The PAX6-ZEB2 axis promotes metastasis and cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer through PI3K/AKT signaling

COL5A1 promotes triple-negative breast cancer progression by activating tumor cell-macrophage crosstalk

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an exceptionally aggressive subtype of breast cancer. Despite the recognized interplay between tumors and tumor-associated macrophages in fostering drug resistance and disease progression, the precise mechanisms leading these interactions remain elusive. Our study revealed that the upregulation of collagen type V alpha 1 (COL5A1) in TNBC tissues, particularly in chemoresistant samples, was closely linked to an unfavorable prognosis. Functional assays unequivocally demonstrated that COL5A1 played a pivotal role in fueling cancer growth, metastasis, and resistance to doxorubicin, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we found that the cytokine IL-6, produced by COL5A1-overexpressing TNBC cells actively promoted M2 macrophage polarization. In turn, TGFβ from M2 macrophages drived TNBC doxorubicin resistance through the TGFβ/Smad3/COL5A1 signaling pathway, establishing a feedback loop between TNBC cells and macrophages. Mechanistically, COL5A1 interacted with TGM2, inhibiting its K48-linked ubiquitination-mediated degradation, thereby enhancing chemoresistance and increasing IL-6 secretion. In summary, our findings underscored the significant contribution of COL5A1 upregulation to TNBC progression and chemoresistance, highlighting its potential as a diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for TNBC.

PI3K/AKT pathway as a pivotal regulator of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in lung tumor cells

Lung cancer, as the leading cause of cancer related deaths, is one of the main global health challenges. Despite various progresses in diagnostic and therapeutic methods, there is still a high rate of mortality among lung cancer patients, which can be related to the lack of clinical symptoms to differentiate lung cancer from the other chronic respiratory disorders in the early tumor stages. Most lung cancer patients are identified in advanced and metastatic tumor stages, which is associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in lung tumor progression and metastasis in order to introduce early diagnostic markers as well as therapeutic targets. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is considered as one of the main cellular mechanisms involved in lung tumor metastasis, during which tumor cells gain the metastatic ability by acquiring mesenchymal characteristics. Since, majority of the oncogenic signaling pathways exert their role in tumor cell invasion by inducing the EMT process, in the present review we discussed the role of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in regulation of EMT process during lung tumor metastasis. It has been reported that the PI3K/AKT acts as an inducer of EMT process through the activation of EMT-specific transcription factors in lung tumor cells. MicroRNAs also exerted their inhibitory effects during EMT process by inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway. This review can be an effective step towards introducing the PI3K/AKT pathway as a suitable therapeutic target to inhibit the EMT process and tumor metastasis in lung cancer patients.

IKBKE promotes the ZEB2-mediated EMT process by phosphorylating HMGA1a in glioblastoma

IKBKE (Inhibitor of Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Kinase Subunit Epsilon) is an important oncogenic protein in a variety of tumors, which can promote tumor growth, proliferation, invasion and drug resistance, and plays a critical regulatory role in the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors. HMGA1a (High Mobility Group AT-hook 1a) functions as a cofactor for proper transcriptional regulation and is highly expressed in multiple types of tumors. ZEB2 (Zinc finger E-box Binding homeobox 2) exerts active functions in epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT). In our current study, we confirmed that IKBKE can increase the proliferation, invasion and migration of glioblastoma cells. We then found that IKBKE can phosphorylate HMGA1a at Ser 36 and/or Ser 44 sites and inhibit the degradation process of HMGA1a, and regulate the nuclear translocation of HMGA1a. Crucially, we observed that HMGA1a can regulate ZEB2 gene expression by interacting with ZEB2 promoter region. Hence, HMGA1a was found to promote the ZEB2-related metastasis. Consequently, we demonstrated that IKBKE can exert its oncogenic functions via the IKBKE/HMGA1a/ZEB2 signalling axis, and IKBKE may be a prominent biomarker for the treatment of glioblastoma in the future.

Research progress in MCM family: Focus on the tumor treatment resistance

Malignant tumors constitute a significant category of diseases posing a severe threat to human survival and health, thereby representing one of the most challenging and pressing issues in the field of biomedical research. Due to their malignant nature, which is characterized by a high potential for metastasis, rapid dissemination, and frequent recurrence, the prevailing approach in clinical oncology involves a comprehensive treatment strategy that combines surgery with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, targeted drug therapies, and other interventions. Treatment resistance remains a major obstacle in the comprehensive management of tumors, serving as a primary cause for the failure of integrated tumor therapies and a critical factor contributing to patient relapse and mortality. The Minichromosome Maintenance (MCM) protein family comprises functional proteins closely associated with the development of resistance in tumor therapy.The influence of MCMs manifests through various pathways, encompassing modulation of DNA replication, cell cycle regulation, and DNA damage repair mechanisms. Consequently, this leads to an enhanced tolerance of tumor cells to chemotherapy, targeted drugs, and radiation. Consequently, this review explores the specific roles of the MCM family in various cancer treatment strategies. Its objective is to enhance our comprehension of resistance mechanisms in tumor therapy, thereby presenting novel targets for clinical research aimed at overcoming resistance in cancer treatment. This bears substantial clinical relevance.

Unlocking melanoma Suppression: Insights from Plasma-Induced potent miRNAs through PI3K-AKT-ZEB1 axis

INTRODUCTION

Melanoma is a rare but highly malignant form of skin cancer. Although recent targeted and immune-based therapies have improved survival rates by 10-15%, effective melanoma treatment remains challenging. Therefore, novel, combinatorial therapy options such as non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTP) are being investigated to inhibit and prevent chemoresistance. Although several studies have reported the apoptotic and inhibitory effects of reactive oxygen species produced by NTP in the context of melanoma, the intricate molecular network that determines the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in regulating NTP-mediated cell death remains unexplored.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms and miRNA networks regulated by NTP-induced oxidative stress in melanoma cells.

METHODS

Melanoma cells were exposed to NTP and then subjected to high-throughput miRNA sequencing to identify NTP-regulated miRNAs. Various biological processes and underlying molecular mechanisms were assessed using Alamar Blue, propidium iodide (PI) uptake, cell migration, and clonogenic assays followed by qRT-PCR and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

NTP exposure for 3 min was sufficient to modulate the expression of several miRNAs, inhibiting cell growth. Persistent NTP exposure for 5 min increased differential miRNA regulation, PI uptake, and the expression of genes involved in cell cycle arrest and death. qPCR confirmed that miR-200b-3p and miR-215-5p upregulation contributed to decreased cell viability and migration. Mechanistically, inhibiting miR-200b-3p and miR-215-5p in SK-2 cells enhancedZEB1, PI3K, and AKT expression, increasing cell proliferation and viability.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that NTP exposure for 5 min results in the differential regulation of miRNAs related to the PI3K-AKT-ZEB1 axis and cell cycle dysregulation to facilitate melanoma suppression.

Promising applications of nanotechnology in inhibiting chemo-resistance in solid tumors by targeting epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

The resistance of cancer cells to chemotherapy, also known as chemo-resistance, poses a significant obstacle to cancer treatment and can ultimately result in patient mortality. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is one of the many factors and processes responsible for chemo-resistance. Studies have shown that targeting EMT can help overcome chemo-resistance, and nanotechnology and nanomedicine have emerged as promising approaches to achieve this goal. This article discusses the potential of nanotechnology in inhibiting EMT and proposes a viable strategy to combat chemo-resistance in various solid tumors, including breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, glioblastoma, ovarian cancer, gastric cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma. While nanotechnology has shown promising results in targeting EMT, further research is necessary to explore its full potential in overcoming chemo-resistance and discovering more effective methods in the future.

Nanomedicine Combats Drug Resistance in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Surgery, chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy are currently available as treatment methods. However, drug resistance is a significant factor in the failure of lung cancer treatments. Novel therapeutics have been exploited to address complicated resistance mechanisms of lung cancer and the advancement of nanomedicine is extremely promising in terms of overcoming drug resistance. Nanomedicine equipped with multifunctional and tunable physiochemical properties in alignment with tumor genetic profiles can achieve precise, safe, and effective treatment while minimizing or eradicating drug resistance in cancer. Here, this work reviews the discovered resistance mechanisms for lung cancer chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy, and outlines novel strategies for the development of nanomedicine against drug resistance. This work focuses on engineering design, customized delivery, current challenges, and clinical translation of nanomedicine in the application of resistant lung cancer.

FASN promotes gallbladder cancer progression and reduces cancer cell sensitivity to gemcitabine through PI3K/AKT signaling

Lipid metabolism plays an important role in the growth and development of tumors. However, the role of lipid metabolism in gallbladder cancer (GBC) has not been clearly clarified. Here, we demonstrated that fatty acid synthase (FASN), a key enzyme in de novo fatty acid biosynthesis, had upregulated expression in GBC samples both at protein and mRNA levels. Analysis of clinical data indicated the association between elevated FASN expression and poorer histology grades. Furthermore, FASN activity impairment through FASN knockdown or treatment with orlistat resulted in the inhibition of cell proliferation and migration, as well as increased sensitivity to gemcitabine. Both FASN knockdown and orlistat treatment induced cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, impairment of FASN activity suppressed the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which led to increased cell apoptosis and sensitivity to gemcitabine. These findings were also validated through nude mouse xenograft models, thus highlighting the potential of targeting FASN as a clinical treatment strategy. Collectively, the present study underscores the crucial role of FASN in the progression of gallbladder cancer via the PI3K/AKT pathway.

Sevoflurane attenuates proliferative and migratory activity of lung cancer cells via mediating the microRNA-100-3p/sterol O-Acyltransferase 1 axis

Recently, evidence has shown that microRNA-100-3p (miR-100-3p) has been revealed as a tumor suppressor in diverse human diseases, while its capability in lung cancer warrants further validation. In this work, we aimed to discuss the impact of sevoflurane on biological functions of lung cancer cells by modulating the miR-100-3p/sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1) axis. Lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H460) were treated with various concentrations of sevoflurane. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated using MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. Moreover, miR-100-3p and SOAT1 expressions were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in lung cancer cells. The target interaction between miR-100-3p and SOAT1 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The findings of our work demonstrated that sevoflurane impeded the abilities on viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 and H460 cells. The expression of miR-100-3p was reduced, and SOAT1 expression was elevated in lung cancer cells. miR-100-3p targeted SOAT1. Besides, sevoflurane could lead to expressed improvement of miR-100-3p or limitation of SOAT1. Downregulation of miR-100-3p or upregulation of SOAT1 restored the suppression of sevoflurane on abilities of viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in A549 and H460 cells. In the rescue experiment, downregulation of SOAT1 reversed the impacts of downregulation of miR-100-3p on sevoflurane on lung cancer cells. Collectively, our study provides evidence that sevoflurane restrained the proliferation and invasion in lung cancer cells by modulating the miR-100-3p/SOAT1 axis. This article provides a new idea for further study of the pathogenesis of lung cancer.

BATF2 inhibits PD-L1 expression and regulates CD8+ T-cell infiltration in non-small cell lung cancer

Immune checkpoint blockades have made huge breakthrough among some cancer types including lung cancer. However, only a small proportion of patients will benefit from immune checkpoint blockades; other patients have no or minor response to immunotherapy. The underlying mechanisms and efficient biomarkers to predict immunotherapy resistances remain unclear and lacking. In this study, BATF2 knockout mice, human xenograft mice, were used for in vivo studies. Relevant RNA and protein levels were analyzed by RT-quantitative PCR and Western blotting. As a result, we found that the expression of BATF2 is negatively correlated with expression of programmed death-ligand 1 in the plasma of patients. Mechanically, we showed that BATF2 inhibits programmed death-ligand 1 expression in cancer cells by inhibiting the PI3K-AKT pathway where ZEB2 plays an important role in this process. Based on bioinformatics analysis, we found that the function of BATF2 in promoting antitumor immune response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, which is mediated by BATF2, enhances CD8+ T-cell infiltration as well as activation. The expression of BATF2 from circulating tumor cells and tissues can be serve as an efficient biomarker to predict diagnosis, prognosis, and immunotherapy efficacy.

Cisplatin-activated ERβ/DCAF8 positive feedback loop induces chemoresistance in non-small cell lung cancer via PTEN/Akt axis

High levels of the estrogen receptor β (ERβ) predict poor prognosis following platinum-containing adjuvant chemotherapies in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the precise role of ERβ remains elusive. In this study, we demonstrated that targeting ERβ could significantly increase the cytotoxicity of cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanically, cisplatin directly binds to ERβ, which facilitates its homodimerization and nuclear translocation. ERβ activation transcriptionally represses the expression of DCAF8, an adaptor of CRL4 E3 ubiquitin ligase, which in turn attenuates the proteasomal degradation of ERβ, leading to ERβ accumulation; this positive feedback loop results in Akt activation and eventually cisplatin resistance in NSCLC through PTEN inhibition. Moreover, low expression of DCAF8 and high expression of ERβ are associated with treatment resistance in patients receiving cisplatin-containing adjuvant chemotherapy. The present results provide insights into the underlying mechanism of ERβ-induced cisplatin resistance and offer an alternative therapeutic strategy to improve the efficacy of platinum-based chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC.

Translation of paired box 6 (PAX6) mRNA is IRES-mediated and inhibited by cymarin in breast cancer cells

Paired box 6 (PAX6) is a member of the PAX family and plays an essential role in cancer cell cycle progression, colony formation, proliferation and invasion. Its expression is upregulated in many cancers including breast cancer, but the process of PAX6 mRNA translation has rarely been studied. We found that PAX6 translation level increased in MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with the chemotherapeutic drug adriamycin (ADM), which might be attributable to internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. By modifying a bicistronic luciferase plasmid that is widely used to examine IRES activity, we found that the 469-base 5'-UTR of PAX6 mRNA contains an IRES element and that core IRES activity is located between nucleotides 159 and 333. Moreover, PAX6 IRES activity was induced during ADM treatment, which may be the main reason for the elevated level of PAX6 protein. We also found that cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, acts as an inhibitor of PAX6 protein expression by impairing its IRES-mediated translation. Furthermore, MCF-7 cell proliferation was suppressed during treatment with cymarin. These results provide novel insights into the translation mechanism of PAX6 in breast cancer cells and suggest that cymarin is a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer via targeting the expression of PAX6.

Genome-wide Detection of Chimeric Transcripts in Early-stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND/AIM

Lung cancer remains the main culprit in cancer-related mortality worldwide. Transcript fusions play a critical role in the initiation and progression of multiple cancers. Treatment approaches based on specific targeting of discovered driver events, such as mutations in EGFR, and fusions in NTRK, ROS1, and ALK genes led to profound improvements in clinical outcomes. The formation of chimeric proteins due to genomic rearrangements or at the post-transcriptional level is widespread and plays a critical role in tumor initiation and progression. Yet, the fusion landscape of lung cancer remains underexplored.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We used the JAFFA pipeline to discover transcript fusions in early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The set of detected fusions was further analyzed to identify recurrent events, genes with multiple partners and fusions with high predicted oncogenic potential. Finally, we used a generalized linear model (GLM) to establish statistical associations between fusion occurrences and clinicopathological variables. RNA sequencing was used to discover and characterize transcript fusions in 270 NSCLC samples selected from the Glans-Look specimen repository. The samples were obtained during the early stages of disease prior to the initiation of chemo- or radiotherapy.

RESULTS

We identified a set of 792 fusions where 751 were novel, and 33 were recurrent. Four of the 33 recurrent fusions were significantly associated with clinicopathological variables. Several of the fusion partners were represented by well-established oncogenes ERBB4, BRAF, FGFR2, and MET.

CONCLUSION

The data presented in this study allow researchers to identify, select, and validate promising candidates for targeted clinical interventions.

Dipeptidase‑2 is a prognostic marker in lung adenocarcinoma that is correlated with its sensitivity to cisplatin

Lung cancer accounts for the highest percentage of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide, and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent subtype. Although numerous therapies have been developed for lung cancer, patient prognosis is limited by tumor metastasis and more effective treatment targets are urgently required. In the present study, gene expression profiles were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus database and mRNA expression data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. In addition, TIMER 2.0 database was used to analyze the expression of genes in normal and multiple tumor tissues. Protein expression was confirmed using the Human Protein Atlas database and LUAD cell lines, sphere formation assay, western blotting, and a xenograft mouse model were used to confirm the bioinformatics analysis. Dipeptidase‑2 (DPEP2) expression was significantly decreased in LUAD and was negatively associated with prognosis. DPEP2 overexpression substantially inhibited epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as LUAD cell metastasis, and limited the expression of the cancer stem cell transformation markers, CD44 and CD133. In addition, DPEP2 improved LUAD sensitivity to cisplatin by inhibiting EMT; this was verified in vitro and in vivo. These data indicated that DPEP2 upregulates E‑cadherin, thereby regulating cell migration, cancer stem cell transformation, and cisplatin resistance, ultimately affecting the survival of patients with LUAD. Overall, the findings of the present suggest that DPEP2 is important in the development of LUAD and can be used both as a prognostic marker and a target for future therapeutic research.

CC-115 Mediates GSDME-Dependent Pyroptosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma Through the Akt/Bax Pathway

Chemotherapeutic agents remain the first-line treatment for solid tumors, including lung cancer, but chemotherapy resistance is hampering global efforts to treat this disease. CC-115 is a novel antitumoral compound used in phase I clinical trials. However, it is unclear whether CC-115 is effective against lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). In the present study, we found that CC-115 induced lytic cell death in A549 and H1650 tumor cells via swelling of cells and formation of large bubbles on the plasma membrane that closely resembled those typical of pyroptosis, a type of programmed cell death linked to chemotherapy. We demonstrated that CC-115 exerts antitumor effects in LUAD through gasdermin E (GSDME)-mediated pyroptosis by acting as a dual inhibitor of DNA-PK and mTOR. CC-115 can inhibit Akt phosphorylation, impairing its inhibitory effect on Bax, thereby inducing pyroptosis via the Bax-mitochondrial intrinsic pathway. CC-115-induced pyroptosis was abrogated by treatment with the Akt activator SC79 or by depletion of Bax. Importantly, CC-115 significantly upregulated the expression of Bax and GSDME-N in a xenograft mouse model, with a reduction in tumor size. Our results revealed that CC-115 suppresses tumor growth by inducing GSDME-mediated pyroptosis through the Akt/Bax-mitochondrial intrinsic pathway, indicating CC-115 as a promising therapeutic agent for LUAD.

ABCB1 and ABCC1 Function during TGF-β-Induced Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition: Relationship between Multidrug Resistance and Tumor Progression

Multidrug resistance (MDR) and induction of metastasis are some of the puzzles encountered during cancer chemotherapy. The MDR phenotype is associated with overexpression of ABC transporters, involved in drug efflux. Metastasis originates from the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which cells acquire a migratory phenotype, invading new tissues. ABC transporters' role during EMT is still elusive, though cells undergoing EMT exhibit enhanced ABCB1 expression. We demonstrated increased ABCB1 expression but no change in activity after TGF-β-induced EMT in A549 cells. Moreover, ABCB1 inhibition by verapamil increased snail and fibronectin expression, an event associated with upregulation of ABCB1, evidencing coincident cell signaling pathways leading to ABCB1 and EMT-related markers transcription, rather than a direct effect of transport. Additionally, for the first time, increased ABCC1 expression and activity was observed after EMT, and use of ABCC1 inhibitors partially inhibited EMT-marker snail, although increased ABCC1 function translated into collateral sensibility to daunorubicin. More investigations must be done to evaluate the real benefits that the gain of ABC transporters might have on the process of metastasis. Considering ABCC1 is involved in the stress response, affecting intracellular GSH content and drug detoxification, this transporter could be used as a therapeutic target in cancer cells undergoing EMT.

Tumor cell plasticity in targeted therapy-induced resistance: mechanisms and new strategies

Despite the success of targeted therapies in cancer treatment, therapy-induced resistance remains a major obstacle to a complete cure. Tumor cells evade treatments and relapse via phenotypic switching driven by intrinsic or induced cell plasticity. Several reversible mechanisms have been proposed to circumvent tumor cell plasticity, including epigenetic modifications, regulation of transcription factors, activation or suppression of key signaling pathways, as well as modification of the tumor environment. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, tumor cell and cancer stem cell formation also serve as roads towards tumor cell plasticity. Corresponding treatment strategies have recently been developed that either target plasticity-related mechanisms or employ combination treatments. In this review, we delineate the formation of tumor cell plasticity and its manipulation of tumor evasion from targeted therapy. We discuss the non-genetic mechanisms of targeted drug-induced tumor cell plasticity in various types of tumors and provide insights into the contribution of tumor cell plasticity to acquired drug resistance. New therapeutic strategies such as inhibition or reversal of tumor cell plasticity are also presented. We also discuss the multitude of clinical trials that are ongoing worldwide with the intention of improving clinical outcomes. These advances provide a direction for developing novel therapeutic strategies and combination therapy regimens that target tumor cell plasticity.

Long noncoding RNA MALAT1 inhibition attenuates sepsis-induced acute lung injury through modulating the miR-129-5p/PAX6/ZEB2 axis

This research aimed to investigate the role of the long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1)/microRNA-129-5p (miR-129-5p)/paired box gene 6 (PAX6) axis in sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI). MLE-12 cells and C57BL/6 mice were induced by LPS to establish lung injury in in vitro and in vivo models. Cell viability and apoptosis were measured by cell counting kit-8 assay and TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling) staining, respectively. Levels of inflammatory cytokines in cell supernatants and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected by ELISA. Lung injury was evaluated by lung wet weight-to-dry weight ratio and hematoxylin-eosin staining. MALAT1, PAX6, and zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) expression was elevated and miR-129-5p expression was reduced in the serum of patients with sepsis-induced ALI, LPS-induced MLE-12 cells, and lung tissues of ALI mice. MALAT1 interference delayed the LPS-induced cell proliferation decrease, apoptosis increase, and inflammatory factor increase. miR-129-5p inhibition could reverse the delaying effect of MALAT1 interference on LPS-induced lung cell injury. PAX6 overexpression (oe) reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-129-5p oe on LPS-induced lung cell injury. Downregulating MALAT1 reduced pulmonary edema, inflammatory cytokine levels, lung injury, and apoptosis in ALI mice. Moreover, miR-129-5p suppression or PAX6 oe reversed the delaying effect of MALAT1 interference on sepsis-induced ALI. MALAT1 aggravates sepsis-induced ALI via the miR-129-5p/PAX6/ZEB2 axis.

Protein Expression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway Targets Validated by Gene Expression and its Correlation with Prognosis in Canine Mammary Cancer

Mammary cancer is the main type of neoplasia in female dogs and is considered an adequate model for the biological and therapeutic study of cancer in women. The PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR pathway plays a central role in cellular homeostasis and is often dysregulated in cancer. The increased expression of PI3K protein in the literature is associated with a poor prognosis, and alterations in the PIK3CA gene can lead to changes in downstream pathways. Thus, the objective of this study was to validate the protein expression to confirm the gene expression of proteins belonging to the main pathway PI3K and PTEN, and their downstream pathways through ZEB1, ZEB2, HIF1A, VHL, CASP3 and PARP1 relating to prognosis in canine mammary cancer. For protein studies, the samples came from 58 female dogs with mammary neoplasia, immunohistochemistry was performed and its analysis by the histoscore method. For the genetic evaluation, the samples came from 13 patients, the DNA was extracted and the analysis for quantitative expression. Through immunohistochemistry, PI3K positivity was significantly associated with affected regional lymph node, distant metastasis, patients with HER2+, Triple Negative and Luminal B phenotypes, and the lowest survival rates. Through gene expression, we observed higher gene expression of ZEB2 and PARP1 both among patients who were alive and who died, which was not true for the expressions of PIK3CA and HIF1A. In conclusion, the data observed in this work are promising in the study of new molecular prognostic markers such as PI3K, ZEB2 and PARP1 for canine mammary cancer.

Osteoglycin: An ECM Factor Regulating Fibrosis and Tumorigenesis

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is made up of noncellular components that have special properties for influencing cell behavior and tissue structure. Small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are nonfibrillar ECM components that serve as structural scaffolds and signaling molecules. osteoglycin (OGN), a class III SLRP, is a ubiquitous ECM component that not only helps to organize the extracellular matrix but also regulates a number of important biological processes. As a glycosylated protein in the ECM, OGN was originally considered to be involved in fiber assembly and was reported to have a connection with fibrosis. In addition to these functions, OGN is found in a variety of cancer tissues and is implicated in cellular processes linked to tumorigenesis, including cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this review, we summarize the structure and functions of OGN as well as its biological and clinical importance in the context of fibrotic illness and tumorigenesis. This review aims to improve our understanding of OGN and provide some new strategies for the treatment of fibrosis and cancer.

Comprehensive analysis of a homeobox family gene signature in clear cell renal cell carcinoma with regard to prognosis and immune significance

The homeobox (HOX) family genes have been linked to multiple types of tumors, while their effect on malignant behaviors of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) and clinical significance remains largely unknown. Here, we comprehensively analyzed the expression profiles and prognostic value of HOX genes in ccRCC using datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. We developed a prognostic signature comprising eight HOX genes (HOXB1, HOXA7, HOXB5, HOXD8, HOXD9, HOXB9, HOXA9, and HOXA11) for overall survival prediction in ccRCC and it allowed patients to be subdivided into high- and low-risk groups. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis in all the internal and external cohorts revealed significant difference in clinical outcome of patients in different risk groups, indicating the satisfactory predictive power of the signature. Additionally, we constructed a prognostic nomogram by integrating signature-derived risk score and clinical factors such as gender, age, T and M status, which might be helpful for clinical decision-making and designing tailored management schedules. Immunological analysis revealed that the regulatory T cells (Tregs) infiltrated differently between the two subgroups in both TCGA and ICGC cohorts. ssGSEA method showed that the enrichment scores for mast cells were significantly lower in high-risk group compared with the low-risk group, which was consistent in both TCGA and ICGC cohorts. As for the related immune function, the enrichment scores of APC co-inhibition, para-inflammation, and type II IFN response were consistently lower in high-risk group in both cohorts. Of the eight HOX genes, the mRNA and protein levels of HOXD8 were downregulated in ccRCC than that in normal tissues, and decreased expression of HOXD8 was associated with increased tumor grade and stage, and lymph node metastasis. Survival analysis revealed that lower expression of HOXD8 predicted worse overall survival in ccRCC. In conclusion, our HOX gene-based signature was a favorable indicator to predict the prognosis of ccRCC cases and associated with immune cell infiltration. HOXD8 might be a tumor suppressor gene in ccRCC and a potential predictor of tumor progression.

Overcoming therapeutic resistance to platinum-based drugs by targeting Epithelial–Mesenchymal transition

Platinum-based drugs (PBDs), including cisplatin, carboplatin, and oxaliplatin, have been widely used in clinical practice as mainstay treatments for various types of cancer. Although there is firm evidence of notable achievements with PBDs in the management of cancers, the acquisition of resistance to these agents is still a major challenge to efforts at cure. The introduction of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) concept, a critical process during embryonic morphogenesis and carcinoma progression, has offered a mechanistic explanation for the phenotypic switch of cancer cells upon PBD exposure. Accumulating evidence has suggested that carcinoma cells can enter a resistant state via induction of the EMT. In this review, we discussed the underlying mechanism of PBD-induced EMT and the current understanding of its role in cancer drug resistance, with emphasis on how this novel knowledge can be exploited to overcome PBD resistance via EMT-targeted compounds, especially those under clinical trials.

Targeting prolyl isomerase Pin1 as a promising strategy to overcome resistance to cancer therapies

The development of tumor therapeutic resistance is one of the important reasons for the failure of antitumor therapy. Starting with multiple targets and multiple signaling pathways is helpful in understanding the mechanism of tumor resistance. The overexpression of prolyl isomerase Pin1 is highly correlated with the malignancy of cancer, since Pin1 controls many oncogenes and tumor suppressors, as well as a variety of cancer-driving signaling pathways. Strikingly, numerous studies have shown that Pin1 is directly involved in therapeutic resistance. In this review, we mainly summarize the functions and mechanisms of Pin1 in therapeutic resistance of multifarious cancers, such as breast, liver, and pancreatic carcinomas. Furtherly, from the perspective of Pin1-driven cancer signaling pathways including Raf/MEK/ERK, PI3K/Akt, Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, as well as Pin1 inhibitors containing juglone, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and arsenic trioxide (ATO), it is better to demonstrate the important potential role and mechanism of Pin1 in resistance and sensitization to cancer therapies. It will provide new therapeutic approaches for clinical reversal and prevention of tumor resistance by employing synergistic administration of Pin1 inhibitors and chemotherapeutics, implementing combination therapy of Pin1-related cancer signaling pathway inhibitors and Pin1 inhibitors, and exploiting novel Pin1-specific inhibitors.

MAPK/ERK-CBP-RFPL-3 Mediates Adipose-Derived Stem Cell-Induced Tumor Growth in Breast Cancer Cells by Activating Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Expression

Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) improve the self-renewal and survival of fat grafts in breast reconstruction after oncology surgery. However, ASCs have also been found to enhance breast cancer growth, and its role in tumor proliferation remains largely elusive. Here, we explored a novel mechanism that mediates hTERT reactivation during ASC-induced tumor growth in breast cancer cells. In this study, we found the proliferative ability of breast cancer cells markedly increased with ASC coculture. To explore the molecular mechanism, we treated cells with anibody/inhibitor and found that the activation of MEK-ERK pathway was triggered in breast cancer cells by SCF secreted from ASCs, leading to the nuclear recruitment of CBP. As a coactivator of hTERT, CBP subsequently coordinated with RFPL-3 upregulated hTERT transcription and telomerase activity. The inhibition of CBP and RFPL-3 abrogated the activation of hTERT transcription and the promotion of proliferation in breast cancer cells with cocultured ASCs in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our study findings indicated that CBP coordination with RFPL-3 promotes ASC-induced breast cancer cell proliferation by anchoring to the hTERT promoter and upregulating telomerase activity, which is activated by the MAPK/ERK pathway.

Using biological information to analyze potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor, and it has a high mortality rate. However, the study of miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is insufficient. Therefore, this study explored the differential expression of mRNA and miRNA in the plasma of NSCLC patients.

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to download microarray datasets, and the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were analyzed. We predicted transcription factors and target genes of the DEMs by using FunRich software and the TargetScanHuman database, respectively. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for GO annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis of downstream target genes. We constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) and DEM-hub gene networks using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. The GSE20189 dataset was used to screen out the key hub gene. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and UALCAN databases to analyze the expression and prognosis of the key hub gene and DEMs. Then, GSE17681 and GSE137140 datasets were used to validate DEMs expression. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to verify the ability of the DEMs to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy patients.

Results

Four upregulated candidate DEMs (hsa-miR199a-5p, hsa-miR-186-5p, hsa-miR-328-3p, and hsa-let-7d-3p) were screened from 3 databases, and 6 upstream transcription factors and 2253 downstream target genes were predicted. These genes were mainly enriched in cancer pathways and PI3k-Akt pathways. Among the top 30 hub genes, the expression of KLHL3 was consistent with the GSE20189 dataset. Except for let-7d-3p, the expression of other DEMs and KLHL3 in tissues were consistent with those in plasma. LUSC patients with high let-7d-3p expression had poor overall survival rates (OS). External validation demonstrated that the expression of hsa-miR-199a-5p and hsa-miR-186-5p in peripheral blood of NSCLC patients was higher than the healthy controls. The ROC curve confirmed that the DEMs could better distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy people.

Conclusion

The results showed that miR-199a-5p and miR-186-5p may be noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC patients. MiR-199a-5p-KLHL3 may be involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09281-1.

Hsa_circ_0017639 regulates cisplatin resistance and tumor growth via acting as a miR-1296-5p molecular sponge and modulating sine oculis homeobox 1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer

Cisplatin (DDP)-induced chemoresistance is an important reason for the failure of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treatment. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) participate in the chemoresistance of diverse cancers. However, the function of hsa_circ_0017639 (circ_0017639) in the DDP resistance of NSCLC is unclear. Forty-one NSCLC samples (21 DDP-resistant samples and 20 DDP-sensitive samples) were utilized in the research. The relative expression levels of some genes were determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay for half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of DDP and cell viability, colony formation and 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EDU) assays for cell proliferation, flow cytometry assay for cell apoptosis, transwell assay for cell invasion and wound-healing assay for cell migration were performed. The regulation mechanism of circ_0017639 was demonstrated by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. We observed higher levels of circ_0017639 in DDP-resistant NSCLC samples and cells. Functionally, circ_0017639 silencing decreased tumor growth and elevated DDP sensitivity in vivo and induced apoptosis, repressed proliferation, invasion, and migration of DDP-resistant NSCLC cells in vitro. Mechanically, circ_0017639 modulated sine oculis homeobox 1 (SIX1) expression via sponging microRNA (miR)-1296-5p. Also, miR-1296-5p inhibitor restored circ_0017639 knockdown-mediated impacts on cell DDP resistance in DDP-resistant NSCLCs. Furthermore, SIX1 overexpression counteracted the inhibiting impact of miR-1296-5p upregulation on DDP resistance and malignant phenotypes of DDP-resistant NSCLC cells. In conclusion, circ_0017639 conferred DDP resistance and promoted tumor growth via elevating SIX1 expression through sequestering miR-1296-5p in NSCLC, providing a new mechanism for understanding the chemoresistance and progression of NSCLC.

Venetoclax-Resistant MV4-11 Leukemic Cells Activate PI3K/AKT Pathway for Metabolic Reprogramming and Redox Adaptation for Survival

Venetoclax (ABT199) is a selective B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) inhibitor. The US FDA recently approved it to be used in combination with low-dose cytarabine or hypomethylating agents in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or elderly patients non-eligible for chemotherapy. However, acquiring resistance to venetoclax in AML patients is the primary cause of treatment failure. To understand the molecular mechanisms inherent in the resistance to BCL-2 inhibitors, we generated a venetoclax-resistant cell line model and assessed the consequences of this resistance on its metabolic pathways. Untargeted metabolomics data displayed a notable impact of resistance on the PI3K/AKT pathway, the Warburg effect, glycolysis, the TCA cycle, and redox metabolism. The resistant cells showed increased NADPH and reduced glutathione levels, switching their energy metabolism towards glycolysis. PI3K/AKT pathway inhibition shifted resistant cells towards oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). Our results provide a metabolic map of resistant cells that can be used to design novel metabolic targets to challenge venetoclax resistance in AML.

KLF3 and PAX6 are candidate driver genes in late-stage, MSI-hypermutated endometrioid endometrial carcinomas

Endometrioid endometrial carcinomas (EECs) are the most common histological subtype of uterine cancer. Late-stage disease is an adverse prognosticator for EEC. The purpose of this study was to analyze EEC exome mutation data to identify late-stage-specific statistically significantly mutated genes (SMGs), which represent candidate driver genes potentially associated with disease progression. We exome sequenced 15 late-stage (stage III or IV) non-ultramutated EECs and paired non-tumor DNAs; somatic variants were called using Strelka, Shimmer, SomaticSniper and MuTect. Additionally, somatic mutation calls were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data for 66 late-stage and 270 early-stage (stage I or II) non-ultramutated EECs. MutSigCV (v1.4) was used to annotate SMGs in the two late-stage cohorts and to derive p-values for all mutated genes in the early-stage cohort. To test whether late-stage SMGs are statistically significantly mutated in early-stage tumors, q-values for late-stage SMGs were re-calculated from the MutSigCV (v1.4) early-stage p-values, adjusting for the number of late-stage SMGs tested. We identified 14 SMGs in the combined late-stage EEC cohorts. When the 14 late-stage SMGs were examined in the TCGA early-stage data, only Krüppel-like factor 3 (KLF3) and Paired box 6 (PAX6) failed to reach significance as early-stage SMGs, despite the inclusion of enough early-stage cases to ensure adequate statistical power. Within TCGA, nonsynonymous mutations in KLF3 and PAX6 were, respectively, exclusive or nearly exclusive to the microsatellite instability (MSI)-hypermutated molecular subgroup and were dominated by insertions-deletions at homopolymer tracts. In conclusion, our findings are hypothesis-generating and suggest that KLF3 and PAX6, which encode transcription factors, are MSI target genes and late-stage-specific SMGs in EEC.

lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 promotes retinoblastoma progression by targeting microRNA miR-511-3p/paired box protein 6 (PAX6) axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play crucial roles in retinoblastoma progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 (ZFPM2-AS1) in retinoblastoma progression. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting assays were performed to determine the expression of lncRNA, microRNA (miRNA), mRNA, and protein. The changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell migration were assessed by functional experiments. The interaction between ZFPM2-AS1, miR-511-3p, and paired box protein 6 (PAX6) was confirmed by a luciferase assay. Our study found that ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 were upregulated, whereas miR-511-3p was downregulated in retinoblastoma. ZFPM2-AS1 inhibition decreased the viability and migration of retinoblastoma cells. We also found that ZFPM2-AS1 targets miR-511-3p to upregulate PAX6 in Y79 and SO-RB50 cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that inhibiting miR-511-3p reversed the negative effects of silencing ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 on retinoblastoma cell viability and migration. In conclusion, retinoblastoma development is regulated by the ZFPM2-AS1/511-3p/PAX6 axis.

PBX1: a key character of the hallmarks of cancer

Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox transcription factor 1 (PBX1) was first identified as part of a fusion protein resulting from the chromosomal translocation t(1;19) in pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Since then, PBX1 has been associated with important developmental programs, and its expression dysregulation has been related to multifactorial disorders, including cancer. As PBX1 overexpression in many cancers is correlated to poor prognosis, we sought to understand how this transcription factor contributes to carcinogenesis, and to organize PBX1's roles in the hallmarks of cancer. There is enough evidence to associate PBX1 with at least five hallmarks: sustaining proliferative signaling, activating invasion and metastasis, inducing angiogenesis, resisting cell death, and deregulating cellular energetics. The lack of studies investigating a possible role for PBX1 on the remaining hallmarks made it impossible to defend or refute its contribution on them. However, the functions of some of the PBX1's transcription targets indicate a potential engagement of PBX1 in the avoidance of immune destruction and in the tumor-promoting inflammation hallmarks. Interestingly, PBX1 might be a player in tumor suppression by activating the transcription of some DNA damage response genes. This is the first review organizing PBX1 roles into the hallmarks of cancer. Thus, we encourage future studies to uncover the PBX1's underlying mechanisms to promote carcinogenesis, for it is a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as a potential target in cancer treatment.

Context Matters-Why We Need to Change From a One Size Fits all Approach to Made-to-Measure Therapies for Individual Patients With Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers and remains a major unsolved health problem. While pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with driver mutations in only four major genes (KRAS, TP53, SMAD4, and CDKN2A), every tumor differs in its molecular landscape, histology, and prognosis. It is crucial to understand and consider these differences to be able to tailor treatment regimens specific to the vulnerabilities of the individual tumor to enhance patient outcome. This review focuses on the heterogeneity of pancreatic tumor cells and how in addition to genetic alterations, the subsequent dysregulation of multiple signaling cascades at various levels, epigenetic and metabolic factors contribute to the oncogenesis of PDAC and compensate for each other in driving cancer progression if one is tackled by a therapeutic approach. This implicates that besides the need for new combinatorial therapies for PDAC, a personalized approach for treating this highly complex cancer is required. A strategy that combines both a target-based and phenotypic approach to identify an effective treatment, like Reverse Clinical Engineering® using patient-derived organoids, is discussed as a promising way forward in the field of personalized medicine to tackle this deadly disease.

LncRNA DUXAP10 Upregulation and the Hedgehog Pathway Activation Are Critically Involved in Chronic Cadmium Exposure-Induced Cancer Stem Cell-Like Property

Cadmium (Cd) is a well-known lung carcinogen. However, the mechanism of Cd carcinogenesis remains to be clearly defined. Cd has been shown to act as a weak mutagen, suggesting that it may exert tumorigenic effect through nongenotoxic ways, such as epigenetic mechanisms. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to RNA molecules that are longer than 200 nucleotides in length but lack protein-coding capacities. Regulation of gene expressions by lncRNAs is considered as one of important epigenetic mechanisms. The goal of this study is to investigate the mechanism of Cd carcinogenesis focusing on the role of lncRNA dysregulations. Cd-induced malignant transformation of human bronchial epithelia BEAS-2B cells was accomplished by a 9-month low-dose Cd (CdCl2, 2.5 µM) exposure. The Cd-exposed cells formed significantly more colonies in soft agar, displayed cancer stem cell (CSC)-like property, and formed tumors in nude mice. Mechanistically, chronic low-dose Cd exposure did not cause significant genotoxic effects but dysregulated lncRNA expressions. Further Q-PCR analysis confirmed the significant upregulation of the oncogenic lncRNA DUXAP10 in Cd-transformed cells. DUXAP10 knockdown in Cd-transformed cells significantly reduced their CSC-like property. Further mechanistic studies showed that the Hedgehog pathway is activated in Cd-transformed cells and inhibition of this pathway reduces Cd-induced CSC-like property. DUXAP10 knockdown caused the Hedgehog pathway inactivation in Cd-transformed cells. Furthermore, Pax6 expression was upregulated in Cd-transformed cells and Pax6 knockdown significantly reduced their DUXAP10 levels and CSC-like property. In summary, these findings suggest that the lncRNA DUXAP10 upregulation may play an important role in Cd carcinogenesis.

miR-338-5p-ZEB2 axis in Diagnostic, Therapeutic Predictive and Prognostic Value of Gastric Cancer

MiRNAs have been widely reported to be involved in the occurrence and development of cancers. So far, some studies have revealed that miR-338-5p has the functions of tumorigenesis and tumor suppression. However, the role of miR-338-5p in the pathogenesis, progression and treatment of gastric cancer (GC) has not been reported. MiRNAs microarray analysis showed for the first time that miR-338-5p was significantly lower-expression in cisplin-resistant GC cells SGC7901/DDP, and cell viability assay and flow cytometry confirmed that overexpression of miR-338-5p could significantly increase cisplatin-sensitivity of SGC7901/DDP and BGC823 cells. Subsequently, we found that the expression of miR-338-5p in postoperative cancer tissues of GC patients was also significantly lower than the corresponding paracancer tissues. The expression of miR-338-5p in peripheral blood serum of GC patients is generally lower than that of healthy people. Moreover, the low expression of miR-338-5p in the cancer tissues and serum of GC patients was closely associated with larger tumor volume, lymph node metastasis, later stage, and even poorer survival, which was confirmed by close 5-year cases follow-up. ZEB2, as a predictive target of miR-338-5p, its expression was negatively regulated by miR-338-5p and can promote cisplatin-resistance in SGC7901/DDP and BGC823 cells. The expression of ZEB2 in cisplatin-resistant SGC7901/DDP cells and GC tissues were significantly higher than SGC7901 cells and paracancer tissues, respectively. Moreover, the expression of ZEB2 in tumor tissues was negatively correlated with miR-338-5p in tumor tissues and peripheral blood serum of GC patients, and the abnormally high expression of ZEB2 in prospective case studies is positively related with more serious clinical pathology and worse survival. More meaningfully, in a retrospective case study, we found that high ZEB2 expression predicts worse clinical efficacy of platinum chemotherapy. Thus, miR-338-5p-ZEB2 axis have novel diagnostic, therapeutic predictive, and prognostic value in GC patients.

Atorvastatin preferentially inhibits the growth of high ZEB-expressing canine cancer cells

The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is fundamental in cancer progression and contributes to the acquisition of malignant properties. The statin class of cholesterol-lowering drugs exhibits pleiotropic anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo, and many epidemiologic studies have reported a correlation between statin use and reduced cancer mortality. We have shown previously that sensitivity to the anti-proliferative effect of statins varies among human cancer cells and statins are more effective against mesenchymal-like cells than epithelial-like ones in human cancers. There have only been few reports on the application of statins to cancer therapy in veterinary medicine, and differences in statin sensitivity among canine cancer cells have not been examined. In this study, we aimed to clarify the correlation between sensitivity to atorvastatin and epithelial/mesenchymal states in 11 canine cancer cell lines derived from mammary gland, squamous cell carcinoma, lung, and melanoma. Sensitivity to atorvastatin varied among canine cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 5.92 to 71.5 μM at 48 h, which were higher than the plasma concentrations clinically achieved with statin therapy. Atorvastatin preferentially attenuated the proliferation of mesenchymal-like cells. In particular, highly statin-sensitive cells were characterized by aberrant expression of the ZEB family of EMT-inducing transcription factors. However, ZEB2 silencing in highly sensitive cells did not induce resistance to atorvastatin. Taken together, these results suggest that high expression of ZEB is a characteristic of highly statin-sensitive cells and could be a molecular marker for predicting whether cancers are sensitive to statins, though ZEB itself does not confer statin sensitivity.

Influence of LncRNA SDHAP1 on multiplication, migration and invasiveness of non-small cell lung carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of lncRNA SDHAP1 on the multiplication, migration and invasiveness of NSCLC cells.

METHODS

From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, the clinical data of NSCLC patients were retrieved to analyze the expression of lncRNA SDHAP1 in LC. In this study, lncRNA SDHAP1 in NSCLC cell lines was regulated, and its expression profiling in non- and cis-platinum (CDDP) resistant NSCLC cell lines was identified by qPCR. The levels of multidrug resistance-related protein 1 (MRP1), p-glycoprotein (P-gp) and glutathione S-transferase-π (GST-π) were measured by Western blotting (WB), the migration and invasion of LC cells were detected by Transwell assay, and the cell multiplication and activity were determined by MTT assays.

RESULTS

TCGA database identified upregulated lncRNA SDHAP1 expression in LC. qPCR results revealed that lncRNA SDHAP1 was highly expressed in NSCLC. LncRNA SDHAP1 showed higher expression in patients with stage IV than in those with stage I, II or III, as well as in people aged 21-40 years old. Compared with normal lung epithelial cells, lncRNA SDHAP1 was upregulated in NSCLC cell lines, especially in those resistant to CDDP. LncRNA SDHAP1 downregulation led to a decrease in multiplication, migration and invasiveness of NSCLC cells, and a reduction in activity, migration and invasiveness of CDDP-resistant NSCLC cell lines. In addition, lncRNA SDHAP1 knockdown down-regulated the expression levels of Multidrug resistance-associated proteins MRP1, P-gp and GST-π.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA SDHAP1 is upregulated in NSCLC and is associated with LC staging and age of patients. Silencing lncRNA SDHAP1 can suppress the multiplication, migration, invasiveness and CDDP resistance of cancer cells. Therefore, lncRNA SDHAP1 may serve as a prognostic biomarker and treatment target for NSCLC.

Apoptosis Deregulation and the Development of Cancer Multi-Drug Resistance

Simple Summary

Despite recent therapeutic advances against cancer, many patients do not respond well or respond poorly, to treatment and develop resistance to more than one anti-cancer drug, a term called multi-drug resistance (MDR). One of the main factors that contribute to MDR is the deregulation of apoptosis or programmed cell death. Herein, we describe the major apoptotic pathways and discuss how pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins are modified in cancer cells to convey drug resistance. We also focus on our current understanding related to the interactions between survival and cell death pathways, as well as on mechanisms underlying the balance shift towards cancer cell growth and drug resistance. Moreover, we highlight the role of the tumor microenvironment components in blocking apoptosis in MDR tumors, and we discuss the significance and potential exploitation of epigenetic modifications for cancer treatment. Finally, we summarize the current and future therapeutic approaches for overcoming MDR.

Abstract

The ability of tumor cells to evade apoptosis is established as one of the hallmarks of cancer. The deregulation of apoptotic pathways conveys a survival advantage enabling cancer cells to develop multi-drug resistance (MDR), a complex tumor phenotype referring to concurrent resistance toward agents with different function and/or structure. Proteins implicated in the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis, including the Bcl-2 superfamily and Inhibitors of Apoptosis (IAP) family members, as well as their regulator, tumor suppressor p53, have been implicated in the development of MDR in many cancer types. The PI₃K/AKT pathway is pivotal in promoting survival and proliferation and is often overactive in MDR tumors. In addition, the tumor microenvironment, particularly factors secreted by cancer-associated fibroblasts, can inhibit apoptosis in cancer cells and reduce the effectiveness of different anti-cancer drugs. In this review, we describe the main alterations that occur in apoptosis-and related pathways to promote MDR. We also summarize the main therapeutic approaches against resistant tumors, including agents targeting Bcl-2 family members, small molecule inhibitors against IAPs or AKT and agents of natural origin that may be used as monotherapy or in combination with conventional therapeutics. Finally, we highlight the potential of therapeutic exploitation of epigenetic modifications to reverse the MDR phenotype.

The Pathogenic Role of PI3K/AKT Pathway in Cancer Onset and Drug Resistance: An Updated Review

The PI3K/AKT pathway is one of the most frequently over-activated intracellular pathways in several human cancers. This pathway, acting on different downstream target proteins, contributes to the carcinogenesis, proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of tumour cells. A multi-level impairment, involving mutation and genetic alteration, aberrant regulation of miRNAs sequences, and abnormal phosphorylation of cascade factors, has been found in multiple cancer types. The deregulation of this pathway counteracts common therapeutic strategies and contributes to multidrug resistance. In this review, we underline the involvement of this pathway in patho-physiological cell survival mechanisms, emphasizing its key role in the development of drug resistance. We also provide an overview of the potential inhibition strategies currently available.

Berbamine Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Migration and Induces Cell Death of Lung Cancer Cells via Regulating c-Maf, PI3K/Akt, and MDM2-P53 Pathways

Berbamine (BBM) is a natural product isolated from Berberis amurensis Rupr. We investigated the influence of BBM on the cell viability, proliferation, and migration of lung cancer cells and explored the possible mechanisms. The cell viability and proliferation of lung cancer cells were evaluated by MTT assay, EdU assay, and colony formation assay. Migration and invasion abilities of cancer cells were determined through wound scratch assay and Transwell assay. Cell death was evaluated by cell death staining assay and ELISA. The expressions of proteins were evaluated using western blot assay. A xenograft mouse model derived from non-small-cell lung cancer cells was used to detect the effect of BBM on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Both colony formation and EdU assays results revealed that BBM (10 μM) significantly inhibited the proliferation of A549 cells (P < 0.001). BBM (10 μM) also significantly inhibited the migration and invasion ability of cancer cells in wound scratch and Transwell assays. Trypan blue assay and ELISA revealed that BBM (20 μM) significantly induced cell death of A549 cells. In xenograft mouse models, the tumor volume was significantly smaller in mice treated with BBM (20 mg/kg). The western blotting assay showed that BBM inhibited the PI3K/Akt and MDM2-p53 signaling pathways, and BBM downregulated the expression of c-Maf. Our results show that BBM inhibits proliferation and metastasis and induces cell death of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. These effects may be achieved by BBM reducing the expression of c-Maf and regulating the PI3K/Akt and MDM2-p53 pathways.

Targeting the miR-6734-3p/ZEB2 axis hampers development of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and increases susceptibility of cancer cells to cisplatin treatment

The unclear pathogenesis mechanisms and resistance of cancer cells to chemical drugs serious limits the development of effective treatment strategies for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we managed to investigate this issue, and identify potential cancer associated biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. This study found that miR-6734-3p was downregulated in both NSCLC clinical specimens (tissues and serum) and cells, compared to the normal tissues and cells. Next, upregulation of miR-6734-3p inhibited cancer formation and progression in NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, miR-6734-3p ablation had opposite effects and facilitated NSCLC development. In addition, miR-6734-3p bound to the 3ʹ untranslated region (3ʹUTR) of zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) mRNA to suppress its expressions in NSCLC cells. Interestingly, the inhibiting effects of miR-6734-3p overexpression on NSCLC progression were abrogated by upregulating ZEB2. Furthermore, both upregulated miR-6734-3p and silencing of ZEB2 increased cisplatin-sensitivity in cisplatin-resistant NSCLC (CR-NSCLC) cells. Taken together, miR-6734-3p played an anti-tumor role to hinder cancer development and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of cisplatin treatment on NSCLC cells by downregulating ZEB2.

Role of ZEB family members in proliferation, metastasis and chemoresistance of prostate cancer cells: Revealing signaling networks

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. A variety of strategies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy are applied for PCa treatment. PCa cells are responsive towards therapy at early stages, but they can obtain resistance in the advanced stage. Furthermore, their migratory ability is high in advanced stages. It seems that genetic and epigenetic factors play an important in this case. Zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox (ZEB) is a family of transcription with two key members including ZEB1 and ZEB2. ZEB family members are known due to their involvement in promoting cancer metastasis via EMT induction. Recent studies have shown their role in cancer proliferation and inducing therapy resistance. In the current review, we focus on revealing role of ZEB1 and ZEB2 in PCa. ZEB family members that are able to significantly promote proliferation and viability of cancer cells. ZEB1 and ZEB2 enhance migration and invasion of PCa cells via EMT induction. Overexpression of ZEB1 and ZEB2 is associated with poor prognosis of PCa. ZEB1 and ZEB2 upregulation occurs during PCa progression and can provide therapy resistance to cancer cells. PRMT1, Smad2, and non-coding RNAs can function as upstream mediators of the ZEB family. Besides, Bax, Bcl-2, MRP1, N-cadherin and E-cadherin can be considered as downstream targets of ZEB family in PCa.

Cancer drug resistance induced by EMT: novel therapeutic strategies

Over the last decade, important clinical benefits have been achieved in cancer patients by using drug-targeting strategies. Nevertheless, drug resistance is still a major problem in most cancer therapies. Epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and tumour microenvironment have been described as limiting factors for effective treatment in many cancer types. Moreover, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has also been associated with therapy resistance in many different preclinical models, although limited evidence has been obtained from clinical studies and clinical samples. In this review, we particularly deepen into the mechanisms of which intermediate epithelial/mesenchymal (E/M) states and its interconnection to microenvironment influence therapy resistance. We also describe how the use of bioinformatics and pharmacogenomics will help to figure out the biological impact of the EMT on drug resistance and to develop novel pharmacological approaches in the future.

Long non-coding RNA receptor activator of nuclear factor-κ B ligand promotes cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a common malignancy associated with poor clinical outcomes and high mortality rate. The association between NSCLC development and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression remains to be elucidated. The current study investigated the role of a novel lncRNA, receptor activator of nuclear factor-κ B ligand (RANKL), in the resistance of NSCLC to chemotherapy. RANKL expression was assessed via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, cell death rate was evaluated using flow cytometry and sensitivity of cisplatin (DDP)-resistant A549/DDP cells to chemotherapy was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Western blotting was performed to quantify p53 protein levels. Compared with matched A549 cells, A549/DDP cells exhibited significant upregulation of RANKL expression. Sensitivity of A549/DDP cells to DDP was restored following RANKL knockdown. A549 cells overexpressing RANKL exhibited notably impaired DDP sensitivity compared with controls. Conversely, downregulated RANKL expression triggered cell death and inhibited cell migration via p53 stimulation and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway suppression. The current findings indicate that RANKL contributes to DDP resistance in NSCLC and may represent a novel therapeutic target in this malignancy.

Network pharmacology-based study to explore the mechanism of the Yiqi Gubiao pill in lung cancer treatment

Lung cancer (LC) has been one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies in the past 5 years. Yiqi Gubiao pills have a good clinical effect against LC. However, their complex composition limits proper understanding of their pharmacological mechanism. Therefore, the present study aimed to systemically explore the underlying mechanisms of Yiqi Gubiao pills in treatment of LC. The network pharmacology approach was employed to identify the active ingredients and LC targets associated with Yiqi Gubiao pills. Prediction of potential active ingredients and action targets was then conducted through protein-protein interaction (PPI), Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses. In vitro experiments were then performed to further verify the mechanism of action of Yiqi Gubiao pills, revealing that the anti-LC effects were mediated by regulating the expression of IL6, TP53, albumin (ALB), MAPK3 and AKT1. In total, 102 active ingredients and 229 targets of Yiqi Gubiao pills were identified. The PPI network further revealed that AKT1, TP53, ALB, IL6 and MAPK3 were the top five hub genes associated with LC treatment. Targets of the Yiqi Gubiao pills were mainly enriched in the PI3K-Akt and Advanced glycation end products (AGE)-receptors for AGEs (RAGE) signaling pathways. Overall, network pharmacology deciphered the active ingredients and potential targets of the Yiqi Gubiao pills. Yiqi Gubiao pills partially inhibited the progression of LC by regulating the expression of hub genes (AKT1, TP53, ALB, IL6 and MAPK3) through the PI3K-Akt and AGE-RAGE signaling pathways. The findings of the present study may provide a theoretical basis for the clinical application of Yiqi Gubiao pills in LC treatment.

LncRNA SNHG17 promotes the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma by modulating miR-375/PAX6 axis

BACKGROUND

The prognosis of patients with recurrent and/or metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains poor, and its incidence is especially high in developing countries. Multiple long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are recently identified as crucial oncogenic factors or tumor suppressors. This study aimed to probe into the role of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 17 (SNHG17) on the progression of OSCC.

METHODS

The expression level of SNHG17 in OSCC samples was tested using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Human OSCC cell lines CAL-27 and Tca8113 were used in in vitro studies. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and BrdU assays were used to assess the effect of SNHG17 on OSCC cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to study the effect of SNHG17 on OSCC cell apoptosis. Transwell assay was conducted to detect the effect of SNHG17 on migration and invasion. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay was employed to confirm targeting relationship between miR-375 and SNHG17. Additionally, Western blot was used to observe the regulatory function of SNHG17 on PAX6.

RESULTS

SNHG17 expression in OSCC clinical samples was significantly increased and was correlated with unfavorable pathological indexes. Its overexpression remarkably accelerated proliferation and metastasis of OSCC cells, while reduced apoptosis. Accordingly, knockdown of SNHG17 suppressed the malignant phenotypes of OSCC cells. Overexpression of SNHG17 significantly reduced the expression of miR-375 by sponging it, but enhanced the expression of PAX6.

CONCLUSION

SNHG17 is a sponge of tumor suppressor miR-375 in OSCC, enhances the expression of PAX6 indirectly, and functions as an oncogenic lncRNA.

Silencing ZEB2 Induces Apoptosis and Reduces Viability in Glioblastoma Cell Lines

Background: Glioma is an aggressive type of brain tumor that originated from neuroglia cells, accounts for about 80% of all malignant brain tumors. Glioma aggressiveness has been associated with extreme cell proliferation, invasion of malignant cells, and resistance to chemotherapies. Due to resistance to common therapies, glioma affected patients’ survival has not been remarkably improved. ZEB2 (SIP1) is a critical transcriptional regulator with various functions during embryonic development and wound healing that has abnormal expression in different malignancies, including brain tumors. ZEB2 overexpression in brain tumors is attributed to an unfavorable state of the malignancy. Therefore, we aimed to investigate some functions of ZEB2 in two different glioblastoma U87 and U373 cell lines. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effect of ZEB2 knocking down on the apoptosis, cell cycle, cytotoxicity, scratch test of the two malignant brain tumor cell lines U87 and U373. Besides, we investigated possible proteins and microRNA, SMAD2, SMAD5, and miR-214, which interact with ZEB2 via in situ analysis. Then we evaluated candidate gene expression after ZEB2-specific knocking down. Results: We found that ZEB2 suppression induced apoptosis in U87 and U373 cell lines. Besides, it had cytotoxic effects on both cell lines and reduced cell migration. Cell cycle analysis showed cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 and apoptosis induction in U87 and U373 cell lines receptively. Also, we have found that SAMAD2/5 expression was reduced after ZEB2-siRNA transfection and miR-214 upregulated after transfection. Conclusions: In line with previous investigations, our results indicated a critical oncogenic role for ZEB2 overexpression in brain glioma tumors. These properties make ZEB2 an essential molecule for further studies in the treatment of glioma cancer.

Thalidomide targets EGFL6 to inhibit EGFL6/PAX6 axis-driven angiogenesis in small bowel vascular malformation

BACKGROUND

Small bowel vascular malformation disease (SBVM) is the most common cause of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). Several studies suggested that EGFL6 was able to promote the growth of tumor endothelial cells by forming tumor vessels. To date, it remains unclear how EGFL6 promotes pathological angiogenesis in SBVM and whether EGFL6 is a target of thalidomide.

METHODS

We took advantage of SBVM plasma and tissue samples and compared the expression of EGFL6 between SBVM patients and healthy people via ELISA and Immunohistochemistry. We elucidated the underlying function of EGFL6 in SBVM in vitro and by generating a zebrafish model that overexpresses EGFL6, The cycloheximide (CHX)-chase experiment and CoIP assays were conducted to demonstrate that thalidomide can promote the degradation of EGFL6 by targeting CRBN.

RESULTS

The analysis of SBVM plasma and tissue samples revealed that EGFL6 was overexpressed in the patients compared to healthy people. Using in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrated that an EMT pathway triggered by the EGFL6/PAX6 axis is involved in the pathogenesis of SBVM. Furthermore, through in vitro and in vivo assays, we elucidated that thalidomide can function as anti-angiogenesis medicine through the regulation of EGFL6 in a proteasome-dependent manner. Finally, we found that CRBN can mediate the effect of thalidomide on EGFL6 expression and that the CRBN protein interacts with EGFL6 via a Lon N-terminal peptide.

CONCLUSION

Our findings revealed a key role for EGFL6 in SBVM pathogenesis and provided a mechanism explaining why thalidomide can cure small bowel bleeding resulting from SBVM.

RSPO3 is a marker candidate for predicting tumor aggressiveness in ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer, a highly aggressive and heterogeneous gynecological malignancy that has long been difficult for physicians to identify and treat, requires more effective and precise molecular targets. R-spondin 3 (RSPO3) is a secreted protein that plays a tumorigenic role in several human cancers. However, the functional contribution and prognostic role of RSPO3 in ovarian cancer remain unclear.

Methods

RSPO3 expression in ovarian cancer tissues was assessed using western blotting, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and immunohistochemistry, and its relationships to clinicopathological parameters were investigated using the data of 179 ovarian cancer patients. RSPO3’s biological function was evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, wound healing, and Matrigel transwell assay in RSPO3-knockdown and RSPO3-overexpression ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and OVCAR3. The possible biological processes associated with RSPO3 were identified using functional enrichment analysis based on the transcriptome sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) ovarian cancer cohort and our experimental cells, and further verified using western blotting and immunofluorescence in the ovarian cancer cell model.

Results

The RSPO3 mRNA and protein levels were both upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues. High RSPO3 expression was correlated with lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and advanced tumor stage. Survival analysis showed that RSPO3 is an independent prognostic marker in ovarian cancer. Moreover, in vitro RSPO3 knockdown significantly inhibited the invasion ability of ovarian cancer cells, while overexpression significantly promoted it. Using transcriptome sequencing and pathway validation experiments, we demonstrated for the first time that RSPO3 promotes ovarian cancer invasiveness through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway and modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), while the common Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was not involved.

Conclusions

RSPO3 plays a definite oncogenic role and promotes tumor aggressiveness in ovarian cancer, which may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for this disease.

RUNX2 interacts with BRG1 to target CD44 for promoting invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells

Background

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. CD44 is the most commonly used marker of CSCs, with the potential to act as a determinant against the invasion and migration of CSCs and as the key factor in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like changes that occur in colorectal cancer (CRC). Runt-related transcription factor-2 (RUNX2) is a mesenchymal stem marker for cancer that is involved in stem cell biology and tumorigenesis. However, whether RUNX2 is involved in CSC and in inducing EMT-like changes in CRC remains uncertain, warranting further investigation.

Methods

We evaluated the role of RUNX2 in the invasion and migration of CRC cells as a promoter of CD44-induced stem cell- and EMT-like modifications. For this purpose, western blotting was employed to analyze the expression of differential proteins in CRC cells. We conducted sphere formation, wound healing, and transwell assays to investigate the biological functions of RUNX2 in CRC cells. Cellular immunofluorescence and coimmunoprecipitation (co-IP) assays were performed to study the relationship between RUNX2 and BRG1. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to analyze the expressions of RUNX2, BRG1, and CD44 in the CRC tissues.

Results

We found that RUNX2 could markedly induce the CRC cell sphere-forming ability and EMT. Interestingly, the RUNX2-mediated EMT in CRC cell may be associated with the activation of CD44. Furthermore, RUNX2 was found to interact with BRG1 to promote the recruitment of RUNX2 to the CD44 promoter.

Conclusions

Our cumulative findings suggest that RUNX2 and BRG1 can form a compact complex to regulate the transcription and expression of CD44, which has possible involvement in the invasion and migration of CRC cells.

PI3K/AKT pathway as a key link modulates the multidrug resistance of cancers

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the dominant challenge in the failure of chemotherapy in cancers. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) is a lipid kinase that spreads intracellular signal cascades and regulates a variety of cellular processes. PI3Ks are considered significant causes of chemoresistance in cancer therapy. Protein kinase B (AKT) is also a significant downstream effecter of PI3K signaling, and it modulates several pathways, including inhibition of apoptosis, stimulation of cell growth, and modulation of cellular metabolism. This review highlights the aberrant activation of PI3K/AKT as a key link that modulates MDR. We summarize the regulation of numerous major targets correlated with the PI3K/AKT pathway, which is further related to MDR, including the expression of apoptosis-related protein, ABC transport and glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta (GSK-3β), synergism with nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and the regulation of glycolysis.

Repeated radon exposure induced lung injury and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in human bronchial epithelial cells and mice

Radon exposure is the most frequent cause of lung cancer in non-smokers. The high linear energy transfer alpha-particles from radon decay cause the accumulation of multiple genetic changes and lead to cancer development. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in oncogenesis. However, the mechanisms underlying chronic radon exposure-induced EMT attributed to carcinogenesis are not understood. This study aimed to explore the EMT and potential molecular mechanisms induced by repeated radon exposure. The EMT model of 16HBE and BEAS-2B cells was established with radon exposure (20000 Bq/m³, 20 min each time every 3 days). We found repeated radon exposure facilitated epithelial cell migration, proliferation, reduced cell adhesion and ability to undergo EMT through a decrease in epithelial markers and an increase in mesenchymal markers. Radon regulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) to disrupt the balance of MMP2/TIMP2. In vivo, BALB/c mice were exposed to 10⁵ Bq/m³ radon gas for cumulative doses of 60 and 120 Working Level Months (WLM). Radon inhalation caused lung damage and fibrosis in mice, which was aggravated with the increase of exposure dose. EMT-like transformation also occurred in lung tissues of radon-exposure mice. Moreover, radon radiation increased p-PI3K, p-AKT and p-mTOR in cells and mice. Radon reduced the GSK-3β level and elevated the active β-catenin in 16HBE cells. The m-TOR and AKT inhibitors attenuated radon exposure-induced EMT by regulation related biomarkers. These data demonstrated that radon exposure induced EMT through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in epithelial cells and lung tissue.