Assessment of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor as an oncogene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and its potential implication in chemotherapy

Aloin and CPT-11 combination activates miRNA-133b and downregulates IGF1R- PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MEK/ERK pathways to inhibit colorectal cancer progression

CPT-11 is one of the drugs employed in colorectal cancer treatment and has faced challenges in the form of resistance. The insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor is a tyrosine kinase receptor that mediates cancer cell survival and drug resistance. It is frequently overexpressed in colorectal cancer and has previously been identified as a microRNA target. MicroRNAs are non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene function by suppressing messenger RNA translation. Studies have demonstrated that natural compounds can regulate microRNA function and their target genes. Therefore, combining natural compounds with existing cancer drugs can enhance the therapeutic efficacy. We investigated a natural compound, Aloin, for the potential sensitization of colorectal cancer to CPT-11. We used western blot, MTT cell viability assay, flow cytometry, and microRNA/gene knockdown and overexpression experiments, as well as an in vivo mouse model. Our investigation revealed that combining Aloin with CPT-11 exerts an enhanced anti-tumor effect in colorectal cancer. This combination reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis, both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, this combination upregulated miRNA-133b, while downregulating the IGF1R and its downstream MEK/ERK, and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways. Our findings suggests that CPT-11 and Aloin are potential combination treatment partners against colorectal cancer. MicroRNA-133b may serve as a co-therapeutic target with IGF1R against colorectal cancer, which might overcome the existing treatment limitations.

Identification of an Immune-Related Biomarker Model Based on the CircRNA-Associated Regulatory Network for Esophageal Carcinoma

Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is one of the most frequent types of malignant tumor that has a dismal prognosis. This research applied datasets aimed from the GEO and TCGA to create a prognostic signature for forecasting the clinical outcome of ESCA patients on the basis of a circRNA-associated regulatory network. Methods. A regulatory network associated with ESCA was established based on transcriptome data of circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Functional annotations were implemented to further explore the mechanism of ESCA. Cox relative regression method was applied to create a risk signature. Besides, the immune microenvironment of the signature was investigated by utilizing the CIBERSORT algorithm. Results. Based on 27 DEcircRNAs, 65 DEmiRNAs, and 780 DEmRNAs, the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was finally set up. Functional enrichment unearthed that the regulatory network might participate in phosphorylation negative regulation, MAPK pathway, and PI3K/AKT pathway. This study established a risk scoring signature based on the seven immune-related genes (IRGs) (MARP14, RASGR1, PTK2, HMGB1, DKK1, RARB, and IGF1R), which was validated for its reliability. A stable and accurate nomogram combining immune-related risk scores with clinical features was constructed. Furthermore, we observed that the risk model was also related to the immunocyte infiltration. Conclusion. Our study successfully created a circRNA-associated regulatory network and further developed an immune-related model to forecast the clinical outcome of ESCA patients as well as to assess their immune status.

Molecular interactions of miR-338 during tumor progression and metastasis

Background

Cancer, as one of the main causes of human deaths, is currently a significant global health challenge. Since the majority of cancer-related deaths are associated with late diagnosis, it is necessary to develop minimally invasive early detection markers to manage and reduce mortality rates. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as highly conserved non-coding RNAs, target the specific mRNAs which are involved in regulation of various fundamental cellular processes such as cell proliferation, death, and signaling pathways. MiRNAs can also be regulated by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). They are highly stable in body fluids and have tumor-specific expression profiles, which suggest their suitability as efficient non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic tumor markers. Aberrant expression of miR-338 has been widely reported in different cancers. It regulates cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, and apoptosis in tumor cells.

Main body

In the present review, we have summarized all miR-338 interactions with other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and associated signaling pathways to clarify the role of miR-338 during tumor progression.

Conclusions

It was concluded that miR-338 mainly functions as a tumor suppressor in different cancers. There were also significant associations between miR-338 and other ncRNAs in tumor cells. Moreover, miR-338 has a pivotal role during tumor progression using the regulation of WNT, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. This review highlights miR-338 as a pivotal ncRNA in biology of tumor cells.

Long non‑coding RNA BANCR mediates esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by regulating the IGF1R/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway via miR‑338‑3p

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a type of digestive tract malignant tumor that severely threatens human health. The long non‑coding RNA BRAF activated non‑coding RNA (BANCR) and insulin‑like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) are associated with various types of cancer; however, it remains unclear whether BANCR can regulate IGF1R expression in ESCC. In the present study, the expression levels of BANCR, IGF1R mRNA and microRNA‑338‑3p (miRNA/miR‑338‑3p) in ESCC tissues or cells were detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). The levels of IGF1R, E‑cadherin, N‑cadherin, Vimentin, p‑Raf‑1, p‑MEK1/2 and p‑ERK1/2 were measured by western blot analysis. The proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells were determined by 3‑(4,5‑dimethylthiazol‑2‑yl)‑2,5‑diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) or Transwell assays. The relationship between miR‑338‑3p and BANCR or IGF1R was predicted using starBase2.0 and confirmed by dual‑luciferase reporter assay. The role of BANCR in ESCC in vivo was confirmed through a tumor xenograft assay. It was found that BANCR and IGF1R were upregulated, while miR‑338‑3p was downregulated in ESCC tissues and cells. Both BANCR and IGF1R knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ESCC cells. IGF1R enhancement reversed BANCR knockdown‑mediated effects on the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of ESCC cells. BANCR regulated the Raf/MEK/ERK pathway by regulating IGF1R expression. Notably, BANCR regulated IGF1R expression by sponging miR‑338‑3p. Moreover, BANCR silencing inhibited tumor growth in vivo. On the whole, the findings of the present study demonstrate that BANCR inhibition blocks ESCC progression by inactivating the IGF1R/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway by sponging miR‑338‑3p.

Integrated bioinformatics analysis to decipher molecular mechanism of compound Kushen injection for esophageal cancer by combining WGCNA with network pharmacology

Compound Kushen injection (CKI), a medicine in widespread clinical use in China, has proven therapeutic effects on cancer. However, few molecular mechanism analyses have been carried out. To address this problem, bioinformatics approaches combining weighted gene co-expression network analysis with network pharmacology methods were undertaken to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of CKI in the treatment of esophageal cancer (ESCA). First, the key gene modules related to the clinical traits of ESCA were analysed by WCGNA. Based on the results, the hub genes related to CKI treatment for ESCA were explored through network pharmacology. Molecular docking simulation was performed to recognize the binding activity of hub genes with CKI compounds. The results showed that the potential hub targets, including EGFR, ErbB2, CCND1 and IGF1R, are therapeutic targets of CKI for the treatment of ESCA. Moreover, these targets were significantly enriched in many pathways related to cancer and signalling pathways, such as the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and ErbB signalling pathway. In conclusion, this research partially highlighted the molecular mechanism of CKI in the treatment of ESCA, offering great potential in the identification of the effective compounds in CKI and biomarkers for ESCA treatment.

Comprehensive bioinformation analysis of methylated and differentially expressed genes in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Differentially methylated genes (DMGs) play a crucial role in the etiology and pathogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Expression of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-5 (IGFBP5) Reverses Cisplatin-Resistance in Esophageal Carcinoma

Cisplatin (CDDP) is one of the front-line chemotherapeutic drugs used in the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Occurrence of resistance to CDDP has become one of the main challenges in cancer therapy. In this study, the gene expression profile of CDDP-resistant ESCC cells was investigated and molecular approaches were explored in an attempt to reverse the CDDP resistance. A CDDP-resistant SLMT-1/CDDP1R cell line was established from SLMT-1 cells by subculturing in the medium containing an increasing concentration of CDDP (0.1–1μg/mL). Mitochondrial (MTS) cytotoxicity assay, cell proliferation assay and cell morphology were used to assess the acquisition of cisplatin-resistance. The most differentially expressed gene in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells was identified by cDNA microarray analysis compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells and validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Association between expression of the most differentially expressed target gene to cisplatin-resistance was verified by RNA interference. An attempt to reversecisplatin-resistance phenotypes was made by using the vector expressing the most downregulated target gene in the CDDP-resistant cells. A CDDP-resistant ESCC cell line, SLMT-1/CDDP1R, was established with 2.8-fold increase CDDP-resistance (MTS₅₀ = 25.8 μg/mL) compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells. cDNA microarray analysis revealed that IGFBP5 showed the highest level of downregulation in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells compared with the parental SLMT-1 cells. Suppression of IGFBP5 mediated by IGFBP5-targeting siRNA in parental SLMT-1 cells confirmed that IGFBP5 suppression in ESCC cells would induce CDDP-resistance. More importantly, upregulation of IGFBP5 using IGFBP5 expression vector reduced cisplatin-resistance in SLMT-1/CDDP1R cells by 41%. Thus, our results demonstrated that IGFBP5 suppression is one of the mechanisms for the acquisition of cisplatin-resistance in ESCC cells. Cisplatin-resistance phenotype can be reversed by increasing the expression level of IGFBP5. The overall findings of this study thus offered a new direction for reversing the CDDP resistance in ESCC and possibly in other cancer types with further investigations in future.

Effects and Mechanisms of Metformin on the Proliferation of Esophageal Cancer Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of metformin on human esophageal cancer cell and to investigate its possible mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cell viability was detected by using a Cell Counting Kit-8, while cell cycle and apoptosis were assessed by flow cytometry and western blot was used to measure the expression of the related proteins. RNAi was used to knockout pyruvate kinase muscle isozyme 2 (PKM2). An Eca109 tumor model was established to evaluate the antitumor effect in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was determined based on the expression of PKM2 and Bim in tumor tissues. Tunnel was used to assess tumor cell apoptosis.

RESULTS

Esophageal cancer cells viability was reduced after metformin treatment. The cell cycle was arrested in the G0/G1 phase, apoptosis was induced, caspase 3 was activated, caspase 9 was downregulated, and the pro-apoptotic protein Bim increased. Further study revealed that metformin could suppress the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and its downstream proteins, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT/PKB), phosphorylation of AKT (pAKT), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), p70S6K, and PKM2. Insulin-like growth factor 1 partly reversed metfromin-induced apoptosis and attenuated the repression effect of metfomin to PI3K, pAKT, and PKM2. Knockout PKM2 resulted in the activation of caspase 3, down-regulation of caspase 9, and increased expression of Bim. In the Eca109 xenograft model, metformin significantly reduced tumor growth. Furthermore, we found that metformin treatment increased the rate of apoptosis, down-regulation of PKM2, and up-regulation of Bim in tumor tissues.

CONCLUSION

Metformin restrained esophageal cancer cell proliferation partly by suppressing the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

Overcoming Linsitinib intrinsic resistance through inhibition of nuclear factor-κB signaling in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor Linsitinib, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), and to characterize special biomarker to screen Linsitinib-sensitive patients as well as explore the molecular-resistant mechanism to Linsitinib in ESCC. Our study evaluated the sensitivity of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) inhibitor, Linsitinib in ESCC cells with MTT assay. After Linsitinib treatment, the expressions of downstream signaling molecules and apoptosis pathways were measured by western blot. And the antitumor effect of Linsitinib and JSH-23, an inhibitor of nuclear factor-κB transcriptional activity, was analyzed both as single agent and in combination in ESCC. Apoptosis, cell viability, and clonogenic survival analysis were also investigated. The sensitivity of Linsitinib was relatively variable in patient-derived primary ESCC cells as well as in human commercial cell lines. And the downstream AKT/mTOR and ERK signaling pathways were inhibited by Linsitinib, while phosphorylation level of NF-κB p65 was obviously activated to reduce apoptosis effect in Linsitinib-resistant cell lines. Most importantly, blockage of NF-κB activity by JSH-23 could sensitize resistant cells to Linsitinib treatment. Results from this study demonstrated that the intrinsic resistance to Linsitinib was predominantly mediated by NF-κB activation in ESCC. Moreover, combination of Linsitinib and JSH-23 as therapy provides a novel strategy to overcome resistance to Linsitinib in ESCC.

Obesity and cancer: the role of adipose tissue and adipo-cytokines-induced chronic inflammation

Adipose tissue in addition to its ability to keep lipids is now recognized as a real organ with both metabolic and endocrine functions. Recent studies demonstrated that in obese animals is established a status of adipocyte hypoxia and in this hypoxic state interaction between adipocytes and stromal vascular cells contribute to tumor development and progression. In several tumors such as breast, colon, liver and prostate, obesity represents a poor predictor of clinical outcomes. Dysfunctional adipose tissue in obesity releases a disturbed profile of adipokines with elevated levels of pro-inflammatory factors and a consequent alteration of key signaling mediators which may be an active local player in establishing the peritumoral environment promoting tumor growth and progression. Therefore, adipose tissue hypoxia might contribute to cancer risk in the obese population. To date the precise mechanisms behind this obesity-cancer link is not yet fully understood. In the light of information provided in this review that aims to identify the key mechanisms underlying the link between obesity and cancer we support that inflammatory state specific of obesity may be important in obesity-cancer link.