S100A7 promotes the migration, invasion and metastasis of human cervical cancer cells through epithelial-mesenchymal transition

A computational study of gene expression patterns in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma using TCGA data

Aim: Head and Neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the second most prevalent cancer in Pakistan. Methods: Gene expression data from TCGA and GETx for normal genes to analyze Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs). Data was further investigated using the Enrichr tool to perform Gene Ontology (GO). Results: Our analysis identified most significantly differentially expressed genes and explored their established cellular functions as well as their potential involvement in tumor development. We found that the highly expressed Keratin family and S100A9 genes. The under-expressed genes KRT4 and KRT13 provide instructions for the production of keratin proteins. Conclusion: Our study suggests that factors such as poor oral hygiene and smokeless tobacco can result in oral stress and cellular damage and cause cancer.

S100A7 orchestrates neutrophil chemotaxis and drives neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) formation to facilitate lymph node metastasis in cervical cancer patients

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) have been shown to promote the metastatic potential of many kinds of tumors. Our study aimed to investigate the role and mechanisms of NETs in lymph node metastasis (LNM) of cervical cancer (CCa), and evaluated the therapeutic value of targeting NETs in CCa. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that neutrophil infiltration and NETs formation were increased in CCa patients with LNM, as well as confirming a positive correlation between S100A7 expression and neutrophil infiltration in CCa. NETs enhanced the migratory capability of CCa by activating the P38-MAPK/ERK/NFκB pathway through interaction with TLR2. Digesting NETs with deoxyribonuclease 1 (DNase 1) or inhibiting TLR2 with chloroquine eliminated the NETs-induced metastatic potential of CCa. Additionally, NETs promoted lymphangiogenesis and increased the permeability of lymphatic vessels, thus facilitating translymphatic movement of CCa. CCa-derived S100A7 exhibited a chemotactic effect on neutrophils and promoted NETs generation by elevating ROS levels rather than activating autophagy in neutrophils. The mouse model with footpad implantation illustrated that DNase 1 effectively reduced LNM in LPS-induced mice and in mice seeded with S100A7-overexpressing CCa cells. In conclusion, our study reveals a new tumor-promoting mechanism of S100A7, clarifies the crucial role and mechanism of NETs in LNM of CCa, and indicates that the NETs-targeted therapy emerges as a promising anti-metastasis therapy in CCa.

GLI Transcriptional Targets S100A7 and KRT16 Show Upregulated Expression Patterns in Epidermis Overlying the Tumor Mass in Melanoma Samples

Although not completely understood, the role of the Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) signaling pathway in melanoma and epithelial skin tumors has been reported before. In this study, we confirmed in various melanoma cell line models that keratin 16 (KRT16) and S100 Calcium-Binding Protein A7 (S100A7) are transcriptional targets of GLI Family Zinc Finger (GLI) proteins. Besides their important role in protecting and maintaining the epidermal barrier, keratins are somehow tightly connected with the S100 family of proteins. We found that stronger expression of KRT16 indeed corresponds to stronger expression of S100A7 in our clinical melanoma samples. We also report a trend regarding staining of GLI1, which corresponds to stronger staining of GLI3, KRT16, and S100A7 proteins. The most interesting of our findings is that all the proteins are detected specifically in the epidermis overlying the tumor, but rarely in the tumor itself. The examined proteins were also not detected in the healthy epidermis at the edges of the sample, suggesting that the staining is specific to the epidermis overlaying the tumor mass. Of all proteins, only S100A7 demonstrated a statistically significant trend regarding tumor staging and staining intensity. Results from our clinical samples prove that immune infiltration is an important feature of melanoma. Pigmentophages and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) demonstrate a significant association with tumor stage, while mononuclear cells are equally present in all stages. For S100A7, we found an association between the number of TILs and staining intensity. Considering these new findings presented in our study, we suggest a more detailed examination of the possible role of the S100A7 protein as a biomarker in melanoma.

Drug repositioning for immunotherapy in breast cancer using single-cell analysis

Immunomodulatory peptides, while exhibiting potential antimicrobial, antifungal, and/or antiviral properties, can play a role in stimulating or suppressing the immune system, especially in pathological conditions like breast cancer (BC). Thus, deregulation of these peptides may serve as an immunotherapeutic strategy to enhance the immune response. In this meta-analysis, we utilized single-cell RNA sequencing data and known therapeutic peptides to investigate the deregulation of these peptides in malignant versus normal human breast epithelial cells. We corroborated our findings at the chromatin level using ATAC-seq. Additionally, we assessed the protein levels in various BC cell lines. Moreover, our in-house drug repositioning approach was employed to identify potential drugs that could positively impact the relapse-free survival of BC patients. Considering significantly deregulated therapeutic peptides and their role in BC pathology, our approach aims to downregulate B2M and SLPI, while upregulating PIGR, DEFB1, LTF, CLU, S100A7, and SCGB2A1 in BC epithelial cells through our drug repositioning pipeline. Leveraging the LINCS L1000 database, we propose BRD-A06641369 for B2M downregulation and ST-4070043 and BRD-K97926541 for SLPI downregulation without negatively affecting the MHC complex as a significantly correlated pathway with these two genes. Furthermore, we have compiled a comprehensive list of drugs for the upregulation of other selected immunomodulatory peptides. Employing an immunotherapeutic approach by integrating our drug repositioning pipeline with single-cell analysis, we proposed potential drugs and drug targets to fortify the immune system against BC.

Correlation between S100A7 and immune characteristics, methylation, tumor stemness and tumor heterogeneity in pan-cancer and its role in chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the relationships between S100A7 and the immune characteristics, tumor heterogeneity, and tumor stemness pan-cancer as well as the effect of S100A7 on chemotherapy sensitivity in breast cancer.

METHODS

TCGA-BRCA and TCGA-PANCANCER RNA-seq data and clinical follow-up survival data were collected from the University of California Santa Cruz database. Survival analyses were performed to explore the relationship between S100A7 expression and pan-cancer prognosis. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were used to identify the potential pathways related to the differentially expressed genes in breast cancer. Spearman's and Wilcoxon's tests were used to investigate the relationships between S100A7 expression and immune characteristics, methylation, tumor heterogeneity, and tumor stemness. The potential functions of S100A7 and its influence on chemotherapy sensitivity in breast cancer were elucidated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell assay, and wound healing assay.

RESULTS

S100A7 was highly expressed in most types of tumors and was associated with poor prognosis. S100A7 was closely associated with immunomodulators, immune checkpoint and immune cell infiltration. Further, S100A7 was related to tumor mutational burden, tumor heterogeneity, methylation and tumor stemness in breast cancer. High S100A7 expression was associated with the invasiveness, migration, proliferation and chemotherapy resistance of breast cancer cells in vitro experiments.

CONCLUSION

High S100A7 expression was related with poor prognosis and chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer, making it a potential immune and chemotherapy resistance biomarker.

Tetraspanin CD82 Correlates with and May Regulate S100A7 Expression in Oral Cancer

Many metastatic cancers with poor prognoses correlate to downregulated CD82, but exceptions exist. Understanding the context of this correlation is essential to CD82 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes over 90% of oral cancer. We aimed to uncover the function and mechanism of CD82 in OSCC. We investigated CD82 in human OSCC cell lines, tissues, and healthy controls using the CRISPR-Cas9 gene knockout, transcriptomics, proteomics, etc. CD82 expression is elevated in CAL 27 cells. Knockout CD82 altered over 300 genes and proteins and inhibited cell migration. Furthermore, CD82 expression correlates with S100 proteins in CAL 27, CD82KO, SCC-25, and S-G cells and some OSCC tissues. The 37-50 kDa CD82 protein in CAL 27 cells is upregulated, glycosylated, and truncated. CD82 correlates with S100 proteins and may regulate their expression and cell migration. The truncated CD82 explains the invasive metastasis and poor outcome of the CAL 27 donor. OSCC with upregulated truncated CD82 and S100A7 may represent a distinct subtype with a poor prognosis. Differing alternatives from wild-type CD82 may elucidate the contradictory functions and pave the way for CD82 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

Multidimensional outlook on the pathophysiology of cervical cancer invasion and metastasis

Cervical cancer being one of the primary causes of high mortality rates among women is an area of concern, especially with ineffective treatment strategies. Extensive studies are carried out to understand various aspects of cervical cancer initiation, development and progression; however, invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma has poor outcomes. Moreover, the advanced stages of cervical cancer may involve lymphatic circulation with a high risk of tumor recurrence at distant metastatic sites. Dysregulation of the cervical microbiome by human papillomavirus (HPV) together with immune response modulation and the occurrence of novel mutations that trigger genomic instability causes malignant transformation at the cervix. In this review, we focus on the major risk factors as well as the functionally altered signaling pathways promoting the transformation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We further elucidate genetic and epigenetic variations to highlight the complexity of causal factors of cervical cancer as well as the metastatic potential due to the changes in immune response, epigenetic regulation, DNA repair capacity, and cell cycle progression. Our bioinformatics analysis on metastatic and non-metastatic cervical cancer datasets identified various significantly and differentially expressed genes as well as the downregulation of potential tumor suppressor microRNA miR-28-5p. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape in invasive and metastatic cervical cancer will help in stratifying the patient groups and designing potential therapeutic strategies.

RAGE/SNAIL1 signaling drives epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer

Epithelial/Mesenchymal (E/M) plasticity plays a fundamental role both in embryogenesis and during tumorigenesis. The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a driver of cell plasticity in fibrotic diseases; however, its role and molecular mechanism in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that RAGE signaling maintains the mesenchymal phenotype of aggressive TNBC cells by enforcing the expression of SNAIL1. Besides, we uncover a crosstalk mechanism between the TGF-β and RAGE pathways that is required for the acquisition of mesenchymal traits in TNBC cells. Consistently, RAGE inhibition elicits epithelial features that block migration and invasion capacities. Next, since RAGE is a sensor of the tumor microenvironment, we modeled acute acidosis in TNBC cells and showed it promotes enhanced production of RAGE ligands and the activation of RAGE-dependent invasive properties. Furthermore, acute acidosis increases SNAIL1 levels and tumor cell invasion in a RAGE-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that in vivo inhibition of RAGE reduces metastasis incidence and expands survival, consistent with molecular effects that support the relevance of RAGE signaling in E/M plasticity. These results uncover new molecular insights on the regulation of E/M phenotypes in cancer metastasis and provide rationale for pharmacological intervention of this signaling axis.

RAGE Inhibitors for Targeted Therapy of Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a member of the immunoglobulin family that is overexpressed in several cancers. RAGE is highly expressed in the lung, and its expression increases proportionally at the site of inflammation. This receptor can bind a variety of ligands, including advanced glycation end products, high mobility group box 1, S100 proteins, adhesion molecules, complement components, advanced lipoxidation end products, lipopolysaccharides, and other molecules that mediate cellular responses related to acute and chronic inflammation. RAGE serves as an important node for the initiation and stimulation of cell stress and growth signaling mechanisms that promote carcinogenesis, tumor propagation, and metastatic potential. In this review, we discuss different aspects of RAGE and its prominent ligands implicated in cancer pathogenesis and describe current findings that provide insights into the significant role played by RAGE in cancer. Cancer development can be hindered by inhibiting the interaction of RAGE with its ligands, and this could provide an effective strategy for cancer treatment.

S100 Proteins as Novel Therapeutic Targets in Psoriasis and Other Autoimmune Diseases

Psoriasis is one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases affecting about 1-3% of the population. One of the characteristic abnormalities in psoriasis is the excessive production of antimicrobial peptides and proteins, which play an essential role in the pathogenesis of the disease. Antimicrobial peptides and proteins can be expressed differently in normal and diseased skin, reflecting their usefulness as diagnostic biomarkers. Moreover, due to their very important functions in innate immunity, members of host defense peptides and proteins are currently considered to be promising new therapeutic targets for many inflammatory diseases. Koebnerisin (S100A15) belongs to an S100 family of antimicrobial proteins, which constitute the multigenetic group of calcium-binding proteins involved in ion-dependent cellular functions and regulation of immune mechanisms. S100A15 was first discovered to be overexpressed in 'koebnerized' psoriatic skin, indicating its involvement in the disease phenotype and the same promising potential as a new therapeutic target. This review describes the involvement of antimicrobial peptides and proteins in inflammatory diseases' development and therapy. The discussion focuses on S100 proteins, especially koebnerisin, which may be involved in the underlying mechanism of the Köebner phenomenon in psoriasis, as well as other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases described in the last decade.

Recent Developments on the Roles of Calcium Signals and Potential Therapy Targets in Cervical Cancer

Intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺) concentration ([Ca²⁺]i) is implicated in proliferation, invasion, and metastasis in cancerous tissues. A variety of oncologic therapies and some candidate drugs induce their antitumor effects (in part or in whole) through the modulation of [Ca²⁺]i. Cervical cancer is one of most common cancers among women worldwide. Recently, major research advances relating to the Ca²⁺ signals in cervical cancer are emerging. In this review, we comprehensively describe the current progress concerning the roles of Ca²⁺ signals in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of cervical cancer. It will enhance our understanding of the causative mechanism of Ca²⁺ signals in cervical cancer and thus provide new sights for identifying potential therapeutic targets for drug discovery.

RNA-seq and ChIP-seq Identification of Unique and Overlapping Targets of GLI Transcription Factors in Melanoma Cell Lines

BACKGROUND

Despite significant progress in therapy, melanoma still has a rising incidence worldwide, and novel treatment strategies are needed. Recently, researchers have recognized the involvement of the Hedgehog-GLI (HH-GLI) signaling pathway in melanoma and its consistent crosstalk with the MAPK pathway. In order to further investigate the link between the two pathways and to find new target genes that could be considered for combination therapy, we set out to find transcriptional targets of all three GLI proteins in melanoma.

METHODS

We performed RNA sequencing on three melanoma cell lines (CHL-1, A375, and MEL224) with overexpressed GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3 and combined them with the results of ChIP-sequencing on endogenous GLI1, GLI2, and GLI3 proteins. After combining these results, 21 targets were selected for validation by qPCR.

RESULTS

RNA-seq revealed a total of 808 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) for GLI1, 941 DEGs for GLI2, and 58 DEGs for GLI3. ChIP-seq identified 527 genes that contained GLI1 binding sites in their promoters, 1103 for GLI2 and 553 for GLI3. A total of 15 of these targets were validated in the tested cell lines, 6 of which were detected by both RNA-seq and ChIP-seq.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides insight into the unique and overlapping transcriptional output of the GLI proteins in melanoma. We suggest that our findings could provide new potential targets to consider while designing melanoma-targeted therapy.

Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Gynecological Cancers

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are essential components of the mucosal barrier of the female reproductive tract (FRT) and are involved in many important physiological processes, including shaping the microbiota and maintaining normal reproduction and pregnancy. Gynecological cancers seriously threaten women's health and bring a heavy burden to society so that new strategies are needed to deal with these diseases. Recent studies have suggested that AMPs also have a complex yet intriguing relationship with gynecological cancers. The expression level of AMPs changes during tumor progression and they may act as promising biomarkers in cancer detection and prognosis prediction. Although AMPs have long been considered as host protective, they actually play a "double-edged sword" role in gynecological cancers, either tumorigenic or antitumor, depending on factors such as AMP and cancer types, as well as AMP concentrations. Moreover, AMPs are associated with chemoresistance and regulation of AMPs' expression may alter sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, more work is needed, especially on the identification of molecular mechanisms of AMPs in the FRT, as well as the clinical application of these AMPs in detection, diagnosis and treatment of gynecological malignancies.

The effect of obesity on adipose-derived stromal cells and adipose tissue and their impact on cancer

The significant increase in the incidence of obesity represents the next global health crisis. As a result, scientific research has focused on gaining deeper insights into obesity and adipose tissue biology. As a result of the excessive accumulation of adipose tissue, obesity results from hyperplasia and hypertrophy within the adipose tissue. The functional alterations in the adipose tissue are a confounding contributing factor to many diseases, including cancer. The increased incidence and aggressiveness of several cancers, including colorectal, postmenopausal breast, endometrial, prostate, esophageal, hematological, malignant melanoma, and renal carcinomas, result from obesity as a contributing factor. The increased morbidity and mortality of obesity-associated cancers are attributable to increased hormones, adipokines, and cytokines produced by the adipose tissue. The increased adipose tissue levels observed in obese patients result in more adipose stromal/stem cells (ASCs) distributed throughout the body. ASCs have been shown to impact cancer progression in vitro and in preclinical animal models. ASCs influence tumor biology via multiple mechanisms, including the increased recruitment of ASCs to the tumor site and increased production of cytokines and growth factors by ASCs and other cells within the tumor stroma. Emerging evidence indicates that obesity induces alterations in the biological properties of ASCs, subsequently leading to enhanced tumorigenesis and metastasis of cancer cells. As the focus of this review is the interaction and impact of ASCs on cancer, the presentation is limited to preclinical data generated on cancers in which there is a demonstrated role for ASCs, such as postmenopausal breast, colorectal, prostate, ovarian, multiple myeloma, osteosarcoma, cervical, bladder, and gastrointestinal cancers. Our group has investigated the interactions between obesity and breast cancer and the mechanisms that regulate ASCs and adipocytes in these different contexts through interactions between cancer cells, immune cells, and other cell types present in the tumor microenvironment (TME) are discussed. The reciprocal and circular feedback loop between obesity and ASCs and the mechanisms by which ASCs from obese patients alter the biology of cancer cells and enhance tumorigenesis will be discussed. At present, the evidence for ASCs directly influencing human tumor growth is somewhat limited, though recent clinical studies suggest there may be some link.

Bioinformatic analysis identifies epidermal development genes that contribute to melanoma progression

Several diagnostic and prognostic markers for melanoma have been identified in last few years. However, their actual contribution to melanoma progression have not been investigated in detail. This study was aimed to identify genes, biological processes, and signaling pathways implicated in melanoma progression by applying bioinformatics analysis. We identified nine differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (IL36RN, KRT6A, KRT6B, KRT16, S100A7, SPRR1A, SPRR1B, SPRR2B, and KLK7) that were upregulated in primary melanoma compared with metastatic melanoma in all five datasets analyzed. All these genes except IL36RN, both form a protein-protein interaction network and have cellular functions associated with constitutive processes of keratinocytes. Thus, they were generically termed Epidermal Development and Cornification (EDC) genes. The differential expression of these genes in primary and metastatic melanoma was confirmed in the TCGA-SKCM cohort. High expression of the EDC genes correlated with reduced tumor thickness in primary melanoma and shorter survival in metastatic melanoma. Analysis of DEGs from primary melanoma patients displaying high or low expression of all eight EDC revealed that the upregulated genes are enriched in biological process related to cell migration, extracellular matrix organization, invasion, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition. Further analysis of enriched curated oncogenic genesets together with RPPA data of phosphorylated proteins revealed the activation of MEK, ATF2, and EGFR pathways in tumors displaying high expression of EDC genes. Thus, EDC genes may contribute to melanoma progression by promoting the activation of MEK, ATF2, and EGFR pathways together with biological processes associated with tumor aggressiveness.

The RAGE/multiligand axis: a new actor in tumor biology

The receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) is a multiligand binding and single-pass transmembrane protein which actively participates in several chronic inflammation-related diseases. RAGE, in addition to AGEs, has a wide repertoire of ligands, including several damage-associated molecular pattern molecules or alarmins such as HMGB1 and members of the S100 family proteins.

Over the last years, a large and compelling body of evidence has revealed the active participation of the RAGE axis in tumor biology based on its active involvement in several crucial mechanisms involved in tumor growth, immune evasion, dissemination, as well as by sculpturing of the tumor microenvironment as a tumor-supportive niche. In the present review, we will detail the consequences of the RAGE axis activation to fuel essential mechanisms to guarantee tumor growth and spreading.

The Impacts of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs)-Derived Periostin on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) of Cervical Cancer Cells

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to the migrating and invading behaviors of cells. Periostin is one of the essential components in the extracellular matrix and can induce EMT of cells and their sequential metastasis. But its underlying mechanism is unclear. The Hela and BMSC cell lines were assigned into Periostin-mimic group, Periostin-Inhibitor group and Periostin-NC group followed by analysis of cell migration and invasion, expression of E-Cadherin, Vimentin, β-Catenin, Snail, MMP-2, MMP-9, PTEN, and p-PTEN. Cells in Periostin-mimic group exhibited lowest migration, least number of invaded cells, as well as lowest levels of Vimentin, β-Catenin, Snail, MMP-2, MMP-9, p-PTEN, Akt, p-Akt, p-GSK-3β, p-PDK1 and p-cRcf, along with highest levels of E-cadherin and PTEN. Moreover, cells in Periostin-NC group had intermediate levels of these above indicators, while, the Periostin-Inhibitor group exhibited the highest migration rate, the most number of invaded cells, and the highest levels of these proteins (P < 0.05). In conclusion, BMSCs-derived Periostin can influence the EMT of cervical cancer cells possibly through restraining the activity of the PI3K/AKT signal transduction pathway, indicating that Periostin might be a target of chemotherapy in clinics for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Intratumor expanded T cell clones can be non-sentinel lymph node derived in breast cancer revealed by single-cell immune profiling

Background

Sentinel lymph nodes (LNs) are regarded as key immune surveillance sites in cancer wherein mature dendritic cells present tumor-derived antigens to prime and activate T cells, which then migrate to the tumor site. However, it is unclear whether the tumor-specific T cells can be elicited within the tumor independent of the sentinel LNs.

Methods

We performed an integrative analysis of gene expression profiles of 65,285 cells and T cell receptor sequences of 15,831 T cells from 5 paired primary breast tumors and sentinel LNs to identify where clonal T cells come from and the characteristics of those clonal T cells.

Results

The proportion of clonal T cells was higher in the primary tumors compared with the sentinel LNs, whereas all expanded clones identified in the sentinel LN were also present in the primary tumors. In contrast, 10.91% of the expanded clones in the primary tumors were not found in the sentinel LNs. These novel intratumoral T cell clones were characterized by high tissues retention capacity (CXCR6 +ITGAE+) and a distinct coinhibitory pattern (CD39 +NKG2A+) compared with the expanded T cell clones common to both sites. Furthermore, multiplex immunofluorescence imaging showed the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) in the primary breast tumors wherein the activated cytolytic T cells were concentrated, indicating its possible role in eliciting non-sentinel LN-derived T cell clones.

Conclusions

Our study revealed expanded intratumor non-sentinel LN derived T cell clones located in the TLS, which points to the need for exploring the role of TLS in antitumor immunity.

Infection by High-Risk Human Papillomaviruses, Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition and Squamous Pre-Malignant or Malignant Lesions of the Uterine Cervix: A Series of Chained Events?

Wound healing requires static epithelial cells to gradually assume a mobile phenotype through a multi-step process termed epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Although it is inherently transient and reversible, EMT perdures and is abnormally activated when the epithelium is chronically exposed to pathogens: this event deeply alters the tissue and eventually contributes to the development of diseases. Among the many of them is uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the most frequent malignancy of the female genital system. SCC, whose onset is associated with the persistent infection of the uterine cervix by high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), often relapses and/or metastasizes, being resistant to conventional chemo- or radiotherapy. Given that these fearsome clinical features may stem, at least in part, from the exacerbated and long-lasting EMT occurring in the HPV-infected cervix; here we have reviewed published studies concerning the impact that HPV oncoproteins, cellular tumor suppressors, regulators of gene expression, inflammatory cytokines or growth factors, and the interactions among these effectors have on EMT induction and cervical carcinogenesis. It is predictable and desirable that a broader comprehension of the role that EMT inducers play in SCC pathogenesis will provide indications to flourish new strategies directed against this aggressive tumor.

High S100A7 expression is associated with early muscle invasion and poor survival in bladder carcinoma

Muscle-invasive bladder carcinoma (MIBC) accounts for 25% of newly diagnosed bladder carcinomas (BCs) and presents a high risk of progression and metastasis. This study aimed to identify reliable biomarkers associated with muscle invasion and prognosis to identify potential therapeutic targets for MIBC. Four gene datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus, and the integrated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were then subjected to gene ontology (GO) terms and pathway enrichment analyses. Correlation analysis between the expression of the top-ranking DEGs and pathological T stages was performed to identify the genes associated with early muscle invasion. The corresponding prognostic values were evaluated, and co-expressed genes mined in the cBioPortal database were loaded into ClueGo in Cytoscape for pathway enrichment analysis. Using data mining from the STRING and TCGA databases, protein-protein interaction and competitive endogenous RNA networks were constructed. In total, 645 integrated DEGs were identified and these were mainly enriched in 26 pathways, including cell cycle, bladder cancer, DNA replication, and PPAR signaling pathway. S100A7 expression was significantly increased from the T2 stage and showed significantly worse overall survival and disease-specific survival in patients with BC. In total, 144 genes co-expressed with S100A7 in BC were significantly enriched in the IL-17 pathway. S100A7 was predicted to directly interact with LYZ, which potentially shows competitive binding with hsa-mir-140 to affect the expression of six lncRNAs in MIBC. In conclusion, high S100A7 expression was predicted to be associated with early muscle invasion and poor survival in patients with BC.

Leveling Up the Controversial Role of Neutrophils in Cancer: When the Complexity Becomes Entangled

Neutrophils are the most abundant immune cell in the circulation of human and act as gatekeepers to discard foreign elements that have entered the body. They are essential in initiating immune responses for eliminating invaders, such as microorganisms and alien particles, as well as to act as immune surveyors of cancer cells, especially during the initial stages of carcinogenesis and for eliminating single metastatic cells in the circulation and in the premetastatic organs. Since neutrophils can secrete a whole range of factors stored in their many granules as well as produce reactive oxygen and nitrogen species upon stimulation, neutrophils may directly or indirectly affect carcinogenesis in both the positive and negative directions. An intricate crosstalk between tumor cells, neutrophils, other immune cells and stromal cells in the microenvironment modulates neutrophil function resulting in both anti- and pro-tumor activities. Both the anti-tumor and pro-tumor activities require chemoattraction towards the tumor cells, neutrophil activation and ROS production. Divergence is seen in other neutrophil properties, including differential secretory repertoire and membrane receptor display. Many of the direct effects of neutrophils on tumor growth and metastases are dependent on tight neutrophil–tumor cell interactions. Among them, the neutrophil Mac-1 interaction with tumor ICAM-1 and the neutrophil L-selectin interaction with tumor-cell sialomucins were found to be involved in the neutrophil-mediated capturing of circulating tumor cells resulting in increased metastatic seeding. On the other hand, the anti-tumor function of neutrophils was found to rely on the interaction between tumor-surface-expressed receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and Cathepsin G expressed on the neutrophil surface. Intriguingly, these two molecules are also involved in the promotion of tumor growth and metastases. RAGE is upregulated during early inflammation-induced carcinogenesis and was found to be important for sustaining tumor growth and homing at metastatic sites. Cathepsin G was found to be essential for neutrophil-supported lung colonization of cancer cells. These data level up the complexity of the dual role of neutrophils in cancer.

HMGA1, Moonlighting Protein Function, and Cellular Real Estate: Location, Location, Location!

The gene encoding the High Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) chromatin remodeling protein is upregulated in diverse cancers where high levels portend adverse clinical outcomes. Until recently, HMGA1 was assumed to be a nuclear protein exerting its role in cancer by transcriptionally modulating gene expression and downstream signaling pathways. However, the discovery of an extracellular HMGA1-RAGE autocrine loop in invasive triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines implicates HMGA1 as a "moonlighting protein" with different functions depending upon cellular location. Here, we review the role of HMGA1, not only as a chromatin regulator in cancer and stem cells, but also as a potential secreted factor that drives tumor progression. Prior work found that HMGA1 is secreted from TNBC cell lines where it signals through the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) to foster phenotypes involved in tumor invasion and metastatic progression. Studies in primary TNBC tumors also suggest that HMGA1 secretion associates with distant metastasis in TNBC. Given the therapeutic potential to target extracellular proteins, further work to confirm this role in other contexts is warranted. Indeed, crosstalk between nuclear and secreted HMGA1 could change our understanding of tumor development and reveal novel therapeutic opportunities relevant to diverse human cancers overexpressing HMGA1.

DDX19A Promotes Metastasis of Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Inducing NOX1-Mediated ROS Production

The major obstacle to treat cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) is the high prevalence of metastasis, which severely affects 5-year survival rate and quality of life for cancer patients. The DEAD-box helicase family has been reported to be a critical mediator in the development and metastasis of various cancers. DEAD-box helicase 19A (DDX19A) is a member of the DEAD-box helicase family; however, its functional role in CSCC is unclear. In this study, bioinformatics analysis of clinical samples from public databases demonstrated that the expression of DDX19A was elevated in CSCC tissues and that high expression of DDX19A was positively correlated with metastasis and poor clinical outcome. Functionally, we found that DDX19A promoted CSCC cell migration and invasion in vitro and lung metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, overexpression of DDX19A increased NADPH oxidase 1 (NOX1) expression, enhanced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and induced the migration and invasion of CSCC cells. Rescue experiments revealed that DDX19A-induced CSCC functional alterations were dependent on NOX1 and that DDX19A-promoted CSCC metastasis was abrogated upon the inhibition of ROS. Our results demonstrated that DDX19A could promote CSCC metastasis by inducing NOX1-mediated ROS production and that blockage of the NOX1/ROS axis might serve as a potential therapeutic target for patients with DDX19A-overexpressed CSCC.

Antimicrobial peptides as an argument for the involvement of innate immunity in psoriasis (Review)

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a group of oligopeptides found in most multicellular organisms with a capacity for rapid and nonspecific destruction of pathogens. The action of destroying pathogens is associated with a strong proinflammatory activity, stimulating the secretion of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors but also chemotaxis, the activation of dendritic cells and involving adaptive immunity also. The action of AMPs fits perfectly into the characteristics of innate immunity which makes these peptides candidates to be considered as an important element of this type of immunity. It has been shown that AMPs are involved in a number of cellular processes such as: differentiation, proliferation, maturation, thus widening the degree of involvement of these peptides in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory diseases. In psoriasis, AMPs act both as a pro-inflammatory and chemotaxis factor and through the cathelicidin (LL-37)/dc DNA complex as a possible autoantigen for T cells, triggering an autoimmune response, activating the Th17/IL23 axis and maintaining the inflammatory process. Thus, many arguments are accumulated to consider that innate immunity through AMPs is an important link in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Moreover, the action of antimicrobial peptides in psoriasis is almost entirely characteristic for the general mode of action of innate immunity.

Role and Mechanisms of RAGE-Ligand Complexes and RAGE-Inhibitors in Cancer Progression

Interactions of the receptor for advanced glycation end product (RAGE) and its ligands in the context of their role in diabetes mellitus, inflammation, and carcinogenesis have been extensively investigated. This review focuses on the role of RAGE-ligands and anti-RAGE drugs capable of controlling cancer progression. Different studies have demonstrated interaction of RAGE with a diverse range of acidic (negatively charged) ligands such as advanced glycation end products (AGEs), high-mobility group box1 (HMGB1), and S100s, and their importance to cancer progression. Some RAGE-ligands displayed effects on anti- and pro-apoptotic proteins through upregulation of the phosphatidylinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways, while downregulating p53 in cancer progression. In addition, RAGE may undergo ligand-driven multimodal dimerization or oligomerization mediated through self-association of some of its subunits. We conclude our review by proposing possible future lines of study that could result in control of cancer progression through RAGE inhibition.

Dietary Flavonoids Luteolin and Quercetin Inhibit Migration and Invasion of Squamous Carcinoma through Reduction of Src/Stat3/S100A7 Signaling

Flavonoids are well-known antioxidants and have shown the ability to prevent tumor formation and recurrence. Especially in dietary flavonoids, they have provided convenience and consistence of intake for long-term prevention of tumor formation. Previous reports suggested that S100 calcium-binding protein A7 (S100A7) might activate epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) signaling and promote the metastasis of tumor cells; however, the regulatory signaling was unclear. In this study, we found that S100A7 was highly expressed in cancer cells and could be reduced by luteolin (Lu) and quercetin (Qu) through Src/Stat3 signaling. We found that the protein levels of S100A7, phosphorylated Src (p-Src), and p-Stat3 were increased in A431-III cells. Flavonoids Lu and Qu reduce protein levels of p-Src, p-Stat3 and S100A7 in A431-III cells. Treatment of A431-III cells with Src inhibitor SU6656 and Stat3 inhibitor S3I-201 also reduced the protein levels of S100A7. Transactivation activity of 5′-upstream regions of S100A7 was activated by Stat3 but was reduced by treatment with Lu, Qu, SU6656 and S3I-201. The treatment also reduced the migratory and invasive abilities of A431-III cells. In a further analysis of EMT markers, the protein level of E-cad increased and that of Twist decreased after treatment with the inhibitors and flavonoids. Overexpression of S100A7 decreased the protein level of E-cad and increased the Twist level, whereas knockdown of S100A7 had the opposite effects. Treatment with S3I-201, Lu and Qu, compared to the control, were found to decrease metastasis of tumor cells in zebrafish larvae. These results suggest that Lu and Qu may inhibit Src/Stat3/S100A7 signaling to reduce tumorigenesis of cancer cells.

S100 Calcium Binding Protein A11 (S100A11) Promotes The Proliferation, Migration And Invasion Of Cervical Cancer Cells, And Activates Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling

Purpose

This study is aimed to investigate the specific regulatory role of S100 calcium binding protein A11 (S100A11) on cervical cancer (CC), and reveal the potential mechanisms relating to Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Patients and methods

The expression of S100A11 in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC), adjacent non-cancerous, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and normal cervical tissues was detected by quantitative real-time PCR and/or immunohistochemistry. After transfection of pENTER-S100A11 or sh-S100A11-1/sh-S100A11-2, the viability, cell cycle, migration and invasion of C33A or SiHa cells were detected. The tumor volume and tumor weight were measured after injection of transfected C33A cells into mice. The expression of E-caherin (CDH2), N-caherin (CDH1), β-catenin (CTNNB1), and c-Myc (MYC) in C33A and SiHa cells was detected by Western blot.

Results

The expression of S100A11 was significantly higher in CSCC tissues than in adjacent non-cancerous, CIN, and normal cervical tissues (P < 0.05). S100A11 expression was positively correlated with the FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis of CSCC patients (P < 0.05). The transfection of pENTER-S100A11 into C33A cells significantly increased the cell viability, the percentage of cells in G2/M phase, the numbers of migratory and invasive cells, as well as the tumor volume and weight in mice (P < 0.05). Overexpression of S100A11 also significantly downregulated E-caherin, and upregulated N-caherin, β-catenin, and c-Myc in C33A cells (P < 0.05). The transfection of sh-S100A11-1/sh-S100A11-2 exhibited the opposite results to that of pENTER-S100A11 on SiHa cells.

Conclusion

Overexpression of S100A11 promotes the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of CC cells, and activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

An integrated approach for mining precise RNA-based cervical cancer staging biomarkers

Since international federation of gynecology and obstetrics (FIGO) staging is mainly based on clinical assessment, an integrated approach for mining RNA based biomarkers for understanding the molecular deregulation of signaling pathways and RNAs in cervical cancer was proposed in this study. Publicly available data were mined for identifying significant RNAs after patient staging. Significant miRNA families were identified from mRNA-miRNA and lncRNA-miRNA interaction network analyses followed by stage specific mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA association network generation. Integrated bioinformatic analyses of selected mRNAs and lncRNAs were performed. Results suggest that HBA1, HBA2, HBB, SLC2A1, CXCL10 (stage I), PKIA (stage III) and S100A7 (stage IV) were important. miRNA family enrichment of interacting miRNA partners of selected RNAs indicated the enrichment of let-7 family. Assembly of collagen fibrils and other multimeric structures_Homosapiens_R-HSA-2022090 in pathway analysis and progesterone_CTD_00006624 in DSigDB analysis were the most significant and SLC2A1, hsa-miR-188-3p, hsa-miR-378a-3p and hsa-miR-150-5p were selected as survival markers.

Ca2+-Binding Proteins of the EF-Hand Superfamily: Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarkers and Novel Therapeutic Targets

A multitude of Ca²⁺-sensor proteins containing the specific Ca²⁺-binding motif (helix-loop-helix, called EF-hand) are of major clinical relevance in a many human diseases. Measurements of troponin, the first intracellular Ca-sensor protein to be discovered, is nowadays the "gold standard" in the diagnosis of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Mutations have been identified in calmodulin and linked to inherited ventricular tachycardia and in patients affected by severe cardiac arrhythmias. Parvalbumin, when introduced into the diseased heart by gene therapy to increase contraction and relaxation speed, is considered to be a novel therapeutic strategy to combat heart failure. S100 proteins, the largest subgroup with the EF-hand protein family, are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, various types of cancer, inflammation, and autoimmune pathologies. The intention of this review is to summarize the clinical importance of this protein family and their use as biomarkers and potential drug targets, which could help to improve the diagnosis of human diseases and identification of more selective therapeutic interventions.

Impact of the Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Genetic Polymorphisms on the Progression in Uterine Cervical Cancer

To date, few studies have explored the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) in uterine cervical cancer. Therefore, we conducted this study to investigate the involvement of RAGE SNPs in cervical cancer. In total, 117 patients with cervical invasive cancer, 84 with precancerous lesions, and 320 normal women were recruited consecutively. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the genotypic frequencies of RAGE SNPs. The results indicated that among the four RAGE SNPs, only the GT/TT genotype of rs184003 was distributed differently between patients with cervical neoplasias and the normal controls, with GG as a reference. Moreover, cervical cancer patients with genotypes TA/AA in rs1800624 exhibited a lower risk of parametrium invasion, moderate-to-poor cell differentiation, and pelvic lymph node metastasis. In conclusion, RAGE SNPs rs1800624 was associated with some clinicopathological variables in cervical cancer.

PAK5 promotes the migration and invasion of cervical cancer cells by phosphorylating SATB1

p21-activated kinase 5 (PAK5) is involved in several oncogenic signaling pathways and its amplification or overexpression has been found in various types of cancer; however, the pathophysiologic role of PAK5 in cervical cancer (CC) remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the effects of PAK5 on CC metastasis and its specific regulation mechanism. We performed western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis and found that the expression levels of PAK5 were significantly upregulated in CC cells and tissues. In addition, statistical analysis via IHC showed that increased PAK5 significantly correlated with CC progression. Mn²⁺-Phos-tag SDS-PAGE, western blotting, immunofluorescence and dual luciferase reporter assays were utilized to determine the involvement of SATB1 in PAK5-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We found that PAK5-mediated special AT-rich binding protein-1 (SATB1) phosphorylation on Ser47 initiated EMT cascade and promoted migration and invasion of CC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of PAK5 induced lung metastasis of CC cells in xenograft modes. Taken together, we conclude that PAK5 is a novel prognostic indicator and plays an important role in the CC metastasis.

Psoriasin overexpression confers drug resistance to cisplatin by activating ERK in gastric cancer

Psoriasin, a member of the S100 multigenic family, which is aberrantly expressed in a variety of human tumors, is considered as an attractive molecular target for cancer treatment. The present study aimed to characterize the role of psoriasin in gastric cancer (GC), the associated pathways through which it contributes to cancer development and progression, and the effect of psoriasin on cellular response to pre-operative chemotherapy in patients with GC. Expression of psoriasin mRNA and protein were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry of gastric cancer cohorts, respectively. Gastric cancer cell models with differential expression of psoriasin were generated using stable cell lines that overexpressed psoriasin. The in vitro biological functions of the cells in response to psoriasin overexpression and to chemotherapeutic agents were assessed using various cell-based assays. Psoriasin was overexpressed in patients with advanced GC, and high psoriasin levels led to poor clinical outcomes. Increasing psoriasin expression in GC cell lines promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, psoriasin overexpression caused alterations in the levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated proteins, and activated the extracellular signal-regulated kinase signaling pathway. Additionally, higher levels of psoriasin expression were significantly associated a lack of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with GC. Psoriasin overexpression tended to decrease the sensitivity of GC cells to cisplatin, potentially by inhibiting apoptosis or increasing the S-phase population. Taken together, these results indicate that psoriasin may be a promising therapeutic target for GC treatment, and a potential molecular marker to predict patient response to pre-operative chemotherapy.

The TGFβ-induced lncRNA TBILA promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression in vitro and in vivo via cis-regulating HGAL and activating S100A7/JAB1 signaling

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in multiple cellular processes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the involvement of lncRNAs in the transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) signaling pathway, the critical tumor cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis pathway, remains poorly understood. To address this issue, we compared the lncRNAs expression patterns of NSCLC cells treated with and without TGFβ1 treatment. We observed that one of the most prominent hits, TGFβ-induced lncRNA (TBILA), promoted NSCLC progression and was upregulated in tumor tissues. Upregulated TBILA promotes human germinal center-associated lymphoma (HGAL) expression by binding to the Smad transcription factor complex, thereby enhancing RhoA activation. In addition, TBILA induces the S100A7-c-Jun activation domain-binding protein 1 (JAB1) pathway by binding to nuclear S100A7 and enhances pro-survival pathways in NSCLC. These findings have provided us with a new perspective regarding the regulation of the TGFβ signaling pathway in NSCLC and suggest that the lncRNA TBILA can serve as a target for anticancer therapies.

Silencing TRIM37 inhibits the proliferation and migration of non-small cell lung cancer cells

Tripartite motif containing 37 (TRIM37), a member of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family, has been involved in the development and progression of several tumors. However, its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and role of TRIM37 in NSCLC. Our results showed that TRIM37 was highly expressed in human NSCLC cell lines. Knockdown of TRIM37 obviously inhibited the proliferation in vitro and xenografted tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, knockdown of TRIM37 suppressed NSCLC cell migration and invasion by inhibiting the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. Lastly, knockdown of TRIM37 greatly down-regulated the protein expression levels of β-catenin, cyclinD1 and c-myc in A549 cells. In conclusion, the present study revealed that TRIM37 plays an important role in the development and progression of NSCLC. Thus, TRIM37 may act a potential therapeutic target for treating NSCLC.

Tripartite motif containing 37 (TRIM37), a member of the tripartite motif (TRIM) family, has been involved in the development and progression of several tumors.

ADAM12 induces EMT and promotes cell migration, invasion and proliferation in pituitary adenomas via EGFR/ERK signaling pathway

Pituitary adenomas are the second most common primary brain tumor with invasive properties. We have previously identified that ADAM12 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 12) overexpression is associated with the tumor invasion of pituitary adenomas, however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. This study aims to elucidate the mechanistic role of ADAM12 in regulating the tumor invasion of pituitary adenomas. In this study, we first showed that ADAM12 expression was concomitant with epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in clinical specimens of human pituitary adenomas. Further functional studies showed that ADAM12 silencing in pituitary adenoma cells significantly inhibited the EMT process and suppressed cell migration, invasion and proliferation without influencing cell apoptosis. Mechanistically, ADAM12 silencing significantly reduced ectodomain shedding of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligands and attenuated the EGFR/ERK signaling pathway. Blocking of EGFR signaling resulted in EMT suppression similar to silencing of ADAM12 and reduced cell migration, invasion and proliferation, while EGFR activation abolished the suppression on EMT, proliferation, migration and invasion induced by ADAM12 silencing. Moreover, ADAM12 silencing significantly impaired tumorigenesis and EMT of pituitary adenoma cells in vivo. Taken together, our study provide crucial evidence that ADAM12 induces EMT and promotes cell migration, invasion and proliferation in pituitary adenomas via EGFR/ERK signaling pathway. These finds strongly suggest that ADAM12 might serve as a novel valuable therapeutic target for pituitary adenomas.

Silencing RIF1 decreases cell growth, migration and increases cisplatin sensitivity of human cervical cancer cells

Replication timing regulatory factor 1 (RIF1) plays an important role in DNA replication regulation, stem cell pluripotency and DNA repair pathway. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms and physiological significance of RIF1 in cancer and chemotherapy efficacy. In this study, we found that RIF1 is upregulated in cervical cancer tissues compared with normal tissues both at mRNA and protein levels through online databases. RIF1 knockdown reduced cervical cancer cell growth, colony formation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that RIF1 knockdown induced apoptosis and G2 cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, RIF1 knockdown increased cisplatin sensitivity, cisplatin-induced G2/M phase arrest, apoptosis and led to defects in DNA repair in a concentration-dependent manner. In terms of mechanism research, increased CDKN1A expression and Bax/Bcl-2/caspase-3 signaling pathway might be involved in the G2/M phase arrest and increased apoptosis in RIF1-silenced cervical cancer cells. Thus, these findings indicate that RIF1 knockdown prior to chemotherapy may be a potential effective therapeutic strategy for cervical cancer.

Upregulation of MicroRNA-4262 Targets Kaiso (ZBTB33) to Inhibit the Proliferation and EMT of Cervical Cancer Cells

More and more studies have reported that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) leads to the proliferation and EMT of multiple cancers. Recently, several reports have demonstrated that dysregulation of miR-4262 occurs in numerous cancers. However, its role and precise mechanism in human cervical cancer (CC) have not been well clarified. Hence, this study aimed to explore the biological roles and precise mechanisms of miR-4262 in CC cell lines. The level of miR-4262 was found to be significantly decreased in CC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, decreased expression of miR-4262 was closely related to increased expression of Kaiso (ZBTB33), which belongs to the BTB/POZ family, in CC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation and EMT of CC cells were inhibited by a miR-4262 mimic. However, downregulation of miR-4262 enhanced the proliferation and EMT of CC cells. Next, bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR-4262 might directly target the Kaiso gene. Besides, luciferase reporter assay had confirmed this result. Moreover, introduction of Kaiso in CC cells partially blocked the effects of miR-4262 mimic. In conclusion, miR-4262 suppressed the proliferation and EMT of CC cells by directly downregulating Kaiso.