Identification of CDCA2 as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

SERPINI1 serves as a biomarker promoting cell proliferation and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

SERPINI1 is a protein-coding gene, which has been reported to be related to malignancies, and the encoding protein is a secreted protein. Nevertheless, the specific effect of SERPINI1 on Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

METHODS

The expression level of SERPINI1 in cancers was detected by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database and the collected serum of HCC patients. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness of serum SERPINI1 and the combination of AFP and SERPINI1 for HCC. The Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival was used to evaluate the prognostic capacity of SERPINI1 for HCC in GEPIA database. Furthermore, the correlations between clinicopathological characteristics and the level of serum SERPINI1 were analyzed. Besides, we detected the expression of SERPINI1 in HepG2 by qPCR and western blot, and confirmed the biological function of SERPINI1 through MTT, EdU, wound healing and transwell invasion assay.

RESULTS

The results indicated that the level of SERPINI1 was significantly increased in tissue and serum of HCC patients. ROC analysis displayed that SERPINI1 had a significantly diagnostic value for HCC, the combination of AFP and SERPINI1 gained the higher specificity and sensitivity. The KM survival curves indicated that patients with SERPINI1 overexpression had worse overall survival. Furthermore, we found the positive correlations between serum SERPINI1 level and some clinicopathological characteristics, such as tumor size, differentiation degrees and so on. In addition, in vitro experiments revealed that SERPINI1 could promote the proliferation and invasion of HCC.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our study demonstrates that SERPINI1, which is highly expressed in HCC and closely related to cell proliferation and invasion, may serve as a novel biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

DEPDC1B, CDCA2, APOBEC3B, and TYMS are potential hub genes and therapeutic targets for diagnosing dialysis patients with heart failure

Introduction

Heart failure (HF) has a very high prevalence in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). However, there is still a lack of effective and reliable HF diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for patients with MHD.

Methods

In this study, we analyzed transcriptome profiles of 30 patients with MHD by high-throughput sequencing. Firstly, the differential genes between HF group and control group of patients with MHD were screened. Secondly, HF-related genes were screened by WGCNA, and finally the genes intersecting the two were selected as candidate genes. Machine learning was used to identify hub gene and construct a nomogram model, which was verified by ROC curve and RT-qPCR. In addition, we further explored potential mechanism and function of hub genes in HF of patients with MHD through GSEA, immune cell infiltration analysis, drug analysis and establishment of molecular regulatory network.

Results

Totally 23 candidate genes were screened out by overlapping 673 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 147 key module genes, of which four hub genes (DEPDC1B, CDCA2, APOBEC3B and TYMS) were obtained by two machine learning algorithms. Through GSEA analysis, it was found that the four genes were closely related to ribosome, cell cycle, ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis. We constructed a ceRNA regulatory network, and found that 4 hub genes (TYMS, CDCA2 and DEPDC1B) might be regulated by 4 miRNAs (hsa-miR-1297, hsa-miR-4465, hsa-miR-27a-3p, hsa-miR-129-5p) and 21 lncRNAs (such as HCP5, CAS5, MEG3, HCG18). 24 small molecule drugs were predicted based on TYMS through DrugBank website. Finally, qRT-PCR experiments showed that the expression trend of biomarkers was consistent with the results of transcriptome sequencing.

Discussion

Overall, our results reveal the molecular mechanism of HF in patients with MHD and provide insights into potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets.

Plasma methylated GNB4 and Riplet as a novel dual-marker panel for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Early detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can greatly improve the survival rate of patients. We aimed to develop a novel marker panel based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation for the detection of HCC. The differentially methylated CpG sites (DMCs) specific for HCC blood diagnosis were selected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases, then validated by the whole genome bisulphite sequencing (WGBS) of 12 paired HCC and paracancerous tissues. The clinical performance of the panel was evaluated using tissue samples [32 HCC, chronic liver disease (CLD), and healthy individuals] and plasma cohorts (173 HCC, 199 CLD, and 98 healthy individuals). The combination of G protein subunit beta 4 (GNB4) and Riplet had the optimal area under the curve (AUC) in seven candidates through TCGA, GEO, and WGBS analyses. In tissue validation, the GNB4 and Riplet showed an AUC of 100% with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for detecting any-stage HCC. In plasma, it demonstrated a high sensitivity of 84.39% at 91.92% specificity, with an AUC of 92.51% for detecting any-stage HCC. The dual-marker panel had a higher sensitivity of 78.26% for stage I HCC than alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) of 47.83%, and a high sensitivity of 70.27% for detecting a single tumour (size ≤3 cm). In conclusion, we developed a novel dual-marker panel that demonstrates high accuracy in detecting HCC, surpassing the performance of AFP testing.

The Role of CDCA2 in tumor genesis, prognosis and future treatments

The Cell Division Cycle Associated 2 (CDCA2) gene is responsible for encoding a targeting subunit of cell-cycle associated protein. CDCA2 plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including chromosome segregation and decondensation, nuclear envelope reassembly, microtubule assembly, and DNA damage response. Additionally, CDCA2 is involved in multiple signaling pathways such as the PI3K/Akt pathway and p53 pathway. Undoubtedly, there exists a strong association between CDCA2 and cancer. Numerous studies have reported that elevated levels of CDCA2 are correlated with poor prognosis and several clinicopathological characteristics like tumor size and TNM stage across different types of cancer. Therefore, CDCA2 holds great potential as both a biomarker for diagnosis and a therapeutic target for interventions such as targeted therapies or immunotherapy. Given its promising prospects in scientific research and clinical applications, it is imperative for researchers to delve into the underlying mechanisms of CDCA2 and explore its utilization.

Role of cell division cycle-associated proteins in regulating cell cycle and promoting tumor progression

The cell division cycle-associated protein (CDCA) family is important in regulating cell division. High CDCA expression is significantly linked to tumor development. This review summarizes clinical and basic studies on CDCAs conducted in recent decades. Furthermore, it systematically introduces the molecular expression and function, key mechanisms, cell cycle regulation, and roles of CDCAs in tumor development, cell proliferation, drug resistance, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, it presents the latest research on tumor diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment targeting CDCAs. These findings are pivotal for further in-depth studies on the role of CDCAs in promoting tumor development and provide theoretical support for their application as new anti-tumor targets.

Genetic Variants in p53 Pathway Genes Affect Survival of Patients with HBV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Purpose

P53 is a suppressor gene closely related to carcinogenesis. However, the associations between genetic variants in the p53 signaling pathway and prognosis in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown. The current study aims to analyze associations between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in p53 pathway-related genes and survival of patients with HBV-HCC.

Methods

We evaluated the associations between 4698 SNPs in 70 genes of the p53 pathway and overall survival (OS) of 866 patients in additive genetic models by using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Stepwise multivariable Cox regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent effects of identified SNPs in single-locus analyses. The expression of quantitative trait loci (eQTL) was also analyzed using data from GTEx and 1000 Genomes Project, and functional prediction of SNPs was performed by using RegulomeDB v2.2, 3DSNP v2.0, HaploReg v4.2 and VannoPortal.

Results

We found that two novel SNPs of CD82 rs7925603 A > G and PMAIP1 rs4396625 A > T, were significantly and independently associated with OS [adjusted hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 1.27 (1.10-1.48) and 0.77 (0.66-0.91), respectively; P = 0.001 and = 0.002, respectively] and that the combined risk genotypes of these SNPs showed a significant association with OS in patients with HBV-HCC (P trend < 0.001). Further eQTL analysis in the GTEx dataset showed that the rs7925603 G allele was associated with lower CD82 mRNA expression levels, while the rs4396625 T allele was associated with higher PMAIP1 mRNA expression levels in whole blood cells.

Conclusion

We identified two observed survival-associated SNPs in CD82 and PMAIP1 in the p53 pathway, which influenced HBV-HCC survival possibly through a mechanism of altering mRNA expression. Large studies are warranted to validate our findings.

CDCA gene family promotes progression and prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The cell division cycle-associated (CDCA) family participates in the cell cycle, and the dysregulation of its expression is associated with the development of several types of cancers. However, the roles of CDCAs in lung adenocarcinomas (LUAD) have not been investigated in systematic research.

METHODS

Using data retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the expression of CDCAs in LUAD and normal tissues was compared, and survival analysis was performed using the data. Also, the correlation between clinical characteristics and the expression of CDCAs was assessed. Using data from cBioPortal, we investigated genetic alterations in CDCAs and their prognostic implications. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to validate our findings from TCGA data. Following this, we created a risk score model to develop a nomogram. We also performed gene set enrichment analyses (GSEA), gene ontology, and KEGG pathway analysis. We used Timer to analyze the correlation between immune cell infiltration, tumor purity, and expression data.

RESULTS

Our results indicated that all CDCAs were expressed at high levels in LUAD; this could be associated with poor overall survival, as indicated in TCGA data. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses revealed that CDCA4/5 could serve as independent risk factors. The results of immunohistochemical analyses confirmed our results. Based on the estimation of expression levels, clinical characteristics, alterations, and immune infiltration, the low-risk group of CDCA4/5 had a better prognosis than the high-risk group. Immune therapy is also a potential treatment option.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our findings indicate that CDCAs play important roles in LUAD, and CDCA4/5 can serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in LUAD.

TEDC2 plays an oncogenic role and serves as a therapeutic target of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and tends to have a poor prognosis due to its insidious onset, difficulty in early diagnosis, and limited treatment options. Tubulin epsilon and delta complex 2 (TEDC2), also known as C16orf59, is implicated in maintaining centriole stability, but the involvement of TEDC2 in HCC remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the expression profile and potential mechanisms of TEDC2 in HCC.

METHODS

Multiple RNA sequencing datasets were screened for differentially expressed genes in HCC, and the prognosis-related gene, TEDC2, was further screened as a target gene in this study. The expression of TEDC2 in public datasets and clinical specimens was analyzed, and the involvement of TEDC2 in HCC was investigated by bioinformatic analysis and in vitro experiments.

RESULTS

TEDC2 levels were elevated in HCC compared to healthy livers. Overexpression of TEDC2 was positively correlated with pathologic stage and histologic grade. In addition, TEDC2 was found to be an independent prognostic predictor. An excellent prognostic model of HCC was successfully constructed with TEDC2 in combination with the TNM stage. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that overexpression of TEDC2 might be associated with impaired tumor immunity in HCC, as evidenced by increased infiltration of T helper 2 (Th2) cells and reduced infiltration of cytotoxic cells. Further studies showed that TP53 mutations regulated TEDC2 expression, and TEDC2 was significantly associated with drug sensitivity. Moreover, overexpression of TEDC2 promoted cell metastasis and proliferation in vitro.

CONCLUSION

These findings initially suggested a crucial effect of TEDC2 overexpression on HCC tumor progression, suggesting its potential as a novel prognostic and therapeutic target in HCC.

A pan-cancer analysis reveals the diagnostic and prognostic role of CDCA2 in low-grade glioma

BACKGROUND

Cell division cycle associated 2 (CDCA2), a member of the cell division cycle associated proteins (CDCA) family, is crucial in the regulation of cell mitosis and DNA repair. CDCA2 was extensively examined in our work to determine its role in a wide range of cancers.

METHODS

CDCA2 differential expression was studied in pan-cancer and in diverse molecular and immunological subgroups in this research. Additionally, the diagnostic and prognostic significance of CDCA2 in pan-cancer was also evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier (KM) curves. Prognostic value of CDCA2 in distinct clinical subgroups of lower grade glioma (LGG) was also investigated and a nomogram was constructed. Lastly, potential mechanisms of action of CDCA2 were interrogated including biological functions, ceRNA networks, m6A modification and immune infiltration.

RESULTS

CDCA2 is shown to be differentially expressed in a wide variety of cancers. Tumors are diagnosed and forecasted with a high degree of accuracy by CDCA2, and the quantity of expression CDCA2 is linked to the prognosis of many cancers. Additionally, the expression level of CDCA2 in various subgroups of LGG is also closely related to prognosis. The results of enrichment analyses reveal that CDCA2 is predominantly enriched in the cell cycle, mitosis, and DNA replication. Subsequently, hsa-miR-105-5p is predicted to target CDCA2. In addition, 4 lncRNAs were identified that may inhibit the hsa-miR-105-5p/CDCA2 axis in LGG. Meanwhile, CDCA2 expression is shown to be associated to m6A-related genes and levels of immune cell infiltration in LGG.

CONCLUSION

CDCA2 can serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis in pan-cancer, especially in LGG. For the development of novel targeted therapies in LGG, it may be a potential molecular target. However, to be sure, we'll need to do additional biological experiments to back up our results from bioinformatic predictions.

Trial watch: immunotherapeutic strategies on the horizon for hepatocellular carcinoma

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) targeting PD-L1/PD-1 and CTLA-4 has transformed the oncology practice of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, only 25-30% of the patients with advanced HCC treated with atezolizumab-bevacizumab or tremelimumab-durvalumab (STRIDE) respond initially, and mechanistic biomarkers and novel treatment strategies are urgently needed for patients who present with or acquire resistance to first-line ICI-based therapies. The recent approval of the STRIDE regimen has also engendered new questions, such as patient selection factors (e.g. portal hypertension and history of variceal bleed) and biomarkers, and the optimal combination and sequencing of ICI-based regimens. Triumphs in the setting of advanced HCC have also galvanized considerable interest in the broader application of ICIs to early- and intermediate-stage diseases, including clinical combination of ICIs with locoregional therapies. Among these clinical contexts, the role of ICIs in liver transplantation - which is a potentially curative strategy unique to HCC management - as a bridge to liver transplant in potential candidates or in the setting of post-transplant recurrence, warrants investigation in view of the notable theoretical risk of allograft rejection. In this review, we summarize and chart the landscape of seminal immuno-oncology trials in HCC and envision future clinical developments.

STARD5 as a potential clinical target of hepatocellular carcinoma

To reveal whether STARD5 is a potential biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC. Using gene expression omnibus and the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) to screen differentially expressed genes in HCC and STARD5 was selected by LASSO algorithm. Then, we analyzed the association between STARD5 and clinical characteristics of HCC patients in TCGA and International Cancer Genome Consortium. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein level of STARD5 was also verified by collecting 87 cases of HCC patients' liver tissues using qRT-PCR and WB. Next, we applied gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) for pathways analysis of STARD5. Finally, TIMER1.0 and TISIDB were used to explore the correlation of STARD5 with immune cell infiltration. The expression of STARD5 was lower in HCC and negatively correlated with tumor grade (p < 0.05), while high expression of STARD5 suggested a better prognosis for HCC patients (p < 0.01) and it could be an independent prognostic predictor (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, STARD5 also had strong diagnostic accuracy for HCC patients. GSEA revealed that STARD5-related genes were mainly enriched in E2F targets, G2M checkpoint and KRAS signaling. The TIMER1.0 and TISIDB databases found a negative correlation between STARD5 and tumor immune infiltrating cells. STARD5 could be used as a potential target for HCC diagnosis and prognosis.