Interaction and Collaboration of SP1, HIF-1, and MYC in Regulating the Expression of Cancer-Related Genes to Further Enhance Anticancer Drug Development

CA-125 as a Biomarker in Renal Medullary Carcinoma: Integrated Molecular Profiling, Functional Characterization, and Prospective Clinical Validation

PURPOSE

Renal medullary carcinoma (RMC) is a highly aggressive malignancy defined by the loss of the SMARCB1 tumor suppressor. It mainly affects young individuals of African descent with sickle cell trait, and it is resistant to conventional therapies used for other renal cell carcinomas. This study aimed to identify potential biomarkers for early detection and disease monitoring of RMC.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Integrated profiling of primary untreated RMC tumor tissues and paired adjacent kidney controls was performed using RNA sequencing and histone chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing. The expression of serum cancer antigen 125 (CA-125), was prospectively evaluated in 47 patients with RMC. Functional studies were conducted in RMC cell lines to assess the effects of SMARCB1 reexpression.

RESULTS

MUC16, encoding for CA-125, was identified as one of the top upregulated genes in RMC tissues, with concomitant enrichment of active histone marks H3K4me3 and H3K27ac at its promoter. Elevated serum CA-125 levels were found in 31 of 47 (66%) patients with RMC and correlated significantly with metastatic tumor burden (P = 0.03). Functional studies in RMC cell lines demonstrated that SMARCB1 reexpression significantly reduced MUC16 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

The correlation between serum CA-125 levels and metastatic burden suggests that CA-125 is a clinically relevant biomarker for RMC. These findings support further exploration of CA-125 for disease monitoring and targeted therapeutics in RMC.

Prostate cancer-selective anticancer action of an oxindole derivative via HO-1-mediated disruption of metabolic reprogramming

Prostate cancer, the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men, exhibits distinct metabolic reprogramming involving zinc and citrate metabolism. This study investigated whether targeting this unique metabolic profile could offer an effective therapeutic approach. A series of novel oxindole derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their inhibitory effects on transcription factors (TFs) and antiproliferative activity across various cancer cell lines. Among these, compound 3D showed the strongest inhibition of master TFs (HIF-1α, c-Myc, and SP-1) and demonstrated selective antiproliferative activity in prostate cancer cells. In PC-3 and LNCaP cells, compound 3D suppressed aerobic glycolysis by downregulating lactate-modulating genes (LDHA, MCT1/4, and CAIX) and the zinc influx transporter (ZIP1), without affecting the zinc efflux transporter (ZnT4). Notably, 3D selectively increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels in prostate cancer cells, as shown by the proteome profiler oncogene array assay and confirmed by Western blotting. This response was reversed by ZnCl2 treatment. The decreases in LDHA, mitochondrial mass (measured by FACS), and cell proliferation induced by compound 3D were blocked by HO-1-IN-1, an HO-1 inhibitor, and ZnCl2. Furthermore, 3D induced a more pronounced reduction in the oxygen consumption rate (OCR) than in the extracellular acidification rate (EACR), indicating a strong effect on oxidative metabolism. 3D exhibited dose-dependent antitumour efficacy in vivo comparable to that of docetaxel. These findings reveal that the oxindole derivative 3D substantially lowers intracellular zinc levels, yielding potent antitumour effects in prostate cancer through HO-1 upregulation, which impairs mitochondrial function more significantly than aerobic glycolysis.

Viral Appropriation of Specificity Protein 1 (Sp1): The Role of Sp1 in Human Retro- and DNA Viruses in Promoter Activation and Beyond

Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is a highly ubiquitous transcription factor and one employed by numerous viruses to complete their life cycles. In this review, we start by summarizing the relationships between Sp1 function, DNA binding, and structural motifs. We then describe the role Sp1 plays in transcriptional activation of seven viral families, composed of human retro- and DNA viruses, with a focus on key promoter regions. Additionally, we discuss pathways in common across multiple viruses, highlighting the importance of the cell regulatory role of Sp1. We also describe Sp1-related epigenetic and protein post-translational modifications during viral infection and how they relate to Sp1 binding. Finally, with these insights in mind, we comment on the potential for Sp1-targeting therapies, such as repurposing drugs currently in use in the anti-cancer realm, and what limitations such agents would have as antivirals.

Effect of epigenetic changes in hypoxia induced factor (HIF) gene across cancer types

Cancer hypoxia, a crucial characteristic of malignancy, ranging from practically non-hypoxic to severe, impacts gene expression, metabolism and mechanisms associated with tumor formation serves as a key obstacle in cancer therapy. It triggers a complex network of cell signaling pathways, such as the NF-κB, PI3K, mTOR/AKT,MAPK, HIF and their associated genes regulating the effects of the same. The onset and advancement of cancer are attributed to genetic and epigenetic modifications which are intrinsically related. Off late, it has been observed that in disease progression, the epigenetic modifications lead to gene mutations that in turn alter the epigenome, presenting a major hurdle in fabricating treatment strategies. However, theprogress in science and technology has led to the emergence of various surfacing omics and multi-view clustering algorithms, which offer unparalleled prospects for further subtyping cancers, enhancing the prognosis and treatment results of these subtypes, and comprehending crucial pathophysiological mechanisms across diverse molecular strata. Multi-omics has allowed scientists to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the various ways that cellular malfunction can lead to cancer. So, it becomes of utmost importance to firstly understand the epigenetic changes taking place in tumor hypoxia at gene level. This review sheds light on the role of HIF gene in hypoxic milieu and its relationship with mechanisms of cancer epigenetics. It further glances as to how omics approach can be used to study the oncogenic cellular changes and how bioinformatic tools aid in identification of complex gene networks involved in disease progression. Lastly, it glimpses through the benefits and shortcomings of the existing epi drug therapy and how it can be used in developing novel treatment options.

HDAC1 overexpression inhibits steroid-induced apoptosis of mouse osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cells by inducing SP1 deacetylation

OBJECTIVES

To explore the mechanism by which histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) regulates steroid-induced apoptosis of mouse osteocyte-like MLO-Y4 cells.

METHODS

MLY-O4 cells were treated with 400 nmol/L trichostatin A (TSA) or 1 mmol/L dexamethasone for 24 h or transfected with a HDAC1-overexpressing vector prior to TSA or dexamethasone treatment. The changes in the expressions of HDAC1, SP1, cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, SP1 acetylation level, cell proliferation, and cell apoptosis were examined. The interaction between HDAC1 and SP1 was determined with immunoprecipitation assay and Western blotting.

RESULTS

Treatment with dexamethasone significantly increased cell apoptosis, enhanced the expressions of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, reduced HDAC1 expression, and suppressed proliferation of MLO-Y4 cells. Both TSA and dexamethasone obviously increased SP1 acetylation level and the expression of SP1 in MLO-Y4 cells. HDAC1 overexpression in the cells significantly attenuated the effect of TSA and dexamethasone, promoted cell proliferation, lowered the expressions of SP1, cleaved caspase-3 and Bax, and inhibited dexamethasone-induced cell apoptosis. Immunoprecipitation assay and Western blotting demonstrated the interaction between HDAC1 and SP1 in the cells.

CONCLUSIONS

HDAC1 inhibits dexamethasone-induced apoptosis and promotes proliferation of cultured mouse osteocytes by suppressing SP1 expression via promoting its deacetylation.

Molecular Pathways Linking High-Fat Diet and PM2.5 Exposure to Metabolically Abnormal Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Obesity, influenced by environmental pollutants, can lead to complex metabolic disruptions. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the molecular mechanisms underlying metabolically abnormal obesity caused by exposure to a high-fat diet (HFD) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Following the PRISMA guidelines, articles from 2019 to 2024 were gathered from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, and a random-effects meta-analysis was performed, along with subgroup analyses and pathway enrichment analyses. This study was registered in the Open Science Framework. Thirty-three articles, mainly case-control studies and murine models, were reviewed, and they revealed that combined exposure to HFD and PM2.5 resulted in the greatest weight gain (82.835 g, p = 0.048), alongside increases in high-density lipoproteins, insulin, and the superoxide dismutase. HFD enriched pathways linked to adipocytokine signaling in brown adipose tissue, while PM2.5 impacted genes associated with fat formation. Both exposures downregulated protein metabolism pathways in white adipose tissue and activated stress-response pathways in cardiac tissue. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and AMP-activated protein kinase signaling pathways in the liver were enriched, influencing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. These findings highlight that combined exposure to HFD and PM2.5 amplifies body weight gain, oxidative stress, and metabolic dysfunction, suggesting a synergistic interaction with significant implications for metabolic health.

Novel serous effusion-related risk models and biomarkers for predicting prognosis in T-cell lymphoma patients

T-cell lymphomas (TCLs) are a cluster of lymphoproliferative diseases with high heterogeneity, which lack accurate prognostic models and standard treatment regimen at present. Serous effusion (SE) is a relatively common manifestation and poses more challenges for risk stratification in TCLs. In this study, entire of 518 newly diagnosed TCLs patients were included. SE was found to be tightly correlated to clinical characteristics and prognosis in TCL patients, and SE volume (SEV) > 1000 ml was identified as a potential prognostic factor. Novel AEBS risk model, including age > 60, ECOG PS > 1, β2-microglobulin (BMG) > 3.0 mg/L and SEV > 1000 ml, which exerted superior efficacy for risk stratification compared to the current risk systems in TCL patients with SE. Besides, multiple RNA-seq datasets were used for the identification and function analysis of SE-related genes (SERGs). TCL patients in different SERGs-associated subgroups exhibited discrepancy in the infiltration of immunocytes and the expression of immune checkpoints. SERGs signature, including HIF1A, FERMT2, NFATC1 and COL1A1, was established and demonstrated to have distinguishing capacity for predicting prognosis in TCL patients. Moreover, immunohistochemistry revealed that SE-related molecule HIF1A was reductively expressed and related to inferior prognosis in TCL patients, especially in SE group. Pan-cancer analysis found HIF1A expression was decreased in several tumors, and chemosensitivity analysis revealed that HIF1A was associated with sensitivity of several anti-tumor drugs, such as Sorafenib, Navitoclax, and Venetoclax. Our findings provide evidence for identifying high-risk population and facilitating individualized treatment in TCL patients with SE.

Evidence to Support the Collaboration of SP1, MYC, and HIF1A and Their Association with microRNAs

This study provides evidence to support the concept proposed by Kimura et al. in 2023 that the inhibitors of SP1, MYC, and HIF1A should induce strong anticancer activity by reducing the expression of stem cell-related proteins. In LN229 and U87MG glioblastoma cells, either tetra-methyl-O-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (M4N) or tetra-acetyl-O-nordihydroguaiaretic acid (A4N) suppressed SP1 and only a few stem cell-related proteins and induced only a small amount of cell death; in contrast, the combination treatment of M4N with A4N greatly suppressed the expression of SP1, MYC, and HIF1A, as well as all of the stem cell-related proteins examined, and greatly induced cell death. The bioinformatic analysis showed that the proteins associated with SP1, MYC, and HIF1A were specifically involved in the regulation of transcription and that various microRNAs (miRNAs) that had been shown to induce either anti- or procancer activity were associated with SP1, MYC, and HIF1A, which suggested that the inhibition of SP1, MYC, and HIF1A could modulate the transcription of both coding and noncoding RNAs and affect cancers. These data overall supported our concept.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α-Activated Protein Switch Based on Allosteric Self-Splicing Reduces Nonspecific Cytotoxicity of Pharmaceutical Drugs

Protein-based therapeutic agents currently used for targeted tumor therapy exhibit limited penetrability, nonspecific toxicity, and a short circulation half-life. Although targeting cell surface receptors improves cancer selectivity, the receptors are also slightly expressed in normal cells; consequently, the nonspecific toxicity of recombinant protein-based therapeutic agents has not been eliminated. In this study, an allosteric-regulated protein switch was designed that achieved cytoplasmic reorganization of engineered immunotoxins in tumor cells via interactions between allosteric self-splicing elements and cancer markers. It can target the accumulated HIF-1α in hypoxic cancer cells and undergo allosteric activation, and the splicing products were present in hypoxic cancer cells but were absent in normoxic cells, selectively killing tumor cells and reducing nonspecific toxicity to normal cells. The engineered pro-protein provides a platform for targeted therapy of tumors while offering a novel universal strategy for combining the activation of therapeutic functions with specific cancer markers. The allosteric self-splicing element is a powerful tool that significantly reduces the nonspecific cytotoxicity of therapeutic proteins.

Identification of Copper Homeostasis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Prognosis in Patients with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Objectives

This research aims to establish a copper homeostasis-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer and to investigate its underlying mechanisms.

Methods

We mainly constructed the copper homeostasis-related gene signature by LASSO regression analysis. Then multiple methods were used to evaluate the independent predictive ability of the model and explored the mechanisms.

Results

The 15-copper homeostasis-related gene (15-CHRG) signature was successfully established. Utilizing an optimal cut-off value of 0.35, we divided the training dataset into high-risk and low-risk subgroups. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that survival times for the high-risk subgroup were significantly shorter than those in the low-risk group (P < .05). Additionally, the Area Under the Curve (AUC) of the 15-CHRG signature achieved 0.822 at 1 year, 0.762 at 3 years, and 0.696 at 5 years in the training set. COX regression analysis confirmed the 15-CHRG signature as both accurate and independent. Gene set enrichment (GSEA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analysis showed that there were significant differences in apoptosis, p53 pathway, protein synthesis, hydrolase and transport-related pathways between high-risk group and low-risk group. In tumor immune cell (TIC) analysis, the increased expression of resting mast cells was positively correlated with the risk score.

Conclusion

Consequently, the 15-CHRG signature shows significant potential as a method for accurately predicting clinical outcomes and treatment responses in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer.

IL-17A-induced cancer-associated fibroblasts releases CXCL12 to promote lung adenocarcinoma progression via Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and their secretion, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 12 (CXCL12), play an important role in the development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is also crucial in regulating tumor progression. Herein, we explored the specific relationships between these two factors and their mechanisms in the progression of LUAD.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was utilized to assess the differential expression levels of IL-17A and CXCL12 in tumor versus normal tissues of LUAD patients, followed by gene correlation analysis. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK8), wound-healing and transwell assays were performed to investigate the effect of IL-17A on the function of LUAD cells. qPCR, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry and western blot analyses were conducted to elucidate the potential mechanism by which IL-17A facilitates the development of LUAD via CXCL12. Male BALB-C nude mice were used to explore the role of IL-17A in subcutaneous LUAD mouse models.

RESULTS

Elevated expression levels of IL-17A and CXCL12 were observed in LUAD tissues, exhibiting a positive correlation. Further studies revealed that IL-17A could stimulate CAFs to enhance the release of CXCL12, thereby facilitating the growth, proliferation, and metastasis of LUAD. The binding of CXCL12 to its specific receptor influences the activation of the Wnt/β-Catenin pathway, which in turn affects the progression of LUAD. In vivo experiments have demonstrated that IL-17A enhances the growth of LUAD tumors by facilitating the secretion of CXCL12. Conversely, inhibiting CXCL12 has been demonstrated to impede tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONS

We discovered that IL-17A promotes the release of CAFs-derived CXCL12, which in turn facilitates the development of LUAD via the Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway.

AI in Pharma: Transforming Drug Discovery and Strategic Management with MYC-Modulating Compounds and BET Protein Inhibitors

The landscape of pharmaceutical R&D is being reshaped by the synergistic integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and groundbreaking drug discoveries, mainly focusing on MYC-modulating compounds and BET protein inhibitors. This Patent Highlight delves into this convergence, illustrating a transformative shift in the pharmaceutical industry's approach to drug development, strategic management, and treating various diseases, from cancer to inflammatory and fibrotic disorders.

Hypoxia-adenosine axis as therapeutic targets for acute respiratory distress syndrome

The human respiratory and circulatory systems collaborate intricately to ensure oxygen delivery to all cells, which is vital for ATP production and maintaining physiological functions and structures. During limited oxygen availability, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are stabilized and play a fundamental role in maintaining cellular processes for hypoxia adaptation. First discovered during investigations of erythropoietin production regulation, HIFs influence physiological and pathological processes, including development, inflammation, wound healing, and cancer. HIFs promote extracellular adenosine signaling by enhancing adenosine generation and receptor signaling, representing an endogenous feedback mechanism that curbs excessive inflammation, supports injury resolution, and enhances hypoxia tolerance. This is especially important for conditions that involve tissue hypoxia, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which globally poses significant health challenges without specific treatment options. Consequently, pharmacological strategies to amplify HIF-mediated adenosine production and receptor signaling are of great importance.

Special Issue "Neurogenetics in Neurology"

With the rapid developments in molecular genetics and genomics, this Special Issue collates works outlining ultra-modern scientific research [...].