Down-Regulated miR-125a-5p Promotes the Reprogramming of Glucose Metabolism and Cell Malignancy by Increasing Levels of CD147 in Thyroid Cancer

BACKGROUND

CD147 contributes to increased aerobic glycolysis through which it promotes tumor growth. Accumulating evidence suggests that CD147 exerts a variety of functions in thyroid cancer (TC) progression but the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic value of CD147 remain unclear.

METHODS

CD147 levels in TC tissues were analyzed to assess its relationship with prognosis and disease progression. A microRNA (miRNA) microarray and bioinformatics approach were used to identify microRNA regulators of CD147 through measurement of the expression and functions of these miRNAs in TC tissues and cell lines. Precursor miRNA-transfected cells were used to assess regulation of CD147 by miRNA. The effect of miRNA on TC cells via inhibition of glycolysis through CD147 targeting was also evaluated.

RESULTS

We found that miR-125a-5p regulates CD147 and is negatively correlated with its expression and function. Moreover, CD147 knockdown or increased miR-125a-5p expression significantly reduced the viability, migration, and invasion of TC cells. Our mechanistic studies demonstrate that, through directly repressing the expression of the CD147 protein, miR-125a-5p suppresses aerobic glycolysis and lactate production and subsequently reduces TC cell viability, migration, and invasion, thereby exerting tumor suppressor functions.

CONCLUSIONS

The novel connection identified between miR-125a-5p and CD147 suggests a new diagnostic and prognostic role for miR-125a-5p and that CD147 inhibition may be a candidate therapeutic target in the therapy of for TC.

Effects of serum from breast cancer surgery patients receiving perioperative dexmedetomidine on breast cancer cell malignancy: A prospective randomized controlled trial

Adrenergic receptors (ARs) have gained attention for their involvement in breast cancer (BC) progression. Dexmedetomidine, a selective α₂ -AR agonist, has been reported to increase the malignancy of BC cells in vitro or stimulate tumor growth in mice. However, clinical evidence is lacking. Clinical research in this area is important as dexmedetomidine is widely used in BC surgery patients. Here we allocated 24 women with primary BC to the dexmedetomidine group (who received a total dose of 2 μg kg^-1 dexmedetomidine perioperatively) or to the control group (who received the same volume of normal saline). Venous blood was obtained from all patients immediately upon entering the operating room and 24 hours postoperatively. Serum was then exposed to MCF-7 cells at a concentration of 10% for 24 hours. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were analyzed using EdU, Transwell, and Matrigel methods, respectively. We found that postoperative serum from those who received dexmedetomidine was associated with significantly increased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion compared with preoperative serum when used to culture MCF-7 cells. The mean percentage change from post to preoperative values in these cell functions was significantly larger in the dexmedetomidine group than in the control group (proliferation, 30.44% vs 8.45%, P = .0024; migration, 15.90% vs 3.25%, P = .0015; invasion, 8.17% vs 2.13%, P = .04). In conclusion, these findings suggest that in patients undergoing surgery for primary BC, perioperative administration of dexmedetomidine might influence the serum milieu in a way that favors the malignancy of MCF-7 cells. Clinical trial registration: NCT03108937.

Dynamic cellular and molecular modulations of diabetes mediated head and neck carcinogenesis

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is one of the most prevalent neoplasms worldwide. While numerous potent dietary insults were considered as oncogenic players for HNSCC development, the impact of metabolic imbalance was less emphasized during HNSCC carcinogenesis. Previous preclinical and epidemiological investigations showed that DM could possibly be correlated with greater incidence and poorer prognosis in HNSCC patients; however, the outcomes from different groups are contradictive and underlying mechanisms remains elusive. In the present study, the changes of cellular malignancy in response to prolonged glucose incubation in HNSCC cells were examined. The results demonstrated that hyperglycemia enhanced HNSCC cell malignancy over time through suppression of cell differentiation, promotion of cell motility, increased resistance to cisplatin, and up-regulation of the nutrient-sensing Akt/AMPK-mTORC1 pathway. Further analysis showed that a more aggressive tongue neoplastic progression was found under DM conditions compared to non-DM state whereas DM pathology led to a higher percentage of cervical lymph node metastasis and poorer prognosis in HNSCC patients. Taken together, the present study confirms that hyperglycemia and DM could enhance HNSCC malignancy and the outcomes are of great benefit in providing better anti-cancer treatment strategy for DM patients with HNSCC.

Transcriptome-wide elucidation of liposomal formulations for anticancer drug delivery

Although widely used in chemotherapy, free doxorubicin (Dox) might enhance cell malignancy undesirably. Liposomal Dox (Doxlipo) has been clinically approved for the treatment of breast cancer due to reduced systematical toxicity and increased tumor targeting, yet the transcriptome-wide elucidation of the Doxlipo formulations remains elusive. To this end, we explored the impact of two Dox liposomal formulations, Doxlipo mainly containing hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine or 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, on the transcriptional pattern of MCF-7 cells. The two types of Dox liposomal formulations with different drug release kinetics were investigated to reveal the relationship between the formulation and tumor malignancy. Interestingly, we found that liposomal formulation significantly altered the transcriptional pattern of a wide range of genes. Under equivalent dosage of Dox, free Dox substantially changed the expression of ANK1, ACTA2, GPR87, GDF15, FZD6, and WNT4 in MCF-7 cells. Notably, free Dox induced much higher expression of ABCB1 and significantly enhanced the cell migration behavior in comparison with HSPC Doxlipo under a similar level of cytotoxicity. Finally, siRNA targeting GPR87 was codelivered with cationic Doxlipo to reduce the expression of malignancy-related genes. Our study, for the first time, provides an overview of the influence of formulation on the malignancy at transcriptional level and reveals the relationship between cytotoxicity and cell malignancy from the formulation aspect, offering valuable reference for the future formulation design for anticancer drug delivery.

The G199X and V157fs mutations in the TP53 gene promote malignancy in serous ovarian cancer: an analysis using whole-exome sequencing

Background

The carcinogenic mechanisms underlying serous ovarian cancer are not fully understood.

Methods

Whole-exome sequencing and targeted sequencing were performed in ovarian cancer samples to identify novel molecular markers involved in the process of cell malignancy in ovarian cancer. In vitro experiments, the oncogenic roles such as cell proliferation, migration and invasion of TP53 G199X and V157fs mutations were investigated deeply.

Results

The present study identified the G199X and V157fs point mutations in the tumor protein P53 gene (TP53). The rate of TP53 mutation was 59.2% in a cohort of 76 ovarian cancer patients, compared with 9.0% in a cohort of 156 healthy women. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with a TP53 mutation had a lower 5-year overall survival (OS) rate compared with patients harboring wild type TP53. In vitro experiments in an ovarian cancer cell line demonstrated that the G199X and V157fs mutants inhibited P53 protein expression, enhanced proliferation, promoted migration and increased invasion.

Conclusions

This study identified two novel markers, TP53 G199X and V157fs mutations in TP53. Functional assays indicated that these mutations enhanced the malignant phenotype in ovarian cancer cells. These novel markers will assist in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors and represent potential targets for the treatment of TP53 mutant ovarian cancers.

NOTCH2 gene mutation and gamma-secretase inhibitor in mediating the malignancy of ovarian cancer

The carcinogenic mechanisms by which serous ovarian cancer (OC) occurs remain to be explored. Currently, we have conducted whole-exome sequencing (WES) and targeted deep sequencing to validate new molecular markers, including NOTCH2, that impede the progression of cell malignancy in ovarian cancer (OC). Following NOTCH2 P2113S mutation and NOTCH signaling pathway inhibitor N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-L-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester (DAPT) treatment, the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of A2780 and SKOV3 OC cells were examined in vitro. WES identified the P2113S point mutation in NOTCH2. The NOTCH2 mutation rate was 26.67 % among the 75 OC cases. The NOTCH2 P2113S mutation and DAPT treatment downregulated Notch-2 protein levels in the two OC cells. Functionally, interfering with NOTCH2 expression promoted the migrative, proliferative, and invasive capacities of OC cells. Western blotting further confirmed that NOTCH2-mediated tumorigenesis lies in reducing apoptosis through dysregulation of Bax/Bcl2, affecting repair of DNA damage through reducing DNA-PK and blocking the transcription factor Hes1 along with increasing immune regulator p65. Furthermore, the NOTCH2-mediated tumorigenesis was mostly reversed after NF-κB inhibitor Bay11-7082 treatment. These findings identified the NOTCH2 P2113S mutation in ovarian carcinogenesis, and NOTCH2 P2113S is a potential target in treating OC.