ZEB and Snail expression indicates epithelial-mesenchymal transition in canine melanoma

Propofol Promoted the Cell Growth and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation of the HTR-8/SVneo Cells through Targeting the METTL3 Mediated ZEB2

Preeclampsia (PE) belongs to hypertensive disorder complicating pregnancy, which is a serious obstetric complication. Propofol is a new type of fast and short-acting general anesthetic, which has also been demonstrated to promote the cell growth recently. Therefore, this study was carried out to explore the effects of propofol on the cell growth, migration and invasion in the HTR-8/SVneo cells. The cell biological behaviors were analyzed using CCK-8, EdU, transwell assays. The relationship between METTL3 and ZEB2 was confirmed by RIP assay. Western blot and RT-qPCR assays were carried out to detect the protein and mRNA levels. The results showed that propofol enhanced the cell viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of the HTR-8/SVneo cells. Besides, METTL3 overexpression neutralized the propofol role. Furthermore, METTL3 overexpression elevated the m6A levels of ZEB2 and decreased the mRNA levels and stability of ZEB2. ZEB2 overexpression neutralized the role of METTL3 in the propofol treated HTR-8/SVneo cells. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the effects of propofol on promoting the cell growth, migration and invasion of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Mechanistically, propofol indirectly regulated ZEB2 expression by targeting METTL3 mediated m6A methylation modification.

Competitive Effect of Overexpressed C-terminal of Snail-1 (CSnail) in Control of the Growth and Metastasis of Melanoma Cells

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a role in the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. During this phenomenon, Snail can promote tumor progression by upregulating mesenchymal factors and downregulating the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins.

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, interventions on the expression rate of Snails may show beneficial therapeutic applications.

METHODS

In this study, the C-terminal region of Snail1, capable of binding to E-box genomic sequences, was subcloned into the pAAV-IRES-EGFP backbone to make complete AAV-CSnail viral particles. B16F10 as a metastatic melanoma cell line, with a null expression of wild type TP53 was transduced by AAV-CSnail. Moreover, the transduced cells were analyzed for in vitro expression of apoptosis, migration, and EMT-related genes, and in vivo inhibition of metastasis.

RESULTS

In more than 80% of the AAV-CSnail transduced cells, the CSnail gene expression competitively reduced the wild-type Snail functionality and consequently lowered the mRNA expression level of EMT-related genes. Furthermore, the transcription level of cell cycle inhibitory factor p21 and pro-apoptotic factors were promoted. The scratch test showed a decrease in the migration ability of AAV-CSnail transduced group compared to control. Finally, metastasis of cancer cells to lung tissue in the AAV-CSnail-treated B16F10 melanoma mouse model was significantly reduced, pointing out to prevention of EMT by the competitive inhibitory effect of CSnail on Snail1 and increased apoptosis of B16F10 cells.

CONCLUSION

The capability of this successful competition in reducing the growth, invasion, and metastasis of melanoma cells indicates that gene therapy is a promising strategy for the control of the growth and metastasis of cancer cells.

E-Cadherin Immunostaining in Equine Melanocytic Tumors

Melanocytic tumors are an important neoplastic disease in human and veterinary medicine, presenting large differences regarding tumor behavior between species. In horses, these tumors present a prolonged benign behavior, with rare invasiveness and metastases. In humans and small animals, invasion and metastasis have been associated with an Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, where the loss of E-cadherin expression plays a key role in tumor progression. This process and the role of E-cadherin have not yet been evaluated in equine melanocytic tumors. This study aimed to assess the immunolabeling of E-cadherin in equine melanocytic tumors and relate this with clinicopathological variables. A total of 72 equine melanocytic tumors were classified as benign and malignant and evaluated by immunohistochemistry for E-cadherin expression. A different pattern of immunostaining was found, contrasting with other species. A total of 69.4% of tumors presented raised immunolabeling of E-cadherin, with 70.7% of melanomas remaining with high expression. The typical loss of immunostaining was not seen in malignant melanomas and no differences were found between benign and malignant melanomas regarding E-cadherin immunostaining. The high immunolabeling of E-cadherin may contribute to the low invasiveness of these tumors, and it is in accordance with the benign behavior of equine melanoma and with the genetic factors associated with its development.

Recent Advances in Transcription Factors Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies Focusing on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Transcription factors involve many proteins in the process of transactivating or transcribing (none-) encoded DNA to initiate and regulate downstream signals, such as RNA polymerase. Their unique characteristic is that they possess specific domains that bind to specific DNA element sequences called enhancer or promoter sequences. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cancer progression. Many dysregulated transcription factors-such as Myc, SNAIs, Twists, and ZEBs-are key drivers of tumor metastasis through EMT regulation. This review summarizes currently available evidence related to the oncogenic role of classified transcription factors in EMT editing and epigenetic regulation, clarifying the roles of the classified conserved transcription factor family involved in the EMT and how these factors could be used as therapeutic targets in future investigations.

Epigenetic regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition during cancer development

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays essential roles in promoting malignant transformation of epithelial cells, leading to cancer progression and metastasis. During EMT-induced cancer development, a wide variety of genes are dramatically modified, especially down-regulation of epithelial-related genes and up-regulation of mesenchymal-related genes. Expression of other EMT-related genes is also modified during the carcinogenic process. Especially, epigenetic modifications are observed in the EMT-related genes, indicating their involvement in cancer development. Mechanically, epigenetic modifications of histone, DNA, mRNA and non-coding RNA stably change the EMT-related gene expression at transcription and translation levels. Herein, we summarize current knowledge on epigenetic regulatory mechanisms observed in EMT process relate to cancer development in humans. The better understanding of epigenetic regulation of EMT during cancer development may lead to improvement of drug design and preventive strategies in cancer therapy.

Therapeutic targeting approach on epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity to combat cancer metastasis

Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) is a process in which epithelial cells lose their characteristics and acquire mesenchymal properties, leading to increased motility and invasiveness, which are key factors in cancer metastasis. Targeting EMP has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach to combat cancer metastasis. Various strategies have been developed to target EMP, including inhibition of key signaling pathways, such as TGF-β, Wnt/β-catenin, and Notch, that regulate EMP, as well as targeting specific transcription factors, such as Snail, Slug, and Twist, that promote EMP. Additionally, targeting the tumor microenvironment, which plays a critical role in promoting EMP, has also shown promise. Several preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of EMP-targeting therapies in inhibiting cancer metastasis. However, further research is needed to optimize these strategies and improve their clinical efficacy. Overall, therapeutic targeting of EMP represents a promising approach for the development of novel cancer therapies that can effectively inhibit metastasis, a major cause of cancer-related mortality.

The effectiveness of blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) in lung cancer progression-a comprehensive review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Blood-activating and stasis-transforming traditional Chinese medicines (BAST) are a class of herbs that have the effect of dilating blood vessels and dispersing stagnation. Modern pharmaceutical research has demonstrated that they are capable of improving hemodynamics and micro-flow, resist thrombosis and promote blood flow. BAST contain numerous active ingredients, which can theoretically regulate multiple targets at the same time and have a wide range of pharmacological effects in the treatment of diseases including human cancers. Clinically, BAST have minimal side effects and can be used in combination with Western medicine to improve patients' quality of life, lessen adverse effects and minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis of cancers.

AIM OF THE REVIEW

We aimed to summarize the research progression of BAST on lung cancer in the past five years and present a prospect for the future. Particularly, this review further analyzes the effects and molecular mechanisms that BAST inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant studies about BSAT were collected from PubMed and Web of science.

RESULTS

Lung cancer is one of the malignant tumors with the highest mortality rate. Most patients with lung cancer are diagnosed at an advanced stage and are highly susceptible to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that BAST, a class of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the function of opening veins and dispersing blood stasis, significantly improve hemodynamics and microcirculation, prevent thrombosis and promote blood flow, and thereby inhibiting the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. In the current review, we analyzed 51 active ingredients extracted from BAST. It was found that BAST and their active ingredients contribute to the prevention of invasion and metastasis of lung cancer through multiple mechanisms, such as regulation of EMT process, specific signaling pathway and metastasis-related genes, tumor blood vessel formation, immune microenvironment and inflammatory response of tumors.

CONCLUSIONS

BSAT and its active ingredients have showed promising anticancer activity and significantly inhibit the invasion and metastasis of lung cancer. A growing number of studies have realized their potential clinical significance in the therapy of lung cancer, which will provide substantial evidences for the development of new TCM for lung cancer therapy.

An Overview of Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial Transition in Canine Tumors: How Far Have We Come?

Historically, pre-clinical and clinical studies in human medicine have provided new insights, pushing forward the contemporary knowledge. The new results represented a motivation for investigators in specific fields of veterinary medicine, who addressed the same research topics from different perspectives in studies based on experimental and spontaneous animal disease models. The study of different pheno-genotypic contexts contributes to the confirmation of translational models of pathologic mechanisms. This review provides an overview of EMT and MET processes in both human and canine species. While human medicine rapidly advances, having a large amount of information available, veterinary medicine is not at the same level. This situation should provide motivation for the veterinary medicine research field, to apply the knowledge on humans to research in pets. By merging the knowledge of these two disciplines, better and faster results can be achieved, thus improving human and canine health.

Effects of Para-Toluenesulfonamide on Canine Melanoma Xenotransplants in a BALB/c Nude Mouse Model

Simple Summary

Canine melanomas are malignant neoplasms, and primary melanomas arise at the footpad, nail bed, gastrointestinal tract, mucocutaneous junction, and eyes. Para-toluenesulfonamide (PTS) is a small molecule that acts against several cancers (hepatocellular carcinoma, nonsmall-cell lung cancer, and tongue squamous cell carcinoma). The pharmacological pathway of PTS has the potential to exert anti-inflammatory and antithrombotic functions. We established canine melanoma xenografts in mice and randomized the animals into four treatment groups: saline, cisplatin, PTS, and PTS combined with cisplatin. The findings indicated that compared with the control mice, mice treated with PTS and the combination of PTS and cisplatin showed retarded tumor growth; increased tumor apoptosis through the upregulation of caspase 3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation; decreased inflammation levels of cytokines, such as interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-6; reduced inflammation-related factors, such as the cyclooxygenase-2 protein and nuclear factor-κB mRNA; enhanced anti-inflammation-related factors; and inhibition of the metastasis-related factors transforming growth factor β, CD44, epidermal growth factor receptor, and vascular endothelial growth factor. Combining cisplatin with PTS has a stronger effect than PTS alone. These findings may prove useful in further explorations of the application of PTS or PTS combined with cisplatin to the treatment of canine melanoma in general.

Abstract

The pharmacological pathway of para-toluenesulfonamide (PTS) restricts the kinase activity of the mammalian target of rapamycin, potentially leading to reductions in cell division, cell growth, cell proliferation, and inflammation. These pathways have a critical effect on tumorigenesis. We aimed to examine the antitumor effect of PTS or PTS combined with cisplatin on canine melanoma implanted in BALB/c nude mice by estimating tumor growth, apoptosis expression, inflammation, and metastasis. The mice were randomly divided into four groups: control, cisplatin, PTS, and PTS combined with cisplatin. Mice treated with PTS or PTS combined with cisplatin had retarded tumor growth and increased tumor apoptosis through the enhanced expression of cleaved caspase 3 and extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation, decreased inflammatory cytokine levels, reduced inflammation-related factors, enhanced anti-inflammation-related factors, and inhibition of metastasis-related factors. Mice treated with PTS combined with cisplatin exhibited significantly retarded tumor growth, reduced tumor size, and increased tumor inhibition compared with those treated with cisplatin or PTS alone. PTS or PTS combined with cisplatin could retard canine melanoma growth and inhibit tumorigenesis. PTS and cisplatin were found to have an obvious synergistic tumor-inhibiting effect on canine melanoma. PTS alone and PTS combined with cisplatin may be antitumor agents for canine melanoma treatment.

A Comparative View on Molecular Alterations and Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Canine Oral Melanoma

Canine oral melanoma (COM) is a highly aggressive tumour associated with poor prognosis due to metastasis and resistance to conventional anti-cancer therapies. As with human mucosal melanoma, the mutational landscape is predominated by copy number aberrations and chromosomal structural variants, but differences in study cohorts and/or tumour heterogeneity can lead to discordant results regarding the nature of specific genes affected. This review discusses somatic molecular alterations in COM that result from single nucleotide variations, copy number changes, chromosomal rearrangements, and/or dysregulation of small non-coding RNAs. A cross-species comparison highlights notable recurrent aberrations, and functionally grouping dysregulated proteins reveals unifying biological pathways that may be critical for oncogenesis and metastasis. Finally, potential therapeutic strategies are considered to target these pathways in canine patients, and the benefits of collaboration between science, medical, and veterinary communities are emphasised.