TNFAIP8 overexpression is associated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in intestinal-type gastric adenocarcinoma

Intracellular checkpoints for NK cell cancer immunotherapy

Natural killer (NK) cells are key innate immune lymphocytes, which play important roles against tumors. However, tumor-infiltrating NK cells are always hypofunctional/exhaustive. On the one hand, this state is contributed by context-dependent interactions between inhibitory NK cell checkpoint receptors and their ligands, which usually vary in different tumor types and stages during tumor development. On the other hand, the inhibitory functions of intracellular checkpoint molecules of NK cells are more similar across different tumor types, representing common mechanisms limiting the potential of NK cell therapy. In this review, representative NK cell intracellular checkpoint molecules in different aspects of NK cell biology were reviewed, and therapeutic potentials were discussed by targeting these molecules to promote antitumor NK cell therapy.

Gastric tubular adenocarcinoma with diffuse neutrophils infiltrating: characteristics and probable treatment strategy

BACKGROUND

Gastric adenocarcinoma is a highly heterogeneous malignancy with varying prognoses. In clinicopathological practice, we noticed a special tubular adenocarcinoma with diffuse neutrophils infiltrating (TADNI). However, the proportion and characteristics of TADNI remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the features of TADNI and explore probable treatments.

METHODS

We divided 289 tubular adenocarcinoma cases into the TADNI and non-TADNI (nTADNI) groups by histological neutrophil quantity and performed immunohistochemistry of treatment-associated markers (CXCR1, CXCR2, PD-L1, CD8, HER2 and VEGFR2). Then we evaluated the clinical and morphological features in these cases. We also compared the value of histological features and peripheral blood neutrophil test. In addition, multiomics bioinformatic analyses were performed using the public datasets.

RESULTS

In our cohort, TADNI accounted for 10.4% of all tubular adenocarcinoma cases. These cases had worse prognoses (especially the neutrophils mainly outside the tubes) than nTADNI cases. The histological identification of TADNI had more prognostic value than peripheral blood neutrophils. CXCR1/CXCR2 expression was significantly high in TADNI group which indicated that CXCR1/CXCR2 inhibitors might be beneficial for TADNI patients. There were no significant differences in the expression of PD-L1, CD8, HER2 and VEGFR2. The analyses of TCGA data confirmed that TADNI cases had poorer prognoses and higher CXCR1/CXCR2 expression. Bioinformatic results also revealed molecular features (more hsa-mir-223 expression, fewer CD8-positive T cells and regulatory T cells, tighter communication between tumor cells' CXCR1/CXCR2 and neutrophils' CXCL5/CXCL8) of this type.

CONCLUSIONS

TADNI is a special morphological subtype with poorer prognoses and unique molecular characteristics, which might benefit from CXCR1/CXCR2 inhibitors.

TNFAIP8 modulates the survival and immune activity of Th17 cells via p53/ p21/ MDM2 pathway after acute insult

Th17 cells induced immunosuppression plays a vital role in sepsis. As a member of the tumor necrosis factor α induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) family, TNFAIP8 is associated with different physiopathological conditions with immunological responses. However, its potential roles in regulating Th17 cells after the acute insult have not been fully elucidated. In this study, sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in the male adult C57BL/6 mice. The stable TNFAIP8 knockdown (KD) Th17 cells were established by infecting with lentivirus carrying TNFAIP8-specific shRNA. CCK-8 assay was conducted to evaluate Th17 cell proliferation, and Annexin V/7-AAD assay was applied for apoptosis measurement by flow cytometry. The alterations of p53/ p21/ MDM2 pathway were assessed by Western blot. We observed that a high TNFAIP8 expression level was related to acute injury in septic mice. TNFAIP8 silencing suppressed Th17 cell proliferation and cytokine production in vivo and in vitro. In addition, TNFAIP8 KD increased Th17 cell apoptosis in septic mice. Furthermore, TNFAIP8 seems to affect the immune function of Th17 cells by regulating p53/ p21/ MDM2 signaling processes. We found that TNFAIP8 KD caused the up-regulation of P21 and MDM2, and also elevated p53 protein level during sepsis. Pharmacological inhibition of p53 partially rescued cell proliferation and apoptotic effects of TNFAIP8 KD. In summary, our work suggests that TNFAIP8 modulates the survival and immune function of Th17 cells after acute insult, which was possibly mediated through the p53/ p21/ MDM2 pathway.

Tumor necrosis factor-α induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8/TIPE) family is differentially expressed in oral cancer and regulates tumorigenesis through Akt/mTOR/STAT3 signaling cascade

BACKGROUND

Highest incidence of oral cancer is reported in India with reduced survival rate in the advanced stages due to lack of effective biomarkers. Therefore, it is essential to develop novel biomarkers for the better management of this disease. In the current study, TNFAIP8/TIPE protein family comprising of four proteins is explored for its role in oral cancer.

METHODS

IHC analysis of oral cancer TMA and Western blot analysis of tobacco treated oral cancer cells were performed to determine the differential expression of TIPE proteins in oral cancer. Further, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing was done to generate TIPE proteins' knockouts and MTT, colony formation, wound healing, cell cycle and Western blot analysis were performed to determine the effect of gene knockouts on various cancer hallmarks and the associated molecular targets of TIPE proteins.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

IHC results revealed that expression of TIPE, TIPE2 and TIPE3 were upregulated and TIPE1 was downregulated in oral cancer tissues compared to normal tissues. Similar results were observed upon treating oral cancer cells with tobacco carcinogens. Furthermore, knockout of TIPE or TIPE2 or TIPE3 significantly reduced the survival, proliferation, colony formation and migration of oral cancer cells whereas knockout of TIPE1 had an opposite effect. Further, TIPE, TIPE2 and TIPE3 knockout-mediated inhibition of proliferation was associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression at S or G2/M phases, and downregulation of proteins involved in cancer progression. We found that TIPE, TIPE1 and TIPE2 proteins regulate oral cancer progression through modulation of Akt/mTOR signaling cascade, whereas TIPE3 acts through an Akt-independent mTOR/STAT3 pathway.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, the TIPE proteins were proved to play significant roles in the progression of oral cancer thus warranting research and clinic attention for their therapeutic and prognostic values and raising the importance of specific targeting of TIPE proteins in cancer treatment.

Decoupling tumor cell metastasis from growth by cellular pilot protein TNFAIP8

Cancer metastasis accounts for nearly 90% of all cancer deaths. Metastatic cancer progression requires both cancer cell migration to the site of the metastasis and subsequent proliferation after colonization. However, it has long been recognized that cancer cell migration and proliferation can be uncoupled; but the mechanism underlying this paradox is not well understood. Here we report that TNFAIP8 (tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8), a "professional" transfer protein of phosphoinositide second messengers, promotes cancer cell migration or metastasis but inhibits its proliferation or cancer growth. TNFAIP8-deficient mice developed larger tumors, but TNFAIP8-deficient tumor cells completely lost their ability to migrate toward chemoattractants and were defective in colonizing lung tissues as compared to wild-type counterparts. Mechanistically, TNFAIP8 served as a cellular "pilot" of tumor cell migration by locally amplifying PI3K-AKT and Rac signals on the cell membrane facing chemoattractant; at the same time, TNFAIP8 also acted as a global inhibitor of tumor cell growth and proliferation by regulating Hippo signaling pathway. These findings help explain the migration-proliferation paradox of cancer cells that characterizes many cancers.

TIPE2 is a checkpoint of natural killer cell maturation and antitumor immunity

The maturation process of NK cells determines their functionality during which IL-15 plays a critical role. However, very few checkpoints specifically targeting this process have been discovered. Here, we report that TIPE2 expression gradually increased during NK cell ontogenesis correlating to their maturation stages in both mice and humans. NK-specific TIPE2 deficiency increased mature NK cells in mice, and these TIPE2-deficient NK cells exhibited enhanced activation, cytotoxicity, and IFN-γ production upon stimulation and enhanced response to IL-15 for maturation. Moreover, TIPE2 suppressed IL-15–triggered mTOR activity in both human and murine NK cells. Consequently, blocking mTOR constrained the effect of TIPE2 deficiency on NK cell maturation in response to IL-15. Last, NK-specific TIPE2-deficient mice were resistant to tumor growth in vivo. Our results uncover a potent checkpoint in NK cell maturation and antitumor immunity in both mice and humans, suggesting a promising approach of targeting TIPE2 for NK cell–based immunotherapies.

Overexpression of Tumour Necrosis Factor-α-Induced Protein 8 is Associated with Prognosis in Colon Cancer

Purpose

The present study aimed to examine the association of tumour necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TIPE) expression levels with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with colon cancer following surgery.

Patients and Methods

The present study included 200 patients with colon cancer who underwent colon resection between June 2011 and October 2012. All follow-ups were censored in July 2020, with a median follow-up time of 62.25 months. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to determine predictors for the overall survival rate.

Results

High expression of TIPE was associated with lymph node metastasis, higher Dukes' stage and right-sided colon cancer (RCC). An exploratory subgroup analysis found that high expression of TIPE was associated with age ≥65, lymphatic invasion and higher Dukes' stage only in the RCC group (P<0.05), whereas no similar trend was observed in the left-sided colon cancer (LCC) subgroup. Age ≥65, differentiation, lymph node metastasis and TIPE expression levels were independent prognostic factors influencing the survival rate of patients with colon cancer following surgery in multivariate Cox analysis (P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the immunoreactive score of TIPE had good predictive value for five-year survival rates (AUC=0.727) and lymph node metastasis (AUC=0.760) among patients with RCC. Survival analysis revealed that the expression of TIPE had a significant impact on survival, and higher expression levels suggested a worse prognosis.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that TIPE may be a novel biomarker for predicting the survival outcome and lymph node metastasis. TIPE was overexpressed in colon cancer tissue and significantly associated with poor patient survival, especially in patients with RCC.

Inflection of Akt/mTOR/STAT-3 cascade in TNF-α induced protein 8 mediated human lung carcinogenesis

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death across the globe. Despite the marked advances in detection and therapeutic approaches, management of lung cancer patients remains a major challenge to oncologists which can be mainly attributed to late stage diagnosis, tumor recurrence and chemoresistance. Therefore, to overthrow these limitations, there arises a vital need to develop effective biomarkers for the successful management of this aggressive cancer type. Notably, TNF-alpha induced protein 8 (TIPE), a nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB)-inducible, oncogenic molecule and cytoplasmic protein which is involved in the regulation of T lymphocyte-mediated immunity and different processes in tumor cells such as proliferation, cell death and evasion of growth suppressors, might serve as one such biomarker which would facilitate effective management of lung cancer. Expression studies revealed this protein to be significantly upregulated in different lung cancer types, pathological conditions, stages and grades of lung tumor compared to normal human lung tissues. In addition, knockout of TIPE led to the reduced proliferation, survival, invasion and migration of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, TIPE was found to function through modulation of Akt/mTOR/STAT-3 signaling cascade. This is the first report which shows the involvement of TIPE in tobacco induced lung carcinogenesis. It positively regulated nicotine, NNK, NNN, and BaP induced proliferation, survival and migration of lung cancer cells possibly via Akt/STAT-3 signaling. Thus, this protein possesses important role in the pathogenesis of lung tumor and hence it can be targeted for developing newer therapeutic interventions for the clinico-management of lung cancer.

TNFAIP8 variants as potential epidemiological and predictive biomarkers in ovarian cancer

Background

This research aimed to investigate the association between tumor necrosis factor-a-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) polymorphisms and ovarian cancer (OC) susceptibility.

Methods

A case–control study of 210 patients with OC and 231 healthy controls was conducted to assess the association between TNFAIP8 polymorphisms (rs11064, rs1045241, and rs1045242) and OC risk in Heilongjiang Province of China. The SNaPshot SNP assay was conducted to detect SNP genotype. Logistic regression analysis was applied to illustrate the underlying association.

Results

Our research found that TNFAIP8 rs11064 and rs1045242 were significantly connected with the susceptibility of OC. Additionally, rs1045242 increased the risk of OC, while rs11064 performed a protective role in the risk of OC. Data revealed that rs1045242 strongly related with advanced FIGO stage, larger residual tumor, and the presence of recurrence.

Conclusions

TNFAIP8 genetic variants, which may play difference roles, were significantly associated with OC susceptibility. The underlying molecular mechanism needs be clarified with scientific evidence.

TNFAIP8 promotes AML chemoresistance by activating ERK signaling pathway through interaction with Rac1

Background

Chemoresistance is emerging as a major barrier to successful treatment in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and evasion of apoptosis is among the fundamental underlying mechanisms. Therefore, unraveling molecular networks that drive this process constitutes an urgent unmet need. Herein, we aim to characterize the role and molecular mechanism of the tumor necrosis factor ɑ-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8), a novel anti-apoptotic molecule, in AML chemoresistance.

Methods

The expression levels of TNFAIP8 were assessed in AML patients and cell lines by RT-qPCR and western blots. The transcriptional regulation of TNFAIP8 was analyzed with luciferase reporter assay and ChIP followed by RT-qPCR. Functional experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of TNFAIP8 on apoptosis, drug sensitivity and proliferation of AML cells. Potential effects of TNFAIP8 on the activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway were detected by western blots. CoIP and P21-activated kinase (PAK) pull-down assay were performed to ascertain the upstream target. The overall effects of TNFAIP8 on AML were examined in murine models.

Results

Upregulated TNFAIP8 expression was first confirmed in human AML patients and cell lines. E74 like ETS transcription factor 1 (ELF1) was then identified to contribute to its aberrant expression. Through manipulating TNFAIP8 expression, we described its role in protecting AML cells from apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agents and in promoting drug resistance. Notably, the leukemia-promoting action of TNFAIP8 was mediated by sustaining activity of the ERK signaling pathway, through an interaction with Rac family small GTPase 1 (Rac1). In addition, in vivo experiments confirmed that TNFAIP8 suppression lowered leukemia infiltration and improved survival.

Conclusion

Our data provide a molecular basis for the role of TNFAIP8 in chemoresistance and progression of AML and highlight the unique function of TNFAIP8 as an attractive therapeutic target.

Chlorotoxin fusion protein regulates miR-374a and TNFAIP8 expression and inhibits glioma cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary central nervous system malignancy, accounting for half of all intracranial primary tumors. In this study we constructed a multifunctional chlorotoxin fusion protein E-CHP that combines enhanced green fluorescent protein (E), glioma-targeting peptide chlorotoxin (C), destabilizing lipid membrane peptide riHA2 (H), and C-terminal and mouse double minute domains of p53 (P). E-CHP was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by His affinity chromatography. Fluorescence microscopy observation showed that E-CHP could effectively target glioma cells; real-time quantitative PCR revealed that E-CHP increased miR-374a expression; and the dual luciferase reporter assay showed that tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein (TNFAIP)8 is a direct target of miR-374a. E-CHP and miR-374a inhibited the proliferation and migration of glioma cells, and Western blot analysis indicated that they suppressed TNFAIP8 expression in glioma cells and promoted the expression of caspase-3 and -8. Finally, E-CHP and miR-374a stimulated the apoptosis of glioma cells, as determined by flow cytometry analysis. These results suggest that miR-374a is a new candidate target for glioma therapy, whereas E-CHP fusion protein has the potential to be developed as a multifunctional carrier for targeted drug delivery and therapy.

The TIPE Molecular Pilot That Directs Lymphocyte Migration in Health and Inflammation

Lymphocytes are some of the most motile cells of vertebrates, constantly navigating through various organ systems. Their specific positioning in the body is delicately controlled by site-specific directional cues such as chemokines. While it has long been suspected that an intrinsic molecular pilot, akin to a ship's pilot, guides lymphocyte navigation, the nature of this pilot is unknown. Here we show that the TIPE (TNF-α-induced protein 8-like) family of proteins pilot lymphocytes by steering them toward chemokines. TIPE proteins are carriers of lipid second messengers. They mediate chemokine-induced local generation of phosphoinositide second messengers, but inhibit global activation of the small GTPase Rac. TIPE-deficient T lymphocytes are completely pilot-less: they are unable to migrate toward chemokines despite their normal ability to move randomly. As a consequence, TIPE-deficient mice have a marked defect in positioning their T lymphocytes to various tissues, both at the steady-state and during inflammation. Thus, TIPE proteins pilot lymphocytes during migration and may be targeted for the treatment of lymphocyte-related disorders.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha-Induced Proteins in Malignant Tumors: Progress and Prospects

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is the first cytokine used in tumor biotherapy, but TNF-related drugs are limited by the lack of specific targets. Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced proteins (TNFAIPs), derived from TNF, is a protein family and participates in proliferation, invasion and metastasis of tumor cells. In order to better understand biological functions and potential roles of TNFAIPs in malignant tumors, this paper in the form of “Gene–Protein–Tumor correlation” summarizes the biological characteristics, physiological functions and mechanisms of TNFAIPs by searching National Center of Biotechnology Information, GeneCards, UniProt and STRING databases. The relationship between TNFAIPs and malignant tumors is analyzed, and protein–protein interaction diagram in members of TNFAIPs is drawn based on TNF for the first time. We find that TNF as a key factor is related to TNFAIP1, TNFAIP3, TNFAIP5, TNFAIP6, TNFAIP8 and TNFAIP9, which can be directly involved in activating TNFAIP1, TNFAIP5, TNFAIP8 and TNFAIP9. We confirm that the mechanism of TNFAIP1, TNFAIP2 and TNFAIP3 inducing tumors may be related to NF-κB signaling pathway, but the mechanism of tumor induction by other members of TNFAIPs is not clear. In the future, translational studies are needed to explore the mechanisms of TNF-TNFAIPs-tumors.

TNFAIP8 promotes the migration of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by regulating the EMT

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is characterized by high metastatic potential, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been shown to play a key role in multiple cancer progression, migration and metastasis and is the leading cause of poor prognosis. Currently, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8/TIPE) is a newly discovered tumorigenesis factor, and TNFAIP8 and the EMT influence the migration of renal cancer cells.

Methods: In this study, we first analyzed the relationship between TNFAIP8 and ccRCC using bioinformatics, followed by immunohistochemistry to evaluate the relationship between the two in clinical samples. Subsequently, reverse transcription PCR and western blotting confirmed the expression of TNFAIP8 in ccRCC cells. Furthermore, we measured the migration and invasion abilities by using wound healing and transwell assays after overexpression or knockdown of TNFAIP8 in cells. In addition, we verified whether TNFAIP8 affects the EMT process in ccRCC by quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence experiments.

Results: Through database analysis, we found that TNFAIP8 was highly expressed in ccRCC patients and was positively correlated with tumor stage and grade, indicating that TNFAIP8 is associated with the development of advanced ccRCC and poor prognosis. We subsequently confirmed that TNFAIP8 was abnormally overexpressed in clinical samples and ccRCC cell lines and that TNFAIP8 promoted ccRCC cell migration and invasion in vitro. Finally, we found that TNFAIP8 regulated EMT-related molecule expression and regulated the EMT process.

Conclusion: High expression of TNFAIP8 reinforces migration and regulates the EMT in ccRCC, conferring the metastatic potential of ccRCC and suggesting that TNFAIP8 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of advanced ccRCC.

TIPE regulates VEGFR2 expression and promotes angiogenesis in colorectal cancer

Background: Metastasis is the leading cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. It is regulated mainly by tumor cell angiogenesis, and angiogenesis is caused by the binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8, hereto after TIPE) plays an important role in tumorigenesis, development, and prognosis. However, the relationship between TIPE and VEGFR2 in CRC angiogenesis and the mechanism of action remain unknown.

Method: In this study, we used quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to detect TIPE and VEGFR2 expression in 55 specimens from CRC patients. We also used HCT116 CRC cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for in vitro experiments by stably transducing shTIPE and shRNA control lentivirus into HCT116 cells, detecting VEGFR2 expression after TIPE knockdown and repurposing the culture supernatant as conditioned medium to stimulate angiogenesis of HUVECs. In vivo experiments with chicken chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) and a nude mouse matrix subcutaneous tumor model were performed to validate the effects of TIPE on angiogenesis. Additionally, we analyzed the expression and phosphorylation levels of PDK1 and blocked PDK1 expression using inhibitors to determine whether TIPE-induced changes in VEGFR2-mediated angiogenesis acted via the PI3K-Akt pathway.

Results: We found that TIPE and VEGFR2 are highly expressed in CRC and act as oncogenes. TIPE knockdown also downregulated VEGFR2 expression, which resulted in simultaneous inhibition of cell proliferation, cell migration and angiogenesis. Then, in vivo experiments further demonstrated that TIPE promotes angiogenesis in CRC. Finally, we found that TIPE promotes VEGFR2-mediated angiogenesis by upregulating PDK1 expression and phosphorylation and that blocking PDK1 expression can inhibit this process.

Conclusion: TIPE promotes angiogenesis in CRC by regulating the expression of VEGFR2, which may be a target for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.

TNFAIP8 promotes cisplatin resistance in cervical carcinoma cells by inhibiting cellular apoptosis

Cervical cancer is the second most prevalent malignant tumor in women worldwide. Failure of successful treatment is most prevalent in patients with the metastatic disease and the chemotherapy refractory disease. Tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) serves as an anti-apoptotic and pro-oncogenic protein, and is associated with cancer progression and poor prognosis in a number of different cancer types. However, the physiological and pathophysiological roles of TNFAIP8 in cervical carcinogenesis and development remain poorly understood. In the present study, it was demonstrated that TNFAIP8 protein expression levels were significantly increased in cervical cancer tissues compared with the non-tumor adjacent tissues using immunohistochemistry. Additionally, it was demonstrated that TNFAIP8 overexpression is associated with cisplatin resistance. Furthermore, depletion of TNFAIP8 impaired HeLa cell proliferation and viability in vitro, improved cisplatin sensitivity, and promoted cisplatin-induced cellular apoptosis and death. Subsequent mechanistic analysis demonstrated that TNFAIP8 silencing promoted caspase-8/-3 activation and p38 phosphorylation in HeLa cells treated with cisplatin, whereas apoptosis regulator B-cell lymphoma-2 expression was inhibited with TNFAIP8-silenced HeLa cells following treatment with cisplatin. These data suggested that TNFAIP8 serves as an anti-apoptotic protein against cisplatin-induced cell death, which eventually leads to chemotherapeutic drug-treatment failure. Therefore, the present data suggested that TNFAIP8 may be a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Association of TNFAIP8 gene polymorphisms with endometrial cancer in northern Chinese women

Background

Tumor necrosis factor-a-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) presented a elevated expression in endometrial cancer (EC). However, the relationship of TNFAIP8 gene polymorphisms with EC risk remains unclear. This case–control study aimed to investigate the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TNFAIP8 on northern Chinese women with EC.

Methods

SNP rs11064, rs1045241, and rs1045242 in TNFAIP8 were successfully genotyped in 248 cancer-free controls and 226 ECs by SNaPshot method, respectively. Logistic regression was performed to assess relationship of SNPs with EC risk. The relationships of SNPs with clinicopathological variables were evaluated by Chi-square test or Student’s t-test or Fisher’s text.

Results

The minor alleles of rs11064 in TNFAIP8 were strongly associated with EC risk, with adjust odds ratio (OR) of 1.719 (95% CI 1.180–2.506, P = 0.005). The minor allele of rs1045242 in the TNFAIP8 gene was strongly associated with with EC risk (adjust OR: 1.636, 95% CI 1.107–2.417, P = 0.014). rs11064 SNPs correlated with TNFAIP8 protein expression in EC (P = 0.015). For rs1045242, patients with AG + GG presented higher TNFAIP8 protein expression than that with AA (P = 0.020). It also showed that SNP rs11064 was associated with advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.001), deep myometrial invasion (P = 0.047), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.048) under the codominant model in ECs.

Conclusions

SNP rs11064 in TNFAIP8 increased EC risk and significantly related with its protein expression in northern Chinese women.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-019-0827-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Oncogenic Role of Tumor Necrosis Factor α-Induced Protein 8 (TNFAIP8)

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) is a founding member of the TIPE family, which also includes TNFAIP8-like 1 (TIPE1), TNFAIP8-like 2 (TIPE2), and TNFAIP8-like 3 (TIPE3) proteins. Expression of TNFAIP8 is strongly associated with the development of various cancers including cancer of the prostate, liver, lung, breast, colon, esophagus, ovary, cervix, pancreas, and others. In human cancers, TNFAIP8 promotes cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, autophagy, and tumorigenesis by inhibition of cell apoptosis. In order to better understand the molecular aspects, biological functions, and potential roles of TNFAIP8 in carcinogenesis, in this review, we focused on the expression, regulation, structural aspects, modifications/interactions, and oncogenic role of TNFAIP8 proteins in human cancers.

TIPE Family of Proteins and Its Implications in Different Chronic Diseases

The tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like (TIPE/TNFAIP8) family is a recently identified family of proteins that is strongly associated with the regulation of immunity and tumorigenesis. This family is comprised of four members, namely, tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TIPE/TNFAIP8), tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 1 (TIPE1/TNFAIP8L1), tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2/TNFAIP8L2), and tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 3 (TIPE3/TNFAIP8L3). Although the proteins of this family were initially described as regulators of tumorigenesis, inflammation, and cell death, they are also found to be involved in the regulation of autophagy and the transfer of lipid secondary messengers, besides contributing to immune function and homeostasis. Interestingly, despite the existence of a significant sequence homology among the four members of this family, they are involved in different biological activities and also exhibit remarkable variability of expression. Furthermore, this family of proteins is highly deregulated in different human cancers and various chronic diseases. This review summarizes the vivid role of the TIPE family of proteins and its association with various signaling cascades in diverse chronic diseases.

TNFAIP8 promotes the proliferation and cisplatin chemoresistance of non-small cell lung cancer through MDM2/p53 pathway

Background

The highly refractory nature of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) to chemotherapeutic drugs is an important factor resulting in its poor prognosis. Recent studies have revealed that tumour necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) is involved in various biological and pathological processes of cells, but their underlying mechanisms in processes ranging from cancer development to drug resistance have not been fully elucidated.

Methods

TNFAIP8 expression in clinical NSCLC samples was examined through immunohistochemistry (IHC). After adjusting for patients’ characteristics with propensity score matching, Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis were performed for comparison of patients’ survival according to the TNFAIP8 level. Lentiviral transfection with TNFAIP8-specific shRNAs was used to establish stable TNFAIP8 knockdown (TNFAIP8 KD) NCI-H460, A549 and cis-diamminedichloroplatinum II resistant A549 (A549/cDDP) cell lines. Cell proliferation and viability were assessed by CCK-8 assay. Cell cycle was examined by flow cytometry. Multiple pathways regulated by TNFAIP8 KD were revealed by microarray analysis.

Results

We found that high TNFAIP8 expression was associated with advanced pT stage, advanced pTNM stage, lymph node metastasis and unfavourable survival in NSCLC patients. TNFAIP8 shRNAs reduced in vitro cancer cell proliferation and in vivo tumor growth. Additionally, TNFAIP8 KD increased the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to cisplatin in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, up-regulation of TNFAIP8 promoted the proliferation and drug resistance to cisplatin of NSCLC cells. TNFAIP8 influences cancer progression pathways involving the MDM2/p53 pathway. Indeed, we observed that TNFAIP8 KD mediated the MDM2 downregulation and the p53 ubiquitination, thereby decreasing the degradation of p53 protein. shRNA p53 reversed TNFAIP8 shRNA-mediated regulation of cell proliferation, cell cycle, cisplatin sensitivity, and expression levels of RAD51, a DNA repair gene.

Conclusion

Our work uncovers a hitherto unappreciated role of TNFAIP8 in NSCLC proliferation and cisplatin chemoresistance that is mediated through the MDM2/p53 pathway. These findings might offer potential therapeutic targets for reversing cisplatin resistance in NSCLC patients with high TNFAIP8 expression.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12964-018-0254-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Induced Protein 8: Pathophysiology, Clinical Significance, and Regulatory Mechanism

Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 (TNFAIP8) is the earliest discovered component of TNFAIP8 family [tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 like (TIPE) family]. TNFAIP8 contains a putative death effector domain (DED) homologous to DED II in FLIP (Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein), which may affect cell survival/death process. Recently, it has been demonstrated that TNFAIP8 could inhibit apoptosis and autophagy in various types of cells. Moreover, TNFAIP8 level fluctuated evidently in patients with inflammatory, malignant, and autoimmune diseases, indicating that it might be an anti-apoptotic and oncogenetic protein. Herein we will review the discovery, gene/protein structure, pathophysiological functions, and clinical significance of TNFAIP8 together with its potential regulatory mechanism.

TIPE2 suppresses progression and tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma via inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Background

Esophageal carcinoma is the eighth prevalent malignancy and ranks the sixth in carcinoma-related death worldwide. Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein-8 like-2 (TIPE2) has been identified as a tumor suppressor in multiple carcinomas. However, its roles and molecular mechanisms underlying esophageal carcinoma progression are still undefined till now.

Methods

RT-qPCR assay was employed to detect the expression of TIPE2 mRNA. TIPE2 protein expression was measured by using western blot assay. Ad-V and Ad-TIPE2 adenoviruses were constructed to overexpress TIPE2. The effects of TIPE2 overexpression on cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis were assessed by MTT and Edu incorporation assays, transwell invasion assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The effect of TIPE2 overexpression on xenograft tumor growth was determined by measuring tumor volume and weight, together with immunohistochemistry assay. The effect of TIPE2 overexpression on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was evaluated by detecting the protein levels of β-catenin, c-Myc and cyclinD1 in EC9076 cells and xenograft tumors of esophageal carcinoma.

Results

TIPE2 expression was downregulated in esophageal carcinoma tissues and cells. Adenovirus-mediated TIPE2 overexpression suppressed cell proliferation and invasion, and induced apoptosis in esophageal carcinoma cells. Enforced expression of TIPE2 inhibited tumor growth in vivo, as evidenced by the reduced tumor volume, tumor weight and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression. Overexpression of TIPE2 inhibited the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in esophageal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

These results suggest that TIPE2 suppressed progression and tumorigenesis of esophageal carcinoma via inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Direction of leukocyte polarization and migration by the phosphoinositide-transfer protein TIPE2

Leukocyte polarization toward chemoattractants is essential for directed leukocyte migration, or chemotaxis. How leukocytes acquire polarity upon encountering chemical gradients is not well understood. We report here that leukocyte polarity is generated by TIPE2 (TNFAIP8L2), a transfer protein of phosphoinositide second messengers. TIPE2 functioned as a local enhancer of phosphoinositide-dependent signaling and cytoskeleton remodeling, promoting leading edge formation. Conversely, TIPE2 acted as an inhibitor of the GTPase Rac, promoting trailing edge polarization. Consequently, TIPE2-deficient leukocytes were defective in polarization and chemotaxis, and TIPE2-deficient mice were resistant to leukocyte-mediated neural inflammation. Thus, the leukocyte polarizer is a dual-role phosphoinositide transfer protein, and a potential therapeutic target for treating inflammatory diseases.

TIPE1 function as a prognosis predictor and negative regulator of lung cancer

TIPE1 (tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like 1 or TNFAIP8L1) belongs to the TIPE (TNFAIP8) family, which act as a regulator of cell death. However, the expression and biologic functions of TIPE1 in lung cancer are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the roles of TIPE1 in lung cancer. Evaluated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining, lower TIPE1 mRNA and protein expression was found in the lung tumor tissue, compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues, which positively correlated with tumor patient survival. Overexpression of TIPE1 by lentivirus system in TIPE1-downregulated lung cancer cells significantly diminished cell growth and colony formation, companied with proliferation inhibition, apoptosis induction and invasion inhibition. It was identified to be due to TIPE1-regulated Cyclin D1, Cyclin B1, caspase 8, Caspase3, MM2 and MMP9 expression. Consistently, using a homograft tumor model in Balb/c mice, we discovered that TIPE1 prevented the growth and tumor weight of murine lung cancer homografts. Our findings revealed the anti-tumor role of TIPE1 in lung cancer cells and TIPE1 might be a novel prognostic indicator for lung cancer patients.

Evolutionary divergence of the vertebrate TNFAIP8 gene family: Applying the spotted gar orthology bridge to understand ohnolog loss in teleosts

Comparative functional genomic studies require the proper identification of gene orthologs to properly exploit animal biomedical research models. To identify gene orthologs, comprehensive, conserved gene synteny analyses are necessary to unwind gene histories that are convoluted by two rounds of early vertebrate genome duplication, and in the case of the teleosts, a third round, the teleost genome duplication (TGD). Recently, the genome of the spotted gar, a holostean outgroup to the teleosts that did not undergo this third genome duplication, was sequenced and applied as an orthology bridge to facilitate the identification of teleost orthologs to human genes and to enhance the power of teleosts as biomedical models. In this study, we apply the spotted gar orthology bridge to help describe the gene history of the vertebrate TNFAIP8 family. Members of the TNFAIP8 gene family have been linked to regulation of immune function and homeostasis and the development of multiple cancer types. Through a conserved gene synteny analysis, we identified zebrafish orthologs to human TNFAIP8L1 and TNFAIP8L3 genes and two co-orthologs to human TNFAIP8L2, but failed to identify an ortholog to human TNFAIP8. Through the application of the orthology bridge, we determined that teleost orthologs to human TNFAIP8 genes were likely lost in a genome inversion event after their divergence from their common ancestor with spotted gar. These findings demonstrate the value of this enhanced approach to gene history analysis and support the development of teleost models to study complex questions related to an array of biomedical issues, including immunity and cancer.

Regulation of inflammation and tumorigenesis by the TIPE family of phospholipid transfer proteins

The TIPE (tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8-like) family are newly described regulators of immunity and tumorigenesis consisting of four highly homologous mammalian proteins: TNFAIP8 (tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8), TIPE1 (TNFAIP8-like 1, or TNFAIP8L1), TIPE2 (TNFAIP8L2) and TIPE3 (TNFAIP8L3). They are the only known transfer proteins of the lipid secondary messengers PIP2 (phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate) and PIP3 (phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate). Cell-surface receptors, such as G-protein-coupled receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases, regulate inflammation and cancer via several signaling pathways, including the nuclear factor (NF)-κB and phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) pathways, the latter of which is upstream of both Akt and STAT3 activation. An expression analysis in humans demonstrated that the TIPE family is dysregulated in cancer and inflammation, and studies both in mice and in vitro have demonstrated that this family of proteins plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and inflammatory responses. In this review, we summarize the current literature for all four family members, with a special focus on the phenotypic manifestations present in the various knockout murine strains, as well as the related cell signaling that has been elucidated to date.

MicroRNA-9 inhibits the gastric cancer cell proliferation by targeting TNFAIP8

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

MicroRNA-9 is frequently dysregulated in many human carcinoma types, including gastric cancer (GC). Previous studies demonstrated that the expression of TNFAIP8 in GC is correlated with tumour occurrence, development, invasion, metastasis and prognosis. However, till now, the relationship between MicroRNA-9 and TNFAIP8 in GC has not been reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Levels of miR-9 and TNFAIP8 expression in GC tissues and in human GC cell lines were studied using qualitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 and clone formation assays. A dual-luciferase reporter system was used to confirm the target gene of miR-9.

RESULTS

We found that the expression level of MicroRNA-9 in GC tissues and cell lines was significantly lower than that in adjacent non-cancerous tissues and human immortalized gastric epithelial cell (GES) line, respectively. In addition, overexpression of MicroRNA-9 markedly inhibited GC cell proliferation in vitro and tumour growth in vivo. Further experiments revealed that TNFAIP8 was a direct and functional target of MicroRNA-9 in GC and overexpression of MicroRNA-9 obviously down-regulated the expression of TNFAIP8, which was involved in the gastric carcinogenesis and cancer progression.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that MicroRNA-9-TNFAIP8 might represent a promising diagnostic biomarker for GC patients and could be a potential therapeutic target in the prevention and treatment of GC.

The novel p53 target TNFAIP8 variant 2 is increased in cancer and offsets p53-dependent tumor suppression

Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) is a stress-response gene that has been associated with cancer, but no studies have differentiated among or defined the regulation or function of any of its several recently described expression variants. We found that TNFAIP8 variant 2 (v2) is overexpressed in multiple human cancers, whereas other variants are commonly downregulated in cancer (v1) or minimally expressed in cancer or normal tissue (v3-v6). Silencing v2 in cancer cells induces p53-independent inhibition of DNA synthesis, widespread binding of p53, and induction of target genes and p53-dependent cell cycle arrest and DNA damage sensitization. Cell cycle arrest induced by v2 silencing requires p53-dependent induction of p21. In response to the chemotherapeutic agent doxorubicin, p53 regulates v2 through binding to an intragenic enhancer, together indicating that p53 and v2 engage in complex reciprocal regulation. We propose that TNFAIP8 v2 promotes human cancer by broadly repressing p53 function, in essence offsetting p53-dependent tumor suppression.

TNFAIP8 overexpression: a potential predictor of lymphatic metastatic recurrence in pN0 esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) has a poor prognosis due to high lymphatic metastatic recurrence rates after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. We sought to investigate the correlation between tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) expression and postoperative lymphatic recurrence in patients with pN0 ESCC. One hundred twenty-two patients with pN0 ESCC undergoing Ivor Lewis esophagectomy were enrolled in this study. TNFAIP8 overexpression was found in 73 (59.8 %) tumor specimens. The 3-year lymphatic metastatic recurrence rate among TNFAIP8-overexpressing patients was significantly higher than in TNFAIP8-negative patients (p = 0.003). Multivariate Cox regression identified TNFAIP8 overexpression as an independent risk factor for lymphatic recurrence (p = 0.048). TNFAIP8 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels were significantly higher in patients with lymphatic recurrence than in patients without tumor recurrence (p = 0.019). Stable silencing of TNFAIP8 expression in ESCC-derived cells (Eca109) reduced proliferation, motility, and invasion and induced apoptosis. In addition, transient silencing of TNFAIP8 expression decreased cell motility and invasion and increased apoptosis in a second ESCC-derived cell line (KYSE150). Taken together, these findings suggest that TNFAIP8 overexpression is a potential biomarker to identify pN0 ESCC patients at higher risk of lymphatic recurrence who may benefit from adjuvant therapy.

A rare DNA contact mutation in cancer confers p53 gain-of-function and tumor cell survival via TNFAIP8 induction

The p53 tumor suppressor gene encodes a sequence-specific transcription factor. Mutations in the coding sequence of p53 occur frequently in human cancer and often result in single amino acid substitutions (missense mutations) in the DNA binding domain (DBD), blocking normal tumor suppressive functions. In addition to the loss of canonical functions, some missense mutations in p53 confer gain-of-function (GOF) activities to tumor cells. While many missense mutations in p53 cluster at six "hotspot" amino acids, the majority of mutations in human cancer occur elsewhere in the DBD and at a much lower frequency. We report here that mutations at K120, a non-hotspot DNA contact residue, confer p53 with the previously unrecognized ability to bind and activate the transcription of the pro-survival TNFAIP8 gene. Mutant K120 p53 binds the TNFAIP8 locus at a cryptic p53 response element that is not occupied by wild-type p53. Furthermore, induction of TNFAIP8 is critical for the evasion of apoptosis by tumor cells expressing the K120R variant of p53. These findings identify induction of pro-survival targets as a mechanism of gain-of-function activity for mutant p53 and will likely broaden our understanding of this phenomenon beyond the limited number of GOF activities currently reported for hotspot mutants.

In Silico Analysis of Tumor Necrosis Factor α-Induced Protein 8-Like-1 (TIPE1) Protein

Tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8)-like protein 1 (TIPE1) was a member of TNFAIP8 family. Previous studies have shown that TIPE1 could induce apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, we attempted to predict its potential structure. Bioinformatic analysis of TIPE1 was performed to predict its potential structure using the bioinfomatic web services or softwares. The results showed that the amino acid sequences of TIPE1 were well conserved in mammals. No signal peptide and no transmembrane domain existed in human TIPE1. The aliphatic index of TIPE1 was 100.75 and the theoretical pI was 9.57. TIPE1 was a kind of stable protein and its grand average of hydropathicity was -0.108. Various post-translational modifications were also speculated to exist in TIPE1. In addition, the results of Swiss-Model Server and Swiss-Pdb Viewer program revealed that the predicted three-dimensional structure of TIPE1 protein was stable and it may accord with the rule of stereochemistry. TIPE1 was predicted to interact with FBXW5, caspase8 and so on. In conclusion, TIPE1 may be a stable protein with no signal peptide and no transmembrane domain. The bioinformatic analysis of TIPE1 will provide the basis for the further study on the function of TIPE1.

Expression of tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8 is upregulated in human gastric cancer and regulates cell proliferation, invasion and migration

Tumor necrosis factor α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8) has been associated with the tumorigenicity of various types of cancer, however, the expression of TNFAIP8 and its function in gastric cancer remain to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study examined the expression and biological function of TNFAIP8 in gastric cancer. The expression levels of TNFAIP8 were determined in 86 gastric cancer tissue samples and adjacent normal tissues using immunohistochemistry, and in four gastric cancer cell lines and GES-1 cells using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of TNFAIP8 and its association with the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) status and lymphatic metastasis of gastric cancer was evaluated. Furthermore, the functions of decreased expression levels of TNFAIP8 were analyzed in human gastric cancer cell lines. The expression of TNFAIP8 was significantly upregulated in the gastric cancer tissues and in the gastric cancer cell lines, and its expression levels were associated with the TNM staging and lymphatic metastasis. Furthermore, decreased expression of TNFAIP8 inhibited the growth, invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells. These data provided an innovative insight suggesting the downregulation of TNFAIP8 as a meaningful approach for treating human gastric cancer and other types of cancer. In addition, the expression levels of TNFAIP8 may be considered as a biomarker of gastric cancer progression.