UBE2C affects breast cancer proliferation through the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

UBE2C regulates the KEAP1/NRF2 signaling pathway to promote the growth of gastric cancer by inhibiting autophagy

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, ranking fourth in incidence and second in mortality among malignant tumors. In recent years, there has been some progress in biological treatment and targeted treatment for gastric cancer, but the prognosis for gastric cancer patients remains pessimistic, and the molecular mechanisms involved are not yet clear. In this study, bioinformatics analysis showed that Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C(UBE2C) was abnormally expressed in various types of cancer. Furthermore, UBE2C protein and mRNA expression was significantly elevated in gastric cancer tissues and cells. Silencing UBE2C significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells. Mechanistically, UBE2C overexpression inhibited gastric cancer cell autophagy, leading to the accumulation of p62. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation results showed that UBE2C overexpression promoted the interaction between p62 and KEAP1, while inhibiting the binding of NRF2 to KEAP1, thereby weakening the ubiquitination and degradation of NRF2. In addition, the silencing of UBE2C leads to a reduction in the nuclear accumulation of NRF2. Importantly, the NRF2 activator TBHQ reversed the inhibition of gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration caused by the silencing of UBE2C. In summary, our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of UBE2C in anti-cancer therapy.

UBE2C enhances temozolomide resistance by regulating the expression of p53 to induce aerobic glycolysis in glioma

UBE2C is overexpressed in gliomas, and its overexpression has been reported to be correlated with the drug resistance of gliomas to some extent. In this study, we explore the role of UBE2C in regulating temozolomide (TMZ) resistance in glioma and investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. Twenty normal brain tissues and 100 glioma tissues from 50 TMZ-resistant patients and 50 TMZ-sensitive patients are included in this study. TMZ-resistant cell lines are constructed to explore the role of UBE2C in regulating glioma cell viability and TMZ resistance. Our results show that both the mRNA and protein levels of UBE2C are significantly elevated in the brain tissues of glioma patients, especially in those of TMZ-resistant patients. Consistently, UBE2C expression is markedly upregulated in TMZ-resistant cell lines. Overexpression of UBE2C rescues glioma cells from TMZ-mediated apoptosis and enhances cell viability. In contrast, downregulation of UBE2C expression further enhances TMZ function, increases cell apoptosis and decreases cell viability. Mechanistically, UBE2C overexpression decreases p53 expression and enhances aerobic glycolysis level by increasing ATP level, lactate production, and glucose uptake. Downregulation of p53 level abolishes the role of UBE2C downregulation in inhibiting TMZ resistance and aerobic glycolysis in glioma cells. Moreover, an animal assay confirms that downregulation of UBE2C expression further suppresses tumor growth in the context of TMZ treatment. Collectively, this study reveals that downregulation of UBE2C expression enhances the sensitivity of glioma cells to TMZ by regulating the expression of p53 to inhibit aerobic glycolysis.

Deciphering the miRNA-mRNA Interaction Landscape between Breast Cancer and Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: An Integrated Bioinformatics Approach

Breast cancer (BC) is globally recognized as the second most prevalent form of cancer. It predominantly affects women and can be categorized into distinct types based on the overexpression of specific cancer receptors.The key receptors implicated in this context are the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PR), alongside a particularly intricate subclass known as triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This subclassification is critical for the stratification of breast cancer and informs therapeutic decision-making processes. Due to a lack of therapeutic targets, such as growth factor receptors, TNBC is the most aggressive type. Hence, identifying targetable regulators such as miRNAs could pave the way for potential therapeutic interventions. To identify common differentially expressed mRNAs (DE-mRNAs) in BC, including TNBC, we leveraged two data sets from the GEO collection and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Significant DE-mRNAs were identified through PPI, MCODE, CytoNCA, and CytoHubba analyses. Following this, miRNAs were predicted using mirDIP. We utilized GSE42568, GSE185645, and TCGA and identified 159 common DE-mRNAs. Using Cytoscape plug-ins, we identified the 10 most significant DE-mRNAs in BC. Using mirDIP, target miRNAs for 10 DE-mRNAs were identified. We conducted an advanced analysis on the TNBC GEO data set (GSE45498) to corroborate the significance of shared DE-mRNAs and DE-miRNAs in TNBC. We identified four downregulated DE-miRNAs, including hsa-miR-802, hsa-miR-1258, hsa-miR-548a-3p, and hsa-miR-2053, significantly associated with TNBC. Our study revealed significant miRNA-mRNA interactions, specifically hsa-miR-802/MELK, hsa-miR-1258/NCAPG, miR-548a-3p/CCNA2, and hsa-miR-2053/NUSAP1, in both BC and TNBC. The observed downregulation of hsa-miR-548a-3p is associated with diminished survival rates in BC patients, emphasizing their potential utility as prognostic indicators. Furthermore, the differential expression of mRNAs, including CCNB2, UBE2C, MELK, and KIF2C, correlates with reduced survival outcomes, signifying their critical role as potential targets for therapeutic intervention in both BC and TNBC. These findings highlight specific regulatory mechanisms that are potentially crucial for understanding and treating these cancer types.

UBE2C promotes myoblast differentiation and skeletal muscle regeneration through the Akt signaling pathway

Ubiquitin-conjugation enzyme E2C (UBE2C) is a crucial component of the ubiquitin-proteasome system that is involved in numerous cancers. In this study, we find that UBE2C expression is significantly increased in mouse embryos, a critical stage during skeletal muscle development. We further investigate the function of UBE2C in myogenesis. Knockdown of UBE2C inhibits C2C12 cell differentiation and decreases the expressions of MyoG and MyHC, while overexpression of UBE2C promotes C2C12 cell differentiation. Additionally, knockdown of UBE2C, specifically in the tibialis anterior muscle (TA), severely impedes muscle regeneration in vivo. Mechanistically, we show that UBE2C knockdown reduces the level of phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-Akt) and promotes the degradation of Akt. These findings suggest that UBE2C plays a critical role in myoblast differentiation and muscle regeneration and that UBE2C regulates myogenesis through the Akt signaling pathway.

UBE2C promotes the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia cells through PI3K/AKT activation

This study aims to investigate the role and mechanism of tubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 C (UBE2C) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Initially, UBE2C expression in leukemia was analyzed using the Cancer Genome Atlas database. Further, we silenced UBE2C expression using small-hairpin RNA (sh-RNA). UBE2C expression was detected via the quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Apoptotic events and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by flow cytometry. A xenograft model of leukemia cells were established, and the protein levels of UBE2C, KI-67, and cleaved-caspase 3 were detected by immunohistochemistry. We reported an overexpression of UBE2C in leukemia patients and cell lines (HL60, THP-1, U937, and KG-1 cells). Moreover, a high expression level of UBE2C was correlated with a dismal prognosis in AML patients. UBE2C knockdown inhibited the viability and promoted apoptosis in AML cells by regulating the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway. Furthermore, UBE2C knockdown increased cellular Fe2+ and ROS levels, and enhanced erastin-induced ferroptosis in a proteasome-dependent manner. UBE2C knockdown also suppressed the tumor formation of AML cells in the mouse model. In summary, our findings suggest that UBE2C overexpression promotes the proliferation and inhibits ferroptosis in AML cells by activating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

JunB condensation attenuates vascular endothelial damage under hyperglycemic condition

Endothelial damage is the initial and crucial factor in the occurrence and development of vascular complications in diabetic patients, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Although hyperglycemia has been identified as a damaging effector, the detailed mechanisms remain elusive. In this study, identified by ATAC-seq and RNA-seq, JunB reverses the inhibition of proliferation and the promotion of apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells treated with high glucose, mainly through the cell cycle and p53 signaling pathways. Furthermore, JunB undergoes phase separation in the nucleus and in vitro, mediated by its intrinsic disordered region and DNA-binding domain. Nuclear localization and condensation behaviors are required for JunB-mediated proliferation and apoptosis. Thus, our study uncovers the roles of JunB and its coacervation in repairing vascular endothelial damage caused by high glucose, elucidating the involvement of phase separation in diabetes and diabetic endothelial dysfunction.

Exploring Prognostic Gene Factors in Breast Cancer via Machine Learning

Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer in women. To date, its underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully uncovered. The determination of gene factors is important to improve our understanding on breast cancer, which can correlate the specific gene expression and tumor staging. However, the knowledge in this regard is still far from complete. Thus, this study aimed to explore these knowledge gaps by analyzing existing gene expression profile data from 3149 breast cancer samples, where each sample was represented by the expression of 19,644 genes and classified into Nottingham histological grade (NHG) classes (Grade 1, 2, and 3). To this end, a machine learning-based framework was designed. First, the profile data were analyzed by using seven feature ranking algorithms to evaluate the importance of features (genes). Seven feature lists were generated, each of which sorted features in accordance with feature importance evaluated from a special aspect. Then, the incremental feature selection method was applied to each list to determine essential features for classification and building efficient classifiers. Consequently, overlapping genes, such as AURKA, CBX2, and MYBL2, were deemed as potentially related to breast cancer malignancy and prognosis, indicating that such genes were identified to be important by multiple feature ranking algorithms. In addition, the study formulated classification rules to reflect special gene expression patterns for three NHG classes. Some genes and rules were analyzed and supported by recent literature, providing new references for studying breast cancer.

Circ_0059457 Promotes Proliferation, Metastasis, Sphere Formation and Glycolysis in Breast Cancer Cells by Sponging miR-140-3p to Regulate UBE2C

Circular RNA (circRNA) has been confirmed to regulate breast cancer (BC) progression. However, the role of circ_0059457 in BC progression is still unclear.The expression of circ_0059457, taspase 1 (TASP1), microRNA (miR)-140-3p and ubiquitin-binding enzyme E2C (UBE2C) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion and sphere formation ability were assessed by cell counting kit-8 assay, EdU assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and sphere formation assay. Cell glycolysis was assessed by detecting glucose uptake, lactate levels and ATP/ADP ratio. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay, RNA pull-down assay were used to validate RNA interaction. Xenograft tumor model to assess the effect of circ_0059457 on BC tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0059457 had elevated expression in BC tissues and cells. Circ_0059457 knockdown inhibited BC cell proliferation, metastasis, sphere formation ability, and glycolysis. In terms of mechanism, circ_0059457 sponged miR-140-3p, and miR-140-3p targeted UBE2C. MiR-140-3p inhibition reversed the effect of circ_0059457 knockdown on BC cell malignant behaviors. Besides, miR-140-3p overexpression inhibited BC cell proliferation, metastasis, sphere formation ability and glycolysis, and these effects were abrogated by UBE2C enhancement. Furthermore, circ_0059457 regulated UBE2C expression through sponging miR-140-3p. Additionally, circ_0059457 knockdown obviously inhibited BC tumor growth in vivo. Circ_0059457 promoted BC progression via miR-140-3p/UBE2C axis, which provided potential target for the treatment of BC.

UBE2C is a diagnosis and therapeutic biomarker involved in immune infiltration of cancers including lung adenocarcinoma

The mechanism of action of UBE2C in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its significance in cancer diagnosis, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, even in pan-cancer, are still unclear. Several large public databases and online analysis tools were used for big data mining analysis. RNA interference technology, CCK8 assay, flow cytometry and apoptosis detection, and western blot were used for in vitro experiments. UBE2C was found to be overexpressed in various of tumors, including LUAD, and its expression level was found to be significantly related to gender, weight, tumor stage, grade and prognosis in LUAD. Downregulation of UBE2C expression induced proliferation suppression and G2/M phase arrest and cell apoptosis in LUAD cells and suppressed LUAD cell growth through inhibiting the Akt-mTOR signaling pathway. Expression level of UBE2C was negatively correlated with B cells and CD4+ T cell, and also with immune checkpoint genes in LUAD. Pan-cancer assay shown that UBE2C was significantly overexpressed in 28 cancers and was correlated with Ki-67 index in many cancers. Overexpression of UBE2C in BRCA, LUAD and MESO indicated worse Overall Survival (OS). UBE2C expression levels were positively associated with immunocyte infiltration, immune regulatory genes, immune checkpoints, TMB, MSI and MMRs in some cancers. Additionally, Single-cell functional analysis showed that UBE2C was positively correlated with cell cycle, proliferation, DNA damage, EMT, DNA repair, invasion and differentiation in some cancers. These findings suggested that UBE2C could be regarded as a latent diagnosis and prognostic biomarker and a new target for immunological therapy of cancers including LUAD.

Exploring the mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of butein in colorectal cancer using network pharmacology and single-cell RNA sequencing data

BACKGROUND

Butein has shown substantial potential as a cancer treatment, but its precise mechanism of action in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. This study aimed to uncover the underlying mechanisms through which butein operates in CRC and to identify potential biomarkers through a comprehensive investigation.

METHODS

Target genes associated with butein were sourced from SwissTargetPrediction, CTD, BindingDB and TargetNet. Gene expression data from the GSE38026 dataset and the single-cell dataset (GSE222300) were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The activation of disease-related pathways was assessed using Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, Gene Ontology and differential gene analysis. Disease-associated genes were identified through differential analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). The protein-protein interaction network was utilized to pinpoint potential drug targets. Molecular complex detection (MCODE) analysis was employed to uncover relevant genes influenced by butein within key subgroup networks. Machine learning techniques were applied for the screening of potential biomarkers, with receiver operating characteristic curves used to evaluate their clinical significance. Single-cell analysis was conducted to assess the pharmacological targets of butein in CRC, with validation performed using the external dataset GSE40967.

RESULTS

A total of 232 target genes for butein were identified. Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant enrichment of signaling pathways, including mitogen-activated protein kinase, JAK-STAT and NF-κB, among these genes. Differential analysis, in conjunction with WGCNA, yielded 520 disease-related genes. Subsequently, a disease-drug-gene network consisting of 727 targets was established, and a subnetwork containing 56 crucial genes was extracted. Important pathways such as the FoxO signaling pathway exhibited significant enrichment within these key genes. Machine learning applied to the 56 important genes led to the identification of a potential biomarker, UBE2C. Receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated the excellent clinical predictive utility of UBE2C. Single-cell analysis suggested that butein's therapeutic effects might be linked to its influence on epithelial and T cells, with UBE2C expression associated with these cell types. Validation using the external dataset GSE40967 further confirmed the exceptional clinical predictive capability of UBE2C.

CONCLUSION

This study combines network pharmacology with single-cell analysis to unravel the mechanisms underlying butein's effects in CRC. Notably, UBE2C emerged as a promising biomarker with superior clinical efficacy. These research findings contribute significantly to our understanding of specific molecular mechanisms, potentially shaping future clinical practices.

Menthol induces apoptosis and inhibits proliferation and migration of nonsmall cell lung carcinoma in vitro and in vivo through Akt pathway

BACKGROUND

About 40% of nonsmall cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) have already progressed in an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis. Development of effective prevention and therapy approaches against NSCLC is critical for reducing mortality. As a fundamental ingredient of peppermint oil, menthol has been demonstrated to possess an antitumor activity in several types of carcinomas. However, the potential role of menthol on NSCLC has not been reported. The present study aims to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of menthol on proliferation, apoptosis, and mobility of human lung adenocarcinoma.

METHODS

Cell apoptosis was examined by MTT and flow cytometry. The motility of cells was determined by Transwell assay. Western blot analysis was performed to determine expression level of proteins. In vivo model of nude mice was established for evaluating the influence of menthol on tumorigenicity of A549 cells. The expression lentiviral vector of Akt was established in NSCLC cells for further verifying the inhibiting effect of menthol on survival and mobility of NSCLC cells via Akt pathway.

RESULTS

The results showed that menthol promoted A549 cell apoptosis, suppressed cell proliferation, and motility by altering the phosphorylated protein level of Akt. Menthol enhanced the expression level of Bax while decreasing expression of Bcl-2, Caspase-3, and MMPs proteins. In vivo experiments suggested that menthol exhibited an inhibitory effect in tumor growth on xenografts. These results were further validated in Akt over-expressed A549 and H1299 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Menthol could display an inhibitory effect on NSCLC cells through Akt signaling pathway, making it a potential target for NSCLC treatment.

Development and validation of a circulating tumor cells-related signature focusing on biochemical recurrence and immunotherapy response in prostate cancer

Background

Studies have shown that the circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a key role for invasion and formation of distant metastases in prostate cancer (PCa). However, few CTCs-related genes (CRGs) have been developed for biochemical recurrence (BCR) prediction and clinical applications of PCa patients.

Materials and methods

Bioinformatics analysis with public PCa datasets were used to investigate the relationship between the differentially expressed CRGs and BCR. Lasso-COX regression analysis was used to constructed and validated a CRGs-based BCR prediction signature for PCa. Single-cell data were used to validate the expression levels of signature genes in different cell types and then explored the cell-cell communication relationships. Finally, the expression levels of signature genes were verified and the CRGs involved in immunotherapy response were further identified.

Results

Thirteen CRGs were differentially expressed and closely associated with BCR in PCa. Then we constructed and validated a BCR prediction signature for PCa patients based on 3 differentially expressed CRGs (EMID1, SPP1 and UBE2C), and the signature was an independent factor to predict BCR for PCa. Single-cell data showed the specific expression patterns of the signature genes, while the SPP1 pathway plays an important role in cell-cell communication. Further analyses suggested UBE2C was highly expressed in BCR group and high expression of UBE2C had a better response for patients who received immunotherapy. Moreover, the expression levels of UBE2C in CTCs were higher than other cells and tissues, indicated that UBE2C may affect the BCR event of PCa patients through CTCs.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated that CRGs were significantly associated with BCR and immunotherapy efficacy in PCa and CRGs may influence the BCR event through CTCs.

Role of UBE2C in Brain Cancer Invasion and Dissemination

Glioblastoma (GB) and brain metastases (BM) are the most common brain tumors in adults and are invariably associated with a dismal outcome. These highly malignant tumors share common features including increased invasion and migration of the primary or metastatic brain cancer cells, whose triggering mechanisms are largely unknown. Emerging evidence has suggested that the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C), essential for controlling cell cycle progression, is overexpressed in diverse malignancies, including brain cancer. This review highlights the crucial role of UBE2C in brain tumorigenesis and its association with higher proliferative phenotype and histopathological grade, with autophagy and apoptosis suppression, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration, and dissemination. High expression of UBE2C has been associated with patients' poor prognosis and drug resistance. UBE2C has also been proven as a promising therapeutic target, despite the lack of specific inhibitors. Thus, there is a need to further explore the role of UBE2C in malignant brain cancer and to develop effective targeted therapies for patients with this deadly disease.

System analysis identifies UBE2C as a novel oncogene target for adrenocortical carcinoma

Ubiquitin Conjugating Enzyme 2C (UBE2C) is an emerging target gene for tumor progression. However, the tumorigenic effect and mechanism of UBE2C in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) remains unclear. Systematic investigation of the tumorigenic effect of UBE2C may help in understanding its prognostic value in adrenocortical carcinoma. First, we exploited the intersection on DFS-related genes, OS-related genes, highly expressed genes in adrenocortical carcinoma as well as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between tumor and normal, and then obtained 20 candidate genes. UBE2C was identified to be the most significant DEG between tumor and normal. It is confirmed that high expression of UBE2C was strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with ACC by analyzing RNA-seq data of ACC obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database implemented by ACLBI Web-based Tools. UBE2C expression could also promote m6A modification and stemness in ACC. We found that UBE2C expression is positively associated with the expression of CDC20, CDK1, and CCNA2 using ACLBI Web-based Tools, indicated the hyperactive cell cycle progression present in ACC with high UBE2C expression. In addition, UBE2C knockdown could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT of adrenocortical carcinoma cells as well as the cell cycle progression in vitro. Notably, pan-cancer analysis also identified UBE2C as an oncogene in various tumors. Taken together, UBE2C was strongly associated with poor prognosis of patients with ACC by promoting cell cycle progression and EMT. This study provides a new theoretical basis for the development of UBE2C as a molecular target for the treatment of ACC.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in breast cancer: The crosstalk with oncogenic and onco-suppressor factors in regulation of cancer hallmarks

Low oxygen level at tumor microenvironment leads to a condition, known as hypoxia that is implicated in cancer progression. Upon hypoxia, HIF-1α undergoes activation and due to its oncogenic function and interaction with other molecular pathways, promotes tumor progression. The HIF-1α role in regulating breast cancer progression is described, Overall, HIF-1α has upregulation in breast tumor and due to its tumor-promoting function, its upregulation is in favor of breast tumor progression. HIF-1α overexpression prevents apoptosis in breast tumor and it promotes cell cycle progression. Silencing HIF-1α triggers cycle arrest and decreases growth. Migration of breast tumor enhances by HIF-1α signaling and it mainly induces EMT in providing metastasis. HIF-1α upregulation stimulates drug resistance and radio-resistance in breast tumor. Furthermore, HIF-1α signaling induces immune evasion of breast cancer. Berberine and pharmacological intervention suppress HIF-1α signaling in breast tumor and regulation of HIF-1α by non-coding RNAs occurs. Furthermore, HIF-1α is a biomarker in clinic.

Modulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system by phytochemicals: Therapeutic implications in malignancies with an emphasis on brain tumors

Regarding the multimechanistic nature of cancers, current chemo- or radiotherapies often fail to eradicate disease pathology, and frequent relapses or resistance to therapies occur. Brain malignancies, particularly glioblastomas, are difficult-to-treat cancers due to their highly malignant and multidimensional biology. Unfortunately, patients suffering from malignant tumors often experience poor prognoses and short survival periods. Thus far, significant efforts have been conducted to discover novel and more effective modalities. To that end, modulation of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) has attracted tremendous interest since it affects the homeostasis of proteins critically engaged in various cell functions, for example, cell metabolism, survival, proliferation, and differentiation. With their safe and multimodal actions, phytochemicals are among the promising therapeutic tools capable of turning the operation of various UPS elements. The present review, along with an updated outline of the role of UPS dysregulation in multiple cancers, provided a detailed discussion on the impact of phytochemicals on the UPS function in malignancies, especially brain tumors.

FOXM1-regulated ZIC2 promotes the malignant phenotype of renal clear cell carcinoma by activating UBE2C/mTOR signaling pathway

Background: As a transcription factor, Zic family member 2 (ZIC2) has been involved in more and more studies of tumorigenesis, which has been proved by our research team to be an effective prognostic marker for Pan-cancer. However, the prognosis, tumor promoting effect and regulatory mechanism of ZIC2 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still unknown. Methods: The potential clinical significance of ZIC2 was evaluated by bioinformatics analysis using data from TCGA, GEO, and ArrayExpress data sets. WB and IHC were used to detect ZIC2 expression in tumors and adjacent tissues. CCK-8, EdU, colony formation, cell cycle, wound healing, transwell, subcutaneous xenograft, and lung metastasis models were used to detect the biological function of ZIC2. The regulatory mechanism of ZIC2 was confirmed by data of RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, MS-PCR, Chip-PCR, and luciferase reporter experiments. Results: ZIC2 was markedly upregulated and correlated with poor clinicopathological features in ccRCC. Knockdown of ZIC2 resulted in reduced cell proliferation, invasion, migration, induction of G2/M phase arrest, and reduced tumor formation and lung metastasis in nude mice. The opposite was observed after overexpression. Mechanistically, the high expression of ZIC2 is regulated by hypomethylation and high H3K4Me3 in the promoter region, as well as positive transcriptional regulation by FOXM1. And then, ZIC2 transcriptase-positively regulates UBE2C and activates AKT/mTOR signaling pathway to promote tumor malignant progression. Conclusion: This study reveals that FOXM1-ZIC2-UBE2C-mTOR signaling axis promotes the progression of ccRCC, which can be used as a prognostic indicator and potential therapeutic target.

The ubiquitin-proteasome system in breast cancer

Ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is a selective proteolytic system that is associated with the expression or function of target proteins and participates in various physiological and pathological processes of breast cancer. Inhibitors targeting the 26S proteasome in combination with other drugs have shown promising therapeutic effects in the clinical treatment of breast cancer. Moreover, several inhibitors/stimulators targeting other UPS components are also effective in preclinical studies, but have not yet been applied in the clinical treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, it is vital to comprehensively understand the functions of ubiquitination in breast cancer and to identify potential tumor promoters or tumor suppressors among UPS family members, with the aim of developing more effective and specific inhibitors/stimulators targeting specific components of this system.

Immune-related biomarkers predict the prognosis and immune response of breast cancer based on bioinformatic analysis and machine learning

Breast cancer (BC) is the malignancy with the highest mortality rate among women, identification of immune-related biomarkers facilitates precise diagnosis and improvement of the survival rate in early-stage BC patients. 38 hub genes significantly positively correlated with tumor grade were identified based on weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) by integrating the clinical traits and transcriptome analysis. Six candidate genes were screened from 38 hub genes basing on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)-Cox and random forest. Four upregulated genes (CDC20, CDCA5, TTK and UBE2C) were identified as biomarkers with the log-rank p < 0.05, in which high expression levels of them showed a poor overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). A risk model was finally constructed using LASSO-Cox regression coefficients and it possessed superior capability to identify high risk patients and predict OS (p < 0.0001, AUC at 1-, 3- and 5-years are 0.81, 0.73 and 0.79, respectively). Decision curve analysis demonstrated risk score was the best prognostic predictor, and low risk represented a longer survival time and lower tumor grade. Importantly, multiple immune cell types and immunotherapy targets were observed increase in expression levels in high-risk group, most of which were significantly correlated with four genes. In summary, the immune-related biomarkers could accurately predict the prognosis and character the immune responses in BC patients. In addition, the risk model is conducive to the tiered diagnosis and treatment of BC patients.

High expression of ABCF1 is an independent predictor of poor prognosis in bladder cancer

ABCF1, a member of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, is involved in the malignant progression of tumors. However, the role of ABCF1 in bladder cancer is poorly understood. In our study, we explored the differential expression of ABCF1 in bladder cancer and normal bladder tissues based on bioinformatic analysis and immunohistochemical results. GSEA was performed to ascertain the potential related signaling pathways of ABCF1. The relationship between ABCF1 expression and bladder cancer progression was analyzed using the GSE13507 dataset. In addition, the differential expression of ABCF1 in the cell lines was verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR) and Western blotting. ABCF1 was upregulated in bladder cancer, and the high expression of ABCF1 was closely related to sex (P = 0.00056), grade (P = 0.00049), T stage (P = 0.00007), and N stage (P = 0.0076). High expression of ABCF1 was correlated with poor overall survival in bladder cancer patients (P < 0.001). In addition, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that high ABCF1 expression was an independent factor for poor prognosis in bladder cancer patients. Therefore, ABCF1 expression is closely related to the progression of bladder cancer and can be used as a potential indicator of poor prognosis and a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

Mining TCGA Database for Genes with Prognostic Value in Breast Cancer

The aim of the study was to use transcriptomics data to identify genes associated with advanced/aggressive breast cancer and their effect on survival outcomes. We used the publicly available The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to obtain RNA sequence data from patients with less than five years survival (Poor Prognosis, n = 101), patients with greater than five years survival (Good Prognosis, n = 200), as well as unpaired normal tissue data (normal, n = 105). The data analyses performed included differential expression between groups and selection of subsets of genes, gene ontology, cell enrichment analysis, and survival analyses. Gene ontology results showed significantly reduced enrichment in gene sets related to tumor immune microenvironment in Poor Prognosis and cell enrichment analysis confirmed significantly reduced numbers of macrophages M1, CD8 T cells, plasma cells and dendritic cells in samples in the Poor Prognosis samples compared with Good Prognosis. A subset of 742 genes derived from differential expression analysis as well as genes coding for immune checkpoint molecules was evaluated for their effect on overall survival. In conclusion, this study may contribute to the better understanding of breast cancer transcriptomics and provide possible targets for further research and eventual therapeutic interventions.

Validation of a Disease-Free Survival Prediction Model Using UBE2C and Clinical Indicators in Breast Cancer Patients

Objective

To explore the validation of a disease-free survival (DFS) model for predicting disease progression based on the combination of ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 C (UBE2C) levels and clinical indicators in breast cancer patients.

Methods

We enrolled 121 patients with breast cancer, collected their baseline characteristics and follow-up data, and analyzed the UBE2C levels in tumor tissues. We studied the relationship between UBE2C expression in tumor tissues and disease progression events of patients. We used the Kaplan-Meier method for identifying the disease-free survival rate of patients, and the multivariate Cox regression analysis to study the risk factors affecting the prognosis of patients. We sought to develop and validate a model for predicting disease progression.

Results

We found that the level of expression of UBE2C could effectively distinguish the prognosis of patients. In the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the Area under the ROC Curve (AUC) = 0.826 (0.714-0.938) indicating that high levels of UBE2C was a high-risk factor for poor prognosis. After evaluating different models using the ROC curve, Concordance index (C-index), calibration curve, Net Reclassification Index (NRI), Integrated Discrimination Improvement Index (IDI), and other methods, we finally developed a model for the expression of Tumor-Node (TN) staging using Ki-67 and UBE2C, which had an AUC=0.870, 95% CI of 0.786-0.953. The traditional TN model had an AUC=0.717, and 95% CI of 0.581-0.853. Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) and Clinical Impact Curve (CIC) analysis indicated that the model had good clinical benefits and it was relatively simple to use.

Conclusion

We found that high levels of UBE2C was a high-risk factor for poor prognosis. The use of UBE2C in addition to other breast cancer-related indicators effectively predicted the possible disease progression, thus providing a reliable basis for clinical decision-making.

DNA repair/recombination protein 54L promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma by activating mTORC1 pathway

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most prevalent form of lung cancer and has a poor prognosis. RAD54L is a DNA repair protein upregulated in several cancer types, but its role in LUAD progression remains unclear. The objective of this study was to characterise the molecular pathways that oncogenic RAD54L modulates to drive LUAD progression. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)‒LUAD dataset was analysed to compare the RAD54L mRNA expression in LUAD tumours to that in normal lung tissue. RAD54L and E2F7 mRNA expression was confirmed in human cancer cell lines using RT-qPCR. Bioinformatics tools were used to predict the target genes and downstream signalling pathways of RAD54L. Proteins related to RAD54L, apoptosis, migration, and the mTORC1 pathway were assessed by Western blotting. Using the TCGA‒LUAD dataset, we found that RAD54L was higher in LUAD tumours compared to that in non-cancerous lung tissue, and RAD54L levels were significantly correlated with pathological TNM stage and unfavourable prognosis in patients with LUAD. RAD54L was ubiquitously upregulated in LUAD cells (NCI-H1975, H1299, H23 and A549). Furthermore, RAD54L silencing decreased cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, and induced cell apoptosis and G1 cell cycle phase arrest in H1299 and H23 human lung cancer cell lines. E2F7 was predicted as a target gene of RAD54L. E2F7 overexpression restored malignant cell behaviour in si-RAD54L-treated H1299 cells. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the mTORC1 signalling pathway is downstream of RAD54L. Rapamycin treatment impaired RAD54L-mediated malignant cell behaviour in H1299 cells. Additionally, RAD54L promoted the progression of xenograft tumours and metastasis in vivo. In conclusion, the E2F7-RAD54L axis promotes the progression of LUAD through the mTORC1 signalling pathway.

Metabolic reprogramming in the immunosuppression of tumor-associated macrophages

ABSTRACT

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are an essential proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and have immunosuppressive functions. The high plasticity and corresponding phenotypic transformation of TAMs facilitate oncogenesis and progression, and suppress antineoplastic responses. Due to the uncontrolled proliferation of tumor cells, metabolism homeostasis is regulated, leading to a series of alterations in the metabolite profiles in the TME, which have a commensurate influence on immune cells. Metabolic reprogramming of the TME has a profound impact on the polarization and function of TAMs, and can alter their metabolic profiles. TAMs undergo a series of metabolic reprogramming processes, involving glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism, and other metabolic pathways, which terminally promote the development of the immunosuppressive phenotype. TAMs express a pro-tumor phenotype by increasing glycolysis, fatty acid oxidation, cholesterol efflux, and arginine, tryptophan, glutamate, and glutamine metabolism. Previous studies on the metabolism of TAMs demonstrated that metabolic reprogramming has intimate crosstalk with anti-tumor or pro-tumor phenotypes and is crucial for the function of TAMs themselves. Targeting metabolism-related pathways is emerging as a promising therapeutic modality because of the massive metabolic remodeling that occurs in malignant cells and TAMs. Evidence reveals that the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors is improved when combined with therapeutic strategies targeting metabolism-related pathways. In-depth research on metabolic reprogramming and potential therapeutic targets provides more options for anti-tumor treatment and creates new directions for the development of new immunotherapy methods. In this review, we elucidate the metabolic reprogramming of TAMs and explore how they sustain immunosuppressive phenotypes to provide a perspective for potential metabolic therapies.

Inhibition of MYC suppresses programmed cell death ligand-1 expression and enhances immunotherapy in triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising strategy against triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). One of the immunosuppressive pathways involves programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1), but many patients derived little benefit from PD-1/PD-L1 checkpoint blockades treatment. Prior research has shown that MYC, a master transcription amplifier highly expressed in TNBC cells, can regulate the tumor immune microenvironment and constrain the efficacy of immunotherapy. This study aims to investigate the regulatory relationship between MYC and PD-L1, and whether a cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor that inhibits MYC expression in combination with anti-PD-L1 antibodies can enhance the response to immunotherapy.

METHODS

Public databases and TNBC tissue microarrays were used to study the correlation between MYC and PD-L1. The expression of MYC and PD-L1 in TNBCs was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. A patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDTX) model was used to evaluate the influence of a CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 on PD-L1 expression. Cell proliferation and migration were detected by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) cell proliferation and cell migration assays. Tumor xenograft models were established for in vivo verification.

RESULTS

A high MYC expression level was associated with a poor prognosis and could alter the proportion of tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs). The positive correlation between MYC and PD-L1 was confirmed by immunostaining samples from 165 TNBC patients. Suppression of MYC in TNBC caused a reduction in the levels of both PD-L1 messenger RNA and protein. In addition, antitumor immune response was enhanced in the TNBC cancer xenograft mouse model with suppression of MYC by CDK7 inhibitor THZ1.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined therapy of CDK7 inhibitor THZ1 and anti-PD-L1 antibody appeared to have a synergistic effect, which might offer new insight for enhancing immunotherapy in TNBC.