miR-1224-3p Promotes Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Migration through PGM5-Mediated Aerobic Glycolysis

Cell Senescence-Related Genes as Biomarkers for Prognosis and Immunotherapeutic Response in Colon Cancer

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) stands out as the most prevalent malignancy diagnosed within the gastrointestinal tract, bearing substantial incidence and mortality rates. The processes of ageing and senescence intricately intertwine with tumorigenesis and immune regulation, concurrently exerting influence on the remodelling of the tumor microenvironment (TME). This phenomenon, in turn, significantly impacts the efficacy of immunotherapeutic interventions. Despite this awareness, the comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between cellular senescence and TME in the context of COAD remains elusive. Further inquiry is imperative to comprehensively gauge the relevance of cellular senescence-related genes (CSGs) in the realms of immune infiltration and the prognostication of COAD. Differentially expressed cell senescence-related genes (DE-CSGs) within COAD tumors and normal specimens were discerned through analysis of the TCGA-COAD dataset. Leveraging univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses, we formulated a prognostic risk signature. Subsequent validation utilised two independent GEO datasets. Furthermore, a nomogram was devised to gauge the prognostic significance of this signature. Additionally, the immune landscape of the Cell Senescence-related Signature (CSS) was characterised using CIBERSORT and TIMER algorithms. The expression levels of CSGs were quantified through RT-PCR in COAD specimens. Drawing upon mRNA expression profiles of 191 DE-CSGs, we successfully established a 9-gene CSS, demonstrating its autonomy as a prognostic determinant for COAD patients. Those assigned high-risk scores exhibited an immunosuppressive phenotype, marked by elevated proportions of resting CD4+memory T cells and macrophages M0, correlating with diminished overall survival. Subsequent analyses uncovered that the amalgamation of CSS with the expression profiles of immune checkpoint key genes effectively predicted patient prognosis. Furthermore, patients with low-risk scores demonstrated a potential association with more favourable therapeutic outcomes in the context of immunotherapy. This study has culminated in the development of a prognostic risk signature grounded in cell senescence-related genes for COAD. We posit that the CSS plays a regulatory role in immune infiltration, emerging as a robust biomarker for prognosis and a predictive indicator for immunotherapeutic responsiveness within the COAD landscape.

Metabolic Profiling of Breast Cancer Cell Lines: Unique and Shared Metabolites

Breast Cancer (BrCa) exhibits a high phenotypic heterogeneity, leading to the emergence of aggressive clones and the development of drug resistance. Considering the BrCa heterogeneity and that metabolic reprogramming is a cancer hallmark, we selected seven BrCa cell lines with diverse subtypes to provide their comprehensive metabolome characterization: five lines commonly used (SK-Br-3, T-47D, MCF-7, MDA-MB-436, and MDA-MB-231), and two patient-derived xenografts (Hbcx39 and Hbcx9). We characterized their endometabolomes using 1H-NMR spectroscopy. We found distinct metabolite profiles, with certain metabolites being common but differentially accumulated across the selected BrCa cell lines. High levels of glycine, lactate, glutamate, and formate, metabolites known to promote invasion and metastasis, were detected in all BrCa cells. In our experiment setting were identified unique metabolites to specific cell lines: xanthine and 2-oxoglutarate in SK-Br-3, 2-oxobutyrate in T-47D, cystathionine and glucose-1-phosphate in MCF-7, NAD+ in MDA-MB-436, isocitrate in MDA-MB-231, and NADP+ in Hbcx9. The unique and enriched metabolites enabled us to identify the metabolic pathways modulated in a cell-line-specific manner, which may represent potential candidate targets for therapeutic intervention. We believe this study may contribute to the functional characterization of BrCa cells and assist in selecting appropriate cell lines for drug-response studies.

Metabolism-regulating non-coding RNAs in breast cancer: roles, mechanisms and clinical applications

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies that pose a serious threat to women's health. Reprogramming of energy metabolism is a major feature of the malignant transformation of breast cancer. Compared to normal cells, tumor cells reprogram metabolic processes more efficiently, converting nutrient supplies into glucose, amino acid and lipid required for malignant proliferation and progression. Non-coding RNAs(ncRNAs) are a class of functional RNA molecules that are not translated into proteins but regulate the expression of target genes. NcRNAs have been demonstrated to be involved in various aspects of energy metabolism, including glycolysis, glutaminolysis, and fatty acid synthesis. This review focuses on the metabolic regulatory mechanisms and clinical applications of metabolism-regulating ncRNAs involved in breast cancer. We summarize the vital roles played by metabolism-regulating ncRNAs for endocrine therapy, targeted therapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy resistance in breast cancer, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Difficulties and perspectives of current targeted metabolism and non-coding RNA therapeutic strategies are discussed.

PSME3 induces radioresistance and enhances aerobic glycolysis in cervical cancer by regulating PARP1

Cervical cancer (CC) ranks the fourth in gynecologic cancers. The incidence and mortality of CC has been decreased due to the cancer screening and early treatments in recent years, but the prognosis of CC patients at advanced stage is still sorrowful. Whether PSME3 exerted a role in the radioresistance of CC cells remains to be investigated. In this study, the expression of PSME3 in mRNA and protein levels was measured by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, and increased expression of PSME3 in CC tissues and cells was observed. CCK-8 and colony formation assay revealed that the cell viability and proliferation of Hela and CaSki cells treated with different doses of X-ray was reduced due to the depletion of PSME3, indicating that silencing of PSME3 enhanced the radiosensitivity of CC cells. In addition, repair on DNA damage in CC cells was enhanced by PSME3 and the damage was attenuated by PSME3. Besides, the expression of glycolysis-related proteins (GLUT1, PGC-1α, LDHA and HK2) were enhanced by PSME3 but reduced by silencing PSME3 in CC cells. PSME3 restraint attenuated the levels of glucose consumption and lactate production, suggesting PSME3 depletion suppressed abnormal glycolysis of CC cells. Mechanically, PSME3 increased the PARP1 expression via elevating c-myc. Finally, we observed PSME3 attenuation inhibited CC growth in vivo. In conclusion, PSME3 enhanced radioresistance and aerobic glycolysis in CC by regulating PARP1, which might shed a light into the function of PSME3 in CC treatment.

Non-coding RNAs in breast cancer: with a focus on glucose metabolism reprogramming

Breast cancer is the tumor with the highest incidence in women worldwide. According to research, the poor prognosis of breast cancer is closely related to abnormal glucose metabolism in tumor cells. Changes in glucose metabolism in tumor cells are an important feature. When sufficient oxygen is available, cancer cells tend to undergo glycolysis rather than oxidative phosphorylation, which promotes rapid proliferation and invasion of tumor cells. As research deepens, targeting the glucose metabolism pathway of tumor cells is seen as a promising treatment. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), a recent focus of research, are involved in the regulation of enzymes of glucose metabolism and related cancer signaling pathways in breast cancer cells. This article reviews the regulatory effect and mechanism of ncRNAs on glucose metabolism in breast cancer cells and provides new ideas for the treatment of breast cancer.

Label-free proteomic analysis and functional analysis in patients with intrauterine adhesion

Intrauterine adhesion (IUA) is one of the principal causes of secondary infertility in women of reproductive age, which seriously affects female reproductive function and quality of life. In recent years, the incidence of IUA has been increasing year by year, but its pathological mechanism has not yet been clarified. This study intended to reveal the pathogenesis of IUA and find new therapeutic targets by analyzing the proteomic differences between intrauterine adhesion tissues and normal human endometrial tissues. In the label-free quantitative proteomics, we identified 789 up-regulated differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and 539 down-regulated DEPs. These DEPs were further analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and enrichment analysis, Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis to preliminarily clarify the biomarkers involved in the pathogenesis of the IUA. The DEPs were further verified by parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) to confirm the results of proteomics. Finally, 7 target proteins may be candidates for treatment and elucidating the pathophysiology of IUA. SIGNIFICANCE: IUA is a fertility complication, which has increasing incidence recently. Until now, only a little research paid attention to the proteomic changes of IUA. This is the first study focused on the comparative analysis of endometrial tissue between IUA patients and normal women. We found 7 key proteins that may become the potential biomarkers of IUA.

Meta-analysis of the effect of PGM on survival prognosis of tumor patients

Objective

A systematic evaluation of the impact of phosphoglucose translocase PGM on the survival prognosis of tumor patients was conducted to understand its impact on tumors so as to improve the quality of survival and to find effective therapeutic targets for tumor patients.

Methods

The following were searched in the databases China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Wipu, PubMed, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library: "PGM1", "PGM2", "PGM3", "PGM4", and "PGM5" as Chinese keywords and "PGM1", "PGM2", "PGM3", "PGM4", "PGM5", "PGM1 cancer", "PGM2 cancer", "PGM3 cancer", "PGM4 cancer", "PGM5 cancer", and "phosphoglucomutase". Relevant studies published from the database establishment to April 2022 were collected. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and evaluated for quality with reference to the Cochrane 5.1.0 systematic evaluation method, and quality assessment was performed using RevMan 5.3 software.

Results

The final results of nine articles and 10 studies with a total of 3,806 patients were included, including 272 patients in the PGM1 group, 541 patients in the PGM2 group, 1,775 patients in the PGM3 group, and 1,585 patients in the PGM5 group. Results of the meta-analysis: after determining the results of the nine articles, it was found that the difference was statistically significant with a p-value <0.05 (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.89, 95% CI 0.69-1.09, p = 0.000). To find the sources of heterogeneity, the remaining eight papers were tested after removing the highly sensitive literature, and the results showed I² = 26.5%, p < 0.001, a statistically significant difference. The HR for high expression of PGM1 and PGM2 and PGM5 was <1, while the HR for high expression of PGM3 was >1.

Conclusion

Although PGM1, PGM2, PGM3, and PGM5 are enzymes of the same family, their effects on tumors are different. High expression of PGM1, PGM2, and PGM5 can effectively prolong the overall survival of patients. In contrast, high expression of PGM3 reduced the overall survival of patients. This study of PGM family enzymes can assist in subsequent tumor diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic assessment.

Identification of exosomal circRNA CD226 as a potent driver of nonsmall cell lung cancer through miR-1224-3p/high mobility group AT-hook 2 axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are crucial for the pathogenesis of nonsmall lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we set out to unravel the precise function of circRNA CD226 (circCD226) in NSCLC pathogenesis. The exosomes from serum specimens were observed by transmission electron microscopy. CircCD226, miR-1224-3p and high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) were quantified by qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry. Actinomycin D and Ribonuclease (RNase) R treatments and subcellular localization assay were used for circCD226 characterization. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and sphere formation abilities were gauged by CCK-8, EDU, wound-healing, transwell and sphere formation assays, respectively. Directed relationships among circCD226, miR-1224-3p and HMGA2 were examined by RNA pull-down, dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. The abundance of circCD226 was elevated in serum exosomes, tissues and cells of NSCLC. NSCLC serum exosomes enhanced NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness. Loss of circCD226 impeded cell proliferation, migration, invasion and stemness in vitro, as well as tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, circCD226 sponged miR-1224-3p, and miR-1224-3p targeted HMGA2. CircCD226 involved the posttranscriptional regulation of HMGA2 through miR-1224-3p. Moreover, the miR-1224-3p/HMGA2 axis was identified as a functionally downstream effector of circCD226 in regulating NSCLC cell behaviors. Our study identifies circCD226 as a potential driver in NSCLC development depending on the regulation of miR-1224-3p/HMGA2 axis.

PGM1 suppresses colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway

BACKGROUND

Phosphoglucomutase 1 (PGM1) is known for its involvement in cancer pathogenesis. However, its biological role in colorectal cancer (CRC) has remained unknown. Here, we studied the functions and mechanisms of PGM1 in CRC.

METHODS

We verified PGM-1 as a differentially expressed gene (DEG) by employing a comprehensive strategy of TCGA-COAD dataset mining and computational biology. Relative levels of PGM-1 in CRC tumors and adjoining peritumoral tissues were determined by qRT-PCR, western blotting (WB), and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining in a tissue microarray. PGM1 functions were analyzed by CCK8, EdU, colony formation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and Transwell migration and invasion assays. The influence of PGM1 was further investigated by studying tumor formation in vivo.

RESULTS

The levels of PGM1 mRNA and protein were both reduced in CRC tissues, and the reductions were related to CRC pathology and overall survival. PGM1 knockdown stimulated both cell proliferation and colony formation, and inhibited cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, while overexpression of PGM1 produced the opposite effects in CRC cells both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, the effects of PGM1 were related to the PI3K/ AKT pathway.

CONCLUSION

We verified that PGM1 suppresses CRC progression via the PI3K/AKT pathway. These results suggest the potential for targeting PGM1 in treatment of CRC.

The Role and Mechanism of microRNA-1224 in Human Cancer

microRNAs (miRNAs) are a type of small endogenous non-coding RNAs composed of 20-22 nucleotides, which can regulate the expression of a gene by targeting 3’ untranslated region (3’-UTR) of mRNA. Many studies have reported that miRNAs are involved in the occurrence and progression of human diseases, including malignant tumors. miR-1224 plays significant roles in different tumors, including tumor proliferation, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis, biological metabolism, and drug resistance. Mostly, it serves as a tumor suppressor. With accumulating proofs of miR-1224, it can act as a potential bio-indicator in the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with cancer. In this article, we review the characteristics and research progress of miR-1224 and emphasize the regulation and function of miR-1224 in different cancer. Furthermore, we conclude the clinical implications of miR-1224. This review may provide new horizons for deeply understanding the role of miR-1224 as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in human cancer.

KIAA0101 knockdown inhibits glioma progression and glycolysis by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

KIAA0101, a proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-associated factor, is reported to be overexpressed and identified as an oncogene in several human malignancies. The purpose of this study is to determine the function and possible mechanism of KIAA0101 in glioma progression. KIAA0101 expression in glioma patients was analyzed by GSE50161 and GEPIA datasets. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the survival distributions. KIAA0101 expression in glioma cells were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. The function of KIAA0101 was investigated using MTT, flow cytometry, caspase-3 activity, and Transwell assays. Additionally, glycolytic flux was determined by measuring extracellular acidification rate (ECAR), glucose consumption, lactate production, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level. The changes of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway were detected by western blot analysis. Results showed that KIAA0101 was upregulated in glioma tissues and cells. High KIAA0101 expression predicted a poor prognosis in glioma patients. KIAA0101 depletion impeded cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and triggered apoptosis in glioma cells. KIAA0101 silencing reduced the ECAR, glucose consumption, lactate production, and ATP level in glioma cells, suggesting that KIAA0101 knockdown inhibited glycolysis in glioma cells. Mechanistically, KIAA0101 knockdown inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, KIAA0101 silencing inhibited glioma progression and glycolysis by inactivating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway.

The Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition at the Crossroads between Metabolism and Tumor Progression

The transition between epithelial and mesenchymal phenotype is emerging as a key determinant of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. It is a plastic process in which epithelial cells first acquire the ability to invade the extracellular matrix and migrate into the bloodstream via transdifferentiation into mesenchymal cells, a phenomenon known as epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), and then reacquire the epithelial phenotype, the reverse process called mesenchymal–epithelial transition (MET), to colonize a new organ. During all metastatic stages, metabolic changes, which give cancer cells the ability to adapt to increased energy demand and to withstand a hostile new environment, are also important determinants of successful cancer progression. In this review, we describe the complex interaction between EMT and metabolism during tumor progression. First, we outline the main connections between the two processes, with particular emphasis on the role of cancer stem cells and LncRNAs. Then, we focus on some specific cancers, such as breast, lung, and thyroid cancer.

Splice and Dice: Intronic microRNAs, Splicing and Cancer

Introns span only a quarter of the human genome, yet they host around 60% of all known microRNAs. Emerging evidence indicates the adaptive advantage of microRNAs residing within introns is attributed to their complex co-regulation with transcription and alternative splicing of their host genes. Intronic microRNAs are often co-expressed with their host genes, thereby providing functional synergism or antagonism that is exploited or decoupled in cancer. Additionally, intronic microRNA biogenesis and the alternative splicing of host transcript are co-regulated and intertwined. The importance of intronic microRNAs is under-recognized in relation to the pathogenesis of cancer.