Circ_001042 Inhibits TGF-β1/P38 MAPK Signaling Axis-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Retracted: Circ_001042 Inhibits TGF-β1/P38 MAPK Signaling Axis-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Metastasis in Lung Adenocarcinoma

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2022/7890490.].

Targeting Pokemon is a novel strategy to suppress cancer aggressiveness of non-small cell lung cancer: Identification of Pokemon as ideal target for developing anti-NSCLC drugs

Although it is widely reported that Pokemon acts as an oncogene in the pathogenesis of multiple cancers, but its role and detailed molecular mechanisms in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression have not been fully delineated. Here, by performing Real-Time qPCR analysis, we verified that Pokemon was high-expressed in NSCLC tissues and cells, compared to the corresponding normal lung tissues and epithelial cells. Then, the small interfering RNA (siRNA) for Pokemon was transfected into the NSCLC cells to verify its biological functions, and our results suggested that silencing of Pokemon suppressed the malignant phenotypes, including cell viability, mitosis, colony formation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), mobility and cancer stem cell (CSC) properties in NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, we confirmed that knockdown of Pokemon decreased the expression levels of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt), phosphorylated GSK-3β (p-GSK-3β) and Snail to inactivate the oncogenic Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signal pathway, and deletion of Snail also had similar effects to hamper the development of NSCLC. Next, our rescuing experiments validated that Pokemon ablation-induced suppressing effects on NSCLC cell malignancy were all abrogated by overexpressing Snail. Finally, the in vivo experiments confirmed that silencing of Pokemon downregulated Snail to hamper tumorigenesis of NSCLC cells in xenograft tumor-bearing mice models. Taken together, we firstly uncovered the underlying mechanisms by which the Pokemon/Akt/GSK-3β/Snail signal pathway contributed to the development of NSCLC, and this signal pathway could be potentially used as therapeutic targets for the development of personalized anti-NSCLC drugs.

CMaf-Inducing Protein Promotes LUAD Proliferation and Metastasis by Activating the MAPK/ERK Pathway

Objective

Previous studies have shown that cMaf-inducing protein (CMIP) promotes tumorigenesis and progression, however, the role of CMIP in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and its molecular mechanism remain unclear.

Methods

In this study, the Human Protein Atlas and Kaplan–Meier Plotter database were used to analyze the expression and prognostic value of CMIP in LUAD. Then, the expression levels of CMIP in LUAD tissues and cells were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot. The lentiviral vector was used to establish a stable transfected cell line, and the transfection efficiency was detected by qRT-PCR. MTT assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, and wound healing assay were used to evaluate the function of CMIP in LUAD. In addition, the effect of CMIP on the MAPK/ERK pathway in LUAD cells was analyzed by western blot.

Results

The expression level of CMIP was significantly increased in LUAD cell and tissue samples, and the high expression of CMIP was associated with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in LUAD patients. In vitro experiments showed that CMIP overexpression significantly promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 cells. CMIP knockout significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of H1299 cells. In addition, it was observed that the expression levels of the MAPK/ERK pathway-related proteins were significantly increased in CMIP-overexpressed A549 cells, and promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while U0126 could significantly reverse the activation of the MAPK/ERK pathway by CMIP overexpression, and inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 cells.

Conclusion

Our study shows that CMIP, as an oncogene, is associated with poor patient prognosis, and may promote the proliferation and metastasis of LUAD by activating the MAPK/ERK pathway. Therefore, CMIP may be a new potential therapeutic target for LUAD.