The molecular mechanisms of apoptosis accompanied with the epigenetic regulation of the NY-ESO-1 antigen in non-small lung cancer cells treated with decitabine (5-aza-CdR)

Oncoproteins E6/E7 of the human papillomavirus types 16 & 18 synergize in modulating oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins in colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study presents a novel analysis of the oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins directly modulated by E6/E7 of high-risk HPV types 16 and 18, in colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

HCT 116 (KRAS mutant) & HT-29 (TP53 mutant) cell models of CRC were transduced with E6/E7 of HPV16 and HPV18, individually and in combination. Further, we utilized a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach to analyze and compare the proteomes of both CRC cell models.

RESULTS

We generated six stably transduced cell lines. Our data revealed a significantly higher, HPV-induced modulation of oncogenes and tumor suppressor proteins in the TP53 mutant model, as compared to the KRAS mutant model (p ≤ 0.01). Less than 1% of the genes were commonly modulated by HPV, between both models. We also report that HT-29 cells, expressing E6/E7 of both HPV types, significantly reduced the suppression of oncogenes as compared to cells expressing E6/E7 of either HPV types individually (p-value ≤0.00001).

CONCLUSION

Our data imply that HPV coinfections leads to the sustenance of a pro-oncogenic environment in CRC. HPV modulates different oncogenes/tumor suppressor proteins in CRC of varying mutational backgrounds, thus highlighting the importance of personalized therapies for such diseases with mutational heterogeneity.

Epigenetic therapy: Research progress of decitabine in the treatment of solid tumors

Decitabine's early successful therapeutic outcomes in hematologic malignancies have led to regulatory approvals from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for addressing myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). These approvals have sparked keen interest in exploring the potential of decitabine for treating solid tumors. Continuous preclinical and clinical trials have proved that low doses of decitabine also bring benefits in treating solid tumors, and various proposed mechanisms attempt to explain the potential efficacy. It is important to note that the application of decitabine in solid tumors is still considered investigational. This article reviews the application mechanism and current status of decitabine in the treatment of solid tumors.