Long non-coding RNA OGFRP1 regulates cell proliferation and ferroptosis by miR-299-3p/SLC38A1 axis in lung cancer

High CASC expression predicts poor prognosis of lung cancer: A systematic review with meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The long non-coding RNA cancer susceptibility candidate (CASC) has abnormal expression in lung cancer tissues and may correlate with lung cancer prognosis. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the association between CASC expression and the cancer prognosis.

METHODS

PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases were searched until April 1, 2023, to obtain the relevant literature. Studies that met the predefined eligibility criteria were included, and their quality was independently assessed by 2 investigators according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) score. Detailed information was obtained, such as first author, year of publication, and number of patients. Hazard ratio (HR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was extracted and grouped to assess the relationship between CASC expression and cancer prognosis. The dichotomous data was merged and shown as the odds ratio (OR) with a 95% CI was extracted to assess the relationship between CASC expression and clinicopathological parameters.

RESULTS

A total of 12 studies with 746 patients with lung cancer were included in the meta-analysis. The expression levels of lncRNA CASC2 and CASC7 were decreased, while those of CASC9, 11, 15, and 19 were induced in lung cancer tissues compared with paracancerous tissues. In the population with low CASC expression (CASC2 and CASC7), high CASC expression indicated a good lung cancer prognosis (HR = 0.469; 95% CI, 0.271-0.668). Conversely, in the population with high CASC expression (CASC9, 11, 15, and 19), high CASC expression predicted a poor lung cancer outcome (HR = 1.910; 95% CI, 1.628-2.192). High CASC expression also predicted worse disease-free survival (DFS) (HR = 2.803; 95% CI, 1.804-6.319). Combined OR with 95% CI revealed an insignificant positive association between high CASC expression and advanced TNM stage (OR = 1.061; 95% CI, 0.775-1.454), LNM (OR = 0.962; 95% CI, 0.724-1.277), tumor size (OR = 0.942; 95% CI, 0.667-1.330), and histological grade (OR = 1.022; 95% CI, 0.689-1.517).

CONCLUSION

The CASC expression levels negatively correlate with lung cancer prognosis. Therefore, CASC expression may serve as a prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer.

A glutamine tug-of-war between cancer and immune cells: recent advances in unraveling the ongoing battle

Glutamine metabolism plays a pivotal role in cancer progression, immune cell function, and the modulation of the tumor microenvironment. Dysregulated glutamine metabolism has been implicated in cancer development and immune responses, supported by mounting evidence. Cancer cells heavily rely on glutamine as a critical nutrient for survival and proliferation, while immune cells require glutamine for activation and proliferation during immune reactions. This metabolic competition creates a dynamic tug-of-war between cancer and immune cells. Targeting glutamine transporters and downstream enzymes involved in glutamine metabolism holds significant promise in enhancing anti-tumor immunity. A comprehensive understanding of the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying this interplay is crucial for developing innovative therapeutic approaches that improve anti-tumor immunity and patient outcomes. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of recent advances in unraveling the tug-of-war of glutamine metabolism between cancer and immune cells and explore potential applications of basic science discoveries in the clinical setting. Further investigations into the regulation of glutamine metabolism in cancer and immune cells are expected to yield valuable insights, paving the way for future therapeutic interventions.

Modulation of ferroptosis by non‑coding RNAs in cancers: Potential biomarkers for cancer diagnose and therapy

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered cell programmed death. Extensive researches have indicated that ferroptosis plays an essential role in tumorigenesis, development, migration and chemotherapy drugs resistance, which makes it become a new target for tumor therapy. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are considered to control a wide range of cellular processes by modulating gene expression. Recent studies have indicated that ncRNAs regulate the process of ferroptosis via various pathway to affect the development of cancer. However, the regulation network remains ambiguous. In this review, we outlined the major metabolic processes of ferroptosis and concluded the relationship between ferroptosis-related ncRNAs and cancer progression. In addition, the prospect of ncRNAs being new therapeutic targets and early diagnosis biomarkers for cancer by regulating ferroptosis were presented, and the possible obstacles were also predicted. This could help in discovering novel cancer early diagnostic methods and therapeutic approaches.

Epigenetic modulation of ferroptosis in cancer: Identifying epigenetic targets for novel anticancer therapy

Ferroptosis is a newly recognized form of oxidative-regulated cell death resulting from iron-mediated lipid peroxidation accumulation. Radical-trapping antioxidant systems can eliminate these oxidized lipids and prevent disrupting the integrity of cell membranes. Epigenetic modifications can regulate ferroptosis by altering gene expression or cell phenotype without permanent sequence changes. These mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modifications, RNA modifications, and noncoding RNAs. Epigenetic alterations in cancer can control the expression of ferroptosis regulators or related pathways, leading to changes in cell sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers or cancer progression. Epigenetic alterations in cancer are influenced by a wide range of cancer hallmarks, contributing to therapeutic resistance. Targeting epigenetic alterations is a promising approach to overcoming cancer resilience. However, the exact mechanisms involved in different types of cancer remain unresolved. Discovering more ferroptosis-associated epigenetic targets and interventions can help overcome current barriers in anticancer therapy. Many papers on epigenetic modifications of ferroptosis have been continuously published, making it essential to summarize the current state-of-the-art in the epigenetic regulation of ferroptosis in human cancer.

Integrative analysis reveals that SLC38A1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling via glutamine mediated energy metabolism

Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rather frequent, little is known about the molecular pathways underlying its development, progression, and prognosis. In the current study, we comprehensively analyzed the deferentially expressed metabolism-related genes (MRGs) in HCC based on TCGA datasets attempting to discover the potentially prognostic genes in HCC. The up-regulated MRGs were further subjected to analyze their prognostic values and protein expressions. Twenty-seven genes were identified because their high expressions were significant in OS, PFS, DFS, DSS, and HCC tumor samples. They were then used for GO, KEGG, methylation, genetics changes, immune infiltration analyses. Moreover, we established a prognostic model in HCC using univariate assays and LASSO regression based on these MRGs. Additionally, we also found that SLC38A1, an amino acid metabolism closely related transporter, was a potential prognostic gene in HCC, and its function in HCC was further studied using experiments. We found that the knockdown of SLC38A1 notably suppressed the growth and migration of HCC cells. Further studies revealed that SLC38A1 modulated the development of HCC cells by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling via glutamine mediated energy metabolism. In conclusion, this study identified the potentially prognostic MRGs in HCC and uncovered that SLC38A1 regulated HCC development and progression by regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling via glutamine mediated energy metabolism, which might provide a novel marker and potential therapeutic target in HCC.

Noncoding RNAs in cancer ferroptosis: From biology to clinical opportunity

Ferroptosis is a recently discovered pattern of programmed cell death that is nonapoptotic and irondependent. It is involved in lipid peroxidation dependent on reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis has been verified to play a crucial regulatory role in a variety of pathological courses of disease, in particularly cancer. Emerging research has highlighted the potential of ferroptosis in tumorigenesis, cancer development and resistance to chemotherapy. However, the regulatory mechanism of ferroptosis remains unclear, which limits the application of ferroptosis in cancer treatment. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are noncoding transcripts that regulate gene expression in various ways to affect the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. At present, the biological function and underlying regulatory mechanism of ncRNAs in cancer ferroptosis have been partially elucidated. Herein, we summarize the current knowledge of the central regulatory network of ferroptosis, with a focus on the regulatory functions of ncRNAs in cancer ferroptosis. The clinical application and prospects of ferroptosis-related ncRNAs in cancer diagnosis, prognosis and anticancer therapies are also discussed. Elucidating the function and mechanism of ncRNAs in ferroptosis, along with assessing the clinical significance of ferroptosis-related ncRNAs, provides new perspectives for understanding cancer biology and treatment approaches, which may benefit numerous cancer patients in the future.

The Regulation of Ferroptosis by Noncoding RNAs

As a novel form of regulated cell death, ferroptosis is characterized by intracellular iron and lipid peroxide accumulation, which is different from other regulated cell death forms morphologically, biochemically, and immunologically. Ferroptosis is regulated by iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, and antioxidant defense systems as well as various transcription factors and related signal pathways. Emerging evidence has highlighted that ferroptosis is associated with many physiological and pathological processes, including cancer, neurodegeneration diseases, cardiovascular diseases, and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Noncoding RNAs are a group of functional RNA molecules that are not translated into proteins, which can regulate gene expression in various manners. An increasing number of studies have shown that noncoding RNAs, especially miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, can interfere with the progression of ferroptosis by modulating ferroptosis-related genes or proteins directly or indirectly. In this review, we summarize the basic mechanisms and regulations of ferroptosis and focus on the recent studies on the mechanism for different types of ncRNAs to regulate ferroptosis in different physiological and pathological conditions, which will deepen our understanding of ferroptosis regulation by noncoding RNAs and provide new insights into employing noncoding RNAs in ferroptosis-associated therapeutic strategies.

Ferroptosis in lung cancer: a novel pathway regulating cell death and a promising target for drug therapy

Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor that occurs in the human body and poses a serious threat to human health and quality of life. The existing treatment methods mainly include surgical treatment, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. However, due to the strong metastatic characteristics of lung cancer and the emergence of related drug resistance and radiation resistance, the overall survival rate of lung cancer patients is not ideal. There is an urgent need to develop new treatment strategies or new effective drugs to treat lung cancer. Ferroptosis, a novel type of programmed cell death, is different from the traditional cell death pathways such as apoptosis, necrosis, pyroptosis and so on. It is caused by the increase of iron-dependent reactive oxygen species due to intracellular iron overload, which leads to the accumulation of lipid peroxides, thus inducing cell membrane oxidative damage, affecting the normal life process of cells, and finally promoting the process of ferroptosis. The regulation of ferroptosis is closely related to the normal physiological process of cells, and it involves iron metabolism, lipid metabolism, and the balance between oxygen-free radical reaction and lipid peroxidation. A large number of studies have confirmed that ferroptosis is a result of the combined action of the cellular oxidation/antioxidant system and cell membrane damage/repair, which has great potential application in tumor therapy. Therefore, this review aims to explore potential therapeutic targets for ferroptosis in lung cancer by clarifying the regulatory pathway of ferroptosis. Based on the study of ferroptosis, the regulation mechanism of ferroptosis in lung cancer was understood and the existing chemical drugs and natural compounds targeting ferroptosis in lung cancer were summarized, with the aim of providing new ideas for the treatment of lung cancer. In addition, it also provides the basis for the discovery and clinical application of chemical drugs and natural compounds targeting ferroptosis to effectively treat lung cancer.

Construction and validation of a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for the prediction of the prognosis of LUAD and LUSC

Lung cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant tumors worldwide, with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) accounting for the majority of cases. Cuproptosis, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) have been demonstrated to be associated with tumorigenesis. The objective of the present study was to develop a novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature to assess the association between cuproptosis and TIME in patients with LUAD or LUSC and to predict prognosis. Based on the outputs of the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression model, a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature was developed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated to confirm the predictive ability of the signature. Univariate and multivariate analysis was also performed to determine the association between overall survival and this signature and other clinical characteristics, and a nomogram was created. Additionally, the relationship between the signature, TIME, tumor mutation burden and m6A methylation was established. The results of the present study revealed that 8 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs were associated with the prognosis of patients with LUAD and LUSC. This novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature is associated with TIME and m6A methylation in LUAD and LUSC and can predict prognosis with accuracy.

A microarray data analysis investigating the pathogenesis and potential biomarkers of autophagy and ferroptosis in intervertebral disc degeneration

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) entails complex pathological changes and causes lower back pain (LBP). However, there is still a lack of understanding of the mechanisms involved in IDD, particularly regarding the roles of autophagy and ferroptosis. The current study used microarray data to investigate the pathogenesis of IDD and potential biomarkers related to autophagy and ferroptosis in IDD. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified by analyzing the mRNA and miRNA expression profiles of IDD patients from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were utilized. The Human Autophagy Database (HADb) and Ferroptosis Database were used in conjunction with hub genes to identify autophagy- and ferroptosis-related genes. The Transcription Factor -hub gene-miRNA network was constructed. Lastly, the expression of DEGs in normal and degenerated nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) was investigated via the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: A total of 362 DEGs associated with IDD were identified. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that oxidative stress, extracellular matrix, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and ferroptosis were key factors in IDD occurrence. GSEA indicated that IDD was associated with changes in autophagy, iron ion homeostasis, extracellular matrix, and oxidative stress. Eighty-nine hub genes were obtained, including five that were autophagy-related and three that were ferroptosis-related. Of these, TP53 and SESN2 were the intersections of autophagy- and ferroptosis-related genes. In qRT-PCR analysis, CANX, SLC38A1, and TP53 were downregulated in degenerative NPCs, whereas GNAI3, SESN2, and VAMP3 were upregulated. Conclusion: The current study revealed aspects of autophagy- and ferroptosis-related genes involved in IDD pathogenesis, warranting further investigation.