CDC20 associated with cancer metastasis and novel mushroom‑derived CDC20 inhibitors with antimetastatic activity

Comprehensive analysis of the expression and prognosis for RAI2: A promising biomarker in breast cancer

Introduction

Retinoic acid-induced 2 (RAI2) was initially related to cell differentiation and induced by retinoic acid. RAI2 has been identified as an emerging tumor suppressor in breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Methods

In this study, we performed systematic analyses of RAI2 in breast cancer. Meta-analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were applied to identify the survival prediction potential of RAI2. Moreover, the association between RAI2 expression and the abundance of six tumor-infiltrating immune cells was investigated by TIMER, including B cells, CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, neutrophils, and macrophages. The expression profiles of high and low RAI2 mRNA levels in GSE7390 were compared to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the biological function of these DEGs was analyzed by R software, which was further proved in GSE7390.

Results

Our results showed that the normal tissues had more RAI2 expression than breast cancer tissues. Patients with high RAI2 expression were related to a favorable prognosis and more immune infiltrates. A total of 209 DEGs and 182 DEGs were identified between the expression profiles of high and low RAI2 mRNA levels in the GSE7390 and GSE21653 databases, respectively. Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment indicated that these DEGs from two datasets were both mainly distributed in “biological processes” (BP), including “organelle fission” and “nuclear division”. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways analysis demonstrated that these DEGs from two datasets were both significantly enriched in the “cell cycle”. Common hub genes between the DEGs in GSE7390 and GSE21653 were negatively associated with RAI2 expression, including CCNA2, MAD2L1, MELK, CDC20, and CCNB2.

Discussions

These results above suggested that RAI2 might play a pivotal role in preventing the initiation and progression of breast cancer. The present study may contribute to understanding the molecular mechanisms of RAI2 and enriching biomarkers to predict patient prognosis in breast cancer.

Current Progress and Perspectives of CDC20 in Female Reproductive Cancers

The cancers of the cervix, endometrium, ovary, and breast are great threats to women's health. Cancer is characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of cells and deregulated cell cycle progression is one of the main causes of malignancy. Agents targeting cell cycle regulators may have potential anti-tumor effects. CDC20 (cell division cycle 20 homologue) is a co-activator of the anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) and thus acts as a mitotic regulator. In addition, CDC20 serves as a subunit of the mitotic checkpoint complex (MCC) whose function is to inhibit APC/C. Recently, higher expression of CDC20 has been reported in these cancers and was closely associated with their clinicopathological parameters, indicating CDC20 a potential target for cancer treatment that is worth further study. In the present review, we summarized current progress and put forward perspectives of CDC20 in female reproductive cancers.

Activation of the Anaphase Promoting Complex Reverses Multiple Drug Resistant Cancer in a Canine Model of Multiple Drug Resistant Lymphoma

Simple Summary

Multiple drug resistant cancers develop all too soon in patients who received successful cancer treatment. A lack of treatment options often leaves palliative care as the last resort. We tested whether the insulin sensitizer, metformin, known to have anti-cancer activity, could impact canines with drug resistant lymphoma when added to chemotherapy. All canines in the study expressed protein markers of drug resistance and within weeks of receiving metformin, the markers were decreased. A microarray was performed, and from four canines assessed, a common set of 290 elevated genes were discovered in tumor cells compared to control cells. This cluster was enriched with genes that stall the cell cycle, with a large component representing substrates of the Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC), which degrades proteins. One canine entered partial remission. RNAs from this canine showed that APC substrates were decreased during remission and elevated again during relapse, suggesting that the APC was impaired in drug resistant canines and restored when remission occurred. We validated our results in cell lines using APC inhibitors and activators. We conclude that the APC may be a vital guardian of the genome and could delay the onset of multiple drug resistance when activated.

Abstract

Like humans, canine lymphomas are treated by chemotherapy cocktails and frequently develop multiple drug resistance (MDR). Their shortened clinical timelines and tumor accessibility make canines excellent models to study MDR mechanisms. Insulin-sensitizers have been shown to reduce the incidence of cancer in humans prescribed them, and we previously demonstrated that they also reverse and delay MDR development in vitro. Here, we treated canines with MDR lymphoma with metformin to assess clinical and tumoral responses, including changes in MDR biomarkers, and used mRNA microarrays to determine differential gene expression. Metformin reduced MDR protein markers in all canines in the study. Microarrays performed on mRNAs gathered through longitudinal tumor sampling identified a 290 gene set that was enriched in Anaphase Promoting Complex (APC) substrates and additional mRNAs associated with slowed mitotic progression in MDR samples compared to skin controls. mRNAs from a canine that went into remission showed that APC substrate mRNAs were decreased, indicating that the APC was activated during remission. In vitro validation using canine lymphoma cells selected for resistance to chemotherapeutic drugs confirmed that APC activation restored MDR chemosensitivity, and that APC activity was reduced in MDR cells. This supports the idea that rapidly pushing MDR cells that harbor high loads of chromosome instability through mitosis, by activating the APC, contributes to improved survival and disease-free duration.

The Prognostic Assessment of CDC20 in Patients with Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma and Its Relationship with Body Immunity

This article analyzes the relationship between cell division cycle (CDC20) molecules and oncology outcomes in patients with renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC). CDC20 appears to act as a regulatory protein interacting with many other proteins at multiple points in the cycle. The RNA sequencing data and corresponding clinical information of CDC20 molecules were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The expression of CDC20 in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma tissue and adjacent normal tissue was detected by immunohistochemical methods. Logistic analysis was performed to analyze the role of CDC20 in the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of KIRC. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used to identify the signal pathways which were related to CDC20. Independent prognostic factors were evaluated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. A nomogram involved in CDC20 expression and clinicopathological variables was conducted to predict overall survival (OS) in KIRC patients at 1, 3, and 5 years. Furthermore, the relation between CDC20 and immunity was also studied. Our results showed that CDC20 was upregulated in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma tissues, accompanying shorter OS (all P < 0.05). According to the results obtained by immunohistochemistry and TCGA database, CDC20 was significantly upregulated in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma tissues compared with neighboring normal kidney tissues. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that high expression of CDC20 was an independent prognostic factor of poor prognosis in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma patients (all P < 0.05). GSEA analysis suggested that the high expression of CDC20 was related to eight multiple signaling pathways. In addition, CDC20 was linked to tumour mutation burden (TMB), immune checkpoint molecules, tumour microenvironment, and immunological infiltration.

Recognition of Key Genes in Human Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer via the Weighing Gene Coexpression Network

Methods

For determining pathways and key genes that have relation with development of ATC, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from GSE33630 as well as GSE65144 expression microarray were screened. Furthermore, we also worked on carrying out the task of constructing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the work of weighing gene coexpression network (WGCNA). DAVID was utilized for the performance of the Gene Ontology (GO) as well as KEGG pathway enrichment analyses for DEGs. We used TCGA THCA data and GSE53072 to further verify the hub gene and hub pathway.

Results

We came to the conclusion of the recognition of a total of 1063 genes as DEGs. Analysis regarding functional and pathway enrichment showed that there existed a notable enrichment of upregulated DEGs in the organization of extracellular structure and matrix organization, as well as in organelle fission and nuclear division. The downregulated DEG was markedly gathered in the thyroid hormone metabolic process and generation, as well as in the metabolic process of cellular modified amino acid. We identified 10 hub genes (CXCL8, CDH1, AURKA, CCNA2, FN1, CDK1, ITGAM, CDC20, MMP9, and KIF11) through the PPI network, which might be strongly linked to the carcinogenesis and the development of ATC. In the coexpression network, 6 modules that were relevant to ATC were recognized. The modules were related to the interaction of signaling pathway of p53, Hippo, PI3K/Akt, and ECM-receptor. This hub genes and hub pathway were further successfully validated as a potential biomarker for carcinogenesis and prediction in another database GSE53072.

Conclusion

To summarize, this research displayed an illustration of hub genes and pathways that had relation with ATC development, which suggested that DEGs and hub genes, recognized on the basis of bioinformatics analyses, were valuable in the diagnosis for patients with ATC.

Bioinformatics Analysis Highlight Differentially Expressed CCNB1 and PLK1 Genes as Potential Anti-Breast Cancer Drug Targets and Prognostic Markers

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women worldwide. Early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of breast cancer are global challenges. Identification of valid predictive diagnosis and prognosis biomarkers and drug targets are crucial for breast cancer prevention. This study characterizes differentially expressed genes (DEGs) based on the TCGA database by using DESeq2, edgeR, and limma. A total of 2032 DEGs, including 1026 up-regulated genes and 1006 down-regulated genes were screened. Followed with WGCNA, PPI analysis, GEPIA 2, and HPA database verification, thirteen hub genes including CDK1, BUB1, BUB1B, CDC20, CCNB2, CCNB1, KIF2C, NDC80, CDCA8, CENPF, BIRC5, AURKB, PLK1, MAD2L1, and CENPE were obtained, and they may serve as potential therapeutic targets of breast cancer. Especially, overexpression of CCNB1 and PLK1 are strongly associated with the low survival rate of breast cancer patients, demonstrating their potentiality as prognostic markers. Moreover, CCNB1 and PLK1 are highly expressed in all breast cancer stages, suggesting that they could be further studied as potential drug targets. Taken together, our study highlights CCNB1 and PLK1 as potential anti-breast cancer drug targets and prognostic markers.

Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Medicine Preparations Combined With Chemotherapy for Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Traditional medicine preparations (TMPs) combined with chemotherapy is widely used for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC); however, its efficacy and safety are still unclear. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of TMPs combined with chemotherapy for the treatment of APC.

Methods

A systematic search of eight electronic databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted from inception to October 15, 2021. Tumor response was identified as primary outcome, whereas quality of life (QoL), cancer biomarkers, and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were identified as secondary outcomes. Quality of the evidence for each outcome was evaluated by GRADE profiler.

Results

In total, 31 RCTs involving 1,989 individuals were included. This meta-analysis showed that TMPs combined with chemotherapy significantly improved the objective response rate (ORR) (RR=1.64, 95% CI [1.43 to 1.88], p <0.00001), disease control rate (DCR) (RR=1.29, 95% CI [1.21 to 1.38], p <0.00001), and QoL (continuous data: SMD=0.81, 95% CI [0.44 to 1.18], p <0.0001, dichotomous data: RR=1.44, 95% CI [1.22 to 1.70], p<0.0001), compared to those with chemotherapy alone. In addition, the combined treatment group also had lower levels of CA19-9 (SMD=-0.46, 95% CI [-0.90 to -0.02], p=0.04) and CEA (SMD=-0.55, 95% CI [-0.93 to -0.17], p=0.004). Moreover, TMPs reduced the ADRs during chemotherapy.

Conclusion

This systematic review suggests that TMPs combined with chemotherapy might be a potential option to enhance therapeutic effects and reduce ADRs during the treatment of APC. However, more high-quality randomized controlled trials with more participants are needed.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=209825, identifier PROSPERO Number: CRD42021264938.

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Apcin-Based CDC20 Inhibitors

CDC20 binds to anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome E3 ubiquitin ligase to recruit substrates for ubiquitination to promote mitotic progression. In breast and other cancers, CDC20 overexpression causes cell cycle dysregulation and is associated with poor prognosis. Apcin was previously discovered as a CDC20 inhibitor exhibiting high micromolar activities. Here, we designed and developed new apcin-based inhibitors by eliminating a controlled substance, chloral hydrate, required for synthesis. We further improved the antitumor activities of the inhibitors by replacing the pyrimidine group with substituted thiazole-containing groups. When evaluated in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 triple negative breast cancer cell lines, several analogs showed 5-10-fold improvement over apcin with IC₅₀ values at ∼10 μM in cell viability assays. Tubulin polymerization assay showed our CDC20 inhibitors had no off-target effects against tubulin. Proapoptotic Bim accumulation was detected in our CDC20 inhibitor treated MDA-MB-468 cells. The most effective inhibitors, 22, warrant further development to target CDC20 in diseases.

Key Candidate Prognostic Biomarkers Correlated with Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common subtype of primary liver cancer, which causes ~800,000 deaths annually world-wide. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) has reformed cancer therapy and achieved unprecedented results in various malignancies, including HCC. However, the response rate of immunotherapy is very low in HCC. Considereing the complicated and unique immune status in liver, we hypothesize that critical molecules will affect prognosis and correlate with immune context in the tumor microenvironment of HCC.

Methods

Using Kaplan–Meier plotter, GEPIA2 and Integrative Molecular Database of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCCDB), survival genes and their prognostic value were estimated in HCC. Based on Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), association between survival genes and immune infiltration was examined in HCC. FunRich and STRING were used to analyze gene ontology and protein–protein interaction (PPI) Network, qRT-PCR was used to measure mRNA level of candidates; and a Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to measure proliferation of HCC cell line.

Results

Using multiple databases, we identified 36 key prognostic genes highly expressed in HCC and associated with poor survival of patients. Meanwhile, the 36 gene signatures correlated with immune infiltration in HCC. Moreover, these genes were significantly associated with exhausted T cells and polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) in HCC. Among the 36 key genes, SKA3, SGOL2, SPINDOC, TEDC2, TMCO3 and NUP205 were highly expressed in tumor samples compared with adjacent normal tissues in our HCC cohort (n=22). Additionally, proliferation of SMMC7721 cell line was inhibited when it interfered with SiRNA of each gene.

Conclusion

The 36 genes may serve as potential prognostic biomarkers and molecular targets to ameliorate tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) in HCC and therefore represent a novel avenue for individualized immunotherapy in HCC.

A pharmacognostic approach for mitigating pancreatic cancer: emphasis on herbal extracts and phytoconstituents

Background

Pancreatic cancer is studied as one of the most lethal cancers with currently no control of its lethality, mainly due to its late diagnosis and lack of foolproof treatment processes. Despite continuous efforts being made in looking for therapies to deal with cancer, it keeps on being a labyrinth for the researchers. Efforts like discovering new treatment options, repurposing existing drugs, are continuously made to deal with this cancer.

Main body

With the urge to get answers and the fact that nature has all roots of therapeutics, efforts are made in the direction of finding those answers for providing ministrations for pancreatic cancer from plant products. Plant products are used as treatment options either directly in the form of extracts or an alternative to them is individual phytochemicals that are either isolated from the plants or are commercially synthesized for various purposes. In this review, we put forward such pharmacognostic initiatives made in combating pancreatic cancer, focusing mainly on plant extracts and various phytochemicals; along with the mechanisms which they triggered to fulfill the need for cytotoxicity to pancreatic cancer cells (in vitro and in vivo).

Conclusion

This study will thus provide insights into new combination therapy that can be used and also give a clue on which plant product and phytoconstituent can be used in dealing with pancreatic cancer.

Graphical abstract

Natural Products for Pancreatic Cancer Treatment: From Traditional Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Pancreatic cancer, the seventh most lethal cancer around the world, is considered complicated cancer due to poor prognosis and difficulty in treatment. Despite all the conventional treatments, including surgical therapy and chemotherapy, the mortality rate is still high. Therefore, the possibility of using natural products for pancreatic cancer is increasing. In this study, 68 natural products that have anti-pancreatic cancer effects reported within five years were reviewed. The mechanisms of anti-cancer effects were divided into four types: apoptosis, anti-metastasis, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-resistance. Most of the studies were conducted for natural products that induce apoptosis in pancreatic cancer. Among them, plant extracts such as Eucalyptus microcorys account for the major portion. Some natural products, including Moringa, Coix seed, etc., showed multi-functional properties. Natural products could be beneficial candidates for treating pancreatic cancer.

Selected ideal natural ligand against TNBC by inhibiting CDC20, using bioinformatics and molecular biology

Object: Find potential therapeutic targets of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients by bioinformatics. Screen ideal natural ligand that can bind with the potential target and inhibit it by using molecular biology.

Methods: Bioinformatics and molecular biology were combined to analyze potential therapeutic targets. Differential expression analysis identified the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TNBC tissues and non-TNBC tissues. The functional enrichment analyses of DEGs shown the important gene ontology (GO) terms and pathways of TNBC. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction screened 20 hub genes, while Kaplan website was used to analyze the relationship between the survival curve and expression of hub genes. Then Discovery Studio 4.5 screened ideal natural inhibitors of the potential therapeutic target by LibDock, ADME, toxicity prediction, CDOCKER and molecular dynamic simulation.

Results: 1,212 and 353 DEGs were respectively found between TNBC tissues and non-TNBC tissues, including 88 up-regulated and 141 down-regulated DEGs in both databases. 20 hub genes were screened, and the higher expression of CDC20 was associated with a poor prognosis. Therefore, we chose CDC20 as the potential therapeutic target. 7,416 natural ligands were conducted to bind firmly with CDC20, and among these ligands, ZINC000004098930 was regarded as the potential ideal ligand, owing to its non-hepatotoxicity, more solubility level and less carcinogenicity than the reference drug, apcin. The ZINC000004098930-CDC20 could exist stably in natural environment.

Conclusion: 20 genes were regarded as hub genes of TNBC and most of them were relevant to the survival curve of breast cancer patients, especially CDC20. ZINC000004098930 was chosen as the ideal natural ligand that can targeted and inhibited CDC20, which may give great contribution to TNBC targeted treatment.

Peptide Nanoparticle-Mediated Combinatorial Delivery of Cancer-Related siRNAs for Synergistic Anti-Proliferative Activity in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is one of the deadliest types of cancer for women of different age groups. Frequently this cancer does not respond to conservative treatment. Combinatorial RNAi can be suggested as an advanced approach to TNBC therapy. Due to the fact that TNBC cells overexpress chemokine receptor 4 we used modular L1 peptide-based nanoparticles modified with CXCR4 ligand for combinatorial delivery of siRNAs suppressing major transduction pathways. TNBC cell line MDA-MB-231 was used as a cellular model. Genes encoding the AQP3, CDC20, and COL4A2 proteins responsible for proliferative activity in TNBC cells were selected as RNAi targets. The siRNA binding ability of the carrier was studied at different charge ratios. The silencing specificity was demonstrated for all siRNAs studied. Alamar Blue proliferation assay has shown significant reduction in the anti-proliferative activity after combinatorial siRNA transfection compared to single siRNA delivery. The most significant synergistic effect has been demonstrated for combinatorial transfection of anti-COL4A2 and anti-CDC20 siRNAs what resulted in 1.5-2 fold inhibition of proliferation and migration of TNBC cells. Based on our findings, we have concluded that combinatorial treatment by CXCR4-ligand modified L1-polyplexes formed with AQP3, CDC20, and COL4A2 siRNAs effectively inhibits proliferation of TNBC cells and can be suggested as useful tool for RNAi-mediated cancer therapy.

The Oncogenic Role of APC/C Activator Protein Cdc20 by an Integrated Pan-Cancer Analysis in Human Tumors

The landscape of CDC20 gene expression and its biological impacts across different types of cancers remains largely unknown. Here, a pan-cancer analysis was performed to analyze the role of Cdc20 in various human cancers. Our results indicated that the expression levels of the CDC20 gene were significantly elevated in bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, rectum cancer, stomach cancer, esophageal cancer, head and neck cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and uterine cancer. In addition, the expression of CDC20 was significantly and positively correlated with the increase of clinical stages in multiple cancer types, including breast cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer, et al. Among 33 cancer subtypes in the TCGA dataset, the high expression of CDC20 was correlated with poor prognosis in 10 cancer types. Furthermore, the abundance of phosphorylated Cdc20 in the primary tumor was elevated and correlated with increased tumor grade. Next, we sought to elucidate the oncogenic role by analyzing its association with immune infiltration. For most cancer types, the CDC20 expression was positively correlated with the infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. To further understand its functional activity, we explored the classic Cdc20 downstream substrates, which were found to be mutually exclusive with the expression of Cdc20. Moreover, the pan-cancer analysis of the molecular function of Cdc20 indicated that BUB1, CCNA2, CCNB1, CDK1, MAD2L1, and PLK1 might play a critical role in interaction with Cdc20. The abundance of Cdc20 was further validated at transcriptional and translational levels with a publicly available dataset and clinical tumor tissues. The knockdown of Cdc20 dramatically inhibited tumor growth both in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, our studies delineated the oncogenic role of CDC20 and its prognostic significance at the pan-cancer level and proved its functional activity in Cdc20 high expression cancer types. Our studies will merits further molecular assays to understand the potential role of Cdc20 in tumorigenesis and provide the rationale for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Cancer Grade Model: a multi-gene machine learning-based risk classification for improving prognosis in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Prognostic stratification of breast cancers remains a challenge to improve clinical decision making. We employ machine learning on breast cancer transcriptomics from multiple studies to link the expression of specific genes to histological grade and classify tumours into a more or less aggressive prognostic type.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Microarray data of 5031 untreated breast tumours spanning 33 published datasets and corresponding clinical data were integrated. A machine learning model based on gradient boosted trees was trained on histological grade-1 and grade-3 samples. The resulting predictive model (Cancer Grade Model, CGM) was applied on samples of grade-2 and unknown-grade (3029) for prognostic risk classification.

RESULTS

A 70-gene signature for assessing clinical risk was identified and was shown to be 90% accurate when tested on known histological-grade samples. The predictive framework was validated through survival analysis and showed robust prognostic performance. CGM was cross-referenced with existing genomic tests and demonstrated the competitive predictive power of tumour risk.

CONCLUSIONS

CGM is able to classify tumours into better-defined prognostic categories without employing information on tumour size, stage, or subgroups. The model offers means to improve prognosis and support the clinical decision and precision treatments, thereby potentially contributing to preventing underdiagnosis of high-risk tumours and minimising over-treatment of low-risk disease.

Expression and Clinical Significance of Lactate Dehydrogenase A in Colon Adenocarcinoma

Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) is an important glycolytic enzyme that promotes glycolysis and plays a crucial role in cancer cell invasion and immune infiltration. However, the relevance of LDHA in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remains unclear. In this study, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of LDHA and clinicopathological characteristics in COAD using immunohistochemistry analysis, and then used integrative bioinformatics analyses to further study the function and role of LDHA in COAD. We found that LDHA was highly expressed in COAD tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, and that COAD patients with high LDHA expression levels showed poor survival. In addition, LDHA expression was closely associated with the immune infiltrating levels of CD8+ T cells, neutrophils, and dendritic cells. Our findings highlight the potential role of LDHA in the tumorigenesis and prognosis of COAD. Furthermore, our results indicate that COAD is a novel immune checkpoint in the diagnosis and treatment of COAD.

Inhibiting of TACC3 Promotes Cell Proliferation, Cell Invasion and the EMT Pathway in Breast Cancer

Accumulating evidences indicate that transforming acidic coiled-coil 3 (TACC3) is a tumor-related gene, was highly expressed in a variety of human cancers, which is involved in cancer development. However, the potential role of TACC3 in breast cancer remains largely unknown. In the present study, we found that TACC3 was highly-expressed in breast cancer tissues, and its level was positively correlated with the clinical features of breast cancer patients. Specifically, TACC3 expression was significantly associated with the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status, nodal status, the scarff-bloom-richardson (SBR) grade, nottingham prognostic index (NPI), age, subtypes, and triple-negative and basal-like status, suggesting that TACC3 may be a potential diagnostic indicator of breast cancer. Furthermore, functional studies have shown that inhibition of TACC3 can significantly promote the cell proliferation and viability of breast cancer cells. Moreover, TACC3 knockdown suppressed the expression of E-cadherin, but increased the expression of N-cadherin, Snail, ZEB1, and TWIST, which indicate that TACC3 may impact the migration of breast cancer cells in vitro. Taken together, these findings indicate that TACC3 may serve as a prognostic and therapeutic indicator of breast cancer.

Identification of potential hub genes associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via integrated bioinformatics analysis

Objective

The objective was to identify potential hub genes associated with the pathogenesis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Gene expression profile datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and normal samples were identified via an integrated analysis. A protein–protein interaction network was constructed and analyzed using the STRING database and Cytoscape software, and enrichment analyses were carried out through DAVID. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis and Kaplan–Meier plotter were used to determine expression and prognostic values of hub genes.

Results

We identified 11 hub genes (CDK1, CCNB2, CDC20, CCNB1, TOP2A, CCNA2, MELK, PBK, TPX2, KIF20A, and AURKA) that might be closely related to the pathogenesis and prognosis of HCC. Enrichment analyses indicated that the DEGs were significantly enriched in metabolism-associated pathways, and hub genes and module 1 were highly associated with cell cycle pathway.

Conclusions

In this study, we identified key genes of HCC, which indicated directions for further research into diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers that could facilitate targeted molecular therapy for HCC.

Identification of CDC20 as an immune infiltration-correlated prognostic biomarker in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a poor prognosis. E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases play essential roles in HCC, such as regulating progression, migration, and metastasis. We aimed to explore a hub E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase gene and verify its association with prognosis and immune cell infiltration in HCC. Cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) was identified as a hub E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase in HCC by determining the intersecting genes in a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using HCC data from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and the gene list of 919 E3 ubiquitin-protein ligases. DEGs and their correlations with clinicopathological features were explored in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), ICGC, and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases via the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The prognostic value of CDC20 was illustrated by Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curves and Cox regression analyses. Subsequently, the correlation between CDC20 and immune infiltration was demonstrated via the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). CDC20 expression was significantly higher in HCC than in normal tissues (all P < 0.05). High CDC20 expression predicted a poor prognosis and might be an independent risk factor in HCC (P < 0.05). Additionally, CDC20 was correlated with the immune infiltration of CD8 + T cells, T cells (general), monocytes, and exhausted T cells. This study reveals the potential prognostic value of CDC20 in HCC and demonstrates that CDC20 may be an immune-associated therapeutic target in HCC because of its correlation with immune infiltration.

CDC20 promotes the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating epithelial‑mesenchymal transition

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of primary liver cancer, which is associated with high mortality. HCC is one of the most common malignant tumors worldwide. Cell division cycle 20 (CDC20) has been reported to be associated with the development of various malignant tumors and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been reported to be involved in the malignant metastasis of HCC. Therefore, the present study hypothesized that CDC20 may participate in the malignant biological behavior of HCC via EMT. The present study analyzed the expression levels of CDC20 in HCC and the association between CDC20 and poor prognosis. Furthermore, the effects of CDC20 on the proliferation, invasion and migration of HCC cells were examined using proliferation, migration and invasion assays. Finally, alterations in EMT were analyzed. The results revealed that CDC20 was highly expressed in HCC and HCC cell lines (P<0.05), and its high expression level was significantly associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC (P<0.05). CDC20 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Furthermore, CDC20 silencing increased the expression levels of E-cadherin, and decreased the expression levels of N-cadherin, vimentin and Ki-67. In conclusion, the present study reported that CDC20 may be a novel therapeutic target in HCC and CDC20 could promote the progression of HCC by regulating EMT.

Connection Between CDC20 Expression and Hepatocellular Carcinoma Prognosis

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurs frequently in China, with high morbidity and mortality. Cell division cycle 20 homolog (CDC20) is reportedly related to many cancers. In this study, we discuss a potential link of CDC20 expression to HCC patients’ prognoses.

Material/Methods

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to assess CDC20 expression in HCC and the paired noncancerous tissues. Chi-square analysis was used to assess potential association of CDC20 expression with clinicopathologic profiles among HCC patients. The overall survival for HCC patients with different CDC20 expressions was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method. To evaluate the prognostic value for HCC patients, Cox regression analyses were performed.

Results

The expression of CDC20 was elevated among HCC specimens compared with adjacent noncancerous ones (P<0.05). The expression of CDC20 was significantly related to differentiation (P<0.001), tumor node metastasis stage (P<0.001), and lymphatic metastasis (P<0.001). Moreover, HCC patients with high CDC20 expression had dismal overall survival rates compared with low CDC20 expression (P<0.05). CDC20 alone could forecast HCC prognoses according to multivariable Cox regression analysis (hazard ratio=2.354, 95% confidence interval=1.177–4.709, P=0.016).

Conclusions

Overexpressed CDC20 may act as a reliable biomarker for dismal prognoses among HCC patients.

Dysregulation of the Ubiquitin Proteasome System in Human Malignancies: A Window for Therapeutic Intervention

Simple Summary

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) governs the non-lysosomal degradation of oxidized, damaged, or misfolded proteins in eukaryotic cells. Dysregulation of the UPS results in loss of ability to maintain protein quality through proteolysis, and is closely related to the development of various malignancies and tumorigenesis. Here, we provide a comprehensive general overview on the regulation and roles of UPS and discuss the mechanisms linking dysregulated UPS to human malignancies. Inhibitors developed against components of the UPS, which include U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA-approved and those currently undergoing clinical trials, are also presented in this review.

Abstract

The ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) governs the non-lysosomal degradation of oxidized, damaged, or misfolded proteins in eukaryotic cells. This process is tightly regulated through the activation and transfer of polyubiquitin chains to target proteins which are then recognized and degraded by the 26S proteasome complex. The role of UPS is crucial in regulating protein levels through degradation to maintain fundamental cellular processes such as growth, division, signal transduction, and stress response. Dysregulation of the UPS, resulting in loss of ability to maintain protein quality through proteolysis, is closely related to the development of various malignancies and tumorigenesis. Here, we provide a comprehensive general overview on the regulation and roles of UPS and discuss functional links of dysregulated UPS in human malignancies. Inhibitors developed against components of the UPS, which include U.S. Food and Drug Administration FDA-approved and those currently undergoing clinical trials, are also presented in this review.

A prognosis-predictive nomogram of ovarian cancer with two immune-related genes: CDC20B and PNPLA5

Ovarian carcinoma (OV) is one of the most lethal gynecological malignancies globally, and the overall 5-year survival rate of OV was 47% in 2018 according to American data. To increase the survival rate of patients with OV, many researchers have sought to identify biomarkers that act as both prognosis-predictive markers and therapy targets. However, most of these have not been suitable for clinical application. The present study aimed at constructing a predictive prognostic nomogram of OV using the genes identified by combining The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset for OV with the immune score calculated by the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumor tissues using Expression data algorithm. Firstly, the algorithm was used to calculate the immune score of patients with OV in the TCGA-OV dataset. Secondly, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between low and high immune score tissues were identified, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed to predict the functions of these DEGs. Thirdly, univariate, multivariate and Lasso Cox's regression analyses were carried out step by step, and six prognosis-related DEGs were identified. Then, Kaplan-Myer survival curves were generated for these genes and validated by comparing their expression levels to further narrow the range of DEGs and to calculate the risk score. Two genes were identified, cell division cycle 20B and patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 5, which were both shown to have higher expression levels in OV tissues and to be significantly associated with the prognosis of OV. Next, a nomogram was created using these two genes and age, and using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve, the effectiveness of the nomogram was validated. Finally, an external validation was conducted for this nomogram. The ROC showed that the areas under the curve (AUCs) of the 3- and 5-year overall survival predictions for the nomogram were 0.678 and 0.62, respectively. Moreover, the ROC of the external validation model showed that the AUCs of the 3- and 5-year were 0.699 and 0.643, respectively, demonstrating the effectiveness of the generated nomogram. In conclusion, the present study has identified two immune-related genes as biomarkers that reliably predict overall survival in OV. These biomarkers might also be potential molecular targets of immune therapy to treat patients with OV.

Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb

Poria cocos is the dried sclerotium of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb., which was the current accepted name and was formerly known as Macrohyporia cocos (Schwein.) I. Johans. & Ryvarden, Pachyma cocos (Schwein.) Fr., Poria cocos F.A. Wolf and Sclerotium cocos Schwein. It is one of the most important crude drugs in traditional Chinese medicine, with a wide range of applications in ameliorating phlegm and edema, relieving nephrosis and chronic gastritis and improving uneasiness of minds. Its extensive pharmacological effects have attracted considerable attention in recent years. However, there is no systematic review focusing on the chemical compounds and pharmacological activities of Poria cocos. Therefore, this review aimed to provide the latest information on the chemical compounds and pharmacological effects of Poria cocos, exploring the therapeutic potential of these compounds. We obtained the information of Poria cocos from electronic databases such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang DATA and Google Scholar. Up to now, two main active ingredients, triterpenes and polysaccharides of Poria cocos, have been identified from Poria cocos. It has been reported that they have pharmacological effects on anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulation, and liver and kidney protection. The review summarizes the phytochemistry and pharmacological properties of Poria cocos, which suggest that researchers should focus on the development of new drugs about Poria cocos to make them exert greater therapeutic potential.

The Effect of Dysfunctional Ubiquitin Enzymes in the Pathogenesis of Most Common Diseases

Ubiquitination is a multi-step enzymatic process that involves the marking of a substrate protein by bonding a ubiquitin and protein for proteolytic degradation mainly via the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS). The process is regulated by three main types of enzymes, namely ubiquitin-activating enzymes (E1), ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes (E2), and ubiquitin ligases (E3). Under physiological conditions, ubiquitination is highly reversible reaction, and deubiquitinases or deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) can reverse the effect of E3 ligases by the removal of ubiquitin from substrate proteins, thus maintaining the protein quality control and homeostasis in the cell. The dysfunction or dysregulation of these multi-step reactions is closely related to pathogenic conditions; therefore, understanding the role of ubiquitination in diseases is highly valuable for therapeutic approaches. In this review, we first provide an overview of the molecular mechanism of ubiquitination and UPS; then, we attempt to summarize the most common diseases affecting the dysfunction or dysregulation of these mechanisms.

Identification of hub genes involved in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma via bioinformatics analysis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous malignancy, which is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thus, the aim of the present study was to identify the hub genes and underlying pathways of HCC via bioinformatics analyses. The present study screened three datasets, including GSE112790, GSE84402 and GSE74656 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and downloaded the RNA-sequencing of HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both the GEO and TCGA datasets were filtered, and the screened DEGs were subsequently analyzed for functional enrichment pathways. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and hub genes were further screened to create the Kaplan-Meier curve using cBioPortal. The expression levels of hub genes were then validated in different datasets using the Oncomine database. In addition, associations between expression and tumor grade, hepatitis virus infection status, satellites and vascular invasion were assessed. A total of 126 DEGs were identified, containing 70 upregulated genes and 56 downregulated genes from the GEO and TCGA databases. By constructing the PPI network, the present study identified hub genes, including cyclin B1 (CCNB1), cell-division cycle protein 20 (CDC20), cyclin-dependent kinase 1, BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase β (BUB1B), cyclin A2, nucleolar and spindle associated protein 1, ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 C (UBE2C) and ZW10 interactor. Furthermore, upregulated CCNB1, CDC20, BUB1B and UBE2C expression levels indicated worse disease-free and overall survival. Moreover, a meta-analysis of tumor and healthy tissues in the Oncomine database demonstrated that BUB1B and UBE2C were highly expressed in HCC. The present study also analyzed the data of HCC in TCGA database using univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, and demonstrated that BUB1B and UBE2C may be used as independent prognostic factors. In conclusion, the present study identified several genes and the signaling pathways that were associated with tumorigenesis using bioinformatics analyses, which could be potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC.

APC/C ubiquitin ligase: Functions and mechanisms in tumorigenesis

The anaphase promoting complex/ cyclosome (APC/C), is an evolutionarily conserved protein complex essential for cellular division due to its role in regulating the mitotic transition from metaphase to anaphase. In this review, we highlight recent work that has shed light on our understanding of the role of APC/C coactivators, Cdh1 and Cdc20, in cancer initiation and development. We summarize the current state of knowledge regarding APC/C structure and function, as well as the distinct ways Cdh1 and Cdc20 are dysregulated in human cancer. We also discuss APC/C inhibitors, novel approaches for targeting the APC/C as a cancer therapy, and areas for future work.

Screening and identification of genes associated with cell proliferation in cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis, is a malignant cancer with increasing incidence and mortality rates. It is important to survey crucial genes in CCA to find and design potential drug targets, especially for those genes associated with cell proliferation that is a key biological process in tumorgenesis. Herein, we surveyed genes associated with cell proliferation via a comprehensive pan-cancer analysis. Candidate genes were further analyzed using multiple approaches, including cross-analysis from diverse molecular levels, examination of potential function and interactions, and additional experimental validation. We primarily screened 15 potential genes based on 11 validated genes, and these 26 genes were further examined to delineate their biological functions and potential roles in cancer treatment. Several of them were involved synthetically lethal genetic interactions, especially for RECQL4, TOP2A, MKI67 and ASPM, indicating their potential roles in drug design and cancer treatment. Further experimental validation indicated that some genes were significantly upregulated in several cancer cell lines, implying their important roles in tumorigenesis. Our study identifies some genes associated with cell proliferation, which may be potential future targets in molecular targeted therapy.

Bioinformatics analysis reveals 6 key biomarkers associated with non-small-cell lung cancer

Objective

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for >85% of lung cancers, and its incidence is increasing. We explored expression differences between NSCLC and normal cells and predicted potential target sites for detection and diagnosis of NSCLC.

Methods

Three microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were analyzed using GEO2R. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were conducted. Then, the String database, Cytoscape, and MCODE plug-in were used to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and screen hub genes. Overall and disease-free survival of hub genes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, and the relationship between expression patterns of target genes and tumor grades were analyzed and validated. Gene set enrichment analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to verify enrichment pathways and diagnostic performance of hub genes.

Results

In total, 293 differentially expressed genes were identified and mainly enriched in cell cycle, ECM–receptor interaction, and malaria. In the PPI network, 36 hub genes were identified, of which 6 were found to play significant roles in carcinogenesis of NSCLC: CDC20, ECT2, KIF20A, MKI67, TPX2, and TYMS.

Conclusion

The identified target genes can be used as biomarkers for the detection and diagnosis of NSCLC.