MACC1 promotes angiogenesis in cholangiocarcinoma by upregulating VEGFA

Phenotypic heterogeneity drives differential disease outcome in a mouse model of triple negative breast cancer

The triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) subtype is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer that has poor clinical outcome and is an unmet clinical challenge. Accumulating evidence suggests that intratumoral heterogeneity or the presence of phenotypically distinct cell populations within a tumor play a crucial role in chemoresistance, tumor progression and metastasis. An increased understanding of the molecular regulators of intratumoral heterogeneity is crucial to the development of effective therapeutic strategies in TNBC. To this end, we used an unbiased approach to identify a molecular mediator of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer by isolating two tumor cell populations (T1 and T2) from the 4T1 TNBC model. Phenotypic characterization revealed that the cells are different in terms of their morphology, proliferation and self-renewal ability in vitro as well as primary tumor formation and metastatic potential in vivo. Bioinformatic analysis followed by Kaplan Meier survival analysis in TNBC patients identified Metastasis associated colon cancer 1 (Macc1) as one of the top candidate genes mediating the aggressive phenotype in the T1 tumor cells. The role of Macc1 in regulating the proliferative phenotype was validated and taken forward in a therapeutic context with Lovastatin, a small molecule transcriptional inhibitor of Macc1 to target the T1 cell population. This study increases our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of intratumoral heterogeneity in breast cancer that is critical to improve the treatment of women currently living with the highly aggressive TNBC subtype.

MACC1 as a Potential Target for the Treatment and Prevention of Breast Cancer

Metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is an oncogene first identified in colon cancer. MACC1 has been identified in more than 20 different types of solid cancers. It is a key prognostic biomarker in clinical practice and is involved in recurrence, metastasis, and survival in many types of human cancers. MACC1 is significantly associated with the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis classification, and clinical staging in patients with breast cancer (BC), and MACC1 overexpression is associated with reduced recurrence-free survival (RFS) and worse overall survival (OS) in patients. In addition, MACC1 is involved in BC progression in multiple ways. MACC1 promotes the immune escape of BC cells by affecting the infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. Since the FGD5AS1/miR-497/MACC1 axis inhibits the apoptotic pathway in radiation-resistant BC tissues and cell lines, the MACC1 gene may play an important role in BC resistance to radiation. Since MACC1 is involved in numerous biological processes inside and outside BC cells, it is a key player in the tumor microenvironment. Focusing on MACC1, this article briefly discusses its biological effects, emphasizes its molecular mechanisms and pathways of action, and describes its use in the treatment and prevention of breast cancer.

Elevated MACC1 Expression in Colorectal Cancer Is Driven by Chromosomal Instability and Is Associated with Molecular Subtype and Worse Patient Survival

Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1) is a strong prognostic biomarker inducing proliferation, migration, invasiveness, and metastasis of cancer cells. The context of MACC1 dysregulation in cancers is, however, still poorly understood. Here, we investigated whether chromosomal instability and somatic copy number alterations (SCNA) frequently occurring in CRC contribute to MACC1 dysregulation, with prognostic and predictive impacts. Using the Oncotrack and Charité CRC cohorts of CRC patients, we showed that elevated MACC1 mRNA expression was tightly dependent on increased MACC1 gene SCNA and was associated with metastasis and shorter metastasis free survival. Deep analysis of the COAD-READ TCGA cohort revealed elevated MACC1 expression due to SCNA for advanced tumors exhibiting high chromosomal instability (CIN), and predominantly classified as CMS2 and CMS4 transcriptomic subtypes. For that cohort, we validated that elevated MACC1 mRNA expression correlated with reduced disease-free and overall survival. In conclusion, this study gives insights into the context of MACC1 expression in CRC. Increased MACC1 expression is largely driven by CIN, SCNA gains, and molecular subtypes, potentially determining the molecular risk for metastasis that might serve as a basis for patient-tailored treatment decisions.

Circ_0002577/miR-126-5p/MACC1 axis promotes endometrial carcinoma progression by regulation of proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of endometrial carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a common female reproductive malignant tumor. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to participate in tumorigenesis, including EC. Therefore, this study was designed to clarify the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of circ_0002577 in EC.

METHODS

The expression levels of circ_0002577, miR-126-5p, and metastasis associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) was determined by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. The protein expression was quantified by western blot assay. The proliferation of EC cells was assessed by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazol-3-ium bromide (MTT) and colony-forming assays. The migration and invasion of EC cells was measured by transwell assay. The apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry assay. Dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down assays were performed to confirm the relationship between miR-126-5p and circ_0002577 or MACC1. The influence of circ_0002577 inhibition on tumor growth was assessed by xenograft experiment.

RESULTS

Circ_0002577 and MACC1 were increased while miR-126-5p was decreased in EC tissues and cells. Loss-of-functional experiment revealed that silencing of circ_0002577 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion while induced apoptosis of EC cells, which were overturned by overexpression of MACC1. The upregulation of miR-126-5p also impeded proliferation and mobility while induced apoptosis of EC cells. MiR-126-5p, negatively regulating MACC1 expression, was a functional target of circ_0002577 in EC cells. Moreover, we also confirmed that suppression of circ_0002577 repressed tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

The contributions of the circ_0002577 in EC were contributed to its interactions with miR-126-5p and MACC1, which offered a new perspective to the roles of circ_0002577 in EC.

LncRNA FGD5-AS1 Facilitates the Radioresistance of Breast Cancer Cells by Enhancing MACC1 Expression Through Competitively Sponging miR-497-5p

Background

LncRNA-FGD5-AS1, as an oncogene, participates in the development and progress of various cancers. However, the exact role and the molecular mechanisms by which FGD5-AS1 regulates radiosensitivity in breast cancer (BC) remains largely unknown.

Methods

We used X-Ray weekly-dose-increase method to establish radiation-resistance cell lines. Bioinformatics tools analyze the expression of FGD5-AS1 in breast cancer tissue and evaluated the relationship between FGD5-AS1 and clinic-pathological features. CCK-8 and colony formation were used to analyze cell proliferation. Western blotting and qPCR were applied to detect protein and gene expression, respectively. RNA interference was used to knock down the endogenous gene expression. Luciferase reporter system and immunoprecipitates were applied to verify the target of FGD5-AS1.

Result

FGD5-AS1 was overexpressed in BC tissues and radiation-resistance cell lines. Higher levels of FGD5-AS1 predicted poorer clinical characteristics and prognosis. Loss-of-function FGD5-AS1 sensitized BC cells to X-ray, meanwhile, the cell gained radiation-resistance when exogenous FGD5-AS1 was expressed. FGD5-AS1 depletion arrested cells at G0/G1 and triggers cell apoptosis. The starBase database (ENCORI), predicted binding site of miR-497-5p in FGD5-AS1 sequence, and luciferase reporter system and immunoprecipitates verified miR-497-5p was the target of FGD5-AS1. Furthermore, MACC1 was predicted and verified as the target of miR-497-5p. Loss-of-function FGD5-AS1 sensitized ionizing radiation was rescued by the up-regulation of MACC1 and the inhibition of miR-497.

Conclusion

FGD5-AS1 displays an oncogene profile in CRC; patients with high expression of FGD5-AS1 should benefit less from radiotherapy and need a more frequent follow-up. Besides, FGD5-AS1 may be a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

A panel of eight mRNA signatures improves prognosis prediction of osteosarcoma patients

Genetic alterations are vital to the progression of osteosarcoma carcinoma. The present study investigated a panel of gene signatures that could evaluate prognosis in osteosarcoma based on data from the Therapeutically Applicable Research To Generate Effective Treatments initiative. Osteosarcoma messenger RNA (mRNA) profiles and clinical data were downloaded from the therapeutically applicable research to generate effective treatments database. Patients with osteosarcoma were divided into two groups based on findings at diagnosis: with and without metastasis. Differentially expressed mRNAs were compared and analyzed between groups. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses identified a set of eight mRNAs with the ability to classify patients into high-risk and low-risk groups with significantly different overall survival times. Further analysis indicated that the eight-mRNA signature was an independent prognostic factor after adjusting for other clinical factors. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated a good performance of the eight-mRNA signature. Further, the biological processes and signaling pathways of the eight-mRNA signature were reviewed using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes resources. Finally, the results of the TCGA analysis were verified by other cohorts from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The identification of an eight-mRNA signature not only provides a prognostic biomarker of osteosarcoma but also offers the potential of novel therapeutic targets for its treatment.

MicroRNA-15a-5p inhibits endometrial carcinoma proliferation, invasion and migration via downregulation of VEGFA and inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common malignant gynecological tumors. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) is frequently identified in human tumors, playing key regulatory roles in tumor growth and metastasis. The present study aimed to explore the functions and potential mechanisms of miR-15a-5p in EC progression. RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression levels of miR-15a-5p and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) mRNA. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the expression of related proteins. Functional assays, including proliferation and Transwell assays were performed to determine the roles of miR-15a-5p in EC progression. TargetScan and luciferase reporter assays were used to explore the potential target genes of miR-15a-5p. The results revealed that miR-15a-5p was underexpressed in EC tissue samples in comparison with that in matched normal tissue samples. The expression level of miR-15a-5p was associated with the clinicopathologic characteristics of EC patients. Notably, both in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that miR-15a-5p upregulation significantly inhibited EC growth and metastasis. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay indicated that VEGFA was a candidate target of miR-15a-5p. Mechanistic investigation revealed that miR-15a-5p inhibited EC development via regulation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway and targeting of VEGFA. In summary, the present results demonstrated that miR-15a-5p could inhibit EC development and may serve as a promising therapeutic biomarker in EC.

LncRNA MIR205HG regulates melanomagenesis via the miR-299-3p/VEGFA axis

In this study, we investigated the role of lncRNA MIR205HG in melanomagenesis. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that MIR205HG levels were significantly upregulated in melanoma cell lines compared to normal human melanocytes. Similarly, MIR205HG levels were significantly higher melanoma tissues than adjacent normal skin tissues (n=30). CCK-8 and flow cytometry assays showed that MIR205HG knockdown significantly decreased the viability of melanoma cells. Dual luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays confirmed that MIR205HG directly binds to microRNA (miR)-299-3p. Targetscan analysis and dual luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-299-3p directly binds to the 3'UTR of VEGFA mRNA. Wound healing and transwell invasion assays showed that MIR205HG knockdown decreased in vitro migration and invasiveness of melanoma cells, and these effects were reversed by treatment with miR-299-3p inhibitor. MIR205HG-silenced melanoma cells showed increased miR-299-3p expression and lower levels of both VEGFA mRNA and protein. Tumor volumes were significantly smaller in nude mice xenografted with MIR205HG knockdown melanoma cells than the controls. These results demonstrate that MIR205HG supports melanoma growth via the miR-299-3p/VEGFA axis. This makes MIR205HG a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of melanoma.

MACC1 Contributes to the Development of Osteosarcoma Through Regulation of the HGF/c-Met Pathway and Microtubule Stability

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent human bone malignancy, and presents a global annual morbidity of approximately five cases per million. Notably, precise and efficient targeted therapy has become the most promising strategy for the treatment of OS; however, there is still an urgent need for the identification of suitable therapeutic targets. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) was first identified in colon tumors by differential display RT-PCR, and was shown to be involved in the regulation of colon tumor growth and metastasis through the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling pathway. Additionally, MACC1 overexpression has been reported to induce the growth of several types of cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme and gastric cancer. However, whether MACC1 also plays a role in the progression of OS remains unclear. In this study, we found that MACC1 was highly expressed in human OS tissues, as well as in U-2OS and MG-63 cells, when compared with normal tissues and osteoblasts, respectively. Our data further indicated that MACC1 expression was correlated with several clinicopathological features of OS. Through in vitro assays, we found that MACC1 depletion markedly suppressed the proliferative ability of both OS cells and endothelial cells, and inhibited the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells. Similarly, MACC1 depletion inhibited tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis in mice. Mechanistically, we found that MACC1 could bind to the MET promoter, and enhanced the proliferation of both OS cells and endothelial cells through the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway. Furthermore, we show that MACC1 also promoted angiogenesis by regulating microtubule dynamics, thereby promoting the progression of OS. Our results indicate that MACC1 may be a new and promising therapeutic target for the treatment of OS.

Importance of MACC1 expression in breast cancer and its relationship with pathological prognostic markers

Background

Metastasis associated colon cancer gene 1 (MACC1) is a gene that was first described as a c-Met transcription regulator causing the progression of colon cancer. In this study, protein and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of MACC1 in breast cancer and its relationship with clinicopathological prognostic parameters were investigated.

Methods

Sixty-six cases with tumors underwent radical mastectomy for invasive ductal carcinoma and 25 control cases operated for mammoplasty were included in the study. In paraffin blocks of tumor and control tissues, MACC1 expression was investigated by the immunohistochemical method and Real-time polymerase chain reaction (Real-Time PCR). In addition, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was examined immunohistochemically in tumor tissues. The relationship between MACC1 expression in tumor tissues, clinicopathological prognostic parameters, and VEGF was investigated.

Results

In this study, protein and mRNA expressions of MACC1 were found to be higher in tumor tissues compared with normal breast tissues. MACC1 protein expression was also associated with significant poor prognostic markers, such as high histologic grade, ER negativity, and HER2 positivity. However, there was no correlation between MACC1 expression and VEGF.

Conclusion

According to these results, MACC1 expression may be a marker of breast carcinoma as well as an independent predictor of poor prognosis. In addition, MACC1 may not affect angiogenesis in breast cancer or even if it has an effect, it may not be associated with VEGF. However, it would be appropriate to support these results in a larger series by investigating in vivo and in vitro studies.

LINC00667 promotes the proliferation, migration, and pathological angiogenesis in non-small cell lung cancer through stabilizing VEGFA by EIF4A3

To better treat patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the investigations on novel molecules affecting NSCLC progression are of vital importance. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are identified as pivotal regulators that can affect the cellular activities of carcinomas. Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 667 (LINC00667) is a newly found lncRNA, and its expression pattern and potent mechanisms are still obscure in NSCLC. Our study was the first to illustrate that LINC00667 was upregulated in NSCLC and LINC00667 silence refrained the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of NSCLC cells in vitro. In addition, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) was modulated by LINC00667 at posttranscriptional level. Furthermore, mechanism experiments depicted that LINC00667 recruited eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4A3 (EIF4A3) to stabilize VEGFA messenger RNA. Eventually, rescue assays implied that LINC00667 modulated NSCLC progression via EIF4A3-stabilized VEGFA. Jointly, these findings hinted that LINC00667 was a tumor promoter in NSCLC, providing guidance for the exploration on NSCLC treatment.

Inflammation and Progression of Cholangiocarcinoma: Role of Angiogenic and Lymphangiogenic Mechanisms

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), or cancer of the biliary epithelium is a relatively rare but aggressive form of biliary duct cancer which has a 5-year survival rate post metastasis of 2%. Although a number of risk factors are established for CCA growth and progression, a careful evaluation of the existing literature on CCA reveals that an inflammatory environment near the biliary tree is the most common causal link between the risk factors and the development of CCA. The fact that inflammation predisposes affected individuals to CCA is further bolstered by multiple observations where the presence and maintenance of an inflammatory microenvironment at the site of the primary tumor plays a significant role in the development and metastasis of CCA. In addition, mechanisms activating the tumor vasculature and enhancing angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis significantly contribute to CCA aggressiveness and metastasis. This review aims to address the role of an inflammatory microenvironment-CCA crosstalk and will present the basic concepts, observations, and current perspectives from recent research studies in the field of tumor stroma of CCA.

Decoding and targeting the molecular basis of MACC1-driven metastatic spread: Lessons from big data mining and clinical-experimental approaches

Metastasis remains the key issue impacting cancer patient survival and failure or success of cancer therapies. Metastatic spread is a complex process including dissemination of single cells or collective cell migration, penetration of the blood or lymphatic vessels and seeding at a distant organ site. Hundreds of genes involved in metastasis have been identified in studies across numerous cancer types. Here, we analyzed how the metastasis-associated gene MACC1 cooperates with other genes in metastatic spread and how these coactions could be exploited by combination therapies: We performed (i) a MACC1 correlation analysis across 33 cancer types in the mRNA expression data of TCGA and (ii) a comprehensive literature search on reported MACC1 combinations and regulation mechanisms. The key genes MET, HGF and MMP7 reported together with MACC1 showed significant positive correlations with MACC1 in more than half of the cancer types included in the big data analysis. However, ten other genes also reported together with MACC1 in the literature showed significant positive correlations with MACC1 in only a minority of 5 to 15 cancer types. To uncover transcriptional regulation mechanisms that are activated simultaneously with MACC1, we isolated pan-cancer consensus lists of 1306 positively and 590 negatively MACC1-correlating genes from the TCGA data and analyzed each of these lists for sharing transcription factor binding motifs in the promotor region. In these lists, binding sites for the transcription factors TELF1, ETS2, ETV4, TEAD1, FOXO4, NFE2L1, ELK1, SP1 and NFE2L2 were significantly enriched, but none of them except SP1 was reported in combination with MACC1 in the literature. Thus, while some of the results of the big data analysis were in line with the reported experimental results, hypotheses on new genes involved in MACC1-driven metastasis formation could be generated and warrant experimental validation. Furthermore, the results of the big data analysis can help to prioritize cancer types for experimental studies and testing of combination therapies.

High Tiam1 expression predicts positive lymphatic metastasis and worse survival in patients with malignant solid tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Many studies have explored the prognostic value of T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis inducing factor 1 (Tiam1) and its association with lymphatic metastasis in malignant solid tumors, but the conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the prognostic value of Tiam1 expression and its association with lymphatic metastasis in malignant solid tumors.

Methods

We searched eligible studies in PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE databases (from inception up to October 2018). The combined HR with 95% CI was used to estimate the prognostic value of Tiam1 expression. The correlation between Tiam1 expression and lymphatic metastasis was assessed using the combined odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI.

Results

A total of 17 studies with 2,228 patients with solid tumors were included in this meta-analysis. The overall estimated results showed that high Tiam1 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (HR= 2.08, 95% CI: 1.62-2.68, P<0.01), and disease-free survival (HR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.49-2.32, P<0.01). Besides, we also found that there was a close relationship between high Tiam1 expression and positive lymphatic metastasis (OR=2.63; 95% CI: 1.79-3.84, P<0.01).

Conclusion

High Tiam1 expression was significantly associated with shorter survival and positive lymphatic metastasis in patients with malignant solid tumors. Therefore, Tiam1 may be a promising prognostic biomarker and an effective therapeutic target for malignant solid tumors.

LncRNA-SNHG3 is an independent prognostic biomarker of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Numerous deregulated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) accompany the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis. The present study aimed to explore the prognostic significance of lncRNA-SNHG3 on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) patients.

METHODS

LncRNA microarray assays were used to evaluate lncRNA expression profiling in three pairs of ICC tissues and adjacent non-tumorous tissues. RT-qPCR was performed to further validate the accuracy of the microarray results.

RESULTS

lncRNA microarray and RT-qPCR assays revealed that SNHG3 expression levels were significantly increased in ICC tissues compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissues. A high SNHG3 expression level was significantly correlated with shorter OS in ICC patients. A multivariate regression analysis discovered that SNHG3 could serve as an independent prognostic factor for predicting the OS of ICC patients.

CONCLUSION

We found SNHG3 to be an independent risk factor for predicting the prognosis of ICC. SNHG3 shows a strong promise in the development of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of ICC.