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Li A, Wu J. High STAT4 expression correlates with poor prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia and facilitates disease progression by upregulating VEGFA expression. Open Med (Wars) 2024; 19:20230840. [PMID: 38737443 PMCID: PMC11087736 DOI: 10.1515/med-2023-0840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of our study is to explore the mechanism of transcription-4 (STAT4) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). STAT4 level in AML bone marrow samples/cells was analyzed using bioinformatics and quantitative real-time PCR. The correlation between high STAT4 expression and the prognosis of AML patients was analyzed. The viability, apoptosis, and angiogenesis of AML cells were detected. The levels of STAT4, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), and apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2 and Bax) in transfected AML cells were examined. STAT4 level was upregulated in AML. STAT4 silencing decreased the viability and angiogenesis, yet increased the apoptosis of AML cells, while overexpressed STAT4 did conversely. VEGFA silencing counteracted the impacts of overexpressed STAT4 upon promoting viability and angiogenesis as well as repressing the apoptosis of AML cells. High STAT4 expression was correlated with poor prognosis of AML patients and facilitated disease progression via upregulating VEGFA expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aohang Li
- Clinical Laboratory Center, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingxuan Wu
- Research Ward, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
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Cheng M, Liu Y, Guo Y, Li M, Xian S, Qin H, Yang Y, Qian W, Tang J, Lu Y, Yao Y, Zhang M, Jin M, Xu L, Huang R, Xu D. Pan-cancer analysis reveals signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) gene family as biomarkers for prognostic prediction and therapeutic guidance. Front Genet 2023; 14:1120500. [PMID: 36968603 PMCID: PMC10034013 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1120500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) gene family have been widely found to regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and angiogenesis through complex signaling pathways, and thus impacting tumor formation and development in different types of tumor. However, the roles of STATs on prognostic prediction and therapeutic guidance in pan-cancer remain unexplored.Materials and Methods: The dataset of 33 types of TCGA tumor, para-carcinoma and normal tissues, was obtained from the UCSC Xena database, including the gene expression profiles in the formats of FPKM value, demographic characteristics, clinical information, and survival data of STATs. Differential expression and co-expression analyses, WGCNA, clinical relevance analysis, immune subtype analysis, tumor stemness analysis, tumor purity analysis, immune infiltration analysis, immunotherapy related analysis, tumor mutation related analysis, and drug sensitivity analysis were performed by R software.Results: Differential expression of STAT1 was found between normal and BRCA tissues (p < 0.001, log2FC = 0.895). Additionally, the strongest correlation among STATs lied between STAT1 and STAT2 (correlation coefficient = 0.6). Moreover, high expression levels of STAT1 (p = 0.031) were revealed to be notably correlated with poor prognosis in KIRP. In addition, STAT1 expressed the highest value in immune subtypes C1, C2, C3, and C6 in LUAD. What’s more, strong negative correlations were demonstrated between expression of STAT6 and mDNAss and mRNAss of TGCT. Additionally, STAT4 expression was characterized to be significantly negatively correlated with tumor purity of the majority of cancer types. Moreover, STAT1 and STAT3 were shown to be generally high-expressed in pan-cancer myeloid cells, and STATs all had positive correlation with the infiltration of the majority of immune cells. In addition, STATs were revealed to be closely linked with immunotherapy response. What’s more, STAT4 expression was identified to have a strong negative correlation with TMB value in DLBC. Last but not least, positive correlations were accessed between STAT5 and sensitivity of Nelarabine (cor = 0.600, p < 0.001).Conclusion: In the present study, we identified STATs as biomarkers for prognostic prediction and therapeutic guidance in pan-cancer. Hopefully our findings could provide a valuable reference for future STATs research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Cheng
- Research Unit of key techniques for treatment of burns and combined burns and trauma injury, Department of Burn Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifan Liu
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yangkun Guo
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Man Li
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuyuan Xian
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hengwei Qin
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiting Yang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weijin Qian
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jieling Tang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuwei Lu
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yuntao Yao
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengyi Zhang
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Minghao Jin
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Long Xu
- Research Unit of key techniques for treatment of burns and combined burns and trauma injury, Department of Burn Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Long Xu, ; Runzhi Huang, ; Dayuan Xu,
| | - Runzhi Huang
- Research Unit of key techniques for treatment of burns and combined burns and trauma injury, Department of Burn Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Long Xu, ; Runzhi Huang, ; Dayuan Xu,
| | - Dayuan Xu
- Research Unit of key techniques for treatment of burns and combined burns and trauma injury, Department of Burn Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shanghai, China
- Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Long Xu, ; Runzhi Huang, ; Dayuan Xu,
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Li D, Jiao Y, Gao W, Hu S, Li D, Zhao W, Chen P, Jin L, Zhao Y, Ma Z, Wu X, Yan Y, Sun W, Du X, Dong G. Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic and immunotherapeutic implications of STAT family members in human colorectal cancer. Front Genet 2022; 13:951252. [PMID: 36061181 PMCID: PMC9437353 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.951252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer mortality. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are a group of transcription factors implicated in cell signal transduction and gene transcription in several cancer types. However, the level of expression, genetic alterations, and biological function of different STATs, as well as their prognostic and immunotherapeutic value in CRC remain unclear.Methods: The mRNA and protein expression levels, genetic alterations, prognostic value, gene–gene and protein–protein interaction networks, and biological function of STATs in CRC were studied using the GEPIA, HPA, cBioPortal, PrognoScan, Kaplan–Meier plotter, GeneMANIA, STRING, and Metascape databases. The expression of STATs in CRC was confirmed using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Finally, the relationship between STAT expression and immune infiltration as well as immunotherapy-associated indicators was also investigated.Results: The expression levels of STAT2/5A/5B are downregulated in CRC, and the STAT1/3/4/5B expressions were significantly associated with the tumor stage of patients with CRC. The abnormal expression of STAT2/4/5B in patients with CRC is related to the prognosis of patients with CRC. The STATs and their neighboring proteins are primarily associated with lymphocyte activation, cytokine-mediated signaling pathways, positive regulation of immune response, regulation of cytokine production, and growth hormone receptor signaling pathways in cancer. The expression of STATs was significantly associated with immune infiltration and immunotherapy response-associated indicators.Conclusion: This study may help further understand the molecular mechanism of CRC and provide new prognostic biomarkers and immunotherapy targets in patients with CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dingchang Li
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yanan Jiao
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wenxing Gao
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shidong Hu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Dingling Li
- Medical College of Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Wen Zhao
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Chen
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Lujia Jin
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Zhao
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaofu Ma
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiansheng Wu
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Yan
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Wen Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaohui Du
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaohui Du, ; Guanglong Dong,
| | - Guanglong Dong
- Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Xiaohui Du, ; Guanglong Dong,
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Wei R, Zhang H, Cao J, Qin D, Deng W, Li S. Type 1 T Helper Cell-Based Molecular Subtypes and Signature Are Associated with Clinical Outcome in Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:839893. [PMID: 35433680 PMCID: PMC9011157 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.839893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lymph node metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is shown to be related with poor prognosis. To construct an immune-related gene prognostic risk model for PDAC and clarify the molecular and immune characteristics and the benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy in prognostic risk model-defined subgroups of PDAC, we analyze the association between the density of immune cell infiltration and lymph node metastatic status and further study the potential role of immune cells, immune cell–related genes, and immunotherapy outcomes in PDAC patients using bioinformatics models and machine learning methods. Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), PACA-AU and PACA-CA data sets, 62 immune-related hub genes were identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Four genes were selected to construct a molecular subtype identification based on the type 1 T helper cell–related hub genes by using the Cox regression method. We found that lower type 1 T helper cell abundance was correlated with prolonged survival in PDAC patients. Further, prognostic risk score model constructed with the type 1 T helper cell-related signature showed high accuracy in predicting overall survival and response to immunotherapy. This study might improve the understanding of the role of type 1 T helper cells in PDAC patients and aid in the development of immunotherapy and personalized treatments for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Wei
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huihui Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Cell and Therapeutic Antibody, Ministry of Education, Pharm-X Center, School of Pharmacy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianzhong Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Dailei Qin
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wuguo Deng
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wuguo Deng, ; Shengping Li,
| | - Shengping Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wuguo Deng, ; Shengping Li,
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Ebersbach C, Beier AMK, Thomas C, Erb HHH. Impact of STAT Proteins in Tumor Progress and Therapy Resistance in Advanced and Metastasized Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:4854. [PMID: 34638338 PMCID: PMC8508518 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13194854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs) are a family of transcription factors involved in several biological processes such as immune response, cell survival, and cell growth. However, they have also been implicated in the development and progression of several cancers, including prostate cancer (PCa). Although the members of the STAT protein family are structurally similar, they convey different functions in PCa. STAT1, STAT3, and STAT5 are associated with therapy resistance. STAT1 and STAT3 are involved in docetaxel resistance, while STAT3 and STAT5 are involved in antiandrogen resistance. Expression of STAT3 and STAT5 is increased in PCa metastases, and together with STAT6, they play a crucial role in PCa metastasis. Further, expression of STAT3, STAT5, and STAT6 was elevated in advanced and high-grade PCa. STAT2 and STAT4 are currently less researched in PCa. Since STATs are widely involved in PCa, they serve as potential therapeutic targets. Several inhibitors interfering with STATs signaling have been tested unsuccessfully in PCa clinical trials. This review focuses on the respective roles of the STAT family members in PCa, especially in metastatic disease and provides an overview of STAT-inhibitors evaluated in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina Ebersbach
- Department of Urology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (C.E.); (A.-M.K.B.); (C.T.)
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Department of Urology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Alicia-Marie K. Beier
- Department of Urology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (C.E.); (A.-M.K.B.); (C.T.)
- Mildred Scheel Early Career Center, Department of Urology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Christian Thomas
- Department of Urology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (C.E.); (A.-M.K.B.); (C.T.)
| | - Holger H. H. Erb
- Department of Urology, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; (C.E.); (A.-M.K.B.); (C.T.)
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Lapuente-Santana Ó, van Genderen M, Hilbers PA, Finotello F, Eduati F. Interpretable systems biomarkers predict response to immune-checkpoint inhibitors. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2021; 2:100293. [PMID: 34430923 PMCID: PMC8369166 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2021.100293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cells can leverage several cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic mechanisms to escape immune system recognition. The inherent complexity of the tumor microenvironment, with its multicellular and dynamic nature, poses great challenges for the extraction of biomarkers of immune response and immunotherapy efficacy. Here, we use RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data combined with different sources of prior knowledge to derive system-based signatures of the tumor microenvironment, quantifying immune-cell composition and intra- and intercellular communications. We applied multi-task learning to these signatures to predict different hallmarks of immune responses and derive cancer-type-specific models based on interpretable systems biomarkers. By applying our models to independent RNA-seq data from cancer patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, we demonstrated that our method to Estimate Systems Immune Response (EaSIeR) accurately predicts therapeutic outcome. We anticipate that EaSIeR will be a valuable tool to provide a holistic description of immune responses in complex and dynamic systems such as tumors using available RNA-seq data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Óscar Lapuente-Santana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Maisa van Genderen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A.J. Hilbers
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, the Netherlands
| | - Francesca Finotello
- Biocenter, Institute of Bioinformatics, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Federica Eduati
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, the Netherlands
- Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5612 AZ Eindhoven, the Netherlands
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Zhang B, Nie X, Miao X, Wang S, Li J, Wang S. Development and verification of an immune-related gene pairs prognostic signature in ovarian cancer. J Cell Mol Med 2021; 25:2918-2930. [PMID: 33543590 PMCID: PMC7957197 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.16327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer (OV) is the most common gynaecological cancer worldwide. Immunotherapy has recently been proven to be an effective treatment strategy. The work here attempts to produce a prognostic immune-related gene pair (IRGP) signature to estimate OV patient survival. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases provided the genetic expression profiles and clinical data of OV patients. Based on the InnateDB database and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model, we first identified a 17-IRGP signature associated with survival. The average area under the curve (AUC) values of the training, validation, and all TCGA sets were 0.869, 0.712, and 0.778, respectively. The 17-IRGP signature noticeably split patients into high- and low-risk groups with different prognostic outcomes. As suggested by a functional study, some biological pathways, including the Toll-like receptor and chemokine signalling pathways, were significantly negatively correlated with risk scores; however, pathways such as the p53 and apoptosis signalling pathways had a positive correlation. Moreover, tumour stage III, IV, grade G1/G2, and G3/G4 samples had significant differences in risk scores. In conclusion, an effective 17-IRGP signature was produced to predict prognostic outcomes in OV, providing new insights into immunological biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShengjing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Xiaocui Nie
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShenyang women's and children's hospitalShenyangChina
| | - Xinxin Miao
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShengjing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShengjing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShengjing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangChina
| | - Shengke Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyShengjing Hospital of China Medical UniversityShenyangChina
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Ni H, Sun H, Zheng M, Bian T, Liu J, Li X, Zhang J, Liu Y. Mining database for the expression and clinical significance of STAT family in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Transl Oncol 2020; 14:100976. [PMID: 33395750 PMCID: PMC7736982 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2020.100976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSC) is one of the most common malignant tumors with high incidence, relapse and mortality rate. STAT proteins are implicated in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, metastasis, and immune regulation. The mRNA level of STAT1/2/4/5A/6 were significantly upregulated in HNSC tissues. Genetic alteration revealed that STAT1/2/3/4/5A/5B/6 were altered in the queried TCGA HNSC samples. Immune infiltrations analysis suggested a significant association between STAT5A expression and the abundance of specific immune cells. Several kinase targets and transcription factor targets of STAT5A in HNSC were also identified. Enrichment analysis suggested that STAT5A and co-expression genes were mainly responsible for adaptive immune response, T cell activation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, cell adhesion molecules, ribosome, and RNA transport.
Background Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSC) are among the most common malignant tumors with high incidence, relapse, and mortality rate. STAT proteins are implicated in various biological processes, including cell proliferation, metastasis, and immune regulation. Method Various bioinformatics tools were used to explore the role of the STAT family in HNSC. Result The mRNA levels of STAT1/2/4/5A/6 were significantly upregulated in HNSC tissues. The levels of STAT1/2/4/5A/6 could be used for the detection of HNSC. HNSC patients with a high level of STAT5A had a poor overall survival and relapse-free survival. A moderate to high correlation was obtained between the STAT family and HNSC. Genetic alteration revealed that STAT1/2/3/4/5A/5B/6 were altered in 6%, 5%, 7%, 8%, 6%, 6%, and 4% of the queried TCGA HNSC samples, respectively. Immune infiltrations analysis suggested a significant association between STAT5A expression and abundance of specific immune cells. Further, copy number alteration of STAT5A could certainly inhibit infiltration level. Moreover, a close correlation was obtained between STAT5A level and the expression of immune markers in HNSC. Several kinase targets and transcription factor targets of STAT5A in HNSC were also identified. Enrichment analysis suggested that STAT5A and co-expression genes were mainly responsible for adaptive immune response, T cell activation, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, cell-adhesion molecules, and ribosome and RNA transport. Conclusion Our results provided additional data for the expression and clinical significance of the STAT family in HNSC, and further study should be performed to verify these.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haosheng Ni
- Department of Otolaryngology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Hui Sun
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Miaosen Zheng
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Tingting Bian
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Chemotherapy, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Xiaoli Li
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China
| | - Jianguo Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
| | - Yifei Liu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, PR China.
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Role of the JAK/STAT Pathway in Cervical Cancer: Its Relationship with HPV E6/E7 Oncoproteins. Cells 2020; 9:cells9102297. [PMID: 33076315 PMCID: PMC7602614 DOI: 10.3390/cells9102297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 10/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) signaling pathway is associated with the regulation of essential cellular mechanisms, such as proliferation, invasion, survival, inflammation, and immunity. Aberrant JAK/STAT signaling contributes to cancer progression and metastatic development. STAT proteins play an essential role in the development of cervical cancer, and the inhibition of the JAK/STAT pathway may be essential for enhancing tumor cell death. Persistent activation of different STATs is present in a variety of cancers, including cervical cancer, and their overactivation may be associated with a poor prognosis and poor overall survival. The oncoproteins E6 and E7 play a critical role in the progression of cervical cancer and may mediate the activation of the JAK/STAT pathway. Inhibition of STAT proteins appears to show promise for establishing new targets in cancer treatment. The present review summarizes the knowledge about the participation of the different components of the JAK/STAT pathway and the participation of the human papillomavirus (HPV) associated with the process of cellular malignancy.
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Construction of a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on competitive endogenous RNA reveals the function of circRNAs in osteosarcoma. Cancer Cell Int 2020; 20:48. [PMID: 32063749 PMCID: PMC7011443 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-020-1134-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common primary malignant bone tumour. Growing evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely related to the development of tumours. However, the function of circRNAs in OS remains unknown. Here, we aimed to determine the regulatory mechanisms of circRNAs in OS. Methods The expression profiles of OS circRNA (GSE96964), microRNA (GSE65071) and mRNA (GSE33382) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs and mRNAs in OS. A ceRNA network was constructed based on circRNA-miRNA pairs and miRNA-mRNA pairs. MRNAs with significant prognostic differences were identified by the TARGET database in the network. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were performed, and interactions between proteins were predicted using Cytoscape. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to elucidate the possible functions of these differentially expressed circRNAs. Results A total of 15 downregulated circRNAs, 136 upregulated miRNAs and 52 downregulated mRNAs were identified in OS. Finally, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed in OS based on 14 circRNAs, 24 miRNAs, and 52 mRNAs. GO and KEGG pathway analyses suggested that the mRNAs in the network may be involved in the pathogenesis and progression of OS. Four mRNAs identified by the TARGET database were significantly associated with OS survival prognosis. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA subnetwork was constructed based on these four mRNAs. Conclusion Our results provide a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms by which circRNAs compete for endogenous RNAs in OS.
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Anderson K, Ryan N, Volpedo G, Varikuti S, Satoskar AR, Oghumu S. Immune Suppression Mediated by STAT4 Deficiency Promotes Lymphatic Metastasis in HNSCC. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3095. [PMID: 32010142 PMCID: PMC6974475 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a prevalent form of cancer with 5-years survival rates around 57%, and metastasis is a leading cause of mortality. Host-derived immunological factors that affect HNSCC tumor development and metastasis are not completely understood. We investigated the role of host-derived signal transducer and activator of transcription 4 (STAT4) during experimental HNSCC using an aggressive and metastatic HNSCC cell line, LY2, which was orthotopically injected into the buccal sulcus of wild type (WT) and STAT4 deficient (Stat4-/-) BALB/c mice. Necropsies performed at terminal sacrifice revealed that Stat4-/- mice displayed comparable primary tumor growth to the WT mice. However, the rate and extent of lymph node and lung metastasis among Stat4-/- mice was significantly higher. Downstream analyses performed on primary tumors, draining lymph nodes, spleens and bone marrow revealed significant upregulation of lymphocytic immunosuppressive biomarkers as well as an accumulation of granulocytic MDSC subpopulations in draining lymph nodes of metastatic Stat4-/- mice. Further, we observed a significant decrease in TH1, TH17, and cytotoxic activity in tumor bearing Stat4-/- compared to WT mice. Our results demonstrate that STAT4 mediates resistance to HNSCC metastasis, and activation of STAT4 could potentially mitigate lymphatic metastasis in HNSCC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelvin Anderson
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Nathan Ryan
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Greta Volpedo
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Sanjay Varikuti
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Abhay R. Satoskar
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Microbiology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Steve Oghumu
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, United States
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Ashrafizadeh M, Ahmadi Z, Kotla NG, Afshar EG, Samarghandian S, Mandegary A, Pardakhty A, Mohammadinejad R, Sethi G. Nanoparticles Targeting STATs in Cancer Therapy. Cells 2019; 8:E1158. [PMID: 31569687 PMCID: PMC6829305 DOI: 10.3390/cells8101158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decades, an increase in the incidence rate of cancer has been witnessed. Although many efforts have been made to manage and treat this life threatening condition, it is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Therefore, scientists have attempted to target molecular signaling pathways involved in cancer initiation and metastasis. It has been shown that signal transducers and activator of transcription (STAT) contributes to the progression of cancer cells. This important signaling pathway is associated with a number of biological processes including cell cycle, differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. It appears that dysregulation of the STAT signaling pathway promotes the migration, viability and malignancy of various tumor cells. Hence, there have been many attempts to target the STAT signaling pathway. However, it seems that currently applied therapeutics may not be able to effectively modulate the STAT signaling pathway and suffer from a variety of drawbacks such as low bioavailability and lack of specific tumor targeting. In the present review, we demonstrate how nanocarriers can be successfully applied for encapsulation of STAT modulators in cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Department of Basic Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran.
| | - Zahra Ahmadi
- Department of Basic Science, Shoushtar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shoushtar 6451741117, Iran.
| | - Niranjan G Kotla
- Centre for Research in Medical Devices (CÚRAM), National University of Ireland Galway, Newcastle, Galway H91 W2TY, Ireland.
| | - Elham Ghasemipour Afshar
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7619813159, Iran.
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur 9318614139, Iran.
| | - Ali Mandegary
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7619813159, Iran.
| | - Abbas Pardakhty
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7619813159, Iran.
| | - Reza Mohammadinejad
- Pharmaceutics Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman 7616911319, Iran.
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117600, Singapore.
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Prognostic values of signal transducers activators of transcription in gastric cancer. Biosci Rep 2019; 39:BSR20181695. [PMID: 30944204 PMCID: PMC6488950 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20181695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The signal transducers and activators of transcription genes family (STATs) have been well studied as prognostic predictors for various solid tumors, but their prognostic values in gastric cancer (GC) patients have not been fully elucidated. The 'Kaplan-Meier plotter' and multiple public available databases were used for the characterization of the prognostic roles of STATs family in GC. The results indicated that high mRNA expression of all individual STATs, except STAT3 and STAT6, were significantly associated with favorable overall survival (OS) in GC. Moreover, the prognostic values of STATs were further characterized in subtypes, including HER2 status, Lauren's classification, differentiation, and clinical stages. Moreover, the prognostic value of STATs signature was also characterized. Low risk group displayed a significantly favorable OS than high risk (HR: 1.71; 95% CI: 1.09-2.66, P=0.0184). In addition, STATs showed distinct expression between GC and normal groups. Meanwhile, comparable high correlation between STATs and tumor immune infiltrating cells (TIICs) was also observed. STAT4 displayed highest correlation with dendritic cells (correlation = 0.716, P=1.63e-59) and CD8+ T cells (correlation = 0.697, P=5.02e-55). In conclusion, our results suggest that all individual STATs, except STAT3 and STAT6, may act as prognostic markers in GC.
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