Foxq1 promotes metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by inducing vasculogenic mimicry via the EGFR signaling pathway

PARP1-stabilised FOXQ1 promotes ovarian cancer progression by activating the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin signalling pathway

Metastasis is an important factor that causes ovarian cancer (OC) to become the most lethal malignancy of the female reproductive system, but its molecular mechanism is not fully understood. In this study, through bioinformatics analysis, as well as analysis of tissue samples and clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients in our centre, it was found that Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) was correlated with metastasis and prognosis of OC. Through cell function experiments and animal experiments, the results show that FOXQ1 can promote the progression of ovarian cancer in vivo and in vitro. Through RNA-seq, chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), Western blotting (WB), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR), immunohistochemistry (IHC), luciferase assay, and ChIP-PCR, it was demonstrated that FOXQ1 can mediate the WNT/β-catenin pathway by targeting the LAMB promoter region. Through coimmunoprecipitation (Co-IP), mass spectrometry (MS), ubiquitination experiments, and immunofluorescence (IF), the results showed that PARP1 could stabilise FOXQ1 expression via the E3 ubiquitin ligase Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP). Finally, the whole mechanism pathway was verified by animal drug combination experiments and clinical specimen prognosis analysis. In summary, our results suggest that PARP1 can promote ovarian cancer progression through the LAMB3/WNT/β-catenin pathway by stabilising FOXQ1 expression.

Cyclin B2 impairs the p53 signaling in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Cyclin B2 (CCNB2), a member of the cyclin family, is an oncogene in multiple cancers, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the epigenetics mechanism for CCNB2 overexpression in NPC remains unclear. This study dissects the regulatory role of CCNB2 in NPC and the molecular mechanism.

METHODS

Differentially methylated genes (DMG) and differentially expressed genes (DEG) were screened out in GSE52068 and GSE13597 databases, respectively, and candidate targets were identified by the Venn diagram. GO annotation and pathway enrichment analyses were performed on selected DMG and DEG, and a PPI network was constructed to pinpoint hub genes. PCR and qMSP were conducted to detect the expression and methylation of CCNB2 in cells. The siRNA targeting CCNB2 was transfected into NPC cells, and the migration, proliferation, cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), tumorigenesis, and metastasis were examined. The upstream factor responsible for CCNB2 overexpression in NPC was explored. The p53 activity in NPC cells was assessed using western blot analysis.

RESULTS

CCNB2 showed hypomethylation and overexpression in NPC. CCNB2 silencing inhibited cell migration, proliferation, cell cycle entry, and EMT. JMJD6 was overexpressed in NPC and upregulated CCNB2 through demethylation. JMJD6 reversed the effects of CCNB2 downregulation, resulting in elevated cellular activity in vitro and tumorigenic and metastatic activities in vivo. CCNB2 blocked the p53 pathway, while the p53 pathway inhibitor reversed the effect of CCNB2 silencing to increase the activity of NPC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

JMJD6 enhanced CCNB2 transcription by demethylating CCNB2, thereby repressing the p53 pathway and promoting NPC progression.

Targeting vascular normalization: a promising strategy to improve immune-vascular crosstalk in cancer immunotherapy

Blood vessels are a key target for cancer therapy. Compared with the healthy vasculature, tumor blood vessels are extremely immature, highly permeable, and deficient in pericytes. The aberrantly vascularized tumor microenvironment is characterized by hypoxia, low pH, high interstitial pressure, and immunosuppression. The efficacy of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy is affected by abnormal blood vessels. Some anti-angiogenic drugs show vascular normalization effects in addition to targeting angiogenesis. Reversing the abnormal state of blood vessels creates a normal microenvironment, essential for various cancer treatments, specifically immunotherapy. In addition, immune cells and molecules are involved in the regulation of angiogenesis. Therefore, combining vascular normalization with immunotherapy may increase the efficacy of immunotherapy and reduce the risk of adverse reactions. In this review, we discussed the structure, function, and formation of abnormal vessels. In addition, we elaborated on the role of the immunosuppressive microenvironment in the formation of abnormal vessels. Finally, we described the clinical challenges associated with the combination of immunotherapy with vascular normalization, and highlighted future research directions in this therapeutic area.

FOXQ1 inhibits breast cancer ferroptosis and progression via the circ_0000643/miR-153/SLC7A11 axis

Dysregulation of ferroptosis is involved in breast cancer progression and therapeutic responses. Inducing ferroptosis can be a potential therapeutic strategy for breast cancer treatment. Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) is an oncogenic transcription factor that highly expressed and related with poor outcomes in various tumors. However, the specific effects of FOXQ1 on ferroptosis in breast cancer is unclear. In this study, we intended to explore the functions and potential mechanisms of FOXQ1 in breast cancer ferroptosis. By CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, transwell and ferroptosis related assays, we explored the functions of FOXQ1 in breast cancer ferroptosis and progression. Through bioinformatics analysis of public database, luciferase reporter assay, RIP and ChIP assay, we investigated the potential mechanisms of FOXQ1 in breast cancer ferroptosis and progression. We found that FOXQ1 was overexpressed in breast cancer and associated with worse survival. Additionally, inhibition of FOXQ1 suppressed breast cancer ferroptosis and progression. Mechanically, we confirmed that FOXQ1 could bind to the promoter of circ_0000643 host gene to increase the levels of circ_0000643, which could sponge miR-153 and enhance the expression of SLC7A11, leading to reduced cell ferroptosis in breast cancer cells. Targeting the FOXQ1/circ_0000643/miR-153/SLC7A11 axis could be a promising strategy in breast cancer treatment.

Update on Radiotherapy Changes of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Tumor Microenvironment

The utilization of radiotherapy (RT) serves as the principal approach for managing nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Consequently, it is imperative to investigate the correlation between the radiation microenvironment and radiation resistance in NPC. PubMed and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were accessed to perform a search utilizing the English keywords "nasopharyngeal cancer", "radiotherapy", and "microenvironment". The search time spanned from the establishment of the database until January 20, 2023. A total of 82 articles were included. The post-radiation tumor microenvironment (TME), or the radiation microenvironment, includes several components, such as the radiation-immune microenvironment and the radiation-hypoxic microenvironment. The radiation-immune microenvironment includes various factors like immune cells, signaling molecules, and extracellular matrix. RT can reshape the TME, leading to immune responses with both cytotoxic effects (T cells, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells) and immune escape mechanisms (regulatory T cells (Tregs), macrophages). RT enhances immune responses through DNA release, type I interferons, and immune cell recruitment. Radiation-hypoxic microenvironment affects metabolism and molecular changes. RT-induced hypoxia causes vascular changes, fibrosis, and vessel compression, leading to tissue hypoxia. Hypoxia activates hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α/2α, promoting angiogenesis and glycolysis in tumor cells. TME changes due to hypoxia also involve immune suppressive cells like myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), and Tregs. The radiation microenvironment is involved in radiation resistance and holds a significant effect on the prognosis of patients with NPC. Exploring the radiation microenvironment provides new insights into RT and NPC research.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy plus anlotinib vs. concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma: An interim analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial

Despite the use of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and concurrent chemotherapy (CCRT), the treatment of locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) is not satisfactory. EGFR and VEGFR are highly expressed in 60-80% of patients with LA-NPC and this is associated with a poor prognosis, which suggests the potential effectiveness of an inhibitor targeting tumor angiogenesis for treating LA-NPC. The present study aimed to assess the safety and effectiveness of CCRT combined with anlotinib in patients with LA-NPC. The study involved patients with LA-NPC (stage III-IVA) from four institutions in Guangxi, China. Patients were randomized to receive CCRT + anlotinib (n=36) or CCRT alone (n=37). Acute toxicity and short-term efficacy were evaluated. The most common grade 3 or 4 adverse events were leucopenia [10 (27.7%) vs. 8 (21.6%)], neutropenia [6 (16.7%) vs. 5 (13.5%)] and mucositis [13 (36.1%) vs. 11 (29.7%)] in the CCRT + anlotinib vs. CCRT cohort but there were no significant differences between the two cohorts (P=0.54, P=0.70 and P=0.56, respectively). Two patients (5.6%) displayed grade 1/2 hemorrhage in the CCRT + anlotinib cohort. No patient displayed grade 3/4 hemorrhages or adverse event-associated deaths in any cohort. Complete response rates in the CCRT + anlotinib arm at 1 week and 3 and 6 months post-radiotherapy were 60.0, 91.4, and 97.1%, respectively, compared with 40.5, 81.1 and 91.9% in the CCRT arm but there was no significant difference (P=0.10, P=0.35 and P=0.65, respectively). This interim analysis of the ongoing trial showed that administration of CCRT + anlotinib has acceptable toxicity profiles, good compliance and promising results in patients with LA-NPC. A larger study cohort and a longer follow-up period are needed to confirm therapeutic effectiveness and late toxicity.

Pan-cancer analyses reveal multi-omic signatures and clinical implementations of the forkhead-box gene family

BACKGROUND

Forkhead box (FOX) proteins belong to one of the largest transcription factor families and play crucial roles in the initiation and progression of cancer. Prior research has linked several FOX genes, such as FOXA1 and FOXM1, to the crucial process of carcinogenesis. However, the overall picture of FOX gene family across human cancers is far from clear.

METHODS

To investigate the broad molecular signatures of the FOX gene family, we conducted study on multi-omics data (including genomics, epigenomics and transcriptomics) from over 11,000 patients with 33 different types of human cancers.

RESULTS

Pan-cancer analysis reveals that FOX gene mutations were found in 17.4% of tumor patients with a substantial cancer type-dependent pattern. Additionally, high expression heterogeneity of FOX genes across cancer types was discovered, which can be partially attributed to the genomic or epigenomic alteration. Co-expression network analysis reveals that FOX genes may exert functions by regulating the expression of both their own and target genes. For a clinical standpoint, we provided 103 FOX gene-drug target-drug predictions and found FOX gene expression have potential survival predictive value. All of the results have been included in the FOX2Cancer database, which is freely accessible at http://hainmu-biobigdata.com/FOX2Cancer.

CONCLUSION

Our findings may provide a better understanding of roles FOX genes played in the development of tumors, and help to offer new avenues for uncovering tumorigenesis and unprecedented therapeutic targets.

miR-124-3p improves mitochondrial function of renal tubular epithelial cells in db/db mice

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the main cause of end-stage renal failure. However, the pathogenesis of DKD is complicated. In this study, we found that miR-124-3p plays a key role in regulating renal mitochondrial function and explored its possible mechanism in DKD progression by performing a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments. Decreased expression of miR-124-3p was found in db/db mice compared to db/m mice. Moreover, miR-124-3p down-regulated FOXQ1 by targeting FOXQ1 mRNA 3'-UTR in NRK-52E cells. Also, an increase in FOXQ1 and down-regulation of Sirt4 were found in db/db mouse kidney and renal tubular epithelial cells cultured with high glucose and high lipid. Overexpression of FOXQ1 could further down-regulate the expression of Sirt4 and aggravate the damage of mitochondria. Conversely, the knockdown of the FOXQ1 gene induced Sirt4 expression and partially restored mitochondrial function. To verify the effects of miR-124-3p on Sirt4 and mitochondria, we found that miR-124-3p mimics could up-regulate Sirt4 and inhibit ROS production and MitoSOX, thus restoring the number and morphology of mitochondria. These results showed that under high-glucose and high-lipid conditions, the down-regulation of miR-124-3p induces FOXQ1 in renal tubular epithelial cells, which in turn suppresses Sirt4 and leads to mitochondrial dysfunction, promoting the development of DKD.

EBV promotes vascular mimicry of dormant cancer cells by potentiating stemness and EMT

Vascular mimicry (VM) is defined as a vascular channel-like structure composed of tumor cells that correlates with the growth of cancer cells by providing blood circulation. However, whether VM can be formed in dormant cancer cells remains unclear. Our previous research revealed that polyploid giant cancer cells (PGCCs) are specific dormant cells related to the poor prognosis of head and neck cancer. Here, we demonstrated that EBV could promote VM formation by PGCCs in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we revealed that the activation of the ERK pathway partly mediated by LMP2A is responsible for stemness, and the acquisition of the stemness phenotype is crucial to the malignant biological behavior of PGCCs. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process plays a considerable role in PGCCs, and EMT progression is vital for EBV-positive PGCCs to form VM. This is the first study to reveal that EBV creates plasticity in PGCC-VM and provide a new strategy for targeted anti-tumor therapy.

miR-146 Relieves Acute Asthma via Decreasing Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor/Toll-Like Receptor 4 (EGFR/TLR4) and Enhancing Autophagy

There is a close relationship between acute asthma and autophagy. In addition, some studies claim that miR-146 can regulate autophagy and participate in acute asthma. This study further explores the role of miR-146 in acute asthma and underlying mechanism. Twenty BALB/c mice were selected and randomly divided into two groups, the model group and the control group, each with 10 mice. Lung tissues, peripheral blood, alveolar lavage fluid, and primary lymphocytes were separated into miR-146 over expression group (miR-146 mimic), miR-146 low expression group (miR-146 inhibitor), negative control group (NC), blank group, or SBI-0206965 group. Acute asthma was established and the expression levels of miR-146, EGFR, TLR4, LC3, beclin1, and ATG5 in each group was measured. The targeting relationship and correlation between miR-146 and EGFR were also investigated. The expression of IL-4 in model group was increased compared to control arm while the expression of IFN-γ was opposite (P < 0.05). The expressions of miR-146, LC3, beclin1, and the expression of ATG5 were decreased (P < 0.05). The expressions of miR-146 gene and LC3, beclin1, ATG5 mRNA and protein in the miR-146 mimic group were the highest, while the expressions of EGFR and TLR4 were the lowest. The SBI-0206965 group and the miR-146 inhibitor group are opposite to the miR-146 mimic group, the SBI-0206965 group and the miR-146 inhibitor group have significant differences (P < 0.05). miR-146 has a directly targeted EGFR and TLR4, and both showed a negative correlation (rEGFR=−0.397, P = 0.013; rTLR4=−0.402, P = 0.021). During the onset of asthma, miR-146 was abnormally decreased. miR-146 directly targets and negatively regulates EGFR. In addition, miR-146 down-regulates TLR4 gene to increase CD4+ lymphocytes’ aphagocytosis-related markers (LC3, beclin1, ATG5) which further promotes the autophagy process and ultimately alleviates the degree of acute asthma. Its main mechanism is related to the down-regulation of the EGFR/TLR4 through regulated the expression of autophagy. Our study provided a scientific reference for further understanding of acute pathogenesis of asthma.

Forkhead Box q1 promotes invasion and metastasis in colorectal cancer by activating the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an extremely malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Little is known about the mechanism by which forkhead Box q1 (FOXQ1) causes CRC invasion and metastasis through the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway.

AIM

To illuminate the mechanism by which FOXQ1 promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC by activating the heparin binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF)/EGFR pathway.

METHODS

We investigated the differential expression and prognosis of FOXQ1 and HB-EGF in CRC using the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) website (http://gepia.cancer-pku.cn/index.html). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were used to detect the expression of FOXQ1 and HB-EGF in cell lines and tissues, and we constructed a stable low-expressing FOXQ1 cell line and verified it with the above method. The expression changes of membrane-bound HB-EGF (proHB-EGF) and soluble HB-EGF (sHB-EGF) in the low-expressing FOXQ1 cell line were detected by flow cytometry and ELISA. Western blotting was used to detect changes in the expression levels of HB-EGF and EGFR pathway-related downstream genes when exogenous recombinant human HB-EGF was added to FOXQ1 knockdown cells. Proliferation experiments, transwell migration experiments, and scratch experiments were carried out to determine the mechanism by which FOXQ1 activates the EGFR signaling pathway through HB-EGF, and then to evaluate the clinical relevance of FOXQ1 and HB-EGF.

RESULTS

GEPIA showed that the expression of FOXQ1 in CRC tissues was relatively high and was related to a lower overall survival rate. PCR array results showed that FOXQ1 is related to the HB-EGF and EGFR pathways. Knockdown of FOXQ1 suppressed the expression of HB-EGF, and led to a decrease in EGFR and its downstream genes AKT, RAF, KRAS expression levels. After knockdown of FOXQ1 in CRC cell lines, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were attenuated. Adding HB-EGF restored the migration and invasion ability of CRC, but not the cell proliferation ability. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis results showed that the combination of FOXQ1 and HB-EGF may serve to predict CRC survival.

CONCLUSION

Based on these collective data, we propose that FOXQ1 promotes the invasion and metastasis of CRC via the HB-EGF/EGFR pathway.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibits Migration and Vasculogenic Mimicry in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Via Exosomal MiR-125a

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a kind of tumor vasculature providing blood supply for tumor growth, and the formation of VM is independent of vascular endothelial cells. Instead, VM structures are formed by differentiated tumor cells such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Recently, studies have shown that anti-angiogenic therapy failed to improve the overall survival for patients, namely, nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. The existence of VM structure is probably one of the reasons for resistance for anti-angiogenic therapy. Therefore, it is important to study the mechanism for VM formation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, the bioinformatic analysis revealed that microRNA-125a-3p (miR-125a) was highly expressed in normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissue than in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. An in vitro study demonstrated that miR-125a plays an inhibitory role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell migration and VM formation, and further studies confirmed that TAZ is a direct downstream target for miR-125a. On this basis, we artificially engineered human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to generate exosomes with high miR-125a expression. Treatment with these miR-125a-over-expressing exosomes attenuated the migration and VM formation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. In addition, the inhibitory role of these exosomes on VM formation and migration in nasopharyngeal carcinoma was also confirmed in vivo. Overall, the current study shows that MSCs can be utilized to generate exosomes with high miR-125a level, which could be therapeutic nanoparticles targeting VM formation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and used as a complement to anti-angiogenic therapy in the future.

Graphene quantum dots‐based targeted nanoprobes detecting drug delivery, imaging, and enhanced chemotherapy of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

One of the main clinical treatments for advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma is chemotherapy, but systemic administration can cause serious adverse reactions. New type of nanomaterial which can actively targeting, imaging, and treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma at the same time to enhance the effect of chemotherapy, meanwhile monitoring the intracellular drug release process at the level of single cancer cell was urgently needed. GE11, an EGFR antagonist peptide, was used to target nasopharyngeal carcinoma which has positive expression of EGFR on its nucleus. GE11‐modified graphene quantum dots (GQDs@GE11) were used as drug carriers for clinical chemotherapeutics cisplatin (CDDP) and doxorubicin (DOX). The emission spectrum of GQDs (460 nm) and the excitation spectrum of DOX (470 nm) have a good overlap, thus the transfer and release process of DOX can be sensitively detected by the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). CDDP was used to enhance the chemotherapy effect of nanoprobe, and the loading amount of DOX and CDDP on GQDs@GE11 nanoprobe were up to 67 and 50 mg/g, respectively. In vivo experiments have confirmed that GQDs@GE11/CDDP/DOX nanoprobe can be enriched to tumor site through specific targeting effect, and significantly inhibit tumor cell proliferation. This new type of targeted therapy fluorescent probe provides new ideas for the study of drug release process and the treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Cross-link between ferroptosis and nasopharyngeal carcinoma: New approach to radiotherapy sensitization

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered special type of regulated cell death that is strongly associated with both homeostasis maintenance and cancer development. Previous studies have indicated that a number of small-molecular agents inducing ferroptosis have great potential in the treatment of different types of cancer, including breast, pancreatic, prostate and head and neck cancer. However, the role of ferroptosis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has remained to be fully determined. To the best of our knowledge, no review of the currently available studies on this subject has been published to date. The metabolism and expression of specific genes that regulate ferroptosis may represent a promising radiosensitization target in cancer treatment. The aim of the present review was to describe the cross-link between ferroptosis and NPC and to discuss the potential value of regulators and the possible mechanism underlying the role of ferroptosis in the radiosensitization of NPC, in the hope that linking the mechanism of ferroptosis with the development of NPC will accelerate the development of novel ferroptosis-based targets and radiotherapy strategies in NPC.

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: The Role of the EGFR in Epstein-Barr Virus Infection

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a type 4 γ herpes virus, is recognized as a causative agent in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Incidence of EBV-positive NPC have grown in recent decades along with worse outcomes compared with their EBV-negative counterparts. Latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1), encoded by EBV, induces NPC progression. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK), is a driver of tumorigenesis, including for NPC. Little data exist on the relationship between EGFR and EBV-induced NPC. In our initial review, we found that LMP1 promoted the expression of EGFR in NPC in two main ways: the NF-κB pathway and STAT3 activation. On the other hand, EGFR also enhances EBV infection in NPC cells. Moreover, activation of EGFR signalling affects NPC cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Since EGFR promotes tumorigenesis and progression by downstream signalling pathways, causing poor outcomes in NPC patients, EGFR-targeted drugs could be considered a newly developed anti-tumor drug. Here, we summarize the major studies on EBV, EGFR, and LMP1-regulatory EGFR expression and nucleus location in NPC and discuss the clinical efficacy of EGFR-targeted agents in locally advanced NPC (LA NPC) and recurrent or metastatic NPC (R/M NPC) patients.