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Yi Z, Liu P, Zhang Y, Mamuti D, Zhou W, Liu Z, Chen Z. METTL3 aggravates renal fibrogenesis in obstructive nephropathy via the miR-199a-3p/PAR4 axis. Eur J Pharmacol 2024; 982:176931. [PMID: 39182553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2024.176931] [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: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Renal fibrosis is among the major factors contributing to the development of chronic kidney disease. In this regard, although N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and micro-RNAs (miRNAs) have been established to play key roles in diverse physiological processes and disease/disorder development, further research is required to identify the probable mechanisms and processes associated with their involvement in renal fibrosis. In this study, we show that transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1)-induced human proximal tubule epithelial cells (HK2) are characterized by dose-dependently higher methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) expression. Furthermore, METTL3 was found to enhance pri-miR-199a-3p maturation and miR-199a-3p expression in an m6A-dependent manner, whereas miR-199a-3p sponges prostate apoptotic response 4 (Par4), thereby regulating its expression. Collectively, our findings in this study indicate that the METTL3/miR-199a-3p/Par4 axis plays a key role in the development of obstructive nephrogenic fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenglin Yi
- Departments of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Peihua Liu
- Departments of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Yinfan Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China; Teaching and Research Section of Clinical Nursing, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Dilishati Mamuti
- The Sixth Clinical Medical College Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumchi, China
| | - Weimin Zhou
- Departments of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Zhi Liu
- Departments of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Departments of Urology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, China.
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2
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Zhou S, Li H, Zhao C, Zhao W, Pan X, Jian W, Wang J. Single‑cell RNA sequencing reveals heterogeneity in ovarian cancer and constructs a prognostic signature for prognostic prediction and immunotherapy. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 140:112855. [PMID: 39133955 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112855] [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: 06/21/2024] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ovarian cancer (OC) is one of the cancers with a high incidence at present, which poses a severe threat to women's health. This study focused on identifying the heterogeneity among malignant epithelial cell OC and constructing an effective prognostic signature to predict prognosis and immunotherapy according to a multidisciplinary study. METHODS The InterCNV algorithm was used to identify the heterogeneity of OC based on the scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data. Six algorithms selected EMTscore. An effective prognostic signature was conducted using the COX and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression algorithms. The texting datasets were used to assess the accuracy of the prognostic signature. We evaluated different immune characteristics and immunotherapy response differences among other risk groups. RESULTS A prognostic signature including 14 genes was established. The patients in the high-risk group have poor survival outcomes. We also found that the patients in the low-risk group have higher immune cell infiltration, enrichment of immune checkpoints, and immunotherapy response, suggesting that the patients in the low-risk group may be more sensitive to immunotherapy. Finally, the laboratory test results showed that KREMEN2 was identified as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target for OC patients. CONCLUSIONS Our study established a GRG signature consisting of 16 genes based on the scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data, which provides a new perspective on the prediction of prognosis and treatment strategy for OC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shisi Zhou
- Department of Gynaecology, Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wenzhou, China
| | - Huiyan Li
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, China
| | - Chengzhi Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing, China
| | - Wancheng Zhao
- Department of Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Xue Pan
- Department of Gynaecology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Weilan Jian
- Department of Anesthesiology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jieli Wang
- Department of Gynaecology, Wenzhou Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Wenzhou, China.
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Lu M, Gong X, Zhang YM, Guo YW, Zhu Y, Zeng XB, Gao JH, Liu LM, Shu D, Ma R, Liang HF, Zhang RY, Xu Y, Zhang BX, Lu YJ, Ming ZY. Platelets promote primary hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through TGF-β1-mediated cancer cell autophagy. Cancer Lett 2024; 600:217161. [PMID: 39117067 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2024.217161] [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: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Previous research has revealed that platelets promote tumor metastasis by binding to circulating tumor cells (CTCs). However, the role of platelets in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells at the primary tumor site, the crucial initial step of tumor metastasis, remains to be elucidated. Here, we found that platelet releasate enhanced EMT and motility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells via AMPK/mTOR-induced autophagy. RNA-seq indicated that platelet releasate altered TGF-β signaling pathway of cancer cells. Inhibiting TGFBR or deleting platelet TGF-β1 suppressed AMPK/mTOR pathway activation and autophagy induced by platelet releasate. Compared with Pf4cre-; Tgfb1fl/fl mice, HCC orthotopic models established on Pf4cre+; Tgfb1fl/fl mice showed reduced TGF-β1 in primary tumors, which corresponded with decreased cancer cell EMT, autophagy, migration ability and tumor metastasis. Inhibition of autophagy via Atg5 knockdown in cancer cells negated EMT and metastasis induced by platelet-released TGF-β1. Clinically, higher platelet count correlated with increased TGF-β1, LC3 and N-cad expression in primary tumors of HCC patients, suggesting a link between platelets and HCC progression. Our study indicates that platelets promote cancer cell EMT in the primary tumor and HCC metastasis through TGF-β1-induced HCC cell autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway. These findings offer novel insights into the role of platelets in HCC metastasis and the potential therapeutic targets for HCC metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Xue Gong
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Yu-Min Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Ya-Wei Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Ying Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China; Department of Pharmacy, Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xiang-Bin Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Jia-Hui Gao
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Lu-Man Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Dan Shu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China; Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Rong Ma
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui-Fang Liang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ru-Yi Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Diabetes and Angiopathy, Hubei University of Science and Technology, Xianning, China
| | - Yun Xu
- Center for Medical Device Evaluation, National Medical Products Administration, Beijing, China
| | - Bi-Xiang Zhang
- Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yong-Jie Lu
- Center for Biomarkers and Therapeutics, Bart's Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University London, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Zhang-Yin Ming
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College and State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Drug Target Research and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation, Wuhan, China; Tongji-Rongcheng Center for Biomedicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
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Bustamante A, Baritaki S, Zaravinos A, Bonavida B. Relationship of Signaling Pathways between RKIP Expression and the Inhibition of EMT-Inducing Transcription Factors SNAIL1/2, TWIST1/2 and ZEB1/2. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:3180. [PMID: 39335152 PMCID: PMC11430682 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16183180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2024] [Revised: 09/10/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Untreated primary carcinomas often lead to progression, invasion and metastasis, a process that involves the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Several transcription factors (TFs) mediate the development of EMT, including SNAIL1/SNAIL2, TWIST1/TWIST2 and ZEB1/ZEB2, which are overexpressed in various carcinomas along with the under expression of the metastasis suppressor Raf Kinase Inhibitor Protein (RKIP). Overexpression of RKIP inhibits EMT and the above associated TFs. We, therefore, hypothesized that there are inhibitory cross-talk signaling pathways between RKIP and these TFs. Accordingly, we analyzed the various properties and biomarkers associated with the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues and the various molecular signaling pathways that trigger the EMT phenotype such as the TGF-β, the RTK and the Wnt pathways. We also presented the various functions and the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulations for the expression of each of the EMT TFs. Likewise, we describe the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic regulations of RKIP expression. Various signaling pathways mediated by RKIP, including the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, inhibit the TFs associated with EMT and the stabilization of epithelial E-Cadherin expression. The inverse relationship between RKIP and the TF expressions and the cross-talks were further analyzed by bioinformatic analysis. High mRNA levels of RKIP correlated negatively with those of SNAIL1, SNAIL2, TWIST1, TWIST2, ZEB1, and ZEB2 in several but not all carcinomas. However, in these carcinomas, high levels of RKIP were associated with good prognosis, whereas high levels of the above transcription factors were associated with poor prognosis. Based on the inverse relationship between RKIP and EMT TFs, it is postulated that the expression level of RKIP in various carcinomas is clinically relevant as both a prognostic and diagnostic biomarker. In addition, targeting RKIP induction by agonists, gene therapy and immunotherapy will result not only in the inhibition of EMT and metastases in carcinomas, but also in the inhibition of tumor growth and reversal of resistance to various therapeutic strategies. However, such targeting strategies must be better investigated as a result of tumor heterogeneities and inherent resistance and should be better adapted as personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Bustamante
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Stavroula Baritaki
- Laboratory of Experimental Oncology, Division of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Apostolos Zaravinos
- Cancer Genetics, Genomics and Systems Biology Laboratory, Basic and Translational Cancer Research Center (BTCRC), Nicosia 1516, Cyprus
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia 1516, Cyprus
| | - Benjamin Bonavida
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Ben-Yishay R, Globus O, Balint-Lahat N, Arbili-Yarhi S, Bar-Hai N, Bar V, Aharon S, Kosenko A, Zundelevich A, Berger R, Ishay-Ronen D. Class Effect Unveiled: PPARγ Agonists and MEK Inhibitors in Cancer Cell Differentiation. Cells 2024; 13:1506. [PMID: 39273076 PMCID: PMC11394433 DOI: 10.3390/cells13171506] [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: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a major role in breast cancer progression and the development of drug resistance. We have previously demonstrated a trans-differentiation therapeutic approach targeting invasive dedifferentiated cancer cells. Using a combination of PPARγ agonists and MEK inhibitors, we forced the differentiation of disseminating breast cancer cells into post-mitotic adipocytes. Utilizing murine breast cancer cells, we demonstrated a broad class effect of PPARγ agonists and MEK inhibitors in inducing cancer cell trans-differentiation into adipocytes. Both Rosiglitazone and Pioglitazone effectively induced adipogenesis in cancer cells, marked by PPARγ and C/EBPα upregulation, cytoskeleton rearrangement, and lipid droplet accumulation. All tested MEK inhibitors promoted adipogenesis in the presence of TGFβ, with Cobimetinib showing the most prominent effects. A metastasis ex vivo culture from a patient diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer demonstrated a synergistic upregulation of PPARγ with the combination of Pioglitazone and Cobimetinib. Our results highlight the potential for new therapeutic strategies targeting cancer cell plasticity and the dedifferentiation phenotype in aggressive breast cancer subtypes. Combining differentiation treatments with standard therapeutic approaches may offer a strategy to overcome drug resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Opher Globus
- Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
| | - Nora Balint-Lahat
- Institute of Pathology, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
| | | | - Neta Bar-Hai
- Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Vered Bar
- Curesponse Ltd., Rehovot 7670102, Israel
| | | | | | | | - Raanan Berger
- Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Dana Ishay-Ronen
- Oncology Institute, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan 5262000, Israel
- Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel
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Wei M, Yang X, Yang X, Huang Y, Yuan Z, Huang J, Wei J, Tian L. MLPH regulates EMT in pancreatic adenocarcinoma through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway. J Cancer 2024; 15:5828-5838. [PMID: 39308678 PMCID: PMC11414609 DOI: 10.7150/jca.94573] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is an extremely malignant tumor, and most patients develop postoperative metastases. Melanophilin (MLPH) is involved in the progression of various tumors, but its molecular mechanisms and role in pancreatic cancer progression are unknown. In this study, differential MLPH expression in cancer tissues and the adjacent tissues was evaluated using the Gene Expression Profiling Interaction Analysis 2 (GEPIA 2) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) databases. The role of MLPH in PAAD proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro was explored via clone formation, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, Transwell assay, and western blot. The in vivo validation of function was performed using a metastatic nude mouse model. The result showed that the pancreatic cancer tissues had significantly higher MLPH expression levels than the noncancerous pancreatic tissues. MLPH expression changes were related to PAAD cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. The western blotting demonstrated that PAAD cells had reduced Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related marker expression. Furthermore, overexpressing MLPH enhanced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and increased EMT-related marker expression. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the molecular mechanism underlying the effect of MLPH on PAAD was significantly related to the PI3K-AKT pathway. LY294002 blocked the MLPH overexpression-mediated enhanced cell invasion and migration and inhibited EMT-associated marker expression. Conversely, 740Y-P reversed the inhibitory effects of MLPH downregulation and led to cell migration, invasion, and EMT. MLPH regulated EMT to mediate PAAD cell invasive migration through the PI3K-AKT pathway. The results indicated that MLPH is a possible target for blocking PAAD metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengda Wei
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Xi Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Xiaoying Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Yanqing Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Zhenmin Yuan
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Junjie Huang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Junren Wei
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
| | - Lei Tian
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery for Gastrointestinal Cancer, Nanning, China
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Yang X, Liu C, Li Z, Wen J, He J, Lu Y, Liao Q, Wang T, Tang H, Yang X, Zeng L. Paclitaxel hyperthermia suppresses gastric cancer migration through MiR-183-5p/PPP2CA/AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin axis. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2024; 150:416. [PMID: 39249161 PMCID: PMC11383839 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-024-05923-y] [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: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2024] [Indexed: 09/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gastric cancer (GC), a prevalent malignant tumor which is a leading cause of death from malignancy around the world. Peritoneal metastasis accounts for the major cause of mortality in patients with GC. Despite hyperthermia intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) improves the therapeutic effect of GC, it's equivocal about the mechanism under HIPEC. METHODS MiR-183-5p expression was sifted from miRNA chip and detected in both GC patients and cell lines by qRT-PCR. Gene interference and rescue experiments were performed to identified biological function in vitro and vivo. Next, we affirmed PPP2CA as targeted of miR-183-5p by dual luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the potential relationship between HIPEC and miR-183-5p was explored. RESULTS MiR-183-5p is up-regulated in GC and associated with advanced stage and poor prognosis. MiR-183-5p accelerate GC migration in vitro which is influenced by miR-183-5p/PPP2CA/AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin Axis. HIPEC exerts migration inhibition via attenuating miR-183-5p expression. CONCLUSION MiR-183-5p can be used as a potential HIPEC biomarker in patients with CC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiansheng Yang
- Department of Anus and Intestine Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, 528000, China
| | - Chang Liu
- Medical Affair Department, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510000, China
| | - Zheng Li
- Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
| | - Juncai Wen
- Department of Medical Oncology, Puning People's Hospital, Puning, 515300, China
| | - Jinfu He
- Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
| | - Yunxin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Quanxing Liao
- First Department of General Surgery, The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, 511518, China
| | - Tian Wang
- Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China
| | - Hongsheng Tang
- Second Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
| | - Xianzi Yang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
| | - Lisi Zeng
- Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Institute of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510095, China.
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Ding XJ, Cai XM, Wang QQ, Liu N, Zhong WL, Xi XN, Lu YX. Vitexicarpin suppresses malignant progression of colorectal cancer through affecting c-Myc ubiquitination by targeting IMPDH2. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 132:155833. [PMID: 39008915 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155833] [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: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related mortality and is characterised by extensive invasive and metastatic potential. Previous studies have shown that vitexicarpin extracted from the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia can impede tumour progression. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in CRC treatment are still not fully established. PURPOSE Our study aimed to investigate the anticancer activity, targets, and molecular mechanisms of vitexicarpin in CRC hoping to provide novel therapies for patients with CRC. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS The impact of vitexicarpin on CRC was assessed through various experiments including MTT, clone formation, EDU, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays, as well as a tumour xenograft model. CETSA, label-free quantitative proteomics, and Biacore were used to identify the vitexicarpin targets. WB, Co-IP, Ubiquitination assay, IF, molecular docking, MST, and cell transfection were used to investigate the mechanism of action of vitexicarpin in CRC cells. Furthermore, we analysed the expression patterns and correlation of target proteins in TCGA and GEPIA datasets and clinical samples. Finally, wound healing, Transwell, tail vein injection model, and tissue section staining were used to demonstrate the antimetastatic effect of vitexicarpin on CRC in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS Our findings demonstrated that vitexicarpin exhibits anticancer activity by directly binding to inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase 2 (IMPDH2) and that it promotes c-Myc ubiquitination by disrupting the interaction between IMPDH2 and c-Myc, leading to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) inhibition. Vitexicarpin hinders the migration and invasion of CRC cells by reversing EMT both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, these results were validated by the overexpression and knockdown of IMPDH2 in CRC cells. CONCLUSION These results demonstrated that vitexicarpin regulates the interaction between IMPDH2 and c-Myc to inhibit CRC proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. These discoveries introduce potential molecular targets for CRC treatment and shed light on new mechanisms for c-Myc regulation in tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Jing Ding
- College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Xue-Mei Cai
- Huabei Petroleum Administration Bureau General Hospital, Renqiu 062550, PR China
| | - Qian-Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Ning Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China
| | - Wei-Long Zhong
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin Institute of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin 300052, PR China.
| | - Xiao-Nan Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China.
| | - Ya-Xin Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China; College of Chemistry, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, PR China.
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9
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Zamborlin A, Pagliari F, Ermini ML, Frusca V, García-Calderón D, Tirinato L, Volante S, Bresciani G, Marchetti F, Seco J, Voliani V. Invasiveness modulation of glioma cells by copper complex-loaded nanoarchitectures. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2024; 245:114187. [PMID: 39243709 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2024.114187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 08/15/2024] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
Among the tumors with the highest lethality, gliomas are primary brain tumors associated with common recurrence inclined to metastasize along the neuraxis and occasionally out of the central nervous system. Even though metastasis is the main responsible for death in oncological patients, few dedicated treatments are approved. Therefore, the establishment of effective anti-metastasis agents is the final frontier in cancer research. Interestingly, some copper complexes have demonstrated promising efficacy as antimetastatic agents, but they may cause off-site effects such as the alteration of copper homeostasis in healthy tissues. Thus, the incorporation of copper-based antimetastatic agents in rationally designed nano-architectures can increase the treatment localization reducing the side effects. Here, copper complex loaded hybrid nano-architectures (CuLNAs) are presented and employed to assess the impact of an intracellular copper source on glioma cell invasiveness. The novel CuLNAs are fully characterized and exploited for cell migration modulation in a glioma cell line. The results demonstrate that CuLNAs significantly reduce cell migration without impairing cell proliferation compared to standard gold and copper NAs. A concomitant antimigratory-like regulation of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition genes confirmed these results, as the gene encoding for the epithelial protein E-cadherin was upregulated and the other explored mesenchymal genes were downregulated. These findings, together with the intrinsic behaviors of NAs, demonstrate that the inclusion of metal complexes in the nano-architectures is a promising approach for the composition of a family of agents with antimetastatic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Zamborlin
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@ NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro, 12, Pisa 56127, Italy; NEST-Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza San Silvestro, 12, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Francesca Pagliari
- Division of BioMedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Maria Laura Ermini
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@ NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro, 12, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Valentina Frusca
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@ NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro, 12, Pisa 56127, Italy; Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 33, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Daniel García-Calderón
- Division of BioMedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Luca Tirinato
- Division of BioMedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Medical and Surgical Science, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro 88100, Italy
| | - Stefania Volante
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Giulio Bresciani
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Fabio Marchetti
- Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Joao Seco
- Division of BioMedical Physics in Radiation Oncology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg 69120, Germany; Department of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg 69120, Germany.
| | - Valerio Voliani
- Center for Nanotechnology Innovation@ NEST, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Piazza San Silvestro, 12, Pisa 56127, Italy; Department of Pharmacy, School of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Genoa, Viale Cembrano, 4, Genoa 16148, Italy.
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10
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Tomecka P, Kunachowicz D, Górczyńska J, Gebuza M, Kuźnicki J, Skinderowicz K, Choromańska A. Factors Determining Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Cancer Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8972. [PMID: 39201656 PMCID: PMC11354349 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25168972] [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: 07/10/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process in which an epithelial cell undergoes multiple modifications, acquiring both morphological and functional characteristics of a mesenchymal cell. This dynamic process is initiated by various inducing signals that activate numerous signaling pathways, leading to the stimulation of transcription factors. EMT plays a significant role in cancer progression, such as metastasis and tumor heterogeneity, as well as in drug resistance. In this article, we studied molecular mechanisms, epigenetic regulation, and cellular plasticity of EMT, as well as microenvironmental factors influencing this process. We included both in vivo and in vitro models in EMT investigation and clinical implications of EMT, such as the use of EMT in curing oncological patients and targeting its use in therapies. Additionally, this review concludes with future directions and challenges in the wide field of EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulina Tomecka
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.T.); (J.G.); (M.G.); (J.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Dominika Kunachowicz
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211a, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland;
| | - Julia Górczyńska
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.T.); (J.G.); (M.G.); (J.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Michał Gebuza
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.T.); (J.G.); (M.G.); (J.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Jacek Kuźnicki
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.T.); (J.G.); (M.G.); (J.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Katarzyna Skinderowicz
- Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland; (P.T.); (J.G.); (M.G.); (J.K.); (K.S.)
| | - Anna Choromańska
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Wroclaw Medical University, Borowska 211a, 50-556 Wroclaw, Poland
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11
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Lazzari N, Rigotto G, Montini B, Del Bianco P, Moretto E, Palladino F, Cappellesso R, Tonello M, Cenzi C, Scapinello A, Piano MA, Rossi CR, Dalerba P, Pilati P, Sommariva A, Calabrò ML. Stemness and hybrid epithelial-mesenchymal profiles guide peritoneal dissemination of malignant mesothelioma and pseudomyxoma peritonei. Int J Cancer 2024. [PMID: 39146488 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.35137] [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: 04/10/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Intrabdominal dissemination of malignant mesothelioma (MM) and pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is poorly characterized with respect to the stemness window which malignant cells activate during their reshaping on the epithelial-mesenchymal (E/M) axis. To gain insights into stemness properties and their prognostic significance in these rarer forms of peritoneal metastases (PM), primary tumor cultures from 55 patients selected for cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy were analyzed for cancer stem cells (CSC) by aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and spheroid formation assays, and for expression of a set of plasticity-related genes to measure E/M transition (EMT) score. Intratumor heterogeneity was also analyzed. Samples from PM of colorectal cancer were included for comparison. Molecular data were confirmed using principal component and cluster analyses. Associations with survival were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. The activity of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a stemness modifier, was tested in five cultures. Significantly increased amounts of ALDH1bright-cells identified high-grade PMP, and discriminated solid masses from ascitic/mucin-embedded tumor cells in both forms of PM. Epithelial/early hybrid EMT scores and an early hybrid expression pattern correlated with pluripotency factors were significantly associated with early peritoneal progression (p = .0343 and p = .0339, respectively, log-rank test) in multivariable models. ASA impaired spheroid formation and increased cisplatin sensitivity in all five cultures. These data suggest that CSC subpopulations and hybrid E/M states may guide peritoneal spread of MM and PMP. Stemness could be exploited as targetable vulnerability to increase chemosensitivity and improve patient outcomes. Additional research is needed to confirm these preliminary data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayana Lazzari
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Giulia Rigotto
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Barbara Montini
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Paola Del Bianco
- Clinical Research Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Elena Moretto
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Federica Palladino
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Marco Tonello
- Surgical Oncology of the Esophagus and Digestive Tract, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Carola Cenzi
- Clinical Research Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Surgical Oncology of the Esophagus and Digestive Tract, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonio Scapinello
- Anatomy and Histopathology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Maria Assunta Piano
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Piero Dalerba
- Center for Discovery and Innovation (CDI), Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey, USA
| | - Pierluigi Pilati
- Surgical Oncology of the Esophagus and Digestive Tract, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Antonio Sommariva
- Surgical Oncology of the Esophagus and Digestive Tract, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Surgical Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
- Advanced Surgical Oncology Unit, Surgical Oncology of the Esophagus and Digestive Tract, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Calabrò
- Immunology and Molecular Oncology, Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Padua, Italy
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12
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Tabei Y, Nakajima Y. IL-1β-activated PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways coordinately promote induction of partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:392. [PMID: 39118068 PMCID: PMC11308217 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01775-8] [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: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process in embryonic development, wound healing, organ fibrosis, and cancer metastasis. Previously, we and others have reported that proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) induces EMT. However, the exact mechanisms, especially the signal transduction pathways, underlying IL-1β-mediated EMT are not yet completely understood. Here, we found that IL-1β stimulation leads to the partial EMT-like phenotype in human lung epithelial A549 cells, including the gain of mesenchymal marker (vimentin) and high migratory potential, without the complete loss of epithelial marker (E-cadherin). IL-1β-mediated partial EMT induction was repressed by PI3K inhibitor LY294002, indicating that the PI3K/AKT pathway plays a significant role in the induction. In addition, ERK1/2 inhibitor FR180204 markedly inhibited the IL-1β-mediated partial EMT induction, demonstrating that the MEK/ERK pathway was also involved in the induction. Furthermore, we found that the activation of the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways occurred downstream of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway and the IL-1 receptor (IL-1R) pathway, respectively. Our findings suggest that the PI3K/AKT and MEK/ERK pathways coordinately promote the IL-1β-mediated partial EMT induction. The inhibition of not one but both pathways is expected yield clinical benefits by preventing partial EMT-related disorders such as organ fibrosis and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Tabei
- Health and Medical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2217-14 Hayashi-Cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 761-0395, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Nakajima
- Health and Medical Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2217-14 Hayashi-Cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 761-0395, Japan
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13
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Ge X, Du G, Zhou Q, Yan B, Yue G. TNNT1 accelerates migration, invasion and EMT progression in lung cancer cells. Thorac Cancer 2024; 15:1749-1756. [PMID: 38973201 PMCID: PMC11320084 DOI: 10.1111/1759-7714.15400] [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: 05/20/2024] [Revised: 06/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinically, most patients with lung cancer (LC) die from tumor spread and metastasis. Specific metastasis-related molecules can provide reference for clinical prediction of efficacy, evaluation of prognosis, and search for the best treatment plan. Troponin T1 (TNNT1) is highly expressed in various cancer tissues, which affects malignant behavior of tumor cells and is related to patients' survival and prognosis. However, the role and molecular mechanism of TNNT1 in LC invasion and metastasis have not yet been investigated. METHODS Gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) online analysis was used to analyze TNNT1 expression in LC tissues. Quantitative real-time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or western blot were performed to measure TNNT1 or epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related protein expression in LC cells. After TNNT1 knockdown, cell scratch healing and transwell assays were introduced to assess cell migration and invasion, respectively. RESULTS TNNT1 expression in LC tissues and cells was increased. TNNT1 knockdown notably impaired LC cell migration, invasion and EMT. TNNT1 knockdown inhibited Wnt/β-catenin pathway of LC cells. Lithium chloride (LiCl) addition partially restored the inhibition of TNNT1 knockdown on migration, invasion, EMT and Wnt/β-catenin of LC cells. CONCLUSION TNNT1 knockdown attenuated LC migration, invasion and EMT, possibly through Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobin Ge
- Department of Acupuncture‐Moxibustion and TuinaQilu Hospital of Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Guangzhong Du
- Department of Acupuncture‐Moxibustion and TuinaQilu Hospital of Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Qingchen Zhou
- Department of Acupuncture‐Moxibustion and TuinaQilu Hospital of Shandong UniversityJinanChina
| | - Bing Yan
- Ankang Hospital of JinanJinanChina
| | - Gonglei Yue
- Department of Acupuncture‐Moxibustion and TuinaQilu Hospital of Shandong UniversityJinanChina
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14
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Yang Y, Nan Y, Du Y, Liu W, Ning N, Chen G, Gu Q, Yuan L. Ginsenosides in cancer: Proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 177:117049. [PMID: 38945081 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117049] [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: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 06/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Ginseng, the dried root of Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., is widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. Ginsenosides, the primary active components of ginseng, exhibit diverse anticancer functions through various mechanisms, such as inhibiting tumor cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, and suppressing cell invasion and migration. In this article, the mechanism of action of 20 ginsenoside subtypes in tumor therapy and the research progress of multifunctional nanosystems are reviewed, in order to provide reference for clinical prevention and treatment of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Yang
- School of Basic Medical, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Yi Nan
- Key Laboratory of Ningxia Ethnomedicine Modernization, Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Yuhua Du
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ningxia Ethnomedicine Modernization, Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Na Ning
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Guoqing Chen
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Qian Gu
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- School of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 750004, China.
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15
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Zhang D, Luo Q, Xiao L, Chen X, Yang S, Zhang S. Exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells promote phenotypic transformation of hepatic stellate cells and affect the malignant behavior of gastric cancer cells. J Cancer Res Ther 2024; 20:1157-1164. [PMID: 39206977 DOI: 10.4103/jcrt.jcrt_749_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells on the phenotypic transformation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and the effect of HSC activation on the malignant behavior of gastric cancer cells, including its molecular mechanism. METHODS Exosomes derived from the human gastric adenocarcinoma cell line AGS were extracted and purified by polymer precipitation and ultrafiltration, respectively. The exosomes' morphologic characteristics were observed using transmission electron microscopy, particle size was determined through nanoparticle-tracking analysis, and marker proteins were detected using western blotting. Exosome uptake by LX-2 HSCs was observed through fluorescence-based tracing. Reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and fibroblast activation protein (FAP). Using functional assays, the effects of LX-2 HSC activation on the biological behavior of malignant gastric cancer cells were evaluated. The effects of LX-2 HSC activation on the protein expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes and β-catenin were evaluated via western blotting. RESULTS The extracted particles conformed to the definitions of exosomes and were thus considered gastric cancer cell-derived exosomes. Fluorescence-based tracing successfully demonstrated that exosomes were enriched in LX-2 HSCs. RT-qPCR revealed that the mRNA expression of the cancer-associated fibroblast markers α-SMA and FAP was significantly increased. LX-2 HSC activation considerably enhanced gastric cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Western blotting showed that the expression of the EMT-related epithelial marker E-cadherin was significantly downregulated, whereas the expression of interstitial markers (N-cadherin and vimentin) and β-catenin was remarkably upregulated in gastric cancer cells. CONCLUSION Exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells promoted phenotypic transformation of HSCs and activated HSCs to become tumor-associated fibroblasts. Gastric cancer cell-derived cells significantly enhanced gastric cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration after HSC activation, which may promote EMT of gastric cancer cells through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghuan Zhang
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Deqing People's Hospital, Deqing, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiong Luo
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Lirong Xiao
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Xiangqi Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, People's Republic of China
| | - Sheng Yang
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Suyun Zhang
- Department of Oncology Medicine, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
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16
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Liu Y, Yang J, Han W, Gu T, Yao L, Wang Y, Chen H. Identification and validation of metastasis-related gene ZG16 in the prognosis and progression in colorectal cancer. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1409329. [PMID: 39114307 PMCID: PMC11303331 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1409329] [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: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Metastasis remains the leading cause of mortality among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Identification of new metastasis-related genes are critical to improve colorectal cancer prognosis. Methods Data on mRNA expression in metastatic and primary CRC was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, including GSE81986, GSE41568, GSE71222, GSE21510, and GSE14333. Additionally, data concerning mRNA expression in colon cancer (COAD) and adjacent normal tissues were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Hub genes were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential gene expression analysis. Moreover, we assessed the impact of hub gene expression on both overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients and identified ZG16 as a potential target. We generated CRC cell lines transfected with lentivirus OE-ZG16 to investigate proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro. To further elucidate the involvement of ZG16, we utilized gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to identify enriched pathways, which were subsequently validated via Western blot analysis. Results Five datasets containing primary and metastatic CRC samples from GEO database and CRC samples from TCGA database were included in this study and 29 hub genes were identified by WGCNA and differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis. Low expression of the hub genes (CLCA1 and ZG16) was associated with poor DFS and OS. We confirmed the low expression of ZG16 in CRC using external database and IHC analysis at both transcriptional and protein levels. In addition, the expression of ZG16 was notably elevated in NCM460 cells in comparison to CRC cell lines. The overexpression of ZG16 in CRC cells has been shown to inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of CRC cells. Furthermore, the overexpression of ZG16 has been found to suppress the activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in CRC. Conclusion ZG16 may serve as a promising therapeutic target for metastatic CRC treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulun Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
- School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jie Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Wei Han
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Tingting Gu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Liqian Yao
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Yongqiang Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
| | - Hua Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Kunshan, China
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17
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Li T, Xiong Y, Li J, Tang X, Zhong Y, Tang Z, Zhang Q, Luo Y. Mapping and Analysis of Protein and Gene Profile Identification of the Important Role of Transforming Growth Factor Beta in Synovial Invasion in Patients With Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis. Arthritis Rheumatol 2024. [PMID: 38973550 DOI: 10.1002/art.42946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare benign proliferative disease affecting the soft-tissue lining the synovial joints and tendons. Its etiology is poorly understood, largely limiting the availability of current therapeutic options. Here, we mapped the synovial gene and protein profiles of patients with PVNS, revealed a link between synovial inflammation and invasion, and elucidated the potential molecular mechanism involved. METHODS The expression of synovial genes from 6 control individuals, 7 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), and 19 patients with PVNS was analyzed via RNA sequencing. Protein profiles from 5 control individuals, 10 patients with OA, and 32 patients with PVNS were analyzed using label-free proteomics. Microarray and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analyses and immunohistochemical staining were used to evaluate inflammatory cytokine and target gene expression levels in synovial tissue, epithelial cells, and synovial fibroblasts (FLSs) derived from tissue of patients with PVNS. Various signaling pathway inhibitors, small interfering RNAs, and Western blots were used for molecular mechanism studies. Transwell migration and invasion assays were subsequently performed. RESULTS In total, 522 differentially expressed proteins were identified in the tissues of patients with PVNS. By integrating RNA sequencing and microarray analyses, significant changes in the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, including transforming growth factor TGF-b induced, neural cadherin, epithelial cadherin, SNAIL, and TWIST, were confirmed in the tissue of patients with PVNS compared to the control tissue. In vitro, TGFβ induced EMT and increased epithelial cell migration and invasion. Moreover, TGFβ not only promoted interactions between epithelial cells and FLSs but also directly increased the migration and invasion abilities of FLSs by activating the classical Smad2/3 and nonclassical JNK/AKT signaling pathways. CONCLUSION This study provides overall protein and gene profiles of PVNS and identifies the crucial role of TGFβ in synovial invasion pathology. Exploring the related molecular mechanism may also reveal a new strategy or target for PVNS therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Li
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yan Xiong
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian Li
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Tang
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yutong Zhong
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhigang Tang
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiuping Zhang
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Yubin Luo
- West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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18
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Bracken CP, Goodall GJ, Gregory PA. RNA regulatory mechanisms controlling TGF-β signaling and EMT in cancer. Semin Cancer Biol 2024; 102-103:4-16. [PMID: 38917876 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcancer.2024.06.001] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a major contributor to metastatic progression and is prominently regulated by TGF-β signalling. Both EMT and TGF-β pathway components are tightly controlled by non-coding RNAs - including microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) - that collectively have major impacts on gene expression and resulting cellular states. While miRNAs are the best characterised regulators of EMT and TGF-β signaling and the miR-200-ZEB1/2 feedback loop plays a central role, important functions for lncRNAs and circRNAs are also now emerging. This review will summarise our current understanding of the roles of non-coding RNAs in EMT and TGF-β signaling with a focus on their functions in cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron P Bracken
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
| | - Gregory J Goodall
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
| | - Philip A Gregory
- Centre for Cancer Biology, University of South Australia and SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia; Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
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Li S, Zhu Z, Chen Z, Guo Z, Wang Y, Li X, Ma K. Network pharmacology-based investigation of the effects of Shenqi Fuzheng injection on glioma proliferation and migration via the SRC/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 328:118128. [PMID: 38561056 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118128] [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: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE In the clinic, Shenqi Fuzheng Injection (SFI) is used as an adjuvant for cancer chemotherapy. However, the molecular mechanism is unclear. AIM OF THE STUDY We screened potential targets of SFI action on gliomas by network pharmacology and performed experiments to validate possible molecular mechanisms against gliomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS We consulted relevant reports on the SFI and glioma incidence from PubMed and Web of Science and focused on the mechanism through which the SFI inhibits glioma. According to the literature, two primary SFI components-Codonopsis pilosula (Franch.) Nannf. and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge-have been found. All plant names have been sourced from "The Plant List" (www.theplantlist.org). The cell lines U87, T98G and GL261 were used in this study. The inhibitory effects of SFI on glioma cells U87 and T98G were detected by CCK-8 assay, EdU, plate cloning assay, scratch assay, Transwell assay, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry and Western blot. A subcutaneous tumor model of C57BL/6 mice was constructed using GL261 cells, and the SFI was evaluated by HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The targets of glioma and the SFI were screened using network pharmacology. RESULTS A total of 110 targets were enriched, and a total of 26 major active components in the SFI were investigated. There were a total of 3,343 targets for gliomas, of which 79 targets were shared between the SFI and glioma tissues. SFI successfully prevented proliferation and caused cellular S-phase blockage in U87 and T98G cells, thus decreasing their growth. Furthermore, SFI suppressed cell migration by downregulating EMT marker expression. According to the results of the in vivo tests, the SFI dramatically decreased the development of tumors in a transplanted tumour model. Network pharmacological studies revealed that the SRC/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may be the pathway through which SFI exerts its anti-glioma effects. CONCLUSIONS The findings revealed that the SRC/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway may be involved in the mechanism through which SFI inhibits the proliferation and migration of glioma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Li
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Zhenglin Zhu
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Zhijian Chen
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Zhenli Guo
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Physiology, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Yan Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China.
| | - Xinzhi Li
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832000, China.
| | - Ketao Ma
- The Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic Diseases, Ministry of Education, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence Diseases, Shihezi, 832002, China; Department of Physiology, Shihezi University Medical College, Shihezi, 832000, China.
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20
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Ma Y, Wang Y, Wang C, Wang Y, Hu J, Zhang Z, Dong T, Chen X. miR-200a-3p promotes the malignancy of endometrial carcinoma through negative regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Discov Oncol 2024; 15:243. [PMID: 38916621 PMCID: PMC11199454 DOI: 10.1007/s12672-024-01106-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND miR-200a-3p is involved in the progression of malignant behavior in various tumors, and its mechanism of action in endometrial cancer is speculated to be related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Therefore, this study explored the metastatic mechanism of miR-200a-3p and EMT in endometrial cancer, with the aim of identifying potential therapeutic targets. METHODS qRT-PCR was used to analyze miR-200a-3p expression in HEC-1B and Ishikawa cell lines. The cell proliferation assay, transwell assay, and cell scratch test were used to assess changes in the malignant phenotypes of cells after regulating miR-200a-3p expression. Changes in EMT-related protein zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) were detected after regulating miR-200a-3p expression. An endometrial carcinoma transplantation mouse tumor model was constructed, and multiple EMT-related proteins were examined. RESULTS The expression of miR-200a-3p and ZEB1 in the endometrial cancer cell lines was higher than in normal endometrial epithelial cell lines (P < 0.05). After silencing miR-200a-3p, the expression of EMT-related protein ZEB1 increased, indicating a negative correlation. Simultaneously, the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of endometrial cancer cells were significantly enhanced. After miR-200a-3p overexpression, the corresponding malignant phenotype was reversed (P < 0.05). In in vivo experiments, the degree of tumor malignancy and the expression level of EMT-related proteins were significantly reduced in the miR-200a-3p mimic group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION This study found that miR-200a-3p is a promising target, regulating the EMT process and promoting endometrial cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Ma
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yiru Wang
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Can Wang
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Jingshu Hu
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Zexue Zhang
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China
| | - Tuo Dong
- Department of Hygienic Microbiology, Public Health College, Harbin Medical University, No. 157 Baojian Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China.
| | - Xiuwei Chen
- Department of Gynecology Oncology, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China.
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21
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Liu R, Wang H, Ding J. Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Cancer Cells on Micropillar Arrays. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2024; 7:3997-4006. [PMID: 38815185 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c00343] [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] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is critical for tumor invasion and many other cell-relevant processes. While much progress has been made about EMT, no report concerns the EMT of cells on topological biomaterial interfaces with significant nuclear deformation. Herein, we prepared a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) micropillar array with an appropriate dimension to enable significant deformation of cell nuclei and examined EMT of a human lung cancer epithelial cell (A549). We show that A549 cells undergo serious nuclear deformation on the micropillar array. The cells express more E-cadherin and less vimentin on the micropillar array than on the smooth surface. After transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) treatment, the expression of E-cadherin as an indicator of the epithelial phenotype is decreased and the expression of vimentin as an indicator of the mesenchymal phenotype is increased for the cells both on smooth surfaces and on micropillar arrays, indicating that EMT occurs even when the cell nuclei are deformed and the culture on the micropillar array more enhances the expression of vimentin. Expression of myosin phosphatase targeting subunit 1 is reduced in the cells on the micropillar array, possibly affecting the turnover of myosin light chain phosphorylation and actin assembly; this makes cells on the micropillar array prefer the epithelial-like phenotype and more sensitive to TGF-β1. Overall, the micropillar array exhibits a promoting effect on the EMT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Hongyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiandong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
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22
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Schiedlauske K, Deipenbrock A, Pflieger M, Hamacher A, Hänsel J, Kassack MU, Kurz T, Teusch NE. Novel Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitor Induces Apoptosis and Suppresses Invasion via E-Cadherin Upregulation in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:752. [PMID: 38931419 PMCID: PMC11206922 DOI: 10.3390/ph17060752] [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: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most lethal form of pancreatic cancer characterized by therapy resistance and early metastasis, resulting in a low survival rate. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors showed potential for the treatment of hematological malignancies. In PDAC, the overexpression of HDAC 2 is associated with the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), principally accompanied by the downregulation of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and increased metastatic capacity. The effector cytokine transforming growth factor-β (TGF β) is known to be a major inducer of the EMT in PDAC, leading to high metastatic and invasive potential. In addition, the overexpression of HDAC 6 in PDAC is associated with reduced apoptosis. Here, we have demonstrated that a novel HDAC 2/6 inhibitor not only significantly increased E-cadherin expression in PANC-1 cells (5.5-fold) and in 3D PDAC co-culture spheroids (2.5-fold) but was also able to reverse the TGF-β-induced downregulation of E-cadherin expression. Moreover, our study indicates that the HDAC inhibitor mediated re-differentiation resulting in a significant inhibition of tumor cell invasion by approximately 60% compared to control. In particular, we have shown that the HDAC inhibitor induces both apoptosis (2-fold) and cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, the HDAC 2/6 inhibitor acts by suppressing invasion via upregulating E-cadherin mediated by HDAC 2 blockade and by inducing cell cycle arrest leading to apoptosis via HDAC 6 inhibition. These results suggest that the HDAC 2/6 inhibitor might represent a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of PDAC tumorigenesis and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Schiedlauske
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alina Deipenbrock
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Marc Pflieger
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alexandra Hamacher
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jan Hänsel
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matthias U. Kassack
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Nicole E. Teusch
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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23
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Sun Z, Li X, Shi Y, Yao Y. LncRNA PVT1 facilitates the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancer by sponging with miR-3619-5p to regulate TRIM29 expression. Cancer Rep (Hoboken) 2024; 7:e2085. [PMID: 38837682 DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.2085] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in many malignant tumors. This study aimed to clarify the role of the lncRNA plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 (PVT1) in CRC growth and metastasis. METHODS Differentially expressed lncRNAs in CRC were analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas. Gene expression profiling interactive analysis and a comprehensive resource for lncRNAs from cancer arrays databases were used to analyze lncRNA PVT1 expression and CRC prognosis, respectively. Cell counting kit-8, wound healing, colony formation, Transwell, and immunofluorescence assays were used to evaluate CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), respectively. Tumor growth and metastasis models were used to explore the PVT1 effect on the growth and metastasis of CRC in vivo. RESULTS PVT1 was highly expressed in CRC, associated with a poor prognosis of CRC, and showed good diagnostic value. Transfection of sh-PVT1 or pcDNA3.1-PVT1 reduced or increased the proliferation, wound healing rate, colony formation, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells. PVT1 and miR-3619-5p were co-expressed in CRC cytoplasm, and PVT1 acted as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-3619-5p to up-regulate tripartite motif containing 29 (TRIM29) expression. MiR-3619-5p overexpression and TRIM29 knockdown reduced proliferation, wound healing rate, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells. However, simultaneous PVT1 and miR-3619-5p overexpression or knockdown of miR-3619-5p and TRIM29 knockdown rescued the malignant phenotype of CRC cells. CONCLUSIONS We first clarified the ceRNA mechanism of PVT1 in CRC, which induced growth and metastasis by sponging with miR-3619-5p to regulate TRIM29.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenni Sun
- Department of Oncology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Qingdao University Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xutong Li
- Department of Oncology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Medical College of Qingdao University Qingdao, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanyan Shi
- Department of Oncology, Qingdao women and children's Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
| | - Yasai Yao
- Department of Medical oncology, Qingdao Fuwai Cardiovascular Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, People's Republic of China
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24
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Aziz MA. Multiomics approach towards characterization of tumor cell plasticity and its significance in precision and personalized medicine. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024:10.1007/s10555-024-10190-x. [PMID: 38761231 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10190-x] [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: 09/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Cellular plasticity refers to the ability of cells to change their identity or behavior, which can be advantageous in some cases (e.g., tissue regeneration) but detrimental in others (e.g., cancer metastasis). With a better understanding of cellular plasticity, the complexity of cancer cells, their heterogeneity, and their role in metastasis is being unraveled. The plasticity of the cells could also prove as a nemesis to their characterization. In this review, we have attempted to highlight the possibilities and benefits of using multiomics approach in characterizing the plastic nature of cancer cells. There is a need to integrate fragmented evidence at different levels of cellular organization (DNA, RNA, protein, metabolite, epigenetics, etc.) to facilitate the characterization of different forms of plasticity and cell types. We have discussed the role of cellular plasticity in generating intra-tumor heterogeneity. Different omics level evidence is being provided to highlight the variety of molecular determinants discovered using different techniques. Attempts have been made to integrate some of this information to provide a quantitative assessment and scoring of the plastic nature of the cells. However, there is a huge gap in our understanding of mechanisms that lead to the observed heterogeneity. Understanding of these mechanism(s) is necessary for finding targets for early detection and effective therapeutic interventions in metastasis. Targeting cellular plasticity is akin to neutralizing a moving target. Along with the advancements in precision and personalized medicine, these efforts may translate into better clinical outcomes for cancer patients, especially in metastatic stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Azhar Aziz
- Interdisciplinary Nanotechnology Center, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Cancer Nanomedicine Consortium, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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25
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Metge BJ, Alsheikh HAM, Kammerud SC, Chen D, Das D, Nebane NM, Bostwick JR, Shevde LA, Samant RS. Targeting EMT using low-dose Teniposide by downregulating ZEB2-driven activation of RNA polymerase I in breast cancer. Cell Death Dis 2024; 15:322. [PMID: 38719798 PMCID: PMC11079014 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-024-06694-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
Metastatic dissemination from the primary tumor is a complex process that requires crosstalk between tumor cells and the surrounding milieu and involves the interplay between numerous cellular-signaling programs. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) remains at the forefront of orchestrating a shift in numerous cellular programs, such as stemness, drug resistance, and apoptosis that allow for successful metastasis. Till date, there is limited success in therapeutically targeting EMT. Utilizing a high throughput screen of FDA-approved compounds, we uncovered a novel role of the topoisomerase inhibitor, Teniposide, in reversing EMT. Here, we demonstrate Teniposide as a potent modulator of the EMT program, specifically through an IRF7-NMI mediated response. Furthermore, Teniposide significantly reduces the expression of the key EMT transcriptional regulator, Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 2 (ZEB2). ZEB2 downregulation by Teniposide inhibited RNA polymerase I (Pol I) activity and rRNA biogenesis. Importantly, Teniposide treatment markedly reduced pulmonary colonization of breast cancer cells. We have uncovered a novel role of Teniposide, which when used at a very low concentration, mitigates mesenchymal-like invasive phenotype. Overall, its ability to target EMT and rRNA biogenesis makes Teniposide a viable candidate to be repurposed as a therapeutic option to restrict breast cancer metastases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Metge
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | | | - Sarah C Kammerud
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Dongquan Chen
- Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Devika Das
- Birmingham VA Health Care System, Birmingham, AL, USA
- Parexel Biotech, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - N Miranda Nebane
- High-Throughput Screening Center, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - J Robert Bostwick
- High-Throughput Screening Center, Southern Research, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Lalita A Shevde
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Rajeev S Samant
- Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Birmingham VA Health Care System, Birmingham, AL, USA.
- O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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26
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Chen XY, Cheng AY, Wang ZY, Jin JM, Lin JY, Wang B, Guan YY, Zhang H, Jiang YX, Luan X, Zhang LJ. Dbl family RhoGEFs in cancer: different roles and targeting strategies. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 223:116141. [PMID: 38499108 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116141] [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: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Small Ras homologous guanosine triphosphatase (Rho GTPase) family proteins are highly associated with tumorigenesis and development. As intrinsic exchange activity regulators of Rho GTPases, Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) have been demonstrated to be closely involved in tumor development and received increasing attention. They mainly contain two families: the diffuse B-cell lymphoma (Dbl) family and the dedicator of cytokinesis (Dock) family. More and more emphasis has been paid to the Dbl family members for their abnormally high expression in various cancers and their correlation to poor prognosis. In this review, the common and distinctive structures of Dbl family members are discussed, and their roles in cancer are summarized with a focus on Ect2, Tiam1/2, P-Rex1/2, Vav1/2/3, Trio, KALRN, and LARG. Significantly, the strategies targeting Dbl family RhoGEFs are highlighted as novel therapeutic opportunities for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Yi Chen
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ao-Yu Cheng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Zi-Ying Wang
- School of Biological Engineering, Tianjin University of Science&Technology, Tianjin 301617, China
| | - Jin-Mei Jin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Jia-Yi Lin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Bei Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Ying-Yun Guan
- Department of Pharmacy, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025, China
| | - Hao Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Yi-Xin Jiang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Xin Luan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
| | - Li-Jun Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of TCM Chemical Biology, Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
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Yu P, Xu T, Ma W, Fang X, Bao Y, Xu C, Huang J, Sun Y, Li G. PRMT6-mediated transcriptional activation of ythdf2 promotes glioblastoma migration, invasion, and emt via the wnt-β-catenin pathway. J Exp Clin Cancer Res 2024; 43:116. [PMID: 38637831 PMCID: PMC11025288 DOI: 10.1186/s13046-024-03038-3] [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: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protein arginine methyltransferase 6 (PRMT6) plays a crucial role in various pathophysiological processes and diseases. Glioblastoma (GBM; WHO Grade 4 glioma) is the most common and lethal primary brain tumor in adults, with a prognosis that is extremely poor, despite being less common than other systemic malignancies. Our current research finds PRMT6 upregulated in GBM, enhancing tumor malignancy. Yet, the specifics of PRMT6's regulatory processes and potential molecular mechanisms in GBM remain largely unexplored. METHODS PRMT6's expression and prognostic significance in GBM were assessed using glioma public databases, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and immunoblotting. Scratch and Transwell assays examined GBM cell migration and invasion. Immunoblotting evaluated the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt-β-catenin pathway-related proteins. Dual-luciferase reporter assays and ChIP-qPCR assessed the regulatory relationship between PRMT6 and YTHDF2. An in situ tumor model in nude mice evaluated in vivo conditions. RESULTS Bioinformatics analysis indicates high expression of PRMT6 and YTHDF2 in GBM, correlating with poor prognosis. Functional experiments show PRMT6 and YTHDF2 promote GBM migration, invasion, and EMT. Mechanistic experiments reveal PRMT6 and CDK9 co-regulate YTHDF2 expression. YTHDF2 binds and promotes the degradation of negative regulators APC and GSK3β mRNA of the Wnt-β-catenin pathway, activating it and consequently enhancing GBM malignancy. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate the PRMT6-YTHDF2-Wnt-β-Catenin axis promotes GBM migration, invasion, and EMT in vitro and in vivo, potentially serving as a therapeutic target for GBM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
| | - Tutu Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
| | - Wenmeng Ma
- Department of Immunology, Basic Medicine College, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Xiang Fang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Central hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Yue Bao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Chengran Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
| | - Jinhai Huang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
| | - Yongqing Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China
| | - Guangyu Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110001, China.
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Mai Y, Liao C, Wang S, Zhou X, Meng L, Chen C, Qin Y, Deng G. High glucose-induced NCAPD2 upregulation promotes malignant phenotypes and regulates EMT via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in HCC. Am J Cancer Res 2024; 14:1685-1711. [PMID: 38726276 PMCID: PMC11076239 DOI: 10.62347/hynz9211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is recognized as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). High glucose levels have been implicated in inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), contributing to the progression of various cancers. However, the molecular crosstalk remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms linking DM to HCC. Initially, the expression of NCAPD2 in HCC cells and patients was measured. A series of functional in vitro assays to examine the effects of NCAPD2 on the malignant behaviors and EMT of HCC under high glucose conditions were then conducted. Furthermore, the impacts of NCAPD2 knockdown on HCC proliferation and the β-catenin pathway were investigated in vivo. In addition, bioinformatics methods were performed to analyze the mechanisms and pathways involving NCAPD2, as well as its association with immune infiltration and drug sensitivity. The findings indicated that NCAPD2 was overexpressed in HCC, particularly in patients with DM, and its aberrant upregulation was linked to poor prognosis. In vitro experiments demonstrated that high glucose upregulated NCAPD2 expression, enhancing proliferation, invasion, and EMT, while knockdown of NCAPD2 reversed these effects. In vivo studies suggested that NCAPD2 knockdown might suppress HCC growth via the β-catenin pathway. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that NCAPD2 was involved in cell cycle regulation and primarily interacted with NCAPG, SMC4, and NCAPH. Additionally, NCAPD2 was positively correlated with EMT and the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, whereas knockdown of NCAPD2 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Moreover, NCAPD2 expression was significantly associated with immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoints, and drugs sensitivity. In conclusion, our study identified NCAPD2 as a novel oncogene in HCC and as a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients with DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Mai
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Chuanjie Liao
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of EducationNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Shengyu Wang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Liheng Meng
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Cuihong Chen
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Yingfen Qin
- Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Ganlu Deng
- Department of Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical UniversityNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
- Key Laboratory of Early Prevention and Treatment for Regional High Frequency Tumor (Guangxi Medical University), Ministry of EducationNanning 530021, Guangxi, China
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29
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Rashid M, Devi BM, Banerjee M. Combinatorial Cooperativity in miR200-Zeb Feedback Network can Control Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Bull Math Biol 2024; 86:48. [PMID: 38555331 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-024-01277-1] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Carcinomas often utilize epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) programs for cancer progression and metastasis. Numerous studies report SNAIL-induced miR200/Zeb feedback circuit as crucial in regulating EMT by placing cancer cells in at least three phenotypic states, viz. epithelial (E), hybrid (h-E/M), mesenchymal (M), along the E-M phenotypic spectrum. However, a coherent molecular-level understanding of how such a tiny circuit controls carcinoma cell entrance into and residence in various states is lacking. Here, we use molecular binding data and mathematical modeling to report that the miR200/Zeb circuit can essentially utilize combinatorial cooperativity to control E-M phenotypic plasticity. We identify minimal combinatorial cooperativities that give rise to E, h-E/M, and M phenotypes. We show that disrupting a specific number of miR200 binding sites on Zeb as well as Zeb binding sites on miR200 can have phenotypic consequences-the circuit can dynamically switch between two (E, M) and three (E, h-E/M, M) phenotypes. Further, we report that in both SNAIL-induced and SNAIL knock-out miR200/Zeb circuits, cooperative transcriptional feedback on Zeb as well as Zeb translation inhibition due to miR200 are essential for the occurrence of intermediate h-E/M phenotype. Finally, we demonstrate that SNAIL can be dispensable for EMT, and in the absence of SNAIL, the transcriptional feedback can control cell state transition from E to h-E/M, to M state. Our results thus highlight molecular-level regulation of EMT in miR200/Zeb circuit and we expect these findings to be crucial to future efforts aiming to prevent EMT-facilitated dissemination of carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubasher Rashid
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India.
| | - Brasanna M Devi
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India
| | - Malay Banerjee
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, 208016, India
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30
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Pawlicka M, Gumbarewicz E, Błaszczak E, Stepulak A. Transcription Factors and Markers Related to Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Their Role in Resistance to Therapies in Head and Neck Cancers. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:1354. [PMID: 38611032 PMCID: PMC11010970 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16071354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are heterogeneous and aggressive tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract. Although various histological types exist, the most common is squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The incidence of HNSCC is increasing, making it an important public health concern. Tumor resistance to contemporary treatments, namely, chemo- and radiotherapy, and the recurrence of the primary tumor after its surgical removal cause huge problems for patients. Despite recent improvements in these treatments, the 5-year survival rate is still relatively low. HNSCCs may develop local lymph node metastases and, in the most advanced cases, also distant metastases. A key process associated with tumor progression and metastasis is epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), when poorly motile epithelial tumor cells acquire motile mesenchymal characteristics. These transition cells can invade different adjacent tissues and finally form metastases. EMT is governed by various transcription factors, including the best-characterized TWIST1 and TWIST2, SNAIL, SLUG, ZEB1, and ZEB2. Here, we highlight the current knowledge of the process of EMT in HNSCC and present the main protein markers associated with it. This review focuses on the transcription factors related to EMT and emphasizes their role in the resistance of HNSCC to current chemo- and radiotherapies. Understanding the role of EMT and the precise molecular mechanisms involved in this process may help with the development of novel anti-cancer therapies for this type of tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Andrzej Stepulak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodzki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland; (M.P.); (E.G.); (E.B.)
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31
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Huang ZJ, Li YJ, Yang J, Huang L, Zhao Q, Lu YF, Hu Y, Zhang WX, Liang JZ, Pan J, Pan YL, He QY, Wang Y. PTPLAD1 Regulates PHB-Raf Interaction to Orchestrate Epithelial-Mesenchymal and Mitofusion-Fission Transitions in Colorectal Cancer. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:2202-2218. [PMID: 38617530 PMCID: PMC11008263 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.82361] [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: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The poor prognosis of this malignancy is attributed mainly to the persistent activation of cancer signaling for metastasis. Here, we showed that protein tyrosine phosphatase-like A domain containing 1 (PTPLAD1) is down-regulated in highly metastatic CRC cells and negatively associated with poor survival of CRC patients. Systematic analysis reveals that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mitochondrial fusion-to-fission (MFT) transition are two critical features for CRC patients with low expression of PTPLAD1. PTPLAD1 overexpression suppresses the metastasis of CRC in vivo and in vitro by inhibiting the Raf/ERK signaling-mediated EMT and mitofission. Mechanically, PTPLAD1 binds with PHB via its middle fragment (141-178 amino acids) and induces dephosphorylation of PHB-Y259 to disrupt the interaction of PHB-Raf, resulting in the inactivation of Raf/ERK signaling. Our results unveil a novel mechanism in which Raf/ERK signaling activated in metastatic CRC induces EMT and mitochondrial fission simultaneously, which can be suppressed by PTPLAD1. This finding may provide a new paradigm for developing more effective treatment strategies for CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Jia Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yang-Jia Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jie Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Lei Huang
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Qian Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yi-Fan Lu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yang Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Wei-Xia Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jun-Ze Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Jinghua Pan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yun-Long Pan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing-Yu He
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| | - Yang Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Tumor Molecular Biology and State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules and Druggability Assessment, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
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32
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Takeda T, Tsubaki M, Genno S, Tomita K, Nishida S. RANK/RANKL axis promotes migration, invasion, and metastasis of osteosarcoma via activating NF-κB pathway. Exp Cell Res 2024; 436:113978. [PMID: 38382805 DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2024.113978] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most prevalent primary bone tumors with a high degree of metastasis and poor prognosis. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular mechanism that contributes to the invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and OS cells have been reported to exhibit EMT-like characteristics. Our previous studies have shown that the interaction between tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 11 (TNFRSF11A; also known as RANK) and its ligand TNFSF11 (also known as RANKL) promotes the EMT process in breast cancer cells. However, whether the interaction between RANK and RANKL enhances aggressive behavior by inducing EMT in OS cells has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we showed that the interaction between RANK and RANKL increased the migration, invasion, and metastasis of OS cells by promoting EMT. Importantly, we clarified that the RANK/RANKL axis induces EMT by activating the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway. Furthermore, the NF-κB inhibitor dimethyl fumarate (DMF) suppressed migration, invasion, and EMT in OS cells. Our results suggest that the RANK/RANKL axis may serve as a potential tumor marker and promising therapeutic target for OS metastasis. Furthermore, DMF may have clinical applications in the treatment of lung metastasis in patients with OS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoya Takeda
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
| | - Masanobu Tsubaki
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
| | - Shuji Genno
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
| | - Kana Tomita
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan
| | - Shozo Nishida
- Division of Pharmacotherapy, Kindai University School of Pharmacy, 3-4-1 Kowakae, Higashi-Osaka, Osaka, 577-8502, Japan.
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Pastorino GA, Sheraj I, Huebner K, Ferrero G, Kunze P, Hartmann A, Hampel C, Husnugil HH, Maiuthed A, Gebhart F, Schlattmann F, Gulec Taskiran AE, Oral G, Palmisano R, Pardini B, Naccarati A, Erlenbach-Wuensch K, Banerjee S, Schneider-Stock R. A partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition signature for highly aggressive colorectal cancer cells that survive under nutrient restriction. J Pathol 2024; 262:347-361. [PMID: 38235615 DOI: 10.1002/path.6240] [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: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (p-EMT) has recently been identified as a hybrid state consisting of cells with both epithelial and mesenchymal characteristics and is associated with the migration, metastasis, and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Here, we describe the induction of p-EMT in starved colorectal cancer (CRC) cells and identify a p-EMT gene signature that can predict prognosis. Functional characterisation of starvation-induced p-EMT in HCT116, DLD1, and HT29 cells showed changes in proliferation, morphology, and drug sensitivity, supported by in vivo studies using the chorioallantoic membrane model. An EMT-specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) array was used to screen for deregulated genes, leading to the establishment of an in silico gene signature that was correlated with poor disease-free survival in CRC patients along with the CRC consensus molecular subtype CMS4. Among the significantly deregulated p-EMT genes, a triple-gene signature consisting of SERPINE1, SOX10, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was identified. Starvation-induced p-EMT was characterised by increased migratory potential and chemoresistance, as well as E-cadherin processing and internalisation. Both gene signature and E-cadherin alterations could be reversed by the proteasomal inhibitor MG132. Spatially resolving EGFR expression with high-resolution immunofluorescence imaging identified a proliferation stop in starved CRC cells caused by EGFR internalisation. In conclusion, we have gained insight into a previously undiscovered EMT mechanism that may become relevant when tumour cells are under nutrient stress, as seen in early stages of metastasis. Targeting this process of tumour cell dissemination might help to prevent EMT and overcome drug resistance. © 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gil A Pastorino
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Ilir Sheraj
- Department of Biological Sciences, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Kerstin Huebner
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Giulio Ferrero
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Philipp Kunze
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Arndt Hartmann
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Chuanpit Hampel
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | | | - Arnatchai Maiuthed
- Department of Pharmacology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre of Biopharmaceutical Science for Healthy Ageing, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Florian Gebhart
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Fynn Schlattmann
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Aliye Ezgi Gulec Taskiran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Goksu Oral
- Department of Biological Sciences, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Ralph Palmisano
- Optical Imaging Competence Centre FAU OICE, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Barbara Pardini
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o FPO-IRCCS Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Turin, Italy
| | - Alessio Naccarati
- Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM), c/o FPO-IRCCS Candiolo, Turin, Italy
- Candiolo Cancer Institute, FPO-IRCCS, Turin, Italy
| | - Katharina Erlenbach-Wuensch
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Sreeparna Banerjee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey
- Cancer Systems Biology Laboratory (CanSyl), Orta Dogu Teknik Universitesi, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Regine Schneider-Stock
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Díaz-López YE, Cázares-Domínguez V, Arenas-Huertero F, Gutierrez-Aguilar R. ETV5 Silencing Produces Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transition in INS-1 (832/13) Cell Line. Horm Metab Res 2024; 56:235-243. [PMID: 38335994 DOI: 10.1055/a-2246-4778] [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] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
ETV5 has been described to be involved in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) mainly in cancer. It is known that EMT provokes cytoskeleton remodeling, improving cellular migratory, and invasive capabilities. Moreover, overexpression of ETV5 has been correlated to cancer development and this gene has been implicated in cell proliferation. However, little is known about the downregulation of ETV5 expression in a pancreatic cell line and the inverse mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET). Therefore, we studied the implications of ETV5 silencing over the phenotype of the insulinoma INS-1 (832/13) cell line and described the MET by partial ETV5 silencing in the INS-1 (832/13) cell line. The downregulation of ETV5 expression was obtained by using ETV5 siRNA in the insulinoma rat cell line, INS-1 (832/13). Then, ETV5 knockdown provoked a MET phenotype observed by crystal violet staining and verified by immunohistochemistry against E-cadherin. Wound healing assay showed no migration, and F-actin stain revealed rearrangement of actin microfilaments. In addition, TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 were downregulated in the absence of ETV5. ETV5 silencing induces epithelial phenotype by downregulating TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 in INS-1 (832/13) cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Efrén Díaz-López
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Metabólicas, Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vicenta Cázares-Domínguez
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Metabólicas, Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Francisco Arenas-Huertero
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Patología Experimental, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Ruth Gutierrez-Aguilar
- División de Investigación, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Enfermedades Metabólicas, Obesidad y Diabetes, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gomez, Mexico City, Mexico
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Kim HD, Yeh CY, Chang YC, Kim CH. Dawn era for revisited cancer therapy by innate immune system and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167019. [PMID: 38211726 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167019] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
Immunotherapy is a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer. However, it shows limited efficacy against certain tumor types. The activation of innate immunity can suppress tumors by mitigating inflammatory and malignant behaviors through immune surveillance. The tumor microenvironment, which is composed of immune cells and cancer cells, plays a crucial role in determining the outcomes of immunotherapy. Relying solely on immune checkpoint inhibitors is not an optimal approach. Instead, there is a need to consider the use of a combination of immune checkpoint inhibitors with other modulators of the innate immune system to improve the tumor microenvironment. This can be achieved through methods such as immune cell antigen presentation and recognition. In this review, we delve into the significance of innate immune cells in tumor regression, as well as the role of the interaction of tumor cells with innate immune cells in evading host immune surveillance. These findings pave the way for the next chapter in the field of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hee-Do Kim
- Molecular and Cellular Glycobiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, SungKyunKwan University, Suwon, Gyunggi-Do 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Chia-Ying Yeh
- Department of Biomedicine Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chan Chang
- Department of Biomedicine Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112, Taiwan.
| | - Cheorl-Ho Kim
- Molecular and Cellular Glycobiology Unit, Department of Biological Sciences, SungKyunKwan University, Suwon, Gyunggi-Do 16419, Republic of Korea; Samsung Advanced Institute of Health Science and Technology (SAIHST), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 06351, Republic of Korea.
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36
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Xie Y, Chen Z, Li S, Yan M, He W, Li L, Si J, Wang Y, Li X, Ma K. A network pharmacology- and transcriptomics-based investigation reveals an inhibitory role of β-sitosterol in glioma via the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway. Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai) 2024; 56:223-238. [PMID: 38143380 PMCID: PMC10984875 DOI: 10.3724/abbs.2023251] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioma is characterized by rapid cell proliferation, aggressive invasion, altered apoptosis and a poor prognosis. β-Sitosterol, a kind of phytosterol, has been shown to possess anticancer activities. Our current study aims to investigate the effects of β-sitosterol on gliomas and reveal the underlying mechanisms. Our results show that β-sitosterol effectively inhibits the growth of U87 cells by inhibiting proliferation and inducing G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. In addition, β-sitosterol inhibits migration by downregulating markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Mechanistically, network pharmacology and transcriptomics approaches illustrate that the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway may be responsible for the inhibitory effect of β-sitosterol on glioma. Afterward, the results show that β-sitosterol effectively suppresses the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, β-sitosterol significantly inhibits tumor growth in a U87 xenograft nude mouse model. β-Sitosterol inhibits U87 cell proliferation and migration and induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in U87 cells by blocking the EGFR/MAPK signaling pathway. These results suggest that β-sitosterol may be a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of glioma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufang Xie
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Zhijian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PathophysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Shuang Li
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PathophysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Meijuan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Wenjun He
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Li Li
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Junqiang Si
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Yan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Xinzhi Li
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PathophysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
| | - Ketao Ma
- Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Endemic and Ethnic DiseasesMinistry of EducationShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Central Asia High Incidence DiseasesFirst Affiliated HospitalShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
- Department of PhysiologyShihezi University School of MedicineShihezi832000China
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Zhang C, Huang W, Niu W, Yang H, Zheng Y, Gao X, Qiu X. Five genes identified as prognostic markers for colorectal cancer through the integration of genome-wide association study and expression quantitative trait loci data. Per Med 2024; 21:103-116. [PMID: 38380524 DOI: 10.2217/pme-2023-0103] [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: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a prominent form of cancer globally, ranking second in terms of prevalence and serving as a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, but the underlying biological interpretation remains largely unknown. Methods: We used the summary data-based Mendelian randomization method to integrate CRC genome-wide association studies (ncase = 7062; ncontrol = 195,745) and expression quantitative trait loci summary data in peripheral whole blood (Consortium for Architecture of Gene Expression: n = 2765; Genotype-Tissue Expression [v8]: n = 755) and colon tissue (colon-transverse: n = 406; colon-sigmoid: n = 373) and identified related genes. Results: Genes ABTB1, CYP21A2, NLRP1, PHKG1 and PIP5K1C have emerged as significant prognostic markers for CRC patient survival. Functional analysis revealed their involvement in cancer cell migration and invasion mechanisms, providing valuable insights for the development of future anti-CRC drugs. Conclusion: We successfully identified five CRC risk genes, providing new insights and research directions for the effective mechanisms of CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuizhen Zhang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Wenjie Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Wanjie Niu
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Huiying Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Yingyi Zheng
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
| | - Xuan Gao
- Outpatient and Emergency Management Office, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Xiaoyan Qiu
- Department of Pharmacy, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China
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Wang J, Xu B, Liang L, Chen Q. Long Non-coding RNA 02298 Promotes the Malignancy of HCC by Targeting the miR-28-5p/CCDC6 Pathway. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-023-10662-9. [PMID: 38381357 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-023-10662-9] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy characterized by a high fatality rate. Increasing evidence indicating that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a regulatory role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among them, the correlation between LINC02298 and HCC remains unknown. The expression and subcellular localization of LINC02298 in HCC tissues and cell lines were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, the correlation between the expression of LINC02298 and clinicopathological features of HCC patients was analyzed. The regulatory effects of LINC02298 in HCC were investigated using colony formation, cell count Kit-8(CCK8), Transwell, EDU, cell cycle and apoptosis analysis. In addition, the expression of EMT-related proteins were detected by western blotting. Dual-luciferase reporter, RT-qPCR and rescue assays were employed to validate the involvement of the LINC02298/miR-28-5p/CCDC6 axis in the progression of HCC. The up-regulation of LINC02298 was observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cells, and it was found to be correlated with a negative prognosis in patients with HCC. Overexpression of LINC02298 enhanced the proliferation, migration, invasion, and induction of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) while suppressing apoptosis in HCC cells. LINC02298 bind to miR-28-5p to regulate the expression of CCDC6. Inhibition of miR-28-5p saved the inhibitory effect of shLINC02298, and knockdown of CCDC6 also saved the inhibitory effect of miR-28-5p on HCC in vitro and in vivo. LINC02298 regulates the expression of CCDC6 by sponging of miR-28-5p, thereby facilitating the the malignancy and EMT of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, 210019, Jiangsu, China
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, 210019, Jiangsu, China
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Litao Liang
- Key Laboratory of Liver Transplantation, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, NHC Key Laboratory of Living Donor Liver Transplantation (Nanjing Medical University), Nanjing, 210019, Jiangsu, China
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Sir Run Run Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211100, China.
- Hepatobiliary Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China.
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Padilla J, Osman NM, Bissig-Choisat B, Grimm SL, Qin X, Major AM, Yang L, Lopez-Terrada D, Coarfa C, Li F, Bissig KD, Moore DD, Fu L. Circadian dysfunction induces NAFLD-related human liver cancer in a mouse model. J Hepatol 2024; 80:282-292. [PMID: 37890720 PMCID: PMC10929560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2023.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Chronic circadian dysfunction increases the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the underlying mechanisms and direct relevance to human HCC have not been established. In this study, we aimed to determine whether chronic circadian dysregulation can drive NAFLD-related carcinogenesis from human hepatocytes and human HCC progression. METHODS Chronic jet lag of mice with humanized livers induces spontaneous NAFLD-related HCCs from human hepatocytes. The clinical relevance of this model was analysed by biomarker, pathological/histological, genetic, RNA sequencing, metabolomic, and integrated bioinformatic analyses. RESULTS Circadian dysfunction induces glucose intolerance, NAFLD-associated human HCCs, and human HCC metastasis independent of diet in a humanized mouse model. The deregulated transcriptomes in necrotic-inflammatory humanized livers and HCCs bear a striking resemblance to those of human non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), cirrhosis, and HCC. Stable circadian entrainment of hosts rhythmically paces NASH and HCC transcriptomes to decrease HCC incidence and prevent HCC metastasis. Circadian disruption directly reprogrammes NASH and HCC transcriptomes to drive a rapid progression from hepatocarcinogenesis to HCC metastasis. Human hepatocyte and tumour transcripts are clearly distinguishable from mouse transcripts in non-parenchymal cells and tumour stroma, and display dynamic changes in metabolism, inflammation, angiogenesis, and oncogenic signalling in NASH, progressing to hepatocyte malignant transformation and immunosuppressive tumour stroma in HCCs. Metabolomic analysis defines specific bile acids as prognostic biomarkers that change dynamically during hepatocarcinogenesis and in response to circadian disruption at all disease stages. CONCLUSION Chronic circadian dysfunction is independently carcinogenic to human hepatocytes. Mice with humanized livers provide a powerful preclinical model for studying the impact of the necrotic-inflammatory liver environment and neuroendocrine circadian dysfunction on hepatocarcinogenesis and anti-HCC therapy. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Human epidemiological studies have linked chronic circadian dysfunction to increased hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk, but direct evidence that circadian dysfunction is a human carcinogen has not been established. Here we show that circadian dysfunction induces non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)-related carcinogenesis from human hepatocytes in a murine humanized liver model, following the same molecular and pathologic pathways observed in human patients. The gene expression signatures of humanized HCC transcriptomes from circadian-disrupted mice closely match those of human HCC with the poorest prognostic outcomes, while those from stably circadian entrained mice match those from human HCC with the best prognostic outcomes. Our studies establish a new model for defining the mechanism of NASH-related HCC and highlight the importance of circadian biology in HCC prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Padilla
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Noha M Osman
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Beatrice Bissig-Choisat
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Y.T. and Alice Chen Pediatric Genetics and Genomics Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sandra L Grimm
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xuan Qin
- NMR and Drug Metabolic Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Angela M Major
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Li Yang
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dolores Lopez-Terrada
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cristian Coarfa
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Feng Li
- NMR and Drug Metabolic Core, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Karl-Dimiter Bissig
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Medical Genetics, Y.T. and Alice Chen Pediatric Genetics and Genomics Research Center, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - David D Moore
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA94720, USA.
| | - Loning Fu
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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Jiang Y, Bi Y, Zhou L, Zheng S, Jian T, Chen J. Tanshinone IIA inhibits proliferation and migration by downregulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in small cell lung cancer cells. BMC Complement Med Ther 2024; 24:68. [PMID: 38297301 PMCID: PMC10829381 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04363-y] [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: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is the most malignant lung cancer type. Due to the high rates of metastasis and drug resistance, effective therapeutic strategies remain lacking. Tanshinone IIA (Tan IIA) has been reported to exhibit anti-tumor activity. Therefore, this study investigated the ability and underlying mechanism of Tan IIA to inhibit the metastasis and proliferation of SCLC. METHODS H1688 and H446 cells were treated in vitro with Tan IIA (0, 1, 2 and 4 µM) or LY294002 (10 µM) for 24, 48, 72 h. H1688 and H446 cell migration was evaluated in wound healing and transwell migration assays. RNA-sequencing helped assess gene expression. BALB/c nude mice were injected with H1688 cells and treated with the Tan IIA group (10 mg/kg/day) or a control. Expression of E-cadherin, vimentin and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway proteins in tumors and H1688 was investigated by immunohistochemical analysis and western blot. RESULTS Tan IIA inhibited H1688 and H446 cell proliferation without inducing apoptosis and suppressed H1688 and H446 cell migration. E-cadherin expression was increased, while vimentin expression was reduced after administration of Tan IIA. RNA-sequencing revealed that some genes related with the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway were altered using Tan IIA treatment. Furthermore, western blot helped detect PI3K and p-Akt expression was also reduced by Tan IIA treatment. Tan IIA inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, Tan IIA increased tumoral expression of E-cadherin accompanied by PI3K and p-Akt downregulation. CONCLUSION Tan IIA suppresses SCLC proliferation and metastasis by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thereby highlighting the potential of Tan IIA as a new and relatively safe drug candidate to treat SCLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxin Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 481 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanli Bi
- Department of Clinical Laboratorial Examination, Air Force Hangzhou Special Service Recuperation Center Sanatorium Area 3, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingjie Zhou
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 481 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Senwen Zheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 481 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tingting Jian
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 481 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jian Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, No. 481 Binwen Road, Binjiang District, Hangzhou, 310053, Zhejiang, China.
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Rodrigues DB, Reis RL, Pirraco RP. Modelling the complex nature of the tumor microenvironment: 3D tumor spheroids as an evolving tool. J Biomed Sci 2024; 31:13. [PMID: 38254117 PMCID: PMC10804490 DOI: 10.1186/s12929-024-00997-9] [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: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer remains a serious burden in society and while the pace in the development of novel and more effective therapeutics is increasing, testing platforms that faithfully mimic the tumor microenvironment are lacking. With a clear shift from animal models to more complex in vitro 3D systems, spheroids emerge as strong options in this regard. Years of development have allowed spheroid-based models to better reproduce the biomechanical cues that are observed in the tumor-associated extracellular matrix (ECM) and cellular interactions that occur in both a cell-cell and cell-ECM manner. Here, we summarize some of the key cellular interactions that drive tumor development, progression and invasion, and how successfully are these interactions recapitulated in 3D spheroid models currently in use in the field. We finish by speculating on future advancements in the field and on how these can shape the relevance of spherical 3D models for tumor modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel B Rodrigues
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs, Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence On Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rui L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs, Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence On Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal
- ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Rogério P Pirraco
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs, Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence On Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal.
- ICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga, 4805-017, Guimarães, Portugal.
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Xu T, Xu S, Ma G, Chang J, Zhang C, Zhou P, Wang C, Xu P, Yang J, Hu Y, Wu Y. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Regulates the Smad Signaling Pathway by Antagonizing TGF-β in Giant Cell Tumor of Bone. Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov 2024; 19:188-198. [PMID: 38214358 PMCID: PMC10804236 DOI: 10.2174/1574892818666230413082909] [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: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive bone tumour aggravated by stromal cell proliferation and metastasis. OBJECTIVE We investigated the mechanism of action of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in mediating GCTB proliferation and invasion. METHODS The expression of HCG was quantified using quantitative real-time PCR. After the primary stromal cells were isolated and identified, the function of HCG in GCTB was estimated using the cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry, scratch experiment, transwell assay, Western blot, and immunofluorescence. Moreover, the mechanism of HCG was assessed through western blotting. RESULTS HCG expression was decreased in clinical tissue samples from patients with GCTB. We validated that HCG repressed stromal cell proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagy, and epithelial- mesenchymal transition (EMT) and promoted cell apoptosis in GCTB. We also verified that HCG repressed the autophagy and EMT of stromal cells through the Smad signaling axis in GCTB. HCG inhibited the transduction of the Smad signaling pathway by restraining the binding of the TGF-β II receptor to ligand Activin A. CONCLUSION HCG restrained the Smad signaling pathway by antagonizing TGF-β signaling in GCTB. HCG may serve as a useful patent to treat GCTB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tangbing Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Shenglin Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Guangwen Ma
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jun Chang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Ping Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Pengfei Xu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Junjun Yang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yong Hu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yunfeng Wu
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
- Department of Orthopaedics, Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, 230000, Anhui Province, China
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Xiong H, Shao S, Yang Y, Wang W, Xiong H, Han Y, Wang Z, Hu X, Zeng L, Yang Z, Su T. Near-infrared-II Ag 2S quantum dot probes targeting podoplanin enhance immunotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:116011. [PMID: 38157644 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.116011] [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: 07/18/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition (pEMT) plays a vital role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cervical lymph node metastasis and tumor immune escape as an immune barrier. However, targeted interventions for pEMT have yet to be established. In this study, we generated an αPDPN-Ag2S probe by modifying a Podoplanin(PDPN) monoclonal antibody on the surface of near infrared (NIR)-II Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) with carboxyl groups through an amide reaction. Then, we evaluated its in vivo targeting ability, therapeutic efficacy of eliminating pEMT using αPDPN-Ag2S-mediated NIR-II photoimmunotherapy (PIT) and biological safety. Here, we found that pEMT is related to CD8 + T-cell infiltration in our human OSCC tissue microarray. Compared with PdpnWT SCC7, the slower growth rate of subcutaneous graft tumors implanted with PdpnKD SCC7 was associated with a change in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) in an immunocompetent C3H/HeJ mouse model. In vitro, αPDPN-Ag2S plus NIR 808 nm laser irradiation induced SCC7 cell death. In vivo, NIR-II imaging results show that the αPDPN-Ag2S probe has a good active-targeting ability in a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced C57 mouse OSCC model and C3H/HeJ SCC7 subcutaneous graft tumor model. Elimination of pEMT cells by NIR-II αPDPN-Ag2S probe-mediated PIT significantly reversed the local immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment and enhanced PD-1 immunotherapy efficacy. The safety profiles of αPDPN-Ag2S in BALB/c mice were also acceptable. Thus, αPDPN-Ag2S has important clinical translational value in predicting the risk of cervical lymph node metastasis. Importantly, our study proposed a new way to improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honggang Xiong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Shuhui Shao
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yixin Yang
- Xiangya Stomatological Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Weiming Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Haofeng Xiong
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zijia Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xin Hu
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liujun Zeng
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhimin Yang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Research Center of Oral and Maxillofacial Tumor, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; Institute of Oral Precancerous Lesions, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tong Su
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Center of Stomatology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China.
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Saeed W, Shahbaz E, Maqsood Q, Ali SW, Mahnoor M. Cutaneous Oncology: Strategies for Melanoma Prevention, Diagnosis, and Therapy. Cancer Control 2024; 31:10732748241274978. [PMID: 39133519 PMCID: PMC11320697 DOI: 10.1177/10732748241274978] [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: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Skin cancer comprises one-third of all diagnosed cancer cases and remains a major health concern. Genetic and environmental parameters serve as the two main risk factors associated with the development of skin cancer, with ultraviolet radiation being the most common environmental risk factor. Studies have also found fair complexion, arsenic toxicity, indoor tanning, and family history among the prevailing causes of skin cancer. Prevention and early diagnosis play a crucial role in reducing the frequency and ensuring effective management of skin cancer. Recent studies have focused on exploring minimally invasive or non-invasive diagnostic technologies along with artificial intelligence to facilitate rapid and accurate diagnosis. The treatment of skin cancer ranges from traditional surgical excision to various advanced methods such as phototherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and combination therapy. Recent studies have focused on immunotherapy, with the introduction of new checkpoint inhibitors and personalized immunotherapy enhancing treatment efficacy. Advancements in multi-omics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence have further deepened the understanding of the mechanisms underlying tumoral growth and their interaction with therapeutic effects, which has paved the way for precision oncology. This review aims to highlight the recent advancements in the understanding and management of skin cancer, and provide an overview of existing and emerging diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic modalities, while highlighting areas that require further research to bridge the existing knowledge gaps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wajeeha Saeed
- Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Esha Shahbaz
- Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Quratulain Maqsood
- Centre for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore Pakistan
| | - Shinawar Waseem Ali
- Department of Food Sciences, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammada Mahnoor
- Sehat Medical Complex Lake City, University of Lahore, Lahore Pakistan
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Peglion F, Etienne-Manneville S. Cell polarity changes in cancer initiation and progression. J Cell Biol 2024; 223:e202308069. [PMID: 38091012 PMCID: PMC10720656 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202308069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell polarity, which consists of the morphological, structural, and functional organization of cells along a defined axis, is a feature of healthy cells and tissues. In contrast, abnormal polarity is a hallmark of cancer cells. At the molecular level, key evolutionarily conserved proteins that control polarity establishment and maintenance in various contexts are frequently altered in cancer, but the relevance of these molecular alterations in the oncogenic processes is not always clear. Here, we summarize the recent findings, shedding new light on the involvement of polarity players in cancer development, and discuss the possibility of harnessing cell polarity changes to better predict, diagnose, and cure cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florent Peglion
- Cell Polarity, Migration and Cancer Unit, Université de Paris, UMR3691 CNRS, Equipe Labellisée Ligue 2023, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Etienne-Manneville
- Cell Polarity, Migration and Cancer Unit, Université de Paris, UMR3691 CNRS, Equipe Labellisée Ligue 2023, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
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Li D, Huang Y, Wei M, Chen B, Lu Y. Overexpression of SOCS2 Inhibits EMT and M2 Macrophage Polarization in Cervical Cancer via IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2024; 27:984-995. [PMID: 37594110 DOI: 10.2174/1386207326666230818092532] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE SOCS2 is a member of the suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) protein family associated with the occurrence and development of multiple cancers. This study revealed the expression and molecular mechanisms of SOCS2 in cervical cancer. METHODS In this study, RT-qPCR, Western Blot, and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression level of SOCS2 in cervical cancer tissues and tumor cells. We overexpressed SOCS2 in SiHa cells via lentivirus. In-vitro experiments were used to investigate the changes in cervical cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion ability before and after SOCS2 overexpression. Western Blot was used to detect the expression of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway and EMTrelated proteins. M0 macrophages were co-cultured with the tumor-conditioned medium. The effect of SOCS2 on macrophage polarization was examined by RT-qPCR. RESULTS SOCS2 expression level was significantly downregulated in cervical cancer tissues. SOCS2 was negatively correlated with CD163+M2 macrophages. Overexpression of SOCS2 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells. The expressions of Twist- 2, N-cadherin, and Vimentin were decreased, while the expression of E-cadherin was increased. Moreover, the expression of IL-6, p-JAK2, and p-STAT3 were decreased. After the addition of RhIL-6, the expression of E-cadherin protein in the LV-SOCS2 group was reversed. CM in the LV-SOCS2 group inhibited the polarization of M2 macrophages. CONCLUSION SOCS2 acts as a novel biological target and suppressor of cervical cancer through IL- 6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Li
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People's Republic of China
| | - Yandan Huang
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Wei
- Department of Gynecologic, Guangxi Medical University Affiliated National Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People's Republic of China
| | - Bin Chen
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Guangxi Medical University Cancer Hospital, Nanning, Guangxi, 530021, People's Republic of China
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Illmer J, Zauner R, Piñón Hofbauer J, Wimmer M, Gruner S, Ablinger M, Bischof J, Dorfer S, Hainzl S, Tober V, Bergson S, Sarig O, Samuelov L, Guttmann-Gruber C, Shalom-Feuerstein R, Sprecher E, Koller U, Laimer M, Bauer JW, Wally V. MicroRNA-200b-mediated reversion of a spectrum of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition states in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa squamous cell carcinomas. Br J Dermatol 2023; 190:80-93. [PMID: 37681509 DOI: 10.1093/bjd/ljad335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the leading cause of death in patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). However, the survival time from first diagnosis differs between patients; some tumours spread particularly fast, while others may remain localized for years. As treatment options are limited, there is an urgent need for further insights into the pathomechanisms of RDEB tumours, to foster therapy development and support clinical decision-making. OBJECTIVES To investigate differences in RDEB tumours of diverging aggressiveness at the molecular and phenotypic level, with a particular focus on epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT) transition states and thus microRNA-200b (miR-200b) as a regulator. METHODS Primary RDEB-SCC keratinocyte lines were characterized with respect to their EMT state. For this purpose, cell morphology was classified and the expression of EMT markers analysed using immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The motility of RDEB-SCC cells was determined and conditioned medium of RDEB-SCC cells was used to treat endothelial cells in an angiogenesis assay. In addition, we mined previously generated microRNA (miRNA) profiling data to identify a candidate with potential therapeutic relevance and performed transient miRNA transfection studies to investigate the candidate's ability to reverse EMT characteristics. RESULTS We observed high variability in EMT state in the RDEB-SCC cell lines, which correlated with in situ analysis of two available patient biopsies and respective clinical disease course. Furthermore, we identified miR-200b-3p to be downregulated in RDEB-SCCs, and the extent of deregulation significantly correlated with the EMT features of the various tumour lines. miR-200b-3p was reintroduced into RDEB-SCC cell lines with pronounced EMT features, which resulted in a significant increase in epithelial characteristics, including cell morphology, EMT marker expression, migration and angiogenic potential. CONCLUSIONS RDEB-SCCs exist in different EMT states and the level of miR-200b is indicative of how far an RDEB-SCC has gone down the EMT path. Moreover, the reintroduction of miR-200b significantly reduced mesenchymal features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Illmer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Roland Zauner
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Josefina Piñón Hofbauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Monika Wimmer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefanie Gruner
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michael Ablinger
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Johannes Bischof
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Sonja Dorfer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Hainzl
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Vanessa Tober
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Shir Bergson
- Division of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ofer Sarig
- Division of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Liat Samuelov
- Division of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Christina Guttmann-Gruber
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ruby Shalom-Feuerstein
- Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Rappaport Faculty of Medicine and Research Institute, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Eli Sprecher
- Division of Dermatology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
| | - Martin Laimer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Johann W Bauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
- Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Verena Wally
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria
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Liu Y, Yin Z, Wang Y, Chen H. Exploration and validation of key genes associated with early lymph node metastasis in thyroid carcinoma using weighted gene co-expression network analysis and machine learning. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1247709. [PMID: 38144565 PMCID: PMC10739373 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1247709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Thyroid carcinoma (THCA), the most common endocrine neoplasm, typically exhibits an indolent behavior. However, in some instances, lymph node metastasis (LNM) may occur in the early stages, with the underlying mechanisms not yet fully understood. Materials and methods LNM potential was defined as the tumor's capability to metastasize to lymph nodes at an early stage, even when the tumor volume is small. We performed differential expression analysis using the 'Limma' R package and conducted enrichment analyses using the Metascape tool. Co-expression networks were established using the 'WGCNA' R package, with the soft threshold power determined by the 'pickSoftThreshold' algorithm. For unsupervised clustering, we utilized the 'ConsensusCluster Plus' R package. To determine the topological features and degree centralities of each node (protein) within the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network, we used the CytoNCA plugin integrated with the Cytoscape tool. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using the Immune Cell Abundance Identifier (ImmuCellAI) database. We applied the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF) algorithms individually, with the 'glmnet,' 'e1071,' and 'randomForest' R packages, respectively. Ridge regression was performed using the 'oncoPredict' algorithm, and all the predictions were based on data from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database. To ascertain the protein expression levels and subcellular localization of genes, we consulted the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Molecular docking was carried out using the mcule 1-click Docking server online. Experimental validation of gene and protein expression levels was conducted through Real-Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assays. Results Through WGCNA and PPI network analysis, we identified twelve hub genes as the most relevant to LNM potential from these two modules. These 12 hub genes displayed differential expression in THCA and exhibited significant correlations with the downregulation of neutrophil infiltration, as well as the upregulation of dendritic cell and macrophage infiltration, along with activation of the EMT pathway in THCA. We propose a novel molecular classification approach and provide an online web-based nomogram for evaluating the LNM potential of THCA (http://www.empowerstats.net/pmodel/?m=17617_LNM). Machine learning algorithms have identified ERBB3 as the most critical gene associated with LNM potential in THCA. ERBB3 exhibits high expression in patients with THCA who have experienced LNM or have advanced-stage disease. The differential methylation levels partially explain this differential expression of ERBB3. ROC analysis has identified ERBB3 as a diagnostic marker for THCA (AUC=0.89), THCA with high LNM potential (AUC=0.75), and lymph nodes with tumor metastasis (AUC=0.86). We have presented a comprehensive review of endocrine disruptor chemical (EDC) exposures, environmental toxins, and pharmacological agents that may potentially impact LNM potential. Molecular docking revealed a docking score of -10.1 kcal/mol for Lapatinib and ERBB3, indicating a strong binding affinity. Conclusion In conclusion, our study, utilizing bioinformatics analysis techniques, identified gene modules and hub genes influencing LNM potential in THCA patients. ERBB3 was identified as a key gene with therapeutic implications. We have also developed a novel molecular classification approach and a user-friendly web-based nomogram tool for assessing LNM potential. These findings pave the way for investigations into the mechanisms underlying differences in LNM potential and provide guidance for personalized clinical treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Liu
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Zhenglang Yin
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Digestive Endoscopy Department, Jiangsu Province Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Haohao Chen
- Department of General Surgery, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, Anhui, China
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Chen H, Ma L, Yang W, Li Y, Ji Z. POLR3G promotes EMT via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in bladder cancer. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23260. [PMID: 37933949 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301095r] [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: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
RNA Polymerase III Subunit G (POLR3G) promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance of breast cancer and lung cancer; however, its biological function in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains unclear. Through bioinformatic analyses, we found that POLR3G expression was significantly elevated in BLCA tumor tissues and was associated with decreased survival. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that POLR3G could serve as an independent prognostic risk factor. Our functional investigations revealed that POLR3G deficiency resulted in reduced migration and invasion of BLCA cells both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the expressions of EMT-related mesenchymal markers were also downregulated in POLR3G knockdown cells. Mechanistically, we showed that POLR3G could activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Inhibition of this pathway with LY294002 reduced the enhanced migration and invasion of BLCA cells induced by POLR3G overexpression, whereas the activation of this pathway using 740Y-P restored the abilities that were inhibited by POLR3G knockdown. Taken together, our findings suggested that POLR3G is a prognostic predictor for BLCA and promotes EMT of BLCA through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hualin Chen
- Department of Urology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Department of Urology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjie Yang
- Department of Urology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Li
- Department of Urology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhigang Ji
- Department of Urology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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Wu Z, Yu X, Zhang S, He Y, Guo W. Novel roles of PIWI proteins and PIWI-interacting RNAs in human health and diseases. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:343. [PMID: 38031146 PMCID: PMC10685540 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01368-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-coding RNA has aroused great research interest recently, they play a wide range of biological functions, such as regulating cell cycle, cell proliferation, and intracellular substance metabolism. Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are emerging small non-coding RNAs that are 24-31 nucleotides in length. Previous studies on piRNAs were mainly limited to evaluating the binding to the PIWI protein family to play the biological role. However, recent studies have shed more lights on piRNA functions; aberrant piRNAs play unique roles in many human diseases, including diverse lethal cancers. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of piRNAs expression and the specific functional roles of piRNAs in human diseases is crucial for developing its clinical applications. Presently, research on piRNAs mainly focuses on their cancer-specific functions but lacks investigation of their expressions and epigenetic modifications. This review discusses piRNA's biogenesis and functional roles and the recent progress of functions of piRNA/PIWI protein complexes in human diseases. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeyu Wu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China
| | - Yuting He
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation of Henan Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Open and Key Laboratory of Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Surgery and Digestive Organ Transplantation at Henan Universities, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
- Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou, 450052, China.
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