High expression of NFX1-123 in HPV positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

Knockdown of HGH1 in breast cancer cell lines can inhibit the viability, invasion and migration of tumor cells

BACKGROUND

Research on the function of HGH1 in breast cancer remains lacking.

METHODS

TCGAand GEO (GSE45827) datasets investigated discrepancies in HGH1 expression in BC. An aggregate of 106 clinical samples were gathered through immunohistochemistry, KM curves were drawn for prognostic analysis, and the function of HGH1 of BC was predicted. Finally, the effects of HGH1 knockdown on MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 BC cells were verified via CCK8, invasion, wound healing and colony formation assays.

RESULTS

HGH1 is highly expressed in BC and is linked to unfavorable prognosis. HGH1 overexpression is connected to keratinization and the cell cycle and is closely related to ER and PR expression and tumor stage in BC patients. Knocking down HGH1 in BC cells inhibited the viability, invasion and migration.

CONCLUSION

Knockdown of HGH1 in breast cancer cell lines can inhibit the viability, invasion and migration of tumor cells.

Comparative Analysis of Alpha and Beta HPV E6 Oncoproteins: Insights into Functional Distinctions and Divergent Mechanisms of Pathogenesis

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) represent a diverse group of DNA viruses that infect epithelial cells of mucosal and cutaneous tissues, leading to a wide spectrum of clinical outcomes. Among various HPVs, alpha (α) and beta (β) types have garnered significant attention due to their associations with human health. α-HPVs are primarily linked to infections of the mucosa, with high-risk subtypes, such as HPV16 and HPV18, being the major etiological agents of cervical and oropharyngeal cancers. In contrast, β-HPVs are predominantly associated with cutaneous infections and are commonly found on healthy skin. However, certain β-types, notably HPV5 and HPV8, have been implicated in the development of non-melanoma skin cancers in immunocompromised individuals, highlighting their potential role in pathogenicity. In this review, we comprehensively analyze the similarities and differences between α- and β-HPV E6 oncoproteins, one of the major drivers of viral replication and cellular transformation, and how these impact viral fitness and the capacity to induce malignancy. In particular, we compare the mechanisms these oncoproteins use to modulate common cellular processes-apoptosis, DNA damage repair, cell differentiation, and the immune response-further shedding light on their shared and distinct features, which enable them to replicate at divergent locations of the human body and cause different types of cancer.

NFX1-123: A potential therapeutic target in cervical cancer

NFX1-123 is a splice variant isoform of the NFX1 gene. It is highly expressed in cervical cancers caused by HPV, and NFX1-123 is a protein partner with the HPV oncoprotein E6. Together, NFX1-123 and E6 affect cellular growth, longevity, and differentiation. The expression status of NFX1-123 in cancers beyond cervical and head and neck cancers, and its potential as therapeutic target, have not been investigated. TSVdb of TCGA was used to quantify NFX1-123 expression in 24 cancers compared with normal tissues. The NFX1-123 protein structure was predicted and then submitted to retrieve suitable drug molecules. The top four compounds, found to bind in silico to NFX1-123, were tested experimentally to determine their effects on NFX1-123-related cellular growth, survival, and migration. 46% of cancers (11 of 24 had significant differences in NFX1-123 expression, with nine having had greater NFX1-123 expression, when compared with adjacent normal tissues. Bioinformatics and proteomic predictive analysis modeled the three-dimensional structure of NFX1-123, and drug libraries were screened for high-binding affinity compounds using this modeled structure. Seventeen drugs with binding energies ranging from -1.3 to -10 Kcal/mol were identified. The top four compounds were used to treat HPV- and HPV+ cervical cancer cell lines, three of which (Ropitoin, R428 and Ketoconazole) reduced NFX1-123 protein levels, inhibited cellular growth, survival, and migration, and enhanced the cytotoxicity of Cisplatin. These findings highlight cancers expressing high levels of NFX1-123, and drugs that target it, may reduce cellular growth, survival, and migration, making NFX1-123 a potential novel therapeutic target.

Post-Transcriptional Gene Regulation by HPV 16E6 and Its Host Protein Partners

Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV 16) is the most common oncogenic type of HPV in cervical, anogenital, and head and neck cancers, making HPV 16 an important high-risk HPV (HR HPV) type. To create an environment permissible for viral maintenance and growth and to initiate and support oncogenesis, the HR HPV protein E6 functions to dysregulate normal cellular processes. HR HPV type 16 E6 (16E6) has previously been shown to bind cellular proteins in order to transcriptionally activate genes and to target regulatory proteins for degradation. We have identified an additional functional model for 16E6. First, 16E6 binds to cellular RNA processing and binding proteins, specifically cytoplasmic poly(A) binding proteins (PABPCs) and NFX1-123. Then, 16E6 hijacks those proteins' functions to post-transcriptionally regulate cellular immortalization, growth, and differentiation genes and pathways in keratinocytes. In this review, we have highlighted studies that introduce this new model of 16E6 functionality. Understanding ways in which HR HPV dysregulates cellular processes-particularly at the level of post-transcriptional gene regulation-presents new ways to consider mechanisms underlying DNA tumor virus function and new areas for therapeutic target development in HPV-associated cancers.