DEC1: a potential biomarker of malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia

Circadian clock and lipid metabolism disorders: a potential therapeutic strategy for cancer

Recent research has emphasized the interaction between the circadian clock and lipid metabolism, particularly in relation to tumors. This review aims to explore how the circadian clock regulates lipid metabolism and its impact on carcinogenesis. Specifically, targeting key enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis (SREBP, ACLY, ACC, FASN, and SCD) has been identified as a potential strategy for cancer therapy. By disrupting these enzymes, it may be possible to inhibit tumor growth by interfering with lipid metabolism. Transcription factors, like SREBP play a significant role in regulating fatty acid synthesis which is influenced by circadian clock genes such as BMAL1, REV-ERB and DEC. This suggests a strong connection between fatty acid synthesis and the circadian clock. Therefore, successful combination therapy should target fatty acid synthesis in addition to considering the timing and duration of drug use. Ultimately, personalized chronotherapy can enhance drug efficacy in cancer treatment and achieve treatment goals.

Emerging Role of Decoy Receptor-2 as a Cancer Risk Predictor in Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders

The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of the senescence markers, Decoy Receptor 2 (DcR2) and Differentiated Embryo-Chondrocyte expressed gen 1 (DEC1), in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) to ascertain their possible association with oral cancer risk. The immunohistochemical analysis of DcR2 and DEC1 expression (along with p16 and Ki67 expression) was carried out in 60 patients with clinically diagnosed oral leukoplakia. Fifteen cases (25%) subsequently developed an invasive carcinoma. Correlations between protein marker expression, histological grade and oral cancer risk were assessed. DcR2, DEC1 and Ki67 protein expressions were found to correlate significantly with increased oral cancer risk, and also with an increased grade of dysplasia. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that DcR2 and Ki67 expression are independent predictors of oral cancer development. Our results evidence for the first time the potential of DcR2 as an early biomarker to assess oral cancer risk in patients with oral leukoplakia (HR = 59.7, p = 0.015), showing a superior predictive value to histology (HR = 4.225, p = 0.08). These findings reveal that the increased expression of DcR2 and DEC1 occurred frequently in OPMDs. In addition, DcR2 expression emerges as a powerful biomarker for oral cancer risk assessment in patients with oral leukoplakia.

Description of clinicopathological characteristics of oral potentially malignant disorders with special focus on two histopathologic grading systems and subepithelial inflammatory infiltrate

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to evaluate the clinicopathological features of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) with a focus on two histologic grading systems and subepithelial inflammatory infiltrates.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional and multicenter study was conducted from April 2016 to September 2021 and comprised patients diagnosed with OPMDs. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of 127 cases were assessed based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 2005 classification system, namely, epithelial precursor lesions and binary system of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare different categorical variables related to OPMDs.

RESULTS

The mean age of OPMD cases at presentation was 54.72 13.30 (P < 0.01) with a male to female ratio of 1.6:1. Oral leukoplakia (52.8%) was the most commonly diagnosed form of OPMD. Most OPMDs were classified as oral epithelial hyperplasia (59.1%) and the remaining (40.9%) as OED (P < 0.01). Of the 52 OPMDs with OED, all cases of mild dysplasia (36.5%) and carcinoma in situ (9.6%) were categorized as low-risk and high-risk lesions, respectively. Chronic inflammatory infiltrate (79.5%) was the most common subepithelial inflammatory alteration observed among OPMDs.

CONCLUSIONS

Early detection of OPMDs is vital due to increased risk of developing into oral cancer. Timely clinicopathological risk assessment of OPMD is desirable for improving the prognosis and preventing the malignant transformation in oral premalignancy. Besides the epithelial precursor lesions' classification by the WHO, binary system of grading OED use can be encouraged. Also, subepithelial inflammatory infiltrate can be of importance in future research regarding OPMDs.

Overexpression of DEC1 in the epithelium of OSF promotes mesenchymal transition via activating FAK/Akt signal axis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies on oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) mostly focused on the activation of fibroblasts and collagen metabolism, while little involved in the epithelium. As we have reported the role of differentiated embryo chondrocyte expressed gene 1 (DEC1) in oral cancer and other precancerous lesions, this research aimed to explore its role in the OSF epithelium.

METHODS

Expression of DEC1 and other proteins were investigated in tissue array constructed with 33 OSF and 14 normal oral mucosa (NOM) tissues. Human oral keratinocytes treated with arecoline and/or hypoxia were used to simulate OSF epithelium and detected for morphological and protein alterations. Inhibition of DEC1 was used to explore its mediating role. Finally, animal models of OSF constructed by locally arecoline injecting in buccal mucosa were used to verify our findings.

RESULTS

DEC1 overexpression could be detected in the epithelium of OSF compared with that in NOM followed by phosphorylated FAK and Akt, and DEC1 showed a significant positive correlation with them. Cytology experiment revealed that OSF-like treatment could upregulate DEC1 expression followed by phosphorylated FAK, Akt, but inhibit E-cadherin, while knockdown of DEC1 could suppress the effects. Additionally, OSF mice revealed higher expression of DEC1 in the epithelium of buccal mucosa, along with synchronized alterations of phosphorylated FAK and Akt.

CONCLUSION

In the epithelium of OSF, overexpression of DEC1 induced activation of FAK/Akt signal axis, caused mesenchymal transition in epithelial cells, and may promote malignant transformation of OSF. Targeting DEC1 in OSF could be promising a new target for the diagnosis and treatment of this process.

Differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed gene-1 (DEC1) enhances the development of colorectal cancer with an involvement of the STAT3 signaling

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second deadly and the third most common malignancy worldwide. It has been projected that annual new cases of CRC will increase by 63% in 2040, constituting an even greater health challenge for decades to come. This study has linked DEC1 (differentiated embryonic chondrocyte expressed gene 1) to the pathogenesis of CRC. Based on the analysis of patient samples and database data, DEC1 is expressed much higher in CRC than the adjacent normal tissues. CRC patients with higher DEC1 expression have a shorter survival time. The carcinogenesis protocol with azoxymethane/dextran sulfate induces a higher number of tumors with larger sizes in DEC1^+/+ than DEC1^−/− mice. Overexpression of DEC1 increases the expression of proliferation- and antiapoptosis-related genes, but decreases the level of proapoptotic genes. Mechanistically, this study has shown that DEC1 is functionally looped to the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway (interleukin-6/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3). IL-6 induces DEC1, and DEC1 enhances the phosphorylation of STAT3, resulting in increased pSTAT3/STAT3 ratio. DEC1 and STAT3 are present in reciprocal immunocomplexes, pointing to physical interactions (presumably with pSTAT3). These findings establish that DEC1 is a CRC enhancer. The enhancement is achieved largely through the IL-6/STAT3 pathway. The potential of the physical interaction between DEC1 and STAT3 will likely serve as a foundation to develop intervention strategies for CRC prevention and therapy.