Identification of functional genes regulating gastric cancer progression using integrated bioinformatics analysis

Molecular mechanisms of radiation resistance in colorectal cancer: in silico identification of AURKA, BIRC5 and PLK1 proteins as potential biomarkers

PURPOSE

The development of radiation resistance by tumor cells severely affects the survival of colorectal cancer patients. The aim of this work is to study the molecular mechanisms involved in the resistance to radiotherapy treatment in colorectal cancer and the identification of key genes as possible biomarkers.

METHODS

Data mining was performed in PubMed with the keywords 'colorectal neoplasms', 'radiotherapy', and 'resistance', generating a total of 242 articles in which a series of inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to select the articles of interest. Then, an in-silico analysis of the selected genes was performed with the bioinformatic tools: GeneCodis, Metascape, KEGG, REACTOME, STRING, STITCH, CHEA3, DGIdb, CTD, and GEPIA.

RESULTS

Different mechanisms and genes involved in radiation resistance were described. These are related to evasion of apoptosis, cell cycle dysregulation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and repair of DNA breaks, with the last one being the most relevant and influential. The In-silico study carried out with 21 genes involved in radiation resistance showed the implication of FoxO signaling and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance as the most enriched pathways. In addition, the study identified the key proteins AURKA, BIRC5, and PLK1, showing multiple interacting chemicals and drugs; such as tamoxifen, omacetaxine mepesuccinate, and hydroxyzine pamoate, among others.

CONCLUSION

The identification of multiple transcription factors that regulate the expression of these key genes as well as the validation in patient samples where higher expression is observed in tumor patients, conserved across tumor stages I-IV, suggests their potential as possible biomarkers.

Pharmacogenomics: A Genetic Approach to Drug Development and Therapy

The majority of the well-known pharmacogenomics research used in the medical sciences contributes to our understanding of medication interactions. It has a significant impact on treatment and drug development. The broad use of pharmacogenomics is required for the progress of therapy. The main focus is on how genes and an intricate gene system affect the body's reaction to medications. Novel biomarkers that help identify a patient group that is more or less likely to respond to a certain medication have been discovered as a result of recent developments in the field of clinical therapeutics. It aims to improve customized therapy by giving the appropriate drug at the right dose at the right time and making sure that the right prescriptions are issued. A combination of genetic, environmental, and patient variables that impact the pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics of medications results in interindividual variance in drug response. Drug development, illness susceptibility, and treatment efficacy are all impacted by pharmacogenomics. The purpose of this work is to give a review that might serve as a foundation for the creation of new pharmacogenomics applications, techniques, or strategies.