CD147 modulates androgen receptor activity through the Akt/Gsk-3β/β-catenin/AR pathway in prostate cancer cells

Integrative network pharmacology, molecular docking, and dynamic simulation analysis of a polyherbal formulation for potential therapeutic impact on prostate cancer

Background

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains a significant health concern globally, prompting a continual search for novel therapeutic strategies. In this study, we employed a comprehensive approach combining network pharmacology, molecular docking and dynamic simulation to explore the potential impact of a polyherbal formulation on PCa.

Methods

Utilizing comprehensive network pharmacology approaches, we elucidated the complex interactions between the bioactive compounds within the polyherbal formulation and key targets associated with PCa progression, highlighting their multitarget mechanisms through integrated protein‒protein interaction and KEGG pathway analyses. Molecular docking simulation studies were performed to predict the binding affinities and modes of interaction between the identified bioactive compounds and their respective protein targets.

Results

Complex connections comprising 486 nodes and 845 edges were found by the compound-target network analysis. Significant interactions were observed, and the average node degree was 4.23. KEGG research revealed that PCa and the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway are implicated in modulating prostate cancer. The Quercetin docking investigations revealed that the binding energies for AR and PIK3R1 were -9 and -9.5 kcal/mol, respectively. Based on the results of the MD simulations, it appears that tiny molecules and proteins have formed stable complexes with low fluctuations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this comprehensive method emphasises the value of network pharmacology in conjunction with molecular docking and dynamic simulation in revealing the anti-PCa therapeutic potential of polyherbal formulations, opening up new possibilities for the creation of efficient anti-cancer medicines.

Current trends and future perspectives of stroke management through integrating health care team and nanodrug delivery strategy

Stroke is accounted as the second-most mortality and adult disability factor in worldwide, while causes the bleeding promptly and lifetime consequences. The employed functional recovery after stroke is highly variable, allowing to deliver proper interventions to the right stroke patient at a specific time. Accordingly, the multidisciplinary nursing team, and the administrated drugs are major key-building-blocks to enhance stroke treatment efficiency. Regarding the healthcare team, adequate continuum of care have been declared as an integral part of the treatment process from the pre-hospital, in-hospital, to acute post-discharge phases. As a curative perspective, drugs administration is also vital in surviving at the early step and reducing the probability of disabilities in later. In this regard, nanotechnology-based medicinal strategy is exorbitantly burgeoning. In this review, we have highlighted the effectiveness of current clinical care considered by nursing teams to treat stroke. Also, the advancement of drugs through synthesis of miniaturized nanodrug formations relating stroke treatment is remarked. Finally, the remained challenges toward standardizing the healthcare team and minimizing the nanodrugs downsides are discussed. The findings ensure that future works on normalizing the healthcare nursing teams integrated with artificial intelligence technology, as well as advancing the operative nanodrugs can provide value-based stroke cares.

Immunometabolic Markers in a Small Patient Cohort Undergoing Immunotherapy

Although the discovery of immune checkpoints was hailed as a major breakthrough in cancer therapy, generating a sufficient response to immunotherapy is still limited. Thus, the objective of this exploratory, hypothesis-generating study was to identify potentially novel peripheral biomarkers and discuss the possible predictive relevance of combining scarcely investigated metabolic and hormonal markers with immune subsets. Sixteen markers that differed significantly between responders and non-responders were identified. In a further step, the correlation with progression-free survival (PFS) and false discovery correction (Benjamini and Hochberg) revealed potential predictive roles for the immune subset absolute lymphocyte count (rs = 0.51; p = 0.0224 *), absolute basophil count (rs = 0.43; p = 0.04 *), PD-1+ monocytes (rs = −0.49; p = 0.04 *), hemoglobin (rs = 0.44; p = 0.04 *), metabolic markers LDL (rs = 0.53; p = 0.0224 *), free androgen index (rs = 0.57; p = 0.0224 *) and CRP (rs = −0.46; p = 0.0352 *). The absolute lymphocyte count, LDL and free androgen index were the most significant individual markers, and combining the immune subsets with the metabolic markers into a biomarker ratio enhanced correlation with PFS (rs = −0.74; p ≤ 0.0001 ****). In summary, in addition to well-established markers, we identified PD-1+ monocytes and the free androgen index as potentially novel peripheral markers in the context of immunotherapy. Furthermore, the combination of immune subsets with metabolic and hormonal markers may have the potential to enhance the power of future predictive scores and should, therefore, be investigated further in larger trials.

Exploring the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Xihuang Pills Against Prostate Cancer via Integrating Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation In Vitro and In Vivo

Background: Drug resistance is the major cause of increasing mortality in prostate cancer (PCa). Therefore, it an urgent to develop more effective therapeutic agents for PCa treatment. Xihuang pills (XHP) have been recorded as the efficient anti-tumor formula in ancient Chinese medical literature, which has been utilized in several types of cancers nowadays. However, the effect protective role of XHP on the PCa and its underlying mechanisms are still unclear.

Methods: The active ingredients of XHP were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and BATMAN-TCM. The potential targets of PCa were acquired from the Gene Cards and OMIM databases. R language and Perl language program were utilized to clarify the interaction between the PCa-related targets and the potential targets of XHP. The potential targets of XHP for prostate cancer were gathered from the Gene ontology and KEGG pathway. Furthermore, cell proliferation assays were verified by PC3 and LNCaP cells. The efficacy and potential mechanism tests were confirmed by the PCa PC3 cells and mice subcutaneous transplantation. The effects of PI3K/Akt/mTOR-related proteins on proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle of PCa cells were measured by the Cell Counting Kit-8(CCK8), TUNEL assay, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (QRT-PCR), and Western Blotting, respectively.

Results: The active components of four traditional Chinese medicines in XHP were searched on the TCMSP and Batman TCM database. The biological active components of XHP were obtained as OB ≥30% and DL ≥0.18. The analysis of gene ontology and KEGG pathway identified the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway as the XHP-associated pathway. Collectively, the results of in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that XHP had the effect of inhibiting on the proliferation of PC3 and LNCaP cells. XHP promoted the apoptosis and restrained the cell cycle and invasion of the PC3 cells and subcutaneous transplantation. Meanwhile, the suppression of XHP on the level of expression of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR-pathway-related pathway proteins has been identified in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusion: PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-related pathway proteins were confirmed as the potential XHP-associated targets for PCa. XHP can suppress the proliferation of prostate cancer via inhibitions of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

CRPC Membrane-Camouflaged, Biomimetic Nanosystem for Overcoming Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer by Cellular Vehicle-Aided Tumor Targeting

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) is the most common malignant tumor of the male urinary system. Nanodrug delivery systems (NDDS) have been widely applied in drug delivery for tumor therapy; however, nanotherapeutics encounter various biological barriers that prevent successful accumulation of drugs, specifically at diseased sites. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a CRPC-targeting nanocomposite with fine biocompatibility for penetrating various biological barriers, delivering sufficient drugs to the targeting site and improving therapeutic efficiency. In this work, CRPC cell membranes were firstly adapted as biomimetic vectors for the encapsulating PEG-PLGA polymer containing the chemotherapy drug docetaxel (DTX). The CRPC membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles can easily escape early recognition by the immune system, penetrate the extracellular barrier, and evade clearance by the circulatory system. In addition to the characteristics of traditional nanoparticles, the CRPC cell membrane contains an arsenal of highly specific homotypic moieties that can be used to recognize the same cancer cell types and increase the targeted drug delivery of DTX. In vivo fluorescence and radionuclide dual-model imaging were fulfilled by decorating the biomimetic nanosystem with near-infrared dye and isotope, which validated the homotypic targeting property offered by the CRPC cell membrane coating. Importantly, remarkably improved therapeutic efficacy was achieved in a mice model bearing CRPC tumors. This homologous cell membrane enabled an efficient drug delivery strategy and enlightened a new pathway for the clinical application of tumor chemotherapy drugs in the future.

Identification and Analysis of Key Genes Driving Gastric Cancer Through Bioinformatics

Objective: The aim of this study was to use bioinformatic analyses to identify key genes and pathways driving gastric cancer (GC). Materials and Methods: The gene expression profiles, from human gastric tissue samples were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE)29272 dataset. These data revealed 284 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that included a group upregulated in cancer tissues (n = 142) and another group that were downregulated in cancer tissues. (n = 142). These DEGs were identified using the GEO2R. We used multiple online analysis tools, including, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), protein-protein interaction networks, gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA), and the cBio Cancer Genomics Portal (cBioportal) database. Next, we identified the most significant DEGs using the Kaplan-Meier plotter (KM-plotter) database. Multiple bioinformatic platforms were used to identify candidate prognostic marker genes. We then analyzed freshly frozen GC tissues for the expression of these marker genes to validate the informatic findings. Results: We identified three DEGs related to overall survival from our analyses of the GEO data. Next, we analyzed these three DEGs in GEPIA and the cBioportal database and found that the biglycan (BGN) gene was related to invasion and metastases of GCs. This finding of differential gene expression was confirmed in a separate laboratory analysis of normal and GC tissues. In this analysis we found that high levels of BGN expression were correlated with GC clinicopathological characteristics, including microvascular tumor thrombus (p = 0.018), lymph node metastases (p = 0.013), and vessel invasion (p = 0.004). Conclusions: BGN expression levels appear to be an independent prognostic factor for predicting the survival times of GC patients.

CD147 promotes collective invasion through cathepsin B in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Mounting evidence suggests that solid tumors display the features of collective invasion, however, the molecular mechanisms are far from clear. This study aims to verify the role and the underlying mechanisms of CD147 in collective invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

Immunostaining was used to analyze human hepatocellular carcinoma specimens and three-dimensional cultures. Three-dimensional invasion model was established to mimic in vivo invasion. RNA-sequencing was used to identify downstream effectors.

Results

Human hepatocellular carcinoma underwent collective invasion and CD147 was observed to be upregulated at the invasive front of tumor cell groups. CD147 was demonstrated to promote collective invasion using the modified three-dimensional invasion model, which recapitulated the main features of collective invasion. Through transcriptome analysis and enzyme activity assay, we found that CD147 enhanced cathepsin B expression and activity. Upregulated cathepsin B in hepatocellular carcinoma cells facilitated migration and invasion, which mediated CD147-induced invasive phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma. In terms of mechanism, we found that CD147 promoted cathepsin B transcription by activating β-catenin signaling as a result of reduced GSK-3β expression. Furthermore, we found that elevated expression of CD147 as well as cathepsin B were correlated with poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Conclusions

CD147 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma cells collective invasion via upregulating cathepsin B expression and targeting CD147 would be valuable for the development of novel therapeutic modalities against invasion and metastasis of cancer.

CD147 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of prostate cancer cells via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

The majority of deaths among patients with prostate cancer (PCa) occur following metastasis; therefore, there is a critical need for effective treatment of metastatic PCa. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is vital in the early stage of cancer cell metastasis and CD147 has been reported to be associated with various types of cancer. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of CD147 in the EMT of PCa cells via short hairpin (sh)RNA-mediated knockdown of CD147 in lymph node carcinoma of the prostate (LNCaP) cells. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were performed to examine gene and protein expression. Cell migration and invasion were detected using a Transwell assay. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was performed to investigate cell viability. The knockdown of CD147 in LNCaP cells (LNCaP/shCD147 cells) resulted in an increase in the expression of E-cadherin (an epithelial marker), and a decrease in the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin (mesenchymal markers). Importantly, the downregulation of CD147 in LNCaP cells inhibited the expression levels of nuclear β-catenin and Snail, and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β on Ser 9, and increased the expression of phosphorylated (p)-β-catenin (Ser33/37/Thr41). Treatment with lithium chloride (LiCl), a Wnt/β-catenin pathway agonist or a GSK-3β inhibitor, attenuated CD147 downregulation-induced p-β-catenin (Ser33/37/Thr41) expression, which resulted in the upregulation of β-catenin in the nucleus. LiCl treatment prompted β-catenin-mediated expression of target proteins such as Snail and vimentin in LNCaP/shCD147 cells, and prevented E-cadherin expression, a molecule downstream to Snail. In conclusion, these findings revealed an important role of CD147 in the regulation of the invasive and metastatic potential of PCa cells. CD147, via modulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, may be implicated in the regulation of EMT of PCa cells and could be a potential therapeutic target for PCa.

Antrocin Sensitizes Prostate Cancer Cells to Radiotherapy through Inhibiting PI3K/AKT and MAPK Signaling Pathways

Radiotherapy is one of the most common treatment options for local or regional advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Importantly, PCa is prone to radioresistance and often develops into malignancies after long-term radiotherapy. Antrocin, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from Antrodia cinnamomea, possesses pharmacological efficacy against various cancer types; however, its therapeutic potential requires comprehensive exploration, particularly in radioresistant PCa cells. In this study, we emphasized the effects of antrocin on radioresistant PCa cells and addressed the molecular mechanism underlying the radiosensitization induced by antrocin. Our results showed that a combination treatment with antrocin and ionizing radiation (IR) synergistically inhibited cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in radioresistant PCa cells. We further demonstrated that antrocin downregulated PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways as well as suppressed type 1 insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)-mediated induction of β-catenin to regulate cell cycle and apoptosis. Using xenograft mouse models, we showed that antrocin effectively enhanced radiotherapy in PCa. Our study demonstrates that antrocin sensitizes PCa to radiation through constitutive suppression of IGF-1R downstream signaling, revealing that it can be developed as a potent therapeutic agent to overcome radioresistant PCa.

Up-regulation of Biglycan is Associated with Poor Prognosis and PTEN Deletion in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Biglycan (BGN), a proteoglycan of the extracellular matrix, is included in mRNA signatures for prostate cancer aggressiveness. To understand the impact of BGN on prognosis and its relationship to molecularly defined subsets, we analyzed BGN expression by immunohistochemistry on a tissue microarray containing 12,427 prostate cancers. Seventy-eight percent of 11,050 interpretable cancers showed BGN expression, which was considered as low intensity in 47.7% and as high intensity in 31.1% of cancers. BGN protein expression rose with increasing pathological tumor stage, Gleason grade, lymph node metastasis and early PSA recurrence (P<.0001 each). Comparison with our molecular database attached to the TMA revealed that BGN expression was linked to presence of TMPRRS2:ERG fusion and PTEN deletion (P<.0001 each). In addition, BGN was strongly linked to androgen-receptor (AR) levels (P<.0001), suggesting a hormone-depending regulation of BGN. BGN up-regulation is a frequent feature of prostate cancer that parallels tumor progression and may be useful to estimate tumor aggressiveness particularly if combined with other molecular markers.