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Chen X, Shao C, Liu J, Sun H, Yao B, Ma C, Xu H, Zhu W. ULK2 suppresses ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion by elevating IGFBP3. PeerJ 2024; 12:e17628. [PMID: 38952983 PMCID: PMC11216209 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Ovarian cancer is an aggressive malignancy with high mortality known for its considerable metastatic potential. This study aimed to explore the expression and functional role of Unc-51 like autophagy activating kinase 2 (ULK2) in the progression of ovarian cancer. Methods ULK2 expression patterns in ovarian cancer tissues as well as benign tumor control samples obtained from our institution were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Cell counting kit 8 and Transwell assays were applied to assess the effects of ULK2 overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. RNA sequencing was performed to explore potential mechanisms of action of ULK2 beyond its classical autophagy modulation. Results Our experiments showed significant downregulation of ULK2 in ovarian cancer tissues. Importantly, low expression of ULK2 was markedly correlated with decreased overall survival. In vitro functional studies further demonstrated that overexpression of ULK2 significantly suppressed tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. RNA sequencing analysis revealed a potential regulatory role of ULK2 in the insulin signaling pathway through upregulation of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP3) in ovarian cancer cells. Conclusions In summary, the collective data indicated that ULK2 acted as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer by upregulating the expression of IGFBP3. Our study underscores the potential utility of ULK2 as a valuable prognostic marker for ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxi Chen
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, China
| | - Changxiang Shao
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huizhen Sun
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Bingyi Yao
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Chengbin Ma
- Changning Maternity and Infant Health Hospital, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Han Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Jing’an District Center Hospital of Shanghai, Shanghai, China
| | - Weipei Zhu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Soochow University, Soochow, Jiangsu, China
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Perné MG, Sitar-Tăut AV, Orășan OH, Negrean V, Vlad CV, Alexescu TG, Milaciu MV, Ciumărnean L, Togănel RD, Petre GE, Șimon I, Crăciun A. The Usefulness of Vitamin K-Dependent Proteins in the Diagnosis of Colorectal Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4997. [PMID: 38732222 PMCID: PMC11084444 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094997] [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: 03/24/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common neoplasms in developed countries, with increasing incidence and mortality, even in young people. A variety of serum markers have been associated with CRC (CEA, CA 19-9), but neither should be used as a screening tool for the diagnosis or evolution staging of CRC. The sensitivity and specificity of these markers are not as good as is required, so new ones need to be found. Matrix Gla protein and PIVKA II are involved in carcinogenesis, but few studies have evaluated their usefulness in predicting the presence and severity of CRC. Two hundred patients were divided into three groups: 80 patients were included in the control group; 80 with CRC and without hepatic metastasis were included in Group 1; 40 patients with CRC and hepatic metastasis were included in Group 2. Vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs) levels in plasma were determined. Patients with CRC without methastasis (Group 1) and CRC patients with methastasis (Group 2) presented significantly higher values of CEA, CA 19-9, PIVKA II (310.05 ± 38.22 vs. 430.13 ± 122.13 vs. 20.23 ± 10.90), and ucMGP (14,300.00 ± 2387.02 vs. 13,410.52 ± 2243.16 vs. 1780.31 ± 864.70) compared to control group (Group 0). Interestingly, Group 1 presented the greatest PIVKA II values. Out of all the markers, significant differences between the histological subgroups were found only for ucMGP, but only in non-metastatic CRC. Studying the discrimination capacity between the patients with CRC vs. those without, no significant differences were found between the classical tumor markers and the VKDP AUROC curves (PIVKA II and ucMGP AUROCs = 1). For the metastatic stage, the sensitivity and specificity of the VKDPs were lower in comparison with those of CA 19-9 and CEA, respectively (PIVKA II AUROC = 0.789, ucMGP AUROC = 0.608). The serum levels of these VKDPs are significantly altered in patients with colorectal carcinoma; it is possible to find additional value of these in the early stages of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirela-Georgiana Perné
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adela-Viviana Sitar-Tăut
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Olga Hilda Orășan
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Vasile Negrean
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Călin Vasile Vlad
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Teodora-Gabriela Alexescu
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Mircea Vasile Milaciu
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Lorena Ciumărnean
- 4th Department–Internal Medicine, 4th Medical Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Răzvan Dan Togănel
- 6th Department–Surgery, 4th Surgery Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gabriel Emil Petre
- 6th Department–Surgery, 4th Surgery Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ioan Șimon
- 6th Department–Surgery, 4th Surgery Discipline, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Republicii Street, Nr. 18, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alexandra Crăciun
- 2nd Department–Molecular Sciences, Discipline of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Pasteur Street, Nr. 6, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Zheng L, Chen J, Ye W, Fan Q, Chen H, Yan H. An individualized stemness-related signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapy responses for gastric cancer using single-cell and bulk tissue transcriptomes. Cancer Med 2024; 13:e6908. [PMID: 38168907 PMCID: PMC10807574 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.6908] [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: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Currently, many stemness-related signatures have been developed for gastric cancer (GC) to predict prognosis and immunotherapy outcomes. However, due to batch effects, these signatures cannot accurately analyze patients one by one, rendering them impractical in real clinical scenarios. Therefore, we aimed to develop an individualized and clinically applicable signature based on GC stemness. METHODS Malignant epithelial cells from single-cell RNA-Seq data of GC were used to identify stemness-related signature genes based on the CytoTRACE score. Using two bulk tissue datasets as training data, the enrichment scores of the signature genes were applied to classify samples into two subtypes. Then, using the identified subtypes as criteria, we developed an individualized stemness-related signature based on the within-sample relative expression orderings of genes. RESULTS We identified 175 stemness-related signature genes, which exhibited significantly higher AUCell scores in poorly differentiated GCs compared to differentiated GCs. In training datasets, GC samples were classified into two subtypes with significantly different survival times and genomic characteristics. Utilizing the two subtypes, an individualized signature was constructed containing 47 gene pairs. In four independent testing datasets, GC samples classified as high risk exhibited significantly shorter survival times, higher infiltration of M2 macrophages, and lower immune responses compared to low-risk samples. Moreover, the potential therapeutic targets and corresponding drugs were identified for the high-risk group, such as CD248 targeted by ontuxizumab. CONCLUSIONS We developed an individualized stemness-related signature, which can accurately predict the prognosis and efficacy of immunotherapy for each GC sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linyong Zheng
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Medical Bioinformatics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Technology and EngineeringFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Jingyan Chen
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Medical Bioinformatics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Technology and EngineeringFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Wenhai Ye
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Medical Bioinformatics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Technology and EngineeringFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Qi Fan
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Medical Bioinformatics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Technology and EngineeringFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
| | - Haifeng Chen
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryFuzhou Second HospitalFuzhouChina
| | - Haidan Yan
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Medical Bioinformatics, Department of Bioinformatics, School of Medical Technology and EngineeringFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
- Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Gastrointestinal Cancer, The School of Basic Medical SciencesFujian Medical UniversityFuzhouChina
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Nguyen TT, Thanh HD, Do MH, Jung C. Complement Regulatory Protein CD46 Manifests a Unique Role in Promoting the Migration of Bladder Cancer Cells. Chonnam Med J 2023; 59:160-166. [PMID: 37840671 PMCID: PMC10570858 DOI: 10.4068/cmj.2023.59.3.160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
CD46 is a membrane-bound complement regulatory protein (mCRP) possessing a regulatory role with the complement system. CD46 protects the host cells from damage by complement. Expression of CD46 is also highly maintained in many cancers, including bladder cancers, and thus functions as a receptor for many cancer therapeutic viruses. In this study we report a unique role of CD46 as a progression factor of cancer cells in bladder cancers. Resulting data from a DNA microarray using CD46-altered HT1376 bladder cancers demonstrated a pool of target genes, including complement C3 α chain (C3α), matrix Gla protein (MGP), AFAP-AS1, follicular dendritic cell secreted protein (FDCSP), MAM domain containing 2 (MAMDC2), gamma-aminobutyric acid A receptor pi (GABRP), transforming growth factor, beta-induced (TGFBI), a family of cytochrome P450 (CYP24A1), sialic acid binding Ig-like lectin 6 (SIGLEC6), metallothionein 1E (MT1E), and several members of cytokeratins. Subsequent studies using quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analyses confirmed CD46-mediated regulation of C3α, MGP, and keratin 13 (KRT13). MGP and KRT13 are known to be involved in cell migration and cancer cell metastasis. A cell migration assay demonstrated that CD46 enhanced migratory potential of bladder cancer cells. Taken all together, this report demonstrated that CD46 is generally overexpressed in bladder cancers and plays a unique role in the promotion of cancer cell migration. Further detailed studies are needed to be performed to clarify the action mechanism of CD46 and its application to cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Thi Nguyen
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Hien Duong Thanh
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Manh-Hung Do
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Chaeyong Jung
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
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