An analysis of suppressing migratory effect on human urinary bladder cancer cell line by silencing of snail-1

Simultaneous effect of miR-21 suppression and miR-143 restoration on inhibition of proliferation and migration in SW-480 colorectal cancer cells

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is regarded as a serious global issue and is presently ranked second in the classification of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies, with fast incidence and high mortality patterns. As the key "gene expression regulators", miRNAs critically contribute to tumor progression and development. For example, miR-21 (an oncomiR) and miR-143 (a tumor suppressor) are dysregulated through colorectal tumorigenesis. Accordingly, this study assesses the concomitant therapeutic impacts of "miR-21 suppression" (anti-miR-21) and "miR-143 restoration" (miR-143) on CRC cell proliferation and migration.

Methods

SW-480 cell lines (with overexpressed "miR-21" and downregulated "miR-143") were transfected via "anti-miR-21" and "miR-143" mimics, either independently or in combination. Next, cell viability assessment was performed through MTT assay. Then, apoptosis induction was examined with "Annexin V-FITC Kit", and via Propidium Iodide (PI) assay and DAPI staining. In the next step, "cell cycle condition" and "autophagy induction" were studied through flow cytometry. "Wound-healing assay" and "clonogenic assay" were employed to investigate the migration and proliferation of tumor cells. Ultimately, qRT-PCR was utilized to quantify the intensity of the effects of "anti-miR-21" and "miR-143" on gene expression profiles.

Results

Downregulation of "miR-21" expression and overexpression of "miR-143" were found to synergistically reduce the viability (while elevating apoptosis) of SW-480 cells by modulating Bcl-2 and Bax expression profiles. Combined therapy increased the number of cells in the sub-G1 phase and reduced cell proliferation by modulating expression levels of PTEN and AKT-1. Additionally, miR-21 suppression and miR-143 restoration concomitantly reduced cell migration by modulating the expression of MMP-9.

Conclusion

Considering anti-cancer effects on cell growth, survival, and migration, it can be concluded that the concomitant suppression of "anti-miR-21" and "miR-143 restoration" might be introduced as a promising method for the therapy of CRC.

MicroRNA-143 as a potential tumor suppressor in cancer: An insight into molecular targets and signaling pathways

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs), which are highly conserved and small noncoding RNAs, negatively regulate gene expression and influence signaling pathways involved in essential biological activities, including cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell invasion. MiRNAs have received much attention in the past decade due to their significant roles in cancer development. In particular, microRNA-143 (miR-143) is recognized as a tumor suppressor and is downregulated in most cancers. However, it seems that miR-143 is upregulated in rare cases, such as prostate cancer stem cells, and acts as an oncogene. The present review will outline the current studies illustrating the impact of miR-143 expression levels on cancer progression and discuss its target genes and their relevant signaling pathways to discover a potential therapeutic way for cancer.

Cancer Explant Models

Overcoming the challenges of understanding and treating cancer requires reliable patient-derived models of cancer (PDMCs). For decades, cancer research and therapeutic development relied primarily on cancer cell lines because of their prevalence, reproducibility, and simplicity to maintain. However, findings from research conducted in cell lines are rarely recapitulated in vivo and seldom directly translatable to patients. The tumor microenvironment (TME), tumor-stromal interactions, and associations with host immune cells produce profound changes in tumor phenotype and complexity not captured in traditional monolayer cell culture. In this chapter, we present various cancer explant models and discuss their applicability based on specific research aims. We discuss the appropriateness of these models for basic science questions, drug screening/development, and for personalized, precision medicine. We also consider logistical factors such as resource cost, technical difficulty, and accessibility. We finish this chapter with a practical guide intended to help the reader select the cancer explant model system(s) that best address their research aims.

Expression of Twist, Slug and Snail in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their prognostic significance

Esophageal cancer is one of the most common types of malignancy worldwide. At present, surgical resection is the main treatment for esophageal cancer, but recurrence and distant metastasis are the main causes of mortality. The transcription factors Twist, Slug and Snail regulate epithelial-mesenchymal transition and thereby participate in tumor invasion and metastasis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of Twist, Slug and Snail in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and their prognostic significance. The expression of Twist, Slug and Snail in 229 paraffin-embedded ESCC and matched normal mucosal tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression differences of Twist, Slug and Snail in the ESCC and normal tissues were compared by χ² test, and the associations between the three proteins and the clinicopathological parameters of ESCC were analyzed. The expression levels of Twist, Slug and Snail in 29 fresh frozen ESCC and matched normal mucosal tissues were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The correlations among Twist, Slug and Snail in ESCC were examined by Pearson's correlation analyses. In addition, single factor and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to analyze the influence of Twist, Slug and Snail on the prognosis of ESCC. Twist was found to be highly expressed in ESCC. The difference of Slug expression in ESCC was associated with differentiation degree, TNM stage and vascular invasion, but no significant association was observed between Snail expression and any clinicopathological parameters. In ESCC, there were significant differences in protein expression between Twist and Snail, and Slug and Snail. The mRNA expression level of Twist in ESCC was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal mucosa. However, the mRNA expression of Slug in normal esophageal mucosa was higher than that in ESCC, and the mRNA expression levels of Twist and Snail were positively correlated in ESCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis of 229 patients with ESCC revealed that Snail influenced the overall survival, as did the co-expression of Twist and Snail. Nerve invasion was also identified as an independent factor affecting the progression-free survival of ESCC. The results indicate that Twist is highly expressed, Slug may be a tumor suppressor, and Snail is an independent prognostic factor in ESCC. Twist and Snail are positively correlated, and the simultaneous inhibition of Twist and Snail protein expression may be beneficial for prolonging the overall survival of patients with ESCC.

The Cells and Extracellular Matrix of Human Amniotic Membrane Hinder the Growth and Invasive Potential of Bladder Urothelial Cancer Cells

Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers among men in industrialized countries and on the global level incidence and mortality rates are increasing. In spite of progress in surgical treatment and chemotherapy, the prognosis remains poor for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Therefore, there is a great need for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. The human amniotic membrane (hAM) is a multi-layered membrane that comprises the innermost part of the placenta. It has unique properties that make it suitable for clinical use, such as the ability to promote wound healing and decrease scarring, low immunogenicity, and immunomodulatory, antimicrobial and anticancer properties. This study aimed to investigate the effect of (i) hAM-derived cells and (ii) hAM scaffolds on the growth dynamics, proliferation rate, and invasive potential of muscle-invasive bladder cancer T24 cells. Our results show that 24 and 48 h of co-culturing T24 cells with hAM-derived cells (at 1:1 and 1:4 ratios) diminished the proliferation rate of T24 cells. Furthermore, when seeded on hAM scaffolds, namely (1) epithelium of hAM (e-hAM), (2) basal lamina of hAM (denuded; d-hAM), and (3) stroma of hAM (s-hAM), the growth dynamic of T24 cells was altered and proliferation was reduced, even more so by the e-hAM scaffolds. Importantly, despite their muscle-invasive potential, the T24 cells did not disrupt the basal lamina of hAM scaffolds. Furthermore, we observed a decrease in the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers N-cadherin, Snail and Slug in T24 cells grown on hAM scaffolds and individual T24 cells even expressed epithelial markers E-cadherin and occludin. Our study brings new knowledge on basic mechanisms of hAM affecting bladder carcinogenesis and the results serve as a good foundation for further research into the potential of hAM-derived cells and the hAM extracellular matrix to serve as a novel bladder cancer treatment.

Isoflurane promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and metastasis of bladder cancer cells through HIF-1α-β-catenin/Notch1 pathways

AIMS

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) facilitates cell migration and invasion, and contributes to metastasis in bladder cancer. Within the perioperative period, anesthetic such as isoflurane have been found to affect cancer prognosis. In the study, we reported the tumor-promoting effect of isoflurane in bladder cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Human bladder cancer cell lines T24 and BIU-87 were exposed to isoflurane at different concentrations. The immunofluorescent staining of Ki67, Annexin V-FITC/PI staining, Transwell invasion assays and wound-healing assays were performed to assess cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and migration. Expressions of EMT markers (E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin) and metastatic markers (Snail-1, Slug-1 and MMP-2/9) were determined by immunoblotting. Orthotopic tumor models and mice given tail vein injection of T24 cells were developed with or without 4-h exposure to 2% isoflurane.

KEY FINDINGS

We found isoflurane promoted bladder cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration but reduce apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, isoflurane was shown to increase HIF-1α and its nuclear accumulation in bladder cancer cells. HIF-1α knockdown inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation and delayed EMT, which was reversed in the presence of 4-h exposure to 2% isoflurane. Likewise, we found isoflurane modulated β-catenin/Notch1 pathways via HIF-1α. In vivo studies showed that isoflurane exposure accelerated formation of orthotopic bladder tumor and promoted hepatic metastases from carcinoma of the bladder.

SIGNIFICANCE

Taken together, our study demonstrates that a frequently used anesthetic can exert a protumorigenic effect on bladder cancer. Isoflurane may serve as an important contributory factor to high recurrence following surgery.

microRNA-193a-5p inhibits migration of human HT-29 colon cancer cells via suppression of metastasis pathway

PURPOSE

Altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is indicated strongly in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aims to evaluate the inhibitory role of miR-193a-5p on epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers in CRC lines. The cellular effects and potential mechanisms of miR-193a-5p were also examined.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to determine the expression of miR-193a-5p in three CRC cell lines (HCT-116, SW-480, and HT-29) and its impact on metastasis-related genes ( vimentin and CXCR4) before and after mimic transfection. Of those, the cell line with the highest changes was selected for the next upcoming experiments such as wound-healing assay, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), and annexin-V staining tests.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that miR-193a-5p was significantly downregulated in three CRC cell lines and that HT-29 displayed the most decrease ( P < 0.0001). The restoration of miR-193a-5p in human HT-29 cell line inhibited cell migration. But, miR-193a-5p transfection did not affect cell viability and had no significant effect on apoptosis induction. Also, the quantitative RT-PCR analysis of miR-193a-5p mimic transfected cells revealed a significant increase in miR-193a-5p messenger RNA (mRNA) expression level ( P < 0.0001) with reduction of vimentin and CXCR4 mRNA expression levels in HT-29 cell line ( P < 0.01 and < 0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that miR-193a-5p acts as a tumor suppressor miRNA and its downregulation plays an important role in metastasis via upregulation of metastasis-related genes in CRC. Therefore, it can be considered as a potential therapeutic target for applying in CRC management in the future.

HSDL2 Promotes Bladder Cancer Growth In Vitro and In Vivo

Bladder cancer is a common malignant urinary tumor, and patients with bladder cancer have poor prognosis. Abnormal lipid metabolism in peroxisomes is involved in tumor progression. Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-like 2 (HSDL2) localized in peroxisomes regulates fatty acid synthesis. In the present study, we reported that HSDL2 was upregulated in two human bladder cancer cell lines 5637 and T24 compared to normal human urothelial cells. Furthermore, lentiviral-mediated HSDL2 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and colony formation while promoted the apoptosis of human bladder cancer T24 cells in vitro. In nude mice HSDL2 knockdown inhibited the growth of T24 derived xenografts in vivo. In conclusion, our results suggest that HSDL2 plays an oncogenic role in bladder cancer and might serve as a potential target for bladder cancer therapy.