Transcriptional activation of FN1 and IL11 by HMGA2 promotes the malignant behavior of colorectal cancer

Dysregulation of TCONS_00006091 contributes to the elevated risk of oral squamous cell carcinoma by upregulating SNAI1, IRS and HMGA2

In this study, we aimed to study the role of TCONS_00006091 in the pathogenesis of oral squamous cellular carcinoma (OSCC) transformed from oral lichen planus (OLP). This study recruited 108 OSCC patients which transformed from OLP as the OSCC group and 102 OLP patients with no sign of OSCC as the Control group. ROC curves were plotted to measure the diagnostic values of TCONS_00006091, miR-153, miR-370 and let-7g, and the changes in gene expressions were measured by RT-qPCR. Sequence analysis and luciferase assays were performed to analyze the molecular relationships among these genes. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were observed via MTT and FCM. TCONS_00006091 exhibited a better diagnosis value for OSCC transformed from OLP. OSCC group showed increased TCONS_00006091 expression and decreased expressions of miR-153, miR-370 and let-7g. The levels of SNAI1, IRS and HMGA2 was all significantly increased in OSCC patients. And TCONS_00006091 was found to sponge miR-153, miR-370 and let-7g, while these miRNAs were respectively found to targe SNAI1, IRS and HMGA2. The elevated TCONS_00006091 suppressed the expressions of miR-153, miR-370 and let-7g, leading to the increased expression of SNAI1, IRS and HMGA2. Also, promoted cell proliferation and suppressed apoptosis were observed upon the over-expression of TCONS_00006091. This study demonstrated that the expressions of miR-153, miR-370 and let-7g were down-regulated by the highly expressed TCONS_00006091 in OSCC patients, which accordingly up-regulated the expressions of SNAI1, IRS and HMGA2, resulting in the promoted cell proliferation and suppressed cell apoptosis.

HMGA2 promotes cancer metastasis by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex physiological process that transforms polarized epithelial cells into moving mesenchymal cells. Dysfunction of EMT promotes the invasion and metastasis of cancer. The architectural transcription factor high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is highly overexpressed in various types of cancer (e.g., colorectal cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, uterine leiomyomas) and significantly correlated with poor survival rates. Evidence indicated that HMGA2 overexpression markedly decreased the expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin (CDH1) and increased that of vimentin (VIM), Snail, N-cadherin (CDH2), and zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) by targeting the transforming growth factor beta/SMAD (TGFβ/SMAD), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and WNT/beta-catenin (WNT/β-catenin) signaling pathways. Furthermore, a new class of non-coding RNAs (miRNAs, circular RNAs, and long non-coding RNAs) plays an essential role in the process of HMGA2-induced metastasis and invasion of cancer by accelerating the EMT process. In this review, we discuss alterations in the expression of HMGA2 in various types of cancer. Furthermore, we highlight the role of HMGA2-induced EMT in promoting tumor growth, migration, and invasion. More importantly, we discuss extensively the mechanism through which HMGA2 regulates the EMT process and invasion in most cancers, including signaling pathways and the interacting RNA signaling axis. Thus, the elucidation of molecular mechanisms that underlie the effects of HMGA2 on cancer invasion and patient survival by mediating EMT may offer new therapeutic methods for preventing cancer progression.

HMGA2 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression and is associated with tumor resistance and poor prognosis

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), as one of the most prevalent malignancies in the head and neck region, still lacks a complete understanding of its pathogenesis. Presently, radiotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and targeted therapy stand as the primary modalities for treating NPC. With advancements in medicine, the cure rates for nasopharyngeal carcinoma have been steadily increasing. Nevertheless, recurrence and metastasis persist as the primary reasons for treatment failure. Consequently, a profound exploration of the molecular mechanisms underlying the occurrence and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, along with the exploration of corresponding therapeutic approaches, becomes particularly imperative in the quest for comprehensive solutions to combat this disease. High mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) is a pivotal protein capable of altering chromatin structure, regulating gene expression, and influencing transcriptional activity. In the realm of cancer research, HMGA2 exhibits widespread dysregulation, playing a crucial role in nearly all malignant tumors. It is implicated in various tumorigenic processes, including cell cycle regulation, cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, tumor invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Additionally, HMGA2 serves as a molecular marker and an independent prognostic factor in certain malignancies. Recent studies have increasingly unveiled the critical role of HMGA2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), particularly in promoting malignant progression, correlating with tumor resistance, and serving as an independent adverse prognostic factor. This review focuses on elucidating the oncogenic role of HMGA2 in NPC, suggesting its potential association with chemotherapy resistance in NPC, and proposing its candidacy as an independent factor in nasopharyngeal carcinoma prognosis assessment.

CCDC144NL-AS1/hsa-miR-143-3p/HMGA2 interaction: In-silico and clinically implicated in CRC progression, correlated to tumor stage and size in case-controlled study; step toward ncRNA precision

Unravel the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 in CRC hsa-miR-143-3p, downstream protein HMGA2 interaction arm, association with clinicopathological characteristics. Using peripheral blood as liquid biopsy from 60 CRC patients and 30 controls. The expression levels of CCDC144NL-AS1 and hsa-miR-143-3p detected by qRT-PCR. CCDC144NL-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC patients' sera, associated with worse CRC clinicopathological features regarding the depth of tumor invasion and highly significant difference between tumor stages 3 and 4 and tumor stages 2 and 4. While, hsa-miR-143-3p expression was downregulated in CRC patients by 4.5-fold change when compared to the control subjects (p < 0.0001) and HMGA2 increased in CRC patients than controls 19.59 ng/μL and 5.377 ng/μL, respectively (p < 0.0001) with significant difference between tumor stages 3 and 4 as well as tumor stages 2 and 4. CRC patients with large tumor size showed upregulation in CCDC144NL-AS1 expression and HMGA2 levels compared to those with small tumor size (p-value = 0.0365 and 0.013, respectively). CCDC144NL-AS1 and HMGA2 were positively correlated, whereas lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 and hsa-miR-143-3p were negatively correlated. Conclusion: As an interaction arm CCDC144NL-AS1/hsa-miR-143-3p/HMGA2 were correlated to CRC stages 2-4. Therefore, this interaction arm expression clinically and in silico approved, would direct treatment precision in the near future.

Drug Repurposing Analysis for Colorectal Cancer through Network Medicine Framework: Novel Candidate Drugs and Small Molecules

This study aimed to reveal the drug-repurposing candidates for colorectal cancer (CRC) via drug-repurposing methods and network biology approaches. A novel, differentially co-expressed, highly interconnected, and co-regulated prognostic gene module was identified for CRC. Based on the gene module, polyethylene glycol (PEG), gallic acid, pyrazole, cordycepin, phenothiazine, pantoprazole, cysteamine, indisulam, valinomycin, trametinib, BRD-K81473043, AZD8055, dovitinib, BRD-A17065207, and tyrphostin AG1478 presented as drugs and small molecule candidates previously studied in the CRC. Lornoxicam, suxamethonium, oprelvekin, sirukumab, levetiracetam, sulpiride, NVP-TAE684, AS605240, 480743.cdx, HDAC6 inhibitor ISOX, BRD-K03829970, and L-6307 are proposed as novel drugs and small molecule candidates for CRC.

Construction and validation of a prognostic model for colon adenocarcinoma based on bile acid metabolism-related genes

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD), one of the common clinical cancers, exhibits high morbidity and mortality, and its pathogenesis and treatment are still underdeveloped. Numerous studies have demonstrated the involvement of bile acids in tumour development, while the potential role of their metabolism in the tumor microenvironment (TME) has not been explored. A collection of 481 genes related to bile acid metabolism were obtained, and The Cancer Genome Atlas-based COAD risk model was developed using the least absolute shrinkage selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. The Gene Expression Omnibus dataset was used to validate the results. The predictive performance of the model was verified using column line plots, principal component analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves. Then, we analysed the differences between the high- and low-risk groups from training set based on clinical characteristics, immune cell infiltration, immune-related functions, chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity and immunotherapy efficacy. Additionally, we constructed a protein-protein interaction network to screen for target genes, which were further investigated in terms of differential immune cell distribution. A total of 234 bile acids-related differentially expressed genes were obtained between normal and tumour colon tissues. Among them, 111 genes were upregulated and 123 genes were down-regulated in the tumour samples. Relying on the LASSO logistic regression algorithm, we constructed a model of bile acid risk score, comprising 12 genes: CPT2, SLCO1A2, CD36, ACOX1, CDKN2A, HADH, GABRD, LEP, TIMP1, MAT1A, SLC6A15 and PPARGC1A. This model was validated in the GEO-COAD set. Age and risk score were observed to be independent prognostic factors in patients with COAD. Genes related to bile acid metabolism in COAD were closely related to bile secretion, intestinal transport, steroid and fatty acid metabolism. Furthermore, the high-risk group was more sensitive to Oxaliplatin than the low-risk group. Finally, the three target genes screened were closely associated with immune cells. We identified a set of 12 genes (CPT2, SLCO1A2, CD36, ACOX1, CDKN2A, HADH, GABRD, LEP, TIMP1, MAT1A, SLC6A15, and PPARGC1A) associated with bile acid metabolism and developed a bile acid risk score model using LASSO regression analysis. The model demonstrated good predictive performance and was validated using an independent dataset. Our findings revealed that the bile acid risk score were independent prognostic factors in COAD patients.

Impact of mini-driver genes in the prognosis and tumor features of colorectal cancer samples: a novel perspective to support current biomarkers

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and its development is associated with the gains and/or losses of genetic material, which leads to the emergence of main driver genes with higher mutational frequency. In addition, there are other genes with mutations that have weak tumor-promoting effects, known as mini-drivers, which could aggravate the development of oncogenesis when they occur together. The aim of our work was to use computer analysis to explore the survival impact, frequency, and incidence of mutations of possible mini-driver genes to be used for the prognosis of CRC.

Methods

We retrieved data from three sources of CRC samples using the cBioPortal platform and analyzed the mutational frequency to exclude genes with driver features and those mutated in less than 5% of the original cohort. We also observed that the mutational profile of these mini-driver candidates is associated with variations in the expression levels. The candidate genes obtained were subjected to Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, making a comparison between mutated and wild-type samples for each gene using a p-value threshold of 0.01.

Results

After gene filtering by mutational frequency, we obtained 159 genes of which 60 were associated with a high accumulation of total somatic mutations with Log₂ (fold change) > 2 and p values < 10^-5. In addition, these genes were enriched to oncogenic pathways such as epithelium-mesenchymal transition, hsa-miR-218-5p downregulation, and extracellular matrix organization. Our analysis identified five genes with possible implications as mini-drivers: DOCK3, FN1, PAPPA2, DNAH11, and FBN2. Furthermore, we evaluated a combined classification where CRC patients with at least one mutation in any of these genes were separated from the main cohort obtaining a p-value < 0.001 in the evaluation of CRC prognosis.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the identification and incorporation of mini-driver genes in addition to known driver genes could enhance the accuracy of prognostic biomarkers for CRC.

Aberrant HMGA2 Expression Sustains Genome Instability That Promotes Metastasis and Therapeutic Resistance in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal cancers worldwide, accounting for nearly ~10% of all cancer diagnoses and deaths. Current therapeutic approaches have considerably increased survival for patients diagnosed at early stages; however, ~20% of CRC patients are diagnosed with late-stage, metastatic CRC, where 5-year survival rates drop to 6–13% and treatment options are limited. Genome instability is an enabling hallmark of cancer that confers increased acquisition of genetic alterations, mutations, copy number variations and chromosomal rearrangements. In that regard, research has shown a clear association between genome instability and CRC, as the accumulation of aberrations in cancer-related genes provides subpopulations of cells with several advantages, such as increased proliferation rates, metastatic potential and therapeutic resistance. Although numerous genes have been associated with CRC, few have been validated as predictive biomarkers of metastasis or therapeutic resistance. A growing body of evidence suggests a member of the High-Mobility Group A (HMGA) gene family, HMGA2, is a potential biomarker of metastatic spread and therapeutic resistance. HMGA2 is expressed in embryonic tissues and is frequently upregulated in aggressively growing cancers, including CRC. As an architectural, non-histone chromatin binding factor, it initiates chromatin decompaction to facilitate transcriptional regulation. HMGA2 maintains the capacity for stem cell renewal in embryonic and cancer tissues and is a known promoter of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in tumor cells. This review will focus on the known molecular mechanisms by which HMGA2 exerts genome protective functions that contribute to cancer cell survival and chemoresistance in CRC.

miR-219-5p attenuates cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer by inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling and autophagy via targeting HMGA2

Our previous study confirmed that miR-219-5p inhibits the progression of ovarian cancer (OC) by targeting high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2), while the role of miR-219-5p on the chemoresistance of OC is unclear. HMGA2 and miR-219-5p expression in OC tumors and various types of OC cells were determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. The miRNA profiles in A2780 and cisplatin-resistant A2780 cells were investigated via bulk miRNA sequencing, and the interactions of miR-219-5p and HMGA2 were determined by luciferase reporter activity assay. Cell function was verified through Cell Counting Kit-8, invasion assay, wound-healing, and TUNEL assays. HMGA2 level is highly expressed in cisplatin-resistant OC cell lines compared to normal OC cells, while the expression trend of miR-219-5p is the opposite. In addition, we found that miR-219-5p is one of the miRNAs that have the most significant reduction in levels in the cisplatin-resistant A2780/DDP cell line compared to A2780 cells. Then, we reveal that miR-219-5p directly targets HMGA2 in cisplatin-resistant OC cells, and upregulation of miR-219-5p significantly reduces the resistance of OC cells to cisplatin both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, our results suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling and autophagy pathway is involved in the role of miR-219-5p/HMGA2 on resistance of OC cells to cisplatin via gain-of-function experiments. Collectively, the present study shows that miR-219-5p decreases the resistance of OC cells to cisplatin via Wnt/β-catenin signaling and autophagy by regulating HMGA2, which provides a feasible solution for the resistance of OC to chemotherapy.

The Colloquy between Microbiota and the Immune System in Colon Cancer: Repercussions on the Cancer Therapy

Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide and has engrossed researchers' attention toward its detection and prevention at early stages. Primarily associated with genetic and environmental risk factors, the disease has also shown its emergence due to dysbiosis in microbiota. The microbiota not only plays a role in modulating the metabolisms of metastatic tissue but also has a keen role in cancer therapy. The immune cells are responsible for secreting various chemokines and cytokines, and activating pattern recognition receptors by different microbes can lead to the trail by which these cells regulate cancer. Furthermore, mixed immune reactions involving NK cells, tumor-associated macrophages, and lymphocytes have shown their connection with the microbial counterpart of the disease. The microbes like Bacteroides fragilis, Fusobacterium nucleatum, and Enterococcus faecalis and their metabolites have engendered inflammatory reactions in the tumor microenvironment. Hence the interplay between immune cells and various microbes is utilized to study the changing metastasis stage. Targeting either immune cells or microbiota could not serve as a key to tackling this deadly disorder. However, harnessing their complementation towards the disease can be a powerful weapon for developing therapy and diagnostic/prognostic markers. In this review, we have discussed various immune reactions and microbiome interplay in CRC, intending to evaluate the effectiveness of chemotherapy and immunotherapy and their parallel relationship.

MACC1 promotes pancreatic cancer metastasis by interacting with the EMT regulator SNAI1

Metastasis is the dominant cause of cancer-related mortality. Metastasis-associated with colon cancer protein 1 (MACC1) has been proven to play a critical role in cancer metastasis. However, the prometastatic role of MACC1 in regulating the pancreatic cancer (PC) metastatic phenotype remains elusive. Here, we report that MACC1 is highly expressed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and tissue microarray (TMA) and identified as a good indicator for poor prognosis. Overexpression or knockdown of MACC1 in PC cells correspondingly promoted or inhibited pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion in a MET proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (MET)-independent manner. Notably, knockdown of MACC1 in PC cells markedly decreased the liver metastatic lesions in a liver metastasis model. Mechanistically, MACC1 binds to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulator snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAI1) to drive EMT via upregulating the transcriptional activity of SNAI1, leading to the transactivation of fibronectin 1 (FN1) and the trans-repression of cadherin 1 (CDH1). Collectively, our results unveil a new mechanism by which MACC1 drives pancreatic cancer cell metastasis and suggest that the MACC1-SNAI1 complex-mediated mesenchymal transition may be a therapeutic target in pancreatic cancer.

Potential biomarkers and immune characteristics of small bowel adenocarcinoma

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a gastrointestinal malignancy with low incidence but poor prognosis, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. This study aimed to explore potential disease-causing biomarkers of SBA. The gene expression datasets of SBA and normal samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. First, differential gene expression analysis and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed. Common genes (CGs) were obtained by intersection of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and optimal modal genes of WGCNA. Subsequently, a protein‒protein interaction network was established to screen hub genes, and target genes were obtained by Lasso regression analysis of hub genes. An SBA risk prediction model was established based on target genes. The prediction accuracy of the model was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The levels of immune cell infiltration and activation of immune pathways were compared between SBA and normal samples using the "ggpubr" and "reshape2" packages. A total of 1058 DEGs were identified. WGCNA showed that the signature gene in the brown module was significantly associated with SBA (p = 7E−17), and 469 CGs were obtained. Four target genes (APOA4, APOB, COL1A2, FN1) were identified and showed excellent prediction of SBA risk (AUC = 0.965). In addition, active dendritic cells and macrophages showed higher infiltration levels in SBA. Meanwhile, the APC_co_stimulation pathway and parainflammation pathway were strongly active in SBA. Four target genes (APOA4, APOB, COL1A2, FN1) may be involved in the pathogenesis of small bowel adenocarcinoma.

GATA6‑induced FN1 activation promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells

GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) is a transcription factor involved in cell fate decision making and tissue morphogenesis and serves a significant role in the progression of a number of types of cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanisms underlying the effects of GATA6 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The expression levels of GATA6 were determined in a number of OSCC cell lines and the expression of GATA6 was knocked down to evaluate its role in the proliferation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells. Subsequently, the association between GATA6 and fibronectin 1 (FN1) was investigated using bioinformatics and further verified using dual‑luciferase reporter and chromosomal immunoprecipitation assays. Following the overexpression of FN1 in OSCC cells with GATA6 silencing, functional assays were performed to assess the mechanisms underlying GATA6 in OSCC progression. The results of the present study indicated that OSCC cells exhibited markedly upregulated expression levels of GATA6, while knockdown of GATA6 inhibited the proliferation, colony formation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells. In addition, GATA6 regulated FN1 expression levels by binding to the FN1 promoter. The suppressive effects of GATA6 knockdown on the proliferation, colony formation, invasion and migration of OSCC cells were abolished following FN1 overexpression. In conclusion, the findings of the present study demonstrated that GATA6 promoted the malignant development of OSCC cells by binding to the FN1 promotor. These results may contribute to further understanding the pathogenesis of OSCC and provide potential therapeutic targets for the clinical treatment of OSCC.

HMGA2 facilitates colorectal cancer progression via STAT3-mediated tumor-associated macrophage recruitment

Rationale: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), generally displaying the pro-tumor M2-like phenotype, strongly influence the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) via their immunosuppressive activities. The high-mobility gene group A2 (HMGA2), an oncoprotein, is aberrantly overexpressed in CRC cells. However, the mechanisms by which tumor-derived HMGA2 modulates tumor microenvironment in CRC remain poorly understood.

Methods:In vivo subcutaneous tumor xenograft model, azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced tumor mouse model and in vitro co-culture assays were used to investigate the Hmga2 role in TAM recruitment and polarization. Luciferase and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were applied to examine the mechanism of HMGA2-mediated transcriptional regulation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3). The CD68 correlation with patient outcome was analyzed in 167 human CRC tissues.

Results: We found that HMGA2 in cancer cells promoted macrophage recruitment and M2 polarization in vitro and in vivo. HMGA2 directly bound to the STAT3 promoter to activate its transcription and subsequently induced CCL2 secretion, thus promoting macrophage recruitment. Our results from human CRC specimens also revealed a strong positive association between HMGA2 expression in tumor cells and CD68 expression in the stroma. We further showed that patients with an elevated CD68 expression had an unfavorable overall survival in all of the patients or in the subgroup with negative distant metastasis.

Conclusion: Our work uncovers new insight into the link between the HMGA2/STAT3/CCL2 axis and macrophage recruitment in CRC. These findings provide a novel therapeutic option for targeting the HMGA2/STAT3/CCL2 axis in CRC.

Hexokinases 2 promoted cell motility and distant metastasis by elevating fibronectin through Akt1/p-Akt1 in cervical cancer cells

Background

Hexokinases 2 (HK2) is a member of the hexokinases, linking with malignant tumor growth and distant metastasis. However, evidence regarding the potential role of HK2 in regulating cell motility and tumor metastasis during the cervical cancer malignant progression remains limited.

Methods

In vitro migration and invasion assay, in vivo metastasis experiments were performed to detect the effective of HK2 on regulating cell motility and tumor metastasis in cervical cancer cells. RNA-Seq was performed to explore the potential molecules that participate in HK2-mediated cell motility and tumor metastasis in cervical cancer cells. The correlation between HK2 and Akt1, p-Akt1, FN1 expression in cervical cancer cells and human squamous cervical carcinoma (SCC) samples was verified in this study.

Results

In this study, cervical cancer cells with exogenous HK2 expression exhibited enhanced cell motility and distant metastasis. Transcriptome sequencing analysis revealed that fibronectin (FN1) was significantly increased in HK2-overexpressing HeLa cells, and the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was identified by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Further studies demonstrated that this promotion of cell motility by HK2 was probably a result of it inducing FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 expression by activating Akt1 in cervical cancer cells. Additionally, HK2 expression was altered with the changing of Akt1/p-Akt1 expression, implying that HK2 expression is also modulated by Akt1/p-Akt1. Moreover, the positive correlation between HK2 and Akt1, p-Akt1, FN1 expression in human squamous cervical carcinoma (SCC) samples was verified by using Pearson correlation analysis.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated that HK2 could activate Akt1 in cervical cancer cells, subsequently enhancing cell motility and tumor metastasis by inducing FN1, MMP2 and MMP9 expression. There likely exists an interactive regulatory mechanism between HK2 and Akt1 during the malignant process of cervical cancer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02312-0.

The Role of the IL-6 Cytokine Family in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Plasticity in Cancer Progression

Epithelial–mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) plays critical roles during embryonic development, wound repair, fibrosis, inflammation and cancer. During cancer progression, EMP results in heterogeneous and dynamic populations of cells with mixed epithelial and mesenchymal characteristics, which are required for local invasion and metastatic dissemination. Cancer development is associated with an inflammatory microenvironment characterized by the accumulation of multiple immune cells and pro-inflammatory mediators, such as cytokines and chemokines. Cytokines from the interleukin 6 (IL-6) family play fundamental roles in mediating tumour-promoting inflammation within the tumour microenvironment, and have been associated with chronic inflammation, autoimmunity, infectious diseases and cancer, where some members often act as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers. All IL-6 family members signal through the Janus kinase (JAK)–signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway and are able to activate a wide array of signalling pathways and transcription factors. In general, IL-6 cytokines activate EMP processes, fostering the acquisition of mesenchymal features in cancer cells. However, this effect may be highly context dependent. This review will summarise all the relevant literature related to all members of the IL-6 family and EMP, although it is mainly focused on IL-6 and oncostatin M (OSM), the family members that have been more extensively studied.

HMGA2 rs968697 T > C polymorphism is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer

A genetic polymorphism (rs968697 T > C) in the HMGA2 gene has recently been linked to an increased risk of hepatoblastoma. However, no studies have been conducted to investigate the effect of the polymorphism on the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The study aimed to explore whether the rs968697 polymorphism had a significant impact on CRC risk. A total of 500 CRC patients and 500 age and gender matched healthy individuals were genotyped by using the SNaPshot method. Quantitative real-time PCR technology was used to detect the relative expression of the HMGA2 gene in 30 pairs of primary CRC and adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Results: HMGA2 rs968697 polymorphism was significantly associated with CRC risk [CC vs. TT: OR = 0.20, 95%CI = 0.06-0.70, P = 0.01; (CC + CT) vs. TT: OR = 0.71, 95%CI = 0.53-0.96, P = 0.02; CC vs. (CT + TT): OR = 0.21, 95%CI = 0.06-0.73, P = 0.01; C vs. T: OR = 0.67, 95%CI = 0.51-0.89, P < 0.01]. The analysis based on tumor stage indicated that the CRC patients with HMGA2 rs968697 C allele were less likely to have high-stage tumors. Furthermore, the genotype-tissue expression analysis revealed that the rs968697 CC genotype was linked to the low expression of HMGA2 gene. The in silico analysis revealed that the rs968697 polymorphism in the promoter region of the HMGA2 gene could influence transcription factor binding, including ATF6, DBP, CDPCR3, DR3, NRSF, PAX8, PPARA, SZF11, TAXCREB and POLR2A. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the HMGA2 rs968697 polymorphism was linked to CRC risk and could be used as a biomarker to detect CRC risk.

Weighted correlation network analysis identifies FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 associated with the progression and prognosis of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most deadliest tumours worldwide, and its prognosis remains poor.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify and validate hub genes associated with the progression and prognosis of GC by constructing a weighted correlation network.

METHODS

The gene co-expression network was constructed by the WGCNA package based on GC samples and clinical data from the TCGA database. The module of interest that was highly related to clinical traits, including stage, grade and overall survival (OS), was identified. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the clusterprofiler package in R. Cytoscape software was used to identify the 10 hub genes. Differential expression and survival analyses were performed on GEPIA web resources and verified by four GEO datasets and our clinical gastric specimens. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of hub genes were plotted using the pROC package in R. The potential pathogenic mechanisms of hub genes were analysed using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) software.

RESULTS

A total of ten modules were detected, and the magenta module was identified as highly related to OS, stage and grade. Enrichment analysis of magenta module indicated that ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt pathway, proteoglycans in cancer were significantly enriched. The PPI network identified ten hub genes, namely COL1A1, COL1A2, FN1, POSTN, THBS2, COL11A1, SPP1, MMP13, COMP, and SERPINE1. Three hub genes (FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1) were finally identified to be associated with carcinogenicity and poor prognosis of GC, and all were independent risk factors for GC. The area under the curve (AUC) values of FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 for the prediction of GC were 0.702, 0.917 and 0.812, respectively. GSEA showed that three hub genes share 15 common upregulated biological pathways, including hypoxia, epithelial mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

We identified FN1, COL1A1 and SERPINE1 as being associated with the progression and poor prognosis of GC.

Key drug-targeting genes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal type of cancer. In this study, we undertook a pairwise comparison of gene expression pattern between tumor tissue and its matching adjacent normal tissue for 45 PDAC patients and identified 22 upregulated and 32 downregulated genes. PPI network revealed that fibronectin 1 and serpin peptidase inhibitor B5 were the most interconnected upregulated-nodes. Virtual screening identified bleomycin exhibited reasonably strong binding to both proteins. Effect of bleomycin on cell viability was examined against two PDAC cell lines, AsPC-1 and MIA PaCa-2. AsPC-1 did not respond to bleomycin, however, MIA PaCa-2 responded to bleomycin with an IC₅₀ of 2.6 μM. This implicates that bleomycin could be repurposed for the treatment of PDAC, especially in combination with other chemotherapy agents. In vivo mouse xenograft studies and patient clinical trials are warranted to understand the functional mechanism of bleomycin towards PDAC and optimize its therapeutic efficacy. Furthermore, we will evaluate the antitumor activity of the other identified drugs in our future studies.

Long non-coding RNA DANCR accelerates colorectal cancer progression via regulating the miR-185-5p/HMGA2 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial players in tumor progression. Herein, this work was designated to decipher the clinical significance, function and molecular mechanism of an lncRNA, differentiation antagonizing non-coding RNA (DANCR) in colorectal cancer (CRC). Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was adopted to examine DANCR, miR-185-5p and HMGA2 mRNA expressions in CRC tissues and cells. Both gain-of-function and loss-of-function cell models for DANCR were established, and then MTT, wound healing and Transwell, flow cytometry assays were carried out to detect the proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis of CRC cells. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay were utilized to validate the targeting relationships between DANCR and miR-185-5p. Western blot was employed for detecting high mobility group A2 (HMGA2) expressions in CRC cells. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of DANCR was elevated in CRC tissues and cell lines, and its high expression was significantly associated with increased TNM stage and positive lymph node metastasis. DANCR overexpression promoted CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle progression, but inhibited apoptosis; while knocking down DANCR caused the opposite effects. DANCR was further identified as a molecular sponge for miR-185-5p, and DANCR could indirectly increase the expression of HMGA2 via repressing miR-185-5p. In conclusion, DANCR/miR-185-5p/HMGA2 axis participated in the progression of CRC.

Neuropilin-1 Interacts with Fibronectin-1 to Promote Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Progress in Gastric Cancer

Introduction

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) binds to many ligands and co-receptors and affects cell survival and migration, which is essential for tumor progression. However, there are still largely unknowns about how NRP1 affects the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related malignant progression in gastric cancer.

Methods

We used TCGA to analyze the expression of NRP1 in gastric cancer and its impact on patient survival. In in vitro experiments, transwell, wound healing and colony formation assays were used to evaluate the effects of NRP1 and ginsenoside Rg3 on the invasion, migration and proliferation of gastric cancer cells. In in vivo experiments, we evaluated the overexpression and knockdown of NRP1 and the effect of ginsenoside Rg3 on tumor growth.

Results

We found that NRP1 is highly expressed in advanced gastric cancer and associated with poor prognosis. Knockdown of NRP1 expression can inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer cells. Mechanically. NRP1 interacts with fibronectin-1 (FN1) to promote the malignant progression of gastric cancer cells through ECM remodeling. In addition, we found that ginsenoside Rg3 can block the interaction of NRP1 and FN1 and inhibit the progression of gastric cancer.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that the interaction of NRP1 and FN1 is crucial for the malignant progression of gastric cancer. This may provide a new perspective and potential treatment methods for the treatment of gastric cancer.

Emerging roles for HMGA2 in colorectal cancer

HMGA2 (High Mobility Group AT-hook 2) has been reported to promote colorectal cancer (CRC) development by regulating the transcription of target genes. It participates in nearly all aspects of cellular processes, including cell transformation, proliferation, apoptosis, senescence, metastasis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), DNA repair and stem cell self-renewal. In the past decades, a group of downstream targets and binding partners have been identified in a wide range of cancers. Our findings of HMGA2 as a key factor in the MDM2/p53, IL11/STAT3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways prompt us to summarize current advances in the functional and molecular basis of HMGA2 in CRC. In this review, we address the roles of HMGA2 in the oncogenic networks of CRC based on recent advances. We review its aberrant expression, explore underlying mechanisms, discuss its pro-tumorigenic effects, and highlight promising small-molecule inhibitors based on targeting HMGA2 here. However, the understanding of HMGA2 in CRC progression is still elusive, thus we also discuss the future perspectives in this review. Collectively, this review provides novel insights into the oncogenic properties of HMGA2, which has potential implications in the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.

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HMGA2 promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) development by regulating the transcriptions of target genes.

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Circulating cell-free HMGA2 mRNA has been identified as a potential screening marker in CRC.

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HMGA2 appears to be a key factor in the networks of MDM2/p53, IL11/STAT3 and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways in CRC.

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Many agents and siRNAs serve as potential therapeutic approaches by targeting HMGA2 for the treatment of CRC.

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Deciphering HMGA2-mediated machinery helps to conceive effective therapy strategies and develop novel inhibitors in CRC.

LOXL1 modulates the malignant progression of colorectal cancer by inhibiting the transcriptional activity of YAP

Background

LOX-like 1 (LOXL1) is a lysyl oxidase, and emerging evidence has revealed its effect on malignant cancer progression. However, its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been elucidated.

Methods

LOXL1 expression in colorectal cancer was detected by immunohistochemistry, western blotting and real-time PCR. In vitro, colony formation, wound healing, migration and invasion assays were performed to investigate the effects of LOXL1 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In vivo, metastasis models and mouse xenografts were used to assess tumorigenicity and metastasis ability. Molecular biology experiments were utilized to reveal the underlying mechanisms by which LOXL1 modulates the Hippo pathway.

Results

LOXL1 was highly expressed in normal colon tissues compared with cancer tissues. In vitro, silencing LOXL1 in CRC cell lines dramatically enhanced migration, invasion, and colony formation, while overexpression of LOXL1 exerted the opposite effects. The results of the in vivo experiments demonstrated that the overexpression of LOXL1 in CRC cell lines drastically inhibited metastatic progression and tumour growth. Mechanistically, LOXL1 inhibited the transcriptional activity of Yes-associated protein (YAP) by interacting with MST1/2 and increasing the phosphorylation of MST1/2.

Conclusions

LOXL1 may function as an important tumour suppressor in regulating tumour growth, invasion and metastasis via negative regulation of YAP activity.

Fibronectin and colorectal cancer: signaling pathways and clinical implications

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with poor prognosis mainly related to metastasis. Fibronectin (FN), a vital component of the extracellular matrix (ECM), has been found involved in tumorigenesis and malignant progression in different types of malignancy. Numerous studies have indicated the distinct expression of FN in various cancers and demonstrated the different functions of FN in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancers. Meanwhile, FN isoforms have been extensively used for targeted drug delivery and imaging for tumors. Although a growing number of studies on FN in CRC have been reported, integrated reviews on the relationship between FN and CRC are rare. In this review, we will summarize the association between FN and CRC, including the signaling pathways and molecules involved in, as well as potential diagnostic and therapeutic values of FN for patients with CRC.

Identifying hub genes of papillary thyroid carcinoma in the TCGA and GEO database using bioinformatics analysis

Background

Thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is a common endocrine malignant tumor. Papillary carcinoma with low degree of malignancy and good prognosis is the most common. It can occur at any age, but it is more common in young adults. Although the mortality rate is decreased due to early diagnosis, the survival rate varies depending on the type of tumor. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify hub biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets for THCA.

Methods

The GSE3467, GSE3678, GSE33630 and GSE53157 were obtained from the GEO database, including 100 thyroid tumors and 64 normal tissues to obtain the intersection of differentially expressed genes, and a protein-protein interaction network was constructed to obtain the HUB gene. The corresponding overall survival information from The Cancer Genome Atlas Project-THCA was then included in this research. The signature mechanism was studied by analyzing the gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome database.

Results

In this research, we identified eight candidate genes (FN1, CCND1, CDH2, CXCL12, MET, IRS1, DCN and FMOD) from the network. Also, expression verification and survival analysis of these candidate genes based on the TCGA database indicate the robustness of the above results. Finally, our hospital samples validated the expression levels of these genes.

Conclusion

The research identified eight mRNA (four up–regulated and four down–regulated) which serve as signatures and could be a potential prognostic marker of THCA.

A circulating extracellular vesicles-based novel screening tool for colorectal cancer revealed by shotgun and data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry

Background: Early screening for colorectal cancer (CRC) is essential to improve its prognosis. Liquid biopsies are increasingly being considered for diagnosing cancer due to low invasiveness and high reproducibility. In addition, circulating extracellular vesicles (crEVs, extracellular vesicles isolated from plasma) expressing tumour-specific proteins are potential biomarkers for various cancers. Here, we present a data-independent acquisition (DIA)-mass spectrometry (MS)-based diagnostic method for liquid biopsies.

Methods: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from culture supernatants of human CRC cell lines, and plasma of patients with CRC at different tumour stages, by overnight ultracentrifugation coupled with sucrose density gradient centrifugation. Tumour-specific EV proteins were prioritized using Tandem Mass Tag (TMT)-based shotgun proteomics and phosphoproteomics. The results were verified in a second independent cohort and a mouse tumour-bearing model using Western blotting (WB). The candidate biomarkers were further validated in a third cohort by DIA-MS. Finally, the DIA-MS methodology was accelerated to permit high-throughput detection of EV biomarkers in another independent cohort of patients with CRC and healthy controls.

Results: High levels of total and phosphorylated fibronectin 1 (FN1) in crEVs, haptoglobin (HP), S100A9 and fibrinogen α chain (FGA) were significantly associated with cancer progression. FGA was the most dominant biomarker candidate. Analysis of the human CRC cell lines and the mouse model indicated that FGA+ crEVs were likely released by CRC cells. Furthermore, fast DIA-MS and parallel reaction monitoring (PRM)-MS both confirmed that FGA+ crEVs could distinguish colon adenoma with an area of curve (AUC) in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.949 and patients with CRC (AUC of ROC is 1.000) from healthy individuals. The performance outperformed conventional tumour biomarkers. The DIA-MS quantification of FGA+ crEVs among three groups agreed with that from PRM-MS.

Conclusion: DIA-MS detection of FGA+ crEVs is a potential rapid and non-invasive screening tool to identify early stage CRC.

Abbreviations: FGA: fibrinogen α chain; CRC: colorectal cancer; crEVs: circulating extracellular vesicles; EV: extracellular vesicles;MS: mass spectrometry; WB: Western blotting; ROC: receiver operating characteristic; PRM: Parallel Reaction Monitoring; GPC1: Glypican-1; GO: Gene ontology; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; FN1: Fibronectin 1; HP: haptoglobin; TMT: Tandem Mass Tag; LC-MS/MS: liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry; DIA: data-independent acquisition; DDA: data-dependent acquisition; CiRT: Common internal Retention Time standards;AGC: Automatic gain control; AUC: area under curve.

THBS1 facilitates colorectal liver metastasis through enhancing epithelial-mesenchymal transition

OBJECTIVE

Liver metastasis is one of the major causes of cancer-related death in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The purpose of this study was to identify specific molecules which are involved in colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we employed TMT (tandem mass tags)-labeling combined with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology to do comparative analyses of proteomics between the primary tumor specimens derived from colorectal cancer patients with or without liver metastasis. Pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID database. The crucial molecules were identified through protein-protein interaction network. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was employed to analyze the expression of THBS1 (thrombospondin-1) in CRC tissues. Finally, transwell cell migration and invasion assays were performed to explore the roles of THBS1 in CRC cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

We found that the expression of 311 proteins was dysregulated in CRLM using quantitative proteomics. Among these proteins, we identified FN1, TIMP1, THBS1, POSTN and VCAN as five crucial proteins in CRLM by analysis in silico. IHC assay revealed that increased THBS1 expression was significantly correlated with liver metastasis as well as poor prognosis of CRC patients. GEO data analysis also suggests that upregulated mRNA level of THBS1 is also associated with shorter overall survival of CRC patients. Moreover, THBS1 depletion inhibited migration and invasion of CRC cells through attenuating epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Co-expression analyses with TCGA data indicated that THBS1 is co-expressed with mesenchymal markers, including Vimentin, N-cadherin, Snail1 and Twist1 in CRC tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

By collecting the omics data with functional studies, the present results reveal that THBS1 facilitates colorectal liver metastasis through promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition. This understanding of molecular roles of THBS1 in CRLM may be promising to develop targeted therapies to prolong survival in CRC patients.

Role of JAK/STAT3 Signaling in the Regulation of Metastasis, the Transition of Cancer Stem Cells, and Chemoresistance of Cancer by Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

The JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway plays an essential role in various types of cancers. Activation of this pathway leads to increased tumorigenic and metastatic ability, the transition of cancer stem cells (CSCs), and chemoresistance in cancer via enhancing the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT acts as a critical regulator in the progression of cancer and is involved in regulating invasion, spread, and survival. Furthermore, accumulating evidence indicates the failure of conventional therapies due to the acquisition of CSC properties. In this review, we summarize the effects of JAK/STAT3 activation on EMT and the generation of CSCs. Moreover, we discuss cutting-edge data on the link between EMT and CSCs in the tumor microenvironment that involves a previously unknown function of miRNAs, and also discuss new regulators of the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Circ_0000267 promotes gastric cancer progression via sponging MiR-503-5p and regulating HMGA2 expression

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of newly discovered RNAs that attach great importance to modulate gene expression and biological function. Nonetheless, in gastric cancer (GC), the expression and function of circRNA are much less explored. In this study, circ_0000267 expression in GC was investigated and the function and mechanism of circ_0000267 was probed.

Materials and Methods

Quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) was employed to detect circ_0000267, miR‐503‐5p, and HMGA2 expression. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were adopted to detect HMGA2 and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related proteins (E‐cadherin and N‐cadherin) expression in GC tissues and cells, respectively. GC cell lines with circ_0000267 overexpressed and knocked down were constructed, and CCK‐8 assay, BrdU assay, scratch healing assay, and transwell assay were employed to assess the effect of circ_0000267 on the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells. Besides, dual‐luciferase reporter gene assay was adopted to verify the targeting relationship between circ_0000267 and miR‐503‐5p.

Results

Circ_0000267 showed a significant upregulation in GC tissues and cell lines, and its high expression level was extremely linked to the increased tumor diameter and local lymph node metastasis. Circ_0000267 overexpression accelerated GC cell proliferation, metastasis, and EMT processes, while knocking down circ_0000267 led to the opposite effect. From the perspective of mechanism, circ_0000267 promoted the progression of GC through adsorbing miR‐503‐5p and upregulating HMGA2 expression.

Conclusion

Circ_0000267 is an oncogenic circRNA that affects the progression of GC, which participates in promotion of GC proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT via modulating the miR‐503‐5p/HMGA2 axis.

DAPK1 loss triggers tumor invasion in colorectal tumor cells

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading cancer-related causes of death worldwide. Despite the improvement of surgical and chemotherapeutic treatments, as of yet, the disease has not been overcome due to metastasis to distant organs. Hence, it is of great relevance to understand the mechanisms responsible for metastasis initiation and progression and to identify novel metastatic markers for a higher chance of preventing the metastatic disease. The Death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1), recently, has been shown to be a potential candidate for regulating metastasis in CRC. Hence, the aim of the study was to investigate the impact of DAPK1 protein on CRC aggressiveness. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, we generated DAPK1-deficient HCT116 monoclonal cell lines and characterized their knockout phenotype in vitro and in vivo. We show that loss of DAPK1 implemented changes in growth pattern and enhanced tumor budding in vivo in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model. Further, we observed more tumor cell dissemination into chicken embryo organs and increased invasion capacity using rat brain 3D in vitro model. The novel identified DAPK1-loss gene expression signature showed a stroma typical pattern and was associated with a gained ability for remodeling the extracellular matrix. Finally, we suggest the DAPK1-ERK1 signaling axis being involved in metastatic progression of CRC. Our results highlight DAPK1 as an anti-metastatic player in CRC and suggest DAPK1 as a potential predictive biomarker for this cancer type.

miR-491 inhibits BGC-823 cell migration via targeting HMGA2

PURPOSE

miR-491 functions as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancer. However, its function and mechanism in gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis have not been well defined. The aim of this study was to explore the role and regulatory mechanism of miR-491 in cell proliferation and migration in gastric cancer.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression pattern of miR-491 in gastric cancer tissues. miR-491 overexpression vector, miR-491 inhibitor, and siHMGA2 were used; and MTT, wound healing, and transwell assays were employed to examine proliferation and migration for BGC-823 cells. A dual-luciferase reporter gene was used to measure the target relationship between miR-491 and HMGA2.

RESULTS

Most gastric cancer patients exhibit decreased miR-491 expression. miR-491 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and migration, whereas miR-491 inhibitor treatment produced the opposite effect. Mechanistically, HMGA2 was identified as a direct target of miR-491. Moreover, HMGA2 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and migration, which was similar to the effect of miR-491 overexpression. HMGA2 was decreased after transfection of the miR-491 vector and increased after transfection of the miR-491 inhibitor.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that miR-491 suppressed cell proliferation and cell motility in gastric cancer by targeting HMGA2. Silencing HMGA2 produced a similar effect to miR-491 overexpression on cell proliferation and migration. miR-491/HMGA2 signaling may be a potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer patients with decreased miR-491 expression.

Proteomic Technology "Lens" for Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Process Identification in Oncology

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex transformation process that induces local and distant progression of many malignant tumours. Due to its complex array of proteins that are dynamically over-/underexpressed during this process, proteomic technologies gained their place in the EMT research in the last years. Proteomics has identified new molecular pathways of this process and brought important insights to develop new therapy targets. Various proteomic tools and multiple combinations were developed in this area. Out of the proteomic technology armentarium, mass spectrometry and array technologies are the most used approaches. The main characteristics of the proteomic technology used in this domain are high throughput and detection of minute concentration in small samples. We present herein, using various proteomic technologies, the identification in cancer cell lines and in tumour tissue EMT-related proteins, proteins that are involved in the activation of different cellular pathways. Proteomics has brought besides standard EMT markers (e.g., cell-cell adhesion proteins and transcription factors) other future potential markers for improving diagnosis, monitoring evolution, and developing new therapy targets. Future will increase the proteomic role in clinical investigation and validation of EMT-related biomarkers.

SILAC-Based Quantification of TGFBR2-Regulated Protein Expression in Extracellular Vesicles of Microsatellite Unstable Colorectal Cancers

Microsatellite unstable (MSI) colorectal cancers (CRCs) are characterized by mutational inactivation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor Type 2 (TGFBR2). TGFBR2-deficient CRCs present altered target gene and protein expression. Such cellular alterations modulate the content of CRC-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). EVs function as couriers of proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids in intercellular communication. At a qualitative level, we have previously shown that TGFBR2 deficiency causes overall alterations in the EV protein content. To deepen the basic understanding of altered protein dynamics, this work aimed to determine TGFBR2-dependent EV protein signatures in a quantitative manner. Using a stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) approach for mass spectrometry-based quantification, 48 TGFBR2-regulated proteins were identified in MSI CRC-derived EVs. Overall, TGFBR2 deficiency caused upregulation of several EV proteins related to the extracellular matrix and nucleosome as well as downregulation of proteasome-associated proteins. The present study emphasizes the general overlap of proteins between EVs and their parental CRC cells but also highlights the impact of TGFBR2 deficiency on EV protein composition. From a clinical perspective, TGFBR2-regulated quantitative differences of protein expression in EVs might nominate novel biomarkers for liquid biopsy-based MSI typing in the future.

microRNA-613 exerts anti-angiogenic effect on nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells through inactivating the AKT signaling pathway by down-regulating FN1

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a disease highly sensitive to radiotherapy with the unclear etiology. However, the specific effects of microRNA-613 (miR-613) on NPC still remain elusive. Therefore, the present study probes into the underlying mechanism of miR-613 in NPC via AKT signaling pathway by regulating Fibronectin 1 (FN1).

Methods: First, microarray analysis was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and regulatory miRs associated with NPC. Next, miR-613 and FN1 expression in NPC cells was determined, followed by verification of target relationship between miR-613 and FN1. With NPC cells exposed to miR-613 mimic, si-FN1 and LY294002 (inhibitor of AKT signaling pathway), the regulatory effects of miR-613 on proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and angiogenesis of NPC cells were detected with ratio of B-cell lymphoma 2/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bcl-2/Bax), Cleaved-caspase3, matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2), MMP-9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and cell adhesion molecule-1 (CD31) expression measured. Then, tumorigenesis and MVD were determined after Xenograft in nude mice.

Results: FN1 modulated by miR-613 was critical for NPC via the AKT signaling pathway. NPC cells exhibited down-regulated miR-613 and up-regulated FN1. Besides, miR-613 was verified to target FN1. Moreover, overexpressed miR-613, silenced FN1 or LY294002 treatment suppressed proliferation, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis in NPC cells, which was indicated by reduced expression of AKT, mTOR, MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF, and CD31 as well as decreased ratio of Bcl-2/Bax and increased expression of Cleaved-caspase3. Furthermore, cell apoptosis was promoted and tumorigenesis and MVD in nude mice were inhibited with overexpression of miR-613, silenced FN1 or LY294002 treatment.

Conclusion: Taken together, miR-613 inhibits angiogenesis in NPC cells through inactivating FN1-dependent AKT signaling pathway.

MRP4 sustains Wnt/β-catenin signaling for pregnancy, endometriosis and endometrial cancer

Rationale: Abnormal Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the endometrium can lead to both embryo implantation failure and severe pathogenic changes of the endometrium such as endometrial cancer and endometriosis. However, how Wnt/β-catenin signaling is regulated in the endometrium remains elusive. We explored possible regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by multi-drug resistance protein 4 (MRP4), a potential target in cancer chemotherapy, and investigated the mechanism.

Methods: Knockdown of MRP4 was performed in human endometrial cells in vitro or in a mouse embryo-implantation model in vivo. Immunoprecipitation, immunoblotting and immunofluorescence were used to assess protein interaction and stability. Wnt/β-catenin signaling was assessed by TOPflash reporter assay and quantitative PCR array. Normal and endometriotic human endometrial tissues were examined. Data from human microarray or RNAseq databases of more than 100 participants with endometriosis, endometrial cancer or IVF were analyzed. In vitro and in vivo tumorigenesis was performed.

Results: MRP4-knockdown, but not its transporter-function-inhibition, accelerates β-catenin degradation in human endometrial cells. MRP4 and β-catenin are co-localized and co-immunoprecipitated in mouse and human endometrium. MRP4-knockdown in mouse uterus reduces β-catenin levels, downregulates a series of Wnt/β-catenin target genes and impairs embryo implantation, which are all reversed by blocking β-catenin degradation. Analysis of human endometrial biopsy samples and available databases reveals significant and positive correlations of MRP4 with β-catenin and Wnt/β-catenin target genes in the receptive endometrium in IVF, ectopic endometriotic lesions and endometrial cancers. Knockdown of MRP4 also inhibits in vitro and in vivo endometrial tumorigenesis.

Conclusion: A previously undefined role of MRP4 in stabilizing β-catenin to sustain Wnt/β-catenin signaling in endometrial cells is revealed for both embryo implantation and endometrial disorders, suggesting MRP4 as a theranostic target for endometrial diseases associated with Wnt/β-catenin signaling abnormality.

Fibronectin promotes cervical cancer tumorigenesis through activating FAK signaling pathway

Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix, and it is the fourth most common cause of death in women. Overexpression of fibronectin 1 (FN1) was observed in many tumors and associated with the survival and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the mechanism by which FN1 promotes cervical cancer cell viability, migration, adhesion, and invasion, and inhibits cell apoptosis through focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway remains to be investigated. Our results demonstrated that FN1 was upregulated in patients with cervical cancer and higher FN1 expression correlated with a poor prognosis for patients with cervical cancer. FN1 knockdown by small interfering RNA (siRNA) inhibited SiHa cell viability, migration, invasion, and adhesion, and promoted cell apoptosis. FN1 overexpression in CaSki cell promoted cell viability, migration, invasion, and adhesion, and inhibited cell apoptosis. Further, phosphorylation of FAK, a main downstream signaling molecule of FN1, and the protein expression of Bcl-2/Bax, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), and N-cadherin was upregulated in CaSki cells with FN1 overexpression, but caspase-3 protein expression was downregulated. The FAK phosphorylation inhibitor PF573228 inhibited FN1 overexpression-induced expression of those proteins in CaSki cells with FN1 overexpression. In vivo experiment demonstrated that FN1 knockdown significantly inhibited FN1 expression, phosphorylation of FAK, and tumor growth in xenograft from the nude mice. These results suggest that FN1 regulates the viability, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and adhesion of cervical cancer cells through the FAK signaling pathway and is a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cervical cancer.

miR-330 suppresses EMT and induces apoptosis by downregulating HMGA2 in human colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important molecular regulatorsof cellular signaling and behavior. They alter gene expression by targeting messenger RNAs, including those encoding transcriptional regulators, such as HMGA2. While HMGA2 is oncogenic in various tumors, miRNAs may be oncogenic or tumor suppressive. Here, we investigate the expression of HMGA2 and the miRNA miR-330 in a patient with colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and their effects on oncogenic cellular phenotypes. We found that HMGA2 expression is increased and miR-330 expression is decreased in CRCs and each predicts poor long-term patient survival. Stably increased miR-330 expression in human colorectal cancer cells (HCT116) and SW480 CRC cell lines downregulate the oncogenic expression of HMGA2, a predicted miR-330 target. Additionally, this promotes apoptosis and decreases cell migration and viability. Consistently, it also decreases protein-level expression of markers for epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (Snail-1, E-cadherin, and Vascular endothelial growth factor receptors) and transforming growth factor β signaling (SMAD3), as well as phospho- Protein kinase B (AKT) and phospho-STAT3 levels. We conclude that miR-330 acts as a tumor suppressor miRNA in CRC by suppressing HMGA2 expression and reducing cell survival, proliferation, and migration. Thus, we identify miR-330 as a promising candidate for miRNA replacement therapy for patients with CRC.

Genome-wide identification and analysis of A-to-I RNA editing events in the malignantly transformed cell lines from bronchial epithelial cell line induced by α-particles radiation

Adenosine (A) to inosine (I) RNA editing is the most prevalent RNA editing mechanism in humans and plays critical roles in tumorigenesis. However, the effects of radiation on RNA editing were poorly understood, and a deeper understanding of the radiation-induced cancer is imperative. Here, we analyzed BEP2D (a human bronchial epithelial cell line) and radiation-induced malignantly transformed cell lines with next generation sequencing. By performing an integrated analysis of A-to-I RNA editing, we found that single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) might induce the downregulation of ADAR2 enzymes, and further caused the abnormal occurrence of RNA editing in malignantly transformed cell lines. These editing events were significantly enriched in differentially expressed genes between normal cell line and malignantly transformed cell lines. In addition, oncogenes CTNNB1 and FN1 were highly edited and significantly overexpressed in malignantly transformed cell lines, thus may be responsible for the lung cancer progression. Our work provides a systematic analysis of RNA editing from cell lines derived from human bronchial epithelial cells with high-throughput RNA sequencing and DNA sequencing. Moreover, these results provide further evidence for RNA editing as an important tumorigenesis mechanism.

HMGA2 Contributes to Distant Metastasis and Poor Prognosis by Promoting Angiogenesis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The highly malignant phenotype of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), including the presence of nodal and distant metastasis, reduces patient survival. High-mobility group A protein 2 (HMGA2) is a non-histone chromatin factor that is involved in advanced malignant phenotypes and poor prognosis in several human cancers. However, its biological role in OSCC remains to be elucidated. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical significance and role of HMGA2 in the malignant potential of OSCC. We first investigated the expression pattern of HMGA2 and its clinical relevance in 110 OSCC specimens using immunohistochemical staining. In addition, we examined the effects HMGA2 on the regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, VEGF-C, and fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, which are related to angiogenesis, in vitro. High expression of HMGA2 was significantly correlated with distant metastasis and poor prognosis. Further, HMGA2 depletion in OSCC cells reduced the expression of angiogenesis genes. In OSCC tissues with high HMGA2 expression, angiogenesis genes were increased and a high proportion of blood vessels was observed. These findings suggest that HMGA2 plays a significant role in the regulation of angiogenesis and might be a potential biomarker to predict distant metastasis and prognosis in OSCC.

Irradiation increases the immunogenicity of lung cancer cells and irradiation-based tumor cell vaccine elicits tumor-specific T cell responses in vivo

Background: During the past decades, great efforts have been built to develop lung cancer vaccines. Whole tumor cell lysate (TCL) are ideal sources of antigens for cancer vaccine design, which however have limited efficacy due to insufficient immunogenicity. Recently, radiotherapy has been closely related to immunotherapy. Numerous studies have demonstrated the regulatory effect of irradiation (IR) on tumor immune response. Purpose: To explore the immunogenicity modulation effect of IR on lung cancer cells. Methods: RNA-sequence and qPCR assay was used to evaluate the change of tumor antigens expression after repeated X rays radiation on A549 cells. Vaccine based on TCL of irradiated Lewis lung cancer cells (IR-LLC) was established; therapeutic effect of TCL (IR-LLC) was examined in xenografted tumor model of mice. Flow cytometry was conducted to evaluate the rate of immune cells in spleen; ELISA was used to detect the level of cytokines in plasma. Immunohistochemistry was performed to evaluate the infiltrations of T-cell in tumor tissues; TIMER analysis was used to explore the correlations between tumor antigen expressions and the abundances of immune infiltrates. Results: IR upregulated the expression of tumor antigens in A549 cells. Compared to the control group and unirradiated tumor cell vaccine, TCL(IR-LLC) had a significantly stronger anti-tumor effect in mice bearing with LLC xenografts. TCL(IR-LLC) significantly increased matured DCs and total CD4+ T cells but downregulated Tregs and PD-1+ CD8+ T cells in mice spleen; TCL(IR-LLC) vaccine upregulated the level of IFN-γ and IL-4 while decreased IL-10 in serum; increased infiltrations of CD4+ T-cells and CD8+ T-cells were observed in the tumor issues of mice immunized with TCL(IR-LLC). Tumor antigens including FN1, MFGE8, MMP2, MYL9 may contribute to the enhanced T-cell response. Conclusion: This study confirmed the immunogenicity modulation effect of IR in NSCLC cells, indicating IR might be an effective strategy to enhance the anti-tumor immunity of cancer cell vaccine.

Identification of SERPINE1, PLAU and ACTA1 as biomarkers of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma based on integrated bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the six leading cancer by incidence worldwide. The 5-year survival rate of HNSCC patients remains less than 65% due to lack of symptoms in the early stage. Hence, biomarkers which can improve detection of HNSCC should improve clinical outcome.

METHODS

Gene expression profiles (GSE6631, GSE58911) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HNSCC data were used for integrated bioinformatics analysis; the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were then subjected to functional and pathway enrichment analysis, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction. Subsequently, module analysis of the PPI network was performed and overall survival (OS) analysis of hub genes in subnetwork was studied. Finally, immunohistochemistry was used to verify the selected markers.

RESULTS

A total of 52 up-regulated and 80 down-regulated DEGs were identified, which were mainly associated with ECM-receptor interaction and focal adhesion signaling pathways. Importantly, a set of prognostic signatures including SERPINE1, PLAU and ACTA1 were screened from DEGs, which could predict OS in HNSCC patients from TCGA cohort. Experiment of clinical samples further successfully validated that these three signature genes were aberrantly expressed in the oral epithelial dysplasia and HNSCC, and correlated with aggressiveness of HNSCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

SERPINE1, PLAU and ACTA1 played important roles in regulating the initiation and progression of HNSCC, and could be identified as key biomarkers for precise diagnosis and prognosis of HNSCC, which will provide potential targets for clinical therapies.

P53-induced miR-1249 inhibits tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis by targeting VEGFA and HMGA2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important class of functional regulators involved in human cancers development, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Exploring aberrantly expressed miRNAs may provide us with new insights into the initiation and development of CRC by functioning as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. The aim of our study is to discover the expression pattern of miR-1249 in CRC and investigate its clinical significance as well as biological role in CRC progression. In our study, we found that miR-1249 was markedly downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, and negatively related to pN stage, pM stage, TNM stage, and overall survival (OS). Moreover, we demonstrated that miR-1249 was a direct transcriptional target of P53 and revealed that P53-induced miR-1249 inhibited tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis in vitro and vivo. Additionally, we verified that miR-1249 suppressed CRC proliferation and angiogenesis by targeting VEGFA as well as inhibited CRC metastasis by targeting both VEGFA and HMGA2. Further studying showed that miR-1249 suppressed CRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis via VEGFA-mediated Akt/mTOR pathway as well as inhibited EMT process of CRC cells by targeting both VEGFA and HMGA2. Our study indicated that P53-induced miR-1249 may suppress CRC growth, metastasis and angiogenesis by targeting VEGFA and HMGA2, as well as regulate Akt/mTOR pathway and EMT process in the initiation and development of CRC. miR-1249 might be a novel the therapeutic candidate target in CRC treatment.

Bazedoxifene as a novel GP130 inhibitor for Colon Cancer therapy

Background

Interleukin-11 (IL-11), a dominant IL-6 family cytokine, is involved in tumorigenesis, tumor progression and differentiation in colon cancer cells. IL-11 signaling has been recently identified as a potential therapeutic target in colon cancer. Bazedoxifene, a third- generation selective estrogen modulator approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is a novel inhibitor of IL-11/GP130 signaling discovered by docking modeling.

Methods

In this study, the inhibition efficacy of bazedoxifene in colon cancer cells and its potential mechanism were investigated in vitro and in vivo by using MTT cell viability assay, BrdU cell proliferation assay, colony formation assay, wound-healing/cell migration assay, immunofluorescence, western blot assay and the mouse xenograft tumor model.

Results

Bazedoxifene inhibits phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) and its nuclear translocation induced by IL-11 in colon cancer cells. It also inhibits p-STAT3 induced by IL-6 and IL-11 but not by OSM or STAT1 phosphorylation induced by INF-γ in human colon cancer cells. In addition, bazedoxifene can significantly inhibit phosphorylation of AKT and STAT3 downstream targets. Furthermore, bazedoxifene alone or together with oxaliplatin can significantly induce apoptosis, inhibit cell viability, cell colony formation and cell migration in colon cancer cells. Knock-down of IL-11R can reduce the sensitivity of colon cancer cells to bazedoxifene. IL-11 can reduce the efficacy of oxaliplatin-mediated inhibition of cell viability. Consistent with in vitro findings, bazedoxifene alone also attenuated HCT-15 xenograft tumor burden and reduced p-STAT3, p-AKT and p-ERK in vivo. Its combination with oxaliplatin attenuated DLD-1 xenograft tumor burden and reduced p-STAT3 in vivo.

Conclusions

Taken together, these results support bazedoxifene as a novel and effective therapeutic agent targeting IL-11/GP130 signaling for human colorectal cancer therapy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1072-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MiR-219-5p inhibits growth and metastasis of ovarian cancer cells by targeting HMGA2

Background

Accumulating studies have demonstrated that high-mobility group A2 (HMGA2), an oncofetal protein, plays a role in tumor development and progression. However, the molecular role of HMGA2 in ovarian carcinoma is yet to be established. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a group of small noncoding RNAs, negatively regulate gene expression and their dysregulation has been implicated in tumorigenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential involvement of a specific miRNA, miR-219-5p, in HMGA2-induced ovarian cancer.

Methods

The ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3, was employed, and miR-219-5p and HMGA2 overexpression vectors constructed. The CCK-8 kit was used to determine cell proliferation and the Transwell^® assay used to measure cell invasion and migration. RT-PCR and western blot analyses were applied to analyze the expression of miR-219-5p and HMGA2, and the luciferase reporter assay used to examine the interactions between miR-219-5p and HMGA2. Nude mice were employed to characterize in vivo tumor growth regulation.

Results

Expression of miR-219-5p led to suppression of proliferation, invasion and migration of the ovarian cancer cell line, SKOV3, by targeting HMGA2. The inhibitory effects of miR-219-5p were reversed upon overexpression of HMGA2. Data from the luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-219-5p downregulates HMGA2 via direct integration with its 3′-UTR. Consistent with in vitro findings, expression of miR-219-5p led to significant inhibition of tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

Our results collectively suggest that miR-219-5p inhibits tumor growth and metastasis by targeting HMGA2.

CEP55 promotes the proliferation and invasion of tumour cells via the AKT signalling pathway in osteosarcoma

The molecular mechanisms underlying the development of osteosarcoma (OS) are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated for the first time the clinical significance and biological activity of centrosomal protein 55 (CEP55) in OS. We found that CEP55 was overexpressed in OS, and the CEP55 expression level in OS was correlated with metastasis and poor prognosis. Through in vitro experiments, we confirmed that CEP55 knockdown significantly induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and suppressed OS cell proliferation, migration and invasion. In addition, CEP55 knockdown suppressed OS tumour growth in nude mice. Global gene expression profiling of CEP55-silenced MNNG/HOS cells showed that the AKT pathway might be involved in the regulation of OS cell activity. Two downstream factors of AKT signalling, CCND1 and FN1, were found to have significantly higher expression in tumour tissues, and their mRNA expression levels were strongly correlated with CEP55 expression. To conclude, our data suggest that CEP55 can be used as a prognostic marker for OS, highlighting the significance of CEP55 signalling as a putative therapeutic target.

HMGA2 enhances 5-fluorouracil chemoresistance in colorectal cancer via the Dvl2/Wnt pathway

Drug resistance is one of the main hurdles to overcome for the improvement of cancer patient survival. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown, and therapeutic options are limited. Here, we demonstrate a strong correlation between HMGA2 expression and chemosensitivity to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), a widely used first-line systemic chemotherapy regimen for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Overexpression of HMGA2 enhances chemoresistance to 5-FU of CRC both in vitro and in vivo. Further experiments indicate that HMGA2 directly binds to the promoter of Dvl2 and induces its transcription, which leads to increased activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, our data suggest that HMGA2 enhances the chemoresistance to 5-FU in CRC via activating the Dvl2/Wnt pathway. Therefore, HMGA2 may serve as a predictive biomarker and a potential therapeutic target in CRC.

Evolving notions on immune response in colorectal cancer and their implications for biomarker development

INTRODUCTION

Colorectal cancer (CRC) still represents the third most commonly diagnosed type of cancer in men and women worldwide. CRC is acknowledged as a heterogeneous disease that develops through a multi-step sequence of events driven by clonal selections; this observation is sustained by the fact that histologically similar tumors may have completely different outcomes, including a varied response to therapy.

METHODS

In "early" and "intermediate" stage of CRC (stages II and III, respectively) there is a compelling need for new biomarkers fit to assess the metastatic potential of their disease, selecting patients with aggressive disease that might benefit from adjuvant and targeted therapies. Therefore, we review the actual notions on immune response in colorectal cancer and their implications for biomarker development.

RESULTS

The recognition of the key role of immune cells in human cancer progression has recently drawn attention on the tumor immune microenvironment, as a source of new indicators of tumor outcome and response to therapy. Thus, beside consolidated histopathological biomarkers, immune endpoints are now emerging as potential biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

The introduction of immune signatures and cellular and molecular components of the immune system as biomarkers is particularly important considering the increasing use of immune-based cancer therapies as therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.

MicroRNA-124a inhibits cell proliferation and migration in liver cancer by regulating interleukin-11

Liver cancer is the sixth most common malignant tumour and ranks in the top three cancers with regard to mortality due to metastasis and postsurgical recurrence. It is significant to understand the mechanisms underlying liver cancer for diagnosis and treatment. Cumulative evidence suggests that the abnormal regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) may contribute to the development and metastasis of cancer. miR‑124a acts as a tumour suppressor in osteosarcoma, endometrial carcinoma, prostate cancer, and glioblastoma. However, the effects of miR‑124a in liver cancer and its biological mechanism are not fully understood. It has been demonstrated that miR‑124a is downregulated and interleukin (IL)‑11 is upregulated in the liver cancer tissues. In the present study, miR‑124a upregulation inhibited cell proliferation, migration and promoted cell apoptosis. Through a dual‑luciferase reporter assay, it was verified that IL‑11 is a direct target of miR‑124a. Furthermore, the overexpression of miR‑124a repressed the secretion of IL‑11 from hepatoma cells. Finally, it was identified that mimics of miR‑124a increased the expression of tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase‑2 (TIMP‑2) and Caspase‑3 and decreased the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), MMP9, B‑cell lymphoma 2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and phosphorylated‑STAT3. In conclusion, the results indicated that miR‑124a has an important role as a tumour suppressor gene by targeting IL‑11. These findings may provide novel insights for clinical treatments to prevent the development of liver cancer.