Strong association of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2 and -3 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms with risk of colorectal cancer in ethnic Kashmiri population - a case control study

Manuka honey's anti-metastatic impact on colon cancer stem-like cells: unveiling its effects on epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis and telomere length

Colorectal cancer often leads to metastasis, with cancer stem cells (CSCs) playing a pivotal role in this process. Two closely linked mechanisms, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and angiogenesis, contribute to metastasis and recent research has also highlighted the impact of telomere replication on this harmful tumor progression. Standard chemotherapy alone can inadvertently promote drug-resistant CSCs, posing a challenge. Combining chemotherapy with other compounds, including natural ones, shows promise in enhancing effectiveness while minimizing side effects. This study investigated the anti-metastatic potential of Manuka honey, both alone and in combination with 5-fluorouracil, using a 3D model of colonospheres enriched with CSC-like cells. In summary, it was observed that the treatment reduced migration ability by downregulating the transcription factors Slug, Snail, and Twist, which are key players in epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Additionally, Manuka honey downregulated pro-angiogenic factors and shortened CSC telomeres by downregulating c-Myc - demonstrating an effective anti-metastatic potential. This study suggests new research opportunities for studying the impact of natural compounds when combined with pharmaceuticals, with the potential to enhance effectiveness and reduce side effects.

Chronic Kidney Disease: Combined Effects of Gene Polymorphisms of Tissue Inhibitors of Metalloproteinase 3, Total Urinary Arsenic, and Blood Lead Concentration

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) is known to be an anti-fibrotic factor. Arsenic, lead, and cadmium exposure and selenium intake may affect TIMP3 expression. The downregulation of TIMP3 expression is related to kidney fibrosis. Genotypes of TIMP3 are related to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, this study explored whether TIMP3 polymorphism is associated with hypertension-related chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition, the combined effects of TIMP3 polymorphism and total urinary arsenic, blood lead and cadmium, and plasma selenium concentrations on CKD, were investigated. This was a case-control study, with 213 CKD patients and 423 age- and sex-matched controls recruited. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism was used to determine TIMP3 gene polymorphisms. The concentrations of urinary arsenic species, plasma selenium, and blood lead and cadmium were measured. The odds ratio (OR) of CKD in the TIMP3rs9609643 GA/AA genotype was higher than that of the GG genotype at high levels of total urinary arsenic and blood lead; the OR and 95% confidence interval (CI) were 0.57 (0.31-1.05) and 0.52 (0.30-0.93), respectively, after multivariate adjustment. High blood lead levels tended to interact with the TIMP3rs9609643 GG genotype to increase the OR of CKD, and gave the highest OR (95% CI) for CKD of 5.97 (2.60-13.67). Our study supports a possible role for the TIMP3rs9609643 risk genotype combined with high total urinary arsenic or with high blood lead concentration to increase the OR of CKD.

TIMP3 Gene Polymorphisms of -1296 T > C and -915 A > G Increase the Susceptibility to Arsenic-Induced Skin Cancer: A Cohort Study and In Silico Analysis of Mutation Impacts

Long-term exposure to arsenic may induce several human cancers, including non-melanoma skin cancer. The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-3, encoded by the TIMP3 gene, may inhibit tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis of several cancer types. In this study, we aimed to investigate effects of the TIMP3 -1296 T > C (rs9619311) and -915 A > G (rs2234921) single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on skin cancer risk in an arsenic-exposed population, and to evaluate the influence of allele-specific changes by an in silico analysis. In total, 1078 study participants were followed up for a median of 15 years for newly diagnosed skin cancer. New cases were identified through linkage to the National Cancer Registry of Taiwan. A Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of TIMP3 variants. Transcription factor (TF) profiling of binding sites of allele-specific changes in SNPs was conducted using the JASPAR scan tool. We observed borderline associations between TIMP3 genotypes and skin cancer risk. However, when combined with high arsenic exposure levels, the rs9619311 C allele, rs2234921 G allele, or C-G haplotype groups exhibited a greater risk of developing skin cancer compared to the respective common homozygous genotype group. The in silico analysis revealed several TF motifs located at or flanking the two SNP sites. We validated that the C allele of rs9619311 attenuated the binding affinity of BACH2, MEIS2, NFE2L2, and PBX2 to the TIMP3 promoter, and that the G allele of rs2234921 reduced the affinity of E2F8 and RUNX1 to bind to the promoter. Our findings suggest significant modifications of the effect of the association between arsenic exposure and skin cancer risk by the TIMP3 rs9619311 and rs2234921 variants. The predicted TFs and their differential binding affinities to the TIMP3 promoter provide insights into how TIMP3 interacts with arsenic through TFs in skin cancer formation.