Key genes associated with prognosis and metastasis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

P4HA3 promotes head and neck squamous cell carcinoma progression via the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway

Here, we explored the role of Prolyl 4-Hydroxylase Subunit Alpha 3 (P4HA3), the most recently identified member of the prolyl-4-hydroxylase (P4H) family, in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression. P4HA3 is upregulated during cancer progression; however, its specific role in HNSCC progression remains elusive. Thus, this study aimed to elucidate the regulatory function of P4HA3 in HNSCC development and progression and to describe the underlying mechanisms. Initially, we analyzed the correlation between the expression of P4HA3 and the WNT pathway genes and clinicopathologic features in HNSCC based on microarray data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, we used Gene Oncology (GO) functional data to describe several potentially associated pathways in HNSCC. Then, we knocked down P4HA3 in SCC15 and SCC25 cells, two classic HNSCC cell lines, and assessed the resulting changes using RT-qPCR. Furthermore, we used Western blot to evaluate the regulatory role of P4HA3 in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway. To explore the effect of P4HA3 knockdown on tumor progression, in vivo experiments were conducted using a murine model. Immunohistochemistry assays were then employed to identify proteins associated with EMT and the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway in tumor tissues. Upregulated P4HA3 in HNSCC patient tumor tissues was positively correlated with poor prognosis. Notably, P4HA3 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferative and invasive abilities of HNSCC. The levels of genes and proteins associated with EMT and the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway were also markedly reduced by P4HA3 knockdown. Importantly, the in vivo experiments demonstrated that P4HA3 can promote subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice and knockdown of P4HA3 induce a significant ihibitation of EMT and WNT/β-catenin pathway detected by immunohistochemistry assay in tumor tissues. In summary, we demonstrated that P4HA3 is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for HNSCC. As an oncogene, P4HA3 increases HNSCC proliferation by inducing the EMT and activating the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Radix Actinidiae chinensis induces the autophagy and apoptosis in renal cell carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor. Radix Actinidiae chinensis (RAC) is the root of Actinidia arguta (Sieb. et Zucc) Planch. ex Miq. In clinical research, RAC was confirmed to have a certain anti-tumor effect, including liver cancer and cholangiocarcinoma. This study investigated the anticancer effect and mechanism of RAC in RCC cells.

METHODS

The 786-O and A498 cells were intervened with varying concentrations of RAC (0-100 mg/mL) to detect the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of RAC. The cells were then co-cultured with 0-50 mg/mL RAC for 0-72 h to assess the effect of RAC on cell viability using the cell counting kit-8. The effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle or apoptosis, migration or invasion, and autophagy were detected using cloning, flow cytometry, Transwell, AOPI assay and Western blot. The number of autophagolysosomes was quantified using a transmission electron microscope. PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway-related proteins were detected by Western blot. Additionally, an autophagy inhibitor 3-MA was used to explore the underlying mechanism of RAC.

RESULTS

IC50 values of RAC in 786-O and A498 were 14.76 mg/mL and 13.09 mg/mL, respectively. RAC demonstrated the ability to reduce the cell malignant phenotype of RCC cells, blocked the S phase of cells, promoted apoptosis and autophagy in cells. Furthermore, RAC was observed to increase autophagy-related proteins LC3II/I and Beclin-1, while decreasing the level of P62. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins was increased, while the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, p-mTOR/mTOR, p-P38/P38 and p-ERK/ERK were reduced by RAC. However, the addition of 3-MA reduced the apoptosis and autophagy- promotion effects of RAC on RCC cells.

CONCLUSION

RAC induced the apoptosis and autophagy, to inhibit the progression of RCC cells. This study may provide a theoretical and experimental basis for clinical anti-cancer application of RAC for RCC.

Differential expression analysis identifies a prognostically significant extracellular matrix-enriched gene signature in hyaluronan-positive clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Hyaluronan (HA) accumulation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is associated with poor prognosis; however, its biology and role in tumorigenesis are unknown. RNA sequencing of 48 HA-positive and 48 HA-negative formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG). The DEGs were subjected to pathway and gene enrichment analyses. The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) data and DEGs were used for the cluster analysis. In total, 129 DEGs were identified. HA-positive tumors exhibited enhanced expression of genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM) organization and ECM receptor interaction pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes were highly enriched in the HA-positive phenotype. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed, and 17 hub genes were discovered. Heatmap analysis of TCGA-KIRC data identified two prognostic clusters corresponding to HA-positive and HA-negative phenotypes. These clusters were used to verify the expression levels and conduct survival analysis of the hub genes, 11 of which were linked to poor prognosis. These findings enhance our understanding of hyaluronan in ccRCC.

Endotrophin, a Key Marker and Driver for Fibroinflammatory Disease

Our overview covers several key areas related to recent results obtained for collagen type VI and endotrophin (ETP). (1) An introduction to the history of ETP, including how it was identified, how it is released, and its function and potential receptors. (2) An introduction to the collagen family, with a focus on what differentiates collagen type VI from an evolutionary standpoint. (3) An overview of collagen type VI, the 6 individual chains (COL6A1, A2, A3, A4, A5, and A6), their differences and similarities, as well as their expression profiles and function. (4) A detailed analysis of COL6A3, including the cleaved product endotrophin, and what separates it from the other 5 collagen 6 molecules, including its suggested function based on insights gained from knockout and gain of function mouse models. (5) The pathology of ETP. What leads to its presence and release and what are the consequences thereof? (6) Functional implications of circulating ETP. Here we review the data with the functional roles of ETP in mind. (7) We propose that ETP is a mediator for fibrotic (or fibroinflammatory) disorders. Based on what we know about ETP, we have to consider it as a target for the treatment of fibrotic (or fibroinflammatory) disorders. What segment(s) of the patient population would most dramatically respond to an ETP-targeted intervention? How can we find the population that would profit most from an intervention? We aim to present a broad overview over the ETP field at large, providing an assessment of where the future research efforts need to be placed to tap into the vast potential of ETP, both as a marker and as a target in different diseases.

Prediction of Distant Metastases in Patients with Kidney Cancer Based on Gene Expression and Methylation Analysis

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common and aggressive histological type of cancer in this location. Distant metastases are present in approximately 30% of patients at the time of first examination. Therefore, the ability to predict the occurrence of metastases in patients at early stages of the disease is an urgent task aimed at personalized treatment. Samples of tumor and paired histologically normal kidney tissue from patients with metastatic and non-metastatic ccRCC were studied. Gene expression was analyzed using real-time PCR. The level of gene methylation was evaluated using bisulfite conversion followed by quantitative methylation-specific PCR. Two groups of genes were analyzed in this study. The first group includes genes whose expression is significantly reduced during metastasis: CA9, NDUFA4L2, EGLN3, and BHLHE41 (p < 0.001, ROC analysis). The second group includes microRNA genes: MIR125B-1, MIR137, MIR375, MIR193A, and MIR34B/C, whose increased methylation levels are associated with the development of distant metastases (p = 0.002 to <0.001, ROC analysis). Based on the data obtained, a combined panel of genes was formed to identify patients whose tumors have a high metastatic potential. The panel can estimate the probability of metastasis with an accuracy of up to 92%.

SLC9A1 Binding mTOR Signaling Pathway-Derived Risk Score Predicting Survival and Immune in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Objective. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the common renal cell carcinomas (RCC) with a high risk of recurrence. Considering that SLC9A1 is involved in various cellular physiological processes and probably mediates the course of mTOR signaling in tumors, this study constructed a risk model for SLC9A1 combined with mTOR signaling in ccRCC, aiming at better predicting the prognosis of patients. Methods. ccRCC expression matrices were downloaded from TCGA and ICGC databases to compare the expression of SLC9A1 in TCGA, and qRT-PCR was adopted to validate the SLC9A1 expression in different RCC cells and normal kidney cells. The CIBERSORT and ESTIMATE algorithms were used to assess samples for immunity. mTOR signaling-associated genes were downloaded from the KEGG website, and then the genes were adopted to screen genes associated with SLC9A1 expression and mTOR signaling pathway colleagues, based on which univariate COX regression and lasso regression Cox analyses were conducted to construct a ccRCC prognostic risk model. ROC curves and nomograms were used to assess the validity of the models. Results. ccRCC tumor samples showed lower SLC9A1 expression than normal samples, as also evidenced by qRT-PCR. The SLC9A1 expression was highly correlated with tumor immunity. Totally, 564 key genes associated with both SLC9A1 expression and mTOR signaling were screened out, and the risk model consisting of 11 gene signatures was constructed in ccRCC based on the 564 genes. Since patients at a high risk had poorer survival outcomes, the high-risk group presented poorer immunotherapy outcomes. Moreover, a higher clinical grade of patients suggested a higher risk score. The risk score can serve as one independent prognostic factor for the prognosis prediction of ccRCC patients. Conclusion. An extremely promising prognostic indicator for ccRCC based on SLCA9A1 and mTOR signaling has been constructed to provide reference for clinical treatment.

Evaluation of antimicrobial, anticancer potential and Flippase induced leakage in model membrane of Centella asiatica fabricated MgONPs

The use of chemically synthesized nanoparticles and crude plant extracts as antimicrobial -anticancer agents have many limitations. In this study, we have used Centella asiatica extract (CaE) having relatively less explored but tremendous medicinal properties, as reducing and stabilizing agents to green synthesize magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgONPs) using magnesium nitrate. In comparison to the bulk material, capabilities of Ca-MgONPs as an improved antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agent in human prostatic carcinoma cells (PC3), as well as membranolytic capability in model cell membrane, were studied. The phyto-functionalized Ca-MgONPs were characterized using UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Observation of characteristic peaks by spectroscopic and microscopic analysis confirmed the synthesis of Ca-MgONPs. The Ca-MgONPs showed broad spectrum of bactericidal activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria and fungicidal activity against two species of the Candida fungus. The Ca-MgONPs also exhibited dose-dependent and selective inhibition of proliferating PC3 cells with IC₅₀ of 123.65 ± 4.82 μg/mL at 24 h, however, without having any cytotoxicity toward non-cancerous HEK293 cells. Further studies aimed at understanding the probable mechanism of toxicity of Ca-MgONPs in PC3 cells, the results indicated a significant reduction in cell migration capacities, increment in cytosolic ROS, loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, DNA damage and S-phase cell cycle arrest. Ca-MgONPs also induced pore formation in a synthetic large unilamellar vesicle. Thus, Ca-MgONPs might be useful in the effective management of several human pathogens of concern and some more cancer types.