FYN promotes breast cancer progression through epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Glucose metabolism-based signature predicts prognosis and immunotherapy strategies for colon adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

The global prevalence and metastasis rates of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) are high, and therapeutic success is limited. Although previous research has primarily explored changes in gene phenotypes, the incidence rate of COAD remains unchanged. Metabolic reprogramming is a crucial aspect of cancer research and therapy. The present study aims to develop cluster and polygenic risk prediction models for COAD based on glucose metabolism pathways to assess the survival status of patients and potentially identify novel immunotherapy strategies and related therapeutic targets.

METHODS

COAD-specific data (including clinicopathological information and gene expression profiles) were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE33113 and GSE39582). Gene sets related to glucose metabolism were obtained from the MSigDB database. The Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) method was utilized to calculate pathway scores for glucose metabolism. The hclust function in R, part of the Pheatmap package, was used to establish a clustering system. The mutation characteristics of identified clusters were assessed via MOVICS software, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were filtered using limma software. Signature analysis was performed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. Survival curves, survival receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and multivariate Cox regression were analyzed to assess the efficacy and accuracy of the signature for prognostic prediction. The pRRophetic program was employed to predict drug sensitivity, with data sourced from the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) database.

RESULTS

Four COAD subgroups (i.e., C1, C2, C3 and C4) were identified based on glucose metabolism, with the C4 group having higher survival rates. These four clusters were bifurcated into a new Clust2 system (C1 + C2 + C3 and C4). In total, 2175 DEGs were obtained (C1 + C2 + C3 vs. C4), from which 139 prognosis-related genes were identified. ROC curves predicting 1-, 3- and 5-year survival based on a signature containing nine genes showed an area under the curve greater than 0.7. Meanwhile, the study also found this feature to be an important predictor of prognosis in COAD and accordingly assessed the risk score, with higher risk scores being associated with a worse prognosis. The high-risk and low-risk groups responded differently to immunotherapy and chemotherapeutic agents, and there were differences in functional enrichment pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

This unique signature based on glucose metabolism may potentially provide a basis for predicting patient prognosis, biological characteristics and more effective immunotherapy strategies for COAD.

Fyn-Mediated Paxillin Tyrosine 31 Phosphorylation Regulates Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in breast cancer patients due to the lack of effective therapies. Elevated levels of paxillin expression have been observed in various cancer types, with tyrosine phosphorylation shown to play a critical role in driving cancer cell migration. However, the specific impact of the distinct tyrosine phosphorylation events of paxillin in the progression of breast cancer remains to be fully elucidated. Here, we found that paxillin overexpression in breast cancer tissue is associated with a patient's poor prognosis. Paxillin knockdown inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of paxillin tyrosine residue 31 (Tyr31) was significantly increased upon the TGF-β1-induced migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Inhibiting Fyn activity or silencing Fyn decreases paxillin Tyr31 phosphorylation. The wild-type and constitutively active Fyn directly phosphorylate paxillin Tyr31 in an in vitro system, indicating that Fyn directly phosphorylates paxillin Tyr31. Additionally, the non-phosphorylatable mutant of paxillin at Tyr31 reduces actin stress fiber formation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. Taken together, our results provide direct evidence that Fyn-mediated paxillin Tyr31 phosphorylation is required for breast cancer migration and invasion, suggesting that targeting paxillin Tyr31 phosphorylation could be a potential therapeutic strategy for mitigating breast cancer metastasis.

Airway epithelium IgE-FcεRI cross-link induces epithelial barrier disruption in severe T2-high asthma

Although high-affinity immunoglobulin (Ig)E receptor (FcεRI) expression is upregulated in type 2 (T2)-high asthmatic airway epithelium, its functional role in airway epithelial dysfunction has not been elucidated. Here we report the upregulated expression of FcεRI and p-EGFR (Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor), associated with decreased expression of E-cadherin and claudin-18 in bronchial biopsies of severe T2-high asthmatics compared to mild allergic asthmatics and non-T2 asthmatics. Monomeric IgE (mIgE) decreased the expression of junction proteins, E-cadherin, claudin-18, and ZO-1, and increased alarmin messenger RNA and protein expression in cultured primary bronchial epithelial cells from T2-high asthmatics. Epithelial FcεRI ligation with mIgE decreased transepithelial electric resistance in air-liquid interface cultured epithelial cells. FcεRI ligation with mIgE or IgE- Dinitrophenyl or serum of high-level allergen-specific IgE activated EGFR and Akt via activation of Src family kinases, mediating alarmin expression, junctional protein loss, and increased epithelial permeability. Furthermore, tracheal instillation of mIgE in house dust mite-sensitized mice induced airway hyper-responsiveness, junction protein loss, epithelial cell shedding, and increased epithelial permeability. Thus, our results suggest that IgE-FcεRI cross-linking in the airway epithelium is a potential and unnoticed mechanism for impaired barrier function, increased mucosal permeability, and EGFR-mediated alarmin production in T2-high asthma.

Transient Receptor Potential Canonical 6 (TRPC6) Channel in the Pathogenesis of Diseases: A Jack of Many Trades

The mammalian Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) subfamily comprises seven transmembrane proteins (TRPC1-7) forming cation channels in the plasma membrane of mammalian cells. TRPC channels mediate Ca²⁺ and Na⁺ influx into the cells. Amongst TRPCs, TRPC6 deficiency or increased activity due to gain-of-function mutations has been associated with a multitude of diseases, such as kidney disease, pulmonary disease, and neurological disease. Indeed, the TRPC6 protein is expressed in various organs and is involved in diverse signalling pathways. The last decade saw a surge in the investigative studies concerning the physiological roles of TRPC6 and describing the development of new pharmacological tools modulating TRPC6 activity. The current review summarizes the progress achieved in those investigations.

FYN: emerging biological roles and potential therapeutic targets in cancer

Src family protein kinases (SFKs) play a key role in cell adhesion, invasion, proliferation, survival, apoptosis, and angiogenesis during tumor development. In humans, SFKs consists of eight family members with similar structure and function. There is a high level of overexpression or hyperactivity of SFKs in tumor, and they play an important role in multiple signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis. FYN is a member of the SFKs that regulate normal cellular processes. Additionally, FYN is highly expressed in many cancers and promotes cancer growth and metastasis through diverse biological functions such as cell growth, apoptosis, and motility migration, as well as the development of drug resistance in many tumors. Moreover, FYN is involved in the regulation of multiple cancer-related signaling pathways, including interactions with ERK, COX-2, STAT5, MET and AKT. FYN is therefore an attractive therapeutic target for various tumor types, and suppressing FYN can improve the prognosis and prolong the life of patients. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of FYN's structure, expression, upstream regulators, downstream substrate molecules, and biological functions in tumors.

Integrative multi-omics networks identify PKCδ and DNA-PK as master kinases of glioblastoma subtypes and guide targeted cancer therapy

Despite producing a panoply of potential cancer-specific targets, the proteogenomic characterization of human tumors has yet to demonstrate value for precision cancer medicine. Integrative multi-omics using a machine-learning network identified master kinases responsible for effecting phenotypic hallmarks of functional glioblastoma subtypes. In subtype-matched patient-derived models, we validated PKCδ and DNA-PK as master kinases of glycolytic/plurimetabolic and proliferative/progenitor subtypes, respectively, and qualified the kinases as potent and actionable glioblastoma subtype-specific therapeutic targets. Glioblastoma subtypes were associated with clinical and radiomics features, orthogonally validated by proteomics, phospho-proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and acetylomics analyses, and recapitulated in pediatric glioma, breast and lung squamous cell carcinoma, including subtype specificity of PKCδ and DNA-PK activity. We developed a probabilistic classification tool that performs optimally with RNA from frozen and paraffin-embedded tissues, which can be used to evaluate the association of therapeutic response with glioblastoma subtypes and to inform patient selection in prospective clinical trials.

Fyn and Lyn gene polymorphisms impact the risk of thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignancy of the endocrine glands, and during last couple of decades, its incidence has risen alarmingly, across the globe. Etiology of thyroid cancer is still debatable. There are a few worth mentioning risk factors which contribute to initiation of abnormalities in thyroid gland leading to cancer. Genetic instability is major risk factors in thyroid carcinogenesis. Among the genetic factors, the Src family of genes (Src, Yes1, Fyn and Lyn) have been implicated in many cancers but there is little data regarding the association of these (Src, Yes1, Fyn and Lyn) genes with thyroid carcinogenesis. Fyn and Lyn genes of Src family found engaged in proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis in different cancers. This study was planned to examine the effect of Fyn and Lyn SNPs on thyroid cancer risk in Pakistani population in 500 patients and 500 controls. Three polymorphisms of Fyn gene (rs6916861, rs2182644 and rs12910) and three polymorphisms of Lyn gene (rs2668011, rs45587541 and rs45489500) were analyzed using Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR followed by DNA sequencing. SNP rs6916861 of Fyn gene mutant genotype (CC) showed statistically significant threefold increased risk of thyroid cancer (P < 0.0001). In case of rs2182644 of Fyn gene, mutant genotype (AA) indicated statistically significant 17-fold increased risk of thyroid cancer (P < 0.0001). Statistically significant threefold increased risk of thyroid cancer was observed in genotype AC (P < 0.0001) of Fyn gene polymorphism rs12910. In SNP rs2668011 of Lyn gene, TT genotype showed statistically significant threefold increased risk of thyroid cancer (P < 0.0001). In case of rs45587541 of Lyn gene, GA genotypes showed statistically significant 11-fold increased risk in thyroid cancer (P < 0.0001). Haplotype analysis revealed that AAATAG*, AGACAG*, AGCCAA*, AGCCAG*, CAATAG*, CGCCAG* and CGCCGA* haplotypes of Fyn and Lyn polymorphisms are associated with increased thyroid cancer risk. These results showed that genotypes and allele distribution of Fyn and Lyn are significantly linked with increased thyroid cancer risk and could be genetic adjuster for said disease.

A new paradigm for regulation of protein phosphatase 2A function via Src and Fyn kinase-mediated tyrosine phosphorylation

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a major phospho-Ser/Thr phosphatase and a key regulator of cellular signal transduction pathways. While PP2A dysfunction has been linked to human cancer and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), PP2A regulation remains relatively poorly understood. It has been reported that the PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) is inactivated by a single phosphorylation at the Tyr307 residue by tyrosine kinases such as v-Src. However, multiple mass spectrometry studies have revealed the existence of other putative PP2Ac phosphorylation sites in response to activation of Src and Fyn, two major Src family kinases (SFKs). Here, using PP2Ac phosphomutants and novel phosphosite-specific PP2Ac antibodies, we show that cellular pools of PP2Ac are instead phosphorylated on both Tyr127 and Tyr284 upon Src activation, and on Tyr284 following Fyn activation. We found these phosphorylation events enhanced the interaction of PP2Ac with SFKs. In addition, we reveal SFK-mediated phosphorylation of PP2Ac at Y284 promotes dissociation of the regulatory Bα subunit, altering PP2A substrate specificity; the phosphodeficient Y127/284F and Y284F PP2Ac mutants prevented SFK-mediated phosphorylation of Tau at the CP13 (pSer202) epitope, a pathological hallmark of AD, and SFK-dependent activation of ERK, a major growth regulatory kinase upregulated in many cancers. Our findings demonstrate a novel PP2A regulatory mechanism that challenges the existing dogma on the inhibition of PP2A catalytic activity by Tyr307 phosphorylation. We propose dysregulation of SFK signaling in cancer and AD can lead to alterations in PP2A phosphorylation and subsequent deregulation of key PP2A substrates, including ERK and Tau.

DPYSL2 interacts with JAK1 to mediate breast cancer cell migration

The intricate neuronal wiring during development requires cytoskeletal reorganization orchestrated by signaling cues. Because cytoskeletal remodeling is a hallmark of cell migration, we investigated whether metastatic cancer cells exploit axon guidance proteins to migrate. Indeed, in breast cancer patients, we found a significant correlation between mesenchymal markers and the expression of dihydropyrimidinase-like 2 (DPYSL2), a regulator of cytoskeletal dynamics in growing axons. Strikingly, DPYSL2 knockout in mesenchymal-like breast cancer cells profoundly inhibited cell migration, invasion, stemness features, tumor growth rate, and metastasis. Next, we decoded the molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon and revealed an interaction between DPYSL2 and Janus kinase 1 (JAK1). This binding is crucial for activating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and the subsequent expression of vimentin, the promigratory intermediate filament. These findings identify DPYSL2 as a molecular link between oncogenic signaling pathways and cytoskeletal reorganization in migrating breast cancer cells.

Identification of Neoantigens and Construction of Immune Subtypes in Prostate Adenocarcinoma

Background: Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine has been considered as a potential therapeutic strategy and the next research hotspot, but their efficacy against prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD) remains undefined. This study aimed to find potential antigens of PRAD for mRNA vaccine development and identify suitable patients for vaccination through immunophenotyping.

Methods: Gene expression profiles and clinical information were obtained from TCGA and ICGC. GEPIA2 was used to calculate the prognostic index of the selected antigens. The genetic alterations were compared on cBioPortal and the correlation between potential antigen and immune infiltrating cells was explored by TIMER. ConsensusClusterPlus was used to construct a consistency matrix, and identify the immune subtypes. Graph learning-based dimensional reduction was performed to depict immune landscape. Boruta algorithm and LASSO logistic analysis were used to screen PRAD patients who may benefit from mRNA vaccine.

Results: Seven potential tumor antigens selected were significantly positively associated with poor prognosis and the antigen-presenting immune cells (APCs) in PRAD, including ADA, FYN, HDC, NFKBIZ, RASSF4, SLC6A3, and UPP1. Five immune subtypes of PRAD were identified by differential molecular, cellular, and clinical characteristics in both cohorts. C3 and C5 had immune “hot” and immunosuppressive phenotype, On the contrary, C1&C2 had immune “cold” phenotype. Finally, the immune landscape characterization showed the immune heterogeneity among patients with PRAD.

Conclusions: ADA, FYN, HDC, NFKBIZ, RASSF4, SLC6A3, and UPP1 are potential antigens for mRNA vaccine development against PRAD, and patients in type C1 and C2 are suitable for vaccination.

Detecting Blood Methylation Signatures in Response to Childhood Cancer Radiotherapy via Machine Learning Methods

Radiotherapy is a helpful treatment for cancer, but it can also potentially cause changes in many molecules, resulting in adverse effects. Among these changes, the occurrence of abnormal DNA methylation patterns has alarmed scientists. To explore the influence of region-specific radiotherapy on blood DNA methylation, we designed a computational workflow by using machine learning methods that can identify crucial methylation alterations related to treatment exposure. Irrelevant methylation features from the DNA methylation profiles of 2052 childhood cancer survivors were excluded via the Boruta method, and the remaining features were ranked using the minimum redundancy maximum relevance method to generate feature lists. These feature lists were then fed into the incremental feature selection method, which uses a combination of deep forest, k-nearest neighbor, random forest, and decision tree to find the most important methylation signatures and build the best classifiers and classification rules. Several methylation signatures and rules have been discovered and confirmed, allowing for a better understanding of methylation patterns in response to different treatment exposures.

Identification of key biomarkers related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune infiltration in ameloblastoma using integrated bioinformatics analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ameloblastoma (AM) through integrated bioinformatics analysis.

METHODS

We downloaded two microarrays of AMs from the GEO database and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by integrated bioinformatics analysis. The enrichment analysis of DEGs was conducted to characterize GO and KEGG pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and hub genes were screened via STRING and Cytoscape. CIBERSORT algorithm was utilized to analyze immune infiltration in AMs. We also verified the diagnostic and therapeutic value of hub genes.

RESULTS

Overall, 776 DEGs were identified in AMs through bioinformatics analysis. The function enrichment analysis shed light on pathways involved in AMs. Subsequently, we screened six hub genes via PPI network. Furthermore, we evaluated immune infiltration in AMs and found that macrophages may be participating in the progression of AMs. The upregulated expression of FN1 was related to the macrophages M2 polarization. Finally, ROC analysis indicated that six hub genes had high diagnostic value for AMs and 11 drugs interacted with upregulated hub genes were identified by screening the DGIdb database.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis and biological behavior of AMs and provided candidate targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AMs.

Role of Fyn Kinase Inhibitors in Switching Neuroinflammatory Pathways

Fyn kinase is a member of the Src non-receptor tyrosine kinase family. Fyn is involved in multiple signaling pathways extending from cell proliferation and differentiation to cell adhesion and cell motility, and it has been found to be overexpressed in various types of cancers. In the central nervous system, Fyn exerts several different functions such as axon-glial signal transduction, oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination, and it is implicated in neuroinflammatory processes. Based on these premises, Fyn emerges as an attractive target in cancer and neurodegenerative disease therapy, particularly Alzheimer disease (AD), based on its activation by Aβ via cellular prion protein and its interaction with tau protein. However, Fyn is also a challenging target since the Fyn inhibitors discovered so far, due to the relevant homology of Fyn with other kinases, suffer from off-target effects. This review covers the efforts performed in the last decade to identify and optimize small molecules that effectively inhibit Fyn, both in enzymatic and in cell assays, including drug repositioning practices, as an opportunity of therapeutic intervention in neurodegeneration.

Novel miR-5088-5p promotes malignancy of breast cancer by inhibiting DBC2

Breast cancer is the most common female cancer in the world. Despite the active research on metastatic breast cancer, the treatment of breast cancer patients is still difficult because the mechanism is not well known. Therefore, research on new targets and mechanisms for diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer patients is required. On the other hand, microRNA (miRNA) has the advantage of simultaneously regulating the expression of many target genes, so it has been proposed as an effective biomarker for the treatment of various diseases including cancer. This study analyzed the role and mechanism of DBC2 (deleted in breast cancer 2), which is known to inhibit its expression in breast cancer, and proposed microRNA (miR)-5088-5p, which regulates its expression. It was revealed that the biogenesis of miR-5088-5p was upregulated by hypomethylation of its promoter, promoted by Fyn, and was involved in malignancy in breast cancer. With the use of the cellular level, clinical samples, and published data, we verified that the expression patterns of DBC2 and miR-5088-5p were negatively related, suggesting the potential as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of breast cancer patients.

Sublethal doxorubicin promotes migration and invasion of breast cancer cells: role of Src Family non-receptor tyrosine kinases

BACKGROUND

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a widely used chemotherapy, but its effectiveness is limited by dose-dependent side effects. Although lower Dox doses reduce this risk, studies have reported higher recurrence of local disease with no improvement in survival rate in patients receiving low doses of Dox. To effectively mitigate this, a better understanding of the adverse effects of suboptimal Dox doses is needed.

METHODS

Effects of sublethal dose of Dox on phenotypic changes were assessed with light and confocal microscopy. Migratory and invasive behavior were assessed by wound healing and transwell migration assays. MTT and LDH release assays were used to analyze cell growth and cytotoxicity. Flow cytometry was employed to detect cell surface markers of cancer stem cell population. Expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases were probed with qRT-PCR and zymogen assay. To identify pathways affected by sublethal dose of Dox, exploratory RNAseq was performed and results were verified by qRT-PCR in multiple cell lines (MCF7, ZR75-1 and U-2OS). Regulation of Src Family kinases (SFK) by key players in DNA damage response was assessed by siRNA knockdown along with western blot and qRT-PCR. Dasatinib and siRNA for Fyn and Yes was employed to inhibit SFKs and verify their role in increased migration and invasion in MCF7 cells treated with sublethal doses of Dox.

RESULTS

The results show that sublethal Dox treatment leads to increased migration and invasion in otherwise non-invasive MCF7 breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, these effects were independent of the epithelial mesenchymal transition, were not due to increased cancer stem cell population, and were not observed with other chemotherapies. Instead, sublethal Dox induces expression of multiple SFK-including Fyn, Yes, and Src-partly in a p53 and ATR-dependent manner. These effects were validated in multiple cell lines. Functionally, inhibiting SFKs with Dasatinib and specific downregulation of Fyn suppressed Dox-induced migration and invasion of MCF7 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study demonstrates that sublethal doses of Dox activate a pro-invasive, pro-migration program in cancer cells. Furthermore, by identifying SFKs as key mediators of these effects, our results define a potential therapeutic strategy to mitigate local invasion through co-treatment with Dasatinib.

TRP Channels Interactome as a Novel Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most frequent cancer types worldwide and the first cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Although significant therapeutic advances have been achieved with drugs such as tamoxifen and trastuzumab, breast cancer still caused 627,000 deaths in 2018. Since cancer is a multifactorial disease, it has become necessary to develop new molecular therapies that can target several relevant cellular processes at once. Ion channels are versatile regulators of several physiological- and pathophysiological-related mechanisms, including cancer-relevant processes such as tumor progression, apoptosis inhibition, proliferation, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance. Ion channels are the main regulators of cellular functions, conducting ions selectively through a pore-forming structure located in the plasma membrane, protein–protein interactions one of their main regulatory mechanisms. Among the different ion channel families, the Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) family stands out in the context of breast cancer since several members have been proposed as prognostic markers in this pathology. However, only a few approaches exist to block their specific activity during tumoral progress. In this article, we describe several TRP channels that have been involved in breast cancer progress with a particular focus on their binding partners that have also been described as drivers of breast cancer progression. Here, we propose disrupting these interactions as attractive and potential new therapeutic targets for treating this neoplastic disease.

Identification of a Prognostic Risk Signature of Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Based on Regulating the Immune Response Pathway Exploration

Purpose

To construct a survival model for predicting the prognosis of patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) based on gene expression related to immune response regulation.

Materials and Methods

KIRC mRNA sequencing data and patient clinical data were downloaded from the TCGA database. The pathways and genes involved in the regulation of the immune response were identified from the GSEA database. A single factor Cox analysis was used to determine the association of mRNA in relation to patient prognosis (P < 0.05). The prognostic risk model was further established using the LASSO regression curve. The survival prognosis model was constructed, and the sensitivity and specificity of the model were evaluated using the ROC curve.

Results

Compared with normal kidney tissues, there were 28 dysregulated mRNA expressions in KIRC tissues (P < 0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that 12 mRNAs were related to the prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma. The LASSO regression curve drew a risk signature consisting of six genes: TRAF6, FYN, IKBKG, LAT2, C2, IL4, EREG, TRAF2, and IL12A. The five-year ROC area analysis (AUC) showed that the model has good sensitivity and specificity (AUC >0.712).

Conclusion

We constructed a risk prediction model based on the regulated immune response-related genes, which can effectively predict the survival of patients with KIRC.

Profibrotic epithelial TGF-β1 signaling involves NOX4-mitochondria cross talk and redox-mediated activation of the tyrosine kinase FYN

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by a disturbed redox balance and increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is believed to contribute to epithelial injury and fibrotic lung scarring. The main pulmonary sources of ROS include mitochondria and NADPH oxidases (NOXs), of which the NOX4 isoform has been implicated in IPF. Non-receptor SRC tyrosine kinases (SFK) are important for cellular homeostasis and are often dysregulated in lung diseases. SFK activation by the profibrotic transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is thought to contribute to pulmonary fibrosis, but the relevant SFK isoform and its relationship to NOX4 and/or mitochondrial ROS in the context of profibrotic TGF-β signaling is not known. Here, we demonstrate that TGF-β1 can rapidly activate the SRC kinase FYN in human bronchial epithelial cells, which subsequently induces mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) production, genetic damage shown by the DNA damage marker γH2AX, and increased expression of profibrotic genes. Moreover, TGF-β1-induced activation of FYN involves initial activation of NOX4 and direct cysteine oxidation of FYN, and both FYN and mtROS contribute to TGF-β-induced induction of NOX4. NOX4 expression in lung tissues of IPF patients is positively correlated with disease severity, although FYN expression is down-regulated in IPF and does not correlate with disease severity. Collectively, our findings highlight a critical role for FYN in TGF-β1-induced mtROS production, DNA damage response, and induction of profibrotic genes in bronchial epithelial cells, and suggest that altered expression and activation of NOX4 and FYN may contribute to the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis.

Status of kinases in Epstein-Barr virus and Helicobacter pylori Coinfection in gastric Cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) plays a significant role in aggressive gastric cancer (GC). The investigation of genes associated with these pathogens and host kinases may be essential to understand the early and dynamic progression of GC.

AIM

The study aimed to demonstrate the coinfection of EBV and H. pylori in the AGS cells through morphological changes, expression of the kinase and the probable apoptotic pathways.

METHODS

Genomic DNA isolation of H. pylori and its characterization from clinical samples were performed. RT-qPCR of kinases was applied to scrutinize the gene expression of kinases in co-infected GC in a direct and indirect (separated through insert size 0.45 μm) H. pylori infection set up. Morphological changes in co-infected GC were quantified by measuring the tapering ends of gastric epithelial cells. Gene expression profiling of apoptotic genes was assessed through RT-qPCR.

RESULTS

An interleukin-2-inducible T-cell kinase (ITK) showed significant upregulation with indirect H. pylori infection. Moreover, Ephrin type-B receptor six precursors (EPHB6) and Tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn (FYN) showed significant upregulation with direct coinfection. The tapering ends in AGS cells were found to be extended after 12 h. A total of 24 kinase genes were selected, out of which EPHB6, ITK, FYN, and TYK2 showed high expression as early as 12 h. These kinases may lead to rapid morphological changes in co-infected gastric cells. Likewise, apoptotic gene expression such as APAF-1 and Bcl2 family genes such as BAD, BID, BIK, BIM, BAX, AND BAK were significantly down-regulated in co-infected AGS cells.

CONCLUSION

All the experiments were performed with novel isolates of H. pylori isolated from central India, for the functional assessment of GC. The effect of coinfection with EBV was more profoundly observed on morphological changes in AGS cells at 12 h as quantified by measuring the tapering of ends. This study also identifies the kinase and apoptotic genes modulated in co-infected cells, through direct and indirect approaches. We report that ITK, EPHB6, TYK2, FYN kinase are enhanced, whereas apoptotic genes such as APAF-1, BIK, FASL, BAX are significantly down-regulated in AGS cells coinfected with EBV and H. pylori.

Integrated Analysis to Study the Relationship between Tumor-Associated Selenoproteins: Focus on Prostate Cancer

Selenoproteins are proteins that contain selenium within selenocysteine residues. To date, twenty-five mammalian selenoproteins have been identified; however, the functions of nearly half of these selenoproteins are unknown. Although alterations in selenoprotein expression and function have been suggested to play a role in cancer development and progression, few detailed studies have been carried out in this field. Network analyses and data mining of publicly available datasets on gene expression levels in different cancers, and the correlations with patient outcome, represent important tools to study the correlation between selenoproteins and other proteins present in the human interactome, and to determine whether altered selenoprotein expression is cancer type-specific, and/or correlated with cancer patient prognosis. Therefore, in the present study, we used bioinformatics approaches to (i) build up the network of interactions between twenty-five selenoproteins and identify the most inter-correlated proteins/genes, which are named HUB nodes; and (ii) analyze the correlation between selenoprotein gene expression and patient outcome in ten solid tumors. Then, considering the need to confirm by experimental approaches the correlations suggested by the bioinformatics analyses, we decided to evaluate the gene expression levels of the twenty-five selenoproteins and six HUB nodes in androgen receptor-positive (22RV1 and LNCaP) and androgen receptor-negative (DU145 and PC3) cell lines, compared to human nontransformed, and differentiated, prostate epithelial cells (EPN) by RT-qPCR analysis. This analysis confirmed that the combined evaluation of some selenoproteins and HUB nodes could have prognostic value and may improve patient outcome predictions.

Shikonin blocks human lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion in the inflammatory microenvironment via the IL‑6/STAT3 signaling pathway

Increasing evidence indicates that the inflammatory tumor microenvironment can lead to cancer cell metastasis. Shikonin, which is extracted from the Chinese herb Zicao (the dried root of Lithospermum erythrorhizon), possesses various pharmacological effects, but its effect on tumor metastasis in the inflammatory microenvironment remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential effect of shikonin on tumor metastasis in an inflammatory microenvironment as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. It was found that, in the inflammatory microenvironment simulated by THP-1 cell conditioned medium (THP-1-CM) in vitro, shikonin significantly inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma cell lines A549 and H1299. In addition, we found that interleukin-6 (IL-6), which is expressed in THP-1-CM, promoted the EMT of lung adenocarcinoma cells, and shikonin markedly inhibited IL-6-induced EMT and cell motility. Moreover, shikonin inhibited IL-6-induced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), prevented phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) translocation into the nucleus, and suppressed p-STAT3 transactivation activity. Additionally, it was found that shikonin inhibited lung metastasis, EMT and expression of p-STAT3 of A549 cells in vivo. Furthermore, IL-6 levels in human lung adenocarcinoma tissues were significantly associated with tumor-node-metastasis stage and lymph node metastasis, and its expression was correlated with tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) infiltration. Together, these results suggest that shikonin suppresses the migration and invasion of human lung adenocarcinoma cells in an inflammatory microenvironment involving the IL-6/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Src Family Kinases as Therapeutic Targets in Advanced Solid Tumors: What We Have Learned so Far

Src is the prototypal member of Src Family tyrosine Kinases (SFKs), a large non-receptor kinase class that controls multiple signaling pathways in animal cells. SFKs activation is necessary for the mitogenic signal from many growth factors, but also for the acquisition of migratory and invasive phenotype. Indeed, oncogenic activation of SFKs has been demonstrated to play an important role in solid cancers; promoting tumor growth and formation of distant metastases. Several drugs targeting SFKs have been developed and tested in preclinical models and many of them have successfully reached clinical use in hematologic cancers. Although in solid tumors SFKs inhibitors have consistently confirmed their ability in blocking cancer cell progression in several experimental models; their utilization in clinical trials has unveiled unexpected complications against an effective utilization in patients. In this review, we summarize basic molecular mechanisms involving SFKs in cancer spreading and metastasization; and discuss preclinical and clinical data highlighting the main challenges for their future application as therapeutic targets in solid cancer progression

Overexpression of FYN suppresses the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through down-regulating PI3K/AKT pathway in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Tyrosine-protein kinase Fyn (FYN) plays a crucial role in Src family, which participates in the signal transduction of brain nerves and the development and activation of T lymphocytes in physiological conditions. We probed into the roles and mechanisms of FYN in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD).

METHODS

Cell activity, apoptosis, invasion, and migration were detected by CCK-8, FCM, transwell, and wound-healing assays, respectively. The angiogenesis capacity was evaluated by in vitro angiogenesis test. Relative mRNA and protein expressions were determined by qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry assays, respectively. Insulin-like growth factors-I (IGF-I) was used as an agonist of PI3K/AKT pathway.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that FYN expression correlated with LUAD prognosis and was down-regulated in LUAD tissues and LUAD cells. Overexpression of FYN suppressed the cell viability, together with invasion and migration abilities of A549 cells. FYN overexpression accelerated the cell apoptosis and reduced the angiogenesis capacity of A549 cells. Overexpression of FYN suppressed E-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and PI3K/AKT expressions in A549 cells. High expression level of FYN reduced the migration and invasion capacities of A549 cells via down-regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, our findings reveal that overexpression of FYN inhibits the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through down-regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway in A549 cells.

Comprehensive Proteomic Characterization Reveals Subclass-Specific Molecular Aberrations within Triple-negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer lacking targeted therapies. This is attributed to its high heterogeneity that complicates elucidation of its molecular aberrations. Here, we report identification of specific proteome expression profiles pertaining to two TNBC subclasses, basal A and basal B, through in-depth proteomics analysis of breast cancer cells. We observed that kinases and proteases displayed unique expression patterns within the subclasses. Systematic analyses of protein-protein interaction and co-regulation networks of these kinases and proteases unraveled dysregulated pathways and plausible targets for each TNBC subclass. Among these, we identified kinases AXL, PEAK1, and TGFBR2 and proteases FAP, UCHL1, and MMP2/14 as specific targets for basal B subclass, which represents the more aggressive TNBC cell lines. Our study highlights intricate mechanisms and distinct targets within TNBC and emphasizes that these have to be exploited in a subclass-specific manner rather than a one-for-all TNBC therapy.

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Proteome profiling reveals functionally distinct subclasses within TNBC

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Kinases and proteases underlie unique functional signatures among the subclasses

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Kinase-protease-centric networks highlight subclass-specific molecular rewiring

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Protein association dysregulations reveal TNBC subclass-specific protein targets

Fusion of the COL1A1 and FYN Genes in Epithelioid Osteoblastoma

BACKGROUND/AIM

Epithelioid osteoblastoma is a rare benign tumor of the bone. Its pathogenesis is unknown and little is known regarding its genetic features.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Cytogenetic, RNA sequencing, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), genomic PCR, and Sanger sequencing analyses were performed on an epithelioid osteoblastoma.

RESULTS

G-banding analysis of short-term cultured tumor cells yielded a normal male karyotype in all examined metaphases. RNA sequencing detected a fusion of COL1A1 from 17q21 with FYN from 6q21. Both RT-PCR and genomic PCR together with Sanger sequencing verified the presence of a COL1A1-FYN fusion gene. In the COL1A1-FYN chimeric transcript, exon 43 of COL1A1 was fused to exon 2 of FYN. The genomic junction occurred in introns 43 and 1 of COL1A1 and FYN, respectively.

CONCLUSION

A COL1A1-FYN fusion gene was found in an epithelioid osteoblastoma resulting in deregulation of FYN. Whether COL1A1-FYN represents a consistent genetic feature of epithelioid osteoblastomas, remains to be seen.

ZBTB7A promotes migration, invasion and metastasis of human breast cancer cells through NF-κB-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and in vivo

It has been generally confirmed that zinc finger and BTB domain containing 7A (ZBTB7A) plays an important role in the occurrence and progression of malignant tumours, but the promotion or inhibition effect is related to tumour type. The mechanism between ZBTB7A and breast cancer is not well understood, so further research is needed. In this study, we first investigated the expression of ZBTB7A in tissue samples of clinical breast cancer patients, MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells. Second, we overexpressed the ZBTB7A in MCF-7 cells and silenced the ZBTB7A in MDA-MB-231 cells using lentivirus transfection technology, respectively, and verified the effect of ZBTB7A on migration and invasion of breast cancer cell lines through in vitro cell function experiments, such as wound-healing assay, migration and invasion assay, quantitative real time reverse transcriptase (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Then, the correlation between the above influences, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and NF-κB was analysed. Finally, in vivo tumour transplantation model in nude mice was established to verified the effect of ZBTB7A on metastasis of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. In conclusion, ZBTB7A is highly expressed in cancer tissue, breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7. Meanwhile, the high expression of ZBTB7A may promote cell migration, invasion and tumour metastasis, which may be related to EMT events by regulating NF-κB.

Genetic interactions between ANLN and KDR are prognostic for breast cancer survival

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common genetic variation in mammalian cells with prognostic potential. Anillin-actin binding protein (ANLN) has been identified as being involved in PI3K/PTEN signaling, which is critical in cell life/death control, and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) encodes a key receptor mediating the cancer angiogenesis/metastasis switch. Knowledge of the intrinsic connections between PI3K/PTEN and KDR signaling, which represent two critical transitions in carcinogenesis, led the present study to investigate the effects of the potential synergy between ANLN and KDR on breast cancer outcome and identify relevant SNPs driving such a synergy at the genetic level. The survival associations of SNPs from KDR and ANLN were assessed through pairwise interaction survival analysis, quantitative trait loci analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and network construction, and the interactions between ANLN and KDR were validated in vitro. It was found that both rare homozygotes in the ANLN:rs12535394 and KDR:rs11133360 SNP pair are prognostic of favorable breast cancer survival and underpin the prominent roles of the immune response in cancer state control. This study contributes to breast cancer prognosis and therapeutic design by providing genetic evidence of interactions between ANLN and KDR, and suggesting the prominent role of the immune response in driving the synergies between the cancer cell life/death and angiogenesis/metastasis transitions during carcinogenesis.

Role of Dusp6 Phosphatase as a Tumor Suppressor in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

DUSP6/MKP3 is a dual-specific phosphatase that regulates extracellular regulated kinase ERK1/2 and ERK5 activity, with an increasingly recognized role as tumor suppressor. In silico studies from Gene expression Omnibus (GEO) and Cancer Genome atlas (TCGA) databases reveal poor prognosis in those Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with low expression levels of DUSP6. In agreement with these data, here we show that DUSP6 plays a major role in the regulation of cell migration, motility and tumor growth. We have found upregulation in the expression of several genes involved in epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in NSCLC-DUSP6 depleted cells. Data obtained in RNA-seq studies carried out in DUSP6 depleted cells identified EGFR, TGF-β and WNT signaling pathways and several genes such as VAV3, RUNXR2, LEF1, FGFR2 whose expression is upregulated in these cells and therefore affecting cellular functions such as integrin mediated cell adhesion, focal adhesion and motility. Furthermore, EGF signaling pathway is activated via ERK5 and not ERK1/2 and TGF-β via SMAD2/3 in DUSP6 depleted cells. In summary DUSP6 is a tumor suppressor in NSCLC and re-establishment of its expression may be a potential strategy to revert poor outcome in NSCLC patients.

The identification of key genes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput data

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common pattern of regional malignancy in the south of China, especially in Guangdong province. The development of computerized tomography (CT) technology and the improvement of radiotherapy scheme can improve the survival rate of NPC patients. However, the prevalence and recurrence rate of NPC are increasing every year. It is urgent for us to uncover the molecular mechanism of NPC. In this study, we used scientific information retrieval from the GEO (gene expression omnibus) database to download the GSE12452, which contained 41 samples, including 31 nasopharyngeal carcinoma samples and 10 control samples. With the help of GO (gene ontology) analysis, KEGG (kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) analysis, PPI (protein-protein interaction) network model construction, and WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis), we found 6896 differentially expressed genes, which affected the biological processes included cell cycle process, DNA metabolic process, DNA repairing, immune response, cell activation, regulation of immune system process, inflammatory response. The 20 hub genes present in front of us are SYK, PIK3CG, FYN, ACACB, LRRK2, RIPK4, RAC2, PIK3CD, PTPRC, LCR, RAD51, MAD2L1, CDK1, PCNA, GMPS, CCNB1, GAPDH, CCNA2, RFC4, TOP2A. In the future, these are the areas where we need to focus on the molecular mechanism of NPC.

Microarray gene expression profiling and bioinformatics analysis reveal key differentially expressed genes in clival and sacral chordoma cell lines

OBJECTIVE

Chordoma is a rare tumor with a certain rate of distant metastasis. Skull base and sacrum are the two most common origin sites. This study tends to identify key differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between classical clival and sacral chordomas, provide new targets for future treatment options of chordomas.

METHODS

The gene expression profiles of GSE95084 and GSE68497 were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database and were analyzed using the limma R package. Function and enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed based on DAVID Database. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the Cytoscape based on the data collected from STRING online datasets. Hub genes selection and modules analyses of the PPI network were conducted by plugin cytoHubba and MCODE of Cytoscape software, respectively.

RESULT

In total, 728 genes, including 363 up-regulated genes and 365 down-regulated genes were selected as DEGs. Notably, GO analysis showed that both up-regulated and down-regulated DEGs were mainly involved in cell component such as an integral component of the membrane, plasma membrane and extracellular exosome. DEGs were mainly enriched in pathways like Pathways in cancer, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. FYN, ITGB3, ACTN2 and IGF1 were identified as hub genes and they were all involved in focal adhesion signaling pathway. Furthermore, five significant network modules were obtained from the PPI network.

CONCLUSION

This study helps to further understand the molecular characteristics of classic chordomas of two distinct sites. Hub genes FYN, ITGB3, ACTN2, and IGF1, as well as focal adhesion signaling pathway, would be new targets for future treatment options of chordomas.

miR-125a-3p is responsible for chemosensitivity in PDAC by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition via Fyn

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers and resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapy is the major cause of mortality in PDAC patients. miR-125a-3p was found to be down-regulated in PDAC cells; however, the function of miR-125a-3p in PDAC has been elusive. Here, we explored the role of miR-125a-3p in chemosensitivity in PDAC cells.

METHODS

We used qRT-PCR to detect miR-125a-3p expression in two PDAC cell lines. And we measured cell viability and apoptosis by MTT assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Scratch wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were used to test the effects of miR-125a-3p and Fyn on cell EMT process. In addition, we validated the interaction of miR-125a-3p and Fyn by dual luciferase reporter assay. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cadhrein, N-cadhrein, Snail and Fyn.

RESULTS

We found that miR-125a-3p was down-regulated in a time-dependent manner following treatment with gemcitabine in PDAC cells. Meanwhile, we found that overexpression of miR-125a-3p significantly increased chemosensitivity to gemcitabine and suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of PDAC cells. Mechanistically, miR-125a-3p directly targeted Fyn and decreased the expression of Fyn that functions to promote EMT process in PDAC. Furthermore, overexpression of Fyn could partially reverse the effects of miR-125a-3p on chemosensitivity to gemcitabine.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first to show that miR-125a-3p is responsible for chemosensitivity in PDAC and could inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition by directly targeting Fyn. This provides a novel potential therapeutic strategy to overcome chemoresistance in PDAC.

Manganese-12 acetate suppresses the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in breast cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the world, and it is of great value to reveal the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer progression and develop new therapeutic targets.

METHODS

Transwell assay is used to analyze the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Real-time PCR and western blotting assay are applied to detect the expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers and the key members of Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.

RESULTS

Manganese-12 acetate (Mn12Ac) significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Western blotting assay further showed that Mn12Ac significantly upregulated E-cadherin, and downregulated N-cadherin and vimentin. We further found that Mn12Ac reduced the mRNA expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated transcription factors snail, slug, twist1, and ZEB1 using real-time PCR assay. Importantly, we further found that Mn12Ac significantly reduced the Wnt1 and β-catenin protein expressions, and suppressed the phosphorylation of PI3K and AKT in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Very interestingly, we also showed that Mn12Ac decreased the mRNA and protein expressions of programmed cell death ligand 1.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results suggested that Mn12Ac inhibited the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by regulating Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways in breast cancer.

Forkhead box O proteins: Crucial regulators of cancer EMT

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an acknowledged cellular transition process in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal-like properties that endow cancer cells with increased migratory and invasive behavior. Forkhead box O (FOXO) proteins have been shown to orchestrate multiple EMT-associated pathways and EMT-related transcription factors (EMT-TFs), thereby modulating the EMT process. The focus of the current review is to evaluate the latest research progress regarding the roles of FOXO proteins in cancer EMT. First, a brief overview of the EMT process in cancer and a general background on the FOXO family are provided. Next, we present the interactions between FOXO proteins and multiple EMT-associated pathways during malignancy development. Finally, we propose several novel potential directions for future research. Collectively, the information compiled herein should serve as a comprehensive repository of information on this topic and should aid in the design of additional studies and the future development of FOXO proteins as therapeutic targets.

Upregulation of PAG1/Cbp contributes to adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells promoted tumor progression and chemoresistance in breast cancer

C-terminal Src kinase (Csk)-binding protein (Cbp) is a ubiquitously expressed transmembrane adaptor protein which regulating Src family kinase (SFK) activities. Although SFKs are well known for their involvement in breast cancer, the function of Cbp in breast carcinogenesis upon the adipose-tumor microenvironment has not been investigated. Here, we reported that adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) induced increased expression of Cbp accompanied by enhanced cell proliferation and chemotherapy resistance in breast cancer cell MCF-7/ADR. Depletion of Cbp in breast cancer cell by RNA interference led to remarkable inhibition of cell proliferation, invasion as well as synergy with adriamycin hydrochloride to suppress the tumor growth. Furthermore, silencing of Cbp concomitantly inhibited the expression of phosphoryl of Src, AKT and mTOR signals. Our study highlights the underlying mechanism of cross interaction between ASCs and breast cancer cells, and indicates that PAG1/Cbp in breast cancer cell may modulate tumor progression and acquired chemoresistance in the ASCs-associated breast cancer microenvironment through Src and AKT/mTOR pathways.

Circular RNAs play an important role in late-stage gastric cancer: Circular RNA expression profiles and bioinformatics analyses

Gastric cancer is one of the most common tumors of the digestive system. Here, analysis of the expression profiles of circular RNAs in advanced gastric adenocarcinoma and adjacent normal mucosa tissues revealed differential expression of 306 circular RNAs, among which 273 were predicted to exert regulatory effects on target microRNAs. The downstream pathway networks of circular RNA-microRNA were mapped and the node genes were identified. In particular, we found that the expression of hsa_circ_0058246 was elevated in tumor specimens of patients with poor clinical outcomes. Our collective findings indicate that circular RNAs play a critical role in gastric cancer tumorigenesis. Data from this study provide a new perspective on the molecular pathways underlying metastasis and recurrence of gastric cancer and highlight potential therapeutic targets that may contribute to more effective diagnosis and treatment of the disease.