The Perspective of Diagnostic and Prognostic Values of Lipoxygenases mRNA Expression in Colon Adenocarcinoma

TRIB3 promotes malignancy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma via inhibiting ferroptosis

Tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3) has been identified recently as a novel oncogene in several cancers. Still, further extensive research is imperative to elucidate its function and the molecular mechanisms underlying its involvement in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). In our study, we found that TRIB3 silencing significantly promoted cell death by inducing ferroptosis. The interaction of TRIB3 with Transcription Factor 4 (TCF4) and β-catenin created a heterotrimeric complex, which directly interacts with the ALOXE3 promoter, detrimentally impacting its activation. The consequential partial neutralization of ferroptosis induced by TRIB3 deficiency is observed through the implementation of ALOXE3 knockdown. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that the molecular inhibitor hesperidin, targeting TRIB3, not only reduced cell malignancy but also induced ferroptosis, thereby suppressing tumor growth. Overall, our findings unequivocally validate the proposition that TRIB3 deficiency precipitates the iron death mechanism, thereby indicating that the strategic targeting of TRIB3 could emerge as an innovative therapeutic strategy for HNSCC.

Targeting inhibition of prognosis-related lipid metabolism genes including CYP19A1 enhances immunotherapeutic response in colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Lipid metabolic reprogramming in colon cancer shows a potential impact on tumor immune microenvironment and is associated with response to immunotherapy. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a lipid metabolism-related prognostic risk score (LMrisk) to provide new biomarkers and combination therapy strategies for colon cancer immunotherapy.

METHODS

Differentially expressed lipid metabolism-related genes (LMGs) including cytochrome P450 (CYP) 19A1 were screened to construct LMrisk in TCGA colon cancer cohort. The LMrisk was then validated in three GEO datasets. The differences of immune cell infiltration and immunotherapy response between LMrisk subgroups were investigated via bioinformatic analysis. These results were comfirmed by in vitro coculture of colon cancer cells with peripheral blood mononuclear cells, human colon cancer tissue microarray analysis, multiplex immunofluorescence staining and mouse xenograft models of colon cancer.

RESULTS

Six LMGs including CYP19A1, ALOXE3, FABP4, LRP2, SLCO1A2 and PPARGC1A were selected to establish the LMrisk. The LMrisk was positively correlated with the abundance of macrophages, carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), endothelial cells and the levels of biomarkers for immunotherapeutic response including programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, tumor mutation burden and microsatellite instability, but negatively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration levels. CYP19A1 protein expression was an independent prognostic factor, and positively correlated with PD-L1 expression in human colon cancer tissues. Multiplex immunofluorescence analyses revealed that CYP19A1 protein expression was negatively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration, but positively correlated with the levels of tumor-associated macrophages, CAFs and endothelial cells. Importantly, CYP19A1 inhibition downregulated PD-L1, IL-6 and TGF-β levels through GPR30-AKT signaling, thereby enhancing CD8⁺ T cell-mediated antitumor immune response in vitro co-culture studies. CYP19A1 inhibition by letrozole or siRNA strengthened the anti-tumor immune response of CD8⁺ T cells, induced normalization of tumor blood vessels, and enhanced the efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in orthotopic and subcutaneous mouse colon cancer models.

CONCLUSION

A risk model based on lipid metabolism-related genes may predict prognosis and immunotherapeutic response in colon cancer. CYP19A1-catalyzed estrogen biosynthesis promotes vascular abnormality and inhibits CD8⁺ T cell function through the upregulation of PD-L1, IL-6 and TGF-β via GPR30-AKT signaling. CYP19A1 inhibition combined with PD-1 blockade represents a promising therapeutic strategy for colon cancer immunotherapy.

Bioinformatic analysis of the obesity paradox and possible associated factors in colorectal cancer using TCGA cohorts

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Obesity is an important determinant of CRC incidence; however, obese patients have also shown better long-term survival than non-obese patients, suggesting that the development and progression of CRC are associated with different mechanisms. This study compares the expression of genes, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, and intestinal microbiota between high- and low-body mass index (BMI) patients at the time of CRC diagnosis. The results revealed that high-BMI patients with CRC have better prognosis, higher levels of resting CD4+ T cells, lower levels of T follicular helper cells, and different levels of intratumoral microbiota than low-BMI patients. Our study highlights that tumor-infiltrating immune cells and intratumoral microbe diversity are major features of the obesity paradox in CRC.

Interactions of Colorectal Cancer, Dietary Fats, and Polymorphisms of Arachidonate Lipoxygenase and Cyclooxygenase Genes: A Literature Review

Objective

Genetics and dietary factors play important roles in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the underlying mechanisms of the interactions between CRC, gene polymorphisms, and dietary fat are unclear. This review study investigated the effects of polymorphisms of arachidonate lipoxygenase (ALOX) and cyclooxygenase (COX) genes in the association between CRC and dietary fat.

Methods

All the related papers published from 2000 to 2022 were collected from different databases such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, and Cochran using related keywords such as colorectal cancer, ALOX, COX, polymorphism, and dietary fat. Non-English and unrelated documents were excluded.

Results

Some single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ALOX and COX genes, such as rs2228065, rs6413416, and rs4986832 in the ALOX gene, and rs689465 in the COX gene may play significant roles in the association between the risk of CRC and dietary fats. SNPs of ALOX and COX genes may influence the effects of dietary fatty acids on the risk of CRC.

Conclusion

Some polymorphisms of the ALOX and COX genes may have important roles in the effects of dietary fat on the risk of CRC. If future studies confirm these results, dietary recommendations for preventing colorectal cancer may be personalized based on the genotype of the ALOX and COX genes.

Prognostic and Predictive Models for Left- and Right- Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Bioinformatics Analysis Based on Ferroptosis-Related Genes

Background

Left- and right-sided colorectal cancer (LCRC, RCRC) are significantly different in epidemiology and clinical manifestations and have altered outcomes. However, as a hot tumor prognostic marker, the role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in LCRC and RCRC is unknown.

Methods

From The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we downloaded the expression profiles of CRC patients. A "DESeq2" package was performed to compare the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of LCRC and RCRC. FRGs were identified using the FerrDb. The prognostic value of differentially expressed FRG (DE-FRG) in left- and right-CRC was assessed separately by Cox regression analysis. Subsequently, functional enrichment analysis, ESTIMATE, and single sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA) were performed based on LCRC and RCRC samples to reveal the potential function of FRGs-related risk signatures. The differential expression of FRGs in tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues were verified by Western blot. The differential expression and prognosis in LCC and RCC were verified by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Based on the identified 14 DE-FRGs, the LCRC prognostic model consisted of NOS2 and IFNG; NOS2 and ALOXE established the prognostic signature that could distinguish RCRC outcomes. In the functional analysis, the DEGs (high risk vs. low risk) of the LCRC and RCRC were significantly enriched in the immune- and lipid-related terms and pathways. ESTIMATE and ssGSEA suggested that these FRGs-related risk signatures were affiliated with the infiltration of immune cell subtypes. Western blotting results showed that NOS2 and ALOXE3 were significantly highly expressed in cancer, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical results showed that ALOXE3 was highly expressed in RCC, and those with high expression had a worse prognosis, while NOS2 gene had an effect on the prognosis of both LCC and RCC.

Conclusion

This study constructed a potential prognostic model of LCRC and RCRC, respectively. We also identified the crucial pathways that contribute to elucidating the pathogenesis of CRC.

Immune ULBP1 is Elevated in Colon Adenocarcinoma and Predicts Prognosis

Background: Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is still the main cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although immunotherapy has made progress in recent years, there is still a need to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment tools. UL-16 binding protein 1 (ULBP1) is a ligand that activates the receptor natural killer cell group 2 receptor D (NKG2D) and plays an important immunomodulatory role. We aimed to investigate the clinical significance of ULBP1 in COAD.

Methods: We obtained the relevant data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). A total of 438 patients with COAD were included in this study, with a mean age of 67.1 ± 13.03 years old, of which 234 (53.42%) were male. The diagnostic value of COAD tumor tissues and adjacent tissues was analyzed by ROC curve. Univariate and multivariate survival analysis investigated the prognostic value of ULBP1 gene, and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) curve was performed to analyze the biological process and enriched enrichment pathway of ULBP1 in COAD. Combination survival analysis investigated the combined prognostic effect of prognostic genes.

Results:ULBP1 gene had a high diagnostic value in COAD [AUC (TCGA) = 0.959; AUC (Guangxi) = 0.898]. Up-regulated ULBP1 gene of patients with COAD predicted a worse prognosis compared to those patients with down-regulated ULBP1 gene (Adjusted HR = 1.544, 95% CI = 1.020–2.337, p = 0.040). The GSEA showed that ULBP1 was involved in the apoptotic pathway and biological process of T cell mediated cytotoxicity, regulation of natural killer cell activation, and T cell mediated immunity of COAD. The combination survival analysis showed that the combination of high expression of ULBP1, AARS1, and DDIT3 would increase the 2.2-fold death risk of COAD when compared with those of low expression genes.

Conclusion: The immune-related ULBP1 gene had diagnostic and prognostic value in COAD. The combination of ULBP1, AARS1, and DDIT3 genes could improve the prognostic prediction performance in COAD.

Lipoxins and Resolvins in Patients With Pancreatic Cancer: A Preliminary Report

Eicosanoids are bioactive lipids derived from arachidonic acid, which have emerged as key regulators of a wide variety of pathophysiological processes in recent times and are implicated as mediators of gastrointestinal cancer. In this study, we investigated the systemic levels of lipoxygenase (LOX)-derived lipoxin A4 and B4, together with resolvin D1 and D2 in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 68), as well as in healthy individuals (n = 32). Systemic concentrations of the aforementioned immunoresolvents were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this study, we observed that compared with concentrations in healthy individuals, the peripheral concentrations of the aforementioned eicosanoids were significantly elevated (2- to 10-fold) in patients with pancreatic cancer (in all cases p<0.00001). No significant association was observed between eicosanoid levels and the TNM clinical staging. Furthermore, we observed no significant differences in concentrations of the analyzed bioactive lipids between patients diagnosed with early-stage (TNM stage I-II) and more advanced disease (TNM stage III-IV). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of each aforementioned immunoresolvent showed area under the curve values ranging between 0.79 and 1.00. Sensitivity, specificity, as well as positive and negative predictive values of the eicosanoids involved in the detection/differentiation of pancreatic adenocarcinoma ranged between 56.8% and 100%. In summary, our research is the first study that provides clinical evidence to support a systemic imbalance in LOX-derived lipoxins and resolvins as the mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma. This phenomenon occurs regardless of the clinical TNM stage of the disease. Furthermore, our study is the first to preliminarily highlight the role of peripheral levels of immunoresolvents, particularly resolvin D1, as potential novel biomarkers of pancreatic cancer in humans.

A Four-Gene-Based Prognostic Model Predicts Overall Survival in Patients With Cutaneous Melanoma

Background

Cutaneous melanoma (CM) is one of the most aggressive cancers with highly metastatic ability. To make things worse, there are limited effective therapies to treat advanced CM. Our study aimed to investigate new biomarkers for CM prognosis and establish a novel risk score system in CM.

Methods

Gene expression data of CM from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets were downloaded and analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The overlapped DEGs were then verified for prognosis analysis by univariate and multivariate COX regression in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets. Based on the gene signature of multiple survival associated DEGs, a risk score model was established, and its prognostic and predictive role was estimated through Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis and log-rank test. Furthermore, the correlations between prognosis related genes expression and immune infiltrates were analyzed via Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) site.

Results

A total of 103 DEGs were obtained based on GEO cohorts, and four genes were verified in TCGA datasets. Subsequently, four genes (ADAMDEC1, GNLY, HSPA13, and TRIM29) model was developed by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. The K-M plots showed that the high-risk group was associated with shortened survival than that in the low-risk group (P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis suggested that the model was an independent prognostic factor (high-risk vs. low-risk, HR= 2.06, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the high-risk group was prone to have larger breslow depth (P< 0.001) and ulceration (P< 0.001).

Conclusions

The four-gene risk score model functions well in predicting the prognosis and treatment response in CM and will be useful for guiding therapeutic strategies for CM patients. Additional clinical trials are needed to verify our findings.