Inhibition of NOS1 promotes the interferon response of melanoma cells

Nitric oxide synthase 1 inhibits the progression of esophageal cancer through interacting with nitric oxide synthase 1 adaptor protein

BACKGROUND

Esophageal cancer (ESCA) is among the most prevalent and lethal tumors globally. While nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1) is recognized for its important involvement in various cancers, its specific function in ESCA remains unclear.

AIM

To explore the potential role and underlying mechanisms of NOS1 in ESCA.

METHODS

Survival rates were analyzed using GeneCards and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis. The effects and mechanisms of NOS1 on ESCA cells were evaluated via the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, scratch assay, Transwell assay, flow cytometry, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling staining. The protein interaction network was used to screen the interacting proteins of NOS1 and validate these interactions through co-immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase assays. Additionally, a nude mouse xenograft model was established to evaluate the effect of NOS1 in vivo.

RESULTS

The survival rate of patients with ESCA with high NOS1 expression was higher than that of patients with low NOS1 expression. NOS1 expression in ESCA cell lines was lower than that in normal esophageal epithelial cells. Overexpression of NOS1 (oe-NOS1) inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities in ESCA cell lines, resulting in decreased autophagy levels and increased apoptosis, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis. Protein interaction studies confirmed the interaction between NOS1 and NOS1 adaptor protein (NOS1AP). Following oe-NOS1 and the silencing of NOS1AP, levels of P62 and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta increased both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the expression levels of E-cadherin, along with the activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and protein kinase B (AKT), were inhibited in ESCA cell lines.

CONCLUSION

NOS1 and NOS1 proteins interact to suppress autophagy, activate the PI3K/AKT pathway, and exert anti-cancer effects in ESCA.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing in ecotoxicology

Chemicals are widely used and released into the environment, and their degradation, accumulation, migration, and transformation processes in the environment can pose a threat to the ecosystem. The advancement in analytical methods with high-throughput screening of biomolecules has revolutionized the way toxicologists used to explore the effects of chemicals on organisms. CRISPR/Cas is a newly developed tool, widely used in the exploration of basic science and biologically engineered products given its high efficiency and low cost. For example, it can edit target genes efficiently, and save loss of the crop yield caused by environmental pollution as well as gain a better understanding of the toxicity mechanisms from various chemicals. This review briefly introduces the development history of CRISPR/Cas and summarizes the current application of CRISPR/Cas in ecotoxicology, including its application on improving crop yield and drug resistance towards agricultural pollution, antibiotic pollution and other threats. The benefits by applying the CRISPR/Cas9 system in conventional toxicity mechanism studies are fully demonstrated here together with its foreseeable expansions in other area of ecotoxicology. Finally, the prospects and disadvantages of CRISPR/Cas system in the field of ecotoxicology are also discussed.

Improved synthesis and anticancer activity of a potent neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor

An improved synthesis of 4-methyl-7-(3-((methylamino)methyl)phenethyl)quinolin-2-amine (1) is reported. A scalable, rapid, and efficient methodology was developed to access this compound with an overall yield of 35%, which is 5.9-fold higher than the previous report. The key differences in the improved synthesis are a high yielding quinoline synthesis by a Knorr reaction, a copper-mediated Sonogashira coupling to the internal alkyne in excellent yield, and a crucial deprotection of the N-acetyl and N-Boc groups achieved under acidic conditions in a single step rather than a poor yielding quinoline N-oxide strategy, basic deprotection conditions, and low yielding copper-free conditions that were reported in the previous report. Compound 1, which previously was shown to inhibit IFN-γ-induced tumor growth in a human melanoma xenograft mouse model, was found to inhibit the growth of metastatic melanoma, glioblastoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro.

A review on CRISPR/Cas: a versatile tool for cancer screening, diagnosis, and clinic treatment

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and it has the trend of increase incidence. However, in the past decades, as quickly developed new technologies and modified old techniques for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment, the cancer-caused mortality rates dropped quickly, and the survival times of cancer patients are enhanced. However, the current death rate is still about 50% and the survival patients always suffer from the side effect of current cancer treatments. Recently developed Nobel Prize-winning CRISPR/Cas technology provides new hope on cancer screening, early diagnosis, and clinic treatment as well as new drug development. Currently, four major CRISPR/Cas9-derived genome editors, CRISPR/Cas9 nucleotide sequence editor, CRISPR/Cas base editor (BE), CRISPR prime editor (PE), and CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) (including both CRISPRa and CRISPRr), were well developed and used to various research and applications, including cancer biology study and cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Additionally, CRISPR/Cas12 and CRISPR/Cas13 genome editors were also widely used in cancer-related basic and applied research as well as treatment. Cancer-associated SNPs and genetic mutations as well as both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes are perfect targets for CRISPR/Cas-based gene therapy for cancer treatment. CRISPR/Cas is also employed to modify and generate new Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells for improving its safety, efficiency, and longer-time last for treating various cancers. Currently, there are many clinic trails of CRISPR-based gene therapy for cancer treatments. Although all CRISPR/Cas-derived genome and epigenome tools are promising methods for cancer biology study and treatment, the efficiency and long term-safety are still the major concerns for CRISPR-based gene therapy. Developing new CRISPR/Cas delivery methods and reducing the potential side effects, including off-target impacts, will enhance CRISPR/Cas application in cancer-related research, diagnosis, and therapeutical treatment.

The Breast Cancer Protooncogenes HER2, BRCA1 and BRCA2 and Their Regulation by the iNOS/NOS2 Axis

The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS; NOS2) and derived NO in various cancers was reported to exert pro- and anti-tumorigenic effects depending on the levels of expression and the tumor types. In humans, the breast cancer level of iNOS was reported to be overexpressed, to exhibit pro-tumorigenic activities, and to be of prognostic significance. Likewise, the expression of the oncogenes HER2, BRCA1, and BRCA2 has been associated with malignancy. The interrelationship between the expression of these protooncogenes and oncogenes and the expression of iNOS is not clear. We have hypothesized that there exist cross-talk signaling pathways between the breast cancer protooncogenes, the iNOS axis, and iNOS-mediated NO mutations of these protooncogenes into oncogenes. We review the molecular regulation of the expression of the protooncogenes in breast cancer and their interrelationships with iNOS expression and activities. In addition, we discuss the roles of iNOS, HER2, BRCA1/2, and NO metabolism in the pathophysiology of cancer stem cells. Bioinformatic analyses have been performed and have found suggested molecular alterations responsible for breast cancer aggressiveness. These include the association of BRCA1/2 mutations and HER2 amplifications with the dysregulation of the NOS pathway. We propose that future studies should be undertaken to investigate the regulatory mechanisms underlying the expression of iNOS and various breast cancer oncogenes, with the aim of identifying new therapeutic targets for the treatment of breast cancers that are refractory to current treatments.