Molecular networks that regulate cancer metastasis

ADAM Proteases in Cancer: Biological Roles, Therapeutic Challenges, and Emerging Opportunities

ADAM (A Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase) family members are multifunctional transmembrane proteases that govern tumorigenesis and metastasis by cleaving membrane-bound substrates such as growth factors, cytokines, and cell adhesion molecules. Several ADAMs, including ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM10, ADAM12, and ADAM17, are overexpressed in malignancies and are linked with a poor prognosis. These proteases contribute to tumour growth by regulating cell proliferation, cell fate, invasion, angiogenesis, and immune evasion. ADAM10 and ADAM17, especially, facilitate the shedding of critical developmental and growth factors and their receptors, as well as immuno-regulatory molecules, hence promoting tumour progression, immune escape, and resistance to therapy. Recent work has unveiled multiple regulatory pathways that modulate ADAM functions, which include trafficking, dimerization, and conformational modifications that affect substrate accessibility. These observations have rekindled efforts to produce selective ADAM inhibitors, avoiding the off-target consequences reported with early small molecule inhibitors targeting the enzyme active site, which is conserved also in matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Promising approaches tested in preclinical models and, in some cases, clinical settings include more selective small-molecule inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and antibody-drug conjugates designed to specifically target ADAMs. In this review, we will discuss the emerging roles of ADAMs in cancer biology, as well as the molecular processes that control their function. We further discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting ADAMs, with a focus on recent advances and future directions in the development of ADAM-specific cancer therapies.

Brain structural alterations and cognitive dysfunction in lung cancer patients without brain metastasis

This study explored the relationship between cognitive function and brain structure in lung cancer (LCs) patients without brain metastases and healthy controls (HCs). A cohort of 75 chemotherapy-naive LCs without brain metastases and 29 age-, sex-, and education-matched HCs underwent cognitive assessments and structural MRI. The MRI focused on cortical thickness, surface area, and volume of subcortical structures. We examined the relationships among these parameters. The volume of twelve subcortical structures was significantly reduced in patients with advanced-stage lung cancer (aLCs) compared to HCs (p < 0.05). In aLCs, cortical thickness decreased in one brain region and surface area in five regions (p < 0.05). Patients with early-stage lung cancer (eLCs) exhibited increased cortical thickness in three regions. When comparing eLCs to aLCs, there was a notable decrease in cortical thickness and surface area (p < 0.05). Visuospatial/executive and delayed memory functions were impaired in aLCs and worsened with disease progression. These impairments correlated positively with the thickness of several cerebral cortices and the surface area and volume of subcortical structures (p < 0.05). Structural brain changes and cognitive dysfunction are evident in aLC patients, independent of metastasis. Since none of the patients received chemotherapy, the observed abnormalities in aLCs, absent in eLCs, are likely attributable to the disease itself rather than chemotherapy effects.

High throughput cell stiffness measurement via multiplexed impedance sensors

Since physiological and pathological events change the mechanical properties of cells, tools that rapidly quantify such changes at the single-cell level can advance the utility of cell mechanics as a label-free biomarker. We demonstrate the capability to probe the population-level elastic modulus and fluidity of MDA-MB-231 cells at a throughput of up to 50 cell/second within a portable microchip. Our sensing scheme adapts a code multiplexing scheme to implement a distributed network of sensors throughout the microchip, thereby compressing all sensing events into a single electrical output. To validate our approach, we prepared cell samples whose stiffnesses were manipulated with chemical agents. We confirmed the expected effect of the chemicals agreed with the stiffness measurements reported by our microchip. Such a low-cost electronic assay that rapidly measures mechanical properties enables previously infeasible studies to advance the science of mechanobiology.

MicroRNA as Key Players in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Insights into Their Role in Metastasis

Liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common cancer in global epidemiology. Both the frequency and fatality of this malignancy have shown an upward trend over recent decades. Liver cancer is a significant concern due to its propensity for both intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis. Liver cancer metastasis is a multifaceted process characterized by cell detachment from the bulk tumor, modulation of cellular motility and invasiveness, enhanced proliferation, avoidance of the immune system, and spread either via lymphatic or blood vessels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) playing a crucial function in the intricate mechanisms of tumor metastasis. A number of miRNAs can either increase or reduce metastasis via several mechanisms, such as control of motility, proliferation, attack by the immune system, cancer stem cell properties, altering the microenvironment, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Besides, two other types of non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) can competitively bind to endogenous miRNAs. This competition results in the impaired ability of the miRNAs to inhibit the expression of the specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are targeted. Increasing evidence has shown that the regulatory axis comprising circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA is correlated with the regulation of HCC metastasis. This review seeks to present a thorough summary of recent research on miRNAs in HCC, and their roles in the cellular processes of EMT, invasion and migration, as well as the metastasis of malignant cells. Finally, we discuss the function of the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network as a crucial modulator of carcinogenesis and the regulation of signaling pathways or genes that are relevant to the metastasis of HCC. These findings have the potential to offer valuable insight into the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches for management of liver cancer metastasis.

Effects of Pharmacological Dose of Vitamin C on MDA-MB-231 Cells

Background/Objectives: In 2022, approximately 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide, resulting in 670,000 deaths, which accounted for 6.9% of all cancer-related deaths. In the United States, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. It was estimated that 2024 would identify about 310,720 women and 2800 men diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. The future global burden of breast cancer is projected to rise to over 3 million new cases and 1 million deaths by 2040. Approximately 20% of breast cancer diagnoses are triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), a type of cancer that lacks receptors for estrogen (ER-negative), progesterone (PR-negative), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu-negative). Consequently, TNBC does not respond to hormonal or targeted therapies, making it challenging to treat due to its rapid growth, metastasis, and high recurrence rate within the first three years of therapy. Alternative chemotherapies are needed to address this problem. A pharmacological dose of vitamin C (high-dose VC) has been identified as a potential treatment for some cancer cells. The present study aimed to evaluate whether VC has a therapeutic effect on TNBC, using MDA-MB-231 cells as the model. Additionally, VC's effects were trialed on other cancer cells such as MCF7 and on non-cancerous kidney HEK 293 and lung CCL205 cells. Methods: The MTT assay, Hoechst 33342 staining, nuclear-ID red/green staining, Rhodamine 123 staining, and Western blot analysis were employed to test the hypothesis that a pharmacological dose of VC can kill TNBC cells. Results: The upregulation of Apaf-1 and caspases -7, -8, and -9, the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9), a reduction in cell cycle protein expression, and the enhancement of tumor suppressor proteins such as p53 and p21 indicate that a pharmacological dose of VC has promising anti-cancer properties in the treatment of breast cancers. Conclusions: Pharmacological dose of VC exerts significant anti-cancer effects in MDA-MB-231 cells by promoting apoptosis, inhibiting metastasis, disrupting cell cycle progression, and enhancing tumor suppressor activity.

The lipocalin saga: Insights into its role in cancer-associated cachexia

Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is a debilitating condition, observed in patients with advanced stages of cancer. It is marked by ongoing weight loss, weakness, and nutritional impairment. Lower tolerance of chemotherapeutic agents and radiation therapy makes it difficult to treat CAC. Anorexia is a significant contributor to worsening CAC. Anorexia can be found in the early or advanced stages of cancer. Anorexia in cancer patients arises from a confluence of factors. Tumor-related inflammatory cytokines can directly impact the gastrointestinal tract, leading to dysphagia and compromised gut function. Additionally, increased serotonin and hormonal disruptions lead to early satiety, suppressing appetite. Due to the complexities in the pathogenesis of the disease, identifying druggable targets is a challenge. Research is ongoing to identify novel targets for the treatment of this condition. Recent research suggests a potential link between elevated levels of Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) and cachexia in cancer patients. LCN2, a glycoprotein primarily released by neutrophils, is implicated in numerous illnesses, including skin disorders, cancer, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. LCN2 suppresses hunger by binding to the melanocortin-4 receptors. Several in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies indicate the association between LCN2 levels and appetite suppression. Further research should be explored emphasizing the significance of well-crafted clinical trials to confirm LCN2's usefulness as a therapeutic target and its ability to help cancer patients who are suffering from the fatal hallmark of cachexia. This review explores LCN2's function in the multifaceted dynamics of CAC and anorexia.

The regulation of the cell cycle and epithelial-mesenchymal transition through FUCA2/GGH signaling promotes the progression of lung adenocarcinoma

The development of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is intricately linked with cell cycle regulation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our study, leveraging bioinformatics and database analysis, identified FUCA2 as a key gene influencing the prognosis and progression of LUAD. We observed that FUCA2 is highly expressed in LUAD and correlates with poor outcomes. Functionally, we assessed the role of this gene through cell cloning, scratch assays, transwell migration, and western blotting, revealing that FUCA2 knockdown significantly inhibits tumor cell proliferation and migration, downregulates the expression of cell cycle and EMT-related proteins, and markedly reduces tumor burden. Mechanistically, pathway enrichment analysis identified GGH as a downstream target of FUCA2. Knockdown of GGH similarly inhibits the proliferation, migration, and cell cycle progression of LUAD cells. FUCA2 upregulates GGH to modulate cell cycle and EMT in LUAD. Collectively, our findings indicate that the FUCA2/GGH axis promotes LUAD progression by regulating cell cycle and EMT.

Prediction model for ocular metastasis of breast cancer: machine learning model development and interpretation study

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is caused by the uncontrolled proliferation of breast epithelial cells followed by malignant transformation, and it has the highest incidence among female malignant tumors. The metastasis of BC occurs through direct and lymphatic spread. Although ocular metastasis is relatively rare, it is a good indicator of a worse prognosis. We used machine learning (ML) to establish a model to analyze the risk factors of BC eye metastasis.

METHODS

The clinical data of 2225 patients with BC from 2003 to 2019 were collected and randomly classified into the training and test sets using a ratio of 7:3. Based on the presence or absence of eye metastasis, the patients with BC were classified into the ocular metastasis (OM) and non-ocular metastasis (NOM) groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) were conducted. We used six ML algorithms to establish a predictive BC model and used 10-fold cross-validation for internal verification. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of the model. In addition, we established a web hazard calculator depending on the best-performing model to facilitate its clinical application. Shapley additive interpretation (SHAP) was used to determine the risk factors and the interpretability of the black box model.

RESULTS

Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that histopathology (other types), axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) (> 4), Ca2+, total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), apolipoprotein A (ApoA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 125, CA153, CA199, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and hemoglobin (Hb) were risk factors for BC eye metastasis. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that CA153, ApoA, and LDL were hazardous components for BC eye metastasis. LASSO showed that ALNM, LDL, CA125, Hb, ALP, and CA199 were the first six key variables that were useful for the diagnosis of ocular metastasis in breast cancer. Bootstrapped aggregation (BAG) demonstrated the discriminative ability (area under ROC curve [AUC] = 0.992, accuracy = 0.953, sensitivity = 0.987). Based on this, we applied the BAG machine learning model to build an online web computing system to help clinicians assist in determining the risk of BC eye metastasis. In addition, two typical cases are analyzed to determine the interpretability of the model.

CONCLUSION

We used ML to establish a risk prediction model for BC ocular metastasis, and BAG showed the greatest performance. The model can predict the risk of OM in patients with BC, facilitate early and timely diagnosis and treatment, and reduce the burden on society.

Advancing rhodium nanoparticle-based photodynamic cancer therapy: quantitative proteomics and in vivo assessment reveal mechanisms targeting tumor metabolism, progression and drug resistance

Rhodium nanoparticles have been recently discovered as good photosensitizers with great potential in cancer photodynamic therapy by effectively inducing cytotoxicity in cancer cells under near-infrared laser. This study evaluates the molecular mechanisms underlying such antitumoral effect through quantitative proteomics. The results revealed that rhodium nanoparticle-based photodynamic therapy disrupts tumor metabolism by downregulating key proteins involved in ATP synthesis and mitochondrial function, leading to compromised energy production. The treatment also induces oxidative stress and apoptosis while targeting the invasion capacity of cancer cells. Additionally, key proteins involved in drug resistance are also affected, demonstrating the efficacy of the treatment in a multi-drug resistant cell line. In vivo evaluation using a chicken embryo model also confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed therapy in reducing tumor growth without affecting embryo viability.

Interleukin-1 Receptor-Associated Kinase 1 in Cancer Metastasis and Therapeutic Resistance: Mechanistic Insights and Translational Advances

Interleukin-1 Receptor Associated Kinase 1 (IRAK1) is a serine/threonine kinase that plays a critical role as a signaling transducer of the activated Toll-like receptor (TLR)/Interleukin-1 receptor (IL-1R) signaling pathway in both immune cells and cancer cells. Upon hyperphosphorylation by IRAK4, IRAK1 forms a complex with TRAF6, which results in the eventual activation of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. IRAK1 can translocate to the nucleus where it phosphorylates STAT3 transcription factor, leading to enhanced IL-10 gene expression. In immune cells, activated IRAK1 coordinates innate immunity against pathogens and mediates inflammatory responses. In cancer cells, IRAK1 is frequently activated, and the activation is linked to the progression and therapeutic resistance of various types of cancers. Consequently, IRAK1 is considered a promising cancer drug target and IRAK1 inhibitors have been developed and evaluated preclinically and clinically. This is a comprehensive review that summarizes the roles of IRAK1 in regulating metastasis-related signaling pathways of importance to cancer cell proliferation, cancer stem cells, and dissemination. This review also covers the significance of IRAK1 in mediating cancer resistance to therapy and the underlying molecular mechanisms, including the evasion of apoptosis and maintenance of an inflammatory tumor microenvironment. Finally, we provide timely updates on the development of IRAK1-targeted therapy for human cancers.

Roles of small peptides encoded by non-coding RNAs in tumor invasion and migration

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are usually considered not to encode proteins, are widely involved in important activities including signal transduction and cell proliferation. However, recent studies have shown that small peptides encoded by ncRNAs (SPENs) have important roles in the development of malignant tumors. Some SPENs participate in the regulation of skeleton reorganization, intercellular adhesion, signaling and other processes of tumor cells, with effects on the invasive and migratory abilities of the cells. Therefore, SPENs have potential applications as therapeutic targets and biomarkers of malignant tumors. Invasion and migration of malignant tumor cells are the main reasons for poor prognosis of cancer patients and represent the most challenging aspects of treatment of malignant tumors. Currently, the main treatments for tumors include surgery, radiotherapy, targeted drug therapy. Surgery, however, is reserved for early stages of cancer and carries risks and costs. Radiotherapy and targeted therapy have serious side effects. This review describes the mechanisms of SPENs and their roles in tumor invasion and migration, with the aim of providing new targets for tumor diagnosis and treatment.

PRUNE1 and NME/NDPK family proteins influence energy metabolism and signaling in cancer metastases

We describe here the molecular basis of the complex formation of PRUNE1 with the tumor metastasis suppressors NME1 and NME2, two isoforms appertaining to the nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDPK) enzyme family, and how this complex regulates signaling the immune system and energy metabolism, thereby shaping the tumor microenvironment (TME). Disrupting the interaction between NME1/2 and PRUNE1, as suggested, holds the potential to be an excellent therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer and the inhibition of metastasis dissemination. Furthermore, we postulate an interaction and regulation of the other Class I NME proteins, NME3 and NME4 proteins, with PRUNE1 and discuss potential functions. Class I NME1-4 proteins are NTP/NDP transphosphorylases required for balancing the intracellular pools of nucleotide diphosphates and triphosphates. They regulate different cellular functions by interacting with a large variety of other proteins, and in cancer and metastasis processes, they can exert pro- and anti-oncogenic properties depending on the cellular context. In this review, we therefore additionally discuss general aspects of class1 NME and PRUNE1 molecular structures as well as their posttranslational modifications and subcellular localization. The current knowledge on the contributions of PRUNE1 as well as NME proteins to signaling cascades is summarized with a special regard to cancer and metastasis.

Effects of chronic stress on cancer development and the therapeutic prospects of adrenergic signaling regulation

Long-term chronic stress is an important factor in the poor prognosis of cancer patients. Chronic stress reduces the tissue infiltration of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) by continuously activating the adrenergic signaling, inhibits antitumor immune response and tumor cell apoptosis while also inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor angiogenesis, promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. This review first summarizes how adrenergic signaling activates intracellular signaling by binding different adrenergic receptor (AR) heterodimers. Then, we focused on reviewing adrenergic signaling to regulate multiple functions of immune cells, including cell differentiation, migration, and cytokine secretion. In addition, the article discusses the mechanisms by which adrenergic signaling exerts pro-tumorigenic effects by acting directly on the tumor itself. It also highlights the use of adrenergic receptor modulators in cancer therapy, with particular emphasis on their potential role in immunotherapy. Finally, the article reviews the beneficial effects of stress intervention measures on cancer treatment. We think that enhancing the body's antitumor response by adjusting adrenergic signaling can enhance the efficacy of cancer treatment.

Epigenetic modifications in solid tumor metastasis in people of African ancestry

This review focuses on the critical role of epigenetic modifications in solid tumor metastasis, particularly in people of African ancestry. Epigenetic alterations, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, alterations in non-coding RNAs, and mRNA methylation, significantly influence gene expression, contributing to cancer development and progression. Despite the primary focus on populations of European, American, and Asian descent in most cancer research, this work emphasizes the importance of studying the unique genetic and epigenetic landscapes of African populations for a more inclusive approach in understanding and treating cancer. Insights from this review have the potential to pave the way for the development of effective, tailored treatments, and provide a richer resource for understanding cancer progression and metastasis. Specific focus was placed on the role of DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and mRNA methylation in solid tumor metastasis, including how these modifications contribute to the regulation of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, influence cellular pathways and signaling, and interact with the immune system. Moreover, this review elaborates on the development of epigenetic-targeted therapeutic strategies and the current advances in this field, highlighting the promising applications of these therapies in improving outcomes for African ancestry populations disproportionately affected by certain types of cancer. Nevertheless, this work acknowledges the challenges that lie ahead, particularly the under-representation of African populations in cancer genomic and epigenomic studies and the technical complications associated with detecting subtle epigenetic modifications. Emphasis is placed on the necessity for more inclusive research practices, the development of more robust and sensitive methods for detecting and interpreting epigenetic changes, and the understanding of the interplay between genetic and epigenetic variations. The review concludes with an optimistic outlook on the future of epigenetic research in People of African ancestry, urging the concerted efforts of researchers, clinicians, funding agencies, and policymakers to extend the benefits of this research to all populations.

A Recipe for Successful Metastasis: Transition and Migratory Modes of Ovarian Cancer Cells

One of the characteristic features of ovarian cancer is its early dissemination. Metastasis and the invasiveness of ovarian cancer are strongly dependent on the phenotypical and molecular determinants of cancer cells. Invasive cancer cells, circulating tumor cells, and cancer stem cells, which are responsible for the metastatic process, may all undergo different modes of transition, giving rise to mesenchymal, amoeboid, and redifferentiated epithelial cells. Such variability is the result of the changing needs of cancer cells, which strive to survive and colonize new organs. This would not be possible if not for the variety of migration modes adopted by the transformed cells. The most common type of metastasis in ovarian cancer is dissemination through the transcoelomic route, but transitions in ovarian cancer cells contribute greatly to hematogenous and lymphatic dissemination. This review aims to outline the transition modes of ovarian cancer cells and discuss the migratory capabilities of those cells in light of the known ovarian cancer metastasis routes.

Beta-blocker adjunct therapy as a prospective anti-metastatic with cardio-oncologic regulation

The prevailing treatment stratagem in cancer therapy still challenges the dilemma of a probable metastatic spread following an initial diagnosis. Including an anti-metastatic agent demands a significant focus to overrule the incidence of treatment failures. Adrenergic stimulation underlying the metastatic spread paved the way for beta blockers as a breakthrough in repurposing as an anti-metastatic agent. However, the current treatment approach fails to fully harness the versatile potential of the drug in inhibiting probable metastasis. The beta blockers were seen to show a myriad of grip over the pro-metastatic and prognostic parameters of the patient. Novel interventions in immune therapy, onco-hypertension, surgery-induced stress, induction of apoptosis and angiogenesis inhibition have been used as evidence to interpret our objective of discussing the potential adjuvant role of the drug in the existing anti-cancer regimens. Adding weight to the relative incidence of onco-hypertension as an unavoidable side effect from chemotherapy, the slot for an anti-hypertensive agent is necessitated, and we try to suggest beta-blockers to fill this position. However, pointing out the paucity in the clinical study, we aim to review the current status of beta blockers under this interest to state how the drug should be included as a drug of choice in every patient undergoing cancer treatment.

Nanoformulated 3'-diindolylmethane modulates apoptosis, migration, and angiogenesis in breast cancer cells

Background

It is well-established that specific herbal plants contain natural active ingredients that have demonstrated anti-cancer potential. Therefore, they are considered highly beneficial as a potential adjuvant, alternative or complementary agent in anti-cancer therapy. However, the low chemical stability and limited bioavailability of 3, 3'-Diindolylmethane (DIM), a plant-derived compound used in clinical settings, limit its therapeutic applications. To overcome this challenge, researchers have focused on developing innovative approaches to improve DIM's biological activity, such as utilizing nanoformulations. Here, we investigated the potential benefits of coating DIM nanoparticles (DIM-NPs) with PEG/chitosan in the treatment of breast cancer. Our results demonstrate the molecular mechanism underlying the activity of DIM-NPs, highlighting their potential as an effective therapeutic strategy for breast cancer treatment.

Methods

DIM-PLGA-PEG/chitosan NPs were synthesised and characterised using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and evaluated the impact of these NPs on two breast cancer cell models.

Results

DIM-NPs had an average diameter of 102.3 nm and a PDI of 0.182. When treated with DIM-NPs for 48 h, both MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells displayed cytotoxicity at a concentration of 6.25 g/mL compared to untreated cells. Furthermore, in MDA-MB-231 cells, treatment with 2.5 μg/mL of DIM-NPs resulted in a significant decrease in cell migration, propagation, and angiogenesis which was further enhanced at 10 μg/mL. In chicken embryos, treatment with 5 μg/mL of DIM-NPs on day 2 led to a significant reduction in angiogenesis. Furthermore, this treatment induced cell death through a regulatory pathway involving the upregulation of Bax and p53, as well as the downregulation of Bcl-2. These results were supported by in-silico analysis of DIM's binding affinity to key proteins involved in this pathway, namely Bax, Bcl-2, and p53.

Conclusion

Our findings show that DIM-NPs induces apoptosis, inhibit migration, and reduce angiogenesis in breast cancer. However, further research using a preclinical cancer model may be necessary to determine the pharmacokinetics of DIM-NPs and ensure their safety and efficacy in vivo.

Molecular Insight into Gastric Cancer Invasion-Current Status and Future Directions

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. There has been no efficient therapy for stage IV GC patients due to this disease's heterogeneity and dissemination ability. Despite the rapid advancement of molecular targeted therapies, such as HER2 and immune checkpoint inhibitors, survival of GC patients is still unsatisfactory because the understanding of the mechanism of GC progression is still incomplete. Invasion is the most important feature of GC metastasis, which causes poor mortality in patients. Recently, genomic research has critically deepened our knowledge of which gene products are dysregulated in invasive GC. Furthermore, the study of the interaction of GC cells with the tumor microenvironment has emerged as a principal subject in driving invasion and metastasis. These results are expected to provide a profound knowledge of how biological molecules are implicated in GC development. This review summarizes the advances in our current understanding of the molecular mechanism of GC invasion. We also highlight the future directions of the invasion therapeutics of GC. Compared to conventional therapy using protease or molecular inhibitors alone, multi-therapy targeting invasion plasticity may seem to be an assuring direction for the progression of novel strategies.

Novel curcumin nanoformulation induces apoptosis, and reduces migration and angiogenesis in liver cancer cells

BACKGROUND

Curcumin has been used in the treatment of several diseases; however, its low pharmacologic profile reduces its therapeutic use. Towards improving its biological activity, nanoformulations have emerged. Thus, we aimed to determine whether curcumin nanoparticles (Cur-NPs) coated with PEG/chitosan improve the treatment of liver cancer (LC) cells and underpin the molecular mechanisms underlying their anti-cancer activity.

METHODS

Cur-NPs were synthesised in the form of Cur-PLGA-PEG/chitosan NPs. The effect of Cur-NPs was assessed in HepG2 and Huh 7 LC cells and THLE-2 normal liver cells.

RESULTS

The size of synthesised Cur-NPS was determined in the standard range of 141.2 ± 47.5 nm. Compared to THLE-2 cells, LC cells treated with Cur-NPs exerted cytotoxicity at 6.25 µg/mL after 48h. Treatment of HepG-2 cells with 2.5 µg/mL of Cur-NPs inhibited cell migration and this inhibition was augmented at 10 µg/mL (p < 0.001). Treatment of chicken embryo with 5 µg/mL Cur-NPs reduced angiogenesis (p < 0.001) of 4-day-old embryos. The nanoformulation upregulated Bax and p53 and downregulated Bcl-2 in a concentration-dependent manner and subsequently induce apoptosis in HepG-2 cells.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of LC cells with Cur-NPs decreased cell proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis, and induced cell death by promoting the proapoptotic pathway.

Peanut sprout tea extract inhibits lung metastasis of 4T1 murine mammary carcinoma cells by suppressing the crosstalk between cancer cells and macrophages in BALB/c mice

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

As peanuts germinate, the content of the components beneficial to health, such as resveratrol, increases within the peanut sprout. This study examined whether the ethanol extract of peanut sprout tea (PSTE) inhibits breast cancer growth and metastasis.

MATERIALS/METHODS

After orthotopically injecting 4T1 cells into BALB/c mice to induce breast cancer, 0, 30, or 60 mg/kg body weight/day of PSTE was administered orally. Angiogenesis-related protein expression in the tumors and the degree of metastasis were analyzed. 4T1 and RAW 264.7 cells were co-cultured, and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure the crosstalk between breast cancer cells and macrophages.

RESULTS

PSTE reduced tumor growth and lung metastasis. In particular, PSTE decreased matrix metalloproteinase-9, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, vascular endothelial growth factor-A, F4/80, CD11c, macrophage mannose receptor, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 expression in the tumors. Moreover, PSTE prevented 4T1 cell migration, invasion, and macrophage activity in RAW 264.7 cells. PSTE inhibited the crosstalk between 4T1 cells and RAW 264.7 cells and promoted the macrophage M1 subtype while inhibiting the M2 subtype.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that PSTE blocks breast cancer growth and metastasis to the lungs. This may be because the PSTE treatment inhibits the crosstalk between mammary cancer cells and macrophages and inhibits the differentiation of macrophages into the M2 subtype.

Solanum nigrum Linn.: Advances in anti-cancer activity and mechanism in digestive system tumors

Cancer has currently become a serious public health issue in many countries worldwide, and tumors of the digestive system have attracted an increasing number of researchers' due to their numerous types, high proportion and wide area of occurrence. While tumors of the digestive system suffer from high mortality rates, leading to untimely diagnosis and a poor prognosis, making it necessary to update current treatment approaches such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. This highlights the importance of exploring novel therapeutic ideas and targets. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of clinical use due to its low toxicity and multi-factor targeting of multiple pathways. As a kind of traditional Chinese herb, S. nigrum Linn. is highly regarded for its proven antitumor activity. The aim of this study was to comprehensively recapitulate and analyze the anti-cancer effects and molecular mechanisms of treatment of gastrointestinal tumors with S. nigrum Linn. extracts and related compounds, including classical signaling pathways mediated by them as well as noncoding RNA pathways associated with tumor suppression. Components that have been found to be responsible for the anti-cancer activity of S. nigrum Linn. include solanine, solasonine, solamargine, a-L-rhhamnopyranose, uttroside B, degalactotigonin, glycoprotein, and other compounds. The underlying mechanisms of anti-cancer activity reflected in this study include apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, autophagy, anti-angiogenesis, suppression of metastasis and invasion, immune escape, and increased sensitivity to radiotherapy. S. nigrum Linn. has great potential in the treatment of tumors of the digestive system, and through further clinical trials and pharmacological mechanisms it has the potential to become a uniform and standardized anti-tumor drug.

3D-Printed Tumor-on-a-Chip Model for Investigating the Effect of Matrix Stiffness on Glioblastoma Tumor Invasion

Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) tumor progression has been recognized to be correlated with extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Dynamic variation of tumor ECM is primarily regulated by a family of enzymes which induce remodeling and degradation. In this paper, we investigated the effect of matrix stiffness on the invasion pattern of human glioblastoma tumoroids. A 3D-printed tumor-on-a-chip platform was utilized to culture human glioblastoma tumoroids with the capability of evaluating the effect of stiffness on tumor progression. To induce variations in the stiffness of the collagen matrix, different concentrations of collagenase were added, thereby creating an inhomogeneous collagen concentration. To better understand the mechanisms involved in GBM invasion, an in silico hybrid mathematical model was used to predict the evolution of a tumor in an inhomogeneous environment, providing the ability to study multiple dynamic interacting variables. The model consists of a continuum reaction-diffusion model for the growth of tumoroids and a discrete model to capture the migration of single cells into the surrounding tissue. Results revealed that tumoroids exhibit two distinct patterns of invasion in response to the concentration of collagenase, namely ring-type and finger-type patterns. Moreover, higher concentrations of collagenase resulted in greater invasion lengths, confirming the strong dependency of tumor behavior on the stiffness of the surrounding matrix. The agreement between the experimental results and the model's predictions demonstrates the advantages of this approach in investigating the impact of various extracellular matrix characteristics on tumor growth and invasion.

Anticancer Potential of the Plant-Derived Saponin Gracillin: A Comprehensive Review of Mechanistic Approaches

With the increasing prevalence of cancer and the toxic side effects of synthetic drugs, natural products are being developed as promising therapeutic approaches. Gracillin is a naturally occurring triterpenoid steroidal saponin with several therapeutic activities. It is obtained as a major compound from different Dioscorea species. This review was designated to summarize the research progress on the anti-cancer activities of gracillin focusing on the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, as well as its pharmacokinetic features. The data were collected (up to date as of May 1, 2023) from various reliable and authentic literatures comprising PubMed, Springer Link, Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The findings demonstrated that gracillin displays promising anticancer effects through various molecular mechanisms, including anti-inflammatory effects, apoptotic cell death, induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, induction of genotoxicity, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferative effect, autophagy, inhibition of glycolysis, and blocking of cancer cell migration. Additionally, this review highlighted the pharmacokinetic features of gracillin, indicating its lower oral bioavailability. As a conclusion, it can be proposed that gracillin could serve as a hopeful chemotherapeutic agent. However, further extensive clinical research is recommended to establish its safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential in cancer treatment.

MiRNA-related metastasis in oral cancer: moving and shaking

Across the world, oral cancer is a prevalent tumor. Over the years, both its mortality and incidence have grown. Oral cancer metastasis is a complex process involving cell invasion, migration, proliferation, and egress from cancer tissue either by lymphatic vessels or blood vessels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are essential short non-coding RNAs, which can act either as tumor suppressors or as oncogenes to control cancer development. Cancer metastasis is a multi-step process, in which miRNAs can inhibit or stimulate metastasis at all stages, including epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion, and colonization, by targeting critical genes in these pathways. On the other hand, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), two different types of non-coding RNAs, can regulate cancer metastasis by affecting gene expression through cross-talk with miRNAs. We reviewed the scientific literature (Google Scholar, Scopus, and PubMed) for the period 2000-2023 to find reports concerning miRNAs and lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks, which control the spread of oral cancer cells by affecting invasion, migration, and metastasis. According to these reports, miRNAs are involved in the regulation of metastasis pathways either by directly or indirectly targeting genes associated with metastasis. Moreover, circRNAs and lncRNAs can induce or suppress oral cancer metastasis by acting as competing endogenous RNAs to inhibit the effect of miRNA suppression on specific mRNAs. Overall, non-coding RNAs (especially miRNAs) could help to create innovative therapeutic methods for the control of oral cancer metastases.

Voltage-gated sodium channels: from roles and mechanisms in the metastatic cell behavior to clinical potential as therapeutic targets

During the second half of the last century, the prevalent knowledge recognized the voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) as the proteins responsible for the generation and propagation of action potentials in excitable cells. However, over the last 25 years, new non-canonical roles of VGSCs in cancer hallmarks have been uncovered. Their dysregulated expression and activity have been associated with aggressive features and cancer progression towards metastatic stages, suggesting the potential use of VGSCs as cancer markers and prognostic factors. Recent work has elicited essential information about the signalling pathways modulated by these channels: coupling membrane activity to transcriptional regulation pathways, intracellular and extracellular pH regulation, invadopodia maturation, and proteolytic activity. In a promising scenario, the inhibition of VGSCs with FDA-approved drugs as well as with new synthetic compounds, reduces cancer cell invasion in vitro and cancer progression in vivo. The purpose of this review is to present an update regarding recent advances and ongoing efforts to have a better understanding of molecular and cellular mechanisms on the involvement of both pore-forming α and auxiliary β subunits of VGSCs in the metastatic processes, with the aim at proposing VGSCs as new oncological markers and targets for anticancer treatments.

Near-Death Cells Cause Chemotherapy-Induced Metastasis via ATF4-Mediated NF-κB Signaling Activation

Cytotoxic chemotherapy is a primary treatment modality for many patients with advanced cancer. Increasing preclinical and clinical observations indicate that chemotherapy can exacerbate tumor metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, it is attempted to identify the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced cancer recurrence and metastasis. It is revealed that a small subpopulation of "near-death cells" (NDCs) with compromised plasma membranes can reverse the death process to enhance survival and repopulation after exposure to lethal doses of cytotoxins. Moreover, these NDCs acquire enhanced tumorigenic and metastatic capabilities, but maintain chemosensitivity in multiple models. Mechanistically, cytotoxin exposure induces activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)-dependent nonclassical NF-κB signaling activation; ultimately, this results in nuclear translocation of p52 and RelB in NDCs. Deletion of ATF4 in parental cancer cells significantly reduces colony formation and metastasis of NDCs, whereas overexpression of ATF4 activates the nonclassical NF-κB signaling pathway to promote chemotherapy-induced metastasis of NDCs. Overall, these results provide novel mechanistic insights into the chemotherapy-induced metastasis and indicate the pivotal role of NDCs in mediating tumor relapse after cytotoxic therapy. This study also suggests that targeting ATF4 may be an effective approach in improving the efficacy of chemotherapy.

Mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transition in cancer and its regulation by natural compounds

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex process with a primordial role in cellular transformation whereby an epithelial cell transforms and acquires a mesenchymal phenotype. This transformation plays a pivotal role in tumor progression and self-renewal, and exacerbates resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy. EMT can be initiated and promoted by deregulated oncogenic signaling pathways, hypoxia, and cells in the tumor microenvironment, resulting in a loss-of-epithelial cell polarity, cell-cell adhesion, and enhanced invasive/migratory properties. Numerous transcriptional regulators, such as Snail, Slug, Twist, and ZEB1/ZEB2 induce EMT through the downregulation of epithelial markers and gain-of-expression of the mesenchymal markers. Additionally, signaling cascades such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, Sonic hedgehog, nuclear factor kappa B, receptor tyrosine kinases, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, Hippo, and transforming growth factor-β pathways regulate EMT whereas they are often deregulated in cancers leading to aberrant EMT. Furthermore, noncoding RNAs, tumor-derived exosomes, and epigenetic alterations are also involved in the modulation of EMT. Therefore, the regulation of EMT is a vital strategy to control the aggressive metastatic characteristics of tumor cells. Despite the vast amount of preclinical data on EMT in cancer progression, there is a lack of clinical translation at the therapeutic level. In this review, we have discussed thoroughly the role of the aforementioned transcription factors, noncoding RNAs (microRNAs, long noncoding RNA, circular RNA), signaling pathways, epigenetic modifications, and tumor-derived exosomes in the regulation of EMT in cancers. We have also emphasized the contribution of EMT to drug resistance and possible therapeutic interventions using plant-derived natural products, their semi-synthetic derivatives, and nano-formulations that are described as promising EMT blockers.

The carboxymethylated derivative of laminaran from brown alga Saccharina cichorioides: Structure, anticancer and anti-invasive activities in 3D cell culture

Polysaccharides' derivatives are promising biologically active compounds for biotechnology, nutrition, industries, and are becoming increasingly important in medicine and pharmacy. Laminaran from brown alga Saccharina cichorioides (ScL) was chemically modified to obtain the carboxymethylated derivative (ScLCM) with improved structure and bioactivity. ScLCM was identified as (1 → 3)-β-D-glucan with -CH2-COOH groups at some positions 2, 4, and 6 of glucose residues. The anticancer activity of ScLCM was studied on the models of viability and invasion of 3D human melanoma SK-MEL-28, breast cancer T-47D, and colorectal carcinoma DLD-1 cells in comparison with native laminaran or its sulfated or aminated derivatives. ScLCM had the highest anticancer and anti-invasive effects among investigated polysaccharides. ScLCM significantly suppressed the viability and invasion of 3D SK-MEL-28 cells via the regulation of the activity of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP 9) and protein kinases of ERK/MAPK signaling pathway. These findings may contribute to the reported anticancer effects of algal polysaccharides' derivatives.

Transcription factor c-Jun modulates GLUT1 in glycolysis and breast cancer metastasis

As the main isoforms of membranous glucose transporters (GLUT), GLUT1 involves tumorigenesis, metastasis and prognosis in a variety of cancers. However, its role in breast cancer metastasis remains to be elucidated. Here we examined its transcriptional and survival data in patients with breast cancer from several independent databases including the Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis, Gene Expression across Normal and Tumor tissue, UALCAN, cBioPortal, Kaplan-Meier Plotter and PROGgeneV2. We found that its mRNA expression was significantly high in cancer tissues, which was associated with metastasis and poor survival. Transcription factor c-Jun might bind to GLUT1 promoter to downregulate its gene expression or mRNA stability, therefore to suppress glycolysis and metastasis. By qRT-PCR, we verified that GLUT1 was significantly increased in 38 paired human breast cancer samples while JUN was decreased. Furthermore, the protein level of GLUT1 was higher in tumor than in normal tissues by IHC assay. To explore underlying pathways, we further performed GO and KEGG analysis of genes related to GLUT1 and JUN and found that GLUT1 was increased by transcription factor c-Jun in breast cancer tissues to influence glycolysis and breast cancer metastasis.

The underappreciated role of resident epithelial cell populations in metastatic progression: contributions of the lung alveolar epithelium

Metastatic cancer is difficult to treat and is responsible for the majority of cancer-related deaths. After cancer cells initiate metastasis and successfully seed a distant site, resident cells in the tissue play a key role in determining how metastatic progression develops. The lung is the second most frequent site of metastatic spread, and the primary site of metastasis within the lung is alveoli. The most abundant cell type in the alveolar niche is the epithelium. This review will examine the potential contributions of the alveolar epithelium to metastatic progression. It will also provide insight into other ways in which alveolar epithelial cells, acting as immune sentinels within the lung, may influence metastatic progression through their various interactions with cells in the surrounding microenvironment.

LincRNAs and snoRNAs in Breast Cancer Cell Metastasis: The Unknown Players

Recent advances in research have led to earlier diagnosis and targeted therapies against breast cancer, which has resulted in reduced breast cancer-related mortality. However, the majority of breast cancer-related deaths are due to metastasis of cancer cells to other organs, a process that has not been fully elucidated. Among the factors and genes implicated in the metastatic process regulation, non-coding RNAs have emerged as crucial players. This review focuses on the role of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in breast cancer cell metastasis. LincRNAs are transcribed between two protein-coding genes and are longer than 200 nucleotides, they do not code for a specific protein but function as regulatory molecules in processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion while most of them are highly elevated in breast cancer tissues and seem to function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) inhibiting relevant miRNAs that specifically target vital metastasis-related genes. Similarly, snoRNAs are 60-300 nucleotides long and are found in the nucleolus being responsible for the post-transcriptional modification of ribosomal and spliceosomal RNAs. Most snoRNAs are hosted inside intron sequences of protein-coding and non-protein-coding genes, and they also regulate metastasis-related genes affecting related cellular properties.

The impact of bone mineral density screening on incident fractures and healthcare resource utilization among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors treated with aromatase inhibitors

Bone mineral density screening prior to initiating aromatase inhibitor therapy was associated with lower incident bone fractures and healthcare resource utilization among postmenopausal breast cancer survivors.

INTRODUCTION

Postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) often receive aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy. However, AIs induce bone loss and BC survivors are at an increased risk of bone fractures. This study determined whether receipt of baseline dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening is associated with decreased incident fractures and lower healthcare resource utilization.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 22,713 stage 0-III primary BC survivors who received AI therapy ≤ 1 year prior to BC diagnosis from the Medicare-Linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results database. We categorized DXA screening for those who had a procedural claim within 12 months prior through 6 months after first AI claim. We used propensity score methods to assess the association of DXA screening with bone fractures and health resource utilization.

RESULTS

Of the study cohort, 62% received a DXA screening. Women with comorbid dementia, renal disease, and congestive heart failure were less likely to receive a DXA. After adjusting for confounders, BC survivors who received a DXA had a 32% decreased risk of any bone fracture compared to those who did not (hazard ratio (HR): 0.68, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.60-0.76, p < 0.001). Similarly, those who received a DXA were less likely to be hospitalized (HR 0.73 (0.62-0.86)) or use outpatient services (HR 0.85 (0.74-0.97)).

CONCLUSIONS

Bone density screening is associated with decreased incident bone fractures and a lower likelihood of utilizing healthcare resource for fracture-related events. Postmenopausal BC survivors treated with AIs should undergo appropriate bone density screening to reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care expenses.

The cell-line-derived subcutaneous tumor model in preclinical cancer research

Tumor-bearing experimental animals are essential for preclinical cancer drug development. A broad range of tumor models is available, with the simplest and most widely used involving a tumor of mouse or human origin growing beneath the skin of a mouse: the subcutaneous tumor model. Here, we outline the different types of in vivo tumor model, including some of their advantages and disadvantages and how they fit into the drug-development process. We then describe in more detail the subcutaneous tumor model and key steps needed to establish it in the laboratory, namely: choosing the mouse strain and tumor cells; cell culture, preparation and injection of tumor cells; determining tumor volume; mouse welfare; and an appropriate experimental end point. The protocol leads to subcutaneous tumor growth usually within 1-3 weeks of cell injection and is suitable for those with experience in tissue culture and mouse experimentation.

Tumour invasion and dissemination

Activating invasion and metastasis are one of the primary hallmarks of cancer, the latter representing the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Whilst many advances in this area have been made in recent years, the process of cancer dissemination and the underlying mechanisms governing invasion are still poorly understood. Cancer cells exhibit multiple invasion strategies, including switching between modes of invasion and plasticity in response to therapies, surgical interventions and environmental stimuli. The ability of cancer cells to switch migratory modes and their inherent plasticity highlights the critical challenge preventing the successful design of cancer and anti-metastatic therapies. This mini-review presents current knowledge on the critical models of tumour invasion and dissemination. We also discuss the current issues surrounding current treatments and arising therapeutic opportunities. We propose that the establishment of novel approaches to study the key biological mechanisms underlying the metastatic cascade is critical in finding novel targets that could ultimately lead to complete inhibition of cancer cell invasion and dissemination.

Cancer Recurrence and Omics: Metabolic Signatures of Cancer Dormancy Revealed by Transcriptome Mapping of Genome-Scale Networks

A major problem in medicine and oncology is cancer recurrence through the activation of dormant cancer cells. A system scale examination of metabolic dysregulations associated with the cancer dormancy offers promise for the discovery of novel molecular targets for cancer precision medicine, and importantly, for the prevention of cancer recurrence. In this study, we mapped the total mRNA sequencing-based transcriptomic data from dormant cancer cell lines and nondormant cancer controls onto a human genome-scale metabolic network by using a graph-based approach, and two mass balance-based approaches with one based on reaction activity/inactivity and the other one on flux changes. The gene expression datasets were accessed from Gene Expression Omnibus (GSE83142 and GSE114012). This analysis included two diverse cancer types, a liquid and a solid cancer, namely, acute lymphoblastic leukemia and colorectal cancer. For the dormant cancer state, we observed changes in major adenosine triphosphate-producing pathways, including the citric acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, indicating a reprogramming in the metabolism of dormant cells away from Warburg-based energy metabolism. All three computational approaches unanimously predicted that folate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glutamate metabolism, as well as valine/leucine/isoleucine metabolism are likely dysregulated in cancer dormancy. These findings provide new insights and molecular pathway targets on cancer dormancy, comprehensively catalog dormancy-associated metabolic pathways, and inform future research aimed at prevention of cancer recurrence in particular.

XGBoost-based and tumor-immune characterized gene signature for the prediction of metastatic status in breast cancer

Background

For a long time, breast cancer has been a leading cancer diagnosed in women worldwide, and approximately 90% of cancer-related deaths are caused by metastasis. For this reason, finding new biomarkers related to metastasis is an urgent task to predict the metastatic status of breast cancer and provide new therapeutic targets.

Methods

In this research, an efficient model of eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) optimized by a grid search algorithm is established to realize auxiliary identification of metastatic breast tumors based on gene expression. Estimated by ten-fold cross-validation, the optimized XGBoost classifier can achieve an overall higher mean AUC of 0.82 compared to other classifiers such as DT, SVM, KNN, LR, and RF.

Results

A novel 6-gene signature (SQSTM1, GDF9, LINC01125, PTGS2, GVINP1, and TMEM64) was selected by feature importance ranking and a series of in vitro experiments were conducted to verify the potential role of each biomarker. In general, the effects of SQSTM in tumor cells are assigned as a risk factor, while the effects of the other 5 genes (GDF9, LINC01125, PTGS2, GVINP1, and TMEM64) in immune cells are assigned as protective factors.

Conclusions

Our findings will allow for a more accurate prediction of the metastatic status of breast cancer and will benefit the mining of breast cancer metastasis-related biomarkers.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03369-9.

Signaling Mechanisms and Pharmacological Modulators Governing Diverse Aquaporin Functions in Human Health and Disease

The aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of small integral membrane proteins that facilitate the bidirectional transport of water across biological membranes in response to osmotic pressure gradients as well as enable the transmembrane diffusion of small neutral solutes (such as urea, glycerol, and hydrogen peroxide) and ions. AQPs are expressed throughout the human body. Here, we review their key roles in fluid homeostasis, glandular secretions, signal transduction and sensation, barrier function, immunity and inflammation, cell migration, and angiogenesis. Evidence from a wide variety of studies now supports a view of the functions of AQPs being much more complex than simply mediating the passive flow of water across biological membranes. The discovery and development of small-molecule AQP inhibitors for research use and therapeutic development will lead to new insights into the basic biology of and novel treatments for the wide range of AQP-associated disorders.

Xanthohumol: A Metabolite with Promising Anti-Neoplastic Potential

The overwhelming global burden of cancer has posed numerous challenges and opportunities for developing anti-cancer therapies. Phytochemicals have emerged as promising synergistic compounds with potential anti-cancer effects to supplement chemo- and immune-therapeutic regimens. Anti cancer synergistic effects have been investigated in the interaction between phytocompounds derived from flavonoids such as quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol, hesperidin, emodin, etc., and conventional drugs. Xanthohumol is one of the prenylated phytoflavonoid that has demonstrated key anti-cancer activities in in vitro (anti proliferation of cancer cell lines) and in vivo (animal models of xenograft tumours) studies, and has been explored from different dimensions for targeting cancer subtypes. In the last decade, xanthohumol has been investigated how it induces the anti- cancer effects at cellular and molecular levels. The different signalling cascades and targets of xanthohumol are summarized in this review. Overall, this review summarizes the current advances made in the field of natural compounds with special reference to xanthohumol and its promising anti-cancer effects to inhibit tumour progression. The present review has also discussedthe potential of xanthohumol transitioning into a leadingcandidate from nano-therapy viewpoint along with the challenges which need to be addressed for extensive preclinical and clinical anti-cancer studies.

Defining the landscape of metabolic dysregulations in cancer metastasis

Metastasis is the primary cause of cancer related deaths due to the limited number of efficient druggable targets. Signatures of dysregulated cancer metabolism could serve as a roadmap for the determination of new treatment strategies. However, the metabolic signatures of metastatic cells remain vastly elusive. Our aim was to determine metabolic dysregulations associated with high metastatic potential in breast cancer cell lines. We have selected 5 triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines including three with high metastatic potential (HMP) (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, MDA-MB-468) and two with low metastatic potential (LMP) (BT549, HCC1143). The normal epithelial breast cell line (hTERT-HME1) was also investigated. The untargeted metabolic profiling of cells and growth media was conducted and total of 479 metabolites were quantified. First we characterized metabolic features differentiating TNBC cell lines from normal cells as well as identified cell line specific metabolic fingerprints. Next, we determined 92 metabolites in cells and 22 in growth medium that display significant differences between LMP and HMP. The HMP cell lines had elevated level of molecules involved in glycolysis, TCA cycle and lipid metabolism. We identified metabolic advantages of cell lines with HMP beyond enhanced glycolysis by pinpointing the role of branched chain amino acids (BCAA) catabolism as well as molecules supporting coagulation and platelet activation as important contributors to the metastatic cascade. The landscape of metabolic dysregulations, characterized in our study, could serve as a roadmap for the identification of treatment strategies targeting cancer cells with enhanced metastatic potential.

Calcium channel TRPV6 promotes breast cancer metastasis by NFATC2IP

Calcium channel TRPV6 upregulation is associated with poor prognosis of breast cancer by promoting invasion and metastasis, and TRPV6 is a potential target for breast cancer therapy. However, the mechanism by which TRPV6 promotes breast metastasis remains unclear. Here, we report that TRPV6 expression is upregulated in metastatic breast cancers and that TRPV6 overexpression or upregulation accelerates primary breast cancer cell migration. In contrast, TRPV6 suppression decreases cell migration. Mechanistically, TRPV6 activates NFATC2 by increasing NFATC2IP phosphorylation at Ser204, and CDK5 is a candidate kinase that may perform this phosphorylation. Consequently, activated NFATC2 increases breast cancer metastasis by upregulating ADAMTS6 expression. These observations suggest that TRPV6 increases NFATC2 transcriptional activity by increasing NFATC2IP phosphorylation, which consequently upregulates ADAMTS6 expression to promote breast cancer metastasis.

The Expression of Galectin-3 in Tumor and Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Invasive Micropapillary Breast Carcinomas: Relationship with Clinicopathologic Parameters

Objective

Galectin-3 affects tumor progression and cell surface polarization by expressing from the tumor and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). Therefore, it may have a role on micropapillary carcinomas (IMPC), which have characteristic morphological features. The aim was to investigate the expression levels of Galectin-3 within tumor and peritumoral CAFs in IMPC, and to compare with expression in invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC).

Materials and Methods

Hematoxylin and Eosin-stained preparations of resection materials examined between 2010-2016 were re-evaluated. Thirty-four IMPC cases and 34 IDC cases with similar molecular subtype distribution to IMPC were compared. Galectin-3 levels were evaluated with a calculated H-score in tumor and semi-quantitatively in CAFs.

Results

While tumoral Galectin-3 expression levels were higher in IMPCs compared to IDCs, there was no difference for Galectin-3 expression in CAFs between the two histologic types. However, there was no significant relationship between tumoral Galectin-3 expression and clinicopathological parameters in IMPCs. When the subjects were divided into two groups, depending on their Galectin-3 status regardless of histological types, the loss of Galectin-3 expression in tumor was found to be related to larger tumor size/advanced pT stage and a greater number of metastatic nodes. Additionally, expression of Galectin-3 in CAFs was found to be associated with distant metastasis.

Conclusion

IMPC showed prominent Galectin-3 expression in tumor compared to IDC. However, independent from the histological type, whereas the loss of Galectin-3 expression in tumor showed an association with larger tumor size and higher number of metastatic axillary lymph nodes, the presence of Galectin-3 expression in CAFs showed an association with distant metastasis.

Distinct roles of miR-34 family members on suppression of lung squamous cell carcinoma

miR-34, whose mimic was used on phase I clinical trial, has been extensively reported since its dysfunction in various cancers including non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the roles of miR-34 family members in the progression of lung squamous carcinoma (SCC) in patients who have occupational-exposure experience are unclear yet. Here, we comprehensively investigated the expression levels of miR-34 family members in SCC patients and compared the roles of them in SCC in vitro and vivo. The results showed that the average levels of miR-34a and miR-34b/c were decreased in patients. The analysis of miR-34a to miR-34b/c levels in patients graded different stages or metastases or recurrence showed that miR-34b/c was reduced earlier and more significantly than miR-34a. In vitro assays demonstrated that both miR-34a and miR-34b/c inhibits SCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion via Notch1 pathway, while miR-34b/c effects more than miR-34a does. As miR-34a was significantly decreased in cancer recurrence, the further analysis of relationship between miR-34a and stem cell adhesion molecular CD44 showed that miR-34a was significantly correlated with CD44 levels in patients. Knockdown of CD44 significantly blocked miR-34a mediated inhibition of cell migration and invasion. Treating the purified CD44^hi cells with miR-34 overexpression lentivirus inhibited the tumor outgrowth. By contrast, anti-miR-34 facilitated tumor development of CD44^low cells. Our study showed that miR-34 family members are negative regulator for SCC development, even though the inhibition is mediated by multiple and complicated signal pathways, which provides theoretical basis for SCC treatment and a biomarker candidate for SCC prognosis.

Potential therapies and diagnosis based on Golgi-targeted nano drug delivery systems

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, organelle-targeted nano drug delivery systems (NDDSs) have emerged as a potential method which can transport drugs specifically to the subcellular compartments like nucleus, mitochondrion, lysosome, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and Golgi apparatus (GA). GA not only plays a key role in receiving, modifying, packaging and transporting proteins and lipids, but also contributes to a set of cellular processes. Golgi-targeted NDDSs can alter the morphology of GA and will become a promising strategy with high specificity, low-dose administration and decreased occurrence of side effects. In this review, Golgi-targeted NDDSs and their applications in disease therapies and diagnosis such as cancer, metastasis, fibrosis and neurological diseases are introduced. Meanwhile, modifications of NDDSs to achieve targeting strategies, Golgi-disturbing agents to change the morphology of GA, special endocytosis to achieve endosomal/lysosomal escape strategies are also involved.

Combinatorial therapy in tumor microenvironment: Where do we stand?

The tumor microenvironment plays a pivotal role in tumor initiation and progression by creating a dynamic interaction with cancer cells. The tumor microenvironment consists of various cellular components, including endothelial cells, fibroblasts, pericytes, adipocytes, immune cells, cancer stem cells and vasculature, which provide a sustained environment for cancer cell proliferation. Currently, targeting tumor microenvironment is increasingly being explored as a novel approach to improve cancer therapeutics, as it influences the growth and expansion of malignant cells in various ways. Despite continuous advancements in targeted therapies for cancer treatment, drug resistance, toxicity and immune escape mechanisms are the basis of treatment failure and cancer escape. Targeting tumor microenvironment efficiently with approved drugs and combination therapy is the solution to this enduring challenge that involves combining more than one treatment modality such as chemotherapy, surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and nanotherapy that can effectively and synergistically target the critical pathways associated with disease pathogenesis. This review shed light on the composition of the tumor microenvironment, interaction of different components within tumor microenvironment with tumor cells and associated hallmarks, the current status of combinatorial therapies being developed, and various growing advancements. Furthermore, computational tools can also be used to monitor the significance and outcome of therapies being developed. We addressed the perceived barriers and regulatory hurdles in developing a combinatorial regimen and evaluated the present status of these therapies in the clinic. The accumulating depth of knowledge about the tumor microenvironment in cancer may facilitate further development of effective treatment modalities. This review presents the tumor microenvironment as a sweeping landscape for developing novel cancer therapies.

Biosensors Designed for Clinical Applications

Emerging and validated biomarkers promise to revolutionize clinical practice, shifting the emphasis away from the management of chronic disease towards prevention, early diagnosis and early intervention. The challenge of detecting these low abundance protein and nucleic acid biomarkers within the clinical context demands the development of highly sensitive, even single molecule, assays that are also capable of selectively measuring a small number of defined analytes in complex samples such as whole blood, interstitial fluid, saliva or urine. Success relies on significant innovations in nanomaterials, bioreceptor engineering, transduction strategies and microfluidics. Primarily using examples from our work, this article discusses some recent advance in the selective and sensitive detection of disease biomarkers, highlights key innovations in sensor materials and identifies issues and challenges that need to be carefully considered especially for researchers entering the field.

Inhibition of Tunneling Nanotubes between Cancer Cell and the Endothelium Alters the Metastatic Phenotype

The interaction of tumor cells with blood vessels is one of the key steps during cancer metastasis. Metastatic cancer cells exhibit phenotypic state changes during this interaction: (1) they form tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) with endothelial cells, which act as a conduit for intercellular communication; and (2) metastatic cancer cells change in order to acquire an elongated phenotype, instead of the classical cellular aggregates or mammosphere-like structures, which it forms in three-dimensional cultures. Here, we demonstrate mechanistically that a siRNA-based knockdown of the exocyst complex protein Sec3 inhibits TNT formation. Furthermore, a set of pharmacological inhibitors for Rho GTPase–exocyst complex-mediated cytoskeletal remodeling is introduced, which inhibits TNT formation, and induces the reversal of the more invasive phenotype of cancer cell (spindle-like) into a less invasive phenotype (cellular aggregates or mammosphere). Our results offer mechanistic insights into this nanoscale communication and shift of phenotypic state during cancer–endothelial interactions.

Pan-Cancer Metastasis Prediction Based on Graph Deep Learning Method

Tumor metastasis is the major cause of mortality from cancer. From this perspective, detecting cancer gene expression and transcriptome changes is important for exploring tumor metastasis molecular mechanisms and cellular events. Precisely estimating a patient’s cancer state and prognosis is the key challenge to develop a patient’s therapeutic schedule. In the recent years, a variety of machine learning techniques widely contributed to analyzing real-world gene expression data and predicting tumor outcomes. In this area, data mining and machine learning techniques have widely contributed to gene expression data analysis by supplying computational models to support decision-making on real-world data. Nevertheless, limitation of real-world data extremely restricted model predictive performance, and the complexity of data makes it difficult to extract vital features. Besides these, the efficacy of standard machine learning pipelines is far from being satisfactory despite the fact that diverse feature selection strategy had been applied. To address these problems, we developed directed relation-graph convolutional network to provide an advanced feature extraction strategy. We first constructed gene regulation network and extracted gene expression features based on relational graph convolutional network method. The high-dimensional features of each sample were regarded as an image pixel, and convolutional neural network was implemented to predict the risk of metastasis for each patient. Ten cross-validations on 1,779 cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas show that our model’s performance (area under the curve, AUC = 0.837; area under precision recall curve, AUPRC = 0.717) outstands that of an existing network-based method (AUC = 0.707, AUPRC = 0.555).

Emodin: A metabolite that exhibits anti-neoplastic activities by modulating multiple oncogenic targets

Oncogenic transformation has been the major cause of global mortality since decades. Despite established therapeutic regimes, majority of cancer patients either present with tumor relapse, refractory disease or therapeutic resistance. Numerous drug candidates are being explored to tap the key reason being poor tumor remission rates, from novel chemotherapy agents to immunotherapy to exploring natural compound derivatives with effective anti-cancer potential. One of these natural product metabolites, emodin has present with significant potential to target tumor oncogenic processes: induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest, tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis to chemoresistance in malignant cells. Based on the present scientific excerpts on safety and effectiveness of emodin in targeting hallmarks of tumor progression, emodin is being promisingly explored using nanotechnology platforms for long-term sustained treatment and management of cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the up-to-date scientific literature supporting the anti-neoplastic potential of emodin. We also provide an insight into toxicity and safety profile of emodin and how emodin has emerged as an effective therapeutic alternative in synergism with established conventional chemotherapeutic regimes for management and treatment of tumor progression.