Signaling networks associated with AKT activation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): new insights on the role of phosphatydil-inositol-3 kinase

TM6SF1 suppresses the progression of lung adenocarcinoma and M2 macrophage polarization by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mtor pathway

Transmembrane 6 superfamily 1 (TM6SF1) is lowly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but the function and mechanisms of TM6SF1 remain unclear. Thus, we attempt to explore the function of TM6SF1 and its underlying mechanisms in LUAD. qRT-PCR was used for detecting TM6SF1 mRNA expression. Immunohistochemistry staining was used for detecting the expression of MMP-2, TM6SF1, Ki67, MMP-9, and CD163 proteins. E-cadherin, p-PI3K, Vimentin, AKT, N-cadherin, PI3K, p-AKT, mTOR, p-mTOR, and marker proteins of M2 macrophages were evaluated using Western blot. CD206 protein expression was examined via immunofluorescence. The IL-10 concentration was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Using CCK-8, colony formation and transwell assays, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed. A549 cells were injected into the mice's flank for establishing a mouse tumor model and into the tail vein for establishing the lung metastasis model. HE staining was performed to detect pathological changes in lung tissues. Decreased TM6SF1 expression was found in LUAD tissues and cells. TM6SF1 overexpression inhibited cell viability, proliferation, invasion, migration, EMT, and polarization of M2 macrophages in LUAD cells, along with tumor growth and metastasis in xenograft mice. Bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that TM6SF1 was correlated with the tumor microenvironment. TM6SF1 overexpression reduced expression levels of p-mTOR, p-PI3K, p-AKT, mTOR, and AKT. TM6SF1-caused inhibition of proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, as M2 macrophage polarization was reversed by the PI3K activator in LUAD cells. TM6SF1 inactivated the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway to suppress LUAD malignancy and polarization of M2 macrophages, providing insight for developing new LUAD treatments.

Dissecting the pleiotropic roles of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in lung cancer: From carcinogenesis toward therapy

Lung cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. The specific pulmonary structure to directly connect with ambient air makes it more susceptible to damage from airborne toxins. External oxidative stimuli and endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a crucial role in promoting lung carcinogenesis and development. The biological properties of higher ROS levels in tumor cells than in normal cells make them more sensitive and vulnerable to ROS injury. Therefore, the strategy of targeting ROS has been proposed for cancer therapy for decades. However, it is embarrassing that countless attempts at ROS-based therapies have had very limited success, and no FDA approval in the anticancer list was mechanistically based on ROS manipulation. Even compared with the untargetable proteins, such as transcription factors, ROS are more difficult to be targeted due to their chemical properties. Thus, the pleiotropic roles of ROS provide therapeutic potential for anticancer drug discovery, while a better dissection of the mechanistic action and signaling pathways is a prerequisite for future breakthroughs. This review discusses the critical roles of ROS in cancer carcinogenesis, ROS-inspired signaling pathways, and ROS-based treatment, exemplified by lung cancer. In particular, an eight considerations rule is proposed for ROS-targeting strategies and drug design and development.

The potential role of circular RNAs -regulated PI3K signaling in non-small cell lung cancer: Molecular insights and clinical perspective

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for more than 80% of all cases, is the predominant form of lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Significant progress has been made in diagnostic techniques, surgical interventions, chemotherapy protocols, and targeted therapies at the molecular level, leading to enhanced treatment outcomes in patients with NSCLC. Extensive evidence supports the use of circular RNAs (circRNAs), a specific category of naturally occurring non-coding small RNAs (ncRNAs), for the diagnosis, monitoring of treatment efficacy, and assessment of survival in NSCLC. CircRNAs have been identified to play significant roles in various aspects of cancer formation, either as tumor suppressors or tumor promoters, contributing to cancer development through several signaling pathways, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) pathway. This pathway is well-established because of its regulatory role in essential cellular processes. CircRNAs regulate the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting diverse cellular elements. This review aims to provide insight into the involvement of several circRNAs linked to the PI3K/AKT pathway in NSCLC.

Attenuation of PI3K-Akt-mTOR Pathway to Reduce Cancer Stemness on Chemoresistant Lung Cancer Cells by Shikonin and Synergy with BEZ235 Inhibitor

Lung cancer is considered the number one cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Although current treatments initially reduce the lung cancer burden, relapse occurs in most cases; the major causes of mortality are drug resistance and cancer stemness. Recent investigations have provided evidence that shikonin generates various bioactivities related to the treatment of cancer. We used shikonin to treat multi-resistant non-small lung cancer cells (DOC-resistant A549/D16, VCR-resistant A549/V16 cells) and defined the anti-cancer efficacy of shikonin. Our results showed shikonin induces apoptosis in these ABCB1-dependent and independent chemoresistance cancer sublines. Furthermore, we found that low doses of shikonin inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer stem-like cells by inhibiting spheroid formation. Concomitantly, the mRNA level and protein of stemness genes (Nanog and Oct4) were repressed significantly on both sublines. Shikonin reduces the phosphorylated Akt and p70s6k levels, indicating that the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway is downregulated by shikonin. We further applied several signaling pathway inhibitors that have been used in anti-cancer clinical trials to test whether shikonin is suitable as a sensitizer for various signaling pathway inhibitors. In these experiments, we found that low doses shikonin and dual PI3K-mTOR inhibitor (BEZ235) have a synergistic effect that inhibits the spheroid formation from chemoresistant lung cancer sublines. Inhibiting the proliferation of lung cancer stem cells is believed to reduce the recurrence of lung cancer; therefore, shikonin's anti-drug resistance and anti-cancer stem cell activities make it a highly interesting molecule for future combined lung cancer therapy.

PI3K/mTOR inhibitor VS-5584 combined with PLK1 inhibitor exhibits synergistic anti-cancer effects on non-small cell lung cancer

Small molecule drugs are of significant importance in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we explored biological effects of the PI3K/mTOR inhibitor VS-5584 on NSCLC. Our findings indicated that VS-5584 administration resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of NSCLC cell proliferation, as well as the induction of apoptosis and cycle arrest. Additionally, we observed a significant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels following VS-5584 treatment. The use of the ROS inhibitor N-acetylcysteine (NAC) effectively reduced ROS levels and decreased the proportion of apoptotic cells. Treatment with VS-5584 led to an upregulation of genes associated with apoptosis and cell cycle, such as c-caspase 3 and P21. Conversely, a downregulation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) expression was observed. Next, transcriptome analyses revealed that VS-5584 treatment altered the abundance of 1520 genes/transcripts in PC-9 cells, one of which was polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1). These differentially expressed genes were primarily enriched in biological processes such as cell cycle regulation and cell apoptosis, which are closely linked to the P53 and apoptosis pathways. Co-treatment with VS-5584 and PLK1 inhibitor NMS-P937 resulted in enhanced cancer cell death, exhibiting synergistic inhibitory activity. Notably, VS-5584 inhibited the growth of NSCLC in a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model without observable abnormalities in major organs. Overall, VS-5584 effectively suppressed the growth of NSCLC cells both in vitro and in vivo. VS-5584 combined with NMS-P937 exhibited a synergistic effect in inhibiting NSCLC cell growth. These findings suggest that VS-5584 has potential as a therapeutic strategy for treating NSCLC.

Himalayan flora: targeting various molecular pathways in lung cancer

The fatal amplification of lung cancer across the globe and the limitations of current treatment strategies emphasize the necessity for substitute therapeutics. The incorporation of phyto-derived components in chemo treatment holds promise in addressing those challenges. Despite the significant progressions in lung cancer therapeutics, the complexities of molecular mechanism and pathways underlying this disease remain inadequately understood, necessitating novel biomarker targeting. The Himalayas, abundant in diverse plant varieties with established chemotherapeutic potential, presents a promising avenue for investigating potential cures for lung carcinoma. The vast diversity of phytocompounds herein can be explored for targeting the disease. This review delves into the multifaceted targets of lung cancer and explores the established phytochemicals with their specific molecular targets. It emphasizes comprehending the intricate pathways that govern effective therapeutic interventions for lung cancer. Through this exploration of Himalayan flora, this review seeks to illuminate potential breakthroughs in lung cancer management using natural compounds. The amalgamation of Himalayan plant-derived compounds with cautiously designed combined therapeutic approaches such as nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery and synergistic therapy offers an opportunity to redefine the boundaries of lung cancer treatment by reducing the drug resistance and side effects and enabling an effective targeted delivery of drugs. Furthermore, additional studies are obligatory to understand the possible derivation of natural compounds used in current lung cancer treatment from plant species within the Himalayan region.

Implication of mTOR Signaling in NSCLC: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Perspectives

Mechanistic target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway represents a central cellular kinase that controls cell survival and metabolism. Increased mTOR activation, along with upregulation of respective upstream and downstream signaling components, have been established as oncogenic features in cancer cells in various tumor types. Nevertheless, mTOR pathway therapeutic targeting has been proven to be quite challenging in various clinical settings. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a frequent type of solid tumor in both genders, where aberrant regulation of the mTOR pathway contributes to the development of oncogenesis, apoptosis resistance, angiogenesis, cancer progression, and metastasis. In this context, the outcome of mTOR pathway targeting in clinical trials still demonstrates unsatisfactory results. Herewith, we discuss recent findings regarding the mechanisms and therapeutic targeting of mTOR signaling networks in NSCLC, as well as future perspectives for the efficient application of treatments against mTOR and related protein molecules.

Microbial Biomarkers for Lung Cancer: Current Understandings and Limitations

As our "hidden organ", microbes widely co-exist at various sites on the human body. These microbes are collectively referred to as the microbiome. A considerable number of studies have already proven that the microbiome has significant impacts on human health and disease progression, including cancers. The recent discovery of cancer-specific microbiomes renders these cancer-associated microbes as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. While at low biomass levels, the lung microbiome still dramatically influences the initiation, progression and treatment of lung cancers. However, research on lung cancer-associated microbiomes is emerging, and most profiling studies are performed within three years. Unfortunately, there are substantial inconsistencies across these studies. Variations in microbial diversity were observed, and different microbial biomarkers for lung cancer have been proposed. In this review, we summarized the current findings of lung cancer microbiome studies and attempt to explain the potential reasons for the dissimilarities. Other than lung microbiomes, oral and airway microbiomes are highly related to lung microbiomes and are therefore included as well. In addition, several lung cancer-associated bacterial genera have been detected by different independent studies. These bacterial genera may not be perfect biomarkers, but they still serve as promising risk factors for lung cancers and show great prognostic value.

High expression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase p11γ isoform can predict poor prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer

The protein p110γ is an isoform of the catalytic subunit of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks). PI3Ks are involved in the regulation of cell survival, growth, proliferation, and migration and have been implicated in the oncogenesis of various cancers. In this study, p110γ expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its association with clinicopathological factors and patient survival were evaluated. A total of 230 NSCLC tumors were immunohistochemically stained for p110γ. Of these, 174 (75.7%) and 56 (24.3%) were placed in the low and high expression groups, respectively. The positive rate of p110γ was significantly higher in adenocarcinoma than in squamous cell carcinoma (p⟨0.001). Advanced stage NSCLCs showed higher p110γ expression than those at an early stage (p=0.002). Irrespective of the histological tumor type, the patients with high p110γ expression had significantly worse overall survival than those with low p110γ expression (p=0.004). p110γ expression was an independent poor prognostic factor in the multivariate analysis. Our results suggest that p110γ may be involved in the development and progression of NSCLC, and that p110γ has promising potential as a prognostic factor or novel therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Akt/mTOR Targeting Activity of Resveratrol Derivatives in Non-Small Lung Cancer

The Akt-mTOR signal is important for the survival and proliferation of cancer cells and has become an interesting drug target. In this study, five resveratrol derivatives were evaluated for anticancer activity and Akt/mTOR targeting activity in non-small lung cancer cell lines. The effects of resveratrol derivatives on cell proliferation were assessed by 2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, nucleus staining, and colony formation assay. Furthermore, the effect of resveratrol derivatives on proliferation-related protein expression was analyzed by immunofluorescence and Western blotting. For the structure-activity relationship (SAR), results reveal that two derivatives of resveratrol which are 4,4'-(ethane-1,2-diyl) bis(2-methoxyphenol) (RD2) and the 4-(3-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenethyl)-2-methoxyphenol (RD3) had very similar structures but exerted different cytotoxicity. The IC₅₀ of RD2 and RD3 were 108.6 ± 10.82 and more than 200 µM in the A549 cell line and 103.5 ± 6.08 and more than 200 µM in H23 cells, respectively. RD2 inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis when compared with the control, while RD3 caused minimal effects. Cells treated with RD2 exhibited apoptotic nuclei in a concomitant with the reduction of cellular p-Akt and p-mTOR. RD3 had minimal effects on such proteins. According to these results, molecular docking analysis revealed a high-affinity interaction between RD2 and an Akt molecule at the ATP-binding and the allosteric sites, indicating this RD2 as a potential Akt inhibitor. This study provides useful information of resveratrol derivatives RD2 for treating lung cancer via Akt/mTOR inhibition.

The Function and Molecular Mechanism of Commensal Microbiome in Promoting Malignant Progression of Lung Cancer

The human commensal microbiome existing in an internal environment is relatively consistent with that of the host. The presence of bacterial dysbiosis, on the other hand, promptly results in the termination of this symbiotic association. The altered microbial structure in the lung may be responsible for the development of lung cancer by controlling the host's inflammatory response and influencing a variety of immunological pathways. More and more studies have pointed to the fact that the commensal microbiota plays a vital role in both the development of tumors and the body's response to lung cancer treatment. Microbiome dysbiosis, genotoxicity, virulence effect, and epigenetic dysregulations are some of the potential mechanisms that may lie behind the process of tumorigenesis that is mediated by microbiome. Other potential mechanisms include regulating host immune activity through a variety of pathogenic factors, dysregulating host metabolism as a result of microbiome alterations, and microbiome dysbiosis. In this historical overview, we go through some of the more recent mechanistic discoveries into the biological processes that are involved in lung cancer that are caused by bacteria. Without a question, obtaining a greater knowledge of the dynamic link between the lung microbiome and lung cancer has the potential to inspire the development of innovative early detection and customized treatment methods for lung cancer.

HMGA1 gene expression level in cancer tissue and blood samples of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients: preliminary report

The study aimed to assess the HMGA1 gene expression level in NSCLC patients and to evaluate its association with selected clinicopathological features and overall survival of patients. The expression of the HMGA1, coding non-histone transcription regulator HMGA1, was previously proved to correlate with the ability of cancer cells to metastasize the advancement of the disease. The prognostic value of the HMGA1 expression level was demonstrated in some neoplasms, e.g., pancreatic, gastric, endometrial, hepatocellular cancer, but the knowledge about its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still limited. Thus, the HMGA1 expression level was evaluated by real-time PCR method in postoperative tumor tissue and blood samples collected at the time of diagnosis, 100 days and 1 year after surgery from 47 NSCLC patients. Mean HMGA1 expression level in blood decreased systematically from the time of cancer diagnosis to 1 year after surgery. The blood HMGA1 expression level 1 year after surgery was associated with the tobacco smoking status of patients (p= 0.0230). Patients with high blood HMGA1 expression levels measured 100 days after surgery tend to have worse overall survival than those with low expression levels (p= 0.1197). Tumor HMGA1 expression level was associated with neither features nor the overall survival of NSCLC patients. Moreover, no correlation between HMGA1 expression level measured in tumor tissue and blood samples was stated. Blood HMGA1 mRNA level could be a promising factor in the prognostication of non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Treating non-small cell lung cancer by targeting the PI3K signaling pathway

ABSTRACT

The phosphosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway is one of the most important intracellular signal transduction pathways affecting cell functions, such as apoptosis, translation, metabolism, and angiogenesis. Lung cancer is a malignant tumor with the highest morbidity and mortality rates in the world. It can be divided into two groups, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for >85% of all lung cancers. There are currently many clinical treatment options for NSCLC; however, traditional methods such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy have not been able to provide patients with good survival benefits. The emergence of molecular target therapy has improved the survival and prognosis of patients with NSCLC. In recent years, there have been an increasing number of studies on NSCLC and PI3K signaling pathways. Inhibitors of various parts of the PI3K pathway have appeared in various phases of clinical trials with NSCLC as an indication. This article focuses on the role of the PI3K signaling pathway in the occurrence and development of NSCLC and summarizes the current clinical research progress and possible development strategies.

P53-Related Anticancer Activities of Drimia calcarata Bulb Extracts Against Lung Cancer

Current lung cancer treatment strategies are ineffective, and lung cancer cases continue to soar; thus, novel anticancer drugs and targets are needed, and medicinal plants are promising to offer better alternatives. This study was aimed at analysing two p53 splice variants during the potential anticancer activities of Drimia calcarata (Dc) methanol and water extracts against different human lung cancer cell lines of varying p53 mutation status, and these included mutant H1573 and mutant H1437 and p53-wild type (A549) cells. The anticancer activities of the Dc extracts were assessed by establishing the cytotoxic effect and the apoptosis-inducing capacity of these extracts, using the MTT assay and Annexin V analysis, respectively, with the latter confirmed using fluorescence microscopy. The molecular mechanisms induced by these extracts were further evaluated using cell cycle analysis and RT-PCR. Both extracts demonstrated safety against noncancerous lung MRC-5 fibroblasts and exhibited significant anticancer potency (p < 0.001) against the H1437 (IC₅₀ values: 62.50 μg/ml methanol extract and 125 μg/ml WE), H1573 (IC₅₀ value: 125 μg/ml for both extracts) and A549 (IC₅₀ value: 500 μg/ml ME). The water extract had no effect on the viability of A549 cells. Treated H1437 cells underwent p53-dependent apoptosis and S-phase cell cycle arrest while H1573 treated cells underwent p53-independed apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through upregulation of p21 mRNA expression levels. The expression levels of STAT1, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B genes increased significantly (p < 0.001) following the treatment of H1573 cells with ME and WE. Treatment of H1437 cells with ME upregulated the STAT1, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B mRNAs. Our results indicate that the proliferative inhibitory effect of D. calcarata extracts on A549 and H1573 cells is correlated with the suppression of Bcl-2, STAT3 and STAT5B while that is not the case in H1437 cells. Thus, our results suggest that the dysregulation of anti-apoptotic molecules Bcl-2, STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B in H1437 may play a role in cancer cell survival, which may consequently contribute to the development of p53-mutated non-small human lung cancer. Our results indicate that D. calcarata is a promising source of anticancer agents for the treatment of p53-mutant human non-small lung cancer cells than the p53-wild type human non-small lung cancer cells.

CT-based Radiogenomic Analysis of Clinical Stage I Lung Adenocarcinoma with Histopathologic Features and Oncologic Outcomes

Background A preoperative predictive model is needed that can be used to identify patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) who have a higher risk of recurrence or metastasis. Purpose To investigate associations between CT-based radiomic consensus clustering of stage I LUAD and clinical-pathologic features, genomic data, and patient outcomes. Materials and Methods Patients who underwent complete surgical resection for LUAD from April 2014 to December 2017 with preoperative CT and next-generation sequencing data were retrospectively identified. Comprehensive radiomic analysis was performed on preoperative CT images; tumors were classified as solid, ground glass, or mixed. Patients were clustered into groups based on their radiomics features using consensus clustering, and clusters were compared with tumor genomic alterations, histopathologic features, and recurrence-specific survival (Kruskal-Wallis test for continuous data, χ2 or Fisher exact test for categorical data, and log-rank test for recurrence-specific survival). Cluster analysis was performed on the entire cohort and on the solid, ground-glass, and mixed lesion subgroups. Results In total, 219 patients were included in the study (median age, 68 years; interquartile range, 63-74 years; 150 [68%] women). Four radiomic clusters were identified. Cluster 1 was associated with lepidic, acinar, and papillary subtypes (76 of 90 [84%]); clusters 2 (13 of 50 [26%]) and 4 (13 of 45 [29%]) were associated with solid and micropapillary subtypes (P < .001). The EGFR alterations were highest in cluster 1 (38 of 90 [42%], P = .004). Clusters 2, 3, and 4 were associated with lymphovascular invasion (19 of 50 [38%], 14 of 34 [41%], and 28 of 45 [62%], respectively; P < .001) and tumor spread through air spaces (32 of 50 [64%], 21 of 34 [62%], and 31 of 45 [69%], respectively; P < .001). STK11 alterations (14 of 45 [31%]; P = .006), phosphoinositide 3-kinase pathway alterations (22 of 45 [49%], P < .001), and risk of recurrence (log-rank P < .001) were highest in cluster 4. Conclusion CT-based radiomic consensus clustering enabled identification of associations between radiomic features and clinicalpathologic and genomic features and outcomes in patients with clinical stage I lung adenocarcinoma. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Nishino in this issue.

The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in lung cancer; oncogenic alterations, therapeutic opportunities, challenges, and a glance at the application of nanoparticles

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Lung cancer is the most common and deadliest human malignancies.

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The alterations of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway are related to lung cancer progression.

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PI3K axis regulates proliferation, apoptosis, metastasis, and EMT of lung cancer.

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Agents inhibiting components of PI3K axis diminish lung tumor growth and invasion.

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Low efficacy and off-target toxicity could be improved by nanoparticle application.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Although the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway has recently been considered as one of the most altered molecular pathways in this malignancy, few articles reviewed the task. In this review, we aim to summarize the original data obtained from international research laboratories on the oncogenic alterations in each component of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in lung cancer. This review also responds to questions on how aberrant activation in this axis contributes to uncontrolled growth, drug resistance, sustained angiogenesis, as well as tissue invasion and metastatic spread. Besides, we provide a special focus on pharmacologic inhibitors of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR axis, either as monotherapy or in a combined-modal strategy, in the context of lung cancer. Despite promising outcomes achieved by using these agents, however, the presence of drug resistance as well as treatment-related adverse events is the other side of the coin. The last section allocates a general overview of the challenges associated with the inhibitors of the PI3K pathway in lung cancer patients. Finally, we comment on the future research aspects, especially in which nano-based drug delivery strategies might increase the efficacy of the therapy in this malignancy.

Antineoplastic effects of erufosine on small cell and non-small cell lung cancer cells through induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer (LC) is the most common types of cancer worldwide and is marked by high mortality rate. LC is classified into two major types due to their molecular and histological properties; non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Currently, surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are the most common treatment options of LC. However, the survival rate of LC is still very poor. Therefore, new treatment strategies are urgently needed. Erufosine (ErPC3) is a novel alkylphosphocholine and inhibits the translocation of Akt to the plasma membrane.

METHODS AND RESULTS

In the current study, the effects of ErPC3 in NSCLC cell line A549 and SCLC cell line DMS 114 in terms of cell viability, induction of apoptosis, cell cycle phase distribution, gene and protein expression levels, and migration capacity were investigated. 25 µM ErPC3 exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against in both cancer cells. However, DMS 114 was more sensitive to ErPC3 than A549. Similarly, ErPC3 induced apoptotic cell ratio in DMS114 was significantly greater than A549. 25 µM ErPC3 caused the accumulation of both cell in G2/M phase. The levels of BCL-2 were downregulated and CASPASE 3-7 and BAX were upregulated while p-Akt levels were reduced in A549 and DMS 114 cells treated with 25 µM ErPC3. Besides, ErPC3 displayed anti-migratory effect on A549 and DMS 114.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that ErPC3 may be a promising novel therapeutic candidate for treatment of LC. ErPC3 treatment merits further investigation as potential agent against LC.

CLEC12B suppresses lung cancer progression by inducing SHP-1 expression and inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. CLEC12B, a C-type lectin-like receptor, is low-expressed in lung cancer tissues. However, the function of CLEC12B in lung cancer and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. Here, an obvious down-regulation of CLEC12B was observed in lung cancer cells compared with the normal lung epithelial cells. CLEC12B over-expression suppressed cell viability and cell cycle entry in lung cancer, along with the reduction of PCNA and cyclin D1 expressions, while silencing CLEC12B possessed the opposite effects. Over-expression of CLEC12B promoted lung cancer cell apoptosis, accompanied by decreased Bcl-2 and increased Bax, cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-9. Moreover, CLEC12B decreased phosphorylation of PI3K-p85 and AKT proteins. By contrast, CLEC12B knockdown activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. In vivo, CLEC12B inhibited tumor growth in lung cancer, which can be reversed by CLEC12B inhibition. Co-IP and immunofluorescence assays confirmed the interaction between CLEC12B and SHP-1, and CLEC12B over-expression increased SHP-1 level. Furthermore, knocking down SHP-1 abrogated the above biological phenotypes caused by CLEC12B elevation. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that CLEC12B serves as a tumor-suppressing gene in lung cancer through positively regulating SHP-1 expression, which may be mediated by the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Immunoregulatory mechanism studies of ginseng leaves on lung cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Panax ginseng is one of the oldest and most generally prescribed herbs in Eastern traditional medicine to treat diseases. Several studies had documented that ginseng leaves have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties similar to those of ginseng root. The aim of this research was to forecast of the molecular mechanism of ginseng leaves on lung cancer by molecular docking and network pharmacology so as to decipher ginseng leaves' entire mechanism. The compounds associated with ginseng leaves were searched by TCMSP. TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases were used to sort out the potential targets of the main chemical components. Targets were collected from OMIM, PharmGKB, TTD, DrugBank and GeneCards which related to immunity and lung cancer. Ginseng leaves exert its lung cancer suppressive function by regulating the several signaling proteins, such as JUN, STAT3, AKT1, TNF, MAPK1, TP53. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the immunoreaction against lung cancer by ginseng leaves might be related to response to lipopolysaccharide, response to oxidative stress, PI3K-Akt, MAPK and TNF pathway. Molecular docking analysis demonstrated that hydrogen bonding was interaction's core forms. The results of CCK8 test and qRT-PCR showed that ginseng leaves inhibit cell proliferation and regulates AKT1 and P53 expression in A549. The present study clarifies the mechanism of Ginseng leaves against lung cancer and provides evidence to support its clinical use.

Dysregulation of PI3K/Akt/PTEN Pathway in Canine Mammary Tumor

The PI3K/Akt/PTEN axis is one of the most important signaling pathways in tumorigenesis. Recently, mutation of PIK3CA has been highlighted due to the similarities of mutational hotspots in both dogs and humans. PIK3CA H1047R (c.3140A > G) has been discovered as the most common mutational hot spot in canine mammary tumor in recent studies, while the feature of PIK3CA-mutated canine mammary tumor is obscure.

METHODS

A total of 83 mammary samples classified as normal (n = 13), adenoma (n = 25), low-grade carcinoma (n = 21), and high-grade carcinoma (n = 24) were included in this study. Genomic DNA from each sample was extracted, amplified by conventional PCR, and analyzed through Sanger sequencing. Analysis for the expression of PIK3CA, Akt, p-Akt, and PTEN was performed by immunohistochemistry, and of Akt2 by RNA in situ hybridization.

RESULTS

PIK3CA H1047R mutation was detected in 14.3% (10/70) of tumor samples. Dysregulation of p-Akt, Akt2, and PTEN was observed in mammary tumor samples, but only PTEN dysregulation was associated with PIK3CA H1047R mutation.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study showed that dysregulation of components in the PI3K/Akt/PTEN pathway is a feature of canine mammary tumors, but this dysregulation is not directly correlated to the PIK3CA H1047R mutation except for PTEN expression.

Extracellular vesicle-encapsulated microRNA-425-derived from drug-resistant cells promotes non-small-cell lung cancer progression through DAPK1-medicated PI3K/AKT pathway

Investigations in the area of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) open a new horizon in developing cancer biology and its potential as cancer biomarkers. Following this prospect, we aimed to identify that the role of successfully isolated EVs from drug-resistance cells in the progression of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). P-EVs and R-EVs secreted by A549 cells and drug-resistant A549-R cells respectively were extracted and characterized. The targeting relationship between miR-425 and MED1 was verified. Cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis after treatment of P-EVs, R-EVs, miR-425 inhibitor, miR-425 mimic, pcDNA-MED1, or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT inhibitor LY294002 were detected. Furthermore, xenograft tumor in nude mice was established for further confirming our in vitro findings. P-EVs and R-EVs were successfully extracted and could be internalized by A549 cells. A549-R cells and R-EVs showed higher miR-425 expression compared with A549 cells and P-EVs, respectively. miR-425 delivered by R-EVs could promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion, while inhibit apoptosis of NSCLC cells. MED1 was the target gene of miR-425. EVs-encapsulated miR-425-derived from A549-R cells could promote the progression of NSCLC in vivo through regulating DAPK1-medicated PI3K/AKT pathway. Moreover, miR-425 delivered by R-EVs promoted tumorigenesis in vivo. Taken together, the result suggested that EVs-delivered miR-425-derived from A549-R cells promoted the progression of NSCLC through regulating DAPK1-medicated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Knockdown of GTF2E2 inhibits the growth and progression of lung adenocarcinoma via RPS4X in vitro and in vivo

Background

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. However, the molecular mechanism of LUAD tumorigenesis and development remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively illustrate the role of GTF2E2 in the growth and progression of LUAD.

Methods and materials

We obtained the mRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas, Gene Expression Omnibus database, and our institution. Systematic bioinformatical analyses were performed to investigate the expression and prognostic value of GTF2E2 in LUAD. The results were validated by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The effect of knocking down GTF2E2 using two short hairpin RNAs was investigated by in vitro and in vivo assays. Subsequently, shotgun liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analyses were applied to identified potential GTF2E2 interacting proteins, and the downstream molecular mechanisms of GTF2E2-signaling were further explored by a series of cellular functional assays.

Results

We found that GTF2E2 expression was significantly increased in LUAD tissue compared with adjacent normal tissue and was negatively associated with patients’ overall survival. Besides, we demonstrated that GTF2E2 knockdown inhibited LUAD cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and promote apoptosis in vitro, as well as attenuated tumor growth in vivo. Results from LC–MS/MS suggested that RPS4X might physically interact with GTF2E2 and mediated GTF2E2’s regulatory effect on LUAD development through the mTOR pathway.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that GTF2E2 promotes LUAD development by activating RPS4X. Therefore, GTF2E2 might serve as a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD patients, thus shedding light on the precise and personalized therapy for LUAD in the future.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-01878-z.

ROR1-AS1 knockdown inhibits growth and invasion and promotes apoptosis in NSCLC cells by suppression of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

The role of ROR1-AS1 in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the functional role of ROR1-AS1 in NSCLC and to explore the underlying mechanisms. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay was performed to detect cell proliferation. Transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell invasive ability. Cell apoptotic rates and caspase-3/7 activity were determined to evaluate apoptosis. The expression levels of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-related proteins were measured using Western blot analysis. Results showed that ROR1-AS1 expression was upregulated in NSCLC samples. Knockdown of ROR1-AS1 inhibited the viability and invasive ability of NSCLC cells. Knockdown of ROR1-AS1 induced apoptotic rate and caspase-3/7 activity and suppressed xenograft NSCLC tumor growth. In addition, ROR1-AS1 knockdown inhibited the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in NSCLC cells. However, treatment with 740Y-P prevented the effects of si-ROR1-AS1 on viability, invasive ability, and apoptosis of NSCLC cells. These findings implied that ROR1-AS1 played an oncogenic role in NSCLC via regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

TRIM proteins in lung cancer: Mechanisms, biomarkers and therapeutic targets

The tripartite motif (TRIM) family is defined by the presence of a Really Interesting New Gene (RING) domain, one or two B-box motifs and a coiled-coil region. TRIM proteins play key roles in many biological processes, including innate immunity, tumorigenesis, cell differentiation and ontogenetic development. Alterations in TRIM gene and protein levels frequently emerge in a wide range of tumors and affect tumor progression. As canonical E3 ubiquitin ligases, TRIM proteins participate in ubiquitin-dependent proteolysis of prominent components of the p53, NF-κB and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. The occurrence of ubiquitylation events induced by TRIM proteins sustains internal balance between tumor suppressive and tumor promoting genes. In this review, we summarized the diverse mechanism of TRIM proteins responsible for the most common malignancy, lung cancer. Furthermore, we also discussed recent progress in both the diagnosis and therapeutics of tumors contributed by TRIM proteins.

Deeping in the Role of the MAP-Kinases Interacting Kinases (MNKs) in Cancer

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-interacting kinases (MNKs) are involved in oncogenic transformation and can promote metastasis and tumor progression. In human cells, there are four MNKs isoforms (MNK1a/b and MNK2a/b), derived from two genes by alternative splicing. These kinases play an important role controlling the expression of specific proteins involved in cell cycle, cell survival and cell motility via eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) regulation, but also through other substrates such as heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1, polypyrimidine tract-binding protein-associated splicing factor and Sprouty 2. In this review, we provide an overview of the role of MNK in human cancers, describing the studies conducted to date to elucidate the mechanism involved in the action of MNKs, as well as the development of MNK inhibitors in different hematological cancers and solid tumors.

Lamin B1 Overexpresses in Lung Adenocarcinoma and Promotes Proliferation in Lung Cancer Cells via AKT Pathway

PURPOSE

This study aims to investigate the biological effect and molecular mechanism of Lamin B1(LMNB1) in lung cancer cells and its significance for the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma(LUAD) patients.

METHODS

In this study, Bioinformatics was performed to analyze the expression at mRNA level and prognosis effect of LMNB1 in LUAD from TCGA dataset. The immunohistochemistry(IHC) assay was conducted to analyzed the expression of LMNB1 at the protein level in LUAD tissues. The correlation between the expression of LMNB1 and the clinical factors in patients with LUAD was analyzed. Next, LMNB1 transfected into LUAD cell lines (A549 and PC-9) which was proved by Western blot. CCK8 assay, cloning formation assay, and xenograft assay were conducted to explore the effect and mechanism of LMNB1 on the proliferation of LUAD cell lines in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

The results of the present study demonstrated that LMNB1 was highly expressed in LUAD tissues and related to tumor stage. High LMNB1 expression was related with more advanced clinicopathological factors such as low degree of differentiation (P=0.02), large tumor size (P<0.01), lymph node metastasis (P<0.01) and higher tumor stage (P<0.01). After knocking down LMNB1, the cell growth rate (P<0.01) and the number of colonies (P<0.01) were significantly reduced, and the level of the proliferating marker Ki67 (P<0.01) was significantly decreased. At the same time, in vivo experiments showed that the tumor volume and tumor of the mice were significantly reduced (P<0.01). Moreover, we found that knockdown LMNB1 can inhibit the proliferation of lung cancer cells by inhibiting AKT phosphorylation by Western blot.

CONCLUSION

In summary, LMNB1 play an of vital roles in the growth of LUAD cells, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of LUAD patients.

An Inventive Report of Inducing Apoptosis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Cell Lines by Transfection of MiR-4301

BACKGROUND

Based on recent studies, new therapeutic strategies have been developed for cancer treatment using microRNAs (miRNAs). With this view, miRNAs manipulating techniques can be considered as novel therapeutic prospects for cancer treatment. In this study, we evaluated the expression of miR-4301 in human lung cancer cell lines and investigated its potential role in cell proliferation and tumor suppression on Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) cells.

METHODS

We used quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) to examine the level of miR- 4301 expression in human lung cancer cell lines (A549, QU-DB) and non-malignant lung epithelial cells (HFLF-PI5). Then, we investigated the effect of miR-4301 by transfecting it into these cell lines and probing for cancer cell viability and apoptosis using the MTT assay, flow cytometry and immunofluorescence staining.

RESULTS

Our results showed that the expression level of miR-4301 was significantly reduced in human lung cancer cell lines (P<0.001). When miR-4301 was transfected in lung cancer cells, their cell proliferation was suppressed and apoptosis induced. This decline in cell survival was confirmed by the MTT assay. Transfection of miR-4301 caused an increase in early and late apoptotic cells in all lung cancer cell lines tested.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings show that miR-4301 may act as a lung cancer suppressor through targeting of proteins involved in cell proliferation and survival. For this reason, targeting miR-4301 may provide a new strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with this deadly disease. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Circ-IGF1R inhibits cell invasion and migration in non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel molecular marker and target candidate that is closely associated with tumor invasion and migration. The mechanism of action of hsa_circ_0005035 (circ-IGF1R) in non-small cell lung cancer remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to study the mechanism of action of circ-IGF1R in lung cancer.

METHODS

We screened circ-IGF1R, one of the most notable differential expressions, from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, GSE104854, for further research. The expression level of circ-IGF1R was examined using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in five different lung cancer cell lines and 50 pairs of lung cancer and adjacent tissues. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were used for verifying the biological function of circ-IGF1R. The effect of overexpressing circ-IGF1R on the transcriptome of whole lung cancer cells was explored in lung cancer cell lines using RNA-seq.

RESULTS

The expression level of circ-IGF1R was notably lower in lung cancer tissues and lung cancer cell lines than in the adjacent normal tissues and cells (P < 0.0001). In addition, the expression level of circ-IGF1R was associated with larger tumors (T2/T3/T4) and lymph node metastasis (N1/ N2/N3) (P < 0.05). The overexpression of circ-IGF1R significantly inhibited the invasion and migration of the lung cancer cells. The potential network of circ-IGF1R-miR-1270-VANGL2 was preliminarily determined, and the expression patterns of miR-1270 and VANGL2 were verified in lung cancer cell lines.

CONCLUSION

Circ-IGF1R may inhibit lung cancer invasion and migration through a potential network of circ-IGF1R-miR-1270-VANGL2.

Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway or Overexpression of Beclin1 Blocks Reinfection of Streptococcus pneumoniae After Infection of Influenza A Virus in Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) and viruses are considered as primary risks of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and the effects of co-infection bacterial and virus in the prognosis of patients with severe CAP (SCAP) are poorly described. Therefore, this study is conducted to investigate the regulation of Beclin1-PI3K/AKT axis in reinfection of S. pneumoniae after influenza A virus in mice model of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Samples of sputum and BALF were collected from patients with SCAP for etiological detection. The expression of each gene was determined by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Influenza A/PR/8/34 and S. pneumoniae were used to establish the mice model of reinfection pneumonia. The virus quantity, expression levels of inflammatory factors, bacterial load, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were tested. HE staining was applied to observe histopathology of lung tissue. The expression of Beclin1 was downregulated and the PI3K/AKT pathway was activated in viral pneumonia. In vivo experiment, the reinfection of S. pneumoniae following influenza A virus infection increased the number of S. pneumoniae population, the activity of MPO, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ in BALF of mice. In contrast, inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway or overexpression of Beclin1 reduced the number of S. pneumoniae population, the activity of MPO, and the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and IFN-γ in BALF of mice reinfected with S. pneumoniae after influenza A virus infection. Collectively, our study demonstrates that inhibition of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway or overexpressed Beclin1 alleviates reinfection of S. pneumoniae after influenza A virus infection in SCAP.

Copy Number Variation Pattern for Discriminating MACROD2 States of Colorectal Cancer Subtypes

Copy number variation (CNV) is a common structural variation pattern of DNA, and it features a higher mutation rate than single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and affects a larger fragment of genomes. CNV is related with the genesis of complex diseases and can thus be used as a strategy to identify novel cancer-predisposing markers or mechanisms. In particular, the frequent deletions of mono-ADP-ribosylhydrolase 2 (MACROD2) locus in human colorectal cancer (CRC) alters DNA repair and the sensitivity to DNA damage and results in chromosomal instability. The relationship between CNV and cancer has not been explained. In this study, on the basis of the genome variation profiling by the SNP array from 651 CRC primary tumors, we computationally analyzed the CNV data to select crucial SNP sites with the most relevance to three different states of MACROD2 (heterozygous deletion, homozygous deletion, and normal state), suggesting that these CNVs may play functional roles in CRC tumorigenesis. Our study can shed new insights into the genesis of cancer based on CNV, providing reference for clinical diagnosis, and treatment prognosis of CRC.

Mechanistic Understanding of Curcumin's Therapeutic Effects in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is among the most common cancers with a high mortality rate worldwide. Despite the significant advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, lung cancer prognoses and survival rates remain poor due to late diagnosis, drug resistance, and adverse effects. Therefore, new intervention therapies, such as the use of natural compounds with decreased toxicities, have been considered in lung cancer therapy. Curcumin, a natural occurring polyphenol derived from turmeric (Curcuma longa) has been studied extensively in recent years for its therapeutic effects. It has been shown that curcumin demonstrates anti-cancer effects in lung cancer through various mechanisms, including inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, induction of apoptosis, epigenetic alterations, and regulation of microRNA expression. Several in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that these mechanisms are modulated by multiple molecular targets such as STAT3, EGFR, FOXO3a, TGF-β, eIF2α, COX-2, Bcl-2, PI3KAkt/mTOR, ROS, Fas/FasL, Cdc42, E-cadherin, MMPs, and adiponectin. In addition, limitations, strategies to overcome curcumin bioavailability, and potential side effects as well as clinical trials were also reviewed.

PTEN in Lung Cancer: Dealing with the Problem, Building on New Knowledge and Turning the Game Around

Lung cancer is the most common malignancy and cause of cancer deaths worldwide, owing to the dismal prognosis for most affected patients. Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted in chromosome 10 (PTEN) acts as a powerful tumor suppressor gene and even partial reduction of its levels increases cancer susceptibility. While the most validated anti-oncogenic duty of PTEN is the negative regulation of the PI3K/mTOR/Akt oncogenic signaling pathway, further tumor suppressor functions, such as chromosomal integrity and DNA repair have been reported. PTEN protein loss is a frequent event in lung cancer, but genetic alterations are not equally detected. It has been demonstrated that its expression is regulated at multiple genetic and epigenetic levels and deeper delineation of these mechanisms might provide fertile ground for upgrading lung cancer therapeutics. Today, PTEN expression is usually determined by immunohistochemistry and low protein levels have been associated with decreased survival in lung cancer. Moreover, available data involve PTEN mutations and loss of activity with resistance to targeted treatments and immunotherapy. This review discusses the current knowledge about PTEN status in lung cancer, highlighting the prevalence of its alterations in the disease, the regulatory mechanisms and the implications of PTEN on available treatment options.

Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma Sensitizes Non-small Cell Lung Carcinoma to Gamma Irradiation Induced Apoptosis

The nuclear receptors known as peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARG) are lipid-activated transcription factors that have emerged as key regulators of inflammation. PPARG ligands have been shown to have an anti-proliferative effect on a variety of cancers. These ligands can induce apoptosis via TP53 (Tumor protein p53) or ERK1/2 (Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2) (EPHB2) pathways. However, the exact mechanism is not known. PPAR, a type II nuclear hormone receptor deserves attention as a selective target for radiotherapy. Our study examines the potential of selective agonism of PPARG for radiation therapy in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). We found that the overexpression of PPARG protein as well as its induction using the agonist, rosiglitazone was able to stimulate radiation-induced cell death in otherwise radio resistant NSCLC A549 cell line. This cell death was apoptotic and was found to be BAX (BCL2 associated X) mediated. The treatment also inhibited radiation-induced AKT (Protein Kinase B) phosphorylation. Interestingly, the ionising radiation (IR) induced apoptosis was found to be inversely related to TP53 levels. A relatively significant increase in the levels of radiation induced apoptosis was observed in H1299 cells (TP53 null) under PPARG overexpression condition further supporting the inverse relationship between apoptosis and TP53 levels. The combination of PPARG agonist and radiation was able to induce apoptosis at a radiation dose at which A549 and H1299 are radioresistant, thus confirming the potential of the combinatorial strategy. Taken together, PPARG agonism was found to invigorate the radiosensitising effect and hence its use in combination with radiotherapy is expected to enhance sensitivity in otherwise resistant cancer types.

Cytological effects of honokiol treatment and its potential mechanism of action in non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

In this study, we aimed to explore key micro(mi)RNAs and their potential regulatory mechanisms induced by honokiol treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.

METHODS

NSCLC A549 cells were treated with 0 (control) or 45 μM honokiol. Cell proliferation and migration were determined using CCK-8 and transwell assay, respectively, and apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. RNA-sequencing was performed to detect the transcript expression levels. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) between the honokiol group and the control group were screened and analyzed for their functions and pathways. Then, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed. In addition, survival analysis based on the key miRNAs was performed. Finally, the expression of the key miRNAs and their target genes were determined, and their effects on drug sensitivity were validated using their inhibitors.

RESULTS

Cell proliferation and migration were inhibited (P < 0.01), and the apoptosis rate was increased (P < 0.01) after honokiol treatment compared to that in the control group. A total of 26 upregulated and 20 downregulated DE-miRNAs were screened. DE-miRNAs were enriched in 10 pathways and 48 biological processes, such as the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway (involving miR-148a-3p). The miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks involved eight upregulated (including miR-148a-3p and let-7c-5p) and seven downregulated miRNAs (including miR-7-5p) and 190 target mRNAs. Survival analysis revealed that let-7c-5p, miR-148a-3p, and miR-148a-5p levels correlated with NSCLC prognosis. The expression of let-7c-5p, miR-148a-3p, and miR-148a-5p was significantly increased and negatively correlated with the expression of their target genes. The cytological effects of honokiol on A549 cells was partly reversed by treatment with the inhibitors of Let-7c-5p and miR-148a-3p.

CONCLUSION

Let-7c-5p, miR-148a-3p, miR-148a-5p, and miR-7-5p are favorable indicators of NSCLC patients treated with honokiol.

Diprophylline inhibits non-small cell lung cancer A549 cell proliferation and migration, and promotes apoptosis, by downregulating PI3K signaling pathway

Diprophylline (DPL) is identified as a methylxanthine (MX) derivative. A number of MX derivatives are reported to have anti-tumor effects. However, it is not clear whether DPL has a therapeutic effect on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of DPL on NSCLC and to elucidate the potential underlying mechanism. A Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to evaluate the potential effect of DPL on A549 cell proliferation. Transwell invasion and migration assays were performed to assess the effect of DPL on A549 cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the percentage of apoptotic cells was detected by flow cytometric analysis, and proteins associated with apoptosis, including apoptosis regulator Bcl-2, apoptosis regulator BAX and active caspase-3, were examined by western blotting. Finally, the expression levels of molecules relevant to phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling were detected by western blot analysis. The present study demonstrated that DPL may significantly inhibit A549 cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, treatment with DPL may significantly induce A549 cell apoptosis. Finally, the protein expression levels associated with the PI3K signaling pathway were significantly inhibited in A549 cells following treatment with DPL. In conclusion, DPL may inhibit the proliferation and migration of NSCLC by inactivating the PI3K signaling pathway, and DPL is a promising novel therapeutic drug for NSCLC.

Oncogenic microRNA-411 promotes lung carcinogenesis by directly targeting suppressor genes SPRY4 and TXNIP

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases globally, composed of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC, 85%) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC, 15%). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are single-stranded noncoding RNAs having important roles in lung cancer development. miR-411-5p/3p were reported to be increased significantly in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, miR-411-5p/3p overexpression could accelerate cell proliferation and migration, and impede cell apoptosis in NSCLC cell lines. Mechanically, SPRY4 is confirmed a direct target of miR-411-5p/3p. Furthermore, our findings showed that miR-411-5p/3p promoted lung tumor growth in vivo, decreased SPRY4 expression dramatically, and induced EGFR, AKT signaling activation, as well as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) simultaneously in tumor tissues. In addition, we showed that miR-411-5p also targeted tumor suppressor TXNIP, involved in regulating positively cell cycle progress in SPC-A1 cells rather than in H1299. Whether cell specificity of low TXNIP mRNA level in H1299 is responsible for the different response to cell cycle between H1299 and SPC-A1 would need further explorations. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-411-5p/3p are required for NSCLC development by suppressing SPRY4 and TXNIP; thus, the miR-411-SPRY4-AKT axis might act as a promising target for lung cancer therapy clinically.

Airway Microbiota Is Associated with Upregulation of the PI3K Pathway in Lung Cancer

RATIONALE

In lung cancer, upregulation of the PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) pathway is an early event that contributes to cell proliferation, survival, and tissue invasion. Upregulation of this pathway was recently described as associated with enrichment of the lower airways with bacteria identified as oral commensals.

OBJECTIVES

We hypothesize that host-microbe interactions in the lower airways of subjects with lung cancer affect known cancer pathways.

METHODS

Airway brushings were collected prospectively from subjects with lung nodules at time of diagnostic bronchoscopy, including 39 subjects with final lung cancer diagnoses and 36 subjects with noncancer diagnoses. In addition, samples from 10 healthy control subjects were included. 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing and paired transcriptome sequencing were performed on all airway samples. In addition, an in vitro model with airway epithelial cells exposed to bacteria/bacterial products was performed.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

The composition of the lower airway transcriptome in the patients with cancer was significantly different from the control subjects, which included up-regulation of ERK (extracellular signal-regulated kinase) and PI3K signaling pathways. The lower airways of patients with lung cancer were enriched for oral taxa (Streptococcus and Veillonella), which was associated with up-regulation of the ERK and PI3K signaling pathways. In vitro exposure of airway epithelial cells to Veillonella, Prevotella, and Streptococcus led to upregulation of these same signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

The data presented here show that several transcriptomic signatures previously identified as relevant to lung cancer pathogenesis are associated with enrichment of the lower airway microbiota with oral commensals.

Abnormal activation of the Akt signaling pathway in adenoid cystic carcinoma

PURPOSE

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an intriguing lesion because it shows a slow growth in the beginning, but a late poor prognosis due to perineural invasion, metastasis and recurrence. This study aimed to investigate whether Akt signaling would be deregulated in adenoid cystic carcinoma and its consequence in the expression of associated proteins.

METHODS

The expression of the Akt, p-Akt, NFκB, β-catenin, cyclin D1 and COX-2 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 10 cases of ACC, 17 cases of pleomorphic adenoma (PA), and 7 cases of normal salivary gland (NSG).

RESULTS

p-Akt was overexpressed in ACC when compared to NSG. NFκB, β-catenin, and COX-2 were overexpressed in ACC and PA when compared to NSG. Most proteins were slightly higher expressed in ACC than in PA, but they never reached significance. p-Akt expression positively correlated with NFκB, β-catenin, cyclin D1 and COX-2 in ACC and PA, while this correlation trended to be negative in for these proteins (except for NFκB) in NSG using Person's correlation analysis, but without reaching significance.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate an abnormal activation of Akt signaling pathway, which can be an important regulator of tumor biology in ACC. Activated Akt correlated with the expression of NFκB, β-catenin and COX-2, which can potentially influence cell survival in ACC.

Ellagic acid promotes A549 cell apoptosis via regulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B pathway

The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of ellagic acid in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) A549 cells and to reveal the potential underlying mechanism. The effects of ellagic acid on the cell proliferation of A549 cells were determined by MTT assay. Cell cycle and apoptosis were measured with flow cytometry and Annexin V-propidium iodide staining. Western blotting was used to measure the expression levels of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinas B (Akt) signaling pathway and apoptosis-associated proteins. It was demonstrated that ellagic acid exerted an inhibitory effect in the proliferation of human NSCLC A549 cells. Flow cytometry demonstrated that G1 phase retention and apoptosis rates were significantly increased after treatment with ellagic acid. Further investigation revealed that ellagic acid treatment diminished the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt and regulated the expression of apoptosis-associated proteins in A549 cells. In conclusion, the present results indicated that ellagic acid suppresses cell proliferation, arrests cell cycle and induces apoptosis in human NSCLC A549 cells by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

E3 ubiquitin ligase Hakai regulates cell growth and invasion, and increases the chemosensitivity to cisplatin in non‑small‑cell lung cancer cells

Hakai was originally identified as an E3 ubiquitin ligase of the E‑cadherin complex implicated in cell adhesion and invasion. Recently, emerging evidence has strongly suggested that Hakai serves a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis of certain tumors. However, the role of Hakai in non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its underlying molecular mechanism have not been clarified. In the present study, it was observed that Hakai was highly expressed in NSCLC cell lines compared with human normal bronchial epithelial cells, and transfection with Hakai small interfering RNA significantly inhibited the growth of A549 and NCI‑H460 NSCLC cells. In addition, the inhibition of Hakai suppressed NSCLC cell migration and invasion through upregulation of E‑cadherin and downregulation of N‑cadherin. Notably, it was also revealed that knockdown of Hakai led to a decrease in the expression of phosphorylated AKT (Ser473), and a significant enhancement of chemosensitivity to cisplatin was observed following Hakai suppression. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated for the first time that knockdown of Hakai inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells, and sensitized NSCLC cells to cisplatin. Thus, Hakai may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

Diffusion-weighted imaging in evaluating the efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer

Objective:

To explore the predictive value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in evaluating the short-term efficacy of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in the treatment of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods:

A total of 192 patients with NSCLC were selected and treated with CCRT. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging combined with DWI was performed on all patients before and after CCRT treatment. Correspondingly, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were recorded before treatment (ADCpre), during treatment (ADCmid), and after treatment (ADCpost). Tumor response was evaluated as complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), or progressive disease (PD). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic power of quantitative DWI parameters in predicting the short-term efficacy of CCRT for patients with NSCLC.

Results:

There were 21 patients with CR, 82 with PR, 77 with SD, and 12 with PD. The ADCpre was negatively correlated with tumor regression rate, whereas ADCmid, ADCpost, and their respective change rates ∆ADCmid and ∆ADCpost were positively related to tumor regression rate. The ROC curve analysis suggested ADCpre = 1.38 × 10−3 mm2/s, ∆ADCmid = 14.14%, and ∆ADCpost = 20.39% as thresholds to predict the short-term efficacy of CCRT, with corresponding areas under the curve of 0.637, 0.743, and 0.752, respectively.

Conclusions:

These findings indicate that DWI provides promising predictive value in evaluating the short-term efficacy of CCRT in the treatment of patients with NSCLC.

Crosstalk between the Warburg effect, redox regulation and autophagy induction in tumourigenesis

Tumourigenic tissue uses modified metabolic signalling pathways in order to support hyperproliferation and survival. Cancer-associated aerobic glycolysis resulting in lactic acid production was described nearly 100 years ago. Furthermore, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lactate quantities increase metabolic, survival and proliferation signalling, resulting in increased tumourigenesis. In order to maintain redox balance, the cell possesses innate antioxidant defence systems such as superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione. Several stimuli including cells deprived of nutrients or failure of antioxidant systems result in oxidative stress and cell death induction. Among the cell death machinery is autophagy, a compensatory mechanism whereby energy is produced from damaged and/or redundant organelles and proteins, which prevents the accumulation of waste products, thereby maintaining homeostasis. Furthermore, autophagy is maintained by several pathways including phosphoinositol 3 kinases, the mitogen-activated protein kinase family, hypoxia-inducible factor, avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog and protein kinase receptor-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase. The persistent potential of cancer metabolism, redox regulation and the crosstalk with autophagy in scientific investigation pertains to its ability to uncover essential aspects of tumourigenic transformation. This may result in clinical translational possibilities to exploit tumourigenic oxidative status and autophagy to advance our capabilities to diagnose, monitor and treat cancer.

Prognostic significance of phosphoinositide 3-kinase p110α and p110β isoforms in non-small cell lung cancer

The proteins p110α and p110β are isoforms of the catalytic subunit of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks). Class I PI3Ks are involved in the regulation of cell survival, growth, proliferation, and migration, and their aberrant activation contributes to the oncogenesis of various human cancers. In this study, we assessed expression of p110α and p110β in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and their association with clinicopathological factors and patient survival. Seventy-six NSCLC cases were analyzed by immunohistochemical staining for p110α and p110β. Of the 76 tumors, 18 (23.7%) and 43 (56.6%) were classified in the high p110α and p110β expression groups, respectively. Expression of p110α was higher in smokers compared with non-smokers (P = 0.042). No other clinicopathological factors showed significant association with p110α or p110β expression. In univariate and multivariate survival analyses, high p110β expression was associated with worse overall survival (OS) in stage I NSCLCs (P < 0.001), whereas the high p110α expression group had shorter OS in stage II to IV NSCLCs (P = 0.005). Our results suggest that p110α and p110β play different roles depending on tumor stage, and that both p110α and p110β have potential as independent prognostic biomarkers of NSCLC.

IL-24 modulates the high mobility group (HMG) A1/miR222 /AKT signaling in lung cancer cells

Interleukin (IL)-24, a novel tumor suppressor/cytokine exhibits antitumor activity against a broad-spectrum of human cancer cells. In a recent study, we showed that IL-24 inhibited AKT in lung cancer cells. However, the molecular mechanism of AKT inhibition by IL-24 remains elusive.The high mobility group (HMG) A1 a member of the non-histone chromosomal proteins and commonly referred to as architectural transcription factor, regulates transcription of various genes involved in cell growth and survival. Overexpression of HMGA1 has been shown to be associated with tumor progression and metastasis in several cancers, including human lung cancer. A recent study demonstrated that HMGA1 activates AKT function by reducing the activity of the protein phosphatase, phosphatase 2A subunit B (PPP2R2A) via the oncogenic micro (mi) RNA-222. Based on this report we hypothesized that IL-24-mediated AKT inhibition involved the HMGA1/miR-222 axis.To test our hypothesis, in the present study we used a H1299 lung cancer cell line that expressed exogenous human IL-24 when induced with doxycycline (DOX). Induction of IL-24 expression in the tumor cells markedly reduced HMGA1 mRNA and protein levels. Using a mechanistic approach, we found that IL-24 reduced miR-222-3p and -5p levels, as determined by qRT-PCR. Associated with HMGA1 and miR-222 inhibition was a marked increase in PPP2R2A, with a concomitant decrease in phosphorylated AKTT308/S473 expression. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of HMGA1 in combination with IL-24 significantly reduced AKT T308/S473 protein expression and greatly reduced cell migration and invasion compared with individual treatments. Further combination of IL-24 and a miR-222-3p inhibitor significantly increased PPP2R2A expression.Our results demonstrate for the first time that IL-24 inhibits AKT via regulating the HMGA1/miR-222 signaling node in human lung cancer cells and acts as an effective tumor suppressor. Thus, a therapy combining IL-24 with HMGA1 siRNA or miR-222-3p inhibitor should present effective treatment of lung cancer.

Development of novel synthesized phthalazinone-based PARP-1 inhibitors with apoptosis inducing mechanism in lung cancer

Herein we report the synthesis of two series of 4-phenylphthalazin-1-ones 11a-i and 4- benzylphthalazin-1-ones 16a-h as anti-lung adenocarcinoma agents with potential inhibitory activity against PARP-1. All the newly synthesized phthalazinones were evaluated for their anti-proliferative activity against A549 lung carcinoma cell line. Phthalazinones 11c-i and 16b, c showed significant cytotoxic activity against A549 cells at different concentrations (0.1, 1 and 10 μM) for two time intervals (24 h and 48 h). These nine phthalazinones were further examined for their inhibitory activity towards PARP-1. Compound 11c emerged as the most potent PARP-1 inhibitor with IC₅₀ value of 97 nM, compared to that of Olaparib (IC₅₀ = 139 nM). Furthermore, all these nine phthalazinones passed the filters of Lipinski and Veber rules, and predicted to have good pharmacokinetics properties in a theoretical kinetic study. On the other hand, western blotting in A549 cells revealed the enhanced expression of the cleaved PARP-1, alongside, with the reduced expression of pro-caspase-3 and phosphorylated AKT. In addition, ELISA assay confirmed the up-regulation of active caspase-3 and caspase-9 levels compared to the control, suggesting the activation of the apoptotic machinery in the A549 cells. Finally, molecular docking of 11c into PARP-1 active site (PDB: 5WRZ) was performed to explore the probable binding mode.

Genetic alteration profiling of patients with resected squamous cell lung carcinomas

In this study, we analyzed the genetic profiles of squamous cell lung carcinoma (SqCLC) to identify potential therapeutic targets. Approximately 2,800 COSMIC mutations from 50 genes were determined by next-generation sequencing. Amplification/deletion of SOX2, CDKN2A, PTEN, FGFR1, EGFR, CCND1, HER2 and PDGFRA were detected by FISH and expression of VEGFR2, PD-L1 and PTEN were examined by IHC. One hundred and fifty-seven samples of SqCLC were collected. Somatic mutations was identified in 73.9% of cases, with TP53 (56.1%), CDKN2A (8.9%), PIK3CA (8.9%), KRAS (4.5%) and EGFR (3.2%). Gene copy number alterations were identified in 75.8% of cases, including SOX2 amplification (31.2%), CDKN2A deletion (21.7%), PTEN deletion (16.6%), FGFR1 amplification (15.9%), EGFR amplification (14.0%), CCND1 amplification (14.0%), HER2 amplification (9.6%) and PDGFRA amplification (7.6%). Positive expression of VEGFR2 and PD-L1 and loss of PTEN expression were observed in 80.5%, 47.2%, and 42.7% of cases, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that positive expression of PD-L1 was an independent favorable prognostic factor for DFS (HR = 0.610; P = 0.044). In conclusion, nearly all (93.6%) SqCLC cases harbored at least one potential druggable target. The findings of this study could facilitate the identification of therapeutic target candidates for precision medicine of SqCLC.

Analysis of miRNA profiles identified miR-196a as a crucial mediator of aberrant PI3K/AKT signaling in lung cancer cells

Hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway is observed in most human cancer including lung carcinomas. Here we have investigated the role of miRNAs as downstream targets of activated PI3K/AKT signaling in Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). To this aim, miRNA profiling was performed in human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) expressing active AKT1 (BEAS-AKT1-E17K), active PI3KCA (BEAS-PIK3CA-E545K) or with silenced PTEN (BEAS-shPTEN).

Twenty-four differentially expressed miRNAs common to BEAS-AKT1-E17K, BEAS-PIK3CA-E545K and BEAS-shPTEN cells were identified through this analysis, with miR-196a being the most consistently up-regulated miRNA. Interestingly, miR-196a was significantly overexpressed also in human NSCLC-derived cell lines (n=11) and primary lung cancer samples (n=28).

By manipulating the expression of miR-196a in BEAS-2B and NCI-H460 cells, we obtained compelling evidence that this miRNA acts downstream the PI3K/AKT pathway, mediating some of the proliferative, pro-migratory and tumorigenic activity that this pathway exerts in lung epithelial cells, possibly through the regulation of FoxO1, CDKN1B (hereafter p27) and HOXA9.