SOX12 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation and metastasis by regulating asparagine synthesis

LINC00894 inhibited neuron cellular apoptosis and regulated activating transcription factor 3 expression

LINC00894 may be associated with synaptic function, but its biology function in neural cells is still unknown. In this study, LINC00894 knockdown decreased the EdU incorporated into newly synthesized DNA and cell viability in MTT or CCK-8 assay in HEK-293T and BE(2)-M17 (M17) neuroblastoma cells. And LINC00894 knockdown increased cellular apoptosis in Annexin V-FITC staining, the expression of activated Caspase3 and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) both in HEK-293T and M17 cells. Moreover, LINC00894 also protected cells from hydrogen peroxide induced apoptosis in in vitro models. Utilizing RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) integrated with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunoblot, we identified that LINC00894 affected activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) expression in HEK-293T, M17, and SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Finally, we found that ectopic expression of ATF3 restored cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in LINC00894 downregulated M17 cells. While knockdown of ATF3 also significantly increased the cell viability inhibition and apoptosis promotion induced by LINC00894 knockdown in M17 cells. Our results from in vitro models revealed that LINC00894 could promote neuronal cell proliferation and inhibit cellular apoptosis by affecting ATF3 expression.

Role of dietary nutrients and metabolism in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies and the leading causes of cancer related deaths worldwide. The development of CRC is driven by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There is growing evidence that changes in dietary nutrition may modulate the CRC risk, and protective effects on the risk of developing CRC have been advocated for specific nutrients such as glucose, amino acids, lipid, vitamins, micronutrients and prebiotics. Metabolic crosstalk between tumor cells, tumor microenvironment components and intestinal flora further promote proliferation, invasion and metastasis of CRC cells and leads to treatment resistance. This review summarizes the research progress on CRC prevention, pathogenesis, and treatment by dietary supplementation or deficiency of glucose, amino acids, lipids, vitamins, micronutri-ents, and prebiotics, respectively. The roles played by different nutrients and dietary crosstalk in the tumor microenvironment and metabolism are discussed, and nutritional modulation is inspired to be beneficial in the prevention and treatment of CRC.

A paradigm shift in cancer research based on integrative multi-omics approaches: glutaminase serves as a pioneering cuproptosis-related gene in pan-cancer

BACKGROUND

Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of unprogrammed cell death. As a pivotal metabolic regulator, glutaminase (GLS) has recently been discovered to be linked to cuproptosis. Despite this discovery, the oncogenic functions and mechanisms of GLS in various cancers are still not fully understood.

METHODS

In this study, a comprehensive omics analysis was performed to investigate the differential expression levels, diagnostic and prognostic potential, correlation with tumor immune infiltration, genetic alterations, and drug sensitivity of GLS across multiple malignancies.

RESULTS

Our findings revealed unique expression patterns of GLS across various cancer types and molecular subtypes of carcinomas, underscoring its pivotal role primarily in energy and nutrition metabolism. Additionally, GLS showed remarkable diagnostic and prognostic performance in specific cancers, suggesting its potential as a promising biomarker for cancer detection and prognosis. Furthermore, we focused on uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) and developed a novel prognostic model associated with GLS, indicating a close correlation between GLS and UCEC. Moreover, our exploration into immune infiltration, genetic heterogeneity, tumor stemness, and drug sensitivity provided novel insights and directions for future research and laid the foundation for high-quality verification.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our study is the first comprehensive investigation of the biological and clinical significance of GLS in pan-cancer. In our study, GLS was identified as a promising biomarker for UCEC, providing valuable evidence and a potential target for anti-tumor therapy. Overall, our findings shed light on the multifaceted functions of GLS in cancer and offer new avenues for further research.

AURKA emerges as a vulnerable target for KEAP1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer by activation of asparagine synthesis

AURKA is an established target for cancer therapy; however, the efficacy of its inhibitors in clinical trials is hindered by differential response rates across different tumor subtypes. In this study, we demonstrate AURKA regulates amino acid synthesis, rendering it a vulnerable target in KEAP1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Through CRISPR metabolic screens, we identified that KEAP1-knockdown cells showed the highest sensitivity to the AURKA inhibitor MLN8237. Subsequent investigations confirmed that KEAP1 deficiency heightens the susceptibility of NSCLC cells to AURKA inhibition both in vitro and in vivo, with the response depending on NRF2 activation. Mechanistically, AURKA interacts with the eIF2α kinase GCN2 and maintains its phosphorylation to regulate eIF2α-ATF4-mediated amino acid biosynthesis. AURKA inhibition restrains the expression of asparagine synthetase (ASNS), making KEAP1-deficient NSCLC cells vulnerable to AURKA inhibitors, in which ASNS is highly expressed. Our study unveils the pivotal role of AURKA in amino acid metabolism and identifies a specific metabolic indication for AURKA inhibitors. These findings also provide a novel clinical therapeutic target for KEAP1-mutant/deficient NSCLC, which is characterized by resistance to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy.

Metabolism of asparagine in the physiological state and cancer

Asparagine, an important amino acid in mammals, is produced in several organs and is widely used for the production of other nutrients such as glucose, proteins, lipids, and nucleotides. Asparagine has also been reported to play a vital role in the development of cancer cells. Although several types of cancer cells can synthesise asparagine alone, their synthesis levels are insufficient to meet their requirements. These cells must rely on the supply of exogenous asparagine, which is why asparagine is considered a semi-essential amino acid. Therefore, nutritional inhibition by targeting asparagine is often considered as an anti-cancer strategy and has shown success in the treatment of leukaemia. However, asparagine limitation alone does not achieve an ideal therapeutic effect because of stress responses that upregulate asparagine synthase (ASNS) to meet the requirements for asparagine in cancer cells. Various cancer cells initiate different reprogramming processes in response to the deficiency of asparagine. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehensively understand the asparagine metabolism in cancers. This review primarily discusses the physiological role of asparagine and the current progress in the field of cancer research.

SOX on tumors, a comfort or a constraint?

The sex-determining region Y (SRY)-related high-mobility group (HMG) box (SOX) family, composed of 20 transcription factors, is a conserved family with a highly homologous HMG domain. Due to their crucial role in determining cell fate, the dysregulation of SOX family members is closely associated with tumorigenesis, including tumor invasion, metastasis, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, stemness and drug resistance. Despite considerable research to investigate the mechanisms and functions of the SOX family, confusion remains regarding aspects such as the role of the SOX family in tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and contradictory impacts the SOX family exerts on tumors. This review summarizes the physiological function of the SOX family and their multiple roles in tumors, with a focus on the relationship between the SOX family and TIME, aiming to propose their potential role in cancer and promising methods for treatment.

Metabolomic Signatures of Exposure to Nitrate and Trihalomethanes in Drinking Water and Colorectal Cancer Risk in a Spanish Multicentric Study (MCC-Spain)

We investigated the metabolomic profile associated with exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs) and nitrate in drinking water and with colorectal cancer risk in 296 cases and 295 controls from the Multi Case-Control Spain project. Untargeted metabolomic analysis was conducted in blood samples using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A variety of univariate and multivariate association analyses were conducted after data quality control, normalization, and imputation. Linear regression and partial least-squares analyses were conducted for chloroform, brominated THMs, total THMs, and nitrate among controls and for case-control status, together with a N-integration model discriminating colorectal cancer cases from controls through interrogation of correlations between the exposure variables and the metabolomic features. Results revealed a total of 568 metabolomic features associated with at least one water contaminant or colorectal cancer. Annotated metabolites and pathway analysis suggest a number of pathways as potentially involved in the link between exposure to these water contaminants and colorectal cancer, including nicotinamide, cytochrome P-450, and tyrosine metabolism. These findings provide insights into the underlying biological mechanisms and potential biomarkers associated with water contaminant exposure and colorectal cancer risk. Further research in this area is needed to better understand the causal relationship and the public health implications.

Metabolic control of cancer metastasis: role of amino acids at secondary organ sites

Most cancer-related deaths are caused by the metastases, which commonly develop at multiple organ sites including the brain, bone, and lungs. Despite longstanding observations that the spread of cancer is not random, our understanding of the mechanisms that underlie metastatic spread to specific organs remains limited. However, metabolism has recently emerged as an important contributor to metastasis. Amino acids are a significant nutrient source to cancer cells and their metabolism which can serve to fuel biosynthetic pathways capable of facilitating cell survival and tumor expansion while also defending against oxidative stress. Compared to the primary tumor, each of the common metastatic sites exhibit vastly different nutrient compositions and environmental stressors, necessitating the need of cancer cells to metabolically thrive in their new environment during colonization and outgrowth. This review seeks to summarize the current literature on amino acid metabolism pathways that support metastasis to common secondary sites, including impacts on immune responses. Understanding the role of amino acids in secondary organ sites may offer opportunities for therapeutic inhibition of cancer metastasis.

Integrated bioinformatics and validation reveal SOX12 as potential biomarker in colon adenocarcinoma based on an immune infiltration-related ceRNA network

PURPOSE

The primary objective of this study was to construct competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks and evaluate the prognostic significance of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) and key biomarkers within the ceRNA networks in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients.

METHODS

Comprehensive bioinformatics tools were used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs), miRNAs (DEMs), and lncRNAs (DELs) related to COAD, leading to the creation of ceRNA networks. The CIBERSORT technique was employed to assess the significance of TIICs in COAD, and an immune-related prognosis prediction model was subsequently developed. Co-expression analyses were conducted to determine the relationship between key genes in ceRNA networks and immunologically significant TIICs. The study also utilized 5 GEO datasets and web-based databases to externally validate the findings.

RESULTS

The study revealed a statistically significant relationship between key hub genes and immune cells, as determined through co-expression analysis. Two hub regulators (SOX12 and H19) demonstrated significant prognostic value in the ceRNA-related prognostic model, and their elevated expression levels were verified across multiple CRC cell lines. Additionally, the knockdown of SOX12 led to a suppression of proliferation, migration, and invasion in colon cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

Through the construction of ceRNA networks and evaluation of TIICs, the study successfully established two risk score models and nomograms. These models serve as valuable tools for understanding the molecular processes and predicting the prognosis of COAD patients. Further validation of hub regulators SOX12 and H19 substantiates their potential role as key biomarkers in COAD.

Glutamine metabolism in tumor metastasis: Genes, mechanisms and the therapeutic targets

Cancer cells frequently change their metabolism from aerobic glycolysis to lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism to adapt to the malignant biological behaviours of infinite proliferation and distant metastasis. The significance of metabolic substances and patterns in tumour cell metastasis is becoming increasingly prominent. Tumour metastasis involves a series of significant steps such as the shedding of cancer cells from a primary tumour, resistance to apoptosis, and colonisation of metastatic sites. However, the role of glutamine in these processes remains unclear. This review summarises the key enzymes and transporters involved in glutamine metabolism that are related to the pathogenesis of malignant tumour metastasis. We also list the roles of glutamine in resisting oxidative stress and promoting immune escape. Finally, the significance of targeting glutamine metabolism in inhibiting tumour metastasis was proposed, research in this field improving our understanding of amino acid metabolism rewiring and simultaneously bringing about new and exciting therapeutic prospects.

Spotlight on GOT2 in Cancer Metabolism

GOT2 is at the nexus of several critical metabolic pathways in homeostatic cellular and dysregulated cancer metabolism. Despite this, recent work has emphasized the remarkable plasticity of cancer cells to employ compensatory pathways when GOT2 is inhibited. Here, we review the metabolic roles of GOT2, highlighting findings in both normal and cancer cells. We emphasize how cancer cells repurpose cell intrinsic metabolism and their flexibility when GOT2 is inhibited. We close by using this framework to discuss key considerations for future investigations into cancer metabolism.

Amino Acid Metabolism in Bone Metastatic Disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Breast and prostate tumors frequently metastasize to the bone, but the underlying mechanisms for osteotropism remain elusive. An emerging feature of metastatic progression is metabolic adaptation of cancer cells to new environments. This review will summarize the recent advances on how cancer cells utilize amino acid metabolism during metastasis, from early dissemination to interactions with the bone microenvironment.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies have suggested that certain metabolic preferences for amino acids may be associated with bone metastasis. Once in the bone microenvironment, cancer cells encounter a favorable microenvironment, where a changing nutrient composition of the tumor-bone microenvironment may alter metabolic interactions with bone-resident cells to further drive metastatic outgrowth. Enhanced amino acid metabolic programs are associated with bone metastatic disease and may be further augmented by the bone microenvironment. Additional studies are necessary to fully elucidate the role of amino acid metabolism on bone metastasis.

IL-8-mediated overexpression of ZNF274 promotes the proliferation and migration of colorectal cancer cells through the transactivation of MRPL40

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality rates worldwide. ZNF274, a member of the zinc-finger-protein family of transcription factors, is critical in chromosomal remodelling and tumorigenesis. However, the role of ZNF274 in CRC and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods

Immunohistochemical analysis was performed to quantify the expression of ZNF274 in human CRC tissues. The Kaplan‒Meier method was used to analyse the relationship between ZNF274 expression and CRC prognosis. The correlation between ZNF274 expression and clinical features was analyzed using Cox regression analysis. Cell proliferation and migration were evaluated by CCK-8, colony formation, and Transwell assays. The limma R package was used to analyse IL-8-related differentially expressed genes in the GSE30364 dataset. The DAVID method was used to screen significantly enriched pathways. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were performed to determine the transcriptional regulation of MRPL40 by ZNF274.

Results

ZNF274 was overexpressed in CRC tissues and indicated poor prognosis. High ZNF274 expression was linked to larger tumor size, invasion, lymph node metastasis, and AJCC stage. Ectopic expression promoted CRC cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, MRPL40 was identified as the direct target gene that transactivates the expression of ZNF274. Moreover, IL-8 upregulated ZNF274 expression in a dose-dependent manner. Downregulation of either ZNF274 or MRPL40 expression abrogated the effect of IL-8 on promoting the proliferation and migration of CRC.

Conclusion

This study revealed an oncogenic role of ZNF274 and the mechanism by which ZNF274 participated in IL-8-induced promotion of CRC progression. These findings demonstrate that ZNF274 could be used as a prognostic factor and potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

NUCKS1, a LINC00629-upregulated gene, facilitated osteosarcoma progression and metastasis by elevating asparagine synthesis

Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinase substrate 1 (NUCKS1) has been reported to play an oncogenic role in several cancers. However, the biological functions and regulatory mechanism of NUCKS1 in osteosarcoma have not been fully understood. In this study, we reported that NUCKS1 was significantly increased in osteosarcoma. Depletion of NUCKS1 decreased osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo and in vitro. Overexpression of NUCKS1 accelerated osteosarcoma cell aggressiveness. Mechanistically, NUCKS1 facilitated asparagine (Asn) synthesis by transcriptionally upregulating asparagine synthetase (ASNS) expression and elevating the levels of Asn in osteosarcoma cells, leading to increased cell growth and metastasis. Inhibition of ASNS or reduction of Asn decreased osteosarcoma cell aggressiveness and impaired the promoting effects of NUCKS1 on tumorigenesis and metastasis. Furthermore, we also found that by acting as a sponge for miR-4768-3p, LINC00629 promoted NUCKS1 expression. Collectively, our findings highlight the role of NUCKS1 in regulating asparagine metabolism and reveal that LINC00629 is an important regulator of NUCKS1 that contributes to NUCKS1 upregulation in osteosarcoma.

The role of amino acid metabolism alterations in pancreatic cancer: From mechanism to application

The incidence of pancreatic cancer is increasing in both developed and developing Nations. In recent years, various research evidence suggested that reprogrammed metabolism may play a key role in pancreatic cancer tumorigenesis and development. Therefore, it has great potential as a diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic target. Amino acid metabolism is deregulated in pancreatic cancer, and changes in amino acid metabolism can affect cancer cell status, systemic metabolism in malignant tumor patients and mistakenly involved in different biological processes including stemness, proliferation and growth, invasion and migration, redox state maintenance, autophagy, apoptosis and even tumor microenvironment interaction. Generally, the above effects are achieved through two pathways, energy metabolism and signal transduction. This review aims to highlight the current research progress on the abnormal alterations of amino acids metabolism in pancreatic cancer, how they affect tumorigenesis and development of pancreatic cancer and the application prospects of them as diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets.

Amino acid metabolic reprogramming in tumor metastatic colonization

Metastasis is considered as the major cause of cancer death. Cancer cells can be released from primary tumors into the circulation and then colonize in distant organs. How cancer cells acquire the ability to colonize in distant organs has always been the focus of tumor biology. To enable survival and growth in the new environment, metastases commonly reprogram their metabolic states and therefore display different metabolic properties and preferences compared with the primary lesions. For different microenvironments in various colonization sites, cancer cells must transfer to specific metabolic states to colonize in different distant organs, which provides the possibility of evaluating metastasis tendency by tumor metabolic states. Amino acids provide crucial precursors for many biosynthesis and play an essential role in cancer metastasis. Evidence has proved the hyperactivation of several amino acid biosynthetic pathways in metastatic cancer cells, including glutamine, serine, glycine, branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), proline, and asparagine metabolism. The reprogramming of amino acid metabolism can orchestrate energy supply, redox homeostasis, and other metabolism-associated pathways during cancer metastasis. Here, we review the role and function of amino acid metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells colonizing in common metastatic organs, including lung, liver, brain, peritoneum, and bone. In addition, we summarize the current biomarker identification and drug development of cancer metastasis under the amino acid metabolism reprogramming, and discuss the possibility and prospect of targeting organ-specific metastasis for cancer treatment.

Metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer: regulatory networks and therapy

With high prevalence and mortality, together with metabolic reprogramming, colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Metabolic reprogramming gives tumors the capacity for long-term cell proliferation, making it a distinguishing feature of cancer. Energy and intermediate metabolites produced by metabolic reprogramming fuel the rapid growth of cancer cells. Aberrant metabolic enzyme-mediated tumor metabolism is regulated at multiple levels. Notably, tumor metabolism is affected by nutrient levels, cell interactions, and transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation. Understanding the crosstalk between metabolic enzymes and colorectal carcinogenesis factors is particularly important to advance research for targeted cancer therapy strategies via the investigation into the aberrant regulation of metabolic pathways. Hence, the abnormal roles and regulation of metabolic enzymes in recent years are reviewed in this paper, which provides an overview of targeted inhibitors for targeting metabolic enzymes in colorectal cancer that have been identified through tumor research or clinical trials.

Asparagine and Glutamine Deprivation Alters Ionizing Radiation Response, Migration and Adhesion of a p53null Colorectal Cancer Cell Line

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most prominent form of colon cancer for both incidence (38.7 per 100,000 people) and mortality (13.9 per 100,000 people). CRC's poor response to standard therapies is linked to its high heterogeneity and complex genetic background. Dysregulation or depletion of the tumor suppressor p53 is involved in CRC transformation and its capability to escape therapy, with p53^null cancer subtypes known, in fact, to have a poor prognosis. In such a context, new therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing CRC proliferation must be investigated. In clinical practice, CRC chemotherapy is often combined with radiation therapy with the aim of blocking the expansion of the tumor mass or removing residual cancer cells, though contemporary targeting of amino acid metabolism has not yet been explored. In the present study, we used the p53^null Caco-2 model cell line to evaluate the effect of a possible combination of radiation and L-Asparaginase (L-ASNase), a protein drug that blocks cancer proliferation by impairing asparagine and glutamine extracellular supply. When L-ASNase was administered immediately after IR, we observed a reduced proliferative capability, a delay in DNA-damage response and a reduced capability to adhere and migrate. Our data suggest that a correctly timed combination of X-rays and L-ASNase treatment could represent an advantage in CRC therapy.

Ferroptosis-related biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease: Identification by bioinformatic analysis in hippocampus

BACKGROUND

Globally, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) accounts for the majority of dementia, making it a public health concern. AD treatment is limited due to the limited understanding of its pathogenesis. Recently, more and more evidence shows that ferroptosis lead to cell death in the brain, especially in the regions of the brain related to dementia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three microarray datasets (GSE5281, GSE9770, GSE28146) related to AD were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Ferroptosis-related genes were extracted from FerrDb database. Data sets were separated into two groups. GSE5281 and GSE9770 were used to identify ferroptosis-related genes, and GSE28146 was used to verify results. During these processes, protein-protein interaction (PPI), the Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were conducted. Finally, the differentiated values of ferroptosis-related genes were determined by receiver operator characteristic (ROC) monofactor analysis to judge their potential quality as biomarkers.

RESULTS

Twenty-four ferroptosis-related genes were obtained. Using STRING (https://cn.string-db.org/) and Cytoscape with CytoHubba, the top 10 genes (RB1, AGPAT3, SESN2, KLHL24, ALOX15B, CA9, GDF15, DPP4, PRDX1, UBC, FTH1, ASNS, GOT1, PGD, ATG16L1, SLC3A2, DDIT3, RPL8, VDAC2, GLS2, MTOR, HSF1, AKR1C3, NCF2) were identified as target genes. GO analysis revealed that response to carboxylic acid catabolic process, organic acid catabolic process, alpha-amino acid biosynthetic process and cellular amino acid biosynthetic process were the most highly enriched terms. KEGG analysis showed that these overlapped genes were enriched in p53 signaling pathways, longevity regulating pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, type 2 diabetes mellitus and ferroptosis. Box plots and violine plots were created and verified to confirm the significance of identified target genes. Moreover, ROC monofactor analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic value of identified genes. Two genes (ASNS, SESN2) were subsequently obtained. For the tow genes, STRING was used to obtain the five related genes and determined enriched GO terms and KEGG pathways for those genes.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that ASNS and SENS2 may serve as potential diagnostic biomarkers for AD and provide additional evidence regarding the essential role of ferroptosis in AD.

LncRNA CASC9 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in osteosarcoma through targeting miR-874-3p/SOX12 axis

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common primary malignant bone tumor. This study aimed to explore the biological role of long on-coding RNA (lncRNA) CASC9 and its regulatory mechanism in OC.

METHODS

The CASC9 expressions in OS cells and tissues were measured using qRT-PCR. The functional role of CASC9 in OC was studied using MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell invasion assay, and xenograft tumor assay. In addition, the mechanism of CASC9 function was determined using luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was used to analyze protein expressions in our paper.

RESULTS

LncRNA CASC9 was found to be up-regulated in OS. Knockdown of CASC9 inhibited the proliferation and invasion of OS cells. Besides, miR-874-3p was identified as the target of CASC9, and SOX12 acted as a potential target of miR-874-3p. The down-regulation of miR-874-3p recovered the reduction in cell invasion and proliferation in vitro which were induced by CASC9 knockdown and delayed the tumor progression in vivo.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA CASC9 promotes cell proliferation and invasion in OS via miR-874-3p/SOX12 axis. Our study might provide novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for OS treatment.

GOT2 Silencing Promotes Reprogramming of Glutamine Metabolism and Sensitizes Hepatocellular Carcinoma to Glutaminase Inhibitors

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the primary liver malignancies with a poor prognosis. Glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 2 (GOT2) is a highly tissue-specific gene in the liver, but the roles GOT2 plays in the progression of HCC remain unclear. Here, we report that GOT2 is downregulated in HCC tumor tissues and that low expression of GOT2 is associated with advanced progression and poor prognosis. In HCC cells, knockdown of GOT2 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion. In mouse models of HCC, loss of GOT2 promoted tumor growth as well as hematogenous and intrahepatic metastasis. Mechanistically, silencing of GOT2 enhanced glutaminolysis, nucleotide synthesis, and glutathione synthesis by reprogramming glutamine metabolism to support the cellular antioxidant system, which activated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to contribute to HCC progression. Furthermore, HCC with low expression of GOT2 was highly dependent on glutamine metabolism and sensitive to the glutaminase inhibitor CB-839 in vitro and in vivo. Overall, GOT2 is involved in glutamine metabolic reprogramming to promote HCC progression and may serve as a therapeutic and diagnostic target for HCC.

SIGNIFICANCE

Altered glutamine metabolism induced by GOT2 loss supports HCC growth and metastasis but confers a targetable vulnerability to glutaminase inhibitors.

miR-342-3p Inhibits Acute Myeloid Leukemia Progression by Targeting SOX12

Background

It is well known that microRNAs (miRNAs) interfere with the progression of various human malignancies. This article is aimed at exploring the regulating role of miR-342-3p in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its mechanism.

Methods

We used the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to determine miR-342-3p differential expression patterns in AML patients' plasma and cells as well as healthy individuals' plasma and T cells. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were performed for plasma and cell miR-342-3p and SRY-related high-mobility-group box (SOX12) expression quantification, and cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry were used for the determination of AML cell growth, cycle, and apoptosis. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was further carried out to identify the targeted association between miR-342-3p and SOX12 mRNA 3′UTR after prediction by a bioinformatics website. Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to analyze the connection between miR-342-3p and SOX12 expressions. The LinkedOmics database was utilized to explore the downstream pathways in which SOX12 was enriched.

Results

Evidently downregulated plasma miR-342-3p and markedly elevated SOX12 were observed in AML patients versus healthy individuals. miR-342-3p mimics suppressed AML cell growth, enhanced apoptosis, and induced G0/G1 phase arrest; conversely, enhanced capacity of AML cells to proliferate, suppressed apoptosis, and accelerated cell cycle were observed after treatment with miR-342-3p inhibitors. SOX12 was confirmed as miR-342-3p's target gene. Overexpressing or knocking down SOX12 reversed miR-342-3p's impacts on AML cell growth, apoptosis, and cycle. Upregulated SOX12 was positively related to DNA replication and RNA polymerase signaling pathways.

Conclusion

miR-342-3p affects apoptosis of AML cells and their ability to proliferate via targeted regulation of SOX12.

Asparagine, colorectal cancer, and the role of sex, genes, microbes, and diet: A narrative review

Asparagine (Asn) and enzymes that catalyze the metabolism of Asn have been linked to the regulation and propagation of colorectal cancer (CRC). Increased Asn and asparagine synthetase (ASNS) expression, both contribute to CRC progression and metastasis. In contradistinction, L-asparaginase (ASNase) which breaks down Asn, exhibits an anti-tumor effect. Metabolic pathways such as KRAS/PI3K/AKT/mTORC1 signaling and high SOX12 expression can positively regulate endogenous Asn production. Conversely, the tumor suppressor, TP53, negatively impacts ASNS, thus limiting Asn synthesis and reducing tumor burden. Asn abundance can be altered by factors extrinsic to the cancer cell such as diet, the microbiome, and therapeutic use of ASNase. Recent studies have shown that sex-related factors can also influence the regulation of Asn, and high Asn production results in poorer prognosis for female CRC patients but not males. In this narrative review, we critically review studies that have examined endogenous and exogenous modulators of Asn bioavailability and summarize the key metabolic networks that regulate Asn metabolism. We also provide new hypotheses regarding sex-related influences on Asn, including the involvement of the sex-steroid hormone estrogen and estrogen receptors. Further, we hypothesize that sex-specific factors that influence Asn metabolism can influence clinical outcomes in CRC patients.

Knockdown of SOX12 Expression Induced Apoptotic Factors is Associated with TWIST1 and CTNNB1 Expression in Human Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells

Recent improvements in molecular treatment and gene therapy led to discovering novel cancer remedies. Antisense LNA GapmeRs is a state-of-the-art molecular research field for diagnosing and treating various cancer types. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematopoietic malignancy defined by the rapid accumulation and malignant proliferation of immature myeloid progenitors. SOX12 is a new potential target for acute myeloid leukemia. In this study, SOX12 was blocked by antisense LNA GapmeRs (ALG) in human AML cell lines (KG1 and M07e). Cells were transfected with Gapmer anti-SOX12 at 24, 48, and 72 h post-transfection. Transfection efficiency was assessed by a fluorescent microscope. Furthermore, evaluation of SOX12, TWIST1, CTNNB1, CASP3, and CASP9 expression was performed by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. SOX12 expression was decreased remarkably in the ALG group. Moreover, SOX12 knockdown was associated with a decrease in TWIST1 and CTNNB1 expression. Besides, downregulation of SOX12 in both cell lines could induce apoptosis, probably through upregulation of CASP3 and CASP9. The findings reveal that SOX12 knockdown could be a new target for reducing AML cells proliferation through antisense therapy approach.

SOX12 Promotes Thyroid Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Regulating the Expression of POU2F1 and POU3F1

PURPOSE

SOX12 is overexpressed in many cancers, and we aimed to explore the biological function and mechanism of SOX12 in thyroid cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We first analyzed the expression of SOX12 in thyroid cancer using data in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR were performed to identify SOX12 expression in thyroid cancer tissue and cells. Thyroid cancer cells were transfected with small interfering RNA targeting SOX12, and cellular functional experiments, including CCK8, wound healing, and Transwell assays, were performed. Protein expression was examined by Western blot analysis. A xenograft model was developed to evaluate the effect of SOX12 on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

SOX12 expression was increased in thyroid cancer tissue and cells. SOX12 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and accelerated tumor growth in vivo. The expression of PCNA, Cyclin D1, E-cadherin, Snail, MMP-2, and MMP-9 was affected by SOX12 knockdown. Bioinformatic analysis showed that SOX12 could interact with the POU family. SOX12 knockdown inhibited the expression of POU2F1, POU2F2, POU3F1 and POU3F2, and SOX12 expression showed a positive correlation with POU2F1, POU3F1, and POU3F2 expression in clinical data. POU2F1 and POU3F1 were able to reverse the effect of SOX12 knockdown on thyroid cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

SOX12 affects the progression of thyroid cancer by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and interacting with POU2F1 and POU3F1, which may be novel targets for thyroid cancer molecular therapy.

Expression of GOT2 Is Epigenetically Regulated by DNA Methylation and Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Clear-Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (KIRC) is the most common and highly malignant pathological type of kidney cancer, characterized by a profound metabolism dysregulation. As part of aspartate biosynthesis, mitochondrial GOT2 (glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 2) is essential for regulating cellular energy production and biosynthesis, linking multiple pathways. Nevertheless, the expression profile and prognostic significance of GOT2 in KIRC remain unclear. This study comprehensively analyzed the transcriptional levels, epigenetic regulation, correlation with immune infiltration, and prognosis of GOT2 in KIRC using rigorous bioinformatics analysis. We discovered that the expression levels of both mRNA and protein of GOT2 were remarkably decreased in KIRC tissues in comparison with normal tissues and were also significantly related to the clinical features and prognosis of KIRC. Remarkably, low GOT2 expression was positively associated with poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Further analysis revealed that GOT2 downregulation is driven by DNA methylation in the promoter-related CpG islands. Finally, we also shed light on the influence of GOT2 expression in immune cell infiltration, suggesting that GOT2 may be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for KIRC patients.

Novel Insights on the Use of L-Asparaginase as an Efficient and Safe Anti-Cancer Therapy

Simple Summary

L-asparaginase (L-ASNase) therapy is key for achieving the very high cure rate of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), yet its use is mostly confined to this indication. One main reason preventing the expansion of today’s FDA-approved L-ASNases to solid cancers is their high toxicity and side effects, which become especially challenging in adult patients. The design of optimized L-ASNase molecules provides opportunities to overcome these unwanted toxicities. An additional challenge to broader application of L-ASNases is how cells can counter the pharmacological effect of this drug and the identification of L-ASNases resistance mechanisms. In this review, we discuss recent insights into L-ASNase adverse effects, resistance mechanisms, and how novel L-ASNase variants and drug combinations can expand its clinical applicability, with a focus on both hematological and solid tumors.

Abstract

L-Asparaginase (L-ASNase) is an enzyme that hydrolyses the amino acid asparagine into aspartic acid and ammonia. Systemic administration of bacterial L-ASNase is successfully used to lower the bioavailability of this non-essential amino acid and to eradicate rapidly proliferating cancer cells with a high demand for exogenous asparagine. Currently, it is a cornerstone drug in the treatment of the most common pediatric cancer, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Since these lymphoblasts lack the expression of asparagine synthetase (ASNS), these cells depend on the uptake of extracellular asparagine for survival. Interestingly, recent reports have illustrated that L-ASNase may also have clinical potential for the treatment of other aggressive subtypes of hematological or solid cancers. However, immunogenic and other severe adverse side effects limit optimal clinical use and often lead to treatment discontinuation. The design of optimized and novel L-ASNase formulations provides opportunities to overcome these limitations. In addition, identification of multiple L-ASNase resistance mechanisms, including ASNS promoter reactivation and desensitization, has fueled research into promising novel drug combinations to overcome chemoresistance. In this review, we discuss recent insights into L-ASNase adverse effects, resistance both in hematological and solid tumors, and how novel L-ASNase variants and drug combinations can expand its clinical applicability.

Asparagine Metabolism in Tumors Is Linked to Poor Survival in Females with Colorectal Cancer: A Cohort Study

The interplay between the sex-specific differences in tumor metabolome and colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis has never been studied and represents an opportunity to improve patient outcomes. This study examines the link between tumor metabolome and prognosis by sex for CRC patients. Using untargeted metabolomics analysis, abundances of 91 metabolites were obtained from primary tumor tissues from 197 patients (N = 95 females, N = 102 males) after surgical colectomy for stage I-III CRC. Cox Proportional hazard (PH) regression models estimated the associations between tumor metabolome and 5-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS), and their interactions with sex. Eleven metabolites had significant sex differences in their associations with 5-year OS, and five metabolites for 5-year RFS. The metabolites asparagine and serine had sex interactions for both OS and RFS. Furthermore, in the asparagine synthetase (ASNS)-catalyzed asparagine synthesis pathway, asparagine was associated with substantially poorer OS (HR (95% CI): 6.39 (1.78–22.91)) and RFS (HR (95% CI): 4.36 (1.39–13.68)) for female patients only. Similar prognostic disadvantages in females were seen in lysophospholipid and polyamine synthesis. Unique metabolite profiles indicated that increased asparagine synthesis was associated with poorer prognosis for females only, providing insight into precision medicine for CRC treatment stratified by sex.

ARID1A knockdown enhances carcinogenesis features and aggressiveness of Caco-2 colon cancer cells: An in vitro cellular mechanism study

Loss of ARID1A, a tumor suppressor gene, is associated with the higher grade of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the progression and aggressiveness of CRC induced by the loss of ARID1A remain poorly understood. Herein, we evaluated cellular mechanisms underlying the effects of ARID1A knockdown on the carcinogenesis features and aggressiveness of CRC cells. A human CRC cell line (Caco-2) was transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific to ARID1A (siARID1A) or scrambled (non-specific) siRNA (siControl). Cell death, proliferation, senescence, chemoresistance and invasion were then evaluated. In addition, formation of polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs), self-aggregation (multicellular spheroid) and secretion of an angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), were examined. The results showed that ARID1A knockdown led to significant decreases in cell death and senescence. On the other hand, ARID1A knockdown enhanced cell proliferation, chemoresistance and invasion. The siARID1A-transfected cells also had greater number of PGCCs and larger spheroid size and secreted greater level of VEGF compared with the siControl-transfected cells. These data, at least in part, explain the cellular mechanisms of ARID1A deficiency in carcinogenesis and aggressiveness features of CRC.

RNA-based biomarkers for the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response monitoring of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most common malignant neoplasm of the urinary tract. The current recommendations for CaP diagnosis rely on the prostate-specific antigen levels and a digital rectal examination for anatomical abnormalities. However, these diagnostic tools are not highly sensitive. In particular, prostate-specific antigen has a low positive predictive value (approximately 30%). Thus, there is a need to develop biomarkers to improve the early clinical detection of CaP. Several novel technologies enable the identification of biomarkers from diverse sources, including the urine, serum, and prostate tissues. Furthermore, advances in genomic techniques have enabled the analysis of novel biomarkers, such as deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs), ribonucleic acids (RNAs), proteins, and circulating tumor cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that RNAs are potential diagnostic biomarkers for various cancers using high-throughput sequencing analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of RNA biomarkers are higher than those of protein biomarkers. Polymerase chain reaction enables the amplification of trace levels of RNAs with high sensitivity and specificity. RNA biomarkers provide dynamic insights into cellular states and regulatory processes when compared with DNA biomarkers. Additionally, multiple copies of various RNAs in a cell provide more information than DNA. The levels of specific RNAs in CaP tissues are upregulated when compared with those in non-cancerous tissues. Additionally, RNAs can be easily isolated from various body fluids. Thus, RNAs are potential non-invasive biomarkers for CaP. Moreover, the analysis of RNA levels adjusted for each stage of CaP enables the determination of prognostic individualized therapy for aggressive or progressive CaP. This review focused on the diagnostic and prognostic values of RNAs for CaP.

Identification of SOX6 and SOX12 as Prognostic Biomarkers for Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study Based on TCGA Database

Background

The SOX gene family has been proven to display regulatory effects on numerous diseases, particularly in the malignant progression of neoplasms. However, the molecular functions and action mechanisms of SOX genes have not been clearly elucidated in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). We aimed to explore the expression status, prognostic values, clinical significances, and regulatory actions of SOX genes in ccRCC.

Methods

RNA-sequence data and clinical information derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used for this study. Dysregulated SOX genes between the normal group and ccRCC group were screened using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The Kaplan-Meier analysis and univariate Cox analysis methods were used to estimate the overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) differences between different groups. The independent prognostic factors were identified by the use of uni- and multivariate assays. Subsequently, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test or Kruskal-Wallis test and the chi-square test or Fisher exact probability methods were employed to explore the association between clinicopathological variables and SOX genes. Finally, CIBERSORT was applied to study the samples and examine the infiltration of immune cells between different groups.

Results

Herein, 12 dysregulated SOX genes in ccRCC were screened. Among them, two independent prognostic SOX genes (SOX6 and SOX12) were identified. Further investigation results showed that SOX6 and SOX12 were distinctly associated with clinicopathological features. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis revealed that SOX6 and SOX12 were enriched in essential biological processes and signaling pathways. Finally, we found that the SOX6 and SOX12 expression levels were correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs).

Conclusion

The pooled analyses showed that SOX6 and SOX12 could serve as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets of patients with ccRCC.

LncRNA MNX1-AS1 promotes ovarian cancer process via targeting the miR-744-5p/SOX12 axis

Purpose

Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most common malignancy in women with high mortality. Increasing studies have revealed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MNX1-AS1 has a promoting effect on various cancers. However, the mechanisms of MNX1-AS1 in OC are still unclear. Therefore, this study focused on exploring the mechanisms of MNX1-AS1 in OC.

Materials and methods

The expression of SOX12 at the protein level was detected by western blot. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 assay and colony formation assay. Cell cycle and cell apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. Wound-healing assay, transwell assay and western blot were used to detect the ability of cell migration and invasion. The target binding was confirmed through the luciferase reporter assay.

Results

The expression of MNX1-AS1 was increased in OC tumor tissues and cells. Elevated MNX1-AS1 expression is associated with advanced stage and lower overall survival rate. Knockdown of MNX1-AS1 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion, blocked cell cycle, and promoted cell apoptosis in SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells. MNX1-AS1 was competitively binding with miR-744-5p, and its downstream target gene was SOX12. miR-544-5p expression was decreased, while SOX12 expression was increased in OC tumor tissues and cells. Overexpression of miR-744-5p inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells.

Conclusion

MNX1-AS1 promoted the development of OC through miR-744-5p/SOX12 axis. This study revealed a novel mechanism of MNX1-AS1 in OC, which may provide a new treatment or scanning target for OC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13048-021-00910-0.

LncRNA LGALS8-AS1 Promotes Breast Cancer Metastasis Through miR-125b-5p/SOX12 Feedback Regulatory Network

Background

Metastasis is a major factor weakening the long-term survival of breast cancer patients. Increasing evidence revealed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were involved in the occurrence and development of breast cancer. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of LGALS8-AS1 in the metastatic progression of breast cancer cells and its potential mechanisms.

Results

The lncRNA LGALS8-AS1 was highly expressed in breast cancer and associated with poor survival. LGALS8-AS1 functioned as an oncogenic lncRNA that promoted the metastasis of breast cancer both in vitro and in vivo. It upregulated SOX12 via competing as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for sponging miR-125b-5p and acted on the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote the metastasis of breast cancer. Furthermore, SOX12, in turn, activated LGALS8-AS1 expression via direct recognition of its sequence binding enrichment motif on the LGALS8-AS1 promoter, thereby forming a positive feedback regulatory loop.

Conclusion

This study manifested a novel mechanism of LGALS8-AS1 facilitating the metastasis of breast cancer. The LGALS8-AS1/miR-125b-5p/SOX12 reciprocal regulatory loop dyscrasia promoted the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. This signaling axis could be applicable to the design of novel therapeutic strategies against this malignancy.

SOX12 Promotes Stem Cell-Like Phenotypes and Osteosarcoma Tumor Growth by Upregulating JAGGED1

SOX12 plays a role in promoting the growth of some tumors; however, its role in osteosarcoma remains unclear. From gene expression omnibus (GEO) and tumor alterations relevant for genomics-driven therapy (TARGET) databases, Kaplan–Meier analyses were conducted to establish relationships between SOX12 expression and osteosarcoma survival and recurrence in osteosarcoma patients. We also performed in vitro and in vivo assays to determine SOX12 function in osteosarcoma etiology. SOX12 expression was increased in osteosarcoma; high SOX12 expression levels were related to a poor prognosis and a high disease recurrence in patients. Moreover, SOX12 expression in osteosarcoma cell lines was increased, similar to osteosarcoma cancer stem cells. We also observed that SOX12 knockdown inhibited the spheroidization and expression of stemness markers in osteosarcoma cells and tumor formation in nude mice. In addition, SOX12 knockdown inhibited JAGGED1 and HES1 expression. Similarly, JAGGED1 knockdown also inhibited the formation of osteosarcoma cancer stem cells into pellets and reduced the expression of stemness markers and tumor formation capabilities in nude mice. Finally, during SOX12 knockdown, JAGGED1 overexpression rescued osteosarcoma cells from spheroidizing. SOX12 promotes stem cell-like phenotypes and osteosarcoma tumor growth by upregulating JAGGED1.

Bladder Cancer-related microRNAs With In Vivo Efficacy in Preclinical Models

Progressive and metastatic bladder cancer remain difficult to treat. In this review, we critique seven up-regulated and 25 down-regulated microRNAs in order to identify new therapeutic entities and corresponding targets. These microRNAs were selected with respect to their efficacy in bladder cancer-related preclinical in vivo models. MicroRNAs and related targets interfering with chemoresistance, cell-cycle, signaling, apoptosis, autophagy, transcription factor modulation, epigenetic modification and metabolism are described. In addition, we highlight microRNAs targeting transmembrane receptors and secreted factors. We discuss druggability issues for the identified targets.

Multi-Omics Analysis of SOX4, SOX11, and SOX12 Expression and the Associated Pathways in Human Cancers

The Sry-related HMG BOX (SOX) gene family encodes transcription factors containing highly conserved high-mobility group domains that bind to the minor groove in DNA. Although some SOX genes are known to be associated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression, their expression and prognostic value have not been systematically studied. We performed multi-omic analysis to investigate the expression of SOX genes in human cancers. Expression and phylogenetic tree analyses of the SOX gene family revealed that the expression of three closely related SOX members, SOX4, SOX11, and SOX12, was increased in multiple cancers. Expression, mutation, and alteration of the three SOX members were evaluated using the Oncomine and cBioPortal databases, and the correlation between these genes and clinical outcomes in various cancers was examined using the Kaplan–Meier, PrognoScan, and R2 database analyses. The genes commonly correlated with the three SOX members were categorized in key pathways related to the cell cycle, mitosis, immune system, and cancer progression in liver cancer and sarcoma. Additionally, functional protein partners with three SOX proteins and their probable signaling pathways were explored using the STRING database. This study suggests the prognostic value of the expression of three SOX genes and their associated pathways in various human cancers.

Cascaded filter deterministic lateral displacement microchips for isolation and molecular analysis of circulating tumor cells and fusion cells

Precise isolation and analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples offer considerable potential for cancer research and personalized treatment. Currently, available CTC isolation approaches remain challenging in the quest for simple strategies to achieve cell isolation with both high separation efficiency and high purity, which limits the use of captured CTCs for downstream analyses. Here, we present a filter deterministic lateral displacement concept to achieve one-step and label-free CTC isolation with high throughput. Unlike conventional deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) devices, the proposed method uses a hydrodynamic cell sorting design by incorporating a filtration concept into a DLD structure, and enables high-throughput and clog-free isolation by a cascaded microfluidic design. The cascaded filter-DLD (CFD) design demonstrated enhanced performance for size-based cell separation, and achieved high separation efficiency (>96%), high cell purity (WBC removal rate 99.995%), high cell viability (>98%) and high processing rate (1 mL min^-1). Samples from lung cancer patients were analyzed using the CFD-Chip, CTCs and tumor cell-leukocyte fusion cells were efficiently collected, and changes in CTC levels were used for treatment response monitoring. The CFD-Chip platform isolated CTCs with good viability, enabling direct downstream analysis with single-cell RNA sequencing. Transcriptome analysis of enriched CTCs identified new subtypes of CTCs such as tumor cell-leukocyte fusion cells, providing insights into cancer diagnostics and therapeutics.

MicroRNA-1: Diverse role of a small player in multiple cancers

The process of cancer initiation and development is a dynamic and complex mechanism involving multiple genetic and non-genetic variations. With the development of high throughput techniques like next-generation sequencing, the field of cancer biology extended beyond the protein-coding genes. It brought the functional role of noncoding RNAs into cancer-associated pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one such class of noncoding RNAs regulating different cancer development aspects, including progression and metastasis. MicroRNA-1 (miR-1) is a highly conserved miRNA with a functional role in developing skeletal muscle precursor cells and cardiomyocytes and acts as a consistent tumor suppressor gene. In humans, two discrete genes, MIR-1-1 located on 20q13.333 and MIR-1-2 located on 18q11.2 loci encode for a single mature miR-1. Downregulation of miR-1 has been demonstrated in multiple cancers, including lung, breast, liver, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, medulloblastoma, and gastric cancer. A vast number of studies have shown that miR-1 affects the hallmarks of cancer like proliferation, invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, chemosensitization, and immune modulation. The potential therapeutic applications of miR-1 in multiple cancer pathways provide a novel platform for developing anticancer therapies. This review focuses on the different antitumorigenic and therapeutic aspects of miR-1, including how it regulates tumor development and associated immunomodulatory functions.

LncRNA LINC00680 promotes lung adenocarcinoma growth via binding to GATA6 and canceling GATA6-mediated suppression of SOX12 expression

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is a major subtype of non-small-cell lung cancers (NSCLC). LINC00680 has been characterized as a novel oncogenic lncRNA in LUAD, but its regulatory mechanisms remain largely unclear. This study aimed to explore the subcellular localization of LINC00680 in LUAD and its regulation on the transcriptional process. LUAD cell lines (A549, H1650, and H1299) were used for in vitro and in vivo studies. Results showed LINC00680 depletion resulted in G0/G1 phase arrest of LUAD cells and reduced CDK4 and cyclin D1 expression in H1650 and H1299 cells. LINC00680 overexpression promoted A549 cell proliferation and increased CDK4 and cyclin D1 expression. RNA-fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assay showed that LINC00680 has both cytoplasmic and nuclear distribution in LUAD cells. RNA pulldown and western blotting assays confirmed a physical interaction between LINC00680 and GATA6. In LUAD cells, GATA6 overexpression only slightly suppressed SOX12 transcription. ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase assay showed that GATA6 only weakly bound to the SOX12 promoter and decreased its activity. However, when LINC00680 was depleted, these transcriptional suppressive effects were significantly enhanced. These findings suggested that LINC00680 forms a complex with GATA6 and weakens its transcriptional suppressive effect on SOX12 expression. In the nude mice model, LINC00680 overexpression partly abrogated the growth-suppressive effects of GATA6 on A549 derived tumors. In summary, this study revealed a novel LINC00680-GATA6-SOX12 axis in promoting LUAD cell cycle progression and proliferation. Future studies should be conducted for a better understanding of the complex networking of LINC00680 in LUAD.

BRET analysis reveals interaction between the lysophosphatidic acid receptor LPA2 and the lysophosphatidylinositol receptor GPR55 in live cells

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and lysophosphatidylinositol bind to the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) LPA and GPR55, respectively. LPA₂ , a type 2 LPA receptor, and GPR55 are highly expressed in colon cancer and involved in cancer progression. However, crosstalk between the two receptors and potential effects on cellular physiology are not fully understood. Here, using BRET analysis, we found that LPA₂ and GPR55 interact in live cells. In the presence of both receptors, LPA₂ and/or GPR55 activation facilitated co-internalization, and activation of GPR55, uncoupled with Gα_i , induced reduction of intracellular cAMP. Notably, co-activation of receptors synergistically triggered further decline in the cAMP level, promoted cell proliferation, and increased the expression of cancer progression-related genes, suggesting that physical and functional crosstalk between LPA₂ and GRR55 is involved in cancer progression.

Long noncoding RNA DUXAP10 promotes the stemness of glioma cells by recruiting HuR to enhance Sox12 mRNA stability

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) DUXAP10 has been shown to act as an oncogene in various tumors; however, its roles in glioma progression have never been established. Here, we show that DUXAP10 is overexpressed in glioma tissues and cells. Loss of function experiments reveal that DUXAP10 knockdown has little effects on glioma cell viability, but significantly reduces the stemness of glioma cells, which is characterized as the decrease of stemness marker expression, tumor sphere-forming ability, and ALDH activity. RNA immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence assays indicate that DUXAP10 can directly interact with HuR protein and suppress the cytoplasm-nuclear translocation of HuR, which subsequently enhances Sox12 mRNA stability in cytoplasm and thus increases Sox12 expression. Further rescuing experiments show that the HuR/Sox12 axis is responsible for DUXAP10-mediated effects on glioma cell stemness.

MiR-125b Loss Activated HIF1α/pAKT Loop, Leading to Transarterial Chemoembolization Resistance in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a standard locoregional therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with a variable overall response in efficacy. We aimed to identify key molecular signatures and related pathways leading to HCC resistance to TACE, with the hope of developing effective approaches in preselecting patients with survival benefit from TACE.

APPROACH AND RESULTS

Four independent HCC cohorts with 680 patients were used. MicroRNA (miRNA) transcriptome analysis in patients with HCC revealed a 41-miRNA signature related to HCC recurrence after adjuvant TACE, and miR-125b was the top reduced miRNA in patients with HCC recurrence. Consistently, patients with HCC with low miR-125b expression in tumor had significantly shorter time to recurrence following adjuvant TACE in two independent cohorts. Loss of miR-125b in HCC noticeably activated the hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha subunit (HIF1α)/pAKT loop in vitro and in vivo. miR-125b directly attenuated HIF1α translation through binding to HIF1A internal ribosome entry site region and targeting YB-1, and blocked an autocrine HIF1α/platelet-derived growth factor β (PDGFβ)/pAKT/HIF1α loop of HIF1α translation by targeting the PDGFβ receptor. The miR-125b-loss/HIF1α axis induced the expression of CD24 and erythropoietin (EPO) and enriched a TACE-resistant CD24-positive cancer stem cell population. Consistently, patients with high CD24 or EPO in HCC had poor prognosis following adjuvant TACE therapy. Additionally, in patients with HCC having TACE as their first-line therapy, high EPO in blood before TACE was also noticeably related to poor response to TACE.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-125b loss activated the HIF1α/pAKT loop, contributing to HCC resistance to TACE and the key nodes in this axis hold the potential in assisting patients with HCC to choose TACE therapy.

Asparagine Synthetase-Mediated l-Asparagine Metabolism Disorder Promotes the Perineural Invasion of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Dysregulated amino acids metabolism reciprocally interplays with evolutionary phenotypic characteristics of cancer cells to enhance metastasis. The high metastasis potential of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) can manifest with perineural invasion (PNI). We here aimed to determine the role of amino acids metabolism in OSCCs with different PNI statuses. Targeted metabolomics was used to quantify 48 amino acids in 20 fresh OSCC samples and 25 amino acids were successfully detected, within which 9 were significantly up-regulated in PNI positive (PNI+) samples. As its highest area under the curve value (0.9063), l-asparagine was selected as the biomarker to distinguish PNI+ from PNI negative (PNI-). Then, the key enzyme of l-asparagine, asparagine synthetase (ASNS), was investigated using immunohistochemistry with 86 OSCC patients. The results showed that ASNS mainly expressed in tumor epitheliums and positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and PNI. Moreover, subgroup survival analysis revealed that ASNS expression combined with PNI status significantly improved their prognostic value, which was confirmed by the TCGA OSCC cohort (n = 279). To validate whether ASNS promotes PNI, we determined ASNS expression levels in five OSCC cell lines and one normal oral keratinocyte, and HSC3 showed the lowest ASNS level but CAL33 had the highest. Therefore, HSC3 and CAL33 (or PBS as control) were selected and injected separately into sciatic nerves to construct the in vivo PNI mouse models. Although both models eventually developed the hind-limb paralysis, nerve dysfunction in the CAL33 model progressed significantly earlier than HSC3 (Day 9 vs. Day 24). Besides, CAL33 migrated significantly farther than HSC3 in the nerve microenvironment (P = 0.0003), indicating high ASNS expression is indispensable for OSCC progression, especially PNI formation, through l-asparagine metabolism alteration. This study provides novel insights into how amino acids metabolism disorders alter tumor neurotropism which helps cancer metastasis.

The role of SOX family transcription factors in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. GC is the third-most common cause of cancer-related death after lung and colorectal cancer. It is also the fifth-most commonly diagnosed cancer. Accumulating evidence has revealed the role of signaling networks in GC progression. Identification of these molecular pathways can provide new insight into therapeutic approaches for GC. Several molecular factors involved in GC can play both onco-suppressor and oncogene roles. Sex-determining region Y (Sry)-box-containing (SOX) family members are transcription factors with a well-known role in cancer. SOX proteins can bind to DNA to regulate cellular pathways via a highly conserved domain known as high mobility group (HMG). In the present review, the roles of SOX proteins in the progression and/or inhibition of GC are discussed. The dual role of SOX proteins as tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressing factors is highlighted. SOX members can affect upstream mediators (microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs and NF-κB) and down-stream mediators (FAK, HIF-1α, CDX2 and PTEN) in GC. The possible role of anti-tumor compounds to target SOX pathway members in GC therapy is described. Moreover, SOX proteins may be used as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in GC.

The metabolism of cancer cells during metastasis

Metastasis formation is the major cause of death in most patients with cancer. Despite extensive research, targeting metastatic seeding and colonization is still an unresolved challenge. Only recently, attention has been drawn to the fact that metastasizing cancer cells selectively and dynamically adapt their metabolism at every step during the metastatic cascade. Moreover, many metastases display different metabolic traits compared with the tumours from which they originate, enabling survival and growth in the new environment. Consequently, the stage-dependent metabolic traits may provide therapeutic windows for preventing or reducing metastasis, and targeting the new metabolic traits arising in established metastases may allow their eradication.

miR-744-5p Inhibits Multiple Myeloma Proliferation, Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation and Glycolysis by Targeting SOX12/Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

Purpose

This study investigated the function and molecular mechanisms of miR-744-5p in multiple myeloma (MM).

Methods

miR-744-5p and SRY-related high-mobility-group box 12 (SOX12) expression in clinical tissues and MM cells was monitored by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reactions and Western blot. miR-744-5p expression in MM cells was regulated by transfection. Cell proliferation was researched by cell counting kit-8 assay and plate clone formation experiment. Transwell experiment was utilized for migration and invasion detection. Glycolysis test was conducted for the detection of glucose uptake and lactate production of MM cells. The relationship between miR-744-5p and SOX12 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RNA pull-down experiment. In vivo experiment was conducted using nude mice.

Results

miR-744-5p expression was reduced in MM patients (P<0.01). Low miR-744-5p expression was associated with lower 60-month survival in MM patients (P=0.0402). miR-744-5p overexpression inhibited MM cells proliferation, invasion, migration, glucose uptake, lactate production, and epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) (P<0.01). miR-744-5p directly inhibited SOX12 expression. miR-744-5p silencing promoted MM cells proliferation, invasion, migration, glucose uptake, lactate production, and EMT by elevating SOX12 (P<0.01). miR-744-5p inhibited the growth of MM xenograft tumors in vivo (P<0.001).

Conclusion

miR-744-5p inhibits MM cells proliferation, invasion, migration, EMT, and glycolysis by targeting SOX12/Wnt/β-catenin.

SOX12 expression is associated with progression and poor prognosis in human breast cancer

The sex-determining region Y-box 12 (SOX12) is implicated in several oncogenic signaling pathways of multiple types of cancer; however, the biological effects of SOX12 on breast cancer has yet to be elucidated. Here, we assessed SOX12 expression using real-time quantitative PCR in 142 pairs of breast cancer and adjacent normal tissues (ANTs) and immunohistochemistry in 524 breast cancer and 147 ANTs. The effects of SOX12 on breast cancer progression, clinicopathological variables, and prognostic value were then investigated. SOX12 expression was markedly elevated in breast cancer tissues relative to that in ANTs at both mRNA and protein levels. Positive SOX12 expression was correlated to tumor size (P = 0.005), estrogen receptor (ER) (P = 0.018) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) (P = 0.004) status, lymph node metastasis (P < 0.001), and the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage (P < 0.001). Notably, the positive rate of SOX12 expression gradually increased with breast cancer progression. Multivariate analysis indicated that SOX12 was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS, P = 0.023) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS, P = 0.012). Subgroup analysis revealed that luminal and HER2 patients with positive SOX12 expression had a shorter OS period than those with negative SOX12 expression. Moreover, SOX12 expression was associated with a high risk of distant metastasis in invasive carcinoma with the lymph node metastasis subgroup. In summary, SOX12 correlates with progression and poor prognosis in human breast cancer, suggesting that SOX12 is a potential target for breast cancer treatment and warrants further functional research.

Neurensin-2 promotes proliferation, invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells via interaction with SOX12

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant type of tumor worldwide. Neurensin-2 (NRSN2) is a small neuronal membrane protein associated with tumorigenesis. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the association between NRSN2 and CRC, and further examined the underlying mechanism of its effect on CRC metastasis. Human CRC SW620 cells were used to determine the biological functions of NRSN2 in CRC. Cell counting Kit-8 (CCK8), colony formation, wound-healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate the role of NRSN2 on survival and metastasis of SW620 cells. The interaction between NRSN2 and SOX12 was determined via bioinformatics analysis and confirmed using immunoprecipitation. It was identified that NRSN2 was highly expressed in CRC cells and served a critical role in CRC cell survival compared with in healthy colon epithelial cells. Furthermore, NRSN2-knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion and migration of SW620 cells, while NRSN2 overexpression promoted these cellular processes. Additionally, it was demonstrated that NRSN2 could recruit SOX12 in SW620 cells. NRSN2-knockdown decreased SOX12 expression, while NRSN2 overexpression upregulated SOX12 expression. Overall, the present results suggested NRSN2 as a novel biomarker for CRC diagnosis and identified NRSN2 as a potential therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

Targeting Glutaminolysis: New Perspectives to Understand Cancer Development and Novel Strategies for Potential Target Therapies

Metabolism rewiring is an important hallmark of cancers. Being one of the most abundant free amino acids in the human blood, glutamine supports bioenergetics and biosynthesis, tumor growth, and the production of antioxidants through glutaminolysis in cancers. In glutamine dependent cancer cells, more than half of the tricarboxylic/critic acid (TCA) metabolites are derived from glutamine. Glutaminolysis controls the process of converting glutamine into TCA cycle metabolites through the regulation of multiple enzymes, among which the glutaminase shows the importance as the very first step in this process. Targeting glutaminolysis via glutaminase inhibition emerges as a promising strategy to disrupt cancer metabolism and tumor progression. Here, we review the regulation of glutaminase and the role of glutaminase in cancer metabolism and metastasis. Furthermore, we highlight the glutaminase inhibitor based metabolic therapy strategy and their potential applications in clinical scenarios.

UCHL3 promotes proliferation of colorectal cancer cells by regulating SOX12 via AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

The dysregulation of deubiquitinating enzymes is important in the development of many cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the precise function and potential mode of action of the deubiquitinating enzyme UCHL3 in CRC progression are poorly elucidated.

METHODS

The expression levels of UCHL3 in patient samples were analyzed by western blotting, real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry and its association with overall survival was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier method. Colony formation, CCK-8 and Transwell were used to examine the effects of UCHL3 knockdown or over-expression on CRC cells growth, invasion and migration. The functional effects of UCHL3 and SOX12 on tumor growth were further examined using xenograft tumor mouse models in vivo.

RESULTS

Here, we found high expression of UCHL3 in CRC tissues which showed an association with the development of tumor and CRC patient survival. Studies conducted in vitro showed that UCHL3 overexpression facilitates proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transition) in cells of CRC, and a knockdown of UCHL3 had a reverse effect. Likewise, experiments conducted in vivo also showed enhanced tumor growth due to UCHL3 overexpression. In addition, UCHL3 was found regulates SOX12 expression in CRC cells. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is required for UCHL3-mediated SOX12 expression. Mechanically, UCHL3 regulates SOX12 via AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and facilitated tumor progression.

CONCLUSION

UCHL3 plays an oncogenic role through the AKT/mTOR/SOX12 axis and can be considered as a potential target for therapy and CRC prognostic biomarker.