TRAF2 is a Valuable Prognostic Biomarker in Patients with Prostate Cancer

Identification of cancer driver genes based on hierarchical weak consensus model

Cancer is a complex gene mutation disease that derives from the accumulation of mutations during somatic cell evolution. With the advent of high-throughput technology, a large amount of omics data has been generated, and how to find cancer-related driver genes from a large number of omics data is a challenge. In the early stage, the researchers developed many frequency-based driver genes identification methods, but they could not identify driver genes with low mutation rates well. Afterwards, researchers developed network-based methods by fusing multi-omics data, but they rarely considered the connection among features. In this paper, after analyzing a large number of methods for integrating multi-omics data, a hierarchical weak consensus model for fusing multiple features is proposed according to the connection among features. By analyzing the connection between PPI network and co-mutation hypergraph network, this paper firstly proposes a new topological feature, called co-mutation clustering coefficient (CMCC). Then, a hierarchical weak consensus model is used to integrate CMCC, mRNA and miRNA differential expression scores, and a new driver genes identification method HWC is proposed. In this paper, the HWC method and current 7 state-of-the-art methods are compared on three types of cancers. The comparison results show that HWC has the best identification performance in statistical evaluation index, functional consistency and the partial area under ROC curve.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13755-024-00279-6.

Development of anoikis-related genes signature to predict the prognosis in gastric cancer patients

Background

It is well known that the prognosis of Gastric cancer (GC) patient is affected by many factors. However, the latent impact of anoikis on the prognosis of GC patients is insufficient understood.

Methods

According to the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we elected discrepantly expressed anoikis-related genes (ARGs). Univariate cox and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) analysis were applied to build the ARGs signature. The prognostic effect of the ARGs signature was also evaluated. A series of algorithms were performed to evaluate the discrepancies in the immune microenvironment. Moreover, the correlation between drug sensitivity and ARGs signature was analyzed. We also performed Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) to probe the signature.

Results

The ARGs signature of 9 genes was constructed, which was apparently interrelated with the prognosis. The nomogram was established by combining the ARGs signature with clinicopathological characteristics. We found that the predictive power was noteworthily superior to other individual predictors. The immune microenvironment analysis indicated that ESTIMATEscore, ImmuneScores, StromalScores, tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) score were lower in the low-risk group, while immunophenoscore (IPS) was on the contrary. The infiltrated immune cells and immune checkpoint (ICP) expression levels were significantly different between the two groups. Furthermore, nine drugs were positively associated with the ARGs signature score. The results of RT-PCR analysis were consistent with our previous differential expression analysis.

Conclusion

The developed ARGs signature could act as the biomarker and provide a momentous reference for Individual therapy of GC patients.

BRCC3 Promotes Tumorigenesis of Bladder Cancer by Activating the NF-κB Signaling Pathway Through Targeting TRAF2

NF-κB signaling is very important in cancers. However, the role of BRCC3-associated NF-κB signaling activation in bladder cancer remains to be characterized. Western blotting and IHC of tissue microarray were used to confirm the abnormal expression of BRCC3 in bladder cancer. Growth curve, colony formation, soft agar assay and Xenograft model were performed to identify the role of BRCC3 over-expression or knock-out in bladder cancer. Further, RNA-Seq and luciferase reporter assays were used to identify the down-stream signaling pathway. Finally, co-immunoprecipitation and fluorescence confocal assay were performed to verify the precise target of BRCC3. Here, we found that high expression of BRCC3 promoted tumorigenesis through targeting the TRAF2 protein. BRCC3 expression is up-regulated in bladder cancer patients which indicates a negative prognosis. By in vitro and in vivo assays, we found genetic BRCC3 ablation markedly blocks proliferation, viability and migration of bladder cancer cells. Mechanistically, RNA-Seq analysis shows that NF-κB signaling is down-regulated in BRCC3-deficient cells. BRCC3 binds to and synergizes with TRAF2 to activate NF-κB signaling. Our results indicate that high BRCC3 expression activates NF-κB signaling by targeting TRAF2 for activation, which in turn facilitates tumorigenesis in bladder cancer. This finding points to BRCC3 as a potential target in bladder cancer patients.

Lemur Tyrosine Kinases and Prostate Cancer: A Literature Review

The members of the Lemur Tyrosine Kinases (LMTK1-3) subfamily constitute a group of three membrane-anchored kinases. They are known to influence a wide variety of key cellular events, often affecting cell proliferation and apoptosis. They have been discovered to be involved in cancer, in that they impact various signalling pathways that influence cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness. Notably, in the context of genome-wide association studies, one member of the LMTK family has been identified as a candidate gene which could contribute to the development of prostate cancer. In this review, of published literature, we present evidence on the role of LMTKs in human prostate cancer and model systems, focusing on the complex network of interacting partners involved in signalling cascades that are frequently activated in prostate cancer malignancy. We speculate that the modulators of LMTK enzyme expression and activity would be of high clinical relevance for the design of innovative prostate cancer treatment.

Identification of a Prognostic Risk Signature of Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Based on Regulating the Immune Response Pathway Exploration

Purpose

To construct a survival model for predicting the prognosis of patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) based on gene expression related to immune response regulation.

Materials and Methods

KIRC mRNA sequencing data and patient clinical data were downloaded from the TCGA database. The pathways and genes involved in the regulation of the immune response were identified from the GSEA database. A single factor Cox analysis was used to determine the association of mRNA in relation to patient prognosis (P < 0.05). The prognostic risk model was further established using the LASSO regression curve. The survival prognosis model was constructed, and the sensitivity and specificity of the model were evaluated using the ROC curve.

Results

Compared with normal kidney tissues, there were 28 dysregulated mRNA expressions in KIRC tissues (P < 0.05). Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed that 12 mRNAs were related to the prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma. The LASSO regression curve drew a risk signature consisting of six genes: TRAF6, FYN, IKBKG, LAT2, C2, IL4, EREG, TRAF2, and IL12A. The five-year ROC area analysis (AUC) showed that the model has good sensitivity and specificity (AUC >0.712).

Conclusion

We constructed a risk prediction model based on the regulated immune response-related genes, which can effectively predict the survival of patients with KIRC.

Circ_0114876 promoted IL-1β-induced chondrocyte injury by targeting miR-671/TRAF2 axis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease, which occurs in the elderly. The regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs were involved in the occurrence and development of various diseases. However, the potential regulatory network of circRNA in OA remains further research and clarification. The expression of circ_0114876 was increased in OA tissues and inhibition of circ_0114876 could induce cell viability and suppress inflammation as well as inhibit cell apoptosis in IL-1β induced CHON-001 cells. Circ_0114876 regulated TRAF2 expression via sponging miR-671 in CHON-001 cells. Down-regulated miR-671 expression could reverse the effects of low circ_0114876 expression on cell progression and inflammation in IL-1β induced CHON-001 cells. Overexpression of TRAF2 could weaken the promotion effects of high miR-671 expression on cell progression and inflammation in IL-1β induced CHON-001 cells. Circ_0114876 targeted miR-671 to regulate cell progression and inflammation via modulating TRAF2 expression in IL-1β induced CHON-001 cells, and played an important regulatory mechanism in IL-1β-induced chondrocyte injury, providing a novel diagnostics and therapeutics in OA.

TRAF2 Knockdown in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Induced Cell Cycle Arrest and Enhanced the Sensitivity to Radiotherapy

TRAF2 is a crucial adaptor protein involved in various signaling pathways. However, its biological functions in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown. In the present study, we found that TRAF2 was overexpressed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. Knockdown of TRAF2 with shRNA significantly suppressed NPC cell proliferation and colony formation. The growth of xenograft tumor significantly reduced after TRAF2 was silenced. Conversely, the ectopic overexpression of TRAF2 significantly promoted cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth. In TRAF2 knockdown cells, EGF-induced activation of transcriptional factors, including MSK1, CREB, and ATF2, markedly decreased. Accordingly, the transcriptional activity of AP-1 was substantially decreased in TRAF2-deficient cells. With the suppression of gene transcription, the expression of cyclin D1 was significantly impaired, which gave rise to the G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Moreover, the overexpression of TRAF2 in NPC cells was associated with resistance to irradiation, and the potency of irradiation was substantially enhanced after TRAF2 was knocked down. Briefly, our studies demonstrated that TRAF2 had a crucial role in NPC development, and it might be of great potential to targeting TRAF2 for NPC prevention and treatment.

Transcriptome-wide miRNA identification of Bacopa monnieri: a cross-kingdom approach

Bacopa monnieri known as 'Brahmi' is a well-known medicinal plant belonging to Scrophulariaceae family for its nootropic properties. To the best of our knowledge, no characterization data is available on the potential role of micro RNAs (miRNAs) from this plant till date. We present here the first report of computational characterizations of miRNAs from B. monnieri. Owing to the high conservation of miRNAs in nature, new and potential miRNAs can be identified in plants using in silico techniques. Using the plant miRNA sequences present in the miRBase repository, a total of 12 miRNAs were identified from B. monnieri which pertained to 11 miRNA families from the shoot and root transcriptome data. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis of the identified 68 human target genes exhibited significance in various biological processes. These human target genes were associated with signaling pathways like NF-kB and MAPK with TRAF2, CBX1, IL1B, ITGA4 and ITGB1BP1 as the top five hub nodes. This cross-kingdom study provides initial insights about the potential of miRNA-mediated cross-kingdom regulation and unravels the essential target genes of human with implications in numerous human diseases including cancer.

Identification of a key candidate gene‑phenotype network mediated by glycyrrhizic acid using pharmacogenomic analysis

Glycyrrhizic acid (GA) is primarily used as an anti-inflammatory agent in cases of chronic hepatitis. However, its underlying mechanisms in diverse biological processes and its reported benefits are yet to be fully elucidated. In the current study, an analytical method based on pharmacogenomics was established to mine disease-modulatory activities mediated by GA. Five primary protein targets and 138 functional partners were identified for GA by querying open-source databases, including Drugbank and STRING. Subsequently, GA-associated primary and secondary protein targets were integrated into Cytoscape to construct a protein-protein interaction network to establish connectivity. GA-associated target genes were then clustered based on Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. The tumor necrosis factor axis was revealed to be a primary module regulated by GA-associated targets. Furthermore, 12 hub genes were queried to assess their potential anti-cancer effects using cBioPortal. The results indicated that pharmacogenomics-based analysis improved understanding of the underlying drug-target events of GA and provided predictive and definitive leads for future studies.

Research status and progress of the RNA or protein biomarkers for prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a kind of male malignancy. Recently, a large number of studies have reported many potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer. In this literature review, we have collected a number of potential biomarkers for prostate cancer reported in the last 5 years. Among them, some are undergoing Phase III clinical trials, and others have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, most are still in the period of basic research. The review will contribute to future research to find the biomarkers to guide clinicians to make personalized treatment decisions for each prostate cancer patient.

Mitochondrial functions and melatonin: a tour of the reproductive cancers

Cancers of the reproductive organs have a strong association with mitochondrial defects, and a deeper understanding of the role of this organelle in preneoplastic-neoplastic changes is important to determine the appropriate therapeutic intervention. Mitochondria are involved in events during cancer development, including metabolic and oxidative status, acquisition of metastatic potential, resistance to chemotherapy, apoptosis, and others. Because of their origin from melatonin-producing bacteria, mitochondria are speculated to produce melatonin and its derivatives at high levels; in addition, exogenously administered melatonin accumulates in the mitochondria against a concentration gradient. Melatonin is transported into tumor cell by GLUT/SLC2A and/or by the PEPT1/2 transporters, and plays beneficial roles in mitochondrial homeostasis, such as influencing oxidative phosphorylation and electron flux, ATP synthesis, bioenergetics, calcium influx, and mitochondrial permeability transition pore. Moreover, melatonin promotes mitochondrial homeostasis by regulating nuclear DNA and mtDNA transcriptional activities. This review focuses on the main functions of melatonin on mitochondrial processes, and reviews from a mechanistic standpoint, how mitochondrial crosstalk evolved in ovarian, endometrial, cervical, breast, and prostate cancers relative to melatonin's known actions. We put emphasis on signaling pathways whereby melatonin interferes within cancer-cell mitochondria after its administration. Depending on subtype and intratumor metabolic heterogeneity, melatonin seems to be helpful in promoting apoptosis, anti-proliferation, pro-oxidation, metabolic shifting, inhibiting neovasculogenesis and controlling inflammation, and restoration of chemosensitivity. This results in attenuation of development, progression, and metastatic potential of reproductive cancers, in addition to lowering the risk of recurrence and improving the life quality of patients.

DIAPH1 Is Upregulated and Inhibits Cell Apoptosis through ATR/p53/Caspase-3 Signaling Pathway in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Cancer bioinformatics has been used to screen possible key cancer genes and pathways. Here, through bioinformatics analysis, we found that high expression of diaphanous related formin 1 (DIAPH1) was associated with poor overall survival in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). The effect of DIAPH1 in LSCC has not been previously investigated. Therefore, we evaluated the expression, function, and molecular mechanisms of DIAPH1 in LSCC. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis confirmed the significant upregulation of DIAPH1 in LSCC. We used DIAPH1 RNA interference to construct two DIAPH1-knockdown LSCC cell lines, AMC-HN-8 and FD-LSC-1, and validated the knockdown efficiency. Flow cytometry data showed that DIAPH1 inhibited apoptosis. Further, western blot analysis revealed that DIAPH1 knockdown increased the protein levels of ATR, p-p53, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3, -8, and -9. Thus, DIAPH1 is upregulated in LSCC and may act as an oncogene by inhibiting apoptosis through the ATR/p53/caspase-3 pathway in LSCC cells.

Identification of key genes in prostate cancer gene expression profile by bioinformatics

The aim of this study was to identify key candidate genes in prostate cancer. The gene expression profiles of GSE32448, GSE45016, GSE46602 and GSE104749 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between prostate cancer and normal samples were identified by R language. The gene ontology functional and pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery software followed by the construction of protein-protein interaction network. Hub gene identification was performed by the plug-in cytoHubba in Cytoscape software. The 217 DEGs were significantly enriched in biological processes including epithelial cell differentiation, response to estradiol and several pathways, mainly associated with protein digestion and absorption pathway in prostate cancer. Epithelial cell adhesion molecule, twist family basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor 1, CD38 molecule and vascular endothelial growth factor A were identified as hub genes. The expression levels of hub genes were consistent with data obtained in The Cancer Genome Atlas for prostate adenocarcinoma. These hub genes may be used as potential targets for prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment.