The association between expressions of Ras and CD68 in the angiogenesis of breast cancers

The Role of the Guanosine Nucleotide-Binding Protein in the Corpus Luteum

The corpus luteum is a temporary endocrine gland in the ovary. In the ovarian cycle, repeated patterns of specific cellular proliferation, differentiation, and transformation occur that accompany the formation and regression of the corpus luteum. Molecular mechanism events in the ovarian microenvironment, such as angiogenesis and apoptosis, are complex. Recently, we focused on the role of RAS protein in the ovarian corpus luteum. RAS protein plays a vital role in the modulation of cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation by molecular pathway signaling. Additionally, reproductive hormones regulate RAS activity in the cellular physiological function of ovarian follicles during pre-ovulatory maturation and ovulation. Thus, we have reviewed the role of RAS protein related to the biological events of the corpus luteum in the ovary.

Primary 21-Gene Recurrence Score and Disease Outcome in Loco-Regional and Distant Recurrent Breast Cancer Patients

Background: The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) assay has been proven prognostic and predictive for hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative, node-negative early breast cancer patients. However, whether primary 21-gene RS can predict prognosis in recurrent breast cancer patients remained unknown.

Patients and Methods: Consecutive breast cancer patients operated in Comprehensive Breast Health Center, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital between January 2009 and December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with available 21-gene RS result for the primary tumor and reporting disease recurrence during follow-up were included. Association of 21-gene RS and overall survival (OS), post-recurrence overall survival (PR-OS), post-recurrence progression-free survival (PR-PFS), and first-line systemic treatment after recurrence were compared among different groups.

Results: A total of 74 recurrent patients were included, with 10, 27, 37 patients in the RS <18, 18–30, and ≥ 31 groups, respectively. Recurrent patients with RS ≥ 31 were more likely to receive chemotherapy as their first-line treatment compared to those with RS <31 (P = 0.025). Compared to those with RS <31, patients with RS ≥ 31 had significantly worse OS (P = 0.025), worse PR-OS (P = 0.026), and a trend of inferior PR-PFS (P = 0.106). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that primary ER expression level (OS: P = 0.009; PR-OS: P = 0.017) and histological grade (OS: P = 0.003; PR-OS: P = 0.009), but not primary 21-gene RS (OS: P = 0.706; PR-OS: P = 0.120), were independently associated with worse OS and PR-OS.

Conclusions: High primary 21-gene RS tended to be associated with worse disease outcome in loco-regional and distant recurrent breast cancer patients, which could influence the first-line systemic treatment after relapse, warranting further clinical evaluation.

SHOC2 is associated with the survival of breast cancer cells and has prognostic value for patients with breast cancer

SHOC2 leucine rich repeat scaffold protein (SHOC2) has been identified as a positive regulator of the Ras pathway; however, the function of SHOC2 in breast cancer has rarely been explored. The current study investigated the effects of SHOC2 on breast cancer cell growth and evaluated its prognostic value in patients with breast cancer. The effects of SHOC2 on MCF‑7 and MDA‑MB‑231 breast cancer cells were studied using short hairpin RNA. In total, 120 pairs of formalin‑fixed, paraffin‑embedded breast cancer tissue specimens were compared to normal tissue using immunohistochemical staining. SHOC2 knockdown significantly inhibited MCF‑7 and MDA‑MB‑231 breast cancer cell proliferation, and induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Additionally, the RAS‑MAPK/PI3K pathway was inhibited by SHOC2 knockdown. In a clinical study, the results revealed that high SHOC2 expression was associated with more aggressive clinical characteristics of breast cancer. Moreover, Kaplan‑Meier and Cox regression analyses indicated that SHOC2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for survival, suggesting that increased SHOC2 expression predicted a worse overall survival. This indicated that SHOC2 knockdown could affect breast cancer cell survival, and SHOC2 upregulation may be associated with a poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer.

Inflammation Promotes Progression of Pancreatic Cancer Through WNT/β-Catenin Pathway-Dependent Manner

OBJECTIVE

Identify the molecular mechanism of inflammatory stimuli induced pancreatic cancer progression.

METHODS

RNA-seq, microarray assay and bioinformatics analyses were used to identify differentially expressed genes. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to evaluate CD68, CD163, β-catenin, CD103, CCL3 markers. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), luciferase reporter assay, apoptosis assay, wound healing assay and immunofluorescence were performed to study the relationship of inflammatory stimuli and WNT/β-catenin pathway.

RESULTS

Differentially expressed genes of macrophage-conditioned medium-treated pancreatic cancer cells were related with WNT/β-catenin pathway. Inflammatory stimuli could activate WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. In 106 pancreatic cancer patients, nuclear β-catenin expression of CD68-high group was much higher than CD68-low group (P < 0.05), as same as CD163 (P < 0.05). Inflammatory stimuli downregulated the expression of CCL3 via WNT/β-catenin pathway and inhibited the chemotaxis of CD103 dendritic cells. Six pancreatic cancer prognosis associating genes were upregulated by inflammatory stimuli via WNT/β-catenin pathway. Transforming growth factor-β promoted malignant biological behavior of pancreatic cancer cells through WNT/β-catenin pathway-dependent mechanism.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study provided a novel mechanism involved in the inflammation-driven cancer progression through tumor immune escape and downstream gene regulation of WNT/β-catenin pathway-dependent manner.

Low infiltration of tumor-associated macrophages in high c-Myb-expressing breast tumors

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are prominent components of tumor stroma that promotes tumorigenesis. Many soluble factors participate in the deleterious cross-talk between TAMs and transformed cells; however mechanisms how tumors orchestrate their production remain relatively unexplored. c-Myb is a transcription factor recently described as a negative regulator of a specific immune signature involved in breast cancer (BC) metastasis. Here we studied whether c-Myb expression is associated with an increased presence of TAMs in human breast tumors. Tumors with high frequency of c-Myb-positive cells have lower density of CD68-positive macrophages. The negative association is reflected by inverse correlation between MYB and CD68/CD163 markers at the mRNA levels in evaluated cohorts of BC patients from public databases, which was found also within the molecular subtypes. In addition, we identified potential MYB-regulated TAMs recruiting factors that in combination with MYB and CD163 provided a valuable clinical multigene predictor for BC relapse. We propose that identified transcription program running in tumor cells with high MYB expression and preventing macrophage accumulation may open new venues towards TAMs targeting and BC therapy.

Rotundic acid enhances the impact of radiological toxicity on MCF-7 cells through the ATM/p53 pathway

Although radiation therapy is a powerful anticancer modality, radiation- induced stress response and gene expression with adaptive resistance may severely compromise the effectiveness of radiation. The function of rotundic acid (RA) on inducing apoptosis in the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 has been investigated in a previous study. In the present study, the combined effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy on reducing side effects was examined. The results of an MTT assay revealed that radiation (0.5, 2 and 10 Gy) effectively inhibit MCF-7 cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, consistent with the effects of RA (2, 5 and 12.5 µM). Interestingly, a lower dose of radiation (1 Gy) combined with RA (5 µM) exhibited a greater inhibition efficiency compared with a high dose of radiation alone. Flow cytometry revealed that radiation combined with RA induced the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells. Using western blotting, it was demonstrated that radiation induced the expression of ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and p53 protein, and that RA enhanced this effect. On examining the potential underlying mechanism, it was revealed that radiation and RA combined induce Bcl-2-associated X protein expression and cell apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. An ATM inhibitor was able to restore the effect of radiation and RA on inducing MCF-7 cell apoptosis. These results suggest that the ATM/p53 pathway directly participates in radiation and RA-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 cells. RA has the potential for development as a novel drug for the treatment of human breast cancer combined with radiation therapy, given that the combined side effects are reduced.

A network pharmacology approach to determine the synergetic mechanisms of herb couple for treating rheumatic arthritis

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the therapeutic mechanism(s) of Clematis chinensis Osbeck/Notopterygium incisum K.C. Ting ex H.T (CN).

Methods

A network pharmacology approach integrating prediction of ingredients, target exploration, network construction, module partition and pathway analysis was used.

Results

This approach successfully helped to identify 12 active ingredients of CN, interacting with 13 key targets (Akt1, STAT3, TNFsf13, TP53, EPHB2, IL-10, IL-6, TNF, MAPK8, IL-8, RELA, ROS1 and STAT4). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis indicated that CN-regulated pathways were mainly classified into signal transduction and immune system.

Conclusion

The present work may help to illustrate the mechanism(s) of action of CN, and it may provide a better understanding of antirheumatic effects.

FH535, a β-catenin pathway inhibitor, represses pancreatic cancer xenograft growth and angiogenesis

The WNT/β-catenin pathway plays an important role in pancreatic cancer carcinogenesis. We evaluated the correlation between aberrant β-catenin pathway activation and the prognosis pancreatic cancer, and the potential of applying the β-catenin pathway inhibitor FH535 to pancreatic cancer treatment. Meta-analysis and immunohistochemistry showed that abnormal β-catenin pathway activation was associated with unfavorable outcome. FH535 repressed pancreatic cancer xenograft growth in vivo. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of microarray data indicated that target genes responding to FH535 participated in stemness maintenance. Real-time PCR and flow cytometry confirmed that FH535 downregulated CD24 and CD44, pancreatic cancer stem cell (CSC) markers, suggesting FH535 impairs pancreatic CSC stemness. GO analysis of β-catenin chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing data identified angiogenesis-related gene regulation. Immunohistochemistry showed that higher microvessel density correlated with elevated nuclear β-catenin expression and unfavorable outcome. FH535 repressed the secretion of the proangiogenic cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor-α, and also inhibited angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Protein and mRNA microarrays revealed that FH535 downregulated the proangiogenic genes ANGPT2, VEGFR3, IFN-γ, PLAUR, THPO, TIMP1, and VEGF. FH535 not only represses pancreatic CSC stemness in vitro, but also remodels the tumor microenvironment by repressing angiogenesis, warranting further clinical investigation.

DEK promoted EMT and angiogenesis through regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer associated with poor prognosis. As an oncogene, DEK involves in regulation of various cellular metabolisms and plays an important role in tumor growth and progression. Increasing evidences suggested that abnormal expression of DEK is closely related to multiple malignant tumors. However, the possible involvement of DEK in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and angiogenesis in TNBC remains unclear. In the present study, we revealed that the over-expression of DEK was significantly correlated with clinical stage, differentiation, and lymph node (LN) metastasis of TNBC and indicated poor overall survival of TNBC patients. Moreover, we demonstrated that DEK depletion could significantly reduce cell proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis in vitro. We also found that DEK promoted cancer cell angiogenesis and metastasis by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Furthermore, we revealed the inhibitory effect of DEK depletion on tumor growth and progression in a xenograft tumor model in mice. These data indicated that DEK promotes TNBC cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and therefore, it might be a potential target in TNBC therapy.

Expression of Jagged1/Notch3 Signaling Pathway and their Relationship with the Tumor Angiogenesis in TNBC

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Jagged1/Notch3 signaling pathway plays a key role in angiogenesis of breast cancer, but little is known in TNBC. This study was designed to investigate the expression of Jagged1/Notch3 mRNA and protein in TNBC, analyze their correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. Moreover, the interrelationship among Jagged1/Notch3 and VEGF was initially evaluated.

METHODS

Jagged1/Notch3 mRNA and protein expression levels were determined by Q-RT-PCR and Western blotting. Additionally, Immunohistochemistry for Jagged1/Notch3 was detected by Ventana platform, VEGF and CD34 was performed using the EnVision/HRP technique.

RESULTS

mRNA transcriptionof Jagged1/Notch3 was in accord with protein expression. TNBC patients with positive Jagged1 expression had poorer DFS (p = 0.008) and OS (p = 0.004). Jagged1 expression was independent predictors of OS (p = 0.038). The expression of VEGF was positively correlative to MVD (p = 0.018), MVD was significantly associated with Jagged1 (p <0.0001) and Notch3 (p <0.0001). The expression of Jagged1/Notch3 has no correlation with VEGF, only in positive VEGF expression of TNBC patients Jagged1/Notch3 had influence on DFS and OS (p <0.05).

CONCLUSION

Jagged1/Notch3 was -expressed at both the mRNA and protein levels, Jagged1 served as an independent predictor of poor prognosis. We speculate that there is a cross-talk between Jagged1/Notch3 and VEGF in TNBC angiogenesis. Jagged1/Notch3 is expected to be an important signaling pathway for TNBC progression and a potential target for TNBC neovascularization therapy.

TNF-α sensitizes chemotherapy and radiotherapy against breast cancer cells

Purpose

Despite new developments in cancer therapy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy remain the cornerstone of breast cancer treatment. Therefore, finding ways to reduce the toxicity and increase sensitivity is particularly important. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) exerts multiple functions in cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. In the present study, we investigated whether TNF-α could enhance the effect of chemotherapy and radiotherapy against breast cancer cells.

Methods

Cell growth was determined by MTT assay in vitro, and by using nude mouse tumor xenograft model in vivo. Cell cycle and apoptosis/necrosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. DNA damage was visualized by phospho-Histone H2A.X staining. mRNA expression was assessed by using real-time PCR. Protein expression was tested by Western blot assay.

Results

TNF-α strengthened the cytotoxicity of docetaxel, 5-FU and cisplatin against breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. TNF-α activated NF-κB pathway and dependently up-regulated expressions of CyclinD1, CyclinD2, CyclinE, CDK2, CDK4 and CDK6, the key regulators participating in G1→S phase transition. As a result, TNF-α drove cells out of quiescent G0/G1 phase, entering vulnerable proliferating phases. Treatment of TNF-α brought more DNA damage after Cs¹³⁷-irradiation and strengthened G2/M and S phase cell cycle arrest induced by docetaxel and cisplatin respectively. Moreover, the up-regulation of RIP3 (a necroptosis marker) by 5-FU, and the activation of RIP3 by TNF-α, synergistically triggered necroptosis (programmed necrosis). Knockdown of RIP3 attenuated the synergetic effect of TNF-α and 5-FU.

Conclusion

TNF-α presented radiotherapy- and chemotherapy-sensitizing effects against breast cancer cells.

Inflammatory stimuli promote growth and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells through NF-κB pathway dependent repression of PP2Ac

Previous studies have indicated that inflammatory stimulation represses protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), a well-known tumor suppressor. However, whether PP2A repression participates in pancreatic cancer progression has not been verified. We used lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and macrophage-conditioned medium (MCM) to establish in vitro inflammation models, and investigated whether inflammatory stimuli affect pancreatic cancer cell growth and invasion PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac)-dependently. Via nude mouse models of orthotopic tumor xenografts and dibutyltin dichloride (DBTC)-induced chronic pancreatitis, we evaluated the effect of an inflammatory microenvironment on PP2Ac expression in vivo. We cloned the PP2Acα and PP2Acβ isoform promoters to investigate the PP2Ac transcriptional regulation mechanisms. MCM accelerated pancreatic cancer cell growth; MCM and LPS promoted cell invasion. DBTC promoted xenograft growth and metastasis, induced tumor-associated macrophage infiltration, promoted angiogenesis, activated the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway, and repressed PP2Ac expression. In vitro, LPS and MCM downregulated PP2Ac mRNA and protein. PP2Acα overexpression attenuated JNK, ERK, PKC, and IKK phosphorylation, and impaired LPS/MCM-stimulated cell invasion and MCM-promoted cell growth. LPS and MCM activated the NF-κB pathway in vitro. LPS and MCM induced IKK and IκB phosphorylation, leading to p65/RelA nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation. Overexpression of the dominant negative forms of IKKα attenuated LPS and MCM downregulation of PP2Ac, suggesting inflammatory stimuli repress PP2Ac expression NF-κB pathway-dependently. Luciferase reporter gene assay verified that LPS and MCM downregulated PP2Ac transcription through an NF-κB-dependent pathway. Our study presents a new mechanism in inflammation-driven cancer progression through NF-κB pathway-dependent PP2Ac repression.

miR-98 functions as a tumor suppressor in salivary adenoid cystic carcinomas

Purpose

miR-98, a member of the let-7 family of microRNAs, is downregulated in many malignant tumors and has been correlated with tumor progression. However, the roles of miR-98 in salivary adenoid cystic carcinomas (SACCs) are still unclear. Thus, we explored the role of miR-98 in the pathogenesis of SACCs.

Methods

Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify miR-98 expression in SACC cell lines as well as in the primary tumors and adjacent tissues. Target gene prediction was carried out using softwares such as miRanda, PicTar, and TargetScan, and the neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homologue (N-RAS) was chosen as a potential target gene. Subsequently, the regulatory role of miR-98 on N-RAS expression was examined by Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays. N-RAS expression was detected in SACC tissues and SACC cell lines using immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. Furthermore, the associations between N-RAS expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed. Finally, the effects of miR-98 on the proliferation and metastasis of SACC cell lines were determined.

Results

miR-98 was downregulated in primary tissues and ACC-M cells. Meanwhile, N-RAS expression was significantly higher in SACC tissues than that in the adjacent tissues, and its overexpression was significantly associated with the clinical stage and tumor size. In addition, the overexpression of miR-98 in ACC-M cells inhibited cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro. It also significantly decreased the expression of N-RAS and inhibited signaling through the PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways.

Conclusion

These results indicate that miR-98 possibly acts as a tumor suppressor in SACC by negatively regulating the oncogene N-RAS.

Scavenger Receptors: Emerging Roles in Cancer Biology and Immunology

Scavenger receptors constitute a large family of evolutionally conserved protein molecules that are structurally and functionally diverse. Although scavenger receptors were originally identified based on their capacity to scavenge modified lipoproteins, these molecules have been shown to recognize and bind to a broad spectrum of ligands, including modified and unmodified host-derived molecules or microbial components. As a major subset of innate pattern recognition receptors, scavenger receptors are mainly expressed on myeloid cells and function in a wide range of biological processes, such as endocytosis, adhesion, lipid transport, antigen presentation, and pathogen clearance. In addition to playing a crucial role in maintenance of host homeostasis, scavenger receptors have been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases, e.g., atherosclerosis, neurodegeneration, or metabolic disorders. Emerging evidence has begun to reveal these receptor molecules as important regulators of tumor behavior and host immune responses to cancer. This review summarizes our current understanding on the newly identified, distinct functions of scavenger receptors in cancer biology and immunology. The potential of scavenger receptors as diagnostic biomarkers and novel targets for therapeutic interventions to treat malignancies is also highlighted.