Recent advances of GOLM1 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Genetic insight into putative causes of xanthelasma palpebrarum: a Mendelian randomization study

Xanthelasma palpebrarum (XP) is the most common form of cutaneous xanthoma, with a prevalence of 1.1%~4.4% in the population. However, the cause of XP remains largely unknown. In the present study, we used Mendelian randomization to assess the genetic association between plasma lipids, metabolic traits, and circulating protein with XP, leveraging summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Genetically predicted plasma cholesterol and LDL-C, but not HDL-C or triglyceride, were significantly associated with XP. Metabolic traits, including BMI, fasting glucose, type 2 diabetes, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, were not significantly associated with XP. Furthermore, we found genetically predicted 12 circulating proteins were associated with XP, including FN1, NTM, FCN2, GOLM1, ICAM5, PDE5A, C5, CLEC11A, CXCL1, CCL2, CCL11, CCL13. In conclusion, this study identified plasma cholesterol, LDL-C, and 12 circulating proteins to be putative causal factors for XP, highlighting the role of plasma cholesterol and inflammatory response in XP development.

Platelet-Derived Apoptotic Vesicles Promote Bone Regeneration via Golgi Phosphoprotein 2 (GOLPH2)-AKT Signaling Axis

Apoptotic vesicles (apoVs) are apoptotic-cell-derived nanosized vesicles that take on dominant roles in regulating bone homeostasis. We have demonstrated that mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived apoVs are promising therapeutic agents for bone regeneration. However, clinical translation of MSC-derived apoVs has been hindered due to cell expansion and nuclear substance. As another appealing source for apoV therapy, blood cells could potentially eliminate these limitations. However, whether blood cells can release apoVs during apoptosis is uncertain, and the detailed characteristics and biological properties of respective apoVs are not elucidated. In this study, we showed that platelets (PLTs) could rapidly release abundant apoVs during apoptosis in a short time. To recognize the different protein expressions between PLT-derived apoVs and PLTs, we established their precise protein landscape. Furthermore, we identified six proteins specifically enriched in PLT-derived apoVs, which could be considered as specific biomarkers. More importantly, PLT-derived apoVs promoted osteogenesis of MSCs and rescued bone loss via Golgi phosphoprotein 2 (GOLPH2)-induced AKT phosphorylation, therefore, leading to the emergence of their potential in bone regeneration. In summary, we comprehensively determined characteristics of PLT-derived apoVs and confirmed their roles in bone metabolism through previously unrecognized GOPLH2-dependent AKT signaling, providing more understanding for exploring apoV-based therapy in bone tissue engineering.

Unveiling the impact of GOLM1/GP73 on cytokine production in cancer and infectious disease

The Golgi membrane protein GOLM1/GP73/GOLPH2 has been found to impact cytokine production in both infectious disease and cancer. In viral infections, GOLM1 levels are increased, and this lowers the production of type I interferons and other inflammatory cytokines. However, elevated GOLM1 expression levels due to mutations are linked to a higher production of interleukin (IL)-6 during Candida infections, potentially explaining an increased susceptibility to candidemia in individuals carrying these mutations. In cancer, the protease Furin produces a soluble form of GOLM1 that has oncogenic properties by promoting the production of the chemokine CCL2 and suppressing the production of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-12 and interferon gamma. This review will focus on the role of GOLM1 in cytokine production, highlighting how it can both promote and inhibit cytokine production. It is crucial to understand this in order to effectively target GOLM1 for therapeutic purposes in diseases associated with abnormal cytokine production, including cancer and infectious disease.

miR-145 as a Potential Biomarker and Therapeutic Target in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Our previous study found that miR-145 was downregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues and that it could inhibit the cell proliferation in transfected NSCLC cells. In this study, we found that miR-145 was downregulated in NSCLC plasma samples compared to healthy controls. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that plasma miR-145 expression was correlated with NSCLC in patient samples. We further revealed that the transfection of miR-145 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Most importantly, miR-145 significantly delayed the tumor growth in a mouse model of NSCLC. We further identified GOLM1 and RTKN as the direct targets of miR-145. A cohort of paired tumors and adjacent non-malignant lung tissues from NSCLC patients was used to confirm the downregulated expression and diagnostic value of miR-145. The results were highly consistent between our plasma and tissue cohorts, confirming the clinical value of miR-145 in different sample groups. In addition, we also validated the expressions of miR-145, GOLM1, and RTKN using the TCGA database. Our findings suggested that miR-145 is a regulator of NSCLC and it plays an important role in NSCLC progression. This microRNA and its gene targets may serve as potential biomarkers and novel molecular therapeutic targets in NSCLC patients.

In vitro modeling of hepatocellular carcinoma niche on decellularized tomato thorny leaves: a novel natural three-dimensional (3D) scaffold for liver cancer therapeutics

Liver cancer is now one of the main causes leading to death worldwide. To achieve reliable therapeutic effects, it is crucial to develop efficient approaches to test novel anticancer drugs. Considering the significant contribution of tumor microenvironment to cell's response to medications, in vitro 3D bioinspiration of cancer cell niches can be regarded as an advanced strategy to improve the accuracy and reliability of the drug-based treatment. In this regard, decellularized plant tissues can perform as suitable 3D scaffolds for mammalian cell culture to create a near-to-real condition to test drug efficacy. Here, we developed a novel 3D natural scaffold made from decellularized tomato hairy leaves (hereafter called as DTL) to mimic the microenvironment of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for pharmaceutical purposes. The surface hydrophilicity, mechanical properties, and topography measurement and molecular analyses revealed that the 3D DTL scaffold is an ideal candidate for liver cancer modeling. The cells exhibited a higher growth and proliferation rate within the DTL scaffold, as verified by quantifying the expression of related genes, DAPI staining, and SEM imaging of the cells. Moreover, prilocaine, an anticancer drug, showed a higher effectiveness against the cancer cells cultured on the 3D DTL scaffold, compared to a 2D platform. Taken together, this new cellulosic 3D scaffold can be confidently proposed for chemotherapeutic testing of drugs on hepatocellular carcinoma.

GOLM1 and FAM49B: Potential Biomarkers in HNSCC Based on Bioinformatics and Immunohistochemical Analysis

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. We aimed to identify potential genetic markers that could predict the prognosis of HNSCC. A total of 44 samples of GSE83519 from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and 546 samples of HNSCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were adopted. The differently expressed genes (DEGs) of the samples were screened by GEO2R. We integrated the expression information of DEGs with clinical data from GES42743 using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). A total of 17 hub genes were selected by the module membership (|MM| > 0.8), and the gene significance (|GS| > 0.3) was selected from the turquoise module. GOLM1 and FAM49B genes were chosen based on single-gene analysis results. Survival analysis showed that the higher expression of GOLM1 and FAM49B genes was correlated with a worse prognosis of HNSCC patients. Immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence techniques verified that GOLM1 and FAM49B genes were highly expressed in HNSCC cells, and high expressions of GOLM1 were associated with the pathological grades of HNSCC. In conclusion, our study illustrated a new insight that GOLM1 and FAM49B genes might be used as potential biomarkers to determine the development of HNSCC, while GOLM1 and FAM49B have the possibility to be prognostic indicators for HNSCC.

EMT-Related Gene Signature: A New Method for Personalized Risk Assessment in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, accounting for more than 700,000 deaths annually. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is posited to contribute to HCC progression. We, therefore, aimed to elucidate the relationship between EMT-related gene (ERG) expression and prognosis in patients with HCC.

METHODS

Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic-related differentially expressed EMT-related genes (DE-ERGs). Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess the prognostic performance of the EMT-related signature. pRRophetic R package was used to evaluate sorafenib sensitivity in the GSE14520 cohort. Gene expression in Huh7 and L02 cell lines was detected by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Differential expression of the three genes between HCC tissues and normal tissues was validated using immunohistochemical analyses.

RESULTS

Of the 76 identified DE-ERGs, 29 were associated with overall survival. Three prognosis-related ERGs (GOLM1, SOX4, and CD14) were screened out by multivariate Cox regression. A gene signature was identified based on the three prognostic-related ERGs. HCC patients with a low-risk score had a better prognosis and were more sensitive to sorafenib compared to those with a high-risk score. Moreover, we further confirmed increased expression of GOLM1 and SOX4, and decreased expression of CD14, in liver cancer cell line and HCC tissue.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the present study demonstrate the utility of an ERG signature as a potential biomarker informing prognosis in patients with HCC, which may contribute to the implementation of personalized therapies.

MiR-30a-3p Suppresses the Growth and Development of Lung Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Modulating GOLM1/JAK-STAT Signaling

A considerable amount of people succumbs to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) due to its high incidence and mortality. This study attempted to reveal the impacts of GOLM1 on LUAD. This work analyzed GOLM1 expression in LUAD and normal tissue and studied its prognostic value utilizing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. RNA and protein levels were, respectively, determined utilizing qRT-PCR and western blot. Cell-aggressive behaviors were assessed employing Cell Counting Kit-8, scratch healing, and Transwell assays. The targetting relationship between GOLM1 and miR-30a-3p was assayed by dual-luciferase method. GOLM1 up-regulation in LUAD was found in TCGA and it was also a negative factor for survival in patients. GOLM1 overexpression promoted cell progression in LUAD. Down-regulated miR-30a-3p in LUAD was an upstream regulatory miRNA of GOLM1 in terms of molecular mechanism. Further, rescue assays illustrated that miR-30a-3p overexpression attenuated the GOLM1 facilitating impacts on LUAD progression. Finally, we proved that miR-30a-3p/GOLM1 regulated progression of LUAD cells via JAK-STAT pathway. Collectively, the inhibitory impacts of miR-30a-3p on LUAD growth may be mediated by GOLM1/JAK-STAT, which may contribute to the diagnosis of LUAD therapy and the development of therapeutic tools.

The Key Gene Expression Patterns and Prognostic Factors in Malignant Transformation from Enchondroma to Chondrosarcoma

Enchondroma (EC) is a common benign bone tumor. It has the risk of malignant transformation to Chondrosarcoma (CS). However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The gene expression profile of EC and CS was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified using GEO2R. We conducted the enrichment analysis and constructed the gene interaction network using the DEGs. We found that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the VEGFA-VEGF2R signaling pathway were more active in CS. The CD8⁺ T cell immunity was enhanced in CS I. We believed that four genes (MFAP2, GOLM1, STMN1, and HN1) were poor predictors of prognosis, while two genes (CAB39L and GAB2) indicated a good prognosis. We have revealed the mechanism in the tumor progression and identified the key genes that predicted the prognosis. This study provided new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of EC and CS.

The m6A methylation landscape stratifies hepatocellular carcinoma into 3 subtypes with distinct metabolic characteristics

Objective

Epigenetic aberration plays an important role in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the alteration of RNA N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modifications and its role in HCC progression remain unclear. We therefore aimed to provide evidence using bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

We comprehensively analyzed the m6A regulator modification patterns of 605 HCC samples and correlated them with metabolic alteration characteristics. We elucidated 390 gene-based m6A-related signatures and defined an m6Ascore to quantify m6A modifications. We then assessed their values for predicting prognoses and therapeutic responses in HCC patients.

Results

We identified 3 distinct m6A modification patterns in HCC, and each pattern had distinct metabolic characteristics. The evaluation of m6A modification patterns using m6Ascores could predict the prognoses, tumor stages, and responses to sorafenib treatments of HCC patients. A nomogram based on m6Ascores showed high accuracy in predicting the overall survival of patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of predictions of 1, 3, and 5-year overall survivals were 0.71, 0.69, and 0.70 in the training cohort, and in the test cohort it was 0.74, 0.75, and 0.71, respectively. M6Acluster C1, which corresponded to hypoactive mRNA methylation, lower expression of m6A regulators, and a lower m6Ascore, was characterized by metabolic hyperactivity, lower tumor stage, better prognosis, and lower response to sorafenib treatment. In contrast, m6Acluster C3 was distinct in its hyperactive mRNA methylations, higher expression of m6A regulators, and higher m6Ascores, and was characterized by hypoactive metabolism, advanced tumor stage, poorer prognosis, and a better response to sorafenib. The m6Acluster, C2, was intermediate between C1 and C3.

Conclusions

HCCs harbored distinct m6A regulator modification patterns that contributed to the metabolic heterogeneity and diversity of HCC. Development of m6A gene signatures and the m6Ascore provides a more comprehensive understanding of m6A modifications in HCC, and helps predict the prognosis and treatment response.