LncRNA-associated competing endogenous RNA network analysis uncovered key lncRNAs involved in temozolomide resistance and tumor recurrence of glioblastoma

A piRNA chemosensitizes doxorubicin in tongue squamous cell carcinoma by targeting FDFT1 and inhibiting the EIF3H/HIF1α/CYPOR axis

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a classical chemotherapeutic for various cancers that acts by intercalating within the DNA strand and inhibiting the function of topoisomerase, resulting in DNA break-induced apoptosis. Acquired chemoresistance has become a challenge for DOX therapy, but the possible solutions to overcome this problem are under investigation in many cancers. Recently, piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) have been reported to modulate the chemosensitivity of different chemo drugs in different cancers. In this study, through several molecular assays, we showed that a piRNA, piR-39980 enhances the chemosensitivity of DOX in tongue cancer by targeting farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1), a key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis, and attenuates its oncogenic effect by suppressing migration, ROS generation, cell proliferation, and tumor spheroid formation and shifting the cellular population from the S phase to the Sub-G1 phase of the cell cycle. Mechanistically, suppression of FDFT1 leads to inhibition of CYPOR and the EIF3H/HIF1α axis. The inhibition of CYPOR increases drug accumulation, and the EIF3H/HIF1α axis induces DNA break-mediated apoptosis, resulting in enhanced activity of DOX in tongue cancer cells. These findings suggest this piRNA can be used in combination with the chemotherapeutic drug to enhance its sensitivity in treating tongue cancer.

Unraveling the mechanisms of glioblastoma's resistance: investigating the influence of tumor suppressor p53 and non-coding RNAs

Glioblastoma (GB) is one of the most fatal CNS malignancies, and its high resistance to therapy and poor outcomes have made it one of the primary challenges in oncology. Resistance to standard therapy, i.e., radio-chemotherapy with temozolomide, is one of the principal causes of the poor prognostic outcomes of GB. Finding the molecular basis of GB resistance to therapy is key to creating effective solution approaches. The general problem of GB resistance is supervised by cancer suppressive protein, p53, and has become a very special interest in molecular research in recent decades. The principal aim of this manuscript is to perform a comprehensive survey on the complex network of interactions developed by p53 with non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) in the context of GB resistance. The present article details the functional aspects of p53 as a cellular stress response protein, including its roles in apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and DNA repair in glioblastoma (GB), along with the disruption of p53 and its involvement in chemoresistance (CR). It also highlights several classes of ncRNAs, namely microRNAs, long ncRNAs, and circular RNAs, that manipulate p53 signaling in GB-CR. The article likewise explains how disruption in the expression of these ncRNAs can promote GB-CR and how it interacts with essential cellular functions, such as proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA repair. The manuscript also describes the potential of targeting p53 and ncRNAs with their diagnostic and prognostic potential as novel promising therapeutics for GB. Nevertheless, ncRNA-based biomarkers still present challenges for their suitability in GB resistance. However, modern research continues to discover novel prediction targets, potentially enhancing patient outcomes and therapeutic options. Therefore, the neutralization of this intricate regulatory network of GB resistance might have a primary clinical effect in fighting GB resistance therapy and thus might lead to a substantial increase in patient survival and quality of life.

GNG2 inhibits brain metastases from colorectal cancer via PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

G-protein gamma subunit 2 (GNG2) plays a vital role in various cellular processes, yet its specific function in colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly in highly invasive cases and brain metastasis, remains unclear. This study identifies GNG2 as a key regulator in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) through bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation. Functional enrichment analyses reveal that GNG2 is related to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and cell cycle regulation. These findings were further confirmed by in vitro and in vivo experiments. The overexpression of GNG2 significantly induced G0/G1 arrest and further inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis in CRC cell lines, including suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion and metastasis ability. In vivo studies using an orthotopic xenograft model demonstrated that GNG2 overexpression reduced brain metastasis and extended overall survival in mice. Immunohistochemistry and multiplex immunofluorescence confirmed the association between GNG2 overexpression, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, and G0/G1 arrest. Our study suggests that GNG2 contributes to tumor suppression in CRC, particularly in preventing brain metastasis, and could serve as a promising biomarker and treatment target for mCRC, offering fresh insights into the molecular processes driving cancer progression and metastasis.

BMS345541 is predicted as a repurposed drug for the treatment of TMZ-resistant Glioblastoma using target gene expression and virtual drug screening

Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of the most aggressive and fatal cancers, for which Temozolomide (TMZ) chemo drug is commonly used for its treatment. However, patients gradually develop resistance to this drug, leading to tumor relapse. In our previous study, we have identified lncRNAs that regulate chemoresistance through the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. In this study, we tried to find FDA-approved drugs against the target proteins of these ceRNA networks through drug repurposing using differential gene expression profiles, which could be used to nullify the effect of lncRNAs and promote the sensitivity of TMZ in GBM. We performed molecular docking and simulation studies of predicted repurposed drugs and their targets. Among the predicted repurposed drugs, we found BMS345541 has a higher binding affinity towards its target protein - FOXG1, making it a more stable complex with FOXG1-DNA. The ADMET analysis of this drug BMS345541 shows a higher half-life and lower cytotoxicity level than other predicted repurposed drugs. Hence, we conjecture that this could be a better drug for increasing the sensitivity of TMZ for treating GBM patients.

Current Photodynamic Therapy for Glioma Treatment: An Update

Research on the development of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of brain tumors has shown promise in the treatment of this highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Analysis of both in vivo studies and clinical studies shows that photodynamic therapy can provide significant benefits, such as an improved median rate of survival. The use of photodynamic therapy is characterized by relatively few side effects, which is a significant advantage compared to conventional treatment methods such as often-used brain tumor surgery, advanced radiotherapy, and classic chemotherapy. Continued research in this area could bring significant advances, influencing future standards of treatment for this difficult and deadly disease.