The relationship between the expression of tumor matrix-metalloproteinase and the characteristics of magnetic resonance imaging of human gliomas

Joint application of biochemical markers and imaging techniques in the accurate and early detection of glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a primary brain tumor with the most metastatic effect in adults. Despite the wide range of multidimensional treatments, tumor heterogeneity is one of the main causes of tumor spread and gives great complexity to diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Therefore, featuring noble noninvasive prognostic methods that are focused on glioblastoma heterogeneity is perceived as an urgent need. Imaging neuro-oncological biomarkers including MGMT (O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase) promoter methylation status, tumor grade along with other tumor characteristics and demographic features (e.g., age) are commonly referred to during diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic processes. Therefore, the use of new noninvasive prognostic methods focused on glioblastoma heterogeneity is considered an urgent need. Some neuronal biomarkers, including the promoter methylation status of the promoter MGMT, the characteristics and grade of the tumor, along with the patient's demographics (such as age and sex) are involved in diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis. Among the wide array of imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging combined with the more physiologically detailed technique of H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy can be useful in diagnosing neurological cancer patients. In addition, intracranial tumor qualitative analysis and sometimes tumor biopsies help in accurate diagnosis. This review summarizes the evidence for biochemical biomarkers being a reliable biomarker in the early detection and disease management in GBM. Moreover, we highlight the correlation between Imaging techniques and biochemical biomarkers and ask whether they can be combined.

TFPI-2 inhibits the invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells

INTRODUCTION

Bladder cancer metastasis seriously affects the prognosis of patients, but its molecular mechanism is unclear. This study sought to explore the roles of tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) gene overexpression in the infiltration and metastasis of bladder cancer.

MATERIALS

Firstly, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to compare the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, of TFPI-2 and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in adjacent non-tumoral tissues, muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) tissues, and non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) tissues. BIU-87-TFPI-2 cells that stably expressed TFPI-2 were generated by transfection with pcDNA3.1-TFPI-2. Real-time PCR and western blotting were performed to determine the mRNA and protein expression levels, respectively, of TFPI-2 and MMP-1 in BIU-87-TFPI-2 cells. The invasion and migration abilities of BIU-87-TFPI-2 cells were investigated using the Transwell chamber method.

RESULTS

TFPI-2 was found to be significantly downregulated in bladder cancer tissue. The expression of MMP-1 was increased with the progression of bladder cancer. BIU-87 cells that overexpressed TFPI-2 were successfully generated by transfection with pcDNA3.1-TFPI-2. TFPI-2 overexpression in BIU-87 cells significantly inhibited cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Furthermore, the mRNA and protein expression levels of MMP-1 were significantly reduced in TFPI-2-overexpressing cells.

CONCLUSION

Decreased TFPI-2 expression in bladder tissue was correlated with invasion and metastasis in bladder cancer. TFPI-2 overexpression could inhibit bladder cancer cell invasion and migration in vitro by inhibiting MMP-1 protein expression.

LEVEL OF PROOF

3.

Downregulation of annexin A7 decreases proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells by reducing matrix metalloproteinase 1 and 9 expression

High annexin A7 expression is a potential indicator of lymphatic metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with gastric cancer (GC). The mechanism underlying the effects of annexin A7 on GC cells remains unclear. In patients with GC, primary adenocarcinoma tissues had higher annexin A7 expression than adjacent non-cancerous tissues (P < 0.05). Among three human GC cell lines with high, moderate, and low levels of differentiation, respectively, the cell line with the lowest level of differentiation displayed the highest level of annexin A7 expression. We transfected cells of the human GC cell line BGC823 with short interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting annexin A7 and investigated the effects on signaling pathways related to cancer progression by quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. The silencing of endogenous annexin A7 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of the BGC823 cells. In the cells treated with annexin A7 siRNA, the expression of p16, p21, and p27 was significantly upregulated while that of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E1, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, and intercellular cell-adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was significantly downregulated compared with that in control cells. Our results suggest that the downregulation of endogenous annexin A7 inhibits GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by impacting cell cycle regulators and the expression of MMP-1, MMP-2, and ICAM-1. Targeting annexin A7 may represent a valuable strategy for the diagnosis and clinical treatment of GC.