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Wang Y, Zhang A, Li Q, Liu C. Modulating pancreatic cancer microenvironment: The efficacy of Huachansu in mouse models via TGF-β/Smad pathway. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 326:117872. [PMID: 38325667 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.117872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Huachansu (HCS) is a traditional Chinese medicine obtained from the dried skin glands of Bufo gargarizans and clinical uses of HCS have been approved in China to treat malignant tumors. The traditional Chinese medicine theory states that HCS relieves patients with cancer by promoting blood circulation to remove blood stasis. Clinical observation found that local injection of HCS given to pancreatic cancer patients can significantly inhibit tumor progression and assist in enhancing the efficacy of chemotherapy. However, the material basis and underlying mechanism have not yet been elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the therapeutic potential of HCS for the treatment of pancreatic cancer in in situ transplanted tumor nude mouse model. Furthermore, this study sought to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying its efficacy and assess the impact of HCS on the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. To identify the antitumor effect of HCS in in situ transplanted tumor nude mouse model and determine the Chemopreventive mechanism of HCS on tumor microenvironment (TME). METHODS Using the orthotopic transplantation nude mouse model with fluorescently labeled pancreatic cancer cell lines SW1990 and pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs), we examined the effect of HCS on the pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) microenvironment based on the transforming growth factor β (TGF-β)/Smad pathway. The expression of TGF-β, smad2, smad3, smad4, collagen type-1 genes and proteins in nude mouse model were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. RESULTS HCS significantly reduced tumor growth rate, increased the survival rate, and ameliorated the histopathological changes in the pancreas. It was found that HCS concentration-dependently reduced the expression of TGF-β1 and collagen type-1 genes and proteins, decreased the expression of Smad2 and Smad3 genes, and downregulated the phosphorylation level of Smad2/3. Additionally, the gene and protein expression of Smad4 were promoted by HCS. Further, the promoting effect gradually enhanced with the rise of HCS concentration. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrated HCS could regulate the activity of the TGF-β/Smad pathway in PDAC, improved the microenvironment of PDAC and delayed tumor progression. This study not only indicated that the protective mechanism of HCS on PDAC might be attributed partly to the inhibition of cytokine production and the TGF-β/Smad pathway, but also provided evidence for HCS as a potential medicine for PDAC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuehui Wang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100105, China.
| | - Arun Zhang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100105, China.
| | - Quanwang Li
- Oncology Department, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100078, China.
| | - Chuanbo Liu
- Oncology Department, Dongfang Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 100078, China.
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Hashimoto M, Kojima Y, Sakamoto T, Ozato Y, Nakano Y, Abe T, Hosoda K, Saito H, Higuchi S, Hisamatsu Y, Toshima T, Yonemura Y, Masuda T, Hata T, Nagayama S, Kagawa K, Goto Y, Utou M, Gamachi A, Imamura K, Kuze Y, Zenkoh J, Suzuki A, Takahashi K, Niida A, Hirose H, Hayashi S, Koseki J, Fukuchi S, Murakami K, Yoshizumi T, Kadomatsu K, Tobo T, Oda Y, Uemura M, Eguchi H, Doki Y, Mori M, Oshima M, Shibata T, Suzuki Y, Shimamura T, Mimori K. Spatial and single-cell colocalisation analysis reveals MDK-mediated immunosuppressive environment with regulatory T cells in colorectal carcinogenesis. EBioMedicine 2024; 103:105102. [PMID: 38614865 PMCID: PMC11121171 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cell-cell interaction factors that facilitate the progression of adenoma to sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear, thereby hindering patient survival. METHODS We performed spatial transcriptomics on five early CRC cases, which included adenoma and carcinoma, and one advanced CRC. To elucidate cell-cell interactions within the tumour microenvironment (TME), we investigated the colocalisation network at single-cell resolution using a deep generative model for colocalisation analysis, combined with a single-cell transcriptome, and assessed the clinical significance in CRC patients. FINDINGS CRC cells colocalised with regulatory T cells (Tregs) at the adenoma-carcinoma interface. At early-stage carcinogenesis, cell-cell interaction inference between colocalised adenoma and cancer epithelial cells and Tregs based on the spatial distribution of single cells highlighted midkine (MDK) as a prominent signalling molecule sent from tumour epithelial cells to Tregs. Interaction between MDK-high CRC cells and SPP1+ macrophages and stromal cells proved to be the mechanism underlying immunosuppression in the TME. Additionally, we identified syndecan4 (SDC4) as a receptor for MDK associated with Treg colocalisation. Finally, clinical analysis using CRC datasets indicated that increased MDK/SDC4 levels correlated with poor overall survival in CRC patients. INTERPRETATION MDK is involved in the immune tolerance shown by Tregs to tumour growth. MDK-mediated formation of the TME could be a potential target for early diagnosis and treatment of CRC. FUNDING Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grant-in-Aid for Science Research; OITA Cancer Research Foundation; AMED under Grant Number; Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST); Takeda Science Foundation; The Princess Takamatsu Cancer Research Fund.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Hashimoto
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Kojima
- Division of Computational Bioscience, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, 104-0045, Japan
| | - Takeharu Sakamoto
- Department of Cancer Biology, Institute of Biomedical Science, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, 573-1010, Japan.
| | - Yuki Ozato
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yusuke Nakano
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Tadashi Abe
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Kiyotaka Hosoda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Saito
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of General Surgical Science, Gastroenterological Surgery, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Satoshi Higuchi
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan; Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuichi Hisamatsu
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Takeo Toshima
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yonemura
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Takaaki Masuda
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hata
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nagayama
- Department of Surgery, Uji-Tokushukai Medical Center, Uji, 611-0041, Japan
| | - Koichi Kagawa
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shin Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-8538, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Goto
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shin Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-8538, Japan
| | - Mitsuaki Utou
- Department of Pathology, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Ayako Gamachi
- Department of Pathology, Oita Oka Hospital, Oita, 870-0192, Japan
| | - Kiyomi Imamura
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Yuta Kuze
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Junko Zenkoh
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Ayako Suzuki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Kazuki Takahashi
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Atsushi Niida
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Haruka Hirose
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Shuto Hayashi
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Jun Koseki
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Satoshi Fukuchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Medicine, Almeida Memorial Hospital, Oita, 870-1195, Japan
| | - Kazunari Murakami
- Department of Gastroenterology, Oita University Hospital, Yufu, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Tomoharu Yoshizumi
- Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kenji Kadomatsu
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan
| | - Taro Tobo
- Department of Pathology, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan
| | - Yoshinao Oda
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Kyushu University Hospital, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan
| | - Mamoru Uemura
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Eguchi
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Doki
- Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masaki Mori
- Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Masanobu Oshima
- Division of Genetics, Cancer Research Institute, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiro Shibata
- Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Human Genome Center, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Yutaka Suzuki
- Laboratory of Systems Genomics, Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, 277-8561, Japan
| | - Teppei Shimamura
- Division of Systems Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, 466-8550, Japan; Department of Computational and Systems Biology, Medical Research Insitute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034, Japan.
| | - Koshi Mimori
- Department of Surgery, Kyushu University Beppu Hospital, Beppu, 874-0838, Japan.
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Li J, Ma R, Lv JL, Ren YS, Tan YJ, Wang HM, Wang ZE, Wang BS, Yu JN, Wang YL, Tian J, Zheng QS. Telocinobufagin, a PLK1 suppressor that inhibits tumor growth and metastasis by modulating CDC25c and CTCF in HNSCC cells. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 127:155440. [PMID: 38452691 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high metastasis and mortality rates of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) urgently require new treatment targets and drugs. A steroidal component of ChanSu, telocinobufagin (TBG), was verified to have anti-cancer effects in various tumors, but its activity and mechanism in anti-HNSCC were still unknown. PURPOSE This study tried to demonstrate the anti-tumor effect of TBG on HNSCC and verify its potential mechanism. METHODS The effect of TBG on cell proliferation and metastasis were performed and the TBG changed genes were detected by RNA-seq analysis in HNSCC cells. The GSEA and PPI analysis were used to identify the pathways targeted for TBG-regulated genes. Meanwhile, the mechanism of TBG on anti-proliferative and anti-metastasis were investigated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS The in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that TBG has favorable anti-tumor effects by induced G2/M phase arrest and suppressed metastasis in HNSCC cells. Further RNA-seq analysis demonstrated the genes regulated by TBG were enriched at the G2/M checkpoint and PLK1 signaling pathway. Then, the bioinformatic analysis of clinical data found that high expressed PLK1 were closely associated with poor overall survival in HNSCC patients. Furthermore, PLK1 directly and indirectly modulated G2/M phase and metastasis (by regulated CTCF) in HNSCC cells, simultaneously. TBG significantly inhibited the protein levels of PLK1 in both phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated forms and then, in one way, inactivated PLK1 failed to activate G2/M phase-related proteins (including CDK1, CDC25c, and cyclin B1). In another way, be inhibited PLK1 unable promote the nuclear translocation of CTCF and thus suppressed HNSC cell metastasis. In contrast, the anti-proliferative and anti-metastasis effects of TBG on HNSCC cell were vanished when cells high-expressed PLK1. CONCLUSION The present study verified that PLK1 mediated TBG induced anti-tumor effect by modulated G2/M phase and metastasis in HNSCC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Ru Ma
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Jun-Lin Lv
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Yu-Shan Ren
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China; Department of Immunology, Medicine & Pharmacy Research Center, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Yu-Jun Tan
- School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China; State Key Laboratory of Generic Manufacture Technology of Chinese Traditional Medicine, Lunan Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd, Linyi, 276000, China
| | - Hao-Mai Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Zhui-En Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Bin-Sheng Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Jia-Ning Yu
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China; Department of Thyroid & Breast Surgery, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China
| | - Yu-Liang Wang
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Yantai Affiliated Hospital of Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China.
| | - Jun Tian
- School of Life Science, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China.
| | - Qiu-Sheng Zheng
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Binzhou Medical University, Yantai 264003, China.
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Hu J, Liu Q, Feng B, Lu Y, Chen K. Deciphering the Hypoxia-immune interface in esophageal squamous carcinoma: a prognostic network model. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1296814. [PMID: 38148838 PMCID: PMC10751000 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1296814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The rapid progress and poor prognosis of the exercise of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCA) bring great challenges to the treatment. Hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment has become a key factor in the pathogenesis of tumors. However, due to the lack of clear therapeutic targets, hypoxia targeted therapy of ESCA is still in the exploratory stage. Methods To bridge this critical gap, we mined a large number of gene expression profiles and clinical data on ESCA from public databases. First, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and functional enrichment analysis were performed. We next delved into the relationship between hypoxia and apoptotic cell interactions. Meanwhile, using LASAS-Cox regression, we designed a robust prognostic risk score, which was subsequently validated in the GSE53625 cohort. In addition, we performed a comprehensive analysis of immune cell infiltration and tumor microenvironment using cutting-edge computational tools. Results Hypoxia-related genes were identified and classified by WGCNA. Functional enrichment analysis further elucidated the mechanism by which hypoxia affected the ESCA landscape. The results of the interaction analysis of hypoxia and apoptotic cells revealed their important roles in driving tumor progression. The validation results of the prognostic risk score model in the GSE53625 cohort obtained a good area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the risk score was independently verified as a significant predictor of ESCA outcome. The results of immune cell infiltration and tumor microenvironment analysis reveal the profound impact of immune cell dynamics on tumor evolution. Conclusion Overall, our study presents a pioneering hypoxiacentered gene signature for prognostication in ESCA, providing valuable prognostic insights that could potentially revolutionize patient stratification and therapeutic management in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Hu
- Department of Medical Oncology of The Eastern Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qilong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology of The Eastern Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Bi Feng
- Department of Medical Oncology of The Eastern Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yanling Lu
- Department of Medical Oncology of The Eastern Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology of The Eastern Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Fan J, Lu F, Qin T, Peng W, Zhuang X, Li Y, Hou X, Fang Z, Yang Y, Guo E, Yang B, Li X, Fu Y, Kang X, Wu Z, Han L, Mills GB, Ma X, Li K, Wu P, Ma D, Chen G, Sun C. Multiomic analysis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma identifies cellular ecosystems with biological and clinical relevance. Nat Genet 2023; 55:2175-2188. [PMID: 37985817 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01570-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) exhibits a limited response to immune-checkpoint blockade. Here we conducted a multiomic analysis encompassing single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics and spatial proteomics, combined with genetic and pharmacological perturbations to systematically develop a high-resolution and spatially resolved map of intratumoral expression heterogeneity in CSCC. Three tumor states (epithelial-cytokeratin, epithelial-immune (Epi-Imm) and epithelial senescence), recapitulating different stages of squamous differentiation, showed distinct tumor immune microenvironments. Bidirectional interactions between epithelial-cytokeratin malignant cells and immunosuppressive cancer-associated fibroblasts form an immune exclusionary microenvironment through transforming growth factor β pathway signaling mediated by FABP5. In Epi-Imm tumors, malignant cells interact with natural killer and T cells through interferon signaling. Preliminary analysis of samples from a cervical cancer clinical trial ( NCT04516616 ) demonstrated neoadjuvant chemotherapy induces a state transition to Epi-Imm, which correlates with pathological complete remission following treatment with immune-checkpoint blockade. These findings deepen the understanding of cellular state diversity in CSCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Fan
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Funian Lu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Tianyu Qin
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Wenju Peng
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xucui Zhuang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yinuo Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xin Hou
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zixuan Fang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yunyi Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ensong Guo
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bin Yang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xi Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaoyan Kang
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zimeng Wu
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Lili Han
- Department of Gynecology, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Urumqi, China
| | - Gordon B Mills
- Division of Oncological Sciences, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
- Knight Cancer Institute, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Xiangyi Ma
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Kezhen Li
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Peng Wu
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Ding Ma
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
| | - Chaoyang Sun
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cancer Biology Research Center (Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education), Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Xu L, Ma S, Fan B, Yuan Z, Yin P. Bufalin-loaded vitamin E succinate-grafted chitosan oligosaccharide/RGD-conjugated TPGS mixed micelles inhibit intraperitoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer. Cancer Nanotechnol 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s12645-023-00178-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Intraperitoneal metastasis is one of the major causes of the high mortality rate of ovarian cancer. Bufalin (BU) is an effective component of the traditional Chinese medicine Chansu that exerts antitumor effects, including metastasis inhibition. In our previous studies, we found that BU inhibited the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. However, the application of BU is limited due to its insolubility, toxicity and imprecise targeting. The aim of this study was to use vitamin E succinate (VES)-grafted chitosan oligosaccharide (CSO)/arginine-glycine-aspartic acid peptide (RGD)-conjugated d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) mixed micelles (VeC/T-RGD MMs) to deliver BU to ovarian cancer cells to inhibit intraperitoneal metastasis. Moreover, the toxicity of BU was reduced by coating it with the mixed micelles to increase its biocompatibility for practical applications.
Results
The BU-loaded VeC/T-RGD MMs (BU@MMs) had an average diameter of 161 ± 1.4 nm, a zeta potential of 4.49 ± 1.54 mV and a loading efficiency of 2.54%. The results showed that these micelles inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and reduced the migration and invasion of A2780 and SKOV3 cells. Further studies indicated that BU@MMs enhanced the levels of e-cadherin and decreased the expression levels of N-cadherin, vimentin and Snail in vitro. In addition, the mixed micelles effectively enhanced the anticancer effect and inhibited intraperitoneal metastasis in intraperitoneal metastatic models. The BU@MMs exhibited fewer toxic side effects than BU, indicating better biocompatibility and biosafety for in vivo applications.
Conclusions
Our studies show that BU@MMs are a potential multifunctional nano-drug delivery system that can effectively inhibit the intraperitoneal metastasis of ovarian cancer.
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Lin S, Li J, Zhao R, Yu M, Peng L. Oxeiptosis core genes and their multi-omics analysis in hepatocellular carcinoma. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e36051. [PMID: 37960791 PMCID: PMC10637422 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000036051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Oxeiptosis is a recently discovered caspase-independent, non-inflammatory programmed cell death modality. Current studies suggest that oxeiptosis has crucial effects on biological processes in a variety of diseases. However, the mechanism of oxeiptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear and no relevant studies have been published. Therefore, this study is intended to investigate the mechanism and prognostic role of oxeiptosis-related genes in HCC. We explored the mechanisms and molecular phenotypes underlying the role of oxeiptosis in HCC through multi-omics analysis. Firstly, we obtained RNA-sequencing and clinical data from public database and divided the samples into trial and validation cohorts in subsequent analyses. We then screened oxeiptosis core genes (OCGs) and screened prognosis-related genes. Based on different molecular markers, we identified the molecular phenotypes of HCC, and the potential OCGs molecular mechanisms were explored. Subsequently, we construct a prognostic prediction system for HCC. Finally, we analyzed the tumor microenvironment and the immune escape phenomenon. We screened a total of 69 OCGs, most of which were prognostic risk factors for HCC. A majority of OCGs were enriched in cell cycle regulation and mitotic processes, which were related to both tumor cell proliferation and death. We identified 2 different molecular typing options with significant differences in prognosis, function, and signaling pathway enrichment between different molecular subtypes. The prognostic prediction model combined with molecular phenotypes and had a good predictive effect. Finally, we found CD4 + T-cell exhaustion in samples with specific molecular phenotypes. Through multi-omics analysis of OCGs, we not only revealed the possible molecular mechanisms of OCGs in HCC but also provided a prognostic prediction system for clinical application through molecular typing and risk scoring model. Meanwhile, we found immune escape mechanisms in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Lin
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jinghao Li
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of The Sixth Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Foshan, China
| | - Ruiqi Zhao
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengjiao Yu
- The Fourth Clinical Medical College, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lisheng Peng
- Department of Science and Education, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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8
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Shen K, Chen B, Yang L, Gao W. KYNU as a Biomarker of Tumor-Associated Macrophages and Correlates with Immunosuppressive Microenvironment and Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer. Int J Genomics 2023; 2023:4662480. [PMID: 37954130 PMCID: PMC10635752 DOI: 10.1155/2023/4662480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Kynureninase (KYNU) is a potential prognostic marker for various tumor types. However, no reports on the biological effects and prognostic value of KYNU in gastric cancer (GC) exist. Methods GC-associated single-cell RNA sequencing and bulk RNA sequencing (bulk-seq) data were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas databases, respectively. The differential expression of KYNU between GC and normal gastric tissues was first analyzed based on the bulk-seq data, followed by an exploration of the relationship between KYNU and various clinicopathological features. The Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the prognostic value of KYNU. The relationship between KYNU expression and immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoints was also explored. The biological function of KYNU was further examined at the single-cell level, and in vitro experiments were performed to examine the effect of KYNU on GC cell proliferation and invasion. Results KYNU expression was significantly elevated in GC samples. Clinical features and survival analysis indicated that high KYNU expression was associated with poor clinical phenotypes and prognosis, whereas Cox analysis showed that KYNU was an independent risk factor for patients with GC. Notably, high expression of KYNU induced a poor immune microenvironment and contributed to the upregulation of immune checkpoints. KYNU-overexpressing macrophages drove GC progression through unique ligand-receptor pairs and transcription factors and were associated with adverse clinical phenotypes in GC. KYNU was overexpressed in GC cells in vitro, and KYNU knockout significantly inhibited GC cell proliferation and invasion. Conclusion High KYNU expression promotes an adverse immune microenvironment and low survival rates in GC. KYNU and KYNU-related macrophages may serve as novel molecular targets in the treatment of GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiyu Shen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Binyu Chen
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Liu Yang
- The Second Clinical Medical College of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310053, China
| | - Wencang Gao
- Department of Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou 310005, China
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9
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Cai Z, Chen L, Chen S, Fang R, Chen X, Lei W. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals pro-invasive cancer-associated fibroblasts in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:292. [PMID: 37853464 PMCID: PMC10585865 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01312-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) has the worst prognosis among all head-and-neck cancers, and treatment options are limited. Tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis can help identify new therapeutic targets and combined treatment strategies. METHODS Six primary HPSCC tissues and two adjacent normal mucosae from six treatment-naïve patients with HPSCC were analyzed using scRNA-seq. Cell types were curated in detail, ecosystemic landscapes were mapped, and cell-cell interactions were inferred. Key results were validated with The Cancer Genome Atlas and cell biology experiments. RESULTS Malignant HPSCC epithelial cells showed significant intratumor heterogeneity. Different subtypes exhibited distinct histological features, biological behaviors, and spatial localization, all affecting treatment selection and prognosis. Extracellular matrix cancer-associated fibroblasts (mCAFs) expressing fibroblast activation protein were the dominant CAFs in HPSCC tumors. mCAFs, constituting an aggressive CAF subset, promoted tumor cell invasion, activated endothelial cells to trigger angiogenesis, and synergized with SPP1+ tumor associated macrophages to induce tumor progression, ultimately decreasing the overall survival of patients with HPSCC. Moreover, the LAMP3+ dendritic cell subset was identified in HPSCC and formed an immunosuppressive TME by recruiting Tregs and suppressing CD8+ T cell function. CONCLUSIONS mCAFs, acting as the communication center of the HPSCC TME, enhance the invasion ability of HPSCC cells, mobilizing surrounding cells to construct a tumor-favorable microenvironment. Inhibiting mCAF activation offers a new anti-HPSCC therapeutic strategy. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhimou Cai
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China
| | - Lin Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China
| | - Siyu Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China
| | - Ruihua Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China
| | - Xiaolin Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China
| | - Wenbin Lei
- Department of Otolaryngology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 58 Zhongshan Er Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, P.R. China.
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10
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Chen Q, Wu J, Li X, Ye Z, Yang H, Mu L. Amphibian-Derived Natural Anticancer Peptides and Proteins: Mechanism of Action, Application Strategies, and Prospects. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:13985. [PMID: 37762285 PMCID: PMC10530844 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241813985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is one of the major diseases that seriously threaten human life. Traditional anticancer therapies have achieved remarkable efficacy but have also some unavoidable side effects. Therefore, more and more research focuses on highly effective and less-toxic anticancer substances of natural origin. Amphibian skin is rich in active substances such as biogenic amines, alkaloids, alcohols, esters, peptides, and proteins, which play a role in various aspects such as anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anticancer functions, and are one of the critical sources of anticancer substances. Currently, a range of natural anticancer substances are known from various amphibians. This paper aims to review the physicochemical properties, anticancer mechanisms, and potential applications of these peptides and proteins to advance the identification and therapeutic use of natural anticancer agents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Hailong Yang
- Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Lixian Mu
- Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China
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11
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Miao Y, Wu X, Xue X, Ma X, Yang L, Zeng X, Hu Y, Dai Y, Wei Z. Morin, the PPARγ agonist, inhibits Th17 differentiation by limiting fatty acid synthesis in collagen-induced arthritis. Cell Biol Toxicol 2023; 39:1433-1452. [PMID: 36121554 DOI: 10.1007/s10565-022-09769-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
T helper (Th) 17 cells highly contribute to the immunopathology of rheumatoid arthritis. Morin, a natural flavonoid, owns well anti-arthritic action but unclear effect on Th17 differentiation. This study tried to solve this issue and explore the mechanisms in view of cellular metabolism. Naïve CD4+ T cells were treated with anti-CD3/CD28 along with Th17-inducing cytokines. Morin was shown to block Th17 differentiation without affecting cell viability even when Foxp3 was dampened. The mechanisms were ascribed to the limited fatty acid synthesis by restricting FASN transcription, as indicated by metabolomics analysis, nile red staining, detection of triglycerides, FASN overexpression, and addition of palmitic acid. Moreover, morin had slight effect on cell apoptosis and protein palmitoylation during Th17 differentiation, but blocked the binding of RORγt to promoter and CNS2 region of Il17a gene. Oleic acid rescued the inhibition of morin on RORγt function, and Th17-inducing cytokines could not induce RORγt function in SCD1-defficient cells, suggesting that oleic acid but not palmitic acid was the direct effector in the action of morin. Then, PPARγ was identified as the target of morin, and GW9662 or PPARγ CRISPR/Cas9 KO plasmid weakened its above-mentioned effects. The transrepression of FASN by morin was owing to physical interaction between PPARγ and Sp1, and the importance of Sp1 in Th17 differentiation was confirmed by siSp1. Finally, the effects and mechanisms for morin-dampened Th17 responses were confirmed in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. Collectively, morin inhibited Th17 differentiation and alleviated CIA by limiting fatty acid synthesis subsequent to PPARγ activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeng Miao
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xiaoqian Wu
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xinru Xue
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xingyu Ma
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Ling Yang
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Xi Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yuxiao Hu
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China
| | - Yue Dai
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China.
| | - Zhifeng Wei
- Department of Pharmacology of Chinese Materia Medica, School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, 24 Tong Jia Xiang, Nanjing, 210009, China.
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Tang FF, Liu L, Tian XT, Li N, Peng YX, Qian CM, Jia TT, Liu JJ, Gao WH, Xu YF. Network pharmacological analysis of corosolic acid reveals P4HA2 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression. BMC Complement Med Ther 2023; 23:171. [PMID: 37248456 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04008-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Corosolic acid is a pentacyclic triterpene acid with hypoglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, its potential targets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unknown, hindering clinical utilization. METHODS Differentially expressed proteins of the Bel-7404 cell line were identified with tandem mass tag analysis and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of an HCC TCGA dataset using bioinformatics. Gene functions and pathways were inferred using the DAVID database. Online databases were used to establish P4HA2 expression in HCC (GEPIA2) and its relationship with patient survival (UALCAN and The Human Protein Atlas), the association between P4HA2 expression and immune cell infiltration (TIMER2), and DNA methylation of the P4HA2 gene (MethSurv). Cell proliferation, cell cycle, and cell death were assessed with PI and SYTOX-Green staining, CCK-8, and colony formation assays. Protein expression levels were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS A total of 44 differentially expressed proteins and 4498 DEGs were identified. Four genes whose proteins were also found in the differential protein profile but with opposing expressions were selected as candidate targets. The candidate gene prolyl 4-hydroxylase subunit alpha 2 (P4HA2) was recognized as the only potential target due to its high expression in public datasets, association with poor patient survival, and relation to immune cell infiltration in HCC tissues. Moreover, the DNA methylation status in 4 CpG islands of the P4HA2 gene correlated with a poor prognosis. Furthermore, corosolic acid treatment inhibited the proliferation of HCC cell lines Bel-7404 and HepG2 in a dose-dependent manner, caused G2/M phase cell cycle arrest, and promoted cell death. In addition, the treatment reduced P4HA2 protein levels. CONCLUSION Our results indicate that P4HA2 is a potential target of corosolic acid. Thus, they contribute to understanding molecular changes in HCC after corosolic acid treatment and facilitate finding new treatment regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei-Feng Tang
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianyou Hospital of Tongji University, Shanghai, 200331, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao-Ting Tian
- Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Institute of Thoracic Oncology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Li
- Central Laboratory, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying-Xiu Peng
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Chun-Mei Qian
- Central Laboratory, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Ting-Ting Jia
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing-Jin Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Hui Gao
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan-Feng Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, Shanghai Municipal Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200071, People's Republic of China.
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Yan Z, Zhong L, Zhu W, Chung SK, Hou P. Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases ─ targeting cardiac ion channels. Pharmacol Res 2023; 192:106765. [PMID: 37075871 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, imposing an increasing global health burden. Cardiac ion channels (voltage-gated NaV, CaV, KVs, and others) synergistically shape the cardiac action potential (AP) and control the heartbeat. Dysfunction of these channels, due to genetic mutations, transcriptional or post-translational modifications, may disturb the AP and lead to arrhythmia, a major risk for CVD patients. Although there are five classes of anti-arrhythmic drugs available, they can have varying levels of efficacies and side effects on patients, possibly due to the complex pathogenesis of arrhythmias. As an alternative treatment option, Chinese herbal remedies have shown promise in regulating cardiac ion channels and providing anti-arrhythmic effects. In this review, we first discuss the role of cardiac ion channels in maintaining normal heart function and the pathogenesis of CVD, then summarize the classification of Chinese herbal compounds, and elaborate detailed mechanisms of their efficacy in regulating cardiac ion channels and in alleviating arrhythmia and CVD. We also address current limitations and opportunities for developing new anti-CVD drugs based on Chinese herbal medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Yan
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Ling Zhong
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China
| | - Wandi Zhu
- Cardiovascular Medicine Division and Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sookja Kim Chung
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; Faculty of Medicine & Faculty of Innovation Engineering at Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Panpan Hou
- Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China; Macau University of Science and Technology Zhuhai MUST Science and Technology Research Institute. Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
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14
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Lin C, Li T, Wang Y, Lai S, Huang Y, Guo Z, Zhang X, Weng S. METTL3 enhances pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression and gemcitabine resistance through modifying DDX23 mRNA N6 adenosine methylation. Cell Death Dis 2023; 14:221. [PMID: 36977668 PMCID: PMC10050319 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-023-05715-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to clarify the mechanism of how METTL3 regulated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression by m6A modification of its downstream target mRNA and signaling pathway. Immunoblotting and qRT-PCR assays was employed to determine the expression levels of METTL3. In situ fluorescence hybridization was conducted to localize the cellular distribution of METTL3 and DEAD-box helicase 23 (DDX23). CCK8, colony formation, EDU incorporation, TUNEL, wound healing and Transwell assays were carried out accordingly to study the viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and mobility of cells under different treatments in vitro. Xenograft and animal lung metastasis experiments were also conducted to study the functional role of METTL3 or DDX23 on tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. MeRIP-qPCR and bioinformatical analyses were used to obtain the potential direct targets of METTL3. It was shown that m6A methyltransferase METTL3 was upregulated in PDAC tissues with gemcitabine resistance, and its knockdown sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapy. Furthermore, silencing METTL3 remarkably reduced pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, validation experiments confirmed that DDX23 mRNA was a direct target of METTL3 in YTHDF1-dependent manner. Additionally, DDX23 silence resulted in the suppression of pancreatic cancer cell malignancy and PIAK/Akt signaling inactivation. Strikingly, rescuse experiments demonstrated the inhibitive effects of METTL3 silence on cell phenotypes and gemcitabine resistance were partially reversed by forcibly expressed DDX23. In summary, METTL3 promotes PDAC progression and gemcitabine resistance by modifying DDX23 mRNA m6A methylation and enhancing PI3K/Akt signaling activation. Our findings establish a potential tumor promotive and chemo-resistant role for METTL3/DDX23 axis in PDAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjie Lin
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China
| | - Ting Li
- Department of Oncology, Fujian Provincial Hospital, Provincial Clinical College of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China
| | - Shihui Lai
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China
| | - Yue Huang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China
| | - Zhenyun Guo
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China.
| | - Shangeng Weng
- Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
- Fujian Abdominal Surgery Research Institute, The First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350001, China.
- National Regional Medical Center, Binhai Campus of the First Affiliated Hospital, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, Fujian, 350212, China.
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15
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Xing M, Li G, Liu Y, Yang L, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Ding J, Lu M, Yu G, Hu G. Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus prevents the loss of dopaminergic neurons by alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction through targeting ATP5F1a. Carbohydr Polym 2023; 303:120470. [PMID: 36657849 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons. Fucoidan, which has emerged as a neuroprotective agent, is a marine-origin sulfated polysaccharide enriched in brown algae and sea cucumbers. However, variations in structural characteristics exist among fucoidans derived from different sources, resulting in a wide spectrum of biological effects. It is urgent to find the fucoidan with the strongest neuroprotective effect, and the mechanism needs to be further explored. We isolated and purified four different fucoidan species with different chemical structures and found that Type II fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus (FvF) significantly improved mitochondrial dysfunction, prevented neuronal apoptosis, reduced dopaminergic neuron loss, and improved motor deficits in an 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-induced PD mouse model. Further mechanistic investigation revealed that the ATP5F1a protein is a key target responsible for alleviating mitochondrial dysfunction of FvF to exert neuroprotective effects. This study highlights the favorable properties of FvF for neuroprotection, making FvF a promising candidate for the treatment of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meimei Xing
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Guoyun Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Luyao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Youjiao Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuruo Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianhua Ding
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211116, China
| | - Ming Lu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211116, China.
| | - Guangli Yu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Drugs of Ministry of Education, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Glycoscience and Glycotechnology, School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Drugs and Bioproducts, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (Qingdao), Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Gang Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, Jiangsu, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neurodegeneration, Department of Pharmacology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 211116, China.
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16
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Bufalin-Mediated Regulation of Cell Signaling Pathways in Different Cancers: Spotlight on JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-Catenin, mTOR, TRAIL/TRAIL-R, and Non-Coding RNAs. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28052231. [PMID: 36903477 PMCID: PMC10004807 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28052231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The renaissance of research into natural products has unequivocally and paradigmatically shifted our knowledge about the significant role of natural products in cancer chemoprevention. Bufalin is a pharmacologically active molecule isolated from the skin of the toad Bufo gargarizans or Bufo melanostictus. Bufalin has characteristically unique properties to regulate multiple molecular targets and can be used to harness multi-targeted therapeutic regimes against different cancers. There is burgeoning evidence related to functional roles of signaling cascades in carcinogenesis and metastasis. Bufalin has been reported to regulate pleiotropically a myriad of signal transduction cascades in various cancers. Importantly, bufalin mechanistically regulated JAK/STAT, Wnt/β-Catenin, mTOR, TRAIL/TRAIL-R, EGFR, and c-MET pathways. Furthermore, bufalin-mediated modulation of non-coding RNAs in different cancers has also started to gain tremendous momentum. Similarly, bufalin-mediated targeting of tumor microenvironments and tumor macrophages is an area of exciting research and we have only started to scratch the surface of the complicated nature of molecular oncology. Cell culture studies and animal models provide proof-of-concept for the impetus role of bufalin in the inhibition of carcinogenesis and metastasis. Bufalin-related clinical studies are insufficient and interdisciplinary researchers require detailed analysis of the existing knowledge gaps.
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Ding Z, Song W, Zhu W, Xie H, Zhu Z, Tang W. Bioinformatics analysis identifies heparan sulfate proteoglycans acting as different progress subtypes of biliary atresia. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1065521. [PMID: 36816373 PMCID: PMC9932896 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1065521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biliary atresia (BA) is a life-threatening disorder, which is characterized by the obliteration of biliary tracts. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are important regulators in liver diseases. Whether HSPGs participate in the development of BA is poorly understood. METHODS RNA-seq dataset GSE122340, including 171 BA and 7 normal liver tissue, was integrated for bioinformatic analysis. R function "wilcox.test" was used to compare HSPGs expression levels, and "cor.test" was used to evaluate the correlation analysis. MCPcounter was used to assess the abundance of immunocytes. Molecular subtypes of BA were clustered via NMF clustering and LASSO regression was applied to screen hub HSPGs genes in BA clusters. RT-PCR analysis was used to assess the expression of hub HSPGs in BA liver. Immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence assay were used to evaluated the location and expression of hub HSPGs in BA liver tissue. RESULTS Majority of HSPGs was up-regulated in BA and correlated with liver fibrosis and ductular reaction markers. The abundance of immunocytes was higher in BA and associated with HSPGs. Based on the expression of HSPGs, BA patients were classified into 3 subtypes (C1, C2, and C3). Pathway enrichment analysis revealed C1 subtype had severe liver injury with SDC4 identified as the hub gene, while C3 subtype presented relatively normal liver condition with GPC3 identified as the hub gene. RT-PCR analysis demonstrated the expression levels of 2 hub genes in BA liver tissue with different jaundice clearance standards. Immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence assay showed that SDC4 was mostly expressed in ductular reaction area, while GPC3 was mostly expressed in hepatocytes. CONCLUSION Majority of HSPGs are aberrant expressed in BA. The subtype hub gene SDC4 and GPC3 might be used as a potential indicator for different types of prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zequan Ding
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenyu Song
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Zhu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hua Xie
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhongxian Zhu
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Weibing Tang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Liu TT, Yang H, Zhuo FF, Yang Z, Zhao MM, Guo Q, Liu Y, Liu D, Zeng KW, Tu PF. Atypical E3 ligase ZFP91 promotes small-molecule-induced E2F2 transcription factor degradation for cancer therapy. EBioMedicine 2022; 86:104353. [PMID: 36375317 PMCID: PMC9667253 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The E2F family of transcription factors play a crucial role in the development of various cancers. However, E2F members lack targetable binding pockets and are typically considered "undruggable". Unlike canonical small-molecule therapeutics, molecular glues mediate new E3 ligase-protein interactions to induce selective proteasomal degradation, which represents an attractive option to overcome these limitations. METHODS Human proteome microarray was utilized to identify a natural product-derived molecular glue for targeting E2F2 degradation. Co-IP analysis with stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC)-based quantitative proteomics was carried out to further explore the E3 ligase for E2F2 degradation. FINDINGS In this study, we identified a molecular glue bufalin, which significantly promoted E2F2 degradation. Unexpectedly, E2F2 underwent ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation via a previously undisclosed atypical E3 ligase, zinc finger protein 91 (ZFP91). In particular, we observed that bufalin markedly promoted E2F2-ZFP91 complex formation, thereby leading to E2F2 polyubiquitination via K48-linked ubiquitin chains for degradation. E2F2 degradation subsequently caused transcriptional suppression of multiple oncogenes including c-Myc, CCNE1, CCNE2, MCM5 and CDK1, and inhibited hepatocellular carcinoma growth in vitro and in vivo. INTERPRETATION Collectively, our findings open up a new direction for transcription factors degradation by targeting atypical E3 ligase ZFP91. Meanwhile, the chemical knockdown strategy with molecular glue may promote innovative transcription factor degrader development in cancer therapy. FUNDING This work was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Project of China (2022YFC3501601), National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (81973505, 82174008, 82030114), and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M650396), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting-Ting Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Heng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Fang-Fang Zhuo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Zhuo Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Mei-Mei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Qiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Dan Liu
- Proteomics Laboratory, Medical and Healthy Analytical Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Ke-Wu Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China,Corresponding author.
| | - Peng-Fei Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100191, China,Corresponding author.
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Zhou Y, Wu Q, Ni G, Hong Y, Xiao S, Liu C, Yu Z. Immune-associated pivotal biomarkers identification and competing endogenous RNA network construction in post-operative atrial fibrillation by comprehensive bioinformatics and machine learning strategies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:974935. [PMID: 36341343 PMCID: PMC9630466 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. Previous studies mainly focused on identifying potential diagnostic biomarkers and treatment strategies for AF, while few studies concentrated on post-operative AF (POAF), particularly using bioinformatics analysis and machine learning algorithms. Therefore, our study aimed to identify immune-associated genes and provide the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network for POAF. Methods Three GSE datasets were downloaded from the GEO database, and we used a variety of bioinformatics strategies and machine learning algorithms to discover candidate hub genes. These techniques included identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and circRNAs (DECs), building protein-protein interaction networks, selecting common genes, and filtering candidate hub genes via three machine learning algorithms. To assess the diagnostic value, we then created the nomogram and receiver operating curve (ROC). MiRNAs targeting DEGs and DECs were predicted using five tools and the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was built. Moreover, we performed the immune cell infiltration analysis to better elucidate the regulation of immune cells in POAF. Results We identified 234 DEGs (82 up-regulated and 152 down-regulated) of POAF via Limma, 75 node genes were visualized via PPI network, which were mainly enriched in immune regulation. 15 common genes were selected using three CytoHubba algorithms. Following machine learning selection, the nomogram was created based on the four candidate hub genes. The area under curve (AUC) of the nomogram and individual gene were all over 0.75, showing the ideal diagnostic value. The dysregulation of macrophages may be critical in POAF pathogenesis. A novel circ_0007738 was discovered in POAF and the ceRNA network was eventually built. Conclusion We identified four immune-associated candidate hub genes (C1QA, C1R, MET, and SDC4) for POAF diagnosis through the creation of a nomogram and evaluation of its diagnostic value. The modulation of macrophages and the ceRNA network may represent further therapy methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Zhou
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianyun Wu
- Department of Cardiology, The First People’s Hospital of Kunshan Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Suzhou, China
| | - Gehui Ni
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yulu Hong
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shengjue Xiao
- Department of Cardiology, Zhongda Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunjiang Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shaoxing People’s Hospital (Shaoxing Hospital of Zhejiang University), Shaoxing, China
| | - Zongliang Yu
- Department of Cardiology, The First People’s Hospital of Kunshan Affiliated to Jiangsu University, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Zongliang Yu,
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20
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Lu Y, He X, Fang X, Chai N, Xu F. A novel lipid metabolism-related lncRNA signature predictive of clinical prognosis in cervical cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:1001347. [PMID: 36324514 PMCID: PMC9621320 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1001347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is a serious threat to women populations worldwide. Lipid metabolism is believed to have modulating functions in cancer. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are potential biomarkers for the different tumor prognosis. Our work aims at investigating the prognostic value of lipid metabolism-related lncRNAs in CC. Methods: LncRNA expression profiling was conducted in 291 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Patient samples were randomly assigned to the training or testing set in a 3:2 ratio. A novel lipid metabolism-related five-lncRNA signature with prognostic value for CC was built through the univariate Cox regression, least absolute contraction and selection operator (LASSO) regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses, and was further evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier methods. Relevant analyses were also applied to identify the independent clinicopathological factors. GO and KEGG analyses were conducted to investigate the biological functions and molecular pathways. Immune infiltration analysis was included to probe the relationship between lncRNA signature and cancer cell microenvironment. Results: The novel lipid metabolism-related five-lncRNA signature was confirmed to be predictive of overall survival (OS) in CC patients. Risk score, cancer stage, pregnancy, and BMI were validated as independent factors with prognostic value. GO and KEGG indicated that lipid metabolism participated in several tumor associated functions and pathways. Moreover, our results suggested that the five-lncRNA expression has potential link with tumor immune microenvironment. Conclusion: In conclusion, we built an innovative prognostic risk signature based upon lipid metabolism-related lncRNAs. The five-lncRNA signature may be beneficial to provide novel potential therapeutic targets and improve personalized treatment strategies for CC patients in future clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanzhen Lu
- Department of Gynaecology, The People's Hospital of Beilun District, Beilun Branch Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xiujun He
- Department of Gynaecology, The People's Hospital of Beilun District, Beilun Branch Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
| | - Xia Fang
- Department of Gynaecology, The People's Hospital of Beilun District, Beilun Branch Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
| | - Ningxia Chai
- Department of Gynaecology, The People's Hospital of Beilun District, Beilun Branch Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
| | - Fangfang Xu
- Department of Gynaecology, The People's Hospital of Beilun District, Beilun Branch Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Zhejiang University, Ningbo, China
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21
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Zhu Y, Zheng D, Lei L, Cai K, Xie H, Zheng J, Yu C. High expression of syndecan-4 is related to clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1042. [PMID: 36199068 PMCID: PMC9533499 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10128-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in adults. Syndecan-4 (SDC4) is involved in cancer pathogenesis. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the expression and clinical significance of SDC4 in PAAD. Methods Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PAAD and normal pancreas were screened from the GTEx and TCGA databases, and the correlationship between the DEGs and prognosis were analyzed. The prognostic value of the screened SDC4, SERPINE1, and SLC2A1 was evaluated using the Kaplan–Meier curve and SDC4 was subsequently selected as the better candidate. Also, SDC4 expression was analyzed in PAAD tissues, the other risk factors affecting postoperative survival were analyzed using Cox regression analysis, and SDC4-mediated pathways enrichment was identified by GSVA and GSEA. SDC4 expression in PAAD tissues and adjacent normal tissues of selected PAAD patients was detected by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between SDC4 and clinical features was evaluated by the χ2 test. Results SDC4 was highly expressed in PAAD tissues. Elevated SDC4 was correlated with reduced overall survival. SDC4 enrichment pathways included spliceosome function, proteasome activity, pentose phosphate pathway, base excision repair, mismatch repair, DNA replication, oxidative phosphorylation, mitotic spindle formation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and G2M checkpoints. SDC4 was elevated in PAAD tissues of PAAD patients compared with adjacent normal tissues. High SDC4 expression was related to metastatic differentiation, TNM stage, lymphatic metastasis, and lower 3-year survival rate. SDC4 was an independent risk factor affecting postoperative survival. Conclusion SDC4 was highly expressed in PAAD and was related to clinicopathological features and poor prognosis, which might be an important index for PAAD early diagnosis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufei Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China
| | - Dijie Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China.,School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China
| | - Linhan Lei
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China
| | - Kun Cai
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China
| | - Huahua Xie
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China
| | - Jian Zheng
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China.,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China.,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China.,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China
| | - Chao Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China. .,Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 550004, China. .,School of Clinical Medicine, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, China. .,Guizhou Provincial Institute of Hepatobiliary, Pancreatic and Splenic Diseases, Guiyang, China. .,Key Laboratory of Liver, Pancreas and Spleen of Guizhou Medical University, GallbladderGuiyang, China.
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22
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Soumoy L, Ghanem GE, Saussez S, Journe F. Bufalin for an innovative therapeutic approach against cancer. Pharmacol Res 2022; 184:106442. [PMID: 36096424 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2022.106442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Bufalin is an endogenous cardiotonic steroid, first discovered in toad venom but also found in the plasma of healthy humans, with anti-tumour activities in different cancer types. The current review is focused on its mechanisms of action and highlights its very large spectrum of effects both in vitro and in vivo. All leads to the conclusion that bufalin mediates its effects by affecting all the hallmarks of cancer and seems restricted to cancer cells avoiding side effects. Bufalin decreases cancer cell proliferation by acting on the cell cycle and inducing different mechanisms of cell death including apoptosis, necroptosis, autophagy and senescence. Bufalin also moderates metastasis formation by blocking migration and invasion as well as angiogenesis and by inducing a phenotype switch towards differentiation and decreasing cancer cell stemness. Regarding its various mechanisms of action in cancer cells, bufalin blocks overactivated signalling pathways and modifies cell metabolism. Moreover, bufalin gained lately a huge interest in the field of drug resistance by both reversing various drug resistance mechanisms and affecting the immune microenvironment. Together, these data support bufalin as a quite promising new anti-cancer drug candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Soumoy
- Laboratory of Human Anatomy & Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium.
| | - Ghanem E Ghanem
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sven Saussez
- Laboratory of Human Anatomy & Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium
| | - Fabrice Journe
- Laboratory of Human Anatomy & Experimental Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University of Mons (UMONS), 7000 Mons, Belgium; Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Oncology, Institut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
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23
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Tang M, Wang F, Wang K, Jiang Y, Wang Q. Circ_0058063 promotes progression of thyroid cancer by sponging miR-330-3p/SDC4 axis. Anticancer Drugs 2022; 33:642-651. [PMID: 35324533 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Circular RNA takes a crucial part in carcinogenesis. Circ_0058063 has been found to act as an oncogene in esophageal cancer and bladder cancer, but its role in thyroid cancer (TC) is still under investigation. Therefore, we carried out a study to understand its role in TC and its association with miR-330-3p. The circ_0058063 and miR-330-3p in TC tissues and cells were quantified by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and cell counting kit-8 and scratch adhesion test were conducted for evaluation of cell proliferation and migration. In addition, a dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were conducted for interaction analysis between circ_0058063 and miR-330-3p. Circ_0058063 was upregulated in TC tissues and cells, but miR-330-3p expression showed an opposite trend. Both silencing circ_0058063 and upregulating miR-330-3p can suppress the proliferation and migration of TC cells, upregulate Bax, and downregulate Bcl-2. In addition, circ_0058063 is able to target miR-330-3p that is also able to target syndecan 4 (SDC4). circ_0058063 can act as a carcinogen in cases with TC via the miR-330-3p/SDC4 axis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fengbo Wang
- Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Medical College of Chengdu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Ke Wang
- Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Medical College of Chengdu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Medical College of Chengdu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiongfen Wang
- Rehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Medical College of Chengdu Medical College, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China
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24
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Lazar IM, Karcini A, Haueis JRS. Mapping the cell-membrane proteome of the SKBR3/HER2+ cell line to the cancer hallmarks. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272384. [PMID: 35913978 PMCID: PMC9342750 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The hallmarks of biological processes that underlie the development of cancer have been long recognized, yet, existing therapeutic treatments cannot prevent cancer from continuing to be one of the leading causes of death worldwide. This work was aimed at exploring the extent to which the cell-membrane proteins are implicated in triggering cancer hallmark processes, and assessing the ability to pinpoint tumor-specific therapeutic targets through a combined membrane proteome/cancer hallmark perspective. By using GO annotations, a database of human proteins associated broadly with ten cancer hallmarks was created. Cell-membrane cellular subfractions of SKBR3/HER2+ breast cancer cells, used as a model system, were analyzed by high resolution mass spectrometry, and high-quality proteins (FDR<3%) identified by at least two unique peptides were mapped to the cancer hallmark database. Over 1,400 experimentally detected cell-membrane or cell-membrane associated proteins, representing ~18% of the human cell-membrane proteome, could be matched to the hallmark database. Representative membrane constituents such as receptors, CDs, adhesion and transport proteins were distributed over the entire genome and present in every hallmark category. Sustained proliferative signaling/cell cycle, adhesion/tissue invasion, and evasion of immune destruction emerged as prevalent hallmarks represented by the membrane proteins. Construction of protein-protein interaction networks uncovered a high level of connectivity between the hallmark members, with some receptor (EGFR, ERBB2, FGFR, MTOR, CSF1R), antigen (CD44), and adhesion (MUC1) proteins being implicated in most hallmark categories. An illustrative subset of 138 hallmark proteins that included 42 oncogenes, 24 tumor suppressors, 9 oncogene/tumor suppressor, and 45 approved drug targets was subjected to a more in-depth analysis. The existing drug targets were implicated mainly in signaling processes. Network centrality analysis revealed that nodes with high degree, rather than betweenness, represent a good resource for informing the selection of putative novel drug targets. Through heavy involvement in supporting cancer hallmark processes, we show that the functionally diverse and networked landscape of cancer cell-membrane proteins fosters unique opportunities for guiding the development of novel therapeutic interventions, including multi-agent, immuno-oncology and precision medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia M. Lazar
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
- Academy of Integrated Science/Systems Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
- Carilion School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Arba Karcini
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Joshua R. S. Haueis
- Academy of Integrated Science/Systems Biology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
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Zhu Y, Ouyang Z, Du H, Wang M, Wang J, Sun H, Kong L, Xu Q, Ma H, Sun Y. New opportunities and challenges of natural products research: When target identification meets single-cell multiomics. Acta Pharm Sin B 2022; 12:4011-4039. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apsb.2022.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Sun Z, Zeng Y, Yuan T, Chen X, Wang H, Ma X. Comprehensive Analysis and Reinforcement Learning of Hypoxic Genes Based on Four Machine Learning Algorithms for Estimating the Immune Landscape, Clinical Outcomes, and Therapeutic Implications in Patients With Lung Adenocarcinoma. Front Immunol 2022; 13:906889. [PMID: 35757722 PMCID: PMC9226377 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.906889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) exhibit significant heterogeneity in therapeutic responses and overall survival (OS). In recent years, accumulating research has uncovered the critical roles of hypoxia in a variety of solid tumors, but its role in LUAD is not currently fully elucidated. This study aims to discover novel insights into the mechanistic and therapeutic implications of the hypoxia genes in LUAD cancers by exploring the potential association between hypoxia and LUAD. Methods Four machine learning approaches were implemented to screen out potential hypoxia-related genes for the prognosis of LUAD based on gene expression profile of LUAD samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), then validated by six cohorts of validation datasets. The risk score derived from the hypoxia-related genes was proven to be an independent factor by using the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses. Hypoxia-related mechanisms based on tumor mutational burden (TMB), the immune activity, and therapeutic value were also performed to adequately dig deeper into the clinical value of hypoxia-related genes. Finally, the expression level of hypoxia genes was validated at protein level and clinical samples from LUAD patients at transcript levels. Results All patients in TCGA and GEO-LUAD group were distinctly stratified into low- and high-risk groups based on the risk score. Survival analyses demonstrated that our risk score could serve as a powerful and independent risk factor for OS, and the nomogram also exhibited high accuracy. LUAD patients in high-risk group presented worse OS, lower TMB, and lower immune activity. We found that the model is highly sensitive to immune features. Moreover, we revealed that the hypoxia-related genes had potential therapeutic value for LUAD patients based on the drug sensitivity and chemotherapeutic response prediction. The protein and gene expression levels of 10 selected hypoxia gene also showed significant difference between LUAD tumors tissues and normal tissues. The validation experiment showed that the gene transcript levels of most of their genes were consistent with the levels of their translated proteins. Conclusions Our study might contribute to the optimization of risk stratification for survival and personalized management of LUAD patients by using the hypoxia genes, which will provide a valuable resource that will guide both mechanistic and therapeutic implications of the hypoxia genes in LUAD cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoyang Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Zeng
- Department of Thyroid and Neck Tumor, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China
| | - Ting Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaowei Ma
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Molecular Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory for Nucleic Acid Chemistry and Nanomedicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncogene and Related Genes, Ren Ji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Cui C, Pan Y, Zhang C, Zhu D, Xuan Y, Hao P, Ke X, Zhou X, Qu Y. Eltrombopag binds SDC4 directly and enhances MAPK signaling and macropinocytosis in cancer cells. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:2697-2710. [PMID: 35812066 PMCID: PMC9251693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Syndecan-4 (SDC4) is a single-pass transmembrane glycoprotein implicated in a variety of oncogenic signaling pathways. It is also an intrinsically disordered protein and considered "undruggable". In the present study, we confirmed that knocking out SDC4 in pancreatic cancer cells markedly impaired macropinocytosis, colony formation, as well as xenograft tumor initiation and growth. Quantitative proteomic profiling of Sdc4 knockout (KO) cells revealed significant changes in cell metabolic pathways. In a cellular protein-based ligand interaction screening, we identified that Eltrombopag (ETBP), an FDA-approved agonist of the thrombopoietin receptor (TPOR) for immune thrombocytopenia, could directly bind to SDC4 with a Kd value of ~2 µM. We showed that the transmembrane motif was essential for SDC4 binding to ETBP. Unexpectedly, ETBP not only increased SDC4 abundance, but also enhanced SDC4-associated MAPK signaling pathway and macropinocytosis in cancer cells. Our results indicate that ETBP is a potential agonist of SDC4 in a fashion similar to its original target TPOR, and that caution should be taken when using ETBP for chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Cui
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Yuting Pan
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Chengqian Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Darong Zhu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Ying Xuan
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Piliang Hao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech UniversityShanghai, China
| | - Xisong Ke
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Xianglian Zhou
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
| | - Yi Qu
- Center for Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai, China
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Zhao C, Li Y, Qiu C, Chen J, Wu H, Wang Q, Ma X, Song K, Kong B. Splicing Factor DDX23, Transcriptionally Activated by E2F1, Promotes Ovarian Cancer Progression by Regulating FOXM1. Front Oncol 2021; 11:749144. [PMID: 34966670 PMCID: PMC8710544 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.749144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Ovarian carcinoma remains the most lethal gynecological carcinoma. Abnormal expression of splicing factors is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. The DEAD-box RNA helicases are important members of the splicing factor family. However, their role in the occurrence and progression of ovarian cancer is still unclear. In this study, we identified DEAD-box helicase 23 (DDX23) as a key DEAD-box RNA helicase in ovarian cancer using bioinformatics methods. We determined that DDX23 was upregulated in ovarian cancer and its high expression predicted poor prognosis. Functional assays indicated that DDX23 silencing significantly impeded cell proliferation/invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, transcriptomic analysis showed that DDX23 was involved in mRNA processing in ovarian cancer cells. Specifically, DDX23 regulated the mRNA processing of FOXM1. DDX23 silencing reduced the production of FOXM1C, the major oncogenic transcript of FOXM1 in ovarian cancer, thereby decreasing the FOXM1 protein expression and attenuating the malignant progression of ovarian cancer. Rescue assays indicated that FOXM1 was a key executor in DDX23-induced malignant phenotype of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, we confirmed that DDX23 was transcriptionally activated by the transcription factor (TF) E2F1 in ovarian cancer using luciferase reporter assays and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that high DDX23 expression is involved in malignant behavior of ovarian cancer and DDX23 may become a potential target for precision therapy of ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yingwei Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Chunping Qiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jingying Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Huan Wu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qiuman Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Xinyue Ma
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Kun Song
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Beihua Kong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Gynecology Oncology Key Laboratory, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
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