The targeted regulation of Gli1 by miR-361 to inhibit epithelia-mesenchymal transition and invasion of esophageal carcinoma cells

MicroRNA-361 reduces the viability and migratory ability of pancreatic cancer cells via mediation of the MAPK/JNK pathway

Previous research has revealed that microRNA-361 (miR-361) functions as a fundamental modulator in non-small-cell lung cancer and esophageal carcinoma. However, its involvement in pancreatic cancer (PC) is yet to be elucidated. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the mechanism and function of miR-361 during the regulation of PC cell migration and viability. It was demonstrated that miR-361 expression decreased in PC cell lines and tissues, and the overexpression of miR-361 suppressed in vivo PC cell proliferation in mice. Moreover, flow cytometry and MTT assays indicated that the miR-361 mimic decreased the viability and increased the apoptosis of PC cells. Both Transwell migration and wound healing assays identified that miR-361 ameliorated the migratory ability of PC cells. Using dual-luciferase reporter assays, it was found that miR-361 targeted mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/JNK 3'-untranslated regions, inducing the downregulation of this gene. In PC cells, overexpression of MAPK/JNK diminished the pro-apoptotic effect of the miR-361 mimic, while restoring the migratory activity of PC cells. Collectively, the present results suggested novel molecular mechanisms underlying PC progression and development.

Targeting DNA Binding for NF-κB as an Anticancer Approach in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Quinoline core has been shown to possess a promising role in the development of anticancer agents. However, the correlation between its broad spectrum of bioactivity and the underlying mechanism of actions is poorly understood. The present study, with the use of bioinformatics approaches, reported a series of designed molecules which integrated quinoline core and sulfonyl moiety, with the objective of evaluating the substituent and linker effects on anticancer activities and associated mechanistic targets. We identified potent compounds (1h, 2h, 5 and 8) exhibiting significant anticancer effects towards liver cancer cells (Hep3B) with the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) relative values of cytotoxicity below 0.40, a value in the range of doxorubicin positive control with the value of 0.12. Bulky substituents and the presence of bromine atom, as well as the presence of sulfonamide linkage, are likely the favorable structural components for molecules exerting a strong anticancer effect. To the best of our knowledge, our findings obtained from chemical synthesis, in vitro cytotoxicity, bioinformatics-based molecular docking analysis (similarity ensemble approach, SEA),and electrophoretic mobility shift assay provided the first evidence in correlation to the anticancer activities of the selected compound 5 with the modulation on the binding of transcription factor NF-κB to its target DNA. Accordingly, compound 5 represented a lead structure for the development of quinoline-based NF-κB inhibitors and this work added novel information on the understanding of the mechanism of action for bioactive sulfonyl-containing quinoline compounds against hepatocellular carcinoma.