TIMP-3 expression associates with malignant behaviors and predicts favorable survival in HCC

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 expression affects clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1-related hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The dysregulation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) was positively correlated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is not clear whether TIMP3 expression is associated with the clinicopathological features and prognosis of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-related HCC (AHCC).

AIM

To assess the effects of TIMP3 expression on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of AHCC.

METHODS

A retrospective study, including 182 patients with AHCC, was conducted to explore the link between TIMP3 expression in cancerous tissues and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of AHCC. TIMP3 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry and its effects on the clinicopathological features and prognosis of AHCC were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox regression survival analysis. Odds ratio, hazard ratio (HR), median overall survival time (MST), median tumor recurrence-free survival time (MRT), and corresponding 95% confidential interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the potential of TIMP3 expression in predicting AHCC prognosis.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that compared with high TIMP3 expression, low TIMP3 expression in tumor tissues significantly decreased the MST (36.00 mo vs 18.00 mo) and MRT (32.00 mo vs 16 mo) of patients with AHCC. Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis further proved that decreased expression of TIMP3 increased the risk of death (HR = 2.85, 95%CI: 2.04-4.00) and tumor recurrence (HR = 2.26, 95%CI: 1.57-3.26). Furthermore, decreased expression of TIMP3 protein in tissues with AHCC was significantly correlated with tumor clinicopathological features, such as tumor size, tumor grade and stage, tumor microvessel density, and tumor blood invasion. Additionally, TIMP3 protein expression was also negatively associated with amount of AFB1-DNA adducts in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSION

These findings indicate that the dysregulation of TIMP3 expression is related to AHCC biological behaviors and affects tumor outcome, suggesting that TIMP3 may act as a prognostic biomarker for AHCC.

Transcriptomic landscape of TIMP3 oncosuppressor activity in thyroid carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most frequent thyroid tumor. The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) gene encodes a matrix metalloproteinases inhibitor that exerts a tumor suppressor role in several tumor types. TIMP3 is frequently downregulated in PTC by promoter methylation. We have previously functionally demonstrated that TIMP3 exerts an oncosuppressor role in PTC: TIMP3 restoration in the PTC-derived NIM1 cell line affects in vitro migration, invasion and adhesive capability, while reduces tumor growth, angiogenesis and macrophage recruitment in vivo. To get a deeper insight on the mediators of TIMP3 oncosuppressor activity in thyroid tumors, here we focused on the TIMP3 related transcriptome.

METHODS

TCGA database was used for investigating the genes differentially expressed in PTC samples with low and high TIMP3 expression. Genome wide expression analysis of clones NIM1-T23 (expressing a high level of TIMP3 protein) and NIM1-EV (control empty vector) was performed. Gene sets and functional enrichment analysis with clusterProfiler were applied to identify the modulated biological processes and pathways. CIBERSORT was used to evaluate the distribution of different immunological cell types in TCGA-PTC tumor samples with different TIMP3 expression levels. Real time PCR was performed for the validation of selected genes.

RESULTS

Thyroid tumors with TIMP3-high expression showed a down-modulation of inflammation-related gene sets, along with a reduced protumoral hematopoietic cells fraction; an enrichment of cell adhesion functions was also identified. Similar results were obtained in the TIMP3-overexpessing NIM1 cells in vitro model, where a down-regulation of immune-related function gene sets, some of which also identified in tumor samples, was observed. Interestingly, through enrichment analysis, were also recognized terms related to cell adhesion, extracellular matrix organization, blood vessel maintenance and vascular process functions that have been found modulated in our previous in vitro and in vivo functional studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results highlight the correlation of TIMP3 expression levels with the regulation of inflammatory functions and the immune infiltration composition associated with different PTC prognosis, thus providing a broader view on the oncosuppressor role of TIMP3 in PTC.

The Emerging Roles of circSMARCA5 in Cancer

Circular RNAs have a unique covalent closed-loop structure, which is mainly formed by the reverse splicing of exons from a precursor mRNA. With the development of key technologies such as high-throughput sequencing and the advancement of bioinformatics in recent years, our understanding of circular RNAs has become increasingly more detailed, and their abnormal expression in a variety of cancers has attracted increasing attention. Studies have shown that circSNARCA5 not only plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of cancer but may also serve as a reliable indicator for tumor screening or a good marker for evaluating cancer prognosis. Nevertheless, there are no reviews focusing on the relationship between circSMARCA5 and cancer. Therefore, we will first explain the main biological characteristics of circSMARCA5, such as biogenesis and biological effects. Then, the focus will be on its role and significance in cancer. Finally, we will summarize the known information on circSMARCA5 in cancer and discuss future research prospects.

Effect of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 genetics polymorphism on clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer patients in Taiwan

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP-3) have been revealed to be related to various cancers. To date, no study explores the relationships between TIMP-3 polymorphisms and uterine cervical cancer. The purposes of this research were to investigate the associations among genetic variants of TIMP-3 and development and clinicopathological factors of uterine cervical cancer, and patient 5 years survival in Taiwanese women. The study included 123 patients with invasive cancer and 97 with precancerous lesions of uterine cervix, and 300 control women. TIMP-3 polymorphisms rs9619311, rs9862 and rs11547635 were checked and their genotypic distributions were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. It showed that women with genotypes CT/TT in rs9862 were found to display a higher risk of developing cervical cancer with moderate and poor cell differentiation. Moreover, it revealed that cervical cancer patients carrying genotypes CC in rs9619311 exhibited a poorer 5 years survival, as compared to those with TT/TC in Taiwanese women, using univariate analysis. In addition, pelvic lymph node metastasis was determined to independently predict 5 years survival in cervical cancer patients using multivariate analysis. Conclusively, TIMP-3 SNPs polymorphisms rs9619311 are related to cervical patient survival in Taiwanese women.

Assessment of prognostic value of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) protein in ovarian cancer

Background: TIMP3 is a multifunctional proteolytic enzyme belonging to TIMPs family and acts as a potent inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). TIMP3 possesses a tumor suppresive function by directly promoting tumor cell apoptosis, preventing angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodelling. The lower expression of TIMP3 was associated with poor prognosis and overall survival in various cancer types. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of TIMP3 protein expression with ovarian cancer (OC) clinicopathological features and survival outcomes.Patients and Methods: One hundred forty four of OC FFPE samples were collected from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Saudi Arabia and constructed in tissue microarray (TMA) slides. Automated Ventana immunostainer platform was used to evaluate TIMP3 protein expression patterns.Results: The study showed that TIMP3 exhibits cytoplasmic localisation. This TIMP3 protein expression was not associated with age, tumor size and the involvement of lymph nodes (p > 0.05). However, it was significantly correlated with tumor stage (p < 0.05) and borderline significant with endpoint status (p = 0.07). Interestingly, the Kaplan-Meier analysis of disease specific survival (DSS) outcomes showed a significant association (p = 0.02, log rank) between OC patients with higher TIMP3 expression compared to those with lower expression. In fact, OC patients with high TIMP3 expression had longer survivals. Multivariate Cox’s regression analysis suggests that low TIMP3 protein expression pattern is an independent poor survival marker (p = 0.025).Conclusion: Cytoplasmic TIMP3 protein expression could be used as a good prognosticator to stratify poorly prognostic OC patients in order to personlaize their disease management.

Circular RNAs and Hepatocellular Carcinoma: New Epigenetic Players With Diagnostic and Prognostic Roles

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Due to the lack of potent diagnosis and prognosis biomarkers and effective therapeutic targets, the overall prognosis of survival is poor in HCC patients. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of novel endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures and implicated in diverse physiological processes and pathological diseases. Recent studies have demonstrated the involvement of circRNAs in HCC diagnosis, prognosis, development, and drug resistance, suggesting that circRNAs may be a class of novel targets for improving HCC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatments. In fact, some artificial circRNAs have been engineered and showed their therapeutic potential in treating HCV infection and gastric cancer. In this review, we introduce the potential of circRNAs as biomarkers for HCC diagnosis and prognosis, as therapeutic targets for HCC treatments and discuss the challenges in circRNA research and chances of circRNA application.

The Effect of EZH2 Inhibition through DZNep on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Mechanism

Although the molecular pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncertain, it is known that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism and epigenetic changes have an important role. This study was focused on evaluating the relationship of 3-Deazaneplanocin A (DZNep) with the EMT mechanism, which is a histone methyltransferase inhibitor on HCC and is also known as an enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) inhibitor. Cell viability of HepG2 cells (HCC cell line) assessed for DZNep over 72 hours with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Additionally, colony-forming assay, apoptosis assay, RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and real-time PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to see the effect of DZNep on HepG2 cells. DZNep reduced cell proliferation for 72 hours, also significantly reduced colony formation in addition it increased the total apoptosis. DZNep on EZH2, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and Vimentin (Vim) gene expressions was given different results by either decreasing or increasing the expressions. In this study, we observed a positive effect of DZNep on apoptosis and TIMP3 expression level and decreased colony formation. However, it gave complicated results with the level of gene expression E-cadherin and TIMP2, increase the level of Vim and MMP2 expression. Therefore, we think that further studies are necessary to clarify the role of DZNep.

MicroRNA related prognosis biomarkers from high throughput sequencing data of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is the most common type of kidney cell carcinoma which has the worst overall survival rate. Almost 30% of patients with localized cancers eventually develop to metastases despite of early surgical treatment carried out. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in human cancer initiation, progression, and prognosis. The aim of our study was to identify potential prognosis biomarkers to predict overall survival of KIRC.

METHODS

All data were downloaded from an open access database The Cancer Genome Atlas. DESeq2 package in R was used to screening the differential expression miRNAs (DEMs) and genes (DEGs). RegParallel and Survival packages in R was used to analysis their relationships with the KIRC patients. David version 6.8 and STRING version 11 were used to take the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis.

RESULTS

We found 2 DEGs (TIMP3 and HMGCS1) and 3 DEMs (hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-223-3p, and hsa-miR-365a-3p) could be prognosis biomarkers for the prediction of KIRC patients. The constructed prognostic model based on those 2 DEGs could effectively predict the survival status of KIRC. And the constructed prognostic model based on those 3 DEMs could effectively predict the survival status of KIRC in 3-year and 5-year.

CONCLUSION

The current study provided novel insights into the miRNA related mRNA network in KIRC and those 2 DEGs biomarkers and 3 DEMs biomarkers may be independent prognostic signatures in predicting the survival of KIRC patients.

Associations of TIMP-3 Genetic Polymorphisms with EGFR Statuses and Cancer Clinicopathologic Development in Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients

Lung adenocarcinoma (LADC) is a major subtype of lung cancer, particularly among populations of East Asia. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is the most frequently mutated oncogene promoting LADC progression and can serve as a therapeutic target in LADC. The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP)-3 is a major regulator of extracellular matrix turnover via targeting of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and thus, plays a critical role in tumor development and progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential associations among TIMP-3 genetic polymorphisms, EGFR statuses, and cancer clinicopathologic development in patients with LADC. In this study, 277 LADC patients with different EGFR statuses were recruited to dissect the allelic discrimination of TIMP-3 -1296 T>C (rs9619311), TIMP3 249T>C (rs9862), and TIMP3 261C>T (rs11547635) polymorphisms using a TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. Our data showed that compared to those LADC patients with wild-type CC homozygotes of TIMP-3 rs9862, patients harboring TT homozygotes of rs9862 were at a higher risk of developing mutant EGFR (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.530; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.230–5.205; p = 0.012), particularly the EGFR L858R point mutation (AOR = 2.975; 95% CI: 1.182–7.488; p = 0.021). Moreover, we observed that TIMP-3 TT homozygotes of rs9862 were correlated with the incidence of EGFR mutations in patients with a smoking habit (p = 0.045). Within male patients harboring a mutant EGFR, TIMP-3 rs9862 T (CT+TT) allele carriers were at higher risk of developing an advanced stage (p = 0.025) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.043). Further analyses of clinical datasets revealed correlations of TIMP-3 expression with a favorable prognosis in patients with LADC. In conclusion, the data suggest that TIMP-3 rs9862 polymorphisms may contribute to identify subgroups of lung cancer patients at high risk for tumor progression, among carriers of LADC-bearing mutant EGFR.

Integration of miRNA-regulatory networks in hepatic stellate cells identifies TIMP3 as a key factor in chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC) is a critical process involved in liver fibrosis. Several miRNAs are implicated in gene regulation during this process but their exact and respective contribution is still incompletely understood. Here we propose an integrative approach of miRNA-regulatory networks to predict new targets.

METHODS

miRNA regulatory networks in activated HSCs were built using lists of validated miRNAs and the CyTargetLinker tool. The resulting graphs were filtered according to public transcriptomic data and the reduced graphs were analysed through GO annotation. A miRNA network regulating the expression of TIMP3 was further studied in human liver samples, isolated hepatic cells and mouse model of liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

Within the up-regulated miRNAs, we identified a subnetwork of five miRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-222-3p, miR-221-3p miR-181b-5p and miR-17-5p) that target TIMP3. We demonstrated that TIMP3 expression is inversely associated with inflammatory activity and IL1-ß expression in vivo. We further showed that IL1-ß inhibits TIMP3 expression in HSC-derived LX-2 cells. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we showed that, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), TIMP3 expression is associated with survival (P < .001), while miR-221 (P < .05), miR-222 (P < .01) and miR-181b (P < .01) are markers for a poor prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Several miRNAs targeting TIMP3 are up-regulated in activated HSCs and down-regulation of TIMP3 expression is associated with inflammatory activity in liver fibrosis and poor prognosis in HCC. The regulatory network including specific miRNAs and TIMP3 is therefore central for the evolution of chronic liver disease.

Functional disparities within the TIMP family in cancer: hints from molecular divergence

The members of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP) family (TIMP-1, 2, 3, 4) are prominently appreciated as natural inhibitors of cancer-promoting metalloproteinases. However, clinical and recent functional studies indicate that some of them correlate with bad prognosis and contribute to the progression of cancer and metastasis, pointing towards mechanisms beyond inhibition of cancer-promoting proteases. Indeed, it is increasingly recognized that TIMPs are multi-functional proteins mediating a variety of cellular effects including direct cell signaling. Our aim was to provide comprehensive information towards a better appreciation and understanding of the biological heterogeneity and complexity of the TIMPs in cancer. Comparison of all four members revealed distinct cancer-associated expression patterns and distinct prognostic impact including a clear correlation of TIMP-1 with bad prognosis for almost all cancer types. For the first time, we present the interactomes of all TIMPs regarding overlapping and non-overlapping interaction partners. Interestingly, the overlap was maximal for metalloproteinases (e.g., matrix metalloproteinase 1, 2, 3, 9) and decreased for non-protease molecules, especially cell surface receptors (e.g., CD63, overlapping only for TIMP-1 and 4; IGF-1R unique for TIMP-2; VEGFR2 unique for TIMP-3). Finally, we attempted to identify and summarize experimental evidence for common and unique structural traits of the four TIMPs on the basis of amino acid sequence and protein folding, which account for functional disparities. Altogether, the four TIMPs have to be appreciated as molecules with commonalities, but, more importantly, functional disparities, which need to be investigated further in the future, since those determine their distinct roles in cancer and metastasis.

The Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a transformation process mandatory for the local and distant progression of many malignant tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play significant roles in cellular regeneration, programmed death, angiogenesis, and many other essential tissular functions, involved in the normal development and also in pathological processes, such as the EMT. This paper reviews the roles of MMPs in the EMT involved in HCC invasion, as well as the ancillary roles that MMP cross-activation and tissue inhibitors play in modulating this process. While gelatinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 are the MMPs commonly cited in the EMT of HCC, MMPs belonging to other classes have been proven to be involved in this process, favoring not only invasion and metastasis (MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-10, MMP-11, MMP-13, MMP-14, MMP-16, MMP-26, and MMP-28) but also angiogenesis (MMP-8 and MMP-10). There is also data suggesting that other MMPs with a suspected or demonstrated role in the EMT of other cancers may also have some degree of involvement in HCC. The auto- and cross-activation of MMPs may complicate this issue, as pinpointing the extent of implication of each MMP may be extremely difficult. The homeostasis between MMPs and their tissue inhibitors is essential in preventing tumor progression, and the disturbance of this stability is another entailed factor in the EMT of HCC, which is addressed herein.

Loss of TIMP3 by promoter methylation of Sp1 binding site promotes oral cancer metastasis

The tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP3) is the only member of the TIMP family that binds to the extracellular matrix and suppresses cancer cell growth, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion. However, whether the abnormal expression and promoter methylation of TIMP3 facilitates oral cancer metastasis remain unclear. In this study, the DNA methylation levels of TIMP3 CpG islands were assessed through pyrosequencing. Artificial modulation of TIMP3 was performed to explore the role of TIMP3 in tumor metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that the suppression of TIMP3 transcription by DNA methylation involves the inhibition of the binding of the transcription factor Sp1 to the TIMP3 promoter as well as the upregulation of DNMT1 and DNMT3B. Functional analyses revealed that TIMP3 overexpression reduced migration and invasion abilities in oral cancer cells and inhibited lymph node metastasis in vivo. Moreover, TIMP3 regulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition by increasing the expression of the epithelial markers and reducing the expression of the mesenchymal markers. In conclusion, our findings suggested that the suppression of TIMP3 by DNA methylation contributes to oral cancer metastasis.

MAGEC2 Correlates With Unfavorable Prognosis And Promotes Tumor Development In HCC Via Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Purpose

Although MAGEC2 was first cloned from a human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cDNA library by serum screening, the detailed attributes of MAGEC2 in HCC have rarely been elucidated.

Patients and methods

In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were consulted to analyse the expression of MAGEC2 mRNA in liver cancer. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed to detect MAGEC2 expression in HCC, and the relationship between MAGEC2 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics of HCC patients was evaluated. Then, we employed the short hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated knockdown of MAGEC2 in HCC cell lines to explore the function of MAGEC2 in HCC development. Finally, the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in HCC xenografts and clinical samples was investigated.

Results

The results showed a remarkably higher level of MAGEC2 expression in HCC tissues than in noncancerous tissues, and MAGEC2 expression could be used as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in HCC. Moreover, sh-MAGEC2 inhibited a series of HCC malignant behaviours both in vitro and in vivo. Finally, decreased MAGEC2 expression and low levels of EMT markers were detected in sh-MAGEC2 xenografts, while increased MAGEC2 expression and high levels of EMT markers were observed in invasive and metastatic HCC samples.

Conclusion

Taken together, our data imply that MAGEC2 is a novel prognostic marker for HCC and that MAGEC2 significantly promotes HCC tumourigenesis by inducing EMT. Targeting MAGEC2 may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for HCC treatment.

TIMP3 expression associates with prognosis in colorectal cancer and its novel arylsulfonamide inducer, MPT0B390, inhibits tumor growth, metastasis and angiogenesis

Tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase 3 (TIMP3) are a major endogenous inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) that inhibit tumor growth, invasion, metastasis and angiogenesis. In this study, we found that TIMP3 expression is associated with positive prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) clinicopathologically. Therefore, we developed a series of arylsulfonamide derivatives as TIMP3 inducers in order to define potential colorectal cancer therapeutic agent. Among these, MPT0B390 was selected for anti-tumor, anti-metastasis, and anti-angiogenesis property determination. Methods: The relationship between TIMP3 expression and clinical pathological features in colorectal patients and cell lines were determined by immunohistochemistry, bioinformatics analysis and western blotting. The anti-tumor function was validated by using MTT, apoptosis pathway detection and in vivo xenograft model for tumor growth inhibition determination. The anti-metastatic function was validated using a transwell migration assay, and using in vivo lung metastasis and liver metastasis models. The mechanism of MPT0B390-induced TIMP3 expression was further tested using qPCR and Chromatin IP assay. The anti-angiogenesis function was examined by using transwell migration assay, and in vivo Matrigel plug assay. Results: After screening candidate compounds, we identified MPT0B390 as an effective inducer of TIMP3. We showed that MPT0B390 induces TIMP3 expression significantly and inhibits CRC cell growth in vitro and in vivo. By inducing TIMP3 expression, MPT0B390 can also exert its anti-metastasis effect to inhibit CRC cell migration and invasion and downregulates migration markers such as uPA, uPAR, and c-Met. Subsequent Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed that MPT0B390 can significantly inhibit EZH2 expression as well as its binding to TIMP3 promoter region to regulate TIMP3 induction. In addition to the anti-tumor and anti-metastasis capability, MPT0B390 can also induce TIMP3 expression in endothelial cells to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Conclusion: These data suggest the potential therapeutic applications of the TIMP3 inducer, MPT0B390, for colorectal cancer treatment.

Functional roles of circular RNAs during epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

Cancer has become a major health issue worldwide, contributing to a high mortality rate. Tumor metastasis is attributed to the death of most patients. Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a vital role in inducing metastasis. During EMT, epithelial cells lose their characteristics, such as cell-to-cell adhesion and cell polarity, and cells gain motility, migratory potential, and invasive properties to become mesenchymal stem cells. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely associated with tumor metastasis and patient prognosis, as revealed by increasing lines of evidence. CircRNA is a type of single-stranded RNA that forms a covalently closed continuous loop. CircRNAs are insensitive to ribonucleases and are widespread in body fluids. This work is the first review on EMT-related circRNAs. In this review, we briefly discuss the characteristics and functions of circRNAs. The correlation of circRNAs with EMT has been reported, and we discuss the ways circRNAs can regulate EMT progression through EMT transcription factors, EMT-related signaling pathways, and other mechanisms. This work summarizes current studies on EMT-related circRNAs in various cancers and provides a theoretical basis for the use of EMT-related circRNAs in targeted management and therapy.

TIMP-3 as a therapeutic target for cancer

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-3 (TIMP-3), a secreted glycoprotein, plays an important role in carcinogenesis. It can bind to many proteinases to suppress their activity and thus protect the extracellular matrix from degradation. TIMP-3 may have many anticancer properties, including apoptosis induction and antiproliferative, antiangiogenic, and antimetastatic activities. This review summarizes the structure, proteinase inhibition ability, genetic and epigenetic regulation, cancer therapy potential, and contribution to cancer development of TIMP-3. Furthermore, in this review we discuss its potential as a biomarker for predicting cancer progression and the current state of drugs that target TIMP-3, either alone or in combination with clinical treatment. In conclusion, TIMP-3 can be a biomarker of cancer and a potential target for cancer therapy. This review article can serve as a basis to understand how to modulate TIMP-3 levels as a drug target of cancers.

NDRG3 overexpression is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 3 (NDRG3), an important member of the NDRG family, is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and other biological processes. The present study analyzed NDRG3 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explored the relationship between expression of NDRG3 in HCC patients and their clinicopathological characteristics. We performed quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses on HCC tissues to elucidate NDRG3 expression characteristics in HCC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate the prognoses of 102 patients with HCC. The results revealed that compared with non-tumor tissues, HCC tissues showed significantly higher NDRG3 expression. In addition, our analyses showed that NDRG3 expression was statistically associated with tumor size (P=0.048) and pathological grade (P=0.001). Survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves revealed that NDRG3 expression is an independent prognostic indicator for disease-free survival (P=0.002) and overall survival (P=0.005) in HCC patients. The data indicate that NDRG3 expression may be considered as a oncogenic biomarker and a novel predictor for HCC prognosis.

Elevated CTSL2 expression is associated with an adverse prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Cathepsin V, also known as CTSL2, plays an important role in tumor development and progression. This study was designed to investigate the clinical significance of CTSL2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the relationship between CTSL2 expression and prognosis.

METHODS

Quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) were performed to determine the levels of CTSL2 mRNA and protein, respectively, in tumor tissue and matched non-tumor (NT) tissue. Moreover, the relationship between CTSL2 expression and hepatocellular carcinoma's clinicopathological features and survival was evaluated in HCC tissue.

RESULTS

The levels of CTSL2 mRNA and protein were increased in HCC tissue. Moreover, for HCC patients, a high level of CTSL2 protein was significantly correlated with tumor number (P = 0.008), pathological grade (P = 0.001), vascular invasion (P = 0.001), T (P = 0.001), and TNM stage (P = 0.006). A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that elevated CTSL2 expression was correlated with shorter disease-free survival (DFS) (P < 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, a multivariate analysis showed that CTSL2 expression was an independent prognostic factor for DFS (P = 0.032) and OS (P = 0.025).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that abnormal CTSL2 expression may contribute to HCC progression and that elevated CTSL2 expression is associated with an adverse prognosis in HCC.

Circular RNA cSMARCA5 inhibits growth and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

In recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been shown to have critical regulatory roles in cancer biology. However, the contributions of circRNAs to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain largely unknown.

METHODS

cSMARCA5 (a circRNA derived from exons 15 and 16 of the SMARCA5 gene, hsa_circ_0001445) was identified by RNA-sequencing and validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. The role of cSMARCA5 in HCC progression was assessed both in vitro and in vivo. circRNAs in vivo precipitation, luciferase reporter assay, biotin-coupled microRNA capture and fluorescence in situ hybridization were conducted to evaluate the interaction between cSMARCA5 and miR-17-3p/miR-181b-5p.

RESULTS

The expression of cSMARCA5 was lower in HCC tissues, because of the regulation of DExH-Box Helicase 9, an abundant nuclear RNA helicase. The downregulation of cSMARCA5 in HCC was significantly correlated with aggressive characteristics and served as an independent risk factor for overall survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with HCC after hepatectomy. Our in vivo and in vitro data indicated that cSMARCA5 inhibits the proliferation and migration of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we found that cSMARCA5 could promote the expression of TIMP3, a well-known tumor suppressor, by sponging miR-17-3p and miR-181b-5p.

CONCLUSION

These results reveal an important role of cSMARCA5 in the growth and metastasis of HCC and provide a fresh perspective on circRNAs in HCC progression.

LAY SUMMARY

Herein, we studied the role of cSMARCA5, a circular RNA, in hepatocellular carcinoma. Our in vitro and in vivo data showed that cSMARCA5 inhibits the growth and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, making it a potential therapeutic target.

Identification of the miRNA-mRNA regulatory network of small cell osteosarcoma based on RNA-seq

Small cell osteosarcoma (SCO) is a rare subtype of osteosarcoma characterized by highly aggressive progression and a poor prognosis. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were obtained in 3 patients with SCO and 10 healthy individuals using high-throughput RNA-sequencing. We identified 37 dysregulated miRNAs and 1636 dysregulated mRNAs in patients with SCO compared to the healthy controls. Specifically, the 37 dysregulated miRNAs consisted of 27 up-regulated miRNAs and 10 down-regulated miRNAs; the 1636 dysregulated mRNAs consisted of 555 up-regulated mRNAs and 1081 down-regulated mRNAs. The target-genes of miRNAs were predicted, and 1334 negative correlations between miRNAs and mRNAs were used to construct an miRNA-mRNA regulatory network. Dysregulated genes were significantly enriched in pathways related to cancer, mTOR signaling and cell cycle signaling. Specifically, hsa-miR-26b-5p, hsa-miR-221-3p and hsa-miR-125b-2-3p were significantly dysregulated miRNAs and exhibited a high degree of connectivity with target genes. Overall, the expression of dysregulated genes in tumor tissues and peripheral blood samples of patients with SCO measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction corroborated with our bioinformatics analyses based on the expression profiles of PBMCs from patients with SCO. Thus, hsa-miR-26b-5p, hsa-miR-221-3p and hsa-miR-125b-2-3p may be involved in SCO tumorigenesis.

Suitability assessment of baseline concentration of MMP3, TIMP3, HE4 and CA125 in the serum of patients with ovarian cancer

Background

MMP and TIMP play an important role in the degradation of extracellular matrix components which are essential for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Aim of this research was to assess MMP3 and TIMP3 as prognostic factors among patients with ovarian cancer.

Results

It was found that high levels of output MMP3 correlated with shortened overall survival time of patients by 9.7 months. In addition, it has been shown that high concentrations of output MMP3 were significantly associated with a shorter disease free time in median concentrations implemented p = 0.0059. Statistically significant dependence has been shown between an average concentration of TIMP3 protein to the overall survival of patients. The higher output concentration of TIMP3, the longer patients’ survival by 8.9 month. In addition, it was found that high TIMP3 concentrations output were associated with a significantly longer disease free duration at a median concentrations p = 0.007.

Conclusion

Preliminary research shows that output levels of MMP3 and TIMP3 proteins correlate with overall survival of patients. In some cases also time free of illness.

Hydrogen peroxide regulates angiogenesis-related factors in tumor cells

Tumor angiogenesis is required for tumor development and growth, and is regulated by several factors including ROS. H2O2 is a ROS with an important role in cell signaling, but how H2O2 regulates tumor angiogenesis is still poorly understood. We have xenografted tumor cells with altered levels of H2O2 by catalase overexpression into zebrafish embryos to study redox-induced tumor neovascularization. We found that vascular recruitment and invasion were impaired if catalase was overexpressed. In addition, the overexpression of catalase altered the transcriptional levels of several angiogenesis-related factors in tumor cells, including TIMP-3 and THBS1. These two anti-angiogenic factors were found to be H2O2-regulated by two different mechanisms: TIMP-3 expression in a cell-autonomous manner; and, THBS1 expression that was non-cell-autonomous. Our work shows that intracellular H2O2 regulates the expression of angiogenic factors and the formation of a vessel network. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern this multifunctional effect of H2O2 on tumor angiogenesis could be important for the development of more efficient anti-angiogenic therapies.

Hepatocyte specific TIMP3 expression prevents diet dependent fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a broad spectrum of conditions, ranging from non-progressive bland steatosis to hepatocarcinoma. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3 (Timp3) has a role in the pathogenesis of fatty liver disease associated with obesity and is silenced during metabolic disorders and liver cancer. We generated an hepatocyte-specific TIMP3 'gain-of-function' mouse model under the control of the Albumin promoter (AlbT3) and investigated its effects during high-fat diet (HFD). After 16 weeks of HFD, TIMP3 overexpression significantly improved glucose metabolism, hepatic fatty acid oxidation and cholesterol homeostasis. In AlbT3 mice CYP7A1, MDR3 and MRP2 gene expressions were observed, consistent with higher bile acid synthesis and export. Next, to evaluate the role of A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 17 (ADAM17), a crucial target of TIMP3, in these processes, we created mice deficient in Adam17 specifically in hepatocyte (A17LKO) or in myeloid lineage (A17MKO), founding that only A17LKO showed improvement in liver steatosis induced by HFD. Moreover, both, AlbT3 and A17LKO significantly reduced diethylnitrosamine-initiated, HFD-promoted hepatic tumorigenesis assessed by tumor multiplicity and total tumor area. Taken together, these data indicate that hepatic TIMP3 can slow progression of NAFLD, and tumorigenesis, at least in part, through the regulation of ADAM17 activity.

Protein phosphatase 2A regulation of markers of extracellular matrix remodelling in hepatocellular carcinoma cells: functional consequences for tumour invasion

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

A hallmark of tumour invasion is breakdown of the extracellular matrix due to dysregulation of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) system. While our understanding of how this is regulated by kinase signalling pathways is well established, its counter-regulation by protein phosphatases (PP) is poorly understood. Therefore, we investigated the effect of PP inhibition on markers of extracellular remodelling and how PP2A activity modulated MMP-9 abundance and function of Hep3B cells.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Cells were exposed to okadaic acid (OA), tautomycetin and cyclosporin A, and the expression profile determined using PCR. Effects of OA and a protein inhibitor of PP2A, CIP2A, on MMP-9 abundance, PP2A activity and cell migration were investigated using ELISA, promoter constructs, siRNA knockdown and transwell migration assays.

KEY RESULTS

OA increased expression and abundance of MMP-9 and the tissue inhibitor of MMP, TIMP-1, without affecting other MMPs, TIMPs and ADAMs. The effect on MMP-9 was mimicked by CIP2A overexpression and knockdown of the PPP2CA catalytic, but not PPP2R1A scaffolding, subunit. Cyclosporin A and PPP1CA silencing did not alter MMP-9 expression, while tautomycetin transiently increased it. Mutation of AP-1, but not NF-κB, binding sites inhibited OA-mediated MMP-9 transcriptional activity. OA and CIP2A decreased PP2A activity and increased cell migration.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

OA increased MMP-9 by decreasing PP2A activity and PP2Ac, through AP-1 binding sites on the MMP-9 promoter. The functional consequence of this and CIP2A overexpression was increased cell migration. Hence, PP2A inhibition induced a metastatic phenotype through alterations in MMP-9 in Hep3B cells.

SESN2 correlates with advantageous prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

SESN2 plays important roles in the regulation of cell survival, cell protection, and tumor suppression. However, the relationship between SESN2 expression and the clinicopathological attributes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is barely investigated.

Methods

One-step quantitative reverse transcription PCR, Western blotting analysis in 15 fresh HCC tissues, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis in a tissue microarray (TMA) containing 100 HCC cases were performed to examine SESN2 expression. Survival analyses by Cox regression method and Kaplan-Meier curve were performed to describe the overall survival of 100 HCC patients.

Results

The SESN2 expression in HCC tissues declined dramatically compared with the corresponding noncancerous tissues, and SESN2 expression was remarkably associated with HBV infection (p = 0.019), HCV infection (p = 0.001), and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.033). Survival analysis further demonstrated that SESN2 expression could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker for overall survival in univariate (p = 0.001) and multivariate analyses (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

The data are the first to indicate that SESN2 might be a novel prognostic marker for HCC and that elevated SESN2 expression predicts advantageous outcomes in HCC patients.

Oxidored-nitro domain-containing protein 1 expression is associated with the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocarcinogenesis is a stepwise process during which multiple genes are altered. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that induce hepatocarcinogenesis may improve the screening, prevention and treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In recent years, the oxidored-nitro domain-containing protein 1 (NOR1) gene has been identified to have an important role in the development of HCC in vitro experiments. The current study aimed to examine the expression of NOR1 mRNA and protein expression in specimens of normal liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC, together representing the process of HCC development. Furthermore, the association between NOR1 expression and clinicopathological parameters of HCC patients was analyzed. Tissue microarrays containing the specimens of human normal liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis and HCC were purchased, and in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of NOR1 mRNA and protein expression, respectively. It was revealed that the positive rate of NOR1 protein and mRNA expression in the specimens of hepatitis and cirrhosis were not significantly different from that in the normal liver samples. However, the specimens of HCC exhibited an increased positive rate of NOR1 protein and mRNA expression in comparison with the normal liver samples. In addition, a higher positive rate of NOR1 protein expression was observed in HCC patients with a poor pathological differentiation grade and high tumor node metastasis (TNM) stage. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence, for the first time, of the increased expression of NOR1 in human HCC tissues, and its correlation with the pathological stage and TNM status. These findings indicate that NOR1 may be involved in the progression of HCC and it could be employed as a predictive biomarker in HCC development.

A top-down view of the tumor microenvironment: structure, cells and signaling

It is well established that the tumor microenvironment (TME) contributes to cancer progression. Stromal cells can be divided into mesenchymal, vascular, and immune. Signaling molecules secreted by the tumor corrupts these cells to create "activated" stroma. Equally, the extracellular matrix (ECM) contributes to tumor development and invasion by forming a biologically active scaffold. In this review we describe the key structural, cellular and signaling components of the TME with a perspective on stromal soluble factors and microRNAs (miRNAs).