Rac3 Regulates Cell Invasion, Migration and EMT in Lung Adenocarcinoma through p38 MAPK Pathway

Unveiling the role of RAC3 in the growth and invasion of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells

Bladder cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide, and its morbidity and mortality rates have been increasing over the years. However, how RAC family small GTPase 3 (RAC3) affects the proliferation, migration and invasion of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells remains unclear. Bioinformatics techniques were used to investigate the expression of RAC3 in bladder cancer tissues. Influences of RAC3 in the grade, stage, distant metastasis, and survival rate of bladder cancer were also examined. Analysis of the relationship between RAC3 expression and the immune microenvironment (TIME), genomic mutations, and stemness index. In normal bladder cancer cells (T24, 5637, and BIU-87) and cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells (BIU-87-DDP), the expression of RAC3 was detected separately with Western blotting. Plasmid transfection was used to overexpress or silence the expression of RAC3 in bladder cancer cells resistant to cisplatin (BIU-87-DDP). By adding activators and inhibitors, the activities of the JNK/MAPK signalling pathway were altered. Cell viability, invasion, and its level of apoptosis were measured in vitro using CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry. The bioinformatics analyses found RAC3 levels were elevated in bladder cancer tissues and were associated with a poor prognosis in bladder cancer. RAC3 in BIU-87-DDP cells expressed a higher level than normal bladder cancer cells. RAC3 overexpression promoted BIU-87-DDP proliferation. The growth of BIU-87-DDP cells slowed after the knockdown of RAC3, and RAC3 may have had an impact on the activation of the JNK/MAPK pathway.

The p38 MAPK/snail signaling axis participates in cadmium-induced lung cancer cell migration and invasiveness

To determine that p38 MAPK activation contributes to the migration and invasion of lung cancer cells caused by cadmium (Cd). A549 lung cancer cell migration and invasion were assessed using a transwell plate system, and the role of p38 was determined by knocking down p38 activity with two different inhibitors of p38. The activity of p38 was measured by western blot analysis using phospho-specific p38 antibodies and normalized to blots using antibodies directed to total p38 proteins. Snail transcripts were measured using qRT-PCR. The inhibition of p38 blocked Cd-induced migration and invasion, which correlated with an increased activation of p38 as a function of dose and time. Furthermore, Cd-induced activation of p38 MAPK controlled the increase of snail mRNA expression. The p38 MAPK/snail signaling axis was involved in Cd-induced lung cancer cell migration and invasion.

Establishment of a prognostic model to predict chemotherapy response and identification of RAC3 as a chemotherapeutic target in bladder cancer

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is considered the primary treatment option for patients with advanced bladder cancer (BCa). However, the objective response rate to chemotherapy is often unsatisfactory, leading to a poor 5-year survival rate. Furthermore, current strategies for evaluating chemotherapy response and prognosis are limited and inefficient. In this study, we aimed to address these challenges by establishing a chemotherapy response type gene (CRTG) signature consisting of 9 genes and verified the prognostic value of this signature using TCGA and GEO BCa cohorts. The risk scores based on the CRTG signature were found to be associated with advanced clinicopathological status and demonstrated favorable predictive power for chemotherapy response in the TCGA cohort. Meanwhile, tumors with high risk scores exhibited a tendency toward a "cold tumor" phenotype. These tumors showed a low abundance of T cells, CD8+ T cells and cytotoxic lymphocytes, along with a high abundance of cancer-associated fibroblasts. Moreover, they displayed higher mRNA levels of these immune checkpoints: CD200, CD276, CD44, NRP1, PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2), and TNFSF9. Furthermore, we developed a nomogram that integrated the CRTG signature with clinicopathologic risk factors. This nomogram proved to be a more effective tool for predicting the prognosis of BCa patients. Additionally, we identified Rac family small GTPase 3 (RAC3) as a biomarker in our model. RAC3 was found to be overexpressed in chemoresistant BCa tissues and enhance the chemotherapeutic resistance of BCa cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating the PAK1-ERK1/2 pathway. In conclusion, our study presents a novel CRTG model for predicting chemotherapy response and prognosis in BCa. We also highlight the potential of combining chemotherapy with immunotherapy as a promising strategy for chemoresistant BCa and that RAC3 might be a latent target for therapeutic intervention.

Integrated analysis identifies RAC3 as an immune-related prognostic biomarker associated with chemotherapy sensitivity in endometrial cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common gynaecological malignant tumours with a high incidence, leading to urgent demands for exploring novel carcinogenic mechanisms and developing rational therapeutic strategies. The rac family of small GTPase 3 (RAC3) functions as an oncogene in various human malignant tumours and plays an important role in tumour development. However, the critical roles of RAC3 in the progression of EC need further investigation. Based on TCGA, single-cell RNA-Seq, CCLE and clinical specimens, we revealed that the RAC3 was specifically distributed in EC tumour cells compared to normal tissues and functioned as an independent diagnostic marker with a high area under curve (AUC) score. Meanwhile, the RAC3 expression in EC tissues was also correlated with a poor prognosis. In detail, the high levels of RAC3 in EC tissues were reversely associated with CD8+ T cell infiltration and orchestrated an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Furthermore, RAC3 accelerated tumour cell proliferation and inhibited its apoptosis, without impacting cell cycle stages. Importantly, silencing RAC3 improved the sensitivity of EC cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. In this paper, we revealed that RAC3 was predominantly expressed in EC and significantly correlated with the progression of EC via inducing immunosuppression and regulating tumour cell viability, providing a novel diagnostic biomarker and a promising strategy for sensitizing chemotherapy to EC.

Depleting DDX1 sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer cells to chemotherapy by attenuating cancer stem cell traits

AIMS

DEAD-box helicase 1 (DDX1) has oncogenic properties in several human cancers. However, the clinical significance and biological role of DDX1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain elusive. Here, we examined the chemotherapeutic relevance of DDX1 in NSCLC.

MAIN METHODS

We used the UALCAN database, Western blot analysis, and immunohistochemical and RT-qPCR assays to assess DDX1 expression in NSCLC cell lines (H1650 and A549) and patient tissues. The role of DDX1 in the chemosensitivity of NSCLC cells and the underlying mechanisms were determined using colony formation, CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, Transwell, tumor sphere formation, and immunostaining assays, together with a xenograft tumor model in nude mice.

KEY FINDINGS

Our study revealed that DDX1 was overexpressed in NSCLC cell lines and tissues. We further found that depleting DDX1 increased the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, increased cell apoptosis, and inhibited cell migration and invasion. Co-immunoprecipitation assays revealed that DDX1 bound to ADAR1, and increased ADAR1 protein expression. Furthermore, we found that ADAR1 mediated cancer-promoting effects, independent of deaminase activity, by binding to RAC3 mRNA. Our findings not only show that DDX1 mediates chemosensitivity to cisplatin via the ADAR1/RAC3 axis but also highlight the importance of ADARs as essential RNA-binding proteins for cell homeostasis, as well as cancer progression.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results suggest that DDX1 plays an important role in the development and progression of human NSCLC and that DDX1 may serve as a therapeutic target in NSCLC patients.

Hypomethylated gene RAC3 induces cell proliferation and invasion by increasing FASN expression in endometrial cancer

BACKGROUND

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most prevalent gynecological cancers with a 5-year survival rate of 20-60%. Feasible prognostic molecular biomarkers of EC are necessary for accurate prediction of EC prognosis.

METHODS

RAC3 is a member of the Rho GTPases. Public databases including Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA2), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), LinkedOmics, Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), TISIDB and cBioPortal were employed to analyze the differential expression, clinicopathologic characteristics, functional networks, immune cell infiltrates and genetic alteration of RAC3 in EC patients.

RESULTS

RAC3 expression was elevated in EC patients analyzed by TIMER and GEPIA. Overexpression of RAC3 was obviously correlated with clinical stage, histological type, histological grade and DNA hypomethylation. Patients with high RAC3 expression displayed poor overall survival. Functional enrichment analysis showed that RAC3 was involved in translational initiation, DNA replication and mRNA processing. RAC3 expression was negatively associated with infiltrating levels of B cells, CD8+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells in EC. Experiments in vitro showed that RAC3 was upregulated in EC tissues and cell lines, and RAC3 induced cell proliferation and invasion by increasing fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression.

CONCLUSION

High expression of RAC3iscorrelated with poor prognosis and low infiltration of immune cells in EC. RAC3 promotes cell proliferation and invasion via FASN. These results demonstrate thatRAC3 functions as an EC oncogene and reveal its underlying mechanism in EC progression, suggesting that RAC3 may serve as a potential therapeutic target in EC.

RAC3 Inhibition Induces Autophagy to Impair Metastasis in Bladder Cancer Cells via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway

Background

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most frequent malignant tumors globally, with a significant morbidity and mortality rate. Gene expression dysregulation has been proven to play a critical role in tumorigenesis. Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate3 (RAC3), which is overexpressed in several malignancies and promotes tumor progression, has been identified as an oncogene. However, RAC3 has important but not fully understood biological functions in cancer. Our research aims to reveal the new functions and potential mechanisms of RAC3 involved in BCa progression.

Methods

We explored the expression level of RAC3 and its relationship with prognosis by publicly accessible BCa datasets, while the correlation of RAC3 expression with clinicopathological variables of patients was analyzed. In vitro and in vivo proliferation, migration, autophagy, and other phenotypic changes were examined by constructing knockdown(KD)/overexpression(OE) RAC3 cells and their association with PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway was explored by adding autophagy-related compounds.

Results

Compared with non-tumor samples, RAC3 was highly expressed in BCa and negatively correlated with prognosis. KD/OE RAC3 inhibited/promoted the proliferation and migration of BCa cells. Knockdown RAC3 caused cell cycle arrest and decreased adhesion without affecting apoptosis. Inhibition of RAC3 activates PI3K/AKT/mTOR mediated autophagy and inhibits proliferation and migration of BCa cells in vivo and in vitro. Autophagy inhibitor 3MA can partially rescue the metastasis and proliferation inhibition effect caused by RAC3 inhibition. Inhibit/activate mTOR enhanced/impaired autophagy, resulting in shRAC3-mediated migration defect exacerbated/rescued.

Conclusion

RAC3 is highly expressed in BCa. It is associated with advanced clinicopathological variables and poor prognosis. Knockdown RAC3 exerts an antitumor effect by enhancing PI3K/AKT/mTOR mediated autophagy. Targeting RAC3 and autophagy simultaneously is a potential therapeutic strategy for inhibiting BCa progression and prolonging survival.

Signaling Pathways and Protein-Protein Interaction of Vimentin in Invasive and Migration Cells: A Review

The vimentin (encoded by VIM) is one of the 70 human intermediate filaments (IFs), building highly dynamic and cell-type-specific web networks in the cytoplasm. Vim^-/- mice exhibit process defects associated with cell differentiation, which can have implications for understanding cancer and disease. This review showed recent reports from studies that unveiled vimentin intermediate filaments (VIFs) as an essential component of the cytoskeleton, followed by a description of vimentin's physiological functions and process reports in VIF signaling pathway and gene network studies. The main focus of the discussion is on vital signaling pathways associated with how VIF coordinates invasion cells and migration. The current research will open up multiple processes to research the function of VIF and other IF proteins in cellular and molecular biology, and they will lead to essential insights into different VIF levels for the invasive metastatic cancer cells. Enrich GO databases used Gene Ontology and Pathway Enrichment Analysis. Estimation with STRING online was to predict the functional and molecular interactions of proteins-protein with Cytoscape analysis to search and select the master genes. Using Cytoscape and STRING analysis, we presented eight genes, RhoA, Smad3, Akt1, Cdk2, Rock1, Rock2, Mapk1, and Mapk8, as the essential protein-protein interaction with vimentin involved in the invasion.

Strategies for Improving Photodynamic Therapy Through Pharmacological Modulation of the Immediate Early Stress Response

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally to noninvasive treatment modality that has emerged as a promising alternative to conventional cancer treatments. PDT induces hyperoxidative stress and disrupts cellular homeostasis in photosensitized cancer cells, resulting in cell death and ultimately removal of the tumor. However, various survival pathways can be activated in sublethally afflicted cancer cells following PDT. The acute stress response is one of the known survival pathways in PDT, which is activated by reactive oxygen species and signals via ASK-1 (directly) or via TNFR (indirectly). The acute stress response can activate various other survival pathways that may entail antioxidant, pro-inflammatory, angiogenic, and proteotoxic stress responses that culminate in the cancer cell's ability to cope with redox stress and oxidative damage. This review provides an overview of the immediate early stress response in the context of PDT, mechanisms of activation by PDT, and molecular intervention strategies aimed at inhibiting survival signaling and improving PDT outcome.

RhoGTPase Signalling in Cancer Progression and Dissemination

Rho GTPases are a family of small G proteins that regulate a wide array of cellular processes related to their key roles controlling the cytoskeleton. On the other hand, cancer is a multi-step disease caused by the accumulation of genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations, from the initial stages of cancer development when cells in normal tissues undergo transformation, to the acquisition of invasive and metastatic traits, responsible for a large number of cancer related deaths. In this review, we discuss the role of Rho GTPase signalling in cancer in every step of disease progression. Rho GTPases contribute to tumour initiation and progression, by regulating proliferation and apoptosis, but also metabolism, senescence and cell stemness. Rho GTPases play a major role in cell migration, and in the metastatic process. They are also involved in interactions with the tumour microenvironment and regulate inflammation, contributing to cancer progression. After years of intensive research, we highlight the importance of relevant models in the Rho GTPase field, and we reflect on the therapeutic opportunities arising for cancer patients.

Limb-bud and heart (LBH) inhibits cellular migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma via downregulating αB-crystallin expression

Limb-bud and heart (LBH) gene has received increasing attention in recent cancer studies. Here we investigated the role of the LBH gene in regulating the metastasis capacity and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, and its potential mechanism. The expressions of LBH and αB-crystallin (CRYAB) were modulated by lentiviral infection, or plasmid/siRNA transfection, and the phosphorylation of p38 was suppressed by an inhibitor, to explore their functions in modulating NPC cell phenotypes, as well as the relationships of these factors with each other. Cellular proliferation, migration and invasion were examined by RTCA system, Transwell assays and Matrigel Transwell assays respectively. The EMT progression was indicated by RT-qPCR and Western blotting measuring the expressions of EMT biomarkers. NPC xenografts were constrcucted, and formed tumors were sectioned for morphology and immunohistofluorescence. The interaction between LBH and CRYAB was examined by colocalization and Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) analysis. We reached the conclusion that LBH inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT of NPC cells, and its effects were partially achieved by suppressing p38 phosphorylation, which subsequently downregulates the mRNA expression and phosphorylation of CRYAB, while CRYAB directly interacts with LBH in NPC cells. This LBH-related pathway we revealed provides a novel therapeutic target for nasopharyngeal carcinoma research.

Rac3 Expression and its Clinicopathological Significance in Patients With Bladder Cancer

Background: Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 3 (Rac3) is overexpressed in malignancies and promotes tumor progression. However, the correlations between Rac3 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of patients with bladder cancer (BC) remain unclear.

Methods: Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used to analyze Rac3 expression in BC and normal bladder tissues and validated using the Oncomine database, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relationship between Rac3 expression and the prognosis of patients with BC. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses of BC patients overall survival (OS) were performed. Signaling pathways that potentially mediate Rac3 activity in BC were then analyzed by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).

Results: The Rac3 expression in BC tissues was significantly higher than that in normal bladder tissues. Rac3 expression was significantly correlated with grade and stage. Overexpression of Rac3 was associated with a poor prognosis. GSEA showed that the cell cycle, DNA replication, p53 signaling pathway and mismatch repair were differentially enriched in the high Rac3 expression phenotype. The qRT-PCR and western blot results confirmed that the Rac3 expression in BC tissues was higher than that in normal bladder tissues.

Conclusion: Rac3 is highly expressed in BC, which is related to the advanced clinicopathological variables and adverse prognosis of patients with BC. These results provide a new therapeutic target for BC.

Expression and Role of CFTR in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a cAMP-dependent chloride (Cl^-) anion conducting channel, and its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) was examined in the present study.

METHODS

Overexpression experiments were conducted on human ESCC cell lines following the transfection of a CFTR plasmid, and changes in cell proliferation, the cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed. A microarray analysis was performed to examine gene expression profiles. Fifty-three primary tumor samples collected from ESCC patients during esophagectomy were subjected to an immunohistochemical analysis.

RESULTS

Transfection of the CFTR plasmid into the ESCC KYSE 170 and KYSE 70 cell lines suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis. The microarray analysis showed the up-regulated expression of genes involved in the p38 signaling pathway in CFTR plasmid-transfected KYSE 170 cells. Immunohistochemical staining revealed a relationship between the CFTR expression pattern at the invasive front and the pN category. A relationship was also observed between the weak expression of CFTR at the invasive front and a shorter postoperative survival in a prognostic analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

The overexpression of CFTR in ESCC activated the p38 signaling pathway and was associated with a good patient prognosis. These results indicate the potential of CFTR as a mediator of and/or a biomarker for ESCC.

Rac Family Small GTPase 3 Correlates with Progression and Poor Prognosis in Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is a common genitourinary malignancy worldwide. However, the molecular pathogenesis of BC remains unclear. The current study conducted bioinformatic analyses to discover key genes involved in BC progression. A total of 375 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened in the GEO database and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, which were further evaluated by the core level in the protein-protein interaction network. RAC3 (Rac family small GTPase 3), one of the top hub genes, was focused on for its gene expression and prognostic value in BC. Immunohistochemical assays indicated elevated RAC3 levels in BC tissues compared with normal tissues. Overexpression of RAC3 expression was closely associated with poor differentiation (p = 0.035), advanced TNM stage (p = 0.014), lymph metastasis (p = 0.033), and recurrence (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses demonstrated that high RAC3 expression indicated poor survival of BC patients, which could serve as an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (HR = 3.159, p = 0.023) and disease-free survival (HR = 4.633, p = 0.002). Moreover, bioinformatic analyses indicated that RAC3 might be correlated with malignant phenotypes and immune infiltration of BC. Taken together, RAC3 could be a novel prognostic biomarker for BC.

Upregulation of RAC3 in bladder cancer predicts adverse clinical outcome and increased tumor immune response

The relationship between RAC3 expression and clinical outcome in bladder cancer (BLCA) was uncertain. In this study, the expression level of RAC3 in BLCA and its clinical outcome were analyzed through various independent public databases. The mRNA expression level of RAC3 in BLCA and normal bladder was evaluated from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), Oncomine, and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The protein expression of RAC3 in BLCA and normal bladder was investigated from immunohistochemical images through the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. Next, gene tumor immune analyses were performed. Furthermore, gene set enrichment analysis (GESA) by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment (KEGG) for RAC3 and its co-expressed genes were performed. Then, GESA was also performed to validate the KEGG pathways by the different expression of RAC3 in BLCA. The results indicated that, compared with normal bladder, the mRNA and protein expression of RAC3 in BLCA were both significantly higher than those of normal bladder tissues (P<0.05). The tumor immune analyses indicated RAC3 was associated with microsatellite instability, tumor mutational burden, tumor immune microenvironment, and immune cell infiltration level evaluation (P<0.05). The survival analysis result demonstrated that upregulation of RAC3 was associated with adverse survival in BLCA (P<0.05). Taken together, these findings suggest that RAC3 may be associated with adverse clinical outcome and increased tumor immune response in BLCA, and may be a prognostic and immunotherapy marker for BLCA.

Identification of immune-related genes as prognostic factors in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. The immune response and immune cell infiltration play crucial roles in tumour progression. Immunotherapy has delivered breakthrough achievements in the past decade in bladder cancer. Differentially expressed genes and immune-related genes (DEIRGs) were identified by using the edgeR package. Gene ontology annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed for functional enrichment analysis of DEIRGs. Survival-associated IRGs were identified by univariate Cox regression analysis. A prognostic model was established by univariate COX regression analysis, and verified by a validation prognostic model based on the GEO database. Patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on the median risk score value for immune cell infiltration and clinicopathological analyses. A regulatory network of survival-associated IRGs and potential transcription factors was constructed to investigate the potential regulatory mechanisms of survival-associated IRGs. Nomogram and ROC curve to verify the accuracy of the model. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the expression of relevant key genes in the prognostic model. A total of 259 differentially expressed IRGs were identified in the present study. KEGG pathway analysis of IRGs showed that the “cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction” pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway. Thirteen survival-associated IRGs were selected to establish a prognostic index for bladder cancer. In both TCGA prognostic model and GEO validation model, patients with high riskscore had worse prognosis compared to low riskscore group. A high infiltration level of macrophages was observed in high-risk patients. OGN, ELN, ANXA6, ILK and TGFB3 were identified as hub survival-associated IRGs in the network. EBF1, WWTR1, GATA6, MYH11, and MEF2C were involved in the transcriptional regulation of these survival-associated hub IRGs. The present study identified several survival-associated IRGs of clinical significance and established a prognostic index for bladder cancer outcome evaluation for the first time.

Prognostic model of 10 immune-related genes and identification of small molecule drugs in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA)

Background

We aimed to establish an immune-related gene (IRG) based signature that could provide guidance for clinical bladder cancer (BC) prognostic surveillance.

Methods

Differentially expressed IRGs and transcription factors (TFs) between BCs and normal tissues were extracted from transcriptome data downloaded from the TCGA database. Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to identify related pathways based on differently expressed IRGs. Then, univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to investigate IRGs with prognostic values and LASSO penalized Cox regression analysis was utilized to develop the prognostic index (PI) model.

Results

A total of 411 BC tissue samples and 19 normal bladder tissues in the TCGA database were enrolled in this study and 259 differentially expressed IRGs were identified. Networks between TFs and IRGs were also provided to seek the upstream regulators of differentially expressed IRGs. By means of univariate Cox regression analysis, 57 IRGs were analyzed with prognostic values and 10 IRGs were finally identified by LASSO penalized Cox regression analysis to construct the PI model. This model could significantly classified BC patients into high-risk group and low-risk group in terms of OS (P=9.923e-07) and its AUC reached 0.711. By means of univariate and multivariate COX regression analysis, this PI was proven to be a valuable independent prognostic factor (HR =1.119, 95% CI =1.066-1.175, P<0.001). CMap database analysis was also utilized to screen out 10 small molecules drugs with the potential for the treatment of BC.

Conclusions

Our study successfully provided a novel PI based on IRGs with the potential to predict the prognosis of BC and screened out 10 small molecules drugs with the potential to treat BC. Besides, networks between TFs and IRGs were also displayed to seek its upstream regulators for future researches.

RAC3 Promotes Proliferation, Migration and Invasion via PYCR1/JAK/STAT Signaling in Bladder Cancer

Background

Bladder cancer (BCa) represents one of the most common malignant cancers with high incidence and mortality rates globally. Dysregulation of gene expression has been shown to play critical roles in cancer progression. RAC3 is up-regulated to play an oncogenic role in several cancers, however, the underlying mechanism of RAC3 in BCa is yet to be elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the function and mechanism of RAC3 in BCa.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was employed to demonstrate the expression of RAC3 and PYCR1 in BCa tissues, as well as, its correlation with the overall survival rate of BCa patients. RT-qPCR was performed to detect and quantify the mRNA levels of RAC3 and PYCR1 in BCa cells and immortalized human bladder epithelial cells. MTT, colony formation and Transwell assays were employed to determine cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Western blotting was performed to detect and quantity proteins expressed.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis showed that RAC3 was up-regulated in BCa tissues when compared to normal tissues. Patients with up-regulated RAC3 expression had lower overall survival than patients with down-regulated RAC3 expression. The mRNA level of RAC3 was higher in BCa cells than in immortalized human bladder epithelial cell. RAC3 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by activating Janus kinases (JAKs) and signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) signaling. Notably, RAC3 up-regulated PYCR1, which is positively correlated with RAC3, and thus played an oncogenic role in BCa cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that RAC3 overexpression activated JAK/STAT signaling via PYCR1 axis.

Conclusion

RAC3 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. This is likely due to its role in activating JAK/STAT signaling, which was mediated by PYCR1. This study provides a novel biomarker and target for diagnostic or therapeutic intervention for BCa.

EZH2 enhances expression of CCL5 to promote recruitment of macrophages and invasion in lung cancer

EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) regulates epigenetic gene silencing and functions as critical regulators in various tumor progression. Macrophages infiltration promotes cancer development via stimulating tumor cell migration and invasion. However, the effect of EZH2 on macrophages infiltration, cell invasion, and migration of lung cancer remains to be investigated. In this study, we found that knockdown of EZH2 inhibited macrophages chemotaxis and decreased chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5). Wound‐healing and transwell assays results showed that migration and invasion of lung cancer cells was inhibited by EZH2 deletion. Moreover, EZH2 overexpression increased CCL5 expression. Loss‐of functional assay indicated that the promotion ability of EZH2 on macrophages chemotaxis was inhibited by CCL5 knockdown. Mechanistically, the promotion ability of EZH2 on cell migration and invasion of lung cancer was also inhibited by CCL5 knockdown. The in vivo subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model also revealed that silence of EZH2 suppressed lung cancer metastasis and macrophages infiltration via regulation of CCL5. In conclusion, our findings indicated that EZH2 promoted lung cancer metastasis and macrophages infiltration via upregulation of CCL5, which might be the underlying mechanism of EZH2‐induced lung cancer cell progression.

Rac-GEF/Rac Signaling and Metastatic Dissemination in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) representing ∼85% of new diagnoses. The disease is often detected in an advanced metastatic stage, with poor prognosis and clinical outcome. In order to escape from the primary tumor, cancer cells acquire highly motile and invasive phenotypes that involve the dynamic reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. These processes are tightly regulated by Rac1, a small G-protein that participates in the formation of actin-rich membrane protrusions required for cancer cell motility and for the secretion of extracellular matrix (ECM)-degrading proteases. In this perspective article we focus on the mechanisms leading to aberrant Rac1 signaling in NSCLC progression and metastasis, highlighting the role of Rac Guanine nucleotide Exchange Factors (GEFs). A plausible scenario is that specific Rac-GEFs activate discrete intracellular pools of Rac1, leading to unique functional responses in the context of specific oncogenic drivers, such as mutant EGFR or mutant KRAS. The identification of dysregulated Rac signaling regulators may serve to predict critical biomarkers for metastatic disease in lung cancer patients, ultimately aiding in refining patient prognosis and decision-making in the clinical setting.

Bioinformatic identification of differentially expressed genes associated with prognosis of locally advanced lymph node-positive prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the primary causes of cancer-related mortality in men worldwide. Patients with locally advanced PCa with metastases in regional lymph nodes are usually marked as a high-risk group. One of the chief concerns for this group is to make an informed decision about the necessity of conducting adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy after radical surgical treatment. During the oncogenic transformation and progression of the disease, the expression of many genes is altered. Some of these genes can serve as markers for diagnosis, predicting the prognosis or effectiveness of drug therapy, as well as possible therapeutic targets. We undertook bioinformatic analysis of the RNA-seq data deposited in The Cancer Genome Atlas consortium database to identify possible prognostic markers. We compared the groups with favorable and unfavorable prognosis for the cohort of patients with PCa showing lymph node metastasis (pT2N1M0, pT3N1M0, and pT4N1M0) and for the most common molecular type carrying the fusion transcript TMPRSS2-ERG. For the entire cohort, we revealed at least six potential markers (IDO1, UGT2B15, IFNG, MUC6, CXCL11, and GBP1). Most of these genes are involved in the positive regulation of immune response. For the TMPRSS2-ERG subtype, we also identified six genes, the expression of which may be associated with prognosis: TOB1, GALNT7, INAFM1, APELA, RAC3, and NNMT. The identified genes, after additional studies and validation in the extended cohort, could serve as a prognostic marker of locally advanced lymph node-positive PCa.

Circular RNA expression profile in peripheral whole blood of lung adenocarcinoma by high: Throughput sequencing

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LA) is a most common form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To date, there are still no effective early diagnosis methods for patients to be cured in time. Noncoding RNA plays an important role in oncogenesis and tumor development. The expression profile of circular RNA (circRNA) in peripheral whole blood (PWB) of LA has not been systematically investigated. In this study, we identified the differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs in PWB of LA by high-throughput sequencing.

METHODS

Five paired LA and normal participants PWB samples were chosen to investigate the expression profile of circRNAs by high-throughput sequencing. Twenty LA and 10 normal controls PWB samples were subjected to reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for validation of circRNAs expression profile. Gene Ontology (GO) functional analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and circRNA-miRNA network analysis was also performed to predict the function of circRNAs in PWB.

RESULTS

A total of 10566 circRNAs were identified and annotated, most of the circRNAs were exonic (78.14%). Statistical analysis revealed 4390 DE circRNAs, in which were 3009 upregulated circRNAs and1381downregulated circRNAs in LA. RT-PCR results showed that circRNA expression in LA was higher than that in controls. GO functional analysis, KEGG pathway analysis, and circRNA-miRNA network analysis all showed that circRNAs correlated with tumor development and progression to a certain degree. The current study is the first to systematically characterize and annotate circRNA expression in PWB of LA. Some host genes of the DE circRNAs were involved in tumor signaling pathway and had complicated correlations with tumor related miRNAs, indicating that circRNAs might involve in development and progression of LA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study revealed that circRNAs were abnormally expressed in PWB of LA, which might offer potential targets for the early diagnosis of the disease and new genetic insights into LA.

The Rac3 GTPase in Neuronal Development, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, and Cancer

Rho family small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases) are important regulators of the cytoskeleton, and are critical in many aspects of cellular and developmental biology, as well as in pathological processes such as intellectual disability and cancer. Of the three members of the family, Rac3 has a more restricted expression in normal tissues compared to the ubiquitous member of the family, Rac1. The Rac3 polypeptide is highly similar to Rac1, and orthologues of the gene for Rac3 have been found only in vertebrates, indicating the late appearance of this gene during evolution. Increasing evidence over the past few years indicates that Rac3 plays an important role in neuronal development and in tumor progression, with specificities that distinguish the functions of Rac3 from the established functions of Rac1 in these processes. Here, results highlighting the importance of Rac3 in distinct aspects of neuronal development and tumor cell biology are presented, in support of the non-redundant role of different members of the two Rac GTPases in physiological and pathological processes.

Galectin-1 induces metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human ovarian cancer cells via activation of the MAPK JNK/p38 signalling pathway

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that Galectin-1 (Gal-1) indicates bad prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer, and Gal-1 overexpression promotes metastasis of ovarian cancer cells. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms of the Gal-1-mediated enhancement of metastasis are still unclear. Furthermore, little is known about whether Gal-1 affects epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in ovarian cancer.

METHODS

The human SKOV3-ip and SKOV3 cell lines were transfected with Gal-1 siRNAs and LV-Gal-1 lentivirus, respectively. Cell migration and cell invasion abilities were examined by transwell assays. Protein or mRNA levels of Gal-1, p-JNK1/2, t-JNK1/2, p-p38, t-p38 and EMT markers were detected via immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR and western blot in SKOV3-ip as well as SKOV3 cells. A xenograft tumour model was used in vivo to ascertain whether upregulation of Gal-1 in ovarian cancer cells can enhance metastasis in vivo.

RESULTS

In a total of 107 human ovarian cancer tissues, higher Gal-1 expression strongly associated with higher histological grade, more lymph node metastases and more advanced FIGO stage, while lower E-cadherin expression strongly associated with higher histological grade, more lymph node metastases and more advanced FIGO stage. In vitro assays revealed that Gal-1 promoted migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, as well as EMT. Additionally, the results showed that Gal-1 enhanced EMT, migration and invasion by activating the MAPK JNK/p38 signalling pathway. Moreover, in vivo bioluminescence imaging revealed that Gal-1 modulated ovarian cancer metastasis in nude mice. Immunochemistry of xenograft tumour tissues confirmed that Gal-1 may modulate metastasis and EMT via the MAPK JNK/p38 signalling pathway. Additionally, treatment of Gal-1 mice with the MAPK JNK/p38 signalling pathway antagonists SB203580 or SP600125 reduced cancer metastasis.

CONCLUSION

Gal-1 enhances metastasis and EMT of ovarian cancer cells via promoting the activation of the MAPK JNK/p38 signalling pathway, suggesting the possibility that Gal-1 is a molecular target to prevent and cure ovarian cancer metastasis.

Upregulation of LGALS1 is associated with oral cancer metastasis

Background

Oral cancer metastasis is a devastating process that contributes to poor prognosis and high mortality, yet its detailed underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we aimed to evaluate metastasis-specific markers in oral cancer and to provide comprehensive recognition concerning functional roles of the specific target in oral cancer metastasis.

Methods

Lectin, galactoside-binding, soluble, 1 (LGALS1) was identified by secretomic analysis. LGALS1 expression of patient samples with oral cancer on the tissue microarray were examined by immunochemical (IHC) staining. Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated knockdown of LGALS1 revealed the role of LGALS1 in oral cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo.

Results

LGALS1 was observed to be upregulated in highly invasive oral cancer cells, and elevated LGALS1 expression was correlated with cancer progression and lymph node metastasis in oral cancer tissue specimens. Functionally, silencing LGALS1 resulted in suppressed cell growth, wound healing, cell migration, and cell invasion in oral cancer cells in vitro. Knockdown of LGALS1 in highly invasive oral cancer cells dramatically inhibited lung metastasis in an in vivo mouse model. Mechanistic studies suggested p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphorylation, upregulated MMP-9, and mesenchymal phenotypes of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in highly invasive oral cancer cells, whereas siRNA against LGALS1 resulted in the inactivation of p38 MAPK pathway, downregulated MMP-9, and EMT inhibition.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that elevated LGALS1 is strongly correlated with oral cancer progression and metastasis, and that it could potentially serve as a prognostic biomarker and an innovative target for oral cancer therapy.

Induction of Apoptosis and Inhibition of Epithelial Mesenchymal Transition by α-Mangostin in MG-63 Cell Lines

Osteosarcoma is the most common bone primary malignant tumor and nearly 30% of patients still die from osteosarcoma due to metastasis or recurrence. Thus, it is necessary to develop effective new chemotherapeutic agents for osteosarcoma treatment. α-Mangostin is a xanthone derivative shown to have antioxidant and anticarcinogen properties. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the antimetastatic effects of osteosarcoma remain unclear. In metastasis progression, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process that plays important roles in development, cell polarity, and increased invasion and migration. This study focused on the induction of apoptosis and inhibition of EMT process by α-mangostin in human osteosarcoma cell line MG63. α-Mangostin treatments on MG63 cells not only showed the several lines of evidence of apoptotic cell death but also inhibited cell migration, invasion, and EMT-inducing transcription factor. In conclusion, we demonstrate that the α-mangostin induces apoptosis via mitochondrial pathway and suppresses metastasis of osteosarcoma cells by inhibiting EMT.

JNK, p38, ERK, and SGK1 Inhibitors in Cancer

Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAP kinases) are a family of kinases that regulates a range of biological processes implicated in the response to growth factors like latelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and stress, such as ultraviolet irradiation, heat shock, and osmotic shock. The MAP kinase family consists of four major subfamilies of related proteins (extracellular regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), p38, and extracellular regulated kinase 5 (ERK5)) and regulates numerous cellular activities, such as apoptosis, gene expression, mitosis, differentiation, and immune responses. The deregulation of these kinases is shown to be involved in human diseases, such as cancer, immune diseases, inflammation, and neurodegenerative disorders. The awareness of the therapeutic potential of the inhibition of MAP kinases led to a thorough search for small-molecule inhibitors. Here, we discuss some of the most well-known MAP kinase inhibitors and their use in cancer research.

Aberrant expression of STYK1 and E-cadherin confer a poor prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients

Previous studies showed that aberrant Serine/threonine/tyrosine kinase 1 (STYK1, also known as NOK) or/and E-cadherin were involved in the progression of some types of human cancers. However, whether they contributed to the development of pancreatic cancer was unknown. Here, we investigated the prognostic significance of aberrant STYK1 and E-cadherin in pancreatic cancer. Our results showed that STYK1 expression increased while E-cadherin decreased in pancreatic cancer tissues compared with normal pancreas tissues. STYK1 level was positively correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage in pancreatic cancer patients. E-cadherin expression was inversely correlated with STYK1 expression in pancreatic cancer tissue samples. Patients with high STYK1 and low E-cadherin expression had the worst prognosis. In addition, STYK1 knockdown in pancreatic cancer cell lines inhibited cell proliferation, enhanced cell apoptosis, induced cell cycle arrest, and prohibited cell migration, while STYK1 over-expression showed the opposite effects. Silencing STYK1 also increased E-cadherin expression and inhibited epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and p-p38 expression in vitro. Over-expression had showed the opposite trends, and treatment with p38 inhibitor, SB203580, could reverse the trends. Thus, STYK1 repressed E-cadherin expression and promoted EMT, mediated by p38 MAPK signaling pathway, which was the possible mechanism for STYK1-mediated pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and migration. In summary, our results showed that STYK1 might be a prognostic marker for pancreatic cancer patients and might be a novel strategy for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.