Tumor-Suppressing Effect of Silencing of Annexin A3 Expression in Breast Cancer

Epstein-Barr virus causes vascular abnormalities in epithelial malignancies through upregulating ANXA3-HIF-1α-VEGF pathway

Angiogenesis is one of the characteristics of malignant tumors, and persistent generation of abnormal tumor blood vessels is an important factor contributing to tumor treatment resistance. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a highly prevalent DNA oncogenic virus that is associated with the development of various epithelial malignancies. However, the relationship between EBV infection and tumor vascular abnormalities as well as its underlying mechanisms is still unclear. In this study, we found that compared to EBV-uninfected tumors, EBV-infected tumors were more angiogenic, but the neovascularization was mostly immature vessels without pericyte attachment in both clinical patient tumor samples and mouse xenograft models; These immature vessels exhibited aberrant functionality, characterized by poor blood perfusion and increased vascular permeability. The vascular abnormalities caused by EBV infection exacerbated tumor hypoxia and was responsible for accelerated tumor growth. Mechanistically, EBV infection upregulated ANXA3-HIF-1α-VEGF pathway. Silencing the ANXA3 gene or neutralizing ANXA3 with an antibody can diminish vascular abnormalities, thereby increasing immune cell infiltration and alleviating treatment resistance. Finally, a new therapy combining ANXA3 blockade and NK cell + PD1 antibody significantly inhibited the growth of EBV-infected xenografts in mice. In conclusion, our study identified a previously unrecognized role for EBV infection in tumor vascular abnormalities and revealed its underlying mechanism that upregulated the ANXA3-HIF-1α-VEGF pathway. ANXA3 is a potential therapeutic target for EBV-infected tumors and ANXA3 blockade to improve vascular conditions, in combination with NK cell + PD1 antibody therapy, holds promise as an effective treatment strategy for EBV-associated epithelial malignancies.

Bruceine D and Narclasine inhibit the proliferation of breast cancer cells and the prediction of potential drug targets

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is one of the most common female malignancies. This study explored the underlying mechanism through which the two plant compounds (Brucaine D and Narclasine) inhibited the proliferation of breast cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of Brucaine D and Narclasine on breast cancer development and their potential drug targets.

METHODS

GSE85871 dataset containing 212 samples and the hallmark gene set "h.all.v2023.1.Hs.symbols.gmt" were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB) database, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to classify clusters showing similar gene expression pattern. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was used to calculate the hallmark score for different drug treatment groups. The expressions of genes related to angiogenesis, glycolysis and cell cycle were detected. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was performed to study the interaction of the hub genes. Then, HERB database was employed to identify potential target genes for Narclasine and Bruceine D. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to validate partial drug-target pair.

RESULTS

PCA analysis showed that the significant changes in gene expression patterns took place in 6 drugs treatment groups (Narciclasine, Bruceine D, Japonicone A, 1beta-hydroxyalatolactone, Britanin, and four mixture drugs) in comparison to the remaining drug treatment groups. The ssGSEA pathway enrichment analysis demonstrated that Narciclasine and Bruceine treatments had similar enriched pathways, for instance, suppressed pathways related to angiogenesis, Glycolysis, and cell cycle, etc.. Further gene expression analysis confirmed that Narciclasine and Bruceine had a strong ability to inhibit these cell cycle genes, and that MYC, CHEK2, MELK, CDK4 and EZH2 were closely interacted with each other in the PPI analysis. Drug target prediction revealed that Androgen Receptor (AR) and Estrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1) were the targets for Bruceine D, and Cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme (CYP3A4) was the target for Narciclasine. Cell experiments also confirmed the connections between Narciclasine and CYP3A4.

CONCLUSION

The present study uncovered that Narciclasine and Bruceine D could inhibit the growth of breast cancer and also predicted the potential targets for these two drugs, providing a new therapeutic direction for breast cancer patients.

ANXA3, associated with YAP1 regulation, participates in the proliferation and chemoresistance of cervical cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer, as one of the most common cancers in women, remains a major health threat worldwide. Annexin A3 (ANXA3), a component of the annexin family, is upregulated in numerous cancers, with no explicit role in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the function of ANXA3 in cervical cancer.

METHODS

Differential expression genes between the cervical cancer tissues of patients and the controls were analyzed in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database. Using transfection approaches to either upregulate or downregulate ANXA3, its role in cell proliferation and chemosensitivity of human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa and C33A) was evaluated. Furthermore, the binding activity between YAP1 and ANXA3 was also explored.

RESULTS

Genomics analysis indicated that differential genes were mostly associated with cell cycle progression and DNA replication. ANXA3 was highly expressed in the cervical cancer tissues and closely linked to malignancy degree. Knockdown of ANXA3 in cervical cancer cells inhibited cell cycle progression. A similar result was observed in the reduction of cyclin D, CDK4, cyclin E, and CDK2 in cervical cancer cells with ANXA3 silencing. Cervical cancer cells obtained high sensitivity to cisplatin (DDP) when ANXA3 was downregulated. Conversely, these capabilities were the opposite in cervical cancer cells overexpressing ANXA3. Furthermore, the expression levels of ANXA3 and YAP1 were positively correlated. YAP1 upregulation was positively connected with malignant behaviors, which were reversed by ANXA3 downregulation.

CONCLUSION

In light of our findings, targeting ANXA3 expressed in cervical cancer might contribute to more potential therapeutic strategies.

MiR‑221 and miR‑222 regulate cell cycle progression and affect chemosensitivity in breast cancer by targeting ANXA3

Breast malignancy remains one of the most common causes of cancer-associated mortalities among women. MicroRNA (miR)-221 and miR-222 are homologous miRs and have a substantial impact on cancer progression. In the present study, the regulatory mechanisms of miR-221/222 and its target annexin A3 (ANXA3) in breast cancer cells were investigated. Breast tissue samples were collected to evaluate the expression patterns of miR-221/222 levels in breast cancer cell lines and cancer tissues according to clinical characteristics. The levels of miR-221/222 were increased or decreased in cancer cell lines compared with normal breast cell lines according to cell line subtype. Subsequently, the changes in the progression and invasion of breast cancer cells were investigated using cell proliferation, invasion assay, gap closure and colony formation assays. Western blotting of cell cycle proteins and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate the possible pathway of miR-221/222 and ANXA3 axis. Chemosensitivity tests were performed to explore the suitability of the miR-221/222 and ANXA3 axis as a therapeutic target in breast cancer. The expression levels of miR-221/222 were associated with aggressive characteristics of breast cancer subtypes. Cell transfection assay demonstrated the regulation of breast cancer proliferation and invasiveness by miR-221/222. MiR-221/222 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region of ANXA3 and suppressed the expression of ANXA3 at the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, miR-221/222 negatively regulated cell proliferation and the cell cycle pathway in breast cancer cells by targeting ANXA3. In combination with adriamycin, downregulation of ANXA3 may sensitize adriamycin-induced cell death to induction of persistent G₂/M and G₀/G₁ arrest. Decreased expression of ANXA3 through increased expression of miR-221/222 reduced breast cancer progression and increased the effectiveness of the chemotherapy drug. The present results indicated the miR-221/222 and ANXA3 axis to be a possible novel therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer.

Discovery of a first-in-class ANXA3 degrader for the treatment of triple-negative breast cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a nasty disease with extremely high malignancy and poor prognosis. Annexin A3 (ANXA3) is a potential prognosis biomarker, displaying an excellent correlation of ANXA3 overexpression with patients' poor prognosis. Silencing the expression of ANXA3 effectively inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of TNBC, suggesting that ANXA3 can be a promising therapeutic target to treat TNBC. Herein, we report a first-in-class ANXA3-targeted small molecule (R)-SL18, which demonstrated excellent anti-proliferative and anti-invasive activities to TNBC cells. (R)-SL18 directly bound to ANXA3 and increased its ubiquitination, thereby inducing ANXA3 degradation with moderate family selectivity. Importantly, (R)-SL18 showed a safe and effective therapeutic potency in a high ANXA3-expressing TNBC patient-derived xenograft model. Furthermore, (R)-SL18 could reduce the β-catenin level, and accordingly inhibit the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in TNBC cells. Collectively, our data suggested that targeting degradation of ANXA3 by (R)-SL18 possesses the potential to treat TNBC.

Role of annexin A3 in breast cancer (Review)

Annexins are a large group of proteins occurring in numerous cell types. Annexins have roles in events such as coagulation inhibition, endocytosis, exocytosis, signal transduction, proliferation and programmed cell death. The association of annexins with numerous diseases has been reported. There are 12 annexin proteins in total and the association of annexin A3 (ANXA3) with numerous malignant tumor types, such as breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer, has been reported. Studies investigating the relationship between ANXA3 and breast cancer were analyzed in the present review and it was observed that ANXA3 is expressed at higher levels in breast cancer cells. Furthermore, high ANXA3 levels are a poor prognostic factor, increase the invasion ability of breast cancer cells and may be a novel therapeutic target.

Annexin A3 and cancer

Annexin A3 (ANXA3), an annexin family member, contains 36 kDa and 33 kDa isoforms. Similar to other annexin members, ANXA3 plays an important role in the development of human diseases. Recent studies have reported that abnormal ANXA3 expression is closely associated with the development, progression, metastasis, drug resistance and prognosis of several malignant tumours, such as breast cancer, lung cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. ANXA3 exerts its role by regulating cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis via the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), c-JUN N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase and hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signalling pathways. ANXA3 may act as a novel target for the early diagnosis and treatment of tumours. The present review summarises the recent progress in the role of ANXA3 and its regulatory pathways in tumours.

Annexin A3, a Calcium-Dependent Phospholipid-Binding Protein: Implication in Cancer

Annexin A3 (ANXA3), also known as lipocortin III and placental anticoagulant protein III, has been reported to be dysregulated in tumor tissues and cancer cell lines, and harbors pronounced diagnostic and prognostic value for certain malignancies, such as breast, prostate, colorectal, lung and liver cancer. Aberrant expression of ANXA3 promotes tumor cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and therapy resistance to multiple chemotherapeutic drugs including platinum-based agents, fluoropyrimidines, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and docetaxel. Genetic alterations on the ANXA3 gene have also been reported to be associated with the propensity to form certain inherited, familial tumors. These diverse functions of ANXA3 in tumors collectively indicate that ANXA3 may serve as an attractive target for novel anticancer therapies and a powerful diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for early tumor detection and population risk screening. In this review, we dissect the role of ANXA3 in cancer in detail.

33-kDa ANXA3 isoform contributes to hepatocarcinogenesis via modulating ERK, PI3K/Akt-HIF and intrinsic apoptosis pathways

Introduction

As a member of annexin family proteins, annexin A3 (ANXA3) has 36-kDa and 33-kDa isoforms. ANXA3 plays crucial roles in the tumorigenesis, aggressiveness and drug-resistance of cancers. However, previous studies mainly focused on the role of total ANXA3 in cancers without distinguishing the distinction between the two isoforms, the role of 33-kDa ANXA3 in cancer remains unclear.

Objectives

Current work aimed to investigate the function and regulation mechanism of 33-kDa ANXA3 in hepatocarcinoma.

Methods

The expressions of ANXA3, CRKL, Rac1, c-Myc and pAkt were analyzed in hepatocarcinoma specimens by Western blotting. The biological function of 33-kDa ANXA3 in the growth, metastasis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, chemoresistance of hepatocarcinoma cells with the underlying molecular mechanism were investigated using gain-of-function strategy in vitro or in vivo.

Results

33-kDa ANXA3 was remarkably upregulated in tumor tissues compared with corresponding normal liver tissues of hepatocarcinoma patients. Its stable knockdown decreased the in vivo tumor growing velocity and malignancy of hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells transplanted in nude mice. The in vitro experimental results indicated 33-kDa ANXA3 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, colony forming, migration and invasion abilities of HepG2 cells through downregulating CRKL, Rap1b, Rac1, pMEK, pERK2 and c-Myc in ERK pathway; inhibited angiogenesisability of HepG2 cells through inactivating PI3K/Akt-HIF pathway; induced apoptosis and enhanced chemoresistance of HepG2 cells through increasing Bax/decreasing Bcl-2 expressions and inactivating caspase 9/caspase 3 in intrinsic apoptosis pathway. Accordingly, CRKL, Rac1, c-Myc and pAkt were also upregulated in hepatocarcinoma patients ’ tumor tissues compared with corresponding normal liver tissues.

Conclusions

The overexpression of 33-kDa ANXA3 is involved in the clinical progression of hepatocarcinoma and in the malignancy, angiogenesis and apoptosis of hepatocarcinoma cells. It is of potential use in hepatocarcinoma diagnosis and treatment.

ANXA3 Silencing Ameliorates Intracranial Aneurysm via Inhibition of the JNK Signaling Pathway

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture is a major cause of stroke death. Alteration of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) function and phenotypic modulation plays a role in aneurysm progression. In the present study, we investigated the role of Annexin A3 (ANXA3) silencing in IA with the interaction of the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway. In IA and VSMCs of IA, the relationship between ANXA3 and the JNK signaling pathway was verified. To investigate the specific mechanism of ANXA3 silencing in IA, we transfected VSMCs with the overexpressed or small interfering RNA (siRNA) of ANXA3, or treated them with an inhibitor of the JNK signaling (SP600125). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was conducted to detect cell viability, and flow cytometry was conducted to assess cell cycle and apoptosis so as to evaluate the gain- and loss-of-function of ANXA3 and investigate the involvement of the JNK signaling pathway. The aneurysm wall of IA cells demonstrated an elevated level of ANXA3 expression and an activated JNK signaling pathway. VSMCs treated with siRNA-ANXA3 or SP600125 showed decreased expression of JNK, caspase-3, osteopontin (OPN), Bax, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), as well as phosphate (p)-JNK, but increased the expression of α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), β-tubulin, and Bcl-2. ANXA3 silencing or inactivation of the JNK signaling pathway also enhanced proliferation and repressed apoptosis of VSMCs. Collectively, this study shows that the silencing of ANXA3 can rescue VSMC function in IAs by inhibiting the phosphorylation and activation of the JNK signaling pathway. These findings may provide a potential therapy for the molecular treatment of IAs.

The regulatory role of Annexin 3 in a nude mouse bearing a subcutaneous xenograft of MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma

The following study investigated the effects of Annexin A3 (ANXA3) on breast cancer biological behavior in vivo, using nude mouse model bearing a subcutaneous tumor. A total of 18 female nude mice were randomly divided into three groups (n = 6): negative control group which was inoculated with MDA-MB-231 cells, blank control group which was inoculated with MDA-MB-231-NC cells, and the transfection group which was inoculated with MDA-MB-231-Sh cells. The experiment lasted for 4 weeks, during which mice conditions, diet and defecation were monitored on a daily basis. Body weight, as well as tumor diameters, which were assessed using standard caliper method, were measured once a week. In vivo imaging was performed to detect the activity of transplanted tumors. H&E staining was used to analyze the histological structure of tumor tissues in three groups, while flow cytometry and fluorescent RT-PCR were performed to measure cell proliferation and the expression of ANXA3 mRNA. Briefly, significantly slower tumor growth and tumor activity were observed in the transfection group compared to negative and blank controls, while the tumor weight and volume in this group were also significantly lower compared to the other two groups (P < 0.01). Sparse tumor cells accompanied with massive fibrous connective tissue proliferation, and lower new blood vessels formation were observed in transfection group compared to other groups. Moreover, mRNA and protein levels of ANXA3 were significantly lower in transfection group compared to the other two groups (P < 0.01). In addition, lower proliferation index and higher G_0/1 cell count were observed in transfection group compared to negative and blank controls (P < 0.01). To sum up, these results suggested that ANXA3 silencing regulates the proliferation and inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Consequently, ANXA3 might be used as a potential target for gene therapy in breast cancer.