NF-κB p65 Subunit Is Modulated by Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β Binding Protein 2 (LTBP2) in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma HONE1 and HK1 Cells

CircWHSC1 (CircNSD2): A Novel Circular RNA in Multiple Cancers

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) that possesses a unique single-stranded circular structure. They are primarily formed through alternative splicing of pre-mRNA (messenger RNA). The primary biological function of circRNAs is to regulate gene expression at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. Recent studies have increasingly demonstrated a close association between the dysregulation of circRNAs and the progression of diverse cancers, where they can function as either tumor suppressors or oncogenes. circWHSC1 (circNSD2) is a circular ncRNA that originates from the first 2 exons of the Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome candidate gene (WHSC1). As Chen 2019 discovery that circWHSC1 (circNSD2) functions as a sponge for miRNAs and promotes cancer, this circRNA has garnered significant interest among researchers. circWHSC1 (circNSD2) has been found to be up-regulated in various malignant tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and endometrial cancer. It exerts its effects on cancer by either inhibiting or promoting the expression of related genes through direct or indirect pathways, ultimately affecting cancer proliferation, invasion, and prognosis. This article provides a comprehensive review and discussion of the biological roles of circWHSC1 (circNSD2) and its target genes in various cancers, as well as the latest research progress on related molecular biological regulatory mechanisms. Furthermore, the potential significance of circWHSC1 (circNSD2) in future clinical applications and transformations is thoroughly analyzed and discussed.

Angiogenesis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma: insights, imaging, and therapeutic strategies

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly prevalent head and neck malignancy in southern China frequently diagnosed at advanced stages owing to subtle early symptoms and associated metastasis. Angiogenesis emerges as a pivotal factor in NPC progression, with numerous angiogenesis-related factors showing aberrant expression and contributing to increased neovascularization within NPC tumors. These abnormal vessels not only nourish tumor growth but also facilitate metastasis, culminating in unfavorable patient outcomes. Multiple studies have demonstrated the applicability of various imaging techniques for assessing angiogenesis in NPC tumors, thus serving as a foundation for personalized treatment strategies and prognostic assessments. Anti-angiogenic therapies have exhibited significant potential for inhibiting NPC angiogenesis and exerting anti-tumor effects. To enhance efficacy, anti-angiogenic drugs are frequently combined with other treatment modalities to synergistically enhance anti-tumor effects while mitigating the side effects associated with single-agent therapies, consequently improving patient prognosis. Identifying the potential mechanisms and key targets underlying NPC angiogenesis and exploring more effective detection and treatment approaches holds promise for shaping the future of NPC diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, thereby offering new avenues and perspectives for research and clinical practice.

Curcumin relieves arecoline-induced oral submucous fibrosis via inhibiting the LTBP2/NF-κB axis

BACKGROUND

Submucosal fibrosis (OSF) of the oral cavity is a chronic scarring disease. Arecoline (Are) is the driving factor for the occurrence and deterioration of OSF. Curcumin plays a vital anti-inflammatory role in Are-induced OSF development. However, its potential pharmacological mechanism needs to be elucidated.

METHODS

The relative molecular level was measured via qRT-PCR or Western blot. MTT assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry detected cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. The correlation between hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and LTBP2 promoter was confirmed through dual-luciferase reporter assay. ELISA was performed to detect inflammatory cytokines levels.

RESULTS

Curcumin alleviated Are-induced oral mucosal fibroblast cells fibrosis by reducing oral mucosa fibroblasts viability, promoting cell apoptosis, suppressing cell migration, and down-regulating the levels of fibrosis markers and inflammatory factors. Curcumin relieved Are-induced OSF via inhibiting HIF-1α. Mechanically, HIF-1α bound to the promoter of LTBP2 to transcriptionally activated LTBP2. LTBP2 knockdown relieved Are-induced OSF, and curcumin down-regulated LTBP2 via inhibiting HIF-1α to relieve Are-induced OSF. Moreover, curcumin decreased NF-κB signal associated proteins via inhibiting LTBP2 to relieve Are-induced OSF.

CONCLUSION

Curcumin reduced the transcription level of LTBP2 by inhibiting HIF-1α, thereby inactivating NF-κB pathway to alleviate Are-induced OSF.

Analysis of NK-92 cytotoxicity in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and patient-derived xenografts using impedance-based growth method

Natural killer (NK) cells are innate immune cells that can remove viral-infected tumour cells without antigen priming. This characteristic offers NK cells an edge over other immune cells as a potential therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we report how cytotoxicity was evaluated in target NPC cell lines and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) cells with effector NK-92, a commercially available NK cell line, by using xCELLigence RTCA system (a real-time, label-free impedance-based monitoring platform). Cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity were examined by RTCA. Cell morphology, growth and cytotoxicity were also monitored by microscopy. RTCA and microscopy showed that both target and effector cells were able to proliferate normally and to maintain original morphology in co-culture medium as they were in their own respective culture medium. As target and effector (T:E) cell ratios increased, cell viability as measured by arbitrary cell index (CI) values in RTCA decreased in all cell lines and PDX cells. NPC PDX cells were more sensitive to the cytotoxicity effect of NK-92 cells, than the NPC cell lines. These data were substantiated by GFP-based microscopy. We have shown how the RTCA system can be used for a high throughput screening of the effects of NK cells in cancer studies to obtain data such as cell viability, proliferation and cytotoxicity.

Elevated latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 2 in endometriosis promotes endometrial stromal cell invasion and proliferation via the NF-kB signaling pathway

Endometriosis, defined as the abnormal growth of functional endometrium outside the uterus, is characterized by the abnormal phenotype of endometrial cells. This study aimed to investigate the role of latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 2 (LTBP2), an extracellular matrix protein, in the occurrence and development of endometriosis. Elevated LTBP2 expression levels were observed in endometrial tissues and serum of endometriosis patients and their area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for distinguishing endometriosis were 0.9044 and 0.9534, respectively. Overexpressing-LTBP2 could promote proliferation, migration, and invasion, whereas suppressing apoptosis of endometrial stromal cells (ESCs). Moreover, LTBP2 downregulation induced the opposite effect. The supernatant from ESCs overexpressing LTBP2 promoted the tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), thus indicating an angiogenic effect. Furthermore, overexpression of LTBP2 facilitated the inflammation and might promote endometriosis progression through the NF-kB signaling pathway. Conclusively, LTBP2 might be a potential target in the diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis.

The prognostic significance of LTBP2 for malignant tumors: Evidence based on 11 observational studies

BACKGROUND AIMS

At present, increasing reports have shown that latent transforming growth factor-β-binding protein 2 (LTBP2) was associated with the prognosis of many types of cancer. We performed rounded analysis to comprehensively analyze and evaluate the prognostic significance of LTBP2 for patients with malignant tumors.

METHODS

We identified relevant studies by searching database including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science. The odds ratio with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to assess the correlation between LTBP2 and clinicopathologic features or overall survival of patients with cancer. Hazard ratio with its 95% CI was used to explore the prognostic risk factors. The analysis was performed and assessed using Review Manager 5.2.

RESULTS

A total of 11 studies including 2322 participants were included in this systematic review. Pooled results showed that malignant tissues experienced higher incidence of high LTBP2 expression when compared with adjacent or normal tissues. Patients with high LTBP2 expression experienced significantly lower 1-year, 2-year, 3-year, and 4-year overall survival rate, with the pooled odds ratios being 0.26 (95% CI 0.13-0.53; P = .0002), 0.27 (95% CI 0.14-0.50; P < .0001), 0.26 (95% CI 0.13-0.53; P = .0002), and 0.21 (95% CI 0.06-0.73; P = .01) respectively. Univariate analysis showed high LTBP2 expression, tumor node metastasis stage, T stage, and N stage were prognostic factors of patients with tumors. Multivariate analysis indicated high LTBP2 expression was an independent prognostic factor.

CONCLUSIONS

The present analysis suggested that LTBP2 may have significant association with survival of patients with cancer. High LTBP2 expression was an independent prognostic factor and indicated poor survival.

Latent Transforming Growth Factor-β Binding Protein-2 Regulates Lung Fibroblast-to-Myofibroblast Differentiation in Pulmonary Fibrosis via NF-κB Signaling

Despite past extensive studies, the mechanisms underlying pulmonary fibrosis (PF) still remain poorly understood. The aberrantly activated lung myofibroblasts, predominantly emerging through fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation, are considered to be the key cells in PF, resulting in excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Latent transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) binding protein-2 (LTBP2) has been suggested as playing a critical role in modulating the structural integrity of the ECM. However, its function in PF remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that lungs originating from different types of patients with PF, including idiopathic PF and rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease, and from mice following bleomycin (BLM)-induced PF were characterized by increased LTBP2 expression in activated lung fibroblasts/myofibroblasts. Moreover, serum LTBP2 was also elevated in patients with COVID-19-related PF. LTBP2 silencing by lentiviral shRNA transfection protected against BLM-induced PF and suppressed fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation in vivo and in vitro. More importantly, LTBP2 overexpression was able to induce differentiation of lung fibroblasts to myofibroblasts in vitro, even in the absence of TGFβ1. By further mechanistic analysis, we demonstrated that LTBP2 silencing prevented fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation and subsequent PF by suppressing the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB signaling. LTBP2 overexpression-induced fibroblast-to-myofibroblast differentiation depended on the activation of NF-κB signaling in vitro. Therefore, our data indicate that intervention to silence LTBP2 may represent a promising therapy for PF.

Prognostic nomogram to predict the distant metastasis after intensity-modulated radiation therapy for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) significantly differs among individuals with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This analysis was carried out to find prognostic risk factors of DMFS and create a nomogram to predict DMFS for NPC patients who received Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).During March 2008 to January 2010, 437 patients with confirmed NPC from First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were recruited into this study. We developed a nomogram for predicting DMFS according to Cox regression analysis. Nomogram performance was assessed by concordance index (C-index), bootstrap validation method, and operating characteristics curves (ROC), respectively.Four independent prognostic factors for distant metastasis were identified, including age, chemotherapy, N-stage and residual tumor. C-index of the nomogram for prediction of DMFS was 0.807 (95% confidence interval, 0.726 to 0.738), which was confirmed using bootstrap validation, indicating satisfactory predictive accuracy. The calibration curves also showed adequate agreement in predicting the 3 and 5-year DMFS. The 3 and 5-year area under the curve (AUC) of ROC for nomogram and TMN stage were 0.828 and 0.612, 0.809, and 0.571, respectively. Classifying risk subgroups based on optimal cut-off value contributes to the effective discrimination of distant metastasis.The nomogram developed for this study is useful for oncologists to accurately predict DMFS and facilitates individualized treatment for patients with NPC.

The circEPSTI1/mir-942-5p/LTBP2 axis regulates the progression of OSCC in the background of OSF via EMT and the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in the background of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) caused by areca nut chewing has a high incidence in Asia-Pacific countries. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we performed circRNA microarray analysis to screen the circRNA expression profiles in OSCC and OSF. We identified circEPSTI1 as a circRNA with consistent, sequential upregulation from normal buccal mucosa (NBM) to OSF to OSCC. Functionally, circEPSTI1 significantly promoted OSCC cell proliferation and invasion, as evidenced by the CCK8, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays with circEPSTI1 overexpression and silencing. OSCC patients with circEPSTI1^high status exhibited poor prognoses. CircEPSTI1 sponged miR-942-5p and accelerated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to increase LTBP2 expression in OSCC through phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway components. Blocking the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway with the dual PI3k/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 reversed OSCC progression induced by overexpression of circEPSTI1 and LTBP2. Collectively, these results indicate that the circEPSTI1/miR-942-5p/LTBP2 axis affects OSCC cell proliferation and invasion via the acceleration of EMT and the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway components. CircEPSTI1 may be an independent diagnostic and prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for OSCC patients with OSF.

LTBP2 knockdown by siRNA reverses myocardial oxidative stress injury, fibrosis and remodelling during dilated cardiomyopathy

AIM

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterised by left ventricular dilation and associated with systolic dysfunction. Recent evidence has reported the high expression of latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 2 (LTBP2) in heart diseases, which may play a role in regulating multiple biological functions of myocardial cells. Thus, this study set out to investigate the molecular mechanism and effects of LTBP2 in myocardial oxidative stress injury, fibrosis and remodelling in a rat model of DCM, with the involvement of NF-κB signalling pathway.

METHODS

The rat model of DCM was treated with si-LTBP2 and/or activator of NF-κB signalling pathway to examine the haemodynamic indexes, cardiac functions, oxidative stress injury, fibrosis and remodelling. Moreover, in vitro experiments were conducted to verify the regulatory role of LTBP2 and NF-κB signalling pathway in DCM.

RESULTS

LTBP2 was up-regulated in DCM rats. After LTBP2 was knocked down, haemodynamic indexes, HW/BW ratio, collagen volume fraction (CVF) level, positive expression of LTBP2, levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), tumour necrosis factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were all decreased. Meanwhile, levels of LTBP2, Col-I, Col-III, p65 and p52 were also reduced, while HW, BW and levels of SOD and TAOC were increased. In contrast, activation of NF-κB signalling pathway reversed effects of LTBP2 gene silencing. These findings were confirmed by in vivo experiments.

CONCLUSIONS

LTBP2 silencing can attenuate myocardial oxidative stress injury, myocardial fibrosis and myocardial remodelling in DCM rats by down-regulating the NF-κB signalling pathway.

Functional characterization of a candidate tumor suppressor gene, Mirror Image Polydactyly 1, in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Mirror Image Polydactyly 1 (MIPOL1) is generally associated with congenital anomalies. However, its role in cancer development is poorly understood. Previously, by utilizing the functional complementation approach, microcell-mediated chromosome transfer (MMCT), a tumor suppressor gene, MIPOL1, was identified. MIPOL1 was confirmed to be downregulated in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and tumor tissues, and re-expression of MIPOL1 induced tumor suppression. The aim of the current study is to further elucidate the functional tumor suppressive role of MIPOL1. In our study, with an expanded sample size of different clinical stages of NPC tumor tissues, we further confirmed the downregulation of MIPOL1 in different cancer stages. MIPOL1 re-expression down-regulated angiogenic factors and reduced phosphorylation of metastasis-associated proteins including AKT, p65, and FAK. In addition, MIPOL1 was confirmed to interact with a tumor suppressor, RhoB, and re-expression of MIPOL1 enhanced RhoB activity. The functional role of MIPOL1 was further validated by utilizing a panel of wild-type (WT) and truncated MIPOL1 expression constructs. The MIPOL1 tumor-suppressive effect can only be observed in the WT MIPOL1-expressing cells. In vitro and nude mice in vivo functional studies further confirmed the critical role of WT MIPOL1 in inhibiting migration, invasion and metastasis in NPC. Overall, our study provides strong evidence about the tumor-suppressive role of MIPOL1 in inhibiting angiogenesis and metastasis in NPC.

NKILA represses nasopharyngeal carcinoma carcinogenesis and metastasis by NF-κB pathway inhibition

The role of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in the progression of Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has not been fully elucidated. The study was designed to explore the functional role of NKILA, a newly identified lncRNA, in the progression of NPC. We performed a lncRNA expression profile microarray using four NPC and paired para-cancerous tissues. NKILA was identified as a potential functional lncRNA by this lncRNA expression profile. We used 107 paraffin-embedded NPC tissues with different TNM stages to detect the expression of NKILA and analyzed the survival data by Log-rank test and Cox regression. The role of NKILA and its underlying mechanisms in the progression of NPC were evaluated by a series of experiments in vitro and vivo by silencing or expressing NKILA. Compared with control tissues, NKILA expression was identified to be decreased in NPC tissues. Low NKILA expression was correlated with unfavorable clinicopathological features and predicted poor survival outcome in NPC patients. After adjusting for potential confounders, low expression of NKILA was confirmed to be an independent prognostic factor correlated with poor survival outcomes. Furthermore, we found that NKILA overexpression in high-metastatic-potential NPC cells repressed motile behavior and impaired the metastatic capacity in vitro and in vivo. In contrast, RNAi-mediated NKILA depletion increased the invasive motility of cells with lower metastatic potential. Further experiments demonstrated that NKILA regulated the metastasis of NPC through the NF-κB pathway. Taken together, NKILA plays vital roles in the pathogenesis of NPC. The unique histological characteristics of NPC indicate that local inflammation plays a vital role in carcinogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

NF-κB is a pivotal link between NPC and inflammation. Importantly, NF-κB was found to be overexpressed in nearly all NPC tissues, and inflammatory cytokines have also been observed in NPC tissues. Inflammatory cytokines promote the susceptibility of NPC cells to metastasize via constant NF-κB activation. Here, we found that NKILA, a newly identified lncRNA, is upregulated by inflammatory cytokines and is significantly downregulated in NPC. By a series of in vitro and in vivo experiments, we show that NKILA exerts its effect as a tumor suppressor via inhibiting tumorigenesis and metastasis of NPC. Further studies indicate that NKILA regulates the metastasis of NPC through NF-κB pathway. Our research demonstrates that NKILA plays a critical role in the progression of NPC. These findings are particularly important as they provide new insights into the effects of inflammation on the biology of NPC. NKILA might be a candidate molecular marker and a novel therapy target for NPC patients.

The anti-tumor function of the IKK inhibitor PS1145 and high levels of p65 and KLF4 are associated with the drug resistance in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

We and others have previously shown that the canonical nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway is essential to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumor development and angiogenesis, suggesting that the NF-κB pathway, including its upstream modulators and downstream effectors, are potential therapeutic targets for NPC. The inhibitor of upstream IκB kinase (IKK), PS1145, is a small molecule which can specifically inhibit the IκB phosphorylation and degradation and the subsequent nuclear translocation of NF-κB. The present study aims to determine the anti-tumor activity of PS1145 on NPC. Our results showed that PS1145 significantly inhibited the growth of tumorigenic NPC cell lines, but not in the normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line. Results in the in vivo study showed that low concentration of PS1145 (3 mg/kg) could significantly suppress the subcutaneous tumor formation in the nude mice bearing NPC xenografts. Apparent adverse effects were not observed in the animal study. Drug resistance against PS1145 seems to be associated with the increased levels of active NF-kB p65 and change of expression levels of kruppel-like factor 4. As can be seen, PS1145 appears to be a safe agent for animal experiments and its effects are tumor-specific, and the proteins associated with the drug resistance of PS1145 are implied.

MicroRNA-153 affects nasopharyngeal cancer cell viability by targeting TGF-β2

The aim of the present study was to determine the function of microRNA-153 (miR-153) in the viability of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) cells and determine the underlying molecular mechanism. The expression of miR-153 in patients with NPC was markedly decreased compared with that in paracarcinoma tissue. miR-153 upregulation observably decreased cell viability, induced apoptosis, increased caspase-3 and -9 activity, and increased the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated X protein/Bcl-2 protein expression ratio in 13-9B cells. miR-153 upregulation also suppressed transforming growth factor-β₂ (TGF-β₂) and Smad2 protein expression in 13-9B cells. TGF-β₂ inhibitor enhanced the effect of miR-153 upregulation on the inhibition of cell viability, induction of apoptosis, increase in caspase-3 and -9 activity, and increase in Bax/Bcl-2 protein expression ratio in 13-9B cells. The results of the present study indicate that miR-153 affects the progression of NPC by targeting the TGF-β₂/Smad2 signaling pathway.

LTBP2 promotes the migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells and predicts poor outcome of patients with gastric cancer

Latent transforming growth factor-β-binding protein (LTBP)2 is a member of the fibrillin/LTBP superfamily of extracellular matrix proteins, and has been demonstrated to exhibit tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive functions in different types of cancer. However, the function of LTBP2 in gastric cancer (GC) remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression and molecular function of LTBP2 in GC, and to evaluate its prognostic value for patients with GC. The results revealed that the expression of LTBP2 was upregulated in GC tissues and cell lines. Increased LTBP2 expression was associated with poor overall survival in patients with early-stage [tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) I/II] and late-stage (TNM III/IV) GC. Furthermore, silencing of LTBP2 effectively suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in GC cells. These results suggested that LTBP2 may be considered as a potential therapeutic target and a promising prognostic biomarker for human GC.

LncRNA-TUSC7/miR-224 affected chemotherapy resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by competitively regulating DESC1

BACKGROUND

This study aims to clarify the underlying mechanism for the tumor suppressive function of lnc TUSC7 in chemotherapy resistance of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

TUSC7, miR-224 and DESC1 expressions in ESCC tissues and cells were detected by qRT-PCR. Protein level of DESC1, EGFR and p-AKT were observed by Western blot. Overall survival was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay were used to comfirm TUSC7 binding to miR-224, and miR-224 binding to DESC1. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, and colony formation was detected by MTT, Flow Cytometry and Colony formation assays.

RESULTS

TUSC7 was downregulated in ESCC tissues and cells, and low TUSC7 indicated worse overall survival. The analysis of bioinformatics softwares showed that TUSC7 specifically bound to miR-224, and we proved miR-224 was upregulated in ESCC and negatively correlated with TUSC7 expression. Overexpression of TUSC7/inhibition of miR-224 suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation and chemotherapy resistance of ESCC cells, and promoted cell apoptosis. In addition, we confirmed that miR-224 specifically bound to DESC1, and negatively correlated with DESC1. TUSC7 suppressed the proliferation and chemotherapy resistance of ESCC cells by increasing DESC1 expression via inhibiting miR-224. We also confirmed DESC1 inhibited chemotherapy resistance of ESCC cells via EGFR/AKT. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that overexpression of TUSC7 decreased tumor growth and chemotherapy resistance.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggested TUSC7 suppressed chemotherapy resistance of ESCC by downregulating miR-224 to modulate DESC1/EGFR/AKT pathway.

Metastasis-suppressing NID2, an epigenetically-silenced gene, in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Nidogen-2 (NID2) is a key component of the basement membrane that stabilizes the extracellular matrix (ECM) network. The aim of the study is to analyze the functional roles of NID2 in the pathogenesis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We performed genome-wide methylation profiling of NPC and ESCC and validated our findings using the methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting (MS-HRM) assay. Results showed that promoter methylation of NID2 was significantly higher in NPC and ESCC samples than in their adjacent non-cancer counterparts. Consistently, down-regulation of NID2 was observed in the clinical samples and cell lines of both NPC and ESCC. Re-expression of NID2 suppresses clonogenic survival and migration abilities of transduced NPC and ESCC cells. We showed that NID2 significantly inhibits liver metastasis. Mechanistic studies of signaling pathways also confirm that NID2 suppresses the EGFR/Akt and integrin/FAK/PLCγ metastasis-related pathways. This study provides novel insights into the crucial tumor metastasis suppression roles of NID2 in cancers.

LTBP2 is a prognostic marker in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Latent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta binding protein 2 (LTBP2) belongs to the fibrillin/LTBP extracellular matrix glycoprotein superfamily. It plays vital roles in tumorigenesis through regulating TGFβ activity, elastogenesis and maintenance of the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure. In this study, we determined the expression levels of LTBP2 mRNA and protein in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues and adjacent normal tissues by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry analysis (TMA-IHC) respectively. LTBP2 protein levels in cancer tissues were correlated with HNSCC patients' clinical characteristics and overall survival. Both LTBP2 mRNA and protein levels were significantly higher in HNSCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. High LTBP2 protein level was associated with lymph node metastasis and higher pTNM stages. High LTBP2 protein level is an independent prognostic marker in HNSCC. Our data suggest that LTBP2 acts as an oncogene in HNSCC development and progression. Detection of LTBP2 expression could be a useful prognosis marker and targeting LTBP2 may represent a novel strategy for cancer treatment through regulating activities of TGFβ.

DEPDC1 is required for cell cycle progression and motility in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

DEP domain containing 1 (DEPDC1) is a newly identified cancer-related and cell cycle related gene and has been demonstrated as a novel therapeutic target for bladder cancer. However, the functional involvement and therapeutic potential of DEPDC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear. Our results showed that DEPDC1 was overexpressed at both mRNA and protein levels in NPC tissues compared with normal or non-tumor tissues. The siRNA-mediated DEPDC1 depletion resulted in significant inhibition of proliferation and delay in cell cycle progression in both NPC cell lines, CNE-1 and HNE-1. Detailed analysis with indirect immunofluorescence assays revealed that DEPDC1 depletion caused significant mitotic arrest accompanied with mitotic defects such as multipolar spindles and multiple nuclei followed by apoptotic cell death. Notably, DEPDC1 depletion also reduces migration and invasion ability in both cell lines. Consistent with its regulatory role in NF-κB pathway, knockdown of DEPDC1 caused significant upregulation of A20 and downregulation of mutiple NF-κB downstream target genes implicated in proliferation and tumorigenesis (c-Myc, BCL2, CCND1, CCNB1 and CCNB2), and metastasis (MMP2, MMP9, ICAM1, vimentin, Twist1). Moreover, in vivo study demonstrated that DEPDC1 knockdown also caused significant inhibition of tumor growth in the NPC xenograft nude mouse model. Taken together, our present study demonstrated that DEPDC1 is essentially required for the accelerated cell cycle progression and motility in NPC cells, and strongly suggested that DEPDC1 may serve as a novel therapeutic target in NPC.

Changes of plasma cytokines and chemokines expression level in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients after treatment with definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT)

Background

Potential clinical application values of certain cytokines and chemokines that participate in the process of tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis have been reported. However, there still lack of biomarkers for a great many of malignancy. This study identified cytokines or chemokines involved in the occurrence and development of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), which might be a biomarker for noninvasive early diagnosis.

Methods

The plasma levels of 19 cytokines and chemokines were detected by the luminex liquid array-based multiplexed immunoassays in 39 NPC patients before and after treatment by definitive intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT).

Results

Plasma levels of almost all of the 19 cytokines and chemokines in NPC patients were higher than healthy controls, while only IFN-γ, IL-1b IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-α, FKN, IL-12P70, IL-2, IL-5 and IP-10 showed significant differences. However, expression levels of most of the 19 cytokines and chemokines decreased after therapy, especially IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-1b, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, TNF-α, VEGF, IL-17A, IL-2, IL-5 and MIP-1b, have a dramatic decline. Taking together, plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-1b, IL-6, MCP-1, TNF-α, IL-2 and IL-5 are significantly increased in NPC patients and dramatically decreased after treatment, suggesting these cytokines and chemokines might play important roles in the progress of NPC. More interestingly, the expression level of MPC-1 is significantly associated with clinical stage.

Conclusion

MCP-1 might involve in the genesis and development process of NPC, which might serve as a noninvasive biomarker for early diagnosis.

Whole-exome sequencing identifies multiple loss-of-function mutations of NF-κB pathway regulators in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is an epithelial malignancy with a unique geographical distribution. The genomic abnormalities leading to NPC pathogenesis remain unclear. In total, 135 NPC tumors were examined to characterize the mutational landscape using whole-exome sequencing and targeted resequencing. An APOBEC cytidine deaminase mutagenesis signature was revealed in the somatic mutations. Noticeably, multiple loss-of-function mutations were identified in several NF-κB signaling negative regulators NFKBIA, CYLD, and TNFAIP3 Functional studies confirmed that inhibition of NFKBIA had a significant impact on NF-κB activity and NPC cell growth. The identified loss-of-function mutations in NFKBIA leading to protein truncation contributed to the altered NF-κB activity, which is critical for NPC tumorigenesis. In addition, somatic mutations were found in several cancer-relevant pathways, including cell cycle-phase transition, cell death, EBV infection, and viral carcinogenesis. These data provide an enhanced road map for understanding the molecular basis underlying NPC.

DESC1, a novel tumor suppressor, sensitizes cells to apoptosis by downregulating the EGFR/AKT pathway in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal cancer is ranked as the eighth most common cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. To identify candidate tumor suppressor genes related to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) development, a cDNA microarray analysis was performed using paired tumor and nontumor tissue samples from ESCC patients. Differentially expressed in squamous cell carcinoma 1 (DESC1), which belongs to the Type II transmembrane serine protease family, was frequently downregulated in ESCC. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism for the tumor suppressive function of DESC1 in ESCC. We show that DESC1 reduced cell viability and sensitized cells to apoptosis, when cells were under apoptotic stimuli. The proapoptotic effect of DESC1 was mediated through downregulating AKT1 activation and the restoration of AKT activation by the introduction of the constitutively active AKT, myr-AKT, abolished the apoptosis-sensitizing effect of DESC1. DESC1 also reduced EGFR protein level, which was abrogated when the proteolytic function of DESC1 was lost, suggesting that DESC1 cleaved EGFR and downregulated the EGFR/AKT pathway to favor apoptosis. The transmembrane localization and the structural domains provide an opportunity for DESC1 to interact with the extracellular environment. The importance of such interaction was highlighted by the finding that DESC1 reduced cell colony formation ability in three-dimensional culture. In line with this, DESC1 reduced tumor growth kinetics in the in vivo orthotopic tumorigenesis assay. Taken together, our novel findings suggest how DESC1 may suppress ESCC development by sensitizing cells to apoptosis under an apoptotic stimulus through downregulating the EGFR/AKT signaling pathway.

Annexin-A1 and caldesmon are associated with resistance to tamoxifen in estrogen receptor positive recurrent breast cancer

Tamoxifen therapy resistance constitutes a major cause of death in patients with recurrent estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer. Through high resolution mass spectrometry (MS), we previously generated a 4-protein predictive signature for tamoxifen therapy outcome in recurrent breast cancer. ANXA1 and CALD1, which were not included in the classifier, were however the most differentially expressed proteins. We first evaluated the clinical relevance of these markers in our MS cohort, followed by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining on an independent set of tumors incorporated in a tissue microarray (TMA) and regression analysis in relation to time to progression (TTP), clinical benefit and objective response. In order to assess which mechanisms ANXA1 and CALD1 might been involved in, we performed Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) on ANXA1 and CALD1 correlated proteins in our MS cohort. ANXA1 (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22-2.75; P = 0.003) and CALD1 (HR = 1.57; 95% CI: 1.04-2.36; P = 0.039) based patient stratification showed significant association to TTP, while IHC staining on TMA showed that both ANXA1 (HR = 1.82; 95% CI: 1.12-3.00; P = 0.016) and CALD1 (HR = 2.29; 95% CI: 1.40-3.75; P = 0.001) expression was associated with shorter TTP independently of traditional predictive factors. Pearson correlation analysis showed that the majority of proteins correlated to ANXA1 also correlated with CALD1. IPA indicated that ANXA1 and CALD1 were associated with ER-downregulation and NFκB signaling. We hereby report that ANXA1 and CALD1 proteins are independent markers for tamoxifen therapy outcome and are associated to fast tumor progression.

MicroRNA-200a mediates nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell proliferation through the activation of nuclear factor-κB

In nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway is highly active. The constitutive activation of NF-κB prompts malignant cell proliferation, and microRNAs are considered an important mediator in regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway. The current study investigated the effect of microRNA-200a (miR-200a) on NF-κB activation. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to quantify the relative level of miR-200a in NPC tissue samples and CNE2 cells. An MTT assay was used to investigate the effect of miR-200a on cell proliferation. To investigate the activation of NF-κB, western blotting was used to measure the protein levels of NF-κB and its downstream targets. To identify the target genes of miR-200a, a luciferase reporter assay was used. The current study demonstrated that miR-200a was upregulated in NPC tissue samples and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-200a resulted in the proliferation of CNE2 cells. Western blot analysis indicated that the protein levels of p65 increased when CNE2 cells were transfected with miR-200a mimics. Additionally, the downstream targets of miR-200a were upregulated, including vascular cell adhesion molecule, intercellular adhesion molecule and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. The luciferase assay indicated that IκBα was the target gene of miR-200a. In conclusion, miR-200a was demonstrated to enhance NPC cell proliferation by activating the NF-κB signaling pathway.

Oncogenic role of the TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through NF-κB pathway modulation

The TP53-induced glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) is a p53 target gene, which functions to suppress reactive oxygen species (ROS) damage and protect cells from apoptosis. In this study, we investigated the role of TIGAR in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumorigenesis. Imnunohistochemical analysis of the tissue specimens from nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients showed a higher expression level of TIGAR in tumor tissues, compared with normal nasopharyngeal epithelium. Knockdown of TIGAR by lentivirus-shRNA in CNE-2 or 5-8F cells resulted in decreased cell growth, colony formation, migration, invasion, and induced apoptosis. TIGAR overexpression exerted the opposite effects except for apoptosis reduction. In the xenograft tumor models, TIGAR knockdown reduced tumor growth rate and weight, whereas TIGAR overexpression showed the opposite effects. In addition, the NF-κB signaling pathway was decreased in TIGAR silenced cells. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that TIGAR acted as an oncogene in NPC tumorigenesis, and knockdown of TIGAR inhibited NPC tumor growth through the NF-κB pathway.