DACH1 antagonizes CXCL8 to repress tumorigenesis of lung adenocarcinoma and improve prognosis

Lung-derived soluble factors support stemness/plasticity and metastatic behaviour of breast cancer cells via the FGF2-DACH1 axis

Patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) have an increased propensity to develop lung metastasis. Our previous studies demonstrated that stem-like ALDHhiCD44+ breast cancer cells interact with lung-derived soluble factors, resulting in enhanced migration and lung metastasis particularly in TNBC models. We have also observed that the presence of a primary TNBC tumor can 'prime' the lung microenvironment in preparation for metastasis. In this study, we hypothesized that soluble lung-derived factors secreted in the presence of a primary TNBC tumor can influence stemness/plasticity of breast cancer cells. Using an ex vivo pulmonary metastasis assay (PuMA), we observed that the lung microenvironment supports colonization and growth of ALDHhiCD44+ TNBC cells, potentially via interactions with lung-derived FGF2. Exposure of TNBC cells to lung-conditioned media (LCM) generated from mice bearing TNBC primary tumors (tbLCM) significantly enhanced the proportion of ALDHhiCD44+ cells compared to control or LCM from tumor-naïve mice (tnLCM). Further analysis using a human cancer stem cell qPCR array revealed that, relative to tnLCM or control, exposure of TNBC cells to tbLCM leads to downregulation of the transcription factor and putative tumor suppressor Dachshund homolog 1 (DACH1), a downstream regulator of FGF2. In addition, inhibition of DACH1 using siRNA or treatment with recombinant FGF2 enhanced the ALDHhiCD44+ phenotype. Taken together, our findings suggest that the FGF2-DACH1 signaling axis supports stemness/plasticity of TNBC cells in the lung microenvironment and lays the foundation for future evaluation of FGF2 as a potential novel therapeutic target for treatment or prevention of breast cancer metastasis to the lung.

DACH1 Attenuates Airway Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Activating NRF2 Signaling

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by impaired lung function induced by cigarette smoke (CS). Reduced DACH1 (dachshund homolog 1) expression has a detrimental role in numerous disorders, but its role in COPD remains understudied. This study aimed to elucidate the role and underlying mechanism of DACH1 in airway inflammation in COPD by measuring DACH1 expression in lung tissues of patients with COPD. Airway epithelium-specific DACH1-knockdown mice and adenoassociated virus-transfected DACH1-overexpressing mice were used to investigate the role of DACH1 and the potential for therapeutic targeting in experimental COPD caused by CS. Furthermore, we discovered a potential mechanism of DACH1 in inflammation induced by CS extract stimulation in vitro. Compared with nonsmokers and smokers without COPD, patients with COPD had reduced DACH1 expression, especially in the airway epithelium. Airway epithelium-specific DACH1 knockdown aggravated airway inflammation and lung function decline caused by CS in mice, whereas DACH1 overexpression protected mice from airway inflammation and lung function decline. DACH1 knockdown and overexpression promoted and inhibited IL-6 and IL-8 secretion, respectively, in 16HBE human bronchial epidermal cells after CS extract stimulation. NRF2 (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2) was discovered to be a novel downstream target of DACH1, which binds directly to its promoter. By activating NRF2 signaling, DACH1 induction reduced inflammation. DACH1 levels are lower in smokers and nonsmoking patients with COPD than in nonsmokers. DACH1 has protective effects against inflammation induced by CS by activating the NRF2 signaling pathway. Targeting DACH1 is a potentially viable therapeutic approach for COPD treatment.

Expression of CXCL8 and its relationship with prognosis in patients with non-small cell lung cancer

To determine the expression of chemokine 8 (CXCL8) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and analyze its correlation with tumor characteristics and patient prognosis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 149 NSCLC patients treated between January 2016 and April 2018, measuring serum CXCL8 expression upon admission or prior to treatment. The clinical characteristics, including lymph node metastasis and staging, based on CXCL8 expression levels, were analyzed. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves was drawn to assess its predictive value for lymph node metastasis and staging in NSCLC patients. Furthermore, the Kaplan-Meier curve was plotted to assess the impact of CXCL8 on 5-year survival in NSCLC Patients. NSCLC patients exhibited significantly higher serum CXCL8 levels than those with benign tumors (P<0.001), with the high CXCL8 expression group showing a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis or stage III NSCLC (P<0.01). CXCL8 was identified as an independent predictor of lymph node metastasis (AUC=0.730) and higher TNM stage (AUC=0.708), as well as a validated biomarker for predicting five-year survival in NSCLC patients. This study highlights the strong association between CXCL8 expression in NSCLC and patient prognosis, particularly regarding lymph node metastasis and clinical staging, suggesting the need for further research to explore CXCL8's specific role in the tumor microenvironment and its impact on different NSCLC subtypes.

S100A8/A9 as a risk factor for breast cancer negatively regulated by DACH1

BACKGROUND

S100A8 and S100A9 are members of Ca2+-binding EF-hand superfamily, mainly expressed by macrophages and neutrophils. Limited by the poor stability of homodimers, they commonly exist as heterodimers. Beyond acting as antibacterial cytokines, S100A8/A9 is also associated with metabolic and autoimmune diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. While the involvement of S100A8/A9 in breast cancer development has been documented, its prognostic significance and the precise regulatory mechanisms remain unclear.

METHODS

S100A8/A9 protein in breast cancer samples was evaluated by immunohistochemistry staining with tumor tissue microarrays. The serum S100A8 concentration in patients was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The S100A8 secreted by breast cancer cells was detected by ELISA as well. Pooled analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between S100A8/A9 mRNA level and clinicopathological features of breast cancer patients. Besides, the effects of S100A8/A9 and DACH1 on patient outcomes were analyzed by tissue assays. Finally, xenograft tumor assays were adopted to validate the effects of DACH1 on tumor growth and S100A8/A9 expression.

RESULTS

The level of S100A8/A9 was higher in breast cancer, relative to normal tissue. Increased S100A8/A9 was related to poor differentiation grade, loss of hormone receptors, and Her2 positive. Moreover, elevated S100A8/A9 predicted a worse prognosis for breast cancer patients. Meanwhile, serum S100A8 concentration was upregulated in Grade 3, basal-like, and Her2-overexpressed subtypes. Additionally, the results of public databases showed S100A8/A9 mRNA level was negatively correlated to DACH1. Stable overexpressing DACH1 in breast cancer cells significantly decreased the generation of S100A8. The survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high S100A8/A9 and low DACH1 achieved the shortest overall survival. The xenograft models indicated that DACH1 expression significantly retarded tumor growth and downregulated S100A8/A9 protein abundance.

CONCLUSION

S100A8/A9 is remarkedly increased in basal-like and Her2-overexpressed subtypes, predicting poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. Tumor suppressor DACH1 inhibits S100A8/A9 expression. The combination of S100A8/A9 and DACH1 predicted the overall survival of breast cancer patients more preciously.

An immunosuppressive subtype of senescent tumor cells predicted worse immunotherapy response in lung adenocarcinoma

Senescent tumor cells (STCs) can induce immunosuppression, promoting tumor progression and therapy resistance. However, the specific characteristics of immunosuppressive STC have not been thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to characterize and elucidate the immunosuppressive phenotype of STC in lung adenocarcinoma by employing single-cell and bulk transcriptomics, as well as serum proteomics profiling. We identified senescence-related genes specific to tumors and identified Cluster10 of STC as the immunomodulatory subtype. Cluster10 exhibited a distinct secretome dominated by cytokines such as CXCL1, CXCL2, and CXCL8 and showed activation of transcription factors associated with cytokine secretion, including NFKB1, RELA, and STAT3. Notably, Cluster10 demonstrated the highest degree of intercellular communication among all cell types, with interactions as LGALS9-TIM3 and MIF-CD74. Furthermore, Cluster10 showed significant associations with poor prognosis and diminished response to immunotherapy. Analysis of serum proteomics data from our in-house cohort identified CXCL8 as a potential marker for predicting immunotherapeutic outcomes.

CXCL8 induces M2 macrophage polarization and inhibits CD8+ T cell infiltration to generate an immunosuppressive microenvironment in colorectal cancer

The poor prognosis of immunotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) necessitates a comprehensive understanding of the immunosuppressive mechanisms within tumor microenvironment (TME). Undoubtedly, the anti-tumor immune cells play an indispensable role in immune tolerance. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate novel immune-related factors that have the capacity to enhance anti-tumor immunity. Here, we employed bioinformatic analysis using R and Cytoscape to identify the hub gene chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 8 (CXCL8), which is overexpressed in CRC, in the malignant progression of CRC. However, its specific role of CXCL8 in CRC immunity remains to be elucidated. For this purpose, we evaluated how tumor-derived CXCL8 promotes M2 macrophage infiltration by in vivo and in vitro, which can be triggered by IL-1β within TME. Mechanistically, CXCL8-induced polarization of M2 macrophages depends on the activation of the STAT3 signaling. Finally, immunohistochemistry and multiplexed immunohistochemistry analysis identified that CXCL8 not only enhances PD-L1+ M2 macrophage infiltration but also attenuates the recruitment of PD-1+ CD8+ T cells in murine CRC models. Together, these findings emphasize the critical role for CXCL8 in promoting M2 macrophage polarization and inhibiting CD8+ T cell infiltration, thereby links CXCL8 to the emergency of immunosuppressive microenvironment facilitating tumor evasion. Overall, these findings may provide novel strategy for CRC immunotherapy.

DACH1 regulates macrophage activation and tumour progression in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Dachshund family transcription factor 1 (DACH1) has been shown to exhibit a tumour-suppressive role in a number of human cancers. However, the role of DACH1 in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HPSCC) and its function in the tumour microenvironment (TME) are still not clear. Crosstalk between cancer cells and tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) mediates tumour progression in HPSCC. The expression of DACH1, CD86 and CD163 was detected in 71 matched HPSCC-non-cancerous tissue pairs using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and IHC analysis. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were monitored by colony formation, Transwell and EdU incorporation assays. ChIP-qPCR and dual-luciferase reporter assays were applied to verify the targeting relationships between DACH1 and IGF-1. Stably transfected HPSCC cells were co-cultured with MΦ macrophages to assess macrophage polarization and secretory signals. DACH1 was decreased in HPSCC tissues and was indicative of a poor prognosis for HPSCC patients. Decreased DACH1 expression in HPSCC was associated with fewer CD86+ TAMs and more CD163+ TAMs. Knockdown of DACH1 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of FaDu cells via Akt/NF-κB/MMP2/9 signalling. Additionally, DACH1 was found to directly bind to the promoter region of IGF-1 to downregulate the secretion of IGF-1, which inhibited TAMs polarization through the IGF-1R/JAK1/STAT3 axis. Furthermore, in nude mice, the effects of DACH1 inhibition on tumour progression and M2-like TAMs polarization were confirmed. These findings suggest that IGF-1 is a critical downstream effector of DACH1 that suppresses cell migration and invasion and inhibits TAMs polarization. DACH1 could be a therapeutic target and prognostic marker for HPSCC.

A2aR on lung adenocarcinoma cells: A novel target for cancer therapy via recruiting and regulating tumor-associated macrophages

Adenosine 2a receptor (A2aR), a typical GPCR with a high affinity for adenosine, is widely expressed on immune cells, inhibiting anti-tumor immune response accordingly. Here, we identify that A2aR is specifically expressed on tumor cells from lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients, closely related to their prognosis and positively correlated with tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) infiltration. We hypothesize that blocking A2aR on LUAD cells will inhibit the role of TAMs and control tumor growth. Constructing models of TAMs and LUAD mice, we find that A2aR highly expressed on LUAD cells promotes the secretion of chemokines and polarizing factors through activating PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, thereby promoting the migration and invasion of TAMs. Functionally, blocking A2aR significantly suppresses TAMs infiltration and attenuates tumor burden in LUAD mice. Notably, the M2 polarization of TAMs can also be prevented by inhibiting A2aR in vitro. Together, our studies demonstrate that A2aR on LUAD cells drives TAMs migration and polarization, and blockade of A2aR may support a novel and potent therapeutic option for LUAD.

The significance of spread through air spaces in the prognostic assessment model of stage I lung adenocarcinoma and the exploration of its invasion mechanism

PURPOSE

Spread through air spaces (STAS) is a crucial invasive mode of lung cancer and has been shown to be associated with early recurrence and metastasis. We aimed to develop a prognostic risk assessment model for stage I lung adenocarcinoma based on STAS and other pathological features and to explore the potential relationship between CXCL-8, Smad2, Snail, and STAS.

METHODS

312 patients who underwent surgery at Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital with pathologically diagnosed stage I lung adenocarcinoma were reviewed in the study. STAS and other pathological features were identified by H&E staining, and a prognostic risk assessment model was established. The expression levels of CXCL8, Smad2, and Snail were determined by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The nomogram was established based on age, smoking history, STAS, tumor lymphocyte infiltration, tissue subtype, nuclear grade, and tumor size. The C-index for DFS was (training set 0.84 vs validation set 0.77) and for OS was (training set 0.83 vs validation set 0.78). Decision curve analysis showed that the model constructed has a better net benefit than traditional reporting. The prognostic risk score validated the risk stratification value for stage I lung adenocarcinoma. STAS was an important prognostic factor associated with stronger invasiveness and higher expression of CXCL8, Smad2, and Snail. CXCL8 was associated with poorer DFS and OS.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and validated a survival risk assessment model and the prognostic risk score formula for stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, we found that CXCL8 could be used as a potential biomarker for STAS and poor prognosis, and its mechanism may be related to EMT.

CXCL8 and the peritoneal metastasis of ovarian and gastric cancer

CXCL8 is the most representative chemokine produced autocrine or paracrine by tumor cells, endothelial cells and lymphocytes. It can play a key role in normal tissues and tumors by activating PI3K-Akt, PLC, JAK-STAT, and other signaling pathways after combining with CXCR1/2. The incidence of peritoneal metastasis in ovarian and gastric cancer is extremely high. The structure of the peritoneum and various peritoneal-related cells supports the peritoneal metastasis of cancers, which readily produces a poor prognosis, low 5-year survival rate, and the death of patients. Studies show that CXCL8 is excessively secreted in a variety of cancers. Thus, this paper will further elaborate on the mechanism of CXCL8 and the peritoneal metastasis of ovarian and gastric cancer to provide a theoretical basis for the proposal of new methods for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer peritoneal metastasis.

The DACH1 gene is frequently deleted in prostate cancer, restrains prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, decreases DNA damage repair, and predicts therapy responses

Prostate cancer (PCa), the second leading cause of death in American men, includes distinct genetic subtypes with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. The DACH1 gene encodes a winged helix/Forkhead DNA-binding protein that competes for binding to FOXM1 sites. Herein, DACH1 gene deletion within the 13q21.31-q21.33 region occurs in up to 18% of human PCa and was associated with increased AR activity and poor prognosis. In prostate OncoMice, prostate-specific deletion of the Dach1 gene enhanced prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and was associated with increased TGFβ activity and DNA damage. Reduced Dach1 increased DNA damage in response to genotoxic stresses. DACH1 was recruited to sites of DNA damage, augmenting recruitment of Ku70/Ku80. Reduced Dach1 expression was associated with increased homology directed repair and resistance to PARP inhibitors and TGFβ kinase inhibitors. Reduced Dach1 expression may define a subclass of PCa that warrants specific therapies.

FHL1 as a novel prognostic biomarker and correlation with immune infiltration levels in lung adenocarcinoma

Aim: We aimed to examine the effect of FHL1 in the diagnosis and prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer and its relationship with tumor-infiltrating immune cells. Methods: FHL1 expression status and influence on clinical characteristics, diagnosis and prognosis in non-small-cell lung cancer were assessed. Interaction networks of FHL1 were revealed, and a correlation analysis between FHL1 expression and tumor immunity was performed. Results: FHL1 expression was significantly lower in tumors, and downregulated FHL1 predicted a worse prognosis for lung adenocarcinoma. FHL1 expression was correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells, immune checkpoints and chemokine levels. Conclusion: FHL1 is a powerful biomarker to evaluate the diagnosis and prognosis and immune infiltration level of lung adenocarcinoma.

DACH1 inhibits the proliferation and migration of papillary thyroid carcinoma

DACH1 is an important component of the retinal determinate gene network (RDGN), which regulates the expression of target genes by directly binding or interacting with other factors. DACH1 shows inhibitory effects in most tumors, but its role in papillary thyroid carcinoma is unclear and warrants further investigation. We assessed the expression of DACH1 in different tissues and correlation with immune infiltration by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMMER2.0 databases). The effects of DACH1 on the proliferation and migration of TPC-1 and Bcpap cells were assessed by cell viability assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, and flow cytometry. Finally, the effects of DACH1 on CXCL8, CXCL10, and CXCL12 expression in Nthy-ori-3-1, TPC-1 and Bcpap cells were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. The results showed that DACH1 was differentially expressed in different tumors and tissues. Basal expression of DACH1 was lower in thyroid and papillary thyroid carcinoma than in other normal tissues and corresponding tumors, and positively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. In Nthy-ori-3-1, TPC-1 and Bcpap cells, overexpression of DACH1 inhibited cell migration and proliferation, and the opposite results was obtained by knocking down DACH1 using small interfering RNA. We also demonstrated that DACH1 regulated chemokines CXCL8, CXCL10, and CXCL12, thereby modulating tumor immunity.

Retinal determination gene networks: from biological functions to therapeutic strategies

The retinal determinant gene network (RDGN), originally discovered as a critical determinator in Drosophila eye specification, has become an important regulatory network in tumorigenesis and progression, as well as organogenesis. This network is not only associated with malignant biological behaviors of tumors, such as proliferation, and invasion, but also regulates the development of multiple mammalian organs. Three members of this conservative network have been extensively investigated, including DACH, SIX, and EYA. Dysregulated RDGN signaling is associated with the initiation and progression of tumors. In recent years, it has been found that the members of this network can be used as prognostic markers for cancer patients. Moreover, they are considered to be potential therapeutic targets for cancer. Here, we summarize the research progress of RDGN members from biological functions to signaling transduction, especially emphasizing their effects on tumors. Additionally, we discuss the roles of RDGN members in the development of organs and tissue as well as their correlations with the pathogenesis of chronic kidney disease and coronary heart disease. By summarizing the roles of RDGN members in human diseases, we hope to promote future investigations into RDGN and provide potential therapeutic strategies for patients.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the differential inflammatory effects between propofol and sevoflurane during lung cancer resection: a randomized pilot study

BACKGROUND

Propofol and sevoflurane are two commonly used perioperative anesthetics. Some studies have found that these anesthetic drugs affect tumorigenesis. Previous studies have mostly focused on in vitro experiments, and the specimens collected were mainly peripheral body fluids, lacking direct evidence of the impact of anesthetic drugs on human tissues. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of propofol and sevoflurane on lung cancer using next-generation sequencing through an in vivo experiment.

METHODS

Patients were randomly assigned to a group receiving either propofol or sevoflurane during surgery. Then, the patients' tumor and paired normal samples were collected and sequenced by next-generation sequencing. Differentially expressed genes (DEG) were analyzed by two statistical models, followed by cluster analysis, PCA, Gene Ontology, and KEGG pathway analysis. Candidate genes were confirmed by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

The demographic data of the two study groups were not statistically significant. Through single-factor model analysis, 810 DEG in the propofol group and 508 DEG in the sevoflurane group were obtained. To better reflect the differential effects between propofol and sevoflurane while reducing the false-positive DEG, we used multifactor model analysis, which resulted in 124 DEG. In PCA and cluster analysis, four groups (propofol cancer group, propofol normal group, sevoflurane cancer group, sevoflurane normal group) were separated adequately, indicating the accuracy of the analysis. We chose seven significant pathways (cellular response to interleukin-1, chemokine-mediated signaling pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, inflammatory response, immune response, and TNF signaling pathway) for downstream analysis. Based on the pathway analysis, three candidate genes (CXCR1, CXCL8, and TNFAIP3) were chosen, and their qRT-PCR results were consistent with the sequencing results.

CONCLUSIONS

Through RNA-seq analysis, the effects of propofol and sevoflurane during lung cancer resection were different, mainly in inflammatory-related pathways, which might be possibly by targeting CXCL8.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Trial registry number was ChiCTR1900026213 .

The DACH1 gene is frequently deleted in prostate cancer, restrains prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, decreases DNA damage repair, and predicts therapy responses

Prostate cancer (PCa), the second leading cause of death in American men, includes distinct genetic subtypes with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. The DACH1 gene encodes a winged helix/Forkhead DNA-binding protein that competes for binding to FOXM1 sites. Herein, DACH1 gene deletion within the 13q21.31-q21.33 region occurs in up to 18% of human PCa and was associated with increased AR activity and poor prognosis. In prostate OncoMice, prostate-specific deletion of the Dach1 gene enhanced prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), and was associated with increased TGFb activity and DNA damage. Reduced Dach1 increased DNA damage in response to genotoxic stresses. DACH1 was recruited to sites of DNA damage, augmenting recruitment of Ku70/Ku80. Reduced Dach1 expression was associated with increased homology directed repair and resistance to PARP inhibitors and TGFb kinase inhibitors. Reduced Dach1 expression may define a subclass of PCa that warrants specific therapies.

Breast cancer heterogeneity and its implication in personalized precision therapy

Breast cancer heterogeneity determines cancer progression, treatment effects, and prognosis. However, the precise mechanism for this heterogeneity remains unknown owing to its complexity. Here, we summarize the origins of breast cancer heterogeneity and its influence on disease progression, recurrence, and therapeutic resistance. We review the possible mechanisms of heterogeneity and the research methods used to analyze it. We also highlight the importance of cell interactions for the origins of breast cancer heterogeneity, which can be further categorized into cooperative and competitive interactions. Finally, we provide new insights into precise individual treatments based on heterogeneity.

Identification and verification of the temozolomide resistance feature gene DACH1 in gliomas

Introduction

The most important chemotherapy treatment for glioma patients is temozolomide. However, the development of drug resistance severely restricts the use of temozolomide. Therefore, elucidating the mechanism of temozolomide resistance, enhancing temozolomide sensitivity, and extending patient survival are urgent tasks for researchers.

Methods

Temozolomide resistance hub differential genes were identified using differential analysis and protein interaction analysis from the GEO datasets (GSE100736 and GSE113510). These genes were further studied in glioma patients treated with temozolomide in the TCGA and CGGA databases. Patients from the mRNAseq_325 dataset (CGGA) were considered as the training set to construct a risk model for predicting glioma sensitivity to temozolomide, while patients from the mRNAseq_693 dataset (CGGA) and TCGA-GBM dataset were considered as the validation set to evaluate the performance of models. PCR and western blot were performed to determine the difference in expression of the feature gene DACH1 between glioma cells and temozolomide-resistant glioma cells. The alterations in the sensitivity of tumor cells to temozolomide were also observed after DACH1 was silenced. The patients were then divided into two groups based on the expression of DACH1, and the differences in patient survival rates, molecular pathway activation, and level of immune infiltration were compared.

Results

Based on four signature genes (AHR, DACH1, MGMT, and YAP1), a risk model for predicting glioma sensitivity to temozolomide was constructed, and the results of timeROC in both the training and validation sets showed that the model had good predictive performance. The expression of the signature gene DACH1 was significantly downregulated in temozolomide-resistant cells, according to the results of the PCR and western blot experiments. The sensitivity of tumor cells to temozolomide was significantly reduced after DACH1 was silenced. DACH1 probably regulates temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma through the transcriptional dysregulation in cancer and ECM.

Discussion

This study constructs a risk model that can predict glioma susceptibility to temozolomide and validates the function of the feature gene DACH1, which provides a promising target for the research of temozolomide resistance.

Increased expression of ECT2 predicts the poor prognosis of breast cancer patients

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in women. Recent studies have indicated that aberrant activation of Rho GTPases relates to the malignant properties of breast cancer cells. As the guanine nucleotide exchange factor of Rho GTPases, the role of ECT2 (epithelial cell transforming 2) in breast cancer is still unclear. Tissue microarrays and multiple public databases were utilized to investigate the relationship between ECT2 level and clinical-pathological features of breast cancer patients. Kaplan Meier-plotter online tool and tissue microarray with survival information were used to investigate the predictive value for breast cancer. Here, we found increased ECT2 level was highly associated with advanced TNM stage, poor differentiation, and loss of hormone receptors of breast cancer. Gene expression profile showed that ECT2 level was closely correlated to cell-proliferation-associated pathways. Integration analysis using public databases and tissue microarray indicated that high ECT2 was an adverse prognostic factor for breast cancer patients. We believe the ECT2 level might be a valuable complement for commercially available predictors such as the 21 genes test. Furthermore, ECT2 would be a novel target for drug development for breast cancer.

Anti-TGF-β/PD-L1 bispecific antibody promotes T cell infiltration and exhibits enhanced antitumor activity in triple-negative breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Agents blocking programmed cell death protein 1/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) have been approved for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the response rate of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 is still unsatisfactory, partly due to immunosuppressive factors such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β). In our previous pilot study, the bispecific antibody targeting TGF-β and murine PD-L1 (termed YM101) showed potent antitumor effect. In this work, we constructed a bispecific antibody targeting TGF-β and human PD-L1 (termed BiTP) and explored the antitumor effect of BiTP in TNBC.

METHODS

BiTP was developed using Check-BODYTM bispecific platform. The binding affinity of BiTP was measured by surface plasmon resonance, ELISA, and flow cytometry. The bioactivity was assessed by Smad and NFAT luciferase reporter assays, immunofluorescence, western blotting, and superantigen stimulation assays. The antitumor activity of BiTP was explored in humanized epithelial-mesenchymal transition-6-hPDL1 and 4T1-hPDL1 murine TNBC models. Immunohistochemical staining, flow cytometry, and bulk RNA-seq were used to investigate the effect of BiTP on immune cell infiltration.

RESULTS

BiTP exhibited high binding affinity to dual targets. In vitro experiments verified that BiTP effectively counteracted TGF-β-Smad and PD-L1-PD-1-NFAT signaling. In vivo animal experiments demonstrated that BiTP had superior antitumor activity relative to anti-PD-L1 and anti-TGF-β monotherapy. Mechanistically, BiTP decreased collagen deposition, enhanced CD8+ T cell penetration, and increased tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This improved tumor microenvironment contributed to the potent antitumor activity of BiTP.

CONCLUSION

BiTP retains parent antibodies' binding affinity and bioactivity, with superior antitumor activity to parent antibodies in TNBC. Our data suggest that BiTP might be a promising agent for TNBC treatment.

Association of serum Interleukin-8 level with lymph node metastasis and tumor recurrence in gastric cancer

The level of pretherapeutic serum interleukin-8 (sIL-8) has been demonstrated to correlate with chemoresistance in gastric cancer. However, its clinicopathological significance of sIL-8 in gastric cancer remains unknown. Herein, a total of 335 patients diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled. The clinicopathological features were collected, and the sIL-8 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sIL-8 levels ranged from 1.48 pg/ml to 1025.22 pg/ml with > 15.41 pg/ml defined as high according to the receiver operating characteristic analysis. sIL-8 levels were strongly associated with Lauren classification and tumor recurrence. High sIL-8 correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) in the intestinal- and diffuse-type tumors and acted as an independent risk factor for LNM in both types. Patients with high sIL-8 levels had worse relapse-free survival than those with low sIL-8 levels. High sIL-8 level was associated with tumor relapse in the intestinal- and diffuse-type tumors, and was also an independent risk factor in the intestinal- and mixed-type tumors. Further analysis revealed that sIL-8 levels were positively associated with LNM and tumor relapse in patients with negative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), but not in those with elevated serum CEA levels. In conclusion, this retrospective study demonstrated that the pretherapeutic sIL-8 level has predictive value for LNM and tumor recurrence, and may serve as a potential tumor marker in gastric cancer.

Low G9a expression is a tumor progression factor of colorectal cancer via IL-8 promotion

The histone methyltransferase G9a is expressed in various types of cancer cells, including colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Interleukin (IL)-8, also known as C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), is a chemokine that plays a pleiotropic function in the regulation of inflammatory responses and cancer development. Here, we examined the relationship between G9a and IL-8 and the clinical relevance of this association. We immunohistochemically analyzed 235 resected CRC samples to correlate clinical features. Samples with high G9a expression had better overall survival and relapse-free survival than those with low G9a expression. Univariate and multivariate analyses demonstrated that low G9a expression remained a significant independent prognostic factor for increased disease recurrence and decreased survival (P<0.05). G9a was expressed at high levels in commercially available CRC cell lines HCT116 and HT29. Knockdown of G9a by siRNA, shRNA, or the G9a-specific inhibitor BIX01294 upregulated IL-8 expression. The number of spheroids was significantly increased in HCT116 cells with stably suppressed G9a expression, and the number of spheroids was significantly decreased in HCT116 cells with stably suppressed IL-8 expression. Thus, the suppression of IL-8 by G9a may result in a better prognosis in CRC cases with high G9a expression. Furthermore, G9a may suppress cancer stemness and increase chemosensitivity by controlling IL-8. Therefore, G9a is a potential novel marker for predicting CRC prognosis, and therapeutic targeting of G9a in CRC should be contraversial.

MDACT: A New Principle of Adjunctive Cancer Treatment Using Combinations of Multiple Repurposed Drugs, with an Example Regimen

In part one of this two-part paper, we present eight principles that we believe must be considered for more effective treatment of the currently incurable cancers. These are addressed by multidrug adjunctive cancer treatment (MDACT), which uses multiple repurposed non-oncology drugs, not primarily to kill malignant cells, but rather to reduce the malignant cells' growth drives. Previous multidrug regimens have used MDACT principles, e.g., the CUSP9v3 glioblastoma treatment. MDACT is an amalgam of (1) the principle that to be effective in stopping a chain of events leading to an undesired outcome, one must break more than one link; (2) the principle of Palmer et al. of achieving fractional cancer cell killing via multiple drugs with independent mechanisms of action; (3) the principle of shaping versus decisive operations, both being required for successful cancer treatment; (4) an idea adapted from Chow et al., of using multiple cytotoxic medicines at low doses; (5) the idea behind CUSP9v3, using many non-oncology CNS-penetrant drugs from general medical practice, repurposed to block tumor survival paths; (6) the concept from chess that every move creates weaknesses and strengths; (7) the principle of mass-by adding force to a given effort, the chances of achieving the goal increase; and (8) the principle of blocking parallel signaling pathways. Part two gives an example MDACT regimen, gMDACT, which uses six repurposed drugs-celecoxib, dapsone, disulfiram, itraconazole, pyrimethamine, and telmisartan-to interfere with growth-driving elements common to cholangiocarcinoma, colon adenocarcinoma, glioblastoma, and non-small-cell lung cancer. gMDACT is another example of-not a replacement for-previous multidrug regimens already in clinical use, such as CUSP9v3. MDACT regimens are designed as adjuvants to be used with cytotoxic drugs.

Sitagliptin Alleviates Radiation-Induced Intestinal Injury by Activating NRF2-Antioxidant Axis, Mitigating NLRP3 Inf--lammasome Activation, and Reversing Gut Microbiota Disorder

Radiation-induced intestinal injury is a common and critical complication of radiotherapy for pelvic or abdominal tumors, with limited therapeutic strategies and effectiveness. Sitagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) inhibitor, has previously been reported to alleviate total body irradiation- (TBI-) induced damage of hematopoietic system in mice, but its effect on radiation-induced intestinal injury remains unclear. In this study, we confirmed that Sitagliptin could not only protect mice from death and weight loss caused by whole abdominal irradiation (WAI) but also improve the morphological structure of intestine and the regeneration ability of enterocytes. In addition, Sitagliptin significantly inhibited the production of radiation-induced proinflammatory cytokines and reduced the number of apoptotic intestinal epithelial cells and γ-H2AX expression. In vitro, we demonstrated that Sitagliptin protected HIEC-6 cells from ionizing radiation, resulting in increased cell viability and reduced DNA damage. Mechanistically, the radiation protection of Sitagliptin might be related to the upregulation of NRF2 level and the decrease of NLRP3 inflammasome activity. Importantly, Sitagliptin significantly restored radiation-induced changes in bacterial composition. In conclusion, our results suggested that Sitagliptin could reduce WAI-induced intestinal injury in mice, which may provide novel therapeutic strategy for radiation-induced intestinal injury.

The roles of risk model based on the 3-XRCC genes in lung adenocarcinoma progression

Background

The abnormal expression of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair genes might be the cause of tumor development and resistance of malignant cells to chemotherapeutic drugs. A risk model based on the X-ray repair of cross-complementary (XRCC) genes was constructed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients.

Methods

The expression levels, diagnostic values, and prognostic values of XRCC genes were identified, and the roles and regulatory mechanisms of the risk model based on the XRCC4/5/6 in LUAD progression was explored via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Oncomine databases.

Results

XRCC1/2/3/4/5/6, XRCC7 (PRKDC), and XRCC9 (FANCG) were overexpressed, and had diagnostic value for LUAD. The XRCC genes were involved in DNA repair, and participated in the regulation of non-homologous end-joining, homologous recombination, etc. The overall survival (OS), tumor (T) stage, and survival status of patients were significantly different between the Cluster1 and Cluster2 groups. XRCC4/5/6 were independent risk factors affecting the prognosis of LUAD patients. The risk score was related to the prognosis, sex, clinical stage, T, lymph node (N), and metastasis (M) stage, as well as the survival status of LUAD patients. The clinical stage and risk score were independent risk factors for poor prognosis in LUAD patients. The risk model was involved in RNA degradation, cell cycle, basal transcription factors, DNA replication etc. The risk scores were significantly correlated with the expression levels of TGFBR1, CD160, TNFSF4, TNFRSF14, IL6R, CXCL16, TNFRSF25, TAPBP, CCL16, and CCL14.

Conclusions

The risk model based on the XRCC4/5/6 genes could predict the progression of LUAD patients.

The CBL-LSD1-CXCL8 axis regulates methionine metabolism in glioma

Gliomas are the most frequent type of brain tumors, with a high mortality rate and a lack of efficient targeted therapy. Methionine is an essential amino acid, and restriction of methionine in the diet has been found to prevent metabolic diseases and aging, inhibit cancer growth and improve cancer treatment. However, mechanisms of action by which methionine metabolism affects gliomas remain largely unclear. The present study found that methionine starvation of glioma cells significantly increased the expression of CXCL8. Mechanistically, E3 ubiquitin ligase was found to mediate the ubiquitinated degradation of the histone demethylase LSD1 via CBL, reducing LSD1 protein stability and, enhancing H3K4me1 modification of the CXCL8 gene. CXCL8 was found to be involved in regulating the reprogramming of glycerophospholipid metabolism, enabling it to respond to a methionine-deprived environment. CXCL8 expression was significantly higher in glioma than in normal brain tissue samples, with elevated CXCL8 being associated with poor prognosis. In summary, CBL-mediated degradation of LSD1 acts as an anti-braking system and serves as a quick adaptive mechanism for re-remodeling epigenetic modifications. This, in turn, promotes cell proliferation, even in a methionine-restricted environment. Taken together, these findings indicate that the CBL/LSD1/CXCL8 axis is a novel mechanistic connection linking between methionine metabolism, histone methylation and glycerophospholipid reprogramming in the tumor microenvironment.

DACH1 inhibits breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis by down-regulating the transcription of matrix metalloproteinase 9

Human Dachshund homolog 1 (DACH1) is usually defined as a tumor suppressor, which plays an influential role in tumor growth and metastasis in a variety of cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanisms in these process are not yet fully clarified. In this study, DACH1 inhibited the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells by decreasing MMP9 expression. Mechanistically, DACH1 represses the transcriptional level of MMP9 by interacting with p65 and c-Jun at the NF-κB and AP-1 binding sites in MMP9 promoter respectively, and the association of DACH1 and p65 promote the recruitment of HDAC1 to the NF-κB binding site in MMP9 promoter, resulting in the reduction of the acetylation level and the transcriptional activity of p65. Accordingly, the level of MMP9 was decreased. In conclusion, we found a new mechanism that DACH1 could inhibit the metastasis of breast cancer cells by inhibiting the expression of MMP9.

MRTF-A-NF-κB/p65 axis-mediated PDL1 transcription and expression contributes to immune evasion of non-small-cell lung cancer via TGF-β

PD-L1 is abnormally regulated in many cancers and is critical for immune escape. Fully understanding the regulation of PD-L1 expression is vital for improving the clinical efficacy of relevant anticancer agents. TGF-β plays an important role in the low reactivity of PD-1/PD-L1 antibody immunotherapy. However, it is not very clear whether and how TGF-β affects PD-L1 expression. In the present study, we show that TGF-β upregulates the expression of the transcriptional coactivator MRTF-A in non-small-cell lung cancer cells, which subsequently interacts with NF-κB/p65 rather than SRF to facilitate the binding of NF-κB/p65 to the PDL1 promoter, thereby activating the transcription and expression of PD-L1. This leads to the immune escape of NSCLC cells. This process is dependent on the activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway. In vivo, inhibition of MRTF-A effectively suppresses the growth of lung tumor syngrafts with enrichment of NK and T cells in tumor tissue. Our study defines a new signaling pathway that regulates the transcription and expression of PD-L1 upon TGF-β treatment, which may have a significant impact on research into the application of immunotherapy in treating lung cancer.

Better understanding how a critical protein to allow cancer cells to escape immune system may aid in development of improved immunotherapies for lung cancer. The membrane protein PD-L1, expressed on tumor cells, helps them to evade the immune surveillance; existing treatments that block PD-L1 have very low efficacy for some patient partly due to re-expression of PD-L1. Jing Li at Ocean University of China in Qingdao and co-workers found that TGF-β up-regulated in tumor microenvironment boosts PD-L1 transcription and expression in an unusual way, namely, via MRTF-A-NF-κB/p65 axis. Blocking MRTF-A in a mouse model remarkably increased levels of immune cells targeting the tumor and slowed lung tumor growth. These results illuminate the mechanism of immune escape in lung cancers upon TGF-β, which may contribute to develop new treatment to synergize PD-L1 antibody therapy.

Combine and conquer: manganese synergizing anti-TGF-β/PD-L1 bispecific antibody YM101 to overcome immunotherapy resistance in non-inflamed cancers

BACKGROUND

Our previous work showed that the anti-TGF-β/PD-L1 bispecific antibody YM101 effectively overcame anti-PD-L1 resistance in immune-excluded tumor models. However, in immune-desert models, the efficacy of YM101 was limited. Bivalent manganese (Mn2+) is identified as a natural stimulator of interferon genes (STING) agonist, which might enhance cancer antigen presentation and improve the therapeutic effect of YM101.

METHODS

The effect of Mn2+ on STING pathway was validated by western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Dendritic cell (DC) maturation was measured by flow cytometry. The synergistic effect between Mn2+ and YM101 in vitro was determined by one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction, CFSE dilution assay, and cytokine detection. The in vivo antitumor effect of Mn2+ plus YM101 therapy was assessed in CT26, EMT-6, H22, and B16 tumor models. Flow cytometry, RNA-seq, and immunofluorescent staining were adopted to investigate the alterations in the tumor microenvironment.

RESULTS

Mn2+ could activate STING pathway and promote the maturation of human and murine DC. The results of one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction showed that Mn2+ synergized YM101 in T cell activation. Moreover, in multiple syngeneic murine tumor models, Mn2+ plus YM101 therapy exhibited a durable antitumor effect and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice. Relative to YM101 monotherapy and Mn2+ plus anti-PD-L1 therapy, Mn2+ plus YM101 treatment had a more powerful antitumor effect and a broader antitumor spectrum. Mechanistically, Mn2+ plus YM101 strategy simultaneously regulated multiple components in the antitumor immunity and drove the shift from immune-excluded or immune-desert to immune-inflamed tumors. The investigation in the TME indicated Mn2+ plus YM101 strategy activated innate and adaptive immunity, enhanced cancer antigen presentation, and upregulated the density and function of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This normalized TME and reinvigorated antitumor immunity contributed to the superior antitumor effect of the combination therapy.

CONCLUSION

Combining Mn2+ with YM101 has a synergistic antitumor effect, effectively controlling tumor growth and prolonging the survival of tumor-bearing mice. This novel cocktail strategy has the potential to be a universal regimen for inflamed and non-inflamed tumors.

Role of Cytokines and Chemokines in NSCLC Immune Navigation and Proliferation

With over a million deaths every year around the world, lung cancer is found to be the most recurrent cancer among all types. Nonsmall cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) amounts to about 85% of the entire cases. The other 15% owes it to small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Despite decades of research, the prognosis for NSCLC patients is poorly understood with treatment options limited. First, this article emphasises on the part that tumour microenvironment (TME) and its constituents play in lung cancer progression. This review also highlights the inflammatory (pro- or anti-) roles of different cytokines (ILs, TGF-β, and TNF-α) and chemokine (CC, CXC, C, and CX3C) families in the lung TME, provoking tumour growth and subsequent metastasis. The write-up also pinpoints recent developments in the field of chemokine biology. Additionally, it covers the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs), as alternate carriers of cytokines and chemokines. This allows the cytokines/chemokines to modulate the EVs for their secretion, trafficking, and aid in cancer proliferation. In the end, this review also stresses on the role of these factors as prognostic biomarkers for lung immunotherapy, apart from focusing on inflammatory actions of these chemoattractants.

YTHDF1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BACKGROUND

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification, as the most abundant RNA modification, widely participates in the physiological process and is involved in multiple disease progression, especially cancer. YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 1 (YTHDF1) is a pivotal m⁶A "reader" protein, which has been reported in multiple cancers. However, the role and molecular mechanism of YTHDF1 in HCC are still not fully elucidated.

METHODS

Based on various bioinformatics databases, q-RT PCR, western blot, and a tissue microarray containing 90 HCC samples, we examined the expression of YTHDF1 in HCC. Then, we applied the loss-of-function experiments to explore the role of YTHDF1 in HCC by in vitro and in vivo assays. Finally, we performed the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) to predict the potential signaling pathway of YTHDF1 involved in HCC and further verified this prediction.

RESULTS

YTHDF1 was overexpressed in HCC and associated with HCC grade. Depletion of YTHDF1 markedly impaired the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle process of HCC cells. Mechanistically, YTHDF1 promoted the growth of HCC cells via activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Moreover, we also demonstrated that the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mediated the promoting effect of YTHDF1 on the migration and invasion of HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

YTHDF1 contributes to the progression of HCC by activating PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway and inducing EMT.

H. pylori infection induces CXCL8 expression and promotes gastric cancer progress through downregulating KLF4

Tumour-derived CXCL8 facilitates the movement of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, which are able to restrain antitumour immune responses to the tumour microenvironment. Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) is a potential tumour suppressor in gastric cancer (GC). However, knowledge regarding correlations between KLF4 and CXCL8 in GC is limited. We use cellular and molecular biological methods to assess whether these two factors interact in GC. Expression CXCL8 and KLF4 was altered in human GC tissues compared to normal gastric tissues in opposite ways. Additionally, cytotoxin-associated gene A protein (CagA) gene transduction or Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection upregulated CXCL8 expression. Knockdown of KLF4 expression increased CXCL8 protein and RNA expression, whereas its overexpression had the opposite effect. CXCL8-mediated enhancement of GC cell migration and proliferation was reversed by upregulation of KLF4 expression. Further mechanistic research revealed that KLF4 binds the CXCL8 promoter, suppressing CXCL8 transcription. Moreover, CXCL8 stimulation reduced KLF4 protein expression and promoted GC cell proliferation and migration, eventually promoting neoplasm growth in vivo. Together, our findings demonstrate that CagA promotes CXCL8 and inhibits KLF4. CXCL8 is a decisive downstream target gene of KLF4, and KLF4 negatively regulates CXCL8 in GC. Furthermore, CXCL8's negative regulation of KLF4 in vivo and in vitro, indicates that CagA may downregulate KLF4 by inducing CXCL8 expression, low expression of KLF4 further promotes that of CXCL8, forming a vicious circle in GC. Targeted KLF4 activation might improve the immunosuppressive microenvironment through direct negative regulation of CXCL8, providing a new potential target to strengthen the efficacy of immunotherapy in GC patients.

Identification of the dominant angiogenic CXCL class chemokines associated with non-small cell lung cancer via bioinformatics tools

Chemokines play a critical role in lung cancer progression and metastasis. In non-small cell lung cancer, the determination of dominant angiogenic CXCL-type chemokines may increase the efficacy of targeted therapy and modulate the prognosis of lung cancer. Also, chemokine and chemokine receptors shape the immune response in the cross-talk between both cancer cells and immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. In this computational evaluation study based on databases containing mostly RNA-seq analyses, it is aimed to determine the dominant angiogenic CXCL-type chemokines with the highest expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and particularly in non-small cell lung cancer cells. CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL7, and CXCL8, which can potentially be co-regulated and associated with poor survival, and phagocyte infiltration including neutrophils and macrophages are predominantly identified in non-small cell lung cancer. Moreover, the receptors of these chemokines, CXCR1 (binding CXCL8) and CXCR2 (binding CXCL1, 5, 7, 8), are positively correlated with the infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. With the discovery of the common regulatory mechanisms of these angiogenic chemokines and validation studies in clinical examples, the chemokine panels specific to non-small cell lung cancer will become clear and have a decisive role in the prognosis of the disease.

Astragalin Inhibits the Proliferation and Migration of Human Colon Cancer HCT116 Cells by Regulating the NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Astragalin is a flavonoid found in a variety of natural plants. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant effects and has inhibited effects against several malignant tumor cell types. However, its effects on colon cancer and the molecular mechanisms have remained to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effect of astragalin on proliferation and migration of human colon cancer HCT116 cells in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we elucidated the mechanism of these effects. The results showed that astragalin significantly inhibited the proliferation and diffusion of HCT116 cells by induced apoptosis (by modulation of Bax, Bcl-2, P53, caspase-3, caspase 6, caspase 7, caspase 8, caspase 9 protein express) and cell cycle arrest (by modulation of Cyclin D1, Cyclin E, P21, P27, CDK2, CDK4 protein express). Moreover, astragalin suppressed HCT116 cell migration by inhibiting the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9). In addition, astragalin significantly downregulated the expression of key proteins in the NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibited the transcriptional activity of NF-κB P65 stimulated with inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, thereby inhibiting the growth of colon cancer cells in vitro. Our further investigations unveiled astragalin gavage significantly reduced the proliferation of colon cancer xenograft in nude mice, in vivo experiments showed that tumor growth was related to decreased expression of apoptotic proteins in tumor tissues and decreased activity of the NF-κB signaling pathway. In summary, our results indicated that astragalin inhibits the proliferation and growth of colon cancer cells in vivo and in vitro via the NF-κB pathway. Therefore, astragalin maybe become a potential plant-derived antitumor drug for colon cancer.

Prediction of Clinical Outcome in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Treated With Chemoradiotherapy by Plasma Markers

Purpose

To identify cytokines in plasma that may predict objective response and progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Materials and Methods

From April 2016 to May 2017, thirty-one patients with locally advanced inoperable/unresectable NSCLC were included, and treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). No immune checkpoint inhibitors were administered after CCRT. Plasma from each patient was collected before radiotherapy, and 25 cytokines in the plasma were measured by Luminex or U-PLEX assays. Logistic regression and COX regression were performed to identify the predictive factors for objective response and PFS, respectively. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to compare the PFS between the groups.

Results

High levels of IL-13 and TNF-α, and low levels of ICAM-1, IFN-γ, and soluble PD-L1 (sPD-L1) were significantly associated with objective response (P <0.05). High levels of IL-8, CCL5, and CXCL3 also showed a trend toward association with objective response (P <0.1). The combination of cytokines (IL-8 and ICAM-1, or TNF-α and sPD-L1) improved predictive accuracy. Univariate analysis identified IL-8 and ICAM-1 as potential markers to predict PFS. Multivariate analysis suggested that high level of IL-8 (P =0.010) and low level of ICAM-1 (P =0.011) correlated significantly with a longer PFS.

Conclusion

IL-8 and ICAM-1 in plasma have the potential to predict objective response and PFS in patients with locally advanced NSCLC underwent chemoradiotherapy.

The construction, expression, and enhanced anti-tumor activity of YM101: a bispecific antibody simultaneously targeting TGF-β and PD-L1

Background

Therapeutic antibodies targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis induce potent and durable anti-tumor responses in multiple types of cancers. However, only a subset of patients benefits from anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapies. As a negative regulator of anti-tumor immunity, TGF-β impairs the efficacy of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and induces drug resistance. Developing a novel treatment strategy to simultaneously block PD-1/PD-L1 and TGF-β would be valuable to enhance the effect of anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and relieve drug resistance.

Methods

Based on the Check-BODY™ technology platform, we developed an anti-TGF-β/PD-L1 bispecific antibody YM101. The bioactivity of the anti-TGF-β moiety was determined by Smad-luciferase reporter assay, transwell assay, western blotting, CCK-8, and flow cytometry. The bioactivity of the anti-PD-L1 moiety was measured by T cell activation assays. EMT-6, CT26, and 3LL tumor models were used to investigate the anti-tumor activity of YM101 in vivo. RNA-seq, immunohistochemical staining, and flow cytometry were utilized to analyze the effect of YM101 on the tumor microenvironment.

Results

YM101 could bind to TGF-β and PD-L1 specifically. In vitro experiments showed that YM101 effectively counteracted the biological effects of TGF-β and PD-1/PD-L1 pathway, including activating Smad signaling, inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and immunosuppression. Besides, in vivo experiments indicated the anti-tumor activity of YM101 was superior to anti-TGF-β and anti-PD-L1 monotherapies. Mechanistically, YM101 promoted the formation of ‘hot tumor’: increasing the numbers of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes and dendritic cells, elevating the ratio of M1/M2, and enhancing cytokine production in T cells. This normalized tumor immune microenvironment and enhanced anti-tumor immune response might contribute to the robust anti-tumor effect of YM101.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that YM101 could simultaneously block TGF-β and PD-L1 pathways and had a superior anti-tumor effect compared to the monotherapies.

Bioinformatics Analyses Reveals a Comprehensive Landscape of CXC Chemokine Family Functions in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Backgrounds. Lung cancer is a major source of tumor-related death each year with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being a prevalent subtype. The metastasis from NSCLC to the brain usually imposes many neuron disorders. Previous studies have suggested that communications among cancer cells and interstitial cells are essential in tumorigenesis and are influenced by chemokines. In the tumor microenvironment, CXC chemokines can participate in the shifting of immune cells and manage tumor cell condition, thus affecting the progression of cancer and patient destinies. However, the expression and values of CXC chemokine family in NSCLC have not been systematically illustrated using public databases. Methods. UALCAN, STRING, ONCOMINE, GeneMANIA, cBioPortal, GEPIA, TISIDB, TRRUST, TIMER, Kaplan-Meier Plotter, and R software were utilized in this study. Results. Based on the TIMER and UACLCAN databases, in LUAD patients, the expression levels of CXCL10, CXCL13, and CXCL14 were significantly elevated while the transcriptional levels of CXCL2/3/4/7/12/16 were significantly reduced; in LUSC patients, the expression levels of CXCL6/10/13/14 were significantly elevated while the expression levels of CXCL2/3/4/5/7/11/12/16/17 were significantly reduced. We found remarkable relevance between the pathological stages of LUAD patients and the expressions of CXCL8 (positive) and CXCL17 (negative). Similarly, there are significant correlations between the pathological stages of LUSC patients and the expressions of CXCL1/2/6/17. In LUAD, patients with low expression levels of CXCL1/4/7/8 and patients with high expression levels of CXCL12/14/16 were associated with a significantly better prognosis. But in LUSC, all correlations between chemokines and prognosis are statistically insignificant. Pairwise expression correlation analysis among CXC chemokines shows that there are 7 significant correlations (between CXCL1 and CXCL2, between CXCL1 and CXCL3, between CXCL1 and CXCL8, between CXCL2 and CXCL3, between CXCL4 and CXCL7, between CXCL9 and CXCL10, and between CXCL9 and CXCL11) in LUAD and 4 significant correlations (between CXCL1 and CXCL8, between CXCL2 and CXCL3, between CXCL4 and CXCL7, and between CXCL10 and CXCL11) in LUSC. Significant correlations between the expressions of CXC chemokines and the infiltration of six common types of immune cells were also discovered in both LUAD and LUSC. Conclusions. We provided a comprehensive landscape of the CXC chemokine family in LUAD and LUSC using the bioinformatics method and found differences between LUSC and LUAD in the field of CXC chemokines. Our study may help validate and identify known novel immunotherapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers.

Prognostic significance of KRT19 in Lung Squamous Cancer

Backgroud: Keratin 19 (KRT19) is the intermediate filament that constitutes the cytoskeleton and regulates cell-cycle and cell death. Objective: We aimed to assess whether KRT19 was involved in lung cancer development. Methods: The expression of KRT19 in lung cancer was evaluated from mRNA expression on open databse and protein abundance on tumor tissue array. Results: Using open microarray gene expression datasets and differential expression analysis, we found that KRT19 was upregulated in lung cancer compared with normal tissue. Further analysis suggested that KRT19 mRNA expression was correlated with tumor progression and overall survival in lung cancer patients. As KRT19 was overexpressed in adenocarcinoma (AC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), we examined the prognostic value of KRT19 protein abundance by tissue microarray (TMA). The results suggested that protein expression of KRT19 was significantly associated with overall survival of SCC. Conclusions: Giving the prognostic role of KRT19 in lung cancer, KRT19 could be considered as an potential molecular marker in lung cancer, especially in SCC.

The underlying molecular mechanism and drugs for treatment in adrenal cortical carcinoma

Purpose: The study aimed to predict and explore the possible clinical value and mechanism of genetic markers in adrenal cortical carcinoma using a bioinformatics analysis method. Methods: The RNA-seqs and miRNAs data were downloaded from TCGA database to identify the differentially expressed genes and differentially expressed miRNAs. The hub-genes were screened by building protein-protein interaction sub-networks with 12 topological analysis methods. We conducted the receiver operating characteristic curve to elevate the diagnostic value of hub-genes in distinguishing the death and alive groups. The survival analysis of hub-genes and key miRNAs were conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves. Furthermore, most significant small molecules were identified as therapeutic candidates for adrenal cortical carcinoma by the CMap analysis. Results: Compared to survival group, we found 475 up-regulated genes and 354 genes and the key pathways leading to the death of different ACC individual patients. Then we used 12 topological analysis methods to found the most possible 22 hub-genes. Among these hub-genes, nine hub-genes (C3, CXCL5, CX3CR1, GRM8, HCAR2, HTR1B, SUCNR1, PTGER3 and SSTR1) could be used to distinguish the death and survival groups for patients. We also revealed that mRNA expressions of 12 genes (C3, CXCL8, CX3CR1, GNAT3, GNGT1, GRM8, HCAR2, HTR1B, HTR1D, PTGER3, SSTR1 and SUCNR1) and four key miRNAs (hsa-mir-330, hsa-mir-489, hsa-mir-508 and hsa-mir-513b) were related to survival. Three most small molecules were identified (H-9, AZ-628 and phensuximide) as potential therapeutic drugs for adrenal cortical carcinoma. Conclusion: The hub-genes expression was significant useful in adrenal cortical carcinoma, provide new diagnostic, prognosis and therapeutic approaches for adrenal cortical carcinoma. Furthermore, we also explore the possible miRNAs involved in regulation of hub-genes.

Paeonol Suppresses Proliferation and Motility of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells by Disrupting STAT3/NF-κB Signaling

Background: Targeting inflammatory microenvironment is a promising anti-tumor strategy. Paeonol is a phenolic compound with effective anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. However, the effects of paeonol on non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) have not been fully investigated. Here, we evaluated the effects of paeonol on proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC and elucidated the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: The effects of paeonol on inflammatory cytokines were determined by cell proliferation and ELISA assays. Assays of wound healing, single cell migration and perforation invasion were used to evaluate migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Expression of marker proteins in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family enzymes were detected by Western blot assays. Nude mouse A549 cells transplantation tumor model was used to study the anti-lung cancer effects of paeonol in vivo. TUNEL stanining were used to detect the apoptosis of tumor cells in A549 lung cancer mice, and Ki67 analysis was used to detect the proliferation of tumor cells in A549 lung cancer mice. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the effects of paeonol on signaling molecules in tumor tissues.

Results: Paeonol inhibited A549 cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro. Paeonol inhibited secreaion of inflammatory cytokines in A549 cells, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. Paeonol altered the expression of marker proteins involved in EMT and MMP family enzymes. In addition, paeonol inhibited the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and phosphorylation of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3). Paeonol inhibited the growth of A549 cells transplanted tumors in nude mice.

Conclusion: Paeonol potently inhibited NSCLC cell growth, migration and invasion associated with disruption of STAT3 and NF-κB pathways, suggesting that it could be a promising anti-metastatic candidate for tumor chemotherapy.

Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Protective Mechanism of Glycyrrhinic Acid for Deoxynivalenol-Induced Inflammation and Apoptosis in IPEC-J2 Cells

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common mycotoxin that frequently contaminates human food and animal feed, resulting in intestinal diseases and systemic immunosuppression. Glycyrrhinic acid (GA) exhibits various pharmacological activities. To investigate the protective mechanism of GA for DON-induced inflammation and apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells, RNA-seq analysis was used in the current study. The IPEC-J2 cells were treated with the control group (CON), 0.5 μg/mL DON, 400 μg/mL GA, and 400 μg/mL GA+0.5 μg/mL DON (GAD) for 6 h. Results showed that 0.5 μg/mL DON exposure for 6 h could induce oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. GA addition could specifically promote the proliferation of DON-induced IPEC-J2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In addition, GA addition significantly increased Bcl-2 gene expression (P < 0.05) and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities (P < 0.01) and decreased lactate dehydrogenase release, the contents of malonaldehyde, IL-8, and NF-κB (P < 0.05), the relative mRNA abundances of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, COX-2, NF-κB, Bax, and caspase 3 (P < 0.01), and the protein expressions of Bax and TNF-α. Moreover, a total of 1576, 289, 1398, and 154 differentially expressed genes were identified in CON vs. DON, CON vs. GA, CON vs. GAD, and DON vs. GAD, respectively. Transcriptome analysis revealed that MAPK, TNF, and NF-κB signaling pathways and some chemokines played significant roles in the regulation of inflammation and apoptosis induced by DON. GA may alleviate DON cytotoxicity via the TNF signaling pathway by downregulating IL-15, CCL5, and other gene expressions. These results indicated that GA could alleviate DON-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis via the TNF signaling pathway in IPEC-J2 cells.

Tumor‑associated macrophages in lung cancer: Friend or foe? (Review)

Typically, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), an abundant population of leukocytes in lung cancer, are affected by tumor microenvironment (TME) and shift towards either a pro-tumor (M2-like) or an anti-tumor phenotype (M1-like). M2-polarized macrophages, are one of the primary tumor-infiltrating immune cells and were reported to be associated with the promotion of cancer cell growth, invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. TAMs are considered a potential target for adjuvant anticancer therapies, and recent therapeutic approaches targeting the M2 polarization of TAMs have shown encouraging results. The present review discusses recent developments in the role of TAMs in cancer, in particular TAMs functions, clinical implication and prospective therapeutic strategies in lung cancer.

Upregulation of STAT1-CCL5 axis is a biomarker of colon cancer and promotes the proliferation of colon cancer cells

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in men and women globally. Investigating genetic ground differences between normal and CRC tissues would be significant for identifying some key oncogenic pathways and developing anti-cancer agents.

Methods

Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) method was used to screen out core pathways related to the clinical traits of CRC patients. Then, multiple databases were utilized to further verify the hub genes obtained from data mining. Finally, to explore the role of hub genes in CRC, cell counting and EdU assays were performed.

Results

The results of the WGCNA analysis showed that a module (turquoise module) was highly related with CRC differentiation grade (R =0.53, P<0.0001). Enrichment analysis indicated that genes of the turquoise module were remarkably enriched in multiple inflammatory processes and pathways. Among all hub genes of the turquoise module, the mRNA levels of STAT1 and CCL5 were significantly higher in CRC than in normal colon tissues. STAT1 expression was highly positively correlated with the level of CCL5. The results of the cell counting, EdU, CCK-8, and CFSE staining assays showed that interfering with STAT1 and CCL5 could inhibit the proliferation of CRC cells.

Conclusions

Our study indicated that the STAT1-CCL5 axis is an important modulator in the development of CRC through promoting cell proliferation. Moreover, the levels of STAT1 and CCL5 might be valuable biomarkers for CRC screening.

NRF2-Driven KEAP1 Transcription in Human Lung Cancer

Constitutive NRF2 activation by disrupted KEAP1-NRF2 interaction has been reported in a variety of human cancers. However, studies focusing on NRF2-driven KEAP1 expression under human cancer contexts are still uncommon. We examined mRNA expression correlation between NRF2 and KEAP1 in multiple human cancers. We measured KEAP1 mRNA and protein alterations in response to the activation or silencing of NRF2. We queried chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) datasets to identify NRF2 binding to KEAP1 promoters in human cells. We used reporter assay and CRISPR editing to assess KEAP1 promoter activity and mRNA abundance change. To determine specimen implication of the feedback pattern, we used gene expression ratio to predict NRF2 signal disruption as well as patients' prognosis. Correlation analysis showed KEAP1 mRNA expression was in positive association with NRF2 in multiple squamous cell cancers. The positive correlations were consistent across all squamous cell lung cancer cohorts, but not in adenocarcinomas. In human lung cells, NRF2 interventions significantly altered KEAP1 mRNA and protein expressions. ChIP-quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and sequencing data demonstrated consistent NRF2 occupancy to KEAP1 promoter. Deleting NRF2 binding site significantly reduced baseline and inducible KEAP1 promoter activity and KEAP1 mRNA expression. By incorporating tumor tissue KEAP1 mRNA expressions in estimating NRF2 signaling disruptions, we found increased TXN/KEAP1 mRNA ratio in cases with NRF2 gain or KEAP1 loss and decreased NRF2/KEAP1 mRNA ratio in cases with NRF2-KEAP1 somatic mutations. In TCGA PanCancer datasets, we also identified that cases with loss-of-function mutations in NRF2 pathway recurrently appeared above the NRF2-KEAP1 mRNA expression regression lines. Moreover, compared with previous NRF2 signatures, the ratio-based strategy showed better predictive performance in survival analysis with multiple squamous cell lung cancer cohort validations. IMPLICATIONS: NRF2-driven KEAP1 transcription is a crucial component of NRF2 signaling modulation. This hidden circuit will provide in-depth insight into novel cancer prevention and therapeutic strategies.

RDGN-based predictive model for the prognosis of breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer is the most diagnosed malignancy in females in the United States. The members of retinal determination gene network (RDGN) including DACH, EYA, as well as SIX families participate in the proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis of multiple tumors including breast cancer. A comprehensive predictive model of RDGN might be helpful to herald the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Methods

In this study, the Gene Expression Ominibus (GEO) and Gene Set Expression Analysis (GSEA) algorithm were used to investigate the effect of RDGN members on downstream signaling pathways. Besides, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we explored the expression patterns of RDGN members in tumors, normal tissues, and different breast cancer subtypes. Moreover, we estimated the relationship between RDGN members and the outcomes of breast cancer patients. Lastly, we constructed a RDGN-based predictive model by Cox proportional hazard regression and verified the model in two separate GEO datasets.

Results

The results of GSEA showed that the expression of DACH1 was negatively correlated with cell cycle and DNA replication pathways. On the contrary, the levels of EYA2 and SIX1 were significantly positively correlated with DNA replication, mTOR, and Wnt pathways. Further investigation in TCGA database indicated that DACH1 expression was lower in breast cancers especially basal-like subtype. In the meanwhile, SIX1 was remarkably upregulated in breast cancers while EYA2 level was increased in Basal-like and Her-2 enriched subtypes. Survival analyses demonstrated that DACH1 was a favorable factor while EYA2 and SIX1 were risk factors for breast cancer patients. Given the results of Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, two members of RDGN were involved in the present predictive model and patients with high model index had poorer outcomes.

Conclusion

This study showed that aberrant RDGN expression was an unfavorable factor for breast cancer. This RDGN-based comprehensively framework was meaningful for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer patients.

Organoid modelling identifies that DACH1 functions as a tumour promoter in colorectal cancer by modulating BMP signalling

Background

Dachshund homologue 1 (DACH1) is highly expressed in LGR5+ intestinal stem cells and colorectal tumours. However, the roles of DACH1 in intestinal cell stemness and colorectal tumorigenesis remain largely undefined.

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry, western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR to analyse DACH1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) samples. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and lentiviral vector-mediated overexpression and shRNA-mediated knockdown of DACH1 were utilized to modulate DACH1 expression in cell lines and organoids. An intestinal organoid-based functional model was analysed, and cancer cell colony formation, sphere formation assays and murine xenotransplants were performed to reveal the role of DACH1 in CRC cell proliferation, stemness and tumorigenesis. Immunofluorescence, co-immunoprecipitation, RNA interference and microarray data analyses were conducted to demonstrate the association between DACH1 and the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling pathway.

Findings

DACH1 is specifically expressed in discrete crypt base cells, and increased DACH1 expression was found in all stages of CRC. Moreover, the high expression of DACH1 independently predicted poor prognosis. In colon cancer cells, shRNA-mediated suppression of DACH1 inhibited cell growth in vitro and in vivo. By studying the intestinal organoid-based functional model, we found that depletion of DACH1 reduced the organoid formation efficiency and tumour organoid size. DACH1 overexpression stimulated both colonsphere formation and tumour organoid formation in the context of dysregulated BMP signalling. Mechanistic characterizations indicated that overexpression of DACH1 affects a subset of stem cell signature genes implicated in stem cell proliferation and maintenance through the suppression of BMP signalling via SMAD4.

Interpretation

Together, our study highlights DACH1 as an integral regulator of BMP signalling during intestinal tumorigenesis, and DACH1 could be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for colorectal cancer patients.

DACH1, a novel target of miR-218, participates in the regulation of cell viability, apoptosis, inflammatory response, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition process in renal tubule cells treated by high-glucose

Objective: This report was designed to assess the functional role of miR-218/dachshund family transcription factor 1 (DACH1) in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and investigate its possible molecular mechanism.Materials and Methods: From the GEO database, we downloaded different datasets for analyzing the expression of miR-218 and DACH1 in DKD. TargetScan was adopted to predict the binding sites between miR-218 and DACH1, which was further verified by dual-luciferase reporter assays. The renal proximal tubule cells (HK-2) treated with high glucose (HG) were used as an in vitro model. QRT-PCR and western blot were used to determine the expression of DACH1 and other relative factors. Cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometer were applied to detect cell viability and apoptosis. The levels of inflammatory cytokines were determined by an ELISA assay.Results: A prominent raise of miR-218 was observed in DKD through bioinformatics analysis, which was further confirmed in the HG-induced model. DACH1 is a target of miR-218. miR-218 reduced cell viability and induced apoptosis by negatively regulating DACH1. Moreover, upregulating miR-218 in HG models increased the concentrations of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β, reduced the level of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, and promoted the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which is possibly achieved by targeting DACH1. While downregulating miR-218 showed the opposite results.Conclusion: These data demonstrated that, under an in vitro HG environment, miR-218 suppressed the HK-2 cells proliferation, promoted apoptosis, caused an inflammatory response, and facilitated the EMT process largely by targeting DACH1, providing an insight into the therapeutic intervention of DKD.

Identifying Tumorigenesis and Prognosis-Related Genes of Lung Adenocarcinoma: Based on Weighted Gene Coexpression Network Analysis

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most frequently diagnosed subtype of nonsmall cell lung cancer. The molecular mechanisms of the initiation and progression of lung adenocarcinoma remain to be further determined. This study aimed to screen genes related to the progression of lung adenocarcinoma. By weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), we constructed a free-scale gene coexpression network to evaluate the correlations between multiple gene sets and patients' clinical traits, then further identify predictive biomarkers. GSE11969 was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database which contained the gene expression data of 90 lung adenocarcinoma patients. Data of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were employed as the validation cohort. After the average linkage hierarchical clustering, a total of 9 modules were generated. In the clinical significant module (R = 0.44, P < 0.0001), we identified 29 network hub genes. Subsequent verification in the TCGA database showed that 11 hub genes (ANLN, CDCA5, FLJ21924, LMNB1, MAD2L1, RACGAP1, RFC4, SNRPD1, TOP2A, TTK, and ZWINT) were significantly associated with poor survival data of lung adenocarcinomas. Besides, the results of receiver operating characteristic curves indicated that the mRNA levels of this group of genes exhibited high specificity and sensitivity to distinguish malignant lesions from nonmalignant tissues. Apart from mRNA levels, we found that the protein abundances of these 11 genes were remarkably upregulated in lung adenocarcinomas compared with normal tissues. In conclusion, by the WGCNA method, a panel of 11 genes were identified as predictive biomarkers for tumorigenesis and poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinomas.