Role of SOX Protein Groups F and H in Lung Cancer Progression

Targeting SOX18 Transcription Factor Activity by Small-Molecule Inhibitor Sm4 in Non-Small Lung Cancer Cell Lines

The transcription factor SOX18 has been shown to play a crucial role in lung cancer progression and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the effect of Sm4, a SOX18 inhibitor, on cell cycle regulation in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines LXF-289 and SK-MES-1, as well as normal human lung fibroblast cell line IMR-90. Our results demonstrated that Sm4 treatment induced cytotoxic effects on all three cell lines, with a greater effect observed in NSCLC adenocarcinoma cells. Sm4 treatment led to S-phase cell accumulation and upregulation of p21, a key regulator of the S-to-G2/M phase transition. While no significant changes in SOX7 or SOX17 protein expression were observed, Sm4 treatment resulted in a significant upregulation of SOX17 gene expression. Furthermore, our findings suggest a complex interplay between SOX18 and p21 in the context of lung cancer, with a positive correlation observed between SOX18 expression and p21 nuclear presence in clinical tissue samples obtained from lung cancer patients. These results suggest that Sm4 has the potential to disrupt the cell cycle and target cancer cell growth by modulating SOX18 activity and p21 expression. Further investigation is necessary to fully understand the relationship between SOX18 and p21 in lung cancer and to explore the therapeutic potential of SOX18 inhibition in lung cancer.

Recent Advances in Transcription Factors Biomarkers and Targeted Therapies Focusing on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

Transcription factors involve many proteins in the process of transactivating or transcribing (none-) encoded DNA to initiate and regulate downstream signals, such as RNA polymerase. Their unique characteristic is that they possess specific domains that bind to specific DNA element sequences called enhancer or promoter sequences. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in cancer progression. Many dysregulated transcription factors-such as Myc, SNAIs, Twists, and ZEBs-are key drivers of tumor metastasis through EMT regulation. This review summarizes currently available evidence related to the oncogenic role of classified transcription factors in EMT editing and epigenetic regulation, clarifying the roles of the classified conserved transcription factor family involved in the EMT and how these factors could be used as therapeutic targets in future investigations.

Tumor Suppressor 4.1N/EPB41L1 is Epigenetic Silenced by Promoter Methylation and MiR-454-3p in NSCLC

Non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is divided into three major histological types, namely, lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), and large-cell lung carcinoma (LCLC). We previously identified that 4.1N/EPB41L1 acts as a tumor suppressor and is reduced in NSCLC patients. In the current study, we explored the underlying epigenetic mechanisms of 4.1N/EPB41L1 reduction in NSCLC. The 4.1N/EPB41L1 gene promoter region was highly methylated in LUAD and LUSC patients. LUAD patients with higher methylation level in the 4.1N/EPB41L1 gene promoter (TSS1500, cg13399773 or TSS200, cg20993403) had a shorter overall survival time (Log-rank p = 0.02 HR = 1.509 or Log-rank p = 0.016 HR = 1.509), whereas LUSC patients with higher methylation level in the 4.1N/EPB41L1 gene promoter (TSS1500 cg13399773, TSS1500 cg07030373 or TSS200 cg20993403) had a longer overall survival time (Log-rank p = 0.045 HR = 0.5709, Log-rank p = 0.018 HR = 0.68 or Log-rank p = 0.014 HR = 0.639, respectively). High methylation of the 4.1N/EPB41L1 gene promoter appeared to be a relatively early event in LUAD and LUSC. DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine restored the 4.1N/EPB41L1 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. MiR-454-3p was abnormally highly expressed in NSCLC and directly targeted 4.1N/EPB41L1 mRNA. MiR-454-3p expression was significantly correlated with 4.1N/EPB41L1 expression in NSCLC patients (r = −0.63, p < 0.0001). Therefore, we concluded that promoter hypermethylation of the 4.1N/EPB41L1 gene and abnormally high expressed miR-454-3p work at different regulation levels but in concert to restrict 4.1N/EPB41L1 expression in NSCLC. Taken together, this work contributes to elucidate the underlying epigenetic disruptions of 4.1N/EPB41L1 deficiency in NSCLC.

The Cardiac Glycoside Deslanoside Exerts Anticancer Activity in Prostate Cancer Cells by Modulating Multiple Signaling Pathways

Simple Summary

Prostate cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men, and novel therapies for advanced PCa are urgently needed. Cardiac glycosides are a group of attractive candidates for anticancer repurposing, but deslanoside has not been tested for a potential anticancer effect so far. This study aims to test the anticancer effect of deslanoside in PCa and investigate the underlying mechanisms. Deslanoside effectively inhibited colony formation and tumor growth in multiple prostate cancer cell lines. Such an inhibitory effect involved both the cell cycle arrest at G2/M and the induction of apoptosis. Deslanoside altered the expression of many genes, which belonged to various cancer-associated cellular processes and signaling pathways. Altered expression levels for 15 deslanoside-modulated genes correlate with recurrence-free survival or overall survival in PCa patients, some of which have not been implicated in cancer before. Therefore, deslanoside exerts anticancer activity in PCa cells by modulating gene expression.

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men worldwide, and novel therapies for advanced PCa are urgently needed. Cardiac glycosides represent an attractive group of candidates for anticancer repurposing, but the cardiac glycoside deslanoside has not been tested for potential anticancer activity so far. We found that deslanoside effectively inhibited colony formation in vitro and tumor growth in nude mice of PCa cell lines 22Rv1, PC-3, and DU 145. Such an anticancer activity was mediated by both the cell cycle arrest at G2/M and the induction of apoptosis, as demonstrated by different functional assays and the expression status of regulatory proteins of cell cycle and apoptosis in cultured cells. Moreover, deslanoside suppressed the invasion and migration of PCa cell lines. Genome-wide expression profiling and bioinformatic analyses revealed that 130 genes were either upregulated or downregulated by deslanoside in both 22Rv1 and PC-3 cell lines. These genes enriched multiple cellular processes, such as response to steroid hormones, regulation of lipid metabolism, epithelial cell proliferation and its regulation, and negative regulation of cell migration. They also enriched multiple signaling pathways, such as necroptosis, MAPK, NOD-like receptor, and focal adhesion. Survival analyses of the 130 genes in the TCGA PCa database revealed that 10 of the deslanoside-downregulated genes (ITG2B, CNIH2, FBF1, PABPC1L, MMP11, DUSP9, TMEM121, SOX18, CMPK2, and MAMDC4) inversely correlated, while one deslanoside-upregulated gene (RASD1) positively correlated, with disease-free survival in PCa patients. In addition, one deslanoside-downregulated gene (ENG) inversely correlated, while three upregulated genes (JUN, MXD1, and AQP3) positively correlated with overall survival in PCa patients. Some of the 15 genes have not been implicated in cancer before. These findings provide another candidate for repurposing cardiac glycosides for anticancer drugs. They also suggest that a diverse range of molecular events underlie deslanoside’s anticancer activity in PCa cells.

Cervical cancer progression is regulated by SOX transcription factors: Revealing signaling networks and therapeutic strategies

Cervical cancer is the fourth common gynecologic cancer and is considered as second leading cause of death among women. Various strategies are applied in treatment of cervical cancer including radiotherapy, chemotherapy and surgery. However, cervical cancer cells demonstrate aggressive behavior in advanced phases, requiring novel strategies in their elimination. On the other hand, SOX proteins are transcription factors capable of regulating different molecular pathways and their expression varies during embryogenesis, disease development and carcinogenesis. In the present review, our aim is to reveal role of SOX transcription factors in cervical cancer. SOX transcription factors play like a double-edged sword in cancer. For instance, SOX9 possesses both tumor-suppressor and tumor-promoting role in cervical cancer. Therefore, exact role of each SOX members in cervical cancer has been discussed to direct further experiments for revealing other functions. SOX proteins can regulate proliferation and metastasis of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, response of cervical cancer cells to chemotherapy and radiotherapy is tightly regulated by SOX transcription factors. Different downstream targets of SOX proteins such as Wnt signaling, EMT and Hedgehog have been identified. Besides, upstream mediators such as microRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs can regulate SOX expression in cervical cancer. In addition to pre-clinical studies, role of SOX transcription factors as prognostic and diagnostic tools in cervical cancer has been shown.

MicroRNAs regulating SOX2 in cancer progression and therapy response

The proliferation, metastasis and therapy response of tumour cells are tightly regulated by interaction among various signalling networks. The microRNAs (miRNAs) can bind to 3'-UTR of mRNA and down-regulate expression of target gene. The miRNAs target various molecular pathways in regulating biological events such as apoptosis, differentiation, angiogenesis and migration. The aberrant expression of miRNAs occurs in cancers and they have both tumour-suppressor and tumour-promoting functions. On the contrary, SOX proteins are capable of binding to DNA and regulating gene expression. SOX2 is a well-known member of SOX family that its overexpression in different cancers to ensure progression and stemness. The present review focuses on modulatory impact of miRNAs on SOX2 in affecting growth, migration and therapy response of cancers. The lncRNAs and circRNAs can function as upstream mediators of miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancers. In addition, NF-κB, TNF-α and SOX17 are among other molecular pathways regulating miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancer. Noteworthy, anti-cancer compounds including bufalin and ovatodiolide are suggested to regulate miRNA/SOX2 axis in cancers. The translation of current findings to clinical course can pave the way to effective treatment of cancer patients and improve their prognosis.

Current Landscape of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Epidemiology, Histological Classification, Targeted Therapies, and Immunotherapy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a subtype of the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the world. Its epidemiology depends not only on tobacco exposition but also air quality. While the global trends in NSCLC incidence have started to decline, we can observe region-dependent differences related to the education and the economic level of the patients. Due to an increasing understanding of NSCLC biology, new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies have been developed, such as the reorganization of histopathological classification or tumor genotyping. Precision medicine is focused on the recognition of a genetic mutation in lung cancer cells called "driver mutation" to provide a variety of specific inhibitors of improperly functioning proteins. A rapidly growing group of approved drugs for targeted therapy in NSCLC currently allows the following mutated proteins to be treated: EGFR family (ERBB-1, ERBB-2), ALK, ROS1, MET, RET, NTRK, and RAF. Nevertheless, one of the most frequent NSCLC molecular sub-types remains without successful treatment: the K-Ras protein. In this review, we discuss the current NSCLC landscape treatment focusing on targeted therapy and immunotherapy, including first- and second-line monotherapies, immune checkpoint inhibitors with chemotherapy treatment, and approved predictive biomarkers.

Caveolin1: its roles in normal and cancer stem cells

PURPOSE

Stem cells are characterized by the capability of self-renewal and multi-differentiation. Normal stem cells, which are important for tissue repair and tissue regeneration, can be divided into embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and somatic stem cells (SSCs) depending on their origin. As a subpopulation of cells within cancer, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are at the root of therapeutic resistance. Tumor-initiating cells (TICs) are necessary for tumor initiation. Caveolin1 (Cav1), a membrane protein located at the caveolae, participates in cell lipid transport, cell migration, cell proliferation, and cell signal transduction. The purpose of this review was to explore the relationship between Cav1 and stem cells.

RESULTS

In ESCs, Cav1 is beneficial for self-renewal, proliferation, and migration. In SSCs, Cav1 exhibits positive or/and negative effects on stem cell self-renewal, differentiation, proliferation, migration, and angiogenic capacity. Cav1 deficiency impairs normal stem cell-based tissue repair. In CSCs, Cav1 inhibits or/and promotes CSC self-renewal, differentiation, invasion, migration, tumorigenicity ability, and CSC formation. And suppressing Cav1 promotes chemo-sensitivity in CSCs and TICs.

CONCLUSION

Cav1 shows dual roles in stem cell biology. Targeting the Cav1-stem cell axis would be a new way for tissue repair and cancer drug resistance.

CLEC4s as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Microenvironment

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical in tumor development. C-type (Ca²⁺ -dependent) lectin (CLEC) receptors, essential in innate pattern recognition, have potential regulatory effects on immune cell trafficking and modulatory effects on cancer cell activity. However, information on the expression and prognostic value of CLECs in HCC is scanty. Herein, we explored the potential role of CLECs in HCC based on TCGA, ONCOMINE, GEPIA, UALCAN, cBioPortal, Metascape, TRRUST, and TIMER databases. Results demonstrated a significantly higher mRNA level of CLEC4A and CLEC4L in HCC tissues than normal liver tissues. Contrarily, we found significantly low CLEC4G/H1/H2/M expression in HCC tissues. The IHC analysis revealed the following: Absence of CLEC4A/J/K/M in normal and liver cancer tissues; high CLEC4C expression in HCC tissues; low expression and zero detection of CLEC4D/E/H1/H2/L in HCC tissues and normal tissues, respectively. And the HepG2 and LX-2 were used to verify the expression level of CLEC4s via qRT-PCR in vitro. Furthermore, the expression of CLEC4H1 (ASGR1) and CLEC4H2 (ASGR2) exhibited a significant relation to clinical stages. However, the expression of CLEC4A, CLEC4D, CLEC4E, CLEC4J (FCER2), CLEC4K (CD207), CLEC4G, CLEC4H1, CLEC4M, and CLEC4H2 decreased with tumor progression. Patients expressing higher CLEC4H1/H2 levels had longer overall survival than patients exhibiting lower expression. Moreover, CLEC4A/D/E/J/K/G/H1/M/H2 had significant down-regulated levels of promoter methylation. The expression level of CLEC4s was correlated with the infiltration of B cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, macrophage cells, neutrophil cells, and dendritic cells. Functional analysis revealed the potential role of CLECL4s in virus infection, including COVID-19. Also, hsa-miR-4278 and hsa-miR-324-5p, two potential miRNA targets of CLEC4s, were uncovered. This article demonstrates that CLEC4 is crucial for the development of HCC and is associated with infiltration of various immune cells, providing evidence for new immunotherapy targets in HCC.