Knockout of CD147 inhibits the proliferation, invasion, and drug resistance of human oral cancer CAL27 cells in Vitro and in Vivo

Harnessing tetrahedral framework nucleic acids for enhanced delivery of microRNA-149-3p: A new frontier in oral squamous cell carcinoma therapy

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), a type of malignant tumour that primarily occurs in the oral mucosa, has drawn considerable attention owing to its aggressive growth and potentially high metastatic rate. Surgical resection is the primary treatment method for OSCC and is typically combined with radiation therapy and chemotherapy. microRNA-149-3p (miR-149) is a negative regulator of the Pi3k/Akt pathway and can effectively inhibit the proliferation of tumour cells. However, the application of miR-149 is limited owing to its relatively low efficiency of cellular uptake and poor stability when used alone. To overcome these challenges, this study adopted a novel nucleic acid nanostructured material, tetrahedral framework nucleic acids (tFNAs). The use of tFNAs as carriers to assemble the T-miR-149 complex reduced the expression of Pi3k and Akt involved in tumorigenesis and alterations in proteins related to cell apoptosis. The results indicated that the bionic drug delivery system has an effective tumour suppressive effect on OSCC in mice, revealing its potential clinical value in the treatment of OSCC.

EMMPRIN promotes spheroid organization and metastatic formation: comparison between monolayers and spheroids of CT26 colon carcinoma cells

Background

In vitro studies often use two-dimensional (2D) monolayers, but 3D cell organization, such as in spheroids, better mimics the complexity of solid tumors. To metastasize, cancer cells undergo the process of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) to become more invasive and pro-angiogenic, with expression of both epithelial and mesenchymal markers.

Aims

We asked whether EMMPRIN/CD147 contributes to the formation of the 3D spheroid structure, and whether spheroids, which are often used to study proliferation and drug resistance, could better model the EMT process and the metastatic properties of cells, and improve our understanding of the role of EMMPRIN in them.

Methods

We used the parental mouse CT26 colon carcinoma (CT26-WT) cells, and infected them with a lentivirus vector to knock down EMMPRIN expression (CT26-KD cells), or with an empty lentivirus vector (CT26-NC) that served as a negative control. In some cases, we repeated the experiments with the 4T1 or LLC cell lines. We compared the magnitude of change between CT26-KD and CT26-WT/NC cells in different metastatic properties in cells seeded as monolayers or as spheroids formed by the scaffold-free liquid overlay method.

Results

We show that reduced EMMPRIN expression changed the morphology of cells and their spatial organization in both 2D and 3D models. The 3D models more clearly demonstrated how reduced EMMPRIN expression inhibited proliferation and the angiogenic potential, while it enhanced drug resistance, invasiveness, and EMT status, and moreover it enhanced cell dormancy and prevented CT26-KD cells from forming metastatic-like lesions when seeded on basement membrane extract (BME). Most interestingly, this approach enabled us to identify that EMMPRIN and miR-146a-5p form a negative feedback loop, thus identifying a key mechanism for EMMPRIN activities. These results underline EMMPRIN role as a gatekeeper that prevents dormancy, and suggest that EMMPRIN links EMT characteristics to the process of spheroid formation.

Conclusions

Thus, 3D models can help identify mechanisms by which EMMPRIN facilitates tumor and metastasis progression, which might render EMMPRIN as a promising target for anti-metastatic tumor therapy.

Mitochondria in oral cancer stem cells: Unraveling the potential drug targets for new and old drugs

Head and neck cancer is a major health problem worldwide, with most cases arising in the oral cavity. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of oral cancer, accounting for over 90% of all cases. Compared to other types of cancer, OSCC, has the worse prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of 50%. Additionally, OSCC is characterized by a high rate of resistance to chemotherapy treatment, which may be partly explained by the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) subpopulation. CSC can adapt to harmful environmental condition and are highly resistant to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments, thus contributing to tumor relapse. The aim of this review is to highlight the role of mitochondria in oral CSC as a potential target for oral cancer treatment. For this purpose, we reviewed some fundamental aspects of the most validated protein markers of stemness, autophagy, the mitochondrial function and energy metabolism in oral CSC. Moreover, a discussion will be made on why energy metabolism, especially oxidative phosphorylation in CSC, may offer such a diverse source of original pharmacological target for new drugs. Finally, we will describe some drugs able to disturb mitochondrial function, with emphasis on those aimed to interrupt the electron transport chain function, as novel therapeutic strategies in multidrug-resistant oral CSC. The reutilization of old drugs approved for clinical use as new antineoplastics, in cancer treatment, is also matter of revision.

Expression patterns of cluster of differentiation 147 impact the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has very low overall survival. According to global cancer statistics, approximately 905677 new cases were reported in 2020, with at least 830180 of them being fatal. Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) is a novel, transmembrane glycoprotein that is expressed in a wide variety of tumor cells and plays an important role in various stages of tumor development. Based on the reports described previously, we theorize that CD147 may be used as a novel biological indicator to predict the prognosis of HCC. To study this possibility, expression profiles of CD147 and corresponding clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were analyzed, and a hazard ratio (HR) was established.

AIM

To explore the pattern of CD147 expression and its applicability in the prognosis of HCC. To establish HRs and probability points for predicting the prognosis of HCC by correlating CD147 expression with clinical characteristics. To determine if CD147 can be a reliable biomarker in HCC prognosis.

METHODS

The CD147 expression profile in HCC and corresponding clinical data were obtained from TCGA database. The expression patterns of CD147 were then validated by analyzing data from the GEO database. In addition, CD147 immunohistochemistry in HCC was obtained from the Human Protein Atlas. CD147 expression patterns and clinical characteristics in the prognosis of HCC were analyzed by accessing the UALCAN web resource. Accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the CD147 expression profile in predictive prognosis were determined by the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted to estimate the HR of survival in HCC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression proportional hazards analyses of CD147 expression levels and clinical characteristics as prognostic factors of HCC were performed. Nomograms were used to establish probability points and predict prognosis.

RESULTS

Data from TCGA and GEO databases revealed that CD147 was significantly overexpressed in HCC (P = 1.624 × 10-12 and P = 1.2 × 10-5, respectively). The expression of CD147 and prognosis of HCC were significantly correlated with the clinical characteristics of HCC as per the data from the UALCAN web resource (P < 0.05). Kaplan-Meier analysis of CD147 expression in HCC revealed that the high expression groups showed poor prognosis and an HR of survival > 1 [log-rank test, P = 0.000542, HR (in high expression group): 1.856, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.308 to 2.636]. ROC curves were plotted to analyze the 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year survival rates. The area under the ROC curve values were 0.675 (95%CI: 0.611 to 0.740), 0.623 (95%CI: 0.555 to 0.692), and 0.664 (95%CI: 0.582 to 9.745), respectively. Univariate Cox analysis of CD147 expression and clinical characteristics of HCC and multivariate Cox analysis of CD147 patterns and pathological tumor-node-metastasis stage showed significant differences (univariate Cox, P = 0.00013, HR: 1.424, 95%CI: 1.884 to 1.707 and P = 0.00066, HR: 1.376, 95%CI: 1.145 to 1.654, respectively; multivariate Cox, P = 0.00578, HR: 1.507, 95%CI: 1.126 to 2.018 and P = 0.00336, HR: 1.443, 95%CI: 1.129 to 1.844, respectively). Nomograms were plotted to establish the probability points and predict prognosis. The total points ranged from 0 to 180, and the C-index value was 0.673 (95%CI: 0.600 to 1.000, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Overexpression of CD147 was correlated with poor prognosis in HCC. The CD147 expression profile combined with clinical characteristics can reliably predict the prognosis of HCC. CD147 can serve as a biomarker to predict the prognosis of HCC.

Lipopolysaccharide induces inflammatory microglial activation through CD147-mediated matrix metalloproteinase expression

Microglia-mediated neuroinflammation plays a vital role in the pathophysiological processes of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is an environmental poison that can induce inflammatory microglial activation. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are vital factors regulating microglial activation, and CD147 is a key MMP inducer, which can induce inflammation by inducing MMPs. However, whether it is involved in the regulation of microglial activation has not been reported. In this study, the role of CD147 in LPS-induced microglial inflammatory activation was investigated by establishing in vivo and in vitro models. The results suggested that LPS-induced microglial activation was accompanied by the induction of CD147 expression while the inhibition of CD147 expression could inhibit LPS-induced microglial inflammatory activation. In addition, the results also indicated that the role of CD147 in LPS-induced pro-inflammatory activation of microglia was related to its downstream MMP-3, MMP-8, and autophagy. Furthermore, the inhibition of MMP-3, MMP-8, and autophagy attenuated LPS-induced inflammatory activation of microglia. At the same time, there was a certain interaction between MMPs and autophagy, which is shown that inhibiting the expression of MMPs could inhibit autophagy, whereas inhibiting autophagy could inhibit the expression of MMPs. Taken together, we provided the first evidence that CD147/MMPs can be involved in LPS-induced inflammatory activation of microglia through an autophagy-dependent manner.

CRISPR technology: A versatile tool to model, screen, and reverse drug resistance in cancer

BACKGROUND

Drug resistance is a serious challenge in cancer treatment that can render chemotherapy a failure. Understanding the mechanisms behind drug resistance and developing novel therapeutic approaches are cardinal steps in overcoming this issue. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindrome repeats (CRISPR) gene-editing technology has proven to be a useful tool to study cancer drug resistance mechanisms and target the responsible genes. In this review, we evaluated original research studies that used the CRISPR tool in three areas related to drug resistance, namely screening resistance-related genes, generating modified models of resistant cells and animals, and removing resistance by genetic manipulation. We reported the targeted genes, study models, and drug groups in these studies. In addition to discussing different applications of CRISPR technology in cancer drug resistance, we analyzed drug resistance mechanisms and provided examples of CRISPR's role in studying them. Although CRISPR is a powerful tool for examining drug resistance and sensitizing resistant cells to chemotherapy, more studies are required to overcome its disadvantages, such as off-target effects, immunotoxicity, and inefficient delivery of CRISPR/cas9 into the cells.

CD147 and MMPs as key factors in physiological and pathological processes

Cluster of differentiation 147 (CD147) or extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that induces the synthesis of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). MMPs, as zinc-dependent proteases and versatile enzymes, play critical roles in the degradation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) components, cleaving of the receptors of cellular surfaces, signaling molecules, and other precursor proteins, which may lead to attenuation or activation of such targets. CD147 and MMPs play essential roles in physiological and pathological conditions and any disorder in the expression, synthesis, or function of CD147 and MMPs may be associated with various types of disease. In this review, we have focused on the roles of CD147 and MMPs in some major physiological and pathological processes.

Genome Editing Approaches with CRISPR/Cas9 for Cancer Treatment: Critical Appraisal of Preclinical and Clinical Utility, Challenges, and Future Research

The increasing burden on human malignant diseases became a major concern for healthcare practitioners, that must deal with tumor relapse and the inability to efficiently treat metastasis, in addition to side effects. Throughout the decades, many therapeutic strategies have been employed to improve the clinical outcomes of cancer patients and great efforts have been made to develop more efficient and targeted medicines. The malignant cell is characterized by genetic and epigenetic modifications, therefore targeting those specific drivers of carcinogenesis is highly desirable. Among the genome editing technologies, CRISPR/Cas9 stood as a promising candidate for cancer treatment alternatives, due to its low complexity design. First described as a defense mechanism of bacteria against invading foreign DNA, later it was shown that CRISPR components can be engineered to target specific DNA sequences in a test tube, a discovery that was awarded later with the Nobel Prize in chemistry for its rapid expansion as a reliable genome editing tool in many fields of research, including medicine. The present paper aims of describing CRISPR/Cas9 potential targets for malignant disorders, and the approaches used for achieving this goal. Aside from preclinical studies, we also present the clinical trials that use CRISPR-based technology for therapeutic purposes of cancer. Finally, a summary of the presented studies adds a more focused view of the therapeutic value CRISPR/Cas9 holds and the associated shortcomings.

An IgM monoclonal antibody against domain 1 of CD147 induces non-canonical RIPK-independent necroptosis in a cell type specific manner in hepatocellular carcinoma cells

CD147/Basigin/EMMPRIN is overexpressed in several cancerous tissues and it has been shown to induce matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) whose expression is associated with cancer metastasis. Thus, targeting CD147 with monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) potentially has therapeutic applications in cancer immunotherapy. Here, we report the use of anti-CD147 mAbs targeting domain 1 of CD147, namely M6-1D4 (IgM), M6-1F3 (IgM), M6-2F9 (IgM) and M6-1E9 (IgG2a), against several human cancer cell lines. Strikingly, IgM but not IgG mAbs against CD147, especially clone M6-1D4, induced acute cellular swelling, and this phenomenon appeared to be specifically found with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Furthermore, molecular investigation upon treating HepG2 cells with M6-1D4 showed unfolded protein response (UPR) activation, autophagosome accumulation, and cell cycle arrest, but without classic apoptosis related features. More interestingly, prolonged M6-1D4 treatment (24 h) resulted in irreversible oncosis leading to necroptosis. Furthermore, treatment with a mixed lineage kinase domain-like psuedokinase (MLKL) inhibitor and partial knockout of MLKL resulted in reduced sensitivity to necroptosis in M6-1D4-treated HepG2 cells. Surprisingly however, the observed necroptotic signaling axis appeared to be non-canonical as it was independent of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase (RIPK) phosphorylation. In addition, no cytotoxic effect on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) was observed after incubation with M6-1D4. Taken together, this study provides clues to target CD147 in HCC using mAbs, as well as sheds new light on a novel strategy to kill cancerous cells by the induction of necroptosis.

CRISPR/Cas gene-editing technology and its advances in dentistry

A recent discovery of revolutionary Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a gene-editing tool that provides a type of adaptive immunity in prokaryotic organisms, which is currently used as a revolutionizing tool in biomedical research. It has a mechanism of correcting genome errors, turning on/off genes in cells and organisms. Most importantly playing a crucial function in bacterial defence by identifying and destroying Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) segments during bacteriophage invasions since the CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) enzyme recognizes and cleaves invasive DNA sequences complementary to CRISPR. Therefore, researchers employ this biological device to manipulate the genes to develop new therapies to combat systemic diseases. Currently, the most significant advance at the laboratory level is the generation of cell and animal models, functional genomic screens, live images of the cell genome, and defective DNA repairs to find the cure for genetic disorders. Even though this technology has enormous biomedical applications in various sectors, this review will summarize CRISPR/Cas emphasizing both the therapeutic and diagnostic mechanisms developed in the field of dentistry and the promising attempts to transfer this technology to clinical application. Finally, future developments are also described, which proposes to use CRISPR/Cas systems for prospective clinical dentistry applications.

CD147 Levels in Blood and Adipose Tissues Correlate with Vascular Dysfunction in Obese Diabetic Adults

CD147 is a glycoprotein that stimulates the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), known contributors to cardiovascular risk. The activity of CD147 protein depends on its glycosylation. However, it is unclear whether CD147 protein expression or glycosylation are influenced by the diabetic milieu characterized by hyperglycemia and abundant glycation-end-products (AGEs). We examined the circulating and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) levels of CD147 and their correlation with vascular function in obese, obese diabetic, and non-obese controls (n = 40, each). The circulating levels of CD147 and the glycosylated CD147 protein in VAT were considerably higher in obese, particularly obese diabetic subjects compared to controls. Obese diabetics had the lowest brachial and arteriolar vasoreactivity and the highest carotid pulse-wave velocity (PWV, a measure of arterial stiffness) among the three groups. CD147 correlated positively with body mass index (BMI), total and visceral fat mass, PWV, and plasma levels of glucose, insulin, MMPs, and AGEs and negatively with brachial artery and VAT-arteriolar vasoreactivity and nitric oxide production. Multivariate regression revealed that BMI, body fat mass, insulin, and glucose levels significantly predicted CD147. Our data suggest that higher levels of CD147 in obese subjects, particularly those with diabetes, are linked to vascular dysfunction and several cardiometabolic risk factors.