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Shenoy US, Basavarajappa DS, Kabekkodu SP, Radhakrishnan R. Pan-cancer exploration of oncogenic and clinical impacts revealed that HOXA9 is a diagnostic indicator of tumorigenesis. Clin Exp Med 2024; 24:134. [PMID: 38904676 PMCID: PMC11192824 DOI: 10.1007/s10238-024-01389-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Homeodomain transcription factor A9 (HOXA9) is a member of the HOX cluster family of transcription factors that are crucially involved in embryo implantation, morphogenesis, body axis development, and endothelial cell differentiation. Despite numerous reports on its aberrant expression in a few malignancies, the molecular and functional complexity of HOXA9 across cancers remains obscure. We aimed to analyze the dynamic role of HOXA9 across cancers by identifying, analyzing, and understanding its multiple modes of regulation and functional implications and identifying possible therapeutic avenues. We conducted a comprehensive analysis to determine the role of HOXA9 across cancers. This approach involved the integration of large-scale datasets from public repositories such as the Genomic Data Commons, specifically the Cancer Genome Atlas (GDC-TCGA), across 33 different cancer types. The multiple modes of HOXA9 regulation by genetic and epigenetic factors were determined using online tools, which comprised experimentally validated observations. Furthermore, downstream pathways were identified by predicting the targets of HOXA9 and by performing functional enrichment analysis. We also assessed the clinical significance of HOXA9 in terms of prognosis and stage stratification. This study evaluated the correlation between HOXA9 and tumor-infiltrating molecules and discussed its association with therapeutically approved antineoplastic drugs. HOXA9 was significantly upregulated in 9 tumors and downregulated in 2 cancers. The deregulation of HOXA9 is primarily attributed to epigenetic factors, including promoter DNA methylation and noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). The HOXA9 transcription factor interacts with PBX/MEIS cofactors and regulates multiple genes involved in cancer-associated EMT, autophagy, the cell cycle, metabolic pathways, Wnt signaling, TGF-β signaling, the AMPK pathway, PI3K/AKT signaling, and NF-κB signaling, thereby establishing control over downstream mechanisms. Differential expression in various clinical stages across cancers was shown to have prognostic significance and to be correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune molecules. The assessment of the correlation of HOXA9 expression with approved antineoplastic drugs revealed that targeting HOXA9 could be the most reliable strategy for preventing cancer progression. HOXA9 is upregulated in the majority of malignancies and drives cancer progression by regulating multiple signaling mechanisms. Hence, HOXA9 could be a reliable diagnostic indicator and a potential therapeutic candidate for solid cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Sangeetha Shenoy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Dhanraj Salur Basavarajappa
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Raghu Radhakrishnan
- Department of Oral Pathology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India.
- Academic Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, University of Sheffield, Sheffield,, S10 2TA, UK.
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Shenoy US, Adiga D, Alhedyan F, Kabekkodu SP, Radhakrishnan R. HOXA9 transcription factor is a double-edged sword: from development to cancer progression. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:709-728. [PMID: 38062297 PMCID: PMC11156722 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-023-10159-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The HOXA9 transcription factor serves as a molecular orchestrator in cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and generation of the tumor microenvironment in hematological and solid malignancies. However, the multiple modes of regulation, multifaceted functions, and context-dependent interactions responsible for the dual role of HOXA9 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in cancer remain obscure. Hence, unravelling its molecular complexities, binding partners, and interacting signaling molecules enables us to comprehend HOXA9-mediated transcriptional programs and molecular crosstalk. However, it is imperative to understand its central role in fundamental biological processes such as embryogenesis, foetus implantation, hematopoiesis, endothelial cell proliferation, and tissue homeostasis before designing targeted therapies. Indeed, it presents an enormous challenge for clinicians to selectively target its oncogenic functions or restore tumor-suppressive role without altering normal cellular functions. In addition to its implications in cancer, the present review also focuses on the clinical applications of HOXA9 in recurrence and drug resistance, which may provide a broader understanding beyond oncology, open new avenues for clinicians for accurate diagnoses, and develop personalized treatment strategies. Furthermore, we have also discussed the existing therapeutic options and accompanying challenges in HOXA9-targeted therapies in different cancer types.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Sangeetha Shenoy
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Divya Adiga
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Faisal Alhedyan
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Diagnostic Sciences, Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
- Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Shama Prasada Kabekkodu
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Manipal School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka, 576104, India
| | - Raghu Radhakrishnan
- Department of Oral Pathology, Manipal College of Dental Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, 576104, India.
- Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, School of Clinical Dentistry, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom.
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Wang L, Sun H, Cao L, Wang J. Role of HOXA1-4 in the development of genetic and malignant diseases. Biomark Res 2024; 12:18. [PMID: 38311789 PMCID: PMC10840290 DOI: 10.1186/s40364-024-00569-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The HOXA genes, belonging to the HOX family, encompass 11 members (HOXA1-11) and exert critical functions in early embryonic development, as well as various adult processes. Furthermore, dysregulation of HOXA genes is implicated in genetic diseases, heart disease, and various cancers. In this comprehensive overview, we primarily focused on the HOXA1-4 genes and their associated functions and diseases. Emphasis was placed on elucidating the impact of abnormal expression of these genes and highlighting their significance in maintaining optimal health and their involvement in the development of genetic and malignant diseases. Furthermore, we delved into their regulatory mechanisms, functional roles, and underlying biology and explored the therapeutic potential of targeting HOXA1-4 genes for the treatment of malignancies. Additionally, we explored the utility of HOXA1-4 genes as biomarkers for monitoring cancer recurrence and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumin Wang
- Gastroenterology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
| | - Haifeng Sun
- The Third Department of Medical Oncology, Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Cao
- Department of Cell Biology and Genetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhai Wang
- Gastroenterology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.
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Elias MH, Lazim N, Sutaji Z, Abu MA, Abdul Karim AK, Ugusman A, Syafruddin SE, Mokhtar MH, Ahmad MF. HOXA10 DNA Methylation Level in the Endometrium Women with Endometriosis: A Systematic Review. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:biology12030474. [PMID: 36979165 PMCID: PMC10045497 DOI: 10.3390/biology12030474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Endometriosis is an inflammatory chronic systemic disease resulting in pelvic pain and infertility. However, despite a high prevalence of endometriosis, disease identification is still insufficient, and a high percentage of misdiagnosing was observed. Hence, a comprehensive study needs to be done to improve our understanding of the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Aberrant hypermethylation of HOXA10 has been reported to play a role in endometriosis. Thus, a comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify the DNA methylation level of HOXA10 among endometriosis patients across populations. The literature search was done using PubMed, Scopus, EBSCOhost, and Science Direct applying (HOXA10 OR "homeobox A10" OR "HOXA-10" OR HOX1) AND ("DNA methylation" OR methylation) AND (endometriosis OR endometrioma) as keywords. From 491 retrieved studies, five original articles investigating the DNA methylation level of HOXA10 from endometrium tissues among endometriosis women were included. All five included studies were classified as high-quality studies. High HOXA10 DNA methylation level was observed in the endometrium tissue of women with endometriosis in all the included studies. The secretory phase was identified as the best sampling time for HOXA10 DNA methylation study in endometriosis, and the most studied DNA methylation site is the promoter region of the HOXA10. However, more studies are needed to expose the HOXA10 mechanism in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjanu Hikmah Elias
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Nurunnajah Lazim
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Zulazmi Sutaji
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Azrai Abu
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Abdul Kadir Abdul Karim
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Azizah Ugusman
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, National Univeristy of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Saiful Effendi Syafruddin
- Medical Molecular Biology Institute, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Helmy Mokhtar
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, National Univeristy of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Faizal Ahmad
- Advanced Reproductive Centre (ARC) HCTM UKM, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Yaacob Latiff, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur 56000, Malaysia
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Ding P, Gao Y, Wang J, Xiang H, Zhang C, Wang L, Ji G, Wu T. Progress and challenges of multidrug resistance proteins in diseases. Am J Cancer Res 2022; 12:4483-4501. [PMID: 36381332 PMCID: PMC9641395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemotherapy remains the first choice for patients with advanced cancers when other treatments are ineffective. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is an unavoidable factor that negatively affects the effectiveness of cancer chemotherapy drugs. Researchers are trying to reduce MDR, improve the effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs, and alleviate patient suffering to positively contribute to disease treatment. MDR also occurs in inflammation and genetic disorders, which increases the difficulty of clinically beneficial treatments. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) is an active transporter that plays an important role in the barrier and secretory functions of many normal cells. As the C subfamily in the ABC family, multidrug resistance proteins (MRPs/ABCCs) export a variety of antitumour drugs and are expressed in a variety of cancers. The present review summarises the role of MRPs in cancer and other diseases and recent research progress of MRP inhibitors to better examine the mechanism and function of MRPs, and establish a good relationship with clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilun Ding
- Department of Hepatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 200032, China
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
| | - Ying Gao
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
| | - Junmin Wang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
| | - Hongjiao Xiang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
| | - Caiyun Zhang
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Hepatology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 200032, China
| | - Guang Ji
- Institute of Digestive Disease, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 200032, China
| | - Tao Wu
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese MedicineShanghai 201203, China
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Xu C, Sun D, Wei C, Chang H. Bioinformatic analysis and experimental validation identified DNA methylation–Related biomarkers and immune-cell infiltration of atherosclerosis. Front Genet 2022; 13:989459. [PMID: 36159969 PMCID: PMC9493181 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.989459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: DNA methylation is an important form of epigenetic regulation and is closely related to atherosclerosis (AS). The purpose of this study was to identify DNA methylation–related biomarkers and explore the immune-infiltrate characteristics of AS based on methylation data.Methods: DNA methylation data of 15 atherosclerotic and paired healthy tissues were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential methylation positions (DMPs) and differential methylation regions (DMRs) were screened by the ChAMP R package. The methylation levels of DMPs located on CpG islands of gene promoter regions were averaged. The limma R package was used to screen differentially methylated genes in the CpG islands of the promoter regions. The diagnostic values of the methylation levels were evaluated using the pROC R package. The EpiDISH algorithm was applied to quantify the infiltration levels of seven types of immune cells. Subsequently, three pairs of clinical specimens of coronary atherosclerosis with Stary’s pathological stage III were collected, and the methylation levels were detected by the methylation-specific PCR (MS-PCR) assay. Western blot was performed to detect the protein expression levels of monocyte markers.Results: A total of 110, 695 DMPs, and 918 DMRs were screened in the whole genome. Also, six genes with significant methylation differences in the CpG islands of the promoter regions were identified, including 49 DMPs. In total, three genes (GRIK2, HOXA2, and HOXA3) had delta beta greater than 0.2. The infiltration level of monocytes was significantly upregulated in AS tissues. MS-PCR assay confirmed the methylation status of the aforementioned three genes in AS samples. The Western blot results showed that the expression levels of the monocyte marker CD14 and M1-type macrophage marker CD86 were significantly increased in AS while M2-type macrophage marker protein CD206 was significantly decreased.Conclusion: This study identified potential DNA methylation–related biomarkers and revealed the role of monocytes in early AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congjian Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Di Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Changmin Wei
- Department of Cardiology, Shengli Oilfield Central Hospital, Dongying, Shandong, China
- *Correspondence: Changmin Wei, ; Hao Chang,
| | - Hao Chang
- Hanyu Biomed Center Beijing, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Changmin Wei, ; Hao Chang,
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