The Overexpression of Kinesin Superfamily Protein 2A (KIF2A) was Associated with the Proliferation and Prognosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Expression of KIF2A, NDC80, CDK1, and CCNB1 in breast cancer patients: Their interaction and linkage with tumor features and prognosis

Background

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A), nuclear division cycle 80 (NDC80), cyclin‐dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and cyclin B1 (CCNB1) exhibit a complex interrelation, which promote cancer progression via multiple ways, whereas their interaction and clinical implications in breast cancer are obscure. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate the correlation among KIF2A, NDC80, CDK1, CCNB1, and their linkage with clinicopathological features and prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Methods

195 breast cancer patients underwent surgical resection were analyzed. KIF2A, NDC80, CDK1, and CCNB1 expressions were determined by immunohistochemical (IHC) assay and scored by a semiquantitative IHC score or positive cell percentage.

Results

KIF2A expression positively associated with NDC80, CDK1, and CCNB1 expressions (all p < 0.01). In terms of tumor features: KIF2A high expression linked with increased T stage (p = 0.011), N stage (p = 0.014), and TNM stage (p = 0.009) but not tumor differentiation (p = 0.651). NDC80 high expression only related to higher N stage (p = 0.010); CDK1 high expression only connected with elevated N stage (p = 0.035) and TNM stage (p = 0.023). In aspect of prognosis, high expression of KIF2A was correlated with worse disease‐free survival (DFS) (p = 0.031), while NDC80 high (p = 0.329), CDK1 high (p = 0.276), and CCNB1 positive (p = 0.063) expressions only showed trends to link with poor DFS (without statistical significance). Furthermore, high expression of KIF2A (p = 0.063), NDC80 (p = 0.939), CDK1 (p = 0.413) and positive expression of CCNB1 (p = 0.296) did not relate to overall survival.

Conclusion

KIF2A correlates with NDC80, CDK1, CCNB1, and may link with advanced tumor stages and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients.

Aberrant kinesin family member 2A signifies tumor size and invasion, and may help predict prognosis of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) has been reported as an oncogene and potential biomarker for the progression of numerous cancer types; however, its role in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) has remained elusive. The present study aimed to assess KIF2A expression in patients with PTC and explore the potential association between KIF2A, clinicopathological features and the prognosis of PTC. A total of 200 patients with PTC who received surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. KIF2A expression was detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in 200 pairs of carcinoma/para-carcinoma tissues and using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in 91 pairs of carcinoma/para-carcinoma tissues. Clinical and pathological data, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates of all patients were obtained. The results of the present study demonstrated that KIF2A protein and mRNA expression were both elevated in carcinoma tissues compared with those in para-carcinoma tissues. KIF2A protein expression in carcinoma tissues was positively associated with increased tumor size and a higher pathologic tumor-nodes-metastasis (pTNM) stage. However, KIF2A mRNA expression in carcinoma tissues was only associated with an increased pTNM stage and not with any other clinicopathological features. In addition, high levels of KIF2A protein expression in carcinoma tissues led to a poor predicted DFS, but were not associated with OS. Following adjustments using a multivariate Cox regression model, high KIF2A protein expression levels were indicated to be independently associated with a decreased DFS. In conclusion, aberrant KIF2A signifies tumor size and invasion, and may help to predict prognosis in patients with PTC.

Kinesin family member 2A links with advanced tumor stage, reduced chemosensitivity and worse prognosis in gastric cancer

Background

Kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) induces gastric cancer (GC) growth and invasion, while its clinical relevance in GC patients is not reported. This study aimed to investigate the linkage of KIF2A with clinicopathological features, prognosis, and chemosensitivity of GC.

Methods

A total of 160 surgical GC patients were reviewed, with their tumor and adjacent tissues acquired for immunohistochemical (IHC) assay to measure KIF2A expression, then scored by a semi‐quantitative method (IHC score: 0–12). KIF2A siRNA or nonsense‐siRNA were transfected into HGC‐27 and NCI‐N87 cells underwent various concentrations of capecitabine or oxaliplatin treatment followed by chemosensitivity assessment.

Results

Kinesin family member 2A expression was elevated in the tumor tissue compared to the adjacent tissue (IHC score: 5.6 ± 3.1 vs. 2.9 ± 1.7, p < 0.001). Besides, tumor KIF2A expression was related to larger tumor size (p = 0.014), higher N stage (p = 0.004) and TNM stage (p = 0.011); however, it was not linked with other clinicopathological features (all p > 0.05). Signally, tumor KIF2A high expression predicted poor overall survival (p = 0.037). After adjustment via multivariate Cox's regression, tumor KIF2A high expression independently linked with worse disease‐free survival (p = 0.033). Finally, KIF2A knockdown improved the oxaliplatin chemosensitivity vastly but only slightly affected capecitabine chemosensitivity in HGC‐27 and NCI‐N87 cells.

Conclusion

Kinesin family member 2A reflects larger tumor size, advanced TNM stage, improved chemosensitivity, and predicts unfavorable survival in GC.

Circular RNA circ_IRAK3 contributes to tumor growth through upregulating KIF2A via adsorbing miR-603 in breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer (BC) threatens the health of women around the world. Researchers have proved that hsa_circ_0005505 (circ_IRAK3) facilitates BC cell invasion and migration, but the regulatory mechanisms of circ_IRAK3 in BC remain mostly unknown. We aim to explore a new mechanism by which circ_IRAK3 promotes BC progression.

Methods

Levels of circ_IRAK3, microRNA (miR)-603, and kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) mRNA in BC tissues and cells were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cell cycle progression, colony formation, and proliferation of BC cells were evaluated by flow cytometry, plate clone, or 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide (MTT) assays. The migration, invasion, and apoptosis of BC cells were determined by transwell or flow cytometry assays. Several protein levels were detected using western blotting. The targeting relationship between circ_IRAK3 or KIF2A and miR-603 was verified via dual-luciferase reporter assay. The role of circ_IRAK3 in vivo was verified by xenograft assay.

Results

We observed higher levels of circ_IRAK3 in BC tissues and cell lines than their respective controls. Functional experiments presented that circ_IRAK3 silencing induced BC cell apoptosis, curbed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, and decreased tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circ_IRAK3 could modulate kinesin family member 2A (KIF2A) expression through acting as a microRNA (miR)-603 sponge. miR-603 silencing impaired the effects of circ_IRAK3 inhibition on the malignant behaviors of BC cells. Also, the repressive effects of miR-603 mimic on the malignant behaviors of BC cells were weakened by KIF2A overexpression.

Conclusions

circ_IRAK3 exerted a promoting effect on BC progression by modulating the miR-603/KIF2A axis, providing a piece of novel evidence for circ_IRAK3 as a therapeutic target for BC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02497-y.

Kinesin family member 2A acts as a potential prognostic marker and treatment target via interaction with PI3K/AKT and RhoA/ROCK pathways in acute myeloid leukemia

KIF2A has been shown to be involved in the regulation of AML pathology, however, the mechanistic role of KIF2A in AML has not been fully identified. The present study aimed to identify the underlying mechanism of KIF2A regulation of AML cell function and chemosensitivity. A total of 58 patients with AML and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled for clinical analysis. AML cells (KG‑1 and Kasumi‑1) were transfected with KIF2A or control small interfering (si)RNA. PI3K/AKT pathway activator (740 Y‑P) and RhoA overexpression plasmid were added to rescue the effect of KIF2A siRNA. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, chemosensitivity to ADR and AraC, expression levels of mRNA/proteins associated with PI3K/AKT and RhoA/ROCK pathways were measured by Cell Counting Kit‑8, flow cytometry, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blotting. KIF2A was overexpressed, and correlated with higher levels of bone marrow blast, poor risk classification, lower treatment response and unfavorable survival profile in patients with AML. KIF2A siRNA inhibited proliferation but enhanced apoptosis and chemosensitivity to ADR and AraC in KG‑1 and Kasumi‑1 cells, which also inactivated PI3K/AKT and RhoA/ROCK pathways. Subsequent rescue experiments showed that 740 Y‑P and RhoA overexpression plasmid promoted cell survival and decreased chemosensitivity, which reversed the effect of KIF2A siRNA in KG‑1 and Kasumi‑1 cells. KIF2A was correlated with worse clinical features and survival in patients with AML; its knockdown promoted apoptosis and chemosensitivity by inactivating PI3K/AKT and RhoA/ROCK signaling pathways in AML cells. These data suggested KIF2A may be a potential prognostic marker and treatment target for AML management.

Kinesin family member 18B regulates the proliferation and invasion of human prostate cancer cells

Expression of kinesin family member 18B (KIF18B), an ATPase with key roles in cell division, is deregulated in many cancers, but its involvement in prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. Here, we investigated the expression and function of KIF18B in human PCa specimens and cell lines using bioinformatics analyses, immunohistochemical and immunofluorescence microscopy, and RT-qPCR and western blot analyses. KIF18B was overexpressed in PCa specimens compared with paracancerous tissues and was associated with poorer disease-free survival. In vitro, KIF18B knockdown in PCa cell lines promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and inhibited cell apoptosis, while KIF18B overexpression had the opposite effects. In a mouse xenograft model, KIF18B overexpression accelerated and promoted the growth of PCa tumors. Bioinformatics analysis of control and KIF18B-overexpressing PCa cells showed that genes involved in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway were significantly enriched among the differentially expressed genes. Consistent with this observation, we found that KIF18B overexpression activates the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway in PCa cells both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, our results suggest that KIF18B plays a crucial role in PCa via activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling pathway, and raise the possibility that KIF18B could have utility as a novel biomarker for PCa.