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Wang Y, Fang X, Xie H, Wang X. GCNT3 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression and EMT by Activating the PI3K/AKT Pathway. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-024-10830-5. [PMID: 38789846 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-024-10830-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Primary liver cancer, specifically hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is a major global health concern. GCNT3 has been identified as an oncogene in various human malignancies. This investigation aimed to discover the GCNT3 function in HCC. The present study employed integrated bioinformatics analyses to assess the expression pattern, prognostic implications, and putative function of GCNT3 in HCC. Transwell flow cytometry, CCK-8, and wound healing assays were performed to examine HCC cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, invasion, and migration. In addition, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and PI3K/AKT mechanism markers were examined via western blot analysis to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. In HCC, GCNT3 was significantly overexpressed, which was connected with enhanced tumor aggressiveness and an unfavorable prognosis of individuals. In vitro experiments demonstrated that elevated levels of GCNT3 promoted cell growth, migration, cell cycle development, and invasion, in addition to EMT, while suppressing apoptosis. Conversely, knockdown of GCNT3 exerted the opposite effects. GCNT3 overexpression increased PI3K/AKT phosphorylation in HCC cells, and LY294002 counteracted the impacts of upregulated GCNT3 on cell cycle, migration, invasion, proliferation, and EMT in HCC. The investigation showed that GCNT3 may enhance HCC progression and EMT by stimulating PI3K/AKT mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadong Wang
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, China
- Department of General Surgery, Wuhu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Xiaosan Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Hao Xie
- Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241000, China
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230000, China.
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College, Wuhu, 241000, China.
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Patil D, Raut S, Joshi M, Bhatt P, Bhatt LK. PAQR4 oncogene: a novel target for cancer therapy. Med Oncol 2024; 41:161. [PMID: 38767705 DOI: 10.1007/s12032-024-02382-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Despite decades of basic and clinical research and trials of promising new therapies, cancer remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality due to the emergence of drug resistance to anticancer drugs. These resistance events have a very well-understood underlying mechanism, and their therapeutic relevance has long been recognized. Thus, drug resistance continues to be a major obstacle to providing cancer patients with the intended "cure". PAQR4 (Progestin and AdipoQ Receptor Family Member 4) gene is a recently identified novel protein-coding gene associated with various human cancers and acts through different signaling pathways. PAQR4 has a significant influence on multiple proteins that may regulate various gene expressions and may develop chemoresistance. This review discusses the roles of PAQR4 in tumor immunity, carcinogenesis, and chemoresistance. This paper is the first review, discussing PAQR4 in the pathogenesis of cancer. The review further explores the PAQR4 as a potential target in various malignancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipti Patil
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, 400056, India
| | - Swapnil Raut
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, 400056, India
| | - Mitesh Joshi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed-to-be University), Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, India
| | - Purvi Bhatt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Sunandan Divatia School of Science, SVKM's NMIMS (Deemed-to-be University), Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, India
| | - Lokesh Kumar Bhatt
- Department of Pharmacology, SVKM's Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, 400056, India.
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Huang X, Feng Y, Li Y, Ding H, Huang X, Chen C, Yu Z, Zhang J, Xu X, Ma D, Yu S, Chen C. A novel transcriptomic signature associated with lymphovascular invasion predicts clinical outcomes, tumor microenvironment, and therapeutic response in lung adenocarcinoma. Int Immunopharmacol 2024; 127:111286. [PMID: 38064818 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Since TNM staging has limitations for predicting post-operative outcomes and relapse, more effective prediction tools need to be researched and developed. Lymphovascular invasion, LVI, as a histopathological feature, has been widely shown to have a correlation with poor prognosis and early recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, LVI assessment is limited by subjective bias, and therefore its efficacy in practical clinical application needs further clarification. The aim of this study was to formulate a new signature based on LVI-related genes to predict prognosis and recurrence in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. METHODS Clinicopathological information, gene sequencing data and whole slide images (WSIs) of LUAD patients were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. LVI statue were evaluated by professional pathologists, and then the differentially expressed genes (LVI DEGs) associated with LVI were screened. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) and Step Cox regression models were used to construct LVI-associated risk scores (LVRS), including PAQR4, ARGHEF6, CKS1B, CFTR and SEC14L4. The validity of the LVRS score was evaluated on multiple external datasets and our JSSZL cohort dataset. Using LVRS scores and clinical information, nomogram were constructed for use by clinicians. In addition, we further explored the relationship between LVRS score and clinicopathological features, immune infiltration, tumor mutational load, and immunotherapy response, and confirmed the expression of key genes in LVRS score in lung adenocarcinoma tissues using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC) techniques. RESULTS Based on the LVRS, patients could be classified into high-LVRS and low-LVRS groups. It was found that OS and PFS were significantly worse in the high-LVRS group than in the low-LVRS group (p < 0.001). By ROC curve analysis, it could be found that the nomogram combining LVRS and clinical information could accurately predict the prognosis of LUAD patients with the area under the curve of 1,3,5-year survival rate could reach 0.754, 0.741 and 0.735. The results of univariate and multivariate analysis showed that LVRS was an independent prognostic factor. At the same time, there were significant differences in the mutation profiles and immune microenvironment between the high-LVRS and low-LVRS groups, with the high-LVRS group having a significantly higher mutation rate than the low-LVRS group and exhibiting immunological "cold" features. By the experimental results, higher expression levels of PAQR4 and CKS1B were found in LUAD tissues, while lower expression levels of ARGHEF6, CFTR and SEC14L4 were observed. CONCLUSIONS The LVRS established in this study serves as a valid tool to predict the prognosis and recurrence status of lung adenocarcinoma patients and has a predictive effect on the response to postoperative treatment. The establishment of LVRS may offer some theoretical support to clinical treatment strategies for patients with lung adenocarcinoma following surgical intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Huang
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China
| | - Yipeng Feng
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Yutao Li
- Department of Radiotherapy, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Hanlin Ding
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Nanjing Medical University Affiliated Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaochen Huang
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China
| | - Chen Chen
- School of Control Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ziru Yu
- Department of Scientific Research, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jingyuan Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China
| | - Xinyu Xu
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China
| | - Dawei Ma
- Department of Pathology, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research & The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, China.
| | - Shaorong Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Medical Oncology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University & Jiangsu Cancer Hospital & Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; The Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, China.
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Luo J, Mei Z, Lin S, Xing X, Qian X, Lin H. Integrative pan-cancer analysis reveals the importance of PAQR family in lung cancer. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2023; 149:10149-10160. [PMID: 37266662 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-023-04922-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The progestin and adipoQ receptors (PAQRs) family contains 11 genes involved in the regulation of metabolism and cancer development. However, a comprehensive understanding of the role of PAQRs in cancer remains largely scarce, and the associations between their expression levels and immune signatures also need to be researched. METHODS Here, we applied pan-cancer analysis to explore the associations between PAQRs expression and survival, tumor microenvironment (TME), and drug sensitivity from the UCSC Xena and CellMiner databases. Besides, we further studied the expression, survival and somatic mutations of PAQRs in lung cancer (LC) from TCGA database. RESULTS The results showed that PAQRs had significant heterogeneity with some upregulation and some downregulation in most tumors. Specifically, compared with PAQR3/5/6/9 and MMD2, ADIPOR1/2, PAQR4/7/8 and MMD had higher levels of average expression in all tumor types. PAQRs expression was greatly correlated with survival, immune subtypes, TME, and drug sensitivity. Furthermore, this research concentrated on analyzing the relationship of PAQRs expression with LC prognosis, and proved that ADIPOR2, PAQR4/9 and MMD were independent prognostic factors for LC patients. Finally, based on somatic mutation data, the genetic mutations in LC patients were majorly missense mutations, and TP53 and TTN had the top two highest mutation frequencies. CONCLUSION Collectively, PAQRs may serve as robust biomarkers to predict the prognosis and guide immunotherapy of tumors, especially LC, which enables novel ways for improving cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingru Luo
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China
| | - Zhenxin Mei
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China
| | - Shu Lin
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China
| | - Xin Xing
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China
| | - Xiaoying Qian
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China.
| | - Haifeng Lin
- Medical Oncology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, No. 368, Yehai Avenue, Longhua District, Haikou, 570100, Hainan, China.
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Motwani H, Patel M, Nanavaty V, Dixit N, Rawal RM, Patel SK, Solanki HA. Small RNA sequencing and identification of Andrographis paniculata miRNAs with potential cross‑kingdom human gene targets. Funct Integr Genomics 2023; 23:55. [PMID: 36725761 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-023-00976-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Cross-species post-transcriptional regulatory potential of plant derived small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) has been well documented by plenteous studies. MicroRNAs are transferred to host cells via oral ingestion wherein they play a decisive role in regulation of host genes; thus, miRNAs have evolved as the nascent bioactive molecules imparting pharmacological values to traditionally used medicinal plants. The present study aims to investigate small RNA profiling in order to uncover the potential regulatory role of miRNAs derived from Andrographis paniculata, one of the most widely used herb by tribal communities for liver disorders and document the pharmacological properties of A. paniculata miRNAs. In this study, high-throughput sequencing method was used to generate raw data, ~ 60 million sequences were generated from A. paniculata leaves. Using computational tools and bioinformatics approach, analyses of 3,480,097 clean reads resulted in identification of 3440 known and 51 putative novel miRNAs regulating 1365 and 192 human genes respectively. Remarkably, the identified plausible novel miRNAs apa-miR-5, apa-miR-1, apa-miR-26, and apa-miR-30 are projected to target significant host genes including CDK6, IKBKB, TRAF3, CHD4, MECP2, and ADIPOQ. Subsequent annotations revealed probable involvement of the target genes in various pathways for instance p38-MAPK, AKT, AMPK, NF-Kβ, ERK, WNT signalling, MYD88 dependant cascade, and pathways in cancer. Various diseases such as human papilloma virus infection, Alzheimer's, Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver, Alcoholic liver diseases, HepatoCellular Carcinoma (HCC), and numerous other cancers were predominantly found to be linked with target genes. Our findings postulate novel interpretations regarding modulation of human transcripts by A. paniculata miRNAs and exhibit the regulation of human diseases by plant-derived miRNAs. Though our study elucidates miRNAs as novel therapeutic agents, however, experimental validations for assessment of therapeutic potential of these miRNAs are still warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harsha Motwani
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Maulikkumar Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Vishal Nanavaty
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
- Neuberg Centre for Genomic Medicine, Neuberg Supratech Reference Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
| | - Nandan Dixit
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Rakesh M Rawal
- Department of Life Science, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India
| | - Saumya K Patel
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India.
| | - Hitesh A Solanki
- Department of Botany, Bioinformatics and Climate Change Impacts Management, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad-380009, Gujarat, India.
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VEZF1, destabilized by STUB1, affects cellular growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by transcriptionally regulating PAQR4. Cancer Gene Ther 2023; 30:256-266. [PMID: 36241701 DOI: 10.1038/s41417-022-00540-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive solid malignancy, and recurrence and metastasis are major incentives contributing to its poor outcome. Vascular endothelial zinc finger 1 (VEZF1) has been recognized as an oncoprotein in certain types of cancer, but the expression pattern and regulatory mechanism in HCC remains unclear. This study focused on the functional effect and regulatory basis of VEZF1 in HCC. Microarray analysis identified the differentially expressed VEZF1 in HCC, and we validated its raised expression in HCC clinical samples. Artificial modulation of VEZF1 (knockdown and overexpression) was conducted to explore its role in HCC progression both in vitro and in vivo. It was shown that silencing of VEZF1 suppressed, whereas its overexpression promoted HCC cellular proliferation and metastasis abilities. Mechanistically, VEZF1 transcriptionally activated progestin and adipoQ receptor 4 (PAQR4) to accelerate HCC progression. Furthermore, VEZF1 is confirmed as a substrate of stress-inducible phosphoprotein 1 homology and U-box containing protein 1 (STUB1), and its stability is impacted by STUB1-mediated ubiquitination degradation. Conjointly, our work suggested that VEZF1, destabilized by STUB1, participates in HCC progression by regulating PAQR4. The STUB1/VEZF1/PAQR4 mechanism might provide novel insights on guiding early diagnosis and therapy in HCC patients.
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Wang W, Huang Q, Liao Z, Zhang H, Liu Y, Liu F, Chen X, Zhang B, Chen Y, Zhu P. ALKBH5 prevents hepatocellular carcinoma progression by post-transcriptional inhibition of PAQR4 in an m6A dependent manner. Exp Hematol Oncol 2023; 12:1. [PMID: 36609413 PMCID: PMC9825045 DOI: 10.1186/s40164-022-00370-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a prevalent modification of mRNA and is known to play important roles in tumorigenesis in many types of cancer. The function of N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation depends on a variety of methyltransferases and demethylases. AlkB homolog 5 (ALKBH5) is a demethylase, and its biological function has not been completely explored in HCC. RESULTS ALKBH5 is downregulated and has antitumor effects in HCC cells. In addition, Progestin and AdipoQ Receptor 4 (PAQR4) was identified as a downstream target of ALKBH5 based on transcriptome sequencing and validation studies. We found that ALKBH5 decreases PAQR4 mRNA and protein expression in an N6-methyladenosine (m6A)-dependent manner. The study also showed that ALKBH5 changes PAQR4 expression via the m6A reader IGF2BP1. In both in vivo and in vitro experiments, PAQR4 showed a strong association with the development of HCC. Finally, we found that PAQR4 interacts with AKT and enhances PI3K/AKT pathway activation. CONCLUSIONS ALKBH5 inhibits HCC growth by downregulating PAQR4 expression in an m6A-dependent manner, therefore suppressing PI3K/AKT pathway activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijian Wang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Qibo Huang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Zhibin Liao
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Hongwei Zhang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Yachong Liu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Furong Liu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Xiaoping Chen
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Bixiang Zhang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Yan Chen
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Peng Zhu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Hepatic Surgery Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China ,Hubei Key Laboratory of Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Diseases, Wuhan, 430030 China ,grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of General Surgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
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Hashemi M, Mirzaei S, Zandieh MA, Rezaei S, Amirabbas Kakavand, Dehghanpour A, Esmaeili N, Ghahremanzade A, Saebfar H, Heidari H, Salimimoghadam S, Taheriazam A, Entezari M, Ahn KS. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hepatocellular carcinoma progression: Biological functions and new therapeutic targets. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 177:207-228. [PMID: 36584761 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Liver is an important organ in body that performs vital functions such as detoxification. Liver is susceptible to development of cancers, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among them. 75-85% of liver cancer cases are related to HCC. Therefore, much attention has been directed towards understanding factors mediating HCC progression. LncRNAs are epigenetic factors with more than 200 nucleotides in length located in both nucleus and cytoplasm and they are promising candidates in cancer therapy. Directing studies towards understanding function of lncRNAs in HCC is of importance. LncRNAs regulate cell cycle progression and growth of HCC cells, and they can also induce/inhibit apoptosis in tumor cells. LncRNAs affect invasion and metastasis in HCC mainly by epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanism. Revealing the association between lncRNAs and downstream signaling pathways in HCC is discussed in the current manuscript. Infectious diseases can affect lncRNA expression in mediating HCC development and then, altered expression level of lncRNA is associated with drug resistance and radio-resistance. Biomarker application of lncRNAs and their role in prognosis and diagnosis of HCC are also discussed to pave the way for treatment of HCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrdad Hashemi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Arad Zandieh
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sahar Rezaei
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirabbas Kakavand
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Dehghanpour
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Negin Esmaeili
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Azin Ghahremanzade
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Saebfar
- European University Association, League of European Research Universities, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Hajar Heidari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Public Health University at Albany State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12208, USA
| | - Shokooh Salimimoghadam
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Kwang Seok Ahn
- College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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Pancancer Analysis of the Prognostic and Immunotherapeutic Value of Progestin and AdipoQ Receptor 4. COMPUTATIONAL AND MATHEMATICAL METHODS IN MEDICINE 2022; 2022:2528164. [PMID: 36573110 PMCID: PMC9789910 DOI: 10.1155/2022/2528164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AdipoQ receptor 4 (PAQR4) belongs to the family of progestin and AdipoQ receptors. PAQR4 plays an oncogenic role in lung and breast cancer. However, systematic pancancer analyses of PAQR4 have not been performed. The purpose was to investigate the prognostic and immunological significance of PAQR4 across 31 tumor types. Data were obtained from the following sources: TCGA, GEO, UALCAN, TIMER, GEPIA2, KM plotter, and TISIDB databases. The results proved that PAQR4 expression was significantly elevatory in most cancer types. We then explored the utility of PAQR4 as a prognostic indicator across all cancers. Using Cox proportional risk regression models, it has been demonstrated that PAQR4 is an independent risk factor in. High PAQR4 expression was not associated with other prognostic indicators, including overall survival, disease-free interval, disease-specific survival, and progression-free period. Subsequently, we explored the immunological value of PAQR4 and found that PAQR4 expression significantly correlated with tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, neoantigen, and immune checkpoint genes in tumors. It also significantly negatively correlated with most tumors' ESTIMATE scores, indicating that PAQR4 can influence the cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment. Our findings suggest the immunotherapeutic potential of PAQR4 in tumors. Finally, we explored the role of PAQR4 in tumor drug resistance and found that PAQR4 expression affected the sensitivity to multiple chemotherapeutic agents. A significant role for PAQR4 in tumor immunity is evident in these studies, as well as its potential role in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment precision.
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Wang K, Meng J, Wang X, Yan M, Liu S, Yang S, Xu S, Liu D, Li C, Yang K. Pan-cancer analysis of the prognostic and immunological role of PAQR4. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21268. [PMID: 36481756 PMCID: PMC9732355 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25220-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Progestin and adipoQ receptor family member 4 (PAQR4) is a protein-coding gene. Recent studies have shown that PAQR4 is related to the development of multiple cancers. However, there is no systematic pan-cancer analysis of this gene. In this study, the expression of PAQR4, correlations with clinical prognosis, immune situation, and its potential molecular functions and mechanisms in pan-cancer were explored by bioinformatics analysis. The Cancer Genome Atlas was applied to investigate the relations between PAQR4 and clinical features, prognostic effects, and tumor immune microenvironment. R software was used to perform statistical analysis and figure creation. The expression of PAQR4 in BLCA and KIRC was validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry, and its function was explored by cellular experiments. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that PAQR4 was up-regulated in multiple cancers and related to poor prognosis. The high expression of PAQR4 was closely associated with high tumor stage, immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden, and microsatellite instability in different cancer types. In addition, the high expression of PAQR4 also indicated involvement in the immune regulatory pathways. The involvement of PAQR4 in the immune regulation of different tumors was confirmed by GSEA enrichment analysis. Moreover, PAQR4 was highly expressed in bladder cancer and renal clear cell carcinoma tissues and cell lines. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer and renal clear cell carcinoma cell lines were significantly decreased after the knockdown of PAQR4. This study elucidated the role of PAQR4 in carcinogenesis as well as tumor immunity. PAQR4 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker in a variety of cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaibin Wang
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhuan Meng
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xudong Wang
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mo Yan
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuaibing Liu
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shaobo Yang
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shengxian Xu
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dongze Liu
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Changying Li
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Kuo Yang
- grid.412648.d0000 0004 1798 6160Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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KDM5B regulates the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway to increase sorafenib-resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. Anticancer Drugs 2022; 33:840-849. [PMID: 35946516 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Lysine-specific demethylase 5B (KDM5B) exerts its tumor-promoting functions in numerous malignancies, although the possible mechanisms by which KDM5B promotes cancer aggressiveness in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been preliminarily explored, the role of this gene in regulating sorafenib-resistance in HCC has not been studied. Thus, the present study was designed to resolve this problem, and our data suggested that KDM5B was significantly upregulated in the HCC tissues collected from patients with sorafenib treatment history. Consistently, continuous low-dose sorafenib administration increased KDM5B expression levels in the sorafenib-resistant HCC cells compared to their sorafenib-sensitive counterparts. Next, by performing the functional experiments, we found that KDM5B positively regulated sorafenib-resistance and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, upregulation of KDM5B-degraded phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), results in the activation of the downstream oncogenic PI3K/Akt pathway. Subsequently, the rescuing experiments verified that the promoting effects of KDM5B overexpression on chemoresistance and cancer stemness in HCC cells were all abrogated by PI3K (p110) knockdown and PTEN overexpression. Collectively, those data hinted that KDM5B influenced CSC properties and sorafenib-resistance in HCC cells through modulating the PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway, and KDM5B could be used as a potential target for the treatment of HCC in clinic.
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Sortilin 1 regulates hepatocellular carcinoma progression by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling. Hum Exp Toxicol 2022; 41:9603271221140111. [DOI: 10.1177/09603271221140111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Sortilin 1 (SORT1) has been reported as an oncogene in several human tumors. Nonetheless, the biological functions of SORT1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. Methods Western blotting was employed for the determination of protein expression. Hepatocellular carcinoma cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were measured via CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, and Transwell assays. Results Sortilin 1 was upregulated in HCC and closely associated with unsatisfactory outcomes of HCC patients. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that SORT1 knockdown significantly diminished HCC cell proliferation and metastasis but accelerated HCC cell apoptosis; moreover, SORT1 depletion also restrained the growth of xenografted HCC tumors. Mechanistically, SORT1 activated PI3K/AKT signaling in HCC cells, thereby promoting the malignant behaviors of HCC cells. Conclusion This study demonstrated that SORT1 might promote HCC progression by activating PI3K/AKT signaling, indicating that SORT1 might be a promising target and biomarker for HCC treatment and prognosis.
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