Cephaeline is an inductor of histone H3 acetylation and inhibitor of mucoepidermoid carcinoma cancer stem cells

Cephaeline promotes ferroptosis by targeting NRF2 to exert anti-lung cancer efficacy

CONTEXT

Cephaeline is a natural product isolated from ipecac (Cephaelis ipecacuanha [Brot.] A. Rich. [Rubiaceae]). It exhibits promising anti-lung cancer activity and ferroptosis induction may be a key mechanism for its anti-lung cancer effect.

OBJECTIVES

This study investigates the anti-lung cancer activity and mechanisms of cephaeline both in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

H460 and A549 lung cancer cells were used. The cephaeline inhibition rate on lung cancer cells was detected via a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay after treatment with cephaeline for 24 h. Subsequently, the concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 nM were used for in vitro experiments. In addition, the antitumour effects of cephaeline (5, 10 mg/kg) in vivo were evaluated after 12 d of cephaeline treatment.

RESULTS

Cephaeline showed significant inhibitory effects on lung cancer cells, and the IC50 of cephaeline on H460 and A549 at 24, 48 and 72 h were 88, 58 and 35 nM, respectively, for H460 cells and 89, 65 and 43 nM, respectively, for A549 cells. Meanwhile, we demonstrated that ferroptosis is the key mechanism of cephaeline against lung cancer. Finally, we found that cephaeline induced ferroptosis in lung cancer cells by targeting NRF2.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

We demonstrated for the first time that cephaeline inhibits NRF2, leading to ferroptosis in lung cancer cells. These findings may contribute to the development of innovative therapeutics for lung cancer.

Systemic therapies for salivary gland carcinomas: an overview of published clinical trials

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus about effective systemic therapy for salivary gland carcinomas (sgcs). Our aim was summarized the clinical trials assessing the systemic therapies (ST) on sgcs.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Electronic searches were carried out through MEDLINE/pubmed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library databases, and gray literature.

RESULTS

Seventeen different drugs were evaluated, and the most frequent histological subtype was adenoid cystic carcinoma (n=195, 45.5%). Stable disease, observed in 11 ST, achieved the highest rate in adenoid cystic carcinoma treated with sunitinib. The highest complete (11.1%) and partial response (30.5%) rates were seen in androgen receptor-positive tumors treated with leuprorelin acetate.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite all the advances in this field, there is yet no effective evidence-based regimen of ST, with all the clinical trials identified showing low rates of complete and partial responses. Further, translational studies are urgently required to characterize molecular targets and effective ST.

Development of a prognostic signature for immune-associated genes in bladder cancer and exploring potential drug findings

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer, predominantly affecting men, is a prevalent malignancy of the urinary system. Although platinum-based chemotherapy has demonstrated certain enhancements in overall survival when compared to surgery alone, the efficacy of treatments is impeded by the unfavorable side effects of conventional chemotherapy medications. Nonetheless, immunotherapy exhibits potential in the treatment of bladder cancer.

METHODS

To create an immune-associated prognostic signature for bladder cancer, bioinformatics analyses were performed utilizing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database in this study. By identifying differential gene expressions between the high-risk and low-risk groups, a potential therapeutic drug was predicted using the Connectivity Map database. Subsequently, the impact of this drug on the growth of T24 cells was validated through MTT assay and 3D cell culture techniques.

RESULTS

The signature included 1 immune-associated LncRNA (NR2F1-AS1) and 16 immune-associated mRNAs (DEFB133, RBP7, PDGFRA, CGB3, PDGFD, SCG2, ADCYAP1R1, OPRL1, PGR, PSMD1, TANK, PRDX1, ADIPOR2, S100A8, AHNAK, EGFR). Based on the assessment of risk scores, the patients were classified into cohorts of low-risk and high-risk individuals. The cohort with low risk demonstrated a considerably higher likelihood of survival in comparison to the group with high risk. Furthermore, variations in immune infiltration were noted among the two categories. Cephaeline, a possible medication, was discovered by analyzing variations in gene expression. It exhibited promise in suppressing the viability and growth of T24 bladder cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

The novel predictive pattern allows for efficient categorization of patients with bladder cancer, enabling focused and rigorous treatment for those expected to have a worse prognosis. The discovery of a possible curative medication establishes a basis for forthcoming immunotherapy trials in bladder cancer.

Novel Epigenetic Modifiers of Histones Presenting Potent Inhibitory Effects on Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma Stemness and Invasive Properties

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a rare neoplasm known for its indolent clinical course, risk of perineural invasion, and late onset of distant metastasis. Due to the scarcity of samples and the tumor's rarity, progress in developing effective treatments has been historically limited. To tackle this issue, a high-throughput screening of epigenetic drugs was conducted to identify compounds capable of disrupting the invasive properties of the tumor and its cancer stem cells (CSCs). ACC cells were screened for changes in tumor viability, chromatin decondensation, Snail inhibition along tumor migration, and disruption of cancer stem cells. Seven compounds showed potential clinical interest, and further validation showed that Scriptaid emerged as a promising candidate for treating ACC invasion. Scriptaid demonstrated a favorable cellular toxicity index, effectively inhibited Snail expression, induced hyperacetylation of histone, reduced cell migration, and effectively disrupted tumorspheres. Additionally, LMK235 displayed encouraging results in four out of five validation assays, further highlighting its potential in combating tumor invasion in ACC. By targeting the invasive properties of the tumor and CSCs, Scriptaid and LMK235 hold promise as potential treatments for ACC, with the potential to improve patient outcomes and pave the way for further research in this critical area.

Head and neck cancer stem cell maintenance relies on mTOR signaling, specifically involving the mechanistic target of rapamycin complexes 1 and 2 (mTORC1 and mTORC2)

OBJECTIVE

Emerging evidence suggests that the modest response of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) to treatment is associated with cancer stem cells (CSC). However, the signaling pathways that play a role in HNSCC CSC maintenance and therapy response are not well-understood. In this study, we investigate the response of CSCs to phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) modulation and its potential dependency on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling.

DESIGN

PTEN deficiency was stably induced using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Downregulation of RPTOR/mTORC1 and RICTOR/mTORC2 was achieved using small interfering RNA (siRNA). CSCs were evaluated through tumorsphere formation and were classified into various subtypes: parasphere, merosphere, and holosphere. We investigated the effect of rapamycin on CSC properties in both control and PTEN-deficient HNSCC cells.

RESULTS

PTEN deficiency led to an accumulation of CSCs and enhanced a favorable response to rapamycin treatment. The viability of HNSCC CSCs was dependent on mTOR signaling. Deficiencies in both mTORC1 and mTORC2 reduced the number of CSCs. However, CSCs with PTEN deficiency had a greater reliance on mTORC1 signaling. Interestingly, when considering CSC subtypes, a deficiency in mTORC2 led to an increased number of paraspheres in both the control and PTEN-deficient groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Loss of PTEN signaling increased the HNSCC CSC population, which can be targeted by rapamycin. However, the mTORC2 deficiency can induce a problematic selection of paraspheres CSCs subtype.

The Marine Natural Compound Dragmacidin D Selectively Induces Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Spheroids

Cancer cells grown in 3D spheroid cultures are considered more predictive for clinical efficacy. The marine natural product dragmacidin D induces apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) spheroids within 24 h of treatment while showing no cytotoxicity against the same cells grown in monolayers and treated for 72 h. The IC50 for cytotoxicity based on caspase 3/7 cleavage in the spheroid assay was 8 ± 1 µM in MDA-MB-231 cells and 16 ± 0.6 µM in MDA-MB-468 cells at 24 h. No cytotoxicity was seen at all in 2D, even at the highest concentration tested. Thus, the IC50 for cytotoxicity in the MTT assay (2D) in these cells was found to be >75 µM at 72 h. Dragmacidin D exhibited synergy when used in conjunction with paclitaxel, a current treatment for TNBC. Studies into the signaling changes using a reverse-phase protein array showed that treatment with dragmacidin D caused significant decreases in histones. Differential protein expression was used to hypothesize that its potential mechanism of action involves acting as a protein synthesis inhibitor or a ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor. Further testing is necessary to validate this hypothesis. Dragmacidin D also caused a slight decrease in an invasion assay in the MDA-MB-231 cells, although this failed to be statistically significant. Dragmacidin D shows intriguing selectivity for spheroids and has the potential to be a treatment option for triple-negative breast cancer, which merits further research into understanding this activity.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma cancer stem cells have different drug sensitive to pharmacological NFκB and histone deacetylation inhibition

Despite many progresses in the development of new systemic therapies for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), the five-year survival rate of OSCC is low. The traditional chemotherapies approach (cisplatin - CDDP) shows some limitations like drug toxicity, limited efficacy, and drug resistance. Promising studies suggested OSCC cancer stem cells (CSC) presented resistance to CDDP. We have previously studied many targets, and we extensively showed the efficacy of the NFκB signaling and the role of histones acetylation, on different malignant tumors, including adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, but until then the effects of the NFkB inhibitor and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor on the biology of OSCC were not evaluated. Here we assessed the pharmacological inhibitor of NFκB emetine and HDAC inhibitor SAHA on the behavior of CSC derived from OSCC. Our data suggested that CDDP administration resulted in reduced viability of bulk OSCC cells and increased CSC. A single and isolated shot of emetine and SAHA were able to disrupt CSC by inhibiting the NFκB pathway and increasing the histone acetylation levels, respectively. Further, the combined administration of emetine and SAHA presented the same CSC disruption as seen in emetine alone.

Identification and validation of autophagy-related genes in primary open-angle glaucoma

BACKGROUND

As the most common type of glaucoma, the etiology of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) has not been unified. Autophagy may affect the occurrence and development of POAG, while the specific mechanism and target need to be further explored.

METHODS

The GSE27276 dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and the autophagy gene set from the GeneCards database were selected to screen differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DEARGs) of POAG. Hub DEARGs were selected by constructing protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and utilizing GSE138125 dataset. Subsequently, immune cell infiltration analysis, genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and other analyses were performed on the hub genes. Eventually, animal experiments were performed to verify the mRNA levels of the hub genes by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

RESULTS

A total of 67 DEARGs and 2 hub DEARGs, HSPA8 and RPL15, were selected. The hub genes were closely related to the level of immune cell infiltration. GWAS analysis confirmed that the causative regions of the 2 hub genes in glaucoma were on chromosome 11 and chromosome 3, respectively. GSEA illustrated that pathways enriched for highly expressed HSPA8 and RPL15 contained immunity, autophagy, gene expression and energy metabolism-related pathways. qRT-PCR confirmed that the expression of Hspa8 and Rpl15 in the rat POAG model was consistent with the results of bioinformatics analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

This study indicated that HSPA8 and RPL15 may affect the progression of POAG by regulating autophagy and provided new ideas for the pathogenesis and treatment of POAG.

Prognostic value of amino acid metabolism-related gene expression in invasive breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of studies indicated that metabolic reprogramming of amino acid metabolism may either promote or inhibit tumor progression. The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of a gene risk signature associated with amino acid metabolism to predict the prognosis and immune characteristics of invasive breast carcinoma.

METHODS

LASSO Cox regression analysis was performed to construct and validate the prognostic risk signature based on the expression of 9 amino acid metabolism-related genes. The predictive value of the signature, immune characteristics, and chemotherapeutic drugs was also predicted. Finally, 9 significant genes were examined in MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells, and the predicted chemotherapeutic drugs were also verified.

RESULTS

The prognosis of the low-risk group was better than that of the high-risk group. The areas under the curve (AUCs) at 1, 2, and 3 years were 0.852, 0.790, and 0.736, respectively. In addition, the GSEA results for KEGG and GO revealed that samples with a high-risk score exhibited a variety of highly malignant manifestations. The high-risk group was characterized by an increased number of M2 macrophages, a high level of tumor purity, low levels of APC co-stimulation, cytolytic activity, HLA, para-inflammation, and type I IFN response. Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed that MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells express 9 amino acid metabolism-related genes differently. In addition, cell experiments were conducted to examine the effect of cephaeline-induced on cell viability, migration ability, and protein expression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and HIF-1α.

CONCLUSION

We established a risk signature based on 9 amino acid metabolism-related genes for invasive breast carcinoma. Further analyses revealed that this risk signature is superior to other clinical indexes in survival prediction and that the subgroups identified by the risk signature exhibit distinct immune characteristics. Cephaeline was determined to be a superior option for patients in high-risk groups.

Prognostic value of PNN in prostate cancer and its correlation with therapeutic significance

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy. New biomarkers are in demand to facilitate the management. The role of the pinin protein (encoded by PNN gene) in PCa has not been thoroughly explored yet. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA-PCa) dataset validated with Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and protein expression data retrieved from the Human Protein Atlas, the prognostic and diagnostic values of PNN were studied. Highly co-expressed genes with PNN (HCEG) were constructed for pathway enrichment analysis and drug prediction. A prognostic signature based on methylation status using HCEG was constructed. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and the TISIDB database were utilised to analyse the associations between PNN and tumour-infiltrating immune cells. The upregulated PNN expression in PCa at both transcription and protein levels suggests its potential as an independent prognostic factor of PCa. Analyses of the PNN's co-expression network indicated that PNN plays a role in RNA splicing and spliceosomes. The prognostic methylation signature demonstrated good performance for progression-free survival. Finally, our results showed that the PNN gene was involved in splicing-related pathways in PCa and identified as a potential biomarker for PCa.

Comprehensive Analysis of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Intracranial Aneurysm

Background

Aberrant endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays an important role in multiple cardiovascular diseases. However, their implication in intracranial aneurysms (IAs) remains unclear. We designed this study to explore the general expression pattern and potential functions of ERS in IAs.

Methods

Five Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray datasets were used as the training cohorts, and 3 GEO RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets were used as the validating cohorts. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs), functional enrichment, Lasso regression, logistic regression, ROC analysis, immune cell profiling, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) phenotyping, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were applied to investigate the role of ERS in IA. Finally, we predicted the upstream transcription factor (TF)/miRNA and potential drugs targeting ERS.

Results

Significant DEGs were majorly associated with ERS, autophagy, and metabolism. Eight-gene ERS signature and IRE1 pathway were identified during the IA formation. WGCNA showed that ERS was highly associated with a VSMC synthesis phenotype. Next, ERS-VSMC-metabolism-autophagy PPI and ERS-TF-miRNA networks were constructed. Finally, we predicted 9 potential drugs targeting ERS in IAs.

Conclusion

ERS is involved in IA formation. Upstream and downstream regulatory networks for ERS were identified in IAs. Novel potential drugs targeting ERS were also proposed, which may delay IA formation and progress.