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Wu L, Chen X, Zeng Q, Lai Z, Fan Z, Ruan X, Li X, Yan J. NR5A2 gene affects the overall survival of LUAD patients by regulating the activity of CSCs through SNP pathway by OCLR algorithm and immune score. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28282. [PMID: 38601554 PMCID: PMC11004709 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) tumor stem cells were screened, and the biological characteristics of NR5A2 gene were investigated. Methods The expression and prognosis of NR5A2 in human LUAD were predicted and analyzed through bioinformatics analysis from a human cancer database. Gene expression and clinical data of LUAD tumor and normal lung tissues were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and DEGs associated with lung cancer tumor stem cells (CSCs) were screened. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression models were used to screen and establish prognostic risk prediction models. The immune function of the patients was scored according to the model, and the relative immune functions of the high- and low-risk groups were compared to determine the difference in survival prognosis between the two groups. In addition, we calculated the index of stemness based on the transcriptome of the samples using one-class linear regression (OCLR). Results Bioinformatics analysis of a clinical cancer database showed that NR5A2 was significantly decreased in human LUAD tissues than in normal lung tissues, and the decrease in NR5A2 gene expression shortened the overall survival and progression-free survival of patients with LUAD. Conclusion The NR5A2 gene may regulate LUAD tumor stem cells through selective splicing mutations, thereby affecting the survival and prognosis of patients with lung cancer, and the NR5A2 gene may regulate CSCs through single nucleotide polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liusheng Wu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119077, Singapore
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China
| | - Xiaofan Chen
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Affiliated Sanming First Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Sanming, 365000, China
| | - Qi Zeng
- Department of Information Technology, Union College of Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350116, China
| | - Zelin Lai
- Department of Information and Computational Sciences, School of Mathematics, Liaoning Normal University, Liaoning, 116029, China
| | - Zhengyang Fan
- Department of Graduate School, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, Xinjiang, 830011, China
| | - Xin Ruan
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, 518036, China
| | - Jun Yan
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
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Duan J, Wang Y, Chen Y, Wang Y, Li Q, Liu J, Fu C, Cao C, Cong Z, Su M. Silencing LY6D Expression Inhibits Colon Cancer in Xenograft Mice and Regulates Colon Cancer Stem Cells' Proliferation, Stemness, Invasion, and Apoptosis via the MAPK Pathway. Molecules 2023; 28:7776. [PMID: 38067506 PMCID: PMC10708431 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28237776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This study explored the role of lymphocyte antigen 6 family member D (LY6D) in colon cancer stem cells' (CCSCs) proliferation and invasion. LY6D was knocked down using siRNA, and the down-regulation of LY6D was verified using Western blotting. After LY6D knockdown, CCSCs' proliferation, stemness, and invasion were suppressed, whereas apoptosis was increased. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between siLY6D and the negative control groups were significantly enriched in the cell-substrate adherens junction, focal adhesion, and cell-substrate junction terms. Meanwhile, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were significantly enriched in the MAPK pathway. In addition, Western blotting results showed that pBRAF and pERK1/2, cascade kinases of the MAPK pathway, were significantly down-regulated after LY6D knockdown. In addition, nude mice xenograft experiments showed that the siLY6D treatment decreased tumor sizes and weights and improved tumor-bearing mice survival rates compared with the control group. In conclusion, these findings indicate that LY6D, which is highly expressed in CCSCs, is a key factor involved in tumor growth and development and might be a potential cancer marker and therapeutic target for colon cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyue Duan
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Yujue Wang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Qisen Li
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Jinrui Liu
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Changhao Fu
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Medical School, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA;
| | - Chenyu Cao
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Zhongyi Cong
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
| | - Manman Su
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China; (J.D.); (Y.C.); (Y.W.); (Q.L.); (J.L.); (C.C.)
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Shen X, Gao C, Li H, Liu C, Wang L, Li Y, Liu R, Sun C, Zhuang J. Natural compounds: Wnt pathway inhibitors with therapeutic potential in lung cancer. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1250893. [PMID: 37841927 PMCID: PMC10568034 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1250893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The Wnt/β-catenin pathway is abnormally activated in most lung cancer tissues and considered to be an accelerator of carcinogenesis and lung cancer progression, which is closely related to increased morbidity rates, malignant progression, and treatment resistance. Although targeting the canonical Wnt/β-catenin pathway shows significant potential for lung cancer therapy, it still faces challenges owing to its complexity, tumor heterogeneity and wide physiological activity. Therefore, it is necessary to elucidate the role of the abnormal activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in lung cancer progression. Moreover, Wnt inhibitors used in lung cancer clinical trials are expected to break existing therapeutic patterns, although their adverse effects limit the treatment window. This is the first study to summarize the research progress on various compounds, including natural products and derivatives, that target the canonical Wnt pathway in lung cancer to develop safer and more targeted drugs or alternatives. Various natural products have been found to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin in various ways, such as through upstream and downstream intervention pathways, and have shown encouraging preclinical anti-tumor efficacy. Their diversity and low toxicity make them a popular research topic, laying the foundation for further combination therapies and drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuetong Shen
- College of First Clinical Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Chundi Gao
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Huayao Li
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Cun Liu
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
| | - Longyun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China
| | - Ye Li
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China
| | - Ruijuan Liu
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Changgang Sun
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang, China
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
| | - Jing Zhuang
- Department of Oncology, Weifang Traditional Chinese Hospital, Weifang, China
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Ponomarev AS, Gilazieva ZE, Solovyova VV, Rizvanov AA. Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Cell Stemness Modulation during Formation of Spheroids. BIOCHEMISTRY. BIOKHIMIIA 2023; 88:979-994. [PMID: 37751868 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297923070106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs), their properties and interaction with microenvironment are of interest in modern medicine and biology. There are many studies on the emergence of CSCs and their involvement in tumor pathogenesis. The most important property inherent to CSCs is their stemness. Stemness combines ability of the cell to maintain its pluripotency, give rise to differentiated cells, and interact with environment to maintain a balance between dormancy, proliferation, and regeneration. While adult stem cells exhibit these properties by participating in tissue homeostasis, CSCs behave as their malignant equivalents. High tumor resistance to therapy, ability to differentiate, activate angiogenesis and metastasis arise precisely due to the stemness of CSCs. These cells can be used as a target for therapy of different types of cancer. Laboratory models are needed to study cancer biology and find new therapeutic strategies. A promising direction is three-dimensional tumor models or spheroids. Such models exhibit properties resembling stemness in a natural tumor. By modifying spheroids, it becomes possible to investigate the effect of therapy on CSCs, thus contributing to the development of anti-tumor drug test systems. The review examines the niche of CSCs, the possibility of their study using three-dimensional spheroids, and existing markers for assessing stemness of CSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei S Ponomarev
- Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420008, Russia
| | - Zarema E Gilazieva
- Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420008, Russia
| | - Valeriya V Solovyova
- Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420008, Russia
| | - Albert A Rizvanov
- Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan, 420008, Russia.
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Yang J, Liu K, Yang L, Ji J, Qin J, Deng H, Wang Z. Identification and validation of a novel cuproptosis-related stemness signature to predict prognosis and immune landscape in lung adenocarcinoma by integrating single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1174762. [PMID: 37287976 PMCID: PMC10242006 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1174762] [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: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play vital roles in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) recurrence, metastasis, and drug resistance. Cuproptosis has provided a novel insight into the treatment of lung CSCs. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the cuproptosis-related genes combined with the stemness signature and their roles in the prognosis and immune landscape of LUAD. Methods Cuproptosis-related stemness genes (CRSGs) were identified by integrating single-cell and bulk RNA-sequencing data in LUAD patients. Subsequently, cuproptosis-related stemness subtypes were classified using consensus clustering analysis, and a prognostic signature was constructed by univariate and least absolute shrinkage operator (LASSO) Cox regression. The association between signature with immune infiltration, immunotherapy, and stemness features was also investigated. Finally, the expression of CRSGs and the functional roles of target gene were validated in vitro. Results We identified six CRSGs that were mainly expressed in epithelial and myeloid cells. Three distinct cuproptosis-related stemness subtypes were identified and associated with the immune infiltration and immunotherapy response. Furthermore, a prognostic signature was constructed to predict the overall survival (OS) of LUAD patients based on eight differently expressed genes (DEGs) with cuproptosis-related stemness signature (KLF4, SCGB3A1, COL1A1, SPP1, C4BPA, TSPAN7, CAV2, and CTHRC1) and confirmed in validation cohorts. We also developed an accurate nomogram to improve clinical applicability. Patients in the high-risk group showed worse OS with lower levels of immune cell infiltration and higher stemness features. Ultimately, further cellular experiments were performed to verify the expression of CRSGs and prognostic DEGs and demonstrate that SPP1 could affect the proliferation, migration, and stemness of LUAD cells. Conclusion This study developed a novel cuproptosis-related stemness signature that can be used to predict the prognosis and immune landscape of LUAD patients, and provided potential therapeutic targets for lung CSCs in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Yang
- *Correspondence: Zhongqi Wang, ; Jia Yang,
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The unique properties of cancer stem cells (CSCs) make lung cancer untargetable for quite an extended period. The functional mechanism of this cell type has been illustrated step by step. However, the outcomes of lung cancer patients are still lower than expected clinically. The attempts made by scientists to make challenge history against stemness maintenance of lung cancer cells and their druggable targets are worth elucidating. RECENT FINDINGS Many agents, including the Bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE) and AMG 119 targeting DLL3-positive cells, are a tremendous breakthrough in the preclinical and clinical treatment of SCLC. More studies focus on targeting CSCs to overcome TKI resistance in NSCLC. The combo targeting of CSC and the immune microenvironment can favor the treatment of lung cancer patients. SUMMARY The current review elucidates the characteristics and related regulating pathways of lung CSCs from essential to preclinical research. We retrospectively introduce an update on the clinical development of therapeutics targeting CSC-associated developmental signaling pathways and discuss the opportunities to target CSC-immune interactions in lung cancer.
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WDR72 Enhances the Stemness of Lung Cancer Cells by Activating the AKT/HIF-1α Signaling Pathway. JOURNAL OF ONCOLOGY 2022; 2022:5059588. [PMID: 36385964 PMCID: PMC9663245 DOI: 10.1155/2022/5059588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Objectives Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality rate. Lung cancer stem cells are crucial in the development of lung cancer. In this study, we investigate WD repeat-containing protein 72 (WDR72) on lung cancer cell stemness and explore its underlying mechanism. Methods WDR72 expression was investigated in lung cancer tissues and lung cancer stem cells by Western blot and RT-qPCR. The stemness of lung cancer stem cells was verified by the sphere-forming experiment and the abundance of stem cell markers. For the purpose of determining lung cancer stem cell growth, metastasis, and apoptosis, the CCK-8 assay, colony formation, Transwell migration, and flow cytometry were carried out. The ability of tumorigenesis in vivo was explored by xenograft tumor mouse models. Results Up-regulation of WDR72 was found in lung cancer tissues and lung cancer stem cells. WDR72 overexpression significantly activated the AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway. Application of PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitor LY29004 was able to counteract the impacts of WDR72 upregulation on genes related to stemness, growth, migration, and apoptosis in lung cancer stem cells. The sphere formation of lung cancer stem cells was significantly diminished after inhibiting the AKT/HIF-1α pathway. The promotion of WDR72 overexpression on lung cancer stem cell proliferation and metastasis was also eliminated by LY29004 treatment. Conclusion WDR72 activates the AKT/HIF-1α signaling pathway to enhance the stemness of lung cancer stem cells and promote the growth and metastasis of lung cancer.
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