Targeting metabolic activity in high-risk neuroblastoma through Monocarboxylate Transporter 1 (MCT1) inhibition

Ferroptosis: a promising target for fumarate hydratase-deficient tumor therapeutics literature review

Background and Objective

This review aims to investigate the ferroptosis mechanism of fumarate hydratase (FH)-related tumors for the purpose of possible treatment of tumors. Ferroptosis is an iron (Fe)-dependent form of regulated cell death caused by lipid peroxidation on the cell membrane. Studies have implicated FH in tumorigenesis. As mutations in the FH gene alter cellular metabolism and increase tumorigenesis risk, particularly in the kidneys. As most tumor cells require higher amounts of ferrous ions (Fe2+) than normal cells, they are more susceptible to ferroptosis. Recent studies have indicated that ferroptosis is inhibited the pathogenesis and progression of FH-deficient tumors by regulating lipid and iron metabolism, glutathione-glutathione peroxidase 4 (GSH-GPX4), nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathways. While the Fe2+ content is significantly lower in FH-deficient tumor cells, than that in normal cells. It is promising to promote ferroptosis by increasing the concentration of Fe2+ in cells to achieve the purpose of tumor treatment.

Methods

In this study, we searched for relevant articles on ferroptosis and FH-deficient tumors using PubMed database.

Key Content and Findings

FH is a tumor suppressor. A number of basic studies have shown that the loss of FH plays an important role in hereditary leiomyomas and tumors such as renal cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer, and other tumors. This type of tumor cells can through induce ferroptosis, inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of tumor cells, increase the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy, and reverse the drug resistance through various molecular mechanisms. At present, the research on ferroptosis in FH-related tumors is still in the basic experimental stage.

Conclusions

This article reviews the anti-tumor effects and mechanisms of FH and ferroptosis, in order to further explore the medical value of ferroptosis in FH-related tumor therapy.

Lactylation: The emerging frontier in post-translational modification

Lactate, a metabolic byproduct, has gained recognition as a highly influential signaling molecule. Lactylation, an emerging form of post-translational modification derived from lactate, plays a crucial role in numerous cellular processes such as inflammation, embryonic development, tumor proliferation, and metabolism. However, the precise molecular mechanisms through which lactylation governs these biological functions in both physiological and pathological contexts remain elusive. Hence, it is imperative to provide a comprehensive overview of lactylation in order to elucidate its significance in biological processes and establish a foundation for forthcoming investigations. This review aims to succinctly outline the process of lactylation modification and the characterization of protein lactylation across diverse organisms. Additionally, A summary of the regulatory mechanisms of lactylation in cellular processes and specific diseases is presented. Finally, this review concludes by delineating existing research gaps in lactylation and proposing primary directions for future investigations.

Monocarboxylate transporter-1 (MCT-1) inhibitors screened from autodisplayed FV-antibody library

Monocarboxylate transporter-1 (MCT-1) inhibitors were screened from the Fv-antibody library, which contained complementary determining region 3 with randomized amino acid sequences (11 residues) through site-directed mutagenesis. Fv-antibodies against MCT-1 were screened from the autodisplayed Fv-antibody library. Two clones were screened, and the binding affinity (KD) against MCT-1 was estimated using flow cytometry. The screened Fv-antibodies were expressed as soluble fusion proteins (Fv-1 and Fv-2) and the KD for MCT-1 was estimated using the SPR biosensor. The inhibitory activity of the expressed Fv-antibodies was observed in HEK293T and Jurkat cell lines by measuring intracellular pH and lactate accumulation. The level of cell viability in HEK293T and Jurkat cell lines was decreased by the inhibitory activity of the expressed Fv-antibodies. The binding properties of the Fv-antibodies to MCT-1 were analyzed using molecular docking simulations. Overall, the results showed that the screened Fv-antibodies against MCT-1 from the Fv-antibody library had high binding affinity and inhibitory activity against MCT-1, which could be used as potential therapeutic drug candidates for the MCT-1 inhibitor.

Enzyme-Mediated Bioorthogonal Cascade Catalytic Reaction for Metabolism Intervention and Enhanced Ferroptosis on Neuroblastoma

It remains a tremendous challenge to explore effective therapeutic modalities against neuroblastoma, a lethal cancer of the sympathetic nervous system with poor prognosis and disappointing treatment outcomes. Considering the limitations of conventional treatment modalities and the intrinsic vulnerability of neuroblastoma, we herein develop a pioneering sequential catalytic therapeutic system that utilizes lactate oxidase (LOx)/horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-loaded amorphous zinc metal-organic framework, named LOx/HRP-aZIF, in combination with a 3-indole-acetic acid (IAA) prodrug. On the basis of abnormal lactate accumulation that occurs in the tumor microenvironment, the cascade reaction of LOx and HRP consumes endogenous glutathione and a reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide to achieve the first stage of killing cancer cells via antioxidative incapacitation and electron transport chain interference. Furthermore, the generation of reactive oxygen species induced by HRP and IAA through bioorthogonal catalysis promotes ferritin degradation and lipid peroxidation, ultimately provoking self-enhanced ferroptosis with positive feedback by initiating an endogenous Fenton reaction. This work highlights the superiority of the natural enzyme-dependent cascade and bioorthogonal catalytic reaction, offering a paradigm for synergistically enzyme-based metabolism-ferroptosis anticancer therapy.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells by JMJD6-mediated pre-mRNA splicing associated with therapeutic response to splicing inhibitor

Dysregulated pre-mRNA splicing and metabolism are two hallmarks of MYC-driven cancers. Pharmacological inhibition of both processes has been extensively investigated as potential therapeutic avenues in preclinical and clinical studies. However, how pre-mRNA splicing and metabolism are orchestrated in response to oncogenic stress and therapies is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that jumonji domain containing 6, arginine demethylase, and lysine hydroxylase, JMJD6, acts as a hub connecting splicing and metabolism in MYC-driven human neuroblastoma. JMJD6 cooperates with MYC in cellular transformation of murine neural crest cells by physically interacting with RNA binding proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing and protein homeostasis. Notably, JMJD6 controls the alternative splicing of two isoforms of glutaminase (GLS), namely kidney-type glutaminase (KGA) and glutaminase C (GAC), which are rate-limiting enzymes of glutaminolysis in the central carbon metabolism in neuroblastoma. Further, we show that JMJD6 is correlated with the anti-cancer activity of indisulam, a 'molecular glue' that degrades splicing factor RBM39, which complexes with JMJD6. The indisulam-mediated cancer cell killing is at least partly dependent on the glutamine-related metabolic pathway mediated by JMJD6. Our findings reveal a cancer-promoting metabolic program is associated with alternative pre-mRNA splicing through JMJD6, providing a rationale to target JMJD6 as a therapeutic avenue for treating MYC-driven cancers.

The Pivotal Function of SLC16A1 and SLC16A1-AS1 in Cancer Progress: Molecular Pathogenesis and Prognosis

More than 300 membranes make up the SLC family of transporters, utilizing an ion gradient or electrochemical potential difference to move their substrates across biological membranes. The SLC16 gene family contains fourteen members. Proton-linked transportation of monocarboxylates can be promoted by the transporters MCT1, which the SLC16A1 gene family encodes. Glycolysis is constitutively up-regulated in cancer cells, and the amount of lactate produced as a result is correlated with prognosis. Further speaking, SLC16A1 plays an essential role in controlling the growth and spread of tumors, according to mounting evidence. Additionally, LncRNAs are the collective term for all genes that produce RNA transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides but do not convert into proteins. It has steadily developed into a hub for research, offering an innovative approach to tumor study as technology related to molecular biology advances. The growing study has uncovered SLC16A1-AS1, an RNA that acts as an antisense to SLC16A1, which is erroneously expressed in various types of cancers. Therefore, we compiled the most recent information on the physiological functions and underlying processes of SLC16A1 and the LncRNA SLC16A1-AS1 during tumor development to explore their impact on cancer treatment and prognosis. We compiled the most recent information on the physiological functions and underlying processes of SLC16A1 and the LncRNA SLC16A1-AS1 during tumor development to explore their impact on cancer treatment and prognosis. Relevant studies were retrieved and collected through the PubMed system. After determining SLC16A1 and SLC16A1-AS1 as the research object, we found a close relationship between SLC16A1 and tumorigenesis as well as the influencing factors through the analysis of the research articles. SLC16A1 regulates lactate chemotaxis while uncovering SLC16A1- AS1 as an antisense RNA acting through multiple pathways; they affect the metabolism of tumor cells and have an impact on the prognosis of patients with various cancers.

Evolutionary dynamics of glucose-deprived cancer cells: insights from experimentally informed mathematical modelling

Glucose is a primary energy source for cancer cells. Several lines of evidence support the idea that monocarboxylate transporters, such as MCT1, elicit metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells in glucose-poor environments, allowing them to re-use lactate, a by-product of glucose metabolism, as an alternative energy source with serious consequences for disease progression. We employ a synergistic experimental and mathematical modelling approach to explore the evolutionary processes at the root of cancer cell adaptation to glucose deprivation, with particular focus on the mechanisms underlying the increase in MCT1 expression observed in glucose-deprived aggressive cancer cells. Data from in vitro experiments on breast cancer cells are used to inform and calibrate a mathematical model that comprises a partial integro-differential equation for the dynamics of a population of cancer cells structured by the level of MCT1 expression. Analytical and numerical results of this model suggest that environment-induced changes in MCT1 expression mediated by lactate-associated signalling pathways enable a prompt adaptive response of glucose-deprived cancer cells, while fluctuations in MCT1 expression due to epigenetic changes create the substrate for environmental selection to act upon, speeding up the selective sweep underlying cancer cell adaptation to glucose deprivation, and may constitute a long-term bet-hedging mechanism.

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells by JMJD6-mediated pre-mRNA splicing is associated with therapeutic response to splicing inhibitor

Dysregulated pre-mRNA splicing and metabolism are two hallmarks of MYC-driven cancers. Pharmacological inhibition of both processes has been extensively investigated as potential therapeutic avenues in preclinical and clinical studies. However, how pre-mRNA splicing and metabolism are orchestrated in response to oncogenic stress and therapies is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that Jumonji Domain Containing 6, Arginine Demethylase and Lysine Hydroxylase, JMJD6, acts as a hub connecting splicing and metabolism in MYC-driven neuroblastoma. JMJD6 cooperates with MYC in cellular transformation by physically interacting with RNA binding proteins involved in pre-mRNA splicing and protein homeostasis. Notably, JMJD6 controls the alternative splicing of two isoforms of glutaminase (GLS), namely kidney-type glutaminase (KGA) and glutaminase C (GAC), which are rate-limiting enzymes of glutaminolysis in the central carbon metabolism in neuroblastoma. Further, we show that JMJD6 is correlated with the anti-cancer activity of indisulam, a "molecular glue" that degrades splicing factor RBM39, which complexes with JMJD6. The indisulam-mediated cancer cell killing is at least partly dependent on the glutamine-related metabolic pathway mediated by JMJD6. Our findings reveal a cancer-promoting metabolic program is associated with alternative pre-mRNA splicing through JMJD6, providing a rationale to target JMJD6 as a therapeutic avenue for treating MYC-driven cancers.

Comprehensive analysis of pan-cancer reveals the potential of SLC16A1 as a prognostic and immunological biomarker

SLC16A1 plays an important role in the development of multiple cancer types. Pan-cancer analysis may have significant impacts on the exploration of the relationship between SLC16A1 gene expression, prognosis and the molecular mechanisms of tumorigenesis. In this study, through the analysis of TCGA and GEO datasets, we explored the expression level and survival prognosis of SLC16A1 in pan-cancer, and further explored the differences in SLC16A1 gene mutation, methylation, and phosphorylation between tumor and normal tissues. In addition, we focused on the biological function of this gene and the relationship between the prognosis and immune infiltration by immune infiltration analysis and enrichment analysis, in order to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of SLC16A1 in carcinomas. The study found that SLC16A1 was highly expressed in 14 kinds of tumors, and there were statistically significant differences in the prognosis of 9 tumors. The phosphorylation level of S467 increased in OV, RCC, and UCEC. There was a statistically negative correlation between the CD8+ T-cell infiltration level and the SLC16A1 expression in HNSC, LUSC, SARC, TGCT, and KIRC. The cancer-related fibroblasts were positively correlated with SLC16A1 expression in BLCA, BRCA, KIRC, KIRP, PAAD, PCPG, and THCA. The enrichment analysis indicated that the tumorigenesis mechanism of this gene was mainly related to "glycolysis and glucose metabolism synthesis." SLC16A1 was a promising prognostic and immunological biomarker in pan-cancer.

Research progress of abnormal lactate metabolism and lactate modification in immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Tumors meet their energy, biosynthesis, and redox demands through metabolic reprogramming. This metabolic abnormality results in elevated levels of metabolites, particularly lactate, in the tumor microenvironment. Immune cell reprogramming and cellular plasticity mediated by lactate and lactylation increase immunosuppression in the tumor microenvironment and are emerging as key factors in regulating tumor development, metastasis, and the effectiveness of immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. Reprogramming of glucose metabolism and the "Warburg effect" in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lead to the massive production and accumulation of lactate, so lactate modification in tumor tissue is likely to be abnormal as well. This article reviews the immune regulation of abnormal lactate metabolism and lactate modification in hepatocellular carcinoma and the therapeutic strategy of targeting lactate-immunotherapy, which will help to better guide the medication and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Druggable Metabolic Vulnerabilities Are Exposed and Masked during Progression to Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

There is an urgent need for exploring new actionable targets other than androgen receptor to improve outcome from lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer. Tumor metabolism has reemerged as a hallmark of cancer that drives and supports oncogenesis. In this regard, it is important to understand the relationship between distinctive metabolic features, androgen receptor signaling, genetic drivers in prostate cancer, and the tumor microenvironment (symbiotic and competitive metabolic interactions) to identify metabolic vulnerabilities. We explore the links between metabolism and gene regulation, and thus the unique metabolic signatures that define the malignant phenotypes at given stages of prostate tumor progression. We also provide an overview of current metabolism-based pharmacological strategies to be developed or repurposed for metabolism-based therapeutics for castration-resistant prostate cancer.

Lactate metabolism in human health and disease

The current understanding of lactate extends from its origins as a byproduct of glycolysis to its role in tumor metabolism, as identified by studies on the Warburg effect. The lactate shuttle hypothesis suggests that lactate plays an important role as a bridging signaling molecule that coordinates signaling among different cells, organs and tissues. Lactylation is a posttranslational modification initially reported by Professor Yingming Zhao’s research group in 2019. Subsequent studies confirmed that lactylation is a vital component of lactate function and is involved in tumor proliferation, neural excitation, inflammation and other biological processes. An indispensable substance for various physiological cellular functions, lactate plays a regulatory role in different aspects of energy metabolism and signal transduction. Therefore, a comprehensive review and summary of lactate is presented to clarify the role of lactate in disease and to provide a reference and direction for future research. This review offers a systematic overview of lactate homeostasis and its roles in physiological and pathological processes, as well as a comprehensive overview of the effects of lactylation in various diseases, particularly inflammation and cancer.

Perspectives and mechanisms for targeting ferroptosis in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Ferroptosis is a novel process of regulated cell death discovered in recent years, mainly caused by intracellular lipid peroxidation. It is morphologically manifested as shrinking of mitochondria, swelling of cytoplasm and organelles, rupture of plasma membrane, and formation of double-membrane vesicles. Work done in the past 5 years indicates that induction of ferroptosis is a promising strategy in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). System xc^-/GSH/GPX4, iron metabolism, p53 and lipid peroxidation pathways are the main focus areas in ferroptosis research. In this paper, we analyze the ferroptosis-inducing drugs and experimental agents that have been used in the last 5 years in the treatment of HCC. We summarize four different key molecular mechanisms that induce ferroptosis, i.e., system xc^-/GSH/GPX4, iron metabolism, p53 and lipid peroxidation. Finally, we outline the prognostic analysis associated with ferroptosis in HCC. The findings summarized suggest that ferroptosis induction can serve as a promising new therapeutic approach for HCC and can provide a basis for clinical diagnosis and prevention of this disease.

Autoregulation of H+/lactate efflux prevents monocarboxylate transport (MCT) inhibitors from reducing glycolytic lactic acid production

Background

Pharmacological inhibition of membrane transporters is expected to reduce the flow of solutes, unless flux is restored (i.e., autoregulated) through a compensatory increase in the transmembrane driving force. Drugs acting on monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) have been developed to disrupt glycolytic metabolism, but autoregulation would render such interventions ineffective. We evaluated whether small-molecule MCT inhibitors reduce cellular H⁺/lactate production.

Methods

Cellular assays measured the relationship between MCT activity (expressed as membrane H⁺/lactate permeability; P_HLac) and lactic acid production (inferred from H⁺ and lactate excretion; J_HLac) in a panel of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells spanning a range of glycolytic phenotype.

Results

MCT activity did not correlate with lactic acid production, indicating that it is not set by membrane permeability properties. MCT inhibitors did not proportionately reduce J_HLac because of a compensatory increase in the transmembrane [lactate] driving force. J_HLac was largely insensitive to [lactate], therefore its cytoplasmic build-up upon MCT inhibition does not hinder glycolytic production. Extracellular acidity, an MCT inhibitor, reduced J_HLac but this was via cytoplasmic acidification blocking glycolytic enzymes.

Conclusions

We provide mathematically verified evidence that pharmacological and physiological modulators of MCTs cannot proportionately reduce lactic acid production because of the stabilising effect of autoregulation on overall flux.

miR-31-NUMB Cascade Modulates Monocarboxylate Transporters to Increase Oncogenicity and Lactate Production of Oral Carcinoma Cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the leading causes of cancer-associated death worldwide. miR-31 is an oncogenic miRNA in OSCC. NUMB is an adaptor protein capable of suppressing malignant transformation. Disruption of the miR-31-NUMB regulatory axis has been demonstrated in malignancies. Mitochondrial dysfunction and adaptation to glycolytic respiration are frequent events in malignancies. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) function to facilitate lactate flux in highly glycolytic cells. Upregulation of MCT1 and MCT4 has been shown to be a prognostic factor of OSCC. Here, we reported that miR-31-NUMB can modulate glycolysis in OSCC. Using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing strategy, we identified increases in oncogenic phenotypes, MCT1 and MCT4 expression, lactate production, and glycolytic respiration in NUMB-deleted OSCC subclones. Transfection of the Numb1 or Numb4 isoform reversed the oncogenic induction elicited by NUMB deletion. This study also showed, for the first time, that NUMB4 binds MCT1 and MCT4 and that this binding increases their ubiquitination, which may decrease their abundance in cell lysates. The disruptions in oncogenicity and metabolism associated with miR-31 deletion and NUMB deletion were partially rescued by MCT1/MCT4 expression or knockdown. This study demonstrated that NUMB is a novel binding partner of MCT1 and MCT4 and that the miR-31-NUMB-MCT1/MCT4 regulatory cascade is present in oral carcinoma.

The Identification of Zinc-Finger Protein 433 as a Possible Prognostic Biomarker for Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common and aggressive form of all urological cancers, with poor prognosis and high mortality. At late stages, ccRCC is known to be mainly resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to identify biomarkers that can facilitate the early detection of ccRCC in patients. In this study, the levels of transcripts of ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset were used to identify prognostic biomarkers in this disease. Analyzing the data obtained indicated that the KRAB-ZNF protein is significantly suppressed in clear-cell carcinomas. Furthermore, ZNF433 is differentially expressed in ccRCC in a stage- and histological-grade-specific manner. In addition, ZNF433 expression was correlated with metastasis, with greater node involvement associated with lower ZNF433 expression (p < 0.01) and with a more unsatisfactory overall survival outcome (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.33–0.6; p = 8.5 × 10⁻⁸). Since ccRCC is characterized by mutations in proteins that alter epigenetic modifications and /or chromatin remodeling, we examined the expression of ZNF433 transcripts in ccRCC with wildtype and mutated forms of BAP1, KDMC5, MTOR, PBRM1, SETD2, and VHL. Analysis revealed that ZNF433 expression was significantly reduced in ccRCC with mutations in the BAP1, SETD2, and KDM5C genes (p < 0.05). In addition, the ZNF433 promoter region was highly methylated, and hypermethylation was significantly associated with mRNA suppression (p < 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶). In silico analysis of potential ZNF target genes found that the largest group of target genes are involved in cellular metabolic processes, which incidentally are particularly impaired in ccRCC. It was concluded from this study that gene expression of ZNF433 is associated with cancer progression and poorer prognosis, and that ZNF433 behaves in a manner that suggests that it is a prognostic marker and a possible tumor-suppressor gene in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma.

A powerful tool to study metabolic reprogramming in pediatric cancers

Johnston et al. developed an intra-operative U13C-glucose infusion protocol that is well tolerated by patients with pediatric cancers and shows cancer-type-specific metabolic alterations with therapeutical consequences. The development of this procedure and their findings will strongly benefit metabolic analysis of pediatric cancers and design of new therapeutic strategies.

Catastrophic ATP loss underlies a metabolic combination therapy tailored for MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma

MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma is a lethal subset of pediatric cancer. MYCN drives numerous effects in the cell, including metabolic changes that are critical for oncogenesis. The understanding that both compensatory pathways and intrinsic redundancy in cell systems exists implies that the use of combination therapies for effective and durable responses is necessary. Additionally, the most effective targeted therapies exploit an "Achilles' heel" and are tailored to the genetics of the cancer under study. We performed an unbiased screen on select metabolic targeted therapy combinations and correlated sensitivity with over 20 subsets of cancer. We found that MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma is hypersensitive to the combination of an inhibitor of the lactate transporter MCT1, AZD3965, and complex I of the mitochondrion, phenformin. Our data demonstrate that MCT4 is highly correlated with resistance to the combination in the screen and lowly expressed in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. Low MCT4 combines with high expression of the MCT2 and MCT1 chaperone CD147 in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, altogether conferring sensitivity to the AZD3965 and phenformin combination. The result is simultaneous disruption of glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation, resulting in dramatic disruption of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and cell death. In mouse models of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, the combination was tolerable at concentrations where it shrank tumors and did not increase white-blood-cell toxicity compared to single drugs. Therefore, we demonstrate that a metabolic combination screen can identify vulnerabilities in subsets of cancer and put forth a metabolic combination therapy tailored for MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma that demonstrates efficacy and tolerability in vivo.

High expression of monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT 4), but not MCT 1, predicts poor prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

The monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) family especially MCT1 and MCT4 have been recognized to play an important role in lactate transport, a key glycolytic product. The expression of MCT1 and MCT4 expression was previously found to be related to poor outcome in various cancer types. In this study, we investigated the expression status of MCT1 and MCT4 and their relationship with prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODS

Expression of MCT4 and MCT1 in NSCLC tumor and adjacent lung tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. Kaplan-Meier plots were used to evaluate two proteins' prognostic role, and the log-rank test obtained the P value. For multivariate analysis, the Cox proportional-hazards regression method was performed.

RESULTS

High MCT4 and MCT1 expression was observed in cancer cells, with a rate of 45% for MCT4 versus 15% for MCT1 among all NSCLC patients. High expression of MCT4, and not MCT1, was associated with worse overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) =1.96 (1.06-3.75), P=0.032] and progression-free survival (PFS) [HR =1.72 (1.05-2.93), P=0.032] in NSCLC patients. In our multivariate analysis, advanced cancer stage and high MCT4 level were identified as independent predictive indicators for both PFS [HR(MCT4) =1.888 (1.114-3.199), P=0.018 and OS [HR (MCT4) =2.421 (1.271-4.610), P=0.007]. Subgroup and interaction analyses were also performed in different clinical characteristic groups and no significant differences were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

High MCT4 expression is a predictive marker for worse outcome in NSCLC patients.

Prognostic Signatures of Metabolic Genes and Metabolism-Related Long Non-coding RNAs Accurately Predict Overall Survival for Osteosarcoma Patients

In this study, we identified eight survival-related metabolic genes in differentially expressed metabolic genes by univariate Cox regression analysis based on the therapeutically applicable research to generate effective treatments (n = 84) data set and genotype tissue expression data set (n = 396). We also constructed a six metabolic gene signature to predict the overall survival of osteosarcoma (OS) patients using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) Cox regression analysis. Our results show that the six metabolic gene signature showed good performance in predicting survival of OS patients and was also an independent prognostic factor. Stratified correlation analysis showed that the metabolic gene signature accurately predicted survival outcomes in high-risk and low-risk OS patients. The six metabolic gene signature was also verified to perform well in predicting survival of OS patients in an independent cohort (GSE21257). Then, using univariate Cox regression and Lasso Cox regression analyses, we identified an eight metabolism-related long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) signature that accurately predicts overall survival of OS patients. Gene set variation analysis showed that the apical surface and bile acid metabolism, epithelial mesenchymal transition, and P53 pathway were activated in the high-risk group based on the eight metabolism-related lncRNA signature. Furthermore, we constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and conducted immunization score analysis based on the eight metabolism-related lncRNA signature. These results showed that the six metabolic gene signature and eight metabolism-related lncRNA signature have good performance in predicting the survival outcomes of OS patients.

Neuroblastoma-targeted nanoparticles and novel nanotechnology-based treatment methods

Neuroblastoma is a complicated pediatric tumor, originating from the neural crest, which is the most prevalent in adrenal glands, but may rarely be seen in some other tissues as well. Studies are focused on developing new strategies through novel chemo- and immuno-therapeutic drug targets. Different types of oncogenes such as MYCN, tumor suppressor genes such as p53, and some structural genes such as vascular endothelial growth factor are considered as targets for neuroblastoma therapy. The individual expression patterns in NB cells make them appropriate for this purpose. The combined effect of nano-drug delivery systems and specific drug targets will result in lower systemic side effects, prolonged therapeutic effects, and improvements in the pharmacokinetic properties of the drugs. Some of these novel drug delivery systems with a focus on liposomes as carriers are also discussed. In this review, genes and protein products that are beneficial as drug targets in the treatment of neuroblastoma have been discussed.

Combined analysis of RNA-sequence and microarray data reveals effective metabolism-based prognostic signature for neuroblastoma

The relationship between metabolism reprogramming and neuroblastoma (NB) is largely unknown. In this study, one RNA‐sequence data set (n = 153) was used as discovery cohort and two microarray data sets (n = 498 and n = 223) were used as validation cohorts. Differentially expressed metabolic genes were identified by comparing stage 4s and stage 4 NBs. Twelve metabolic genes were selected by LASSO regression analysis and integrated into the prognostic signature. The metabolic gene signature successfully stratifies NB patients into two risk groups and performs well in predicting survival of NB patients. The prognostic value of the metabolic gene signature is also independent with other clinical risk factors. Nine metabolism‐related long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were also identified and integrated into the metabolism‐related lncRNA signature. The lncRNA signature also performs well in predicting survival of NB patients. These results suggest that the metabolic signatures have the potential to be used for risk stratification of NB. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) reveals that multiple metabolic processes (including oxidative phosphorylation and tricarboxylic acid cycle, both of which are emerging targets for cancer therapy) are enriched in the high‐risk NB group, and no metabolic process is enriched in the low‐risk NB group. This result indicates that metabolism reprogramming is associated with the progression of NB and targeting certain metabolic pathways might be a promising therapy for NB.