BICC1 drives pancreatic cancer stemness and chemoresistance by facilitating tryptophan metabolism

The Warburg effect: The hacked mitochondrial-nuclear communication in cancer

Mitochondrial-nuclear communication is vital for maintaining cellular homeostasis. This communication begins with mitochondria sensing environmental cues and transmitting signals to the nucleus through the retrograde cascade, involving metabolic signals such as substrates for epigenetic modifications, ATP and AMP levels, calcium flux, etc. These signals inform the nucleus about the cell's metabolic state, remodel epigenome and regulate gene expression, and modulate mitochondrial function and dynamics through the anterograde feedback cascade to control cell fate and physiology. Disruption of this communication can lead to cellular dysfunction and disease progression, particularly in cancer. The Warburg effect is the metabolic hallmark of cancer, characterized by disruption of mitochondrial respiration and increased lactate generation from glycolysis. This metabolic reprogramming rewires retrograde signaling, leading to epigenetic changes and dedifferentiation, further reprogramming mitochondrial function and promoting carcinogenesis. Understanding these processes and their link to tumorigenesis is crucial for uncovering tumorigenesis mechanisms. Therapeutic strategies targeting these disrupted pathways, including metabolic and epigenetic components, provide promising avenues for cancer treatment.

Cancer stem cells amino acid metabolism: Roles, mechanisms, and intervention strategies

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are recognized as key drivers of tumor recurrence and therapy resistance due to their capacity for self-renewal and differentiation. Amino acid metabolic reprogramming, a hallmark of cancer, underpins CSC biology. Methionine, tryptophan, and glutamine support CSC survival and the maintenance of stemness, while proline plays a role in CSC differentiation and susceptibility to cell death. Consequently, the impact of amino acid metabolism on CSCs is multifaceted and complex. This review first outlines the intrinsic amino acid metabolic features of CSCs. It then provides a comprehensive analysis of the distinct roles of various amino acids in regulating CSC biology. Additionally, strategies targeting amino acid metabolism to eliminate CSCs in clinical therapies are discussed, offering new perspectives for the development of innovative tumor-targeting approaches.

Single-cell transcriptome conservation in a multispecies comparative analysis of fresh and cryopreserved insulinoma cell lines

Background

Insulinoma is the most common pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour in dogs and humans. The understanding of driving factors and critical survival genes in insulinomas is limited and overall survival is poor for canine and human malignant insulinoma. This study aimed to use single-cell RNA-sequencing to conduct a multispecies analysis of insulinoma cell lines to understand their single-cell transcriptomic landscape. Secondly, the impact of freeze-thawing on the pancreatic beta single-cell transcriptome was investigated, to determine whether cryoarchiving of primary insulinoma samples may be feasible in future studies.

Methods

Single-cell transcriptomic analysis was performed using fresh and cryopreserved multispecies insulinoma cell lines (canINS, CM, INS-1 and MIN6). R and Seurat were used to perform cell clustering and specific cluster marker genes were identified by the FindMarkers function. Metascape was used to identify statistically enriched pathways for specific cell clusters. Differentially expressed genes between fresh and cryopreserved single-cell transcriptome profiles, were defined as genes with a log2 fold change > 0.25 and a Bonferroni-adjusted P < 0.05, based on the Wilcoxon rank sum test.

Results

Based on the specific cell line single-cell transcriptome profiles, five or six cell clusters were constructed per cell line. All cell lines expressed neuroendocrine markers and additionally INS-1 and MIN6 displayed a gene signature indicative of mature/functional pancreatic islet/beta-cells. DEPTOR, BICC1, GHR, CCNB2, CENPA, LMO4, VANGL1, and L1CAM were identified as cross-species conserved insulinoma cluster marker genes. Little effect was found of cryopreservation and thawing on overall gene expression at the single-cell level in insulinoma cell lines: only 6 and 29 genes had a log2 fold change > 1 in cryopreserved versus fresh canINS and CM, respectively.

Conclusions

canINS, CM, INS-1 and MIN6 are all principally relevant as insulinoma models and the demonstrated differences in their single-cell transcriptomic profiles could aid researchers in selecting the appropriate cell lines for specific study objectives. Cross-species conserved insulinoma cluster marker genes were identified that harbour oncogenes and their involvement in insulinoma tumourigenesis should be investigated in future studies. The good comparability between cryopreserved and fresh insulinoma cells allows for inclusion of cryopreserved insulinoma patient samples in future studies, which allows for reduced assay-based variability.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44356-025-00025-4.

Long Non-Coding RNAs and RNA-Binding Proteins in Pancreatic Cancer Development and Progression

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and is responsible for about 467,000 cancer deaths annually. An oftentimes asymptomatic early phase of this disease results in a delayed diagnosis, and patients often present with advanced disease. Current treatment options have limited survival benefits, and only a minor patient population carries actionable genomic alterations. Hence, innovative personalized treatment strategies that consider molecular, cellular and functional analyses are urgently needed for pancreatic cancer patients. However, the majority of the genetic alterations found in PDAC are currently undruggable, or patients' response is not as expected. Therefore, non-genomic biomarkers and alternative molecular targets should be considered in order to advance the clinical management of PDAC patients. In line with this, recent gene expression and single-cell transcriptome analyses have identified molecular subtypes and transcriptional cell states that affect disease progression and drug efficiency. In this review, we will introduce long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as well as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that are able to modulate the transcriptome of a cell through diverse mechanisms, thereby contributing to disease progression. We will provide a brief overview about the general functions of lncRNAs and RBPs, respectively. Subsequently, we will highlight selected lncRNAs and RBPs that have been shown to play a role in PDAC development, progression and drug response. Finally, we will present strategies aiming to interfere with the expression and function of lncRNAs and RBPs.

Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies for Minority Cell-Induced Paclitaxel Resistance and Tumor Progression Mediated by Mechanical Forces

Chemotherapy remains a prevalent strategy in cancer therapy; however, the emergence of drug resistance poses a considerable challenge to its efficacy. Most drug resistance arises from the accumulation of genetic mutations in a minority of resistant cells. The mechanisms underlying the emergence and progression of cancer resistance from these minority-resistant cells (MRCs) remain poorly understood. This study employs force-induced remnant magnetization spectroscopy (FIRMS) alongside various biological investigations to reveal the mechanical pathways for MRCs fostering drug resistance and tumor progression. The findings show that minority Paclitaxel-resistant cancer cells have enhanced mechanical properties. These cells can transmit high-intensity forces to surrounding sensitive cells (SCs) through the force transducer, Merlin. This force transmission facilitates the assimilation of surrounding SCs, subsequently strengthening the contraction and adhesion of tumor cells. This process is termed "mechano-assimilation," which accelerates the development of drug resistance and tumor progression. Interestingly, disturbances and reductions of mechano-assimilation within tumors can restore sensitivity to Paclitaxel both in vitro and in vivo. This study provides preliminary evidence highlighting the contribution of MRCs to the development of drug resistance and malignancy, mediated through mechanical interactions. It also establishes a foundation for future research focused on integrating mechanical factors into innovative cancer therapies.

Tumor Metastasis: Mechanistic Insights and Therapeutic Intervention

Metastasis remains a leading cause of cancer‐related deaths, defined by a complex, multi‐step process in which tumor cells spread and form secondary growths in distant tissues. Despite substantial progress in understanding metastasis, the molecular mechanisms driving this process and the development of effective therapies remain incompletely understood. Elucidating the molecular pathways governing metastasis is essential for the discovery of innovative therapeutic targets. The rapid advancements in sequencing technologies and the expansion of biological databases have significantly deepened our understanding of the molecular drivers of metastasis and associated drug resistance. This review focuses on the molecular drivers of metastasis, particularly the roles of genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, and post‐translational modifications in metastasis progression. We also examine how the tumor microenvironment influences metastatic behavior and explore emerging therapeutic strategies, including targeted therapies and immunotherapies. Finally, we discuss future research directions, stressing the importance of novel treatment approaches and personalized strategies to overcome metastasis and improve patient outcomes. By integrating contemporary insights into the molecular basis of metastasis and therapeutic innovation, this review provides a comprehensive framework to guide future research and clinical advancements in metastatic cancer.

Novel Indoleamine-2,3-Dioxygenase-Targeted Pt(IV) Prodrugs Regulate the Tumor Immune Microenvironment to Achieve Chemoimmunotherapy In Vitro and In Vivo

Convincing evidence revealed that some platinum-based drugs could stimulate immunological recognition, thereby inducing immunogenic cell death (ICD). Indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is overexpressed in tumors, which caused exhaustion of tryptophan (T-cell energy) and constructed an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Herein, considering IDO inhibition to improve chemotherapy, a series of IDOi-Pt(IV) prodrugs were designed to not only target DNA and IDO but also facilitate tumor-antigen exposure and immunomodulation. The optimal IDOi-Pt(IV) prodrugs (named compound 10) significantly enhanced intracellular accumulation 22.4-fold and cytotoxicity 61.75-fold superior to cisplatin in HeLa cells. Moreover, immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays revealed that 10 induced reactive oxygen species-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and secretion of damage-associated molecular patterns, thereby presenting ICD effects. Molecular docking, enzyme inhibition, and Western blot assays demonstrated that 10 could effectively inhibit IDO1 and reverse immunosuppression, as further verified by mixed leukocyte reactions. In vivo tests showed that 10 exhibited high-efficiency and low-toxicity antitumor effects compared to cisplatin, presenting successful chemoimmunotherapy.

RNA binding protein Pumilio2 promotes chemoresistance of pancreatic cancer via focal adhesion pathway and interacting with transcription factor EGR1

Pancreatic cancer (PCa) has insidious onset, high malignancy and poor prognosis. Gemcitabine (GEM) is one of the first-line chemotherapy drugs for PCa. However, GEM resistance has always been a bottleneck problem leading to recurrence and death of PCa patients. RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are important proteins that regulate transportation, splicing, stability and translation of RNA. Abnormal expression of RBPs often lead to a series of abnormal accumulation or degradation of downstream RNA resulting in various diseases. In our study, we utilized RIP seq, RIP-qPCR, in vitro and in vivo experiments and found that pumilio2 (PUM2) was high expression in PCa, and promoted GEM resistance of PCa by regulating mRNA stability of integrin Alpha 3 (ITGA3) and other genes in focal adhesion pathway, and there was positive feedback regulation between PUM2 and transcription factor early growth response gene 1 (EGR1), that is PUM2 binding to 3'UTR region of EGR1 mRNA, and EGR1 binding to promoter region of PUM2 gene. The discovery of EGR1/PUM2/ITGA3 axis provided a solid experimental basis for the selection of chemotherapy regiments for PCa patients and exploration of combined regimens to reverse GEM resistance in the future.

NEDD4L inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer by mediating BICC1 ubiquitination

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a critical stage in the metastasis of gastric cancer (GC). Further clarification of the EMT process in GC is still needed. This study examined the effects of the NEDD4L/BICC1 axis on GC proliferation and the EMT process. Thirty GC patients were enrolled in this study to assess the expression of BICC1 and NEDD4L in tumor samples. A xenograft tumor model in mice was created to investigate BICC1's function in vivo. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells were evaluated using colony formation, transwell, and wound healing assays. Western blot determined the expression levels of EMT-associated proteins. Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) elucidated the mechanism by which NEDD4L regulates BICC1. BICC1 was found to be overexpressed in tumors. Additionally, BICC1 knockdown inhibited the growth of GC cells in vivo and prevented their migration, invasion, proliferation, and EMT. Furthermore, BICC1 activated the PI3K/AKT pathway, which facilitated cancer progression. Tumor tissues and GC cells exhibited low expression levels of NEDD4L. Conversely, NEDD4L overexpression promoted the ubiquitination and degradation of BICC1 protein, thereby inhibiting GC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT processes. Our study demonstrated that NEDD4L acts as a tumor suppressor in GC, while BICC1 functions as a pro-tumorigenic factor. The NEDD4L/BICC1 axis plays a significant role in the metastasis and progression of GC.

Unveiling the resistance to therapies in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Despite the ongoing advances in interventional strategies (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy) for managing pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the development of therapy refractory phenotypes remains a significant challenge. Resistance to various therapeutic modalities in PDAC emanates from a combination of inherent and acquired factors and is attributable to cancer cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms. The critical determinants of therapy resistance include oncogenic signaling and epigenetic modifications that drive cancer cell stemness and metabolic adaptations, CAF-mediated stromagenesis that results in ECM deposition altered mechanotransduction, and secretome and immune evasion. We reviewed the current understanding of these multifaceted mechanisms operating in the PDAC microenvironment, influencing the response to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy regimens. We then describe how the lessons learned from these studies can guide us to discover novel therapeutic regimens to prevent, delay, or revert resistance and achieve durable clinical responses.