Advancements in MAPK signaling pathways and MAPK-targeted therapies for ameloblastoma: A review

Granular cell ameloblastoma: A rare case report with public health implications

RATIONALE

Ameloblastomas are benign odontogenic tumors that exhibit local aggressiveness and a high potential for recurrence. Their histopathological diversity and potential to cause significant anatomical and functional complications often make diagnosis and treatment challenging. This case highlights the clinical, radiographic, and histopathological features of a rare granular cell ameloblastoma and underscores the importance of a radical surgical approach to management.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 46-year-old female was referred to the Outpatient Department with a complaint of swelling on the right side of her face for 10 months. The swelling started as a small, asymptomatic enlargement of the lower jaw and gradually increased over the past several months.

DIAGNOSES

The clinical examination revealed noticeable facial asymmetry with a diffuse, firm to bony-hard swelling in the right mandibular region. Intraorally, a lobulated, bony-hard swelling with significant cortical expansion in the right lower jaw was observed. The mandibular occlusal radiograph showed a "soap bubble" appearance with multilocular radiolucency, cortical plate thinning, and disruption. The orthopantogram displayed a well-defined multilocular radiolucent lesion with root resorption, displaced teeth, and a "tooth floating in air" appearance. An incisional biopsy revealed tumor islands or follicles of odontogenic epithelium. Tall columnar ameloblast-like cells were arranged in a palisaded fashion at the periphery, and stellate reticulum-like cells were at the center. Large granular cells containing eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules confirmed the diagnosis of granular cell ameloblastoma. The patient was diagnosed with granular cell ameloblastoma.

INTERVENTIONS

A lower cheek flap was raised using a Roux lip split incision, followed by segmental mandibulectomy and resection of the tumor mass. The resected specimen's histopathological findings were consistent with the incisional biopsy.

OUTCOMES

The patient exhibited uneventful postoperative recovery with no signs of recurrence or metastasis during a 2-year follow-up period.

LESSONS

Granular cell ameloblastoma, although uncommon, demands careful differentiation from other odontogenic neoplasms due to its distinctive histological characteristics. An integrated approach, combining clinical, radiographic, and histopathological assessments, is essential for precise diagnosis and optimal treatment planning. Given the tumor's locally aggressive nature, radical surgical treatment is often necessary to prevent recurrence. Long-term follow-up is vital to monitor for potential recurrence and ensure complete disease control.

Effects of Arsenic-induced Diabetic Vascular Diseases through Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase Signaling Pathway: In vitro and In vivo Studies

ABSTRACT

Arsenic (As) is an environmental pollutant that causes endocrine disruption. Diabetes increases the risk of Blackfoot disease, which is a peripheral artery disease caused by chronic exposure to As through drinking water in Taiwan and Bangladesh; however, the mechanism underlying this increased risk remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanisms underlying vascular damage in hyperglycemic conditions caused by As exposure using in vivo and in vitro studies. We utilized an animal model of streptozotocin-induced diabetes that was exposed to As through drinking water for 8 weeks. Subsequently, blood and organ samples of the animals were collected for follow-up analysis. Further, we cultured endothelial cells that were treated with As treatment in glucose condition and detected their biomarkers. The findings revealed that both the diabetes and diabetes + As groups exhibited insulin resistance, weight gain, and increased plasma triglyceride and total cholesterol levels. The diabetes + As group had lower antioxidant activity, which caused the arteries to exhibit prominent luminal narrowing with increased thickness. In vivo study revealed that glucose + As group-induced cell cycle arrest, a 98.80% increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and decreased cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). However, in glucose + As group, treatment with SP600125 and U10126 treatment decreased ROS production by 80.5% and 84%, respectively, and restored MMP and cell viability. The glucose-regulated protein 78 level increased in the As as well as glucose + As groups. Our findings demonstrate that As exacerbates vascular damage in individuals with diabetes and its associated complications through the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway.

Programmed death-ligand 1 regulates ameloblastoma growth and recurrence

Tumor cell-intrinsic programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signals mediate tumor initiation, progression and metastasis, but their effects in ameloblastoma (AM) have not been reported. In this comprehensive study, we observed marked upregulation of PD-L1 in AM tissues and revealed the robust correlation between elevated PD-L1 expression and increased tumor growth and recurrence rates. Notably, we found that PD-L1 overexpression markedly increased self-renewal capacity and promoted tumorigenic processes and invasion in hTERT+-AM cells, whereas genetic ablation of PD-L1 exerted opposing inhibitory effects. By performing high-resolution single-cell profiling and thorough immunohistochemical analyses in AM patients, we delineated the intricate cellular landscape and elucidated the mechanisms underlying the aggressive phenotype and unfavorable prognosis of these tumors. Our findings revealed that hTERT+-AM cells with upregulated PD-L1 expression exhibit increased proliferative potential and stem-like attributes and undergo partial epithelial‒mesenchymal transition. This phenotypic shift is induced by the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling axis; thus, this study revealed a crucial regulatory mechanism that fuels tumor growth and recurrence. Importantly, targeted inhibition of the PD-L1-PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling axis significantly suppressed the growth of AM patient-derived tumor organoids, highlighting the potential of PD-L1 blockade as a promising therapeutic approach for AM.

Expression of ALKBH5 in Odontogenic Lesions

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant epigenetic RNA modification in eukaryotes and plays a role in various cancers in humans. This m6A modification is regulated by m6A writers, erasers, and readers. One of the m6A erasers is α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase homolog 5 (ALKBH5). Previous studies have suggested that ALKBH5 is involved in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, the role of ALKBH5 in odontogenic lesions has never been investigated. This study aimed to examine ALKBH5 expression in dental follicles (DFs), dentigerous cysts (DCs), odontogenic keratocyst (OKC), and ameloblastoma (AM) using immunohistochemistry. Six cases of DF, 20 cases of DC and OKC, respectively, and 30 cases of AM were included. The expression patterns, percentage of ALKBH5-positive cells, staining intensities, and immunoreactive scores were examined. ALKBH5 was mainly expressed in the nuclei of the epithelial cells in odontogenic lesions. The percentage of ALKBH5-positive cells was significantly higher in OKC and AM samples compared with DF samples ( P < 0.01). The percentage of ALKBH5-positive cells was also higher in OKC and AM samples than in DC samples; however, these results did not show statistical significance ( P > 0.05). ALKBH5 cell staining intensities and immunoreactive scores were significantly greater in OKC and AM samples than in DF and DC samples ( P < 0.01). Our results suggested that ALKBH5 might play a role in the pathogenesis of odontogenic lesions. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the precise molecular mechanism of the role of ALKBH5 in these diseases.

Clinicopathologic and imaging features of odontogenic myxomas: a multi-institutional study

PURPOSE

This study aims to report clinicopathologic and imaging features of odontogenic myxomas (OM), highlighting uncommon findings.

METHODS

Clinicopathologic and imaging data of OMs diagnosed in the five Brazilian diagnostic pathology centers were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

The series comprised 42 females (68.9%) and 19 males (31.1%), with a 2.2:1 female-to-male ratio and a mean age of 34.5±15.4 years (range: 4-80). Clinically, most OMs presented as painless intraoral swelling (n = 36; 70.6%) in the mandible (n=37; 59.7%). Multilocular lesions (n=30; 83.3%) were more common than unilocular lesions (n=6; 16.7%). There was no statistically significant difference between the average size of unilocular and multilocular OMs (p=0.2431). The borders of OMs were mainly well-defined (n=24; 66.7%) with different degrees of cortication. Only seven tumors caused tooth resorption (15.9%), while 24 (54.5%) caused tooth displacement. Cortical bone perforation was observed in 12 (38.7%) cases. Morphologically, OMs were characterized mainly by stellate or spindle-shaped cells in a myxoid background (n=53; 85.5%). Surgical resection was the most common treatment modality (n=15; 65.2%), followed by conservative surgery (n=8; 34.8%). Outcomes were available in 20 cases (32.3%). Seven of these patients had local recurrence (35%). Enucleation was the treatment with the highest recurrence rate (4/7; 57.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

OM has a predilection for the posterior region of the jaws of female adults. Despite their bland morphological appearance, they displayed diverse imaging features. Clinicians must include the OM in the differential diagnosis of osteolytic lesions of the jaws. A long follow-up is needed to monitor possible recurrences.

Molecular characterization of Chinese patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma

PURPOSE

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare malignancy of the gastrointestinal tract, and its unique location within the small intestine presents difficulties in obtaining tissue samples from the lesions. This limitation hinders the research and development of effective clinical treatment methods. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis holds promise as an alternative approach for investigating SBA and guiding treatment decisions, thereby improving the prognosis of SBA.

METHODS

Between January 2017 and August 2021, a total of 336 tissue or plasma samples were obtained and the corresponding mutation status in tissue or blood was evaluated with NGS.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The study found that in SBA tissues, the most commonly alternated genes were TP53, KRAS, and APC, and the most frequently affected pathways were RTK-RAS-MAPK, TP53, and WNT. Notably, the RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway was identified as a potential biomarker that could be targeted for treatment. Then, we validated the gene mutation profiling of ctDNA extracted from SBA patients exhibited the same characteristics as tissue samples for the first time. Subsequently, we applied ctDNA analysis on a terminal-stage patient who had shown no response to previous chemotherapy. After detecting alterations in the RTK-RAS-MAPK pathway in the ctDNA, the patient was treated with MEK + EGFR inhibitors and achieved a tumor shrinkage rate of 76.33%. Our study utilized the largest Chinese SBA cohort to uncover the molecular characteristics of this disease, which might facilitate clinical decision making for SBA patients.

Targeting BRD4 attenuates the stemness and aggressiveness of ameloblastoma

BACKGROUND

BRD4, belonging to the bromodomain extra-terminal (BET) protein family, plays a unique role in tumor progression. However, the potential impact of BRD4 in ameloblastoma (AM) remains largely unknown. Herein, we aimed to assess the expression and functional role of BRD4 in AM.

METHODS

The expression level of BRD4 was assessed by immunohistochemistry. The proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumorigenic abilities of AM cells were assessed by a series of assays. To explore the molecular expression profile of BRD4-depleted AM cells, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed. Bioinformatic analysis was performed on AM expression matrices obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The therapeutic efficacy of BET-inhibitors (BETi) was assessed with AM patient-derived organoids.

RESULTS

Upregulation of BRD4 was observed in conventional AMs, recurrent AMs, and ameloblastic carcinomas. Depletion of BRD4 inhibited proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis in AM. Administration of BETi attenuated the aggressiveness of AM and the growth of AM patient-derived organoids. Bioinformatic analysis indicated that BRD4 may promote AM progression by regulating the Wnt pathway and stemness-associated pathways.

CONCLUSION

BRD4 increases the aggressiveness and promotes the recurrence of ameloblastoma by regulating the Wnt pathway and stemness-associated pathways. These findings highlight BRD4 as a promising therapeutic target in AM management.

[Molecular basis of ameloblastoma pathogenesis: A review]

Ameloblastoma is the most common and highly invasive benign odontogenic tumor. Its pathogenesis is not yet fully understood.

Objective

To describe the most important molecular findings that promote the proliferative activity of ameloblastoma and the factors involved that encourage invasion into surrounding bone tissues.

Methodology

A search for scientific evidence was conducted through the following databases: Science Direct, Medline, Wiley, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. A total of 32 articles were reviewed, with inclusion criteria being articles published in English and Spanish; descriptive and analytical studies, narrative and systematic reviews published from January 2015 to June 2021. Letters to the editor were excluded.

Results

The biological molecular findings that allow ameloblastoma to invade surrounding tissues involve alterations in the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathways, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and matrix metalloproteinases, as well as alterations in MAPK and SHH pathways that facilitate the proliferation and tumor development of ameloblastoma.

Conclusions

These findings are fundamental for a better understanding of the pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ameloblastoma.

Retracted: PKC-delta and PKD activate MAPK signal pathway in mechano-transcription of colonic smooth muscle cells

Retraction: [PKC-delta and PKD activate MAPK signal pathway in mechano-transcription of colonic smooth muscle cells, Z. Yang, K. He, T. Wang, et al. Neurogastroenterology & Motility 2023; e14623 (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nmo.14623)]. The above article, published online on June 6, 2023 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been retracted by agreement between the authors, the Journal Editor in Chief, Maura Corsetti, and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The retraction has been agreed due to unat[1]tributed overlap between this article and the abstract published in Gastroenterology: Li F, Sarna SK and Shi XP. Roles of PKCs and PKD in Mechanotranscription in Colonic Smooth Muscle Cells: Inhibition of Mechanotranscription as a Potential Treatment for Motility Dysfunction in Obstructive Disorders. In: 2012 Digestive Disease Week Abstract Supplement; May 19-22, San Diego, CA. Abstract 120 (https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(12)60115-2/pdf).

ZNF692 promotes osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through TNK2-mediated activation of the MEK/ERK pathway

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is a diverse and aggressive bone tumor. Driver genes regulating osteosarcoma initiation and progression remains incompletely defined. Zinc finger protein 692 (ZNF692), a kind of Krüppel C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor, exhibited abnormal expression in different types of malignancies and showed a correlation with the clinical prognosis of patients as well as the aggressive characteristics of cancer cells. Nevertheless, its specific role in osteosarcoma is still not well understood.

METHODS

We investigated the dysregulation and clinical significance of ZNF692 in osteosarcoma through bioinformatic method and experimental validation. A range of in vitro assays, including CCK-8, colony formation, EdU incorporation, wound healing, and transwell invasion tests, were conducted to assess the impact of ZNF692 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in osteosarcoma. A xenograft mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of ZNF692 on tumor growth in vivo. Western blot assay was used to measure the protein levels of MEK1/2, P-MEK1/2, ERK1/2, and P-ERK1/2 in cells that had been genetically modified to either reduce or increase the expression of ZNF692. The relationship between ZNF692 and tyrosine kinase non-receptor 2 (TNK2) were validated by qRT-PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

Expression of ZNF692 was increased in both human osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, the expression of ZNF692 served as an independent predictive biomarker in osteosarcoma. The results of the survival analysis indicated that increased expression of ZNF692 was associated with worse outcome. Downregulation of ZNF692 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells, whereas upregulation of ZNF692 has the opposite impact. Western blot assay indicates that reducing ZNF692 decreases phosphorylation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2, whereas increasing ZNF692 expression enhances their phosphorylation. U0126, a potent inhibitor specifically targeting the MEK/ERK signaling pathway, partially counteracts the impact of ZNF692 overexpression on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. In addition, ZNF692 specifically interacts with the promoter region of TNK2 and stimulates the transcription of TNK2 in osteosarcoma cells. Forcing the expression of TNK2 weakens the inhibitory impact of ZNF692 knockdown on P-MEK1/2 and P-ERK1/2. Similarly, partly inhibiting TNK2 counteracts the enhancing impact of ZNF692 overexpression on the phosphorylation of MEK1/2 and ERK1/2. Functional tests demonstrate that the suppressive effects of ZNF692 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion are greatly reduced when TNK2 is overexpressed. In contrast, the reduction of TNK2 hinders the ability of ZNF692 overexpression to enhance cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

CONCLUSION

ZNF692 promotes the proliferation, migration, and invasion of osteosarcoma cells via the TNK2-dependent stimulation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway. The ZNF692-TNK2 axis might potentially function as a possible predictive biomarker and a promising target for novel therapeutics in osteosarcoma.

Targeting MAPK-ERK/JNK pathway: A potential intervention mechanism of myocardial fibrosis in heart failure

Myocardial fibrosis is a significant pathological basis of heart failure. Overactivation of the ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 signaling pathways of MAPK family members synergistically promotes the proliferation of myocardial fibroblasts and accelerates the development of myocardial fibrosis. In addition to some small molecule inhibitors and Western drugs, many Chinese medicines can also inhibit the activity of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2, thus slowing down the development of myocardial fibrosis, and are generally safe and effective. However, the specific biological mechanisms of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 signaling pathways in myocardial fibrosis still need to be fully understood, and there is no systematic review of existing drugs and methods to inhibit them from improving myocardial fibrosis. This study aims to summarize the roles and cross-linking mechanisms of ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 signaling pathways in myocardial fibrosis and to systematically sort out the small-molecule inhibitors, Western drugs, traditional Chinese medicines, and non-pharmacological therapies that inhibit ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 to alleviate myocardial fibrosis. In the future, we hope to conduct more in-depth research from the perspective of precision-targeted therapy, using this as a basis for developing new drugs that provide new perspectives on the prevention and treatment of heart failure.

It was not possible to detect BRAF V600E mutation in circulating cell-free DNA from patients with ameloblastoma: A diagnostic accuracy study

BACKGROUND

The objective of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of plasma-based liquid biopsy for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in circulating cell-free DNA from patients with ameloblastoma.

METHODS

This is a prospective diagnostic accuracy study conducted based on the Standards for Reporting Diagnostic Accuracy recommendations. The index test was the plasma-based liquid biopsy, whereas the reference standard was the conventional tissue biopsy. The target condition was the detection of BRAF V600E mutation. The study population consisted of individuals with ameloblastoma recruited from three tertiary hospitals from Brazil. A negative control group composed of three individuals with confirmed wild-type BRAF lesions were included. The participants underwent plasma circulating cell-free DNA and tumor tissue DNA isolation, and both were submitted to using competitive allele-specific TaqMan™ real-time polymerase chain reaction technology mutation detection assays. Sensitivity and specificity measures and positive and negative predictive values were calculated.

RESULTS

Twelve patients with conventional ameloblastoma were included. BRAF V600E mutation was detected in 11/12 (91.66%) ameloblastoma tissue samples. However, the mutation was not detected in any of the plasma-based liquid biopsy circulating cell-free DNA samples in both ameloblastomas and negative control group. The sensitivity and specificity of plasma-based liquid biopsy for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in circulating cell-free DNA was 0.0 and 1.0, respectively. The agreement between index test and reference standard results was 26.66%.

CONCLUSION

Plasma-based liquid biopsy does not seem to be an accurate method for the detection of the BRAF V600E mutation in circulating circulating cell-free DNA from patients with ameloblastoma, regardless of tumor size, anatomic location, recurrence status, and other clinicopathological features.

Differential Profile of Primary and Recurrent Ameloblastomas Among Afro-descendants and Non-Afro-descendants-a Systematic Review

Ameloblastoma is an aggressively growing jaw tumor with high recurrent properties. Reports on global and racial distribution of ameloblastoma are variable and inconclusive. The role of race and ethnicity on ameloblastoma growth characteristics, genetic mutational profile, and recurrence is also still unclear. The primary aim of this systematic review was to assess genetic, racial, and ethnic distribution of primary and recurrent ameloblastoma from published literature. The secondary aim was to assess potential correlations between ethnicity, genetic mutation, and disparities in ameloblastoma treatment outcomes in Afro-descendants and non-Afro-descendants. Twenty-three eligible articles were selected based on preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA), and a total of 169 ameloblastoma cases were evaluated. Data on patient demographics, ameloblastoma growth characteristics, and genetic status were collected for quantitative analysis. Among a total of 169 ameloblastoma cases, Afro-descendant patients had higher primary and recurrent ameloblastomas at 15.5% and 4.7% respectively compared to non-Afro-descendant at 10.7% and 1.8% respectively. Additionally, BRAF V600E was positively associated with 48.8% of all ameloblastomas and strong predilection for Afro-descendants. Despite the paucity of information on genetic profile of ameloblastomas in the Afro-descendant patient cohort, this ethnic group still accounted for 2.95% of all BRAF V600E-positive tumors. These suggest that Afro-descendants are understudied regarding ameloblastoma characteristics, genetic profile, and recurrence profile. Mutational analysis of ameloblastoma tumors in Afro-descendants should be promoted.

The emerging role of ectodermal neural cortex 1 in cancer

Ectodermal neural cortex 1 (ENC1) is a protein that plays a crucial role in the regulation of various cellular processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Numerous studies have shown that ENC1 is overexpressed in various types of cancers, including breast, lung, pancreatic, and colorectal cancer, and its upregulation is correlated with a poorer prognosis. In addition to its role in cancer growth and spreading, ENC1 has also been linked to neuronal process development and neural crest cell differentiation. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on the relationship between ENC1 and cancer. We discuss the molecular mechanisms by which ENC1 contributes to tumorigenesis, including its involvement in multiple oncogenic signaling pathways. We also summarize the potential of targeting ENC1 for cancer therapy, as its inhibition has been shown to significantly reduce cancer cell invasion, growth, and metastasis. Finally, we highlight the remaining gaps in our understanding of ENC1's role in cancer and propose potential directions for future research.

Does BRAF mutation status and related clinicopathological factors affect the recurrence rate of ameloblastoma? A systematic review, meta-analysis and metaregression

OBJECTIVES

This review aims to analyse the recurrence rate in BRAFv600e+ and BRAFv600e- ameloblastomas and explore its association with clinicopathological variables.

METHODS

A comprehensive search was conducted using databases including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Clinicaltrials.gov, Google Scholar and grey literature, without any limitation on start date or language up to 20 June 2023. A random effect meta-analysis was conducted and Metaregression analyses were performed based on available clinicopathological factors.

RESULTS

Fifteen studies met the criteria for meta-analysis of outcomes. There was no significant difference in overall recurrence rates between the two groups (risk difference = 0.001, p-value = 0.987). Increasing male:female ratio in the BRAFv600e+ group was associated with a lower reported recurrence, suggesting a higher recurrence rate in females. The odds of having mandibular lesion were four times higher in BRAFv600e+ cases compared to BRAFv600e- cases (confidence interval: 2.121-7.870, p < 0.001, I2  = 28.37%).

CONCLUSION

Within the BRAFv600e+ group, females showed a higher reported recurrence rate. This specific clinical group may benefit from BRAFv600e mutation investigation and potential upscaled surgical treatment and additional BRAF inhibitor therapy, which needs validation in future studies.

Does BRAF V600E mutation affect recurrence rate of ameloblastomas? Systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to critically evaluate the available data on the association of the BRAF V600E mutation and recurrence rate of ameloblastomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic review was registered in Prospero (CRD42020183645) and performed based on the PRISMA statement. A comprehensive search in PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases was performed in order to answer the question "Does BRAF V600E mutation affect recurrence rate of ameloblastomas?" Methodological quality and risk of bias of the selected studies were assessed with JBI Critical Appraise Tool. Meta-analysis of quantitative data was conducted with RevMan 5.3 and Jamovi 2.3.

RESULTS

The initial search identified 302 articles, and 21 met the inclusion criteria. A total of 855 subjects with ameloblastoma were included in the analysis. The pooled measures for frequency of BRAF V600E mutation was 65.30% (95% CI: 0.56-0.75; p < .001; I2  = 90.85%; τ = 0.205; p < .001), and the pooled recurrence rate was 25.30% (95% CI: 0.19-0.31; p < .001; I2  = 79.44%; τ = 0.118; p < .001). No differences in recurrence rate were observed between the BRAF V600E and wild type BRAF ameloblastomas, with a pooled Odds Ratio of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.56-1.54; p = .78; I2  = 31%; p = .09).

CONCLUSIONS

BRAF V600E mutation is a frequent event in ameloblastomas, but does not increase nor reduce its recurrence rate, and thus have a limited value in predicting its prognosis.

Machine learning-based radiomics for predicting BRAF-V600E mutations in ameloblastoma

Background

Ameloblastoma is a locally invasive and aggressive epithelial odontogenic neoplasm. The BRAF-V600E gene mutation is a prevalent genetic alteration found in this tumor and is considered to have a crucial role in its pathogenesis. The objective of this study is to develop and validate a radiomics-based machine learning method for the identification of BRAF-V600E gene mutations in ameloblastoma patients.

Methods

In this retrospective study, data from 103 patients diagnosed with ameloblastoma who underwent BRAF-V600E mutation testing were collected. Of these patients, 72 were included in the training cohort, while 31 were included in the validation cohort. To address class imbalance, synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE) is applied in our study. Radiomics features were extracted from preprocessed CT images, and the most relevant features, including both radiomics and clinical data, were selected for analysis. Machine learning methods were utilized to construct models. The performance of these models in distinguishing between patients with and without BRAF-V600E gene mutations was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

When the analysis was based on radiomics signature, Random Forest performed better than the others, with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.87 (95%CI, 0.68-1.00). The performance of XGBoost model is slightly lower than that of Random Forest, and its AUC is 0.83 (95% CI, 0.60-1.00). The nomogram evident that among younger women, the affected region primarily lies within the mandible, and patients with larger tumor diameters exhibit a heightened risk. Additionally, patients with higher radiomics signature scores are more susceptible to the BRAF-V600E gene mutations.

Conclusions

Our study presents a comprehensive radiomics-based machine learning model using five different methods to accurately detect BRAF-V600E gene mutations in patients diagnosed with ameloblastoma. The Random Forest model's high predictive performance, with AUC of 0.87, demonstrates its potential for facilitating a convenient and cost-effective way of identifying patients with the mutation without the need for invasive tumor sampling for molecular testing. This non-invasive approach has the potential to guide preoperative or postoperative drug treatment for affected individuals, thereby improving outcomes.

LRP5, SLC6A3, and SOX10 Expression in Conventional Ameloblastoma

Cell proliferation and invasion are characteristic of many tumors, including ameloblastoma, and are important features to target in possible future therapeutic applications.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was the identification of key genes and inhibitory drugs related to the cell proliferation and invasion of ameloblastoma using bioinformatic analysis.

METHODS

The H10KA_07_38 gene profile database was analyzed by Rstudio and ShinyGO Gene Ontology enrichment. String, Cytoscape-MCODE, and Kaplan-Meier plots were generated, which were subsequently validated by RT-qPCR relative expression and immunoexpression analyses. To propose specific inhibitory drugs, a bioinformatic search using Drug Gene Budger and DrugBank was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 204 significantly upregulated genes were identified. Gene ontology enrichment analysis identified four pathways related to cell proliferation and cell invasion. A total of 37 genes were involved in these pathways, and 11 genes showed an MCODE score of ≥0.4; however, only SLC6A3, SOX10, and LRP5 were negatively associated with overall survival (HR = 1.49 (p = 0.0072), HR = 1.55 (p = 0.0018), and HR = 1.38 (p = 0.025), respectively). The RT-qPCR results confirmed the significant differences in expression, with overexpression of >2 for SLC6A3 and SOX10. The immunoexpression analysis indicated positive LRP5 and SLC6A3 expression. The inhibitory drugs bioinformatically obtained for the above three genes were parthenolide and vorinostat.

CONCLUSIONS

We identify LRP5, SLC6A3, and SOX10 as potentially important genes related to cell proliferation and invasion in the pathogenesis of ameloblastomas, along with both parthenolide and vorinostat as inhibitory drugs that could be further investigated for the development of novel therapeutic approaches against ameloblastoma.

Therapeutic targeting of Ras/Raf/MAPK pathway by natural products: A systematic and mechanistic approach for neurodegeneration

BACKGROUND

Multiple dysregulated pathways are behind the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs); however, the crucial targets are still unknown. Oxidative stress, apoptosis, autophagy, and inflammation are the most dominant pathways that strongly influence neurodegeneration. In this way, targeting the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) pathway appears to be a developing strategy for combating NDDs like Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, aging, and other NDDs. Accordingly, plant secondary metabolites have shown promising potentials for the simultaneous modulation of the Ras/Raf/MAPKs pathway and play an essential role in NDDs. MAPKs include p38 MAPK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2), and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), which are important molecular players in neurodegeneration. Ras/Raf, which is located the upstream of MAPK pathway influences the initiation and progression of neurodegeneration and is regulated by natural products.

PURPOSE

Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective roles of plant- and marine-derived secondary metabolites against several NDDs through the modulation of the Ras/Raf/MAPK signaling pathway.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic and comprehensive review was performed to highlight the modulatory roles of natural products on the Ras/Raf/MAPK signaling pathway in NDDs, according to the PRISMA guideline, using scholarly electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Sciences. Associated reference lists were also searched for the literature review.

RESULTS

From a total of 1495 results, finally 107 articles were included in the present study. The results show that several natural compounds such as alkaloid, phenolic, terpenoids, and nanoformulation were shown to have modulatory effects on the Ras/Raf/MAPKs pathway.

CONCLUSION

Natural products are promising multi-targeted agents with on NDDs through Ras/Raf/MAPKs pathway. Nevertheless, additional and complementary studies are necessary to check its efficacy and potential side effects.

Genetic heterogeneity and enrichment of variants in DNA-repair genes in ameloblastoma

OBJECTIVE

Ameloblastomas are a group of relatively common odontogenic tumors that frequently originate from the dental epithelium. These tumors are aggressive in nature and present as slow-growing painless cortical expansion of the jaw. Histologically, the follicular and plexiform subtypes constitute two-thirds of solid/multicystic ameloblastomas. The objective of this study was to understand the genetic architecture of follicular and plexiform ameloblastomas using deep whole-exome sequencing.

METHODS

Archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of follicular (n = 4) and plexiform (n = 6) ameloblastomas were retrieved and genomic DNAs were isolated from the tumor tissue dissected from the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded block. The exomes were enriched using the Integrated DNA Technologies Exome Research Panel (IDT, Coralville, IA) and paired-end sequencing was completed on an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 with an average output of 20 GB of data resulting in a mean coverage of 400×. Variant analysis was completed using custom-developed software: Rapid Understanding of Nucleotide variant Effect Software and variant integration and knowledge interpretation in genomes.

RESULTS

Our analyses focused on examining somatic variants (gnomAD minor allele frequency ≤1%) in genes found on an Food and Drug Administration -approved clinical cancer sequencing panel (FoundationOne®CDx). In follicular tumors, variants (>20% of the reads) were identified in BRAF, KMT2D, and ABL1 genes. In plexiform tumors, variants (>20% of the reads) were identified in ALK, BRAF, KRAS, KMT2D, SMO, KMT2A, and BRCA2 genes. Enrichment analysis showed a significant role of DNA repair genes in the development of these tumors.

CONCLUSION

The variants identified in follicular and plexiform ameloblastomas were enriched in DNA-repair genes. The observed genetic heterogeneity in these ameloblastomas may contribute to the aggressive nature and recurrence risk of these tumors.

Conventional Ameloblastoma. A Case Report with Microarray and Bioinformatic Analysis

Ameloblastoma is a rare benign epithelial odontogenic neoplasm, but with great clinical implications, as despite its benignity and slow growth, most cases are locally aggressive with a significant recurrence rate. Histological, cellular, or molecular analyses of its pathogenesis have confirmed the complexity of this neoplasm. We present the case of a 20-year-old patient with a suggestive clinical and radiographic diagnosis of ameloblastoma. An incisional biopsy was obtained confirming the diagnosis of conventional ameloblastoma. Left hemimandibulectomy and plate reconstruction were performed. Histopathological analysis of the surgical specimen confirmed the conventional ameloblastoma with a plexiform pattern and significant areas of cystic degeneration and amyloid-like-like deposits. Additionally, a microarray was carried out with bioinformatic analysis for the enrichment, protein interaction, and determination of eight hub genes (CRP, BCHE, APP, AKT1, AGT, ACTC1, ADAM10, and APOA2) related to their pathogenesis.

Prognostic biomarker MCP-4 triggers epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the p38 MAPK pathway in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-4 (MCP-4/CCL13) is a proinflammatory factor that is overexpressed in various malignant tumors and may play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. However, its role and mechanism of action in ovarian cancer remains unknown.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to detect the expression of MCP-4 in ovarian cancer tissues, and the effect of MCP-4 on patient survival and prognosis was analyzed. Overexpression and suppression of MCP-4 in ovarian cancer cell lines were then established, and their effects on cell invasion, migration, and apoptosis were studied. ES-2 cell lines were employed to establish a peritoneal dissemination model in nude mice. Western blotting was performed to detect the expression of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) signaling pathway.

RESULTS

MCP-4 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and its expression level was related to the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer. MCP-4 overexpression promoted the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells but inhibited apoptosis. MCP-4 overexpression increased the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, N-cadherin, vimentin and Bcl2/Bax and decreased the expression of E-cadherin. MCP-4 overexpression increased the phosphorylation of the p38 MAPK pathway. The inhibition of MCP-4 expression indicated an opposite trend. In vivo experiments have also confirmed that MCP-4 overexpression can promote metastasis of ovarian cancer.

CONCLUSION

MCP-4 promotes ovarian cancer progression through the p38 MAPK signaling pathway, and may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

Salidroside inhibited cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis via Nrf2/Trx1 signaling pathway

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) is still a serious problem threatening human health. Salidroside (SAL) is a natural phenylpropanoid glycoside compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ischemic properties. This study investigated the protective mechanism of SAL on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)- and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model-induced CIRI via regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) axis. The results indicated that SAL (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) not only effectively alleviated infarction rate, improved histopathological changes, relieved apoptosis by strengthening the suppression of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, but also increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and upregulated the expressions of Nrf2 and Trx1 on MCAO-induced CIRI rats. SAL also efficiently inhibited apoptosis and decreased oxidative stress in OGD/R-stimulated PC12 cells. Furthermore, blocking the Nrf2/Trx1 pathway using tretinoin, an Nrf2 inhibitor, significantly reversed the protective effect of SAL on OGD/R-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, SAL reduced the expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family proteins. These results demonstrated that SAL inhibited oxidative stress through Nrf2/Trx1 signaling pathway, and subsequently reduced CIRI-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ASK1/MAPK.

BRAF V600E Mutation in Ameloblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The discovery that ameloblastoma has a high mutation incidence of BRAF V600E may enable a better investigation of pathophysiology. However, there is inconsistent evidence regarding this mutation occurrence and its association with clinical information. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to pool the overall mutation prevalence of BRAF V600E in reported ameloblastoma cases and to determine its association with patient demographic and clinicopathological features. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive article search was conducted through four databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, and Web of Science). Seventeen articles between 2014 and 2022 met the inclusion criteria with 833 ameloblastoma cases. For each included study, the significance of BRAF V600E on the outcome parameters was determined using odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Meta-analysis prevalence of BRAF V600E in ameloblastoma was 70.49%, and a significant meta-analysis association was reported for those younger than 54 years old and in the mandible. On the contrary, other factors, such as sex, histological variants, and recurrence, were insignificant. As a result of the significant outcome of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastoma pathogenesis, targeted therapy formulation can be developed with this handful of evidence.

Protective Effects of Piperine on Ethanol-Induced Gastric Mucosa Injury by Oxidative Stress Inhibition

Piper nigrum Linnaeus is often used as a treatment for chills, stomach diseases, and other ailments. Piperine has many biological functions; however, its mechanism for preventing gastric mucosal damage is still unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the preventive effects of piperine on ethanol-induced gastric mucosal injury by using GES-1 cells and rats. SOD, CAT, GSH-Px and MDA were effectively regulated in GES-1 cells pre-treated with piperine. Piperine significantly increased SOD, CAT and GSH-Px activities, but decreased the ulcer area, MDA, ROS and MPO levels in the gastric tissues of rats. RT-PCR analysis showed that piperine downregulated the mRNA expression levels of keap1, JNK, ERK and p38, and upregulated the mRNA transcription levels of Nrf2 and HO-1. Western blotting results indicated that piperine could activate the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 and inhibit the protein expression levels of keap1, p-JNK, p-ERK and p-p38. In conclusion, piperine suppressed ethanol-induced gastric ulcers in vitro and in vivo via oxidation inhibition and improving gastric-protecting activity by regulating the Nrf2/HO-1 and MAPK signalling pathways.

FOSL1 promotes tumor growth and invasion in ameloblastoma

Background

FOSL1, a key component of the Activating protein-1 (AP-1) transcriptional complex, plays an important role in cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. However, the impact of FOSL1 in ameloblastoma (AM) has not been clarified. Herein, we aimed to assess the expression of FOSL1 and investigate its functional role in AM.

Methods

The expression of FOSL1 was examined based on an immunohistochemistry analysis of 96 AM samples. Cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and tumorigenesis were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, Transwell, and sphere formation assays. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to investigate the molecular alterations of AM cells upon FOSL depletion. Microarrays of AMs were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for bioinformatics analysis. In addition, patient-derived AM organoids were used to evaluate the therapeutic value of the AP-1 inhibitor.

Results

FOSL1 was detected in the nuclei of AMs and upregulated in conventional AMs compared to unicystic AMs and normal oral epithelium. Compared with primary AM, FOSL1 expression was significantly increased in recurrent AM. Genetic knockdown of FOSL1 suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and sphere formation of AMs. Similar results were also observed by pharmacological inhibition of AP-1 activity. Moreover, the AP-1 inhibitor T5224 impeded the growth of organoids derived from AM patients. Mechanistically, our Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) results revealed that depletion of FOSL1 inactivated kinetochore metaphase signaling and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway and then impaired the aggressiveness of AM cells accordingly.

Conclusion

FOSL1 promotes tumor recurrence and invasive growth in AM by modulating kinetochore metaphase signaling and the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway; thus, it represents a promising therapeutic target for AM treatment.

Identification of BRAF V600E mutation in odontogenic tumors by high-performance MALDI-TOF analysis

Odontogenic tumors are rare lesions with unknown etiopathogenesis. Most of them are benign, but local aggressiveness, infiltrative potential, and high recurrence rate characterize some entities. The MAP-kinase pathway activation can represent a primary critical event in odontogenic tumorigenesis. Especially, the BRAF V600E mutation has been involved in 80–90% of ameloblastic lesions, offering a biological rationale for developing new targeted therapies. The study aims to evaluate the BRAF V600E mutation in odontogenic lesions, comparing three different detection methods and focusing on the Sequenom MassARRAY System. 81 surgical samples of odontogenic lesions were subjected to immunohistochemical analysis, Sanger Sequencing, and Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization-Time of Flight mass spectrometry (Sequenom). The BRAF V600E mutation was revealed only in ameloblastoma samples. Moreover, the presence of BRAF V600E was significantly associated with the mandibular site (ρ = 0.627; P value <0.001) and the unicystic histotype (ρ = 0.299, P value <0.001). However, any significant difference of 10-years disease-free survival time was not revealed. Finally, Sequenom showed to be a 100% sensitive and 98.1% specific, suggesting its high-performance diagnostic accuracy. These results suggest the MAP-kinase pathway could contribute to ameloblastic tumorigenesis. Moreover, they could indicate the anatomical specificity of the driving mutations of mandibular ameloblastomas, providing a biological rational for developing new targeted therapies. Finally, the high diagnostic accuracy of Sequenom was confirmed.

Correlation of LAGE3 with unfavorable prognosis and promoting tumor development in HCC via PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/RAF/MAPK pathways

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common clinical malignancies quite susceptible to recurrence and metastasis. Despite several improvements in therapeutic approaches, the prognosis remains poor due to the limited treatment options. A bioinformatics analysis based on TCGA databases revealed that the recombinant human L antigen family member 3 (LAGE3) might function as an effective prognostic and diagnostic biomarker for HCC, as LAGE3, a protein-coding gene, maintains several important biological functions and has a physiological significance in the CTAG family while simultaneously being involved in regulating the occurrence and invasion of numerous types of tumors. However, the LAGE3 gene’s functional and regulatory mechanism in the progression of HCC remains unclear.

Methods

The LAGE3 level was investigated in 79 HCC tissues cases, ten HCC adjacent tissue cases, and six cases of normal liver tissues by IHC, while the LAGE3 level was evaluated in BEL-7404, SMCC-7721, Huh-7, HepG2, and MIHA cell lines by qRT-PCR and Western blot tests. Although the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptotic abilities of HCC cells were measured in vitro after silencing assay to probe the role of LAGE3 in HCC cells, the tumor xenograft growth experiment was used to verify the in vivo effect of LAGE3 gene knockdown on the growth of HCC tumors combined with bioinformatics analysis to study the LAGE3 mechanisms regulating HCC proliferation.

Results

Our results implied that LAGE3 was extensively expressed in HCC cell lines like BEL-7404, SMCC-7721, and Huh-7 cells as well as HCC tissues, but a lower expression was observed in HepG2 cells. Additionally, LAGE3 restrains cellular proliferation, promotes apoptotic pathways in HCC cells, and inhibits the growth of HCC tumors in vivo. Lastly, it was stated that LAGE3 might promote tumor development in HCC via PI3K/AKT/mTOR and Ras/RAF/MAPK pathways.

Conclusion

This study shows that the development of specific LAGE3 target drugs might become new effective treatment modalities for HCC patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09398-3.

Identification of key biomarkers related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immune infiltration in ameloblastoma using integrated bioinformatics analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ameloblastoma (AM) through integrated bioinformatics analysis.

METHODS

We downloaded two microarrays of AMs from the GEO database and identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by integrated bioinformatics analysis. The enrichment analysis of DEGs was conducted to characterize GO and KEGG pathways. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and hub genes were screened via STRING and Cytoscape. CIBERSORT algorithm was utilized to analyze immune infiltration in AMs. We also verified the diagnostic and therapeutic value of hub genes.

RESULTS

Overall, 776 DEGs were identified in AMs through bioinformatics analysis. The function enrichment analysis shed light on pathways involved in AMs. Subsequently, we screened six hub genes via PPI network. Furthermore, we evaluated immune infiltration in AMs and found that macrophages may be participating in the progression of AMs. The upregulated expression of FN1 was related to the macrophages M2 polarization. Finally, ROC analysis indicated that six hub genes had high diagnostic value for AMs and 11 drugs interacted with upregulated hub genes were identified by screening the DGIdb database.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis and biological behavior of AMs and provided candidate targets for the diagnosis and treatment of AMs.

Diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry compared with molecular tests for detection of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastomas: systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis was to critically evaluate the available data on sensitivity and specificity of IHC compared with molecular tests in the detection of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA statement and registered in Prospero (CRD42021259117). PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus and Cochrane Library databases were searched for observational studies to answer the question "What is the diagnostic accuracy of immunohistochemistry compared with molecular tests for the diagnosis of BRAF V600E mutation in ameloblastomas?". Methodological quality and risk of bias assessment of the selected studies were based on the QUADAS-2. Meta-analysis based on hierarchical SROC curve model and summary measures for sensitivity and specificity were computed.

RESULTS

A total of 226 records were found, but only 05 articles met the inclusion criteria, with 277 FFPE specimens of ameloblastoma included in the quantitative analysis. The sensitivity of the IHC compared to molecular tests ranged from 0.71 to 1.00, while all of the included studies showed perfect specificity (1.00). Pooled measures for sensitivity and specificity were 0.95 [95% CI 0.89, 1.00] and 1.00 [95% CI 0.95, 1.00], respectively. The Diagnostic Odds Ratio was 4.05 and the AUC for SROC curve was calculated as 0.979.

CONCLUSIONS

BRAF V600E-specific IHC using VE1 antibody showed extremely high sensitivity and specificity when compared with molecular tests in the detection of the mutation in ameloblastomas.

The Molecular Pathology of Odontogenic Tumors: Expanding the Spectrum of MAPK Pathway Driven Tumors

Odontogenic tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of lesions that arise from the odontogenic apparatus and their remnants. Although the etiopathogenesis of most odontogenic tumors remains unclear, there have been some advances, recently, in the understanding of the genetic basis of specific odontogenic tumors. The mitogen-activated protein kinases/extracellular signal-regulated kinases (MAPK/ERK) pathway is intimately involved in the regulation of important cellular functions, and it is commonly deregulated in several human neoplasms. Molecular analysis performed by different techniques, including direct sequencing, next-generation sequencing, and allele-specific qPCR, have uncovered mutations in genes related to the oncogenic MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in odontogenic tumors. Genetic mutations in this pathway genes have been reported in epithelial and mixed odontogenic tumors, in addition to odontogenic carcinomas and sarcomas. Notably, B-Raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) and KRAS proto-oncogene GTPase (KRAS) pathogenic mutations have been reported in a high proportion of ameloblastomas and adenomatoid odontogenic tumors, respectively. In line with the reports about other neoplasms that harbor a malignant counterpart, the frequency of BRAF p.V600E mutation is higher in ameloblastoma (64% in conventional, 81% in unicystic, and 63% in peripheral) than in ameloblastic carcinoma (35%). The objective of this study was to review MAPK/ERK genetic mutations in benign and malignant odontogenic tumors. Additionally, such genetic alterations were discussed in the context of tumorigenesis, clinical behavior, classification, and future perspectives regarding therapeutic approaches.

Expression of DNMTs and H3K9ac in Ameloblastoma and Ameloblastic Carcinoma

Objectives: DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and the histone modification H3K9ac are epigenetic markers. This study aimed to describe the immunohistochemical expression of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B, and H3K9ac in the dental follicle (DF), ameloblastoma (AME), and ameloblastic carcinoma (AC), correlating these expressions with the recurrence and aggressive behavior in ameloblastoma.

Study Design: Immunohistochemical reactions were performed in 10 human DFs, 38 ameloblastomas, and 6 AC samples. Another 59 ameloblastomas assembled in a tissue microarray were used to compare the immunoexpression with the clinical, radiographic, and histopathological characteristics and the presence of BRAFv600e mutation. Each slide was digitized as a high-resolution image and quantified by Aperio ScanScope Nuclear V9 software. All statistical analyzes were performed using GraphPad Prism statistical software.

Results: DNMT3B expression was higher in ameloblastomas than in the DFs, while the AC overexpressed all proteins. The ameloblastomas with BRAFv600e mutation, vestibular/lingual, or vestibular/palatine bone cortical disruption and maxilla involvement showed DNMT1 overexpression, while recurrent cases had high DNMT3B levels.

Conclusions: DNA methylation and histone modification might play a role in the development, clinical aggressiveness, and recurrence rates of ameloblastoma, such as the progression to AC. Further investigation about gene methylations in ameloblastomas is needed to better understand its relationship with aggressiveness and recurrence.

To Predict Anti-Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Targets of Guizhi Decoction in Treating Asthma Based on Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Experimental Validation

Asthma, characterized by the continuous inflammatory response caused by a variety of immune cells, is one of the most common chronic respiratory diseases worldwide. Relevant clinical trials proved that the traditional Chinese medicine formula Guizhi Decoction (GZD) had multitarget and multichannel functions, which might be an effective drug for asthma. However, the effective ingredients and mechanisms of GZD against asthma are still unclear. Therefore, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cell experiments were performed to explore the antiasthma effects and potential mechanisms of GZD. First, we applied the TCMSP database and literature to obtain the bioactivated ingredients in GZD. SwissTargetPrediction, TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TTD, DrugBank, and STRING database were used to get core genes. In addition, the key pathways were analyzed by the DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to predict whether the important components could act on the core target proteins directly. Finally, qPCR was carried out to verify the network pharmacology results and the possible mechanisms of GZD in the treatment of asthma. We collected 134 active ingredients in GZD, 959 drug targets, and 3223 disease targets. 431 intersection genes were screened for subsequent analysis. Through GO and KEGG analyses, enriched pathways related to inflammation and immune regulation were presented. Through the qPCR method to verify the role of essential genes, we found that GZD had an excellent anti-inflammatory effect. Direct or indirect inhibition of MAPK and NF-κB pathways might be one of the crucial mechanisms of GZD against asthma. GZD might be a promising potential drug for the treatment of asthma. This article provided a reference for the clinical application of GZD.

Molecular biological findings of ameloblastoma

Ameloblastoma is benign odontogenic tumours that mainly occur in the jawbone. This tumour induces aggressive invasion into the surrounding bone and has a high recurrence rate after surgery. Therefore, mandibular resection is performed in many patients with this tumour, causing aesthetic and functional problems. It is necessary to develop a novel treatment strategy for ameloblastoma, but there are currently no innovative treatments. Although our understanding of the molecular biological mechanisms of ameloblastoma is still insufficient, there have been many recent reports of new molecular biological findings on ameloblastoma. Therefore, bioactive factors that have potential for novel therapeutic methods, such as molecular targeted therapy, have been discovered in ameloblastoma. In this review, we summarize the molecular biological findings of ameloblastoma reported over several decades, focusing on factors involved in invasion into surrounding tissues and disease-specific gene mutations. We also mention the effect of the interaction between tumour cells and stromal components in ameloblastoma on tumour development. Scientific field of dental Science: Oral surgery, Odontogenic tumor, Ameloblastoma.

gga-miR-142-3p negatively regulates Mycoplasma gallisepticum (HS strain)-induced inflammatory cytokine production via the NF-κB and MAPK signaling by targeting TAB2

OBJECTIVE

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), a notorious avian pathogen, leads to considerable economic losses in the poultry industry. MG infection is characterized by severe, uncontrollable inflammation and host DNA damage. Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators in microbial pathogenesis. However, the role of miRNAs in MG infection is poorly characterized. In this study, we validated the functional roles of gga-miR-142-3p.

METHODS

The relative expression of gga-miR-142-3p in the lungs of the MG-infected chicken embryos and the MG-infected chicken embryonic fibroblast cell line (DF-1) was determined by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR analysis. Bioinformatics database was used to analysis the target gene of gga-miR-142-3p. The luciferase reporter assay as well as gene expression analysis were conducted to validate the target gene. To further explore the biological functions of gga-miR-142-3p upon MG infection, the cell proliferation was quantified using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8). Meanwhile, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis were measured using a flow cytometer.

RESULTS

gga-miR-142-3p was significantly upregulated in both MG-infected chicken-embryo lungs and the DF-1 cells. gga-miR-142-3p over expression significantly downregulated the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha after MG infection. Meanwhile, gga-miR-142-3p enhanced the host defense against MG infection by facilitating cell proliferation, promoting cell progression and inhibiting cell apoptosis. Interestingly, TAB2 knockdown groups show similar results, whereas, TAB2 over-expression groups and gga-miR-142-3p inhibitor groups had thoroughly opposite results. The expression of p-p65 in nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) and p-p38 in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was decreased when gga-miR-142-3p was over-expressed.

CONCLUSION

Upon MG infection, upregulation of gga-miR-142-3p alleviates inflammation by negatively regulating the signaling pathways of NF-κB and MAPKs by targeting TAB2 and facilitates cell proliferation by inhibiting cell apoptosis and promoting cell cycle progression to defend against MG infection.

Identification of circ_0089153/miR-608/EGFR p53 axis in ameloblastoma via MAPK signaling pathway

OBJECTIVES

This study investigated the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in the pathogenesis of ameloblastoma (AB), identifying potential novel targets for future targeted therapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CircRNA and microRNA (miRNA) profiling in AB were built with microarrays. Six novel circRNAs were validated, circ-miRNA networks were delineated. Hsa-miR-608 was filtered over cross-comparison between database screening, miRNA microarray and validated. Circ-miRNA binding sponge was validated via luciferase reporter assay. Downstream mRNAs were screened. Regulation between miRNAs and mRNAs was confirmed in vitro. Gene interaction networks and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA interaction pathway enrichment analyses were established.

RESULTS

Six differentially expressed circRNAs were selected and validated. According to miRNAs and pathways predicted, six correlated miRNAs were selected, hsa-miR-608 was filtered and validated. The hsa_circ_0089153/hsa-miR-608 binding sponge was validated. Downstream gene interaction networks showed that EGFR and p53 had the strongest co-expression. In vitro transfection results confirmed the suppressive function of miR-608 and EGFR p53. Hsa_circ_0089153/hsa-miR-608/EGFR p53 interaction pathway enrichment analysis confirmed functions mainly enriched in MAPK and related signaling pathways regulating AB progression.

CONCLUSIONS

Six novel circRNAs were identified. Hsa_circ_0089153/hsa-miR-608 sponging was validated, hsa-miR-608 downregulated EGFR and p53, which might further regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell cycle processes via the MAPK signaling pathway.

Discrepancy between immunohistochemistry and sequencing for BRAF V600E in odontogenic tumours: Comparative analysis of two VE1 antibodies

BACKGROUND

Although immunohistochemistry (IHC) along with molecular tests has been investigated in ameloblastoma for BRAF V600E detection, VE1 IHC has not been studied in odontogenic carcinomas (OCs) and benign mixed epithelial and mesenchymal odontogenic tumours (BMOTs). Here, we performed BRAF V600E mutation analysis, examined the expression pattern of VE1 IHC, and comparatively evaluated the performance of two VE1 antibodies in ameloblastomas, OCs and BMOTs.

METHODS

BRAF V600E detection was performed using Sanger sequencing in a total of 47 odontogenic tumours: 28 ameloblastomas, 6 OCs and 13 BMOTs. VE1 IHC was conducted using two different antibodies (IHC-A and IHC-V), and their performance was analysed by calculating the sensitivity and specificity compared with sequencing.

RESULTS

BRAF V600E mutations were identified in 24/28 (85.7%) ameloblastomas, 2/5 (40.0%) ameloblastic carcinomas (ACs), 3/7 (42.9%) ameloblastic fibromas and 1/2 (50.0%) ameloblastic fibro-odontomas. In the presence of the mutation, VE1 showed diffuse cytoplasmic staining in ameloblastomas and ACs, whereas all BMOTs were negative for VE1. IHC-A and IHC-V yielded a sensitivity of 76.7% and 60.0%, respectively, although both antibodies showed 100% specificity.

CONCLUSION

OCs and BMOTs have BRAF V600E mutations in common at lower frequencies than ameloblastoma. Diffuse VE1 cytoplasmic staining in AC suggests the utility of MAPK-targeted therapy as selectively applied in ameloblastoma, and consistent VE1 false-negative expression in BMOTs requires further investigation. Considering the high specificity but low sensitivity of VE1 IHC, molecular tests should be performed to determine the presence of BRAF V600E mutations in odontogenic tumours.

Overview of current targeted therapy in gallbladder cancer

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is rare, but is the most malignant type of biliary tract tumor. Unfortunately, only a small population of cancer patients is acceptable for the surgical resection, the current effective regimen; thus, the high mortality rate has been static for decades. To substantially circumvent the stagnant scenario, a number of therapeutic approaches owing to the creation of advanced technologic measures (e.g., next-generation sequencing, transcriptomics, proteomics) have been intensively innovated, which include targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and nanoparticle-based delivery systems. In the current review, we primarily focus on the targeted therapy capable of specifically inhibiting individual key molecules that govern aberrant signaling cascades in GBC. Global clinical trials of targeted therapy in GBC are updated and may offer great value for novel pathologic and therapeutic insights of this deadly disease, ultimately improving the efficacy of treatment.

Immunohistochemical Detection of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) in Follicular and Plexiform Ameloblastoma - A Novel Study

Background:

Ameloblastoma is the second most common odontogenic tumor that holds a unique position among benign tumors due to its locally destructive and invasive nature. The differed tumor biology behind follicular and plexiform ameloblastoma is always an enigma. Nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin that plays a major role during odontogenesis, could also possibly play a role in the pathogenesis of odontogenic tumors such as ameloblastoma. With this background, the study was aimed to investigate the expression of NGF in follicular and plexiform ameloblastoma.

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to analyze the immunohistochemical expression pattern of NGF in ameloblastoma and to compare the immunohistochemical expression pattern of NGF among the follicular and plexiform histological types of ameloblastoma.

Materials and Methods:

Forty histological sections of ameloblastomas (20 follicular and 20 plexiform) were stained immunohistochemically with anti-human NGF mouse IgG monoclonal antibody and the staining was analyzed statistically.

Results:

Almost all the 40 ameloblastoma samples (20 follicular and 20 plexiform) showed positive immunoreactivity to NGF. Both peripheral pre-ameloblast-like tall columnar cells and central stellate-reticulum-like cells showed positive reactivity. The pattern of staining was membranous in the immunoreactive cells. The χ² value for the immunoexpression between follicular and plexiform ameloblastoma was statistically significant with a P value <0.002. A possible mechanism has been proposed after studying the results with the downstream pathways obtained from literature.

Conclusion:

The pattern of expression of NGF is seen in both follicular and plexiform ameloblastoma. But the intensity is more in plexiform than that of follicular ameloblastoma.

miR-30 inhibits proliferation of trophoblasts in preeclampsia rats partially related to MAPK/ERK pathway

Effect of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-30 on the proliferation of trophoblasts in preeclampsia (PE) rats through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway was studied. The miR-30 mimic was transfected into the trophoblast HTR8/SVNEO cell lines. The effects of expression level of miR-30 on the proliferation and hypoxia-induced apoptosis of HTR8/SVNEO cells were detected via methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide staining, respectively, using the flow cytometer. A total of 30 pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (CTL group, n=10), PE rat group (PE group, n=10) and PE + miR-30 Mimic group (PE+agomiR-30 group, n=10) using a random number table. The protein expression levels of phosphorylated ERK (p-ERK)1/2, ERK1/2, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and tubulin were determined using western blot analysis, and the mRNA expression level of ERK1/2 was detected via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The expression level of PCNA in tissues was detected via immunohistochemistry. The results of MTT assay showed that the proliferation of HTR8/SVNEO cells significantly declined in hypoxic environment, while miR-30 promoted the proliferation of HTR8/SVNEO cells and alleviated the hypoxia-induced inhibition on cell proliferation. It was found that the trophoblast apoptosis rate was increased in hypoxia group compared with that in CTL group, while it was significantly decreased in miR-30 Mimic group compared with that in hypoxia group. PE group had obviously decreased p-ERK and PCNA expression levels as well as p-ERK/ERK ratio in placental tissues compared with CTL group, while PE+agomiR-30 group had an obviously increased expression level of PCNA as well as p-ERK/ERK ratio in placental tissues compared with PE group. MiR-30 activates the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway and increases the expression level of PCNA through raising the p-ERK level and p-ERK/ERK ratio, thereby inhibiting cell apoptosis and promoting cell proliferation.

Ameloblastoma: A succinct review of the classification, genetic understanding and novel molecular targeted therapies

Ameloblastomas are benign but locally invasive neoplasms which may grow to massive proportions and cause significant morbidity. Although some types of ameloblastoma can be treated predictably with aggressive surgical treatment, recurrent ameloblastoma and metastasising ameloblastoma are still difficult to treat. Recent studies have identified recurrent somatic and activating mutations in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling pathways in ameloblastoma. This development provided a possibility that molecular targeted therapies can be used as neoadjuvant treatment. In this review, we provide a summary of the latest WHO classification of ameloblastoma, the current understanding of genetic mutations and novel molecular targeted therapies arising from the recent developments.

Odontogenic Myxoma: A 23-Year Retrospective Series of 38 Cases

Odontogenic myxoma (OM) is an uncommon benign odontogenic tumor arising in the jaw. Though it has slight histologic overlap with other entities, definitive diagnosis is imperative considering the tumor's aggressive nature, high recurrence rate, and necessity of radical surgical intervention in large-sized lesions. With IRB approval, a retrospective search of the University of Florida College of Dentistry Oral Pathology Biopsy Service archives from 1994 to 2017 for diagnosis of OM of the jaw was performed. Biopsy reports and original slides for each case were assessed and reviewed along with any accompanying radiographs to confirm the diagnosis. Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to exclude entities with histologic overlaps, such as intraosseous myxoid neurofibroma. A total of 38 cases were included. The patients' age ranged from 6 to 84 years, with a mean age of 37.47 years. Females comprised two-thirds of the cases (n = 25) versus males (n = 13). The mandible was the most affected at 60.5% (n = 23), followed by maxilla 39.4% (n = 15). Posterior jaw involvement was higher than anterior in both the mandible (n = 20 versus n = 3) and the maxilla (n = 11 versus n = 4). Most lesions presented clinically as expansile masses with variable radiographic appearance. The clinical impression from submitting providers included "gelatinous masses", abscesses, odontogenic lesions, fibro-osseous lesions, soft tissue or bone neoplasms, and reactive gingival lesions. A consensus of odontogenic myxoma as a diagnosis was rendered for 30 cases (79%), while in 8 cases (21%) that exhibited a more fibrous stroma was identified as fibromyxoma. OM may exhibit a varied demographic and clinical profile with a wide spectrum of histologic presentations. Pathologists should be sentient of this variability in order to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and correctly manage these patients.

Ameloblastomas Exhibit Stem Cell Potential, Possess Neurotrophic Properties, and Establish Connections with Trigeminal Neurons

Ameloblastomas are locally invasive and aggressive odontogenic tumors treated via surgical resection, which results in facial deformity and significant morbidity. Few studies have addressed the cellular and molecular events of ameloblastoma onset and progression, thus hampering the development of non-invasive therapeutic approaches. Tumorigenesis is driven by a plethora of factors, among which innervation has been long neglected. Recent findings have shown that innervation directly promotes tumor progression. On this basis, we investigated the molecular characteristics and neurotrophic properties of human ameloblastomas. Our results showed that ameloblastomas express dental epithelial stem cell markers, as well as components of the Notch signaling pathway, indicating persistence of stemness. We demonstrated that ameloblastomas express classical stem cell markers, exhibit stem cell potential, and form spheres. These tumors express also molecules of the Notch signaling pathway, fundamental for stem cells and their fate. Additionally, we showed that ameloblastomas express the neurotrophic factors NGF and BDNF, as well as their receptors TRKA, TRKB, and P75/NGFR, which are responsible for their innervation by trigeminal axons in vivo. In vitro studies using microfluidic devices showed that ameloblastoma cells attract and form connections with these nerves. Innervation of ameloblastomas might play a key role in the onset of this malignancy and might represent a promising target for non-invasive pharmacological interventions.

Current concepts in ameloblastoma-targeted therapies in B-raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase V600E mutation: Systematic review

BACKGROUND

Ameloblastomas are common benign epithelial odontogenic neoplasms that present an aggressive and unpredictable behavior that may modify treatment strategies. Different signaling pathways that participate in the progression of these tumors have been identified. B-raf proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (BRAF) is a protein involved in the behavior of ameloblastomas, and it is related to many cell mechanisms. BRAF gene mutations have been identified in ameloblastomas, of which the BRAF V600E (valine substituted by glutamic acid at amino acid 600) mutation has been the most common and can be present concomitantly with other mutations that may be involved in its behavior. Targeted therapies have been used as an alternative in the case of resistance or contraindications to conventional treatments.

AIM

To document the presence of BRAF V600E and additional mutations, their behavior, and targeted therapies in these tumors.

METHODS

An electronic literature search was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines in PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane, EMBASE, and SpringerLink using the terms "ameloblastomas", "BRAF V600E", "additional mutations", and "targeted therapies". Ameloblastomas were classified according to WHO guidelines. Inclusion criteria were articles in English, published not more than 10 years ago, and studies with laboratory works related to BRAF V600E. Articles were evaluated by two independent reviewers and retrieved for full-text evaluation. The EBLIP Critical Appraisal Checklist was used to evaluate the quality of the eligible studies. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Two independent reviewers, with a substantial concordance indicated by a kappa coefficient of k = 0.76, evaluated a total of 19 articles that were included in this study. The analysis registered 521 conventional ameloblastomas (AM), 81 unicystic ameloblastomas (UA), 13 ameloblastic carcinomas (AC), three metastatic ameloblastomas (MA), and six peripheral ameloblastomas (PA), of which the histopathological type, anatomic location, laboratory tests, expression of BRAF mutation, and additional mutations were registered. The BRAF V600E mutation was found in 297 AM (57%), 63 UA (77.7%), 3 AC (23%), 1 MA (50%), and 5 PA (83.3%). Follicular type predominated with a total of 116 cases (40%), followed by plexiform type with 63 cases (22.1%). Furthermore, both types presented additional mutations, in which alterations in JAK3 P132T, SMARCB1, PIK3CA, CTNNB1, SMO, and BRAF G606E genes were found. Four case reports were found with targeted therapy to BRAF V600E.

CONCLUSION

The identification of BRAF V600E and additional mutations as an aid in targeted therapies has been a breakthrough in alternative treatments of ameloblastomas where surgical treatments are contraindicated.

Sevoflurane Inhibits Proliferation and Invasion of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells by Regulating JNK and p38 MAPK Signaling Pathway

Aim

Sevoflurane is a halogen inhaled anesthetic, and we aimed to probe the effect of sevoflurane on proliferation and invasion of human ovarian cancer (OC) and its mechanism.

Methods

OC cell lines were divided into 4 groups including control, sevoflurane low concentration (1.7%), medium concentration (3.4%) and high concentration (5.1%) groups. Flow cytometry and MTT assay were, respectively, employed to detect the cell apoptosis and proliferation. Transwell assay was applied to measure the cell migration and invasion viability. The gene and protein expressions were assessed using qRT-PCR and Western blot. The expressions of MAPK signaling pathway-related proteins were evaluated by Western blot. The p38 and JNK inhibitors were, respectively, added into the high concentration group to analyze the relationship between sevoflurane and modulatingmitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in OC. Nude mice models were constructed to explore the effect of sevoflurane on OC tumor growth in vivo.

Results

Sevoflurane inhibited OC proliferation in vitro and in vivo. It could also promote OC cell apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Sevoflurane suppressed the OC cell migration and invasion, and these effects were positively correlated with the dose of sevoflurane. Moreover, sevoflurane treatment inhibited the expressions of PCNA, Twist, cleaved-caspase-3/caspase-3, MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition, sevoflurane repressed the phosphorylation of JNK and p38 MAPK. When the MAPK pathway was interdicted, the cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion activity were recovered after sevoflurane treatment.

Conclusion

Sevoflurane affected cell biological activities in OC by regulating JNK and p38 MAPK signaling pathway.