Prognostic Value of Survivin in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Decreased BIRC5-206 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma through sponging miR-145-5p

Metastasis significantly contributes to the poor prognosis of advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Our prior studies have demonstrated a decrease in BIRC5-206 expression in NPC, which promotes disease progression. However, the role of BIRC5-206 in the invasion and metastasis of NPC has not been fully elucidated. In this study, our objective was to explore the biological function and underlying mechanisms of BIRC5-206 in NPC. Additionally, we established an NPC mouse model of lung invasiveness using C666 cells to assess the impact of BIRC5-206 on NPC metastasis. Our results revealed that silencing BIRC5-206 inhibited apoptosis and enhanced the invasion of NPC cells, whereas its overexpression reversed these effects. Moreover, decreased BIRC5-206 expression significantly increased N-cadherin and Vimentin expression while reducing E-cadherin and occludin levels, both in vivo and in vitro. Additionally, silencing BIRC5-206 markedly augmented the formation of invasive foci in lung tissues. Rescue experiments further confirmed that decreased BIRC5-206 expression facilitates NPC metastasis via modulation of the miR-145-5p/CD40 signaling pathway. In summary, our study suggests that BIRC5-206 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the diagnosis and treatment of NPC.

TRAF4 regulates ubiquitination-modulated survivin turnover and confers radioresistance

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx. Despite continuous improvement in treatment strategies, recurrence or persistence of cancer after radiotherapy is still inevitable, highlighting the need to identify therapeutic resistance factors and develop effective methods for NPC treatment. Herein, we found that TRAF4 is overexpressed in NPC cells and tissues. Knockdown TRAF4 significantly increased the radiosensitivity of NPC cells, possibly by inhibiting the Akt/Wee1/CDK1 axis, thereby suppressing survivin phosphorylation and promoting its degradation by FBXL7. TRAF4 is positively correlated with p-Akt and survivin in NPC tissues. High protein levels of TRAF4 were observed in acquired radioresistant NPC cells, and knockdown of TRAF4 overcomes radioresistant in vitro and the xenograft mouse model. Altogether, our study highlights the TRAF4-survivin axis as a potential therapeutic target for radiosensitization in NPC.

The prognostic value of tumor-associated macrophages detected by immunostaining in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis

Background

The prognostic implication of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the microenvironment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains controversial.

Methods

A systematic and comprehensive search of relevant studies was performed in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases. The quality of the included studies was estimated using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Results

Twenty-three studies containing a total of 2992 DLBCL patients were involved in this study. They were all high-quality studies scoring ≥ 6 points. High density of M2 TAMs in tumor microenvironment significantly associated with both advanced disease stage (OR= 1.937, 95% CI: 1.256-2.988, P = 0.003) and unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.750, 95% CI: 1.188-2.579, P = 0.005) but not associated with poor progression free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.672, 95% CI: 0.864-3.237, P = 0.127) and international prognostic index (IPI) (OR= 1.705, 95% CI: 0.843-3.449, P = 0.138) in DLBCL patients. No significant correlation was observed between the density of CD68+ TAMs and disease stage (OR= 1.433, 95% CI: 0.656-3.130, P = 0.366), IPI (OR= 1.391, 95% CI: 0.573-3.379, P = 0.466), OS (HR=0.929, 95% CI: 0.607-1.422, P = 0.734) or PFS (HR= 0.756, 95% CI: 0.415-1.379, P = 0.362) in DLBCL patients.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis demonstrated that high density of M2 TAMs in the tumor microenvironment was a robust predictor of adverse outcome for DLBCL patients.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022343045.

Butein promotes ubiquitination-mediated survivin degradation inhibits tumor growth and overcomes chemoresistance

Overexpression of survivin is frequently observed in human malignancies and is associated with poor prognosis. The present study found that survivin is highly expressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tumor tissues. Depleting survivin with shRNA inhibited cell viability, colony formation, and in vivo tumorigenesis of NPC cells. With a natural product screening, we identified Butein as a potential anti-tumor compound for NPC by reducing survivin protein level. Butein shortened the half-life of survivin and enhanced ubiquitination-mediated degradation. The mechanism study showed that Butein promoted the interaction between survivin and E3 ligase Fbxl7, and the knockdown of Fbxl7 compromised Butein-induced survivin ubiquitination. Butein suppressed the Akt-Wee1-CDK1 signaling and decreased survivin Thr34 phosphorylation, facilitating E3 ligase Fbxl7-mediated survivin ubiquitination and degradation. Moreover, Butein exhibited a strong in vivo anti-tumor activity, as the tumor volume of Butein-treated xenografts was reduced significantly. Butein alone or combined with cisplatin (CDDP) overcame chemoresistance in NPC xenograft tumors. Overall, our data indicate that Butein is a promising anti-tumor agent for NPC treatment.

Effects of YM155 on the proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells in a rat model of high pulmonary blood flow-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension

INTRODUCTION

Proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) play an important role in the occurrence and development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of survivin inhibitor YM155 on the proliferation and apoptosis of PASMCs in rats with PAH induced by high pulmonary blood flow.

METHODS

Thirty male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control, model, and YM155 intervention groups. A rat model of PAH induced by high pulmonary blood flow was established, and it was confirmed by assessments of right-ventricular pressure (RVP) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI). Immunohistochemical staining and western blot analysis were used to detect the expression of survivin, and the proliferation and apoptosis of PASMCs. Lastly, the effects of in vivo treatment of YM155 were tested.

RESULTS

The increased expression of survivin mRNA and protein were observed in the model group, accompanied by pulmonary arteriolar wall thickening, lumen stenosis, and perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration. Elevated expression of survivin and pulmonary vascular remodeling were significantly mitigated after YM155 treatment. Specifically, the YM155 intervention group had a significantly lower PASMC proliferation rate and a higher PASMC apoptotic rate.

CONCLUSION

YM155 suppressed PASMC proliferation and promoted PASMC apoptosis by inhibiting survivin expression and thereby reducing pulmonary vascular remodeling in high pulmonary blood flow-induced PAH in vivo.