APRIL induces tumorigenesis and metastasis of colorectal cancer cells via activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment in pancreatic cancer: mechanisms and therapeutic targets

Pancreatic cancer is projected to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Conventional interventions including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy provide only modest survival benefits, underscoring an urgent need for more effective therapies. Although immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of several solid tumors, its clinical benefit in pancreatic cancer has so far been disappointing. Mounting evidence indicates that a highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), dominated by tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), and regulatory T cells (Tregs), drives immune evasion, tumor progression, metastasis, and chemoresistance through complex cytokine and chemokine networks. This review summarizes current knowledge of these immunosuppressive mechanisms and provides emerging strategies aimed at re-educating or depleting these cellular constituents to enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy in pancreatic cancer.

Potential Utility of A Proliferation-Inducing Ligand (APRIL) in Colorectal Cancer

APRIL (A proliferation-inducing ligand) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor superfamily that is overexpressed in a variety of malignant tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Its key physiological roles include inducing the immunoglobulin switch and ensuring plasmocyte survival. In terms of pathological roles, APRIL antagonism has been identified as a key target in autoimmune diseases and immunoglobulin disorders. As previously demonstrated, several inflammatory processes occur at the site of neoplastic initial stages, and their local symptoms are difficult to detect, particularly in the early stages. That is why we chose to study the current literature on APRIL's role in the development of colorectal cancer. The main objective of our research was to investigate the role of APRIL in cancer initiation and its usefulness in the detection and therapy of CRC. Interestingly, the findings conducted so far show that the selected protein has a significant potential as a CRC biomarker and treatment target. Importantly, based on its concentration, it is possible to identify CRC patients, but whether the lesion has a benign or malignant nature, indicating the possibility of rapid detection of an ongoing disease process.

p53 Orchestrates Cancer Metabolism: Unveiling Strategies to Reverse the Warburg Effect

Cancer cells exhibit significant alterations in their metabolism, characterised by a reduction in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and an increased reliance on glycolysis, even in the presence of oxygen. This metabolic shift, known as the Warburg effect, is pivotal in fuelling cancer's uncontrolled growth, invasion, and therapeutic resistance. While dysregulation of many genes contributes to this metabolic shift, the tumour suppressor gene p53 emerges as a master player. Yet, the molecular mechanisms remain elusive. This study introduces a comprehensive mathematical model, integrating essential p53 targets, offering insights into how p53 orchestrates its targets to redirect cancer metabolism towards an OXPHOS-dominant state. Simulation outcomes align closely with experimental data comparing glucose metabolism in colon cancer cells with wild-type and mutated p53. Additionally, our findings reveal the dynamic capability of elevated p53 activation to fully reverse the Warburg effect, highlighting the significance of its activity levels not just in triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death) post-chemotherapy but also in modifying the metabolic pathways implicated in treatment resistance. In scenarios of p53 mutations, our analysis suggests targeting glycolysis-instigating signalling pathways as an alternative strategy, whereas targeting solely synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 2 (SCO2) does support mitochondrial respiration but may not effectively suppress the glycolysis pathway, potentially boosting the energy production and cancer cell viability.

Determining expression changes of ANO7 and SLC38A4 membrane transporters in colorectal cancer

Membrane transporters are proteins responsible for facilitating the movement of molecules within biological membranes. They play a vital role in maintaining cellular homeostasis by regulating the transport of nutrients, ions, and other molecules into and out of cells. Our aim is to identify biomarkers in colorectal cancer using membrane transporter proteins. We utilized COAD TCGA data for this purpose. Subsequently, we conducted differential gene analysis and feature selection using membrane transporter proteins. Furthermore, we identified two potential genes, including ANO7 and SLC38A4. To validate the expression profiles of ANO7 and SLC38A4, key genes in this context, RT-qPCR was employed on colorectal cancer samples and adjacent normal tissues. Additionally, utilizing GEPIA2, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and cBioPortal, we assessed the status of these genes in various cancers, examining their methylation and mutation patterns. In conclusion, we suggest that ANO7 and SLC38A4 serve as prognostic biomarkers in colorectal cancer.

Expression of Immune-Related and Inflammatory Markers and Their Prognostic Impact in Colorectal Cancer Patients

The tumor microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is heterogenous; thus, it is likely that multiple immune-related and inflammatory markers are simultaneously expressed in the tumor. The aim of this study was to identify immune-related and inflammatory markers expressed in freshly frozen CRC tissues and to investigate whether they are related to the clinicopathological features and prognosis of CRC. Seventy patients with CRC who underwent curative surgical resection between December 2014 and January 2017 were included in this study. Tissue samples were obtained from tumor and non-tumor areas in the patients' colons. The concentrations of immune-related markers (APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, LAG-3, PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) and inflammatory markers (CHIT, MMP-3, osteocalcin, pentraxin-3, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2) in the samples were measured using the Bio-plex Multiplex Immunoassay system. The concentrations of APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 in the samples were significantly high; thus, we conducted analyses based on the cut-off values for these three markers. The high-APRIL/TNFSH13-expression group showed a significantly higher rate of metastatic lesions than the low-expression group, whereas the high-MMP-3-expression group had higher CEA levels, more lymph node metastases, and more advanced disease stages than the low-expression group. The five-year disease-free survival of the high-MMP-3-expression group was significantly shorter than that of the low-expression group (65.1% vs. 90.2%, p = 0.033). This study provides evidence that the APRIL/TNFSF13, BAFF, and MMP-3 pathway is overexpressed in CRC tissues and is associated with unfavorable clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in CRC patients. These markers could serve as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for CRC.

Binary MoS2 nanostructures as nanocarriers for amplification in multiplexed electrochemical immunosensing: simultaneous determination of B cell activation factor and proliferation-induced signal immunity-related cytokines

A dual immunosensor is reported for the simultaneous determination of two important immunity-related cytokines: BAFF (B cell activation factor) and APRIL (a proliferation-induced signal). Sandwich-type immunoassays with specific antibodies (cAbs) and a strategy for signal amplification based on labelling the detection antibodies (dAbs) with binary MoS₂/MWCNTs nanostructures and using horseradish peroxidase (HRP) were implemented. Amperometric detection was carried out at screen-printed dual carbon electrodes (SPdCEs) through the hydroquinone HQ/H₂O₂ system. The developed dual immunosensor provided limit of detection (LOD) of 0.08 and 0.06 ng mL⁻¹ for BAFF and APRIL, respectively, and proved to be useful for the determination of both cytokines in cancer cell lysates and serum samples from patients diagnosed with autoimmune diseases and cancer. The obtained results agreed with those found using ELISA methodologies.

Involvement of APRIL in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric cancer

BACKGROUND/AIMS

A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL, also known as TNFSF13, CD256) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily and involved in a diverse set of diseases. In this work, we explored the potential associations and underlying mechanism in patients suffered from gastric cancer between the expression of APRIL and H. pylori infection.

METHODS

We analyzed APRIL expression levels in 200 GC tissue samples by immunohistochemistry staining. H. pylori infection was detected by modified Giemsa staining. The biological effects of APRIL on human GC cells in vitro and in vivo were tested by CCK-8 assay, colony formation, flow cytometry detection, transwell migration assay, matrigel invasion assay, and tumor xenograft assay in animals.

RESULTS

APRIL reactivity was positively correlated with H. pylori infection in vitro and vivo. It turned out that the decrease of miR-145 expression was dose-dependent and time-dependent on H. pylori infection and in consistent with APRIL expression. MiR-145 significantly attenuated the effect of H. pylori infection on APRIL gene expression in SGC7901 and BGC823 cell lines. Furthermore, APRIL overexpression promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and transfer of GC cells and decreased apoptosis, while APRIL knockdown suppressed these effects. We confirmed that APRIL activated the canonical NF-κB pathway through phosphorylation of AKT.

CONCLUSION

The expression of APRIL, which promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, viability, and metastasis of GC cells, was upregulated in human H. pylori-infected GC through miR-145. Besides, APRIL-induced gastric tumorigenicity via activating NF-κB pathway. These results may provide a framework for the deeper analysis of APRIL in GC risk and prognosis.

HS2ST1-dependent signaling pathways determine breast cancer cell viability, matrix interactions, and invasive behavior

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) act as signaling co‐receptors by interaction of their sulfated glycosaminoglycan chains with numerous signaling molecules. In breast cancer, the function of heparan sulfate 2‐O‐sulfotransferase (HS2ST1), the enzyme mediating 2‐O‐sulfation of HS, is largely unknown. Hence, a comparative study on the functional consequences of HS2ST1 overexpression and siRNA knockdown was performed in the breast cancer cell lines MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231. HS2ST1 overexpression inhibited Matrigel invasion, while its knockdown reversed the phenotype. Likewise, cell motility and adhesion to fibronectin and laminin were affected by altered HS2ST1 expression. Phosphokinase array screening revealed a general decrease in signaling via multiple pathways. Fluorescent ligand binding studies revealed altered binding of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF‐2) to HS2ST1‐expressing cells compared with control cells. HS2ST1‐overexpressing cells showed reduced MAPK signaling responses to FGF‐2, and altered expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), E‐cadherin, Wnt‐7a, and Tcf4. The increased viability of HS2ST1‐depleted cells was reduced to control levels by pharmacological MAPK pathway inhibition. Moreover, MAPK inhibitors generated a phenocopy of the HS2ST1‐dependent delay in scratch wound repair. In conclusion, HS2ST1 modulation of breast cancer cell invasiveness is a compound effect of altered E‐cadherin and EGFR expression, leading to altered signaling via MAPK and additional pathways.

Inhibitory effects of Chanling Gao on the proliferation and liver metastasis of transplanted colorectal cancer in nude mice

This study aimed to explore the efficacy and mechanism of Chanling Gao (CLG), a compound Chinese medicine, on colorectal cancer (CRC). A model of transplanted CRC was established in nude mice. The mice were treated 7 days after CRC transplantation with either Capecitabine or CLG for 3 weeks. On the 28th day after the operation, CRC growth and liver metastasis were assessed by morphology, the changes in the expression of HIF-1α (hypoxia inducible factor-1α), stromal cell-derived factor-1 alpha (SDF-1α), CXCR4 (C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4), PI3K, and Akt in the transplanted tumor and SDF-1α and CXCR4 in the liver were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. The protein contents of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, and collagen IV in the serum and transplanted tumor and SDF-1α and CXCR4 in liver tissues were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In the Capecitabine and high dose CLG groups, the growth and liver metastasis of CRC were significantly inhibited, the protein levels of HIF-1α, SDF-1α, CXCR4, MMP-2, VEGF, PI3K, Akt, P-PI3K and P-Akt in the transplanted tumor were lower, while the content of collagen IV in the transplanted tumor was higher, than in Model group. A high dose of CLG inhibited the growth of transplanted tumor and liver metastasis of CRC in nude mice, probably by inhibiting the HIF-1α/SDF-1α-CXCR4/PI3K-Akt signaling pathway reducing the synthesis and release of VEGF and degradation of collagen IV.

APRIL is Involved in the Proliferation and Metastasis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Cells

Our previous work showed that a proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) was involved in the development of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. However, the precise role of APRIL in ALL remains unknown. To investigate this issue, we silenced and overexpressed APRIL in Nalm-6 ALL cells using short hairpin RNA targeting the APRIL gene and recombinant human APRIL, respectively, and evaluated the effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. APRIL mRNA and APRIL and matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein levels were evaluated by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blott, respectively. We found that APRIL expression was reduced by shRNA-mediated knockdown in Nalm-6 cells; this was associated with a decrease in cell proliferation (P<0.05). APRIL knockdown increased apoptosis (P<0.01) but suppressed cell migration along with matrix metalloproteinase-2 protein level. Overexpressing recombinant human APRIL had the opposite effects in each case (P<0.05). These results demonstrate a link between APRIL expression and ALL development and suggest that APRIL is a potential therapeutic target for ALL treatment.

Prognostic Significance of Serum BAFF, APRIL, TACI and BCMA Levels in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

As chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has a variable disease course, novel prognostic markers and risk assessment models are being developed in order to identify high-risk patients who may need early treatment. The two tumor necrosis factor family proteins BAFF and APRIL and their receptors BAFF-R, TACI and BCMA are considered to play a critical role in the survival of normal B cells. In order to highlight the pathophysiological role of this complicated biological network, we aimed to analyze the potential prognostic effects of BAFF, APRIL, TACI and BCMA in CLL patients. We investigated the prognostic impact of serum BCMA, TACI, BAFF and APRIL levels in 129 newly diagnosed CLL patients [median age: 64 (39-88) years; male/female: 85/44]. Serum BAFF, TACI and BCMA levels were significantly lower in the patient group compared to the control group (p < 0.001), while serum APRIL level did not differ significantly between two groups (p > 0.05). Serum BCMA [(p = 0.029; r = 0.208)] and TACI levels [(p = 0.011; r = 0.241)] were positively correlated with serum free light chain ratio. Serum BAFF [(p = 0.008; r = - 0.236)] and BCMA [(p = 0.042; r = - 0.183)] levels were negatively correlated with Rai stage. Overall survival (OS) was relatively better in patients with low serum BAFF levels [60 (1-187) months vs 39.5 (0-256) months; p = 0.063]. Probability of OS was higher in patients with low BAFF levels when compared to patients with normal levels, without statistical significance (53.6% vs 23.6%; p > 0.05). Large prospective studies are needed to validate the prognostic role of this essential biological pathway in CLL.

APRIL signaling via TACI mediates immunosuppression by T regulatory cells in multiple myeloma: therapeutic implications

We here investigate how APRIL impacts immune regulatory T cells and directly contributes to the immunosuppressive multiple myeloma (MM) bone marrow (BM) microenvironment. First, APRIL receptor TACI expression is significantly higher in regulatory T cells (Tregs) than conventional T cells (Tcons) from the same patient, confirmed by upregulated Treg markers, i.e., Foxp3, CTLA-4. APRIL significantly stimulates proliferation and survival of Tregs, whereas neutralizing anti-APRIL monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) inhibit theses effects. Besides TACI-dependent induction of cell cycle progression and anti-apoptosis genes, APRIL specifically augments Foxp3, IL-10, TGFβ1, and PD-L1 in Tregs to further enhance Treg-inhibited Tcon proliferation. APRIL further increases MM cell-driven Treg (iTreg) via TACI-dependent proliferation associated with upregulated IL-10, TGFβ1, and CD15s in iTreg, which further inhibits Tcons. Osteoclasts producing APRIL and PD-L1 significantly block Tcon expansion by iTreg generation, which is overcome by combined treatment with anti-APRIL and -PD1/PD-L1 mAbs. Finally, APRIL increases IL-10-producing B regulatory cells (Bregs) via TACI on BM Bregs of MM patients. Taken together, these results define novel APRIL actions via TACI on Tregs and Bregs to promote MM cell survival, providing the rationale for targeting APRIL/TACI system to alleviate the immunosuppressive BM milieu and improve patient outcome in MM.

Transcriptome analysis in primary colorectal cancer tissues from patients with and without liver metastases using next-generation sequencing

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and liver metastases are the leading cause of death in patients with CRC. In this study, we performed next-generation sequencing profiling on primary colorectal tumor tissues obtained from three CRC patients with liver metastases and three CRC patients without liver metastases to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that might be responsible for the metastases process. After filtering 2690 DEGs, comprising 996 upregulated and 1694 downregulated RNAs, 22 upregulated and 73 downregulated DEGs were identified. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analyses were performed to determine the underlying mechanisms. Single-organism process (biological process), cell (cellular component), and binding (molecular function) were the most related terms in the GO analysis. We selected the top 13 upregulated and top 12 downregulated genes by fold change to verify their differential expression using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The validation showed that three most significantly upregulated DEGs were HOXD10, UGT2A3, and SLC13A2, whereas the five most significantly downregulated DEGs were SPP1, CXCL8, MMP3, OSM, and CXCL6, respectively. These aberrantly expressed genes may play pivotal roles in promoting or inhibiting metastases. Further studies are required to determine the functions of DEGs to promote the diagnosis of metastases and provide novel chemotherapy targets.

NRF2 activation by antioxidant antidiabetic agents accelerates tumor metastasis

Cancer is a common comorbidity of diabetic patients; however, little is known about the effects that antidiabetic drugs have on tumors. We discovered that common classes of drugs used in type 2 diabetes mellitus, the hypoglycemic dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) saxagliptin and sitagliptin, as well as the antineuropathic α-lipoic acid (ALA), do not increase tumor incidence but increase the risk of metastasis of existing tumors. Specifically, these drugs induce prolonged activation of the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-mediated antioxidant response through inhibition of KEAP1-C151-dependent ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of NRF2, resulting in up-regulated expression of metastasis-associated proteins, increased cancer cell migration, and promotion of metastasis in xenograft mouse models. Accordingly, knockdown of NRF2 attenuated naturally occurring and DPP-4i-induced tumor metastasis, whereas NRF2 activation accelerated metastasis. Furthermore, in human liver cancer tissue samples, increased NRF2 expression correlated with metastasis. Our findings suggest that antioxidants that activate NRF2 signaling may need to be administered with caution in cancer patients, such as diabetic patients with cancer. Moreover, NRF2 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for tumor metastasis.

Silencing P2X7 receptor downregulates the expression of TCP-1 involved in lymphoma lymphatic metastasis

P2X₇R is an ATP-gated cation channel that participates in cell proliferation and apoptosis. TCP-1 assists with the protein folding. According to our previous research, the P2X₇R has a potential role in P388D1 lymphoid neoplasm cells dissemination to peripheral lymph nodes. In order to make a further exploration about the probable mechanism, the lymph nodes which metastasized by P2X₇R-silenced P388D1 cells or non-silenced cells were analyzed by 2DE and a MALDI-TOF-based proteomics approach. In the 64 proteins which were differentially expressed between two groups, TCP-1 was found to be significantly decreased in P2X₇R shRNA group compared to controls. This correlation was also found in subsequent experiments in vivo and in vitro. The positive correlation between P2X₇R and TCP-1 was also proved in both lymphoma and benign lymphadenopathy tissues from patients. It indicates that TCP-1 may be a crucial downstream molecular of P2X₇R and plays a novel role in lymphoid neoplasm metastasis.

Characterization and high-yield production of non-N-glycosylated recombinant human BCMA-Fc in Pichia pastoris

B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) fused at the C-terminus to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (BCMA-Fc) blocks B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL)-mediated B-cell activation, leading to immune disorders. The fusion protein has been cloned and produced by several engineering cell lines. To reduce cost and enhance production, we attempted to express recombinant human BCMA-Fc (rhBCMA-Fc) in Pichia pastoris under the control of the AOX1 methanol-inducible promoter. To produce the target protein with uniform molecular weight and reduced immunogenicity, we mutated two predicted N-linked glycosylation sites. The secretory yield was improved by codon optimization of the target gene sequence. After fed-batch fermentation under optimized conditions, the highest yield (207 mg/L) of rhBCMA-Fc was obtained with high productivity (3.45 mg/L/h). The purified functional rhBCMA-Fc possessed high-binding affinity to APRIL and dose-dependent inhibition of APRIL-induced proliferative activity in vitro through three-step purification. Thus, this yeast-derived expression method could be a low-cost and effective alternative to the production of rhBCMA-Fc in mammalian cell lines.

Jujuboside A Protects H9C2 Cells from Isoproterenol-Induced Injury via Activating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Jujuboside A is a kind of the saponins isolated from the seeds of Ziziphus jujuba, which possesses multiple biological effects, such as antianxiety, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects; however, its mediatory effect on isoproterenol-stimulated cardiomyocytes has not been investigated yet. In this study, we tried to detect the protective effect and potential mechanism of JUA on ISO-induced cardiomyocytes injury. H9C2 cells were treated with ISO to induce cell damage. Cells were pretreated with JUA to investigate the effects on the cell viability, morphological changes, light chain 3 conversion, and the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. Results showed that ISO significantly inhibited the cell viability in a time- and dose-dependent manner. JUA pretreatment could reverse the reduction of cell viability and better the injury of H9C2 cells induced by ISO. Western blot analysis showed that JUA could accelerate the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR. Results also indicated that JUA could significantly decrease the ratio of microtubule-associated protein LC3-II/I in H9C2 cells. Taken together, our research showed that JUA could notably reduce the damage cause by ISO via promoting the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR and inhibiting LC3 conversion, which may be a potential choice for the treatment of heart diseases.

CHRNA7 inhibits cell invasion and metastasis of LoVo human colorectal cancer cells through PI3K/Akt signaling

The α7 neuronal nicotinic receptor gene (CHRNA7) is widely expressed in both the brain and periphery whereas its encoding protein of α7 neuronal acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR) belongs to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor family. Considerable evidence suggests that α7nAChR plays an important role in chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain signaling and thus has been proposed as a potential target for treating cognitive deficits in patients with schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Alzheimer's disease. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of endogenous α7nAChR signaling in human colorectal cancer growth and metastasis. pLVX‑CHRNA7 encoding the full length of CHRNA7 was constructed and transfected into LoVo human colorectal cancer cells. Cell proliferation was measured by Cell Counting Kit‑8 (CCK‑8), and cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell chamber assays. Expression and activity of metastasis‑related metalloproteinases (MMPs) were analyzed by western blotting and gelatin zymography, respectively. Activation of metastasis-related signaling molecules was detected by western blotting. LY294002 was used to specifically block the phosphatidylinositol 3‑kinase/v‑akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homologue (PI3K/Akt) pathway. We showed that concomitantly with an increase in α7nAChR expression after transfection, LoVo cells presented reduced abilities for migration and invasion, which was accompanied by reduced expression levels of MMP‑1 and MMP‑9 as well as activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. The application of LY294002 restored the migration and invasion abilities of the LoVo cells bearing CHRNA7. Collectively, we conclude that overexpression of CHRNA7 negatively controls colorectal cancer LoVo cell invasion and metastasis via PI3K/Akt pathway activation and may serve as either a diagnostic marker or a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer metastasis.

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 13 is a novel biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis and promotes cancer cell proliferation in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 13 (TNFSF13) modulates cell proliferation and apoptosis and participates in the pathogenesis of solid tumors, but its role in laryngeal cancer development is not clearly defined. In order to investigate whether TNFSF13 can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and the role of TNFSF13 in laryngeal cancer carcinogenesis, we conducted immunohistochemistry and ELISA assays to evaluate the expression level of TNFSF13 in laryngeal cancer patients and the contrast. We also conducted experiments on the functional study of TNFSF13 in vitro. We found that the expression levels of TNFSF13, ki-67, and NF-κB p65 in LSCC tumor tissues were higher than those in vocal polyp and para-carcinoma tissues. The Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the expression of TNFSF13 had a positive correlation with the expression of ki-67 and NF-κB p65. Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier plots confirmed the expression level of TNFSF13 was a prognostic factor for LSCC. Moreover, the serum TNFSF13 level was significantly higher in LSCC patients than in the controls, and the serum expression level of TNFSF13 can distinguish LSCC from healthy people, precancerosis, or laryngeal benign tumor. In addition, functional study of TNFSF13 in vitro revealed that knockdown of TNFSF13 inhibited cell proliferation by inducing G1 phase cell cycle arrest in Hep-2 cells. In conclusion, TNFSF13 may be a potential novel molecular target for diagnosis and prognosis in human LSCC, and therapies that target TNFSF13 may have clinical significance for the treatment of LSCC.

High expression of APRIL correlates with poor prognosis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

The members of the Tumor Necrosis Factor Superfamily (TNFSF), including A PRoliferation Inducing Ligand (APRIL), have been studied in RCC and other tumors. In this study, we investigated the expression of APRIL in resected clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) samples by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and analyzed its association with the clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of the patients.

METHODS

We examined 206 CCRCC samples from patients who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy at Seoul National University Hospital between 1999 and 2002. Tissue microarray (TMA) blocks were made, and immunohistochemical staining for APRIL expression was performed.

RESULTS

We classified the IHC results as high expression or low expression. Of the 206 cases, 89 cases (43.2%) were classified as showing high expression, and 117 cases (56.8%) showed low expression. The high expression of APRIL was significantly correlated with higher Fuhrman nuclear grade and higher pathologic stage (p=0.000 and 0.004), and we observed that the high expression of APRIL was significantly correlated with the overall survival of the patients (p=0.045) and cancer-specific survival (p=0.020), but was not correlated with disease-free survival (p=0.106). In multivariate analysis adjusted for Fuhrman nuclear grade and pathologic stage, the high expression of APRIL was not an independent prognostic factor for CCRCC, as determined by overall survival (p=0.830) and cancer-specific survival (p=0.792).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the high expression of APRIL in CCRCCs was correlated with high Fuhrman nuclear grade, high pathologic stage, and poor overall and cancer-specific survival of the patients. However, it did not correlate with disease-free survival and was not an independent prognostic factor.

Identification of the sAPRIL binding peptide and its growth inhibition effects in the colorectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND

A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) super family. It binds to its specific receptors and is involved in multiple processes during tumorigenesis and tumor cells proliferation. High levels of APRIL expression are closely correlated to the growth, metastasis, and 5-FU drug resistance of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to identify a specific APRIL binding peptide (BP) able to block APRIL activity that could be used as a potential treatment for colorectal cancer.

METHODS

A phage display library was used to identify peptides that bound selectively to soluble recombinant human APRIL (sAPRIL). The peptides with the highest binding affinity for sAPRIL were identified using ELISA. The effects of sAPRIL-BP on cell proliferation and cell cycle/apoptosis in vitro were evaluated using the CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. An in vivo mouse model of colorectal cancer was used to determine the anti-tumor efficacy of the sAPRIL-BP.

RESULTS

Three candidate peptides were characterized from eight phage clones with high binding affinity for sAPRIL. The peptide with the highest affinity was selected for further characterization. The identified sAPRIL-BP suppressed tumor cell proliferation and cell cycle progression in LOVO cells in a dose-dependent manner. In vivo in a mouse colorectal challenge model, the sAPRIL-BP reduced the growth of tumor xenografts in nude mice by inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis intratumorally. Moreover, in an in vivo metastasis model, sAPRIL-BP reduced liver metastasis of colorectal cancer cells.

CONCLUSIONS

sAPRIL-BP significantly suppressed tumor growth in vitro and in vivo and might be a candidate for treating colorectal cancers that express high levels of APRIL.

Anti-CTGF single-chain variable fragment dimers inhibit human airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell proliferation by down-regulating p-Akt and p-mTOR levels

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) contributes to airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell hyperplasia in asthma. Humanized single-chain variable fragment antibody (scFv) was well characterized as a CTGF antagonist in the differentiation of fibroblast into myofibroblast and pulmonary fibrosis in our previous studies. To further improve the bioactivity of scFv, we constructed a plasmid to express scFv-linker-matrilin-6×His fusion proteins that could self-assemble into the scFv dimers by disulfide bonds in matrilin under non-reducing conditions. An immunoreactivity assay demonstrated that the scFv dimer could highly bind to CTGF in a concentration-dependent manner. The MTT and EdU assay results revealed that CTGF (≥10 ng/mL) promoted the proliferation of ASM cells, and this effect was inhibited when the cells were treated with anti-CTGF scFv dimer. The western blot analysis results showed that increased phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR induced by CTGF could be suppressed by this scFv dimer. Based on these findings, anti-CTGF scFv dimer may be a potential agent for the prevention of airway remodeling in asthma.

Inhibitory effect of ethanol extract of Ocimum sanctum on osteopontin mediated metastasis of NCI-H460 non-small cell lung cancer cells

Background

Osteopontin (OPN) is one of important molecular targets in cancer progression, metastasis as a calcium-binding, extracellular-matrix-associated protein of the small integrin-binding ligand and, N-linked glycoprotein. In the present study, anti-metastatic mechanism of ethanol extracts of Ocimum sanctum (EEOS) was elucidated on OPN enhanced metastasis in NCI-H460 non- small cell lung cancer cells.

Methods

Cell viability was measured by MTT assay. Adhesion and invasion assays were carried out to see that EEOS inhibited cell adhesion and invasion in OPN treated and non-treated NCI-H 460 cells. RT-PCR was used to determine the mRNA levels of uPA, uPAR, and EGFR.

Results

EEOS significantly inhibited cell adhesion and invasion in OPN treated and non treated NCI-H460 cells, though EEOS did not show any toxicity up to 200 μg/ml. EEOS effectively attenuated the expression of OPN and CD44 and also OPN activated the expression of CD44 in NCI-H460 cells. In addition, EEOS effectively suppressed the expression of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and the phosphorylation of Akt at protein level in OPN treated NCI-H460 cells. Also, EEOS significantly attenuated the expression of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA), its receptor (uPAR) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) at mRNA level and reduced vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production and MMP-9 activity in OPN treated NCI-H460 cells. Furthermore, PI3K/Akt inhibitor LY294002 enhanced anti-metastatic potential of EEOS to attenuate the expression of uPA and MMP-9 in OPN treated NCI-H 460 cells.

Conclusion

Overall, our findings suggest that anti-metastatic mechanism of EEOS is mediated by inhibition of PI3K/Akt in OPN treated NCI-H460 non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Amelioration of colorectal cancer using negative lipidoid nanoparticles to encapsulate siRNA against APRIL by enema delivery mode

A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) is a key cell proliferation-regulatory molecule and have been investigated well enough in immunity regulation and a few of immune diseases. APRIL can stimulate tumor cell growth and is up-expressed in cancer tissues, especially in CRC (colorectal cancer). However, whether inhibition of APRIL can regulate tumor-relative genes expression in vivo and subsequently ameliorate the pathological progress of CRC remains obscure. To address this question, we developed a novel negative lipidoid nanoparticles (NLNs) encapsulating small interference RNA (siRNA) for selectively silencing APRIL in the parenchyma of CRC focus in vivo, which uptake proceeded through a lipid raft endocytotic pathway. Local enema delivery of APRIL-NLNs silenced APRIL in CRC cells and animal models, and then ameliorated experimentally the progress of CRC by suppressing CRC cell proliferation, metastasis, and apoptosis-related cytokine expression and did not affect the function of liver and kidneys and not trigger the immune response of CRC models. This study reveals APRIL to be a potential anti-CRC target by in vivo experiments, and suggests that the application of similar modes of siRNA delivery may be feasible in other therapeutic settings.

Activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway correlates with prognosis in stage II colon cancer

Background:

Patients with UICC/AJCC stage II colon cancer have a high 5-year overall survival rate after surgery. Nevertheless, a significant subgroup of patients develops tumour recurrence. Currently, there are no clinically established biomarkers available to identify this patient group. We applied reverse-phase protein arrays (RPPA) for phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase pathway activation mapping to stratify patients according to their risk of tumour recurrence after surgery.

Methods:

Full-length proteins were extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of 118 patients who underwent curative resection. RPPA technology was used to analyse expression and/or phosphorylation levels of six major factors of the phosphatidylinositide-3-kinase pathway. Oncogenic mutations of KRAS and BRAF, and DNA microsatellite status, currently discussed as prognostic markers, were analysed in parallel.

Results:

Expression of phospho-AKT (HR=3.52; P=0.032), S6RP (HR=6.3; P=0.044), and phospho-4E-BP1 (HR=4.12; P=0.011) were prognostic factors for disease-free survival. None of the molecular genetic alterations were significantly associated with prognosis.

Conclusions:

Our data indicate that activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway evidenced on the protein level might be a valuable prognostic marker to stratify patients for their risk of tumour recurrence. Beside adjuvant chemotherapy targeting of upregulated PI3K/AKT signalling may be an attractive strategy for treatment of high-risk patients.

Bufalin attenuates the stage and metastatic potential of hepatocellular carcinoma in nude mice

Background

Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergo significant tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we investigated bufalin for treating HCC, which exhibits anti-tumor activities in many tumor cell lines.

Method

In our experiment, HCCLM3-R cells were injected into nude mice to form subcutaneous human HCC tumors that were implanted into the liver to establish orthotopic transplantation tumor models. Bufalin was injected intraperitoneally at 1 or 1.5 mg/kg. LY294002 (100 mg/kg), a potent inhibitor of Akt which reduced the levels of pAkt in HCCLM3 cell lines, was injected intraperitoneally into one group thrice weekly. The control was injected with an equal volume of saline. Morphological alterations were evaluated in the liver and lung by stereomicroscopy, the apoptotic rate was measured by TUNEL staining, and expression of AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin/E-cadherin signaling pathway-related proteins was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and western blot analysis.

Results

These results suggested that the sizes and qualities of orthotopic transplanted tumors as well as pulmonary metastasis decreased markedly at the highest bufalin dose compared with that in the control. Orthotopic transplanted tumor tissues were necrotic in bufalin-treated groups and the apoptotic cell number was markedly higher at the highest bufalin dose compared with that in the control. Certain changes of expression of AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin/E-cadherin signaling pathway-related proteins were in tumor tissues, which were related to the bufalin dose. Similar results were observed in the LY294002-treated group.

Conclusion

Based on the above, one can draw conclusions that bufalin has significant anti-tumor activities and reduces the metastatic potential in an orthotopic transplantation tumor model of human HCC. Inhibition of AKT/GSK3β/β-catenin/E-cadherin signaling pathways by bufalin may show therapeutic effects in advanced HCC patients.

RTK/ERK pathway under natural selection associated with prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a global disease causing large numbers of deaths every year. Recent studies have indicated the RTK/ERK pathway might be a key pathway in the development of PCa. However, the exact association and evolution-based mechanism remain unclear. This study was conducted by combining genotypic and phenotypic data from the Chinese Consortium for Prostate Cancer Genetics (ChinaPCa) with related databases such as the HapMap Project and Genevar. In this analysis, expression of quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) analysis, natural selection and gene-based pathway analysis were involved. The pathway analysis confirmed the positive relationship between PCa risk and several key genes. In addition, combined with the natural selection, it seems that 4 genes (EGFR, ERBB2, PTK2, and RAF1) with five SNPs (rs11238349, rs17172438, rs984654, rs11773818, and rs17172432) especially rs17172432, might be pivotal factors in the development of PCa. The results indicate that the RTK/ERK pathway under natural selection is a key link in PCa risk. The joint effect of the genes and loci with positive selection might be one reason for the development of PCa. Dealing with all the factors simultaneously might give insight into prevention and aid in predicting the success of potential therapies for PCa.

Elevated expression of SHIP2 correlates with poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer

SH2-containing inositol 5'-phosphatase 2 (SHIP2) is a vital regulator of phosphoinositide pools in metabolic pathways and is considered to downregulate phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase signaling, which underlies the development of several kinds of human cancers. However, SHIP2 expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship with the clinical characteristics of NSCLC remain poorly understood. In this study, one-step quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry analysis with tissue microarray was used to evaluate SHIP2 expression in NSCLC and to investigate the relationship of this expression to NSCLC prognosis. Results showed that the expression of SHIP2 messenger RNA and protein was significantly higher in NSCLC than in corresponding non-cancerous tissues (both p < 0.05). SHIP2 protein expression in NSCLC was related to lymph node metastasis (p = 0.042), TNM stage (p = 0.036), and 5-year survival rate (p = 0.046). The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test suggested that high SHIP2 expression, tobacco consumption, and advanced tumor stage were significantly associated with low survival of NSCLC patients. The results of this research suggested that SHIP2 expression was correlated with malignant phenotypes of NSCLC and may thus serve as a poor prognostic factor and valuable oncogene for NSCLC.

Serum sAPRIL: a potential tumor-associated biomarker to colorectal cancer

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of our study was to investigate the serum levels of soluble a-proliferation-inducing ligand (sAPRIL) in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), benign intestinal disease and healthy volunteers and explore the potential possibility of sAPRIL severing as a CRC biomarker.

METHODS

Our investigation was conducted on 35 blood samples obtained from CRC patients, 32 blood samples from patients with benign intestinal diseases and 31 blood samples from healthy volunteers. The sAPRIL concentrations were examined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and data were analyzed with non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test and X²-test. The correlation relationship between sAPRIL and CEA, as well as sAPRIL and CA19-9 was assessed by non-parametric Spearmen's correlation test, respectively.

RESULTS

The median value of sAPRIL in the malignant group was 10.43 ng/mL, compared with those of the benign group (4.89 ng/mL) and control group (3.30 ng/mL), respectively, which had an obvious significance (P<0.0003). Area under the receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve for sAPRIL was 0.854 (95% CI, 0.776-0.933). The optimal cut-off level of sAPRIL was 5.49 ng/mL. Serum sAPRIL had a positive correlation with CEA (r=0.637, P=0.000) and CA19-9 (r=0.357, P=0.008) in 35 patients with colorectal cancer. sAPRIL showed higher sensitivity (82.9%) than those of CEA (74.3%) and CA19-9 (65.7%) in CRC, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The results indicated that serum sAPRIL, as a potential biomarker, had a positive diagnostic value for colorectal cancer.

Reduced CTGF expression promotes cell growth, migration, and invasion in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Background

The role of CTGF varies in different types of cancer. The purpose of this study is to investigate the involvement of CTGF in tumor progression and prognosis of human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Experimental design

CTGF expression levels were examined in NPC tissues and cells, nasopharynx (NP) tissues, and NP69 cells. The effects and molecular mechanisms of CTGF expression on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle were also explored.

Results

NPC cells exhibited decreased mRNA expression of CTGF compared to immortalized human nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line NP69. Similarly, CTGF was observed to be downregulated in NPC compared to normal tissues at mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, reduced CTGF was negatively associated with the progression of NPC. Knocking down CTGF expression enhanced the colony formation, cell migration, invasion, and G1/S cell cycle transition. Mechanistic analysis revealed that CTGF suppression activated FAK/PI3K/AKT and its downstream signals regulating the cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and MMPs. Finally, DNA methylation microarray revealed a lack of hypermethylation at the CTGF promoter, suggesting other mechanisms are associated with suppression of CTGF in NPC.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that reduced expression of CTGF promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle progression through FAK/PI3K/AKT, EMT and MMP pathways in NPC.