FoxO3a inhibiting expression of EPS8 to prevent progression of NSCLC: A new negative loop of EGFR signaling

EFEMP1-Mediated Regulation of Choroidal Vascular Dysfunction in Myopia: Insights Into the FOXO3/VEGFA Pathway as a Therapeutic Target

Purpose

This study investigates the role of EFEMP1 in choroidal vascular dysfunction and its implications for myopia progression, specifically focusing on the FOXO3/VEGFA signaling pathway as a potential therapeutic target.

Methods

We utilized adeno-associated virus (AAV) to overexpress and knock down EFEMP1 in the choroid of guinea pigs. Subsequent proteomic analyses were conducted on the choroidal tissue. We used Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to identify relevant pathways and genes. In vitro experiments were performed on RF/6A cells, where both EFEMP1 and FOXO3 underwent overexpression and knockdown. We conducted a series of cell culture experiments, including assessments of cell proliferation, migration, tube formation, and choroidal sprouting assays, to evaluate the functional effects of EFEMP1. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR and Western blot analyses were utilized to measure gene and protein expression levels.

Results

Silencing EFEMP1 significantly reduced choroidal vascular dysfunction and slowed the progression of myopia. Proteomic analysis demonstrated that EFEMP1 regulates FOXO3 activity, resulting in increased VEGFA expression in RF/6A cells and promoting angiogenesis. Conversely, knockdown of FOXO3 led to decreased VEGFA levels, confirming that EFEMP1 modulates VEGFA expression through FOXO3.

Conclusions

Targeting EFEMP1 may offer a novel therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of myopia by alleviating associated vascular dysregulation. Further exploration of the FOXO3/VEGFA pathway could provide additional insights into therapeutic interventions for myopia.

Knockdown of EPS8 expression attenuates the proliferation of enzalutamide-resistant prostate cancer cells

Androgen deprivation therapies, the key treatment options for prostate cancer, have shown resistance and disease progression in many patients receiving these treatments. Therefore, it is crucial to identify new targetable pathways. Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) is one such potential target. Although this pathway is associated with the progression of various cancers, studies on the role of Eps8 in prostate cancer remain limited. This study investigated the role of Eps8 in prostate cancer. The LNCaP cell line and enzalutamide-resistant LNCaP (LNCaP Enz-R) cell lines were utilized for the investigation. Overexpression of Eps8 was observed in the LNCaP Enz-R cells. Transfecting pCMV-EPS8 also increased the levels of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell proliferation, and cell viability in both cell lines. Conversely, knockdown of Eps8 expression decreased the levels of EMT, cell proliferation, and cell viability in both cell lines. Furthermore, EPS8-induced EMT activation could be reversed by suppressing the Ras/JAK/PI3K signaling pathway. In vivo animal study also confirmed the crucial role of Eps8 expression in prostate cancer progression. Therefore, we suggest that targeting Eps8 by knocking down its expression is promising as a therapeutic approach for prostate cancer treatment.

Unveiling the potential of FOXO3 in lung cancer: From molecular insights to therapeutic prospects

Lung cancer poses a significant challenge regarding molecular heterogeneity, as it encompasses a wide range of molecular alterations and cancer-related pathways. Recent discoveries made it feasible to thoroughly investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer, giving rise to the possibility of novel therapeutic strategies relying on molecularly targeted drugs. In this context, forkhead box O3 (FOXO3), a member of forkhead transcription factors, has emerged as a crucial protein commonly dysregulated in cancer cells. The regulation of the FOXO3 in reacting to external stimuli plays a key role in maintaining cellular homeostasis as a component of the molecular machinery that determines whether cells will survive or dies. Indeed, various extrinsic cues regulate FOXO3, affecting its subcellular location and transcriptional activity. These regulations are mediated by diverse signaling pathways, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and protein interactions that eventually drive post-transcriptional modification of FOXO3. Nevertheless, while it is no doubt that FOXO3 is implicated in numerous aspects of lung cancer, it is unclear whether they act as tumor suppressors, promotors, or both based on the situation. However, FOXO3 serves as an intriguing possible target in lung cancer therapeutics while widely used anti-cancer chemo drugs can regulate it. In this review, we describe a summary of recent findings on molecular mechanisms of FOXO3 to clarify that targeting its activity might hold promise in lung cancer treatment.

Bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification of TIGD1 in non-small cell lung cancer

Introduction

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a prevalent respiratory system tumor. Triggered transposable element derivative 1 (TIGD1) exhibits significant overexpression in various tumor cells and tissues, suggesting its involvement in cancer progression.

Methods

Clinical data and gene expression profiles of lung adenocarcinoma were collected from TCGA, UCSC XENA, and GEO databases. Computational techniques and empirical studies were employed to analyze the role of TIGD1 in NSCLC. Cellular experiments were conducted using the H1299 cell line, including RNA interference, cell viability assays, quantitative PCR, wound-healing assays, western blotting, and plate clone formation assays.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis revealed TIGD1's potential as a biomarker for diagnosing and predicting lung cancer. It also indicated promise as a target for immune-related therapy and targeted drug therapy. Cellular studies confirmed TIGD1's involvement in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Furthermore, an association between TIGD1 and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was suggested.

Discussion

The findings suggest that TIGD1 plays a vital role in NSCLC progression, making it a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target. The association with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway provides insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms. Integrating computational analysis with empirical studies enhances our understanding of TIGD1's significance in NSCLC and opens avenues for further research into targeted therapies.

Mutagenicity of PM2.5 and Ethnic Susceptibility in Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, China

PM_2.5 seriously endangers human health, and its mutagenicity is considered an important pathogenic mechanism. However, the mutagenicity of PM_2.5 is mainly determined by traditional bioassays, which are limited in the large-scale identification of mutation sites. Single nucleoside polymorphisms (SNPs) can be used for the large-scale analysis of DNA mutation sites but have not yet been used on the mutagenicity of PM_2.5. The Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle is one of China's four major economic circles and five major urban agglomerations, and the relationship between the mutagenicity of PM_2.5 and ethnic susceptibility in this circle remains unclear. In this study, the representative samples are PM_2.5 from Chengdu in summer (CDSUM), Chengdu in winter (CDWIN), Chongqing in summer (CQSUM) and Chongqing in winter (CQWIN) respectively. PM_2.5 from CDWIN, CDSUM and CQSUM induce the highest levels of mutation in the regions of exon/5'Utr, upstream/splice site and downstream/3'Utr respectively. PM_2.5 from CQWIN, CDWIN and CDSUM induce the highest ratio of missense, nonsense and synonymous mutation respectively. PM_2.5 from CQWIN and CDWIN induce the highest transition and transversion mutations respectively. The ability of PM_2.5 from the four groups to induce disruptive mutation effects is similar. For ethnic susceptibility, PM_2.5 in this economic circle is more likely to induce DNA mutation in Chinese Dai from Xishuangbanna among Chinese ethnic groups. PM_2.5 from CDSUM, CDWIN, CQSUM and CQWIN may particularly tend to induce Southern Han Chinese, Dai in Xishuangbanna, Dai in Xishuangbanna and Southern Han Chinese respectively. These findings may assist in the development of a new method for analyzing the mutagenicity of PM_2.5. Moreover, this study not only promotes attention to ethnic susceptibility to PM_2.5, but also introduces public protection policies for the susceptible population.

Loss of EPS8 sensitizes non-small-cell lung carcinoma to chemotherapy-induced DNA damage

Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate number 8 (EPS8) has been reported to be critical in mediating tumor progression. However, the molecular and biological consequences of EPS8 overexpression remain unclear. Here we evaluated whether EPS8 increased DNA damage repair in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) cells and the mechanism of EPS8-mediated DNA damage repair which influenced chemosensitivity. Serial studies of functional experiments revealed that EPS8 knockdown inhibited cell growth, induced cell-cycle arrest and increased cisplatin therapeutic effects on NSCLC. EPS8 was found to induce DNA damage repair via upregulation of phosphorylated-ATM and downregulation of the tumor suppressor p53 and G1 cell kinase inhibitor p21. Moreover, in conjunction with cisplatin, decreasing EPS8 protein levels further increased p53 protein level and inhibited ATM signaling. Transplanted tumor studies were also performed to demonstrate that EPS8 knockdown inhibited tumor growth and sensitized tumors to cisplatin treatment. In conclusion, we have described a novel molecular mechanism through which EPS8 is likely to be involved in cancer progression and chemoresistance via DNA damage repair, indicating that EPS8 expression may influence the response to chemotherapy. Therefore, targeting EPS8 may be a potential therapeutic approach for patients with NSCLC.

Knockdown of hsa_circ_0000729 Inhibits the Tumorigenesis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Through Mediation of miR-1281/FOXO3 Axis

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a subtype of lung cancer which seriously threatens the health of people. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are endogenous RNAs which have stable closed structure; they are known to be involved in tumorigenesis of NSCLC. Meanwhile, hsa_circ_0000729 was reported to be upregulated in NSCLC. Nevertheless, the function of hsa_circ_0000729 in NSCLC remains unclear.

Methods

Western blot and RT-qPCR were performed to investigate protein and mRNA levels, respectively. CCK-8 assay was performed to test the cell viability and cell death was investigated by flow cytometry. NSCLC cell pyroptosis was observed by electron microscope. In addition, the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were detected by wound healing and transwell assay. The relation among hsa_circ_0000729, miR-1281 and FOXO3 was explored by dual luciferase reporter assay and RNA pull-down.

Results

Hsa_circ_0000729 was found to be upregulated in NSCLC cells, and hsa_circ_0000729 knockdown obviously suppressed the proliferation of NSCLC cells through inducing pyroptosis. In addition, silencing of hsa_circ_0000729 notably inhibited the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Meanwhile, hsa_circ_0000729 could bind with miR-1281, and FOXO3 was directly targeted by miR-1281. Moreover, the anti-tumor effect of hsa_circ_0000729 siRNAs on NSCLC was markedly reversed by miR-1281 antagomir. Furthermore, silencing of hsa_circ_0000729 inhibited the tumor growth of NSCLC in vivo.

Conclusion

Knockdown of hsa_circ_0000729 inhibits the tumorigenesis of NSCLC through mediation of miR-1281/FOXO3 axis. Thus, hsa_circ_0000729 might be served as a crucial mediator in NSCLC.

Dexmedetomidine suppresses the progression of esophageal cancer via miR-143-3p/epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 axis

Esophageal cancer is one of the fatal cancers around the world. Dexmedetomidine (DEX) is widely used during anesthesia of esophageal cancer surgery. Nevertheless, the role of DEX in the progression of esophageal cancer remains barely known. The proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of esophageal cancer cells were detected by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, flow cytometry, transwell migration and invasion assays and Western blot assay. The expression of miR-143-3p was measured by quantitative real-time PCR in esophageal cancer tissues and cells. The binding sites between miR-143-3p and epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (EPS8) were predicted by Starbase online software, and the combination was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The murine xenograft model was established using KYSE150 cells to verify the function of DEX in vivo. DEX inhibited the proliferation and metastasis while accelerated the apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells. The abundance of miR-143-3p was lower in esophageal cancer tissues and cells than that in paring normal tissues and normal esophageal mucosal cells Het-1A. MiR-143-3p could be induced by DEX treatment in esophageal cancer cells, and miR-143-3p also suppressed the development of esophageal cancer. EPS8 was a functional target of miR-143-3p, and it played an oncogenic role in esophageal cancer. DEX inhibited the growth of tumor via miR-143-3p/EPS8 in vivo. DEX suppressed the growth and metastasis while facilitated the apoptosis of esophageal cancer cells through upregulating the abundance of miR-143-3p and reducing the level of EPS8 in vivo and in vitro, providing promising target for the treatment of esophageal cancer.

Effects and mechanisms of Eps8 on the biological behaviour of malignant tumours (Review)

Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) was initially identified as the substrate for the kinase activity of EGFR, improving the responsiveness of EGF, which is involved in cell mitosis, differentiation and other physiological functions. Numerous studies over the last decade have demonstrated that Eps8 is overexpressed in most ubiquitous malignant tumours and subsequently binds with its receptor to activate multiple signalling pathways. Eps8 not only participates in the regulation of malignant phenotypes, such as tumour proliferation, invasion, metastasis and drug resistance, but is also related to the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients. Therefore, Eps8 is a potential tumour diagnosis and prognostic biomarker and even a therapeutic target. This review aimed to describe the structural characteristics, role and related molecular mechanism of Eps8 in malignant tumours. In addition, the prospect of Eps8 as a target for cancer therapy is examined.

Serum and Glucocorticoid-Inducible Kinase 1 (SGK1) in NSCLC Therapy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains the most prevalent and one of the deadliest cancers worldwide. Despite recent success, there is still an urgent need for new therapeutic strategies. It is also becoming increasingly evident that combinatorial approaches are more effective than single modality treatments. This review proposes that the serum and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase 1 (SGK1) may represent an attractive target for therapy of NSCLC. Although ubiquitously expressed, SGK1 deletion in mice causes only mild defects of ion physiology. The frequent overexpression of SGK1 in tumors is likely stress-induced and provides a therapeutic window to spare normal tissues. SGK1 appears to promote oncogenic signaling aimed at preserving the survival and fitness of cancer cells. Most importantly, recent investigations have revealed the ability of SGK1 to skew immune-cell differentiation toward pro-tumorigenic phenotypes. Future studies are needed to fully evaluate the potential of SGK1 as a therapeutic target in combinatorial treatments of NSCLC. However, based on what is currently known, SGK1 inactivation can result in anti-oncogenic effects both on tumor cells and on the immune microenvironment. A first generation of small molecules to inactivate SGK1 has already been already produced.

TNNC1 Reduced Gemcitabine Sensitivity of Nonsmall-Cell Lung Cancer by Increasing Autophagy

Background

As we know, chemotherapy resistance is a critical factor leading to recurrence and metastasis of nonsmall-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To clarify the key target and potential mechanism of resistance to gemcitabine (GEM) in NSCLC, we selected Gene Expression Omnibus Data Set and statistically analyzed a parent cell group and a GEM-resistant cell group. Results showed that the expression of troponin C1, slow skeletal and cardiac type (TNNC1) in GEM-resistant cells was higher than in parent cells, which implies that TNNC1 was associated with GEM resistance in lung cancer cells.

Material/Methods

TNNC1 expression level was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction or western blot in GEM-resistant patient serum and cell lines. It could reduce or increase autophagy response and GEM resistance accordingly by inhibition of the short interfering ribonucleic acid or by forced overexpression of TNNC1 viruses in A549 cell line and GEM-resistant cell line (A549/GemR) respectively. Blocking autophagy with 3-methyladenine increased the sensitivity of chemotherapy confirmed by flow cytometry and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B – light chain 3 punctate assay. What’s more, in a loss-of-function model, silencing of forkhead box 03 (FOXO3) in A549/GemR cells could rescue the autophagy weakened by TNNC1.

Results

TNNC1 promoted GEM chemoresistance of NSCLC by activating cytoprotective autophagy, regulated negatively by FOXO3. This research may provide a completely new strategy for NSCLC treatment.

Conclusions

Targeting the TNNC1/FOXO3 signaling pathway in NSCLC may be a novel strategy to combat GEM resistance.

EPS8 is a Potential Oncogene in Glioblastoma

Purpose

In this study, we investigated the expression and function of Epidermal growth factor receptor kinase substrate 8 (EPS8) in glioblastoma (GBM), and further explored the underlying mechanisms that regulate it.

Patients and methods

The expression and potential mechanisms of EPS8 in GBM were evaluated through multiple online public databases. The expression level EPS8 in GBM tissues and cell lines were detected by immunohistochemical staining and Western blot. Then, the prognosis of EPS8 and GBM patients were analyzed. Loss-of-function experiments were conducted to determine the role of EPS8 for the biological behavior of GBM cells. In addition, the tumorigenic ability of nude mice was tested in vivo.

Results

EPS8 is highly expressed in GBM tissues and indicates poor patient prognosis. In cell experiments, EPS8 can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells. In vivo, EPS8 promotes tumor formation in nude mice. EPS8 can activate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to function.

Conclusion

EP8S plays a role in the development of GBM and may be a potential therapeutic target for GBM.

Exosomes Carrying MicroRNA-155 Target Forkhead Box O3 of Endothelial Cells and Promote Angiogenesis in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) has a poor prognosis due to its relentless proliferation and metastasis. One of the reasons for this plight is the formidable angiogenesis ability of GC. Considering the important role of cancer exosomes as carriers and communicators in the tumor microenvironment, we explored the role of exosome-microRNA (miRNA) in regulating angiogenesis. Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR were used to measure the protein and mRNA levels of the miRNA target gene. To detect changes in cellular biological functions, we pretreated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) that were severally cocultured with GC-derived exosomes and transfected them with different miRNAs directly. Also, we used the mouse xenograft model to verify the effect of miR-155 on angiogenesis of GC tissues in vivo. Our study confirmed that miR-155, as a driver of angiogenesis, encapsulated by exosomes from GC can enhance the generation of new vessels for GC in vitro through inhibiting the expression of Forkhead box O3 (FOXO3a) protein, which led to the progression of GC. Therefore, miR-155 is probable to become a potential biomarker for the detection of migration and angiogenesis of GC, and serves as a novel target for anti-angiogenesis therapy.

The positive feedback loop FOXO3/CASC11/miR-498 promotes the tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer

An increasing number of studies have indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the regulation of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nevertheless, there are still numerous undiscovered mechanisms underlying this molecular regulation. Here, the results illustrated that CASC11 is overexpressed in NSCLC tumor tissues and cell lines, which is closely related to the clinical features of NSCLC and poor survival. In functional experiments, CASC11 was shown to promote proliferation and cycle progression and enhance NSCLC tumorigenesis. In mechanical investigations, CASC11 was shown to target the miR-498/FOXO3 axis via a canonical competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). In return, the transcription factor FOXO3 targets the CASC11 promoter region, thereby accelerating its transcription. Our findings demonstrate a crucial role for CASC11 as an oncogene in promoting NSCLC. These results reveal that CASC11 might be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Upregulation of EPS8L3 is associated with tumorigenesis and poor prognosis in patients with liver cancer

Epidermal growth factor receptor kinase substrate 8 (EPS8) plays critical roles in a variety of solid tumors. However, the biologic functions and clinical significance of EPS8‑like 3 (EPS8L3), an EPS8‑related protein, in liver cancer remain unclear. To measure EPS8L3 expression in liver cancer cell lines, reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analyses were performed. The correlation between 338 patients with liver cancer and various clinicopathological factors obtained from the Oncomine database were evaluated using the χ2 test. Survival of patients with different expression of EPS8L3 was determined using Kaplan‑Meier survival analysis with a log rank test, and Cox regression analysis was performed to estimate the prognostic significance of EPS8L3 expression. Additionally, cell proliferation and migration were determined using Cell Counting Kit‑8 and wound healing assays. The results revealed that EPS8L3 expression was significantly upregulated in liver cancer tissues and cell lines (P<0.01), and that the expression of EPS8L3 was closely associated with grade (P=0.024) and mortality (P=0.011). Furthermore, survival analysis suggested patients with high EPS8L3 expression exhibited shorter survival compared with those with low EPS8L3 expression. Cox regression analysis indicated that EPS8L3 could be regarded as a prognostic biomarker in patients with liver cancer (hazard ratio, 1.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.085‑2.301; P=0.017). Additionally, in vitro assays revealed that EPS8L3 depletion significantly inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation and migration, and reduced the levels of phosphorylated PI3K and AKT in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Collectively, the results of the present study, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, demonstrated that EPS8L3 serves as an oncogene in liver cancer development; therefore, EPS8L3 may be a valuable prognostic predictor for patients with liver cancer.