Overexpression of MACC1 and the association with hepatocyte growth factor/c-Met in epithelial ovarian cancer

Exosomes: A potential tool for immunotherapy of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor of the female reproductive system, with a very poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the most common treatments for ovarian cancer, with unsatisfactory results. Exosomes are a subpopulation of extracellular vesicles, which have a diameter of approximately 30-100 nm and are secreted by many different types of cells in various body fluids. Exosomes are highly stable and are effective carriers of immunotherapeutic drugs. Recent studies have shown that exosomes are involved in various cellular responses in the tumor microenvironment, influencing the development and therapeutic efficacy of ovarian cancer, and exhibiting dual roles in inhibiting and promoting tumor development. Exosomes also contain a variety of genes related to ovarian cancer immunotherapy that could be potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Undoubtedly, exosomes have great therapeutic potential in the field of ovarian cancer immunotherapy. However, translation of this idea to the clinic has not occurred. Therefore, it is important to understand how exosomes could be used in ovarian cancer immunotherapy to regulate tumor progression. In this review, we summarize the biomarkers of exosomes in different body fluids related to immunotherapy in ovarian cancer and the potential mechanisms by which exosomes influence immunotherapeutic response. We also discuss the prospects for clinical application of exosome-based immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.

Downregulation of MACC1 facilitates the reversal effect of verapamil on the chemoresistance to active metabolite of irinotecan in human colon cancer cells

The aim of this study is to investigate the reversal effect of verapamil (VER) on chemoresistance to irinotecan (CPT-11) in human colon cancer cells and relevant mechanisms. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) test and colony-forming unit (CFU) experiment results show that VER strengthens the sensitivity of human colon cancer cell line HT29 to CPT-11 but has a small effect on SW480 cells. High-throughput transcriptome sequencing, RT-PCR, and Western blot results show that the inhibition of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) expression by VER is the key factor for reversal effect on chemoresistance to CPT-11. Transfection experiments further show that VER can reverse the resistance of human colon cancer cells to SN-38, the active metabolite of CPT-11, when MACC1 is overexpressed. The nude mouse transplantation tumor experiment provides an in vivo proof that VER can strengthen sensitivity to CPT-11 in drug-resistant human colon cancer cells, and the effect might be related to the inhibited expression of MACC1. In summary, VER might strengthen the reversal effect of VER on chemoresistance to CPT-11 in human colon cancer cells and facilitate the apoptosis of human colon cancer cells by downregulating MACC1 expression.

Combined Expression of HGFR with Her2/neu, EGFR, IGF1R, Mucin-1 and Integrin α2β1 Is Associated with Aggressive Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR), also known as c-mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-MET), plays a crucial role in the carcinogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In contrast, the mechanisms contributing to aberrant expression of HGFR in EOC are not fully understood. In the present study, the expression of HGFR with its prognostic and predictive role was evaluated immunohistochemically in a cohort of 42 primary ovarian cancer patients. Furthermore, we analyzed the dual expression of HGFR and other druggable biomarkers. In the multivariate Cox regression analysis, high HGFR expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor for a shorter progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio (HR) 2.99, 95% confidence interval (CI95%) 1.01-8.91, p = 0.049) and overall survival (OS) (HR 5.77, CI95% 1.56-21.34, p = 0.009). In addition, the combined expression of HGFR, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/neu), epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1R), Mucin-1 and Integrin α2β1 further significantly impaired PFS, platinum-free interval (PFI) and OS. Protein co-expression analyses were confirmed by transcriptomic data in a large, independent cohort of patients. In conclusion, new biomarker-directed treatment targets were identified to fight poor prognosis of primary EOC.

Therapeutic Strategies for Ovarian Cancer in Point of HGF/c-MET Targeting

Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in women and is regarded as one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Currently, studies are being conducted to develop therapeutic agents for effective treatment of ovarian cancer. In this review, we explain the properties of the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (c-MET) and how the signaling pathway of HGF/c-MET is activated in different cancers and involved in tumorigenesis and metastasis of ovarian cancer. We present the findings of clinical studies using small chemicals or antibodies targeting HGF/c-MET signaling in various cancer types, particularly in ovarian cancer. We also discuss that HGF/c-MET-targeted therapy, when combined with chemo drugs, could be an effective strategy for ovarian cancer therapeutics.

Prognostic significance of the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The prognostic role of the expression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer remains unclear. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prognostic significance of MACC1 expression in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were comprehensively searched up to February 9, 2020. Studies focusing on the relationship between the expression of MACC1 and prognosis in gynecologic cancers and breast cancer were included into the analysis. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) or odd ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the prognostic value of the expression of MACC1.

RESULTS

A total of 1,811patients with gynecologic cancers or breast cancer were included into the analysis. Patients with high expression of MACC1 tended to suffer a shorter overall survival (HR = 2.76, 95%CI = 2.12-3.59, P < .01) and recurrence-free survival (HR = 2.37, 95%CI = 1.44-3.90, P < .01) compared to those with low expression of MACC1. High expression of MACC1 was significantly associated with worse tumor differentiation (P = .04), more advanced FIGO stage (P < .01) and earlier lymph node metastasis (P < .01) compared to low expression of MACC1.

CONCLUSION

Compared to low expression of MACC1, high expression of MACC1 predicts a worse prognosis of gynecologic cancers and breast cancer. The expression of MACC1 can serve as a prognostic indicator of gynecologic cancers and breast cancer.

MACC1 Contributes to the Development of Osteosarcoma Through Regulation of the HGF/c-Met Pathway and Microtubule Stability

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent human bone malignancy, and presents a global annual morbidity of approximately five cases per million. Notably, precise and efficient targeted therapy has become the most promising strategy for the treatment of OS; however, there is still an urgent need for the identification of suitable therapeutic targets. Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) was first identified in colon tumors by differential display RT-PCR, and was shown to be involved in the regulation of colon tumor growth and metastasis through the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-Met signaling pathway. Additionally, MACC1 overexpression has been reported to induce the growth of several types of cancers, including glioblastoma multiforme and gastric cancer. However, whether MACC1 also plays a role in the progression of OS remains unclear. In this study, we found that MACC1 was highly expressed in human OS tissues, as well as in U-2OS and MG-63 cells, when compared with normal tissues and osteoblasts, respectively. Our data further indicated that MACC1 expression was correlated with several clinicopathological features of OS. Through in vitro assays, we found that MACC1 depletion markedly suppressed the proliferative ability of both OS cells and endothelial cells, and inhibited the angiogenic capacity of endothelial cells. Similarly, MACC1 depletion inhibited tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis in mice. Mechanistically, we found that MACC1 could bind to the MET promoter, and enhanced the proliferation of both OS cells and endothelial cells through the HGF/c-Met signaling pathway. Furthermore, we show that MACC1 also promoted angiogenesis by regulating microtubule dynamics, thereby promoting the progression of OS. Our results indicate that MACC1 may be a new and promising therapeutic target for the treatment of OS.

Overexpression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 in retinoblastoma

INTRODUCTION

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1), one of the prognostic markers for colonic and other tumours was noted to be overexpressed in retinoblastoma (Rb) Y79 cancer stem cells. This prompted us to evaluate its expression in primary Rb tumour and serum samples with clinicopathologic correlation. The interacting partner, c-MET was also evaluated in primary tumour tissues to explore the activation of MACC1 signaling.

METHODOLOGY

This study was done following institutional review board approval from participating institutes. Semiquantitative gene expression for MACC1 was evaluated using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections and unfixed tumour samples from primary Rb cases (n = 44). Immunolocalization for MACC1 was assessed in primary Rb tumours (n = 22), bone marrow aspirates with metastasis (n = 3), and c-MET expression was also assessed in Rb tumours (n = 17). Serum MACC1 levels were analysed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in samples collected from Rb patients undergoing enucleation (n = 31), Rb patients with proven clinical metastasis (n = 3), and compared to appropriate controls. Clinicopathologic correlation of MACC1 expression was analysed using the medical records with specific reference to histologic risk factors (HRF) for metastasis and differentiation.

RESULTS

High expression of MACC1 gene was noted in all the tumour samples (n = 44), more so in cases with versus without HRF (p < 0.0001). In cases with HRF, MACC1 and c-MET showed diffuse nuclear and cytoplasmic staining whereas it was predominantly cytoplasmic in cases without HRF. Mean immunoreactivity score of MACC1 and c-MET tissue immunolocalization revealed that cases with HRF showed significantly higher expression compared to cases without HRF (p < 0.05). Unlike the findings in colonic tumours, serum levels of MACC1 were lower in patients compared to normal controls.

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of MACC1 and c-MET in retinoblastoma tissues, specifically those with risk factors for metastasis, suggests its role in proliferation and possibly in invasion. However, the current data do not support it to be a clinical prognostic marker in retinoblastoma tumours. The inverse serum expression is an intriguing finding, which warrants further studies especially in retinoblastoma.

Cross‑validation of genes potentially associated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and platinum‑based chemoresistance in epithelial ovarian carcinoma

Ovarian carcinomas have the poorest prognosis and the highest mortality among gynecological malignancies. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is considered as a novel therapeutic strategy and an alternative treatment for advanced epithelial ovarian cancer (AEOC). The aim of the present study was to identify the core genes related to platinum‑based NACT resistance in AEOC and to allow screening at the molecular level for the most appropriate ovarian cancer patients for NACT. We obtained three drug‑resistant microarrays GSE114206, GSE41499 and GSE33482 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database as well as a microarray representing NACT, GSE109934. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the nature of the four potential candidate genes for using in functional enrichment analyses and interaction network construction. The potential associations and possible genetic alterations among the DEGs were summarized using the STRING database in Cytoscape and the cBioPortal visualization tool, respectively. A total of 63 genes were identified as DEGs from GSE109934 representing NACT. From the drug‑resistant GSE114206 and GSE41499 datasets, 106 DEGs containing 36 upregulated genes and 70 downregulated genes were selected, and from the drug‑resistant GSE114206 and GSE33482 datasets, 406 DEGs with 157 upregulated genes and 249 downregulated genes were selected. The 36 upregulated DEGs and the 70 downregulated genes were notably abundant in the different categories. In KEGG pathway analysis, the 157 upregulated genes and the 249 downregulated genes were concentrated in distinctive signaling pathways. Four potential genes associated with NACT and platinum‑based chemoresistance were screened, including nuclear factor of activated T‑cells, cytoplasmic 1 (NAFTc1), Kruppel‑like factor 4 (KLF4), nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Our study showed that the mRNA expression levels of NAFTc1, NR4A3 and HGF were increased in drug‑resistant OC cell lines (all P<0.01), whereas the mRNA expression levels of KLF4 were notably lower in the SKOV3‑CDDP and HeyA8‑CDDP cell line (all P<0.01) but higher in the A2780‑CBP cell line. The NAFTc1, KLF4, NR4A3 and HGF genes may be potential therapeutic targets for NACT and platinum‑based chemoresistance factors as well as candidate biomarkers in AEOC. Determination of the expression levels of these four genes in tumor tissues before planning NACT treatment or initial surgery would be beneficial for AEOC patients.

Investigation of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 genetic variants in the development and clinicopathologcial characteristics of uterine cervical cancer in Taiwanese women

The objectives of this study were to define the associations among single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) gene, development and clinicopathological characteristics of uterine cervical cancer, and patient survival in Taiwan. Genotypic frequencies of 5 MACC1 SNPs rs975263, rs3095007, rs4721888, rs3735615 and rs1990172 were identified for 132 patients with invasive cancer, 99 with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and 338 normal controls using real-time polymerase chain reaction. It revealed that there were no associations of these MACC1 SNPs with cervical carcinogenesis. In the meantime, cervical cancer patients with genotype GG in MACC1 SNP rs975263 tended to display more risk to have vaginal invasion than those with AA/AG (p=0.042, OR: 8.70, 95% CI: 0.81-433.22). In multivariate analysis, positive pelvic lymph node metastasis could significantly predict worse 5 years survival rate (p=0.001; HR=9.98, 95% CI=2.64-37.77) for cervical cancer patients. In conclusion, pelvic lymph node status rather than MACC1 SNPs was the only independent parameter that could significantly predict 5 years survival rate in Taiwanese women with cervical cancer.

Decoding and targeting the molecular basis of MACC1-driven metastatic spread: Lessons from big data mining and clinical-experimental approaches

Metastasis remains the key issue impacting cancer patient survival and failure or success of cancer therapies. Metastatic spread is a complex process including dissemination of single cells or collective cell migration, penetration of the blood or lymphatic vessels and seeding at a distant organ site. Hundreds of genes involved in metastasis have been identified in studies across numerous cancer types. Here, we analyzed how the metastasis-associated gene MACC1 cooperates with other genes in metastatic spread and how these coactions could be exploited by combination therapies: We performed (i) a MACC1 correlation analysis across 33 cancer types in the mRNA expression data of TCGA and (ii) a comprehensive literature search on reported MACC1 combinations and regulation mechanisms. The key genes MET, HGF and MMP7 reported together with MACC1 showed significant positive correlations with MACC1 in more than half of the cancer types included in the big data analysis. However, ten other genes also reported together with MACC1 in the literature showed significant positive correlations with MACC1 in only a minority of 5 to 15 cancer types. To uncover transcriptional regulation mechanisms that are activated simultaneously with MACC1, we isolated pan-cancer consensus lists of 1306 positively and 590 negatively MACC1-correlating genes from the TCGA data and analyzed each of these lists for sharing transcription factor binding motifs in the promotor region. In these lists, binding sites for the transcription factors TELF1, ETS2, ETV4, TEAD1, FOXO4, NFE2L1, ELK1, SP1 and NFE2L2 were significantly enriched, but none of them except SP1 was reported in combination with MACC1 in the literature. Thus, while some of the results of the big data analysis were in line with the reported experimental results, hypotheses on new genes involved in MACC1-driven metastasis formation could be generated and warrant experimental validation. Furthermore, the results of the big data analysis can help to prioritize cancer types for experimental studies and testing of combination therapies.

MACC1-the first decade of a key metastasis molecule from gene discovery to clinical translation

Deciphering the paths to metastasis and identifying key molecules driving this process is one important issue for understanding and treatment of cancer. Such a key driver molecule is Metastasis Associated in Colon Cancer 1 (MACC1). A decade long research on this evolutionarily conserved molecule with features of a transcription factor as well as an adapter protein for versatile protein-protein interactions has shown that it has manifold properties driving tumors to their metastatic stage. MACC1 transcriptionally regulates genes involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), including those which are able to directly induce metastasis like c-MET, impacts tumor cell migration and invasion, and induces metastasis in solid cancers. MACC1 has proven as a valuable biomarker for prognosis of metastasis formation linked to patient survival and gives promise to also act as a predictive marker for individualized therapies in a broad variety of cancers. This review discusses the many features of MACC1 in the context of the hallmarks of cancer and the potential of this molecule as biomarker and novel therapeutic target for restriction and prevention of metastasis.

Clinical relevance of circulating MACC1 and S100A4 transcripts for ovarian cancer

Metastasis‐associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) and S100 calcium‐binding protein A4 (S100A4) are prominent inducers of tumor progression and metastasis. For the first time, we systematically tracked circulating serum levels of MACC1 and S100A4 transcripts in the course of surgery and chemotherapy and analyzed their clinical relevance for ovarian cancer. MACC1 and S100A4 transcripts were quantified in a total of 318 serum samples from 79 ovarian cancer patients by RT‐qPCR and digital droplet PCR, respectively. MACC1 and S100A4 transcripts were significantly elevated in serum of ovarian cancer patients, compared to healthy controls (P = 0.024; P < 0.001). At primary diagnosis, high levels of MACC1 or S100A4 correlated with advanced FIGO stage (P = 0.042; P = 0.008), predicted suboptimal debulking surgery and indicated shorter progression‐free survival (PFS; P = 0.003; P = 0.001) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.001; P = 0.002). This is the first study in ovarian cancer to propose circulating MACC1 and S100A4 transcripts as potential liquid biopsy markers.

Clinicopathological and prognostic significance of metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 in gastric cancer: A meta-analysis

Background:

The gene metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) has been reported to be overexpressed in diverse human malignancies, and an increasing amount of evidence suggests that its overexpression is associated with the development and progression of many human tumors. However, the prognostic and clinicopathological value of MACC1 in gastric cancer remains inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to investigate the effect of positive MACC1 expression on clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in gastric cancer.

Methods:

Medline, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched for relevant articles published up to 10 April 2018. The correlation of MACC1 expression levels with overall survival and clinicopathological features was analyzed.

Results:

In this meta-analysis, nine studies with a total of 2103 gastric cancer patients were included. Our results showed that high expression of MACC1 was significantly related to a poor overall survival. Moreover, our meta-analysis showed that MACC1 overexpression was significantly linked to distant metastasis and vascular invasion. There were no significant correlations between positive MACC1 expression and gender, localization, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor extent (T stage) and lymph node involvement (N stage)

Conclusions:

MACC1 expression levels can serve as a novel prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients.

Down-regulation of miR-338-3p and Up-regulation of MACC1 Indicated Poor Prognosis of Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients

Objective To detect the expression of microRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) and MET transcriptional regulator MACC1 (MACC1) gene in different ovarian tissues, to analyze their relationships, their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer and their significant to the progression of ovarian cancer. Methods The expression of miR-338-3p and MACC1 gene in 20 specimens of normal ovarian tissues, 20 specimens of benign epithelial ovarian tumor and 65 specimens of epithelial ovarian cancer was detected by real-time PCR method. Their interrelationships and their correlations to the clinicopathologic characteristics of epithelial ovarian cancer were analyzed. Risk factors of recurrence and death were discussed by binary Logistic regression analysis. The relations between miR-338-3p and MACC1 expression and the survival of ovarian cancer were measured by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results The expressions of miR-338-3p and MACC1 gene in epithelial ovarian cancer tissues were (0.331±0.038) and (0.774±0.025), significant differences were noted between epithelial ovarian cancer and normal ovarian tissues, benign ovarian tumors (F=77.916, P=1.205E-18; F=77.945, P=1.187E-18). In different ovarian tissues, miR-338-3p expression was negatively correlated to MACC1 expression (r = -0.968, P<0.0001). In epithelial ovarian cancer, lower expression of miR-338-3p and higher expression of MACC1 were associated with more advanced FIGO stage, higher histological grade and developed lymph node metastasis. Down-regulation of miR-338-3p was related with the recurrence (P=0. 005, OR=12.862, 95%CI: 2.120~78.026) and death (P=0. 007, OR=12.837, 95%CI: 2.205~81.389) of ovarian cancer patients, which was showed by binary Logistic regression analysis. Compared to other patients, the overall survival rate and progression free survival rate of patients with lower miR-338-3p and higher MACC1 expression were obviously poorer (χ²=16.955, P=7.219E-5; χ²=18.929, P=2.828E-5). Conclusions Down-regulation of miR-338-3p and up-regulation of MACC1 gene were closely related with the poor prognosis of epithelial ovarian cancer patients, which could served as bio-markers of the progression and recurrence of ovarian cancer.

Prognostic Characteristics of MACC1 Expression in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

Recent studies have shown that overexpression of metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) is significantly associated with adverse prognoses of patients with different kinds of cancer. However, the exact survival effect of MACC1 on epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients has not yet been established. Thus, the objective of this study was to explore the prognostic role of MACC1 mRNA in EOC by using Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter and ONCOMINE database. Our results indicated that MACC1 mRNA high expression was significantly associated with unfavorable overall survival (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.51 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21 - 1.88), P = 0.00025) and progression-free survival (HR = 1.53 (95% CI: 1.24 - 1.89), P = 5.8e-05) in EOC patients. We also found that the expression of MACC1 mRNA in EOC was 2.5 times higher than that in normal surface ovarian epithelium, which was statistically significant (P = 2.86e-7). Our results suggest that MACC1 expression might be a biomarker for poor prognosis in individual EOC patients.

Prognostic impact of high c-Met expression in ovarian cancer: a meta-analysis

High c-Met expression has been observed in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). However, its clinicopathological impacts remain controversial. We conducted this meta-analysis to evaluate the pathologic and prognostic significance of c-Met overexpression in patients with EOC. A systematic computerized search of the electronic databases PubMed, PMC, EMBASE, and Google scholar (up to April 2018) was carried out. From seven studies, 568 patients with EOC were included in the meta-analysis. Although there was no statistical significance, EOCs with c-Met overexpression tended to show higher FIGO stage (III-IV) (odds ratio = 2.18, 95% confidence interval: 0.86-5.53, p = 0.10) and higher rate of lymph node metastasis (odds ratio = 3.05, 95% confidence interval: 0.85-10.98, p = 0.09), compared with tumors with low c-Met expression. In terms of prognosis, patients with c-Met-high EOC showed significantly worse survival than those with c-Met-low tumor (hazard ratio = 2.11, 95% confidence interval: 1.51-2.94, p < 0.0001). In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicates that high c-Met expression represents an adverse prognostic marker for patients with EOC.

DBC1 regulates Wnt/β-catenin-mediated expression of MACC1, a key regulator of cancer progression, in colon cancer

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) has been reported to be overexpressed in multiple cancers and promote proliferation, metastasis, cancer stem cell-like properties, and drug resistance of cancer cells. Despite its significance and the considerable knowledge accumulated on the function of MACC1 in various types of human malignancies, regulatory mechanisms underlying MACC1 expression remain unclear. Here we report that MACC1 is a direct target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in colon cancer cells and that DBC1 functions as a coactivator for Wnt-mediated MACC1 expression by promoting the activity of a LEF1/β-catenin-dependent enhancer located in intron 1 of MACC1 gene. DBC1 is required for LEF1/β-catenin complex formation on the MACC1 enhancer and for long-distance enhancer-promoter interaction of the MACC1 locus. MACC1 expression was increased in colonosphere cells compared to adherent colon cancer cells, and DBC1 overexpression further increased MACC1 expression in colonospheres and promoted sphere-forming abilities of colon cancer cells and drug resistance of colonospheres. Importantly, expressions of MACC1 and DBC1 are positively correlated with each other, upregulated in high-risk groups of colorectal cancer patients, and associated with poor survival. Our results establish MACC1 as a transcriptional target of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and suggest that DBC1 plays a key role in colorectal cancer progression through Wnt/β-catenin-MACC1 signaling axis.

FOXF2 deficiency promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis by inducing mesenchymal-epithelial transition

OBJECTIVE

The transcription factor FOXF2 is reported to be down-regulated in HCC. Its deficiency is correlated with shorter disease-free survival and overall survival of HCC patients; however, the mechanism remains to be elucidated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we performed qRT-PCR and western blotting to confirm the down-regulated FOXF2 in HCC tissue and cell lines. Then the HCC cell line Huh7 transduced with FOXF2 shRNA was adopted in a series of in vitro and in vivo assays to evaluate the cell phenotype change, migration, invasion, proliferation, colonization of circulating cell and the formation of metastatic nodules.

RESULTS

We found that FOXF2 was down-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. FOXF2 deficiency in Huh7 cells increased E-cadherin and decreased Vimentin. The down-regulation of FOXF2 impeded HCC cell migration and invasion capacity, but promoted the proliferation of HCC cells and the growth of subcutaneous tumors in nude mice, which indicated a mesenchymal-to-epithelial phenotypic change in Huh7 cells. FOXF2 deficiency enhanced the colonization of circulating HCC cell, thus promoted the formation of metastatic nodules.

CONCLUSIONS

FOXF2 deficiency induced mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) in Huh7 cell which might facilitate the colonization of circulating tumor cells and the formation of metastasis.

miR-148a-3p suppresses epithelial ovarian cancer progression primarily by targeting c-Met

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs that modulate post-transcriptional gene expression. It has been demonstrated that various miRNAs may be expressed at different levels in different types of tumors. The present study assessed the role of microRNA-148a-3p (miR-148a-3p) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). The results demonstrated that miR-148a-3p was decreased in EOC tissues and that a lower miRa-148-3p concentration was associated with a higher overall survival rate. Transfection of miR-148a-3p suppressed the invasive and proliferative capacity of SKOV3 cells. The induced overexpression of miR-148a-3p significantly inhibited the relative luciferase activity of the pmirGLO-c-Met-3'untranslated region compared with an empty vector. In addition, c-Met silencing led to a decrease in the invasive and proliferative capacity of EOC cells. The inhibition of miR-148a-3p did not increase the invasiveness of SKOV3 cells, even when c-Met was silenced. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that miR-148a-3p expression is decreased in EOC cancer tissues and cell lines. The present study therefore demonstrated that miR-148a-3p may serve as a tumor suppressor in EOC by targeting c-Met.

PIM Kinases and Their Relevance to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway in the Regulation of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is a medical term that includes a number of tumors with different molecular biology, phenotypes, tumor progression, etiology, and even different diagnosis. Some specific treatments are required to address this heterogeneity of ovarian cancer, thus molecular characterization may provide an important tool for this purpose. On a molecular level, proviral-integration site for Moloney-murine leukemia virus (PIM) kinases are over expressed in ovarian cancer and play a vital role in the regulation of different proteins responsible for this tumorigenesis. Likewise, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is also a central regulator of the ovarian cancer. Interestingly, recent research has linked the PIM kinases to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in several types of cancers, but their connection in ovarian cancer has not been studied yet. Once the exact relationship of PIM kinases with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway is acquired in ovarian cancer, it will hopefully provide effective treatments on a molecular level. This review mainly focuses on the role of PIM kinases in ovarian cancer and their interactions with proteins involved in its progression. In addition, this review suggests a connection between the PIM kinases and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and their parallel mechanism in the regulation of ovarian cancer.

MACC1 and HGF are associated with survival in patients with gastric cancer

Metastasis-associsated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene, promotes tumor cell proliferation and invasion. In the present study, the expression of MACC1, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, MET proto-oncogene (c-Met), was investigated in human gastric cancer tissues and adjacent normal tissues by immunohistochemistry. The association between the expression levels of the proteins and the clinicopathological parameters of the tumors were statistically analyzed. Furthermore, lentiviral particles expressing MACC1 were used to infect the hepatic satellite cell (HSC) line LX2. The expression of α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), HGF, matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 and MMP-9 in human HSCs was examined by western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Transwell assays were used to measure the effect of MACC1-infected or non-infected HSCs on the migration and invasion abilities of MKN45 and MKN74 gastric carcinoma cells in vitro. The results demonstrated that positive protein expression of MACC1, HGF and c-Met was significantly higher in human gastric cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Positive expression of MACC1 and c-Met in gastric cancer tissues had no correlation with the sex, age, tumor location and peritoneal metastasis of patients, but was significantly correlated with tumor size, depth of tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, histological differentiation, and overall (5 years) and disease-free survival (5 years). Positive expression of each MACC1, HGF and c-Met protein was demonstrated to be positively correlated with each other in human gastric cancer tissues. Western blotting results confirmed that MACC1 protein was overexpressed in MACC1-overexpressing lentivirus-infected HSCs. Overexpression of MACC1 significantly increased HGF, MMP-2, MMP-9 and α-SMA expression levels in HSCs. Results from the Transwell assays indicated an increase in the number of MKN45 or MKN74 cells migrating towards MACC1-overexpressing HSCs, compared with control HSCs. These findings suggested that MACC1 may regulate the expression of HGF, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in HSCs, and may thus promote migration and invasion of gastric carcinoma cells. MACC1, HGF and c-Met might cooperatively participate in the malignant progression of gastric cancer. In conclusion, MACC1 might serve as a useful molecular target for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of gastric cancer.

MACC‑1 antibody target therapy suppresses growth and migration of non‑small cell lung cancer

Non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for ~80% of human lung cancers that result in mortalities worldwide. Metastasis‑associated in colon cancer‑1 (MACC‑1) has been demonstrated to be significantly expressed in cases of NSCLC and promotes tumor cell migration and metastasis through transactivation of the metastasis‑inducing hepatocyte growth factor/MET proto‑gene, receptor tyrosine kinase (HGF/MET) signaling pathway. The present study constructed a chimeric antibody (Chanti‑MACC‑1) targeting MACC‑1 and investigated its potential as a molecular therapeutic target in the treatment of NSCLC therapy. The expression of MACC‑1 was detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting in lung cancer cell lines and tissues. MTT assay was used to detect proliferation of A549 cells treated by Chanti‑MACC‑1, whereas the functional and regulatory effects of Chanti‑MACC‑1 in the migration and metastasis of NSCLC cells was investigated by a cell invasion assay. The therapeutic effect and survival time was observed in animal models. The results demonstrated that MACC‑1 expression was increased and overexpression of MACC‑1 promoted the progression of the cell cycle, significantly promoted NSCLC cell growth and enhanced tumor migration and invasion through the HGF/MET signaling pathway. It was further demonstrated that Chanti‑MACC‑1 efficiently suppressed MACC‑1 expression and significantly inhibited NSCLC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by blocking the HGF/MET signaling pathway. The data revealed that Chanti‑MACC‑1 was not only beneficial for tumor remission, however additionally contributed to the long‑term survival of NSCLC ‑bearing mice. The findings of the present study indicated that MACC‑1 was significantly upregulated and promoted tumor cell growth and migration in NSCLC cells and tissues via transactivation of the metastasis‑inducing HGF/MET signaling pathway. However, Chanti‑MACC‑1significantly inhibited tumor growth and metastasis, which suggested that MACC‑1 may be essential for tumor initiation and progression by negatively regulating tumor suppressors.

MACC1 induces autophagy to regulate proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of squamous cell carcinoma

Metastasis-associated colon cancer-1 (MACC1) plays an important role in cancer development, but the role and mechansim of MACC1 in squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear. In this study, we found that MACC1 expression was increased in ESCC, and correlated with lymph node metastasis. MACC1 knockdown suppresed ESCC cell proliferation, metastasis and enchanced cell apoptosis. Moreover, MACC1 knockdown inhibited ESCC cell autophagy, and 3-methyladenine was able to rescue MACC1-induced malignant phenotype of ESCC cells. Furthermore, MACC1 knockdown inactivated AMPK-ULK1 signaling pathway, and metformin could rescue MACC1-induced autophagy in ESCC cells. Collectively, this study found that upregulation of MACC1 in ESCC was associated with lymph node metastasis of patients, and MACC1 regulated ESCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion mainly through AMPK-ULK1 induced autophagy.

Role of miR-128 in hypertension-induced myocardial injury

The present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of micro RNA (miR)-128 in hypertension-induced myocardial injury. The peripheral blood of patients with hypertension was collected and the expression of miR-128 was detected using fluorescence reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Primary myocardial cells isolated from rat in vitro were cultured under conditions of hypoxia and glucose deprivation, and miR-128 expression was measured by RT-qPCR. The expression of c-Met protein was measured using western blot analysis and the apoptosis of transfected cells was measured by flow cytometry in rat myocardial cells following transfection with miR-128 mimics or c-Met siRNA. A luciferase assay was applied to assess the binding of miR-128 to c-Met mRNA. miR-128 expression was significantly higher in hypertension patients compared with controls (P<0.05). miR-128 expression was higher in patients with stage III/IV hypertension compared with patients with stage II hypertension. Similarly, miR-128 expression in primary cardiomyocytes cultured under deprivation of oxygen and glucose increased with the culture time and reached a peak at 12 h. c-Met expression decreased significantly (P<0.05) and the ratio of apoptotic cells increased significantly (P<0.05), following transfection of miR-128 mimics. The number of apoptotic cells also increased when c-Met expression was knocked down by siRNA. The dual luciferase assay indicated that fluorescence intensity decreased significantly in miR-128 mimics and wild type c-Met group (P<0.05), indicating that miR-128 can directly target c-Met. Therefore, the results of the current study suggest that miR-128 may promote myocardial cell injury by regulating c-Met expression.

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1: A promising biomarker for the metastasis and prognosis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the fourth most frequent type of malignancy in the world. Metastasis accounts for >90% mortalities in patients with CRC. The metastasis-associated in colon cancer 1 (MACC1) gene has been identified as a novel biomarker for the prediction of metastasis and disease prognosis, particularly for patients with early-stage disease. Previous clinical studies demonstrated that MACC1 expression and polymorphisms in CRC tissues were indicators of metastasis, and that circulating transcripts in plasma were also significantly associated with the survival of patients. The present review describes the use of MACC1 beyond its utility in the clinic. By elucidating the upstream and downstream signal pathways of MACC1, the well-known mechanisms of MACC1-mediated cell proliferation, invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) are summarized, as well as the potential signaling pathways. Furthermore, the underlying mechanisms by which the overexpression of MACC1 causes cisplatin resistance are emphasized.

MACC1 regulatory network in tumor metastasis

The MACC1 gene was firstly identified in colorectal cancer. Recently, abnormal upregulation of MACC1 has been detected in multiple tumors. The expression of MACC1 is shown to be positively associated with tumor metastasis, but negatively with prognosis of patients, and it represents a potential therapeutic target for anti-tumor strategies. MACC1 has increasingly emerged as a key regulator in metastatic processes, and it has been identified to be able to maintain multiple tumor-associated signaling pathways, transactivate oncogenic genes, and regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor vascularization. On the other hand, MACC1 is regulated and influenced by non-coding RNAs and SNPs. The present review will summarize the recent progress in understanding the role of the MACC1 regulatory network in tumor metastasis.

Evaluation of the correlation of vasculogenic mimicry, ALDH1, KiSS-1, and MACC1 in the prediction of metastasis and prognosis in ovarian carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Recurrence and metastasis are the usual manifestations of treatment failure of epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). Vasculogenic mimicry (VM; blood supply development often seen in highly aggressive cancers), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1, cancer stem cell biomarker), KiSS-1 (suppressor of tumor metastasis), and metastasis associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) are all useful predictive factors for metastasis and prognosis in various cancers. In this study, we analyzed associations among VM, ALDH1, KiSS-1, and MACC1 in EOC, and their respective correlations with clinicopathological characteristics and survival in EOC.

METHODS

Positive rates of VM, ALDH1, KiSS-1, and MACC1 in 207 whole EOC tissue samples were detected by immunohistochemistry. Patients' clinical data were also collected.

RESULTS

Levels of VM, ALDH1, and MACC1 were significantly higher, and levels of KiSS-1 significantly lower, in EOC tissues than in benign ovary tumors. Levels of VM, ALDH1, KiSS-1, and MACC1 were associated significantly with tumor/lymph node/metastasis (LNM) grade, implantation, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and with patients' overall survival (OS); whereas the KiSS-1+ subgroup had significantly longer OS than did the KiSS-1- subgroup. In multivariate analysis, high VM, ALDH1 or MACC1 levels, FIGO stage, implantation and low KiSS-1 levels were independently associated with shorter OS in patients with EOC.

CONCLUSIONS

VM and expressions of ALDH1, KiSS-1, and MACC1 represent promising markers for metastasis and prognosis, and potential therapeutic targets for EOC.

MicroRNA target for MACC1 and CYR61 to inhibit tumor growth in mice with colorectal cancer

Cysteine-rich protein 61 (CYR61) and metastasis associated in colon cancer (MACC1) protein promoted human colorectal cancer (CRC) cell metastasis and closely related to the patient's prognosis in colorectal cancer. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether CYR61 and MACC1 can serve as dual potential targets for gene therapy of human CRC. In this study, microRNA (miRNA) targeting for both CYR61 and MACC1 was used to investigate the mechanism and therapeutic effects for CRC cells and mice with CRC. We observed that silencing miRNA for CYR61 and MACC1 inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, and co-treatment strengthened this effect. MTT assay showed that the growth of colorectal tumor cells was decreased due to miRNA treatment. Apoptosis assay revealed that miRNA for CYR61 and MACC1 promoted CRC cells apoptotic. The animals' study results showed that the expression levels of CYR61 and MACC1 were significantly decreased after miRNA-100 and miRNA-143 treatment, respectively. The expression levels of apoptosis-promoting protein were increased significantly after treatment with miRNA-100 and miRNA-143, which suggested that both miRNA-100 and miRNA-143 may induce apoptosis by mitochondria-dependent pathway. In addition, metastasis and invasion assays showed that miRNA-100 and miRNA-143 treatment inhibited obviously migratory and invasive abilities of CRC cells. Furthermore, our data also showed that the tumor growth was significantly inhibited and survival rate of tumor-bearing mice was greatly improved by common treatments of miRNA-100 and miRNA-143. In conclusion, the abilities of apoptosis, metastasis, and invasion in CRC tumor cells were significantly suppressed by miRNA-100 and miRNA-143 targeting CYR61 and MACC1, respectively. As a result, CYR61 and MACC1 may serve as potential targets for gene therapy in human CRC treatments.

Silence of MACC1 decreases cell migration and invasion in human malignant melanoma through inhibiting the EMT

Metastasis-associated colon cancer 1 (MACC1) has been demonstrated to promote metastasis of several cancers via regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, its biological behavior in human malignant melanoma remains unclear. In this study, MACC1 downregulation was established in two melanoma cell lines (A375 and G361 cells) using RNA interference, as confirmed by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the effects of MACC1 silencing on cell mobility, migration and invasion using scratch wound and Transwell assays. Our results indicated that knockdown of MACC1 significantly suppressed cell migration and invasion ability of both melanoma cell lines. Moreover, downregulation of MACC1 upregulated E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin, as confirmed by qRT-PCR, Western blot and immunofluorescent Staining analysis. These findings suggest MACC1 might serve as a new molecular target for the treatment of melanoma by a novel mechanism underlying the metastasis of melanoma cells.

Identifying the Appropriate FISH Criteria for Defining MET Copy Number-Driven Lung Adenocarcinoma through Oncogene Overlap Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor gene (MET) gene copy number gain may be a predictive biomarker for mesenchymal-epithelial transition factor (MET) inhibition in lung cancer, but the most appropriate method and criteria for defining MET positivity are uncertain.

METHODS

MET copy number was assessed by fluorescence in situ hybridization in lung adenocarcinoma. Positivity criteria included mean MET per cell values greater than 5 (low [≥5 to <6], intermediate [≥6 to <7], and high [≥7]) and mean MET-to-chromosome 7 centromere ratios (MET/CEP7) of at least 1.8 (low [≥1.8 to ≤2.2], intermediate [>2.2 to <5], and high [≥5]). Associated clinical and molecular characteristics were captured.

RESULTS

Of 686 cases, 99 (14%) had a mean MET per cell value of 5 or greater, 52 of 1164 (4.5%) had a MET/CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher. Other oncogenic drivers (in EGFR, KRAS, anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase gene [ALK], erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 gene [ERBB2], BRAF, NRAS, ROS1, or ret proto-oncogene [RET]) were detectable in 56% of the group with a mean MET per cell value of 5 or higher and 47% of the group with a MET/CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher, suggesting that many MET-positive cases are not truly MET addicted. The rates of concomitant drivers in the groups of patients in the low, indeterminate, and high categories of mean MET per cell were 32 of 52 (62%), 12 of 19 (63%), and 11 of 27 (41%) (p = 0.2), and the rates of concomitant drivers in the low, intermediate, and high categories of MET/CEP7 ratios were 15 of 29 (52%), 9 of 18 (50%), and 0 of 4 (0%), respectively (p = 0.04). A MET/CEP7 ratio of 1.8 or higher in the absence of other oncogenes was associated with a higher rate of adrenal metastases (p = 0.03) but not with never-smoking status.

CONCLUSIONS

A fluorescence in situ hybridization MET/CEP7 ratio of 5 or higher defined a "MET-positive" group with no oncogenic overlap. As this method and criteria are also associated with the highest response rate to MET inhibition, it represents the clearest definition of a MET copy number gain-addicted state. However, a MET-associated phenotype may also exist across cases with a MET/CEP7 of 1.8 or higher when no other oncogene overlap occurs.

Genetic Variation in Metastasis-Associated in Colon Cancer-1 and the Risk of Breast Cancer Among the Chinese Han Population: A STROBE-Compliant Observational Study

Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1), a newly identified oncogene, is involved in angiogenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis in many cancers. Epidemiological studies have indicated the associations between MACC1 polymorphisms and cancer risk. However, the association between genetic polymorphisms in MACC1 and breast cancer (BC) was not clear. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between MACC1 polymorphisms and BC risk.We genotyped 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MACC1 (rs975263, rs1990172, rs3735615, rs4721888) to determine the haplotypes in 560 BC patients and 583 age-, sex-, and ethnicity-matched healthy individuals. Genotypes were determined using the Sequenom MassARRAY method. We estimated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) using the chi-square test.There were significant differences between patients and controls in the MACC1 rs975263 allelic (T vs C: OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.61-0.95, P = 0.014) and genotypic groups (TC vs TT: OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.54-0.92, P = 0.009; TC+CC vs TT: OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55-0.92, P = 0.008). Analysis of clinical features demonstrated significant associations between rs975263 and Scarff-Bloom-Richardson (SBR) grade 3 cancer (P = 0.006) and postmenopausal women (P = 0.018). Compared with the rs4721888 CC genotype, the frequency of rs4721888 GC and GC+CC variants was higher in patients. Further analysis revealed that the variant genotypes were positively associated with lymph node metastasis. However, we failed to find any relationships between rs1990172 or rs3735615 polymorphism and BC risk. In addition, haplotype analysis indicated that the CTGG and CTCG haplotypes (rs975263, rs1990172, rs3735615, rs4721888) were significantly associated with decreased susceptibility to BC (P = 0.029 and 0.019 respectively).Our results suggest that rs975263 and rs4721888 polymorphisms in MACC1 are associated with the risk of BC susceptibility and may be involved in the progression of BC in Chinese women.

Diabetes-associated dysregulated cytokines and cancer

Epidemiological data demonstrate that patients with diabetes have an augmented risk of developing various types of cancers, accompanied by higher mortality. A number of mechanisms for this connection have been hypothesized, such as insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and increased inflammatory processes. Apart from these potential mechanisms, several diabetes-associated dysregulated cytokines might be implicated in the link between diabetes and cancer. In fact, some inflammatory cytokines, e.g. TNF-α, IL-6 and leptin, have been revealed to play important roles in both initiation and progression of tumor. Here, we depict the role of these cytokines in key events of carcinogenesis and cancer development, including their capability to induce oxidative stress, inflammation, their participation in epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, and metastasis. Finally, we will also highlight the existing knowledge in terms of the involvement of these cytokines in different cancer types and comment on potential significances for future clinical applications.