Overexpression of forkhead box C1 promotes tumor metastasis and indicates poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Members of FOX family could be drug targets of cancers

FOX families play important roles in biological processes, including metabolism, development, differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and longevity. Here we are focusing on roles of FOX members in cancers, FOX members and drug resistance, FOX members and stem cells. Finally, FOX members as drug targets of cancer treatment were discussed. Future perspectives of FOXC1 research were described in the end.

Unconventional MAPK-GSK-3β Pathway Behind Atypical Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition In Hepatocellular Carcinoma

We recently reported an atypical epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human hepatoma cell culture Huh7.5, which was non-responsive to the canonical EMT-transcription factors. Here we characterize major pathways regulating this atypical EMT through whole genome transcriptome profiling and molecular analysis, and identify a unique regulation of EMT by GSK-3β. Our analysis reveals remarkable suppression of several key liver-specific markers in Huh7.5M cells indicating that EMT not only changes the epithelial properties, but alters the characteristics associated with hepatocytes as well. One key finding of this study is that GSK-3β, a known antagonist to β-Catenin signaling and a major pro-apoptotic regulator, is critical for the maintenance of EMT in Huh7.5M cells as its inhibition reversed EMT. Importantly, through these studies we identify that maintenance of EMT by GSK-3β in Huh7.5M is regulated by p38MAPK and ERK1/2 that has not been reported elsewhere and is distinct from another metastatic non-hepatic cell line MDA-MB-231. These data showcase the existence of non-canonical mechanisms behind EMT. The atypicalness of this system underlines the existence of tremendous diversity in cancer-EMT and warrants the necessity to take a measured approach while dealing with metastasis and cancer drug resistance.

MicroRNA-363-3p is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and inhibits tumorigenesis by directly targeting specificity protein 1

microRNAs exhibit important regulatory roles in tumorigenesis and tumor development, such as in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate the expression and functional roles of microRNA (miR)‑363‑3p in HCC. miR-363-3p expression levels in a number of HCC tissues and cell lines were measured by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR). The effects of miR‑363‑3p expression on HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion were exa-mined by MTT assay, Transwell migration and invasion assay, respectively. The effects of miR‑363‑3p on its downstream target gene, specificity protein 1 (SP1), were examined by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blotting. An SP1 overexpression vector was subsequently transfected into HCC cells to assess any selective effects on miR‑363‑3p in modulating HCC. The results revealed that miR‑363‑3p expression levels were downregulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines, and this low expression level was correlated with tumor size, tumor‑node‑metastasis stage and venous infiltration in patients with HCC. Upregulation of miR‑363‑3p inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC cell cultures. In HCC cells transfected with an SP1 expression vector the miR‑363‑3p‑induced tumor suppressive roles on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were reversed. In conclusion, results from the present study indicated that miR‑363‑3p is a tumor suppressor in HCC and functions through a mechanism involving SP1, suggesting that miR‑363‑3p may be a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

The long noncoding RNA FOXCUT promotes proliferation and migration by targeting FOXC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Long noncoding RNAs play an important role in various biological processes, including tumorigenesis. FOXC1 (Forkhead box C1) is a member of the Forkhead box family of transcription factors and plays a crucial role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study, a novel long noncoding RNA (FOXCUT) located upstream of FOXC1 was investigated in 42 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Our analysis revealed that the expression levels of FOXCUT and FOXC1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma tissues were significantly higher than those observed in chronic nasopharyngitis tissues and that FOXCUT expression was positively correlated with FOXC1 expression. Additionally, knockdown of FOXCUT significantly inhibited proliferation and migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell lines and resulted in downregulated expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 7 and matrix metalloproteinase 9, as well as vascular endothelial growth factor A and β-catenin. Our findings suggested that FOXCUT expression contributed to the development and progression of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by targeting FOXC1 and that FOXCUT might be useful as a potential nasopharyngeal carcinoma biomarker and therapeutic target.

Identification of EGF-NF-κB-FOXC1 signaling axis in basal-like breast cancer

Background

The pathogenesis of human basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) is not well understood and patients with BLBC have a poor prognosis. Expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is well-known to be upregulated in BLBC. The forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor, an important prognostic biomarker specific for BLBC, has been shown to be induced by EGF and is critical for EGF effects in breast cancer cells. How FOXC1 is transcriptionally activated in BLBC is not clear.

Methods

Luciferase reporter assays were performed to show that NF-κB-p65 enhances FOXC1 promoter activity in BLBC cells (MDA-MB-468). Electrophoretic mobility shift assay, biotinylated oligonucleotide precipitation assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay were used to show that NF-κB interacts and binds to the promoter region of FOXC1.

Results

In this study, we demonstrate that NF-κB is a pivotal mediator of the EGF/EGFR regulation of FOXC1 expression by binding to the FOXC1 promoter to activate FOXC1 transcription. Loss or inhibition of NF-κB diminished FOXC1 expression.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings reveal a novel EGFR-NF-κB-FOXC1 signaling axis that is critical for BLBC cell function, supporting the notion that intervention in the FOXC1 pathway may provide potential modalities for BLBC treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12964-017-0180-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Up-Regulation of FOXC2 and FOXQ1 Is Associated with The Progression of Gastric-Type Adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are important regulators of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which is the main mechanism of cancer metastasis. Different studies have shown their potential involvement in progression of cancer in different tissues such as breast, ovary and colorectum. In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression of genes encoding two FOX proteins in gastric adenocarcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this experimental case-control study, the expression of FOXC2 and FOXQ1 was examined in 31 gastric adenocarcinoma tumors and 31 normal adjacent gastric tissues by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

The expression of both genes was significantly up-regulated in gastric adenocarcinoma tumors compared with the normal tissues (P<0.05). The differential expression of these two genes was also correlated with the grade of tumors (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

We show that up-regulation of FOXC2 and FOXQ1 are likely to be involved in the progression of gastric adenocarcinoma.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms in MLH1 predict poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in a Chinese population

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant cancer causing deleterious health effect worldwide, especially in China. So far clinical cure rate and long-term survival rate of HCC remains low. Most HCC patients after cancer resection have recurrence or metastasis within 5 years. This study aims to explore the genetic association of mutL homolog 1 (MLH1) polymorphisms with HCC risk and prognosis. Four candidate MLH1 polymorphisms, rs1800734, rs10849, rs3774343 and rs1540354 were studied from a hospital-based case-control study including 1,036 cases (HCC patients) and 1,036 controls (non-HCC patients) in Guangxi, China. All these SNPs interacted with environmental risk factors, such as HBV infection, alcohol intake and smoking in the pathogenesis of HCC. However, only rs1800734 had significant difference between cases and controls. Compared to the AA genotype, patients with AG, GG and AG/GG genotype of rs1800734 had an increased risk of HCC [ORs (95% CI) = 1.217 (1.074∼1.536), 1.745 (1.301∼2.591) and 1.291 (1.126∼1.687)] and a decreased survival time [co-dominant, HR (95% CI) = 1.553 (1.257∼1.920); dominant, HR (95% CI) = 2.207 (1.572∼3.100)]. Furthermore, we found that tumor number, tumor staging, metastasis and rs1800734 were associated with the overall survival of HCC patients by multivariate COX regression analysis. No significant difference was found between the other three MLH1 polymorphisms with HCC risk and prognosis. Our study suggests MLH1 SNP, rs1800734 as a new predictor for poor prognosis of HCC patients.

FOXC1: an emerging marker and therapeutic target for cancer

The Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor is involved in normal embryonic development and regulates the development and function of many organs. Most recently, a large body of literature has shown that FOXC1 plays a critical role in tumor development and metastasis. Clinical studies have demonstrated that elevated FOXC1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in many cancer subtypes, such as basal-like breast cancer (BLBC). FOXC1 is highly and specifically expressed in BLBC as opposed to other breast cancer subtypes. Its functions in breast cancer have been extensively explored. This review will summarize current knowledge on the function and regulation of FOXC1 in tumor development and progression with a focus on BLBC as well as the implications of these new findings in cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Bioinformatics analysis of the proteins interacting with LASP-1 and their association with HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma

LIM and SH3 domain protein (LASP-1) is responsible for the development of several types of human cancers via the interaction with other proteins; however, the precise biological functions of proteins interacting with LASP-1 are not fully clarified. Although the role of LASP-1 in hepatocarcinogenesis has been reported, the implication of LASP-1 interactors in HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not clearly evaluated. We obtained information regarding LASP-1 interactors from public databases and published studies. Via bioinformatics analysis, we found that LASP-1 interactors were related to distinct molecular functions and associated with various biological processes. Through an integrated network analysis of the interaction and pathways of LASP-1 interactors, cross-talk between different proteins and associated pathways was found. In addition, LASP-1 and several its interactors are significantly altered in HBV-related HCC through microarray analysis and could form a complex co-expression network. In the disease, LASP-1 and its interactors were further predicted to be regulated by a complex interaction network composed of different transcription factors. Besides, numerous LASP-1 interactors were associated with various clinical factors and related to the survival and recurrence of HBV-related HCC. Taken together, these results could help enrich our understanding of LASP-1 interactors and their relationships with HBV-related HCC.

Tumor Hypoxia Regulates Forkhead Box C1 to Promote Lung Cancer Progression

Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) is a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors that are characterized by a DNA-binding forkhead domain. Increasing evidence indicates that FOXC1 is involved in tumor progression. However, the role of tumor hypoxia in FOXC1 regulation and its impact on lung cancer progression are unclear. Here, we report that FOXC1 was upregulated in hypoxic areas of lung cancer tissues from rodents or humans. Hypoxic stresses significantly induced FOXC1 expression. Moreover, hypoxia activated FOXC1 transcription via direct binding of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) to the hypoxia-responsive element (HRE) in the FOXC1 promoter. FOXC1 gain-of-function in lung cancer cells promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro. However, a knockdown of FOXC1 in lung cancer cells inhibited these effects. Notably, knockdown of tumor hypoxia-induced FOXC1 expression via HIF-1-mediated FOXC1 shRNAs in lung cancer xenograft models suppressed tumor growth and angiogenesis. Finally, systemic delivery of FOXC1 siRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles inhibited tumor growth and increased survival time in lung cancer-bearing mice. Taken together, these data indicate that FOXC1 is a novel hypoxia-induced transcription factor and plays a critical role in tumor microenvironment-promoted lung cancer progression. Systemic FOXC1 blockade therapy may be an effective therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.

HMGA2-FOXL2 Axis Regulates Metastases and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition of Chemoresistant Gastric Cancer

Purpose: Chemoresistance is the main cause of treatment failure in cancer and is associated with distant metastases and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This study was aimed to explore the mechanism of metastases and EMT in chemoresistant gastric cancer.Experimental Design: A key molecular pathway was identified via gene profiling and a bioinformatic analysis in a chemoresistant gastric cancer model. The roles of FOXL2, HMGA2, and ITGA2 were validated via loss-of-function and gain-of-function experiments in vitro and in an orthotopic gastric cancer animal model. The regulation of FOXL2 by HMGA2 was explored via immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. The expression of these proteins in gastric cancer tissues was examined by IHC.Results: HMGA2 and FOXL2 directly regulated the metastasis and EMT of chemoresistant gastric cancer. The interaction between HMGA2 and pRb facilitated the transactivation of FOXL2 by E2F1, and ITGA2 was the downstream effector of the HMGA2-FOXL2 pathway. HMGA2, FOXL2, and ITGA2 were associated with the TNM classification and staging of gastric cancer and were increased in metastatic lymph nodes and distant metastases. Increased HMGA2, FOXL2, and ITGA2 levels were associated with reduced overall survival periods of patients with gastric cancer.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the transactivation of FOXL2 driven by interactions between HMGA2 and pRb might exert critical effects on the metastases and EMT of chemoresistant gastric cancer. Blocking the HMGA2-FOXL2-ITGA2 pathway could serve as a new strategy for gastric cancer treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 23(13); 3461-73. ©2017 AACR.

For robust big data analyses: a collection of 150 important pro-metastatic genes

Metastasis is the greatest contributor to cancer-related death. In the era of precision medicine, it is essential to predict and to prevent the spread of cancer cells to significantly improve patient survival. Thanks to the application of a variety of high-throughput technologies, accumulating big data enables researchers and clinicians to identify aggressive tumors as well as patients with a high risk of cancer metastasis. However, there have been few large-scale gene collection studies to enable metastasis-related analyses. In the last several years, emerging efforts have identified pro-metastatic genes in a variety of cancers, providing us the ability to generate a pro-metastatic gene cluster for big data analyses. We carefully selected 285 genes with in vivo evidence of promoting metastasis reported in the literature. These genes have been investigated in different tumor types. We used two datasets downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, specifically, datasets of clear cell renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, for validation tests, and excluded any genes for which elevated expression level correlated with longer overall survival in any of the datasets. Ultimately, 150 pro-metastatic genes remained in our analyses. We believe this collection of pro-metastatic genes will be helpful for big data analyses, and eventually will accelerate anti-metastasis research and clinical intervention.

FOXC1 promotes melanoma by activating MST1R/PI3K/AKT

FOXC1 is a member of Forkhead box family transcription factors. We showed that FOXC1 level was increased in melanoma cells and tissues and correlated with hypomethylation of the FOXC1 gene. Overexpression of FOXC1 promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, colony formation and growth in 3D Matrigel of melanoma cells. FOXC1 increased MST1R and activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. Also, FOXC1 expression was associated with disease progression and poor prognosis of melanoma. We suggest that FOXC1 is a potential prognostic biomarker for treating melanoma and predicting outcome of patients.

Clinical significance of expression of CMTM7 in hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

To detect the expression of CMTM7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to analyze its clinical significance.

METHODS

Tissue microarray and immunohistochemistry method were used to detect 75 pairs of HCC tissues and tumor-adjacent normal tissues. The relationship of CMTM7 expression with clinical pathological features and overall survival of postoperative patients was analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

The expression rate of CMTM7 in HCC tissues (20.00%, 15/75) was significantly lower than that in paired para-carcinoma normal tissues (81.33%, 61/75; P < 0.05). The expression of CMTM7 in HCC had no obvious correlation with gender, age, smoking history, drinking history, family history of hepatitis B virus infection or tumor, tumor number, pathological classification, or clinical stage. However, CMTM7 expression had a significant correlation with liver cirrhosis, distant metastasis, tumor size, TNM stage, and α-fetoprotein levels (P < 0.05). The survival time of postoperative HCC patients in the CMTM7 negative group was obviously lower than that of patients in the CMTM7 positive group, suggesting that CMTM7 expression may be related to the prognosis of HCC patients.

CONCLUSION

The down-regulated expression of CMTM7 may be closely related with the occurrence and development of HCC.

Nuclear PKM2 expression, an independent risk factor for ER after curative resection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Surgical resection, providing a long-term survival of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, is regarded as one of the standard curative treatments of HCC if the tumor is resectable. However, 50% patients develop early recurrence (ER) during the first two years after operation, which are more diffuse and rarely treatable with unsatisfactory long-term survival. Unfortunately, the underlying mechanisms of ER after curative resection and the molecular markers with predictive and prognostic significance have never been identified yet. Recent studies reveal that pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) levels were correlated with overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with HCC. The present study was aimed to investigate the correlation between the expression of PKM2 and ER. Our findings demonstrated that not the total PKM2 expression but the nuclear PKM2 expression as an independent risk factor for ER after curative resection, and could be a promising intervention target following curative resection for HCC patients.

Forkhead Box C1 Regulates Human Primary Keratinocyte Terminal Differentiation

The epidermis serves as a critical protective barrier between the internal and external environment of the human body. Its remarkable barrier function is established through the keratinocyte (KC) terminal differentiation program. The transcription factors specifically regulating terminal differentiation remain largely unknown. Using a RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) profiling approach, we found that forkhead box c 1 (FOXC1) was significantly up-regulated in human normal primary KC during the course of differentiation. This observation was validated in human normal primary KC from several different donors and human skin biopsies. Silencing FOXC1 in human normal primary KC undergoing differentiation led to significant down-regulation of late terminal differentiation genes markers including epidermal differentiation complex genes, keratinization genes, sphingolipid/ceramide metabolic process genes and epidermal specific cell-cell adhesion genes. We further demonstrated that FOXC1 works down-stream of ZNF750 and KLF4, and upstream of GRHL3. Thus, this study defines FOXC1 as a regulator specific for KC terminal differentiation and establishes its potential position in the genetic regulatory network.

Mouse models of liver cancer: Progress and recommendations

To clarify the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and investigate the effects of potential therapies, a number of mouse models have been developed. Subcutaneous xenograft models are widely used in the past decades. Yet, with the advent of in vivo imaging technology, investigators are more and more concerned with the orthotopic models nowadays. Genetically engineered mouse models (GEM) have greatly facilitated studies of gene function in HCC development. Recently, GEM of miR-122 and miR-221 provided new approaches for better understanding of the in vivo functions of microRNA in hepatocarcinogenesis. Chemically induced liver tumors in animals share many of the morphological, histogenic, and biochemical features of human HCC. Yet, the complicated and obscure genomic alternation restricts their applications. In this review, we highlight both the frequently used mouse models and some emerging ones with emphasis on their merits or defects, and give advises for investigators to chose a “best-fit” animal model in HCC research.

Effects of Different Anesthetic Methods on Cellular Immune and Neuroendocrine Functions in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Before and After Surgery

BACKGROUND

Many anesthesia methods have been studies in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to explore the effects of combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and combined general and epidural anesthesia on cellular immune function and neuroendocrine function in patients with HCC before and after surgery.

METHODS

Between September 2012 and April 2014, 72 patients who underwent a hepatectomy in our hospital were enrolled.

RESULTS

Compared with the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia group, the combined general and epidural anesthesia group demonstrated increased CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ T cells 0 hr after surgery, increased CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ cells, and IFN-γ levels 12 hr after surgery, and increased CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , and CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ cells 24 hr after surgery (all P < 0.05). At 72 hr after surgery, the levels of ACTH and Cor in the combined general and epidural anesthesia group, and the levels of CD3⁺ , CD4⁺ , CD4⁺ /CD8⁺ cells, and IFN-γ in both the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and the combined general and epidural anesthesia groups decreased to pre-surgery levels. Significant differences were observed in the comparisons of CD3⁺ , IL-6, and IL-10 between the combined intravenous and inhalation anesthesia and the combined general and epidural anesthesia groups 72 hr after surgery (all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Our results revealed that combined general and epidural anesthesia plays a crucial role in hepatectomy via the mitigation of the inhibition of immunologic function in HCC patients during the perioperative period. Combined general and epidural anesthesia also hastens the recovery of immunologic suppression after surgery, which can provide a certain reference for the selection of clinical anesthesia in the treatment of HCC.

Oncogenic driver genes and the inflammatory microenvironment dictate liver tumor phenotype

The majority of hepatocellular carcinoma develops in the background of chronic liver inflammation caused by viral hepatitis and alcoholic or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. However, the impact of different types of chronic inflammatory microenvironments on the phenotypes of tumors generated by distinct oncogenes is largely unresolved. To address this issue, we generated murine liver tumors by constitutively active AKT-1 (AKT) and β-catenin (CAT), followed by induction of chronic liver inflammation by 3,5-diethoxycarbonyl-1,4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) and carbon tetrachloride. Also, the impact of DDC-induced chronic liver inflammation was compared between two liver tumor models using a combination of AKT-CAT or AKT-NRAS(G12V) . Treatment with DDC and carbon tetrachloride significantly facilitated the adenoma-to-carcinoma conversion and accelerated the growth of AKT-CAT tumors. Furthermore, DDC treatment altered the morphology of AKT-CAT tumors and caused loss of lipid droplets. Transcriptome analysis of AKT-CAT tumors revealed that cellular growth and proliferation were mainly affected by chronic inflammation and caused up-regulation of Cxcl16, Galectin-3, and Nedd9, among others. Integration with transcriptome profiles from human hepatocellular carcinomas further demonstrated that AKT-CAT tumors generated in the context of chronic liver inflammation showed enrichment of poor prognosis gene sets or decrease of good prognosis gene sets. In contrast, DDC had a more subtle effect on AKT-NRAS(G12V) tumors and primarily enhanced already existent tumor characteristics as supported by transcriptome analysis. However, it also reduced lipid droplets in AKT-NRAS(G12V) tumors.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests that liver tumor phenotype is defined by a combination of driving oncogenes but also the nature of chronic liver inflammation. (Hepatology 2016;63:1888-1899).

Transposon mutagenesis identifies genes and cellular processes driving epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is thought to contribute to metastasis and chemoresistance in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to their poor prognosis. The genes driving EMT in HCC are not yet fully understood, however. Here, we show that mobilization of Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposons in immortalized mouse hepatoblasts induces mesenchymal liver tumors on transplantation to nude mice. These tumors show significant down-regulation of epithelial markers, along with up-regulation of mesenchymal markers and EMT-related transcription factors (EMT-TFs). Sequencing of transposon insertion sites from tumors identified 233 candidate cancer genes (CCGs) that were enriched for genes and cellular processes driving EMT. Subsequent trunk driver analysis identified 23 CCGs that are predicted to function early in tumorigenesis and whose mutation or alteration in patients with HCC is correlated with poor patient survival. Validation of the top trunk drivers identified in the screen, including MET (MET proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase), GRB2-associated binding protein 1 (GAB1), HECT, UBA, and WWE domain containing 1 (HUWE1), lysine-specific demethylase 6A (KDM6A), and protein-tyrosine phosphatase, nonreceptor-type 12 (PTPN12), showed that deregulation of these genes activates an EMT program in human HCC cells that enhances tumor cell migration. Finally, deregulation of these genes in human HCC was found to confer sorafenib resistance through apoptotic tolerance and reduced proliferation, consistent with recent studies showing that EMT contributes to the chemoresistance of tumor cells. Our unique cell-based transposon mutagenesis screen appears to be an excellent resource for discovering genes involved in EMT in human HCC and potentially for identifying new drug targets.

Galectin-1 induces hepatocellular carcinoma EMT and sorafenib resistance by activating FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling

Galectin-1 (Gal-1) is involved in several pathological activities associated with tumor progression and chemoresistance, however, the role and molecular mechanism of Gal-1 activity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and sorafenib resistance remain enigmatic. In the present study, forced Gal-1 expression promoted HCC progression and sorafenib resistance. Gal-1 elevated αvβ3-integrin expression, leading to AKT activation. Moreover, Gal-1 overexpression induced HCC cell EMT via PI3K/AKT cascade activation. Clinically, our data revealed that Gal-1 overexpression is correlated with poor HCC survival outcomes and sorafenib response. These data suggest that Gal-1 may be a potential therapeutic target for HCC and a biomarker for predicting response to sorafenib treatment.

FOXC1 is involved in ERα silencing by counteracting GATA3 binding and is implicated in endocrine resistance

Estrogen receptor-α (ERα) mediates the essential biological function of estrogen in breast development and tumorigenesis. Multiple mechanisms, including pioneer factors, coregulators, and epigenetic modifications have been identified as regulators of ERα signaling in breast cancer. However, previous studies of ERα regulation have focused on luminal and HER2-positive subtypes rather than basal-like breast cancer (BLBC), in which ERα is underexpressed. In addition, mechanisms that account for the decrease or loss of ER expression in recurrent tumors after endocrine therapy remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate a novel FOXC1-driven mechanism that suppresses ERα expression in breast cancer. We find that FOXC1 competes with GATA3 for the same binding regions in the cis-regulatory elements (CREs) upstream of the ERα gene and thereby downregulates ERα expression and consequently its transcriptional activity. The forkhead domain of FOXC1 is essential for the competition with GATA3 for DNA binding. Counteracting the action of GATA3 at the ERα promoter region, overexpression of FOXC1 hinders recruitment of RNA polymerase II and increases histone H3K9 trimethylation at ERα promoters. Importantly, ectopic FOXC1 expression in luminal breast cancer cells reduces sensitivity to estrogen and tamoxifen. Furthermore, in breast cancer patients with ER-positive primary tumors who received adjuvant tamoxifen treatment, FOXC1 expression is associated with decreased or undetectable ER expression in recurrent tumors. Our findings highlight a clinically relevant mechanism that contributes to the low or absent ERα expression in BLBC. This study suggests a new paradigm to study ERα regulation during breast cancer progression and indicates a role of FOXC1 in the modulation of cellular response to endocrine treatment.

Tissue-inappropriate derepression of FOXC1 is frequent and functional in human acute myeloid leukemia

Tissue-inappropriate derepression of the mesenchymal transcription factor gene Forkhead Box C1 (FOXC1) occurs in approximately 20% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia. Through experimental and bioinformatics analyses, we have demonstrated this to be both functional (enhancing the myeloid lineage differentiation block characteristic of the disease) and adversely prognostic.

Roles of XRCC1/XPD/ERCC1 Polymorphisms in Predicting Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Patients Receiving Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the potential prognostic roles of polymorphisms in the X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XPCC1), xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD) and excision repair cross-complementing group 1 (ERCC1) genes for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

METHODS

Clinical data and blood samples from 308 HCC patients receiving TACE were collected between January 2010 and December 2013. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RLFP) analyses was used to determine the genotypes of the XPCC1 (rs25487), XPD (rs13181) and ERCC1 (rs11615) genes. The relationships between the genotypes and the efficacy of TACE treatment were analyzed.

RESULTS

The XRCCI rs25487 polymorphism was associated with a favorable prognosis in HCC patients receiving TACE (p = 0.006), and patients carrying variant genotypes (A/A + G/A) were associated with significantly reduced risk of death compared with those with the wild genotype (G/G) (HR = 0.556; 95% CI = 0.354-0.874). These findings were supported by Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis showing that median survival time for patients with A/A + G/A genotypes was significantly longer compared with those with the G/G genotype (11.2 month vs. 8.0 months; log rank p = 0.006). Stratified analyses revealed that A/A + G/A genotypes of XRCC1 rs25487 are associated with significantly reduced risk of death compared with the G/G genotype in patients grouped by tumor size, portal vein tumor thrombus (PVTT), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and TNM stage (all p < 0.05). The ERCC1 rs13181 and XPD rs11615 polymorphisms were not predictive of clinical outcome for HCC patients receiving TACE (both p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The XRCC1 rs25487 polymorphisms are prognostic for HCC patients receiving TACE. The ERCC1 and XPD polymorphisms had no relationship to the clinical outcomes.

Carotenoid Nanovector for Efficient Therapeutic Gene Knockdown of Transcription Factor FOXC1 in Liver Cancer

Transcription factor FOXC1 has been implicated to play a critical role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression, but targeting FOXC1 for therapeutic benefit remains a challenge owing to its location inside the cell nucleus. Herein we report successful therapeutic gene knockdown of transcription factor FOXC1 in liver cancer cells through efficient delivery of siFOXC1 using novel carotenoid functionalized dendritic nanoparticles (CDN). This delivery system also displayed a markedly reduced toxicity profile compared to a standard siRNA transfection agent. We were able to achieve ∼90% FOXC1 knockdown using the CDN-siFOXC1 complex. Additionally, it was found to have ∼18% greater delivery efficiency compared to treatments with particles which have no carotenoid tagging, thereby emphasizing the role of carotenoid mediated cell internalization in the efficient delivery of CDN-siFOXC1 complex in liver cancer cells.

Severe Hepatitis Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence via NF-κB Pathway-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition after Resection

PURPOSE

Surgical resection is considered as a curative treatment modality for hepatocellular carcinoma; however, the incidence of postoperative tumor recurrence is high, leading to worse patient survival. Persistent hepatitis (inflammation) is one of the risk factors of tumor recurrence after surgical resection. The aim of this study is to investigate the underlying mechanisms linking liver inflammation to hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

In this study, we used a cytokine array to identify important cytokines whose levels are increased in liver microenvironment with severe hepatitis. We evaluated the morphologic changes, migration and invasion ability, and signal transduction in hepatocellular carcinoma cells with or without inflammatory cytokine in vitro Finally, we analyzed the NF-κB signal pathway in tumor specimens from 232 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma by immunohistochemical staining.

RESULTS

The proinflammatory cytokine TNFα was increased in the peritumoral microenvironment and contributed to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Specifically, TNFα promoted hepatocellular carcinoma cancer cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by upregulating the transcriptional regulator, Snail. We identified Snail as a direct target gene downstream of the TNFα-mediated canonical NF-κB activation. In addition, tumor recurrence-free survival of hepatocellular carcinoma patients correlated negatively with high p65 and Snail expression and positively with high E-cadherin expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results establish a signaling axis that explains how inflammatory tumor microenvironment promotes hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and metastasis. These findings suggest that controlling liver inflammation and/or targeting NF-κB-mediated Snail expression may be a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy.

FOXC1 Activates Smoothened-Independent Hedgehog Signaling in Basal-like Breast Cancer

The mesoderm- and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated transcription factor FOXC1 is specifically overexpressed in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC), but its biochemical function is not understood. Here, we demonstrate that FOXC1 controls cancer stem cell (CSC) properties enriched in BLBC cells via activation of Smoothened (SMO)-independent Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. This non-canonical activation of Hh is specifically mediated by Gli2. Furthermore, we show that the N-terminal domain of FOXC1 (aa 1-68) binds directly to an internal region (aa 898-1168) of Gli2, enhancing the DNA-binding and transcription-activating capacity of Gli2. FOXC1 expression correlates with that of Gli2 and its targets in human breast cancers. Moreover, FOXC1 overexpression reduces sensitivity to anti-Hedgehog (Hh) inhibitors in BLBC cells and xenograft tumors. Together, these findings reveal FOXC1-mediated non-canonical Hh signaling that determines the BLBC stem-like phenotype and anti-Hh sensitivity, supporting inhibition of FOXC1 pathways as potential approaches for improving BLBC treatment.

Forkhead box C1 induces epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and is a potential therapeutic target in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive malignancy with cervical lymphopathy as the initial presentation. Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process by which epithelial cells lose cell‑cell adhesion and gain migratory and invasive properties, has a pivotal role in metastasis. Forkhead box C1 (FoxC1), a member of the forkhead family of transcription factors, induces EMT and has a critical role in metastasis of multiple human cancers. However, the role of FoxC1 in the progression of NPC has remained elusive. The present study revealed that the expression of FoxC1 was markedly elevated in NPC tissues compared with that in chronically inflamed nasopharyngeal tissues and was closely correlated with vimentin, fibronectin and N‑cadherin expression as indicated by immunohistochemical assays. In addition, high FoxC1 expression was positively associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and an advanced clinical stage in patients with NPC. Furthermore, FoxC1 expression was high in NPC cell lines while being low in an immortalized normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line. In vitro, knockdown of FoxC1 in the CNE2 human NPC cell line by small interfering RNA downregulated vimentin, fibronectin and N‑cadherin expression and reduced the migratory and invasive capacity of CNE2 cells. In conclusion, the present study indicated that FoxC1 has a pivotal role in EMT through the upregulation of vimentin, fibronectin and N‑cadherin expression. Thus, FoxC1 may be a potential therapeutic target in NPC.

Interleukin-8 Induces Expression of FOXC1 to Promote Transactivation of CXCR1 and CCL2 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Lines and Formation of Metastases in Mice

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Inflammation regulated by interleukin (IL) 8 promotes metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The transcription factor forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) promotes metastasis by activating the epithelial to mesenchymal transition; its levels in liver tumors have been associated with shorter survival times of patients. We investigated whether FOXC1 activates inflammation signaling pathways in HCC cell lines.

METHODS

We performed studies in the human HCC cell lines Huh-7 and SMMC7721, as well as the metastatic cell lines MHCC97H and HCCLM3. Cell lines were incubated with IL8 and transcription of reporter genes was measured; cells were also incubated with kinase inhibitors. Levels of FOXC1 or IL8 were knocked down with small interfering messenger RNAs in Huh7 cells; cells were analyzed in vitro in migration and invasion assays. To study metastasis, HCC cells were injected into flanks of BALB/C nude mice; 4 weeks later, the subcutaneous tumor fragments were collected and implanted into livers of the nude mice, and number and size tumors formed were measured. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were used to measure binding of transcription factors promoter regions of genes. We measured levels of FOXC1, IL8, CXCR1, and CCL2 in 2 groups of human HCC tissues collected from the Xijing or Tongji Hospitals in China (n = 690 and n = 312 samples, respectively) using immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Incubation of HCC cells with IL8 led to increased expression of FOXC1, via activation of phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling to AKT and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. Knockdown of FOXC1 in HCC cells that overexpressed IL8 reduced the numbers of metastases formed in mice, compared with cells without FOXC1 knockdown. Transgenic overexpression of FOXC1 in HCC cells with IL8 knockdown increased the numbers of metastases formed in mice compared with cells without FOXC1 overexpression. CXCR1 and CCL2 were direct transcriptional targets of FOXC1. Knockdown of the combination of CXCR1 and CCL2 reduced the invasive activities of HCC cells that overexpress FOXC1 and formation of lung metastases in mice, and transgenic overexpression of CXCR1 increased cell's invasive and metastatic abilities after knockdown of FOXC1. Liver metastases grown from cells that overexpressed FOXC1 were infiltrated by tumor-associated macrophages, and CCL2 knockdown decreased tumor-associated macrophage infiltration; depletion of macrophages from mice significantly reduced growth of metastases by cells that overexpressed FOXC1. In human HCC tissues, level of FOXC1 correlated with levels of IL8 and CXCR1 and CCL2 and infiltration of tumors by macrophage. In multivariate analysis, detection of FOXC1 and CCL2 were independent predictors for postoperative recurrence of HCC and overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

In HCC cell lines, IL8 activates expression of FOXC1 via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling to AKT and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α. FOXC1 expression leads to transactivation of CXCR1 and CCL2, promoting inflammation and the invasive and metastatic abilities of HCC cells.

Frequent Derepression of the Mesenchymal Transcription Factor Gene FOXC1 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Through in silico and other analyses, we identified FOXC1 as expressed in at least 20% of human AML cases, but not in normal hematopoietic populations. FOXC1 expression in AML was almost exclusively associated with expression of the HOXA/B locus. Functional experiments demonstrated that FOXC1 contributes to a block in monocyte/macrophage differentiation and enhances clonogenic potential. In in vivo analyses, FOXC1 collaborates with HOXA9 to accelerate significantly the onset of symptomatic leukemia. A FOXC1-repressed gene set identified in murine leukemia exhibited quantitative repression in human AML in accordance with FOXC1 expression, and FOXC1(high) human AML cases exhibited reduced morphologic monocytic differentiation and inferior survival. Thus, FOXC1 is frequently derepressed to functional effect in human AML.

New insights into molecular diagnostic pathology of primary liver cancer: Advances and challenges

Primary liver cancer (PLC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide with increasing incidence and accounts for the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Traditional morphopathology primarily emphasizes qualitative diagnosis of PLC, which is not sufficient to resolve the major concern of increasing the long-term treatment efficacy of PLC in clinical management for the modern era. Since the beginning of the 21st century, molecular pathology has played an active role in the investigation of the evaluation of the metastatic potential of PLC, detection of drug targets, prediction of recurrence risks, analysis of clonal origins, evaluation of the malignancy trend of precancerous lesions, and determination of clinical prognosis. As a result, many new progresses have been obtained, and new strategies of molecular-pathological diagnosis have been formed. Moreover, the new types of pathobiological diagnosis indicator systems for PLC have been preliminarily established. These achievements provide valuable molecular pathology-based guide for clinical formulation of individualized therapy programs for PLC. This review article briefly summarizes some relevant progresses of molecular-pathological diagnosis of PLC from the perspective of clinical translational application other than basic experimental studies.

FOXQ1 is overexpressed in laryngeal carcinoma and affects cell growth, cell cycle progression and cell invasion

Forkhead box Q1 (FOXQ1) is a forkhead transcription factor that is involved in numerous biological processes and has been shown to participate in tumorigenesis. However, the clinical significance of the expression of this protein in laryngeal carcinoma, and the mechanisms underlying its regulation in this disease remain unclear. The aim of present study was to measure the expression of FOXQ1 in laryngeal carcinoma, and to examine its effect on tumorigenesis. In the present study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were employed to measure FOXQ1 expression in laryngeal carcinoma tissue samples, small interfering RNA specific to FOXQ1, was transfected into Hep2 cells and its effect on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration was examined, using a CCK-8 assay, flow cytometry and a transwell migration assay, respectively. The results showed overexpression of FOXQ1 mRNA and protein in laryngeal cancer tissue samples. Inhibition of FOXQ1 suppressed cell growth and invasion, and arrested cells in the G0/G1 phase. Overexpression of FOXQ1 is associated with the development of laryngeal carcinoma and may enhance tumorigenesis through its effects on cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cell migration.

Upregulation of long noncoding RNA ZEB1-AS1 promotes tumor metastasis and predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite progress in diagnostics and treatment of HCC, its prognosis remains poor. Emerging studies showed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have crucial regulatory roles in cancer biology. In the current study, differentially expressed lncRNAs between HCC and paired non-tumor tissues were identified using microarrays. The effects of a specific differentially expressed lncRNA (termed ZEB1-AS1) on tumor progression were investigated in vitro and in vivo. We found that ZEB1-AS1 is frequently upregulated in HCC samples, especially in metastatic tumor tissues. DNA methylation analysis shows a tumor-specific ZEB1-AS1 promoter hypomethylation. Aberrant methylation is tightly correlated with overexpression of ZEB1-AS1 in HCC. Patients with ZEB1-AS1 hypomethylation or with high ZEB1-AS1 expression have poor recurrence-free survival. Functionally, ZEB1-AS1 promotes tumor growth and metastasis, acts as an oncogene in HCC. The ZEB1-AS1 gene is located in physical contiguity with ZEB1 and positively regulates the ZEB1 expression. ZEB1 inhibition partially abrogates ZEB1-AS1-induced epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer metastasis. Our results provide novel insights into the function of lncRNA-driven hepatocarcinogenesis, highlight the important role of ZEB1-AS1 and ZEB1 in HCC progression, and indicate that ZEB1-AS1 may be served as a valuable prognostic biomarker for HCC.

Amplification of Long Noncoding RNA ZFAS1 Promotes Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Despite progress in the diagnostics and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), its prognosis remains poor. In this study, we globally assessed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) for contributions to HCC using publicly available microarray data, in vitro and in vivo assays. Here, we report that ZFAS1, encoding a lncRNA that is frequently amplified in HCC, is associated with intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis and poor prognosis of HCC. ZFAS1 functions as an oncogene in HCC progression by binding miR-150 and abrogating its tumor-suppressive function in this setting. miR-150 repressed HCC cell invasion by inhibiting ZEB1 and the matrix metalloproteinases MMP14 and MMP16. Conversely, ZFAS1 activated ZEB1, MMP14, and MMP16 expression, inhibiting these effects of miR-150. Our results establish a function for ZFAS1 in metastatic progression and suggest its candidacy as a new prognostic biomarker and target for clinical management of HCC.

Preclinical and clinical studies of the NEDD9 scaffold protein in cancer and other diseases

Cancer progression requires a significant reprogramming of cellular signaling to support the essential tumor-specific processes that include hyperproliferation, invasion (for solid tumors) and survival of metastatic colonies. NEDD9 (also known as CasL and HEF1) encodes a multi-domain scaffolding protein that assembles signaling complexes regulating multiple cellular processes relevant to cancer. These include responsiveness to signals emanating from the T and B cell receptors, integrins, chemokine receptors, and receptor tyrosine kinases, as well as cytoplasmic oncogenes such as BCR-ABL and FAK- and SRC-family kinases. Downstream, NEDD9 regulation of partners including CRKL, WAVE, PI3K/AKT, ERK, E-cadherin, Aurora-A (AURKA), HDAC6, and others allow NEDD9 to influence functions as pleiotropic as migration, invasion, survival, ciliary resorption, and mitosis. In this review, we summarize a growing body of preclinical and clinical data that indicate that while NEDD9 is itself non-oncogenic, changes in expression of NEDD9 (most commonly elevation of expression) are common features of tumors, and directly impact tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and response to at least some targeted agents inhibiting NEDD9-interacting proteins. These data strongly support the relevance of further development of NEDD9 as a biomarker for therapeutic resistance. Finally, we briefly discuss emerging evidence supporting involvement of NEDD9 in additional pathological conditions, including stroke and polycystic kidney disease.

The miR-200 family and the miR-183~96~182 cluster target Foxf2 to inhibit invasion and metastasis in lung cancers

Metastatic lung cancer is one of the most lethal forms of cancer and molecular pathways driving metastasis are still not clearly elucidated. Metastatic cancer cells undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) where they lose their epithelial properties and acquire a migratory and invasive phenotype. Here we identify that expression of microRNAs from the miR-200 family and the miR-183~96~182 cluster are significantly co-repressed in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and primary tumors from multiple TCGA data sets with high EMT scores. Ectopic expression of the miR-183~96~182 cluster inhibited cancer cell migration and invasion, while its expression was tightly modulated by miR-200. We identified Foxf2 as a common, novel and direct target of both these microRNA families. Foxf2 expression tightly correlates with the transcription factor Zeb1 and is elevated in mesenchymal-like metastatic lung cancer cells. Foxf2 expression induced robust EMT, migration, invasion and metastasis in lung cancer cells, whereas Foxf2 inhibition significantly repressed these phenotypes. We also demonstrated that Foxf2 transcriptionally represses E-Cadherin and miR-200, independent of Zeb1, to form a double negative feedback loop. We therefore identified a novel mechanism whereby the miR-200 family and the miR-183~96~182 cluster inhibit lung cancer invasion and metastasis by targeting Foxf2.

Suppression of the nuclear transporter-KPNβ1 expression inhibits tumor proliferation in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the malignant tumors and leads to the highly death in the solid tumors, but its mechanism remains unclear. KPNβ1 is one of the soluble nuclear transport receptors, has been reported to act as an important role in the occurrence and development of tumor, such as cervical cancer, head and neck and lung cancer. However, the expression mechanisms and physiological significance of KPNβ1 in HCC is still unclear.

AIM

The expression of KPNβ1 and its involvement in HCC was studied.

METHODS

The expression of KPNβ1 protein was measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry in HCC. We analyzed the effects of growth and interference of KPNβ1 in the cell cycle process by CCK8 and flow cytometrical analysis.

RESULTS

KPNβ1 protein level was up-regulated in HCC tissue samples. The KPNβ1 expression was significantly associated with histological differentiation. The levels of KPNβ1 were significantly correlated with histological grade (P = 0.03), metastasis (P = 0.01), vein invasion (P = 0.04) and tumor size (P = 0.01) in HCC samples. Serum starvation assay proved that KPNβ1 was arrested in G1 phase and was gradually reduced by refeeding serum. Moreover, the knockdown of KPNβ1 induced cell proliferation arrest in HepG2 cell. Western blot analyses showed that KPNβ1 was correlated with NF-кB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our datum showed that KPNβ1 expression was up-regulated in HCC tissue samples and increasing HCC cells growth and the KPNβ1 expression was associated with poor survival. KPNβ1 may take part in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma via NF-кB signaling pathway and serve as an independent prognostic indicator and a novel therapeutic target for HCC.

miR-150-5p inhibits hepatoma cell migration and invasion by targeting MMP14

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite progress in diagnostics and treatment of HCC, its prognosis remains poor because the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatocarcinogenesis are not well understood. In the study, we focused on identifying the role of miRNAs in HCC progression. miRNA microarray was used to analyze the differentially expressed miRNAs, and the results were validated by qPCR. We found that the miR-150-5p expression is down-regulated in HCC tissues compared with pair non-tumor tissues. miR-150-5p expression is also decreased in metastatic cancer tissues compared with pair primary tissues, indicating that miR-150-5p may be involved in HCC metastasis. Functionally, miR-150-5p inhibition significantly promotes hepatoma cell migration and invasion, whereas miR-150-5p overexpression suppresses cancer cell migration and invasion invitro. The matrix metalloproteinase 14 (MMP14) is identified as a new target gene of miR-150-5p. miR-150-5p markedly inhibits MMP14 expression in hepatoma cells, and miR-150-5p expression is negative correlation with MMP14 expression invivo. More important, re-expression of MMP14 in hepatoma cells partially reverses the effect of miR-150-5p in inhibiting cell invasion.

Jun-regulated genes promote interaction of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with the microenvironment

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive disease with a high proliferation rate. However, the molecular and genetic features that drive the aggressive clinical behavior of DLBCL are not fully defined. Here, we have demonstrated that activated Jun signaling is a frequent event in DLBCL that promotes dissemination of malignant cells. Downregulation of Jun dramatically reduces lymphoma cell adhesion to extracellular matrix proteins, subcutaneous tumor size in nude mice, and invasive behavior, including bone marrow infiltration and interaction with bone marrow stromal cells. Furthermore, using a combination of RNA interference and gene expression profiling, we identified Jun target genes that are associated with disseminated lymphoma. Among them, ITGAV, FoxC1, and CX3CR1 are significantly enriched in patients with 2 or more extranodal sites. Our results point to activated Jun signaling as a major driver of the aggressive phenotype of DLBCL.

Forkhead box C1 promoter upstream transcript, a novel long non-coding RNA, regulates proliferation and migration in basal-like breast cancer

Recent studies have shown that long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have crucial regulating roles in carcinogenesis. Forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) is an important cancer‑associated gene in basal‑like breast cancer (BLBC). In the present study, a novel lncRNA, FOXC1 promoter upstream transcript (FOXCUT) was investigated in BLBC patients using polymerase chain reaction analysis. The results showed that the expression of FOXCUT and FOXC1 were positively correlated. When the expression of FOXCUT was downregulated by small interfering RNA, the expression of FOXC1 was similarly reduced. Furthermore, in MDA‑MB‑231 and MDA‑MB‑468 breast cancer cells, knockdown of FOXCUT markedly inhibited cell proliferation and migration in vitro. In conclusion, FOXCUT lncRNA may be functionally involved in the tumor progression of BLBCs through the regulation of its paired mRNA, FOXC1, demonstrating that FOXCUT may serve as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target in BLBCs.

Microarray expression profile of long non-coding RNAs in EGFR-TKIs resistance of human non-small cell lung cancer

The application of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) is limited by drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to be involved in tumor development and metastasis, as well as chemotherapy resistance. To gain insight into the molecular mechanisms of EGFR-TKIs resistance, EGFR-TKIs‑sensitive and ‑resistant human lung cancer cells were analyzed by lncRNA microarray. In the present study, we found a total of 22,587 lncRNAs expressed in lung cancer cells. Of these, the expression level of 1,731 lncRNAs was upregulated >2-fold compared with gefitinib-sensitive cells while that of 2,936 was downregulated. Bioinformatics analysis (GO and pathway analyses) revealed that some classical pathways participating in cell proliferation and apoptosis were aberrantly expressed in these cells (P-value cut-off was 0.05). Enhancer-like lncRNAs and their nearby coding genes were analyzed. Six lncRNAs were identified as potential enhancers. Several lncRNAs were validated in lung cancer cell lines using RT-qPCR. To the best of our knowledge, the results showed for the first time that differentially expressed lncRNAs responded to EGFR-TKIs resistance in NSCLC cells. LncRNAs may therefore be novel candidate biomarkers and potential targets for EGFR-TKIs therapy in the future.

Galectin-4 serves as a prognostic biomarker for the early recurrence / metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Galectin-4 is a multifunctional lectin found at both intracellular and extracellular sites. It could serve as a tumor suppressor intracellularly and promote tumor metastases extracellularly during colorectal cancer development. However, galectin-4 expression and its prognostic value for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been well investigated. Here we report that galectin-4 was significantly downregulated in early recurrent/metastatic HCC patients, when compared to non-recurrent/metastatic HCC patients. Low expression of gelectin-4 was well associated with larger tumor size, microvascular invasion, malignant differentiation, more advanced TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Cancer cell migration and invasion could be significantly reduced through overexpression of galectin-4, but upregulated by knocking down of galectin-4 in vitro. Moreover, the serum galectin-4 level could be significantly elevated solely by hepatitis B virus infection. Combined with clinicopathological features, the higher serologic level of galectin-4 was well associated with more aggressive characteristics of HCC. Taken together, galectin-4 expression closely associates with HCC progression and might have potential use as a prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

miR-639 regulates transforming growth factor beta-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human tongue cancer cells by targeting FOXC1

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is implicated in embryonic development and various pathological events. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) has been reported to induce EMT in tumor cells, which is a critical step in the process of metastasis leading to cancer spreading and treatment failure. However, the involvement of microRNA during the EMT process in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains to be determined. To address this question, TSCC cell lines SCC9 and CAL27 were treated with human recombinant TGFβ1 for 48 h. miRNA microarray illustrated that miR-639 was significantly downregulated in TGFβ-treated SCC9 cells. Ectopic expression of miR-639 with miRNA mimics effectively blocked TGFβ-induced EMT in SCC9 and CAL27 cells, but inhibition of miR-639 in SCC9 and CAL27 cells with antisense oligonucleotides induced EMT. Computational microRNA target predictions detected a conserved sequence matching to the seed region of miR-639 in the 3'-UTR of FOXC1 mRNA. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-639 targets FOXC1. Ectopic expression of FOXC1 induces EMT in TSCC cells. Silencing FOXC1 expression blocked TGFβ-induced EMT in SCC9 cells. Clinically, reduced miR-639 expression was associated with metastasis in TSCC and poor patient survival. The data from the present study suggest that reduced expression of miR-639 underscores the mechanism of TGFβ-induced EMT in TSCC by targeting FOXC1 and may serve as therapeutic targets in the process of metastasis.

MicroRNA-331-3p promotes proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting PH domain and leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly invasive tumor with frequent intrahepatic or pulmonary metastasis, which is the main reason for high recurrence and poor survival of HCC after liver resection. However, the mechanisms for metastasis remain incompletely clear. Given that microRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in HCC progression, we explored a potential role of miRNAs in metastasis by performing miRNA expression profiling in three subtypes of HCC with different metastatic potentials. We discovered miR-331-3p as one of most significantly overexpressed miRNAs and highly associated with metastasis of HCC. Increased expression of miR-331-3p was correlated with poor long-term survival of HCC. We provided both in vivo and in vitro evidence demonstrating that miR-331-3p promoted proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. Using an integrated approach, we uncovered that PH domain and leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase (PHLPP) was a novel target of miR-331-3p. Indeed, the miR-331-3p-mediated effects were antagonized by reexpression of PHLPP or mimicked by silencing of PHLPP. We further showed that miR-331-3p-mediated inhibition of PHLPP resulted in stimulation of protein kinase B (AKT) and subsequent epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). Finally, inhibition of miR-331-3p through a jetPEI-mediated delivery of anti-miR-331-3p vector resulted in marked inhibition of proliferation and metastasis of HCC in xenograft mice.

CONCLUSION

miR-331-3p promotes proliferation and EMT-mediated metastasis of HCC through suppression of PHLPP-mediated dephosphorylation of AKT. Our work implicates miR-331-3p as a potential prognostic biomarker and a novel therapeutic target.

Upregulation of heat shock factor 1 transcription activity is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) is associated with tissue‑specific tumorigenesis in a number of mouse models, and has been used a as prognostic marker of cancer types, including breast and prostatic cancer. However, its role in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well understood. Using immunoblotting and immunohistochemical staining, it was identified that HSF1 and its serine (S) 326 phosphorylation, a biomarker of HSF1 activation, are significantly upregulated in human HCC tissues and HCC cell lines compared with their normal counterparts. Cohort analyses indicated that upregulation of the expression of HSF1 and its phospho‑S326 is significantly correlated with HCC progression, invasion and patient survival prognosis (P<0.001); however, not in the presence of a hepatitis B virus infection and the expression of alpha-fetoprotein and carcinoembryonic antigen. Knockdown of HSF1 with shRNA induced the protein expression of tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein, resulting in attenuated plc/prf5 cell growth and colony formation in vitro. Taken together, these data markedly support that HSF1 is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

FOXC1 is a critical mediator of EGFR function in human basal-like breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Human basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) has a poor prognosis and is often identified by expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). BLBC remains a major clinical challenge because its pathogenesis is not well understood, thus hindering efforts to develop targeted therapies. Recent data implicate the forkhead box C1 (FOXC1) transcription factor as an important prognostic biomarker and functional regulator of BLBC, but its regulatory mechanism and impact on BLBC tumorigenesis remain unclear.

METHODS

The association between FOXC1 and EGFR expression in human breast cancer was examined by immunohistochemistry in formalin-fixed tissues and analysis of the TCGA database. The regulation of FOXC1 by EGFR activation was investigated in MDA-MB-468 cells using immunoblotting, qRT-PCR, and luciferase activity assays. This EGFR effect on FOXC1 expression was confirmed using the MDA-MB-468 xenograft model.

RESULTS

Both FOXC1 mRNA and protein levels significantly correlated with EGFR expression in human breast tumors. EGFR activation induced FOXC1 transcription through the ERK and Akt pathways in BLBC. EGFR inhibition in vivo reduced FOXC1 expression in xenograft tumors. We also found that FOXC1 knockdown impaired the effects of EGF on BLBC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings uncover a novel EGFR-FOXC1 signaling axis critical for BLBC cell functions, supporting the notion that intervention in the FOXC1 pathway may provide potential modalities for BLBC treatment.

Prognostic significance of E-cadherin expression in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Backgrounds

Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancy of liver and HCC-related morbidity and mortality remains at high level. Researchers had investigated whether and how reduced E-cadherin expression impacted the prognosis of patients with HCC but the results reported by different teams remain inconclusive.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in all available databases to retrieve eligible studies and identify all relevant data, which could be used to evaluate the correlation between reduced E-cadherin expression and clinicopathological features and prognosis for HCC patients. A fixed or random effects model was used in this meta-analysis to calculate the pooled odds ratios (OR) and weighted mean differences (WMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Total 2439 patients in thirty studies matched the selection criteria. Aggregation of the data suggested that reduced E-cadherin expression in HCC patients correlated with poor 1-, 3- and 5-year overall survival. The combined ORs were 0.50 (n = 13 studies, 95% CI: 0.37–0.67, Z = 4.49, P<0.00001), 0.39 (n = 13 studies, 95% CI: 0.28–0.56, Z = 5.12, P<0.00001), 0.40 (n = 11 studies, 95% CI: 0.25–0.64, Z = 3.82, P = 0.0001), respectively. Additionally, the pooled analysis denoted that reduced E-cadherin expression negatively impacts recurrence-free survival (RSF) with no significant heterogeneity. The pooled ORs for 1-, 3- and 5- year RSF affected by down-regulated E-cadherin were 0.73 (n = 6 studies, 95% CI: 0.54–1.00, Z = 1.95, P = 0.05), 0.70 (n = 6 studies, 95% CI: 0.52–0.95, Z = 2.32, P = 0.02), 0.66 (n = 5 studies, 95% CI: 0.48–0.90, Z = 2.64, P = 0.008). And what’s more, reduced E-cadherin expression tended to be significantly associated with metastasis (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.16–0.60, Z = 3.50, P = 0.0005), vascular invasion (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.59–0.98, Z = 2.14, P = 0.03), advanced differentiation grade (OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.21–0.45, Z = 6.04, P<0.00001) and advanced TMN stage (T3/T4 versus T1/T2) (OR = 0.61,95% CI:0.38–0.98, Z = 2.05, P = 0.04).

Conclusions

Reduced E-cadherin expression indicates a poor prognosis for patients with HCC, and it may have predictive potential for prognosis of HCC patients.

The expression and functional role of a FOXC1 related mRNA-lncRNA pair in oral squamous cell carcinoma

The Fork head box C1 (FOXC1) gene is overexpressed in multiple malignant tumors and is functionally correlated with tumor progression. However, its’ role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is still unclear. Recent studies have revealed that many long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) cooperate with adjacent coding genes and form a functional “lncRNA-mRNA pair”. In this study, we report a new lncRNA FOXC1 upstream transcript (FOXCUT) that was remarkably overexpressed in 23 OSCC patients, as was the adjacent FOXC1 gene. The expressions of FOXC1 and FOXCUT were positively correlated. When the expression of FOXCUT was down-regulated by small interfering RNA (siRNA), the expression of FOXC1 was also decreased. Moreover, in OSCC cells Tca8113 and SCC-9, down-regulation of either FOXC1 or FOXCUT by siRNA could inhibit cell proliferation and cell migration in vitro and was accompanied with a reduction of MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, and VEGF-A. In conclusion, FOXC1 may be co-amplified with FOXCUT in OSCC, and both of them may be functionally involved in the tumor progression of OSCC. This provides evidence that both FOXC1 and FOXCUT may serve as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in OSCC patients who overexpress this “lncRNA-mRNA pair”.