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Zhang Z, Lu T, Zhang Z, Liu Z, Qian R, Qi R, Zhou F, Li M. Unraveling the immune landscape and therapeutic biomarker PMEPA1 for oxaliplatin resistance in colorectal cancer: A comprehensive approach. Biochem Pharmacol 2024; 222:116117. [PMID: 38461903 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Oxaliplatin (OXA) is a platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent with promising applications in the treatment of various malignancies, particularly colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the management of OXA resistance remains an ongoing obstacle in CRC therapy. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the immune landscape, targeted therapeutic biomarkers, and mechanisms that influence OXA resistance in CRC. Our results demonstrated that our OXA- resistant CRC prognostic model not only provides risk assessment for patients but also reflects the immune landscape of patients. Additionally, we identified prostate transmembrane protein, androgen-induced1 (PMEPA1) as a promising molecular targeted therapeutic biomarker for patients with OXA-resistant CRC. The mechanism of PMEPA1 may involve cell adhesion, pathways in cancer, and the TGF-β signaling pathway. Furthermore, analysis of CRC clinical samples indicated that patients resistant to OXA exhibited elevated serum levels of TGF-β1, increased expression of PMEPA1 in tumors, a lower proportion of CD8+ T cell positivity, and a higher proportion of M0 macrophage positivity, in comparison to OXA-sensitive individuals. Cellular experiments indicated that selective silencing of PMEPA1, alone or in combination with OXA, inhibited proliferation and metastasis in OXA-resistant CRC cells, HCT116R. Animal experiments further confirmed that PMEPA1 silencing suppressed subcutaneous graft tumor growth and liver metastasis in mice bearing HCT116R and synergistically enhanced the efficacy of OXA. These data highlight the potential of leveraging the therapeutic biomarker PMEPA1, CD8+ T cells, and M0 macrophages as innovative targets for effectively addressing the challenges associated with OXA resistance. Our findings hold promising implications for further clinical advancements in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengguang Zhang
- School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China.
| | - Tianming Lu
- School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Zixian Liu
- School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruoning Qian
- School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China
| | - Ruogu Qi
- School of Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China.
| | - Fuqiong Zhou
- Central Laboratory, Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China.
| | - Min Li
- Department of Oncology, Nanjing Hospital of Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu, Nanjing, China.
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Zhu Q, Wang Y, Liu Y, Yang X, Shuai Z. Prostate transmembrane androgen inducible protein 1 (PMEPA1): regulation and clinical implications. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1298660. [PMID: 38173834 PMCID: PMC10761476 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1298660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Prostate transmembrane androgen inducible protein 1 (PMEPA1) can promote or inhibit prostate cancer cell growth based on the cancer cell response to the androgen receptor (AR). Further, it can be upregulated by transforming growth factor (TGF), which downregulates transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling by interfering with R-Smad phosphorylation to facilitate TGF-β receptor degradation. Studies have indicated the increased expression of PMEPA1 in some solid tumors and its functioning as a regulator of multiple signaling pathways. This review highlights the multiple potential signaling pathways associated with PMEPA1 and the role of the PMEPA1 gene in regulating prognosis, including transcriptional regulation and epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, the relevant implications in and outside tumors, for example, as a biomarker and its potential functions in lysosomes have also been discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qicui Zhu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yue Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yaqian Liu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Xiaoke Yang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zongwen Shuai
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui, Hefei, China
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Wen F, Yang S, Cai W, Zhao M, Qin L, Jiao Z. Exploring the role of PMEPA1 in gastric cancer. Mol Cell Probes 2023; 72:101931. [PMID: 37683830 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2023.101931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Although there are several treatments available for gastric cancer (GC), the prognosis of the disease is still poor due to many factors, such as late diagnosis and tumor heterogeneity. To identify potential therapeutic targets, bioinformatics techniques and clinical sample validation were employed and prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) was selected for further study. In the present study, we found that elevated PMEPA1 expression correlates with a worse prognosis and weaker anti-tumor immunity in GC patients. Moreover, our study showed that PMEPA1 not only influences cell proliferation, clone formation, invasion, and migration in vitro, but also plays an important role in GC progression in vivo. Mechanically, PMEPA1 exerts its oncogenic effects through activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, PMEPA1 is a potential target for treating GC effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Wen
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China
| | - Shangyu Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan, 637000, China
| | - WeiWen Cai
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China
| | - Mengyuan Zhao
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China
| | - Long Qin
- Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China.
| | - Zuoyi Jiao
- Department of General Surgery, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China; Cuiying Biomedical Research Center, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730030, China.
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Li F, Song QZ, Zhang YF, Wang XR, Cao LM, Li N, Zhao LX, Zhang SX, Zhuang XF. Identifying the EMT-related signature to stratify prognosis and evaluate the tumor microenvironment in lung adenocarcinoma. Front Genet 2022; 13:1008416. [PMID: 36186418 PMCID: PMC9523218 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1008416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical process in tumor invasion and metastasis. EMT has been shown to significantly influence the invasion, metastasis, and poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). This study aimed to develop a novel EMT-related prognostic model capable of predicting overall survival (OS) in patients with LUAD. Methods: A total of 283 LUAD patients from TCGA RNA-seq dataset were assigned to a training cohort for model building, and 310 LUAD patients from GEO RNA-seq dataset were assigned to a validation cohort. EMT genes were acquired from MsigDB database and then prognosis-related EMT genes were identified by univariate Cox regression. Lasso regression was then performed to determine the genes and the corresponding variables to construct a prognosis risk model from the training cohort. Furthermore, characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME), mutation status and chemotherapy responses were analyzed to assess the differences between the two risk groups based on the prognostic model. In addition, RT-qPCR was employed to validate the expression patterns of the 6 genes derived from the risk model. Results: A six-gene EMT signature (PMEPA1, LOXL2, PLOD2, MMP14, SPOCK1 and DCN) was successfully constructed and validated. The signature assigned the LUAD patients into high-risk and low-risk groups. In comparison with the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk group had a significantly lower survival rate. ROC curves and calibration curves for the risk model demonstrated reliable stratification and predictive ability. The risk model was robustly correlated with multiple TME characteristics. Besides, the data showed that patients in the low-risk group had more immune activities, higher stemness scores and cytolytic activity scores and higher TMB. In addition, RT-qPCR results revealed that PMEPA1, LOXL2, PLOD2, MMP14, and SPOCK1 were notably upregulated in LUAD tissues, while DCN was downregulated. Conclusion: Our study successfully developed a novel EMT-related signature to predict prognosis of LUAD patients and guide treatment strategies. The six genes derived from the prediction signature might play a potential role in antitumor immunity and serve as promising therapeutic targets in LUAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Li
- Department of Cell Biology, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Qing-Zhen Song
- Department of Special Geriatrics, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Yi-Fan Zhang
- The First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
| | - Xing-Ru Wang
- The Second Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Li-Min Cao
- The First Clinical Medical College, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
| | - Nan Li
- The School of Basic Medicine of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Ling-Xia Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanxi Bethune Hospital, Shanxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongji Shanxi Hospital, Third Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- *Correspondence: Ling-Xia Zhao, ; Sheng-Xiao Zhang, ; Xiao-Fei Zhuang,
| | - Sheng-Xiao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cellular Physiology at Shanxi Medical University, Ministry of Education, Taiyuan, China
- Department of Rheumatology, The Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- *Correspondence: Ling-Xia Zhao, ; Sheng-Xiao Zhang, ; Xiao-Fei Zhuang,
| | - Xiao-Fei Zhuang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital, Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China
- *Correspondence: Ling-Xia Zhao, ; Sheng-Xiao Zhang, ; Xiao-Fei Zhuang,
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PMEPA1 Serves as a Prognostic Biomarker and Correlates with Immune Infiltrates in Cervical Cancer. J Immunol Res 2022; 2022:4510462. [PMID: 35497877 PMCID: PMC9045981 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4510462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging studies have demonstrated that Prostate transmembrane protein androgen induced 1 (PMEPA1) plays crucial roles in the carcinogenesis of many developing human tumors. However, the clinical significance of PMEPA1 expression in cervical cancer (CC) and its contribution to cancer immunity have not been investigated. In this study, we identified PMEPA1 as a survival-related gene in CC based on TCGA datasets. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that PMEPA1 expression was an independent predictor for overall survival in CC patients. We could observe a strong negative correlation between PMEPA1 expression and PMEPA1 methylation. Two CpG sites of PMEPA1 were associated with overall survival, and one CpG site of PMEPA1 was associated with progression-free survival. The low level of PMEPA1 methylation was associated with advanced clinical stage of CC patients. KEGG assays revealed the genes associated with PMEPA1 expression were mainly enriched in several tumor-related pathways. Increased PMEPA1 expressions were observed to be positively related to high immune infiltration levels in several immune cells. Finally, the pan-cancer assays revealed that PMEPA1 expression was associated with the overall survival of UVM, PAAD, LUSC, BLCA, CESC, and LUAD. Taken together, PMEPA1 is a prognosis-related biomarker for multiple cancer types, especially CC. PMEPA1 is involved in tumor immunity, suggesting PMEPA1 may be a potential immunotherapeutic target in CC.
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