The Molecular Effects of a High Fat Diet on Endometrial Tumour Biology

Correlation between TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions in colorectal cancer tissues of elderly patients and neoplasm staging, invasion, and metastasis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently encountered malignant tumors in clinical settings. Proteins encoded by the testis-expressed gene 14 (TEX14) are imperative for spermatogenesis, necessitating intercellular bridges between germ cells. Anomalous expression of TEX14 has also been associated with the proliferation and differentiation of certain tumor cells. Recombinant A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17) is known as a membrane-bound protease that regulates cellular activities and signal transduction by hydrolyzing various substrate proteins on the cell membrane. We hypothesize that TEX14 and ADAM17 may serve as potential biomarkers influencing the staging, invasion, and metastasis of CRC.

AIM

To probe the correlation between TEX17 and ADAM17 profiles in the CRC tissues of elderly patients and their association with CRC staging, invasion, and metastasis.

METHODS

We gathered data from 86 elderly patients diagnosed pathologically with CRC between April 2020 and December 2023. For each patient, one sample of cancer tissue and one sample of adjacent normal tissue were harvested. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR measured the mRNA profiles of TEX14 and ADAM17. Immunohistochemistry ascertained the positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions. Clinical pathological features of neoplasm staging, invasion, and metastasis were collected, and the association between TEX14 and ADAM17 expressions and clinical pathology was evaluated.

RESULTS

The mRNA and expression profiles of TEX14 and ADAM17 were significantly elevated in CRC tissues. The positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 proteins in CRC tissues were 70.93% and 77.91%, respectively. There were no significant differences in age, sex, pathological type, and tumor diameter between TEX14 and ADAM17-positive and -negative patients. Patients with higher tumor differentiation degree, deeper infiltration and TNM stages ranging from III to IV exhibited higher positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17. Patients with lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis showed higher positivity rates of TEX14 and ADAM17 than those without. Positive expressions of TEX14 and ADAM17 were highly correlated with tumor staging, invasion, and metastasis.

CONCLUSION

TEX14 and ADAM17 profiles were significantly elevated in the CRC tissues of elderly patients, and their high expressions were associated with tumor staging, invasion, and metastasis.

Plasma metabolomics and gene regulatory networks analysis reveal the role of nonstructural SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins in metabolic dysregulation in COVID-19 patients

Metabolomic analysis of blood plasma samples from COVID-19 patients is a promising approach allowing for the evaluation of disease progression. We performed the metabolomic analysis of plasma samples of 30 COVID-19 patients and the 19 controls using the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with tandem mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS). In our analysis, we identified 103 metabolites enriched in KEGG metabolic pathways such as amino acid metabolism and the biosynthesis of aminoacyl-tRNAs, which differed significantly between the COVID-19 patients and the controls. Using ANDSystem software, we performed the reconstruction of gene networks describing the potential genetic regulation of metabolic pathways perturbed in COVID-19 patients by SARS-CoV-2 proteins. The nonstructural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 (orf8 and nsp5) and structural protein E were involved in the greater number of regulatory pathways. The reconstructed gene networks suggest the hypotheses on the molecular mechanisms of virus-host interactions in COVID-19 pathology and provide a basis for the further experimental and computer studies of the regulation of metabolic pathways by SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Our metabolomic analysis suggests the need for nonstructural protein-based vaccines and the control strategy to reduce the disease progression of COVID-19.

CRABP2 - A novel biomarker for high-risk endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

Investigate the clinical and functional implications of elevated CRABP2 expression in endometrial cancer (EC) patients.

METHODS

Patients were stratified into high and low CRABP2 expression groups using a decision tree classifier. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses determined the prognostic and clinicopathological consequences of increased CRABP2 expression. A CRABP2 gene signature was generated using differential expression analysis, and analyzed using network-based approaches. The findings were validated in The Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), a newly generated cohort of 120 endometrial tissues, and The Cancer Dependency Map (DepMap).

RESULTS

60 (11%) patients in TCGA had high CRABP2 expression, whilst 468 (89%) had low expression. High expression was associated with serous EC, reduced overall survival, advanced stage and grade. Downstream retinoic acid receptors (RARG and RARA) were correlated with CRABP2 expression and were associated with worse prognosis in serous EC. The CRABP2 gene signature was enriched for Polycomb target gene sets, and was regulated by ELP3 and BMP7. BMP7 expression was increased in the CRABP2-high group, was associated with worse prognosis, and CRISPR-Cas9 screens revealed correlations in its cell-fitness score with CRABP2 following gene knockout. The opposite was true for ELP3, suggesting opposing effects from both master regulators.

CONCLUSIONS

CRABP2 expression is associated with poor prognosis and advanced EC. The expression of RARA and RARG correlates with CRABP2 and are associated with worse prognosis in advanced histological subtypes. Polycomb target gene sets and two master regulators, ELP3 and BMP7, were identified as functionally relevant mechanisms driving aberrant CRABP2 expression.

In Vitro Investigations of miR-33a Expression in Estrogen Receptor-Targeting Therapies in Breast Cancer Cells

(1) Background: Increased fatty acid synthesis leads to the aggressive phenotype of breast cancer and renders efficiency of therapeutics. Regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) on lipid biosynthesis pathways as miR-33a have potential to clarify the exact mechanism. (2) Methods: We determined miR-33a expression levels following exposure of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to estrogen receptor (ER) activator (estradiol-17β, E2) or anti-estrogens (ICI 182,780, Fulvestrant, FUL) at non-cytotoxic concentrations. We related miR-33a expression levels in the cells to cellular lipid biosynthesis-related pathways through immunoblotting. (3) Results: miR-33a mimic treatment led to significantly downregulation of fatty acid synthase (FASN) in MCF-7 cells but not in MDA-MB-231 cells in the presence of estradiol-17β (E2) or Fulvestrant (FUL). In contrast to the miR-33a inhibitor effect, miR-33a mimic co-transfection with E2 or FUL led to diminished AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) activity in MCF-7 cells. E2 increases FASN levels in MDA-MB-231 cells regardless of miR-33a cellular levels. miR-33a inhibitor co-treatment suppressed E2-mediated AMPKα activity in MDA-MB-231 cells. (4) Conclusions: The cellular expression levels of miR-33a are critical to understanding differential responses which include cellular energy sensors such as AMPKα activation status in breast cancer cells.