Establishment of a novel prognostic signature based on an identified expression profile of integrin superfamily to predict overall survival of patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma

ITGB5 is a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer and promotes cancer progression and metastasis through the Wnt signaling pathway

Integrin beta5 (ITGB5) expression levels are dysregulated in a variety of cancers. However, the mechanism and clinical value of ITGB5 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unclear. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were utilized to evaluate ITGB5 expression levels in CRC tissue. Clinical data from the GEO database were obtained to further explore the associations of ITGB5 with clinical features and patient survival. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to explore the functions and signaling pathways of ITGB5. In addition, ITGB5 expression was inhibited by siRNA, and the roles of ITGB5 in SW480 and RKO cell growth, migration and invasion, as well as in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, were investigated. Pancancer studies have shown that ITGB5 is highly expressed in a variety of cancers. Moreover, ITGB5 expression is significantly increased in CRC tissues and is correlated with TNM stage, invasion depth, lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis stage. Kaplan-Meier analysis and meta-analysis of the GSE39582 and GSE17538 datasets indicated that a high level of ITGB5 is a high risk factor for overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In addition, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed the value of ITGB5 in predicting DFS, and univariate and multivariate analyses showed that ITGB5 may be an independent prognostic factor for DFS. GO and KEGG analyses indicated that many GO terms related to the extracellular matrix (ECM), focal adhesion and ECM-receptor interaction pathways were enriched. GSEA revealed focal adhesion, cancer pathways, ECM-receptor interactions and Wnt signaling pathways in the samples with high ITGB5 expression. Correlation analysis revealed that high ITGB5 expression is significantly correlated with the TGF-β/EMT pathway and WNT targets. Silencing of ITGB5 inhibited SW480 and RKO cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Mechanistically, downregulated ITGB5 expression blocked the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in CRC cells. Moreover, ITGB5 expression was related to M0 macrophages, M2 macrophages, neutrophils and plasma cell fractions. ITGB5 may be associated with poor prognosis and metastasis in patients with CRC. ITGB5 may hold promise as a prognostic biomarker and a new potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Effect of GLIS1 on the Lymph Node Metastasis of Cervical Squamous Carcinoma Based on Transcriptome Analysis

Cervical cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality among female reproductive malignancies, and lymph node metastasis (LNM) represents the major reason for its poor prognosis. In this study, we aimed to identify transcriptome differences in patients with cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) who developed LNM or not and to outline the function of GLIS1 in determining metastatic fate in CSCC. In The Cancer Genome Atlas-endocervical adenocarcinoma project, patients with LNM had shorter overall survival than those without. Transcriptome data from CSCC patients with and without LNM were analyzed to screen for differentially expressed genes (DEGs). DEGs were enriched in metastasis-related pathways, such as extracellular matrix organization, cell-cell adhesion, and regulation of tissue remodeling. GLIS1 was overexpressed in tumor tissues of patients with LNM. COMP and ITGA11 were screened as downstream targets of GLIS1. GLIS1 promoted their transcription by binding to the promoter regions of COMP and ITGA11. GLIS1 enhanced the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in CSCC cells, while the knockdown of COMP or ITGA11 reversed the promotion of GLIS1 on CSCC cell malignant phenotype. Together, our results demonstrate that GLIS1 might be related to the LNM of CSCC patients via COMP and ITGA11.

HSPB6 Is Depleted in Colon Cancer Patients and Its Expression Is Induced by 5-aza-2'-Deoxycytidine In Vitro

Background and Objectives: Colon cancer (CC) is the second most common cancer in Saudi Arabia, and the number of new cases is expected to increase by 40% by 2040. Sixty percent of patients with CC are diagnosed in the late stage, causing a reduced survival rate. Thus, identifying a new biomarker could contribute to diagnosing CC in the early stages, leading to delivering better therapy and increasing the survival rate. Materials and Methods: HSPB6 expression was investigated in extracted RNA taken from 10 patients with CC and their adjacent normal tissues, as well as in DMH-induced CC and a colon treated with saline taken from a male Wistar rat. Additionally, the DNA of the LoVo and Caco-2 cell lines was collected, and bisulfite was converted to measure the DNA methylation level. This was followed by applying 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (AZA) to the LoVo and Caco-2 cell lines for 72 h to see the effect of DNA methylation on HSPB6 expression. Finally, the GeneMANIA database was used to find the interacted genes at transcriptional and translational levels with HSPB6. Results: We found that the expression of HSPB6 was downregulated in 10 CC tissues compared to their adjacent normal colon tissues, as well as in the in vivo study, where its expression was lower in the colon treated with the DMH agent compared to the colon treated with saline. This suggests the possible role of HSPB6 in tumor progression. Moreover, HSPB6 was methylated in two CC cell lines (LoVo and Caco-2), and demethylation with AZA elevated its expression, implying a mechanistic association between DNA methylation and HSPB6 expression. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that HSPB6 is adversely expressed with tumor progression, and its expression may be controlled by DNA methylation. Thus, HSPB6 could be a good biomarker employed in the CC diagnostic process.

Bioinformatics Analysis of RNA-seq Data Reveals Genes Related to Cancer Stem Cells in Colorectal Cancerogenesis

Cancer stem cells (CSC) play one of the crucial roles in the pathogenesis of various cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Although great efforts have been made regarding our understanding of the cancerogenesis of CRC, CSC involvement in CRC development is still poorly understood. Using bioinformatics and RNA-seq data of normal mucosa, colorectal adenoma, and carcinoma (n = 106) from GEO and TCGA, we identified candidate CSC genes and analyzed pathway enrichment analysis (PEI) and protein–protein interaction analysis (PPI). Identified CSC-related genes were validated using qPCR and tissue samples from 47 patients with adenoma, adenoma with early carcinoma, and carcinoma without and with lymph node metastasis and were compared to normal mucosa. Six CSC-related genes were identified: ANLN, CDK1, ECT2, PDGFD, TNC, and TNXB. ANLN, CDK1, ECT2, and TNC were differentially expressed between adenoma and adenoma with early carcinoma. TNC was differentially expressed in CRC without lymph node metastases whereas ANLN, CDK1, and PDGFD were differentially expressed in CRC with lymph node metastases compared to normal mucosa. ANLN and PDGFD were differentially expressed between carcinoma without and with lymph node metastasis. Our study identified and validated CSC-related genes that might be involved in early stages of CRC development (ANLN, CDK1, ECT2, TNC) and in development of metastasis (ANLN, PDGFD).