FAM83H is involved in stabilization of β-catenin and progression of osteosarcomas

The Role of Ubiquitination in Osteosarcoma Development and Therapies

The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) maintains intracellular protein homeostasis and cellular function by regulating various biological processes. Ubiquitination, a common post-translational modification, plays a crucial role in the regulation of protein degradation, signal transduction, and other physiological and pathological processes, and is involved in the pathogenesis of various cancers, including osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma, the most common primary malignant bone tumor, is characterized by high metastatic potential and poor prognosis. It is a refractory bone disease, and the main treatment modalities are surgery combined with chemotherapy. Increasing evidence suggests a close association between UPS abnormalities and the progression of osteosarcoma. Due to the complexity and pleiotropy of the ubiquitination system, each step in the ubiquitination process can be targeted by drugs. In recent years, research and development of inhibitors targeting the ubiquitin system have increased gradually, showing great potential for clinical application. This article reviews the role of the ubiquitination system in the development and treatment of osteosarcoma, as well as research progress, with the hope of improving the therapeutic effects and prognosis of osteosarcoma patients by targeting effective molecules in the ubiquitination system.

Notch1 cortical signaling regulates epithelial architecture and cell-cell adhesion

Notch receptors control tissue morphogenic processes that involve coordinated changes in cell architecture and gene expression, but how a single receptor can produce these diverse biological outputs is unclear. Here, we employ a 3D model of a human ductal epithelium to reveal tissue morphogenic defects result from loss of Notch1, but not Notch1 transcriptional signaling. Instead, defects in duct morphogenesis are driven by dysregulated epithelial cell architecture and mitogenic signaling which result from the loss of a transcription-independent, Notch1 cortical signaling mechanism that ultimately functions to stabilize adherens junctions and cortical actin. We identify that Notch1 localization and cortical signaling are tied to apical-basal cell restructuring and discover that a Notch1-FAM83H interaction underlies control of epithelial adherens junctions and cortical actin. Together, these results offer new insights into Notch1 signaling and regulation and advance a paradigm in which transcriptional and cell adhesive programs might be coordinated by a single receptor.

CRISPR/Cas9-Induced Fam83h Knock-out Leads to Impaired Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway and Altered Expression of Tooth Mineralization Genes in Mice

Background

Dental enamel formation is a complex process that is regulated by various genes. One such gene, Family With Sequence Similarity 83 Member H (Fam83h), has been identified as an essential factor for dental enamel formation. Additionally, Fam83h has been found to be potentially linked to the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Fam83h knockout gene on mineralization and formation of teeth, along with mediators of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway as a development aspect in mice.

Materials and Methods

To confirm the Fam83h-KnockOut mice, both Sanger sequencing and Western blot methods were used. then used qPCR to measure the expression levels of genes related to tooth mineralization and formation of dental root, including Fam20a, Dspp, Dmp1, Enam, Ambn, Sppl2a, Mmp20, and Wnt/β-catenin pathway mediators, in both the Fam83h-Knockout and wild-type mice at 5, 11 and 18 days of age. also the expression level of Fgf10 and mediators of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway was measured in the skin of both Knockout and wild-type mice using qPCR. A histological assessment was then performed to further investigate the results.

Results

A significant reduction in the expression levels of Ambn, Mmp20, Dspp, and Fgf10 in the dental root of Fam83h-Knockout mice compared to their wild-type counterparts was demonstrated by our results, indicating potential disruptions in tooth development. Significant down-regulation of CK1a, CK1e, and β-catenin in the dental root of Fam83h-Knockout mice was associated with a reduction in mineralization and formation-related gene. Additionally, the skin analysis of Fam83h-Knockout mice revealed reduced levels of Fgf10, CK1a, CK1e, and β-catenin. Further histological assessment confirmed that the concurrent reduction of Fgf10 expression level and Wnt/β-catenin genes were associated with alterations in hair follicle maturation.

Conclusions

The concurrent reduction in the expression level of both Wnt/β-catenin mediators and mineralization-related genes, resulting in the disruption of dental mineralization and formation, was caused by the deficiency of Fam83h. Our findings suggest a cumulative effect and multi-factorial interplay between Fam83h, Wnt/Β-Catenin signaling, and dental mineralization-related genes subsequently, during the dental formation process.

FAM83H Expression Is Associated with Tumor-Infiltrating PD1-Positive Lymphocytes and Predicts the Survival of Breast Carcinoma Patients

BACKGROUND

FAM83H has been implicated in cancer progression, and PD1 is an important target for anti-cancer immune checkpoint therapy. Recent studies suggest an association between FAM83H expression and immune infiltration. However, studies on the roles of FAM83H and its relationship with PD1 in breast carcinomas have been limited.

METHODS

Immunohistochemical expression of FAM83H and PD1 and their prognostic significance were evaluated in 198 breast carcinomas.

RESULTS

The expression of FAM83H in cancer cells was significantly associated with the presence of PD1-positive lymphoid cells within breast carcinoma tissue. Individual and co-expression patterns of nuclear FAM83H and PD1 were significantly associated with shorter survival of breast carcinomas in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, the expression of nuclear FAM83H (overall survival, p < 0.001; relapse-free survival, p = 0.003), PD1 (overall survival, p < 0.001; relapse-free survival, p = 0.003), and co-expression patterns of nuclear FAM83H and PD1 (overall survival, p < 0.001; relapse-free survival, p < 0.001) were the independent indicators of overall survival and relapse-free survival of breast carcinoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests a close association between FAM83H expression and the infiltration of PD1-positive lymphoid cells in breast carcinomas and their expression as the prognostic indicators for breast carcinoma patients, and further studies are needed to clarify this relationship.

Fam83h mutation causes mandible underdevelopment via CK1α-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling in male C57/BL6J mice

Truncation mutations in FAM83H are the major cause of autosomal dominant hypocalcified amelogenesis imperfecta. Some studies also indicated that FAM83H could be involved in osteogenic differentiation; however, the function of FAM83H in bone formation was rarely explored. This study aimed to explore the effect of Fam83h mutation on skeletal development. We generated Fam83h c.1186C>T (p.Q396*) knockin C57/BL6J mice by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and found that the Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ male mice presented skeletal development retardation that was inconspicuous at birth but progressively worsened as they grew up. Alcian and Alizarin Red staining of the whole-mount skeleton showed Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice presented obvious skeletal development retardation. Moreover, Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) analysis and H&E staining showed that the mandible of Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice exhibited decreased bone trabecula and slight bone rarefaction compared with wild-type mice. Calcium and phosphorus content of serum and bone, and serum ALP activity analysis showed that the serum ALP activity and value of bone calcium were decreased in Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice. The reduced expression of mineralization markers of RUNX2, OSX, OCN, and COL1, the reduced ALP activity and the weakened ARS staining exhibited in osteoblasts isolated from 3-day-old Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice. The increased protein expression of casein kinase 1α (CK1α) in the cytoplasm and the decreased expression of β-CATENIN in the nucleus indicated the inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signaling in osteoblasts from Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice. Furthermore, agonists of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and Ck1α siRNA partially reversed the mineralization inhibition and the decreased expression of key signaling molecules in osteoblasts of Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ mice. In conclusion, Fam83h mutation caused the increase of cytoplasmic CK1α (as one of the components of the degradation complex), which in turn promoted degradation of β-CATENIN in the cytoplasm and reduced β-CATENIN translocation into the nucleus, subsequently inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling in osteoblast differentiation, and thus resulted in the mandible underdevelopment in Fam83hQ396⁎/Q396⁎ male mice.

Notch1 cortical signaling regulates epithelial architecture and cell-cell adhesion

Notch receptors control tissue morphogenic processes that involve coordinated changes in cell architecture and gene expression, but how a single receptor can produce these diverse biological outputs is unclear. Here we employ a 3D organotypic model of a ductal epithelium to reveal tissue morphogenic defects result from loss of Notch1, but not Notch1 transcriptional signaling. Instead, defects in duct morphogenesis are driven by dysregulated epithelial cell architecture and mitogenic signaling which result from loss of a transcription-independent Notch1 cortical signaling mechanism that ultimately functions to stabilize adherens junctions and cortical actin. We identify that Notch1 localization and cortical signaling are tied to apical-basal cell restructuring and discover a Notch1-FAM83H interaction underlies stabilization of adherens junctions and cortical actin. Together, these results offer new insights into Notch1 signaling and regulation, and advance a paradigm in which transcriptional and cell adhesive programs might be coordinated by a single receptor.

Cellular functions and molecular mechanisms of ubiquitination in osteosarcoma

Although some advances have been made in the treatment of osteosarcoma in recent years, surgical resection remains the mainstream treatment. Initial and early diagnosis of osteosarcoma could be very difficult to achieve due to the insufficient sensitivity for the means of examination. The distal metastasis of osteosarcoma also predicts the poor prognosis of osteosarcoma. In order to solve this series of problems, people begin to discover a new method of diagnosing and treating osteosarcoma. Ubiquitination, as an emerging posttranslational modification, has been shown to be closely related to osteosarcoma in studies over the past decades. In general, this review describes the cellular functions and molecular mechanisms of ubiquitination during the development of osteosarcoma.

LncRNA FAM83H-AS1 promotes the malignant progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by stabilizing FAM83H mRNA to protect β-catenin from degradation

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is prone to metastasis, resulting in short survival and low quality of life. LncRNAs are pivotal orchestrators that participate in various tumor progress. The underlying role and mechanism of lncRNA FAM83H-AS1 is still unknown in PDAC progression.

Methods

To address this issue, firstly, we profiled and analyzed the aberrant lncRNA expression in TCGA database and identified FAM83H-AS1 as the most effective one in promoting the migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Then, the expression levels of FAM83H-AS1 in patient’s serum, tumor tissues and PDAC cells were detected using RT-qPCR, and FAM83H-AS1 distribution in PDAC cells was determined by performing FISH and RT-qPCR. Next, a series of in vivo and in vitro functional assays were conducted to elucidate the role of FAM83H-AS1 in cell growth and metastasis in PDAC. The regulatory relationship between FAM83H-AS1 and FAM83H (the homologous gene of FAM83H-AS1) was verified by performing protein and RNA degradation assays respectively. Co-IP assays were performed to explore the potential regulatory mechanism of FAM83H to β-catenin. Rescue assays were performed to validate the regulation of the FAM83H-AS1/FAM83H/β-catenin axis in PDAC progression.

Results

FAM83H-AS1 was highly expressed in the tumor tissues and serum of patients with PDAC, and was correlated with shorter survival. FAM83H-AS1 significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of PDAC cells, by protecting FAM83H mRNA from degradation. Importantly, FAM83H protein manifested the similar malignant functions as that of FAM83H-AS1 in PDAC cells, and could bind to β-catenin. Specifically, FAM83H could decrease the ubiquitylation of β-catenin, and accordingly activated the effector genes of Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Conclusions

Collectively, FAM83H-AS1 could promote FAM83H expression by stabilizing its mRNA, allowing FAM83H to decrease the ubiquitylation of β-catenin, thus resulted in an amplified FAM83H-AS1/FAM83H/β-catenin signal axis to promote PDAC progression. FAM83H-AS1 might be a novel prognostic and therapeutic target for combating PDAC.

HBV Promotes the Proliferation of Liver Cancer Cells through the hsa_circ_0000847/miR-135a Pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is currently one of the most common tumors, with a high morbidity and mortality rate. HCC induced by persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the most common liver cancer subtype at present, and HBV-related HCC is highly malignant and its development mechanism still needs to be explored in depth. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of hsa_circ_0000847 targeting miR-135a-5p (miR-135a) to regulate the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of liver cancer cells. The study found that the expression level of hsa_circ_0000847 in liver cancer tissues and cells was significantly increased, while the expression level of miR-135a was significantly decreased. Hsa_circ_0000847 promoted the proliferation of liver cancer cells and elevated the expression of the proliferation-related protein. In addition, hsa_circ_0000847 could promote the invasion of HBV-infected liver cancer cells and inhibit the cell apoptosis of liver cancer cells. At the same time, it significantly promoted the expression of antiapoptotic proteins and inhibited the expression of proapoptotic protein. Interestingly, the dual luciferase experiment proved that hsa_circ_0000847 directly targeted miR-135a. On the other hand, the combined effect of hsa_circ_0000847 and miR-135a further illustrated the effect of hsa_circ_0000847 on the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of liver cancer cells. In addition, further experiments have also found that HBV could promote the expression of p-p38, p-ERK, and p-JNK through the hsa_circ_0000847/miR-135a axis, thereby further activating the MAPK pathway. In short, HBV promotes the proliferation and invasion of liver cancer cells and inhibits apoptosis by regulating the hsa_circ_0000847/miR-135a pathway, which provided a theoretical basis for effective treatment of HBV-infected liver cancers.

Nitazoxanide inhibits osteosarcoma cells growth and metastasis by suppressing AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent malignant bone tumor with poor prognosis. Developing new drugs for the chemotherapy of OS has been a focal point and a major obstacle of OS treatment. Nitazoxanide (NTZ), a conventional anti-parasitic agent, has got increasingly noticed because of its favorable antitumor potential. Herein, we investigated the effect of NTZ on human OS cells in vitro and in vivo. The results obtained in vitro showed that NTZ inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion, arrested cell cycle at G1 phase, while induced apoptosis of OS cells. Mechanistically, NTZ suppressed the activity of AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways of OS cells. Consistent with the results in vitro, orthotopic implantation model of 143B OS cells further confirmed that NTZ inhibited OS cells growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Notably, NTZ caused no apparent damage to normal cells/tissues. In conclusion, NTZ may inhibit tumor growth and metastasis of human OS cells through suppressing AKT/mTOR and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways.

Pan-cancer analysis of the FAM83 family and its association with prognosis and tumor microenvironment

Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) is a newly identified family of oncogenes whose members play important roles in signaling and cancer progression. However, a thorough understanding of the FAM83 family in tumors is still lacking. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis of the expression levels of the FAM83 family across cancers and patient prognoses using bioinformatics methods. We found that the expression levels of FAM83 family genes were upregulated in most tumors, and importantly, high expression levels of FAM83 family genes were related to poor prognosis in most tumors. In addition, we analyzed the relationship of FAM83 family genes with immune subtypes and the tumor microenvironment (TME). The results showed that FAM83 family genes were significantly associated with immune infiltrative subtypes and to varying degrees with the level of stromal cell infiltration and tumor stem cells. Finally, our study also showed the relationship between FAM83 family genes and drug sensitivity. Therefore, this pan-cancer analysis demonstrates the critical role of FAM83 family genes in tumor development and provides new clues for therapeutic strategies for cancer.

The conserved C-terminal residues of FAM83H are required for the recruitment of casein kinase 1 to the keratin cytoskeleton

The casein kinase 1 (CK1) family of serine/threonine protein kinases is involved in diverse cellular events at discrete subcellular compartments. FAM83H acts as a scaffold protein that recruits CK1 to the keratin cytoskeleton or to the nuclear speckles, which are storage sites for splicing factors. We determined the amino acid region of FAM83H required for recruiting CK1 to the keratin cytoskeleton. The subcellular localization of mutant FAM83H proteins with deletions of amino acid residues at different positions was evaluated via immunofluorescence. FAM83H mutants with deleted C-terminal residues 1134–1139, which are conserved among vertebrates, lost the ability to localize and recruit CK1 to the keratin cytoskeleton, suggesting that these residues are required for recruiting CK1 to the keratin cytoskeleton. The deletion of these residues (1134–1139) translocated FAM83H and CK1 to the nuclear speckles. Amino acid residues 1 to 603 of FAM83H were determined to contain the region responsible for the recruitment of CK1 to the nuclear speckles. Our results indicated that FAM83H recruits CK1 preferentially to the keratin cytoskeleton and alternatively to the nuclear speckles.

Curcumol Synergizes with Cisplatin in Osteosarcoma by Inhibiting M2-like Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages

Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent bone cancer, and chemotherapy is still an indispensable treatment in its clinical practice. Cisplatin (CDDP) has become the most commonly used agent for osteosarcoma, although the outcomes of CDDP chemotherapy remain unsatisfactory because of frequent resistance. Here, we report on a promising combination therapy where curcumol, a bioactive sesquiterpenoid, enhanced CDDP-induced apoptosis to eradicate osteosarcoma cells, and revealed that M2-like macrophages might be the underlying associated mechanisms. First, we observed that curcumol enhanced the CDDP-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation and augmented the apoptosis in osteosarcoma cell lines. Curcumol contributed to preventing the migration of osteosarcoma cells when combined with CDDP. Moreover, this drug combination showed more potent tumor-growth suppression in the orthotopic transplantation of osteosarcoma K7M2 WT cells. We then estimated chemotherapy-associated drug-resistant genes, including ABCB1, ABCC1 and ABCG2, and found that curcumol significantly reversed the mRNA levels of CDDP-induced ABCB1, ABCC1 and ABCG2 genes in the tumor tissue. Moreover, M2-like macrophages were enriched in osteosarcoma tissues, and were largely decreased after curcumol and CDDP treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that curcumol inhibits the polarization of M2-like macrophages and could be a promising combination strategy to synergize with CDDP in the osteosarcoma.

Bioinformatics analysis of lncRNAs in the occurrence and development of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a disease with high mortality in children and adolescents, and metastasis is one of its important clinical features. However, the molecular mechanism of OS occurrence is not completely clear. Thus, we screened potential biomarkers of OS and analyze their prognostic value.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets were used to analyze the differential lncRNAs in patients with OS of different immune score and the lncRNAs expressed by immune cells. Cox regression was used to develop the prognosis prediction model and specify the prognosis outcomes. Risk-proportional regression model was constructed, and the samples were divided into high and low groups based on the risk scores for the survival analysis. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were calculated and the risk-score model was verified. Finally, using 4 gene sets (comprising chemokines, immune checkpoint blockades, immune activity-related genes, and immune cells), and 4 analysis tools (CIBERSORT, TIMER, XCELL and MCP) to evaluated tumor immune infiltration.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine long non-coding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs) were obtained from the intersection of the screened lncRNAs. Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 8-antisense RNA 1 (CARD8-AS1), lncRNA five prime to Xist (FTX), KAT8 regulatory NSL complex unit 1-antisense RNA 1 (KANSL1-AS1), Neuroplastin Intronic Transcript 1 (NPTN-IT1), oligodendrocyte maturation-associated long intervening non-coding RNA (OLMALINC) and RPARP Antisense RNA 1 (RPARP-AS1) were found to be correlated with survival. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis showed risk score [HR (hazard ratio) 3.5, P value 0.0043; HR 3.7, P value 0.0033] and metastasis (HR 4.7, P value 6.60E-05; HR 4.8, P value 8.36E-05) were the key factors of patients with OS. The areas under curves (AUCs) of the 1-, 3-, and 5-year ROC curves of the prognostic model were 0.715, 0.729, and 0.771. The low-risk patients tended to have a high abundance of immune cells.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that a risk score based on 6 lncRNAs has potential value in the prognosis of OS, and patients with low-risk scores have high immune cell infiltration and good prognosis. This study may enrich understandings of underlying mechanisms related to the occurrence and development of OS.

Individual and Co-Expression Patterns of FAM83H and SCRIB at Diagnosis Are Associated with the Survival of Colorectal Carcinoma Patients

Background: FAM83H is important in teeth development; however, an increasing number of reports have indicated a role for it in human cancers. FAM83H is involved in cancer progression in association with various oncogenic molecules, including SCRIB. In the analysis of the public database, there was a significant association between FAM83H and SCRIB in colorectal carcinomas. However, studies evaluating the association of FAM83H and SCRIB in colorectal carcinoma have been limited. Methods: The clinicopathological significance of the immunohistochemical expression of FAM83H and SCRIB was evaluated in 222 colorectal carcinomas. Results: The expressions of FAM83H and SCRIB were significantly associated in colorectal carcinoma tissue. In univariate analysis, the nuclear expressions of FAM83H and SCRIB and the cytoplasmic expression of SCRIB were significantly associated with shorter survival of colorectal carcinomas. The nuclear expressions of FAM83H and SCRIB and the cytoplasmic expression of SCRIB were independent indicators of shorter cancer-specific survival in multivariate analysis. A co-expression pattern of nuclear FAM83H and cytoplasmic SCRIB predicted shorter cancer-specific survival (p < 0.001) and relapse-free survival (p = 0.032) in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: This study suggests that FAM83H and SCRIB might be used as prognostic markers of colorectal carcinomas and as potential therapeutic targets for colorectal carcinomas.

FAM83B is involved in thyroid cancer cell differentiation and migration

FAM83B has been recently identified as an oncogene, but its role in thyroid cancers (TC) is still unclear. We examined the expression of FAM83B and its possible involvement in cell migration and differentiation, in neoplastic/normal thyroid tissues and in TC human cell lines. FAM83B expression in TC varies according to the tumor histotype, being significantly downregulated in more aggressive and metastatic tissues. FAM83B levels in cell lines recapitulate patients’ samples variations, and its total and cytoplasmic levels decrease upon the induction of migration, together with an increase in its nuclear localization. Similar variations were detected in the primary tumor and in the metastatic tissues from a follicular TC. FAM83B knock down experiments confirmed its role in thyroid differentiation and cell migration, as demonstrated by the reduction of markers of thyroid differentiation and the increase of the mesenchymal marker vimentin. Moreover, the silencing of FAM83B significantly increased cells migration abilities, while not affecting the oncogenic RAS/MAPK/PI3K pathways. Our data indicate for the first time a role for FAM83B in TC cell differentiation and migration. Its expression is reduced in dedifferentiated tumors and its nuclear re-localization could favour distant migration, suggesting that FAM83B should be considered a possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

Comprehensive Analysis and Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets Among FAM83 Family Members for Gastric Cancer

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and poor prognosis malignancy in the world. The Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) comprises of eight members of A–H. Accumulating evidence confirmed important roles for FAM83 family in tumorigenesis and progression. However, the prognostic values of FAM83 family in GC still have not been clarified.

Methods: ONCOMINE, UALCAN, GEPIA, THE HUMAN PROTEIN ATLAS, Kaplan–Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, DAVID, STRING and TIMER databases and R software were adopted in this study.

Results: In this study, we demonstrated that the mRNA levels of FAM83 B/C/D/H were significantly up-regulated in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), but the protein level of FAM83G/H were remarkable lowly in STAD. Next, FAM83C/D/G/H were significantly associated with tumor stages in STAD patients. Then, the mutation rate of FAM83 family members in STAD patients was 46%, and the highest mutation rate was FAM83H (23%). Furthermore, the functions of FAM83 family and their 259 co-expression genes were primarily related to Shigellosis, RNA degradation and Ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes pathway. Besides, we have established the prognostic model of FAM83 family in STAD, including the prognostic model of STAD patients (FAM83C/D/G), STAD with lymph node metastasis (FAM83C/D/G/H) and STAD with ERBB2 high expression (FAM83G/H). FAM83C/D high expression with a poor prognosis, while FAM83G/H high expression with a favorable prognosis of STAD. Additionally, we found that the expression of FAM83C/D/G/H were significantly correlated with the infiltration of six types of immune cells [B cells, CD8⁺T cells, CD4⁺T cells, macrophages and Myeloid dendritic cells (DC)], whereas CD4⁺T cells and Macrophage cells have higher risk scores (HR > 1) when FAM83C lowly expression and FAM83D highly expression. The risk score of NK cells was significantly reduced when FAM83G lowly expression and FAM83H highly expression (HR < 1).

Conclusion: These findings suggested that FAM83C/D/G/H might play key roles in STAD tumorigenesis and progression, and FAM83C/D might be risk factors but FAM83G/H might be favorable prognostic factors for STAD patients. In addition, CD4⁺T cells and Macrophage cells may be the promoters of FAM83D in progression of STAD, while NK cells may promote the protective effect of FAM83H on STAD patients.

CCR9 initiates epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating Wnt/β-catenin pathways to promote osteosarcoma metastasis

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) patients with lung metastasis have poor prognoses, and effective therapeutic strategies for delaying or inhibiting the spread of lung metastasis from the primary OS site are lacking. Hence, it is critical to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of OS metastasis and to identify additional new effective treatment strategies for patients.

Methods

Differential expression and functional analyses were performed to identify key genes and relevant signaling pathways associated with OS lung metastasis. The expression of CCR9 in OS cell lines and tissues was measured by RT-qPCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Cell migration and invasion were assessed by wound healing and Transwell Matrigel invasion assays, respectively. The regulatory relationship between CCR9 and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was further evaluated by rescue experiments.

Results

The expression of CCR9 was elevated in OS cell lines and patients with lung metastasis. CCR9 promoted MG63 and HOS cell migration and invasion by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Furthermore, knockdown of CCR9 repressed epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) by downregulating mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin and Vimentin) and EMT-associated transcription factors (twist and snail) and upregulating an epithelial marker (E-cadherin).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that CCR9 promotes EMT by activating Wnt/β-catenin pathways to promote OS metastasis. CCR9 may be a promising therapeutic target to inhibit lung metastasis and serve as a novel prognostic marker for OS.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02320-0.

Exploring the Pool of Pathogenic Variants of Amelogenesis Imperfecta: An Approach to the Understanding of Its Genetic Architecture

Objective: To identify which genes are associated with the clinical phenotype of amelogenesis Imperfecta (AI) and to elucidate which of these genes participate in the determination of isolated and syndromic forms.

Methods: In this review, all data on mutations described in AI-related genes were obtained from HGMD® Professional. The data in relation to the mutations, inheritance, phenotype, type of AI and country were supplemented with information from the literature. The identity codes and frequency values were obtained from the dbSNP, ClinVar and OMIM databases. The percentage of specificity (PE) was determined for each gene.

Results: HGMD® describes 27 genes involved in AI, which we propose to group into 5 categories: (1) genes whose mutations are associated only with isolated AI, (2) genes whose mutations cause only syndromic AI, (3) genes with both mutations that cause isolated AI and mutations responsible for other pathologies, (4) genes with mutations responsible for syndromic AI and mutations that cause other pathologies, and (5) genes with mutations that cause isolated AI and mutations that cause AI associated with syndromes and other pathologies. Using the PE calculation, the genes were ranked into 5 specificity groups. The genes of category 1 are specific for isolated AI, while the genes of categories 2 and 4 are non-specific. Interestingly, we observed that mutations in some genes were associated with different types of cancer.

Conclusion: The ACP4, AMTN, MMP20, ODAPH, RELT, SLC24A4 and SP6 genes participate in causing isolated AI, and the CNNM4, DLX3 and FAM20A genes participate in causing syndromic forms of AI.

Identification of Prognostic Biomarkers Among FAM83 Family Genes in Human Ovarian Cancer Through Bioinformatic Analysis and Experimental Verification

Purpose

Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) is a newly discovered oncogene family, and the members of which can affect the prognosis of patients with malignant tumors via various mechanisms. However, the functions and molecular mechanisms of FAM83 genes in ovarian cancer (OC) have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to explore the clinical significance and prognostic value of FAM83 genes in OC.

Materials and Methods

We used a series of bioinformatics databases (Oncomine, GEPIA, cBioPortal, Kaplan–Meier plotter, DAVID and TIMER) to investigate the expression status, prognostic value, genetic alteration and biological function of all eight FAM83 genes in OC. In addition, a tissue microarray cohort (TMA) comprising 99 ovarian tumor tissues and 19 normal ovarian tissues was used to validate the protein expression and clinicopathological significance of FAM83H.

Results

Several datasets demonstrated the mRNA levels of FAM83A/D/E/F/H were significantly higher in OC compared with that in normal tissue. Moreover, the upregulation of FAM83D/H has been mutually confirmed in the Oncomine and GEPIA datasets. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis indicated that the FAM83D/H upregulation could predict poor prognosis of OC patients who had shorter overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). In addition, cBioportal analysis indicated that the genetic alterations of FAM83 genes might affect the survival outcomes of patients with OC. Furthermore, KEGG analysis suggested that FAM83D/H are involved in the progression of OC through the cell cycle signaling pathway, and they had significant co-expression relationship with cell cycle-related genes. Finally, immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed the high expression of FAM83H protein in OC tissue, suggesting that its expression is positively correlated with the FIGO stage and pathological subtype of OC.

Conclusion

This study elucidated the expression status and prognostic value of FAM83 genes in OC and identified that FAM83D/H might be potential targets for the prognostic monitoring and targeted therapy of OC.

FAM83H and Nectin1 expression are related with survival and relapse of bladder urothelial carcinoma patients

Background

FAM83H was originally reported to be essential for dental enamel formation. However, FAM83H has recently been implicated in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Analysis of a publicly available gene expression database revealed a significant correlation between FAM83H and Nectin1 mRNA expression and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUC). Therefore, we investigated the association between FAM83H and Nectin1 expression levels and the survival and recurrence of BUC in BUC patients using a tissue microarray.

Methods

We performed immunohistochemical staining of FAM83H and Nectin1 in 165 human BUC tissue sections, and analyzed the prognostic significance of FAM83H and Nectin1 expression.

Results

Both FAM83H and Nectin1 were mainly expressed in the cytoplasm, and their expression was significantly associated. FAM83H expression was significantly correlated with higher histologic grade, higher T stage, higher TNM stage, and recurrence. Nectin1 expression was significantly associated with higher histologic grade and recurrence. Univariate analysis showed FAM83H expression and Nectin1 expression were significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) and shorter relapse-free survival (RFS) of BUC patients. In multivariate analysis, levels of FAM83H and Nectin1 were independent indicators of shorter survival of BUC patients.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that FAM83H and Nectin1 are important in the progression of BUC, and that expression patterns of these two proteins can be used as prognostic indicators of survival in BUC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12894-021-00908-2.

IL13Rα2 Is Involved in the Progress of Renal Cell Carcinoma through the JAK2/FOXO3 Pathway

Previously, we reported a close relationship between type II IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 complex and poor outcomes in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we investigated the clinicopathologically significant oncogenic role of IL13Rα2, a kind of the independent receptor for IL13, in 229 RCC patients. The high expression of IL13Rα2 was closely related to relapse-free survival in specific cancers in univariate and multivariate analysis. Then, the oncogenic role of IL13Rα2 was evaluated by performing in vitro assays for cell proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in A498, ACHN, Caki1, and Caki2, four kinds of RCC cells after transfection of siRNA against IL13Rα2. Cell proliferation was suppressed, and apoptosis was induced in A498, ACHN, Caki1, and Caki2 cells by knockdown of IL13Rα2. Interestingly, the knockdown of IL13Rα2 decreased the phosphorylation of JAK2 and increased the expression of FOXO3. Furthermore, the knockdown of IL13Rα2 reduced the protein interaction among IL13Rα2, phosphorylated JAK2, and FOXO3. Since phosphorylation of JAK2 was regulated by IL13Rα2, we tried to screen a novel JAK2 inhibitor from the FDA-approved drug library and selected telmisartan, a clinically used medicine against hypertension, as one of the strongest candidates. Telmisartan treatment decreased the cell proliferation rate and increased apoptosis in A498, ACHN, Caki1, and Caki2 cells. Mechanistically, telmisartan treatment decreased the phosphorylation of JAK2 and increased the expression of FOXO3. Taken together, these results suggest that IL13Rα2 regulates the progression of RCC via the JAK2/FOXO3-signaling path pathway, which might be targeted as the novel therapeutic option for RCC patients.

SCRIB Is Involved in the Progression of Ovarian Carcinomas in Association with the Factors Linked to Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Predicts Shorter Survival of Diagnosed Patients

SCRIB is a polarity protein important in maintaining cell junctions. However, recent reports have raised the possibility that SCRIB might have a role in human cancers. Thus, this study evaluated the roles of SCRIB in ovarian cancers. In 102 human ovarian carcinomas, nuclear expression of SCRIB predicted shorter survival of ovarian carcinoma patients, especially in the patients who received post-operative chemotherapy. In SKOV3 and SNU119 ovarian cancer cells, overexpression of SCRIB stimulated the proliferation and invasion of cells. Knockout of SCRIB inhibited in vivo tumor growth of SKOV3 cells and overexpression of SCRIB promoted tumor growth. Overexpression of SCRIB stimulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by increasing the expression of N-cadherin, snail, TGF-β1, and smad2/3, and decreasing the expression of E-cadherin; the converse was observed with inhibition of SCRIB. In conclusion, this study presents the nuclear expression of SCRIB as a prognostic marker of ovarian carcinomas and suggests that SCRIB is involved in the progression of ovarian carcinomas by stimulating proliferation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition-related invasiveness.

FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 both play oncogenic roles in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of lung cancer. Nevertheless, the detailed molecular mechanisms of the progression of LUAD remain largely unknown. The present bioinformatics analysis reported that FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 were upregulated in LUAD tissues and associated with prognosis in patients with LUAD. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the role of FAM83A and its antisense long non-coding (lnc)RNA FAM83A-AS1 in LUAD. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis was used to screen for potential oncogenes in LUAD and to analyze the clinical significance of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. Small interfering RNAs were constructed and transfected into LUAD cells to knock down the expression of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1. EdU, Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell and Matrigel assays were performed to detect the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells. The interaction between FAM83A-AS1, microRNA (miR)-495-3p and FAM83A was explored using a luciferase reporter assay. FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 were both overexpressed in LUAD tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. High expression of FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 predicted worse survival and more advanced clinical stage. Knockdown of FAM83A or FAM83A-AS1 could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells. Moreover, lncRNA FAM83A-AS1 regulated the expression of FAM83A by functioning as competing endogenous RNA for miR-495-3p. These results implicated that FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 both played oncogenic roles in LUAD and FAM83A-AS1 could regulate the expression of FAM83A by sponging miR-495-3p. The study revealed a novel regulatory mechanism of tumor development in LUAD and FAM83A and FAM83A-AS1 may be novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LUAD.

Expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 are associated with poor prognosis of soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities, superficial trunk, and retroperitoneum

Background

IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 are constituents of the type II IL4 receptor. Recently, IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were reported to have roles in cancer progression and suggested as potential prognostic markers. However, studies on IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 in soft-tissue sarcomas have been limited.

Methods

This study investigated the immunohistochemical expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 in 89 soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities, superficial trunk, and retroperitoneum. Immunohistochemical staining for IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were scored according to a combination of staining intensity and staining area in tissue microarray samples. Positivity for the immunohistochemical expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were determined using receiver operating curve analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using regression analysis and a chi-square test.

Results

In human soft-tissue sarcomas, immunohistochemical expression of IL4Rα was significantly associated with IL13Rα1 expression. Nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were significantly associated with shorter survival of soft-tissue sarcoma patients in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis indicated that nuclear expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were independent indicators of shorter overall survival (IL4Rα; p = 0.002, IL13Rα1; p = 0.016) and relapse-free survival (IL4Rα; p = 0.022, IL13Rα1; p < 0.001) of soft-tissue sarcoma patients. Moreover, the co-expression pattern of nuclear IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 was an independent indicator of shorter survival of soft-tissue sarcoma patients (overall survival; overall p < 0.001, relapse-free survival; overall p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study suggests IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 are associated with the progression of soft-tissue sarcoma, and the expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 might be novel prognostic indicators of soft-tissue sarcoma patients.

Systematic Analysis of Expression Profiles and Prognostic Significance for FAM83 Family in Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Lung cancer remains a common malignancy and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Although dramatic progress made in multimodal therapies, it still has a poor prognosis. The Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) of poorly characterized proteins are defined by the presence of the conserved DUF1669 domain of unknown function at their N-termini, most of which significantly elevated levels of expression in multiple cancers. However, the expression and prognostic values of different FAM83 family in lung cancer, especially in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), have not been clarified.

Methods

ONCOMINE, UALCAN, GEPIA, Kaplan–Meier Plotter, cBioPortal, and STRING databases were utilized in this study.

Results

The transcriptional levels of FAM83A/B/C/D/F/G/H were up-regulated in patients with NSCLC. A noticeable correlation was found between the over-expressions of FAM83A/B/D/F/H and clinical cancer stages in NSCLC patients. Besides, higher mRNA expressions of FAM83A/B/C/D/F/H were discovered to be expressively associated with overall survival (OS) in lung cancer patients, furthermore, FAM83A, FAM83C, and FAM83H in OS group achieved 0.9475/1, 0.971897/1, and 0.9454545/0.8974359 specificity/sensitivity in distinguishing short survivors from long survivors, respectively. Moreover, a high mutation rate of FAM83 family (51%) was also observed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, and genetic alteration in the FAM83 family was associated with shorter OS and disease-free survival (DFS) in LUAD patients.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that FAM83A/H might play important roles in NSCLC tumorigenesis and might be risk factor for the survival of NSCLC patients.

LncRNA FAM83H-AS1 maintains intervertebral disc tissue homeostasis and attenuates inflammation-related pain via promoting nucleus pulposus cell growth through miR-22-3p inhibition

Background

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is regarded as the leading cause of low back pain, resulting in disability and a heavy burden on public health. Several studies have unveiled that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a key role in the pathogenesis and progression of IVDD. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological function and latent molecular mechanism of the lncRNA FAM83H antisense RNA 1 (FAM83H-AS1) in IVDD development.

Methods

Firstly, we established an IVDD model in rats using advanced glycation end products (AGEs) intradiscal injection. Subsequently, gain-of-function assays were conducted to investigate the role of FAM83H-AS1 in the progression of IVDD. Bioinformatics analysis, RNA pull down assay and rescue experiments were employed to shed light on the molecular mechanism underlying FAM83H-AS1 involving in IVDD.

Results

Our findings verified that AGEs treatment aggravated IVDD damage, and FAM83H-AS1 was downregulated in the IVDD group. Additionally, overexpression of FAM83H-AS1 contributed to the growth of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and ameliorated IVDD injury. It was revealed that FAM83H-AS1 possessed the speculated binding sites of miR-22-3p. More importantly, we confirmed that FAM83H-AS1 functioned as a sponge of miR-22-3p in IVDD. Lastly, we demonstrated that miR-22-3p mediated the impact of FAM83H-AS1 on cell proliferation, ECM degradation, and inflammation.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that FAM83H-AS1 relieved IVDD deterioration through sponging miR-22-3p, and provides novel insights into the mechanisms underlying FAM83H-AS1 in IVDD progression.

Inhibition of SIRT6 potentiates the anti-tumor effect of doxorubicin through suppression of the DNA damage repair pathway in osteosarcoma

Background

SIRT6 has diverse roles in cells, and the role of SIRT6 in tumorigenesis is controversial. Considering the role of SIRT6 as an inducer of DNA damage repair, it might be involved in resistance to anti-cancer therapy.

Methods

We evaluated the prognostic significance of SIRT6 in 37 osteosarcomas and investigated the therapeutic efficacy of SIRT6 on the anticancer effects of doxorubicin, olaparib, and ATM inhibitor.

Results

Immunohistochemical expression of SIRT6 was significantly associated with shorter overall survival and relapse-free survival of osteosarcoma patients, especially in patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy. In U2OS and KHOS/NP osteosarcoma cells, knock-down of SIRT6 significantly potentiated apoptotic effects of doxorubicin and SIRT6 overexpression induced resistance to doxorubicin. Moreover, SIRT6 induced the DNA damage repair pathway and SIRT6-mediated resistance to doxorubicin was attenuated by blocking the DNA damage repair pathway with olaparib and ATM inhibitor.

Conclusions

This study suggests that suppression of SIRT6 in combination with doxorubicin might be an effective modality in the treatment of osteosarcoma patients, especially for osteosarcomas with shorter survival with high expression of SIRT6.

The gain-of-function FAM83H mutation caused hypocalcification amelogenesis imperfecta in a Chinese family

OBJECTIVES

Autosomal-dominant hypocalcification amelogenesis imperfecta (ADHCAI) is a hereditary disease characterized by enamel defects. ADHCAI is mainly caused by nonsense mutations in a gene called family with sequence similarity 83 member H (FAM83H). To study the pathogenesis of ADHCAI, a Chinese ADHCAI family was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The ultrastructure of enamel was analyzed by micro-CT and scanning electron microscopy. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to identify the pathogenic gene. The function of the mutant FAM83H was studied by real-time PCR, western blotting, subcellular localization, and protein degradation pathway analyses.

RESULTS

WES identified a known nonsense mutation (c.1915A > T) in exon 5 of the FAM83H gene, causing a truncated protein (p.Lys639*). However, the cases reported herein exhibited significant differences in the clinical phenotype compared with that the previously reported case. An abnormal enamel rod head structure was observed in affected teeth. In vitro functional studies showed altered protein localization and a decreased protein degradation rate for mutant FAM83H.

CONCLUSIONS

We verified the FAM83H p.Lys639* protein as a gain-of-function variant causing ADHCAI. Abnormal enamel rod head structure was observed in teeth with mutant FAM83H proteins. We also investigated the molecular pathogenesis and presented data on the abnormal degradation of mutant FAM83H proteins.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study helped the family members to understand the disease progression and provided new insights into the pathogenesis of ADHCAI. Due to the large heterogeneity of ADHCAI, this study also provided a genetic basis for individuals who exhibit similar clinical phenotypes.

LncRNA FAM83H-AS1 promotes oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression via miR-10a-5p/Girdin axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been well demonstrated to emerge as crucial regulators in cancer progression, and they can function as regulatory network based on their interactions. Although the biological functions of FAM83H-AS1 have been confirmed in various tumour progressions, the underlying molecular mechanisms of FAM83H-AS1 in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remained poorly understood. To address this, we treated human oesophageal cancer cell line Eca109 cells with TGF-β and found FAM83H-AS1 was notably overexpressed. In the present study, FAM83H-AS1 was observed to be significantly up-regulated in ESCC tissues and was associated with TNM stage, pathological differentiation and lymph node metastasis. FAM83H-AS1 reinforced oesophageal cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and participated in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process at mRNA and protein levels. In addition, a concordant regulation between FAM83H-AS1 and its sense strand FAM83H was detected at the transcriptional and translational levels. Furthermore, FAM83H-AS1 could act as competing endogenous RNA to affect the expression of Girdin by sponging miR-10a-5p verified by RIP and luciferase reporter assays. Consequently, the study provided a unique perspective of FAM83H-AS1 in ESCC progression, which may be considered as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ESCC therapy.

FAM83H and SCRIB stabilize β-catenin and stimulate progression of gastric carcinoma

FAM83H primarily is known for its function in tooth development. Recently, a role for FAM83H in tumorigenesis, conjunction with MYC and β-catenin, has been suggested. Analysis of public data indicates that FAM83H expression is closely associated with SCRIB expression in human gastric cancers. Therefore, this study investigated the roles of FAM83H and SCRIB in 200 human gastric cancers and gastric cancer cells. In human gastric carcinomas, both the individual and combined expression patterns of the nuclear FAM83H and SCRIB were independent indicators of shorter survival of gastric carcinoma patients. In MKN-45 and NCI-N87 gastric cancer cells, the expression of FAM83H and SCRIB were associated with proliferation and invasiveness of cells. FAM83H-mediated in vivo tumor growth was attenuated with knock-down of SCRIB. Moreover, immunoprecipitation indicates that FAM83H, SCRIB, and β-catenin, form a complex, and knock-down of either FAM83H or SCRIB accelerated proteasomal degradation of β-catenin. In conclusion, this study has found that the individual and combined expression patterns of nuclear FAM83H and SCRIB are prognostic indicators of gastric carcinomas and further suggests that FAM83H and SCRIB are involved in the progression of gastric carcinomas by stabilizing β-catenin.

Expression of FAM83H and ZNF16 are associated with shorter survival of patients with gallbladder carcinoma

Background

Recently, FAM83H was reported to have roles in cancer progression in conjunction with oncogenic molecules such as MYC and b-catenin. Moreover, the data from the public database indicates a molecular relationship between FAM83H and zinc finger proteins, especially between FAM83H and ZNF16. However, studies on FAM83H and ZNF16 in gallbladder cancer have been limited.

Methods

This study investigated the expression of FAM83H and ZNF16 in 105 gallbladder carcinomas.

Results

In human gallbladder carcinomas, immunohistochemical expression of FAM83H was significantly associated with ZNF16 expression. In univariate analysis, nuclear and cytoplasmic expression of FAM83H or ZNF16 were significantly associated with shorter survival of gallbladder carcinoma patients. Multivariate analysis revealed the nuclear expression of FAM83H as an independent indicator of poor prognosis of overall survival (p = 0.005) and relapse-free survival (p = 0.005) of gallbladder carcinoma patients. Moreover, co-expression patterns of nuclear FAM83H and ZNF16 were also independent indicators of shorter survival of gallbladder carcinoma patients (overall survival; p <  0.001, relapse-free survival; p <  0.001).

Conclusions

This study suggests FAM83H and ZNF16 are associated with the progression of gallbladder carcinoma, and the expressions of FAM83H and ZNF16 might be novel prognostic indicators of gallbladder carcinoma patients.

FAM83H overexpression predicts worse prognosis and correlates with less CD8+ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

Family with sequence similarity 83 members H (FAM83H) is one member of Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) family, which possess oncogenic properties in several types of cancer. However, the potential function of FAM83H in pancreatic cancer (PC) still remain unknown.

AIM

This study aims to explore the role of FAM83H during pancreatic carcinogenesis and the regulation of immune infiltration in PC.

METHODS

In the current study, the clinical significance and potential biological of FAM83H were evaluated by bioinformatics analysis. Possible associations between FAM83H expression and tumor immunity were analyzed using ESTIMATE algorithm and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA).

RESULTS

FAM83H expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues, and positively associated with higher histologic grade, tumor recurrence, and worse prognosis. FAM83H overexpression is notably associated with KRAS activation. And functional enrichment analysis demonstrated that FAM83H may be involved in positive regulation of cell proliferation and migration, Ras protein signal transduction, regulation of cell-matrix adhesion, epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), TGF-β receptor signaling in EMT, and activated NOTCH transmits signal to the nucleus. ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA demonstrated that FAM83H overexpression suppressed the infiltration and antitumor activity of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), especially for CD8⁺ T cells. Besides, FAM83H overexpression significantly correlated with low expression of TIL-related gene markers (e.g. CD8A, CD8B, CD2, CD3D, and CD3E).

CONCLUSION

The study suggests that FAM83H overexpression predicts poor prognosis and correlates with less CD8⁺ T cells infiltration and Ras-PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling pathway in PC.

Mustard Seed (Brassica nigra) Extract Exhibits Antiproliferative Effect against Human Lung Cancer Cells through Differential Regulation of Apoptosis, Cell Cycle, Migration, and Invasion

Lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer-related death worldwide, and development of novel lung cancer preventive and therapeutic agents are urgently needed. Brassica nigra (black mustard) seeds are commonly consumed in several Asian and African countries. Mustard seeds previously exhibited significant anticancer activities against several cancer types. In the present study, we have investigated various cellular and molecular mechanisms of anticancer effects of an ethanolic extract of B. nigra seeds against A549 and H1299 human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines. B. nigra extract showed a substantial growth-inhibitory effect as it reduced the viability and clonogenic survival of A549 and H1299 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. B. nigra extract induced cellular apoptosis in a time- and concentration-dependent fashion as evidenced from increased caspase-3 activity. Furthermore, treatment of both A549 and H1299 cells with B. nigra extract alone or in combination with camptothecin induced DNA double-strand breaks as evidenced by upregulation of γH2A histone family member X, Fanconi anemia group D2 protein, Fanconi anemia group J protein, ataxia-telangiectesia mutated and Rad3-related protein. Based on cell cycle analysis, B. nigra extract significantly arrested A549 and H1299 cells at S and G2/M phases. Additionally, B. nigra extract suppressed the migratory and invasive properties of both cell lines, downregulated the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2), MMP9, and Snail and upregulated the expression of E-cadherin at mRNA and protein levels. Taken together, these findings indicate that B. nigra seed extract may have an important anticancer potential against human lung cancer which could be mediated through simultaneous and differential regulation of proliferation, apoptosis, DNA damage, cell cycle, migration, and invasion.

miR-487b and TRAK2 that form an axis to regulate the aggressiveness of osteosarcoma, are potential therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers

To investigate the effect of microRNA-487b (miR-487b) as well as the underlying mechanism in osteosarcoma (OS). Data downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used to analyze the expression and prognostic value of miR-487b/TRAK2. Cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays were performed to investigate the biological functions of miR-487b and TRAK2. Luciferase reporter assay was applied to confirm the interactions between miR-487b and TRAK2. miR-487b was overexpressed in OS tissues and was inversely associated with the prognosis of OS patients. We discovered that miR-487b could contribute to the proliferative, clonogenic, invasive, and migratory capabilities of OS cells. Through target prediction using miRWalk and differential expression analysis based on the GEO data set, trafficking kinesin protein 2 (TRAK2) was recognized as a potential target of miR-487b, which was further verified by luciferase reporter assay. The expression of TRAK2 was decreased in OS tissues compared with normal tissues and was positively correlated with the prognosis of OS patients. A negative relevance was presented between the expression of miR-487b and TRAK2 in OS cells. Of note, further mechanistic analyses indicated that TRAK2 was implicated in the regulatory effect of miR-487b on the cell malignant behaviors in OS. To sum up, these results demonstrated that miR-487b played an oncogenic role in OS progression via directly targeting TRAK2, which could advance the development of cancer treatment.

Interleukin4Rα (IL4Rα) and IL13Rα1 Are Associated with the Progress of Renal Cell Carcinoma through Janus Kinase 2 (JAK2)/Forkhead Box O3 (FOXO3) Pathways

Specific kinds of interleukin (IL) receptors are known to mediate lymphocyte proliferation and survival. However, recent reports have suggested that the high expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 in tumor tissue might be associated with tumorigenesis in several kinds of tumor. We found that a significant association between mRNA level of IL4Rα or IL13Rα1 and the poor prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) from the public database (http://www.oncolnc.org/). Then, we evaluated the clinicopathological significance of the immunohistochemical expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 in 199 clear cell RCC (CCRCC) patients. The individual and co-expression patterns of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 were significantly associated with cancer-specific survival (CSS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis indicated IL4Rα-positivity and co-expression of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 as the independent indicators of shorter CSS and RFS of CCRCC patients. For the in vitro evaluation of the oncogenic role of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 in RCC, we knock-downed IL4Rα or IL13Rα1 and observed that the cell proliferation rate was decreased, and the apoptosis rate was increased in A498 and ACHN cells. Furthermore, we examined the possible role of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), well-known down-stream tyrosine kinase under the heterodimeric receptor complex of IL4Rα and IL13Rα1. Interestingly, JAK2 interacted with Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3) to cause tyrosine-phosphorylation of FOXO3. Silencing IL4Rα or JAK2 in A498 and ACHN cells reduced the interaction between JAK2 and FOXO3. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of JAK2 induced the nuclear localization of FOXO3, leading to increase apoptosis and decrease cell proliferation rate in A498 and ACHN cells. Taken together, these results suggest that IL4Rα and IL13Rα1 might be involved in the progression of RCC through JAK2/FOXO3 pathway, and their expression might be used as the novel prognostic factor and therapeutic target for RCC patients.