CBX7 regulates stem cell-like properties of gastric cancer cells via p16 and AKT-NF-κB-miR-21 pathways

EZH2-associated tumor malignancy: A prominent target for cancer treatment

The discussion in this review centers around the significant relationships between EZH2 and the initiation, progression, metastasis, metabolism, drug resistance, and immune regulation of cancer. Polycomb group (PcG) proteins, which encompass two primary Polycomb repressor complexes (PRC1 and PRC2), have been categorized. PRC2 consists mainly of four subunits, namely EZH2, EED, SUZ12, and RbAp46/48. As the crucial catalytic component within the PRC2 complex, EZH2 plays a pivotal role in controlling a wide range of biological processes. Overexpression/mutations of EZH2 have been detected in a wide variety of tumors. Several mechanisms of EZH regulation have been identified, including regulation EZH2 mRNA by miRNAs, LncRNAs, accessibility to DNA via DNA-binding proteins, post-translational modifications, and transcriptional regulation. EZH2 signaling triggers cancer progression and may intervene with anti-tumor immunity; therefore it has charmed attention as an effective therapeutic target in cancer therapy. Numerouss nucleic acid-based therapies have been used in the modification of EZH2. In addition to gene therapy approaches, pharmaceutical compounds can be used to target the EZH2 signaling pathway in the treatment of cancer. EZH2-associated tumor cells and immune cells enhance the effects of the immune response in a variety of human malignancies. The combination of epigenetic modifying agents, such as anti-EZH2 compounds with immunotherapy, could potentially be efficacious even in the context of immunosuppressive tumors. Summary, understanding the mechanisms underlying resistance to EZH2 inhibitors may facilitate the development of novel drugs to prevent or treat relapse in treated patients.

Gene Co-Expression and miRNA Regulation: A Path to Early Intervention in Colorectal Cancer

Early diagnosis and intervention are pivotal in reducing colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence and enhancing patient outcomes. In this study, we focused on three genes, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, which exhibit high co-expression and play crucial roles in suppressing early-stage CRC. Our objective was to identify key miRNAs that can mitigate CRC tumorigenesis and modulate the co-expression network involving these genes. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using large-scale tissue mRNA data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus to validate the co-expression of AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, and to assess their diagnostic and prognostic significance in CRC. mRNA-miRNA interactions were examined using MiRNet and the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes. Furthermore, using various molecular techniques, we conducted miRNA inhibitor transfection experiments in HCT116 cells to evaluate their effects on cell growth, migration, and gene/protein expression. Our findings revealed that, compared to normal tissues, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB exhibited high co-expression and were downregulated in CRC, particularly during tumorigenesis. OncoMirs, hsa-miR-182-5p, and hsa-miR-27a-3p, were predicted to regulate these genes. MiRNA inhibition experiments in HCT116 cells demonstrated the inhibitory effects of miR-27a-3p and miR-182-5p on GUCA2B mRNA and protein expression. These miRNAs promoted the proliferation of CRC cells, possibly through their involvement in the GUCA2B-GUCY2C axis, which is known to promote tumor growth. While the expressions of AQP8 and SPIB were barely detectable, their regulatory relationship with hsa-miR-182-5p remained inconclusive. Our study confirms that hsa-miR-27a-3p and hsa-miR-182-5p are oncomiRs in CRC. These miRNAs may contribute to GUCY2C dysregulation by downregulating GUCA2B, which encodes uroguanylin. Consequently, hsa-miR-182-5p and hsa-miR-27a-3p show promise as potential targets for early intervention and treatment in the early stages of CRC.

POLQ inhibition attenuates the stemness and ferroptosis resistance in gastric cancer cells via downregulation of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase

Gastric cancer (GC) contains subpopulations of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which are described as the main contributors in tumor initiation and metastasis. It is necessary to clarify the molecular mechanism underlying CSCs phenotype and develop novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer. Here, we show that POLQ positively regulates stem cell-like characteristics of gastric cancer cells, knockdown of POLQ suppressed the stemness of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Further mechanistic studies revealed that POLQ knockdown could downregulate the expression of dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH). DHODH overexpression rescued the reduced stemness resulted by POLQ knockdown. Furthermore, we found that POLQ expression correlated with resistance to ferroptosis, and POLQ inhibition renders gastric cancer cells more vulnerable to ferroptosis. Further investigation revealed that POLQ regulated DHODH expression via the transcription factors E2F4, thereby regulating ferroptosis resistance and stemness of gastric cancer cells. Given the importance of POLQ in stemness and ferroptosis resistance of GC, we further evaluated the therapeutic potential of POLQ inhibitor novobiocin, the results show that novobiocin attenuates the stemness of GC cells and increased ferroptosis sensitivity. Moreover, the combination of POLQ inhibitor and ferroptosis inducer synergistically suppressed MGC-803 xenograft tumor growth and diminished metastasis. Our results identify a POLQ-mediated stemness and ferroptosis defense mechanism and provide a new therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.

IGF-1-mediated FOXC1 overexpression induces stem-like properties through upregulating CBX7 and IGF-1R in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Substantial evidence attests to the pivotal role of cancer stem cells (CSC) in both tumorigenesis and drug resistance. A member of the forkhead box (FOX) family, FOXC1, assumes significance in embryonic development and organogenesis. Furthermore, FOXC1 functions as an overexpressed transcription factor in various tumors, fostering proliferation, enhancing migratory capabilities, and promoting drug resistance, while maintaining stem-cell-like properties. Despite these implications, scant attention has been devoted to its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Our investigation revealed a pronounced upregulation of FOXC1 expression in ESCC, correlating with a poor prognosis. The downregulation of FOXC1 demonstrated inhibitory effects on ESCC tumorigenesis, proliferation, and tolerance to chemotherapeutic agents, concurrently reducing the levels of stemness-related markers CD133 and CD44. Further studies validated that FOXC1 induces ESCC stemness by transactivating CBX7 and IGF-1R. Additionally, IGF-1 activated the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB and MEK/ERK/NF-κB pathways through its binding to IGF-1R, thereby augmenting FOXC1 expression. Conversely, suppressing FOXC1 impeded ESCC stemness induced by IGF-1. The presence of a positive feedback loop, denoted by IGF-1-FOXC1-IGF-1R, suggests the potential of FOXC1 as a prognostic biomarker for ESCC. Taken together, targeting the IGF-1-FOXC1-IGF-1R axis emerges as a promising approach for anti-CSC therapy in ESCC.

Multifaceted role of microRNAs in gastric cancer stem cells: Mechanisms and potential biomarkers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have received much attention in the past decade as potential key epigenomic regulators of tumors and cancer stem cells (CSCs). The abnormal expression of miRNAs is responsible for different phenotypes of gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs). Some specific miRNAs could be used as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for the identification of GCSCs. This review summarizes the coding process and biological functions of miRNAs and demonstrates their role and efficacy in gastric cancer (GC) metastasis, drug resistance, and apoptosis, especially in the regulatory mechanism of GCSCs. It shows that the overexpression of onco-miRNAs and silencing of tumor-suppressor miRNAs can play a role in promoting or inhibiting tumor metastasis, apart from the initial formation of GC. It also discusses the epigenetic regulation and potential clinical applications of miRNAs as well as the role of CSCs in the pathogenesis of GC. We believe that this review may help in designing novel therapeutic approaches for GC.

The Role of Methionine Restriction in Gastric Cancer: A Summary of Mechanisms and a Discussion on Tumor Heterogeneity

Gastric cancer is ranked as the fifth most prevalent cancer globally and has long been a topic of passionate discussion among numerous individuals. However, the incidence of gastric cancer in society has not decreased, but instead has shown a gradual increase in recent years. For more than a decade, the treatment effect of gastric cancer has not been significantly improved. This is attributed to the heterogeneity of cancer, which makes popular targeted therapies ineffective. Methionine is an essential amino acid, and many studies have shown that it is involved in the development of gastric cancer. Our study aimed to review the literature on methionine and gastric cancer, describing its mechanism of action to show that tumor heterogeneity in gastric cancer does not hinder the effectiveness of methionine-restricted therapies. This research also aimed to provide insight into the inhibition of gastric cancer through metabolic reprogramming with methionine-restricted therapies, thereby demonstrating their potential as adjuvant treatments for gastric cancer.

CBX7 is involved in the progression of cervical cancer through the ITGβ3/TGFβ1/AKT pathway

The chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7) serves a tumor-suppressive role in human malignant neoplasias. The downregulation of CBX7 is associated with the poor prognosis and aggressiveness of various human cancers. However, the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of CBX7 in cervical cancer remain unclear. The present study investigated the role and mechanism of CBX7 in cervical cancer. Lentivirus and siRNA were used to construct cervical cancer cells with stable CBX7 knockdown and SiHa xenograft models. The cell growth, migration, invasion and apoptosis were observed through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The expression levels of CBX7, integrin β3 (ITGβ3), transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), AKT, E-cadherin (E-cad) and vimentin (VIM) were detected by western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The correlation between CBX7 and these genes was analyzed. TGFβ1 was also silenced through shRNA in cells with stable CBX7 knockdown to detect its effect on cell growth, invasion and apoptosis, and on pathway-related gene expression. It was revealed that knockdown of CBX7 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells, and inhibited apoptosis. In addition, CBX7 knockdown promoted tumor growth in vivo. Correlation analysis demonstrated that CBX7 was negatively correlated with ITGβ3, TGFβ1, PI3K, AKT, phosphorylated AKT and VIM, but positively correlated with E-cad. Moreover, the knockdown of TGFβ1 reversed the promotion of cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis induced by CBX7 knockdown and attenuated the increase of ITGβ3, TGFβ1, PI3K, AKT and VIM caused by CBX7 knockdown. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that the downregulation of CBX7 enhances cell migration and invasion while inhibiting cell apoptosis in cervical cancer by modulating the ITGβ3/TGFβ1/AKT signaling pathways.

Decoding the interaction between miR-19a and CBX7 focusing on the implications for tumor suppression in cancer therapy

Cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, genetic alterations, and disruption of normal cellular processes, leading to the formation of malignant tumors with potentially devastating consequences for patients. Molecular research is important in the diagnosis and treatment, one of the molecular mechanisms involved in various cancers is the fluctuation of gene expression. Non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs, are involved in different stages of cancer. MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules that are naturally produced within cells and bind to the 3'-UTR of target mRNA, repressing gene expression by regulating translation. Overexpression of miR-19a has been reported in human malignancies. Upregulation of miR-19a as a member of the miR-17-92 cluster is key to tumor formation, cell proliferation, survival, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Furthermore. bioinformatics and in vitro data reveal that the miR-19a-3p isoform binds to the 3'UTR of CBX7 and was identified as the miR-19a-3p target gene. CBX7 is known as a tumor suppressor. This review initially describes the regulation of mir-19a in multiple cancers. Accordingly, the roles of miR-19 in affecting its target gene expression CBX7 in carcinoma also be discussed.

Multi-omics analysis of MRPL-13 as a tumor-promoting marker from pan-cancer to lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

As a member of the mitochondrial ribosomal protein family, mitochondrial ribosomal protein L13 (MRPL13) is responsible for synthesizing mitochondrial proteins in cells. Several studies have indicated that MRPL13 is associated with the proliferation cycle, migration ability, apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells. However, a thorough examination of MRPL13 across cancers remains uncertain. Therefore, we tried to clarify the relationship between MRPL13 and pan-cancer, and verified it in lung adenocarcinoma by various methods. Finally, our research is expected to reveal new targets for pan-cancer treatment and improve the prognosis of cancer patients.

METHODS

Using bioinformatics tools, we quantified the differential expression of MRPL13 between cancer tissues and corresponding or noncorresponding normal tissues across cancers. We also analyzed the relationships between MRPL13 expression levels and several factors, including diagnosis, prognosis, mutation, functional signaling pathways, immune infiltration, RNA modification, and the relationship with cuproptosis-related genes. Furthermore, we studied the relationship between the expression level of MRPL13 across cancers and the change in cancer functional status through single-cell data. In addition, quantitative experiments (PCR and Western blot) proved that the expression of MRPL13 was significantly different between LUAD and control samples. Finally, the effect of knocking out MRPL13 on cancer cells was compared by gene silencing experiments. In summary, we used a combination of bioinformatics and experimental applications to study the potential roles of MRPL13 in cancer.

RESULTS

After conducting a multidimensional analysis, we found that the application of MRPL13 multigroup analysis can effectively improve the diagnostic efficiency of various cancers and predict the prognosis of cancer. Moreover, MRPL13 in pan-cancer is related to the cancer immune infiltration pattern, methylation level and cuproptosis-related genes. Furthermore, single-cell data analysis showed that the modules of metastasis, EMT, cell cycle, DNA repair, invasion, DNA damage and proliferation were positively correlated with the expression of MRPL13 in LUAD (Lung adenocarcinoma), while the modules of hypoxia and inflammation were negatively correlated. Moreover, through quantitative experiments, we observed higher expression of MRPL13 in cancer tissues at the RNA or protein level. Knockdown of MRPL13 in LUAD led to decreased cancer cell survival, delayed tumor division and migration, reduced invasion, and increased cancer cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates the potential of using MRPL13 as a molecular biomarker for diagnosing and suggesting the prognosis of certain malignant tumors. Furthermore, our research shows that MRPL13 may be an effective therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinoma.

CBX4 deletion promotes tumorigenesis under KrasG12D background by inducing genomic instability

Chromobox protein homolog 4 (CBX4) is a component of the Polycomb group (PcG) multiprotein Polycomb repressive complexes 1 (PRC1), which is participated in several processes including growth, senescence, immunity, and tissue repair. CBX4 has been shown to have diverse, even opposite functions in different types of tissue and malignancy in previous studies. In this study, we found that CBX4 deletion promoted lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) proliferation and progression in KrasG12D mutated background. In vitro, over 50% Cbx4L/L, KrasG12D mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) underwent apoptosis in the initial period after Adeno-Cre virus treatment, while a small portion of survival cells got increased proliferation and transformation abilities, which we called selected Cbx4-/-, KrasG12D cells. Karyotype analysis and RNA-seq data revealed chromosome instability and genome changes in selected Cbx4-/-, KrasG12D cells compared with KrasG12D cells. Further study showed that P15, P16 and other apoptosis-related genes were upregulated in the primary Cbx4-/-, KrasG12D cells due to chromosome instability, which led to the large population of cell apoptosis. In addition, multiple pathways including Hippo pathway and basal cell cancer-related signatures were altered in selected Cbx4-/-, KrasG12D cells, ultimately leading to cancer. We also found that low expression of CBX4 in LUAD was associated with poorer prognosis under Kras mutation background from the human clinical data. To sum up, CBX4 deletion causes genomic instability to induce tumorigenesis under KrasG12D background. Our study demonstrates that CBX4 plays an emerging role in tumorigenesis, which is of great importance in guiding the clinical treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Crosstalk between Cancer Cells and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Mediated by TGF-β1-IGFBP7 Signaling Promotes the Progression of Infiltrative Gastric Cancer

Patients with infiltrative-type gastric cancer (GC) (Ming's classification) have a poor prognosis due to more metastasis and recurrence. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in infiltrative-type extracellular matrix (ECM) have specific characteristics compared with those of expansive types with respect to metastasis, but the mechanism is still unclear. Based on our proteomics data, TCGA data analysis, and immunohistochemical staining results, significantly higher expression of IGFBP7 was observed in GC, especially in the infiltrative type, and was associated with a poor prognosis. Combining single-cell transcriptome data from GEO and multiple immunofluorescence staining on tissue showed that the differential expression of IGFBP7 mainly originated from myofibroblastic CAFs, the subgroup with higher expression of PDGFRB and α-SMA. After treating primary normal fibroblasts (NFs) with conditional medium or recombined protein, it was demonstrated that XGC-1-derived TGF-β1 upregulated the expression of IGFBP7 in the cells and its secretion via the P-Smad2/3 pathway and mediated its activation with higher FAP, PDGFRB, and α-SMA expression. Then, either conditional medium from CAFs with IGFBP7 overexpression or recombined IGFBP7 protein promoted the migration, invasion, colony formation, and sphere growth ability of XGC-1 and MGC-803, respectively. Moreover, IGFBP7 induced EMT in XGC-1. Therefore, our study clarified that in the tumor microenvironment, tumor-cell-derived TGF-β1 induces the appearance of the IGFBP7+ CAF subgroup, and its higher IGFBP7 extracellular secretion level accelerates the progression of tumors.

Functional role of MicroRNA/PI3K/AKT axis in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor that occurs in children and adolescents, and the PI3K/AKT pathway is overactivated in most OS patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved endogenous non-protein-coding RNAs that can regulate gene expression by repressing mRNA translation or degrading mRNA. MiRNAs are enriched in the PI3K/AKT pathway, and aberrant PI3K/AKT pathway activation is involved in the development of osteosarcoma. There is increasing evidence that miRNAs can regulate the biological functions of cells by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway. MiRNA/PI3K/AKT axis can regulate the expression of osteosarcoma-related genes and then regulate cancer progression. MiRNA expression associated with PI3K/AKT pathway is also clearly associated with many clinical features. In addition, PI3K/AKT pathway-associated miRNAs are potential biomarkers for osteosarcoma diagnosis, treatment and prognostic assessment. This article reviews recent research advances on the role and clinical application of PI3K/AKT pathway and miRNA/PI3K/AKT axis in the development of osteosarcoma.

CBX7 Rejuvenates Late Passage Dental Pulp Stem Cells by Maintaining Stemness and Pro-angiogenic Ability

BACKGROUND

Ever-growing tissue regeneration causes pressing need for large population of stem cells. However, extensive cell expansion eventually leads to impaired regenerative potentials. In this study, chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7) was overexpressed to rejuvenate late passage dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs-P9).

METHODS

The recruitment of copper ions (Cu2+)-activated hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) to the CBX7 gene promoter was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. Functions subsequent to Cu2+-induced or recombinant overexpression of CBX7 on proliferation, multipotency, odontoblastic differentiation and angiogenesis were investigated in vitro, while murine subcutaneous transplantation model was used to further detect the effects of Cu2+-induced CBX7 overexpression in vivo.

RESULTS

Our data displayed that CBX7 overexpression maintain proliferation and multipotency of DPSCs-P9 almost as strong as those of DPSCs-P3. Both gene level of odontoblast-lineage markers and calcium precipitation were nearly the same between CBX7 overexpressed DPSCs-P9 and normal DPSCs-P3. Moreover, we also found upregulated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in DPSCs-P9 with CBX7 overexpression, which increased the number of capillary-like structures and migrating co-cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well. These findings indicate CBX7 as an effective factor to rejuvenate late passage stem cells insusceptible to cell expansion. Cu2+ has been proved to achieve CBX7 overexpression in DPSCs through the initiation of HIF-1α-CBX7 cascade. Under Cu2+ stimulation since P3, DPSCs-P9 exhibited ameliorated regenerative potential both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Long-term stimulation of Cu2+ to overexpress CBX7 could be a new strategy to manufacture large population of self-renewing stem cells.

Epigenetic programing of cancer stemness by transcription factors-non-coding RNAs interactions

Cancer 'stemness' is fundamental to cancer existence. It defines the ability of cancer cells to indefinitely perpetuate as well as differentiate. Cancer stem cell populations within a growing tumor also help evade the inhibitory effects of chemo- as well as radiation-therapies, in addition to playing an important role in cancer metastases. NF-κB and STAT-3 are representative transcription factors (TFs) that have long been associated with cancer stemness, thus presenting as attractive targets for cancer therapy. The growing interest in non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the recent years has provided further insight into the mechanisms by which TFs influence cancer stem cell characteristics. There is evidence for a direct regulation of TFs by ncRNAs, such as, microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as well as circular RNAs (circRNAs), and vice versa. Additionally, the TF-ncRNAs regulations are often indirect, involving ncRNA-target genes or the sponging of other ncRNA species by individual ncRNAs. The information is rapidly evolving and this review provides a comprehensive review of TF-ncRNAs interactions with implications on cancer stemness and in response to therapies. Such knowledge will help uncover the many levels of tight regulations that control cancer stemness, providing novel opportunities and targets for therapy in the process.

SCF-FBXL8 contributes to liver metastasis and stem-cell-like features in colorectal cancer cells by mediating ubiquitination and degradation of TP53

BACKGROUND

FBXL8 is a conserved F-box protein, belonging to the ubiquitin ligase complex, which promotes the development and progression of tumours. However, the regulation function and mechanism of FBXL8's involvement in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear.

METHODS

RT-PCR is used to detect gene expression levels. Protein levels were determined by western blotting and flow cytometry. The bindings of FBXL8 and p53 and ubiquitination levels were detected by cell transfection and immunoprecipitation. The transwell assay was used to measure the ability of cells to migrate and invade. Animal studies were used to verify the function of FBXL8 in vivo.

RESULTS

The expression of FBXL8 was up-regulated in CRC tissues, and its overexpression was associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. The up-regulation of FBXL8 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of CRC tumour cells and maintained the stem-cell characteristics of colorectal tumour cells. Further analysis demonstrated that FBXL8 targeted p53 and reduced its stability through ubiquitination. Knockout of FBXL8 down-regulated the proliferation, migration and stem-like properties of tumour cells. CRC mouse xenograft tumour model confirmed that FBXL8 gene knockout inhibited tumour formation and liver metastasis.

CONCLUSION

FBXL8 was highly expressed in CRC. Mechanism studies have shown that FBXL8 degraded tumour suppressor gene p53 by ubiquitination. FBXL8 knockout inhibited the proliferation and stem characteristics of CRC cells, so SCF-FBXL8-TP53 has potential to be used as a therapeutic target for CRC in subsequent studies.

Noncoding RNAs Controlling Oxidative Stress in Cancer

Mitochondria in cancer cells tend to overproduce reactive oxygen species (ROS), inducing a vicious cycle between mitochondria, ROS, genomic instability, and cancer development. The first part of this review deals with the role of noncoding RNAs in regulating mitochondrial ROS production and the expression of antioxidants in cancer cells, preventing the increase of ROS in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, cytotoxic T and natural killer cells release high levels of ROS, inducing cell death, while anti-immune regulatory T cells, tumor-associated M2 macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, at least at the initial stage of tumor growth, release low levels of ROS supporting tumor growth. Therefore, this review's second part deals with noncoding RNAs' role in regulating the metabolic reprogramming of immune cells about ROS release. Furthermore, the enrichment of noncoding RNAs in microvesicles allows communication between cell types in a tumor and between a tumor and tumor-adjacent tissues. Therefore, the third part illustrates how noncoding RNA-containing microvesicles secreted by mesenchymal stem cells and primary tumor cells may primarily aid the shift of immune cells to a pro-oncogenic phenotype. Conversely, microvesicles released by tumor-adjacent tissues may have the opposite effect. Our review reveals that a specific noncoding RNA may affect oxidative stress by several mechanisms, which may have opposite effects on tumor growth. Furthermore, they may be involved in mechanisms other than regulating oxidative stress, which may level out their effects on oxidative stress and tumor growth. In addition, several noncoding RNAs might share a specific function, making it very unlikely that intervening with only one of these noncoding RNAs will block this particular mechanism. Overall, further validation of the interaction between noncoding RNAs about cancer types and stages of tumor development is warranted.

Chromobox proteins in cancer: Multifaceted functions and strategies for modulation (Review)

Chromobox (CBX) proteins are important epigenetic regulatory proteins and are widely involved in biological processes, such as embryonic development, the maintenance of stem cell characteristics and the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Disorder and dysfunction of CBXs in cancer usually lead to the blockade or ectoptic activation of developmental pathways, promoting the occurrence, development and progression of cancer. In the present review, the characteristics and functions of CBXs were first introduced. Subsequently, the expression of CBXs in cancers and the relationship between CBXs and clinical characteristics (mainly cancer grade, stage, metastasis and relapse) and prognosis were discussed. Finally, it was described how CBXs regulate cell proliferation and self‑renewal, apoptosis and the acquisition of malignant phenotypes, such as invasion, migration and chemoresistance, through mechanisms involving epigenetic modification, nuclear translocation, noncoding RNA interactions, transcriptional regulation, posttranslational modifications, protein‑protein interactions, signal transduction and metabolic reprogramming. The study also focused on cancer therapies targeting CBXs. The present review provides new insight and a comprehensive basis for follow‑up research on CBXs and cancer.

Pre-clinical and clinical importance of miR-21 in human cancers: Tumorigenesis, therapy response, delivery approaches and targeting agents

The field of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) has made significant progress in understanding the pathogenesis of diseases and has broadened our knowledge towards their targeting, especially in cancer therapy. ncRNAs are a large family of RNAs with microRNAs (miRNAs) being one kind of endogenous RNA which lack encoded proteins. By now, miRNAs have been well-coined in pathogenesis and development of cancer. The current review focuses on the role of miR-21 in cancers and its association with tumor progression. miR-21 has both oncogenic and onco-suppressor functions and most of the experiments are in agreement with the tumor-promoting function of this miRNA. miR-21 primarily decreases PTEN expression to induce PI3K/Akt signaling in cancer progression. Overexpression of miR-21 inhibits apoptosis and is vital for inducing pro-survival autophagy. miR-21 is vital for metabolic reprogramming and can induce glycolysis to enhance tumor progression. miR-21 stimulates EMT mechanisms and increases expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 thereby elevating tumor metastasis. miR-21 is a target of anti-cancer agents such as curcumin and curcumol and its down-regulation impairs tumor progression. Upregulation of miR-21 results in cancer resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Increasing evidence has revealed the role of miR-21 as a biomarker as it is present in both the serum and exosomes making them beneficial biomarkers for non-invasive diagnosis of cancer.

Downregulation of CBX7 induced by EZH2 upregulates FGFR3 expression to reduce sensitivity to cisplatin in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin-based cytotoxic chemotherapy is considered to be the first-line therapy for advanced bladder cancer (BC), but resistance to cisplatin limits its antitumor effect. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) has been reported to contribute to the progression and cisplatin resistance of BC. Meanwhile, chromobox protein homologue 7 (CBX7) was reported to inhibit BC progression. And our previous RNA-seq data on CBX7 (GSE185630) suggested that CBX7 might repress FGFR3, but the underlying mechanism and other cancer-related functions of CBX7 are still unknown.

METHODS

Silico analysis of RNA-seq data to identify the upstream regulators and downstream target genes of CBX7. The western blot analysis, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR analysis, CCK-8 assay, and nude mice xenograft models were used to confirm the enhancer of zeste homologue (EZH2)/CBX7/ FGFR3 axis.

RESULTS

In this study, we first showed that CBX7 is downregulated in BC. Then, we revealed that EZH2 represses CBX7 expression by increasing H3K27me3 in BC cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that CBX7 directly downregulates FGFR3 expression and sensitises BC cells to cisplatin treatment by inactivating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-(RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase) AKT signalling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that CBX7 is an ideal candidate to overcome cisplatin resistance in BC.

PROX1-mediated epigenetic silencing of SIRT3 contributes to proliferation and glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer

Prospero-related homeobox 1 (PROX1) is a homeobox transcription factor known to promote malignant transformation and stemness in human colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the biological function of PROX1 in metabolic rearrangement in CRC remains unclear. Here, we aimed to uncover the relationship between the expression profile and role of PROX1 and CRC cell glucose metabolism and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism. PROX1 expression was significantly upregulated in human CRC tissues and positively associated with the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), a measure of tissue 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake and an indicator of glycolysis and tumor cell activity, in patients with CRC. Knockdown of PROX1 suppressed CRC cell proliferation and glucose metabolism in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, through a physical interaction, PROX1 recruited EZH2 to the SIRT3 promoter and inhibited SIRT3 promoter activity. Moreover, PROX1 or EZH2 knockdown decreased cell glycolysis by targeting SIRT3. Clinically, high PROX1 expression combined with low SIRT3 expression predicted poor prognosis in patients with CRC. Thus, our study suggests that the PROX1-EZH2 complex positively regulates cell proliferation and glucose metabolism by engaging SIRT3 in CRC, which may serve as a promising therapeutic strategy for CRC.

Chromobox Family Proteins as Putative Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Management: A Preliminary Study Based on Bioinformatics Analysis and qRT-PCR Validation

Background

Epigenetic modification of chromatin is an important step in the regulation of gene expression. The chromobox family proteins (CBXs), as epigenetic modifier, may play a vital role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Herein we explored the correlation between CBXs and breast cancer (BC) via the bioinformatics approach and qRT-PCR validation.

Methods

Several databases, including GEPIA, TCGA, GEO, K-M plotter, STRING, DAVID, cBioPortal, CIBERSORT, and HPA were employed to analyze the expression levels of CBXs and the correlations between CBXs and prognosis (overall and recurrence-free survival) in BC. We analyzed molecular functions, genetic variations, transcription factors of CBXs, and immune cell infiltration status. ROC curve analysis was performed to determine the predictive value of CBXs. RNA extracted from 11 human BC and paired adjacent normal tissues were subjected to qRT-PCR.

Results

The mRNA expression level of CBX1-5 was significantly upregulated, while that of CBX7 was significantly downregulated in BC; no expression disparities were observed in CBX6/8 expression. Further, high mRNA expression of CBX1/2/3/4/8 correlated with advanced BC, whereas high mRNA expression of CBX6/7 correlated with early BC. High mRNA expressions of CBX1/2/3/5 predict poor OS and RFS, while higher mRNA expressions of CBX6/7 predict better OS and RFS in patients with BC. ROC curve analysis revealed that CBX3 showed excellent discriminatory ability. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that CBXs primarily participated in SUMOylation and post-/transcriptional regulation. Moreover, they presented varying degrees of amplification in BC tissues and were related to the infiltration of various immune cells.

Conclusion

CBXs can serve as putative biomarkers for BC. Further studies are warranted to determine the exact molecular mechanisms underlying the action of CBXs in BC, particularly CBX1/2/3/5/7.

Gastric cancer stem cell-derived exosomes promoted tobacco smoke-triggered development of gastric cancer by inducing the expression of circ670

As one of the most common malignant cancers in the world, gastric cancer is caused by mang factors among which tobacco smoke is an important risk factor. Gastric cancer stem cells (GCSCs) and the derived exosomes play a key role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer, and exosomal circRNA is considered as a new regulatory factor in the development of gastric cancer. However, it is unclear whether tobacco smoke can affect exosomes and their transport circRNAs to promote the development of gastric cancer. Herein, we provided a new insight into tobacco smoke promoting the progression of gastric cancer. In the present study, we demonstrated that tobacco smoke-induced exosomes promoted the spheroidizing ability, stemness genes expression, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process of GCSCs. We further found that hsa-circRNA-000670 (circ670) was up-regulated in tissues of gastric cancer patients with smoking history, tobacco smoke-induced GCSCs, and their exosomes. Functional assays have shown that circ670 knockdown inhibited the stemness and EMT process of GCSCs, whereas circ670 overexpression appeared to have an opposite effect. Our findings indicated that exosomal circ670 promotes the development of tobacco smoke-induced gastric cancer, which may provide insight into the mechanism of tobacco smoke promoting the progression of gastric cancer.

Mining Transcriptomic Data to Uncover the Association between CBX Family Members and Cancer Stemness

Genetic and epigenetic changes might facilitate the acquisition of stem cell-like phenotypes of tumors, resulting in worse patients outcome. Although the role of chromobox (CBX) domain proteins, a family of epigenetic factors that recognize specific histone marks, in the pathogenesis of several tumor types is well documented, little is known about their association with cancer stemness. Here, we have characterized the relationship between the CBX family members' expression and cancer stemness in liver, lung, pancreatic, and uterine tumors using publicly available TCGA and GEO databases and harnessing several bioinformatic tools (i.e., Oncomine, GEPIA2, TISIDB, GSCA, UALCAN, R2 platform, Enrichr, GSEA). We demonstrated that significant upregulation of CBX3 and downregulation of CBX7 are consistently associated with enriched cancer stem-cell-like phenotype across distinct tumor types. High CBX3 expression is observed in higher-grade tumors that exhibit stem cell-like traits, and CBX3-associated gene expression profiles are robustly enriched with stemness markers and targets for c-Myc transcription factor regardless of the tumor type. Similar to high-stemness tumors, CBX3-overexpressing cancers manifest a higher mutation load. On the other hand, higher-grade tumors are characterized by the significant downregulation of CBX7, and CBX7-associated gene expression profiles are significantly depleted with stem cell markers. In contrast to high-stemness tumors, cancer with CBX7 upregulation exhibit a lower mutation burden. Our results clearly demonstrate yet unrecognized association of high CBX3 and low CBX7 expression with cancer stem cell-like phenotype of solid tumors.

An Unsupervised Deep Learning-Based Model Using Multiomics Data to Predict Prognosis of Patients with Stomach Adenocarcinoma

METHODS

Patients (363 in total) with stomach adenocarcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort were included. An autoencoder was constructed to integrate the RNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, and methylation data. The features of the bottleneck layer were used to perform the k-means clustering algorithm to obtain different subgroups for evaluating the prognosis-related risk of stomach adenocarcinoma. The model's robustness was verified using a 10-fold cross-validation (CV). Survival was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was used to estimate hazard risk. The model was validated in three independent cohorts with different endpoints.

RESULTS

The patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups according to the k-means clustering algorithm. The high-risk group had a significantly higher risk of poor survival (log-rank P value = 2.80e - 06; adjusted hazard ratio = 2.386, 95% confidence interval: 1.607~3.543), a concordance index (C-index) of 0.714, and a Brier score of 0.184. The model performed well both in the 10-fold CV procedure and three independent cohorts from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository.

CONCLUSIONS

A robust and generalizable model based on the autoencoder was proposed to integrate multiomics data and predict the prognosis of patients with stomach adenocarcinoma. The model demonstrates better performance than two alternative approaches on prognosis prediction. The results might provide the grounds for further exploring the potential biomarkers to predict the prognosis of patients with stomach adenocarcinoma.

CBX Family Members in Two Major Subtypes of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Comparative Bioinformatic Analysis

The biological function and clinical values of Chromobox (CBX) family proteins in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) are still poorly investigated. This study aimed to compare the expression profiles and clinical relevance of CBXs between the two most frequent subtypes of RCC, clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC) and papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCC), and to investigate whether CBXs would play a more or less similar role in the pathogenesis and progression of these RCC subtypes. Considering these two RCC populations in the TCGA database, we built a bioinformatics framework by integrating a computational pipeline with several online tools. CBXs showed a similar trend in ccRCC and pRCC tissues but with some features specific for each subtype. Specifically, the relative expressions of CBX3 and CBX2 were, respectively, the highest and lowest among all CBXs in both RCC subtypes. These data also found confirmation in cellular validation. Except for CBX4 and CBX8, all others were deregulated in the ccRCC subtype. CBX1, CBX6, and CBX7 were also significantly associated with the tumor stage. Further, low expression levels of CBX1, CBX5, CBX6, CBX7, and high expression of CBX8 were associated with poor prognosis. Otherwise, in the pRCC subtype, CBX2, CBX3, CBX7, and CBX8 were deregulated, and CBX2, CBX6, and CBX7 were associated with the tumor stage. In addition, in pRCC patients, low expression levels of CBX2, CBX4, and CBX7 were associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Similarly, CBX3, CBX6, and CBX7 presented the highest alteration rate in both subtypes and were found to be functionally related to histone binding, nuclear chromosomes, and heterochromatin. Furthermore, CBX gene expression levels correlated with immune cell infiltration, suggesting that CBXs might reflect the immune status of RCC subtypes. Our results highlight similarities and differences of CBXs within the two major RCC subtypes, providing new insights for future eligible biomarkers or possible molecular therapeutic targets for these diseases.

LINC01526 Promotes Proliferation and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer by Interacting with TARBP2 to Induce GNG7 mRNA Decay

Simple Summary

Many long noncoding RNAs play an important role in gastric cancer progression. In this study, we focused on LINC01526. Through expression and functional analyses, we obtained a preliminary understanding of the pro-cancer role of LINC01526 in gastric cancer. Furthermore, RNA pull-down and RNA immunoprecipitation chip assays demonstrated that LINC01526 interacts with TARBP2, an RNA-binding protein controlling mRNA stability. Moreover, TARBP2 could bind and destabilize GNG7 transcripts. Finally, the rescue assay disclosed that LINC01526 promoted gastric cancer progression by interacting with TARBP2, leading to the degradation of GNG7 mRNA.

Abstract

Gastric cancer is the most common malignancy of the human digestive system. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) influence the occurrence and development of gastric cancer in multiple ways. However, the function and mechanism of LINC01526 in gastric cancer remain unknown. Herein, we investigated the function of LINC01526 with respect to the malignant progression of gastric cancer. We found that LINC01526 was upregulated in gastric cancer cells and tissues. The function experiments in vitro and the Xenograft mouse model in vivo proved that LINC01526 could promote gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, LINC01526 interacted with TAR (HIV-1) RNA-binding protein 2 (TARBP2) and decreased the mRNA stability of G protein gamma 7 (GNG7) through TARBP2. Finally, the rescue assay showed that downregulating GNG7 partially rescued the cell proliferation inhibited by LINC01526 or TARBP2 silencing. In summary, LINC01526 promoted gastric cancer progression by interacting with TARBP2, which subsequently degraded GNG7 mRNA. This study not only explores the role of LINC01526 in gastric cancer, but also provides a laboratory basis for its use as a new biomarker for diagnosis and therapeutic targets.

Expression and Prognostic Value of Chromobox Family Proteins in Esophageal Cancer

Background: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common human malignant tumors worldwide. Chromobox (CBX) family proteins are significant components of epigenetic regulatory complexes. It is reported that CBXs play critical roles in the oncogenesis and development of various tumors. Nonetheless, their functions and specific roles in EC remain vague and obscure. Methods and Materials: We used multiple bioinformatics tools, including Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2), UALCAN, Kaplan–Meier plotter, cBioPortal, Metascape, TIMER2 and TISIDB, to investigate the expression profile, gene alterations and prognostic roles of CBX family proteins, as well as their association with clinicopathologic parameters, immune cells and immune regulators. In addition, RT-qPCR, Western blot, CCK8, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays were performed to investigate the biological functions of CBX3 in EC cells. Results: CBX3 and CBX5 were overexpressed in EC compared to normal tissues. Survival analysis revealed that high expression of CBX1 predicted worse disease-free survival (DFS) in EC patients. Functionally, CBXs might participate in mismatch repair, spliceosome, cell cycle, the Fanconi anemia pathway, tight junction, the mRNA surveillance pathway and the Hippo signaling pathway in EC development. Furthermore, CBXs were related to distinct immune cells infiltration and immune regulators. Additionally, depletion of CBX3 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of EC cells. Conclusions: Our study comprehensively investigated the expression pattern, prognostic value, and gene alterations of CBXs in EC, as well as their relationships with clinicopathologic variables, immune cells infiltration and immune regulators. These results suggested that CBX family proteins, especially CBX3, might be potential biomarkers in the progression of EC.

CBXs-related prognostic gene signature correlates with immune microenvironment in gastric cancer

Background: Chromobox (CBX) proteins are important Polycomb family proteins in the development of gastric cancer. Nonetheless, the relationship between CBXs and gastric cancer microenvironment remains unclear.

Methods: Multiple databases were used for the analysis of CBXs expression and clinical value in gastric cancer patients. A Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the prognostic importance of CBXs. Thereafter, regression analysis of LASSO Cox was used to construct the prognostic model. Spearman's correlation between risk score and immune infiltration was analyzed using the McP-counter algorithm. A predicted nomogram was developed to predict the overall survival of gastric cancer patients after 1, 2, and 3 years.

Results: In contrast with normal tissues, mRNA and protein expression levels of CBX2/3 were significantly high in gastric cancer tissues, whereas those of CBX6/7 were low. CBXs significantly correlated with immune subtypes and molecular subtypes. A prognostic gene model based on five CBX genes (CBX1, CBX2, CBX3, CBX7, and CBX8) predicted the overall survival of gastric cancer patients. A significant correlation was noted between the risk score of the CBXs-related prognostic gene model and immune-cell infiltration. Low risk patients could achieve a better response to immune checkpoint inhibitors. A predictive nomogram constructed using the above five CBX genes revealed that overall survival rates over 1, 2, and 3 years could be reasonably predicted. Therefore, the roles of CBXs were associated with chromatin modifications and histone methylation, etc.

Conclusion: In summary, we identified a prognostic CBXs model comprising five genes (CBX1, CBX2, CBX3, CBX7, and CBX8) for gastric cancer patients through bioinformatics analysis.

Antitumor Effect of Si-Jun-Zi Decoction on SGC7901 Gastric Cancer Cells by CMTM2 Activation

The Si-Jun-Zi decoction (SJZ), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, is used clinically against multiple malignancies, including gastric cancer (GC). In previous study, we have shown that SJZ plays an anticancer role in SGC7901 cell xenograft mice models. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect and mechanism of SJZ on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cancer stem cell-like properties of GC cells. High-throughput mRNA sequencing analysis was performed to investigate the global alterations in gene expression in xenograft tumors, and 56 significantly differentially expressed genes (43 upregulated and 13 downregulated genes) were identified between the SJZ group and the Model group totally. We focused on CMTM2, which was significantly increased after SJZ intervention, as a candidate target gene of SJZ. The results indicated that CMTM2 expression was elevated in SJZ-treated SGC7901 cells and knocking-down CMTM2 expression partially hampered the inhibitory effects of SJZ on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Moreover, SJZ treatment repressed the spheroid and colony-forming capacity in GC cells, accompanied by downregulation of stem cell markers including SOX2, NANOG, and CD44. CMTM2 knockdown antagonized the effects of SJZ on the cancer stem cell-like properties of SGC7901 cells. Thus, SJZ effectively suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cancer stem cell-like properties of GC cells in vitro by upregulating CMTM2 expression.

Chromobox 4 (CBX4) promotes tumor progression and stemness via activating CDC20 in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

The Chromobox homolog 4 (CBX4) has been found to be overexpressed in multiple malignancies. However, the associations between CBX4 and gastric cancer (GC) have remained unclear. This study aimed to determine the biological roles of CBX4 in GC and identify effective therapeutic targets.

METHODS

The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) (MTT) assays were used to screen CBX family members. Differential analysis was utilized to evaluate the CBX4 levels. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to perform prognostic analysis. Western blotting assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were used to assess CBX4 expressions. Colony formation assay, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and Transwell assay were used to assess progression features of cells. The tail vein injection model was utilized to determine the metastatic efficacy of GC cells. Tumor sphere formation assay was used to assess tumor stemness maintenance ability. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-qPCR assay was used to evaluate the associations between CBX4 and CDC20. A subcutaneous tumor model was used to assess the in vivo growth ability of GC.

RESULTS

The MTT assay revealed that only CBX4 inhibition could lead to notable restriction of GC growth, as compared to others. Differential analysis suggested that CBX4 was upregulated in tumor samples relative to normal tissues. Less favorable overall survival (OS) outcomes were noticed in GC patients with high CBX4 in comparison to those with low CBX4. High CBX4 could notably enhance cell proliferation capacity, migration ability, and in vivo metastatic efficacy. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) indicated the relationships between CBX4 and GC stemness, and CBX4 overexpression could remarkably elevate self-renewal ability of GC cells. In addition, CBX4 could mainly promote CDC20 messenger RNA (mRNA) levels, and targeting CBX4 suppressed the relative CDC20 levels. The ChIP-qPCR assay further demonstrated that CBX4 coordinated with H3K4me3 to bind at the CDC20 promoter region. Additionally, CBX4 depended on CDC20 to drive GC growth. Lastly, downregulated CBX4 could notably inhibit the growth of GC in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the oncogenic roles of CBX4 in GC. CBX4 activates CDC20 to maintain stemness features of GC, thereby creating therapeutic vulnerabilities in the treatment of GC.

The Role of NcRNAs to Regulate Immune Checkpoints in Cancer

At present, the incidence of cancer is becoming more and more common, but its treatment has always been a problem. Although a small number of cancers can be treated, the recurrence rates are generally high and cannot be completely cured. At present, conventional cancer therapies mainly include chemotherapy and radiotherapy, which are the first-line therapies for most cancer patients, but there are palliatives. Approaches to cancer treatment are not as fast as cancer development. The current cancer treatments have not been effective in stopping the development of cancer, and cancer treatment needs to be imported into new strategies. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) is a hot research topic at present. NcRNAs, which include microRNAs (miRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), participate in all aspects of cancer biology. They are involved in the progression of tumors into a new form, including B-cell lymphoma, glioma, or the parenchymal tumors such as gastric cancer and colon cancer, among others. NcRNAs target various immune checkpoints to affect tumor proliferation, differentiation, and development. This might represent a new strategy for cancer treatment.

Integrated DNA and RNA sequencing reveals early drivers involved in metastasis of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the second cause of cancer-related death and metastasis is an important cause of death. Considering difficulties in searching for metastatic driver mutations, we tried a novel strategy here. We conducted an integrative genomic analysis on GC and identified early drivers lead to metastasis. Whole-exome sequencing (WES), transcriptomes sequencing and targeted-exome sequencing (TES) were performed on tumors and matched normal tissues from 432 Chinese GC patients, especially the comparative analysis between higher metastatic-potential (HMP) group with T1 stage and lymph-node metastasis, and lower metastatic-potential (LMP) group without lymph-nodes or distant metastasis. HMP group presented higher mutation load and heterogeneity, enrichment in immunosuppressive signaling, more immune cell infiltration than LMP group. An integrated mRNA-lncRNA signature based on differentially expressed genes was constructed and its prognostic value was better than traditional TNM stage. We identified 176 candidate prometastatic mutations by WES and selected 8 genes for following TES. Mutated TP53 and MADCAM1 were significantly associated with poor metastasis-free survival. We further demonstrated that mutated MADCAM1 could not only directly promote cancer cells migration, but also could trigger tumor metastasis by establishing immunosuppressive microenvironment, including promoting PD-L1-mediated immune escape and reprogramming tumor-associated macrophages by regulating CCL2 through Akt/mTOR axis. In conclusion, GCs with different metastatic-potential are distinguishable at the genetic level and we revealed a number of potential metastatic driver mutations. Driver mutations in early-onset metastatic GC could promote metastasis by establishing an immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study provided possibility for future target therapy of GC.

The microRNA-520a-3p inhibits invasion and metastasis by targeting NF-kappaB signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

To identify the expression of miR-520a-3p and AKT1 in non-small cell lung cancer cells (NSCLC) and the mechanism in inhibiting cell invasion and metastasis by targeting NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter gene assay were used to predict and verify the targeting relationship between miR-520a-3p and AKT1. EdU assay was used to detect the proliferation of NSCLC cells. Flow cytometry detected the apoptosis of NSCLC cells. Transwell assay tested the invasion ability of NSCLC cells. qRT-PCR measured the expression of miR-520a-3p and AKT1 mRNA in NSCLC cells; while western blotting was adopted to detect the protein expressions of AKT1, Ki67, CyclinD1, Bax, Bcl-2, MMP-2, MMP-9, NF-kB p65, IkBs kinase (IKK), NF-kB inducing kinase (NIK).

RESULTS

Bioinformatics analysis suggested that miR-520a-3p could target AKT1. miR-520a-3p could regulate the expression of AKT1 negatively. Compared to mimic-NC group, miR-520a-3p mimic group had increased expressions of miR-520a-3p and Bax, while decreased expressions of AKT1, Ki67, CyclinD1, Bcl-2, MMP-2, MMP-9, NF-kB p65, IKK and NIK, reduced cell proliferation, invasion, and increased cell apoptosis rate (all P < 0.05). Compared to inhibitor NC group, miR-520a-3p inhibitor group had decreased expressions of miR-520a-3p and Bax, but increased expressions of AKT1, Ki67, CyclinD1, Bcl-2, MMP-2, MMP-9, NF-kB p65, IKK and NIK, promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and suppressed cell apoptosis rate (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of miR-520a-3p can target and downregulate the expression of AKT1 to inhibit the invasion and metastasis of NSCLC via suppressing the activation of NF-kappaB signaling pathway.

METTL3 promotes oxaliplatin resistance of gastric cancer CD133+ stem cells by promoting PARP1 mRNA stability

Oxaliplatin is the first-line regime for advanced gastric cancer treatment, while its resistance is a major problem that leads to the failure of clinical treatments. Tumor cell heterogeneity has been considered as one of the main causes for drug resistance in cancer. In this study, the mechanism of oxaliplatin resistance was investigated through in vitro human gastric cancer organoids and gastric cancer oxaliplatin-resistant cell lines and in vivo subcutaneous tumorigenicity experiments. The in vitro and in vivo results indicated that CD133+ stem cell-like cells are the main subpopulation and PARP1 is the central gene mediating oxaliplatin resistance in gastric cancer. It was found that PARP1 can effectively repair DNA damage caused by oxaliplatin by means of mediating the opening of base excision repair pathway, leading to the occurrence of drug resistance. The CD133+ stem cells also exhibited upregulated expression of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) mRNA and its writer METTL3 as showed by immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing and transcriptome analysis. METTTL3 enhances the stability of PARP1 by recruiting YTHDF1 to target the 3'-untranslated Region (3'-UTR) of PARP1 mRNA. The CD133+ tumor stem cells can regulate the stability and expression of m6A to PARP1 through METTL3, and thus exerting the PARP1-mediated DNA damage repair ability. Therefore, our study demonstrated that m6A Methyltransferase METTL3 facilitates oxaliplatin resistance in CD133+ gastric cancer stem cells by Promoting PARP1 mRNA stability which increases base excision repair pathway activity.

Tanshinone IIA attenuates the stemness of breast cancer cells via targeting the miR-125b/STARD13 axis

BACKGROUND

Tanshinone II A is an effective component extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza and the roles of Tanshinone IIA in regulating the stemness of tumor cells remain unclear. This work aims to explore the roles and underlying mechanisms of Tanshinone IIA in breast cancer stemness.

METHODS

In vitro mammary spheroid formation, flow cytometry assay on CD24^-/CD44⁺ sub-population, ALDH activity detection, cell viability assay and western blot analysis, and in vivo tumor-initiating analysis were performed to examine the effects of Tanshinone IIA on the stemness of breast cancer cells. MiRNAs-based transcriptome sequencing and data analysis, online dataset analysis, luciferase reporter assay combined with rescuing experiments were constructed to explore the underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

Tanshinone IIA attenuated the stemness of breast cancer cells, evident by downregulating the expression of stemness markers, hindering the capacity of spheroid formation, decreasing the CD24^-/CD44⁺ sub-population in a concentration-dependent manner and reducing the tumor-initiating ability of breast cancer cells. Additionally, Tanshinone IIA enhanced adriamycin sensitivity and attenuated adriamycin resistance of breast cancer cells. Combined with miRNAs-based transcriptome sequencing assay, it was found that Tanshinone IIA downregulated miR-125b level and upregulated its target gene STARD13 (StAR-related lipid transfer protein 13) level, thus inactivating the miR-125b/STARD13 axis, which had been previously confirmed to promote breast cancer progression. Notably, miR-125b overexpression enhanced the stemness of breast cancer cells, and miR-125b overexpression or STARD13 knockdown impaired the inhibitory effects of Tanshinone IIA on the stemness of breast cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Tanshinone IIA could attenuate the stemness of breast cancer cells via targeting the miR-125b/STARD13 axis.

Role of the CBX Molecular Family in Lung Adenocarcinoma Tumorigenesis and Immune Infiltration

Background: The members of the Chromobox (CBX) family are important epigenetic regulatory molecules with critical biological roles in many tumors. However, no study has analyzed or verified their role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

Methods: UALCAN and Oncomine databases were used to analyze CBX expression in LUAD, and the cBioPortal database was used to analyze CBX genetic variations. The Kaplan-Meier plotter and UALCAN databases were used to identify molecules with prognostic value. Gene Ontology pathway, receiver operating characteristic curves, and tumor-infiltrating immune cell analyses were used to clarify the biological function of the CBX hub molecules. Paired tumor samples and lung adenocarcinoma cell lines were collected for molecular functional assays to validate the results of the bioinformatics analysis.

Results: CBX3/5 may have a cancer-promoting effect and its expression is associated with a poor patient prognosis, while CBX7 shows an opposite trend. CBX3/5/7 can regulate signaling pathways, regulate tumor immune cell infiltration, and has diagnostic value. Molecular biology experiments show that CBX3/5 is highly expressed in LUAD patients; in vitro it promotes the proliferation and migration of the LUAD cell line and can regulate the expression of the corresponding cytokines. CBX7 has opposite effects.

Conclusion: Our bioinformatics analysis and subsequent experimental verification confirmed the CBX family members acted as hub signaling molecules in LUAD. The results provide new potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of this cancer.

The Molecular Roles and Clinical Implications of Non-Coding RNAs in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world. It is also the fifth most common cancer in China. In recent years, a large number of studies have proved that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) can regulate cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and angiogenesis. NcRNAs also influence the therapeutic resistance of gastric cancer. NcRNAs mainly consist of miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs. In this paper, we summarized ncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer, and also reviewed their role in clinical trials and diagnosis. We sum up different ncRNAs and related moleculars and signaling pathway in gastric cancer, like Bcl-2, PTEN, Wnt signaling. In addition, the potential clinical application of ncRNAs in overcoming chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance in GC in the future were also focused on.

Inhibition of integrin subunit alpha 11 restrains gastric cancer progression through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt pathway

Gastric cancer (GC) is among the most frequent malignancies originating from the digestive system worldwide, while the role and specific mechanism of integrin-subunit alpha 11 (ITGA11) in GC remain unclear. This study probes the expression characteristics and function of ITGA11 in GC. Firstly, the ITGA11 profile in GC tissues and paracancerous non-tumor tissues was assessed by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot (WB), and the association between ITGA11 and GC patients' clinicopathological indicators was evaluated. ITGA11 knockdown models were set up in GC cell lines MKN45 and AGS. Cell proliferation was determined by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and colony formation assay. WB was utilized to gauge the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (Bax, Bcl2, Bad, and C-Caspase3) and the PI3K/AKT pathway. We discovered that the ITGA11 expression was boosted in GC tissues and was related to the unfavorable prognosis of GC patients. Additionally, ITGA11 knockdown abated GC cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and enhanced cell apoptosis. In animal experiments, the tumorigenesis of GC cells knocking down ITGA11 was reduced. Mechanically, knocking down ITGA11 notably inactivated the PI3K/AKT axis. The tumor-suppressive effect mediated by ITGA11 knockdown was attenuated after activating the PI3K/AKT pathway with insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Overall, this study substantiated that the ITGA11 expression was heightened in GC tissues, which affected GC progression by modulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

miR-654-5p promotes gastric cancer progression via the GPRIN1/NF-κB pathway

Background

Gastric carcinoma (GC) ranks the fifth most common cancer worldwide, with high incidence and mortality rates. Numerous microRNAs (miRNAs), including miR-654-5p, have been implicated in the pathophysiological processes of tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, the mechanism of miR-654-5p in GC is unclear.

Objectives

Our study is devoted to exploring the function and molecular mechanism of miR-654-5p on the malignant cell behaviors of GC.

Methods

The gene expression was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. GC cell proliferation and motion were assessed by colony formation assay and transwell assay. The binding capacity between miR-654-5p and G protein-regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 1 (GPRIN1) was explored by luciferase reporter and RNA pulldown assays. The protein levels were detected by Western blotting.

Results

miR-654-5p expression was higher in GC cells and tissues than control cells and tissues. miR-654-5p promoted GC cell growth and motion. Moreover, our findings showed that miR-654-5p was bound with GPRIN1. Importantly, downregulation of GPRIN1 rescued the inhibitory influence of miR-654-5p knockdown on GC cell malignant behaviors. Additionally, miR-654-5p activated the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway by regulation of GPRIN1.

Conclusions

miR-654-5p facilitated cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in GC via targeting the GPRIN1 to activate the NF-κB pathway.

Identification of Novel CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network and Its Prognostic Prediction in Breast Cancer

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the expression profiles of circRNAs and candidate circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in BC.

Methods

Differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs (DEcircRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEmRNAs) between BC and normal breast tissue samples were screened by analyzing raw data of the RNA sequencing profile. The expression levels of hub genes in 48 pairs of cancerous and tumor-free breast tissues surgically resected from BC patients were determined by RT-qPCR analysis.

Results

A total of 145 DEcircRNAs, 140 DEmiRNAs, and 2451 DEmRNAs between BC and normal breast tissue samples were screened out. There were 5 pairs of upcircRNA-downmiRNA-upmRNA network and 20 pairs of downcircRNA-upmiRNA-downmRNA network. EIF4EBP1, DUSP1, EGR2, EZH1, and CBX7 were found to be correlated with overall survival of the patients with BC. The expression level of EIF4EBP1 was increased and the expression levels of DUSP1, EGR2, EZH1, and CBX7 were decreased in cancerous breast tissues compared to tumor-free breast tissues (p < 0.0001). The RT-qPCR results from 48 BC patients were consistent with the bioinformatics results.

Conclusion

This study provides a novel perspective to study circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network in BC and assists in the identification of new potential biomarkers to be used for diagnostic and prognostic purposes.

CBX7 is Dualistic in Cancer Progression Based on its Function and Molecular Interactions

Chromobox protein homolog 7 (CBX7) is a member of the Chromobox protein family and participates in the formation of the polycomb repressive complex 1(PRC1). In cells, CBX7 often acts as an epigenetic regulator to regulate gene expression. However, pathologically, abnormal expression of CBX7 can lead to an imbalance of gene expression, which is closely related to the occurrence and progression of cancers. In cancers, CBX7 plays a dual role; On the one hand, it contributes to cancer progression in some cancers by inhibiting oncosuppressor genes. On the other hand, it suppresses cancer progression by interacting with different molecules to regulate the synthesis of cell cycle-related proteins. In addition, CBX7 protein may interact with different RNAs (microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, circular RNAs) in different cancer environments to participate in a variety of pathways, affecting the development of cancers. Furthermore, CBX7 is involved in cancer-related immune response and DNA repair. In conclusion, CBX7 expression is a key factor in the occurrence and progression of cancers.

ELK4-mediated lncRNA SNHG22 promotes gastric cancer progression through interacting with EZH2 and regulating miR-200c-3p/Notch1 axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in the initiation and progression of various cancers. However, the biological roles and the potential mechanisms of lncRNAs in gastric cancers remain unclear. Here, we report that the expression of lncRNA SNHG22 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 22) was significantly increased in GC (Gastric Cancer) tissues and cells, which confers poor prognosis of patients. Knockdown of SNHG22 inhibited the proliferation and invasion ability of GC cells. Moreover, we identified that the transcriptional factor, ELK4 (ETS transcription factor ELK4), could promote SNHG22 expression in GC cells. In addition, using RNA pull-down followed MS assay, we found that SNHG22 directly bound to EZH2 (enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit) to suppress the expression of tumor suppressor genes. At the same time, SNHG22 sponged miR-200c-3p to increase Notch1 (notch receptor 1) expression. Taken together, our findings demonstrated the role of SNHG22 on promoting proliferation and invasion of GC cells. And we revealed a new regulatory mechanism of SNHG22 in GC cells. SNHG22 is a promising lncRNA biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis and a potential target for GC treatment.

OTUB2 Facilitates Tumorigenesis of Gastric Cancer Through Promoting KDM1A-Mediated Stem Cell-Like Properties

Otubain 2 (OTUB2), a deubiquitinating enzyme, overexpression is considered to predict poor outcome in various cancers. However, the function and potential regulatory mechanisms of OTUB2 in gastric cancer (GC) progression remains unclear. To determine how OTUB2 participate in GC progression, the gain and loss of-function experiments were conducted in vivo and in vitro. We found that OTUB2 was upregulated in GC samples (n=140) and cells. Moreover, the overall, first progression and post progression survival rates of GC patients with high OTUB2 expression showed a poorer prognosis than that in those patients with low OTUB2 expression. Down-regulation of OTUB2 suppressed sphere formation and reduced expression of stem cell markers in GC cells. Furthermore, OTUB2-silenced GC cells also showed a decreased proliferation, invasion, migration, and in vivo tumorigenic ability. However, OTUB2 overexpression showed the opposite effects. Notably, we demonstrated that OTUB2 increased lysine-specific histone demethylase 1A (KDM1A) expression through deubiquitination. KDM1A, a demethylase known to promote demethylation of downstream genes, was identified to promote the maintenance of cancer stem cell characteristics. Moreover, the alterations caused by OTUB2 overexpression were partly inversed by KDM1A knockdown and in turn KDM1A overexpression reversed the changes induced by OTUB2 shRNA. Taken together, we demonstrate that OTUB2 may serve as a vital driver in GC tumorigenesis by enhancing KDM1A-mediated stem cell-like properties.

Influence of Androgen Receptor Antagonist MDV3100 Therapy on Rats With Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Purpose

To probe the effect and mechanism of androgen receptor antagonist MDV3100 on benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) of rats

Methods

BPH rat model was induced by testosterone propionate. Then antagomir-miR-21-3p or agomir-miR-21-3p was injected into rats before MDV3100 treatment. The prostate index was measured by weighing the wet weight of the rat prostate. The structural morphology of rat prostate was observed after hematoxylin & eosin staining. Immunohistochemistry was applied to evaluate the expression levels of Ki-6 and inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor-α) in rat prostate tissues. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was utilized for assessment of miR-21-3p expression, and Western blot for the performance of the phosphorylation levels of IKKα and p65.

Results

Injection of testosterone propionate caused increased prostate gland hyperplasia, heightened miR-21-3p level, and activated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Additionally, BPH was accompanied by inflammatory response, as evidenced by enhanced expressions of Ki-67 and inflammatory cytokines. MDV3100 exposure ameliorated BPH and suppressed miR-21-3p expression. Overexpression of miR-21-3p intensified BPH and inflammation level, while knockdown of miR-21-3p relieved BPH. The coeffect of miR-21-3p upregulation and MDV3100 subjection led to higher inflammatory response, elevated phosphorylation levels of IKKα and p65 than MDV3100 treatment alone.

Conclusions

Androgen receptor antagonist MDV3100 alleviates BPH and inflammatory response through miR-21-3p downregulation and NF-κB signaling pathway blockade.

Expression, regulation, and function of exosome-derived miRNAs in cancer progression and therapy

Exosomes are a novel class of intercellular signal modulators that contain a wide range of molecules and deliver information between cells and tissues. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a type of regulatory non-coding RNA, are often incorporated into exosomes as signaling molecules. In this review, we discuss the expression of exosomal miRNAs from diverse origins such as tumor cells, solid tumor tissue, and biological fluids in various cancers (lung, breast, colorectal, liver, stomach, and pancreatic). We address the biological functions of exosome-derived miRNAs in processes such as tumor-cell proliferation, angiogenesis, metastasis, and chemoresistance in the tumor microenvironment. In particular, we discuss three oncogenic miRNAs, miR-21, miR-141, and miR-451, which occur within exosomes, in terms of gene regulation and intercellular communication. We consider therapeutic miRNA-based nanoparticles, which are widely expressed in tumors and show promise in drug therapy. The review assesses the wide-ranging evidence for using exosomal miRNAs as tumor markers in molecular diagnosis. Further, we consider the use of nanoparticle platforms to transport miRNAs, in the targeted treatment of disease and tumors.

Expression and correlation analysis of Skp2 and CBX7 in cervical cancer

AIMS

S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) oncoprotein is overexpressed in a variety of cancer tissues and promotes the malignant development of cancer. The expression levels of chromobox homolog 7 (CBX7) protein are varied among different types of cancer tissues, but its role in cervical cancer is not clear. We aimed to examine the expression and clinical significance of Skp2 and CBX7 proteins as well as their correlations in cervical cancer.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Skp2 and CBX7 proteins in the cancerous tissues and adjacent tissues of 64 patients with cervical cancer. Relevant clinicopathological data of these patients were collected, compared and analysed for the correlations.

RESULTS

The expression of Skp2 protein in cervical cancer (87.5%) was higher than that in paracancerous tissues (14.1%), and the expression was positively correlated with clinical stage, malignant degree, lymphatic metastasis, vascular invasion and interstitial invasion. The expression of CBX7 protein in cervical cancer (48.4%) was lower than that in paracancerous tissues (96.8%), and the expression was negatively correlated with clinical stage, malignant degree, interstitial invasion, vascular invasion and lymphatic metastasis. The expression of Skp2 protein and CBX7 protein in cervical cancer tissues and adjacent tissues was negatively correlated. The expression of Skp2 and CBX7 proteins was closely related to the clinicopathological features of cervical cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

CBX7 may play the role of a tumour suppressor gene in cervical cancer and provide reference value for the diagnosis and new targeted treatment of cervical cancer.

Alterations of epigenetic regulators and P53 mutations in murine mesenchymal stem cell cultures: A possible mechanism of spontaneous transformation

BACKGROUND

Recent studies demonstrated the involvement of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) in carcinogenesis, but the molecular mechanism behind this transformation is still obscured.

OBJECTIVE

To screen both the expression levels of polycomb and trithorax epigenetic regulators and TrP53 mutations in early and late MSC culture passages in an attempt to decipher the mechanism of spontaneous transformation.

METHODS

The study was conducted on early and late passages of MSC culture model from C57BL/6J mice. The expression profile of 84 epigenetic regulators was examined using RT2 profiler PCR array. TrP53 mutations in the DNA binding domain was screened. Codons, amino acids positions and the corresponding human variants were detected in P53 sequences.

RESULTS

Sixty-two epigenetic regulators were dysregulated. Abnormalities were detected starting the third passage. Nine regulators were dysregulated in all passages. (C>G) substitution P53 mutation was detected in passage 3 resulting in Ser152Arg substitution. Passages 6, 9, 12 and the last passage showed T>C substitution resulting in Cys235Arg substitution. The last passage had T deletion and A insertion resulting in frame shift mutations changing the p.Phe286Ser and p.Asn103Lys respectively.

CONCLUSION

In vitro expanded MSCs undergo transformation through alteration of epigenetic regulators which results in genomic instability and frequent P53 mutations.

Evaluation of the prognostic value of CBXs in gastric cancer patients

Chromobox (CBX) proteins were suggested to exert epigenetic regulatory and transcriptionally repressing effects on target genes and might play key roles in the carcinogenesis of a variety of carcinomas. Nevertheless, the functions and prognostic significance of CBXs in gastric cancer (GC) remain unclear. The current study investigated the roles of CBXs in the prognosis of GC using the Oncomine, The Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), UALCAN, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and cBioPortal databases. CBX1/2/3/4/5 were significantly upregulated in GC tissues compared with normal tissues, and CBX7 was downregulated. Multivariate analysis showed that high mRNA expression levels of CBX3/8 were independent prognostic factors for prolonged OS in GC patients. In addition, the genetic mutation rate of CBXs was 37% in GC patients, and genetic alterations in CBXs showed no association with OS or disease-free survival (DFS) in GC patients. These results indicated that CBX3/8 can be prognostic biomarkers for the survival of GC patients.

Cascades between miRNAs, lncRNAs and the NF-κB signaling pathway in gastric cancer (Review)

Gastric cancer is a common digestive tract malignancy that is mainly treated with surgery combined with perioperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and biological targeted therapy. However, the diagnosis rate of early gastric cancer is low and both postoperative recurrence and distant metastasis are thorny problems. Therefore, it is essential to study the pathogenesis of gastric cancer and search for more effective means of treatment. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway has an important role in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer and recent studies have revealed that microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are able to regulate this pathway through a variety of mechanisms. Understanding these interrelated molecular mechanisms is helpful in guiding improvements in gastric cancer treatment. In the present review, the functional associations between miRNAs, lncRNAs and the NF-κB signaling pathway in the occurrence, development and prognosis of gastric cancer were discussed. It was concluded that miRNAs and lncRNAs have complex relations with the NF-κB signaling pathway in gastric cancer. miRNAs/target genes/NF-κB/target proteins, signaling molecules/NF-κB/miRNAs/target genes, lncRNAs/miRNAs/NF-κB/genes or mRNAs, lncRNAs/target genes/NF-Κb/target proteins, and lncRNAs/NF-κB/target proteins cascades are all important factors in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer.