Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) in prostate cancer: A dual function mediator?

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway-related genes in predicting the prognosis of colon cancer and guiding immunotherapy

Background

Colon cancer is a malignant tumor with high malignancy and a low survival rate whose heterogeneity limits systemic immunotherapy. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway-related genes are associated with multiple tumors, but their role in prognosis prediction and tumor microenvironment (TME) regulation in colon cancer is poorly understood. Using bioinformatics, this study aimed to construct a risk prediction signature for colon cancer, which may provide a means for developing new effective treatment strategies.

Methods

Using consensus clustering, patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with colon adenocarcinoma were classified into several subtypes based on the expression of TGF-β signaling pathway-related genes, and differences in survival, molecular, and immunological TME characteristics and drug sensitivity were examined in each subtype. Ten genes that make up a TGF-β-related predictive signature were found by least absolute shrinkage and selector operation (LASSO) regression using colon cancer data from the TCGA database and confirmed using a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset. A nomogram incorporating risk scores and clinicopathologic factors was developed to stratify the prognosis of patients with colon cancer for accurate clinical diagnosis and therapy.

Results

Two TGF-β subtypes were identified, with the TGF-β-high subtype being associated with a poorer prognosis and superior sensitivity to immunotherapy. Mutation analyses showed a high incidence of gene mutations in the TGF-β-high subtype. After completing signature construction, patients with colon cancer were categorized into high- and low-risk subgroups based on the median risk score of the TGF-β-related predictive signature. The risk score exhibited superior predictive performance relative to age, gender, and stage, as evidenced by its AUC of 0.686. Patients in the high-risk subgroup had higher levels of immunosuppressive cell infiltration and immune checkpoints in the TME, suggesting that these patients had better responses to immunotherapy.

Conclusions

Patients with colon cancer were divided into two subtypes with different survival and immune characteristics using consensus clustering analysis based on TGF-β signaling pathway-related genes. The constructed risk prediction signature may show promise as a biomarker for evaluating the prognosis of colon cancer, with potential utility for screening individuals for immunotherapy.

Growth Factors and Their Application in the Therapy of Hereditary Neurodegenerative Diseases

Hereditary neurodegenerative diseases (hNDDs) such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, and others are primarily characterized by their progressive nature, severely compromising both the cognitive and motor abilities of patients. The underlying genetic component in hNDDs contributes to disease risk, creating a complex genetic landscape. Considering the fact that growth factors play crucial roles in regulating cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, and survival, they could have therapeutic potential for hNDDs, provided appropriate dosing and safe delivery approaches are ensured. This article presents a detailed overview of growth factors, and explores their therapeutic potential in treating hNDDs, emphasizing their roles in neuronal survival, growth, and synaptic plasticity. However, challenges such as proper dosing, delivery methods, and patient variability can hinder their clinical application.

Implications of c-Myc in the pathogenesis and treatment efficacy of urological cancers

Urological cancers, including prostate, bladder, and renal cancers, are significant causes of death and negatively impact the quality of life for patients. The development and progression of these cancers are linked to the dysregulation of molecular pathways. c-Myc, recognized as an oncogene, exhibits abnormal levels in various types of tumors, and current evidence supports the therapeutic targeting of c-Myc in cancer treatment. This review aims to elucidate the role of c-Myc in driving the progression of urological cancers. c-Myc functions to enhance tumorigenesis and has been documented to increase growth and metastasis in prostate, bladder, and renal cancers. Furthermore, the dysregulation of c-Myc can result in a diminished response to therapy in these cancers. Non-coding RNAs, β-catenin, and XIAP are among the regulators of c-Myc in urological cancers. Targeting and suppressing c-Myc therapeutically for the treatment of these cancers has been explored. Additionally, the expression level of c-Myc may serve as a prognostic factor in clinical settings.

Transforming growth factors β and their signaling pathway in renal cell carcinoma and peritumoral space-transcriptome analysis

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to verify hypotheses: Are transforming growth factors TGFβ1-3, their receptors TGFβI-III, and intracellular messenger proteins Smad1-7 involved in the pathogenesis of kidney cancer? What is the expression of genes of the TGFβ/Smads pathway in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues, peritumoral tissues (TME; tumor microenvironment), and in normal kidney (NK) tissue?.

METHODS

Twenty patients with RCC who underwent total nephrectomy were included into the molecular analysis. The mRNA expression of the genes was quantified by RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

The study showed that the expression of the genes of TGFβ/Smads pathway is dysregulated in both RCC and the TME: TGFβ1, TGFβ3 expression is increased in the TME in comparison to the NK tissues; TGFβ2, TGFβ3, TGFβRI, TGFβRIII, Smad1, Smad2, Smad3, and Smad6 are underexpressed in RCC comparing to the TME tissues; TGFβRI, TGFβRIII, and Smad2 are underexpressed in RCC in comparison to the NK tissues.

CONCLUSION

On the one hand, the underexpression of the TGFβ signaling pathway genes within the malignant tumor may result in the loss of the antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic activity of this cytokine. On the other hand, the overexpression of the TGFβ/Smads pathway genes in the TME than in tumor or NK tissues most probably results in an immunosuppressive effect in the space surrounding the tumor and may have an antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effect on non-neoplastic cells present in the TME. The functional and morphological consistency of this area may determine the aggressiveness of the tumor and the time in which the neoplastic process will spread.

Updated review on analysis of long non-coding RNAs as emerging diagnostic and therapeutic targets in prostate cancers

Despite advancements, prostate cancers (PCa) pose a significant global health challenge due to delayed diagnosis and therapeutic resistance. This review delves into the complex landscape of prostate cancer, with a focus on long-noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Also explores the influence of aberrant lncRNAs expression in progressive PCa stages, impacting traits like proliferation, invasion, metastasis and therapeutic resistance. The study elucidates how lncRNAs modulate crucial molecular effectors, including transcription factors and microRNAs, affecting signaling pathways such as androgen receptor signaling. Besides, this manuscript sheds light on novel concepts and mechanisms driving PCa progression through lncRNAs, providing a critical analysis of their impact on the disease's diverse characteristics. Besides, it discusses the potential of lncRNAs as diagnostics and therapeutic targets in PCa. Collectively, this work highlights state of art mechanistic comprehension and rigorous scientific approaches to advance our understanding of PCa and depict innovations in this evolving field of research.

Sodium sulfate addition increases the bioresource of biologically active sulfated polysaccharides from Antrodia cinnamomea

Fungal sulfated polysaccharides (SPS) have been used in the pharmaceutical industry. In this study, sodium sulfate was employed as an elicitor to induce stress on the mycelia of Antrodia cinnamomea for the biosynthesis of SPS with high sulfate content. Sodium sulfate treatments increased the yield of SPS to 4.46 % and increased the sulfate content to 6.8 mmol/g of SPS. SPS were extracted from A. cinnamomea cultured with 500 mM sodium sulfate; these SPSs are denoted as Na500. Na500 exhibited the highest sulfate content and dose-dependent inhibitory activity against LPS-induced production of macrophage interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and interleukin 1β (IL-1β). Mechanistically, Na500 hindered the phosphorylation of transforming growth factor-β receptor II (TGFRII), extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), and protein kinase B (AKT) expression. A purified 7.79 kDa galactoglucan, Na500 F3, augmented the anti-inflammation activity by inhibiting LPS-induced TGFβ release. Additionally, Na500 F3 restrained the LPS-induced phosphorylation of p-38, ERK, AKT, and TGFRII in RAW264.7 cells. Na500 F3 impeded the proliferation of lung cancer H1975 cells by inhibiting the phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase, ERK, and Slug. The anti-inflammation and anticancer properties of Antrodia SPS contribute to its health benefits, suggesting its utility in functional foods.

Multifaceted TGF-β signaling, a master regulator: From bench-to-bedside, intricacies, and complexities

Physiological embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis are regulated by transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), an evolutionarily conserved family of secreted polypeptide factors, acting in an autocrine and paracrine manner. The role of TGF-β in inflammation, fibrosis, and cancer is complex and sometimes even contradictory, exhibiting either inhibitory or promoting effects depending on the stage of the disease. Under pathological conditions, especially fibrosis and cancer, overexpressed TGF-β causes extracellular matrix deposition, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer-associated fibroblast formation, and/or angiogenesis. In this review article, we have tried to dive deep into the mechanism of action of TGF-β in inflammation, fibrosis, and carcinogenesis. As TGF-β and its downstream signaling mechanism are implicated in fibrosis and carcinogenesis blocking this signaling mechanism appears to be a promising avenue. However, targeting TGF-β carries substantial risk as this pathway is implicated in multiple homeostatic processes and is also known to have tumor-suppressor functions. There is a need for careful dosing of TGF-β drugs for therapeutic use and patient selection.

Targeting PI3K/Akt signaling in prostate cancer therapy

Urological cancers have obtained much attention in recent years due to their mortality and morbidity. The most common and malignant tumor of urological cancers is prostate cancer that imposes high socioeconomic costs on public life and androgen-deprivation therapy, surgery, and combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy are employed in its treatment. PI3K/Akt signaling is an oncogenic pathway responsible for migration, proliferation and drug resistance in various cancers. In the present review, the role of PI3K/Akt signaling in prostate cancer progression is highlighted. The activation of PI3K/Akt signaling occurs in prostate cancer, while PTEN as inhibitor of PI3K/Akt shows down-regulation. Stimulation of PI3K/Akt signaling promotes survival of prostate tumor cells and prevents apoptosis. The cell cycle progression and proliferation rate of prostate tumor cells increase by PI3K/Akt signaling induction. PI3K/Akt signaling stimulates EMT and enhances metastasis of prostate tumor cells. Silencing PI3K/Akt signaling impairs growth and metastasis of prostate tumor cells. Activation of PI3K/Akt signaling mediates drug resistance and reduces radio-sensitivity of prostate tumor cells. Anti-tumor compounds suppress PI3K/Akt signaling in impairing prostate tumor progression. Furthermore, upstream regulators such as miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs regulate PI3K/Akt signaling and it has clinical implications for prostate cancer patients.

Emerging role of transforming growth factor-β-regulated long non-coding RNAs in prostate cancer pathogenesis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy in men. Despite aggressive therapy involving surgery and hormonal treatments, the recurrence and emergence of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPCa) remain a major challenge. Dysregulation of the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway is crucial to PCa development and progression. This also contributes to androgen receptor activation and the emergence of CRPC. In addition, TGF-β signaling regulates long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression in multiple cancers, including PCa. Here, we discuss the complex regulatory network of lncRNAs and TGF-β signaling in PCa and their potential applications in diagnosing, prognosis, and treating PCa. Further investigations on the role of lncRNAs in the TGF-β pathway will help to better understand PCa pathogenesis.

Induction of Reactive Bone Stromal Fibroblasts in 3D Models of Prostate Cancer Bone Metastases

A dynamic interplay between prostate cancer (PCa) cells and reactive bone stroma modulates the growth of metastases within the bone microenvironment. Of the stromal cells, metastasis-associated fibroblasts (MAFs) are known to contribute but are the least studied cell type in PCa tumour progression. It is the aim of the current study to establish a biologically relevant 3D in vitro model that mimics the cellular and molecular profiles of MAFs found in vivo. Using 3D in vitro cell culture models, the bone-derived fibroblast cell line, HS-5, was treated with conditioned media from metastatic-derived PCa cell lines, PC3 and MDA-PCa 2b, or mouse-derived fibroblasts 3T3. Two corresponding reactive cell lines were propagated: HS5-PC3 and HS5-MDA, and evaluated for alterations in morphology, phenotype, cellular behaviour, plus protein and genomic profiles. HS5-PC3 and HS5-MDA displayed distinct alterations in expression levels of N-Cadherin, non-functional E-Cadherin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), Tenascin C, and vimentin, along with transforming growth factor receptor expression (TGF β R1 and R2), consistent with subpopulations of MAFs reported in vivo. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a reversion of HS5-PC3 towards a metastatic phenotype with an upregulation in pathways known to regulate cancer invasion, proliferation, and angiogenesis. The exploitation of these engineered 3D models could help further unravel the novel biology regulating metastatic growth and the role fibroblasts play in the colonisation process.

Transcriptome Profiling of Prostate Cancer, Considering Risk Groups and the TMPRSS2-ERG Molecular Subtype

Molecular heterogeneity in prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the key reasons underlying the differing likelihoods of recurrence after surgical treatment in individual patients of the same clinical category. In this study, we performed RNA-Seq profiling of 58 localized PCa and 43 locally advanced PCa tissue samples obtained as a result of radical prostatectomy on a cohort of Russian patients. Based on bioinformatics analysis, we examined features of the transcriptome profiles within the high-risk group, including within the most commonly represented molecular subtype, TMPRSS2-ERG. The most significantly affected biological processes in the samples were also identified, so that they may be further studied in the search for new potential therapeutic targets for the categories of PCa under consideration. The highest predictive potential was found with the EEF1A1P5, RPLP0P6, ZNF483, CIBAR1, HECTD2, OGN, and CLIC4 genes. We also reviewed the main transcriptome changes in the groups at intermediate risk of PCa-Gleason Score 7 (groups 2 and 3 according to the ISUP classification)-on the basis of which the LPL, MYC, and TWIST1 genes were identified as promising additional prognostic markers, the statistical significance of which was confirmed using qPCR validation.

Instrumental and transcriptome analysis reveals the chemotherapeutic effects of doxorubicin-loaded black phosphate nanosheets on abiraterone-resistant prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths in men and is common in most developed countries. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) that uses abiraterone acetate (AA) is an effective second-line treatment for prostate cancer. However, approximately 20-40% of patients develop primary resistance to abiraterone post-treatment. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of abiraterone resistance in prostate cancer cells and the potential use of black phosphorus nanosheets (BPNS) for treating abiraterone-resistant prostate cancer. We first established abiraterone-resistant prostate cancer PC-3 cells and found that these cells have higher migration ability than normal prostate cancer cells. Using comparative transcriptomic and bioinformatics analyses between abiraterone-sensitive PC-3 and abiraterone-resistant PC-3 cells, we highlighted the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in the biological processes related to prostate gland morphogenesis, drug response, immune response, angiogenesis. We further studied the therapeutic effects of BPNS. Our results show that BPNS reduced the proliferation and migration of abiraterone-resistant PC-3 cells. Bioinformatics analysis, including gene ontology, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis, and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) of the DEGs, suggested that BPNS treatment controlled cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and oncogenic signaling pathways. Furthermore, the IPA gene network highlighted the involvement of the MMP family, ATF, and notch families in the anti-prostate cancer function of BPNS. Our findings suggest that BPNS may have a chemotherapeutic function in treating abiraterone-resistant prostate cancer.

The study of a novel CDK8 inhibitor E966-0530-45418 that inhibits prostate cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo

Prostate cancer is a prevalent malignancy among men globally, and androgen deprivation therapy is the conventional first-line treatment for metastatic prostate cancer. While androgen deprivation therapy is efficacious in castration-sensitive prostate cancer, it remains less effective in castration-resistant cases. Transcriptional dysregulation is a well-established hallmark of cancer, and targeting proteins involved in transcriptional regulation, such as cyclin-dependent kinase 8 (CDK8), has become an attractive therapeutic strategy. CDK8, a nuclear serine-threonine kinase, is a key component of the mediator complex and plays a critical role in transcriptional regulation. Recent studies have highlighted the promising role of CDK8 as a target in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer. Our study assessed the efficacy of a novel CDK8 inhibitor, E966-0530-45418, which exhibited potent CDK8 inhibition (IC₅₀ of 129 nM) and high CDK8 selectivity. Treatment with E966-0530-45418 significantly inhibited prostate cancer cell migration and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) at both the RNA and protein levels. Further mechanistic analysis indicated that E966-0530-45418 suppresses prostate cancer metastasis by decreasing CDK8 activity and inhibiting TGF-β1-mediated Smad3/RNA polymerase II linker phosphorylation and Akt/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling. The results in animal model also showed that E966-0530-45418 exhibited anti-metastatic properties in vivo. Our study demonstrated that E966-0530-45418 has great therapeutic potential in the treatment of metastatic prostate cancer.

KIN17 promotes cell migration and invasion through stimulating the TGF-β/Smad2 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

KIN17 DNA and RNA binding protein (Kin17) is involved in the regulation of tumorigenesis of diverse human cancers. However, its role in the cancer progression and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains largely unknown. Bioinformatics and immunohistochemistry staining were used to investigate the expression pattern of KIN17 and its prognostic value in HCC patients. The transwell, wound-healing assay was employed to determine the effects of KIN17 on migration and invasion of HCC cells in vitro. The tail veins model was employed to determine the effects of KIN17 on lung metastasis in vivo. The biological mechanisms involved in cell migration and invasion regulated by KIN17 were determined with Western blot analysis method. KIN17 expression was significantly increased in HCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, with particularly higher in portal vein tumor thrombus and intrahepatic metastasis tissues. Patients with higher KIN17 expression experienced poor overall and disease free survival. KIN17 knockdown in HuH7 and HepG2 cells significantly reduced cell migration and invasion abilities, whereas its overexpression promoted migration and invasion in MHCC-97L and HepG2 cells in vitro and in vivo. In HuH7 and HepG2 cells, KIN17 knockdown inhibited the TGF-β/Smad2 pathway. In contrast, KIN17 overexpression stimulated TGF-β/Smad2 pathway in MHCC-97L and HepG2 cells, along with the genes involved in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings suggest that KIN17 promotes migration and invasion in HCC cells by stimulating the TGF-β/Smad2 pathway. KIN17 could be a promising prognostic biomarker, as well as a potential therapeutic target in HCC.

RBM15 silencing promotes ferroptosis by regulating the TGF-β/Smad2 pathway in lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the function and mechanism of RNA binding motif protein 15 (RBM15) silencing in lung cancer development.

METHODS

The effects of RBM15 knockdown on A549 and H1299 cells were evaluated by MTT, EdU, wound healing, and transwell assay. We then detected the functions of RBM15 silencing on lipid peroxidation, labile iron pool (LIP), ferrous iron (Fe²⁺ ), and ferroptosis-related genes. RNA sequencing was performed after RBM15 knockout in lung cancer cells, followed by differentially expressed genes (DEGs), Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed. Finally, the expression of RBM15 and pathway-related genes was determined by western blot.

RESULTS

RBM15 was highly expressed in lung cancer cells. RBM15 silencing reduced the viability, inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and suppressed tumor growth in the xenograft mouse model. Knockout of RBM15 regulated ferroptosis-related gene expression. LIP, Fe²⁺ , and lipid peroxidation were distinctly increased by the knockout of RBM15. RNA-seq sequencing revealed that there are 367 up-regulated and 368 down-regulated DEGs, which were enriched in molecular functions, biological processes, and cellular components. RBM15 silencing reduced the expression of TGF-β/Smad2, and TGF-β activator (SRI-011381) reversed the inhibitory effect of RBM15 silencing on tumor cell growth.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that RBM15 silencing promoted ferroptosis in lung cancer cells by TGF-β/Smad2 pathway, thereby inhibiting lung cancer cell growth, which may provide new light for lung cancer treatment.

Procoxacin bidirectionally inhibits osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity in bone and suppresses bone metastasis of prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Bone is the most common site of metastasis of prostate cancer (PCa). PCa invasion leads to a disruption of osteogenic-osteolytic balance and causes abnormal bone formation. The interaction between PCa and bone stromal cells, especially osteoblasts (OB), is considered essential for the disease progression. However, drugs that effectively block the cancer-bone interaction and regulate the osteogenic-osteolytic balance remain undiscovered.

METHODS

A reporter gene system was constructed to screen compounds that could inhibit PCa-induced OB activation from 631 compounds. Then, the pharmacological effects of a candidate drug, Procoxacin (Pro), on OBs, osteoclasts (OCs) and cancer-bone interaction were studied in cellular models. Intratibial inoculation, micro-CT and histological analysis were used to explore the effect of Pro on osteogenic and osteolytic metastatic lesions. Bioinformatic analysis and experiments including qPCR, western blotting and ELISA assay were used to identify the effector molecules of Pro in the cancer-bone microenvironment. Virtual screening, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance assay and RNA knockdown were utilized to identify the drug target of Pro. Experiments including co-IP, western blotting and immunofluorescence were performed to reveal the role of Pro binding to its target. Intracardiac inoculation metastasis model and survival analysis were used to investigate the therapeutic effect of Pro on metastatic cancer.

RESULTS

Luciferase reporter gene consisted of Runx2 binding sequence, OSE2, and Alp promotor could sensitively reflect the intensity of PCa-OB interaction. Pro best matched the screening criteria among 631 compounds in drug screening. Further study demonstrated that Pro effectively inhibited the PCa-induced osteoblastic changes without killing OBs or PCa cells and directly killed OCs or suppressed osteoclastic functions at very low concentrations. Mechanism study revealed that Pro broke the feedback loop of TGF-β/C-Raf/MAPK pathway by sandwiching into 14-3-3ζ/C-Raf complex and prevented its disassociation. Pro treatment alleviated both osteogenic and osteolytic lesions in PCa-involved bones and reduced the number of metastases of PCa in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, our study provides a drug screening strategy based on the cancer-host microenvironment and demonstrates that Pro effectively inhibits both osteoblastic and osteoclastic lesions in PCa-involved bones, which makes it a promising therapeutic agent for PCa bone metastasis.

Mechanisms of Prostate Cancer Cells Survival and Their Therapeutic Targeting

Prostate cancer (PCa) is today the second most common cancer in the world, with almost 400,000 deaths annually. Multiple factors are involved in the etiology of PCa, such as older age, genetic mutations, ethnicity, diet, or inflammation. Modern treatment of PCa involves radical surgical treatment or radiation therapy in the stages when the tumor is limited to the prostate. When metastases develop, the standard procedure is androgen deprivation therapy, which aims to reduce the level of circulating testosterone, which is achieved by surgical or medical castration. However, when the level of testosterone decreases to the castration level, the tumor cells adapt to the new conditions through different mechanisms, which enable their unhindered growth and survival, despite the therapy. New knowledge about the biology of the so-called of castration-resistant PCa and the way it adapts to therapy will enable the development of new drugs, whose goal is to prolong the survival of patients with this stage of the disease, which will be discussed in this review.

STAT3 signaling in prostate cancer progression and therapy resistance: An oncogenic pathway with diverse functions

The categorization of cancers demonstrates that prostate cancer is the most common malignancy in men and it causes high death annually. Prostate cancer patients are diagnosed mainly via biomarkers such as PSA test and patients show poor prognosis. Prostate cancer cells rapidly diffuse into different parts of body and their metastasis is also a reason for death. Current therapies for prostate cancer patients include chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy as well as targeted therapy. The progression of prostate cancer cells is regulated by different factors that STAT3 signaling is among them. Growth factors and cytokines such as IL-6 can induce STAT3 signaling and it shows carcinogenic impact. Activation of STAT3 signaling occurs in prostate cancer and it promotes malignant behavior of tumor cells. Induction of STAT3 signaling increases glycolysis and proliferation of prostate cancer cells and prevents apoptosis. Furthermore, STAT3 signaling induces EMT mechanism in increasing cancer metastasis. Activation of STAT3 signaling stimulates drug resistance and the limitation of current works is lack of experiment related to role of STAT3 signaling in radio-resistance in prostate tumor. Calcitriol, capsazepine and β-elemonic are among the compounds capable of targeting STAT3 signaling and its inhibition in prostate cancer therapy. In addition to natural products, small molecules targeting STAT3 signaling have been developed in prostate cancer therapy.

SPS, a sulfated galactoglucan of Laetiporus sulphureus, exhibited anti-inflammatory activities

Laetiporus sulphureus is an edible and medicinal mushroom. A sulfated galactoglucan (SPS) was isolated by the papain method. Polysaccharides (PS) were isolated by hot water and ethanol precipitation. The medium molecular weight SPS of 100 to 1000 kDa accounted for over half of the SPS mixture. Fucose, galactose, glucose, and mannose were the major monosaccharides in SPS and PS. The amount of sulfate in SPS was 1.09 mmol/g. SPS showed inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) release and reversed IκB degradation in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages. The suppression of TNF-α secretion by SPS was through inhibiting the phosphorylation of AKT/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK). A purified SPS, named SPS-3, was proven to inhibit the LPS-induced phosphorylation of AKT, ERK, and p-38 in RAW264.7 cells. The suppression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) secretion by PS was through inhibiting LPS-induced phosphorylation of p-38 and TGF-β receptor II (TGFRII) signaling pathways. This study demonstrates that the isolated SPS and PS from L. sulphureus possessed good anti-inflammatory activity for dietary supplements and functional food.

Dissecting the effects of androgen deprivation therapy on cadherin switching in advanced prostate cancer: A molecular perspective

Prostate cancer is one of the most often diagnosed malignancies in males and its prevalence is rising in both developed and developing countries. Androgen deprivation therapy has been used as a standard treatment approach for advanced prostate cancer for more than 80 years. The primary aim of androgen deprivation therapy is to decrease circulatory androgen and block androgen signaling. Although a partly remediation is accomplished at the beginning of treatment, some cell populations become refractory to androgen deprivation therapy and continue to metastasize. Recent evidences suggest that androgen deprivation therapy may cause cadherin switching, from E-cadherin to N-cadherin, which is the hallmark of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Diverse direct and indirect mechanisms are involved in this switching and consequently, the cadherin pool changes from E-cadherin to N-cadherin in the epithelial cells. Since E-cadherin represses invasive and migrative behaviors of the tumor cells, the loss of E-cadherin disrupts epithelial tissue structure leading to the release of tumor cells into surrounding tissues and circulation. In this study, we review the androgen deprivation therapy-dependent cadherin switching in advanced prostate cancer with emphasis on its molecular basis especially the transcriptional factors regulated through TFG-β pathway.

Cancer-Associated Fibroblast Heterogeneity, Activation and Function: Implications for Prostate Cancer

The continuous remodeling of the tumor microenvironment (TME) during prostate tumorigenesis is emerging as a critical event that facilitates cancer growth, progression and drug-resistance. Recent advances have identified extensive communication networks that enable tumor-stroma cross-talk, and emphasized the functional importance of diverse, heterogeneous stromal fibroblast populations during malignant growth. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a vital component of the TME, which mediate key oncogenic events including angiogenesis, immunosuppression, metastatic progression and therapeutic resistance, thus presenting an attractive therapeutic target. Nevertheless, how fibroblast heterogeneity, recruitment, cell-of-origin and differential functions contribute to prostate cancer remains to be fully delineated. Developing our molecular understanding of these processes is fundamental to developing new therapies and biomarkers that can ultimately improve clinical outcomes. In this review, we explore the current challenges surrounding fibroblast identification, discuss new mechanistic insights into fibroblast functions during normal prostate tissue homeostasis and tumorigenesis, and illustrate the diverse nature of fibroblast recruitment and CAF generation. We also highlight the promise of CAF-targeted therapies for the treatment of prostate cancer.

The Promising Therapeutic Approaches for Radiation-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis: Targeting Radiation-Induced Mesenchymal Transition of Alveolar Type II Epithelial Cells

Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis (RIPF) is a common consequence of radiation for thoracic tumors, and is accompanied by gradual and irreversible organ failure. This severely reduces the survival rate of cancer patients, due to the serious side effects and lack of clinically effective drugs and methods. Radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis is a dynamic process involving many complicated and varied mechanisms, of which alveolar type II epithelial (AT2) cells are one of the primary target cells, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of AT2 cells is very relevant in the clinical search for effective targets. Therefore, this review summarizes several important signaling pathways that can induce EMT in AT2 cells, and searches for molecular targets with potential effects on RIPF among them, in order to provide effective therapeutic tools for the clinical prevention and treatment of RIPF.

From HDAC to Voltage-Gated Ion Channels: What's Next? The Long Road of Antiepileptic Drugs Repositioning in Cancer

Simple Summary

Although in the last decades the clinical outcome of cancer patients considerably improved, the major drawbacks still associated with chemotherapy are the unwanted side effects and the development of drug resistance. Therefore, a continuous effort in trying to discover new tumor markers, possibly of diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value, is being made. This review is aimed at highlighting the anti-tumor activity that several antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) exert in breast, prostate and other types of cancers, mainly focusing on their ability to block the voltage-gated Na⁺ and Ca⁺⁺ channels, as well as to inhibit the activity of histone deacetylases (HDACs), all well-documented tumor markers and/or molecular targets. The existence of additional AEDs molecular targets is highly suspected. Therefore, the repurposing of already available drugs as adjuvants in cancer treatment would have several advantages, such as reductions in dose-related toxicity CVs will be sent in a separate mail to the indicated address of combined treatments, lower production costs, and faster approval for clinical use.

Abstract

Cancer is a major health burden worldwide. Although the plethora of molecular targets identified in the last decades and the deriving developed treatments, which significantly improved patients’ outcome, the occurrence of resistance to therapies remains the major cause of relapse and mortality. Thus, efforts in identifying new markers to be exploited as molecular targets in cancer therapy are needed. This review will first give a glance on the diagnostic and therapeutic significance of histone deacetylase (HDAC) and voltage gated ion channels (VGICs) in cancer. Nevertheless, HDAC and VGICs have also been reported as molecular targets through which antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) seem to exert their anticancer activity. This should be claimed as a great advantage. Indeed, due to the slowness of drug approval procedures, the attempt to turn to off-label use of already approved medicines would be highly preferable. Therefore, an updated and accurate overview of both preclinical and clinical data of commonly prescribed AEDs (mainly valproic acid, lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin and gabapentin) in breast, prostate, brain and other cancers will follow. Finally, a glance at the emerging attempt to administer AEDs by means of opportunely designed drug delivery systems (DDSs), so to limit toxicity and improve bioavailability, is also given.

Identification of a Prognostic Model Based on Immune Cell Signatures in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background. Accumulating evidence substantiated that the immune cells were intricately intertwined with the prognosis and therapy of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We aimed to construct an immune cell signatures (ICS) score model to predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients and furnish guidance for finding appropriate treatment strategies. Methods. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the normalized enrichment score (NES) of 184 ICSf was calculated using single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). An ICS score model was generated in light of univariate Cox regression and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso)-Cox regression, which was independently validated in ArrayExpress database. In addition, we appraised the predictive power of the model via Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Eventually, immune infiltration, genomic alterations and immunotherapy were analyzed between high and low ICS score groups. Results. Initially, we screened 11 ICS with prognostic impact based on 515 ccRCC patients. K-M curves presented that the high ICS score group experienced a poorer prognosis ( $P<0.001$ ). In parallel, ROC curves revealed a satisfactory reliability of model to predict individual survival at 1, 3, and 5 years, with area under the curves (AUCs) of 0.744, 0.713, and 0.742, respectively. In addition, we revealed that the high ICS score group was characterized by increased infiltration of immune cells, strengthened BAP1 mutation frequency, and enhanced expression of immune checkpoint genes. Conclusion. The ICS score model has higher predictive power for patients’ prognosis and can instruct ccRCC patients in seeking suitable treatment.

Signaling new therapeutic opportunities: cytokines in prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION

Despite FDA approval of sipuleucel-T in 2010, endeavors to use immune checkpoint inhibitors in unselected prostate cancer patients have not improved clinical outcomes. These efforts include studies with anti-PD1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA-4 alone and in combination with existing standards of care. These strategies are generally T-cell centric and disregard the broader complex and pleiotropic components of the prostate cancer tumor microenvironment such as natural killer cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumor associated macrophages.

AREAS COVERED

We performed an online literature search and undertook a review of existing pre-clinical and clinical literature for cytokine-based therapy relating to prostate cancer, specifically on interleukin (IL)-2, IL-15, IL-12, IL-23, IL-8 and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β.

EXPERT OPINION

Cytokine-based therapies present an alternative immune strategy to target the pleiotropic prostate cancer tumor microenvironment beyond T-cells. Future immunotherapy strategies in prostate cancer should address these immune cell populations which may play more important roles in the prostate cancer tumor microenvironment.

Transcription factor Fli-1 as a new target for antitumor drug development

The transcription factor Friend leukemia virus integration 1 (Fli-1) belonging to the E26 Transformation-Specific (ETS) transcription factor family is not only expressed in normal cells such as hematopoietic stem cells and vascular endothelial cells, but also abnormally expressed in various malignant tumors including Ewing sarcoma, Merkel cell sarcoma, small cell lung carcinoma, benign or malignant hemangioma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, bladder cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma. Fli-1 binds to the promoter or enhancer of the target genes and participates in a variety of physiological and pathological processes of tumor cells, including cell growth, proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. The expression of Fli-1 gene is related to the specific biological functions and characteristics of the tissue in which it is located. In tumor research, Fli-1 gene is used as a specific marker for the occurrence, metastasis, efficacy, and prognosis of tumors, thus, a potential new target for tumor diagnosis and treatment. These studies indicated that Fli-1 may be a specific candidate for antitumor drug development. Recent studies identified small molecules regulating Fli-1 thanks to our screened strategy of natural products and their derivatives. Therefore, in this review, the advanced research on Fli-1 as a target for antitumor drug development is analyzed in different cancers. The inhibitors and agonists of Fli-1 that regulate its expression are introduced and their clinical applications in the treatment of cancer, thus providing new therapeutic strategies.

The tumor innate immune microenvironment in prostate cancer: an overview of soluble factors and cellular effectors

Prostate cancer (PCa) accounts as the most common non-cutaneous disease affecting males, and as the first cancer, for incidence, in male. With the introduction of the concept of immunoscore, PCa has been classified as a cold tumor, thus driving the attention in the development of strategies aimed at blocking the infiltration/activation of immunosuppressive cells, while favoring the infiltration/activation of anti-tumor immune cells. Even if immunotherapy has revolutionized the approaches to cancer therapy, there is still a window failure, due to the immune cell plasticity within PCa, that can acquire pro-tumor features, subsequent to the tumor microenvironment (TME) capability to polarize them. This review discussed selected relevant soluble factors [transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, IL-23] and cellular components of the innate immunity, as drivers of tumor progression, immunosuppression, and angiogenesis within the PCa-TME.