Overexpression of HOXC6 promotes cell proliferation and migration via MAPK signaling and predicts a poor prognosis in glioblastoma

mRNA markers for survival prediction in glioblastoma multiforme patients: a systematic review with bioinformatic analyses

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a type of fast-growing brain glioma associated with a very poor prognosis. This study aims to identify key genes whose expression is associated with the overall survival (OS) in patients with GBM.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science up to Journey 2024. Two researchers independently extracted the data and assessed the study quality according to the New Castle Ottawa scale (NOS). The genes whose expression was found to be associated with survival were identified and considered in a subsequent bioinformatic study. The products of these genes were also analyzed considering protein-protein interaction (PPI) relationship analysis using STRING. Additionally, the most important genes associated with GBM patients' survival were also identified using the Cytoscape 3.9.0 software. For final validation, GEPIA and CGGA (mRNAseq_325 and mRNAseq_693) databases were used to conduct OS analyses. Gene set enrichment analysis was performed with GO Biological Process 2023.

RESULTS

From an initial search of 4104 articles, 255 studies were included from 24 countries. Studies described 613 unique genes whose mRNAs were significantly associated with OS in GBM patients, of which 107 were described in 2 or more studies. Based on the NOS, 131 studies were of high quality, while 124 were considered as low-quality studies. According to the PPI network, 31 key target genes were identified. Pathway analysis revealed five hub genes (IL6, NOTCH1, TGFB1, EGFR, and KDR). However, in the validation study, only, the FN1 gene was significant in three cohorts.

CONCLUSION

We successfully identified the most important 31 genes whose products may be considered as potential prognosis biomarkers as well as candidate target genes for innovative therapy of GBM tumors.

PW06 suppresses cancer cell metastasis in human pancreatic carcinoma MIA PaCa-2 cells via the inhibitions of p-Akt/mTOR/NF-κB and MMP2/MMP9 signaling pathways in vitro

PW06 [(E)-3-(9-ethyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-1-(2,5-dimethoxyphenyl) prop-2-en-1-one], a kind of the carbazole derivative containing chalcone moiety, induced cell apoptosis in human pancreatic carcinoma in vitro. There is no investigation to show that PW06 inhibits cancer cell metastasis in human pancreatic carcinoma in vitro. Herein, PW06 (0.1-0.8 μM) significantly exists in the antimetastatic activities of human pancreatic carcinoma MIA PaCa-2 cells in vitro. Wound healing assay shows PW06 at 0.2 μM suppressed cell mobility by 7.45 and 16.55% at 6 and 24 hours of treatments. PW06 at 0.1 and 0.2 μM reduced cell mobility by 14.72 and 21.8% for 48 hours of treatment. Transwell chamber assay indicated PW06 (0.1-0.2 μM) suppressed the cell migration (decreased 26.67-35.42%) and invasion (decreased 48.51-68.66%). Atomic force microscopy assay shows PW06 (0.2 μM) significantly changed the shape of cell morphology. The gelatin zymography assay indicates PW06 decreased MMP2's and MMP9's activities at 48 hours of treatment. Western blotting assay further confirms PW06 reduced levels of MMP2 and MMP9 and increased protein expressions of EGFR, SOS1, and Ras. PW06 also increased the p-JNK, p-ERK, and p-p38. PW06 increased the expression of PI3K, PTEN, Akt, GSK3α/β, and E-cadherin. Nevertheless, results also show PW06 decreased p-Akt, mTOR, NF-κB, p-GSK3β, β-catenin, Snail, N-cadherin, and vimentin in MIA PaCa-2 cells. The confocal laser microscopy examination shows PW06 increased E-cadherin but decreased vimentin in MIA PaCa-2 cells. Together, our findings strongly suggest that PW06 inhibited the p-Akt/mTOR/NF-κB/MMPs pathways, increased E-cadherin, and decreased N-cadherin/vimentin, suppressing the migration and invasion in MIA PaCa-2 cells in vitro.

Combinatorial prediction of therapeutic perturbations using causally-inspired neural networks

As an alternative to target-driven drug discovery, phenotype-driven approaches identify compounds that counteract the overall disease effects by analyzing phenotypic signatures. Our study introduces a novel approach to this field, aiming to expand the search space for new therapeutic agents. We introduce PDGrapher, a causally-inspired graph neural network model designed to predict arbitrary perturbagens - sets of therapeutic targets - capable of reversing disease effects. Unlike existing methods that learn responses to perturbations, PDGrapher solves the inverse problem, which is to infer the perturbagens necessary to achieve a specific response - i.e., directly predicting perturbagens by learning which perturbations elicit a desired response. Experiments across eight datasets of genetic and chemical perturbations show that PDGrapher successfully predicted effective perturbagens in up to 9% additional test samples and ranked therapeutic targets up to 35% higher than competing methods. A key innovation of PDGrapher is its direct prediction capability, which contrasts with the indirect, computationally intensive models traditionally used in phenotypedriven drug discovery that only predict changes in phenotypes due to perturbations. The direct approach enables PDGrapher to train up to 30 times faster, representing a significant leap in efficiency. Our results suggest that PDGrapher can advance phenotype-driven drug discovery, offering a fast and comprehensive approach to identifying therapeutically useful perturbations.

Roles of the HIF-1α pathway in the development and progression of keloids

Keloids, a pathological scar that is induced by the consequence of aberrant wound healing, is still a major global health concern for its unsatisfactory treatment outcomes. HIF-1α, a main regulator of hypoxia, mainly acts through some proteins or signaling pathways and plays important roles in a variety of biological processes. Accumulating evidence has shown that HIF-1α played a crucial role in the process of keloid formation. In this review, we attempted to summarize the current knowledge on the association between HIF-1α expression and the development and progression of keloids. Through a comprehensive analysis, the molecular mechanisms underlying HIF-1α in keloids were shown to be correlated to the proliferation of fibroblasts, angiogenesis, and collagen deposits. The affected proteins and the signaling pathways were multiple. For instance, HIF-1α was reported to promote keloids formation by enhancing angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and collagen deposition through the activation of periostin PI3K/Akt, TGF-β/Smad and TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. However, the specific effects of HIF-1α on keloids keloid illnesses in clinical practice is are entirely unclear, and further studies in clinical trials are still warranted. Therefore, an in-depth understanding of the biological mechanisms of HIF-1α in keloid formation is significant to develop promising therapeutic targets for the treatment of keloids in clinical practice.

Multitranscriptome analyses of keloid fibroblasts reveal the role of the HIF-1α/HOXC6/ERK axis in keloid development

Background

A keloid is a disease of excessive fibrosis that is characterized by the aberrant proliferation of fibroblasts. However, the molecular mechanisms of fibroblasts during the development of keloids remain unclear. This study aims to identify new molecular targets that promote the proliferation and migration of keloid fibroblasts, providing new ideas for the prevention and treatment of keloids.

Methods

We utilized bioinformatics tools to analyze data from keloid fibroblasts (KFs) available in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify the key genes involved in keloid development. Homeobox C6 (HOXC6) emerged as a hub gene in KFs from the GEO database was verified in keloid tissue samples and KFs using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot (WB) and immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, the effects of downregulated HOXC6 expression on the cellular behaviors of KFs were examined by performing Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, transwell migration and WB assays. Meanwhile, we performed transcriptome sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to further explore HOXC6-related mechanisms and validated the signaling pathways by performing a series of experiments.

Results

HOXC6 was the top-ranking hub gene of KFs in microarray datasets from GEO and was upregulated in keloid tissue samples and KFs. Downregulation of HOXC6 inhibited proliferation, migration and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation and promoted KF apoptosis. GSEA predicted that the hypoxia signaling pathway was associated with HOXC6 in KFs. Transcriptome sequencing suggested that the extracellular regulated protein kinase (ERK) pathway was one of the downstream pathways of HOXC6 in KFs. Our experiments confirmed that hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) upregulates HOXC6, contributing to KFs proliferation, migration, apoptosis inhibition and collagen accumulation through the ERK signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Our findings first revealed that HOXC6 acts as an oncogenic driver in the molecular mechanisms of fibroblasts in keloids. The HIF-1α/HOXC6/ERK axis promotes proliferation, migration and ECM production by KFs, contributing to the progression of keloids. Taken together, HOXC6 may serve as a promising novel therapeutic target and new focus for research designed to understand the pathogenesis of keloids.

HOXC6 Regulates the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition through the TGF-β/Smad Signaling Pathway and Predicts a Poor Prognosis in Glioblastoma

Background

The HOX gene family of transcription factors, characterized by conserved homeodomains, is positively correlated with the resistance to chemotherapy drugs and poor prognosis, as well as the initiating potential of gliomas. However, there are few studies regarding the HOXC6 gene in glioma cells. Therefore, in the present study, we explored the regulatory roles and detailed mechanisms underlying the relationship between HOXC6 and the progression of GBM.

Methods

The expression levels and prognostic value of HOXC6 in GBM were evaluated using the data obtained from the GCCA, GEPIA, and ONCOMINE databases. The relationship between GBM prognosis and levels of HOXC6 was identified using Kaplan-Meier curves. The protein levels of HOXC6 in GBM and adjacent normal tissues were identified via Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining methods. Lentiviruses containing full-length HOXC6 and HOXC6 specific siRNA sequences were used to overexpress and knock down, respectively, the expression of HOXC6 in U87 and U251 cells. The role of HOXC6 in the regulation of migration and proliferation of GBM cells was accessed using Transwell, wound healing, CCK-8, and colony formation assays. The activation of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway was detected via Western blotting.

Results

Compared to normal tissues and control cells, GBM tissues and cell lines showed higher expressions of HOXC6. The expression of HOXC6 was associated with disease-free and the overall survival of GBM patients. Additionally, positive correlations between the expression of HOXC6 and the migration and proliferation of GBM cells were observed in vitro. The mechanistic analyses indicated that HOXC6 exerts its promotive effect on the progression and invasion of glioma cells by promoting the activation of the EMT and TGF-β/Smad signaling pathways.

Conclusions

HOXC6 enhances the migration and proliferation of GBM by activating the EMT signaling pathway.

HOXC6/8/10/13 predict poor prognosis and associate with immune infiltrations in glioblastoma

BACKGROUND

Glioblastoma (GBM), characterized by deregulated cell proliferation and immune cells infiltration, is a common and lethal tumor of the central nervous system. Recently, the infiltration of immune cells has attracted attention as a potential novel GBM immunotherapy option. Homeobox C cluster (HOXC) is an evolutionarily conserved family of transcriptional factors that are involved in embryogenesis and tumorigenesis. Nevertheless, the correlations of HOXCs with the prognosis and immune infiltration of GBM remain blurred.

METHODS

The RNA-seq data with corresponding clinical characteristics were downloaded from TCGA and GTEx databases. The correlations between HOXCs and clinical characteristics were calculated using univariable and multivariate Cox regression. R language with ggplot2, survminer, survival, GSVA, and pROC packages were employed to analyze the data and present the plots. MethSurv, UALCAN and cBioPortal were employed to evaluate the DNA methylation and mutation status of HOXCs in GBM. We also verified the expression and prognosis of HOXCs by qPCR and immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 36 patients.

RESULTS

We identified that HOXC6/8/10/13 were crucial biomarkers for diagnosis and prognostic judgement in GBM. Gene set variation analysis revealed that levels of expression of HOXCs were associated with the infiltration of various immune cells. The qPCR and immunohistochemistry data validated the prognostic values of HOXC6/8/10/13 in GBM. Finally, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that HOXCs might be involved in DNA-binding transcription activator activity and the apelin signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This research highlights that HOXC6/8/10/13 are involved in the immune infiltrates, also provide potential clinical utility as therapeutic targets in GBM.

Molecular implications of HOX genes targeting multiple signaling pathways in cancer

Homeobox (HOX) genes encode highly conserved homeotic transcription factors that play a crucial role in organogenesis and tissue homeostasis. Their deregulation impacts the function of several regulatory molecules contributing to tumor initiation and progression. A functional bridge exists between altered gene expression of individual HOX genes and tumorigenesis. This review focuses on how deregulation in the HOX-associated signaling pathways contributes to the metastatic progression in cancer. We discuss their functional significance, clinical implications and ascertain their role as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in the various cancer types. Besides, the mechanism of understanding the theoretical underpinning that affects HOX-mediated therapy resistance in cancers has been outlined. The knowledge gained shall pave the way for newer insights into the treatment of cancer.

Downregulation of HOXC6 by miR-27a ameliorates gefitinib resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major type of lung cancer. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), represented by gefitinib (Gef), are targeted drugs used for the treatment of NSCLC. However, NSCLC patients often develop resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which limits their efficacy. Homeobox gene HOXC6 is dysregulated in many cancers and contributes to chemoresistance in cancer cells. However, the role and mechanism of HOXC6 in the development of Gef resistance in NSCLC remains unclear. In the present study, we found that HOXC6 was highly expressed in Gef-resistant NSCLC cells. Further experiments showed that silencing of HOXC6 ameliorated Gef resistance in PC9/G cells whereas overexpression of HOXC6 promoted Gef resistance in PC9 cells. HOXC6 influenced Gef sensitivity in NSCLC cells by regulating cell proliferation, colony formation, cell apoptosis, cell cycle, cell mobility and other related signaling molecules or pathways. HOXC6 was also found to be a direct target of miR-27a. As expected, overexpression of miR-27a ameliorated Gef resistance by inhibiting HOXC6 expression in vitro and in vivo. Clinical analysis revealed that high HOXC6 levels and low miR-27a levels were significantly correlated with more malignant clinical features and poorer survival of NSCLC patients. In summary, the present study demonstrates that HOXC6 may be a potential therapeutic target for overcoming Gef resistance in NSCLC patients. A combination of Gef and miR-27a agomirs may be an effective intervention for Gef-resistant NSCLC.

HOXB8 Counteracts MAPK/ERK Oncogenic Signaling in a Chicken Embryo Model of Neoplasia

HOX transcription factors are members of an evolutionarily conserved family of proteins required for the establishment of the anteroposterior body axis during bilaterian development. Although they are often deregulated in cancers, the molecular mechanisms by which they act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes are only partially understood. Since the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway is deregulated in most cancers, we aimed at apprehending if and how the Hox proteins interact with ERK oncogenicity. Using an in vivo neoplasia model in the chicken embryo consisting in the overactivation of the ERK1/2 kinases in the trunk neural tube, we analyzed the consequences of the HOXB8 gain of function at the morphological and transcriptional levels. We found that HOXB8 acts as a tumor suppressor, counteracting ERK-induced neoplasia. The HOXB8 tumor suppressor function relies on a large reversion of the oncogenic transcriptome induced by ERK. In addition to showing that the HOXB8 protein controls the transcriptional responsiveness to ERK oncogenic signaling, our study identified new downstream targets of ERK oncogenic activation in an in vivo context that could provide clues for therapeutic strategies.

RSF1 in cancer: interactions and functions

RSF1, remodelling and spacing factor 1, is an important interphase centromere protein and is overexpressed in many types of cancers and correlated with poor overall survival. RSF1 has functions mainly in maintaining chromosome stability, facilitating DNA repair, maintaining the protein homeostasis of RSF1 and suppressing the transcription of some oncogenes when RSF1 protein is expressed at an optimal level; however, RSF1 overexpression facilitates drug resistance and cell cycle checkpoint inhibition to prompt cancer proliferation and survival. The RSF1 expression level and gene background are crucial for RSF1 functions, which may explain why RSF1 has different functions in different cancer types. This review summarizes the functional domains of RSF1, the overexpression status of RSF1 and SNF2H in cancer based on the TCGA and GTE_X databases, the cancer-related functions of RSF1 in interacting with H2Aub, HDAC1, CENP-A, PLK1, ATM, CENP-S, SNF2H, HB_X, BubR1, cyclin E1, CBP and NF-κB and the potential clinical value of RSF1, which will lay a theoretical foundation for the structural biology study of RSF1 and application of RSF1 inhibitors, truncated RSF1 proteins and SNF2H inhibitors in the treatment of RSF1-overexpressing tumours.

Expression analysis of progesterone‑regulated miRNAs in cells derived from human glioblastoma

Glioblastomas (GBMs) are the most frequent and malignant type of brain tumor. It has been reported that progesterone (P4) regulates the progression of GBMs by modifying the expression of genes that promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion; however, it is not fully understood how these processes are regulated. It is possible that P4 mediates some of these effects through changes in the microRNA (miRNA) expression profile in GBM cells. The present study investigated the effects of P4 on miRNAs expression profile in U-251MG cells derived from a human GBM. U-251MG cells were treated for 6 h with P4, RU486 (an antagonist of the intracellular progesterone receptor), the combined treatment (P4+RU486) and cyclodextrin (vehicle) and then a miRNA microarray analysis conducted. The expression analysis revealed a set of 190 miRNAs with differential expression in the treatments of P4, RU486 and P4+RU486 in respect to the vehicle and P4 in respect to P4+RU486, of which only 16 were exclusively regulated by P4. The possible mRNA targets of the miRNAs regulated by P4 could participate in the regulation of proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration of GBMs. The present study provided insight for understanding epigenetic modifications regulated by sex hormones involved in GBM progression, and for identifying potential therapeutic strategies for these brain tumors.

Oncogenic and tumor suppressor function of MEIS and associated factors

MEIS proteins are historically associated with tumorigenesis, metastasis, and invasion in cancer. MEIS and associated PBX-HOX proteins may act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes in different cellular settings. Their expressions tend to be misregulated in various cancers. Bioinformatic analyses have suggested their upregulation in leukemia/lymphoma, thymoma, pancreas, glioma, and glioblastoma, and downregulation in cervical, uterine, rectum, and colon cancers. However, every cancer type includes, at least, a subtype with high MEIS expression. In addition, studies have highlighted that MEIS proteins and associated factors may function as diagnostic or therapeutic biomarkers for various diseases. Herein, MEIS proteins and associated factors in tumorigenesis are discussed with recent discoveries in addition to how they could be modulated by noncoding RNAs or newly developed small-molecule MEIS inhibitors.

RNF213 suppresses carcinogenesis in glioblastoma by affecting MAPK/JNK signaling pathway

PURPOSE

Glioblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in central nervous system. Due to absence of the mechanism underlying glioblastoma, the clinical outcome is poor. RNF213 is a ring finger protein and mutation in RNF213 gene is detected in cancers. But the role of RNF213 in glioblastoma is unknown.

METHODS

RNF213 expression was detected by qPCR, western blotting, IHC technology. RNF213 was overexpressed in plasmid pcDNA3.1. Assays including CCK-8, plate colony formation, wound healing, transwell and FITC/PI dye were used to detect cell behaviors.

RESULTS

RNF213 was shown to express much lower in tumor tissues and in tumor cell lines compared to control. The patients with higher RNF213 expression displayed longer survival time. When RNF213 was overexpressed in U87MG cells, cell proliferation and colony formation were inhibited significantly. The ability of cell migration and invasion was also suppressed. FAC analysis demonstrated that cell apoptosis was increased after RNF213 overexpression. But cell cycle distribution was not affected by RNF213. Then the expression level of MEKK1, JNK, c-Jun, and cdc42 was decreased after RNF213 overexpression, but increased reversely when RNF213 was knocked down by RNAi technology.

CONCLUSIONS

RNF213 suppresses carcinogenesis and affects MAPK/JNK signaling pathway in glioblastoma. This study suggests that RNF213 might be a promising target for therapy of glioblastoma.