP and the two most important enzymes of the PPP, G6PD and TKT, in the malignant progression of breast cancer, providing strategies for future clinical treatment of breast cancer and a theoretical basis for breast cancer research.

Water-filtered infrared A radiation hyperthermia combined with immunotherapy for advanced gastrointestinal tumours

This study pioneered the use of WIRA whole-body infrared hyperthermia combined with ICI therapy to treat GIT and verified the feasibility and safety of HIT. The final results showed a DCR of 55.6%, with a median PFS of 53.5 days, median OS of 134 days, and an irAE incidence of 22.2%. Therefore, we believe that HIT can exert multiple synergistic sensitisation effects, thereby providing clinical benefits to patients with advanced GITs, increasing overall safety, and improving patients' QOL.

Differential metabolic secretion between muscular dystrophy mouse-derived spindle cell sarcomas and rhabdomyosarcomas drives tumor type development

The dystrophin gene (Dmd) is recognized for its significance in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a lethal and progressive skeletal muscle disease. Some patients with DMD and model mice with muscular dystrophy (mdx) spontaneously develop various types of tumors, among which rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most prominent. By contrast, spindle cell sarcoma (SCS) has rarely been reported in patients or mdx mice. In this study, we aimed to use metabolomics to better understand the rarity of SCS development in mdx mice. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to compare the metabolic profiles of spontaneously developed SCS and RMS tumors from mdx mice, and metabolite supplementation assays and silencing experiments were used to assess the effects of metabolic differences in SCS tumor-derived cells. The levels of 75 metabolites exhibited differences between RMS and SCS, 25 of which were significantly altered. Further characterization revealed downregulation of nonessential amino acids, including alanine, in SCS tumors. Alanine supplementation enhanced the growth, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and invasion of SCS cells. Reduction of intracellular alanine via knockdown of the alanine transporter Slc1a5 reduced the growth of SCS cells. Lower metabolite secretion and reduced proliferation of SCS tumors may explain the lower detection rate of SCS in mdx mice. Targeting of alanine depletion pathways may have potential as a novel treatment strategy.NEW & NOTEWORTHY To the best of our knowledge, SCS has rarely been identified in patients with DMD or mdx mice. We observed that RMS and SCS tumors that spontaneously developed from mdx mice with the same Dmd genetic background exhibited differences in metabolic secretion. We proposed that, in addition to dystrophin deficiency, the levels of secreted metabolites may play a role in the determination of tumor-type development in a Dmd-deficient background.

Biomimetic Hydrogel Strategies for Cancer Therapy

Recent developments in biomimetic hydrogel research have expanded the scope of biomedical technologies that can be used to model, diagnose, and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Cancer presents one of the most intractable challenges in this arena due to the surreptitious mechanisms that it employs to evade detection and treatment. In order to address these challenges, biomimetic design principles can be adapted to beat cancer at its own game. Biomimetic design strategies are inspired by natural biological systems and offer promising opportunities for developing life-changing methods to model, detect, diagnose, treat, and cure various types of static and metastatic cancers. In particular, focusing on the cellular and subcellular phenomena that serve as fundamental drivers for the peculiar behavioral traits of cancer can provide rich insights into eradicating cancer in all of its manifestations. This review highlights promising developments in biomimetic nanocomposite hydrogels that contribute to cancer therapies via enhanced drug delivery strategies and modeling cancer mechanobiology phenomena in relation to metastasis and synergistic sensing systems. Creative efforts to amplify biomimetic design research to advance the development of more effective cancer therapies will be discussed in alignment with international collaborative goals to cure cancer.

Lactic acid: a narrative review of a promoter of the liver cancer microenvironment

Background and Objective

Lactic acid is a metabolite of glycolysis produced in the body, and its production is thought to be a mechanism by which cancer cells evade immune surveillance. Immune evasion and metabolic changes are well established as basic hallmarks of cancer. Although lactate has long been considered a waste product, it is now generally recognized to be a versatile small-molecule chemical that plays an important part in the tumor microenvironment (TME), with increased lactate production linked to the development of human malignancies. Metabolism in liver cancer is redirected toward glycolysis, which enhances the production of metabolic compounds used by tumor cells to produce proteins, lipids, and nucleotides, enabling them to maintain high proliferation rates and to establish the TME. Dysregulation of metabolic activity in liver cancer may impair antitumor responses owing to the immunosuppressive activity of the lactate produced by anaerobic glycolytic rates in tumor cells. This review primarily explores the link connection between lactic acid and the TME; evaluates the role of lactic acid in the occurrence, metastasis, prognosis, and treatment of liver cancer. Additionally, it investigates the associated pathways as potential targets for liver cancer treatment.

Methods

Literature searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, with the publication date of the most recent article included being January 2024. After eliminating duplicate articles and less relevant articles through titles and abstracts, we selected 113 articles for this review. We categorized references into two categories. One is to classify the content into lactate-related, liver cancer-related and tumor metabolism-related. The other is to classify the article types, which are divided into reviews, research articles and clinical trials. Additionally, we consulted the reference lists of the relevant articles to ensure coverage was comprehensive and unbiased.

Key Content and Findings

The connection between lactic acid and the TME has recently become an area of intense research interest, and many related articles have been published in this field. The main finding of this review is to summarize the proven link between lactate and the TME and its possible impact on the TME of liver cancer. And analyzed the potential of lactate in liver cancer treatment and prognosis prediction.

Conclusions

Lactate may be key to developing novel approaches in the future treatment of liver cancer. Related research on the combination of classic therapies and molecular targeted drugs may provide innovative medicines that more selectively regulate immune cell activity.

Amino acid metabolic reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment and its implication for cancer therapy

Amino acids are essential building blocks for proteins, crucial energy sources for cell survival, and key signaling molecules supporting the resistant growth of tumor cells. In tumor cells, amino acid metabolic reprogramming is characterized by the enhanced uptake of amino acids as well as their aberrant synthesis, breakdown, and transport, leading to immune evasion and malignant progression of tumor cells. This article reviews the altered amino acid metabolism in tumor cells and its impact on tumor microenvironment, and also provides an overview of the current clinical applications of amino acid metabolism. Innovative drugs targeting amino acid metabolism hold great promise for precision and personalized cancer therapy.