S100A9 and ORM1 serve as predictors of therapeutic response and prognostic factors in advanced extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma patients treated with pegaspargase/gemcitabine

Orosomucoid-1 Arises as a Shared Altered Protein in Two Models of Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system (CNS). It is characterized by a heterogeneous disease course involving demyelination and inflammation. In this study, we utilized two distinct animal models, cuprizone (CPZ)-induced demyelination and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), to replicate various aspects of the disease. We aimed to investigate the differential CNS responses by examining the proteomic profiles of EAE mice during the peak disease (15 days post-induction) and cuprizone-fed mice during the acute phase (38 days). Specifically, we focused on two different regions of the CNS: the dorsal cortex (Cx) and the entire spinal cord (SC). Our findings revealed varied glial, synaptic, dendritic, mitochondrial, and inflammatory responses within these regions for each model. Notably, we identified a single protein, Orosomucoid-1 (Orm1), also known as Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein 1 (AGP1), that consistently exhibited alterations in both models and regions. This study provides insights into the similarities and differences in the responses of these regions in two distinct demyelinating models.

S100A8 and S100A9 in Hematologic Malignancies: From Development to Therapy

S100A8 and S100A9 are multifunctional proteins that can initiate various signaling pathways and modulate cell function both inside and outside immune cells, depending on their receptors, mediators, and molecular environment. They have been reported as dysregulated genes and proteins in a wide range of cancers, including hematologic malignancies, from diagnosis to response to therapy. The role of S100A8 and S100A9 in hematologic malignancies is highlighted due to their ability to work together or as antagonists to modify cell phenotype, including viability, differentiation, chemosensitivity, trafficking, and transcription strategies, which can lead to an oncogenic phase or reduced symptoms. In this review article, we discuss the critical roles of S100A8, S100A9, and calprotectin (heterodimer or heterotetramer forms of S100A8 and S100A9) in forming and promoting the malignant bone marrow microenvironment. We also focus on their potential roles as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in various stages of hematologic malignancies from diagnosis to treatment.

Orosomucoid 1 promotes colorectal cancer progression and liver metastasis by affecting PI3K/AKT pathway and inducing macrophage M2 polarization

Approximately 25-30% of those affected by colorectal cancer (CRC), the most prevalent gastrointestinal malignancy, develop metastases. The survival rate of patients with liver metastasis of CRC (CRLM) remains low owing to its unpredictability and a lack of biomarkers that can be applied to distinguish groups at higher risk for CRLM among patients with CRC. Therefore, our study aimed to find biomarkers that can predict the risk of CRLM. Screening of the Gene Expression Omnibus database, supported by an analysis of clinically obtained tissue and serum data using qPCR and ELISA, in an attempt to identify relevant biomarkers, enabled us to determine that orosomucoid 1 (ORM1) was differentially expressed in liver metastases and primary tumors of patients with CRC. Functionally, overexpression of ORM1 promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the proliferative, migratory, and invasive activities of MC38 cells and activated the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Moreover, MC38 cells overexpressing ORM1 enhanced the tumor immune microenvironment by promoting macrophage M2 polarization and elevating interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression. In vivo experiments further confirmed in vitro results, indicating that liver metastases elevated by ORM1 were partially attenuated by the depletion of macrophages or IL-10. Considered together, ORM1 promotes CRC progression and liver metastasis by regulating tumor cell growth and inducing macrophage M2 polarization, which mediates tumor immune tolerance, and thus acts as a potential predictive marker and therapeutic target in CRLM.

Evaluation of IFIT3 and ORM1 as Biomarkers for Discriminating Active Tuberculosis from Latent Infection

OBJECTIVE

Current commercially available immunological tests cannot be used for discriminating active tuberculosis (TB) from latent TB infection. To evaluate the value of biomarker candidates in the diagnosis of active TB, this study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) between patients with active TB and individuals with latent TB infection by transcriptome sequencing.

METHODS

The differentially expressed genes in unstimulated PBMCs and in Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen-stimulated PBMCs from patients with active TB and individuals with latent TB infection were identified by transcriptome sequencing. Selected candidate genes were evaluated in cohorts consisting of 110 patients with TB, 30 individuals with latent TB infections, and 50 healthy controls by quantitative real-time RT-PCR. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to calculate the diagnostic value of the biomarker candidates.

RESULTS

Among the differentially expressed genes in PBMCs without Mtb antigen stimulation, interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats 3 (IFIT3) had the highest area under curve (AUC) value (0.918, 95% CI: 0.852-0.984, P<0.0001) in discriminating patients with active TB from individuals with latent TB infection, with a sensitivity of 91.86% and a specificity of 84.00%. In Mtb antigen-stimulated PBMCs, orosomucoid 1 (ORM1) had a high AUC value (0.833, 95% CI: 0.752-0.915, P<0.0001), with a sensitivity of 81.94% and a specificity of 70.00%.

CONCLUSION

IFIT3 and ORM1 might be potential biomarkers for discriminating active TB from latent TB infection.

The Plasma DIA-Based Quantitative Proteomics Reveals the Pathogenic Pathways and New Biomarkers in Cervical Cancer and High Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion

OBJECTIVE

The process of normal cervix changing into high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and invasive cervical cancer is long and the mechanisms are still not completely clear. This study aimed to reveal the protein profiles related to HSIL and cervical cancer and find the diagnostic and prognostic molecular changes.

METHODS

Data-independent acquisition (DIA) analysis was performed to identify 20 healthy female volunteers, 20 HSIL and 20 cervical patients in a cohort to screen differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) for the HSIL and cervical cancer. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used for functional annotation of DEPs; the protein-protein interaction (PPI) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed for detection of key molecular modules and hub proteins. They were validated using the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

RESULTS

A total of 243 DEPs were identified in the study groups. GO and KEGG analysis showed that DEPs were mainly enriched in the complement and coagulation pathway, cholesterol metabolism pathway, the IL-17 signaling pathway as well as the viral protein interaction with cytokine and cytokine receptor pathway. Subsequently, the WGCNA analysis showed that the green module was highly correlated with the cervical cancer stage. Additionally, six interesting core DEPs were verified by ELISA, APOF and ORM1, showing nearly the same expression pattern with DIA. The area under the curve (AUC) of 0.978 was obtained by using ORM1 combined with APOF to predict CK and HSIL+CC, and in the diagnosis of HSIL and CC, the AUC can reach to 0.982. The high expression of ORM1 is related to lymph node metastasis and the clinical stage of cervical cancer patients as well as the poor prognosis.

CONCLUSION

DIA-ELSIA combined analysis screened and validated two previously unexplored but potentially useful biomarkers for early diagnosis of HSIL and cervical cancer, as well as possible new pathogenic pathways and therapeutic targets.

Patient parameters and response after administration of rituximab in pediatric mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Mature aggressive B-cell lymphomas are heterogenous malignancies that make up more than half of all diagnosed non-Hodgkin lymphoma in children and adolescents. The overall survival rate increased over the last decades to 80%-90% due to fine tuning of polychemotherapy. However, new therapeutic implications are needed to further increase the overall survival. Current clinical trials analyze the therapeutic effect of rituximab in pediatric patients, while the mechanism of action in vivo is still not fully understood.

METHODS

Effector molecules important for tumor defense were analyzed before and at day 5 after rituximab treatment via flow cytometry. Serum rituximab levels were measured with an ELISA.

RESULTS

We evaluated patient parameters that may affect treatment response in relation to rituximab administration and serum rituximab levels. We indeed found a reduction of Fcγ receptor (FcγR) II levels after rituximab treatment in monocyte subtypes, whereas FcγRI expression was significantly increased. Serum levels of proinflammatory marker proteins S100A8/A9 and S100A12 significantly decreased after treatment to normal levels from an overall proinflammatory state before treatment. CD57, perforin, and granzyme B expression decreased after treatment, comprising a less cytolytic natural killer (NK) cell population.

CONCLUSION

The highlighted effects of rituximab treatment on patient's immune response help in understanding the biology behind tumor defense mechanisms and effector function. After subsequent studies, these novel insights might be translated into patient care and could contribute to improve treatment of pediatric patients with mature aggressive B-cell lymphoma.

Deregulated calcium signaling in blood cancer: Underlying mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Intracellular calcium signaling regulates diverse physiological and pathological processes. In solid tumors, changes to calcium channels and effectors via mutations or changes in expression affect all cancer hallmarks. Such changes often disrupt transport of calcium ions (Ca²⁺) in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or mitochondria, impacting apoptosis. Evidence rapidly accumulates that this is similar in blood cancer. Principles of intracellular Ca²⁺ signaling are outlined in the introduction. We describe different Ca²⁺-toolkit components and summarize the unique relationship between extracellular Ca²⁺ in the endosteal niche and hematopoietic stem cells. The foundational data on Ca²⁺ homeostasis in red blood cells is discussed, with the demonstration of changes in red blood cell disorders. This leads to the role of Ca²⁺ in neoplastic erythropoiesis. Then we expand onto the neoplastic impact of deregulated plasma membrane Ca²⁺ channels, ER Ca²⁺ channels, Ca²⁺ pumps and exchangers, as well as Ca²⁺ sensor and effector proteins across all types of hematologic neoplasms. This includes an overview of genetic variants in the Ca²⁺-toolkit encoding genes in lymphoid and myeloid cancers as recorded in publically available cancer databases. The data we compiled demonstrate that multiple Ca²⁺ homeostatic mechanisms and Ca²⁺ responsive pathways are altered in hematologic cancers. Some of these alterations may have genetic basis but this requires further investigation. Most changes in the Ca²⁺-toolkit do not appear to define/associate with specific disease entities but may influence disease grade, prognosis, treatment response, and certain complications. Further elucidation of the underlying mechanisms may lead to novel treatments, with the aim to tailor drugs to different patterns of deregulation. To our knowledge this is the first review of its type in the published literature. We hope that the evidence we compiled increases awareness of the calcium signaling deregulation in hematologic neoplasms and triggers more clinical studies to help advance this field.

Molecular Subclassification Based on Crosstalk Analysis Improves Prediction of Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer

The poor performance of single-gene lists for prognostic predictions in independent cohorts has limited their clinical use. Here, we employed a pathway-based approach using embedded biological features to identify reproducible prognostic markers as an alternative. We used pathway activity score, sure independence screening, and K-means clustering analyses to identify and cluster colorectal cancer patients into two distinct subgroups, G2 (aggressive) and G1 (moderate). The differences between these two groups with respect to survival, somatic mutation, pathway activity, and tumor-infiltration by immunocytes were compared. These comparisons revealed that the survival rates in the G2 subgroup were significantly reduced compared to that in the G1 subgroup; further, the mutational burden rates in several oncogenes, including KRAS, DCLK1, and EPHA5, were significantly higher in the G2 subgroup than in the G1 subgroup. The enhanced activity of the critical pathways such as MYC and epithelial-mesenchymal transition may also lead to the progression of colorectal cancer. Taken together, we established a novel prognostic classification system that offers meritorious insights into the hallmarks of colorectal cancer.

Bioinformatic analysis identifies potential key genes of epilepsy

Background

Epilepsy is one of the most common brain disorders worldwide. It is usually hard to be identified properly, and a third of patients are drug-resistant. Genes related to the progression and prognosis of epilepsy are particularly needed to be identified.

Methods

In our study, we downloaded the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray expression profiling dataset GSE143272. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with a fold change (FC) >1.2 and a P-value <0.05 were identified by GEO2R and grouped in male, female and overlapping DEGs. Functional enrichment analysis and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed.

Results

In total, 183 DEGs overlapped (77 ups and 106 downs), 302 DEGs (185 ups and 117 downs) in the male dataset, and 750 DEGs (464 ups and 286 downs) in the female dataset were obtained from the GSE143272 dataset. These DEGs were markedly enriched under various Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms. 16 following hub genes were identified based on PPI network analysis: ADCY7, C3AR1, DEGS1, CXCL1 in male-specific DEGs, TOLLIP, ORM1, ELANE, QPCT in female-specific DEGs and FCAR, CD3G, CLEC12A, MOSPD2, CD3D, ALDH3B1, GPR97, PLAUR in overlapping DEGs.

Conclusion

This discovery-driven study may be useful to provide a novel insight into the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. However, more experiments are needed in the future to study the functional roles of these genes in epilepsy.

Towards Next Generation Biomarkers in Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is an Epstein-Barr virus-associated non-Hodgkin lymphoma linked to an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Despite an improvement in survival outcomes with the incorporation of novel agents including immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of NKTCL, a significant proportion of patients still relapse or remain refractory to treatment. Several clinical prognostic models have been developed for NKTCL patients treated in the modern era, though the optimal approach to risk stratification remains to be determined. Novel molecular biomarkers derived from multi-omic profiling have recently been developed, with the potential to improve diagnosis, prognostication and treatment of this disease. Notably, a number of potential biomarkers have emerged from a better understanding of the tumor immune microenvironment and inflammatory responses. This includes a recently described 3'UTR structural variant in the PD-L1 gene, which confers susceptibility to checkpoint immunotherapy. In this review, we summarize the biomarker landscape of NKTCL and highlight emerging biomarkers with the potential for clinical implementation.

TGF-β Increases MFGE8 Production in Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells to Promote B16F10 Melanoma Metastasis

There is growing evidence that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are directly involved in all stages leading to metastasis. Many mechanisms for this effect have been proposed, but mechanisms of coregulation between tumor cells and MDSCs remain poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that MDSCs are a source of milk fat globule-epidermal growth factor (EGF) factor 8 (MFGE8), which is known to be involved in tumor metastasis. Interestingly, TGF-β, an abundant cytokine in the tumor microenvironment (TME), increased MFGE8 production by MDSCs. In addition, co-culturing MDSCs with B16F10 melanoma cells increased B16F10 cell migration, while MFGE8 neutralization decreased their migration. Taken together, these findings suggest that MFGE8 is an important effector molecule through which MDSCs promote tumor metastasis, and the TME positively regulates MFGE8 production by MDSCs through TGF-β.

An immunogenomic signature for molecular classification in hepatocellular carcinoma

Immunity plays an important role in tumor development. In this study, we aimed to investigate molecular classification and its prognostic value in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on immune signature. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to calculate scores of immune pathways for HCC and hierarchical clustering in two databases (The Cancer Genome Atlas [TCGA], Liver Cancer-RIKEN, JP [LIRI_JP]). The scores of the immune microenvironment and the proportions of 22 immune cells were also calculated. Single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was used to screen survival prognosis-related immune pathways and calculate the hazard radio of differentially expressed immune-related genes (IRGs), which were validated in clinical samples and multiple datasets. Based on the immune characteristics, we identified three HCC subtypes, namely immunity high (Immunity_H), immunity medium (Immunity_M), and immunity low (Immunity_L), and confirmed that the classification was reliable and predictable. Immunity_H with a higher immune and stromal score indicated better survival rate. Cox regression analysis showed that IL18RAP and IL7R were the protective genes. Immune risk score was the independent risk factor of overall survival in HCC patients. These results indicated that immunogenomic classification could distinguish HCC patients with different immune status, which could impact the prognosis of the patients with HCC.

Overexpression of S100A9 in tumor stroma contribute to immune evasion of NK/T cell lymphoma and predict poor response rate

NK/T cell lymphoma (NKTCL) represents an aggressive lymphoid malignancy characterized by dismal prognosis. Immune-checkpoint blockade has shown promising efficacy in NKTCL. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying immune evasion in NKTCL have never been explored. Here, proteomic analysis was used to identify the differentially expressed proteins between NKTCL patients and healthy individuals. We found that S100A9, an immunosuppressive molecule, was much higher in NKTCL patients both in serum and tumor stroma. Elevated level of S100A9 was associated with advanced stage, poor overall response and early recurrence. Moreover, percentage of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in peripheral blood was positively correlated with levels of S100A9. Low concentration of S100A9 promoted proliferation of NKTCL cells, while did not affect cell apoptosis and cell cycles. Furthermore, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression on NKTCL cells was up-regulated by S100A9 through activation of ERK1/2 signaling. Inhibition of ERK1/2 signaling significantly decreased tumor growth and PD-L1 expression induced by S100A9. In conclusion, our research firstly identified S100A9 as an immune suppressor in the tumorigenesis of NKTCL via accumulation of MDSCs and upregulation of PD-L1 expression. S100A9 may serve as a potential target to increase the efficacy of immunotherapy in NKTCL.

Serum calprotectin (S100A8/A9) levels as a new potential biomarker of treatment response in Hodgkin lymphoma

INTRODUCTION

Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is unusual among malignancies, with inflammation playing such a prominent role in its pathogenesis. S100A8/A9 (calprotectin) is a heterodimeric protein, which has a role in the inflammatory response and oncogenesis. In this study in HL patients, the correlation between serum S100A8/A9 levels and treatment responses was investigated along with whether this marker is correlated with other inflammatory markers.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-three HL patients and 20 healthy volunteers were included. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Calprotectin levels were measured with Human S100A8/A9 Heterodimer Quantikine ELISA kit. Calprotectin levels were measured twice in patients, before and after treatment, and once in the control group. Treatment responses were evaluated with positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT).

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 44.3 ± 18.1 (66.3% male). The median (IQR) values of S100A8/A9 before and after treatment in the patient group were 4.98 (2.6-7.8) and 1.87 (1.1-4.8)µg/mL. Median (IQR) S100A8/A9 concentration in the control group was 1.41 (0.98-2.73)µg/mL. In patients, pretreatment values were significantly higher than in controls (P < .001). However, median values of patients after treatment and controls were similar. Patient median S100A8/A9 levels were significantly lower post-treatment compared with pretreatment values (P = .001). When inflammatory markers were examined within groups, no relationship was found between markers. In ROC analysis, a S100A8/A9 cutoff value of ≥3.31µg/mL accurately discriminated end-of-treatment PET positivity (AUC = 0.78; 95% CI 0.58-0.98; accuracy = 76.2%).

CONCLUSION

S100A8/A9 may be a potential biomarker for treatment response in HL independent of inflammation. This is the first study to investigate and show this finding. However, further large-scale studies are still required.

miR-362-3p Targets Orosomucoid 1 to Promote Cell Proliferation, Restrain Cell Apoptosis and Thereby Mitigate Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Cardiomyocytes Injury

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of how miR-362-3p/orosomucoid 1 (ORM1) involved in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cardiomyocytes injury. Based on data obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we revealed that ORM1 was highly expressed and positively correlated with the expression of inflammatory factors (MAPK1, MAPK3, IL1B and CASP9). miR-362-3p was identified as an upstream regulatory miRNA of ORM1 and negatively modulated the mRNA and protein expression levels of ORM1 in H/R-injured cardiomyocytes. Moreover, we found that miR-362-3p was downregulated in cardiomyocytes injured by H/R. The promoting influence of miR-362-3p mimic on the proliferation and the inhibitory effect of miR-362-3p mimic on the apoptosis of H/R-stimulated cardiomyocytes were eliminated by overexpression of ORM1. Furthermore, miR-362-3p affected the expression of MAPK1, MAPK3, IL1B and CASP9 in H/R-injured cardiomyocytes through targeting ORM1. Our outcomes illustrated that miR-362-3p exhibited a protective influence on H/R-induced cardiomyocytes through targeting ORM1.

A Novel Diagnostic Predictive Model for Idiopathic Short Stature in Children

OBJECTIVE

Idiopathic short stature (ISS), an endocrine-related disease, is difficult to diagnose. Previous studies have shown that many children with some inflammation-related diseases often have short stature, but whether inflammation is the underlying mechanism of ISS has not been studied. Here, we attempt to explore the role of inflammation in the occurrence and development of ISS and to demonstrate an available clinical diagnostic model of ISS.

METHODS

Frozen serum samples were collected from ISS patients (n = 4) and control individuals (n = 4). Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) combined with LC-MS/MS analysis were applied to quantitative proteomics analysis. To assess clusters of potentially interacting proteins, functional enrichment (GO and KEGG) and protein-protein interaction network analyses were performed, and the crucial proteins were detected by Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE). Furthermore, serum levels of two selected proteins were measured by ELISA between ISS patients (n = 80) and controls (n = 80). In addition, experiments in vitro were used to further explore the effects of crucial proteins on endochondral ossification.

RESULTS

A total of 437 proteins were quantified, and 84 DEPs (60 upregulated and 24 downregulated) were identified between patients with ISS and controls. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the DEPs were primarily enriched in blood microparticle, acute inflammatory response, protein activation cascade, collagen-containing extracellular matrix, platelet degranulation, etc. According to the results of top 10 fold change DEPs and MCODE analysis, C1QA and C1QB were selected to further experiment. The expression levels of C1QA and C1QB were validated in serum samples. Based on the logistic regression analysis and ROC curve analysis, we constructed a novel diagnostic model by serum levels of C1QA and C1QB with a specificity of 91.2% and a sensitivity of 75% (AUC = 0.900, p <0.001). Finally, the western blotting analysis confirmed the expression levels of OCN, OPN, RUNX2, and Collagen X were downregulated in chondrocytes, and the outcome of Collagen II was upregulated.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to demonstrate the significant role of inflammation in the development of ISS. In addition, we identify C1QA and C1QB as novel serum biomarkers for the diagnosis of ISS.

Roles of S100 family members in drug resistance in tumors: Status and prospects

Chemotherapy and targeted therapy can significantly improve survival rates in cancer, but multiple drug resistance (MDR) limits the efficacy of these approaches. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying MDR is crucial for improving drug efficacy and clinical outcomes of patients with cancer. S100 proteins belong to a family of calcium-binding proteins and have various functions in tumor development. Increasing evidence demonstrates that the dysregulation of various S100 proteins contributes to the development of drug resistance in tumors, providing a basis for the development of predictive and prognostic biomarkers in cancer. Therefore, a combination of biological inhibitors or sensitizers of dysregulated S100 proteins could enhance therapeutic responses. In this review, we provide a detailed overview of the mechanisms by which S100 family members influence resistance of tumors to cancer treatment, with a focus on the development of effective strategies for overcoming MDR.

[14-3-3ζ protein mediates gemcitabine resistance in NK/T-cell lymphoma]

Objective: To explore the molecular mechanisms of 14-3-3ζ in gemcitabine resistance in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL) . Methods: The effects of cell proliferation and invasion were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and transwell assay. YTS cells were exposed to gradually increased concentrations of gemcitabine to establish gemcitabine-resistant YTS cells (YTS-gem) in vitro. 14-3-3ζ specific siRNA lentiviral vector was transfected into YTS and YTS-gem cells to downregulate 14-3-3ζ expression, and stable transfected cell clones were screened. The protein expression was determined by Western blot. Results: ①14-3-3ζ expression was significantly up-regulated in gemcitabine resistant YTS-gem cells, comparing with that of YTS cells (P<0.05) . ②The results of CCK-8 and transwell assay showed that downregulation of 14-3-3ζ significantly reduced the cell proliferation and invasion abilities (P<0.05) . ③Downregulation of 14-3-3ζ could restore gemcitabine sensitivity in gemcitabine resistant YTS-gem cells (P<0.05) . ④Western blotting results showed that knockdown of 14-3-3ζ significantly upregulated pro-apoptotic Bax, and downregulated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2, Caspase-3, cleaved caspase-3, Cyclin D1 in gemcitabine-resistant YTS-gem cells (P<0.05) . There was no significant difference in p53 ang P-gp expression levels. Conclusions: 14-3-3ζ was upregulated in gemcitabine resistant YTS cells. Overexpression of 14-3-3ζ promoted cell proliferation and enhanced cell migration. 14-3-3ζ contributed to gemcitabine resistance to ENKTL through anti-apoptosis.

Non-coding RNAs in Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma

Natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) is a rare and aggressive subtype of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that is associated with a poor outcome. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which account for 98% of human RNAs, lack the function of encoding proteins but instead have the important function of regulating gene expression, including transcription, translation, RNA splicing, editing, and turnover. However, the roles and mechanisms of aberrantly expressed ncRNAs in NKTCL are not fully clear. Aberrant expressions of microRNA (miRNAs) affect the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways (miRNA-21, miRNA-155, miRNA-150, miRNA-142, miRNA-494), NF-κB (miRNA-146a, miRNA-155) and cell cycle signaling pathways to regulate cell function. Moreover, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) encoded miRNAs and EBV oncoprotein LMP-1 regulated the expression of cellular genes that induce invasion, metastasis, cell cycle progression and cellular transformation. In addition, NKTCL-associated Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ZFAS1 regulated certain pathways and lncRNA MALAT1 acted as a predictive marker. This review article provides an overview of ncRNAs associated with NKTCL, summarizes the function of significantly differentially expressed hotspot non-coding RNAs that contribute to the pathogenesis, diagnoses, treatment and prognosis of NKTCL and discusses the relevance of these ncRNAs to clinical practice.

S100A9 regulates cisplatin chemosensitivity of squamous cervical cancer cells and related mechanism

Objective

Our previous research has shown that the expression of S100 calcium-binding protein A9 (S100A9) in tumor cells was associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy sensitivity in cervical squamous cell carcinoma. In the present study, we altered the expression of S100A9 through infecting lentivirus, investigated its effect on the chemosensitivity to cisplatin of cervical cancer cells and then made a primary exploration of the involved mechanism.

Materials and methods

Lentivirus was employed to upregulate and downregulate S100A9 expression in SiHa cells. The protein expression level of apoptotic-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax, drug resistance-related proteins multiple drug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), P glycoprotein (P-gp), glutathione-S-transferase-π (GST-π), lung resistance-related protein (LRP), and FOXO1 signaling pathway related proteins was detected by Western blot. The CCK-8 assay was used to examine chemosensitivity to cisplatin, and the proportion of apoptosis cells was analyzed by the flow cytometry.

Results

S100A9 overexpression could obviously increase the IC50 value of SiHa cells to cisplatin and decrease the apoptosis rate induced by cisplatin. Downregulation of S100A9 led to the opposite results. In S100A9 overexpression SiHa cells, the expression level of Bcl-2, LRP, GST-π, p-AKT, p-ERK, p-FOXO1, and Nanog was significantly increased, while FOXO1 expression was decreased. The opposite results were observed in S100A9 knockdown SiHa cells.

Conclusion

Downregulation of S100A9 could significantly increase apoptosis rate, resulting in enhancing sensitivity of SiHa cells to cisplatin, which may be related to Bcl-2, GST-π, and LRP protein and by altering the AKT/ERK-FOXO1-Nanog signaling pathway.

Gelsolin regulates proliferation, apoptosis and invasion in natural killer/T-cell lymphoma cells

The expression of gelsolin (GSN) is abnormal in many cancers, including extranodal nasal-type natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL). However, the biological function of GSN and its mechanism in NKTCL remain unclear. We found that GSN overexpression significantly suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation and invasion, and promoted apoptosis of natural killer (NK) cell line YTS. Moreover, the upregulation of GSN significantly decreased the levels of PI3K and p-Akt. Interestingly, blocking the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway significantly inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and promoted apoptosis of YTS cells. In conclusion, our findings indicate that GSN can suppress cell proliferation and invasion and promote apoptosis of YTS cells, and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is likely to be involved in this process.

A Systems Biology Approach Provides Deeper Insights into Differentially Expressed Genes in Taxane-Anthracycline Chemoresistant and Non-Resistant Breast Cancers

Objective: To date, numerous studies have been conducted to search for reasons for chemoresistance and differences in survival rates of patients receiving chemotherapy. We have sought to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between predicted chemotherapy resistance and sensitive phenotypes by a network as well as gene enrichment approach. Methods: Functional modules were explored with network analysis of DEGs in predicted neoadjuvant taxane-anthracycline resistance versus sensitive cases in the GSE25066 dataset, including 508 samples. A linear model was created by limma package in R to establish DEGs. Results: A gene set related to phagocytic vesicle membrane was found to be up-regulated in chemoresistance samples. Also, we found GO_CYTOKINE_ACTIVITY and GO_GROWTH_FACTOR BINDING to be up-regulated gene sets with the chemoresistance phenotype. Growth factors and cytokines are two groups of agents that induce the immune system to recruit APCs and promote tolerogenic phagocytosis. Some hub nodes like S100A8 were found to be important in the chemoresistant tumor cell network with associated high rank genes in GSEA. Conclusions: Functional gene sets and hub nodes could be considered as potential treatment targets. Moreover, by screening and enrichment analysis of a chemoresistance network, ligands and chemical agents have been found that could modify significant gene sets like the phagocytic vesicle membrane functional gene set as a key to chemoresistance. They could also impact on down- or up-regulated hub nodes.

Downregulation of Calcium-Binding Protein S100A9 Inhibits Hypopharyngeal Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion Ability Through Inactivation of NF-κB Signaling

Hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) frequently presents at an advanced stage and displays early submucosal spread, resulting in a poor prognosis. It is among the worst of all cancers in the head and neck subsites. Therefore, detection of HPC at an earlier stage would be beneficial to patients. In this study, we used differential in-gel electrophoresis (DIGE) and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) proteomics analysis to identify the potential biomarkers for HPC. Among the differential proteins identified, calcium-binding protein S100A9 was overexpressed in HPC tissues compared with normal adjacent tissues, and S100A9 expression in metastatic tissues and advanced tumor tissues was higher than in nonmetastatic tissues and early tumor tissues. S100A9 expression was further confirmed in a large additional cohort. Our data showed that a higher S100A9 level was associated with a poor prognosis for HPC patients, and this may be an independent factor for predicting their prognosis. In addition, S100A9 protein expression was upregulated in human HPC cell lines compared with normal oral cavity epithelia. Knockdown of S100A9 induced significant inhibition of cell growth and their invasive ability. Mechanically, we found that downregulation of S100A9 significantly reduced the expression of NF-κB, phosphorylation of NF-κB and Bcl-2, as well as the expression of MMP7 and MMP2. Restoration of NF-κB expression sufficiently reversed the inhibitory effects on cell proliferation and invasion induced by S100A9 downregulation in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, for the first time, we have identified S100A9 as an independent prognostic factor for HPC. Inhibiting S100A9 expression would be a potential novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HPC treatment.