Clinical, cellular, and molecular aspects of cancer invasion

RON receptor tyrosine kinase as a critical determinant in promoting tumorigenic behaviors of bladder cancer cells through regulating MMP12 and HIF-2α pathways

The RON receptor tyrosine kinase is critical in the pathogenesis of various cancer types, however, its role in bladder cancer invasive growth is still largely unknown. Here, we found that over 90% of bladder cancer samples exhibit elevated levels of RON expression, with significantly higher expression levels observed in invasive bladder cancer compared to non-invasive bladder cancer. In vitro, RON activation resulted in increased bladder cancer cell migration and invasiveness. Results from mRNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis further demonstrated that MMP12, a downstream molecule of RON, is functionally involved in regulating RON-mediated bladder cancer cell migration and invasiveness. The underlying mechanism appeared to be the RON-mediated inhibition of HIF-2α ubiquitination, which is channeled through the activation of the JNK signaling pathway. Consequently, the activated JNK pathway increased MMP12 expression, ultimately driving bladder cancer cell migration and invasion. As evident in bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter assays, the RON mRNA at its 3'-untranslated regions specifically interacted with hsa-miR-659-3p. The binding of hsa-miR-659-3p downregulated the RON gene expression, attenuating the receptor-mediated tumorigenic activities of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, aberrant RON expression in bladder cancer cells and MMP12 and HIF-2α activities form a functional axis that causes increased bladder cancer cell migration and invasion. The fact that hsa-miR-659-3p downregulates RON expression indicates its critical role in attenuating RON-mediated tumorigenic effect on bladder cancer cells. These findings highlight the importance of RON targeting as a therapeutic means for potential bladder cancer therapy.

Harnessing curcumin and nanotechnology for enhanced treatment of breast cancer bone metastasis

Breast cancer (BC) bone metastasis poses a significant clinical challenge due to its impact on patient prognosis and quality of life. Curcumin (CUR), a natural polyphenol compound found in turmeric, has shown potential in cancer therapy due to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. However, its metabolic instability and hydrophobicity have hindered its clinical applications, leading to a short plasma half-life, poor absorption, and low bioavailability. To enhance the drug-like properties of CUR, nanotechnology-based delivery strategies have been employed, utilizing polymeric, lipidic, and inorganic nanoparticles (NPs). These approaches have effectively overcome CUR's inherent limitations by enhancing its stability and cellular bioavailability both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, targeting molecules with high selectivity towards bone metastasized breast cancer cells can be used for site specific delivery of curcumin. Alendronate (ALN), a bone-seeking bisphosphonate, is one such moiety with high selectivity towards bone and thus can be effectively used for targeted delivery of curcumin loaded nanocarriers. This review will detail the process of bone metastasis in BC, elucidate the mechanism of action of CUR, and assess the efficacy of nanotechnology-based strategies for CUR delivery. Specifically, it will focus on how these strategies enhance CUR's stability and improve targeted delivery approaches in the treatment of BC bone metastasis.

Review on effects and mechanisms of plant-derived natural products against breast cancer bone metastasis

Bone metastasis is the prevalent form of metastasis in breast cancer, resulting in severe pain, pathological fractures, nerve compression, hypercalcemia, and other complications that significantly impair patients' quality of life. The infiltration and colonization of breast cancer (BC) cells in bone tissue disrupt the delicate balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts within the bone microenvironment, initiating a vicious cycle of bone metastasis. Once bone metastasis occurs, conventional medical therapy with bone-modifying agents is commonly used to alleviate bone-related complications and improve patients' quality of life. However, the utilization of bone-modifying agents may cause severe drug-related adverse effects. Plant-derived natural products such as terpenoids, alkaloids, coumarins, and phenols have anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic pharmacological properties with minimal side effects. Certain natural products that exhibit both anti-breast cancer and anti-bone metastasis effects are potential therapeutic agents for breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM). This article reviewed the effects of plant-derived natural products against BCBM and their mechanisms to provide a reference for the research and development of drugs related to BCBM.

Parishin A Inhibits Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma via the AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

BACKGROUND

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive cancer with limited treatment options. Parishin A, a natural compound derived from Gastrodia elata, possesses multiple therapeutic properties. However, its effects on OSCC remain unexplored.

PURPOSE

This study explores the anti-cancer potential of Parishin A on OSCC and its mechanisms.

METHODS

OSCC cell lines YD-10B and Ca9-22 were treated with varying Parishin A concentrations. Cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 assay, and colony formation was evaluated in agarose gel. Migration and invasion ability were assessed through wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays. The protein expression levels involved in the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers were examined via Western blotting.

RESULTS

Parishin A inhibited OSCC cell viability in both dose- and time-dependent manners, with significant reductions at 20, 40, 60, and 80 μM, without affecting normal human gingival fibroblasts. Colony formation decreased substantially at ≥40 μM higher Parishin A concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Also, migration and invasion assays showed significant suppression by Parishin A treatment concentration ≥40 μM in a dose-dependent manner, as evidenced by decreased wound closure and invasion. Western blot analyses revealed increased E-cadherin levels and decreased N-cadherin and vimentin levels, suggesting EMT inhibition. Parishin A also decreased the phosphorylation levels of PI3K, AKT, and mTOR.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, these findings support the potential of Parishin A as an anti-OSCC agent.

Combined ion beam irradiation platform and 3D fluorescence microscope for cellular cancer research

To improve particle radiotherapy, we need a better understanding of the biology of radiation effects, particularly in heavy ion radiation therapy, where global responses are observed despite energy deposition in only a subset of cells. Here, we integrated a high-speed swept confocally-aligned planar excitation (SCAPE) microscope into a focused ion beam irradiation platform to allow real-time 3D structural and functional imaging of living biological samples during and after irradiation. We demonstrate dynamic imaging of the acute effects of irradiation on 3D cultures of U87 human glioblastoma cells, revealing characteristic changes in cellular movement and intracellular calcium signaling following ionizing irradiation.

A Quinquennial Review of Potent LSD1 Inhibitors Explored for the Treatment of Different Cancers, with Special Focus on SAR Studies

Cancer bears a significant share of global mortality. The enzyme Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1, also known as KDM1A), since its discovery in 2004, has captured the attention of cancer researchers due to its overexpression in several cancers like acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), solid tumours, etc. The Lysine Specific Demethylase (LSD1) downregulation is reported to have an effect on cancer proliferation, migration, and invasion. Therefore, research to discover safer and more potent LSD1 inhibitors can pave the way for the development of better cancer therapeutics. These efforts have resulted in the synthesis of many types of derivatives containing diverse structural nuclei. The present manuscript describes the role of Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) in carcinogenesis, reviews the LSD1 inhibitors explored in the past five years and discusses their comprehensive structural activity characteristics apart from the thorough description of LSD1. Besides, the potential challenges, opportunities, and future perspectives in the development of LSD1 inhibitors are also discussed. The review suggests that tranylcypromine derivatives are the most promising potent LSD1 inhibitors, followed by triazole and pyrimidine derivatives with IC₅₀ values in the nanomolar and sub-micromolar range. A number of potent LSD1 inhibitors derived from natural sources like resveratrol, protoberberine alkaloids, curcumin, etc. are also discussed. The structural-activity relationships discussed in the manuscript can be exploited to design potent and relatively safer LSD1 inhibitors as anticancer agents.

The emerging role of noncoding RNAs in the Hedgehog signaling pathway in cancer

Hedgehog (HH), a conserved signaling pathway, is involved in embryo development, organogenesis, and other biological functions. Dysregulation and abnormal activation of HH are involved in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. With the emergence of interest in noncoding RNAs, studies on their involvement in abnormal regulation of biological processes in tumors have been published one after another. In this review, we focus on the crosstalk between noncoding RNAs and the HH pathway in tumors and elaborate the mechanisms by which long noncoding RNAs and microRNAs regulate or are regulated by HH signaling in cancer. We also discuss the interaction between noncoding RNAs and the HH pathway from the perspective of cancer hallmarks, presenting this complex network as concisely as possible and organizing ideas for cancer diagnosis and treatment.

New Triazolyl N^N Bidentate Rh(III), Ir(III), Ru(II) and Os(II) Complexes: Synthesis and Characterization, Probing Possible Relations between Cytotoxicity with Transfer Hydrogenation Efficacy and Interaction with Model Biomolecules

Cisplatin and other metallodrugs have realised great success in clinical chemotherapeutic applications as anticancer drugs. However, severe toxicity to healthy cells and non-selectivity to cancer cells remains a challenge, warranting the further search for alternative agents. Herein, we report the anticancer potential of a series of complexes of the general formula [MCl(p-cym)(k2-N^N-L)]+ X− and [MCl(Cp*)(k2-N^N-L)]+ X−, where M is the metal centre (Ru(II), Os(II), Rh(III) or Ir(III)), L = 1-benzyl-4-pyridinyl-1-H-1,2,3-triazole for L1 and 1-picolyl-4-pyridinyl-1-H-1,2,3-triazole for L2 and X− = Cl−, BF4−, BPh4−. When evaluated for activity against some cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines (namely, HeLa, HEK293, A549 and MT4 cancer cells and the normal healthy kidney cells (BHK21)), most of the compounds displayed poor cytotoxicities against cancer cells except for complexes C2 ([RuCl(p-cym)(k2-N^N-L1)]+ BPh4−, EC50 = 9−16 µM and SI = 14), C7 ([RuCl(p-cym)(k2-N^N-L2)]+ BPh4−, EC50 = 17−53 µM and SI = 4) and C11 ([IrCl(Cp*)(k2-N^N-L2)]+ BF4−, EC50 < 5 µM and SI > 10). Selected complexes C1 ([RuCl(p-cym)(k2-N^N-L1)]+ BF4−), C5 ([IrCl(Cp*)(k2-N^N-L1)]+ BF4−) and C11 showed significant interactions with model biomolecules such as guanosine-5′-monophosphate (5′-GMP), bovine serum albumin (BSA) and amino acids under physiological conditions, possibly through carbenylation and N-coordination with 5′-GMP, N-coordination with L-Histidine and L-proline. While the compounds showed good activities in reducing pyruvate to lactate, there was no direct correlation between catalytic transfer hydrogenation of pyruvate and the observed cytotoxic activities. As observed in this work, the marked influence of single atom replacement in ligand may provide a pivotal approach to improving the cytotoxicity and fine-tuning the selectivity to cancer cells.

Polyphenol Oxidase as a Promising Alternative Therapeutic Agent for Cancer Therapy

Cancers have always been the most difficult to fight, the treatment of cancer is still not considered. Thus, exploring new anticancer drugs is still imminent. Traditional Chinese medicine has played an important role in the treatment of cancer. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) extracted from Edible mushroom has many related reports on its characteristics, but its role in cancer treatment is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of PPO extracted from Edible mushroom on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of cancer cells in vitro and explore the therapeutic effects of PPO on tumors in vivo. A cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) assay was used to detect the effect of PPO on the proliferation of cancer cells. The effect of PPO on cancer cell migration ability was detected by scratch test. The effect of PPO on the invasion ability of cancer cells was detected by a transwell assay. The effect of PPO on the apoptosis of cancer cells was detected by flow cytometry. Female BALB/c mice (18-25 g, 6-8 weeks) were used for in vivo experiments. The experiments were divided into control group, model group, low-dose group (25 mg/kg), and high-dose group (50 mg/kg). In vitro, PPO extracted from Edible mushroom significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion capability of breast cancer cell 4T1, lung cancer cell A549, and prostate cancer cell C4-2, and significantly promoted the apoptosis of 4T1, A549, and C4-2. In vivo experiments showed PPO inhibitory effect on tumor growth. Collectively, the edible fungus extract PPO could play an effective role in treating various cancers, and it may potentially be a promising agent for treating cancers.

Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis: A Narrative Review of Emerging Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

Bone is one of the most common metastatic sites among breast cancer (BC) patients. Once bone metastasis is developed, patients' survival and quality of life will be significantly declined. At present, there are limited therapeutic options for BC patients with bone metastasis. Different nanotechnology-based delivery systems have been developed aiming to specifically deliver the therapeutic agents to the bone. The conjugation of targeting agents to nanoparticles can enhance the selective delivery of various payloads to the metastatic bone lesion. The current review highlights promising and emerging advanced nanotechnologies designed for targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics, contrast agents, photodynamic and photothermal materials to the bone to achieve the goal of treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of BC bone metastasis. A better understanding of various properties of these new therapeutic approaches may open up new landscapes in medicine towards improving the quality of life and overall survival of BC patients who experience bone metastasis.

Mechanobiological Implications of Cancer Progression in Space

The human body is normally adapted to maintain homeostasis in a terrestrial environment. The novel conditions of a space environment introduce challenges that changes the cellular response to its surroundings. Such an alteration causes physical changes in the extracellular microenvironment, inducing the secretion of cytokines such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor growth factor-β (TGF-β) from cancer cells to enhance cancer malignancy. Cancer is one of the most prominent cell types to be affected by mechanical cues via active interaction with the tumor microenvironment. However, the mechanism by which cancer cells mechanotransduce in the space environment, as well as the influence of this process on human health, have not been fully elucidated. Due to the growing interest in space biology, this article reviews cancer cell responses to the representative conditions altered in space: microgravity, decompression, and irradiation. Interestingly, cytokine and gene expression that assist in tumor survival, invasive phenotypic transformation, and cancer cell proliferation are upregulated when exposed to both simulated and actual space conditions. The necessity of further research on space mechanobiology such as simulating more complex in vivo experiments or finding other mechanical cues that may be encountered during spaceflight are emphasized.

The role of extracellular matrix in tumour angiogenesis: the throne has NOx servants

The extracellular matrix (ECM) dynamics in tumour tissue are deregulated compared to the ECM in healthy tissue along with disorganized architecture and irregular behaviour of the residing cells. Nitric oxide (NO) as a pleiotropic molecule exerts different effects on the components of the ECM driving or inhibiting augmented angiogenesis and tumour progression and tumour cell proliferation and metastasis. These effects rely on the concentration of NO within the tumour tissue, the nature of the surrounding microenvironment and the sensitivity of resident cells to NO. In this review article, we summarize the recent findings on the correlation between the levels of NO and the ECM components towards the modulation of tumour angiogenesis in different types of cancers. These are discussed principally in the context of how NO modulates the expression of ECM proteins resulting in either the promotion or inhibition of tumour growth via tumour angiogenesis. Furthermore, the regulatory effects of individual ECM components on the expression of the NO synthase enzymes and NO production were reviewed. These findings support the current efforts for developing effective therapeutics for cancers.

Anti-tumor effects of Solanum nigrum L. extraction on C6 high-grade glioma

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Solanum nigrum L. (SN) is a traditional Chinese medicine with anti-tumor effects, has been used in cancer for centuries, but the role on high-grade gliomas (HGG) is not clear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This work was to investigate the anti-tumor effects of SN extract on rat C6 glioma in vitro and in vivo, providing a new medium for the treatment of HGG.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After identification and quality inspection of SN medicinal materials by HPLC-MS/MS and HPLC, CCK8 and colony formation assay were conducted to study the effects of SN on vitality and proliferation of C6 cells. Cell morphology was evaluated by HE staining, and flow cytometry was used for apoptosis analysis. The effects on cell migration and invasion were determined by transwell and wound healing assay. Western blot was used to further investigate the influence of SN on migration, invasion and apoptosis of tumor cells. In addition, the rat intracranial transplanted tumor model was used to evaluate the effects of SN on growth and infiltration of tumor and proliferation of transplanted tumor cells.

RESULTS

SN extract suppressed the viability of C6 cells in a dose-dependent manner. The extract attenuated cell cloning, migration and invasion, and induced cell Annexin V+ PI+ late-stage apoptosis. Besides, SN induced the expression of apoptotic proteins including Bax and Cleaved Caspase-3, downregulated anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, and decreased the level of migratory proteins MMP-2 and MMP-9. Moreover, SN reduced the growth and infiltration of C6 glioma tissue and suppressed the proliferation of tumor cells in rat brain.

CONCLUSIONS

SN extract has significant inhibitory activity on the growth and invasion of C6 HGG in vivo and in vitro.

Updates on Receptors Targeted by Heterocyclic Scaffolds: New Horizon in Anticancer Drug Development

Anticancer is a high priority research area for scientists as cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. It is pertinent to mention here that conventional anticancer drugs such as methotrexate, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, etoposide, doxorubicin, cisplatin, etc. are not much efficient for the treatment of different types of cancer; also these suffer from serious side effects leading to therapy failure. A large variety of cancerrelated receptors such as carbonic anhydrase, tyrosine kinase, topoisomerase, protein kinase, histone deacetylase, etc. have been identified which can be targeted by anticancer drugs. Heterocycles like oxadiazole, thiazole, thiadiazole, indole, pyridine, pyrimidine, benzimidazole, etc. play a pivotal role in modern medicinal chemistry because they have a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities including prominent anticancer activity. Therefore, it was considered significant to explore heterocyclic compounds reported in recent most literature which can bind effectively with the cancer-related receptors. This will not only provide a targeted approach to deal with cancer but also the safety profile of the drugs can be further improved. The information provided in this manuscript may be found useful for the design and development of anticancer drugs.

The Effect of Diffuse Liver Diseases on the Occurrence of Liver Metastases in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This systematic review with meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of diffuse liver diseases (DLD) on the risk of synchronous (S-) or metachronous (M-) liver metastases (LMs) in patients with solid neoplasms. Relevant databases were searched for systematic reviews and cross-sectional or cohort studies published since 1990 comparing the risk of LMs in patients with and without DLD (steatosis, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, fibrosis) in non-liver solid cancer patients. Outcomes were prevalence of S-LMs, cumulative risk of M-LMs and LM-free survival. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We report the pooled relative risks (RR) for S-LMs and hazard ratios (HR) for M-LMs. Subgroup analyses included DLD, primary site and continent. Nineteen studies were included (n = 37,591 patients), the majority on colorectal cancer. ROB appraisal results were mixed. Patients with DLD had a lower risk of S-LMs (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.76), with a higher effect for cirrhosis and a slightly higher risk of M-LMs (HR 1.11 95% CI, 1.03-1.19), despite a lower risk of M-LMs in patients with vs without viral hepatitis (HR 0.57, 95% CI 0.40-0.82). There may have been a publication bias in favor of studies reporting a lower risk for patients with DLD. DLD are protective against S-LMs and slightly protective against M-LMs for viral hepatitis only.

ARID1A Mutations Promote P300-Dependent Endometrial Invasion through Super-Enhancer Hyperacetylation

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and is characterized by the presence of abnormal endometrium at ectopic sites. ARID1A mutations are observed in deeply invasive forms of the disease, often correlating with malignancy. To identify epigenetic dependencies driving invasion, we use an unbiased approach to map chromatin state transitions accompanying ARID1A loss in the endometrium. We show that super-enhancers marked by high H3K27 acetylation are strongly associated with ARID1A binding. ARID1A loss leads to H3K27 hyperacetylation and increased chromatin accessibility and enhancer RNA transcription at super-enhancers, but not typical enhancers, indicating that ARID1A normally prevents super-enhancer hyperactivation. ARID1A co-localizes with P300 at super-enhancers, and genetic or pharmacological inhibition of P300 in ARID1A mutant endometrial epithelia suppresses invasion and induces anoikis through the rescue of super-enhancer hyperacetylation. Among hyperactivated super-enhancers, SERPINE1 (PAI-1) is identified as an essential target gene driving ARID1A mutant endometrial invasion. Broadly, our findings provide rationale for therapeutic strategies targeting super-enhancers in ARID1A mutant endometrium.

The Role of Fluid Shear and Metastatic Potential in Breast Cancer Cell Migration

During the migration of cancer cells for metastasis, cancer cells can be exposed to fluid shear conditions. We examined two breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-468 (less metastatic) and MDA-MB-231 (more metastatic), and a benign MCF-10A epithelial cell line for their responsiveness in migration to fluid shear. We tested fluid shear at 15 dyne/cm2 that can be encountered during breast cancer cells traveling through blood vessels or metastasizing to mechanically active tissues such as bone. MCF-10A exhibited the least migration with a trend of migrating in the flow direction. Intriguingly, fluid shear played a potent role as a trigger for MDA-MB-231 cell migration, inducing directional migration along the flow with significantly increased displacement length and migration speed and decreased arrest coefficient relative to unflowed MDA-MB-231. In contrast, MDA-MB-468 cells were markedly less migratory than MDA-MB-231 cells, and responded very poorly to fluid shear. As a result, MDA-MB-468 cells did not exhibit noticeable difference in migration between static and flow conditions, as was distinct in root-mean-square (RMS) displacement-an ensemble average of all participating cells. These may suggest that the difference between more metastatic MDA-MB-231 and less metastatic MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells could be at least partly involved with their differential responsiveness to fluid shear stimulatory cues. Our study provides new data in regard to potential crosstalk between fluid shear and metastatic potential in mediating breast cancer cell migration.

A protein corona sensor array detects breast and prostate cancers

Following exposure to human plasma (HP), nanoparticles (NPs) are coated with a biomolecular layer referred to as a protein corona. We recently revealed that characterizing the protein coronas of various NPs may provide a unique opportunity for cancer identification and discrimination. In other words, protein corona profiles of several NPs, when being analyzed using classifiers, would provide a unique "fingerprint" for each type of disease. Here, we probed the capacity of the protein corona for the identification and discrimination of breast and prostate cancer patients from healthy individuals. Using three lipid NP formulations with distinct physical-chemical properties as a cross-reactive sensor array and a supervised random forest classifier, we identified a set of proteins that showed a significant difference in cancer patients and control subjects. Our data show that many of the corona proteins with the highest discrimination ability between oncological patients and healthy individuals are related to cellular and molecular aspects of breast and prostate cancers.

RANKL/RANK System-Based Mechanism for Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis and Related Therapeutic Strategies

Breast cancer remains one of the most life-threatening tumors affecting women. Most patients with advanced breast cancer eventually develop metastatic diseases, which cause significant morbidity and mortality. Approximately two-thirds of patients with advanced breast cancer exhibit osteolytic-type bone metastasis, which seriously reduce the quality of life. Therefore, development of novel therapeutic strategies for treating breast cancer patients with bone metastasis is urgently required. The "seed and soil" theory, which describes the interaction between the circulating breast cancer cells (seeds) and bone microenvironment (soil), is widely accepted as the mechanism underlying metastasis. Disruption of any step in this cycle might have promising anti-metastasis implications. The interaction of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and its receptor RANK is fundamental in this vicious cycle and has been shown to be a novel effective therapeutic target. A series of therapeutic strategies have been developed to intervene in this cross-talk. Therefore, in this review, we have systematically introduced the functions of the RANKL/RANK signaling system in breast cancer and discussed related therapeutic strategies.

TIPE regulates VEGFR2 expression and promotes angiogenesis in colorectal cancer

Background: Metastasis is the leading cause of death in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. It is regulated mainly by tumor cell angiogenesis, and angiogenesis is caused by the binding of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2). Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced protein 8 (TNFAIP8, hereto after TIPE) plays an important role in tumorigenesis, development, and prognosis. However, the relationship between TIPE and VEGFR2 in CRC angiogenesis and the mechanism of action remain unknown.

Method: In this study, we used quantitative real-time PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry to detect TIPE and VEGFR2 expression in 55 specimens from CRC patients. We also used HCT116 CRC cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) for in vitro experiments by stably transducing shTIPE and shRNA control lentivirus into HCT116 cells, detecting VEGFR2 expression after TIPE knockdown and repurposing the culture supernatant as conditioned medium to stimulate angiogenesis of HUVECs. In vivo experiments with chicken chorioallantoic membranes (CAMs) and a nude mouse matrix subcutaneous tumor model were performed to validate the effects of TIPE on angiogenesis. Additionally, we analyzed the expression and phosphorylation levels of PDK1 and blocked PDK1 expression using inhibitors to determine whether TIPE-induced changes in VEGFR2-mediated angiogenesis acted via the PI3K-Akt pathway.

Results: We found that TIPE and VEGFR2 are highly expressed in CRC and act as oncogenes. TIPE knockdown also downregulated VEGFR2 expression, which resulted in simultaneous inhibition of cell proliferation, cell migration and angiogenesis. Then, in vivo experiments further demonstrated that TIPE promotes angiogenesis in CRC. Finally, we found that TIPE promotes VEGFR2-mediated angiogenesis by upregulating PDK1 expression and phosphorylation and that blocking PDK1 expression can inhibit this process.

Conclusion: TIPE promotes angiogenesis in CRC by regulating the expression of VEGFR2, which may be a target for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.

Disregulation of miR-216a and miR-217 in Gastric Cancer and Their Clinical Significance

OBJECTIVE

The majority of gastric cancer (GC) diagnoses occur at the middle or late stage of the disease, indicating that finding novel biomarkers that could be detectable at earlier stage is urgently needed. Accumulating studies have shown that microRNAs, a class of tiny single-stranded RNAs, play important roles in multiple biological processes including cancer development. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of miR-216a and miR-217 in GC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR was exploited to identify and compare the expression levels of miR-216a and miR-217 in 37 pairs of samples of gastric cancer tissue and adjacent normal tissue. Superimposed on this, the potential relationship between miR-216a/217 levels and clinicopathological parameters in patients suffering GC was explored.

RESULTS

The results obtained from this study showed that the miR-216a is significantly upregulated in gastric cancer tissues, compared with adjacent normal tissues, but the altered expression of miR-217 was not significant. For miR-216a/217, no significant correlations were detected between expression levels of these miRNAs and clinical and pathological characteristics of patients.

CONCLUSION

This prospective study proposes that upregulation of miR-216a might represent an important mechanism for the development of gastric cancer.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids as selective carbonic anhydrase IX and XII inhibitors

With an aim to develop novel heterocyclic hybrids as potent anticancer agents, we synthesized a series of coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole hybrids (7a-t) and evaluated for their inhibitory activity against the four physiologically relevant human carbonic anhydrase (hCA, EC 4.2.1.1) isoforms CA I, CA II, CA IX and CA XII. The CA inhibition results clearly indicated that the coumarin-1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives (7a-t) exhibited selective inhibition of the tumor associated isoforms, CA IX and CA XII over CA I and II isoforms. Among all, compound 7b, exhibited significant inhibition in lower micromolar potency against hCA XII, with a K_i of 0.16 µM and compound 7n, exhibited significant inhibition in lower micromolar potency against hCA IX, with a K_i of 2.34 µM respectively. Therefore, compound 7b and 7n could be the potential leads for development of selective anticancer agents by exhibiting a novel mechanism of action through hCA IX and XII inhibition.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrazole linked benzothiazole-β-naphthol derivatives as topoisomerase I inhibitors with DNA binding ability

A series of new pyrazole linked benzothiazole-β-naphthol derivatives were designed and synthesized using a simple, efficient and ecofriendly route under catalyst-free conditions in good to excellent yields. These derivatives were evaluated for their cytotoxicity on selected human cancer cell lines. Among those, the derivatives 4j, 4k and 4l exhibited considerable cytotoxicity with IC₅₀ values ranging between 4.63 and 5.54 µM against human cervical cancer cells (HeLa). Structure activity relationship was elucidated by varying different substituents on benzothiazoles and pyrazoles. Further, flow cytometric analysis revealed that these derivatives induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and spectroscopic studies such as UV-visible, fluorescence and circular dichroism studies showed that these derivatives exhibited good DNA binding affinity. Additionally, these derivatives can effectively inhibit the topoisomerase I activity. Viscosity studies and molecular docking studies demonstrated that the derivatives bind with the minor groove of the DNA.

Water soluble, optically active monofunctional Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) compounds: promising adhesive and antimigratory effects on human prostate PC-3 cancer cells

Water soluble, enantiomerically pure “rule breakers” Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) compounds with promising anticancer potential are reported.

XB130 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation, Invasiveness, and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells and Sensitizes them to TRAIL-Induced Apoptosis

Background

XB130 is a recently discovered adaptor protein that is highly expressed in many malignant tumors, but few studies have investigated its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, this study explored the relationship between this protein and liver cancer and investigated its molecular mechanism of action.

Methods

The expression of XB130 between HCC tissues and adjacent nontumor tissues was compared by real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunochemistry, and Western blotting. XB130 silencing was performed using small hairpin RNA. The effect of silencing XB130 was examined using Cell Counting Kit-8, colony assay, wound healing assay, and cell cycle analysis.

Results

We found that XB130 was highly expressed in HCC tissues (cancer tissues vs. adjacent tissues: 0.23 ± 0.02 vs. 0.17 ± 0.02, P < 0.05) and liver cancer cell lines, particularly MHCC97H and HepG2 (MHCC97H and HepG2 vs. normal liver cell line LO-2: 2.35 ± 0.26 and 2.04 ± 0.04 vs. 1.00 ± 0.04, respectively, all P < 0.05). The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, and xenograft model in nude mice showed that silencing XB130 inhibited cell proliferative ability both in vivo and in vitro, with flow cytometry demonstrating that the cells were arrested in the G0/G1 phase in HepG2 (HepG2 XB130-silenced group [shA] vs. HepG2 scramble group [NA]: 74.32 ± 5.86% vs. 60.21 ± 3.07%, P < 0.05) and that the number of G2/M phase cells was decreased (HepG2 shA vs. HepG2 NA: 8.06 ± 2.41% vs. 18.36 ± 4.42%, P < 0.05). Furthermore, the cell invasion and migration abilities were impaired, and the levels of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related indicators vimentin and N-cadherin were decreased, although the level of E-cadherin was increased after silencing XB130. Western blotting showed that the levels of phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and phospho-protein kinase B (p-Akt) also increased, although the level of phosphorylated phosphatase and tensin homolog increased, indicating that XB130 activated the PI3K/Akt pathway. Furthermore, we found that a reduction in XB130 increased liver cancer cell sensitivity to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-induced apoptosis.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that XB130 might be used as a predictor of liver cancer as well as one of the targets for its treatment.

TRPM4 channel is involved in regulating epithelial to mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer cell lines

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin 4 (TRPM4) is a Ca²⁺ -activated and voltage-dependent monovalent cation channel, which depolarizes the plasma cell membrane, thereby modulating Ca²⁺ influx across Ca²⁺ -permeable pathways. TRPM4 is involved in different physiological processes such as T cell activation and the migration of endothelial and certain immune cells. Overexpression of this channel has been reported in various types of tumors including prostate cancer. In this study, a significant overexpression of TRPM4 was found only in samples from cancer with a Gleason score higher than 7, which are more likely to spread. To evaluate whether TRPM4 overexpression was related to the spreading capability of tumors, TRPM4 was knockdown by using shRNAs in PC3 prostate cancer cells and the effect on cellular migration and invasion was analyzed. PC3 cells with reduced levels of TRPM4 (shTRPM4) display a decrease of the migration/invasion capability. A reduction in the expression of Snail1, a canonical epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) transcription factor, was also observed. Consistently, these cells showed a significant change in the expression of key EMT markers such as MMP9, E-cadherin/N-cadherin, and vimentin, indicating a partial reversion of the EMT process. Whereas, the overexpression of TRPM4 in LnCaP cells resulted in increased levels of Snail1, reduction in the expression of E-cadherin and increase in their migration potential. This study suggests a new and indirect mechanism of regulation of migration/invasion process by TRPM4 in prostate cancer cells, by inducing the expression of Snail1 gene and consequently, increasing the EMT.

The polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 4 exhibits stage-dependent expression in colorectal cancer and affects tumorigenesis, invasion and differentiation

The aberrant expression of mucin-type O-glycosylation plays important roles in cancer malignancy. The polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferases (ppGalNAc-Ts) are a family of conserved enzymes that initiate the mucin-type O-glycosylation in cells. In human, consistent up- or down-regulation of ppGalNAc-Ts expression during cancer development has been frequently reported. Here, we provide evidence that ppGalNAc-T4 shows a stage-dependent expression at the different stages of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the 62 pair-matched tumor/normal tissues. In detail, ppGalNAc-T4 expression is significantly induced at stage I and II but not at stage III and IV. Overexpression of ppGalNAc-T4 in CRC cells enhances colony formation and sphere formation suggesting an important role of ppGalNAc-T4 in tumorigenesis. Conversely, knockdown of ppGalNAc-T4 in CRC cells increases the cell migration and invasion, and leads to an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like transition. Further analysis suggests that loss of ppGalNAc-T4 contributes to the dedifferentiation of CRC and high expression of ppGalNAc-T4 correlates to a good prognosis of patients. Taken together, our results not only demonstrate a stage-dependent expression of ppGalNAc-T4 in CRC progression, but also suggest that such stage-dependent expression may contribute to the tumorigenesis at the early stage and promote cell migration and invasion at the advanced stage.

Differences between epithelial and mesenchymal human tongue cancer cell lines in experimental metastasis

Distant metastasis represents the outcome with the worst prognosis for various types of malignant tumors, but little is known regarding the impact of interacting epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypic cancer cells within its etiopathogenesis. In a novel animal model, 48 male athymic Balb/c nude mice underwent subcutaneous and intravenous injection of human tongue cancer cell lines of green fluorescent mesenchymal and red fluorescent epithelial phenotypes, in order to visualize and monitor eventual phenotypic interaction in lung metastasis as well as experimental metastasis in in vivo, ex vivo and histopathological analyses. While the epithelial, but not the mesenchymal, phenotypic human tongue cancer cell line led to direct metastasis in the lungs when injected intravenously, neither of them, even when injected in combination, were able to establish distant metastasis. The results of the present study provide evidence regarding the role of epithelial phenotypic cancer cells in the release of experimental metastasis following tail vein injection in male athymic Balb/c nude mice, in addition to proving fluorescent human tongue cancer cells may be reliably detected under a fluorescence microscope even 8 weeks after the two injection types.

Non-coding RNAs as emerging regulators of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a major health problem that patients suffer from around the world. The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has attractive roles in increasing malignant potential and reducing sensitivity to conventional therapeutics in NSCLC cells. Meanwhile, it is now evident that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), primarily microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs contribute to tumorigenesis partially via regulating EMT. This article briefly summarizes current researches about EMT-related ncRNAs in NSCLC and discusses their crucial roles in the complex regulatory network. Also, the authors will show the evidence that ncRNAs not only contribute to cancer cells migration and invasion, but also take charge of the resistance of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and EGFR-TIKs. Then, we will further discuss the potential of inhibition of EMT via manipulating relevant ncRNAs to change our current treatment of NSCLC patients.

Serum Levels of Leptin in Multiple Myeloma Patients and Its Relation to Angiogenic and Inflammatory Cytokines

Background

Leptin, apart from the regulation of food intake, has been implicated in hematopoiesis, the immune response and angiogenesis. Leptin has been found to be decreased in various hematological malignancies. In the present study leptin was measured in multiple myeloma (MM) patients before and after treatment and correlated with other angiogenic molecules and markers of disease activity.

Methods

Serum leptin, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), beta 2 microglobulin (β2M) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured in 62 newly diagnosed MM patients, 22 of whom obtaining disease stabilization after treatment. The same parameters were measured in 20 healthy controls. Disease stage was defined according to the Durie-Salmon criteria.

Results

Leptin, VEGF, b-FGF, IL-1β, and β2M were significantly higher in newly diagnosed MM patients than in controls (p<0.05). VEGF, b-FGF, IL-1β, β2M, CRP but not leptin increased with advancing stage of disease (p<0.01). All parameters decreased significantly following treatment (p<0.001). Although IL-1β correlated positively with VEGF, β2M, b-FGF and CRP, leptin did not correlate with any of the measured parameters.

Conclusion

Leptin serum levels do not reflect disease severity in MM. However, there seems to be a decrease in leptin following treatment, which may be associated with an alteration in the metabolic state or the chemokine milieu.

Synthesis, anti-microbial activity, cytotoxicity of some novel substituted (5-(3-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzofuran-2-yl)(phenyl)methanone analogs

Background

There is a dire need for the discovery and development of new antimicrobial agents after several experiments for a better resistance of microorganisms towards antimicrobial agents become a serious health problem for a few years in the past. As benzimidazole possess various types of biological activities, it has been synthesized, in the present study, a new series of (5-(3-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzofuran-2-yl)(phenyl)methanone analogs by using the condensation and screened for its in vitro antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity.

Results

The synthesized (5-(3-(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)-4-hydroxybenzyl) benzofuran-2-yl)(phenyl)methanone analogs were confirmed by IR, ¹H and ¹³C-NMR, MS spectra and HRMS spectral data. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimicrobial potential against Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus megaterium, Staph aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Proteus vulgaris, Proteus mirabilis and Enterobacter aerogenes) bacterial and fungal (Aspergillus niger, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium solani) strains by disc diffusion method and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in which it has been recorded in microgram per milliliter in comparison to the reference drugs, ciprofloxacin (antibacterial) and nystatin (antifungal). Further, the cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ value) has also been assessed on human cervical (HeLa), Supt1 cancer cell lines by using MTT assay.

Conclusions

The following screened compounds (4d), (4f), (4g), (4k), (4l), (4o) and (4u) were found to be the best active against all the tested bacterial and fungal strains among all the demonstrated compounds of biological study. The MIC determination was also carried out against bacteria and fungi, the compounds (4f) and (4u) are found to be exhibited excellent potent against bacteria and fungi respectively. The compounds (4f) and (4u) were shown non-toxic in nature after screened for cytotoxicity against the cancer cell lines of human cervical (HeLa) and Supt1. Additionally, structure and antibacterial activity relationship were also further supported by in silico molecular docking studies of the active compounds against DNA topoisomerase.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13065-017-0364-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Orai1 is critical for Notch-driven aggressiveness under hypoxic conditions in triple-negative breast cancers

It is believed that hypoxia stimulates triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) metastasis, which is associated with a poor prognosis. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we demonstrated that hypoxia up-regulates both the levels of Orai1 and Notch1, and the increase in Orai1 is mediated by Notch1 signaling in TNBCs. Functionally, Orai1 caused a sustained elevation of intracellular Ca²⁺ via Store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE), then activated the calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cell 4 (NFAT4, also named NFATc3) in hypoxic TNBCs. Furthermore, pharmacologic inhibition or gene-silencing studies showed that the aggressiveness mediated by Orai1 during hypoxia is dependent on the Notch1/Orai1/SOCE/NFAT4 signaling. Moreover, Orai1 signaling also mediated hypoxia-induced angiogenesis in TNBCs. Thus, our results revealed a novel role of Orai1 as an inducer of aggression and angiogenesis under hypoxic conditions, and this suggests a novel mechanism of hypoxia-induced invasion. It may be worthwhile to further explore the potential of using Orai1 signaling as new target for anti-tumor therapy in TNBCs.

Recent advances (2015-2016) in anticancer hybrids

In spite of the development of a large number of novel anticancer drugs over the years, Cancer remains as a prominent cause of death, worldwide. Numerous drugs that are currently in clinical practice have developed multidrug resistance along with fatal side effects. Therefore, the utilization of single-target therapy is incapable of providing an effective control on the malignant process. Molecular hybridization, involving a combination of two or more pharmacophores of bioactive scaffolds to generate a single molecular architecture with improved affinity and activity, in comparison to their parent molecules, has emerged as a promising strategy in recent drug discovery research. Hybrid anticancer drugs are of great therapeutic interests since they can potentially overcome most of the pharmacokinetic drawbacks encountered with conventional anticancer drugs. Strategically, the design of anticancer drugs involved the blending or linking of an anticancer drug with another anticancer drug or a carrier molecule which can efficiently target cancer cells with improved biological potential. Major advantages of hybrid anticancer drugs involved increased specificity, better patient compliance, and lower side effects along with reduction in chemo-resistance. The successful utilization of this technique in design and synthesis of novel anticancer hybrids has been well illustrated and documented in the literature. The purpose of the present review article will be to provide an emphasis on the recent developments (2015-16) in anticancer hybrids with insights into their structure-activity relationship (SAR) and mechanism of action.

Implications of dietary ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in breast cancer

Breast cancer represents one of the most common forms of cancer in women worldwide, with an increase in the number of newly diagnosed patients in the last decade. The role of fatty acids, particularly of a diet rich in ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in breast cancer development is not fully understood and remains controversial due to their complex mechanism of action. However, a large number of animal models and cell culture studies have demonstrated that high levels of ω-3 PUFAs have an inhibitory role in the development and progression of breast cancer, compared to ω-6 PUFAs. The present review focused on recent studies regarding the correlation between dietary PUFAs and breast cancer development, and aimed to emphasize the main molecular mechanisms involved in the modification of cell membrane structure and function, modulation of signal transduction pathways, gene expression regulation, and antiangiogenic and antimetastatic effects. Furthermore, the anticancer role of ω-3 PUFAs through the modulation of microRNA expression levels was also reviewed.

LAMP3 promotes the invasion of osteosarcoma cells via SPP1 signaling

Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary bone cancer in children and young adults. The prognosis of osteosarcoma is very poor when it is diagnosed with metastasis. Lysosomal‑associated membrane protein 3 (LAMP3) is a tumor‑specific protein induced by hypoxia, which stimulates invasion and metastasis of various cancer cells via hypoxia‑inducible factor (HIF). A previous study from our group has reported that expression of LAMP3 is significantly increased in lung metastatic osteosarcoma compared with primary osteosarcoma using microarray analysis, suggesting that LAMP3 may be involved in metastatic osteosarcoma. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the role of LAMP3 in osteosarcoma metastasis. Knockdown of LAMP3 decreased the invasion of two osteosarcoma cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, knockdown of LAMP3 increased the expression of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1), cadherin 1, and keratin 19, while it decreased the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 2, collagen type III α 1, twist family bHLH transcription factor 1 and cadherin 2. Concurrent knockdown of SPP1 and LAMP3 attenuated the changes in gene expression profile induced by LAMP3 knockdown alone. Gene ontology and KEGG analysis demonstrated that SPP1 was involved in cell adhesion, focal adhesion, and extracellular matrix‑receptor interaction. In conclusion, the present results suggest that LAMP3 may be involved in the invasion and metastasis of osteosarcoma via regulating signaling downstream of SPP1. Thus, LAMP3/SPP1 signaling may serve as a potential target in the future to prevent osteosarcoma metastasis.

Topography-Guided Control of Local Migratory Behaviors and Protein Expression of Cancer Cells

In vivo cancer cell migration and invasion are directed by biophysical guidance mechanisms such as pre-existing microtracks and basement membrane extracellular matrices. Here, this paper reports the correlation of the local migratory behavior of cancer cells and the biochemical signal expression using the topography that can guide or inhibit cell behaviors. To this end, the local apparent migration and the protein expression level are investigated with respect to the topographical feature size (flat, nanoline, and microline) and orientation (microline, microconcentric, and microradial) with the collectively migrating (A431) and individually migrating (MDA-MB-231 and U-87-MG) cancer cells. The results show that the migration and the protein expression of focal adhesion kinase, rho-associated protein kinase, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase are localized in the periphery of cell colony. Furthermore, the inhibition of migratory behavior at the periphery recues the protein expression, while the guidance of migration enhances the aforementioned protein expression. The results may imply the employ of biophysical inhibitory factors can help to control invasiveness of cancer cells during the progression state.

Recent insights into synthetic β-carbolines with anti-cancer activities

Cancer, an uncontrolled and rapid proliferation of abnormal cells, has become one of the leading cause of death worldwide. The development of resistance among the numerous drugs in clinical use has provided strong impetus for the identification and development of novel cancer therapeutics. β-carbolines constitute an important class of pharmacologically active scaffolds known to exert their anticancer activities via diverse mechanisms. The purpose of present review article is to update the readers on the current developments in β-carbolines with an emphasis on synthetic strategies, structure-activity relationships, mechanism of action and in vivo studies wherever possible.

Intracellular Domain Contacts Contribute to Ecadherin Constitutive Dimerization in the Plasma Membrane

Epithelial cadherin (Ecadherin) is responsible for the intercellular cohesion of epithelial tissues. It forms lateral clusters within adherens cell-cell junctions, but its association state outside these clusters is unknown. Here, we use a quantitative Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) approach to show that Ecadherin forms constitutive dimers and that these dimers exist independently of the actin cytoskeleton or cytoplasmic proteins. The dimers are stabilized by intermolecular contacts that occur along the entire length of Ecadherin, with the intracellular domains having a surprisingly strong favorable contribution. We further show that Ecadherin mutations and calcium depletion induce structural alterations that propagate from the N terminus all the way to the C terminus, without destabilizing the dimeric state. These findings provide context for the interpretation of Ecadherin adhesion experiments. They also suggest that early events of adherens junction assembly involve interactions between from preformed Ecadherin dimers.

All-Trans Retinoic Acid Prevents Osteosarcoma Metastasis by Inhibiting M2 Polarization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages

M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) play a critical role in cancer invasion and metastasis. Here, we report that M2 macrophages enhanced metastasis of K7M2 WT osteosarcoma cells to the lungs in mice, thus establishing M2 TAMs as a therapeutic target for blocking osteosarcoma metastasis. We found that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) inhibited osteosarcoma metastasis via inhibiting the M2 polarization of TAMs. ATRA suppressed IL13- or IL4-induced M2-type macrophages, and then inhibited migration of osteosarcoma cells as promoted by M2-type macrophages in vitro ATRA reduced the number of pulmonary metastatic nodes of osteosarcoma and decreased expression of M2-type macrophages in metastatic nodes both in intravenous injection and orthotopic transplantation models. ATRA's effect was independent of conventional STAT3/6 or C/EBPβ signaling, which regulate M2-like polarization of macrophages. Quantitative genomic and functional analyses revealed that MMP12, a macrophage-secreted elastase, was elevated in IL13-skewed TAM polarization, whereas ATRA treatment downregulated IL13-induced secretion of MMP12. This downregulation correlates with the antimetastasis effect of ATRA. Our results show the role of TAM polarization in osteosarcoma metastasis, identify a therapeutic opportunity for antimetastasis treatment, and indicate ATRA treatment as an approach for preventing osteosarcoma metastasis via M2-type polarization intervention. Cancer Immunol Res; 5(7); 547-59. ©2017 AACR.

The effect of ALA-PDT under normoxia and cobalt chloride (CoCl2)-induced hypoxia on adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1) secretion by colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND

The most fundamental problem in cancer biology research is to understand the mechanisms of cancer cell resistance to oncological therapies. Literature reports emphasize the important role of adhesion molecules: intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1 and VCAM-1) in cancer progression and resistance to treatment. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) could become the component of a personalized approach to colorectal cancer, therefore we examined the effects of ALA (δ-aminolevulinic) acid PDT in normoxia and under cobalt chloride (CoCl₂)-induced hypoxia on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 secretion by colorectal cancer cells.

METHODS

Human colorectal cancer cells of different malignant potential SW480 and SW620 were used in the experiment. Cell lines were treated ALA, in order to achieve conditions comparable to in vivo hypoxia, CoCl₂ was added, then cells were irradiated both in normoxia and in hypoxia-like conditions. Cell viability was assessed using the LDH and MTT assays and apoptosis. ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations were determined with the Bio - Plex ProTM Assay and System.

RESULTS

The experiment revealed that ALA PDT under normoxia and CoCl₂-induced hypoxia had no significant effect on ICAM-1 and VCAM-1-dependent adhesion of colorectal cancer cells. The secretion of ICAM-1 by SW480 ell line was more pronounced compared to ICAM-1 secretion by SW620 cells.

CONCLUSION

Determination of tumor marker levels and especially adhesion molecules involved in metastatic spread is necessary. Our experiment reveals, that ALA PDT in normoxia and CoCl₂-induced hypoxia has no effect on adhesion molecules secretion by colon cancer cells in vitro.

Interleukin-17 augments tumor necrosis factor α-mediated increase of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α and inhibits vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein expression to reduce the adhesion of breast cancer cells

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α are able to cooperatively alter the expression levels of a number of genes. In the present study, the mRNA expression levels of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α were analyzed in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells following treatment with IL-17, TNF-α or the combination of IL-17 and TNF-α. The protein expression levels of HIF-1α and vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) were evaluated using western blot analysis. The adhesive ability of the cells was determined using an MTT assay following treatment with HIF-1α-small interfering RNA and short hairpin RNA-VASP that were used to suppress the expression levels of HIF-1α and VASP protein, respectively. These results demonstrated that IL-17 augmented TNF-α-induced gene expression of HIF-1α. The combination of IL-17 and TNF-α promoted an increase in HIF-1α expression and a decrease in VASP expression and a reduction in the adhesive ability of cells. These results demonstrated that IL-17 effectively enhanced the TNF-α-induced increase in HIF-1α and inhibited VASP expression, thus reducing the adhesion of MDA-MB-231 cells.