NOVA1 promotes NSCLC proliferation and invasion by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Wnt/β-catenin signaling in the development and therapeutic resistance of non-small cell lung cancer

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is a critical pathway that influences development and therapeutic response of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In recent years, many Wnt regulators, including proteins, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs, have been found to promote or inhibit signaling by acting on Wnt proteins, receptors, signal transducers and transcriptional effectors. The identification of these regulators and their underlying molecular mechanisms provides important implications for how to target this pathway therapeutically. In this review, we summarize recent studies of Wnt regulators in the development and therapeutic response of NSCLC.

RNA-binding protein NOVA1 promotes acute T-lymphocyte leukemia progression by stabilizing USP44 mRNA

Acute T-lymphocyte leukemia (T-ALL) is a malignant tumor disease. RNA-binding protein neotumor ventral antigen-1 (NOVA1) is highly expressed in bone marrow mononuclear cells of T-ALL patients, while the role of NOVA1 in T-ALL progression remains unknown. The gain- and loss-of-function studies for NOVA1 were performed in Jurkat and CCRF-CEM cells. NOVA1 overexpression promoted cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. NOVA1 knockdown increased the apoptosis rate of T-ALL cells. Ubiquitin-specific protease 44 (USP44), a nuclear protein with deubiquitinase catalytic activity, has been reported to play an oncogene role in human T-cell leukemia. USP44 expression was positively associated with NOVA1, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay verified the binding of NOVA1 to the mRNA of USP44. USP44 knockdown partially abolished NOVA1-induced cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. The in vivo xenograft experiment was performed by injection of T-ALL tumor cells into the tail vein of NOD/SCID mice. The knockdown of NOVA1 had lower tumorigenicity. NOVA1 knockdown alleviated pathological changes in lung and spleen tissues, and increased the overall survival period and the weight of T-ALL mice. Thus, NOVA1 acts as an accelerator in T-ALL, and its function might be achieved by binding to and stabilizing USP44 mRNA.

IGF2BP1 facilitates non-small cell lung cancer progression by regulating the KIF2A-mediated Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding proteins (IGF2BPs) are crucially implicated in the cancer progression. The current study intends to excavate and clarify the mechanisms of the key IGF2BPs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression of IGF2BPs and kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) was examined using immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot in NSCLC tissue samples or cell lines. NSCLC cell viability was examined using a cell counting kit-8 assay. Cell apoptotic rate was assessed using flow cytometry analysis. The migration and invasion of H1299 cells were subject to scratch test and Transwell assays, respectively. Starbase 2.0 was used to detect the downstream factors of the IGF2BP1 protein. The binding of IGF2BP with KIF2A was detected using RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation assays. Ki-67 immunohistochemistry assay and TUNEL assays were applied for the evaluation of proliferation and apoptosis in vivo, respectively. IGF2BP1 was upregulated in NSCLC tissue samples and cells. Functionally, IGF2BP1 overexpression promoted the proliferative ability, migration, and invasiveness of H1299 cells, while inhibiting cell apoptosis in vitro. In vivo studies revealed that overexpression of IGF2BP1 promoted tumor growth of NSCLC. Mechanistically, IGF2BP1 was involved in KIF2A mRNA stabilization. KIF2A exerted the same functions as IGF2BP1 via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In conclusion, IGF2BP1 enhances NSCLC malignant progression by stabilizing KIF2A to modulate the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Comprehensive analysis of alternative splicing across multiple transcriptomic cohorts reveals prognostic signatures in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Alternative splicing (AS) plays a crucial role in transcriptomic diversity and is a hallmark of cancer that profoundly influences the development and progression of prostate cancer (PCa), a prevalent and potentially life-limiting cancer among men. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the association between AS dysregulation and the onset and progression of PCa. However, a comprehensive and integrative analysis of AS profiles at the event level, utilising data from multiple high-throughput cohorts and evaluating the prognosis of PCa progression, remains lacking and calls for thorough exploration.

RESULTS

We identified a differentially expressed retained intron event in ZWINT across three distinct cohorts, encompassing an original array-based dataset profiled by us previously and two RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets. Subsequent in-depth analyses of these RNA-seq datasets revealed  141 altered events, of which 21 demonstrated a significant association with patients' biochemical recurrence-free survival (BCRFS). We formulated an AS event-based prognostic signature, capturing six pivotal events in genes CYP4F12, NFATC4, PIGO, CYP3A5, ALS2CL, and FXYD3. This signature effectively differentiated  high-risk patients diagnosed with PCa, who experienced shorter BCRFS, from their low-risk counterparts. Notably, the signature's predictive power surpassed traditional clinicopathological markers in forecasting 5-year BCRFS, demonstrating robust performance in both internal and external validation sets. Lastly, we constructed a novel nomogram that integrates patients' Gleason scores with pathological tumour stages, demonstrating improved prognostication of BCRFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Prediction of clinical progression remains elusive in PCa. This research uncovers novel splicing events associated with BCRFS, augmenting existing prognostic tools, thus potentially refining clinical decision-making.

Regulation of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transitions by Alternative Splicing: Potential New Area for Cancer Therapeutics

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complicated biological process in which cells with epithelial phenotype are transformed into mesenchymal cells with loss of cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion and gain of the ability to migrate. EMT and the reverse mesenchymal-epithelial transitions (METs) are present during cancer progression and metastasis. Using the dynamic switch between EMT and MET, tumour cells can migrate to neighbouring organs or metastasize in the distance and develop resistance to traditional chemotherapy and targeted drug treatments. Growing evidence shows that reversing or inhibiting EMT may be an advantageous approach for suppressing the migration of tumour cells or distant metastasis. Among different levels of modulation of EMT, alternative splicing (AS) plays an important role. An in-depth understanding of the role of AS and EMT in cancer is not only helpful to better understand the occurrence and regulation of EMT in cancer progression, but also may provide new therapeutic strategies. This review will present and discuss various splice variants and splicing factors that have been shown to play a crucial role in EMT.

The role of alternative pre-mRNA splicing in cancer progression

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing is a critical mechanism that generates multiple mRNA from a single gene, thereby increasing the diversity of the proteome. Recent research has highlighted the significance of specific splicing isoforms in cellular processes, particularly in regulating cell numbers. In this review, we examine the current understanding of the role of alternative splicing in controlling cancer cell growth and discuss specific splicing factors and isoforms and their molecular mechanisms in cancer progression. These isoforms have been found to intricately control signaling pathways crucial for cell cycle progression, proliferation, and apoptosis. Furthermore, studies have elucidated the characteristics and functional importance of splicing factors that influence cell numbers. Abnormal expression of oncogenic splicing isoforms and splicing factors, as well as disruptions in splicing caused by genetic mutations, have been implicated in the development and progression of tumors. Collectively, these findings provide valuable insights into the complex interplay between alternative splicing and cell proliferation, thereby suggesting the potential of alternative splicing as a therapeutic target for cancer.

Subacute Horizontal Diplopia, Jaw Dystonia, and Laryngospasm

Jaw dystonia and laryngospasm in the context of subacute brainstem dysfunction have been described in a small number of diseases, including antineuronal nuclear antibody type 2 (ANNA-2, also known as anti-Ri) paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome. Severe episodes of laryngospasms causing cyanosis are potentially fatal. Jaw dystonia can also cause eating difficulty, resulting in severe weight loss and malnutrition. In this report, we highlight the multidisciplinary management of this syndrome associated with ANNA-2/anti-Ri paraneoplastic neurologic syndrome and discuss its pathogenesis.

Exosomal microRNA Therapy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

With the progress of molecular diagnosis research on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, four identified categories of microRNAs have been found to be related to disease diagnosis, diagnosis of treatment resistance, prediction of prognosis, and drugs for treatment. To date, nine target mRNA/signal pathways have been confirmed for microRNA drug therapy both in vitro and in vivo. When microRNA drugs enter blood vessels, they target the tumor site and play a similar role to that of targeted drugs. However, whether they will produce serious off-target effects remains unknown, and further clinical research is needed. This review provides the first summary of microRNA therapy for NSCLC.