Comprehensive analysis of the value of RAB family genes in prognosis of breast invasive carcinoma

Targeting membrane contact sites to mediate lipid dynamics: innovative cancer therapies

Membrane contact sites (MCS) are specialized regions where organelles are closely interconnected through membrane structures, facilitating the transfer and exchange of ions, lipids, and other molecules. This proximity enables a synergistic regulation of cellular homeostasis and functions. The formation and maintenance of these contact sites are governed by specific proteins that bring organelle membranes into close apposition, thereby enabling functional crosstalk between cellular compartments. In eukaryotic cells, lipids are primarily synthesized and metabolized within distinct organelles and must be transported through MCS to ensure proper cellular function. Consequently, MCS act as pivotal platforms for lipid synthesis and trafficking, particularly in cancer cells and immune cells within the tumor microenvironment, where dynamic alterations are critical for maintaining lipid homeostasis. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of how these cells exploit membrane contact sites to modulate lipid synthesis, metabolism, and transport, with a specific focus on how MCS-mediated lipid dynamics influence tumor progression. We also examine the differences in MCS and associated molecules across various cancer types, exploring novel therapeutic strategies targeting MCS-related lipid metabolism for the development of anticancer drugs, while also addressing the challenges involved.

Penetrating Exploration of Prognostic Correlations of the FKBP Gene Family with Lung Adenocarcinoma

The complexity of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), the development of which involves many interacting biological processes, makes it difficult to find therapeutic biomarkers for treatment. FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs) are composed of 12 members classified as conservative intracellular immunophilin family proteins, which are often connected to cyclophilin structures by tetratricopeptide repeat domains and have peptidyl prolyl isomerase activity that catalyzes proline from residues and turns the trans form into the cis form. Since FKBPs belong to chaperone molecules and promote protein folding, previous studies demonstrated that FKBP family members significantly contribute to the degradation of damaged, misfolded, abnormal, and foreign proteins. However, transcript expressions of this gene family in LUAD still need to be more fully investigated. In this research, we adopted high-throughput bioinformatics technology to analyze FKBP family genes in LUAD to provide credible information to clinicians and promote the development of novel cancer target drugs in the future. The current data revealed that the messenger (m)RNA levels of FKBP2, FKBP3, FKBP4, FKBP10, FKBP11, and FKBP14 were overexpressed in LUAD, and FKBP10 had connections to poor prognoses among LUAD patients in an overall survival (OS) analysis. Based on the above results, we selected FKBP10 to further conduct a comprehensive analysis of the downstream pathway and network. Through a DAVID analysis, we found that FKBP10 was involved in mitochondrial electron transport, NADH to ubiquinone transport, mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I assembly, etc. The MetaCore pathway analysis also indicated that FKBP10 was involved in "Ubiquinone metabolism", "Translation_(L)-selenoaminoacid incorporation in proteins during translation", and "Transcription_Negative regulation of HIF1A function". Collectively, this study revealed that FKBP family members are both significant prognostic biomarkers for lung cancer progression and promising clinical therapeutic targets, thus providing new targets for treating LUAD patients.

Melatonin Alleviates PM2.5-Induced Hepatic Steatosis and Metabolic-Associated Fatty Liver Disease in ApoE-/- Mice

Background

Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is associated with the risk of developing metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Melatonin is the main secreted product of the pineal gland and has been reported to prevent hepatic lipid metabolism disorders. However, it remains uncertain whether melatonin could protect against PM_2.5-induced MAFLD.

Methods and Results

The purpose of our study was to investigate the mitigating effects of melatonin on hepatic fatty degeneration accelerated by PM_2.5 in vivo and in vitro. Histopathological analysis and ultrastructural images showed that PM_2.5 induced hepatic steatosis and lipid vacuolation in ApoE^−/− mice, which could be effectively alleviated by melatonin administration. Increased ROS production and decreased expression of antioxidant enzymes were detected in the PM_2.5-treated group, whereas melatonin showed recovery effects after PM_2.5-induced oxidative damage in both the liver and L02 cells. Further investigation revealed that PM_2.5 induced oxidative stress to activate PTP1B, which in turn had a positive feedback regulation effect on ROS release. When a PTP1B inhibitor or melatonin was administered, SP1/SREBP-1 signalling was effectively suppressed, while Nrf2/Keap1 signalling was activated in the PM_2.5-treated groups.

Conclusion

Our study is the first to show that melatonin alleviates the disturbance of PM_2.5-triggered hepatic steatosis and liver damage by regulating the ROS-mediated PTP1B and Nrf2 signalling pathways in ApoE^−/− mice. These results suggest that melatonin administration might be a prospective therapy for the prevention and treatment of MAFLD associated with air pollution.

Evidence of antagonistic predictive effects of miRNAs in breast cancer cohorts through data-driven networks

Non-coding micro RNAs (miRNAs) dysregulation seems to play an important role in the pathways involved in breast cancer occurrence and progression. In different studies, opposite functions may be assigned to the same miRNA, either promoting the disease or protecting from it. Our research tackles the following issues: (i) why aren’t there any concordant findings in many research studies regarding the role of miRNAs in the progression of breast cancer? (ii) could a miRNA have either an activating effect or an inhibiting one in cancer progression according to the other miRNAs with which it interacts? For this purpose, we analyse the AHUS dataset made available on the ArrayExpress platform by Haakensen et al. The breast tissue specimens were collected over 7 years between 2003 and 2009. miRNA-expression profiling was obtained for 55 invasive carcinomas and 70 normal breast tissue samples. Our statistical analysis is based on a recently developed model and feature selection technique which, instead of selecting a single model (i.e. a unique combination of miRNAs), delivers a set of models with equivalent predictive capabilities that allows to interpret and visualize the interaction of these features. As a result, we discover a set of 112 indistinguishable models (in a predictive sense) each with 4 or 5 miRNAs. Within this set, by comparing the model coefficients, we are able to identify three classes of miRNA: (i) oncogenic miRNAs; (ii) protective miRNAs; (iii) undefined miRNAs which can play both an oncogenic and a protective role according to the network with which they interact. These results shed new light on the biological action of miRNAs in breast cancer and may contribute to explain why, in some cases, different studies attribute opposite functions to the same miRNA.

RAB1A regulates glioma cellular proliferation and invasion via the mTOR signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Aim: We aimed at investigating the mechanism of RAB1A proliferation and invasion in gliomas. Materials & methods: Genome-wide expression profile data and immunohistochemistry were analyzed to assess RAB1A expression in gliomas. The Transwell assay, wound healing assay, brain slice coculture model, cellular fluorescence and intracranial xenograft model of nude mice were used to determine the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells. Results & conclusion: RAB1A was highly expressed in gliomas compared with normal brain tissue. The overall survival time of glioma patients with high RAB1A expression was significantly shortened. RAB1A regulated the activity of RAC1 by inhibiting the mTOR signaling pathway, affecting actin polymerization, cell morphology and cell polarity. RAB1A downregulation inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, proliferation and invasion of glioma cells.

Expression of PAWR predicts prognosis of ovarian cancer

Background

Ovarian cancer greatly threatens the general health of women worldwide. Implementation of predictive prognostic biomarkers aids in ovarian cancer management.

Methods

Using online databases, the general expression profile, target-disease associations, and interaction network of PAWR were explored. To identify the role of PAWR in ovarian cancer, gene correlation analysis, survival analysis, and combined analysis of drug responsiveness and PAWR expression were performed. The predictive prognostic value of PAWR was further validated in clinical samples.

Results

PAWR was widely expressed in normal and cancer tissues, with decreased expression in ovarian cancer tissues compared with normal tissues. PAWR was associated with various cancers including ovarian cancer. PAWR formed a regulatory network with a group of proteins and correlated with several genes, which were both implicated in ovarian cancer and drug responsiveness. High PAWR expression denoted better survival in ovarian cancer patients (OS: HR = 0.84, P = 0.0077; PFS, HR = 0.86, P = 0.049). Expression of PAWR could predict platinum responsiveness in ovarian cancer and there was a positive correlation between PAWR gene effect and paclitaxel sensitivity. In 12 paired clinical samples, the cancerous tissues exhibited significantly lower PAWR expression than matched normal fallopian tubes. The predictive prognostic value of PAWR was maintained in a cohort of 50 ovarian cancer patients.

Conclusions

High PAWR expression indicated better survival and higher drug responsiveness in ovarian cancer patients. PAWR could be exploited as a predictive prognostic biomarker in ovarian cancer.

Identification of potential biomarkers for lung adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most predominant subtype of lung cancers and is one of the leading causes of cancer related mortality worldwide. Despite the advancements in the field of cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, detection at an early stage using reliable biomarkers is an unmet clinical need for a plethora of cancers, including LUAD, thus attributing to poor prognosis. In view of this, to identify potential biomarkers and therapeutic candidate genes, the expression of all known human genes was screened in the publicly available 'The Cancer Genome Atlas' (TCGA) samples of LUAD patients which resulted in the identification of overexpressed genes. Further analysis of these genes across various patient sample datasets revealed that ZNF687, ODR4, PBXIP1, PYGO2, METTL3, PIGM and RAD1 are consistently more highly expressed in LUAD. Higher expression of these genes either alone or in combination is correlated with poor survival of LUAD patients. Hence, in this study we propose that these identified genes could serve as potential candidates as gene signatures or biomarkers for LUAD that require further investigation in large cohorts of LUAD samples.

Cancer-driving mutations and variants of components of the membrane trafficking core machinery

The core machinery for vesicular membrane trafficking broadly comprises of coat proteins, RABs, tethering complexes and SNAREs. As cellular membrane traffic modulates key processes of mitogenic signaling, cell migration, cell death and autophagy, its dysregulation could potentially results in increased cell proliferation and survival, or enhanced migration and invasion. Changes in the levels of some components of the core machinery of vesicular membrane trafficking, likely due to gene amplifications and/or alterations in epigenetic factors (such as DNA methylation and micro RNA) have been extensively associated with human cancers. Here, we provide an overview of association of membrane trafficking with cancer, with a focus on mutations and variants of coat proteins, RABs, tethering complex components and SNAREs that have been uncovered in human cancer cells/tissues. The major cellular and molecular cancer-driving or suppression mechanisms associated with these components of the core membrane trafficking machinery shall be discussed.