Overexpression of SSH1 in gastric adenocarcinoma and its correlation with clinicopathological features

SSH3 promotes pancreatic cancer proliferation and migration by activating the notch signaling pathway

Recent studies have indicated that the dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSP) family may play a role in the advancement of pancreatic cancer. Exploring the role of the DUSP family in pancreatic cancer development and discovering novel therapeutic targets are crucial for pancreatic cancer therapy. A critical subset of 20 genes exhibiting differential expression was identified, with particular emphasis on four key genes: DUSP10, PTP4A2, SSH3, and CDKN3 by multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis. These genes were integral to developing a novel risk model for PC, which has been independently validated as a prognostic factor for patients. To provide help for clinical treatment, we performed tumor immune analysis and predicted potential chemical drugs. Notably, our research unveiled elevated expression levels of SSH3 in human PC cells and tissues. Intriguingly, SSH3 expression correlates with the patient grade, staging, and T stage in PC. Additional studies reveal SSH3's role in enhancing PC cell proliferation and migration, intricately linked to the activation of the Notch signaling pathway. These insights provide a deeper understanding of PC pathophysiology and pave the way for novel therapeutic interventions.

Genetic and molecular biology of gastric cancer among Iranian patients: an update

Background

There is a declining trend of gastric cancer (GC) incidence in the world during recent years that is related to the development of novel diagnostic methods. However, there is still a high ratio of GC mortality among the Iranian population that can be associated with late diagnosis. Despite various reports about the novel diagnostic markers, there is not any general and standard diagnostic panel marker for Iranian GC patients. Therefore, it is required to determine an efficient and general panel of molecular markers for early detection.

Main body of the abstract

In the present review, we summarized all of the reported markers until now among Iranian GC patients to pave the way for the determination of a population-based diagnostic panel of markers. In this regard, we categorized these markers in different groups based on their involved processes to know which molecular process is more frequent during the GC progression among Iranians.

Conclusion

We observed that the non-coding RNAs are the main factors involved in GC tumorigenesis in this population.

Expression profiles of miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 in human colorectal cancer tissues in accordance with their clinical significance : Comparison regarding KRAS mutation

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the most widespread malignancies in the world. MicroRNA (miRNA) has been identified as an important modulator of the biological processes of the cells. This group of noncoding RNAs also has a pivotal function in the growth and development of human cancers, including CRC. Among these miRNAs, miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 have fundamental impacts on the regulation of cancers. The current study aimed to investigate the involvement of these miRNAs in CRC patients.

METHODS

In this study, 50 pairs of tumor and tumor margin samples of CRC patients were investigated to assess the expression levels of miR-196, miR-132, miR-146a, and miR-134 in this cancer. For this purpose, firstly, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied. Also, KRAS mutation and clinicopathological characteristics of the CRC patients were analyzed in the study groups.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated the overexpression of miR-196 (P-value = 0.0045) and miR-146a (P-value = 0.0033) in tumor tissues compared to controls. Conversely, the expression levels of miR-132 (P-value = 0.00032) and miR-134 (P-value < 0.0001) were downregulated in tumor tissues. Also, miR-146a was the only miRNA with significant expression change in the case of the KRAS gene mutation. Interestingly, the expression ratio of these miRNAs was significantly associated with some of the clinicopathological features of the patients, such as lymph node and distant metastases.

CONCLUSION

Our data demonstrated that these miRNAs appear to be promising novel biomarkers for early diagnosis of CRC and may pave the way for the future establishment of novel therapeutic options for CRC.

The emerging roles of dual-specificity phosphatases and their specific characteristics in human cancer

Reversible phosphorylation of proteins, controlled by kinases and phosphatases, is involved in various cellular processes. Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) can dephosphorylate phosphorylated serine, threonine and tyrosine residues. This family consists of 61 members, 44 of which have been identified in human, and these 44 members are classified into six subgroups, the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) protein phosphatases (PTENs), mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatases (MKPs), atypical DUSPs, cell division cycle 14 (CDC14) phosphatases (CDC14s), slingshot protein phosphatases (SSHs), and phosphatases of the regenerating liver (PRLs). Growing evidence has revealed dysregulation of DUSPs as one of the common phenomenons and highlighted their key roles in human cancers. Furthermore, their differential expression may be a potential biomarker for tumor prognosis. Despite this, there are still many unstudied members of DUSPs need to further explore their precise roles and mechanism in cancers. Most importantly, the systematic review is very limited on the functional/mechanistic characteristics and clinical application of DUSPs at present. In this review, the structures, functions and underlying mechanisms of DUSPs are systematically reviewed, and the molecular and functional characteristics of DUSPs in different tumor types according to the current researches are summarized. In addition, the potential roles of the unstudied members and the possible different mechanisms of DUSPs in cancer are discussed and classified based on homology alignment and structural domain analyses. Moreover, the specific characteristics of their expression and prognosis are further determined in more than 30 types of human cancers by using the online databases. Finally, their potential application in precise diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different types of cancers, and the main possible problems for the clinical application at present are prospected.

Sustained Exposure to Helicobacter pylori Lysate Inhibits Apoptosis and Autophagy of Gastric Epithelial Cells

Helicobacter pylori is designated as a class I carcinogen of human gastric cancer following long-term infection. During this process, H. pylori bacteria persist in proliferation and death, and release bacterial components that come into contact with gastric epithelial cells and regulate host cell function. However, the impact of long-term exposure to H. pylori lysate on the pathological changes of gastric cells is not clear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulation and mechanisms involved in gastric cell dysfunction following continuous exposure to H. pylori lysate. We co-cultured gastric cell lines GES-1 and MKN-45 with H. pylori lysate for 30 generations, and we found that sustained exposure to H. pylori lysate inhibited GES-1 cell invasion, migration, autophagy, and apoptosis, while it did not inhibit MKN-45 cell invasion or migration. Furthermore, Mongolian gerbils infected with H. pylori ATCC 43504 strains for 90 weeks confirmed the in vitro results. The clinical and in vitro data indicated that sustained exposure to H. pylori lysate inhibited cell apoptosis and autophagy through the Nod1-NF-κB/MAPK-ERK/FOXO4 signaling pathway. In conclusion, sustained exposure to H. pylori lysate promoted proliferation of gastric epithelial cells and inhibited autophagy and apoptosis via Nod1-NF-κB/MAPK-ERK/FOXO4 signaling pathway. In the process of H. pylori-induced gastric lesions, H. pylori lysate plays as an “accomplice” to carcinogenesis.

Contribution of DNA methylation and EZH2 in SRBC down-regulation in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC), a high mortality malignancy, is induced by genetic and epigenetic factors. DNA and histone methylation play critical roles in tumor suppressor genes inactivation. SRBC (serum deprivation response factor-related gene product that binds to the c-kinase), suggested as a tumor suppressor gene, participates in apoptosis, tumor chemoresistance and DNA damage response and is repressed in various cancers. Inspecting the mechanisms underlying SRBC suppression is important for cancer treatments. We investigated SRBC promoter DNA methylation status and expression of SRBC and EZH2 histone methyltrasferase in gastric cancer. Also, we surveyed SRBC expression after 5-azacitidine and UNC1999 treatments of AGS cell line. In current work, we used gastric adenocarcinoma tissues, marginal samples and normal gastric biopsies. DNA methylation was detected by Methylation- Specific PCR and mRNA expression was measured by Real-Time PCR. SRBC promoter methylation analysis, showed fully and partial methylated versions that were associated with patient's age (p = 0.001). SRBC expression significantly decreased in GC compare with marginal and normal samples (p-value < 0.001). EZH2 showed remarkable up-regulation in GC than controls and demonstrated a strong inverse correlation with SRBC expression (r = - 0.69). Restoration of SRBC expression was observed after 5-azacitidine and UNC1999 applications with a remarkable increase by combinational treatment. We showed that EZH2 plays role in SRBC silencing in addition to DNA methylation. Our study, suggests that DNA methylation and EZH2 are involved in SRBC silencing and their inhibitors can be considered in cancer treatment investigations to overcome chemoresistance induced by SRBC inactivation.

Role of SSH1 in colorectal cancer prognosis and tumor progression

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Slingshot 1 protein (SSH1) plays a critical role in cytoskeleton dynamic regulation. Increasing evidence suggest that SSH1 expression is upregulated in several cancers and relates to tumor progression and drug resistance. Here, we evaluated the role of SSH1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) development and its prognostic value in patients with CRC.

METHODS

SSH1 expression was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blot analysis, or immunohistochemistry. The association between SSH1 expression and clinical characteristics and prognosis was evaluated. Stable SSH1 knockdown cells were used for in vitro assays and xenograft models. Correlation between SSH1 expression and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was analyzed by western blot and online data analysis.

RESULTS

SSH1 expression was upregulated in cancer tissue compared with paired non-cancerous tissue in patients with CRC. SSH1 expression level in CRC tissue was associated with tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, and correlated with poor prognosis as indicated by univariate and multivariate analyses. In vitro, loss of SSH1 impaired colony formation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. In vivo data suggest that SSH1 could promote the progression and metastasis of CRC. Interestingly, E-cadherin, ZEB1, and Snail, which are markers of EMT, had a significant expression correlation with SSH1.

CONCLUSIONS

SSH1 expression is associated with CRC progression and predicts poor prognosis. SSH1 may promote CRC tumor progression by regulating EMT.

Overexpression of CFL1 in gastric cancer and the effects of its silencing by siRNA with a nanoparticle delivery system in the gastric cancer cell line

Gastric adenocarcinoma, like other cancers, is a multifactorial genetic disease, and metastasis of cancer cells is one of the main features of this illness. The expression levels of the CFL1 gene have been modulated in this pathway. Using small interfering RNA (siRNA) in the treatment of gastric cancer is considered a hopeful gene therapeutic approach. The present study reported the level of CFL1 genes between tumor and margin and healthy tissue of gastric cancer. Also, the features of a cationic nanoparticle with a polymer coating containing polyacrylic acid and polyethyleneimine that were used in the delivery of CFL1 siRNA, were shown. Then the cytotoxicity, cellular uptake, and gene silencing efficiency of this nanoparticle were evaluated with CFL1siRNA.

METHOD

In this study, the CFL1 gene expression was measured in 40 gastric adenocarcinoma, marginal and 15 healthy biopsy samples by a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Physicochemical characteristics, apoptosis, and inhibition of migration of the delivery of CFL1 siRNA by nanoparticle and lipofectamine were investigated in gastric cancer cells.

RESULT

The CFL1 expression was remarkably increased in gastric cancer tissues in comparison with the marginal samples and normal tissues (p < .05) and the biomarker index for CFL1 was obtained as 0.94, then this gene can be probably used as a biomarker for gastric cancer. After treatment of the AGS cell line by CFL1 siRNA, the CFL1 expression level of mRNA and migration in AGS cells were remarkably suppressed after transfection. Furthermore, the amount of apoptosis increased (p < .05).

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that CFL1 downregulation in AGS cells can interdict cell migration. Finally, our outcomes propose that CFL1 can function as an oncogenic gene in gastric cancer and would be considered as a potential purpose of gene therapy for gastric cancer treatment.

High-Expression HBO1 Predicts Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer

OBJECTIVES

Our goal was to assess the expression of histone acetyltransferase binding to origin recognition complex 1 (HBO1) in gastric cancer and the effect on prognosis for the patients.

METHODS

We used quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry to investigate the expressions of HBO1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in gastric cancer tissues. Online resources, including Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier Plotter, were used to further assess the correlation between HBO1 expression and the prognosis of the patients with gastric cancer.

RESULTS

HBO1 mRNA and protein expressions in gastric cancer tissues were both significantly higher than those in normal tissues. The correlations between high HBO1 expression and differentiation, invasive depth (T), lymph node metastasis (N), distant metastasis (M), TNM staging, and serum carcinoembryonic antigen levels were positive. High HBO1 expression was negatively correlated with survival time in patients with gastric cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

HBO1 might be a valuable biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer.

ANKRD33 is overexpressed in gastric adenocarcinoma and predictive for poor prognosis

The aim of the current study was to investigate and discuss the function of ANKRD33 gene in the pathogenesis of gastric adenocarcinoma. The marked up-regulated expression of ANKRD33 gene in gastric adenocarcinoma tissues compared to normal tissues was found by bioinformatics analysis. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that high expression of ANKRD33 is correlated with lower overall survival of gastric adenocarcinoma patients. The results of qPCR revealed that mRNA expression level of ANKRD33 was dramatically higher in AGS, SGC7901, and BGC823 cell lines than that in the GES1 cells. Knockdown of ANKRD33 remarkably inhibited the viability, invasion, and migration of AGS and BGC823 cells. Furthermore, the ratio of p-AKT/AKT and p-mTOR/mTOR was significantly decreased in AGS cells which transfected with si- ANKRD33. All the above results illustrated that ANKRD33 would act as a tumor forwarder in gastric adenocarcinoma development and have a high potential to be a marker molecule in the diagnosis and treatment of gastric tumors.