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Wang L, Wang M, Wang Z, Wang K, Zhao B, Wang Y, Zheng J, Zhang S. UBE2T is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for endometrial cancer. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03713-z. [PMID: 39367897 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/28/2024] [Indexed: 10/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometrial cancer (UCEC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in gynecology, and early diagnosis is crucial for its treatment. Currently, there is a lack of early screening tests specific to UCEC, and treatment advances are limited. It is crucial to identify more sensitive biomarkers for screening, diagnosis, and predicting UCEC. Previous studies have shown that UBE2T is involved in the development of various tumors such as breast cancer and liver cancer, but research on the role of UBE2T in UCEC is limited. METHODS Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and UALCAN databases, we analyzed the differential expression of UBE2T mRNA and protein in endometrial cancer (UCEC), along with its clinical relevance. A total of 113 clinical samples were collected, and immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis were employed to validate bioinformatics analysis results. Volcano plots were generated using UBE2T and its differentially expressed genes, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and immune infiltration analysis were used to predict the functional role of UBE2T in UCEC progression. Correlation between UBE2T expression and patient survival was analyzed using TCGA data, and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were plotted. RESULTS UBE2T is significantly overexpressed in UCEC and correlates with poor prognosis. Its overexpression is closely associated with mitosis, cell cycle regulation, and histological grade in UCEC patients. CONCLUSION UBE2T is highly expressed in UCEC and suppresses anti-tumor immune responses in UCEC patients. It serves as a key participant in UCEC progression, associated with a range of adverse outcomes, and holds potential as a clinical diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longyun Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Mengqi Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, Henan, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Bowei Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China
| | - Jingying Zheng
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130000, Jilin, China.
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, 130021, Jilin, China.
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Su P, Lu Q, Wang Y, Mou Y, Jin W. Targeting MELK in tumor cells and tumor microenvironment: from function and mechanism to therapeutic application. Clin Transl Oncol 2024:10.1007/s12094-024-03664-5. [PMID: 39187643 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-024-03664-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK), a member of the adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) protein family, has been reported to be involved in the regulation of many cellular events. The aberrant expression of MELK is associated with tumorigenesis and malignant progression of various tumors. Moreover, MELK plays an essential role in the regulation of tumor microenvironment (TME), which affects the function of immune cells and the responsiveness to immunotherapy. Currently, small molecule inhibitors targeting MELK have been developed and evaluated in clinical trials. A comprehensive understanding of MELK may provide clues and confidence for subsequent basic research and scientific transformation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the structural features, molecular biological functions, and critical roles of MELK in tumors and TME, as well as the targeted agents under development for the treatment of tumors and discuss the perspective for MELK-targeted therapies for tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Su
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiliang Lu
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanyu Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yiping Mou
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiwei Jin
- Department of General Surgery, Cancer Center, Division of Gastrointestinal and Pancreatic Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China.
- Key Laboratory of Gastroenterology of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310000, People's Republic of China.
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Tang B, Zhu J, Shi Y, Wang Y, Zhang X, Chen B, Fang S, Yang Y, Zheng L, Qiu R, Weng Q, Xu M, Zhao Z, Tu J, Chen M, Ji J. Tumor cell-intrinsic MELK enhanced CCL2-dependent immunosuppression to exacerbate hepatocarcinogenesis and confer resistance of HCC to radiotherapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:137. [PMID: 38970074 PMCID: PMC11225310 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-024-02049-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The outcome of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is limited by its complex molecular characteristics and changeable tumor microenvironment (TME). Here we focused on elucidating the functional consequences of Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) in the tumorigenesis, progression and metastasis of HCC, and exploring the effect of MELK on immune cell regulation in the TME, meanwhile clarifying the corresponding signaling networks. METHODS Bioinformatic analysis was used to validate the prognostic value of MELK for HCC. Murine xenograft assays and HCC lung metastasis mouse model confirmed the role of MELK in tumorigenesis and metastasis in HCC. Luciferase assays, RNA sequencing, immunopurification-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) and coimmunoprecipitation (CoIP) were applied to explore the upstream regulators, downstream essential molecules and corresponding mechanisms of MELK in HCC. RESULTS We confirmed MELK to be a reliable prognostic factor of HCC and identified MELK as an effective candidate in facilitating the tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis of HCC; the effects of MELK depended on the targeted regulation of the upstream factor miR-505-3p and interaction with STAT3, which induced STAT3 phosphorylation and increased the expression of its target gene CCL2 in HCC. In addition, we confirmed that tumor cell-intrinsic MELK inhibition is beneficial in stimulating M1 macrophage polarization, hindering M2 macrophage polarization and inducing CD8 + T-cell recruitment, which are dependent on the alteration of CCL2 expression. Importantly, MELK inhibition amplified RT-related immune effects, thereby synergizing with RT to exert substantial antitumor effects. OTS167, an inhibitor of MELK, was also proven to effectively impair the growth and progression of HCC and exert a superior antitumor effect in combination with radiotherapy (RT). CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our findings highlight the functional role of MELK as a promising target in molecular therapy and in the combination of RT therapy to improve antitumor effect for HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bufu Tang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Department of Radiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Zhongshan Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinyu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education/Beijing), Department of Nuclear Medicine, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Yueli Shi
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Yiwu, 322000, China
| | - Yajie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Xiaojie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Biao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Shiji Fang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Liyun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Rongfang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Qiaoyou Weng
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Min Xu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Zhongwei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China
| | - Jianfei Tu
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China.
| | - Minjiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China.
| | - Jiansong Ji
- Key Laboratory of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, School of Medicine, Lishui Hospital, Zhejiang University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Institute of Imaging Diagnosis and Minimally Invasive Intervention Research, The Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, China.
- Clinical College of The Affiliated Central Hospital, Lishui University, Lishui, 323000, China.
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Shen L, Zhang C, Cui K, Liang X, Zhu G, Hong L. Fer-mediated activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway drives the proliferation, migration, and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:1787-1799. [PMID: 38017327 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04890-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of Feline sarcoma-related protein (Fer) in various cancers has been extensively studied, but its specific involvement and underlying mechanisms in the progression of endometrial carcinoma (EC) are yet to be fully understood. METHODS The expression levels of Fer were assessed in EC tissues and cell lines using real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. CCK-8 assay, Edu staining, transwell assays, and flow cytometry, were conducted to evaluate the impact of Fer on EC cells. Furthermore, a mice xenograft model and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining were utilized for in vivo analysis. The levels of Ras, pMek1/2, and pErk1/2 were determined by western blot assay. Ras-MAPK signaling pathway inhibitor was utilized to study the regulatory role of Fer on EC cells. RESULTS Our findings revealed that Fer exhibited upregulation in both EC tissues and cell lines, concomitant with the activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway. Silencing of Fer resulted in the suppression of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Ras-MAPK signaling pathway, while promoted hypoxia-induced apoptosis in RL95-2 and KLE cells. Fer overexpression stimulated cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and Ras-MAPK signaling pathway in Ishikawa and AN3-CA cells, which were reversed after treatment with either Ras or MAPK inhibitor. Moreover, silencing of Fer suppressed tumor growth and downregulated the expression of Ki-67, Ras, pMek1/2, and pErk1/2, but had no significant effect on Mek1/2 and Erk1/2, while upregulated caspase-3 expression in vivo. CONCLUSION In summary, the upregulation of Fer in EC cells resulted in the enhancement of cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the activation of the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lifan Shen
- Department of Gynecology, Surgery Building, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), 19Th Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou, 570000, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Department of Central Lab, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), Haikou, China
| | - Kaiying Cui
- Department of Gynecology, Surgery Building, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), 19Th Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou, 570000, China
| | - Xin Liang
- Department of Gynecology, Surgery Building, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), 19Th Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou, 570000, China
| | - Genhai Zhu
- Department of Gynecology, Surgery Building, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), 19Th Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou, 570000, China
| | - Lan Hong
- Department of Gynecology, Surgery Building, Hainan General Hospital (Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University), 19Th Xiuhua Road, Xiuying District, Haikou, 570000, China.
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Jiang N, Li D, Han Y, Luo ZG, Liu LB. Overexpression of zinc finger DHHC-type containing 1 is associated with poor prognosis and cancer cell growth and metastasis in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Aging (Albany NY) 2024; 16:9784-9812. [PMID: 38848146 PMCID: PMC11210219 DOI: 10.18632/aging.205899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
The zinc finger DHHC-type containing 1 (ZDHHC1) gene is implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of various malignant tumors, but its precise involvement in uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) remains unknown. Thus, this study investigated ZDHHC1 expression in UCEC using publicly available TCGA and Xena databases and elucidated the functions and mechanisms of the ZDHHC1 gene in UCEC progression using bioinformatics and in vitro experiments. The correlation between ZDHHC1 expression and prognosis, clinical features, immune cells, and RNA modifications of UCEC was evaluated using nomograms, correlation, ROC, and survival analyses. The impacts of ZDHHC1 overexpression on UCEC progression and mechanisms were explored with bioinformatics and in vitro experiments. Our study revealed that ZDHHC1 expression was significantly downregulated in UCEC and correlated with poor prognosis, cancer diagnosis, clinical stage, age, weight, body mass index, histological subtypes, residual tumor, tumor grade, and tumor invasion. Notably, Cox regression analysis and constructed nomograms showed that downregulated ZDHHC1 expression was a prognostic factor associated with poor prognosis in patients with UCEC. Conversely, above-normal ZDHHC1 expression inhibited the cell growth, cell cycle transition, migration, and invasion of UCEC cells, which may be related to the cell cycle, DNA replication, PI3K-AKT, and other pathways that promote tumor progression. Altered ZDHHC1 expression in UCEC was significantly associated with RNA modifications and the changes in cancer immune cell populations, such as CD56 bright NK cells, eosinophils, Th2 cells, and cell markers. In conclusion, considerably reduced ZDHHC1 expression in UCEC is associated with cancer cell growth, metastasis, poor prognosis, immune infiltration, and RNA modifications, revealing the promising potential of ZDHHC1 as a prognostic marker for UCEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ni Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Oncology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Ye Han
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Luo
- Department of Oncology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Lu-Bin Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Ma Y, Cui Q, Zhu W, Wang M, Zhai L, Hu W, Liu D, Liu M, Li Y, Li M, Han W. A Novel Tetramethylpyrazine Chalcone Hybrid- HCTMPPK, as a Potential Anti-Lung Cancer Agent by Downregulating MELK. Drug Des Devel Ther 2024; 18:1531-1546. [PMID: 38737331 PMCID: PMC11088378 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s449139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Lung adenocarcinoma currently ranks the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Many anti-inflammation herbs, like tetramethylpyrazine, have shown their anti-tumor potentials. Here, we evaluated the role of a novel chalcone derivative of tetramethylpyrazine ((E) -1- (E) -1- (2-hydroxy-5-chlorophenyl) -3- (3,5,6-trimethylpyrazin-2-yl) -2-propen-1, HCTMPPK) in lung adenocarcinoma. Methods The effects of HCTMPPK on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were investigated by in-vitro assays, including CCK-8, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assay, and wound-healing assay. The therapeutic potential of HCTMPPK in vivo was evaluated in xenograft mice. To figure out the target molecules of HCTMPPK, a network pharmacology approach and molecular docking studies were employed, and subsequent experiments were conducted to confirm these candidate molecules. Results HCTMPPK effectively suppressed the proliferative activity and migration, as well as enhanced the apoptosis of A549 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Consistent with this, tumor growth was inhibited by HCTMPPK significantly in vivo. Regarding the mechanisms, HCTMPPK down-regulated Bcl-2 and MMP-9 and up-regulating Bax and cleaved-caspase-3. Subsequently, we identified 601 overlapping DEGs from LUAD patients in TCGA and GEO database. Then, 15 hub genes were identified by PPI network and CytoHubba. Finally, MELK was verified to be the HCTMPPK targeted site, through the molecular docking studies and validation experiments. Conclusion Overall, our study indicates HCTMPPK as a potential MELK inhibitor and may be a promising candidate for the therapy of lung cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Ma
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Common Diseases, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 260071, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qian Cui
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shenzhen Luohu People’s Hospital, Shenzhen, 518000, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenjing Zhu
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Common Diseases, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 260071, People’s Republic of China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Traditional Marine Chinese Medicine, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Mei Wang
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Common Diseases, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 260071, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Li Zhai
- Department of Pharmacy, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenmin Hu
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Common Diseases, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 260071, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Dongdong Liu
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Shanting District People’s Hospital, Zaozhuang, 277200, People’s Republic of China
| | - Min Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yongchun Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Meng Li
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Han
- Qingdao Key Laboratory of Common Diseases, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, 260071, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, 266071, People’s Republic of China
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Ni Q, Miao Y, Li X, Yin Z, Huang H, Shi G, Shi W. Up-Regulation of MELK Promotes Cell Growth and Invasion by Accelerating G1/S Transition and Indicates Poor Prognosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma. Mol Biotechnol 2024:10.1007/s12033-024-01143-4. [PMID: 38676754 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-024-01143-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is an oncogene in many tumors, although its contribution to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is unclear. We examined MELK expression in patient LUAD tissue and matched healthy lung tissues. We investigated the connection between MELK expression and tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and patient survival. We downregulated MELK expression using small-hairpin RNA to assess its impact on LUAD cell proliferation, clonogenicity, and invasion. We also investigated the molecular mechanism underlying these effects. MELK expression was significantly heightened in LUAD tissue as opposed to the matching healthy lung tissues. LUAD patients who had MELK overexpression had a worse prognosis. Suppression of MELK hinders proliferation, clonogenicity, and invasion of LUAD cells. The MELK suppression led to the arrest of the cell cycle's G1/S phase by reducing the cyclin E1 and cyclin D expression. Our outcomes manifest that MELK can function as a beneficial prognostic indication and a new therapy target for LUAD. MELK has an essential function in progressing LUAD, manifesting potential as a viable target for therapeutic intervention in this disease management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinggan Ni
- Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Yancheng Clinical College of Xuzhou Medical University, The First People's Hospital of Yancheng, Yancheng, 224000, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuqing Miao
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Xia Li
- Department of General Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Yancheng Third People's Hospital, Yancheng, 224000, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongbo Yin
- Department of Pathology, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Huang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanglin Shi
- Department of Respiratory Diseases, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weirong Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong (Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University), Nantong, Jiangsu, 226011, People's Republic of China.
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Wang Q, Yu Q, Liu Y. E2F1-EP300 co-activator complex potentiates immune escape in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through the mediation of MELK. Histol Histopathol 2024; 39:511-523. [PMID: 37728155 DOI: 10.14670/hh-18-662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is characterized by a highly suppressive microenvironment that protects tumor cells against immune attack and facilitates tumor progression. MELK is upregulated in various tumors, whereas its function in the immune escape remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the role of MELK during immune escape in NPC. METHODS Differentially expressed genes were filtered using GEO datasets and PPI network analysis. NPC cell colony formation and motility were examined, and the impact of CD8⁺ T cells on NPC cells was evaluated. A xenograft model was constructed to detect the growth of tumor cells and the T-cell phenotype of tumor infiltration. ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase assays were used to verify the transcriptional regulation of MELK by EP300/E2F1. FINDINGS MELK was overexpressed in NPC, and sh-MELK suppressed the clonogenic ability, migration, and invasion of NPC cells and promoted the killing effects of CD8⁺ T cells. These in vitro findings were reproduced in vivo. EP300 synergized E2F1 to regulate the transcription of MELK in NPC cells. Loss of EP300 or E2F1 reverted the malignant phenotype of NPC cells and promoted the immune effect of CD8⁺ T cells. MELK further suppressed the immune effect of CD8⁺ T cells in the presence of sh-E2F1. INTERPRETATION EP300 coordinated with E2F1 to promote the transcription of MELK which promoted the growth of NPC cells and repressed the killing effect of CD8⁺ T cells. Blockage of MELK may be a potential way to suppress the immune escape of NPC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Qi Yu
- Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Yueyang Liu
- Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Center, Cancer Center, Department of Otolaryngology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, PR China.
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Gu J, Zhou X, Xie L. Significance of Oxidative Stress in the Diagnosis and Subtype Classification of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. Biochem Genet 2024; 62:193-207. [PMID: 37314550 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10412-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a common illness of aging, and its pathophysiological process is mainly manifested by cell aging and apoptosis, an imbalance in the production and catabolism of extracellular matrix, and an inflammatory response. Oxidative stress (OS) is an imbalance that decreases the body's intrinsic antioxidant defense system and/or raises the formation of reactive oxygen species and performs multiple biological functions in the body. However, our current knowledge of the effect of OS on the progression and treatment of IVDD is still extremely limited. In this study, we obtained 35 DEGs by differential expression analysis of 437 OS-related genes (OSRGs) between IVDD patients and healthy individuals from GSE124272 and GSE150408. Then, we identified six hub OSRGs (ATP7A, MELK, NCF1, NOX1, RHOB, and SP1) from 35 DEGs, and the high accuracy of these hub genes was confirmed by constructing ROC curves. In addition, to forecast the risk of IVDD patients, we developed a nomogram. We obtained two OSRG clusters (clusters A and B) by consensus clustering based on the six hub genes. Then, 3147 DEGs were obtained by differential expression analysis in the two clusters, and all samples were further divided into two gene clusters (A and B). We investigated differences in immune cell infiltration levels between different clusters and found that most immune cells had higher infiltration levels in OSRG cluster B or gene cluster B. In conclusion, OS is important in the formation and progression of IVDD, and we believe that our work will help guide future research on OS in IVDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Gu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Xiaoyang Zhou
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China
| | - Lin Xie
- Department of Spine Surgery, Third Clinical Medical College of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, Jiangsu, China.
- Department of Spine Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210028, China.
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10
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Li Z, Zhou H, Zhai X, Gao L, Yang M, An B, Xia T, Du G, Li X, Wang W, Jin B. MELK promotes HCC carcinogenesis through modulating cuproptosis-related gene DLAT-mediated mitochondrial function. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:733. [PMID: 37949877 PMCID: PMC10638394 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-06264-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Cuproptosis caused by copper overload is mediated by a novel regulatory mechanism that differs from previously documented mechanisms regulating cell death. Cells dependent on mitochondrial respiration showed increased sensitivity to a copper ionophore elesclomol that induced cuproptosis. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase(MELK) promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression through the PI3K/mTOR pathway, which exerts its effects partly by targeting the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex(PDHc) and reprogramming the morphology and function of mitochondria. However, the role of MELK in cuproptosis remains unclear. Here, we validated that elevated MELK expression enhanced the activity of PI3K/mTOR signaling and subsequently promoted Dihydrolipoamide S-Acetyltransferase (DLAT) expression and stabilized mitochondrial function. This regulatory effect helped to improve mitochondrial respiration, eliminate excessive intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduce intracellular oxidative stress/damage and the possibility of mitochondria-induced cell fate alternations, and ultimately promote the progression of HCC. Meanwhile, elesclomol reduced translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20(TOM 20) expression and increased DLAT oligomers. Moreover, the above changes of MELK to HCC were abolished by elesclomol. In conclusion, MELK enhanced the levels of the cuproptosis-related signature(CRS) gene DLAT (especially the proportion of DLAT monomer) by activating the PI3K/mTOR pathway, thereby promoting elesclomol drug resistance, altering mitochondrial function, and ultimately promoting HCC progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhipeng Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- The Second Clinical Medical School of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Huaxin Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- The Second Clinical Medical School of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiangyu Zhai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- The Second Clinical Medical School of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lin Gao
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Mengfan Yang
- Organ Transplant Department, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Baokun An
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
- The Second Clinical Medical School of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Tong Xia
- Organ Transplant Department, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Gang Du
- Organ Transplant Department, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaoming Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Department of General Surgery, Shandong Second Provincial General Hospital, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Jinan, China.
| | - Wei Wang
- Medical integration and practice center of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
| | - Bin Jin
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Organ Transplant Department, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
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Lu Y, Wei Y, Shen X, Tong Y, Lu J, Zhang Y, Ma Y, Zhang R. Mechanism of E2F1 in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells via the regulation of BMI1 transcription. Genes Genomics 2023; 45:1423-1431. [PMID: 37646913 DOI: 10.1007/s13258-023-01416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most prevalent gynecological cancer. Transcription factor (TF) regulates a large number of downstream target genes and is a key determinant of all physiological activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell cycle. The transcription factor E2F1 shows prominent roles in EC. BMI1 is a member of Polycomb suppressor Complex 1 (PRC1) and has been shown to be associated with EC invasiveness. It is currently unclear whether E2F1 can participate in the proliferation, migration, and invasion processes of EC cells by regulating BMI1 transcription. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether E2F1 could participate in the proliferation, migration, and invasion processes of EC cells by regulating BMI1 transcription, in order to further clarify the pathogenesis and etiology of EC, and provide reference for identifying potential therapeutic targets and developing effective prevention and treatment strategies for this disease. METHODS Human endometrial epithelial cells (hEECs) and human EC cell lines were selected. E2F1 expression was assessed by Western blot. E2F1 was silenced in AN3CA or overexpressed in HEC-1 by transfections, or E2F1 was silenced and BMI1 was overexpressed in AN3CA by cotransfection. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected by MTT, wound healing, and Transwell assays. The binding sites between E2F1 and BMI1 promoters were predicted through JASPAR website, and the targeted binding was verified by dual-luciferase report and ChIP assays. RESULTS E2F1 was up-regulated in human EC cell lines, with its expression highest in AN3CA, and lowest in HEC-1. AN3CA invasion, migration, and proliferation were repressed by E2F1 knockdown, while those of HEC-1 cells were promoted by E2F1 overexpression. E2F1 overexpression increased the activity of wild type BMI1 reporter vector promoter, while this promotion was weakened after mutation of the predicted binding site in the BMI1 promoter. In the precipitated E2F1, BMI1 promoter site level was higher than that of IgG immunoprecipitant. BMI1 silencing suppressed AN3CA cell growth. BMI1 overexpression partially abrogated E2F1 silencing-inhibited EC cell growth. CONCLUSION E2F1 promoted EC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by promoting the transcription of BMI1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyang Lu
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Ying Wei
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqin Shen
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Yixi Tong
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Jin Lu
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Yahui Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Yun Ma
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, N0.1055, Sanxiang Road, 215000, Suzhou, China.
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Luo K, Zhong Y, Guo Y, Nie J, Xu Y, Zhou H. Integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation reveals hub genes of rheumatoid arthritis. Exp Ther Med 2023; 26:480. [PMID: 37745040 PMCID: PMC10515114 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2023.12179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by systemic inflammation, especially synovitis, leading to joint damage. It is important to explore potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets to improve the clinical treatment of RA. However, the potential underlying mechanisms of action of available treatments for RA have not yet been fully elucidated. The present study investigated the potential biomarkers of RA and identified specific targets for therapeutic intervention. A comprehensive analysis was performed using mRNA files downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differences in gene expression were analyzed and compared between the normal and RA groups. In addition, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A protein-protein interaction network, Molecular Complex Detection and cytoHubba network were evaluated to identify hub genes. Finally, using an experimental RA rat model induced by Freund's complete adjuvant (FCA), the expression of potential biomarkers or target genes in RA were verified through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The results of the mRNA dataset processing revealed 195 DEGs in patients with RA when compared with the healthy controls. Moreover, 10 hub genes were identified in patients with RA and four candidate mRNAs were identified, as follows: Discs large homolog-associated protein 5 (DLGAP5), kinesin family member 20A (KIF20A), maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) and nuclear division cycle 80 (NDC80). Finally, the bioinformatics analysis results were validated by quantifying the expression of the DLGAP5, KIF20A, MELK and NDC80 genes in the FCA-induced experimental RA rat model. The findings of the present study suggested that the treatment of RA may be successful through the inhibition of DLGAP5, KIF20A, MELK and NDC80 expression. Therefore, the targeting of these genes may result in more effective treatments for patients with RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Luo
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Yumei Zhong
- Department of Painology, Chengdu Integrated TCM & Western Medicine Hospital/Chengdu First People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610095, P.R. China
| | - Yanding Guo
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Jingwei Nie
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Yimei Xu
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
| | - Haiyan Zhou
- Acupuncture and Tuina School, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, Sichuan 610075, P.R. China
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13
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Zhu A, Yao F, Shen M. Oxycodone alleviates mifepristone-stimulated human endometrial stromal cell injury by activating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Immun Inflamm Dis 2023; 11:e1008. [PMID: 37773689 PMCID: PMC10510466 DOI: 10.1002/iid3.1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endometrial injury is a common disease in women caused by intrauterine inflammation, infections, and endocrine disorders. Human endometrial stromal cells (hEndoSCs) can maintain endometrial homeostasis and play an important role in repairing endometrial injury. Mifepristone, a steroidal anti-progesterone drug, is widely used in the field of reproductive medicine worldwide. Mifepristone-induced hEndoSC injury has been used to study endometrial injury in vitro. At present, the pathogenesis and potential regulatory mechanisms of oxycodone in endometrial injury remain unknown. AIMS We aimed to evaluate the functions of oxycodone in mifepristone-stimulated hEndoSC injury and analyze its potential molecular mechanism. MATERIALS & METHODS hEndoSC viability, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were analyzed using the methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, the lactate dehydrogenase assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, the levels of cleaved-Caspase3, Keap1, Nrf2, HO-1, and NQO1 were assessed using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, and the release of inflammatory cytokines was determined using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS We observed that oxycodone had no adverse effects on hEndoSCs; rather, it protected hEndoSCs against mifepristone-induced endometrial damage, as confirmed by the enhanced cell viability, reduced number of apoptotic cells, decreased Caspase3 activity and inflammatory cytokine secretion, and increased Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 pathway-related protein expression. In addition, we found that the protective effects of oxycodone on mifepristone-induced hEndoSC injury were inhibited by ML385 (a Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 inhibitor). CONCLUSION In summary, we confirmed that oxycodone alleviates mifepristone-induced hEndoSC injury by activating the Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aibing Zhu
- Department of AnesthesiologyWuxi Maternity and Child Health Care HospitalWuxiChina
| | - Fei Yao
- Department of AnesthesiologyWuxi Maternity and Child Health Care HospitalWuxiChina
| | - Mingkun Shen
- Department of AnesthesiologyWuxi Maternity and Child Health Care HospitalWuxiChina
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Shi K, Liu XL, Guo Q, Zhang YQ, Fan ST, Dai L, Jiang N, Li D. TMEM41A overexpression correlates with poor prognosis and immune alterations in patients with endometrial carcinoma. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285817. [PMID: 37478120 PMCID: PMC10361503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Expression levels of transmembrane protein 41A (TMEM41A) are related to the progression of malignant tumors. However, the association between TMEM41A expression and endometrial carcinoma (EC) remains unclear. This study aims to identify the roles of TMEM41A expression in the prognosis of patients with EC and its correlation with EC progression. METHODS The TMEM41A expression and its correlation with the survival of patients with EC were assessed. Cox regression analysis was used to identify the prognostic factors, while nomograms were used to examine the association between the prognostic factors and the survival of patients with EC. Finally, the link between TMEM41A level and immune microenvironment and RNA modifications was investigated in EC. RESULTS TMEM41A was overexpressed in EC. TMEM41A overexpression could diagnose the EC and evaluate the poor prognosis of patients. Overexpression of TMEM41A was associated with clinical stage, age, weight, histological subtype, tumor grade, and survival status of patients with EC. Clinical stage, age, tumor grade, radiotherapy, and TMEM41A overexpression were factors of poor prognosis in patients with EC. The nomograms revealed the correlation between the TMEM41A level and survival time of patients with EC at 1, 3, and 5 years. Furthermore, TMEM41A overexpression was significantly correlated with the level of the stromal score, immune score, estimate score, NK CD56 bright cells, iDC, NK cells, eosinophils, pDC, T cells, TReg, cytotoxic cells, mast cells, Th17 cells, neutrophils, aDC, NK CD56 dim cells, TFH, Th2 cells, CD8 T cells, macrophages, immune cell markers, and RNA modifications. CONCLUSIONS TMEM41A is overexpressed in EC tissues and is associated with the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and RNA modification. Our preliminary studies indicate that overexpression of TMEM41A can potentially serve as a biomarker for EC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Shi
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beilun District People’s Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo City, China
| | - Xiao-Li Liu
- Department of Ultrasound, The People’s Hospital of Jianyang City, Jianyang City, China
| | - Qiang Guo
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Taihe Hospital, Hubei Medical University, Shiyan City, China
| | - Yun-Qiang Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beilun District People’s Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo City, China
| | - Si-Tong Fan
- Department of Infectious Disease, Beilun District People’s Hospital of Ningbo, Ningbo City, China
| | - Ling Dai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing City, China
| | - Ni Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women and Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing City, China
| | - Dan Li
- Department of Oncology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei Medical University, Shiyan City, China
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15
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Chen J, Wu S, Wang J, Han C, Zhao L, He K, Jia Y, Cui M. MCM10: An effective treatment target and a prognostic biomarker in patients with uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2023; 27:1708-1724. [PMID: 37246638 PMCID: PMC10273062 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Molecular profiling has been applied for uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) management for many years. The aim of this study was to explore the role of MCM10 in UCEC and construct its overall survival (OS) prediction models. Data from TCGA, GEO, cbioPotal and COSMIC databases and the methods, such as GO, KEGG, GSEA, ssGSEA and PPI, were employed to bioinformatically detect the effects of MCM10 on UCEC. RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry were used to validate the effects of MCM10 on UCEC. Based on Cox regression analysis using the data from TCGA and our clinical data, two OS prediction models for UCEC were established. Finally, the effects of MCM10 on UCEC were detected in vitro. Our study revealed that MCM10 was variated and overexpressed in UCEC tissue and involved in DNA replication, cell cycle, DNA repair and immune microenvironment in UCEC. Moreover, silencing MCM10 significantly inhibited the proliferation of UCEC cells in vitro. Importantly, based on MCM10 expression and clinical features, the OS prediction models were constructed with good accuracy. MCM10 could be an effective treatment target and a prognostic biomarker for UCEC patients. The OS prediction models might help establish the strategies of follow-up and treatment for UCEC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Chen
- Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsThe Second Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Shan Wu
- Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsThe Second Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
- Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics (Ministry of Education)Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University, School of MedicineHangzhouChina
| | - Junwei Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe First Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Chunying Han
- Third Department of Gynecological OncologyJilin Cancer HospitalChangchunChina
| | - Lijing Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of NursingJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Kang He
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of NursingJilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Yan Jia
- Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsThe Second Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Manhua Cui
- Department of Gynecology and ObstetricsThe Second Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
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16
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Xie X, Chauhan GB, Edupuganti R, Kogawa T, Park J, Tacam M, Tan AW, Mughees M, Vidhu F, Liu DD, Taliaferro JM, Pitner MK, Browning LS, Lee JH, Bertucci F, Shen Y, Wang J, Ueno NT, Krishnamurthy S, Hortobagyi GN, Tripathy D, Van Laere SJ, Bartholomeusz G, Dalby KN, Bartholomeusz C. Maternal Embryonic Leucine Zipper Kinase is Associated with Metastasis in Triple-negative Breast Cancer. CANCER RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 3:1078-1092. [PMID: 37377604 PMCID: PMC10281291 DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.crc-22-0330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has high relapse and metastasis rates and a high proportion of cancer stem-like cells (CSC), which possess self-renewal and tumor initiation capacity. MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase), a protein kinase of the Snf1/AMPK kinase family, is known to promote CSC maintenance and malignant transformation. However, the role of MELK in TNBC metastasis is unknown; we sought to address this in the current study. We found that MELK mRNA levels were higher in TNBC tumors [8.11 (3.79-10.95)] than in HR+HER2- tumors [6.54 (2.90-9.26)]; P < 0.001]. In univariate analysis, patients with breast cancer with high-MELK-expressing tumors had worse overall survival (P < 0.001) and distant metastasis-free survival (P < 0.01) than patients with low-MELK-expressing tumors. In a multicovariate Cox regression model, high MELK expression was associated with shorter overall survival after adjusting for other baseline risk factors. MELK knockdown using siRNA or MELK inhibition using the MELK inhibitor MELK-In-17 significantly reduced invasiveness, reversed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and reduced CSC self-renewal and maintenance in TNBC cells. Nude mice injected with CRISPR MELK-knockout MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited suppression of lung metastasis and improved overall survival compared with mice injected with control cells (P < 0.05). Furthermore, MELK-In-17 suppressed 4T1 tumor growth in syngeneic BALB/c mice (P < 0.001). Our findings indicate that MELK supports metastasis by promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and the CSC phenotype in TNBC. Significance These findings indicate that MELK is a driver of aggressiveness and metastasis in TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuemei Xie
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Gaurav B. Chauhan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Ramakrishna Edupuganti
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Takahiro Kogawa
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jihyun Park
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Moises Tacam
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Alex W. Tan
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Mohd Mughees
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Fnu Vidhu
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Diane D. Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Juliana M. Taliaferro
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Mary Kathryn Pitner
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Luke S. Browning
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Ju-Hyeon Lee
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - François Bertucci
- Predictive Oncology Laboratory, Marseille Research Cancer Center, INSERM U1068, CNRS U7258, Institut Paoli-Calmettes, Aix Marseille University, 13009 Marseille, France
| | - Yu Shen
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Naoto T. Ueno
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Current Institution: Cancer Biology Program, University of Hawai'i Cancer Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - Savitri Krishnamurthy
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
- Division of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Gabriel N. Hortobagyi
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Debu Tripathy
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Steven J. Van Laere
- Center for Oncological Research, Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Wilrijk
- Department Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Geoffrey Bartholomeusz
- Experimental Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
| | - Kevin N. Dalby
- Division of Chemical Biology & Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Chandra Bartholomeusz
- Section of Translational Breast Cancer Research, Houston, Texas
- Department of Breast Medical Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas
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17
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Tang BF, Yan RC, Wang SW, Zeng ZC, Du SS. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase in tumor cell and tumor microenvironment: Emerging player and promising therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Lett 2023; 560:216126. [PMID: 36933780 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2023.216126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is a member of the AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) protein family, which is widely and highly expressed in multiple cancer types. Through direct and indirect interactions with other proteins, it mediates various cascades of signal transduction processes and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell survival, growth, invasion and migration and other biological functions. Interestingly, MELK also plays an important role in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment, which can not only predict the responsiveness of immunotherapy, but also affect the function of immune cells to regulate tumor progression. In addition, more and more small molecule inhibitors have been developed for the target of MELK, which exert important anti-tumor effects and have achieved excellent results in a number of clinical trials. In this review, we outline the structural features, molecular biological functions, potential regulatory mechanisms and important roles of MELK in tumors and tumor microenvironment, as well as substances targeting MELK. Although many molecular mechanisms of MELK in the process of tumor regulation are still unknown, it is worth affirming that MELK is a potential tumor molecular therapeutic target, and its unique superiority and important role provide clues and confidence for subsequent basic research and scientific transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bu-Fu Tang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruo-Chen Yan
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Si-Wei Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhao-Chong Zeng
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China
| | - Shi-Suo Du
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Fudan University Zhongshan Hospital, Fenglin Road 188, 200030, Shanghai, China.
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18
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Ji L, Moghal N, Zou X, Fang Y, Hu S, Wang Y, Tsao MS. The NRF2 antagonist ML385 inhibits PI3K-mTOR signaling and growth of lung squamous cell carcinoma cells. Cancer Med 2023; 12:5688-5702. [PMID: 36305267 PMCID: PMC10028163 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) currently has limited therapeutic options because of the relatively few validated targets and the lack of clinical drugs for some of these targets. Although NRF2/NFE2L2 pathway activation commonly occurs in LUSC, NRF2 has predominantly been studied in other cancer models. Here, we investigated the function of NRF2 in LUSC, including in organoid models, and we explored the activity of a small molecule NRF2 inhibitor ML385, which has not previously been investigated in LUSC. METHODS We first explored the role of NRF2 signaling in LUSC cancer cell line and organoid proliferation through NRF2 knockdown or ML385 treatment, both in vivo and in vitro. Next, we performed Western blot and immunofluorescence assays to determine the effect of NRF2 inhibition on PI3K-mTOR signaling. Finally, we used cell viability and clonogenic assays to explore whether ML385 could sensitize LUSC cancer cells to PI3K inhibitors. RESULTS We find that downregulation of NRF2 signaling inhibited proliferation of LUSC cancer cell lines and organoids, both in vivo and in vitro. We also demonstrate that inhibition of NRF2 reduces PI3K-mTOR signaling, with two potential mechanisms being involved. Although NRF2 promotes AKT phosphorylation, it also acts downstream of AKT to increase RagD protein expression and recruitment of mTOR to lysosomes after amino acid stimulation. We also find that ML385 potentiates LUSC growth inhibition by a pan-PI3K inhibitor, which correlates with stronger inhibition of PI3K-mTOR signaling. CONCLUSIONS Our data provide additional support for NRF2 promoting LUSC growth through PI3K-mTOR activation and support development of NRF2 inhibitors for the treatment of LUSC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Ji
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Microenvironment and Translational Cancer Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Nadeem Moghal
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xinru Zou
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Microenvironment and Translational Cancer Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yixuan Fang
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Microenvironment and Translational Cancer Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuning Hu
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Microenvironment and Translational Cancer Research, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuhui Wang
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ming Sound Tsao
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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19
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He K, Wang T, Huang X, Yang Z, Wang Z, Zhang S, Sui X, Jiang J, Zhao L. PPP1R14B is a diagnostic prognostic marker in patients with uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. J Cell Mol Med 2023; 27:846-863. [PMID: 36824011 PMCID: PMC10002989 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.17697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most common malignancies of the female genital tract. A recently discovered protein-coding gene, PPP1R14B, can inhibit protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) as well as different PP1 holoenzymes, which are important proteins regulating cell growth, the cell cycle, and apoptosis. However, the association between PPP1R14B expression and UCEC remains undefined. The expression profiles of PPP1R14B in multiple cancers were analysed based on TCGA and GTE databases. Then, PPP1R14B expression in UCEC was investigated by gene differential analysis and single gene correlation analysis. In addition, we performed gene ontology term analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis, gene set enrichment analysis, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to predict the potential function of PPP1R14B and its role in the prognosis of UCEC patients. Then, a tool for predicting the prognosis of UCEC, namely, a nomogram model, was constructed. PPP1R14B expression was higher in UCEC tumour tissues than in normal tissues. The results revealed that PPP1R14B expression was indeed closely associated with tumour development. The results of Kaplan-Meier plotter data indicated that patients with high PPP1R14b expression had poorer overall survival, disease-specific survival, and progression-free interval than those with low expression. A nomogram based on the results of multifactor Cox regression was generated. PPP1R14B is a key player in UCEC progression, is associated with a range of adverse outcomes, and can serve as a prognostic marker in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang He
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Taiwei Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuemiao Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zhaoyun Yang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Zeyu Wang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuang Zhang
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Sui
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Junjie Jiang
- Department of Rehabilitation, The Second Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Lijing Zhao
- Department of Rehabilitation, School of Nursing, Jilin University, Changchun, China
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20
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Baumgartner C, Yadav AK, Chefetz I. AMPK-like proteins and their function in female reproduction and gynecologic cancer. ADVANCES IN PROTEIN CHEMISTRY AND STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY 2023; 134:245-270. [PMID: 36858738 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apcsb.2022.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Serine-threonine kinase (STK11), also known as liver kinase B1 (LKB1), is a regulator of cellular homeostasis through regulating the cellular ATP-to-ADP ratio. LKB1 is classified as a tumor suppressor and functions as the key activator of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and a family of serine-threonine kinases called AMPK-like proteins. These proteins include novel (nua) kinase family 1 (NUAK1 and 2), salt inducible kinase (SIK1), QIK (known as SIK2), QSK (known as SIK3 kinase), and maternal embryonic leuzine zipper kinase (MELK) on tightly controlled and specific residual sites. LKB1 also regulates brain selective kinases 1 and 2 (BRSK1 and 2), additional members of AMPK-like protein family, which functions are probably less studied. AMPK-like proteins play a role in variety of reproductive physiology functions such as follicular maturation, menopause, embryogenesis, oocyte maturation, and preimplantation development. In addition, dysfunctional activity of AMPK-like proteins contributes to apoptosis blockade in cancer cells and induction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition required for metastasis. Dysregulation of these proteins occurs in ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancers. AMPK-like proteins are still undergoing further classification and may represent novel targets for targeted gynecologic cancer therapies. In this chapter, we describe the AMPK-like family of proteins and their roles in reproductive physiology and gynecologic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anil Kumar Yadav
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States
| | - Ilana Chefetz
- The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN, United States; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women's Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
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21
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Lu J, Zhu D, Zhang X, Wang J, Cao H, Li L. The crucial role of LncRNA MIR210HG involved in the regulation of human cancer and other disease. CLINICAL & TRANSLATIONAL ONCOLOGY : OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE FEDERATION OF SPANISH ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES AND OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE OF MEXICO 2023; 25:137-150. [PMID: 36088513 DOI: 10.1007/s12094-022-02943-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have evoked considerable interest in recent years due to their critical functions in the regulation of disease processes. Abnormal expression of lncRNAs is found in multiple diseases, and lncRNAs have been exploited for diverse medical applications. The lncRNA MIR210HG is a recently discovered lncRNA that is widely dysregulated in human disease. MIR210HG was described to have biological functions with potential roles in disease development, including cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and energy metabolism. And MIR210HG dysregulation was confirmed to have promising clinical values in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. In this review, we systematically summarize the expression profiles, roles, underlying mechanisms, and clinical applications of MIR210HG in human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Danhua Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaoqian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongcui Cao
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lanjuan Li
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Shangcheng District, No. 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
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22
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Yang H, Zhou H, Wang G, Tian L, Li H, Zhang Y, Xue X. MELK is a prognostic biomarker and correlated with immune infiltration in glioma. Front Neurol 2022; 13:977180. [PMID: 36353126 PMCID: PMC9637824 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.977180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Glioma accounts for the vast majority of primary brain tumors with inevitable recurrence and poor prognosis. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is overexpressed in multiple human tumors and could activate a variety of oncogenic-associated signal pathways. However, its role in the glioma microenvironment is still largely unknown. Methods We collected the RNA sequence data and clinical information of gliomas from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, and investigated MELK expression and its correlation with clinicopathologic features and prognosis in glioma. Moreover, the relationship between MELK expression and immune cell infiltration in the tumor microenvironment of gliomas was explored through single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and CIBERSORT. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and Metascape online analysis were performed to find out signaling pathways enriched by differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high- and low-MELK expression groups. Finally, immunohistochemistry was performed to validate our findings. Results Data analysis of CGGA and GEO datasets showed that MELK was significantly upregulated in gliomas than in normal brain tissues, and MELK expression was obviously correlated with clinicopathologic features, including age, WHO grade, histological subtype, IDH mutant status, 1p19q codeletion status, and PRS type. Stratified analysis, Cox regression analysis, and nomogram model revealed that high expression of MELK predicted poor survival; hence, MELK could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for glioma. Moreover, results from enrichment pathway analysis indicated that the immune system process, angiogenesis, apoptosis, cell cycle, and other oncogenic-related signal pathways were significantly enriched between high- and low-MELK expression groups. Immune infiltration analysis demonstrated that increased MELK expression was significantly correlated with higher immune scores, higher fractions of immunocytes (T cells, NK cells resting, macrophages, resting mast cells, and neutrophils), and higher expression levels of immune checkpoints (B7-H3, CTLA4, LAG3, PD-1, PD-L1, and TIM3). Finally, immunohistochemistry analysis validated our findings that high expression of MELK relates to increased malignancy and poor prognosis of glioma. Conclusion Our findings identified that MELK could act as an independent prognostic indicator and potential immunotherapy target for glioma. In conclusion, these findings suggested that DDOST mediated the immunosuppressive microenvironment of gliomas and could be an important biomarker in diagnosing and treating gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyan Yang
- Department of Pathology, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Huandi Zhou
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Guohui Wang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Lei Tian
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Haonan Li
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- Yufeng Zhang
| | - Xiaoying Xue
- Department of Radiotherapy, The Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaoying Xue
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23
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Wei S, Zhang J, Shi R, Yu Z, Chen X, Wang H. Identification of an integrated kinase-related prognostic gene signature associated with tumor immune microenvironment in human uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma. Front Oncol 2022; 12:944000. [PMID: 36158685 PMCID: PMC9491090 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.944000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In the worldwide, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is the sixth most common malignancy in women, and the number of women diagnosed is increasing. Kinase plays an important role in the occurrence and development of malignant tumors. However, the research about kinase in endometrial cancer is still unclear. Here, we first downloaded the gene expression data of 552 UCEC patients and 23 healthy endometrial tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), obtained 538 kinase-related genes from the previous literature, and calculated 67 differentially expressed kinases. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were referenced to identify multiple important biological functions and signaling pathways related to 67 differentially expressed kinases. Using univariate Cox regression and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), seven kinases (ALPK2, CAMKV, TTK, PTK6, MAST1, CIT, and FAM198B) were identified to establish a prognostic model of endometrial cancer. Then, patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on risk scores. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate that the model had a favorable predictive ability. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis suggested that high-risk groups experienced worse overall survival than low-risk groups. qRT-PCR and ISH assays confirmed the consistency between predicted candidate genes and real sample contents. CIBERSORT algorithm and ssGSEA were adopted to investigate the relationship between this signature and tumor immune microenvironment, and revealed that in low- and high-risk groups, the types of tumor-infiltrating immune cells and the immune cell-related functions were significantly different. In summary, a seven-gene signature risk model has been constructed, and could accurately predict the prognosis of UCEC, which may offer ideas and breakthrough points to the kinase-associated development of UCEC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sitian Wei
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhicheng Yu
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xingwei Chen
- Department of Industrial engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Wang
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Hongbo Wang,
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24
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LncRNA OSTM1-AS1 acts as an oncogenic factor in Wilms' tumor by regulating the miR-514a-3p/MELK axis. Anticancer Drugs 2022; 33:720-730. [PMID: 35946509 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Wilms' tumor (WT) is the most typical basic renal tumor in children and is associated with a high recurrence rate and improper diagnosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in WT development. However, the impact of the OSTM1 antisense RNA 1 (OSTM1-AS1) lncRNA on WT remains largely unexplored. Differential expression of OSTM1-AS1, miR-514a-3p and maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) in mice with WT cells was assessed via quantitative reverse transcription-PCR and western blotting. Changes in the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of WT cells after OSTM1-AS1, miR-514a-3p or MELK knockdown were assessed using the cell counting kit-8, Transwell and caspase-3 activity assays, respectively. Additionally, the tumorigenicity of WT cells after OSTM1-AS1 knockdown in vivo was analyzed using a xenograft tumor assay. The association among OSTM1-AS1, MELK and miR-514a-3p was confirmed using the RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. OSTM1-AS1 and MELK were upregulated in WT cells, whereas miR-514a-3p was downregulated. OSTM1-AS1 was mostly observed in the cytoplasm, and its knockout suppressed WT cell migration and proliferation in vitro , triggered apoptosis and attenuated tumor development in vivo . MiR-514a-3p was sponged by OSTM1-AS1, and miR-514a-3p interference counteracted the tumoricidal effect of OSTM1-AS1 knockdown. MiR-514a-3p reduced WT progression by downregulating the expression of MELK, which is the target gene of miR-514a-3p. lncRNA OSTM1-AS1 acts as an oncogenic factor in WT by releasing MELK through sponging miR-514a-3p and could be a useful target for WT diagnosis and therapy.
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25
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Ye J, Deng W, Zhong Y, Liu H, Guo B, Qin Z, Li P, Zhong X, Wang L. MELK predicts poor prognosis and promotes metastasis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma via activating the NF‑κB pathway. Int J Oncol 2022; 61:94. [PMID: 35730614 PMCID: PMC9256079 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2022.5384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with a low 5-year survival rate due to the lack of effective therapeutic strategies. Accumulating evidence has indicated that maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is highly expressed in several tumors and associated with tumor development. However, the biological effects of MELK in ESCC remain unknown. In the present study, cell phenotypical experiments and animal metastasis assays were performed to detect the influence of MELK knockdown in vitro and in vivo. The potential molecular mechanism of MELK-mediated ESCC metastasis was further investigated by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. The results revealed that the expression of MELK in human ESCC tissues was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues and was positively associated with the poor prognosis of patients. Reducing MELK expression resulted in growth inhibition and suppression of the invasive ability of ESCC cells in vitro and in vivo. MELK inhibition induced alterations of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated proteins. Mechanistically, MELK interacted with IκB kinase (IKK) and promoted the phosphorylation of IKK, by which MELK regulated activation of the NF-κB pathway. Collectively, the present study revealed the function and mechanism of MELK in the cell metastasis of ESCC, which may be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiecheng Ye
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Wanying Deng
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Ying Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Hui Liu
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Baoyin Guo
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Zixi Qin
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Peiwen Li
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Xueyun Zhong
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
| | - Lihui Wang
- Department of Pathology, Medical College, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510632, P.R. China
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Zhang J, Lin H, Hou L, Xiao H, Gong X, Guo X, Cao X, Liu Z. Exploration of the breast ductal carcinoma in situ signature and its prognostic implications. Cancer Med 2022; 12:3758-3772. [PMID: 35880695 PMCID: PMC9939111 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.5071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the implementation of breast screening programs, the occurrence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) as an early type of neoplasia has increased. Although the prognosis is promising, 20%-50% of DCIS patients will progress to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) if not treated. It is essential to look for promising biomarkers for predicting DCIS prognosis. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to explore the expression of genes that differed between DCIS and normal tissue in this investigation. Enrichment analysis was performed to characterize the biological role and intrinsic process pathway. The Cancer Genome Atlas Breast Cancer Dataset was used to categorize the hub genes, and the results were confirmed using the Cytoscape plugin CytoHubba and MCODE. The prognostic ability of the core gene signature was determined through time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC), Kaplan-Meier survival curve, Oncomine databases, and UALCAN databases. In addition, the prognostic value of core genes was verified in proliferation assays. We identified 217 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the present study, with 101 upregulated and 138 downregulated genes. The top genes were obtained from the PPI network (protein-protein interaction). A unique six-gene signature (containing GAPDH, CDH2, BIRC5, NEK2, IDH2, and MELK) was developed for DCIS prognostic prediction. Centered on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort, the ROC curve showed strong results in prognosis prediction. The six core gene signatures is often overexpressed in DCIS, with a weak prognosis. Furthermore, when breast cancer cells are transfected with small interfering RNAs, downregulation of core gene expression substantially inhibits cell proliferation, revealing a high potential for employing core genes in DCIS prognosis. In conclusion, the current investigation verified the six core genes signatures for prospective DCIS biomarkers, which may aid clinical decision-making for individual care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Zhang
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Hui Lin
- The First Department of Breast CancerTianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of EducationTianjinChina,Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical UniversityTaizhouChina
| | - Lei Hou
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Hui Xiao
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xilong Gong
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xuhui Guo
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
| | - Xuchen Cao
- The First Department of Breast CancerTianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin Medical University, Ministry of EducationTianjinChina
| | - Zhenzhen Liu
- Department of Breast Disease, Henan Breast Cancer CenterAffiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer HospitalZhengzhouChina
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Zhang XR, Ouyang YC, Meng TG, Zhang HY, Yue W, Yan FZ, Xue Y, Schatten H, Wang ZB, Sun QY. OTSSP167 leads to follicular dysplasia and negatively affects oocyte quality in mice. Toxicology 2022; 476:153243. [PMID: 35760214 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2022.153243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OTSSP167 is an anti-tumor drug significantly inhibiting tumor growth in xenotransplantation studies using mouse breast, lung, prostate, and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Its phase I clinical trial has been completed, indicating its great potential for future treatment of solid tumors. However, its drug-related adverse effects on reproductive systems have not yet been reported. In this study, we evaluated the effects of OTSSP167 on reproduction of female mice by determining oocyte quality and follicular development. We selected four-week-old female ICR mice for a 21-day intraperitoneal injection of OTSSP167 at a dose of 5mg/kg/d. We found that OTSSP167 could block the meiotic process of oocytes, leading to a decrease in oocyte maturation and ovulated oocyte numbers, as well as a decrease in the quality of oocytes. The results showed that OTSSP167 treatment caused disordered spindle assembly, decreased mitochondria membrane potential, and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species in oocytes. Further investigation showed that OTSSP167 induced DNA double-strand breaks, as indicated by increased levels of γH2AX in oocytes of primordial follicles and granulosa cells of growing follicles, which induced follicular atresia and decreased the numbers of follicles at various growing stages. Our study suggests that OTSSP167 treatment may have serious effects on the ovary and consequences for female cancer patients, providing strong evidence for the necessity of protecting female fertility in clinical OTSSP167 trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Ran Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Ying-Chun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Tie-Gang Meng
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Yong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Feng-Ze Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Yue Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Heide Schatten
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Zhen-Bo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China; College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Science, 100101, Beijing
| | - Qing-Yuan Sun
- Fertility Preservation Lab, Guangdong-Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint Laboratory, Reproductive Medicine Center, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, China.
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Identification of Five m6A-Related lncRNA Genes as Prognostic Markers for Endometrial Cancer Based on TCGA Database. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:2547029. [PMID: 35571565 PMCID: PMC9095403 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2547029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background. Due to difficulties involved in its early diagnosis and adequate prognostication, uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) is one of the most serious threats to human health, with the five-year survival rate being as low as roughly 60%. The discovery of specific biomarkers that serve as prognosticators of UCEC is of great significance. The role of N6-methyladenosine- (m6A-) related long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the pathogenesis of UCEC remains undefined. In this study, we explored the expression profiles of m6A-related lncRNAs of patients with UCEC and identified novel prognostic markers for UCEC. Methods. Gene expression and clinical data were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Coexpression analysis was performed to identify m6A-related lncRNAs, which were entered into univariate Cox regression models for evaluating the prognosis of UCEC. Clusters of UCEC patients and enrichment pathways were identified using consistent data clustering and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA). A risk score model was established, and Kaplan–Meier analysis was conducted for investigating overall survival (OS) across two patient groups (high risk and low risk). Lastly, the relationship between the risk score and the cell content of 22 types of immune cells, clusters, age, programmed cell death 1 ligand-1 (PD-L1) expression level, immune score, and pathological grade was analyzed. Results. We identified a total of 2084 lncRNAs associated with m6A, of which 32 lncRNAs were prognostically relevant. Two clusters (clusters 1 and 2) of patients with UCEC were defined; patients in cluster 1 were found to have significantly higher pathological grades and shorter overall survival time compared to those in cluster 2. GSEA showed that “MITOTIC SPINDLE and other pathways” were more enriched in cluster 1. Five major lncRNAs associated with m6A were screened out, and risk score modeling was used for UCEC prognosis prediction. High risk scores were associated with a shorter OS. The risk score was also verified as an independent prognostic indicator for UCEC and was related to immune cell infiltration levels. Finally, we observed a higher pathological grade and greater levels of PD-L1 in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group of patients. Conclusions. m6A-related lncRNAs play an important role in UCEC progression. The risk-based model constructed from the five key m6A-related lncRNAs was implicated in immune cell infiltration and can potentially be an accurate prognosticator for UCEC.
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Guo Z, Zhu Z. Comprehensive analysis to identify noncoding RNAs mediated upregulation of maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) correlated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular. Aging (Albany NY) 2022; 14:3973-3988. [PMID: 35511171 PMCID: PMC9134958 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Abstract
Object: Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) is involved in the development and progression of various cancers. This work investigated the usefulness of MELK in the prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis. Methods: Information on MELK expression was obtained by pan-cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The TCGA-liver hepatic cancer (TCGA-LIHC), Oncomine datasets, International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) datasets were used to investigate MELK expression in HCC. The prognostic roles of MELK in HCC were assessed by univariate and multivariate survival analyses. The underlying mechanism for noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) involved in MELK expression was investigated by in silico studies, correlation, methylation, and survival analyses. The relationships between MELK expression and immune cells, immune markers, and checkpoint markers were also analyzed. Results: (1) MELK was identified as an independent predictor of overall survival (OS) in HCC patients (MELK high vs. low expression, HR 2.469; 95% CI 1.217–5.008; p = 0.012) in a multivariate Cox analysis, with a concordance index (C-index) value of 0.727 (95% CI 0.750–0.704). (2) The noncoding RNA miR3142HG and the LINC00265/has-miR-101-3p axis were found to regulate MELK expression in HCC tissue. (3) MELK levels were linked to various immune functions, including tumor infiltration and the expression of immune checkpoints and biomarkers in HCC. Conclusion: MELK may have an oncogenic function in HCC and was found to be up-regulated by ncRNAs and associated with immune cell infiltration and unfavorable prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- ZiYi Guo
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of JinZhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Zhitu Zhu
- Department of Clinical Trial, Institute of Clinical Bioinformatics, Cancer Center of Jinzhou Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
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xCT contributes to colorectal cancer tumorigenesis through upregulation of the MELK oncogene and activation of the AKT/mTOR cascade. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:373. [PMID: 35440604 PMCID: PMC9019093 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04827-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
AbstractColorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed and deadly malignant tumors globally, and its occurrence and progression are closely related to the poor histological features and complex molecular characteristics among patients. It is urgent to identify specific biomarkers for effective treatment of CRC. In this study, we performed comprehensive experiments to validate the role of xCT expression in CRC tumorigenesis and stemness and confirmed xCT knockdown significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, and stemness of CRC cells in vitro and effectively inhibited CRC tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. In addition, bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays were used to identify E2F1 as a critical upstream transcription factor of SLC7A11 (the gene encoding for xCT) that facilitated CRC progression and cell stemness. Subsequent RNA sequencing, western blotting, rescue assay, and immunofluorescence assays revealed MELK directly co-expressed with xCT in CRC cells, and its upregulation significantly attenuated E2F1/xCT-mediated tumorigenesis and stemness in CRC. Further molecular mechanism exploration confirmed that xCT knockdown may exert an antitumor effect by controlling the activation of MELK-mediated Akt/mTOR signaling. Erastin, a specific inhibitor of xCT, was also proven to effectively inhibit CRC tumorigenesis and cell stemness. Altogether, our study showed that E2F1/xCT is a promising therapeutic target of CRC that promotes tumorigenesis and cell stemness. Erastin is also an effective antitumoral agent for CRC.
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Li H, Gai L, Wu Z, Li F. Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase serves as a potential prognostic marker and leads to sorafenib chemoresistance modified by miR-142-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:3015-3024. [PMID: 35013864 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07128-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemotherapy is an important treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Sorafenib is a first-line systemic drug that has been commonly used clinically for patients with advanced HCC. However, the high resistance rate of sorafenib in HCC patients often hinders its long-term efficacy. Therefore, it is vital to reveal the molecular mechanisms of sorafenib resistance in patients with HCC. METHODS In current study, we screened out fourteen genes that over-expressed in HCC specimens through integrative bioinformatics analysis. Here, maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) was highlighted as one of the most probable molecules. The Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) program was utilized for functional pathway enrichment analysis. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) and western blot were used to examine the expression levels of MELK. CCK-8, transwell, colony formation assays and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation, the cell cycle. The dual luciferase assays were performed to study the targeting relationship between MELK and miR-142-5p. RESULTS MELK expressions were correlated significantly with cell proliferation by regulating cell cycle and DNA replication. High MELK expression in patients with HCC indicated a poor prognosis both the overall and diseases free survival rates. MELK knockdown suppresses cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. miR-142-5p regulates MELK expression through binding to the complementary sequence in the 3'-UTR regions. MELK knockdown enhances sensitivity of sorafenib in HCC sorafenib-resistant (HCC/SR) cells. CONCLUSIONS MELK may serve as a potential prognostic marker in HCC and MELK knockdown enhanced sensitivity of HepG2/SR cells to sorafenib treatment. Our findings suggest that MELK/miR-142-5p axis could be a potentially therapeutic target for reversing the sorafenib resistance in HCC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualei Li
- Department of Urology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Ling Gai
- Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhimei Wu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Nantong Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Feng Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Xisi Road, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
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Oxycodone Alleviates Endometrial Injury via the TLR4/NF- κB Pathway. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:6153279. [PMID: 35310024 PMCID: PMC8933090 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6153279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Endometrial injury is a common female disease. This study was designed to illustrate the effects of oxycodone on mifepristone-induced human endometrial stromal cells (hEndoSCs) injury and delineate the underlying molecular mechanism. hEndoSCs were stimulated with mifepristone to generate the endometrial injury in vitro model. hEndoSCs viability, cytotoxicity, and apoptosis were measured by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, lactate dehydrogenase assay (LDH), and flow cytometry (FCM) analysis, respectively. Meanwhile, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot assay were conducted to evaluate gene and protein expressions. The secretions of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The data revealed that mifepristone exposure memorably inhibited hEndoSCs viability and promoted cell apoptosis and inflammatory cytokines secretion, and oxycodone had no cytotoxicity on hEndoSCs. Oxycodone increased hEndoSCs growth, blocked cell apoptosis, enhanced Bcl-2 expression, reduced Bax levels, and decreased the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in mifepristone-induced hEndoSCs, exhibiting the protective effects in endometrial injury. In addition, the TLR4/NF-κB pathway-related protein levels (TLR4 and p-p65) in mifepristone-treated hEndoSCs were enhanced, while these enhancements were inhibited by oxycodone treatment. In conclusion, oxycodone exhibited the protective role in mifepristone-triggered endometrial injury via inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signal pathway.
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Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs derived from serum exosomes associated with gastric cancer by microarray analysis. Clin Chim Acta 2022; 531:25-35. [PMID: 35300960 DOI: 10.1016/j.cca.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To explore the differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) in serum exosomes between gastric cancer (GC) patients and healthy people to provide new targets for GC diagnosis and treatment. METHODS DEMs in serum exosomes were screened by microarray analysis and verified by RT-qPCR. The target genes of DEMs were predicted using Targetscan and miRTarBase databases and then overlapped with the DEGs of STAD in TCGA database to obtain the common target genes. Biological function and pathway enrichment were analyzed using enrichr database, and a PPI network was constructed using STRING database. The potential target genes of DEMs were identified using the MCODE and cytoHubba plug-ins of Cytoscape software. Survival analysis were conducted using KMP and TCGA databases. The DEMs -target genes-pathways network was established using Cytoscape software. A Cox proportional hazards regression model formed by optimal target genes was used to access the reliability of this prediction process. RESULTS Three serum exosomal microRNAs (exo-miRNAs, has-miR-1273 g-3p, has-miR-4793-3p, has-miR-619-5p) were identified to be highly expressed in GC patients and performed excellent diagnostic ability. A total of 179 common target genes related to GC were predicted. They were mainly involved in 79 GO functional annotations and 6 KEGG pathways. The prognostic model formed by eight optimal target genes (TIMELESS, DNA2, MELK, CHAF1B, DBF4, PAICS, CHEK1 and NCAPG2), which were low-risk genes of GC, also performed perfect prognostic ability. CONCLUSIONS Serum exosomal has-miR-1273 g-3p, has-miR-4793-3p and has-miR-619-5p can be used as new diagnostic biomarkers for GC. Among them, serum exosomal hsa-miR-1273 g-3p / hsa-miR-4793-3p targets MELK and hsa-miR-619-5p targets NCAPG2 were identified as novel mechanisms involved in the development of GC. It provides new targets for the diagnosis and treatment of GC by exo-miRNAs.
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Chen H, Ma J, Kong F, Song N, Wang C, Ma X. UPF1 contributes to the maintenance of endometrial cancer stem cell phenotype by stabilizing LINC00963. Cell Death Dis 2022; 13:257. [PMID: 35318304 PMCID: PMC8940903 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-022-04707-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Endometrial cancer stem cells (ECSCs) play a vital role in endometrial cancer (EC) metastasis, relapse, and chemoresistance. However, the molecular mechanisms that sustain ECSCs remain elusive. Here, we showed that the expression of UPF1 was upregulated in EC tissues and ECSCs and correlated with poor clinicopathological characteristics. UPF1 silencing suppressed ECSC hallmarks, such as sphere formation ability, carboplatin resistance, migration and invasion, and cell cycle progression. UPF1 regulated the behavior and fate of ECSCs by stabilizing LINC00963. LINC00963 further shares the same miRNA response element with the core transcription factor SOX2 and relieved the suppression of SOX2 by miR-508-5p in self-renewing ECSCs. Notably, inhibition of UPF1 and LINC00963 in combination severely impaired the in vivo tumorigenic potential of ECSCs. We demonstrate that the UPF1/LINC00963/miR-508-5p/SOX2 axis has potential value in modulating ECSC maintenance, chemoresistance, and tumorigenesis in EC, which highlights a novel promising target for EC treatment.
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Huang Y, Gong K, Chen J, Deng H, Weng K, Wu H, Li K, Xiao B, Luo S, Hao W. Preclinical efficacy and involvement of mTOR signaling in the mechanism of Orf virus against nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Life Sci 2022; 291:120297. [PMID: 35007565 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.120297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Orf virus (ORFV) is a parapoxvirus causing contagious ecthyma in sheep and goats. With inhibitory role of ORFV reported by previous studies, ORFV can be a candidate of oncolytic virus. However, few studies reported the application and mechanism of ORFV in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We aimed to elucidate the anti-tumor mechanism of ORFV against NPC cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS The anti-tumor effect of ORFV in NPC cells was confirmed by cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8) assay, flow cytometry and Western blot. In vitro and in vivo experiments were adopted to evaluate the inhibitory effect of ORFV in NPC cells. Western blot was used to determine the down-regulation of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and autophagy enhancement induced by ORFV. To explore the mechanism of ORFV on NPC cells, mTOR signaling agonist and autophagy inhibitors were used to rescue the effects of ORFV. KEY FINDINGS The results indicated that ORFV replicates in NPC cells, thus induces the apoptosis of NPC cells. Moreover, ORFV can effectively inhibit NPC cell growth in vivo. ORFV infection in NPC cells leads to the mTOR signaling inhibition and up-regulated autophagy, which might be the specific mechanism of ORFV in killing tumor cells. As to safety confirmation, normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells NP69 are insensitive to ORFV. More importantly, ORFV would not cause organ damage in vivo. SIGNIFICANCES Our data clarified that ORFV induces autophagy of NPC cells via inhibiting mTOR signaling, thus further inducing apoptosis. The anti-tumor role of ORFV might provide a preclinical strategy for NPC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinger Huang
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Kunxiang Gong
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jialing Chen
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Hao Deng
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Stem Cell Clinical Transformation and Application Center, Shenzhen Qianhai Shekou Free Trade Zone Hospital, Shenzhen 518000,Guangdong, PR China
| | - Kongyan Weng
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Shengli Clinical Medical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350001, PR China
| | - Hongfeng Wu
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Kun Li
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Bin Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan People's Hospital, Qingyuan 511500, PR China
| | - Shuhong Luo
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan 528000, PR China.
| | - Wenbo Hao
- Institute of Antibody Engineering, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China; Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong, PR China.
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Zhou Y, Pan A, Zhang Y, Li X. Hsa_circ_0039569 facilitates the progression of endometrial carcinoma by targeting the miR-197/high mobility group protein A1 axis. Bioengineered 2022; 13:4212-4225. [PMID: 35130798 PMCID: PMC8973714 DOI: 10.1080/21655979.2022.2027060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs are novel regulators in endometrial carcinoma. Hsa_circ_0039569 was reportedly upregulated in endometrial carcinoma; however, the functional roles and mechanisms of hsa_circ_0039569 need further investigation. Therefore, we used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT–PCR) to determine the mRNA levels of hsa_circ_0039569, miR-197 and high mobility group protein A1 (HMGA1). The protein level of HMGA1 was determined by Western blot. Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays were used to assess cell proliferation. Cell migration was measured via wound healing and Transwell assays. Transwell assay was also performed to determine cell invasion ability. Direct binding of the indicated molecules were verified by RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and dual luciferase reporter assay. The results revealed that hsa_circ_0039569 and HMGA1 were elevated, while miR-197 was downregulated in endometrial carcinoma. Moreover, hsa_circ_0039569 was positively correlated with the expression of HMGA1 and was negatively correlated with the level of miR-197. In addition, hsa_circ_0039569 facilitated the proliferation, migration and invasion of endometrial carcinoma cells. The underlying mechanism is that hsa_circ_0039569 serves as a sponge of miR-197 to repress the inhibitory effect of miR-197 on HMGA1. Furthermore, the miR-197/HMGA1 axis was implicated in endometrial carcinoma progression accelerated by hsa_circ_0039569. Collectively, hsa_circ_0039569 may promote the development of endometrial carcinoma by serving as an endogenous sponge of miR-197, increasing HMGA1 expression and identifying a novel target for endometrial carcinoma treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhou
- Third Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Anyi Pan
- Third Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Yudong Zhang
- Department of General Medicine, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Xinchun Li
- Third Department of Gynecology and Oncology, Hunan Cancer Hospital, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
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Wang Y, Zhao S, Qin Q, Gao X, Zhang X, Zhang M, Jiang Y, Ji X, Zhu H, Zhao X, Li H. CKMT1A is a novel potential prognostic biomarker in patients with endometrial cancer. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262000. [PMID: 35077462 PMCID: PMC8789190 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage remains the standard staging system for the assessment of endometrial cancer (EC) prognosis. Thus, we aim to identify the significant genes or biomarkers associated with the stage of endometrial cancer, which may also help reveal the mechanism of EC progression and assess the prognosis of patients with EC. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared the mRNA expression levels of EC patients with stages I and II as well as stages III and IV in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of EC patients at different stages were selected by volcano plot and Venn analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) and Pathways were applied to analyze the identified genes. Protein protein interaction (PPI) network was employed to identify the correlation. The survival analyses based on TCGA database were conducted for further screening. The Human Protein Atlas, quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry were utilized to confirm the differences in expression of DEGs in endometrial cancer samples at different FIGO stages. RESULTS CKMT1A was identified as a candidate gene. Through survival analyses, we found that CKMT1A may be a poor prognostic factor in the overall survival of endometrial cancer patients. GO and Pathways revealed that CKMT1A is closely associated with the metabolic process. More importantly, Human Protein Atlas and quantitative PCR confirmed the differences in expression of CKMT1A in endometrial cancer samples at different FIGO stages. CONCLUSION In summary, this study shows that CKMT1A is a newly identified essential tumor progression regulator of endometrial cancer, which may give rise to novel therapeutic strategies in the management of endometrial cancer patients to prolong its prognosis and prevent tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaping Wang
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Shujun Zhao
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of gynecological oncology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qiaohong Qin
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of gynecological oncology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xinlu Zhang
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xiaorong Ji
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Hai Zhu
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- Gynecologic Oncology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
- Zhengzhou Key Laboratory of gynecological oncology, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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Wang M, Cui Y, Cai Y, Jiang Y, Peng Y. Comprehensive Bioinformatics Analysis of mRNA Expression Profiles and Identification of a miRNA-mRNA Network Associated with the Pathogenesis of Low-Grade Gliomas. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:5135-5147. [PMID: 34234557 PMCID: PMC8254561 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s314011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Low-grade glioma is the most common type of primary intracranial tumour, and the overall survival of patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) has shown no significant improvement over the past few decades. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the precise molecular mechanisms involved in the carcinogenesis of LGG. Methods To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of mRNA–miRNA networks related to LGG, in the present study, a comprehensive analysis of the genomic landscape between low-grade gliomas and normal brain tissues from the GEO and TCGA datasets was first conducted to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs in LGG. Following a series of analyses, including WGCNA, GO and KEGG analyses, PPI and key model analyses, and survival analysis of the DEGs with clinical phenotypes, the potential key genes were screened and identified, and the related miRNA–mRNA networks were subsequently constructed through miRWalk 3.0. Finally, the potential miRNA–mRNA networks were further validated in CGGA (Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas) datasets and clinical specimens by qRT-PCR. Results In our results, six hub genes, MELK, NCAPG, KIF4A, NUSAP1, CEP55, and TOP2A, were ultimately identified. Two regulatory pathways, miR-495-3p-TOP2A and miR-1224-3p-MELK, that regulate the pathogenesis of LGG were ultimately identified. Furthermore, the expression of miR-495-3p-TOP2A and miR-1224-3p-MELK in solid tissues was validated by qRT-PCR. Conclusion Our study identified hub genes and related miRNA–mRNA regulatory pathways that contribute to the carcinogenesis of LGG, which may help us reveal the mechanisms underlying the development of LGG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Cui
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Cai
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yugang Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Peng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
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Shi J, Yang C, An J, Hao D, Liu C, Liu J, Sun J, Jiang J. KLF5-induced BBOX1-AS1 contributes to cell malignant phenotypes in non-small cell lung cancer via sponging miR-27a-5p to up-regulate MELK and activate FAK signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL & CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH : CR 2021; 40:148. [PMID: 33931086 PMCID: PMC8086369 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-021-01943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Background Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major histological subtype of lung cancer with high mortality and morbidity. A substantial amount of evidence demonstrates long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) as critical regulators in tumorigeneis and malignant progression of human cancers. The oncogenic role of BBOX1 anti-sense RNA 1 (BBOX1-AS1) has been reported in several tumors. As yet, the potential functions and mechanisms of BBOX1-AS1 in NSCLC are obscure. Methods The gene and protein expression was detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. Cell function was determined by CCK-8, colony forming, would healing and transwell assays. Bioinformatics tools, ChIP assays, dual luciferase reporters system and RNA pull-down experiments were used to examine the interaction between molecules. Subcutaneous tumor models in nude mice were established to investigate in vivo NSCLC cell behavior. Results BBOX1-AS1 was highly expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells. High BBOX1-AS1 expression was associated with worse clinical parameters and poor prognosis. BBOX1-AS1 up-regulation was induced by transcription factor KLF5. BBOX1-AS1 deficiency resulted in an inhibition of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT in vitro. Also, knockdown of BBOX1-AS1 suppressed NSCLC xenograft tumor growth in mice in vivo. Mechanistically, BBOX1-AS1 acted act as a competetive “sponge” of miR-27a-5p to promote maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) expression and activate FAK signaling. miR-27a-5p was confirmed as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC. Moreover, BBOX1-AS1-induced increase of cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT was greatly reversed due to the overexpression of miR-27a-5p. In addition, the suppressive effect of NSCLC progression owing to BBOX1-AS1 depletion was abated by the up-regulation of MELK. Consistently, BBOX1-AS1-mediated carcinogenicity was attenuated in NSCLC after treatment with a specific MELK inhibitor OTSSP167. Conclusions KLF5-induced BBOX1-AS1 exerts tumor-promotive roles in NSCLC via sponging miR-27a-5p to activate MELK/FAK signaling, providing the possibility of employing BBOX1-AS1 as a therapeutic target for NSCLC patients. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-021-01943-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Shi
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Chao Yang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jinlu An
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Dexun Hao
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Cong Liu
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jumin Liu
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Jing Sun
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Junguang Jiang
- Department of Geriatric Respiratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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Xue T, Liu X, Zhang M, E Q, Liu S, Zou M, Li Y, Ma Z, Han Y, Thompson P, Zhang X. PADI2-Catalyzed MEK1 Citrullination Activates ERK1/2 and Promotes IGF2BP1-Mediated SOX2 mRNA Stability in Endometrial Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002831. [PMID: 33747724 PMCID: PMC7967072 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Revised: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Peptidylarginine deiminase II (PADI2) converts positively charged arginine residues to neutrally charged citrulline, and this activity has been associated with the onset and progression of multiple cancers. However, a role for PADI2 in endometrial cancer (EC) has not been previously explored. This study demonstrates that PADI2 is positively associated with EC proregression. Mechanistically, PADI2 interacting and catalyzing MEK1 citrullination at arginine 113/189 facilitates MEK1 on extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation, which activates insulin-like growth factor-II binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1) expression. Furthermore, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and RNA stability analyses reveal that IGF2BP1 binds to the m6A sites in SOX2-3'UTR to prevent SOX2 mRNA degradation. Dysregulation of IGF2BP1 by PADI2/MEK1/ERK signaling results in abnormal accumulation of oncogenic SOX2 expression, therefore supporting the malignant state of EC. Finally, PADI2 gene silencing, inhibiting MEK1 citrullination by PADI2 inhibitor, or mutation of MEK1 R113/189 equally inhibits EC progression. These data demonstrate that PADI2-catalyzed MEK1 R113/189 citrullination is a critical diver for EC malignancies and suggest that targeting PADI2/MEK1 can be a potential therapeutic approach in patients with EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Xiaoqiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology of Jiangsu ProvinceDepartment of MicrobiologyNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Mei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Qiukai E
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Shuting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Maosheng Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
| | - Ying Li
- Department of ObstetricsDalian Municipal Maternal and Infant Health Care HospitalDalianLiaoning116000China
| | - Zhinan Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyYangzhou Maternal and Child Health HospitalYangzhou UniversityYangzhouJiangsu225009China
| | - Yun Han
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong UniversityNantongJiangsu226001China
| | - Paul Thompson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular PharmacologyUniversity of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterMA01655USA
| | - Xuesen Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineNanjing Medical UniversityNanjingJiangsu211166China
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Thangaraj K, Ponnusamy L, Natarajan SR, Manoharan R. MELK/MPK38 in cancer: from mechanistic aspects to therapeutic strategies. Drug Discov Today 2020; 25:2161-2173. [PMID: 33010478 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2020.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK)/Murine protein serine-threonine kinase 38 (MPK38) is a member of the AMP-related serine-threonine kinase family, which has been reported to be involved in the regulation of many cellular events, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metabolism, partly by phosphorylation and regulation of several signaling molecules. The abnormal expression of MELK has been associated with tumorigenesis and malignant progression in various types of cancer. Currently, several small-molecule inhibitors of MELK are under investigation although only OTS167 has entered clinical trials. In this review, we elaborate on the relative contributions of MELK pathways in the physiological process, their oncogenic role in carcinogenesis, and targeted agents under development for the treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Thangaraj
- Department of Biochemistry, Guindy Campus, University of Madras, Chennai 600025, India
| | - Lavanya Ponnusamy
- Department of Biochemistry, Guindy Campus, University of Madras, Chennai 600025, India
| | - Sathan Raj Natarajan
- Department of Biochemistry, Guindy Campus, University of Madras, Chennai 600025, India
| | - Ravi Manoharan
- Department of Biochemistry, Guindy Campus, University of Madras, Chennai 600025, India.
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Han T, Wu Y, Hu X, Chen Y, Jia W, He Q, Bian Y, Wang M, Guo X, Kang J, Wan X. NORAD orchestrates endometrial cancer progression by sequestering FUBP1 nuclear localization to promote cell apoptosis. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:473. [PMID: 32555178 PMCID: PMC7303217 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-2674-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators in tumor initiation and progression. However, the biological mechanisms and potential clinical application of lncRNA NORAD in endometrial cancer (EC) remain unknown. Herein, we identified NORAD underwent promoter hypermethylation-associated downregulation in EC. Epigenetic inactivation of NORAD was correlated with EC progression (FIGO stage) and poor outcome. Overexpression of NORAD significantly inhibited cell growth and promoted apoptosis in EC cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that multiple regions of NORAD served as a platform for binding with the central domain of anti-apoptotic factor FUBP1. Our findings further indicated that the NORAD/FUBP1 interaction attenuated FUBP1 nuclear localization and thus impaired the occupancies of FUBP1 on its target pro-apoptotic gene promoters, resulting in apoptosis induction in EC. Moreover, knockdown of NORAD promoted tumor growth in the xenograft mice model. While, introduction of NORAD-4 fragment, which bound with FUBP1, successfully reversed tumor growth and apoptosis inhibition mediated by NORAD knockdown in vivo. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into the critical roles of NORAD as a tumor suppressor in EC progression. NORAD could possibly serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and provide the rationale for EC therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Han
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yukang Wu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Xiang Hu
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yaqi Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Wenwen Jia
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China
| | - Qizhi He
- Department of Pathology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yiding Bian
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Mengfei Wang
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xudong Guo
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Jiuhong Kang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Institute for Advanced Study, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
| | - Xiaoping Wan
- Department of Gynecology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200040, China.
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McDonald IM, Graves LM. Enigmatic MELK: The controversy surrounding its complex role in cancer. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:8195-8203. [PMID: 32350113 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.rev120.013433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ser/Thr protein kinase MELK (maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase) has been considered an attractive therapeutic target for managing cancer since 2005. Studies using expression analysis have indicated that MELK expression is higher in numerous cancer cells and tissues than in their normal, nonneoplastic counterparts. Further, RNAi-mediated MELK depletion impairs proliferation of multiple cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and these growth defects can be rescued with exogenous WT MELK, but not kinase-dead MELK complementation. Pharmacological MELK inhibition with OTS167 (alternatively called OTSSP167) and NVS-MELK8a, among other small molecules, also impairs cancer cell growth. These collective results led to MELK being classified as essential for cancer proliferation. More recently, in 2017, the proliferation of TNBC and other cancer cell lines was reported to be unaffected by genetic CRISPR/Cas9-mediated MELK deletion, calling into question the essentiality of this kinase in cancer. To date, the requirement of MELK in cancer remains controversial, and mechanisms underlying the disparate growth effects observed with RNAi, pharmacological inhibition, and CRISPR remain unclear. Our objective with this review is to highlight the evidence on both sides of this controversy, to provide commentary on the purported requirement of MELK in cancer, and to emphasize the need for continued elucidation of the functions of MELK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lee M Graves
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA .,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.,UNC Michael Hooker Proteomics Core Facility, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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Zhou Z, Wu B, Tang X, Yang W, Zou Q, Wang H. High SET Domain Bifurcated 1 (SETDB1) Expression Predicts Poor Prognosis in Breast Carcinoma. Med Sci Monit 2020; 26:e922982. [PMID: 32305991 PMCID: PMC7191957 DOI: 10.12659/msm.922982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background SETDB1, an H3K9-specific histone methyltransferase, plays important roles in the progression of various human cancers. However, the expression patterns and its clinical roles of SETDB1 remain elusive in breast cancer (BC). Material/Methods The transcriptional level of SETDB1 and survival data in BC were analyzed through UALCAN, ONCOMINE, and Pan Cancer Prognostics Database. SETDB1 protein expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 159 BC tissue samples. The associations between SETDB1 expression and clinical pathological characteristics of patients were analyzed. The GEO dataset GSE108656 was downloaded and analyzed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between control and BC cells targeting interference with SETDB. The DEGs were further integrated by bioinformatics analysis to decipher the key signaling pathways and hub genes that are regulated by SETDB. Results The public databases showed the level of SETDB1 mRNA was significantly upregulated in BC. Our IHC results demonstrated the level of SETDB1 protein was associated with tumor size (P=0.028), histopathological grading (P=0.012), lymph node metastasis (P<0.001), and TNM stage (P<0.001). High expression of SETDB1 indicated worse overall survival (P=0.015) and shorter relapse-free survival (P=0.027). The bioinformatic analysis of GSE108656 suggested that the SETDB1-related DEGs was mainly enriched in antigen processing and presentation, as well as immune networks in BC. The cytoHubba analysis suggested the top 10 hub genes were IL6, BMP4, CD74, PECAM1, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DRA, LAMC1, CTSB, SERPINA1, and CTSD. Conclusions The results suggest that SETDB1 is an oncogene and can serve as a prognostic biomarker for BC. However, the mechanisms of SETDB1 in BC remain to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoping Zhou
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Baojin Wu
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Xinjie Tang
- Department of Plastic Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Wenlin Yang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, Shandong, China (mainland)
| | - Qiang Zou
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
| | - Hongying Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China (mainland)
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