Role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in drug sensitivity and metastasis in bladder cancer

A novel Senescence-Based prognostic model unveils tumor interactions and drug resistance in colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

In China, CRC incidence is escalating. The main hurdles are heterogeneity and drug resistance. This research delves into cellular senescence in CRC, aiming to devise a prognostic model and pinpoint mechanisms impacting drug resistance.

METHODS

Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis confirmed the association between CRC and cellular aging. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-CRC data served as the training set, with GSE38832 and GSE39582 as validation sets. Various bioinformatics methods were employed to construct and validate a risk model. CRC cells with NADPH Oxidase 4 (NOX4) knockout were generated using CRISPR-Cas9 technology. Protein blotting and colony formation assays elucidated the role of NOX4 in CRC cell aging and drug resistance.

RESULTS

A prognostic model, derived from dataset analysis, uncovered a link between high-risk groups and cancer progression. Notable differences in the tumor microenvironment were observed between risk groups. Finally, NOX4 was found to be linked with aging and drug resistance in CRC.

CONCLUSION

This research presents a novel senescence-based CRC prognosis model. It identifies NOX4's role in CRC drug resistance, suggesting it is a potential treatment target.

Vessel co-option: a unique vascular-immune niche in liver cancer

Tumor vasculature is pivotal in regulating tumor perfusion, immune cell infiltration, metastasis, and invasion. The vascular status of the tumor is intricately linked to its immune landscape and response to immunotherapy. Vessel co-option means that tumor tissue adeptly exploits pre-existing blood vessels in the para-carcinoma region to foster its growth rather than inducing angiogenesis. It emerges as a significant mechanism contributing to anti-angiogenic therapy resistance. Different from angiogenic tumors, vessel co-option presents a distinctive vascular-immune niche characterized by varying states and distribution of immune cells, including T-cells, tumor-associated macrophages, neutrophils, and hepatic stellate cells. This unique composition contributes to an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment that is crucial in modulating the response to cancer immunotherapy. In this review, we systematically reviewed the evidence and molecular mechanisms of vessel co-option in liver cancer, while also exploring its implications for anti-angiogenic drug resistance and the immune microenvironment, to provide new ideas and clues for screening patients with liver cancer who are effective in immunotherapy.

Crosstalk between lipid metabolism and EMT: emerging mechanisms and cancer therapy

Lipids are the key component of all membranes composed of a variety of molecules that transduce intracellular signaling and provide energy to the cells in the absence of nutrients. Alteration in lipid metabolism is a major factor for cancer heterogeneity and a newly identified cancer hallmark. Reprogramming of lipid metabolism affects the diverse cancer phenotypes, especially epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT activation is considered to be an essential step for tumor metastasis, which exhibits a crucial role in the biological processes including development, wound healing, and stem cell maintenance, and has been widely reported to contribute pathologically to cancer progression. Altered lipid metabolism triggers EMT and activates multiple EMT-associated oncogenic pathways. Although the role of lipid metabolism-induced EMT in tumorigenesis is an attractive field of research, there are still significant gaps in understanding the underlying mechanisms and the precise contributions of this interplay. Further study is needed to clarify the specific molecular mechanisms driving the crosstalk between lipid metabolism and EMT, as well as to determine the potential therapeutic implications. The increased dependency of tumor cells on lipid metabolism represents a novel therapeutic target, and targeting altered lipid metabolism holds promise as a strategy to suppress EMT and ultimately inhibit metastasis.

Reduced chemokine C-C motif ligand 1 expression may negatively regulate colorectal cancer progression at liver metastatic sites

Colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis, albeit a stage-IV disease, is completely curable by surgical resection in selected patients. In addressing the molecular basics of this phenomenon, differentially expressed genes at primary and liver metastatic sites were screened by RNA sequencing with the use of paraffin-embedded surgical specimens. Chemokine C-C motif ligand 1 (CCL1), a chemotactic factor for a ligand of the chemokine C-C motif receptor 8 (CCR8), was isolated as one of the differentially expressed genes. Histological analysis revealed that the number of CCL1-positive cells, mainly tumour associated macrophages (TAMs) located in the stroma of CRC, decreased significantly at liver metastatic sites, while the expression level of CCR8 on CRC remained unchanged. To explore the biological significance of the CCL1-CCR8 axis in CRC, CCR8-positive CRC cell line Colo320DM was used to assess the effect of the CCL1-CCR8 axis on major signalling pathways, epithelial mesenchymal transition induction and cell motility. Upon stimulation of recombinant CCL1 (rCCL1), phosphorylation of AKT was observed in Colo320DM cells; on the other hand, the corresponding significant increase in MMP-2 levels demonstrated by RT-qPCR was nullified by siRNA (siCCR8). In the scratch test, rCCL1 treatment significantly increased the motility of Colo320DM cells, which was similarly nullified by siCCR8. Thus, the activation of the CCL1-CCR8 axis is a positive regulator of CRC tumour progression. Reduced CCL1 expression of TAMs at liver metastatic sites may partly explain the unique slow tumour progression of CRC, thus providing for a grace period for radical resection of metastatic lesions.

A novel anoikis-related gene signature identifies LYPD1 as a novel therapy target for bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a malignant tumor associated with unfavorable outcomes. Studies suggest that anoikis plays a crucial role in tumor progression and cancer cell metastasis. However, its specific role in bladder cancer remains poorly understood. Our objective was to identify anoikis-related genes (ARGs) and subsequently construct a risk model to assess their potential for predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer.The transcriptome data and clinical data of BLCA patients were sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas and GEO database. We then performed the differential expression analysis to screen differentially expressed ARGs. Subsequently, we conducted non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis to establish molecular subtypes based on the differentially expressed ARGs. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to estimate the quantification of different cell infiltration in BLCA tumor microenviroment. A prognostic risk model containing 7 ARGs was established using Lasso-Cox regression analysis. The nomogram was built for predicting the survival probability of BLCA patients. To determine the drug sensitivity of each sample from the high- and low-risk groups, the R package "pRRophetic" was performed. Finally, the role of LYPD1 was explored in BLCA cell lines.We identified 90 differential expression ARGs and NMF clustering categorizated the BLCA patientss into two distinct groups (cluster A and B). Patients in cluster A had a better prognosis than those in cluster B. Then, we established a ARGs risk model including CALR, FASN, FOSL1, JUN, LYPD1, MST1R, and SATB1, which was validated in the train and test set. The results suggested overall survival rate was much higher in low risk group than high risk group. The cox regression analysis, ROC curve analysis, and nomogram collectively demonstrated that the risk model served as an independent prognostic factor. The high risk group had a higher level TME scores compared to the low risk group. Furthermore, LYPD1 was low expression in BLCA cells and overexpression of LYPD1 inhibits the prolifearation, migration and invasion.In the current study, we have identified differential expression ARGs and constructed a risk model with the promise for guiding prognostic predictions and provided a therapeutic target for patients with BLCA.

Proposal for a Novel Histological Scoring System as a Potential Grading Approach for Muscle-invasive Urothelial Bladder Cancer Correlating with Disease Aggressiveness and Patient Outcomes

BACKGROUND

Grading of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) according to the current World Health Organization (WHO) criteria is controversial due to its limited prognostic value. All MIBC cases except a tiny minority are of high grade.

OBJECTIVE

To develop a prognostic histological scoring system for MIBC integrating histomorphological phenotype, stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs), tumor budding, and growth and spreading patterns.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Tissue specimens and clinical data of 484 patients receiving cystectomy and lymphadenectomy with curative intent with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. Histomorphological phenotypes, sTILs, tumor budding, and growth and spreading patterns were evaluated and categorized into four grade groups (GGs). GGs were correlated with molecular subtypes, immune infiltration, immune checkpoint expression, extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activity.

OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

GGs were associated with overall (OS), disease-specific (DSS), and progression-free (PFS) survival in univariable and multivariable analyses. Association with biological features was analyzed with descriptive statistics.

RESULTS AND LIMITATIONS

Integration of two histomorphological tumor groups, three sTILs groups, three tumor budding groups, and four growth/spread patterns yielded four novel GGs that had high significance in the univariable survival analysis (OS, DSS, and PFS). GGs were confirmed as independent prognostic predictors with the greatest effect in the multivariable Cox regression analysis. Correlation with molecular data showed a gradual transition from basal to luminal subtypes from GG1 to GG4; a gradual decrease in survival, immune infiltration, and immune checkpoint activity; and a gradual increase in ECM remodeling and EMT activity.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose a novel, prognostically relevant, and biologically based scoring system for MIBC in cystectomies applicable to routine pathological sections.

PATIENT SUMMARY

We developed a novel approach to assess the aggressiveness of advanced bladder cancer, which allows improved risk stratification compared with the method currently proposed by the World Health Organization.

RPF2 mediates the CARM1‑MYCN axis to promote chemotherapy resistance in colorectal cancer cells

Ribosome production factor 2 homolog (RPF2) plays an important role in the life processes of ribosomal biogenesis; however, the function and mechanism of RPF2 in tumors are unclear. The present study demonstrated that RPF2 expression is involved in chemoresistance in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. The current study demonstrated that upregulation of RPF2 expression in CRC promoted resistance to chemotherapeutic agents in CRC cells, whereas knockdown of RPF2 leads to increased sensitivity of CRC to chemotherapy. In addition, it was found that overexpression of RPF2 led to an increase in ATP‑binding cassette (ABC)B1 expression in CRC cells; accordingly, inhibition of RPF2 reduced the level of ABCB1 in CRC cells, thus suggesting that ABCB1 may be a downstream factor of RPF2 in the promotion of chemotherapy resistance to CRC. The results also suggested that the expression of N‑myc proto‑oncogene protein (MYCN), an upstream regulator of ABCB1, was affected by RPF2 in CRC cells. In addition, it was also found that the downstream protein coactivator‑associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) of RPF2 existed in direct binding to MYCN and this interaction was regulated by RPF2. The above results suggested that RPF2 is probably regulated ABCB1 expression in CRC through the CARM1‑MYCN pathway, thereby promoting CRC drug resistance.

POLR3G promotes EMT via PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in bladder cancer

RNA Polymerase III Subunit G (POLR3G) promotes tumorigenesis, metastasis, cancer stemness, and chemoresistance of breast cancer and lung cancer; however, its biological function in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains unclear. Through bioinformatic analyses, we found that POLR3G expression was significantly elevated in BLCA tumor tissues and was associated with decreased survival. Multivariate Cox analysis indicated that POLR3G could serve as an independent prognostic risk factor. Our functional investigations revealed that POLR3G deficiency resulted in reduced migration and invasion of BLCA cells both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, the expressions of EMT-related mesenchymal markers were also downregulated in POLR3G knockdown cells. Mechanistically, we showed that POLR3G could activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Inhibition of this pathway with LY294002 reduced the enhanced migration and invasion of BLCA cells induced by POLR3G overexpression, whereas the activation of this pathway using 740Y-P restored the abilities that were inhibited by POLR3G knockdown. Taken together, our findings suggested that POLR3G is a prognostic predictor for BLCA and promotes EMT of BLCA through activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Dual Affinity Nanoparticles for the Transport of Therapeutics from Carrier Cells to Target Cells under Physiological Flow Conditions

In this study, a novel two-stage nanoparticle delivery platform was developed based on the dual functionalization of a liposome with moieties that have fundamentally different strengths of adhesion and binding kinetics. The essential concept of this system is that the nanoparticles are designed to loosely bind to the carrier cell until they come into contact with the target cell, to which they bind with greater strength. This allows the nanoparticle to be transferred from one cell to another, circulating for longer periods of time in the blood and delivering the therapeutic agent to the target circulating tumor cell. Liposomes were prepared using the lipid cake and extrusion technique, then functionalized with E-selectin (ES), anti-cell surface vimentin antibody fragments, and TRAIL via click chemistry. The binding of dual affinity (DA) liposomes was confirmed with the neutrophil-like cell line PLB985, the colorectal cancer cell line HCT116, and healthy granulocytes isolated from peripheral whole blood under physiologically relevant fluid shear stress (FSS) in a cone-and-plate viscometer. Transfer of the DA liposomes from PLB985 to HCT116 cells under FSS was greater compared to all of the control liposome formulations. Additionally, DA liposomes demonstrated enhanced apoptotic effects on HCT116 cells in whole blood under FSS, surpassing the efficacy of the ES/TRAIL liposomes previously developed by the King Lab.

4-(3-Phenyl-4-(3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoyl)-1H-pyrrol-1-yl)benzenesulfonamide, a Novel Carbonic Anhydrase and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Dual-Targeting Inhibitor with Potent Activity against Multidrug Resistant Cancer Cells

We synthesized new pyrrole and indole derivatives as human carbonic anhydrase (hCA) inhibitors with the potential to inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. The presence of both N1-(4-sulfonamidophenyl) and 3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl) substituents was essential for strong hCA inhibitors. The most potent hCA XII inhibitor 15 (Ki = 6.8 nM) suppressed the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and its target genes MYC, Fgf20, and Sall4 and exhibited the typical markers of apoptosis, cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, and cleaved caspase-3. Compound 15 showed strong inhibition of viability in a panel of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer and triple-negative breast cancer cells, was effective against the NCI/ADR-RES DOX-resistant cell line, and restored the sensitivity to doxorubicin (DOX) in HT29/DX and MDCK/P-gp cells. Compound 15 is a novel dual-targeting compound with activity against hCA and Wnt/β-catenin. It thus has a broad targeting spectrum and is an anticancer agent with specific potential in P-glycoprotein overexpressing cell lines.

Tumorigenic effects of human mesenchymal stromal cells and fibroblasts on bladder cancer cells

Background

Patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer face a poor prognosis due to rapid disease progression and chemoresistance. Thus, there is an urgent need for a new therapeutic treatment. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has crucial roles in tumor development, growth, progression, and therapy resistance. TME cells may also survive standard treatment of care and fire up disease recurrence. However, whether specific TME components have tumor-promoting or tumor-inhibitory properties depends on cell type and cancer entity. Thus, a deeper understanding of the interaction mechanisms between the TME and cancer cells is needed to develop new cancer treatment approaches that overcome therapy resistance. Little is known about the function and interaction between mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) or fibroblasts (FB) as TME components and bladder cancer cells.

Methods

We investigated the functional impact of conditioned media (CM) from primary cultures of different donors of MSC or FB on urothelial carcinoma cell lines (UCC) representing advanced disease stages, namely, BFTC-905, VMCUB-1, and UMUC-3. Underlying mechanisms were identified by RNA sequencing and protein analyses of cancer cells and of conditioned media by oncoarrays.

Results

Both FB- and MSC-CM had tumor-promoting effects on UCC. In some experiments, the impact of MSC-CM was more pronounced. CM augmented the aggressive phenotype of UCC, particularly of those with epithelial phenotype. Proliferation and migratory and invasive capacity were significantly increased; cisplatin sensitivity was reduced. RNA sequencing identified underlying mechanisms and molecules contributing to the observed phenotype changes. NRF2 and NF-κB signaling was affected, contributing to improved cisplatin detoxification. Likewise, interferon type I signaling was downregulated and regulators of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) were increased. Altered protein abundance of CXCR4, hyaluronan receptor CD44, or TGFβ-signaling was induced by CM in cancer cells and may contribute to phenotypical changes. CM contained high levels of CCL2/MCP-1, MMPs, and interleukins which are well known for their impact on other cancer entities.

Conclusions

The CM of two different TME components had overlapping tumor-promoting effects and increased chemoresistance. We identified underlying mechanisms and molecules contributing to the aggressiveness of bladder cancer cells. These need to be further investigated for targeting the TME to improve cancer therapy.

The Impact of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts on Drug Resistance, Stemness, and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition in Bladder Cancer: A Comparison between Recurrent and Non-Recurrent Patient-Derived CAFs

This study comparatively evaluated the possible effects of recurrent and non-recurrent patient-derived Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts (CAFs-R and -NR) on the bladder cancer cell line, EJ138. Both groups of CAFs increased cisplatin resistance and altered cell cycle distribution alongside induced resistance to apoptosis. Later, the scratch assay confirmed the cell migration-inducing effects of CAFs on cells. Nonetheless, only CAFs-R managed to increase sphere-formation and clonogenic levels in EJ138 cells, which were later validated by upregulating pluripotency transcription factors. Besides, CAFs-R also affected the expression levels of some of the EMT markers. Our study suggests that CAFs-R had stronger pro-tumorigenic effects on EJ138 cells.

Metastasis Related Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Signature Predicts Prognosis and Response to Chemotherapy in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a highly heterogenous disease with varying clinical outcomes among patients. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important mechanism underlying cancer metastasis and chemotherapy resistance. However, few EMT-based signatures have been established to predict AML prognosis and treatment efficacy.

Methods

By conducting comparative RNA-seq analysis, we discovered the differential expression of EMT genes between AML patients with relapse and those without relapse. Based on the prognostic analysis of the differentially expressed EMT genes, a metastasis-related EMT signature (MEMTs) was constructed. An analysis was conducted on both TARGET and TCGA cohorts to explore the possible association between MEMTs and prognosis in AML. Three separate chemotherapy treatment cohorts were utilized to assess the predictive efficacy of MEMTs for chemotherapy response. In addition, the potential correlation between MEMTs and the tumor microenvironment was also investigated. Finally, random forest analysis and functional experiments were conducted to verify the key MEMTs gene associated with AML metastasis.

Results

Based on expression and prognostic analysis, we constructed MEMTs that include three EMT genes (CDH2, LOX, and COL3A1). Our findings suggested that the MEMTs could act as a prognostic factor for AML patients, and furthermore, it proved to be a predictor of their response to chemotherapy. Specifically, high MEMTs was associated with worse prognosis and poor response to chemotherapy, while low MEMTs was linked to better prognosis and higher response rates. Random forest and functional experiments demonstrate that CDH2 is a key gene promoting leukemia cell metastasis among the three MEMTs genes.

Conclusion

The identification of MEMTs could potentially act as a predictor for the prognosis and the response to chemotherapy in AML patients. Individual tumor evaluation based on MEMTs could provide personalized treatment options for AML patients in the future.

SETDB1 induces lenalidomide resistance in multiple myeloma cells via epithelial‑mesenchymal transition and PI3K/AKT pathway activation

SET domain bifurcated histone lysine methyltransferase 1 (SETDB1) is a histone H3K9 methyltransferase that stimulates cell proliferation by methylating AKT, which contributes to drug resistance in multiple myeloma (MM). Lenalidomide is an immunomodulatory agent widely used in the treatment of MM. However, lenalidomide resistance occurs in patients with MM. Currently, the role of SETDB1 in lenalidomide resistance in MM remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the functional association between SETDB1 and lenalidomide resistance in MM. The analysis of GEO datasets revealed that SETDB1 was upregulated in lenalidomide-resistant MM cells and that its expression was associated with poor prognosis of patients with MM. Apoptosis analysis revealed that overexpression of SETDB1 in MM cells significantly decreased apoptosis, while knockdown of SETDB1 increased apoptosis. Furthermore, the IC₅₀ value of lenalidomide in MM cells increased following SETDB1 overexpression and decreased following SETDB1 silencing. Additionally, SETDB1 mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and activated the PI3K/AKT pathway. Mechanistic analysis revealed that inhibition of PI3K/AKT signaling in MM cells increased apoptosis, sensitized the cells to lenalidomide and inhibited EMT, whereas SETDB1 overexpression inhibited the effects of PI3K/AKT cascade inhibition. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicated that SETDB1 promoted lenalidomide resistance in MM cells by promoting EMT and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Thus, SETDB1 may be a potential therapeutic target for MM.

Comprehensive characterization of ferroptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma revealing the association with prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment

Background

Ferroptosis is a type of regulatory cell death (RCD) mode that depends on iron-mediated oxidative damage. It has the potential to improve the efficacy of tumor immunotherapy by modulating the tumor microenvironment (TME). Currently, immunotherapy has significantly improved the overall treatment strategy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the distinct immune microenvironment and high tolerance to the immune make massive differences in the immunotherapy effect of HCC patients. As a result, it is imperative to classify HCC patients who may benefit from immune checkpoint therapy. Simultaneously, the predictive value of ferroptosis in HCC and its potential role in TME immune cell infiltration also need to be further clarified.

Methods

Three ferroptosis molecular models were built on the basis of mRNA expression profiles of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs), with notable variations in immunocyte infiltration, biological function, and survival prediction. In order to further investigate the predictive impact of immunotherapy response in HCC patients, the ferroptosis score was constructed using the principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm to quantify the ferroptosis molecular models of individual tumors.

Results

In HCC, there were three totally different ferroptosis molecular models. The ferroptosis score can be used to assess genetic variation, immunotherapy response, TME characteristics, and prognosis. Notably, tumors with low ferroptosis scores have extensive tumor mutations and immune exhaustion, which are associated with a poor prognosis and enhanced immunotherapy response.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that ferroptosis plays an indispensable role in the regulation of the tumor immune microenvironment. For HCC, the ferroptosis score is an independent prognostic indicator. Assessing the molecular model of ferroptosis in individual tumors will assist us in better understanding the characteristics of TME, predicting the effect of immunotherapy in HCC patients, and thus guiding a more reasonable immunotherapy program.

Prognostic value of COL10A1 and its correlation with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in urothelial bladder cancer: A comprehensive study based on bioinformatics and clinical analysis validation

Introduction

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is one of the most lethal diseases. COL10A1 is secreted small-chain collagen in the extracellular matrix associated with various tumors, including gastric, colon, breast, and lung cancer. However, the role of COL10A1 in BLCA remains unclear. This is the first research focusing on the prognostic value of COL10A1 in BLCA. In this research, we aimed to uncover the association between COL10A1 and the prognosis, as well as other clinicopathological parameters in BLCA.

Methods

We obtained gene expression profiles of BLCA and normal tissues from the TCGA, GEO, and ArrayExpress databases. Immunohistochemistry staining was performed to investigate the protein expression and prognostic value of COL10A1 in BLCA patients. GO and KEGG enrichment along with GSEA analyses were performed to reveal the biological functions and potential regulatory mechanisms of COL10A1 based on the gene co-expression network. We used the “maftools” R package to display the mutation profiles between the high and low COL10A1 groups. GIPIA2, TIMER, and CIBERSORT algorithms were utilized to explore the effect of COL10A1 on the tumor immune microenvironment.

Results

We found that COL10A1 was upregulated in the BLCA samples, and increased COL10A1 expression was related to poor overall survival. Functional annotation of 200 co-expressed genes positively correlated with COL10A1 expression, including GO, KEGG, and GSEA enrichment analyses, indicated that COL10A1 was basically involved in the extracellular matrix, protein modification, molecular binding, ECM-receptor interaction, protein digestion and absorption, focal adhesion, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. The most commonly mutated genes of BLCA were different between high and low COL10A1 groups. Tumor immune infiltrating analyses showed that COL10A1 might have an essential role in recruiting infiltrating immune cells and regulating immunity in BLCA, thus affecting prognosis. Finally, external datasets and biospecimens were used, and the results further validated the aberrant expression of COL10A1 in BLCA samples.

Conclusions

In conclusion, our study demonstrates that COL10A1 is an underlying prognostic and predictive biomarker in BLCA.

Downregulated ESRP1/2 promotes lung metastasis of bladder carcinoma through altering FGFR2 splicing and macrophage polarization

Introduction

Lung metastasis occurs in parts of the bladder carcinoma (BC) patients but represents the highest severity and a poor outcome of the disease. The molecular mechanism underlying lung metastasis of BC is not fully understood. Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) signaling plays a substantial role in the BC cell growth and invasion. In this study, we assessed the regulation of the alternative splicing of FGFR2 by epithelial splicing regulatory proteins (ESRPs) in lung metastasis of BC.

Methods

Gene profile of BC in comparison with adjacent non-tumor bladder tissue was obtained from GEO public database to analyze the levels of differentiated genes and pathways. Moreover, the association of ESRP1 or ESRP2 with lung metastasis of BC was analyzed on our own clinic samples. The effects of altered expression of ESRP1 or ESRP2 on alternative splicing of FGFR2 IIIb and IIIc, which represents epithelial and mesenchymal-like splicing, were analyzed on BC cell lines T24 and RT4. The in vivo effects of ESRP1 or ESRP2 on lung metastasis of BC were assessed in mice subcutaneously grafted with ESRP1/2-modified BC labeled with fluorescent and luciferase reporters.

Results

We detected significant reduction of ESRP1 and ESRP2 in BC in public database of BC specimens. Moreover, analysis on our own specimens also showed strong downregulation of ESRP1 or ESRP2 in BC, and the latter was more pronounced in cases with lung metastasis. In vitro, altered levels of ESRP1 or ESRP2 caused a switch of FGFR2 splicing between FGFR2-IIIb and FGFR2-IIIc, resulting in changes in tumor cell growth and metastatic potential. In vivo, re-expression of ESRP1 or ESRP2 in BC cells not only inhibited the growth of the xenografted tumor formation in nude mice, but also reduced the occurrence of lung metastasis, partially through altering polarization of tumor-associated macrophages.

Conclusion

Our data thus suggest that reduction in ESRP1 or ESRP2 promotes lung metastasis of BC through altering FGFR2 splicing and macrophage polarization.

DNA damage to bone marrow stromal cells by antileukemia drugs induces chemoresistance in acute myeloid leukemia via paracrine FGF10-FGFR2 signaling

Chemoresistance remains a major challenge in the current treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The bone marrow microenvironment (BMM) plays a complex role in protecting leukemia cells from chemotherapeutics, and the mechanisms involved are not fully understood. Antileukemia drugs kill AML cells directly but also damage the BMM. Here, we determined antileukemia drugs induce DNA damage in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), resulting in resistance of AML cell lines to adriamycin and idarubicin killing. Damaged BMSCs induced an inflammatory microenvironment through NF-κB; suppressing NF-κB with small molecule inhibitor Bay11-7082 attenuated the prosurvival effects of BMSCs on AML cell lines. Furthermore, we used an ex vivo functional screen of 507 chemokines and cytokines to identify 44 proteins secreted from damaged BMSCs. Fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF10) was most strongly associated with chemoresistance in AML cell lines. Additionally, expression of FGF10 and its receptors, FGFR1 and FGFR2, was increased in AML patients after chemotherapy. FGFR1 and FGFR2 were also widely expressed by AML cell lines. FGF10-induced FGFR2 activation in AML cell lines operates by increasing P38 MAPK, AKT, ERK1/2, and STAT3 phosphorylation. FGFR2 inhibition with small molecules or gene silencing of FGFR2 inhibited proliferation and reverses drug resistance of AML cells by inhibiting P38 MAPK, AKT, and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Finally, release of FGF10 was mediated by β-catenin signaling in damaged BMSCs. Our data indicate FGF10-FGFR2 signaling acts as an effector of damaged BMSC-mediated chemoresistance in AML cells, and FGFR2 inhibition can reverse stromal protection and AML cell chemoresistance in the BMM.

Melatonin Inhibits EMT in Bladder Cancer by Targeting Autophagy

Melatonin, a naturally biosynthesized molecule secreted by the pineal gland, exhibits antitumor activities against several different types of cancer. The mechanisms of action of melatonin against tumor progression involve cellular apoptosis, antimetastatic activity, antioxidant and mutagenic effects, antiangiogenic activity, and the restoration of cancer immune surveillance. Melatonin has anticancer activity when administered alone or in combination with standard chemotherapeutic agents, with measurable improvements seen in the clinical endpoints of tumor regression and patient survival. However, scant clinical evidence supports the use of melatonin in bladder cancer treatment. Our study has found that melatonin treatment suppresses the bladder cancer cell migratory ability by inhibiting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which appears to be linked to melatonin-induced decreases in bladder cancer cell autophagy. Finally, an evaluation of in vivo melatonin-induced antitumor effects in an orthotopic animal model of bladder cancer indicated that melatonin treatment slightly prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. Our study offers novel insights into the use of melatonin in bladder cancer treatment.

Increased Expression of the RBPMS Splice Variants Inhibits Cell Proliferation in Ovarian Cancer Cells

RNA-Binding Protein with Multiple Splicing (RBPMS) is a member of family proteins that bind to nascent RNA transcripts and regulate their splicing, localization, and stability. Evidence indicates that RBPMS controls the activity of transcription factors associated with cell growth and proliferation, including AP-1 and Smads. Three major RBPMS protein splice variants (RBPMSA, RBPMSB, and RBPMSC) have been described in the literature. We previously reported that reduced RBPMS levels decreased the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin treatment. However, little is known about the biological role of the RBPMS splice variants in ovarian cancer cells. We performed RT-PCR and Western blots and observed that both RBPMSA and RBPMSC are reduced at the mRNA and protein levels in cisplatin resistant as compared with cisplatin sensitive ovarian cancer cells. The mRNA and protein levels of RBPMSB were not detectable in any of the ovarian cancer cells tested. To better understand the biological role of each RBPMSA and RBPMSC, we transfected these two splice variants in the A2780CP20 and OVCAR3CIS cisplatin resistant ovarian cancer cells and performed cell proliferation, cell migration, and invasion assays. Compared with control clones, a significant reduction in the number of colonies, colony size, cell migration, and invasion was observed with RBPMSA and RBPMSC overexpressed cells. Moreover, A2780CP20-RBPMSA and A2780CP20-RBPMSC clones showed reduced senescence-associated β-galactosidase (β-Gal)-levels when compared with control clones. A2780CP20-RBPMSA clones were more sensitive to cisplatin treatment as compared with A2780CP20-RBPMSC clones. The A2780CP20-RBPMSA and A2780CP20-RBPMSC clones subcutaneously injected into athymic nude mice formed smaller tumors as compared with A2780CP20-EV control group. Additionally, immunohistochemical analysis showed lower proliferation (Ki67) and angiogenesis (CD31) staining in tissue sections of A2780CP20-RBPMSA and A2780CP20-RBPMSC tumors compared with controls. RNAseq studies revealed many common RNA transcripts altered in A2780CP20-RBPMSA and A2780CP20-RBPMSC clones. Unique RNA transcripts deregulated by each RBPMS variant were also observed. Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter database information identified clinically relevant RBPMSA and RBPMSC downstream effectors. These studies suggest that increased levels of RBPMSA and RBPMSC reduce cell proliferation in ovarian cancer cells. However, only RBPMSA expression levels were associated with the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin treatment.

Characterization of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Identifies a Gene Signature for Predicting Clinical Outcomes and Therapeutic Responses in Bladder Cancer

Purpose. The complex etiological variables and high heterogeneity of bladder cancer (BC) make prognostic prediction challenging. We aimed to develop a robust and promising gene signature using advanced machine learning methods for predicting the prognosis and therapy responses of BC patients. Methods. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and univariable Cox regression were used to identify the primary risk hallmark among the various cancer hallmarks. Machine learning methods were then combined with survival and differential gene expression analyses to construct a novel prognostic signature, which would be validated in two additional independent cohorts. Moreover, relationships between this signature and therapy responses were also identified. Functional enrichment analysis and immune cell estimation were also conducted to provide insights into the potential mechanisms of BC. Results. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was identified as the primary risk factor for the survival of BC patients (HR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.26-1.63). A novel EMT-related gene signature was constructed and validated in three independent cohorts, showing stable and accurate performance in predicting clinical outcomes. Furthermore, high-risk patients had poor prognoses and multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed this to be an independent risk factor for patient survival. CD8+ T cells, Tregs, and M2 macrophages were found abundantly in the tumor microenvironment of high-risk patients. Moreover, it was anticipated that high-risk patients would be more sensitive to chemotherapeutic drugs, while low-risk patients would benefit more from immunotherapy. Conclusions. We successfully identified and validated a novel EMT-related gene signature for predicting clinical outcomes and therapy responses in BC patients, which may be useful in clinical practice for risk stratification and individualized treatment.

Impact of SOX2 function and regulation on therapy resistance in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is a malignant disease with high rates of recurrence and mortality. It is mainly classified as non-muscle-invasive BC and muscle-invasive BC (MIBC). Often, MIBC is chemoresistant, which, according to cancer stem cells (CSCs) theory, is linked to the presence of bladder cancer stem cells (BCSCs). Sex-determining region Y- (SRY) Box transcription factor 2 (SOX2), which is a molecular marker of BCSCs, is aberrantly over-expressed in chemoresistant BC cell lines. It is one of the standalone prognostic factors for BC, and it has an inherently significant function in the emergence and progression of the disease. This review first summarizes the role of SRY-related high-mobility group protein Box (SOX) family genes in BC, focusing on the SOX2 and its significance in BC. Second, it discusses the mechanisms relevant to the regulation of SOX2. Finally, it summarizes the signaling pathways related to SOX2 in BC, suggests current issues to be addressed, and proposes potential directions for future research to provide new insights for the treatment of BC.

The carbonic anhydrase inhibitor acetazolamide inhibits urinary bladder cancers via suppression of β-catenin signaling

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) play an important role in maintaining pH homeostasis. We previously demonstrated that overexpression of CA2 was associated with invasion and progression of urothelial carcinoma (UC) in humans. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of the CA inhibitor acetazolamide (Ace) on N‐butyl‐N‐(4‐hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN)‐induced bladder carcinogenesis in mice and explore the function of CA2 in muscle invasion by UC. Male mice were treated with 0.025% (experiment 1) or 0.05% BBN (experiment 2) in their drinking water for 10 weeks, then treated with cisplatin (Cis), Ace, or Cis plus Ace for 12 weeks. In experiment 1, the overall incidence of BBN‐induced UCs was significantly decreased in the BBN→Ace and BBN→Cis+Ace groups. In experiment 2, the overall incidence of BBN‐induced UCs was significantly decreased in the BBN→Cis+Ace group, and the incidence of muscle invasive UC was significantly decreased in both the BBN→Ace and the BBN→Cis+Ace groups. We also show that overexpression of CA2 by human UC cells T24 and UMUC3 significantly increased their migration and invasion capabilities, and that Ace significantly inhibited migration and invasion by CA2‐overexpressing T24 and UMUC3 cells. These data demonstrate a functional association of CA2 with UC development and progression, confirming the association of CA2 with UC that we had shown previously by immunohistochemical analysis of human UC specimens and proteome analysis of BBN‐induced UC in rats. Our finding that inhibition of CA2 inhibits UC development and muscle invasion also directly confirms that CA2 is a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancers.

Role of vitamin D3 in tumor aggressiveness and radiation response for hepatocellular carcinoma

Locoregional control is a significant prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Historically, the use of radiotherapy (RT) for HCC was limited owing to the low radiotolerance of the liver and the need for high RT doses for disease control. We aimed to examine if 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (calcitriol) has a role in the tumor inhibition and the radiation response of HCC in vitro and in vivo, and explore the underlying mechanisms. The human and murine liver cancer cell lines were selected for cellular and animal experiments to investigate the changes in tumor characteristics and the radiation response after calcitriol supplementation. The effects induced by calcitriol supplementation on interleukin-6 (IL-6) signaling and the tumor immune microenvironment following RT were also examined. Our data revealed that calcitriol supplementation attenuated tumor aggressive behavior, decrease IL-6 expression, and augmented radiation-induced tumor inhibition. The biological changes following calcitriol treatment included suppressed epithelial-mesenchymal transition, attenuated cancer stem cell-like properties and increased radiation-induced reactive oxygen species and cell death in vitro. Regarding immune microenvironment, calcitriol attenuated the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) recruitment and increased the infiltration of cytotoxic T cells in tumor following RT. Furthermore, When the primary liver tumor was irradiated with larger dose per fraction, calcitriol induced a smaller size of synchronous unirradiated tumor in mice, which linked with attenuated IL-6 signaling and MDSC recruitment. In conclusion, calcitriol treatment reduced tumor aggressiveness and enhanced the radiation response. The inhibited IL-6 signaling and subsequently enhanced antitumor immunity might be responsible to augment radiation-induced tumoricidal effect induced by calcitriol. Based on our results, we suggest that calcitriol could exert the antitumor and radiosensitization effects for HCC, especially for multifocal tumors.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition based diagnostic and prognostic signature markers in non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive bladder cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated biomarkers are evaluated in a cohort of NMIBC (non-muscle invasive bladder cancer) and MIBC (muscle invasive bladder cancer) patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were carried out in 100 tumor specimens (59 NMIBC and 41 MIBC). The expressions of the epithelial marker, mesenchymal markers and EMT-activating transcription factors (EMT-ATFs) were determined at transcriptome and protein level followed by their statistical associations with clinicohistopathological variables of the patients. Transcriptomic expression analysis showed statistical relevance of tumor stage with increased Twist and Zeb-1; tumor type with reduced E-cadherin and increased Snail; and smoking/tobacco chewing status (S/TC) of patients with increased N-cadherin and Snail in NMIBC patients. Tumor grade with reduced message E-cadherin, gain of N-cadherin, Snail, Twist and Zeb-1; patients' age with reduced E-cadherin and Twist gain; and tumor type with increased message N-cadherin exhibited associations in MIBC patients. Protein expression analysis identified statistical relevance of tumor grade with nuclear gain of Snail and Twist; and nuclear gain of Slug with S/TC status of NMIBC patients. Novel gain of membranous Vimentin deduced association with patients' age in MIBC patients. Survival analysis identified novel Vimentin as the positive predictor of short progression free survival (PFS) and short overall survival (OS) in MIBC patients. Study established altered EMT profile as the independent negative predictor of short recurrence free survival (RFS) in NMIBC patients and positive predictor of short PFS and OS in MIBC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

EMT associated biomarkers could provide diagnostic and prognostic risk stratification and hence could be of importance in the clinical management of bladder cancer patients.

Bladder cancer cell lines adapt their aggressiveness profile to oxygen tension

During the process of tumor growth, cancer cells will be subjected to intermittent hypoxia. This results from the delay in the development of the vascular network in relation to the proliferation of cancer cells. The hypoxic nature of a tumor has been demonstrated as a negative factor for patient survival. To evaluate the impact of hypoxia on the survival and migration properties of low and high-grade bladder cancer cell lines, two low-grade (MGHU-3 and SW-780) and two high-grade (SW-1710 and T24) bladder cancer cell lines were cultured in normoxic (20% O₂) or hypoxic atmospheric conditions (2% O₂). The response of bladder cancer cell lines to hypoxic atmospheric cell culture conditions was examined under several parameters, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, doubling time and metabolic activities, thrombospondin-1 expression, whole Matrix Metallo-Proteinase activity, migration and resistance to oxidative stress. The low-grade cell line response to hypoxia was heterogeneous even if it tended to adopt a more aggressive profile. Hypoxia enhanced migration and pro-survival properties of MGHU-3 cells, whereas these features were reduced for the SW-780 cell line cultured under low oxygen tension. The responses of tested high-grade cell lines were more homogeneous and tended to adopt a less aggressive profile. Hypoxia drastically changed some of the bladder cancer cell line properties, for example matrix metalloproteinases expression for all cancer cells but also switch in glycolytic metabolism of low grade cancer cells. Overall, studying bladder cancer cells in hypoxic environments are relevant for the translation from in vitro findings to in vivo context.

TEAD4 functions as a prognostic biomarker and triggers EMT via PI3K/AKT pathway in bladder cancer

Background

The distant metastasis is the primary cause of cancer morbidity and mortality for bladder cancer (BLCA) paitents. All the recommended therapy for it largely depends on how far the cancer has invaded. It has been confirmed that epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the leading reason for the BLCA metastasis which makes BLCA difficult to cure. The aim of the present study is to identify the BLCA-related genes that can be used as the new prognostic biomarker and treatment target, and to investigate the functional mechanisms of TEAD4 in EMT dysregulation.

Methods

The "limma" R package was used to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the normal and the tumor samples from TCGA BLCA and GTEx databases. Kaplan–Meier and UniCox analysis were used to filter DEGs with prognostic value in BLCA. Step muti-Cox analysis was used to construct a prognostic risk score model based on clinical phenotype characters. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the possible molecular mechanisms affecting the prognosis in BLCA. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of EMT process on the prognosis. Single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA) was used to calculate the correlation betweeen the expression of DEGs and EMT enrichment scores. TEAD4 expression and its association with pathological grading and survival were appraised in samples from TCGA dataset and BLCA tissue microarray. Colony formation assays and CCK8 assays were performed to study the changes in BLCA cell proliferation when the TEAD4 levels was down- or up-regulated in BLCA cells. Transwell and wound healing assays were utilized to analyze the impact of TEAD4 on the invasion and metastasis of the BLCA cells. Western Blot was carried out to detect the changes of EMT-related markers and the active molecules involved in PI3K/AKT signaling in BLCA cells. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis was conducted on the genes related to TEAD4 expression. 740Y-P (activator of PI3K/AKT pathway) and LY294002 (inhibitor of PI3K/AKT pathway) were applied to evaluate the contribution of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in the EMT of BLCA cells. To examine the in vivo effect of TEAD4 on tumor metastasis, we designed a metastatic nude-mouse model by tail vein injection of TEAD4-knockdown BLCA cells. And PET/CT imaging was used to assess the extent of lung metastases.

Results

A total of 1592 DEGs were recognized, among which 4 DEGs have been identified as independent prognostic factors for BLCA, such as FASN, IGFL2, PLOD1 and TEAD4. TCGA BLCA samples were divided into significantly different low- and high-risk groups according to the median risk score; GSEA analysis showed that HALLMARK EMT pathway was the top enriched gene signature when compared high-risk and low-risk groups, which was also verified by unsupervised cluster analysis. EMT signature-derived ssGSEA scores demonstrated that TEAD4 had the most positive correlation with EMT process. In addition, TEAD4 expression was upregulated in TCGA BLCA samples and correlated with pT stage, tumor stage and tumor grade. Functional studies showed that TEAD4 knockdown via lentiviral TEAD4 shRNA inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro and in vivo, with the reduced expression of EMT related markers in BLCA cell lines; the migration and invasion of TEAD4 knockdown cells could be restored by ectopic expression of TEAD4. Meanwhile, KEGG enrichment analysis of genes related to TEAD4 expression showed that enrichment was significantly related to PI3K/AKT pathway. The pathway inhibitor LY294002 blocked the TEAD4-induced enhancement of migration and invasion as well as the expression EMT-related markers, whereas the agonist 740Y-P rescued the decreased migration, invasion and EMT induced by TEAD4 knockdown.

Conclusions

TEAD4 is closely correlated with poor prognosis in BLCA and mediates its metastasis through regulating EMT via PI3K/AKT pathway, proving that TEAD4 is not only an effective biomarker for predicting the prognosis but also a great potential target for treatment of metastatic BLCA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13046-022-02377-3.

LOXL2 small molecule inhibitor restrains malignant transformation of cervical cancer cells by repressing LOXL2-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)

Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) is a member of the lysine oxidase (LOX) family. Although its overexpression is known to play pivotal roles in carcinogenesis, its involvement in cervical cancer remains undefined. Here, we comprehensively explored the expression level and functional mechanism of LOXL2 in cervical cancer using bioinformatics and experimental methods. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that LOXL2 was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer compared to normal tissues. Enrichment analysis showed that most positively or negatively correlated genes of LOXL2 were correlated with extracellular matrix (ECM) formation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Further experiments confirmed that overexpression of LOXL2 greatly enhanced the malignant transformation abilities (e.g., proliferation, invasion, and migration) of cervical cancer cells via mediation of EMT. Furthermore, the small molecule inhibitor of LOXL2 ((2-Chloropyridin-4-yl) methanamine hydrochloride) significantly decreased the invasive ability of cervical cancer by reversing the process of LOXL2-induced EMT. In summary, LOXL2 may be a promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for cervical cancer, and its small molecule inhibitor may be an effective anti-tumor drug.

The Mechanisms of lncRNA-Mediated Multidrug Resistance and the Clinical Application Prospects of lncRNAs in Breast Cancer

Simple Summary

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a major cause of breast cancer (BC) chemotherapy failure. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown closely related to the chemoresistance of BC. In this work, the mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated MDR in BC were elaborated from eight sections, including apoptosis, autophagy, DNA repair, cell cycle, drug efflux, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, epigenetic modification and the tumor microenvironment. Additionally, we also discuss the clinical significance of lncRNAs, which may be biomarkers for diagnosis, therapy and prognosis.

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly heterogeneous disease and presents a great threat to female health worldwide. Chemotherapy is one of the predominant strategies for the treatment of BC; however, multidrug resistance (MDR) has seriously affected or hindered the effect of chemotherapy. Recently, a growing number of studies have indicated that lncRNAs play vital and varied roles in BC chemoresistance, including apoptosis, autophagy, DNA repair, cell cycle, drug efflux, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), epigenetic modification and the tumor microenvironment (TME). Although thousands of lncRNAs have been implicated in the chemoresistance of BC, a systematic review of their regulatory mechanisms remains to be performed. In this review, we systematically summarized the mechanisms of MDR and the functions of lncRNAs mediated in the chemoresistance of BC from the latest literature. These findings significantly enhance the current understanding of lncRNAs and suggest that they may be promising prognostic biomarkers for BC patients receiving chemotherapy, as well as therapeutic targets to prevent or reverse chemoresistance.

The Potential Role of Mitochondrial Acetaldehyde Dehydrogenase 2 in Urological Cancers From the Perspective of Ferroptosis and Cellular Senescence

Overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superlative lipid peroxidation promote tumorigenesis, and mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) is associated with the detoxification of ROS-mediated lipid peroxidation-generated reactive aldehydes such as 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE), malondialdehyde, and acrolein due to tobacco smoking. ALDH2 has been demonstrated to be highly associated with the prognosis and chemoradiotherapy sensitivity of many types of cancer, including leukemia, lung cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, hepatocellular cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer. In this study, we explored the possible relationship between ALDH2 and urological cancers from the aspects of ferroptosis, epigenetic alterations, proteostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and cellular senescence.

The role of tumour microenvironment-driven miRNAs in the chemoresistance of muscle-invasive bladder cancer-a review

Successful treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer is challenged by the ability of cancer cells to resist chemotherapy. While enormous progress has been made toward understanding the divergent molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance, the heterogenous interplay between the bladder tumour and its microenvironment presents significant challenges in comprehending the occurrence of chemoresistance. The last decade has seen exponential interest in the exploration of microRNA (miRNA) as a tool in the management of chemoresistance. In this review, we highlight the miRNAs involved in the tumour microenvironment crosstalk that contributes to the chemoresistance in bladder cancer. Decrypting the role of miRNAs in the interplay beholds scope for future clinical translational application in managing the long-standing concerns of chemoresistance in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Cigarette smoke containing acrolein contributes to cisplatin resistance in human bladder cancers through the regulation of HER2 pathway or FGFR3 pathway

Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the first-line therapy for bladder cancer (BC). However, cisplatin resistance has been associated with the recurrence of BC. Previous studies have shown that activation of fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) and HER2 signaling are involved in BC cell proliferation and drug resistance. Smoking is the most common etiologic risk factor for BC, and there is emerging evidence that smoking is associated with cisplatin resistance. However, the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Acrolein, a highly reactive aldehyde, is abundant in tobacco smoke, cooking fumes, and automobile exhaust fumes. Our previous studies have shown that acrolein contributes to bladder carcinogenesis through the induction of DNA damage and inhibition of DNA repair. In this study, we found that acrolein induced cisplatin resistance and tumor progression in both non-muscle invasive BC (NMIBC) and muscle invasive BC (MIBC) cell lines RT4 and T24, respectively. Activation of HER2 and FGFR3 signaling contributes to acrolein-induced cisplatin resistance in RT4 and T24 cells, respectively. Furthermore, trastuzumab, an anti-HER2 antibody, and PD173074, a FGFR inhibitor, reversed cisplatin resistance in RT4 and T24 cells, respectively. Using a xenograft mouse model with acrolein-induced cisplatin-resistant T24 clones, we found that cisplatin combined with PD173074 significantly reduced tumor size compared to cisplatin alone. These results indicate that differential molecular alterations behind cisplatin resistance in NMIBC and MIBC significantly alter the effectiveness of targeted therapy combined with chemotherapy. This study provides valuable insights into therapeutic strategies for cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer.

Knockdown of RSPH14 inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion and promotes apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via RelA

Background

High RSPH14 expression appears to be related to poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the possible roles of RSPH14 in the proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion of HCC cells.

Methods

The UALCAN database and Kaplan–Meier Plotter were used to evaluate the expression level and prognostic role of RSPH14 in HCC. Lentiviral vectors containing shRNA against RSPH14 were constructed to transfect the BEL-7404 and SMMC-7721 HCC cell lines. Cell proliferation was investigated by BrdU, MTT, and colony-formation assays. Apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were evaluated using the scratch wound-healing and Transwell assays. Immunohistochemistry and western blot were used to determine the expression levels of the proteins. The function of RSPH14 in vivo was evaluated using a xenograft mouse model.

Results

The expression of RSPH14 was higher in HCC tumor tissues than in adjacent normal tissues and was closely related to unfavorable prognostic factors and poorer survival (all P < 0.05). Knockdown of RSPH14 inhibited the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells and promoted apoptosis (all P < 0.05). Knockdown of RSPH14 inhibited tumor growth in vivo (P < 0.05). RSPH14 knockdown led to decreased expression of RelA (NF-κBp65), CDH2, and AKT1, thereby affecting the functions of the HCC cells (all P < 0.05). RelA overexpression could abate the inhibitory effect of BEL-7404 cell proliferation caused by RSPH14 depletion.

Conclusion

Knockdown of RSPH14 could decrease cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and increase apoptosis of HCC cells by inhibiting RelA expression. RSPH14 could be a new treatment target for HCC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02515-z.

lncRNA ZNF674-AS1 inhibits the migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of thyroid cancer cells by modulating the miR-181a/SOCS4 axis

Thyroid cancer (TC) is a very common endocrine cancer worldwide. Further understanding and revealing the molecular mechanism underlying thyroid cancer are indispensable for the development of effective diagnosis and treatments. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a series of non-coding RNAs with a length of >200 nts, have been regarded as crucial regulators of many cancers playing a tumor suppressive or oncogenic role, depending on circumstances. lncRNA ZNF674-AS1 was reported to be abnormally expressed in TC, but the exact mechanism remains unclear. This study aims to probe the mechanism and roles of ZNF674-AS1 in TC. The expression patterns of RNAs and proteins were determined via qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected using MTT and Transwell assays. ZNF674-AS1 and SOCS4 expression were remarkably reduced while miR-181a was upregulated in TC tissues and cells. Enforced expression of ZNF674-AS1 inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro and reduced tumour growth in vivo. Mechanistic assays verified that ZNF674-AS1 directly interacted with miR-181a to increase SOCS4 expression. In addition, miR-181a overexpression aggravated proliferation, metastasis and EMT by inhibiting SOCS4. Interestingly, inhibition of miR-181a diminished the promoting effects of ZNF674-AS1 silencing on the malignant behaviours of TC cells. These data illustrated that ZNF674-AS1 alleviated TC progression by modulating the miR-181a/SOCS4 axis (graphical abstract), further suggesting that ZNF674-AS1 might be used as a therapheutic target in TC treatment.

MicroRNA-143-3p/TBX3 Axis Represses Malignant Cell Behaviors in Bladder Cancer

OBJECTIVE

To offer new insight for bladder cancer therapy through researching the microRNA-143-3p/TBX3 axis.

METHODS

Differentially expressed microRNAs in bladder cancer were provided by databases to find microRNA that may regulate TBX3. qRT-PCR was utilized to test levels of TBX3 mRNA and microRNA-143-3p. Their binding was verified with a dual-luciferase method. Malignant cell behaviors were examined by cell functional experiments. Levels of TBX3 protein and proteins pertinent to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were tested by western blot.

RESULTS

TBX3 was highly expressed in bladder cancer cells. MicroRNA-143-3p presented the most conspicuously negative correlation with TBX3, and they had binding sites. Cell functional experiments proved that TBX3 facilitated bladder cancer cell functions and EMT. MicroRNA-143-3p was demonstrated to downregulate TBX3 expression. Rescue assay further illuminated that microRNA-143-3p repressed bladder cancer cell functions and EMT through downregulating TBX3 expression.

CONCLUSION

These data all indicated that TBX3 was modulated by microRNA-143-3p and acted as a cancer promoter gene in bladder cancer progression via affecting tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT. Therefore, a microRNA-143-3p/TBX3 network might be an underlying target for bladder cancer.

Circ_0000658 knockdown inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer via miR-498-induced HMGA2 downregulation

BACKGROUND

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been associated with the angiogenesis and oncogenic phenotypes of multiple malignant tumors including bladder cancer (BCa). Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recognized as crucial regulators in the EMT. This study aims to illustrate the possible role of circular RNA_0000658 (circ_0000658) in BCa and the underlying molecular mechanism.

METHODS

The expression of circ_0000658, microRNA (miR)-498, and high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) was assessed in cancer and adjacent normal tissue collected from BCa patients and human BCa cell lines (MGH-U3, T24, 5637 and SW780). BCa cells were transduced with a series of overexpression or shRNA plasmids to clarify the function of circ_0000658 and miR-498 on the oncogenic phenotypes and EMT of BCa cells. Further, we established nude mice xenografted with BCa cells to validate the roles of circ_0000658 on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

Circ_0000658 was highly expressed in BCa tissue samples and cell lines, which indicated a poor prognosis of BCa patients. Circ_0000658 competitively bound to miR-498 and thus restricted miR-498 expression. Meanwhile, circ_0000658 weakened the binding of miR-498 to the target gene HMGA2 and upregulated the HMGA2 expression. Circ_0000658 elevation or miR-498 knockdown augmented oncogenic phenotypes and EMT of BCa cells, corresponding to a reduction in the expression of β-catenin and E-cadherin as well as an increase in the expression of N-cadherin, Slug, Snail, ZEB1 and Twist. Inhibition of HMGA2 reversed the effects of circ_0000658 overexpression on tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Altogether, our study uncovered the tumor-promoting role of circ_0000658 in BCa via the miR-498/HMGA2 axis.

NFE2L3 promotes tumor progression and predicts a poor prognosis of bladder cancer

The high incidence and vulnerability to recurrence of bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) is a challenge in the clinical. Recent studies have revealed that NFE2L3 plays a vital role in the carcinogenesis and progression of different human tumors. However, the role of NFE2L3 in bladder cancer has not been elucidated. In this study, NFE2L3 expression was significantly increased in bladder cancer samples. Its high expression was associated with advanced clinicopathological characteristics and was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS) in 106 patients with BLCA. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrated that NFE2L3 knockdown inhibited bladder cancer cells proliferation by inducing the cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Meanwhile, NFE2L3 overexpression promotes BLCA cell migration and invasion in vitro cell lines and in vivo xenografts. Moreover, we identified many genes and pathway alterations associated with tumor progression and metastasis by performing RNA-Seq analysis and functional enrichment of NFE2L3 overexpressing BLCA cells. Mechanistic investigation reveals that overexpression of NFE2L3 promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in bladder cancer cells with decreased expression of gap junction-associated protein ZO-1 and epithelial marker E-cadherin with the elevation of transcription factors Snail1 and Snail2. Finally, we performed a comprehensive proteomics analysis to explore more potential molecular mechanisms. Our findings revealed that NFE2L3 might serve as a valuable clinical prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in BLCA.

Molecular characterization of type I IFN-induced cytotoxicity in bladder cancer cells reveals biomarkers of resistance

Although anti-tumor activities of type I interferons (IFNs) have been recognized for decades, the molecular mechanisms contributing to clinical response remain poorly understood. The complex functions of these pleiotropic cytokines include stimulation of innate and adaptive immune responses against tumors as well as direct inhibition of tumor cells. In high-grade, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, nadofaragene firadenovec, a non-replicating adenovirus administered locally to express the IFNα2b transgene, embodies a novel approach to deploy the therapeutic activity of type I IFNs while minimizing systemic toxicities. Deciphering which functions of type I IFN are required for clinical activity will bolster efforts to maximize the efficacy of nadofaragene firadenovec and other type I IFN-based therapies, and inform strategies to address resistance. As such, we characterized the phenotypic and molecular response of human bladder cancer cell lines to IFNα delivered in multiple contexts, including adenoviral delivery. We found that constitutive activation of the type I IFN signaling pathway is a biomarker for resistance to both transcriptional response and direct cytotoxic effects of IFNα. We present several genes that discriminate between sensitive and resistant tumor cells, suggesting they should be explored for utility as biomarkers in future clinical trials of type I IFN-based anti-tumor therapies.

Identification and Mechanism of the PD-1/PD-L1 Genomic Signature SORL1 as Protective Factor in Bladder Cancer

Background: Immunotherapy has recently shown remarkable efficacy for advanced bladder cancer patients. Accordingly, identifying a biomarker associated with the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/its ligand (PD-L1) genomic signature to predict patient prognosis is necessary.

Methods: In this study, we used mutation data and RNA-seq data of bladder cancer samples acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to combine PD-1/PD-L1-associated mutational signatures with PD-1/PD-L1-associated differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then, we performed a Kaplan-Meier analysis on the corresponding clinical data of the TCGA bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA) cohort to identify prognostic genes, and the results were validated using the GSE48075 cohort. The online platform UCSC Xena was used to analyze the relationship between the candidate genes and clinical parameters. We utilized the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database to validate the protein expression levels. Then, correlation analysis, cell-type identification by estimating relative subsets of RNA transcripts (CIBERSORT) analysis, and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were used to clarify the mechanism.

Results: We identified one prognostic gene, sortilin related receptor 1 (SORL1), whose downregulation was associated with a comparatively advanced BLCA stage. While further exploring this finding, we found that SORL1 expression was negatively correlated with PD-1/PD-L1 expression and M2 macrophage levels. Furthermore, we found that the downregulation of SORL1 expression was significantly associated with a higher epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) score.

Conclusion: We described a novel PD-1/PD-L1-associated signature, SORL1, that predicts favorable outcomes in bladder cancer. SORL1 might reduce immune suppression and inhibit the M2 macrophage-induced EMT phenotype of tumor cells.

Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Mediates Resistance to Maintenance Therapy with Vinflunine in Advanced Urothelial Cell Carcinoma

Simple Summary

Platinum-based chemotherapy is the first-line treatment for advanced urothelial cell carcinoma (aUCC). After first-line treatment, we previously showed that maintenance therapy with vinflunine improves progression-free survival. However, some patients are resistant to vinflunine and the specific mechanisms of resistance in aUCC are unclear. We analyzed the genomic landscape and the biological processes potentially related to vinflunine activity and found that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role as a resistance mechanism. In experiments with cell lines, curcumin reversed EMT and sensitized cells to vinflunine. We suggest that EMT mediates resistance to vinflunine and that the reversion of this process could enhance the effect of vinflunine in aUCC patients.

Abstract

In the phase II MAJA trial, maintenance therapy with vinflunine resulted in longer progression-free survival compared to best supportive care in advanced urothelial cell carcinoma (aUCC) patients who did not progress after first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. However, despite an initial benefit observed in some patients, unequivocal resistance appears which underlying mechanisms are presently unknown. We have performed gene expression and functional enrichment analyses to shed light on the discovery of these underlying resistance mechanisms. Differential gene expression profile of eight patients with poor outcome and nine with good outcome to vinflunine administered in the MAJA trial were analyzed. RNA was isolated from tumor tissue and gene expression was assessed by microarray. Differential expression was determined with linear models for microarray data. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) was used for the functional classification of the genes. In vitro functional studies were performed using UCC cell lines. Hierarchical clustering showed a differential gene expression pattern between patients with good and poor outcome to vinflunine treatment. GSEA identified epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as the top negatively enriched hallmark in patients with good outcome. In vitro analyses showed that the polyphenol curcumin downregulated EMT markers and sensitized UCC cells to vinflunine. We conclude that EMT mediates resistance to vinflunine and suggest that the reversion of this process could enhance the effect of vinflunine in aUCC patients.

Comprehensive Analysis to Identify the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition-Related Immune Signatures as a Prognostic and Therapeutic Biomarkers in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly heterogeneous disease with the high rates of the morbidity and mortality due to the lack of the effective prognostic model for prediction.

Aim: To construct a risk model composed of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related immune genes for the assessment of the prognosis, immune infiltration status, and chemosensitivity.

Methods: We obtained the transcriptome and clinical data of the HCC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and The International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) databases. The Pearson correlation analysis was applied to identify the differentially expressed EMT-related immune genes (DE-EMTri-genes). Subsequently, the univariate Cox regression was introduced to screen out the prognostic gene sets and a risk model was constructed based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-penalized Cox regression. Additionally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to compare the prognostic value of the newly established model compared with the previous model. Furthermore, the correlation between the risk model and survival probability, immune characteristic, and efficacy of the chemotherapeutics were analyzed by the bioinformatics methods.

Results: Six DE-EMTri-genes were ultimately selected to construct the prognostic model. The area under the curve (AUC) values for 1-, 2-, and 3- year were 0.773, 0.721, and 0.673, respectively. Stratified survival analysis suggested that the prognosis of the low-score group was superior to the high-score group. Moreover, the univariate and multivariate analysis indicated that risk score [hazard ratio (HR) 5.071, 95% CI 3.050, 8.432; HR 4.396, 95% CI 2.624, 7.366; p < 0.001] and stage (HR 2.500, 95% CI 1.721, 3.632; HR 2.111, 95% CI 1.443, 3.089; p < 0.001) served as an independent predictive factors in HCC. In addition, the macrophages, natural killer (NK) cells, and regulatory T (Treg) cells were significantly enriched in the high-risk group. Finally, the patients with the high-risk score might be more sensitive to cisplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide, gemcitabine, and mitomycin C.

Conclusion: We established a reliable EMTri-genes-based prognostic signature, which may hold promise for the clinical prediction.

Bidirectional Interaction Between Cancer Cells and Platelets Provides Potential Strategies for Cancer Therapies

Platelets are essential components in the tumor microenvironment. For decades, clinical data have demonstrated that cancer patients have a high risk of thrombosis that is associated with adverse prognosis and decreased survival, indicating the involvement of platelets in cancer progression. Increasing evidence confirms that cancer cells are able to induce production and activation of platelets. Once activated, platelets serve as allies of cancer cells in tumor growth and metastasis. They can protect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) against the immune system and detachment-induced apoptosis while facilitating angiogenesis and tumor cell adhesion and invasion. Therefore, antiplatelet agents and platelet-based therapies should be developed for cancer treatment. Here, we discuss the mechanisms underlying the bidirectional cancer-platelet crosstalk and platelet-based therapeutic approaches.

How to Achieve Therapeutic Response in Erlotinib-Resistant Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma? New Insights from Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture-Based Quantitative Tyrosine Phosphoproteomics

Resistance to cancer chemotherapy is a major global health burden. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a proven therapeutic target for multiple cancers of epithelial origin. Despite its overexpression in >90% of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients, tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as erlotinib have shown a modest response in clinical trials. Cellular heterogeneity is thought to play an important role in HNSCC therapeutic resistance. Genomic alterations alone cannot explain all resistance mechanisms at play in a heterogeneous system. It is thus important to understand the biochemical mechanisms associated with drug resistance to determine potential strategies to achieve clinical response. We investigated tyrosine kinase signaling networks in erlotinib-resistant cells using quantitative tyrosine phosphoproteomics approach. We observed altered phosphorylation of proteins involved in cell adhesion and motility in erlotinib-resistant cells. Bioinformatics analysis revealed enrichment of pathways related to regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix (ECM)-receptor interaction, and endothelial migration. Of importance, enrichment of the focal adhesion kinase (PTK2) signaling pathway downstream of EGFR was also observed in erlotinib-resistant cells. To the best of our knowledge, we present the first report of tyrosine phosphoproteome profiling in erlotinib-resistant HNSCC, with an eye to inform new ways to achieve clinical response. Our findings suggest that common signaling networks are at play in driving resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies in HNSCC and other cancers. Most notably, our data suggest that the PTK2 pathway genes may potentially play a significant role in determining clinical response to erlotinib in HNSCC tumors.

ETS1 promoted cell growth, metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in melanoma by regulating miR-16-mediated SOX4 expression

Melanoma is a malignant tumor with high metastasis and mortality. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) was reported to be involved in the growth and metastasis of melanoma. To investigate these sections further, we showed that E26 transformation specific 1 (ETS1) could regulate growth, metastasis and EMT process of melanoma by regulating microRNA(miR)-16/SRY-related HMG box (SOX) 4 expression. MiR-16, ETS1, SOX4 and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) expression levels in melanoma cells were examined using qPCR. ETS1, SOX4, EMT-related proteins and NF-κB signaling pathway-related proteins were examined using western blot. Cell counting kit-8 assay, transwell assay were applied to evaluate the cell proliferation, migration and invasion of melanoma cells, respectively. Besides, a dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify the binding relationship between ETS1 and miR-16, miR-16 and SOX4, miR-16 and NF-κB1. We showed that ETS1 and SOX4 were upregulated in melanoma cells, while miR-16 was downregulated. MiR-16 overexpression suppressed growth, metastasis and EMT process of melanoma. We found ETS1 could bind to the promoter region of miR-16 and inhibited its transcription. ETS1 silence could inhibit growth, metastasis and EMT process of melanoma, and inhibition of miR-16 could reverse the effects. Besides, miR-16 is directly bound to SOX4 and downregulated its expression. Rescued experiments confirmed that SOX4 overexpression abolished the inhibition effect of miR-16 mimics on growth, metastasis and EMT process of melanoma. Finally, NF-κB1 as the target of miR-16 mediated downstream biological responses. ETS1 activated NF-κB signaling pathway through miR-16 via targeting SOX4, thus promoting growth, metastasis and EMT of melanoma.

Cisplatin Plus Cetuximab Inhibits Cisplatin-Resistant Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Migration and Proliferation but Does Not Enhance Apoptosis

Cisplatin is among the most widely used anticancer drugs used in the treatment of several malignancies, including oral cancer. However, cisplatin treatment often promotes chemical resistance, subsequently causing treatment failure. Several studies have shown that epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) play a variety of roles in cancer progression and overcoming cisplatin resistance. Therefore, this study focused on EGFR inhibitors used in novel targeted therapies as a method to overcome this resistance. We herein aimed to determine whether the combined effects of cisplatin and cetuximab could enhance cisplatin sensitivity by inhibiting the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in cisplatin-resistant cells. In vitro analyses of three cisplatin-resistant oral squamous cell carcinoma cells, which included cell proliferation assay, combination index calculation, cell cytotoxicity assay, live/dead cell count assay, Western blot assay, propidium iodide staining assay, scratch assay, and qRT-PCR assay were then conducted. Our results showed that a cisplatin/cetuximab combination treatment inhibited cell proliferation, cell motility, and N-cadherin protein expression but induced E-cadherin and claudin-1 protein expression. Although the combination of cisplatin and cetuximab did not induce apoptosis of cisplatin-resistant cells, it may be useful in treating oral cancer patients with cisplatin resistance given that it controls cell motility and EMT-related proteins.

SOX9 promotes epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance via targeting β-catenin and epithelial to mesenchymal transition in lung cancer

AIMS

The first-generation epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), gefitinib, continues to be a primary treatment option for lung cancer patients. However, acquisition of resistance to gefitinib is a major obstacle in lung cancer treatment and its cause is poorly understood. The present study aimed to implicate the role of SOX9-β-catenin in developed resistance to gefitinib through epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in lung cancer in vitro and ex vivo.

MAIN METHODS

Expression effect of SOX9 on survivability of lung cancer patients was demonstrated through online available Kaplan-Meier Plotter data base. Then, cell viability assay, colony forming assay, cell migration and invasion assays, flow cytometry, drug efflux assay, qRT-PCR, and western blotting were conducted to confirmed the role of SOX9 in gefitinib resistance in lung cancer cells. Dual-luciferase assay established the regulatory relation between SOX9 and β-catenin. Multicellular spheroid assay further explored that down regulation of SOX9 could reverse gefitinib resistance ex vivo.

KEY FINDINGS

Kaplan-Meier method correlated the higher expression of SOX9 and β-catenin with poor overall survival of lung cancer patients. Upregulation of SOX9 was associated gefitinib resistance with increased cell proliferation, migration and invasion, single-cell colony-forming ability, reduced apoptosis, and gefitinib intake in lung cancer cells. Moreover, upregulated SOX9 promoted EMT via targeting β-catenin and knockdown of SOX9 reversed the resistance and EMT phenotype. Similarly, we found that multicellular spheroid of gefitinib resistant cells showed larger surface area with more dispersion and viability of cells, while SOX9 knockdown abolished these induced properties ex vivo.

SIGNIFICANCE

SOX9 expression could provide an innovative perspective as biomarker to understand the EGFR-TKIs resistance in lung cancer.

MDM2 induces EMT via the B‑Raf signaling pathway through 14‑3‑3

MDM2 proto-oncogene, E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (MDM2) is a well-known oncogene and has been reported to be closely associated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The present study first demonstrated that the expression levels of MDM2 were markedly increased in TGF-β-induced EMT using quantitative PCR and western blotting. In addition, MDM2 was demonstrated to be associated with pathological grade in clinical glioma samples by immunohistochemical staining. Furthermore, overexpression of MDM2 promoted EMT in glioma, lung cancer and breast cancer cell lines using a scratch wound migration assay. Subsequently, the present study explored the mechanism by which MDM2 promoted EMT and revealed that MDM2 induced EMT by upregulating EMT-related transcription factors via activation of the B-Raf signaling pathway through tyrosine 3-monooxygenase activation protein ε using RNA sequencing and western blotting. This mechanism depended on the p53 gene. Furthermore, in vivo experiments and the colony formation experiment demonstrated that MDM2 could promote tumor progression and induce EMT via the B-Raf signaling pathway. Since EMT contributes to increased drug resistance in tumor cells, the present study also explored the relationship between MDM2 and drug sensitivity using an MTT assay, and identified that MDM2 promoted cell insensitivity to silibinin treatment in an EMT-dependent manner. This finding is crucial for the development of cancer therapies and can also provide novel research avenues for future biological and clinical studies.

Loss of polarity protein Par3, via transcription factor Snail, promotes bladder cancer metastasis

Bladder cancer (BLCA) remains the leading cause of cancer‐related mortality among genitourinary malignancies worldwide. BLCA metastasis represents the primary reason for its poor prognosis. In this study, we report that decreased expression of partitioning defective 3 (Par3), a polarity protein (encoded by PARD3), is associated with tumor aggressive phenotypes and poor prognosis in BLCA patients. Consistently, ablation of Par3 promotes the metastasis and invasion of BLCA cells in vitro and in vivo. Further studies reveal that zinc finger protein Snail represses the expression of Par3 by binding to E2‐box (CAGGTG) of PARD3 promoter‐proximal. Inhibition of GSK‐3β promotes the expression and nuclear localization of Snail and then reduces the expression of Par3, resulting in the metastasis and invasion of BLCA cells. Moreover, we detected the interaction between Par3 (936‐1356 aa) and ZO‐1 (1372‐1748 aa), which is involved in the maintenance of tight junction. Together, our results demonstrate that the GSK‐3β/Snail/Par3/ZO‐1 axis regulates BLCA metastasis, and Snail is a major regulator for Par3 protein expression in BLCA.

Role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the resistance to antitumor therapy, and their potential therapeutic mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rates, which seriously endangers human health. Although treatment methods continue to evolve, the emergence of drug resistance is inevitable and seriously hinders the treatment of NSCLC. The tumor microenvironment (TME) protects tumor cells from the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs, which can lead to drug resistance. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are an important component of the TME, and various studies have demonstrated that CAFs play a crucial role in drug resistance in NSCLC. However, the drug resistance mechanism of CAFs and whether CAFs can be used as a target to reverse the resistance of tumor cells remain unclear. The present review discusses this issue and describes the heterogeneity of CAF markers, as well as their origins and resident organs, and the role and mechanism of this heterogeneity in NSCLC progression. Furthermore, the mechanism of CAF-mediated NSCLC resistance to chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy is introduced, and strategies to reverse this resistance are described.