Correlation between renin-angiotensin system (RAS) related genes, type 2 diabetes, and cancer: Insights from metanalysis of transcriptomics data

Identification of potential biomarkers and survival analysis for oral squamous cell carcinoma: A transcriptomic study

OBJECTIVE

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. The current study aimed to identify potential biomarkers associated with OSCC survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in atypical OSCC cases were identified using two public datasets: The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the cutoff, and the candidate DEGs related to survival. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis using the categorized genes were employed to identify genes that impact the overall survival in OSCC.

RESULTS

A total of 263 OSCC samples and 105 healthy tissues were used to identify 295 upregulated and 131 downregulated genes expressed only in non-smokers. ROC analyses identified 25 candidate genes associated with death. Survival analyses demonstrated that the following DEGs, namely CSTA, FGFR2, MMP19, OLR1, PCSK1, RAMP2, and CGB5, are potential OSCC prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

We found that CSTA, FGFR2, MMP19, OLR1, PCSK1, RAMP2, and CGB5 are associated with a low survival rate in OSCC. However, further studies are needed to validate our findings and facilitate the development of these factors as potential biomarkers for OSCC survival.

Genome-Wide Identification of lncRNA and mRNA for Diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes in Saudi Arabia

Purpose

According to the World Health Organization, Saudi Arabia ranks seventh worldwide in the number of patients with diabetes mellitus. To our knowledge, no research has addressed the potential of noncoding RNA as a diagnostic and/or management biomarker for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) living in high-altitude areas. This study aimed to identify molecular biomarkers influencing patients with T2DM living in high-altitude areas by analyzing lncRNA and mRNA.

Patients and Methods

RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were used to identify significantly expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in T2DM and healthy control groups. Coding potential was analyzed using coding-noncoding indices, the coding potential calculator, and PFAM, and the lncRNA function was predicted using Pearson's correlation. Differentially expressed transcripts between the groups were identified, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed to identify the biological functions of both lncRNAs and mRNAs.

Results

We assembled 1766 lncRNAs in the T2DM group, of which 582 were novel. This study identified three lncRNA target genes (KLF2, CREBBP, and REL) and seven mRNAs (PIK3CD, PIK3R5, IL6R, TYK2, ZAP70, LAMTOR4, and SSH2) significantly enriched in important pathways, playing a role in the progression of T2DM.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this comprehensive study is the first to explore the applicability of certain lncRNAs as diagnostic or management biomarkers for T2DM in females in Taif City, Saudi Arabia through the genome-wide identification of lncRNA and mRNA profiling using RNA seq and bioinformatics analysis. Our findings could help in the early diagnosis of T2DM and in designing effective therapeutic targets.

The therapeutic potential of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors in the treatment of pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is among the most lethal malignancies with poor prognosis and patients become chemoresistant to current therapies, supporting further investigations to identify new therapeutic regimens in the treatment of this condition. Preclinical and clinical studies now appear to support the role of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the regulation of tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in different malignancies including pancreatic cancer. These studies suggest that RAS blockers; Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs); could have anti-carcinogenic effects and improve clinical outcomes in the management of pancreatic cancer. Here we provided an overview of ACE inhibitors and ARBs as a potential therapeutic option in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Incidence of Bladder Cancer in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients: A Population-Based Cohort Study

Background and objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide and is associated with increased incidence of kidney cancer and bladder cancer (BC). However, studies have produced conflicting results. Therefore, we retrospectively evaluated the incidence of BC in T2DM patients using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD). Materials and Methods: We included 31,932 patients with a diagnosis of T2DM in the study group and 63,864 age- and sex-matched patients without T2DM at a ratio of 1:2 in the control group. The primary outcome was the diagnosis of BC. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the incidence and adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of BC in the multivariate model. Results: After a 16-year follow-up, we found that 67 BC cases occurred in the study group and 152 BC events in the non-T2DM group without a significantly higher risk (aHR: 0.842, 95% confidence interval: 0.627–1.13). Conclusions: T2DM patients do not have a higher risk of BC.

Evaluating the benefits of renin-angiotensin system inhibitors as cancer treatments

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of cellular membrane receptors identified and characterized. It is estimated that 30 to 50% of marketed drugs target these receptors. The angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1R) is a GPCR which signals in response to systemic alterations of the peptide hormone angiotensin II (AngII) in circulation. The enzyme responsible for converting AngI to AngII is the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE). Specific inhibitors for the AT1R (more commonly known as AT1R blockers or antagonists) and ACE are well characterized for their effects on the cardiovascular system. Combined with the extensive clinical data available on patient tolerance of AT1R blockers (ARBs) and ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), as well as their non-classical roles in cancer, the notion of repurposing this class of medications as cancer treatment(s) is explored in the current review. Given that AngII-dependent AT1R activity directly regulates angiogenesis, remodeling of vasculature, pro-inflammatory responses, stem cell programming and hematopoiesis, and electrolyte balance; the modulation of these processes with pharmacologically well characterized medications could present a valuable complementary treatment option for cancer patients.