PLAGL2-EGFR-HIF-1/2α Signaling Loop Promotes HCC Progression and Erlotinib Insensitivity

PAQR5 drives the malignant progression and shapes the immunosuppressive microenvironment of hepatocellular carcinoma by activating the NF-κB signaling

BACKGROUND

Progesterone and adipose Q receptor 5 (PAQR5), a membrane receptor characterized by seven transmembrane domains, has been indirectly implicated in pro-carcinogenic activities, though its specific role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains to be defined.

METHODS

This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which PAQR5 facilitates HCC progression and contributes to the immunosuppressive microenvironment through an integrative approach combining multi-omics analysis and experimental validation. Utilizing data from bulk, single-cell, and spatial transcriptomics cohorts, this study systematically assessed the expression patterns, immune landscape, and functional characteristics of PAQR5 across different levels of resolution in HCC.

RESULTS

PAQR5 expression was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues and correlated with poor clinical outcomes. Enrichment analysis revealed that PAQR5 activated the NF-κB signaling pathway in HCC. Single-cell transcriptomics identified PAQR5 as predominantly localized within malignant cell clusters, with significant association with NF-κB pathway activation. Spatial transcriptomics further corroborated the alignment of PAQR5 expression with tumor cell distribution. In vitro assays showed elevated PAQR5 levels in HCC cell lines, and silencing PAQR5 significantly suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and prevented the formation of immunosuppressive microenvironment. In vivo studies demonstrated that targeting PAQR5 attenuated tumorigenic potential, disrupted the invasion-metastasis cascade and inhibited the tumor immune escape. Mechanistically, PAQR5 was found to activate NF-κB signaling by inducing ERK phosphorylation, thereby driving proliferation, invasion, EMT, and immune escape in HCC through the pathway.

Effects and Mechanisms of Pleurotus eryngii Polysaccharide on Intestinal Barrier Damage: Based on the Perspective of Its Interaction with Intestinal Mucus during Gut Digestion

In this study, pathways and mechanisms of action of a new type of Pleurotus eryngii polysaccharide (PEP) with known structural characteristics and probiotic properties in the intestine were investigated. An in vitro cell model was used to investigate the protective effects of complexes formed between PEPs and their related products with mucin against gut barrier damage. Dextran sulfate sodium salt-induced colitis was used to determine the characteristics of the interaction between PEPs and intestinal mucus (IMs) at different consumption times. Finally, the protective effect of PEPs against intestinal barrier damage was investigated, as mediated by IMs. The result showed that complexes of PEP-related products and mucin improved damage to the intestinal barrier. PEPs exhibited differential functional activities at different stages. In normal and colitis mice, the interactions between IMs and PEPs showed different characteristics. From the transport and absorption standpoint, the role of PEPs in driving intestinal health was also clarified in this study.

CRSP8-driven fatty acid metabolism reprogramming enhances hepatocellular carcinoma progression by inhibiting RAN-mediated PPARα nucleus-cytoplasm shuttling

BACKGROUND

In-depth exploration into the dysregulation of lipid metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has contributed to the development of advanced antitumor strategies. CRSP8 is a critical component of mediator multiprotein complex involved in transcriptional recruiting. However, the regulatory mechanisms of CRSP8 on fatty acid metabolism reprogramming and HCC progression remain unclear.

METHODS

In-silico/house dataset analysis, lipid droplets (LDs) formation, HCC mouse models and targeted lipidomic analysis were performed to determine the function of CRSP8 on regulating lipid metabolism in HCC. The subcellular colocalization and live cell imaging of LDs, transmission electron microscopy, co-immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assay were employed to investigate their potential mechanism.

RESULTS

CRSP8 was identified as a highly expressed oncogene essential for the proliferation and aggressiveness of HCC in vitro and in vivo. The tumor promotion of CRSP8 was accompanied by LDs accumulation and increased de novo fatty acids (FAs) synthesis. Moreover, CRSP8 diminished the colocalization between LC3 and LDs to impair lipophagy in a nuclear-localized PPARα-dependent manner, which decreased the mobilization of FAs from LDs degradation and hindered mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Mechanistically, the small ras family GTPase RAN was transcriptionally activated by CRSP8, leading to the reinforcement of RAN/CRM1-mediated nuclear export. CRSP8-induced enhanced formation of RAN/CRM1/PPARα nucleus-cytoplasm shuttling heterotrimer orchestrated cytoplasmic translocation of PPARα, attenuated nPPARα-mediated lipophagy and fatty acid catabolism, subsequently exacerbated HCC progression. In CRSP8-enriched HCC, lipid synthesis inhibitor Orlistat effectively reshaped the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and improved the efficacy of anti-PD-L1 therapy in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our study establishes that CRSP8-driven fatty acid metabolism reprogramming facilitates HCC progression via the RAN/CRM1/PPARα nucleus-cytoplasm shuttling heterotrimer and impaired lipophagy-derived catabolism. Targeting the energy supply sourced from lipids could represent a promising therapeutic strategy for treating CRSP8-sufficient HCC.

Mechanisms of breast cancer treatment using Gentiana robusta: evidence from comprehensive bioinformatics investigation

This study investigates the potential treatment of breast cancer utilizing Gentiana robusta King ex Hook. f. (QJ) through an integrated approach involving network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Building upon prior research on QJ's chemical constituents, we conducted Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis using the DAVID database. Network interactions and core genes were identified using Cytoscape 3.9.1. Key target genes, including Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour suppressor gene P53 (TP53), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), were selected for molecular docking with QJ's active components, 2'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-gentiopicroside and macrophylloside D, employing Schrodinger Maestro 13.5. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed using the Desmond program. A total of 270 intersection targets of active ingredients and diseases were identified, with three core targets determined through network topology screening. Enrichment analysis highlighted the involvement of QJ in breast cancer treatment, primarily through the hsa05200 cancer signaling pathway and the hsa04066 HIF-1 signaling pathway. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated the close interaction of 2'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-gentiopicroside (QJ17) and macrophylloside D (QJ25) with IL6, TP53, and EGFR, and other target genes, showcasing a stabilizing effect. In conclusion, this study unveils the effective components and potential mechanisms of 2'-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-gentiopicroside and macrophylloside D in breast cancer prevention and treatment. The identified components act on target genes such as IL6, TP53, and EGFR, regulating crucial pathways including the cancer signaling and Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathways. These findings provide valuable insights into the therapeutic potential of QJ in breast cancer management. However, further experimental research are needed to validate the computational findings of QJ.

Hyperoxia exposure induces ferroptosis and apoptosis by downregulating PLAGL2 and repressing HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway in newborn alveolar typeII epithelial cell

BACKGROUD

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is one of the most important complications plaguing neonates and can lead to a variety of sequelae. the ability of the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway to promote angiogenesis has an important role in neonatal lung development.

METHOD

Newborn rats were exposed to 85% oxygen. The effects of hyperoxia exposure on Pleomorphic Adenoma Gene like-2 (PLAGL2) and the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway in rats lung tissue were assessed through immunofluorescence and Western Blot analysis. In cell experiments, PLAGL2 was upregulated, and the effects of hyperoxia and PLAGL2 on cell viability were evaluated using scratch assays, CCK-8 assays, and EDU staining. The role of upregulated PLAGL2 in the HIF-1α/VEGF pathway was determined by Western Blot and RT-PCR. Apoptosis and ferroptosis effects were determined through flow cytometry and viability assays.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the expression levels of PLAGL2, HIF-1α, VEGF, and SPC in lung tissues after 3, 7, and 14 days of hyperoxia exposure were all decreased. Furthermore, hyperoxia also inhibited the proliferation and motility of type II alveolar epithelial cells (AECII) and induced apoptosis in AECII. Upregulation of PLAGL2 restored the proliferation and motility of AECII and suppressed cell apoptosis and ferroptosis, while the HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway was also revived.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirmed the positive role of PLAGL2 and HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway in promoting BPD in hyperoxia conditions, and provided a promising therapeutic targets.

Integration of single-cell and spatial transcriptome sequencing identifies CDKN2A as a senescent biomarker in endothelial cells implicating hepatocellular carcinoma malignancy

PURPOSE

Highly complex tumor microenvironment makes hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as one of the most malignant tumors worldwide. The role of cellular senescence in HCC has been gradually recognized. The present study aimed to comprehensively elucidate the senescence-related features of HCC in single-cell and spatial dimension.

METHODS

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) data was used to clarify the heterogeneity of senescence-related genes (SRGs) among multiple cell types within HCC. Spatial transcriptome RNA sequencing (stRNA-Seq) data was used for depicting SRGs features in spatial dimension. A prognostic model based on SRGs was constructed by using of bulk sequencing (bulk-Seq) data of HCC. The cell-cell interaction of senescent endothelial cells (ECs) in tumor microenvironment was analyzed. Then, the role of senescent ECs was verified through in vitro and in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

The level of senescence demonstrated substantial heterogeneity among different cell types within tumor microenvironment of HCC, where ECs exhibited the most prominent senescent phenotype. Senescent ECs activated specific regulatory pathways through communicating with other cell types, with a potential impact on tumor progression. Spatial analysis revealed senescent ECs mainly located in the core region of HCC. The interaction of senescent ECs and immune cells implicated their role in tumor progression and immunotherapeutic response. In addition, CDKN2A was identified as an independent risk factor for HCC prognosis by constructing a prognostic model. Patients with high risk displayed an even worse outcome. The experimental verification indicated senescence of ECs determined by CDKN2A exhibited a secretory phenotype. Furthermore, senescent ECs with CDKN2A overexpression promote the proliferation and migration of HCC.

CONCLUSION

The present study recognizes the critical effect of senescent ECs defined by CDKN2A in the promotion of tumor progression, which sheds new light on the investigation of ECs senescence in HCC.

Evaluating the impact of treatment sequencing on outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma: a comparative analysis of TACE and systemic therapies

This study aimed to evaluate how the timing of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) relative to systemic therapy (tyrosine-kinase inhibitors [TKIs] and immune checkpoint inhibitors [ICIs]) influences oncological outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A retrospective analysis was conducted on HCC patients treated with TACE plus TKIs and ICIs from January 2018 to February 2023. We compared objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS) between patients receiving TACE before versus after systemic therapies. Multivariate Cox regression analyses identified potential prognostic factors. Of the 194 patients enrolled, 111 received TACE before systemic therapies, and 83 after. The median age at diagnosis was 52.8 years. There were no significant differences in ORR (40.72% vs. 30.41%, p = 0.989) or DCR (48.45% vs. 35.57%, p = 0.770) between the groups. Likewise, OS (18.73 vs. 18.20 months, p = 0.091) and PFS (11.53 vs. 10.05 months, p = 0.336) were similar regardless of treatment sequence. In the result of Cox analysis, a 20% decrease in AFP from baseline at one month was associated with improved OS (HR = 0.35, 95% CI 0.17-0.70, p = 0.003) and PFS (HR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.96, p = 0.028). Large tumor size (≥ 10 cm) was a poor prognostic factor for OS (HR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.07-4.21, p = 0.032), and the presence of portal vein tumor thrombus adversely affected PFS (HR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.47-3.62, p < 0.001). The sequencing of TACE and systemic therapies does not significantly impact the prognosis of advanced HCC. A 20% reduction in AFP within one month of treatment commencement emerges as a protective prognostic factor for HCC.

Hemiprotonic ph-ph+ with two targets inhibits metastatic breast cancer and concurrent candidiasis

Concurrent infection in breast cancer patients is the direct cause of the high mortality rate of the disease. However, there is no available method to increase the survival rate until now. To address the problem, we propose one drug with two target strategy to treat the refractory disease. A small chemical, ph-ph+, was attempted to be used in the study to explore the feasibility of the approach in anticancer and antifungus at the same time. The results showed that ph-ph+ could prevent the proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer cells, and kill C. albicans simultaneously. The molecular mechanism was associated with the activation of an evolutionarily conserved protease CLpP in the cancer and C. albicans cells. Also, the signaling pathway mediated by PLAGL2 that highly expressed in cancer cells participated in preventing cell metastasis and inducing apoptosis of ph-ph+. The one drug with dual targets inhibited the growth and metastasis of the cancer cells, and meanwhile eliminated C. albicans in tissues in the experimental animals. The results suggested that ph-ph+ with dual targets of CLpP and PLAGL2 would be a feasible approach to prolong the survival rate in patients with metastatic breast cancer and pathogenic infection.

Lysophospholipid acyltransferase-mediated formation of saturated glycerophospholipids maintained cell membrane integrity for hypoxic adaptation

Adaptation to hypoxia has attracted much public interest because of its clinical significance. However, hypoxic adaptation in the body is complicated and difficult to fully explore. To explore previously unknown conserved mechanisms and key proteins involved in hypoxic adaptation in different species, we first used a yeast model for mechanistic screening. Further multi-omics analyses in multiple species including yeast, zebrafish and mice revealed that glycerophospholipid metabolism was significantly involved in hypoxic adaptation with up-regulation of lysophospholipid acyltransferase (ALE1) in yeast, a key protein for the formation of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine [DPPC (16:0/16:0)], which is a saturated phosphatidylcholine. Importantly, a mammalian homolog of ALE1, lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1), enhanced DPPC levels at the cell membrane and exhibited the same protective effect in mammalian cells under hypoxic conditions. DPPC supplementation effectively attenuated growth restriction, maintained cell membrane integrity and increased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor under hypoxic conditions, but unsaturated phosphatidylcholine did not. In agreement with these findings, DPPC treatment could also repair hypoxic injury of intestinal mucosa in mice. Taken together, ALE1/LPCAT1-mediated DPPC formation, a key pathway of glycerophospholipid metabolism, is crucial for cell viability under hypoxic conditions. Moreover, we found that ALE1 was also involved in glycolysis to maintain sufficient survival conditions for yeast. The present study offers a novel approach to understanding lipid metabolism under hypoxia and provides new insights into treating hypoxia-related diseases.

Stress-induced epinephrine promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via the USP10-PLAGL2 signaling loop

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with a poor prognosis. Our previous study demonstrated that Pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) was a potential therapeutic target in HCC. However, the mechanisms that lead to the upregulation of PLAGL2 in HCC remain unclear. The present study revealed that stress-induced epinephrine increased the expression of PLAGL2, thereby promoting the progression of HCC. Furthermore, PLAGL2 knockdown inhibited epinephrine-induced HCC development. Mechanistically, epinephrine upregulated ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) to stabilize PLAGL2 via the adrenergic β-receptor-2-c-Myc (ADRB2-c-Myc) axis. Furthermore, PLAGL2 acted as a transcriptional regulator of USP10, forming a signaling loop. Taken together, these results reveal that stress-induced epinephrine activates the PLAGL2-USP10 signaling loop to enhance HCC progression. Furthermore, PLAGL2 plays a crucial role in psychological stress-mediated promotion of HCC progression.

Integration of meta-analysis and network pharmacology analysis to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: This study will explore the therapeutic value of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) through meta-analysis, combined with network pharmacology analysis. Methods: The results of randomized controlled trials on TCM and HCC were retrieved and summarized from multiple databases. The effective active com-pounds and target genes of the high-frequency TCM were obtained using the TCMSP database, and disease targets of HCC were acquired through the public disease database. The network pharmacology analysis was used to get the core genes and investigate the potential oncogenic molecular mechanism. Results: A total of 14 meta-analysis studies with 1,831 patients suggested that therapy combined TCM is associated with better clinical efficacy and survival prognosis, as well as avoiding many adverse events. A total of 156 compounds, 247 herbal target genes and 36 core genes were identified. The function analysis suggested above genes may participate development in HCC through regulating some pathways, such as HIF-1 pathway and PD-L1 immune-related pathway. Conclusion: TCM, as a novel, safe, and effective multi-mechanism therapy, holds greater value in the treatment of HCC.

The miR-7/EGFR axis controls the epithelial cell immunomodulation and regeneration and orchestrates the pathology in inflammatory bowel disease

INTRODUCTION

The epithelial immunomodulation and regeneration are intrinsic critical events against inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). MiR-7 is well documented as a promising regulator in the development of various diseases including inflammatory diseases.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the effect of miR-7 in intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) in IBD.

METHODS

MiR-7def mice were given dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) to induce enteritis model. The infiltration of inflammatory cells was measured by FCM and immunofluorescence assay. 5'deletion assay and EMSA assays were performed to study the regulatory mechanism of miR-7 expression in IECs. The inflammatory signals and the targets of miR-7 were analyzed by RNA-seq and FISH assay. IECs were isolated from miR-7def, miR-7oe and WT mice to identify the immunomodulation and regeneration capacity. IEC-specific miR-7 silencing expression vector was designed and administered by the tail vein into murine DSS-induced enteritis model to evaluate the pathological lesions of IBD.

RESULTS

We found miR-7 deficiency improved the pathological lesions of DSS-induced murine enteritis model, accompanied by elevated proliferation and enhanced transduction of NF-κB/AKT/ERK signals in colonic IECs, as well as decreased local infiltration of inflammatory cells. MiR-7 was dominantly upregulated in colonic IECs in colitis. Moreover, the transcription of pre-miR-7a-1, orchestrated by transcription factor C/EBPα, was a main resource of mature miR-7 in IECs. As for the mechanism, EGFR, a miR-7 target gene, was downregulated in colonic IECs in colitis model and Crohn's disease patients. Furthermore, miR-7 also controlled the proliferation and inflammatory-cytokine secretion of IECs in response to inflammatory-signals through EGFR/NF-κB/AKT/ERK pathway. Finally, IEC-specific miR-7 silencing promoted the proliferation and transduction of NF-κB pathway in IECs and alleviated the pathological damage of colitis.

CONCLUSION

Our results present the unknown role of miR-7/EGFR axis in IEC immunomodulation and regeneration in IBD and might provide clues for the application of miRNA-based therapeutic strategies in colonic diseases.

Development and Validation of a Novel Nomogram Integrated with Hypoxic and Lactate Metabolic Characteristics for Prognosis Prediction in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Accumulating evidence indicates that hypoxia and lactate metabolism play critical roles in tumor progression and therapeutic efficacy. This study aimed to construct a hypoxia- and lactate metabolism-related prognostic model (HLPM) to evaluate survival and treatment responses for HCC patients and develop a nomogram integrated with HLPM and clinical characteristics for prognosis prediction in HCC.

Methods

Expression profile and clinical data of HCC were obtained from TCGA and ICGC databases. The univariate, LASSO and stepwise multivariate Cox analyses were used to identify the hypoxia- and lactate metabolism-related biomarkers, whose expression levels were then validated in 14 pairs tissue samples and single-cell RNA sequencing dataset. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were utilized to assess the prognostic values of biomarkers or models. Analyses of ImmuCellAI, TIDE and drug sensitivity were conducted to evaluate the therapeutic responses of patients. Furthermore, the nomogram integrated with hypoxic and lactate metabolic characteristics was established through univariate and multivariate Cox analyses. ROC curves, C-index, and calibration curves were depicted to evaluate the performance of the nomogram.

Results

Five hypoxia- and lactate metabolism-related biomarkers (KIF20A, IRAK1, ADM, PPARGC1A and EPO) were used to construct HLPM. The expression of five prognostic biomarkers was validated in 14 pairs tissue samples and single-cell RNA sequencing dataset. Analyses of ImmuCellAI, TIDE and drug sensitivity implied that patients with low-risk score were more sensitive to immunotherapy and major chemotherapeutic agents. The nomogram that contained age, histological grade and risk score of HLPM was developed and exhibited a better capacity in prognosis prediction than HLPM only.

Conclusion

A novel nomogram integrated with hypoxic and lactate metabolic characteristics was developed and validated for prognosis prediction in HCC, providing insight into personalized decision-making in clinical management.

Deficiency in SLC25A15, a hypoxia-responsive gene, promotes hepatocellular carcinoma by reprogramming glutamine metabolism

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The role of solute carrier family 25 member 15 (SLC25A15), a critical component of the urea cycle, in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression remains poorly understood. This study investigated the impact of SLC25A15 on HCC progression and its mechanisms.

METHODS

We systematically investigated the function of SLC25A15 in HCC progression using large-scale data mining and cell, animal, and organoid models. Furthermore, we analyzed its involvement in reprogramming glutamine metabolism.

RESULTS

SLC25A15 expression was significantly decreased in HCC tissues, and patients with low SLC25A15 levels had a poorer prognosis. Hypoxia-exposed HCC cells or tissues had lower SLC25A15 expression. A positive correlation between HNF4A, a transcription factor suppressed by hypoxia, and SLC25A15 was observed in both HCC tissues and cells. Modulating HNF4A levels altered SLC25A15 mRNA levels. SLC25A15 upregulated SLC1A5, increasing glutamine uptake. The reactive metabolic pathway of glutamine was increased in SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells, providing energy for HCC progression through additional lipid synthesis. Ammonia accumulation due to low SLC25A15 levels suppressed the expression of OGDHL (oxoglutarate dehydrogenase L), a switch gene that mediates SLC25A15 deficiency-induced reprogramming of glutamine metabolism. SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells were more susceptible to glutamine deprivation and glutaminase inhibitors. Intervening in glutamine metabolism increased SLC25A15-deficient HCC cells' response to anti-PD-L1 treatment.

CONCLUSION

SLC25A15 is hypoxia-responsive in HCC, and low SLC25A15 levels result in glutamine reprogramming through SLC1A5 and OGDHL regulation, promoting HCC progression and regulating cell sensitivity to anti-PD-L1. Interrupting the glutamine-derived energy supply is a potential therapeutic strategy for treating SLC25A15-deficient HCC.

IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS

We first demonstrated the tumor suppressor role of solute carrier family 25 member 15 (SLC25A15) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and showed that its deficiency leads to reprogramming of glutamine metabolism to promote HCC development. SLC25A15 can serve as a potential biomarker to guide the development of precision therapeutic strategies aimed at targeting glutamine deprivation. Furthermore, we highlight that the use of an inhibitor of glutamine utilization can enhance the sensitivity of low SLC25A15 HCC to anti-PD-L1 therapy.

Covalent inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor using a long-lived iridium(III)-afatinib probe

The overexpression and overactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) are frequently observed in human cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. In this study, a covalent EGFR probe was developed by conjugating afatinib to an iridium(III) scaffold. Complex 1 showed enhanced luminescence in living epidermoid squamous carcinoma A431 cells compared to other cell lines, via engaging EGFR as confirmed via CETSA and knockdown experiments. Moreover, complex 1 inhibited downstream targets of EGFR in cellulo with repression persisting after removal of the complex, indicating an irreversible mode of inhibition. Finally, complex 1 showed potent antiproliferative activity against A431 cells with comparable potency to afatinib alone. To our knowledge, complex 1 is the first EGFR covalent inhibitor based on an iridium scaffold reported in the literature, with the potential to be further explored as a theranostic agent in the future.

The dual role of MiR-210 in the aetiology of cancer: A focus on hypoxia-inducible factor signalling

Tumorigenesis exemplifies the complex process of neoplasm origination, which is characterised by somatic genetic alterations and abnormal cellular growth. This multidimensional phenomenon transforms previously dormant cells into malignant equivalents, resulting in uncontrollable proliferation and clonal expansion. Various elements, including random mutations, harmful environmental substances, and genetic predispositions, influence tumorigenesis's aetiology. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are now recognised as crucial determinants of gene expression and key players in several biological methods, including oncogenesis. A well-known hypoxia-inducible miRNA is MiR-210, which is of particular interest because of its complicated role in the aetiology of cancer and a variation of physiological and pathological situations. MiR-210 significantly impacts cancer by controlling the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signalling pathway. By supporting angiogenesis, metabolic reprogramming, and cellular survival in hypoxic microenvironments, HIF signalling orchestrates adaptive responses, accelerating the unstoppable development of tumorous growth. Targeting several components of this cascade, including HIF-1, HIF-3, and FIH-1, MiR-210 plays a vital role in modifying HIF signalling and carefully controlling the HIF-mediated response and cellular fates in hypoxic environments. To understand the complexities of this relationship, careful investigation is required at the intersection of MiR-210 and HIF signalling. Understanding this relationship is crucial for uncovering the mechanisms underlying cancer aetiology and developing cutting-edge therapeutic approaches. The current review emphasises MiR-210's significance as a vital regulator of the HIF signalling cascade, with substantial implications spanning a range of tumor pathogenesis.

Identification of peanut skin components for treating hepatocellular carcinoma via network pharmacology and in vitro experiments

Peanut skin (PS) contains various flavonoids and phenols that have antitumor and antioxidant effects. However, no research has been conducted on PS and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, this study sought to explore the potential mechanism of PS in treating HCC. PS was searched for in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and SYMMAP databases. HCC targets were searched for in five major databases. Protein-protein interaction network, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were used for verification. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were used to verify the regulation of PS on human HCC (HepG2) cells. Ten ingredients and 95 common targets were identified for PS and HCC, respectively. The key targets of ingredients mainly relate to pathways such as hepatitis B, lipid and atherosclerosis, advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-AGE receptors (RAGEs) signaling pathway in diabetic complications, interleukin-17 (IL-17) signaling pathway, mitogen activated kinase-like protein (MAPK) signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In addition, the molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analysis indicated the ingredients had strong binding ability with the targets. Moreover, in vitro experiments confirmed that luteolin can promote the apoptosis of HepG2 cells by controlling the expression of phosphorylated protein-tyrosine kinase (p-AKT). This study provides preliminary evidence that PS produces a marked effect in regulating multiple signaling pathways in HCC through multiple ingredients acting on multiple core genes, including AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), MYC, caspase 3 (CASP3), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), jun proto-oncogene(JUN), and provides the basis for follow-up research to verify the mechanism of action of PS in treating HCC.

BCLAF1-induced HIF-1α accumulation under normoxia enhances PD-L1 treatment resistances via BCLAF1-CUL3 complex

Bcl-2-associated transcription factor-1 (BCLAF1), an apoptosis-regulating protein of paramount significance, orchestrates the progression of various malignancies. This study reveals increased BCLAF1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, in whom elevated BCLAF1 levels are linked to escalated tumor grades and diminished survival rates. Moreover, novel BCLAF1 expression is particularly increased in HCC patients who were not sensitive to the combined treatment of atezolizumab and bevacizumab, but not in patients who had tumors that responded to the combined regimen. Notably, overexpression of BCLAF1 increases HCC cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, while the conditioned medium derived from cells overexpressing BCLAF1 strikingly enhances the tube-formation capacity of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Furthermore, compelling evidence demonstrates that BCLAF1 attenuates the expression of prolyl hydroxylase domain protein 2 (PHD2) and governs the stability of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) under normoxic conditions without exerting any influence on transcription, as determined by Western blot and RT‒qPCR analyses. Subsequently, employing coimmunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence, we validated the reciprocal interaction between BCLAF1 and Cullin 3 (CUL3), through which BCLAF1 actively upregulates the ubiquitination and degradation of PHD2. The Western blot and RT‒qPCR results suggests that programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is one of the downstream responders to HIF-1α in HCC. Thus, we reveal the pivotal role of BCLAF1 in promoting PD-L1 transcription and, through binding to CUL3, in promoting the accumulation of HIF-1α under normoxic conditions, thereby facilitating the ubiquitination and degradation of PHD2.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: molecular mechanism, targeted therapy, and biomarkers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy and one of the leading causes of cancer-related death. The biological process of HCC is complex, with multiple factors leading to the broken of the balance of inactivation and activation of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, the abnormal activation of molecular signaling pathways, the differentiation of HCC cells, and the regulation of angiogenesis. Due to the insidious onset of HCC, at the time of first diagnosis, less than 30% of HCC patients are candidates for radical treatment. Systematic antitumor therapy is the hope for the treatment of patients with middle-advanced HCC. Despite the emergence of new systemic therapies, survival rates for advanced HCC patients remain low. The complex pathogenesis of HCC has inspired researchers to explore a variety of biomolecular targeted therapeutics targeting specific targets. Correct understanding of the molecular mechanism of HCC occurrence is key to seeking effective targeted therapy. Research on biomarkers for HCC treatment is also advancing. Here, we explore the molecular mechanism that are associated with HCC development, summarize targeted therapies for HCC, and discuss potential biomarkers that may drive therapies.

Hypoxia signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma: Challenges and therapeutic opportunities

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers with a relatively high cancer-related mortality. The uncontrolled proliferation of HCC consumes a significant amount of oxygen, causing the development of a hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), crucial regulators in the TME, activate several cancer hallmarks leading to the hepatocarcinogenesis of HCC and resistance to current therapeutics. As such, HIFs and their signaling pathways have been explored as potential therapeutic targets for the future management of HCC. This review discusses the current understanding of the structure and function of HIFs and their complex relationship with the various cancer hallmarks. To address tumor hypoxia, this review provides an insight into the various potential novel therapeutic agents for managing HCC, such as hypoxia-activated prodrugs, HIF inhibitors, nanomaterials, antisense oligonucleotides, and natural compounds, that target HIFs/hypoxic signaling pathways in HCC. Because of HCC's relatively high incidence and mortality rates in the past decades, greater efforts should be put in place to explore novel therapeutic approaches to improve the outcome for HCC patients.

The integration of machine learning and multi-omics analysis provides a powerful approach to screen aging-related genes and predict prognosis and immunotherapy efficacy in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates. Aging-related genes are closely related to the occurrence and development of cancer. Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate the prognosis of HCC patients by constructing a model based on aging-related genes.

METHOD

Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis was used to cluster the samples. The correlation between the risk score and immune cells, immune checkpoints, and Mismatch Repair (MMR) was evaluated through Spearman correlation test. Real Time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemistry were used to validate the expression levels of key genes in tissue and cells for the constructed model.

RESULT

By performing NMF clustering, we were able to effectively group the liver cancer samples into two distinct clusters. Considering the potential correlation between aging-related genes and the prognosis of liver cancer patients, we used aging-related genes to construct a prognostic model. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the model risk score was closely related to MMR and immune checkpoint expression. Drug sensitivity analysis also provided guidance for the clinical use of chemotherapy drugs. RT-qPCR showed that TFDP1, NDRG1, and FXR1 were expressed at higher levels in different liver cancer cell lines compared to normal liver cells.

CONCLUSION

In summary, we have developed an aging-related model to predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and guide clinical drug treatment for different patients.

PLAGL2 promotes bladder cancer progression via RACGAP1/RhoA GTPase/YAP1 signaling

PLAGL2 is upregulated in various tumors, including bladder cancer (BCa). However, the mechanisms underlying the tumorigenic effects of PLAGL2 in BCa remain unclear. In our study, we proved that PLAGL2 was overexpressed in BCa tissues and correlated with decreased survival. Functionally, PLAGL2 deficiency significantly suppressed the proliferation and metastasis of BCa cells in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing, qRT‒PCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence staining, luciferase reporter, and ChIP assays revealed that overexpressed PLAGL2 disrupted the Hippo pathway and increased YAP1/TAZ activity by transactivating RACGAP1. Further investigations demonstrated that PLAGL2 activated YAP1/TAZ signaling via RACGAP1-mediated RhoA activation. Importantly, the RhoA inhibitor simvastatin or the YAP1/TAZ inhibitor verteporfin abrogated the proproliferative and prometastatic effects of BCa enhanced by PLAGL2. These findings suggest that PLAGL2 promotes BCa progression via RACGAP1/RhoA GTPase/YAP1 signaling. Hence, the core nodes of signaling may be promising therapeutic targets for BCa.

TEAD4 predicts poor prognosis and transcriptionally targets PLAGL2 in serous ovarian cancer

The oncogenic function of TEA domain transcription factor 4 (TEAD4) has been confirmed in multiple human malignancies, while its potential role and regulatory mechanism in serous ovarian cancer progression are left unknown. By the gene expression analyses from Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, TEAD4 expression is shown to be up-regulated in serous ovarian cancer samples. Here, we confirmed the high expression of TEAD4 in clinical serous ovarian cancer specimens. In the following functional experiments, we found that TEAD4 overexpression promoted serous ovarian cancer malignant phenotypes, including proliferation, migration and invasion in serous ovarian cancer SK-OV-3 and OVCAR-3 cells, while TEAD4 knockout exerted the opposite function. The tumor growth inhibition of TEAD4 depletion was also affirmed by a Xenograft model in mice. In addition, this phenotypic deterioration induced by TEAD4 overexpression was diminished by PLAG1 like zinc finger 2 (PLAGL2) silencing. More importantly, combined with the results of the dual-luciferase assay, the transcriptional regulation of TEAD4 on PLAGL2 promoter was evidenced. Our results showed that the cancer-promoting gene TEAD4 was involved in serous ovarian cancer progression via targeting PLAGL2 at the transcriptional level.

Anti-inflammatory effect and antihepatoma mechanism of carrimycin

BACKGROUND

New drugs are urgently needed for the treatment of liver cancer, a feat that could be feasibly accomplished by finding new therapeutic purposes for marketed drugs to save time and costs. As a new class of national anti-infective drugs, carrimycin (CAM) has strong activity against gram-positive bacteria and no cross resistance with similar drugs. Studies have shown that the components of CAM have anticancer effects.

AIM

To obtain a deeper understanding of CAM, its distribution, metabolism and anti-inflammatory effects were assessed in the organs of mice, and its mechanism of action against liver cancer was predicted by a network pharmacology method.

METHODS

In this paper, the content of isovaleryl spiramycin III was used as an index to assess the distribution and metabolism of CAM and its effect on inflammatory factors in various mouse tissues and organs. Reverse molecular docking technology was utilized to determine the target of CAM, identify each target protein based on disease type, and establish a target protein-disease type network to ascertain the effect of CAM in liver cancer. Then, the key action targets of CAM in liver cancer were screened by a network pharmacology method, and the core targets were verified by molecular docking and visual analyses.

RESULTS

The maximum CAM concentration was reached in the liver, kidney, lung and spleen 2.5 h after intragastric administration. In the intestine, the maximum drug concentration was reached 0.5 h after administration. In addition, CAM significantly reduced the interleukin-4 (IL-4) levels in the lung and kidney and especially the liver and spleen; moreover, CAM significantly reduced the IL-1β levels in the spleen, liver, and kidney and particularly the small intestine and lung. CAM is predicted to regulate related pathways by acting on many targets, such as albumin, estrogen receptor 1, epidermal growth factor receptor and caspase 3, to treat cancer, inflammation and other diseases.

CONCLUSION

We determined that CAM inhibited inflammation. We also predicted the complex multitargeted effects of CAM that involve multiple pathways and the diversity of these effects in the treatment of liver cancer, which provides a basis and direction for further clinical research.

PLAGL2 promotes the stemness and is upregulated by transcription factor E2F1 in human lung cancer

This study mainly focuses on revealing the role of PLAGL2 in lung cancer stemness. In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of PLAGL2 on lung cancer cell stemness. Mechanistic analysis using luciferase reporter and ChIP assays were implemented to reveal the underlying mechanisms. The transcriptional factor E2F1 transcriptionally activated PLAGL2 expression via directly binding to PLAGL2 promoter in lung cancer cells. Moreover, PLAGL2 promoted the stemness of lung cancer cells dependent on E2F1-mediated transcriptional activation. This study provides a potential target for lung cancer progression.

Hypoxia-induced UBE2K promotes the malignant progression of HCC

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia critically drives malignant tumor development and is characteristic of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), where HIF-1α plays a crucial role. The ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2K (UBE2K) is known to participate in the advancement of several human cancers. However, the role of UBE2K in HCC or whether it is a hypoxia-responsive gene remains to be further identified.

METHOD

We performed a microarray to measure the gene expression differences between normoxia and hypoxia. CoCl2 mimicked the hypoxic condition. The protein and RNA expression of HIF-1α, UBE2K, and Actin in HCC cells were measured by western blotting(WB) and RT-qPCR, respectively. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining analyzed the expression of UBE2K and HIF-1α in HCC tissues. CCK-8 and colony formation assay evaluated the HCC cell growth. Scratch healing and transwell assays were used to detect the migration capability of the cells. Lipofectamine 3000 was used to transfect the plasmids or siRNAs to HCC cells.

RESULTS

We identified UBE2K as a potential hypoxia-responsive gene. Our study showed that hypoxia induced HIF-1α-mediated increase of UBE2K levels in HCC cells, which decreased under HIF-1α deficiency under hypoxia. Further bioinformatics analysis based on UALCAN and GEPIA databases confirmed that UBE2K was highly expressed in HCC tissues and positively associated with HIF-1α expression. Functionally, Hep3B and Huh7 cell proliferation and migration were stimulated upon UBE2K overexpression, while the UBE2K knockdown suppressed such effect. Furthermore, functional rescue experiment proved that depletion of UBE2K inhibited hypoxia-induced cell proliferation and migration in HCC cells. In contrast, enhancing UBE2K levels rescued cell proliferation and migration repression caused by HIF-1α deficiency in hypoxia.

CONCLUSION

Our results established UBE2K as a potential hypoxia-inducible gene in HCC cells, positively regulated by HIF-1α in hypoxia. Moreover, UBE2K served as an oncogene and cooperated with HIF-1α to form a functional HIF-1α/UBE2K axis to trigger HCC progression, highlighting a potential application of UBE2K as a therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Roles of hypoxia-inducible factor in hepatocellular carcinoma under local ablation therapies

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common digestive malignancies. HCC It ranges as the fifth most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide. While The prognosis of metastatic or advanced HCC is still quite poor. Recently, locoregional treatment, especially local ablation therapies, plays an important role in the treatment of HCC. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation are the most common-used methods effective and feasible for treating HCC. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the actions of ablation in the treatments for HCC and the HCC recurrence after ablation still are poorly understood. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), the key gene switch for adaptive responses to hypoxia, has been found to play an essential role in the rapid aggressive recurrence of HCC after ablation treatment. In this review, we summarized the current evidence of the roles of HIF in the treatment of HCC with ablation. Fifteen relevant studies were included and further analyzed. Among them, three clinical studies suggested that HIF-1α might serve as a crucial role in the RAF treatment of HCC or the local recurrence of HCC after RFA. The remainder included experimental studies demonstrated that HIF-1, 2α might target the different molecules (e.g., BNIP3, CA-IX, and arginase-1) and signaling cascades (e.g., VEGFA/EphA2 pathway), constituting a complex network that promoted HCC invasion and metastasis after ablation. Currently, the inhibitors of HIF have been developed, providing important proof of targeting HIF for the prevention of HCC recurrence after IRFA and HIFU ablation. Further confirmation by prospective clinical and in-depth experimental studies is still warranted to illustrate the effects of HIF in HCC recurrence followed ablation treatment in the future.

Vascular endothelial growth factor A is a potential prognostic biomarker and correlates with immune cell infiltration in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among cancer patients. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) is involved in regulating biological processes, such as angiogenesis and vascular permeability, and is very closely related to the pathogenesis of various tumours, especially vascular-rich, solid tumours. Clinical data of patients with HCC and other tumours were analysed through public databases, such as the TCGA database, Gene Expression Omnibus database, Human Protein Atlas database, STRING, Tumour Immune Estimation Resource and Kaplan-Meier Plotter. The tumour tissues and adjacent normal tissues of patients with HCC from Hunan Provincial People's Hospital were collected to verify the expression of VEGFA by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, Western blotting and qPCR. VEGFA expression is elevated in multiple tumour types and correlates with the prognosis of tumour patients. VEGFA is involved in regulating the tumour microenvironment and immune cell function in tumour development. Inhibition of VEGFA reduces proliferation, invasion, and migration and promotes apoptosis in HCC cells. VEGFA is a potential predictive biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

PLAGL1 is associated with prognosis and cell proliferation in pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence has shown the crucial roles of pleomorphic adenoma gene (PLAG) family genes in multiple cancers. However, their functions and mechanisms in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) remain poorly understood.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression levels of PLAG family genes in both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and a Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and confirmed the results in our three independent cohorts of 382 PAAD tissues and 362 adjacent nontumor pancreatic tissues. Integrated analyses were carried out to explore the function, mechanism and prognostic value of the selected PLAG family gene in PAAD patients.

RESULTS

By analyzing the TCGA and GEO databases, PLAGL1 was identified to be downregulated in PAAD tissues, and its decreasing levels of both mRNA and protein were verified in our three independent PAAD cohorts. PLAGL1 expression was inversely correlated with clinicopathological factors including the Ki67⁺ cell rate and pathologic stage. Further GSEA of the TCGA-PAAD cohort demonstrated that multiple signaling pathways implicated in cell proliferation were enriched in the lower PLAGL1 expressing PAAD group. Moreover, we demonstrated that PLAGL1 expression was obviously negatively associated with patients' overall survival outcome in both the TCGA-PAAD cohort and our verification cohorts. Additionally, through MTS and BrdU assays, we further demonstrated in vitro that PLAGL1 had the impact of preventing the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study suggested that downregulated PLAGL1 might act as a biomarker in predicts poor prognosis and one of important factors in increasing cell proliferation in PAAD. This study provides us with a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic strategy for PAAD, which deserves further study.

METTL14 Regulates PLAGL2/β-Catenin Signaling Axis to Promote the Development of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is an abundant eukaryotic mRNA modification involved in regulating the formation and metastasis of nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We collected clinical NSCLC tissue and paracarcinoma tissue. Then methyltransferase-like 14 (METTL14), pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2), and β-catenin expressions were assessed using quantitative real-time PCR and western blot. PLAGL2, and β-catenin (nuclear) expressions were increased in NSCLC tissues. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and death were examined. PLAGL2 could activate β-catenin signaling to affect cell proliferation and migration abilities. RNA immunoprecipitation assay was operated to identify m6A modification levels of PLAGL2 after knockdown and overexpression of METTL14. PLAGL2 was regulated by METTL14-mediated m6A modification. Knockdown of METTL14 repressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell death. Interestingly, these effects were reversed when PLAGL2 was overexpressed. Finally, tumor formation in nude mice was performed to verify the role of the METTL14/PLAGL2/β-catenin signaling axis. Tumor formation in nude mice demonstrated METTL14/PLAGL2/β-catenin axis promoted NSCLC development in vivo. In brief, METTL14 promoted NSCLC development by increasing m6A methylation of PLAGL2 to activate β-catenin signaling. Our research provided essential clues for in-depth comprehension of the mechanism of NSCLC occurrence and development and also provided the basis for NSCLC treatment.

SOCS5 knockdown suppresses metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by ameliorating HIF-1α-dependent mitochondrial damage

The Pringle maneuver (PM) is widely used during hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) resection. However, it inevitably leads to ischemia and hypoxia, which promotes tumor metastasis. In this study, immunohistochemical staining of specimens from 130 HCC patients revealed that long-time PM significantly affected the prognosis of patients with high expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 5 (SOCS5), but did not affect the prognosis of patients with low expression of SOCS5. The TCGA database showed that patients with high expression of SOCS5 had higher hypoxia scores, and it was proved that SOCS5 could promote the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF-1α) protein by clinical tissue samples, cell experiments, lung metastases, and subcutaneous tumorigenesis experiments. Then, we used CoCl2 to construct a hypoxia model, and confirmed that SOCS5 knockdown resisted hypoxia-induced mitochondrial damage by inhibiting the expression of HIF-1α, thereby inhibiting the invasion and migration of HCC cells by immunofluorescence, electron microscopy, migration, invasion, and other experiments. We performed rescue experiments using LY294002 and rapamycin and confirmed that the knockdown of SOCS5-inhibited HCC cell invasion and migration by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/HIF-1α signaling axis. More importantly, we obtained consistent conclusions from clinical, cellular, and animal studies that the hypoxia-induced invasion and migration ability of SOCS5-inhibited HCC were weaker than that of normal HCC. In conclusion, we identified a novel role for SOCS5 in regulating HIF-1α-dependent mitochondrial damage and metastasis through the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. The development of a SOCS5-specific inhibitor, an indirect inhibitor of HIF-1α, might be effective at controlling PM-induced tumor micrometastases during HCC resection.

Dual role of pseudogene TMEM198B in promoting lipid metabolism and immune escape of glioma cells

Dysregulation of pseudogenes, enhancement of fatty acid synthesis and formation of immunosuppressive microenvironment are important factors that promote the malignant progression of glioma. It is of great significance to search for the molecular mechanism of interaction between the three and then perform targeted interference for improving the treatment of glioma. In this study, we found that pseudogene transmembrane protein 198B (TMEM198B) was highly expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines, and it could promote malignant progression of glioma by regulating lipid metabolism reprogramming and remodeling immune microenvironment. Applying the experimental methods of gene interference, lipidomics and immunology, we further confirmed that TMEM198B promoted PLAG1 like zinc finger 2 (PLAGL2) expression by mediating tri-methylation of histone H3 on lysine 4 (H3K4me3) of PLAGL2 through binding to SET domain containing 1B (SETD1B). Increased PLAGL2 could transcriptional activate ATP citrate lyase (ACLY) and ELOVL fatty acid elongase 6 (ELOVL6) expression, and then influenced the biological behaviors of glioma cells via enhancing the de novo lipogenesis and fatty acid acyl chain elongation. At the same time, TMEM198B promoted macrophages lipid accumulation and intensification of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) through glioma-derived exosomes (GDEs), further induced macrophages to M2 polarization, which subsequently facilitated immune escape of glioma cells. In conclusion, our present study clarifies that the TMEM198B/PLAGL2/ACLY/ELOVL6 pathway conducts crucial regulatory effects on the malignant progression of glioma, which provides novel targets and new ideas for molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy of glioma.

LncRNA USP2-AS1 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth by Enhancing YBX1-Mediated HIF1α Protein Translation Under Hypoxia

Recently, the role of lncRNAs in tumorigenesis and development has received increasing attention, but the mechanism underlying lncRNAs-mediated tumor growth in the hypoxic microenvironment of solid tumors remains obscure. Using RNA sequencing, 25 hypoxia-related lncRNAs were found to be upregulated in HCC, of which lncRNA USP2-AS1 were significantly increased under hypoxia. We further confirmed that USP2-AS1 was significantly upregulated in liver cancer using FISH assay and that USP2-AS1 was associated with advanced liver cancer and increased tumor size. Furthermore, overexpression of USP2-AS1 under hypoxia dramatically increased HCC proliferation and clone formation, whereas the opposite results were observed after USP2-AS1 knockdown. We also found that overexpression of USP2-AS1 increased migration and invasion of HCC cells, while USP2-AS1 knockdown led to the opposite effect. In addition, USP2-AS1 knockdown can increase the efficacy of lenvatinib in our mice tumor xenograft model. Our findings also suggest that USP2-AS1 could increase the protein level of HIF1α by enhancing YBX1 protein binding to HIF1α mRNA under hypoxia and the therapeutic effect of lenvatinib can be enhanced by combination with HIF1α inhibitors in liver cancer.

A novel hypoxia-driven gene signature that can predict the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hypoxia environment exists in already started hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and promotes its progression by driving changes in the gene expression profiles of cells. However, the status of hypoxia-driven genes in HCC is largely unknown. In the present study, 368 HCC tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas were divided into high and low hypoxia groups according to their hypoxia signatures. A total of 1,142 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the two groups, and 34 of these DEGs were highly expressed in HCC tissues compared with adjacent tissues, especially in HCC tissues from patients with stage III-IV HCC. After constructing a protein-protein interaction network and applying the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression method for 34 DEGs, a three-gene signature (complement factor H related 3 [CFHR3], egl-9 family hypoxia inducible factor 3 [EGLN3], and chromogranin A [CHGA]) was constructed and had prognostic value to predicted outcome of patients with HCC. This three-gene signature was suitable for classifying patients with HCC in the International Cancer Genome Consortium. CFHR3 shows remarkable diagnostic value in HCC. Hypoxia decreased CFHR3 expression, but increased HCC cell proliferation and motility. Overexpression of CFHR3 in HCC cells under hypoxia reversed the stimulatory effects of hypoxia and suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo. In conclusion, we identified a novel hypoxia-driven gene signature (CFHR3, EGLN3, and CHGA) for reliable prognostic prediction of HCC, and demonstrated that overexpression of CFHR3 may be a potential strategy to overcome hypoxia and treat HCC.

The Role of E3 Ligase Pirh2 in Disease

The p53-dependent ubiquitin ligase Pirh2 regulates a number of proteins involved in different cancer-associated processes. Targeting the p53 family proteins, Chk2, p27Kip1, Twist1 and others, Pirh2 participates in such cellular processes as proliferation, cell cycle regulation, apoptosis and cellular migration. Thus, it is not surprising that Pirh2 takes part in the initiation and progression of different diseases and pathologies including but not limited to cancer. In this review, we aimed to summarize the available data on Pirh2 regulation, its protein targets and its role in various diseases and pathological processes, thus making the Pirh2 protein a promising therapeutic target.

Overexpression of GATA5 Inhibits Prostate Cancer Progression by Regulating PLAGL2 via the FAK/PI3K/AKT Pathway

Simple Summary

Prostate cancer (PCa) has the highest incidence of malignant tumors and is the second-ranked tumor-causing death of men. GATA binding protein 5 (GATA5) belongs to the GATA gene family and we found that GATA5 was downregulated in PCa tissues, but the function of GATA5 in PCa remains elusive. We found overexpression GATA5 inhibited tumor proliferation, migration, invasion and the process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and upregulation of GATA5 promoted PCa cell apoptosis. In addition, we disclosed that GATA5 could interact with pleomorphic adenoma gene-like-2 (PLAGL2) to regulate PCa cell growth via FAK/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Hence, these findings suggested that GATA5 could serve as a new therapeutic target in the future.

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is a malignancy with high incidence and the principal cause of cancer deaths in men. GATA binding protein 5 (GATA5) belongs to the GATA gene family. GATA5 has a close association with carcinogenesis, but the role of GATA5 in PCa remains poorly understood. The aim of our present study was to probe into the effect of GATA5 on PCa progression and to elucidate the involved mechanism. Methods: The expression of GATA5 was detected in both PCa samples and PCa cell lines. GATA5 overexpression, PLAGL2 knockdown, and overexpression cell models were generated, then Western blotting experiments were utilized to validate the efficiency of transfection. The effects of GATA5 on PCa cell proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and EMT were detected in vitro or in vivo. Furthermore, the mechanism by which GATA5 inhibits prostate cancer progression through regulating PLAGL2 via the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway was also explored. Results: GATA5 expression was downregulated in PCa samples and cell lines. GATA5 overexpression inhibited PCa cell proliferation and metastasis but increased the rate of apoptosis. In addition, we confirmed that GATA5 inhibited prostate cancer progression, including EMT, by regulating PLAGL2 via the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. Conclusion: We demonstrated that GATA5, as a tumor suppressor in PCa, inhibits PCa progression by regulating PLAGL2. These results showed that the GATA5/PLAGL2/FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway may become a new therapeutic direction for the treatment of PCa.

System analysis based on the cancer-immunity cycle identifies ZNF207 as a novel immunotherapy target for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors as monotherapies for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) fail to achieve satisfying results, while combination therapies show greater efficacy. Therefore, identifying new combined targets for immune checkpoint inhibitors could be promising.

Methods

We combined the cancer–immunity cycle score with weighted gene coexpression network and system analyses to screen immunosuppressive targets in HCC. In vitro and in vivo experiments were used to assess the effect of zinc finger protein 207 (ZNF207) on HCC immunity. RNA sequencing, metabolomic, cytokine array analysis, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, and ChIP quantitative PCR assay were used to investigate the role of ZNF207 in tumor immunity regulation.

Results

The system analysis and experimental verification revealed ZNF207 as an immunosuppressive target in HCC. Hypoxia-induced upregulation of ZNF207 promoted HCC progression in immunocompetent mice while being associated with decreased CD8⁺ T-cell infiltration and increased exhaustion. Mechanistically, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)–chemokine C-X3-C-motif ligand axis was involved in ZNF207-mediated CD8⁺ T-cell chemotaxis. Furthermore, ZNF207 transcriptionally regulated indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 and elevated kynurenine levels, leading to the exhaustion of CD8⁺ T cells. Patients with lower ZNF207 expression were more sensitive to antiprogrammed cell death protein 1 (PD1) therapy, and silencing ZNF207 could be beneficial to anti-PD1 combination therapy.

Conclusion

Our study implicates ZNF207 in suppressing the HCC microenvironment and showed the feasibility of targeting ZNF207 during anti-PD1 therapy in HCC.

T-box transcription factor 19 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis through upregulating EGFR and RAC1

The effect of targeted therapy for metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is still unsatisfactory. Exploring the underlying mechanism of HCC metastasis is favorable to provide new therapeutic strategies. T-box (TBX) transcription factor family genes, which are crucial regulators in embryo and organ development, are vital for regulating tumor initiation, growth and metastasis. Here we explored the role of TBX19 in HCC metastasis, which is one of the most upregulated TBX family genes in human HCC tissues. TBX19 expression was markedly upregulated in HCC tissues and elevated TBX19 expression predicted poor prognosis. Overexpression of TBX19 enhanced HCC metastasis through upregulating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Rac family small GTPase 1 (RAC1) expression. Downregulation of EGFR and RAC1 inhibited TBX19-mediated HCC metastasis, while upregulation of EGFR and RAC1 restored inhibition of HCC metastasis mediated by TBX19 knockdown. Furthermore, epidermal growth factor (EGF)/EGFR signaling upregulated TBX19 expression via the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/nuclear factor (NF)-kB axis. Besides, the combined application of EGFR inhibitor Erlotinib and RAC1 inhibitor NSC23766 markedly inhibited TBX19-mediated HCC metastasis. In HCC cohorts, TBX19 expression was positively associated with EGFR and RAC1 expression. Patients with positive coexpression of TBX19/EGFR or TBX19/RAC1 displayed the poorest prognosis. In conclusion, EGF/EGFR signaling upregulated TBX19 expression via ERK/NF-kB pathway and TBX19 fostered HCC metastasis by enhancing EGFR and RAC1 expression, which formed an EGF-TBX19-EGFR positive feedback loop. Targeting this signaling pathway may offer a potential therapeutic strategy to efficiently restrain TBX19-mediated HCC metastasis.

Synthesis of Hemiprotonic Phenanthroline-Phenanthroline+ Compounds with both Antitumor and Antimicrobial Activity

Currently, cancer patients with microbial infection are a severe challenge in clinical treatment. To address the problem, we synthesized hemiprotonic compounds based on the unique structure of hemiprotonic nucleotide base pairs in a DNA i-motif. These compounds were produced from phenanthroline (ph) dimerization with phenanthroline as a proton receptor and ammonium as a donor. The biological activity shows that the compounds have a selective antitumor effect through inducing cell apoptosis. The molecular mechanism could be related to specific inhibition of transcription factor PLAGL2 of tumor cells, assessed by transcriptomic analysis. Moreover, results show that the hemiprotonic ph-ph+ has broad-spectrum antibacterial and antifungal activities, and drug-resistant bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, are sensitive to the compound. In animal models of liver cancer with fungal infection, the ph-ph+ retards proliferation of hepatoma cells in tumor-bearing mice and remedies pneumonia and encephalitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. The study provides a novel therapeutic candidate for cancer patients accompanied by infection.

High Expression of PLAGL2 is Associated With Poor Prognosis in High-Grade Glioma

Pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) has been implicated in the development and progression of diverse malignancies, including glioblastoma. An increasing number of studies have reported that dysregulated expression of PLAGL2 is a common phenomenon in different malignancies. However, the mechanism and biological functions of PLAGL2 in patients with high-grade glioma (HGG) remain unclear. In addition, the expression and clinical significance of PLAGL2 in HGG have not yet been reported. Herein, we investigated the expression patterns and prognostic values of PLAGL2 in patients with HGG by using various databases, including Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0 (TIMER2.0), GENT2, ONCOMINE, GEPIA, Human Protein Atlas, and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets. In the present study, we analyzed the relationship between PLAGL2 mRNA expression and clinical parameters in 184 HGG cases and found that PLAGL2 presented positively high expression and was relevant to poor prognosis. Immunohistochemistry analysis confirmed the overexpression of PLAGL2 protein, which is mainly expressed in the nucleus of glioma. Additionally, a high level of expression of the PLAGL2 gene was associated with lower survival in progression-free survival and overall survival in GBM patients. The correlation analysis between PLAGL2 and immune infiltration related to the abundance of B cells, CD8⁺ T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, macrophages, DCs, and neutrophils was also performed using TIMER2.0. GSEA results showed that high PLAGL2 expression was associated with cell migration, proliferation, actin cytoskeletal, and angiogenesis. To sum up, our findings indicated that PLAGL2 could serve as an independent prognostic biomarker and might be a potential therapeutic target for HGG, which should be further investigated.

Multifaceted Interplay between Hormones, Growth Factors and Hypoxia in the Tumor Microenvironment

Hormones and growth factors (GFs) are signaling molecules implicated in the regulation of a variety of cellular processes. They play important roles in both healthy and tumor cells, where they function by binding to specific receptors on target cells and activating downstream signaling cascades. The stages of tumor progression are influenced by hormones and GF signaling. Hypoxia, a hallmark of cancer progression, contributes to tumor plasticity and heterogeneity. Most solid tumors contain a hypoxic core due to rapid cellular proliferation that outgrows the blood supply. In these circumstances, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play a central role in the adaptation of tumor cells to their new environment, dramatically reshaping their transcriptional profile. HIF signaling is modulated by a variety of factors including hormones and GFs, which activate signaling pathways that enhance tumor growth and metastatic potential and impair responses to therapy. In this review, we summarize the role of hormones and GFs during cancer onset and progression with a particular focus on hypoxia and the interplay with HIF proteins. We also discuss how hypoxia influences the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy, considering that a hypoxic environment may act as a determinant of the immune-excluded phenotype and a major hindrance to the success of adoptive cell therapies.

Selenium sulfide disrupts the PLAGL2/C-MET/STAT3-induced resistance against mitochondrial apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Overexpression of pleomorphic adenoma gene like-2 (PLAGL2) is associated with tumorigenesis. However, its function in HCC is unclear, and there are currently no anti-HCC drugs that target PLAGL2. Drug repositioning may facilitate the development of PLAGL2-targeted drug candidates.

METHODS

The expression of PLAGL2 in HCC clinical tissue samples and HCC cell lines was analyzed by western blotting. The constructed HCC cell models were used to confirm the underlying function of PLAGL2 as a therapeutic target. Multiple in vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to determine the anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects of selenium sulfide (SeS2 ), which is clinically used for the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis and tinea versicolor.

RESULTS

PLAGL2 expression was higher in HCC tumor tissues than in normal adjacent tissues. Its overexpression promoted the resistance of HCC cells of mitochondrial apoptosis through the regulation of the downstream C-MET/STAT3 signaling axis. SeS2 exerted significant anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing effects on HCC cells in a PLAGL2-dependent manner. Mechanistically, SeS2 suppressed C-MET/STAT3, AKT/mTOR, and MAPK signaling and triggered Bcl-2/Cyto C/Caspase-mediated intrinsic mitochondrial apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data reveal an important role of PLAGL2 in apoptosis resistance in HCC and highlight the potential of using SeS2 as a PLAGL2 inhibitor in patients with HCC.

Mild chronic hypoxia-induced HIF-2α interacts with c-MYC through competition with HIF-1α to induce hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation

PURPOSE

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged as a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, in which hypoxia and activated hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) play important roles. The sibling rivalry between HIF-1α and HIF-2α in hypoxic tumor growth and progression still remains to be resolved, including in HCC. In this study, we aimed to analyze the mechanism by which HIF-1α and HIF-2α balance the proliferative response of HCC cells to hypoxia.

METHODS

The expression of HIF-1α, HIF-2α, c-MYC, Rictor and Raptor in corresponding tumor and non-tumor tissues from twenty-six patients with HCC was analyzed. The relationships between HIF-1α and HIF-2α and their respective effects were evaluated further in vitro in hypoxic HCC cells using co-immunoprecipitation, chromatin immunoprecipitation, in situ proximity ligation, annexin V-FITC/PI staining apoptosis and MTT assay. In addition, short hairpin RNA (shRNA) transfections targeting HIF-1α/2α and Rictor and Western blotting were applied in HCC cells to study the underlying mechanism.

RESULTS

We found that HIF-2α expression showed a positive correlation with c-MYC expression in tumor tissues, whereas HIF-1α did not. In vitro, increased HCC cell proliferation and an increased interaction between HIF-2α and c-MYC were observed under mild chronic hypoxic conditions. Although mild hypoxia led to HIF-1α, HIF-2α and c-MYC up-regulation, we found that mTORC2-regulated HIF-2α competed with HIF-1α to bind to c-MYC. Moreover, we found that HIF-2α knockdown decreased the expression of downstream c-MYC, suppressed hypoxic cell proliferation, and induced HCC cell apoptosis, whereas HIF-1α knockdown did not. Additionally, we found that the PI3K inhibitor apitolisib counteracted the effect of HIF-2α, thereby inducing HCC cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data highlight a role of HIF-2α in activating and binding c-MYC, thereby inducing HCC cell proliferation during mild chronic hypoxia. The PI3K/mTORC2/HIF-2α/c-MYC axis may play a key role in this process. The PI3K inhibitor apitolisib may serve as a potential treatment option for patients suffering from HCC, especially in cases with rapidly growing tumors under mild chronic hypoxic conditions.

Loss of TARBP2 Drives the Progression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via miR-145-SERPINE1 Axis

The clinical outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain dismal. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms for the progression of aggressive HCC holds the promise for developing novel intervention strategies. The transactivation response element RNA-binding protein (TRBP/TARBP2), a key component of microRNA (miRNA) processing and maturation machinery has been shown to play conflicting roles in tumor development and progression. We sought to investigate the expression of TARBP2 in HCC using well-characterized HCC cell lines, patient-derived tissues and blood samples. Additionally, the potential prognostic and diagnostic value of TARBP2 in HCC were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier plots and ROC curve. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), wound healing and transwell assays examined the ability of TARBP2 to induce cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. RNA sequencing was applied to identify the downstream elements of TARBP2. The interaction of potential targets of TARBP2, miR-145 and serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1), was assessed using luciferase reporter assay. TARBP2 expression was down-regulated in HCC cell lines relative to normal hepatocyte cells, with a similar pattern further confirmed in tissue and blood samples. Notably, the loss of TARBP2 was demonstrated to promote proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines. Interestingly, the reduction of TARBP2 was shown to result in the upregulation of SERPINE1, also known as plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-1), which is a vital gene of the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Knockdown of SERPINE1 rescued the TARBP2-lost phenotype. Moreover, TARBP2 depletion induced the upregulation of SERPINE1 through reducing the processing of miR-145, which directly targets SERPINE1. Finally, overexpression of miR-145 repressed SERPINE1 and rescued the functions in sh-TARBP2 HCC cells. Our findings underscore a linear TARBP2-miR-145-SERPINE1 pathway that drives HCC progression, with the potential as a novel intervention target for aggressive HCC.

MiR-103a promotes tumour growth and influences glucose metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common and high-mortality cancer worldwide. Numerous microRNAs have crucial roles in the progression of different cancers. However, identifying the important microRNAs and the target biological function of the microRNA in HCC progression is difficult. In this study, we selected highly expressed microRNAs with different read counts as candidate microRNAs and then tested whether the microRNAs were differentially expressed in HCC tumour tissues, and we found that their expression was related to the HCC prognosis. Then, we investigated the effects of microRNAs on the cell growth and mobility of HCC using a real-time cell analyser (RTCA), colony formation assay and subcutaneous xenograft models. We further used deep-sequencing technology and bioinformatic analyses to evaluate the main functions of the microRNAs. We found that miR-103a was one of the most highly expressed microRNAs in HCC tissues and that it was upregulated in HCC tissue compared with the controls. In addition, high miR-103a expression was associated with poor patient prognosis, and its overexpression promoted HCC cell growth and mobility. A functional enrichment analysis showed that miR-103a mainly promoted glucose metabolism and inhibited cell death. We validated this analysis, and the data showed that miR-103a promoted glucose metabolism-likely function and directly inhibited cell death via ATP11A and EIF5. Therefore, our study revealed that miR-103a may act as a key mediator in HCC progression.

Liposomal Delivery of MicroRNA-7 Targeting EGFR to Inhibit the Growth, Invasion, and Migration of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer is highly aggressive and has high rates of recurrence and metastasis. Due to the limited effects of current treatments, it is necessary to conduct research and develop new treatment options. The application of gene therapy in tumor therapy is gradually increasing and has exciting prospects. MicroRNA-7 (miR-7) has been reported to inhibit the growth, invasion, and metastasis of a variety of solid tumors. Cationic liposomes are safe and effective gene delivery systems for transfection in vivo and in vitro. To realize the application of miR-7 in the treatment of ovarian cancer, cationic liposomes were prepared with 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, and cholesterol. The miR-7 liposomes had a suitable particle size, potential, and a high cellular uptake rate. MiR-7 encapsulated by liposomes could be effectively delivered to ovarian cancer cells and successfully targeted to the tumor site in a mouse xenograft model of ovarian cancer. In vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that the miR-7 liposomes had a significant ability to inhibit the growth, invasion, and migration of ovarian cancer, probably by inhibiting the expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Our studies of miR-7 liposomes demonstrated a safe and efficient microRNA delivery system for the gene therapy of ovarian cancer.

Employing hypoxia characterization to predict tumour immune microenvironment, treatment sensitivity and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

The hypoxic microenvironment was recognized as a major driving force of the malignant phenotype in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which contributes to tumour immune microenvironment (TIM) remodeling and tumor progression. Dysregulated hypoxia-related genes (HRGs) result in treatment resistance and poor prognosis by reshaping tumor cellular activities and metabolism. Approaches to identify the relationship between hypoxia and tumor progression provided new sight for improving tumor treatment and prognosis. But, few practical tools, forecasting relationship between hypoxia, TIM, treatment sensitivity and prognosis in HCC were reported. Here, we pooled mRNA transcriptome and clinical pathology data from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and later developed a hypoxia risk model including four HRGs (DCN, DDIT4, PRKCA and NDRG1). The high-risk group displayed poor clinical characteristics, a malignant phenotype with carcinogenesis/proliferation pathways activation (MTORC1 and E2F) and immunosuppressive TIM (decreased immune cell infiltrations and upregulated immunosuppressive cytokines). Meanwhile, activated B cells, effector memory CD8 T cells and EZH2 deregulation were associated with patient’s survival, which might be the core changes of HCC hypoxia. Finally, we validated the ability of the hypoxia risk model to predict treatment sensitivity and found high hypoxia risk patients had poor responses to HCC treatment, including surgical resection, Sorafenib, Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) and immunotherapy. In conclusion, based on 4 HRGs, we developed and validated a hypoxia risk model to reflect pathological features, evaluate TIM landscape, predict treatment sensitivity and compounds specific to hypoxia signatures in HCC patients.

The crosstalk between HIFs and mitochondrial dysfunctions in cancer development

Mitochondria are essential cellular organelles that are involved in regulating cellular energy, metabolism, survival, and proliferation. To some extent, cancer is a genetic and metabolic disease that is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), which are major molecules that respond to hypoxia, play important roles in cancer development by participating in multiple processes, such as metabolism, proliferation, and angiogenesis. The Warburg phenomenon reflects a pseudo-hypoxic state that activates HIF-1α. In addition, a product of the Warburg effect, lactate, also induces HIF-1α. However, Warburg proposed that aerobic glycolysis occurs due to a defect in mitochondria. Moreover, both HIFs and mitochondrial dysfunction can lead to complex reprogramming of energy metabolism, including reduced mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, increased glucose uptake, and enhanced anaerobic glycolysis. Thus, there may be a connection between HIFs and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review, we systematically discuss the crosstalk between HIFs and mitochondrial dysfunctions in cancer development. Above all, the stability and activity of HIFs are closely influenced by mitochondrial dysfunction related to tricarboxylic acid cycle, electron transport chain components, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial-related proteins. Furthermore, activation of HIFs can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction by affecting multiple mitochondrial functions, including mitochondrial oxidative capacity, biogenesis, apoptosis, fission, and autophagy. In general, the regulation of tumorigenesis and development by HIFs and mitochondrial dysfunction are part of an extensive and cooperative network.