Inhibition of insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1 sensitizes colorectal cancer cells to chemotherapeutics

The Expression Analysis of Long Non-coding RNAs Related to Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Pancreatic Cancer Patients

Background The oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling plays a critical role in carcinogenesis, prognosis, and resistance to therapy. Pancreatic cancer (PC) has high mortality because of its poor prognosis. Several studies have suggested that lncRNAs are directly involved in the development and progression of PC as well as in Wnt/β-catenin signaling. In this study, we investigated and compared the expression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling-related ZFAS1 and HCG11 lncRNAs, and their targets, CTNNB1 and IGF2BP1 genes in the blood of patients with PC and healthy individuals. A total of 47 PC patients and 50 healthy individuals participated in this study. RNA was extracted from the peripheral blood samples of participants, and cDNA was synthesized. The expression level of the selected genes was quantified by real-time PCR. The expression of HCG11 lncRNA and CTNNB1 genes in patients with PC was significantly upregulated compared to healthy individuals, and the expression of the ZFAS1 lncRNA was significantly downregulated. According to the analysis of the ROC curve, the diagnostic powers of ZFAS1 and CTNNB1 in PC were 0.67 and 0.69, respectively. Altogether, the present study suggests a role for ZFAS1 and HCG11 lncRNAs and CTNNB1 and IGF2BP1 in the pathogenesis of pancreatic cancer. Moreover, the peripheral expression of these lncRNAs may be useful as potential biomarkers for PC.

Knockdown of IGF2BP2 overcomes cisplatin-resistance in lung cancer through downregulating Spon2 gene

BACKGROUND

Cisplatin (DDP) resistance has long posed a challenge in the clinical treatment of lung cancer (LC). Insulin-like growth factor 2 binding protein 2 (IGF2BP2) has been identified as an oncogenic factor in LC, whereas its specific role in DDP resistance in LC remains unclear.

RESULTS

In this study, we investigated the role of IGF2BP2 on DDP resistance in DDP-resistant A549 cells (A549/DDP) in vitro and in a DDP-resistant lung tumor-bearing mouse model in vivo. Additionally, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) was conducted to identify the potential mRNAs regulated by IGF2BP2, an N6-methyladenosine (m6A) regulator, in the tumor tissues of mice. Compared to normal tissues, IGF2BP2 levels were increased in LC tissues and in relapsed/resistant LC tissues. Most importantly, IGF2BP2 levels were significantly higher in relapsed/resistant LC tissues than in LC tissues. Significantly, knockdown of IGF2BP2 or DDP treatment inhibited A549 cell viability, migration, and cell cycle progression. Consistently, DDP treatment suppressed the viability and migration and triggered cell cycle arrest in A549/DDP cells in vitro, as well as reduced tumor volume and weight of A549/DDP tumor-bearing mice; meanwhile, the combination of DDP and IGF2BP2 siRNA further significantly inhibited A549/DDP cell growth in vitro and in vivo compared to DDP treatment alone. Furthermore, MeRIP-seq data showed that IGF2BP2 downregulation remarkably elevated m6A levels of spondin 2 (Spon2) and reduced mRNA levels of Spon2 in tumor tissues from A549 tumor-bearing mice. Meanwhile, the combination of DDP and IGF2BP2 siRNA notably reduced Spon2 levels, as well as inhibited the viability and induced apoptosis in A549/DDP cells; however, these effects were reversed by Spon2 overexpression.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, downregulation of IGF2BP2 could overcome DDP resistance in LC through declining the Spon2 gene expression in an m6A-dependent manner. These results may provide a new strategy for overcoming DDP resistance in LC.

Role of the RNA binding protein IGF2BP1 in cancer multidrug resistance

The insulin-like growth factor-2 mRNA-binding protein 1 (IGF2BP1), a member of a conserved family of single-stranded RNA-binding proteins (IGF2BP1-3), is expressed in a broad range of fetal tissues, placenta and more than sixteen cancer types but only in a limited number of normal adult tissues. IGF2BP1is required for the transport from nucleus to cytoplasm of certain mRNAs that play essential roles in embryogenesis, carcinogenesis, and multidrug resistance (MDR), by affecting their stability, translation, or localization. The purpose of this review is to gather and present information on MDR mechanisms in cancer and the significance of IGF2BP1 in this context. Within this review, we will provide an overview of IGF2BP1, including its tissue distribution, expression, molecular targets in the context of tumorigenesis and its inhibitors. Our main focus will be on elucidating the interplay between IGF2BP1 and MDR, particularly with regard to chemoresistance mediated by ABC transporters.

RNA Binding Proteins as Potential Therapeutic Targets in Colorectal Cancer

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) play critical roles in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression, managing processes such as mRNA splicing, stability, and translation. In normal intestine, RBPs maintain the tissue homeostasis, but when dysregulated, they can drive colorectal cancer (CRC) development and progression. Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind CRC is vital for developing novel therapeutic strategies, and RBPs are emerging as key players in this area. This review highlights the roles of several RBPs, including LIN28, IGF2BP1-3, Musashi, HuR, and CELF1, in CRC. These RBPs regulate key oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes by influencing mRNA stability and translation. While targeting RBPs poses challenges due to their complex interactions with mRNAs, recent advances in drug discovery have identified small molecule inhibitors that disrupt these interactions. These inhibitors, which target LIN28, IGF2BPs, Musashi, CELF1, and HuR, have shown promising results in preclinical studies. Their ability to modulate RBP activity presents a new therapeutic avenue for treating CRC. In conclusion, RBPs offer significant potential as therapeutic targets in CRC. Although technical challenges remain, ongoing research into the molecular mechanisms of RBPs and the development of selective, potent, and bioavailable inhibitors should lead to more effective treatments and improved outcomes in CRC.

Development of a specific and potent IGF2BP1 inhibitor: A promising therapeutic agent for IGF2BP1-expressing cancers

IGF2BP1 is a protein that controls the stability, localization, and translation of various mRNA targets. Poor clinical outcomes in numerous cancer types have been associated with its overexpression. As it has been demonstrated to impede tumor growth and metastasis in animal models, inhibiting IGF2BP1 function is a promising strategy for combating cancer. A lead chemical, 7773, which specifically decreased IGF2BP1 RNA binding and cellular activities, was previously identified in a high-throughput screen for effective IGF2BP1 inhibitors. Additional optimization of 7773 described in this manuscript led to the discovery of six compounds that performed equally well or better than 7773. In cell lines with high levels of endogenous IGF2BP1, one of 7773 derivatives, AVJ16, was found to be most efficient at preventing cell migration. Further, AVJ16 was found to be IGF2BP1-specific because it had no effect on cell lines that expressed little or no IGF2BP1 protein. The direct binding of AVJ16 to IGF2BP1 was validated by binding tests, with a 12-fold increase in binding efficiency over the lead compound. AVJ16 was shown to bind to a hydrophobic region at the protein's KH34 di-domain interface between the KH3 and KH4 domains. Overall, the findings imply that AVJ16 is a potent and specific inhibitor of IGF2BP1 activity.

CRD-BP as a Tumor Marker of Colorectal Cancer

The National Cancer Center published a comparative report on cancer data between China and the United States in the Chinese Medical Journal, which shows that colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks second in China and fourth in the United States. It is worth noting that since 2000, the case fatality rate of CRC in China has skyrocketed, while the United States has gradually declined. Finding tumor markers with high sensitivity and specificity is our primary goal to reduce the case fatality rate of CRC. Studies have shown that CRD-BP (Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 1) can affect a variety of signaling pathways, such as Wnt.nuclear factor KB (NF-κB), and Hedgehog, and has good biological effects as a therapeutic target for CRC. CRD-BP is expected to become a tumor marker with high sensitivity and specificity of CRC. This paper reviews the research on CRD-BP as a tumor marker of CRC.