Combretastatin A4 Regulates Proliferation, Migration, Invasion, and Apoptosis of Thyroid Cancer Cells via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

ERβ-regulated circATP2B1/miR-204-3p/TWIST1 positive feedback loop facilitates epithelial to mesenchymal transition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Our previous studies have shown that estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) can promote the progression of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) by downregulating the expression of circATP2B1 and miR-204-3p. Here, we found that ERβ might promote the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) of ccRCC by modulating the circATP2B1/miR-204-3p/TWIST1(Twist family basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor 1) signaling pathway.

METHODS

We utilized bioinformatics analysis to determine the clinical significance of TWIST1 in ccRCC. The expression of TWIST1 in ccRCC tissues and cells was examined using immunohistochemistry, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting assay. Chromatin Immunoprecipitation assay were conducted to validate the relationship between ERβ and TWIST1. Luciferase reporter gene assays were employed to validate the binding targets of TWIST1 and miR-204-3p. The role of TWIST1 in ccRCC was studied through in vitro and in vivo experiments. Transwell assays and wound healing assays were used to assess the impact of TWIST1 on the invasive and migratory abilities of ccRCC cells.

RESULTS

Mechanism analysis revealed that miR-204-3p can inhibit TWIST1 by targeting its 3' untranslated region. Additionally, TWIST1 can promote ERβ transcription by directly binding to transcription factor binding site in the ERβ promoter region, forming a positive feedback loop. These in vitro data were further validated in an in vivo mouse model. Importantly, analysis of data from the TCGA-KIRC database further confirmed the above in vitro/in vivo findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Together, our results suggest that ERβ/circATP2B1/miR-204-3p/TWIST1 can promote EMT by forming a positive feedback loop, thus promoting the progression of ccRCC. Targeting this newly identified signaling pathway may more effectively control the progression of ccRCC.

Combretastatin A-4 suppresses the invasive and metastatic behavior of glioma cells and induces apoptosis in them: in-vitro study

The most common primary brain malignancy, glioblastoma multiforme, is tremendously resistant to conventional treatments due to its potency for metastasis to surrounding brain tissue. Temozolomide is a chemotherapeutic agent that currently is administrated during the treatment procedure. Studies have attempted to investigate new agents with higher effectiveness and fewer side effects. Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4), a natural compound derived from Combretum caffrum, has been recently considered for its potent antitumor activities in a wide variety of preclinical solid tumor models. Our findings have shown that CA-4 exerts potent anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects on glioma cells, and ROS generation may be involved in these cellular events. CA-4 has imposed G2 arrest in U-87 cells. We also observed that CA-4 significantly reduced the migration and invasion capability of U-87 cells. Furthermore, the gene expression and enzyme activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 were significantly inhibited in the presence of CA-4. We also observed a considerable decrease in PI3K and Akt protein expression following treatment with CA-4. In conclusion, our findings showed significant apoptogenic and anti-metastatic effects of CA-4 on glioma cells and also suggested that the PI3K/Akt/MMP-2/-9 and also ROS pathway might play roles in these cellular events.

Network pharmacology-based prediction and experimental verification of the involvement of the PI3K/Akt pathway in the anti-thyroid cancer activity of crocin

Crocin, a unique water-soluble carotenoid extracted from saffron, is known to exert anticancer activity against various cancer types, including thyroid cancer (TC). However, the detailed mechanism underlying the anticancer effect of crocin in TC needs further exploration. Targets of crocin and targets associated with TC were acquired from public databases. Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID. Cell viability and proliferation were assessed using MMT and EdU incorporation assays, respectively. Apoptosis was assessed using TUNEL and caspase-3 activity assays. The effect of crocin on phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) was explored by western blot analysis. A total of 20 overlapping targets were identified as candidate targets of crocin against TC. GO analysis showed that these overlapping genes were significantly enriched in the positive regulation of cell proliferation. KEGG results showed that the PI3K/Akt pathway was involved in the effect of crocin against TC. Crocin treatment inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis in TC cells. Moreover, we found that crocin inhibited the PI3K/Akt pathway in TC cells. 740Y-P treatment reversed the effects of crocin on TC cells. In conclusion, crocin suppressed proliferation and elicited apoptosis in TC cells via inactivation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Pharmacokinetic Profile Evaluation of Novel Combretastatin Derivative, LASSBio-1920, as a Promising Colorectal Anticancer Agent

LASSBio-1920 was synthesized due to the poor solubility of its natural precursor, combretastatin A4 (CA4). The cytotoxic potential of the compound against human colorectal cancer cells (HCT-116) and non-small cell lung cancer cells (PC-9) was evaluated, yielding IC₅₀ values of 0.06 and 0.07 μM, respectively. Its mechanism of action was analyzed by microscopy and flow cytometry, where LASSBio-1920 was found to induce apoptosis. Molecular docking simulations and the enzymatic inhibition study with wild-type (wt) EGFR indicated enzyme-substrate interactions similar to other tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We suggest that LASSBio-1920 is metabolized by O-demethylation and NADPH generation. LASSBio-1920 demonstrated excellent absorption in the gastrointestinal tract and high central nervous system (CNS) permeability. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained by predictions indicated that the compound presents zero-order kinetics and, in a human module simulation, accumulates in the liver, heart, gut, and spleen. The pharmacokinetic parameters obtained will serve as the basis to initiate in vivo studies regarding LASSBio-1920's antitumor potential.

Natural Products as Anticancer Agents: Current Status and Future Perspectives

Natural products have been an invaluable and useful source of anticancer agents over the years. Several compounds have been synthesized from natural products by modifying their structures or by using naturally occurring compounds as building blocks in the synthesis of these compounds for various purposes in different fields, such as biology, medicine, and engineering. Multiple modern and costly treatments have been applied to combat cancer and limit its lethality, but the results are not significantly refreshing. Natural products, which are a significant source of new therapeutic drugs, are currently being investigated as potential cytotoxic agents and have shown a positive trend in preclinical research and have prompted numerous innovative strategies in order to combat cancer and expedite the clinical research. Natural products are becoming increasingly important for drug discovery due to their high molecular diversity and novel biofunctionality. Furthermore, natural products can provide superior efficacy and safety due to their unique molecular properties. The objective of the current review is to provide an overview of the emergence of natural products for the treatment and prevention of cancer, such as chemosensitizers, immunotherapeutics, combinatorial therapies with other anticancer drugs, novel formulations of natural products, and the molecular mechanisms underlying their anticancer properties.

Synergistic effect of VEGF and SDF-1α in endothelial progenitor cells and vascular smooth muscle cells

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a potent agonist of angiogenesis that induces proliferation and differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) after vascular injury. Previous studies have suggested that stromal cell-derived factor 1-alpha (SDF-1α) and VEGF have a synergistic effect on vascular stenosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether VEGF and SDF-1α act synergistically in EPCs and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In this study, EPCs were isolated from rat bone marrow and their morphology and function were studied. Subsequently, VEGF was delivered into EPCs using an adenoviral vector. Tube formation, migration, proliferation, and apoptosis of VEGF-overexpressing EPCs was analyzed. Then, EPCs were co-cultured with VSMCs in the presence or absence of SDF-1α, the migration, proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation capacity of EPCs and VSMCs were analyzed respectively. The isolated EPCs showed typical morphological features, phagocytic capacity, and expressed surface proteins. While stable expression of VEGF remarkably enhanced tube formation, migration, and proliferation capacity of EPCs, apoptosis was decreased. Moreover, the proliferation, migration, and differentiation capacity of EPCs in the co-cultured model was enhanced in the presence of SDF-1α, and apoptosis was decreased. However, these effects were reversed in VSMCs. Therefore, our results showed that VEGF and SDF-1α synergistically increased the migration, differentiation, and proliferation capabilities of EPCs, but not VSMCs. This study suggests a promising strategy to prevent vascular stenosis.

E-cadherin on epithelial-mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancer

Thyroid carcinoma is a common malignant tumor of endocrine system and head and neck. Recurrence, metastasis and high malignant expression after routine treatment are serious clinical problems, so it is of great significance to explore its mechanism and find action targets. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor malignancy and invasion. One key change in tumour EMT is low expression of E-cadherin. Therefore, this article reviews the expression of E-cadherin in thyroid cancers (TC), discuss the potential mechanisms involved, and outline opportunities to exploit E-cadherin on regulating the occurrence of EMT as a critical factor in cancer therapeutics.

Synthesis and Cytotoxic Activity of Combretastatin A-4 and 2,3-Diphenyl-2H-indazole Hybrids

Cancer is the second leading cause of death, after cardiovascular diseases. Different strategies have been developed to treat cancer; however, chemotherapy with cytotoxic agents is still the most widely used treatment approach. Nevertheless, drug resistance to available chemotherapeutic agents is still a serious problem, and the development of new active compounds remains a constant need. Taking advantage of the molecular hybridization approach, in the present work we designed, synthesized, and tested the cytotoxic activity of two hybrid compounds and seven derivatives based on the structure of combretastatin A-4 and 2,3-diphenyl-2H-indazole. Practical modifications of reported synthetic protocols for 2-pheny-2H-indazole and 2,3-dipheny-2H-indazole derivatives under microwave irradiation were implemented. The cytotoxicity assays showed that our designed hybrid compounds possess strong activity, especially compound 5, which resulted even better than the reference drug cisplatin against HeLa and SK-LU-1 cells (IC₅₀ of 0.16 and 6.63 µM, respectively), and it had similar potency to the reference drug imatinib against K562 cells. Additionally, in silico and in vitro studies strongly suggest tubulin as the molecular target for hybrid compound 5.

Phytochemicals in thyroid cancer: analysis of the preclinical studies

PURPOSE

In the search for novel effective compounds to use in thyroid cancer (TC) unresponsive to current treatment, attention has recently focused on plant-derived compounds with anticancer activity. In this review, we discuss the preclinical studies demonstrating phytochemical activity against thyroid cancer cells.

RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS

In particular, we describe their antiproliferative properties or ability to re-induce iodine retention, thus supporting their potential use as single agents or adjuvants in radioiodine-resistant thyroid cancer treatment.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of 3',4',5'-trimethoxy evodiamine derivatives as potential antitumor agents

A series of compounds bearing 3',4',5'-trimethoxy module into the core structure of evodiamine were designed and synthesized. The synthesized compounds were screened in vitro for their antitumor potential. MTT results showed that compounds 14a-14c and 14i-14j had significant effects, with compound 14h being the most prominent, with an IC₅₀ value of 3.3 ± 1.5 μM, which was lower than evodiamine and 5-Fu. Subsequent experiments further confirmed that compound 14h could inhibit cell proliferation and migration, and induce G2/M phase arrest to inhibit the proliferation of HGC-27 cells, which is consistent with the results of the cytotoxicity experiment. Besides, 14h could inhibit microtubule assembly and might kill tumor cells by inhibiting VEGF and glycolysis. All experimental results indicate that compound 14h might be a potential drug candidate for the treatment of gastric cancer and was worthy of further study.

Ssc-miR-21-5p regulates endometrial epithelial cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration via the PDCD4/AKT pathway

Endometrial receptivity plays a vital role in successful embryo implantation in pigs. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), known as regulators of gene expression, have been implicated in the regulation of embryo implantation. However, the role of miRNAs in endometrial receptivity during the pre-implantation period remains elusive. In this study, we report that the expression level of Sus scrofa (ssc)-miR-21-5p in porcine endometrium tissues was significantly increased from day 9 to day 12 of pregnancy. Knockdown of ssc-miR-21-5p inhibited proliferation and migration of endometrial epithelial cells (EECs), and induced their apoptosis. We verified that programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) was a target gene of ssc-miR-21-5p. Inhibition of PDCD4 rescued the effect of ssc-miR-21-5p repression on EECs. Our results also revealed that knockdown of ssc-miR-21-5p impeded the phosphorylation of AKT (herein referring to AKT1) by targeting PDCD4, which further upregulated the expression of Bax, and downregulated the levels of Bcl2 and Mmp9. Furthermore, loss of function of Mus musculus (mmu)-miR-21-5p in vivo resulted in a decreased number of implanted mouse embryos. Taken together, knockdown of ssc-miR-21-5p hampers endometrial receptivity by modulating the PDCD4/AKT pathway.

Circ_PSD3 promotes the progression of papillary thyroid carcinoma via the miR-637/HEMGN axis

AIMS

In the present study, we aimed to uncover the potential functions of circular RNA (circRNA) pleckstrin and Sec7 domain containing 3 (circ_PSD3) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) development.

MAIN METHODS

The abundance of circ_PSD3, PSD3 messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA-637 (miR-637) and hemogen (HEMGN; EDAG-1) mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Flow cytometry was employed to measure cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis. Western blot assay was used to examine protein expression. The proliferation ability and motility of PTC cells were analyzed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and transwell assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-637 and circ_PSD3 or HEMGN was tested by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Animal experiments were used to explore the role of circ_PSD3 in PTC progression in vivo.

KEY FINDINGS

Circ_PSD3 was aberrantly up-regulated in PTC tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Circ_PSD3 and HEMGN promoted the cell cycle progression, proliferation and metastasis and impeded the apoptosis of PTC cells. MiR-637 was a direct target of circ_PSD3, and miR-637 directly interacted with HEMGN mRNA in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing-induced effects in PTC cells were partly attenuated by the addition of anti-miR-637 or HEMGN overexpression plasmid. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN regulated the activity of PI3K/Akt signal pathway in PTC cells. Circ_PSD3 silencing inhibited the tumor growth in vivo.

SIGNIFICANCE

Circ_PSD3 promoted the progression of PTC through regulating miR-637/HEMGN axis and activating PI3K/Akt signaling. Circ_PSD3/miR-637/HEMGN signaling axis might be a potential target for PTC therapy.

Metformin enhances the sensitivity of colorectal cancer cells to cisplatin through ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Metformin and cisplatin have been widely studied as antitumor agents. However, the effect of metformin combined with cisplatin has not been investigated in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. This study was aimed to explore the effect of metformin or/and cisplatin on cell viability, apoptosis, and the related signaling pathways in CRC SW480 and SW620 cells. We found that metformin or cisplatin inhibited cell viability of SW480 and SW620 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Furthermore, metformin combined with cisplatin obviously inhibited cell viability, decreased colony formation, induced apoptosis, mediated cleavage of caspase-9, caspase-3 and PARP, activated mitochondrial membrane potential, downregulated Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 expression, upregulated Bak and Bax expression, and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, compared to the individual agent in SW480 and SW620 cells, which were attenuated by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a ROS scavenger. Moreover, NAC could recover the downregulation of p-PI3K and p-Akt treated with combination of metformin and cisplatin, which subsequently activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Taken together, our results demonstrated that metformin enhanced the sensitivity of CRC cells to cisplatin through ROS-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

FKBP10 functioned as a cancer-promoting factor mediates cell proliferation, invasion, and migration via regulating PI3K signaling pathway in stomach adenocarcinoma

As documented, the expression, biological roles, and prognostic significance of FKBP10 in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) have not been investigated till now. This drives us to detect the biological roles and clinical significance of FKBP10 in STAD. The expression level of FKBP10 was measured based on the data obtained from the TCGA, ONCOMINE, and GEPIA databases, and STAD cell lines. Through in vitro experiments, cell behaviors were investigated to evaluate the effects of FKBP10 on STAD. Moreover, the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was measured. Relying on the data of TCGA, ONCOMINE, and GEPIA databases, and cancer cell lines, FKBP10 was up-regulated in STAD when compared with normals. The patients with low expression of FKBP10 had higher survival rate than those with high FKBP10 expression. After knockdown of FKBP10 in AGS cells, cell vitality, colony formation ability, and the migratory and invasive potential were inhibited. Western blotting analysis exhibited that knockdown of FKBP10 significantly reduced the expression level of p-AKT, and p-PI3K, but it did not influence the total expression level of AKT, and PI3K. FKBP10 might serve as a crucial player in gastric cancer, and targeting FKBP10 might provide clinical utility in gastric cancer in future.

Effect of STOX1 on recurrent spontaneous abortion by regulating trophoblast cell proliferation and migration via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

STOX1 is a transcription factor that is implicated in the high prevalence of human gestational diseases. It has been studied in various types of gestational diseases using different molecular and cellular biological technologies. However, the effect and detailed mechanism of storkhead box 1 (STOX1) in recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA) remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the effect and detailed mechanism of STOX1 in human trophoblast cells. The result showed that downregulation of STOX1 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) led to a decrease in proliferation and migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells, while it induced the apoptosis of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Moreover, the result showed that trophoblast cells expressed lower levels of pAKT and p85 subunits after treatment with STOX1 shRNA when compared with control. However, overexpression of STOX1 obviously increased the pAKT and p85 protein expressions. Transfection of pcDNA-AKT plasmid increased cell proliferation and migration in HTR-8/SVneo cells while suppressed the apoptosis of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Furthermore, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway by a specific inhibitor promoted cell apoptosis and aggravatedly suppressed cell proliferation and migration of HTR-8/SVneo cells. On the other hand, upregulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway could increase the relative expression level of Bcl-2 and decrease the relative expression levels of Bax and Bim, while inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway led to adverse results. Our results demonstrated that inhibition of STOX1 could suppress trophoblast cell proliferation and migration, while promote apoptosis through inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These findings might provide a new fundamental mechanism for regulating RSA and could be used to prevent and treat RSA in clinic.

CircRNA circ_0067934 Overexpression Correlates with Poor Prognosis and Promotes Thyroid Carcinoma Progression

BACKGROUND Circular RNAs are important regulators in human cancers, including thyroid carcinoma. The circ_0067934 RNA is reported to participate in hepatocellular carcinoma, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and lung cancer. Whether it regulates thyroid carcinoma remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to research potential mechanisms of circ_0067934 in thyroid tumors to provide potential new diagnostic and treatment targets. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression level of circ_0067934 in thyroid tumors, adjacent tissues, and cell lines was measured by qRT-PCR. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis was used to explore the relationship between circ_0067934 level and survival time of patients. Circ_0067934 was knocked down to research its functional role in thyroid tumors. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay. Migration and invasion were analyzed by Transwell assay. Western blot was applied to analyze the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) and PI3K/AKT related proteins. RESULTS Compared with adjacent tissue, circ_0067934 was highly expressed in thyroid tumors. Circ_0067934 expression level was highly expressed in thyroid tumor cell lines. Patients with high expression of circ_0067934 showed lower survival rates. Knockdown of circ_0067934 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and also promoted apoptosis. In addition, circ_0067934 knockdown inhibited EMT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS circ_0067934 could improve the development of thyroid carcinoma by promoting EMT and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

PADI4‑mediated epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in lung cancer cells

Lung cancer is a complex disease involving multiple genetic and phenotypic alterations. As a histone modification enzyme, protein-arginine deiminase type-4 (PADI4) and its downstream signaling have been studied in the progression of a variety of types of human cancer, but data on PADI4-mediated posttranslational modification in lung cancer are lacking. The aim of present study was to evaluate the expression of PADI4 and its associated molecular signaling in lung cancer metastasis. The results of the present study indicated that PADI4 was overexpressed in lung cancer cells, while knockdown of PADI4 could lead to attenuation of the lung cancer cell invasion and migration phenotype, which was further verified by determining the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins. Additionally, it was demonstrated that stable knockdown of PADI4 in A549 lung cancer cells resulted in a striking reduction of the EMT-associated Snail1/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 3/4 transcriptional complex, which was consistent with alterations in migratory and invasive phenotypes of A549 lung cancer cells. Therefore, PADI4-mediated EMT transition is proposed to represent a novel mechanism underlying the epigenetic and phenotypic alterations in lung cancer cells, and the PADI4 associated signaling pathway may be a therapeutic target for treating lung cancer in a clinical setting.

STK899704 inhibits stemness of cancer stem cells and migration via the FAK-MEK-ERK pathway in HT29 cells

Colon cancer is one of the most lethal and common malignancies worldwide. STK899704, a novel synthetic agent, has been reported to exhibit anticancer effects towards numerous cancer cells. However, the effect of STK899704 on the biological properties of colon cancer, including cancer cell migration and cancer stem cells (CSCs), remains unknown. Here, we examined the inhibitory effect of STK899704 on cell migration and CSC stemness. In the wound healing assay, STK899704 significantly inhibited the motility of colon cancer cells. Furthermore, STK899704 downregulated the mRNA expression levels of the cell migration mediator focal adhesion kinase (FAK). STK899704 also suppressed mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which are downstream signaling molecules of FAK. Additionally, STK899704 inhibited stemness gene expression and sphere formation in colon cancer stem cells. These results suggest that STK899704 can be used to treat human colon cancer.

Anticancer Activity of Natural Compounds from Plant and Marine Environment

This paper describes the substances of plant and marine origin that have anticancer properties. The chemical structure of the molecules of these substances, their properties, mechanisms of action, their structure⁻activity relationships, along with their anticancer properties and their potential as chemotherapeutic drugs are discussed in this paper. This paper presents natural substances from plants, animals, and their aquatic environments. These substances include the vinca alkaloids, mistletoe plant extracts, podophyllotoxin derivatives, taxanes, camptothecin, combretastatin, and others including geniposide, colchicine, artesunate, homoharringtonine, salvicine, ellipticine, roscovitine, maytanasin, tapsigargin, and bruceantin. Compounds (psammaplin, didemnin, dolastin, ecteinascidin, and halichondrin) isolated from the marine plants and animals such as microalgae, cyanobacteria, heterotrophic bacteria, invertebrates (e.g., sponges, tunicates, and soft corals) as well as certain other substances that have been tested on cells and experimental animals and used in human chemotherapy.

Antitumor Effect of GO-PEG-DOX Complex on EMT-6 Mouse Breast Cancer Cells

OBJECTIVE

Doxorubicin (DOX) can be used to treat malignant tumors, but with multiple adverse effects. Graphene oxide-polyethylene glycol (GO-PEG) is a novel nanoscale carrier material and can elevate solubility and biocompatibility of drugs. This study prepared a GO-PEG-DOX complex, whose toxicity and antitumor effects were evaluated on mouse EMT-6 breast cancer cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

GO-PEG-DOX complex was prepared for calculating the drug carrier rate of DOX on GO-PEG by MV approach. EMT-6 cells were treated with 40 μg/mL GO-PEG, 1 μg/mL DOX, or 40 μg/mL +1 μg/mL GO-PEG-DOX for 72 h of incubation. Cells without treatment were considered the control group. Cell survival rate and apoptotic rate were tested at different time points.

RESULTS

GO-PEG and GO-PEG-DOX complex were successfully prepared with satisfactory solubility. After 72 h of incubation, EMT-6 cells after GO-PEG-DOX treatment had significantly higher survival rate than GO-PEG group (p < 0.05). All three treatment groups had significantly elevated apoptotic rates than control group (p < 0.05). GO-PEG-DOX group had much more apoptosis (p < 0.05 compared with DOX group). Moreover, with elongated treatment time, all groups showed decreased survival rate (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

GO-PEG did not reduce the cytotoxicity of DOX on EMT-6 cells. GO-PEG-DOX complex can increase the water solubility and targeting sensitivity of DOX, with facilitating effects on DOX-induced tumor cell apoptosis.

Mn12Ac inhibits the migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of lung cancer cells by downregulating the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways

Lung cancer is the leading cause of global cancer-associated mortality, therefore it is important to reveal the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer progression and to develop novel therapeutic targets. The results of the present study identified that manganese-12 acetate (Mn12Ac) was able to significantly inhibit the migration and invasion of A549 cells. Western blotting demonstrated that treatment with Mn12Ac was able to upregulate E-cadherin, and downregulate N-cadherin and vimentin. It was also identified by a quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis that Mn12Ac was able to reduce the mRNA expression levels of EMT-associated transcription factors Snail, Slug, Twist-related protein 1 and zinc finger E-box-binding homeobox 1. It was also demonstrated that Mn12Ac was able to reduce the expression levels of Wnt and β-catenin proteins, and suppress the phosphorylation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and AKT in A549 cells. Notably, it was revealed that Mn12Ac was able to decrease the mRNA and protein expression levels of programmed death ligand-1. Taken together, the results suggested that Mn12Ac is able to inhibit cell migration, invasion and EMT in lung cancer cells by regulating the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

Downregulation of monocarboxylate transporter 1 inhibits the invasion and migration through suppression of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Monocarboxylate transporter 1 (MCT1) has been reported to be correlated wtih decreased survival and advanced stage of progression in a series of human tumor cells and primary cancers. Specifically, MCT1 has been documented to be involved in tumor progression, including invasion and migration. Here, we investigated the mechanism and effect of regulation of MCT1 on invasion and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. In the study, we firstly demonstrated that the expression of MCT1 in CNE2Z cells was obviously higher than that in HNE1 cells. Downregulation of MCT1 inhibited the invasion and migration in CNE2Z cells, upregulated the expression of E-cadherin, TIMP (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase)-2 and TIMP-1, and suppressed the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-9 and MMP-2. Correspondingly, upregulation of MCT1 enhanced the invasive and migratory potential in HNE1 cells, increased the expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2, and downregulated the expression of E-cadherin, TIMP-2 and TIMP-1. The mechanistic study demonstrated that the effect of MCT1 might be correlated with PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, increased the inhibition of invasion and migration mediated by downregulation of MCT1 in CNE2Z cells. These findings collectively suggested that MCT1 might act as a new regulator to improve invasion and migration of NPC cells and be correlated with activating the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Relationship Between INPP5E Gene Expression and Embryonic Neural Development in a Mouse Model of Neural Tube Defect

Background

The INPP5E gene encodes for the inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase (INPP5E) 72 kDa protein that regulates the phosphoinositide signaling pathway and other cellular activities, but the functional role of this gene in embryonic neurodevelopment and neural tube defect (NTD) remains unclear. The aim of this study was to use a mouse model of NTD to investigate the expression levels of the INPP5E gene during neural development and the occurrence of NTD.

Material/Methods

In an established NTD mouse model, stereoscopy was used to look for morphological defects. Transcription and expression levels of the INPP5E gene in neural tissues were detected using real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting in the NTD mouse embryos and compared with control mouse embryos.

Results

The expression levels of the INPP5E gene decreased as embryonic development progressed in the neural tissue of control mice embryos, but showed no obvious trend in the neural tissues of the NTD mouse embryos. The expression levels of the INPP5E gene in NTD mouse embryos were significantly lower compared with control embryos, at the time of neural tube closure (gestational day 11.5).

Conclusions

The INPP5E gene regulates the process of embryonic neural development. Abnormal levels of expression of the INPP5E gene may contribute to NTDs. Increased knowledge of the expression pattern of the INPP5E gene may lead to an advanced understanding of the molecular mechanism of embryonic neurodevelopment and identify more specific directions to explore potential treatments for NTDs associated with abnormalities in INPP5E gene expression levels.

Manganese-12 acetate suppresses the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and it is of great value to reveal the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer progression and develop new therapeutic targets.

METHODS

Transwell assay is used to analyze the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Real-time PCR and western blotting assay are applied to detect the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers and the key members of Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

RESULTS

Manganese-12 acetate (Mn12Ac) significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Western blotting assay further showed that Mn12Ac significantly upregulated E-cadherin, and downregulated N-cadherin and vimentin. We further found that Mn12Ac reduced the mRNA expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated transcription factors snail, slug, twist1, and ZEB1 using real-time PCR assay. Importantly, we further found that Mn12Ac significantly reduced the Wnt1 and β-catenin protein expressions, and suppressed the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Very interestingly, we also showed that Mn12Ac decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of programmed cell death ligand 1.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results suggested that Mn12Ac inhibited the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by regulating Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in breast cancer.

Novel therapies against aggressive differentiated thyroid carcinomas

The incidence of thyroid cancer (TC) is increasing. Although the majority of these cancers have a good prognosis, 10% of these will develop local recurrence and/or distant metastases. Conventional cytotoxic chemotherapy has been largely replaced by molecular-target therapies, but it can still have a role. Two tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of advanced differentiated TC. They significantly improve progression-free survival, but at the cost of frequent and potentially serious adverse effects. At the moment, there are multiple clinical trials with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors and other drugs. We present a review of the current standard of care and what is up to come in the treatment of advanced TC.

A formulation of pancreatic pro-enzymes provides potent anti-tumour efficacy: a pilot study focused on pancreatic and ovarian cancer

Proteolytic enzymes have shown efficacy in cancer therapy. We present a combination of the two pro-enzymes Trypsinogen and Chymotrypsinogen A with potent in vitro and in vivo anti-tumour efficacy. A synergetic anti-tumour effect for Trypsinogen and Chymotrypsinogen A was determined at a ratio 1:6 (named PRP) using 24 human cancer cell lines. The antiangiogenic effect of PRP was analysed by matrigel-based tube formation and by fibrous capsule formation assays. Furthermore, cell invasion and wound healing assays together with qRT-PCR determination of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were performed on human cancer cells treated with PRP. Additionally, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies were implemented and the PRP's anti-tumour efficacy was explored against orthotopic pancreatic and ovarian cancer tumours. PRP formulation was proven to inhibit in vitro angiogenesis, tumour growth, cancer cell migration and invasiveness; and to be an effective and well tolerated in vivo anti-tumour treatment. Finally, the clinical efficacy of a suppository formulation containing both pancreatic pro-enzymes in the context of a UK Pharmaceuticals Special Scheme was evaluated in advanced cancer patients. Consequently, PRP could have relevant oncological clinical applications for the treatment of advanced or metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma and advanced epithelial ovarian cancer.

Knockdown of long non-coding RNA MALAT1 inhibits growth and motility of human hepatoma cells via modulation of miR-195

The metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcription 1 (Malat1) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), exerts oncogenic role in multiple cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was aimed to investigate its posttranscriptional regulation in HCC cells. RT-PCR was performed to monitor the expression levels of Malat1 in normal liver and HCC cell lines. The expression of Malat1, microRNA (miR)-195, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in HepG2 and MHCC97 cells was respectively or synchronously altered by transfection. Then the changes in cell viability, apoptotic cell rate, cell cycle distribution, migration, and invasion were respectively assessed. As a result, we found that Malat1 was highly expressed in HCC cell lines when compared to normal liver cells. Malat1 silence suppressed HCC cells viability, migration and invasion, induced apoptosis, and arrested more cells in G0/G1 phase. Malat1 acted as a circular endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for miR-195. Malat1 silence could not suppress HCC cell growth and motility when miR-195 was knocked down. EGFR was a direct target of miR-195. miR-195 overexpression could not suppress HCC cell growth and motility when the 3'UTR site of EGFR was overexpressed. Furthermore, Malat1 silence blocked the activation of PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT pathways, while EGFR overexpression activated them. Our study demonstrates Malat1-miR-195-EGFR axis plays a critical role in HCC cells which provided a better understanding of Malat1 in HCC.

Associations between mutations of the cell cycle checkpoint kinase 2 gene and gastric carcinogenesis

Gastric cancer is the most common malignant tumor of the digestive system. The etiology of gastric cancer is complex, and susceptibility at the genetic level remains to be fully elucidated in genetic investigations. In the present study, mutations of the cell cycle checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2) gene and its association with gastric cancer were examined. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction technology was used to detect the expression of CHEK2 and it was found that the expression of CHEK2 was low in gastric cancer. Using sequencing analysis, it was found that the low expression level of CHEK2 was associated with expression of its mutation. The present study also established a CHEK2‑overexpressing mutant and confirmed that CHEK2 promoted gastric cancer cell proliferation. Overexpression of the CHEK2 mutation was confirmed to promote cancer cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, western blot analysis results revealed that overexpression of the CHEK2 mutation downregulated E‑cadherin and upregulated vimentin expression, indicating the mechanism underlying the altered biological behavior. These results suggested that there was a correlation between mutation of the CHEK2 gene and gastric cancer, and provided an experimental basis for antitumor drug investigation and development according to its mutation target.

Analysis of the function of microRNA-375 in humans using bioinformatics

MicroRNA-375 (miR-375) is expressed at low levels in many types of solid tumor, particularly in gastrointestinal tumors. It is considered to be important in the development of cancer and certain diseases. Thus, more detailed knowledge is required on the particular functions of miR-375. miRs function by regulating target genes. Therefore, in the current study, miRWalk (which includes the data from 10 prediction software programs) was used to predict the target genes of miR-375. The genes, which were co-predicted using five different software programs were further analyzed using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery online software [including gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis]. Subsequently, the online tool, Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes, was used to analyze the protein-protein interaction and construct modules using Cytoscape. The result demonstrated 6,574 predicted genes, 1,325 of which were co-predicted. The GO analysis result indicated that, in biological processes, the co-predicted genes were significantly enriched in the regulation of nervous system development and cell differentiation, and the highest enrichment of molecular function was ion binding. In KEGG analysis, the genes were enriched in the Hippo signaling pathway, glutamatergic synapse, circadian entrainment and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway. The top 10 hub proteins were mechanistic target of rapamycin, PH domain and leucine rich repeat protein phosphatase 1, ubiquitously transcribed tetratricopeptide repeat containing, Y-linked, histone deacetylase 2, F-box and leucine rich repeat protein 19, KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase, angiotensinogen, Janus kinase 2, fibroblast growth factor 2 and RNA polymerase II subunit A. These proteins predominantly regulate the development and progression of cancer, hypertension, essential thrombocythemia and inflammation. The genes in the top seven modules selected were identified to be primarily enriched in chemokines, extracellular matrix-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, amoebiasis and protein processing signaling pathway. Thus, the target genes and hub proteins that were predicted in the current study were identified to be important in regulating the development and progression of cancer and certain diseases. Furthermore, they present potential novel biomarkers for tumor diagnosis and candidate targets for treatment, and indicate that further research is required to establish the functions of miR-375.