A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Tumorigenic Role of Matrix Metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) Across Human Cancers

Revealing a Novel Methylated Integrin Alpha-8 Related to Extracellular Matrix and Anoikis Resistance Using Proteomic Analysis in the Immune Microenvironment of Lung Adenocarcinoma

Genomic epigenetics of extracellular matrix (ECM) play an important role in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Our study identified a signature of potential prognostic genes associated with ECM and constructed immune risk-related prognosis model in LUAD. We downloaded mRNAs transcriptome data, miRNAs expression data, and clinical patient information for LUAD based on The Cancer Genome Atlas. "Limma, clusterProfiler, ggplot2" R packages and GSEA were used to analyze meaningful genes and explore potential biological function. A competing endogenous RNA network was constructed to reveal the mechanism of ECM-related genes. Combined with clinical LUAD patients' characteristics, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to build prognostic immune risk model. Next, we calculated AUC value of ROC curve, and explored survival probability of different risk groups. A total of 2966 mRNAs were differently expressed in LUAD samples and normal samples. Function enrichment analyses proved mRNAs were associated with many tumor pathways, such as cell adhesion, vascular smooth muscle contraction, and cell cycle. There were 18 mRNAs related to ECM receptor signaling pathway, and 7 mRNAs expressions were correlated with EGFR expression, but only 5mRNAs were associated with the long-term prognosis. Based on Integrin alpha-8 (ITGA8) molecule, we identified potential 3 miRNAs from several databases. The promoter of ITGA8 was higher-methylated and lower-expressed in LUAD. And lower-expressed group has poor prognosis for patients. 66 immunomodulators related to ITGA8 were performed to construct immune correlation prediction model (p < 0.05). Comprehensive analyses of ITGA8 revealed it combined focal adhesion kinase to activate PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to influence the occurrence and development of LUAD. A novel immune prognostic model about ITGA8 was constructed and verified in LUAD patients. Combined with non-coding genes and genomic epigenetics, identification of potential biomarkers provided new light on therapeutic strategy for clinical patients.

The Role of the Fox Gene in Breast Cancer Progression

Forkhead box (FOX) genes are a family of transcription factors that participate in many biological activities, from early embryogenesis to the formation of organs, and from regulation of glucose metabolism to regulation of longevity. Given the extensive influence in the multicellular process, FOX family proteins are responsible for the progression of many types of cancers, especially lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers. Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and 2.3 million women were diagnosed in 2020. So, various drugs targeting the FOX signaling pathway have been developed to inhibit breast cancer progression. While the role of the FOX family gene in cancer development has not received enough attention, discovering more potential drugs targeting the FOX signaling pathway is urgently demanded. Here, we review the main members in the FOX gene family and summarize their signaling pathway, including the regulation of the FOX genes and their effects on breast cancer progression. We hope this review will emphasize the understanding of the role of the FOX gene in breast cancer and inspire the discovery of effective anti-breast cancer medicines targeting the FOX gene in the future.

Analysis of apoptosis levels and MMP7 gene expression in ovaries of postpartum female rabbits after long-term use of LHRH-A3

Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone A3 (LHRH-A3), a reproductive hormone analog, is widely used to stimulate ovulation in female rabbits. However, the long-term impact of sustained LHRH-A3 administration on the reproductive system, particularly ovarian health, remains unclear. In this study, we compared apoptosis levels in ovaries and molecular regulation between LHRH-A3-treated (A3 group) and untreated female rabbits (N group) after their 5th litter. Western blotting showed a significantly lower Bcl-2/Bax ratio in the A3 group compared with the N group (P < 0.01), indicating higher ovarian apoptosis. Ovarian tissues from four rabbits per group were divided into the A3 group and the N group, and RNA-seq technology was then utilized to conduct transcriptome analysis on these two groups. This analysis revealed 220 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including BMP6, BMP15, CYP1A1, and other reproductive-related genes. KEGG analysis of these DEGs showed their involvement in processes such as the cell cycle, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and ovarian steroidogenesis. Subsequently, we selected the key gene Matrix metallopeptidase 7 (MMP7) for functional analysis using CCK8 and Annexin V-FITC/PI techniques. MMP7 was found to promote the proliferation of granulosa cells (GCs) and inhibit apoptosis (P < 0.01). In conclusion, LHRH-A3 treatment can modulate ovarian molecular regulation, with the key gene MMP7 involved in the proliferation and apoptosis of GCs.

Comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the C2ORF40 expression: Infiltration associations and prognostic implications

In recent years, C2ORF40 has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene with multiple functions, including roles in cell proliferation, migration, and senescence. To explore the role of the C2ORF40 gene in different tumors, we used multiple databases for analysis. Compared to adjacent normal tissues, C2ORF40 is downregulated in a variety of malignant tumors, including tumors such as breast cancer, colorectal cancer, bladder cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma and prostate cancer. Notably, low expression of the gene is significantly associated with poor overall survival and relapse-free survival rates. In specific cancers including colon cancer and prostate cancer, the expression of C2ORF40 is correlated with the infiltration of CAFs. C2ORF40 is also involved in biological processes such as cell apoptosis and regulation of protein stability. In conclusion, C2ORF40 can hold promise as a prognostic marker for pan-cancer analysis.

Differential expression analysis identifies a prognostically significant extracellular matrix-enriched gene signature in hyaluronan-positive clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Hyaluronan (HA) accumulation in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is associated with poor prognosis; however, its biology and role in tumorigenesis are unknown. RNA sequencing of 48 HA-positive and 48 HA-negative formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples was performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG). The DEGs were subjected to pathway and gene enrichment analyses. The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) data and DEGs were used for the cluster analysis. In total, 129 DEGs were identified. HA-positive tumors exhibited enhanced expression of genes related to extracellular matrix (ECM) organization and ECM receptor interaction pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that epithelial-mesenchymal transition-associated genes were highly enriched in the HA-positive phenotype. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed, and 17 hub genes were discovered. Heatmap analysis of TCGA-KIRC data identified two prognostic clusters corresponding to HA-positive and HA-negative phenotypes. These clusters were used to verify the expression levels and conduct survival analysis of the hub genes, 11 of which were linked to poor prognosis. These findings enhance our understanding of hyaluronan in ccRCC.

The role of ARL4C in predicting prognosis and immunotherapy drug susceptibility in pan-cancer analysis

Background: ARLs, which are a class of small GTP-binding proteins, play a crucial role in facilitating tumor tumorigenesis and development. ARL4C, a vital member of the ARLs family, has been implicated in the progression of tumors, metastatic dissemination, and development of resistance to therapeutic drugs. Nevertheless, the precise functional mechanisms of ARL4C concerning tumor prognosis and immunotherapy drug susceptibility remain elusive. Methods: By combining the GTEx and TCGA databases, the presence of ARL4C was examined in 33 various types of cancer. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence staining techniques were utilized to confirm the expression of ARL4C in particular tumor tissues. Furthermore, the ESTIMATE algorithm and TIMER2.0 database were utilized to analyze the tumor microenvironment and immune infiltration associated with ARL4C. The TISCH platform facilitated the utilization of single-cell RNA-seq datasets for further analysis. ARL4C-related immune escape was investigated using the TISMO tool. Lastly, drug sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the sensitivity of different types of tumors to compounds based on the varying levels of ARL4C expression. Results: The study found that ARL4C was highly expressed in 23 different types of cancer. Moreover, the presence of high ARL4C expression was found to be associated with a poor prognosis in BLCA, COAD, KIRP, LGG, and UCEC. Notably, ARL4C was also expressed in immune cells, and its high expression was found to be correlated with cancer immune activation. Most importantly, the drug sensitivity analysis revealed a positive correlation between ARL4C expression and the heightened sensitivity of tumors to Staurosporine, Midostaurin, and Nelarabine. Conclusion: The findings from our study indicate that the expression level of ARL4C may exert an influence on cancer development, prognosis, and susceptibility to immunotherapy drugs. In addition, the involvement of ARL4C in the tumor immune microenvironment has expanded the concept of ARL4C-targeted immunotherapy.

Vimentin-positive invasive breast carcinoma of no special type: A breast carcinoma with lethal biological characteristics

Vimentin is a stable mesenchymal immunohistochemical marker and is widely recognized as a major marker of mesenchymal tumors. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if the vimentin expression status might serve as a significant predictor of outcomes in patients with invasive breast carcinoma of no special type (IBC-NST) and to investigate, by comprehensive RNA sequencing analyses, the mechanisms involved in the heightened malignant potential of vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs. This study, conducted using the data of 855 patients with IBC-NST, clearly identified vimentin expression status as a very important independent biological parameter for accurately predicting the outcomes in patients with IBC-NST. RNA sequence analyses clearly demonstrated significant upregulation of coding RNAs known to be closely associated with cell proliferation or cellular senescence, and significant downregulation of coding RNAs known to be closely associated with transmembrane transport in vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs. We conclude that vimentin-positive IBC-NSTs show heightened malignant biological characteristics, possibly attributable to the upregulation of RNAs closely associated with proliferative activity and cellular senescence, and downregulation of RNAs closely associated with transmembrane transport in IBC-NSTs.

Polymorphisms and gene expression of metalloproteinases and their inhibitors associated with cerebral ischemic stroke in young patients with sickle cell anemia

BACKGROUND

Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a genetic disease with great clinical heterogeneity and few viable strategies for treatment; hydroxyurea (HU) is the only widely used drug. Thus, the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the gene expression of MMPs 1, 2, 9, 7 and TIMPs 1 and 2, which are involved in the regulation of extracellular matrix, inflammation, and neuropathies, may provide further insights into the pathophysiology of the disease and elucidate biomarkers and molecules as potential therapeutic targets for patients with SCA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We evaluated 251 young individuals with SCA from northeastern Brazil. The groups were divided according to vaso-occlusive crisis (VOC) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), compared to control individuals. SNP detection and gene expression assays were performed by real-time PCR, TaqMan system®. Both the expression levels of MMP1 gene, and the SNP MMP1-1607 1G/2G were associated with the risk of cerebral ischemic stroke (IS), and the expression of MMP1 was also associated with a higher frequency of VOC/year. Expression levels of MMP7, TIMP1, and TIMP2 were increased in patients conditioned to IS. The SNP 372T>C (rs4898) TIMP1 T alleles were more frequent in patients with > 5 VOC events/year. The SNP rs17576 of MMP9 showed differences in gene expression levels; it was increased in the genotypes AG, and AG+GG.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study, the SNPs, and expression provide initial support for understanding the role of MMPs-TIMPs in the pathophysiology of SCA in young patients.

A Comprehensive Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Tumorigenic Effect of Leucine-Zipper-Like Transcription Regulator (LZTR1) in Human Cancer

The elucidation of the action site, mechanism of Leucine-Zipper-like Transcription Regulator-1 (LZTR1) and its relationship with RAS-MAPK signaling pathway attracts more and more scholars to focus on the researches of LZTR1 and its role in tumorigenesis. However, there was no pan-cancer analysis between LZTR1 and human tumors reported before. Therefore, we are the first to investigate the potential oncogenic roles of LZTR1 across all tumor types based on the datasets of TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) and GEO (Gene Expression Omnibus). LZTR1 plays a double-edged role in tumor development and prognosis. We found that the high expression of LZTR1 brings better outcomes in esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) but brings worth outcomes in uveal melanoma (UVM), adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC), and prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD). Moreover, the expression of LZTR1 also strongly associated with pathological in ACC and bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA). We also found that the LZTR1 expression was associated with some immune cell infiltration including endothelial cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), T cell CD8+, natural killer cells (NK cell), macrophages, neutrophil granulocyte, and cancer-associated fibroblasts in different cancers. Missense mutation in LZTR1 was detected in most cancers from TCGA datasets. Finally, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway and Gene Body (GO) method was used to explain the pathogenesis of LZTR1. Our pan-cancer study provides a relatively comprehensive understanding of the carcinogenic role of LZTR1 in human tumors.