Expression of metastasis suppressor 1 in cervical carcinoma and the clinical significance

Prognostic value of SOX9 in cervical cancer: Bioinformatics and experimental approaches

Among gynecological cancers, cervical cancer is a common malignancy and remains the leading cause of cancer-related death for women. However, the exact molecular pathogenesis of cervical cancer is not known. Hence, understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cervical cancer pathogenesis will aid in the development of effective treatment modalities. In this research, we attempted to discern candidate biomarkers for cervical cancer by using multiple bioinformatics approaches. First, we performed differential expression analysis based on cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma data from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, then used differentially expressed genes for weighted gene co-expression network construction to find the most relevant gene module for cervical cancer. Next, the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed on the module genes, followed by using protein–protein interaction network analysis and Cytoscape to find the key gene. Finally, we validated the key gene by using multiple online sites and experimental methods. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we found the turquoise module was the highest correlated module with cervical cancer diagnosis. The biological process of the module genes focused on cell proliferation, cell adhesion, and protein binding processes, while the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway of the module significantly enriched pathways related to cancer and cell circle. Among the module genes, SOX9 was identified as the hub gene, and its expression was associated with cervical cancer prognosis. We found the expression of SOX9 correlates with cancer-associated fibroblast immune infiltration in immune cells by Timer2.0. Furthermore, cancer-associated fibroblast infiltration is linked to cervical cancer patients’ prognosis. Compared to those in normal adjacent, immunohistochemical and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) showed that the protein and mRNA expression of SOX9 in cervical cancer were higher. Therefore, the SOX9 gene acts as an oncogene in cervical cancer, interactive with immune infiltration of cancer-associated fibroblasts, thereby affecting the prognosis of patients with cervical cancer.

MTSS1 inhibits metastatic potential and induces G2/M phase cell cycle arrest in gastric cancer

Background: Metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1), a potential metastasis suppressor gene associated with tumor progression, may play an important role in cancer development. Our previous study demonstrated that MTSS1 was downregulated significantly when gastric cancer (GC) progressed and metastasized, suggesting that MTSS1 may be involved in the physiopathologic mechanism of GC.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MTSS1 expression on the biological behavior of gastric cancer cell both in vitro and in vivo.

Materials and methods: The gain-and-loss function of MTSS1 in GC cells were analyzed after transfection with pEGFP-N1-MTSS1 and ShRNA431. Proliferation and invasion abilities were measured by means of plate clone formation assay and transwell assay. To further explore the underlying mechanism of MTSS1-induced tumor restrain, cell cycle distribution was analyzed using flow cytometry.

Results: The results revealed that overexpression of MTSS1 significantly reduced proliferation, migration and invasion of GC cells in vivo and in vitro, while downregulation of MTSS1 had the opposite biological manifestations. Moreover, overexpression of MTSS1 induced accumulation of GC cells in G2/M phase, increased phosphorylated Cdc2 expression and decreased Cdc25C and cyclinB1 levels, suggesting MTSS1 could cause G2/M cell cycle arrest.

Conclusion: Our data provided insight into an important role for MTSS1 in suppressing tumor cell proliferation, invasion and migration, indicating that MTSS, as a functional tumor suppressor in GC, could be a potential therapeutic target to prevent GC metastasis.

Elevated MTSS1 expression associated with metastasis and poor prognosis of residual hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Hepatectomy generally offers the best chance of long-term survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Many studies have shown that hepatectomy accelerates tumor metastasis, but the mechanism remains unclear.

Methods

An orthotopic nude mice model with palliative HCC hepatectomy was performed in this study. Metastasis-related genes in tumor following resection were screened; HCC invasion, metastasis, and some molecular alterations were examined in vivo and in vitro. Clinical significance of key gene mRNA expression was also analyzed.

Results

Metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1) located in the central position of gene function net of residual HCC. MTSS1 was up-regulated in residual tumor after palliative resection. In hepatitis B-related HCC patients undergone palliative hepatectomy, those with higher MTSS1 mRNA expression accompanied by activation of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) in residual HCC, had earlier residual HCC detection after hepatectomy and poorer survival when compared to those with lower MTSS1. In different cell lines, the levels of MTSS1 mRNA increased in parallel with metastatic potential. MTSS1 down regulation via siRNA decreased MMP2 activity, reduced invasive potentials of HCC by 28.9 % in vitro, and averted the deteriorated lung metastatic extent in vivo.

Conclusions

The poor prognosis of hepatitis B-related HCC patients following palliative hepatectomy associates with elevated MTSS1 mRNA expression; therefore, MTSS1 may provide a new research field for HCC diagnosis and treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0361-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Inhibition of miR-15b decreases cell migration and metastasis in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has a high prevalence and mortality rate. Biomarkers for predicting the recurrence of CRC are not clinically available. This study investigated the role of circulating miR-15b in the prediction of CRC recurrence and the associated mechanism. miR-15b levels in plasma and tissues were measured by real-time PCR. Metastasis suppressor-1 (MTSS1) and Klotho protein expression were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Invasion and migration of CRC tumor cells were measured by transwell plates. Liver metastasis was established by intraspleen injection of HCT116 cells. Plasma miR-15b levels were significantly higher in CRC patients than in healthy controls, in CRC patients with metastasis than in CRC patients without metastasis, and in CRC patients with recurrence than in CRC patients without recurrence in the 5-year follow-up. miR-15b level in CRC tumors was significantly higher than that in peritumoral tissues. High plasma miR-15b level and negative MTSS1 and Klotho expression in tumor tissues significantly correlated with poor survival. Inhibition of miR-15b activity by adenovirus carrying antimiR-15b sequence significantly increased MTSS1 and Klotho protein expression and subsequently decreased colony formation ability, invasion, and migration of HCT116 cells in vitro and liver metastasis of HCT116 tumors in vivo. In conclusion, high abundance of circulating miR-15b correlated with tumor metastasis, recurrence, and poor patient prognosis through downregulation of MTSS1 and Klotho protein expression.