Gene Regulation Network of Prognostic Biomarker YAP1 in Human Cancers: An Integrated Bioinformatics Study

Mitochondrial ribosomal protein L3 (MRPL3): An early diagnostic biomarker and potential molecular target in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is projected to become the second major cause of cancer-related mortality by 2030. The current diagnostic and treatment strategies offer only marginal benefits in overall survival. This highlights the need to discover new biomarkers and targets for the treatment of PanCa. Dysregulated mitochondrial ribosome biogenesis occurs in PanCa and can be utilized as a potential biomarker and molecular target for its management. In this study, we established MRPL3 (Mitochondrial Ribosomal Protein L3) as a potential biomarker and its role in expression of ETC (Electron Transport Chain) components. We employed an integrated approach combining the in silico and experimental validation. Our findings demonstrate that the expression of MRPL3 is upregulated during PanCa in ductal adenocarcinoma and other single cell populations of pancreas. Amongst various grades, the highest expression of MRPL3 was observed in grade 1 human PanCa tumors. MRPL3 is involved in the growth of PanCa cells and the targeted knock-down of MRPL3 leads to decrease in the expression of ETC components. Moreover, in silico analysis identified that MRPL3 undergoes alternative splicing that gives rise to six coding and four non-coding variants. The MRPL3-001 isoform arising from ENSG00000114686.8 variant was found to be the most abundant in PanCa. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that MRPL3 is positively associated with cell growth and proliferation while negatively associated with cell lineage commitment and differentiation. These results represent MRPL3 as a promising early biomarker and molecular target for PanCa which warrant further investigation for its clinical applications.

Hippo Signaling Is Essential for the Maintenance of Zona Glomerulosa Cell Fate in the Murine Adrenal Cortex

Cells of the zona glomerulosa (zG), the outermost zone of the adrenal cortex, secrete aldosterone and transdifferentiate into glucocorticoid-producing cells of the zona fasciculata (zF) during adrenal homeostasis. However, our understanding of the signaling pathways mediating zG cell maintenance or their transdifferentiation into zF cells is incomplete. Hippo is a major pathway that regulates cell proliferation/differentiation during embryogenesis and postnatal tissue homeostasis. Hypothesizing that Hippo signaling could be involved in zG cell maintenance or transdifferentiation, we generated a mouse model in which the two main kinases of the Hippo signaling cascade large tumor suppressor homolog kinases 1/2 (Lats1 and Lats2) are specifically inactivated in zG cells. Here we show that loss of function of Lats1 and Lats2 impairs zG steroidogenesis and leads to zG cell transdifferentiation into cells sharing characteristics with chondroblasts/osteoblasts rather than zF cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this phenotype can be rescued by the concomitant inactivation of the transcriptional coactivators Yes-associated protein (Yap) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (Taz) with Lats1 and Lats2. Finally, we show that expression of a constitutively active form of YAP (YAP5SA) in zG cells does not alter their fate as severely as the loss of Lats1 and Lats2 but leads to adrenal hyperplasia. Together, these findings highlight the critical role of Hippo signaling in maintaining zG cell fate and function and provide key insights into broader mechanisms underlying cellular differentiation.

Prospect of extracellular vesicles in tumor immunotherapy

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), as cell-derived small vesicles, facilitate intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment (TME) by transporting biomolecules. EVs from different sources have varied contents, demonstrating differentiated functions that can either promote or inhibit cancer progression. Thus, regulating the formation, secretion, and intake of EVs becomes a new strategy for cancer intervention. Advancements in EV isolation techniques have spurred interest in EV-based therapies, particularly for tumor immunotherapy. This review explores the multifaceted functions of EVs from various sources in tumor immunotherapy, highlighting their potential in cancer vaccines and adoptive cell therapy. Furthermore, we explore the potential of EVs as nanoparticle delivery systems in tumor immunotherapy. Finally, we discuss the current state of EVs in clinical settings and future directions, aiming to provide crucial information to advance the development and clinical application of EVs for cancer treatment.

Overproduction of Mitochondrial Fission Proteins and Mitochondrial Fission in Podocytes of Lupus Nephritis Patients

Background

The glomerular injury is associated with different pathogeneses, and podocyte damage is common in various ISN/RPS class lupus nephritis (LN). In podocyte, mitochondrial morphological changes are observed in lupus nephritis (LN) in our previous study. This study aimed to explore mitochondrial fission proteins expression in podocytes using bioinformatics analysis and further to investigate the associations between mitochondrial fission proteins and laboratory features in LN.

Methods

To determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between LN and normal controls, we downloaded and analyzed microarray datasets. Then download the mitochondrial genes list from the MitoMiner 4.0 database, then take the genes that are common with the DEGs. Functional enrichment analyses were then performed. Then mitochondrial fission was observed through electron microscope. We performed immunofluorescence staining to explore the expression of mitochondrial fission proteins in LN patients.

Results

Among these 658 DEGs, 5 DEGs related to mitochondrial dynamics were identified. Mitochondrial dynamics proteins were involved in mitophagy. Mitochondrial fission proteins Drp1 and Fis1 staining were significantly enhanced compared to that in the controls. 24h-UTP are positively correlated with mitochondrial fission proteins expression.

Conclusion

Mitochondrial fission was observed in LN patients' podocytes. Mitochondrial fission proteins Drp1 and Fis1 were overproduced in podocytes, and then they can lead to mitochondrial fission, which may aggravate podocyte damage and proteinuria. While the mechanism still needs to be explored.

CEACAM7 expression contributes to early events of pancreatic cancer

BACKGROUND

The trends of pancreatic cancer (PanCa) incidence and mortality are on rising pattern, and it will be a second leading cause of cancer related deaths by 2030. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), major form of PanCa, exhibits a grim prognosis as mortality rate is very close to the incidence rate, due to lack of early detection methods and effective therapeutic regimen. Considering this alarming unmet clinic need, our team has identified a novel oncogenic protein, carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 7 (CEACAM7), that can be useful for spotting early events of PDAC.

METHODOLOGY

This study includes bioinformatics pre-screening using publicly available cancer databases followed by molecular biology techniques in PDAC progressive cell line panel and human tissues to evaluate CEACAM7 expression in early events of pancreatic cancer.

RESULTS

PanCa gene and protein expression analysis demonstrated the significantly higher expression of CEACAM7 in PDAC, compared to other cancers and normal pancreas. Overall survival analysis demonstrated an association between the higher expression of CEACAM7 and poor patients' prognosis with high hazard ratio. Additionally, in a performance comparison analysis CEACAM7 outperformed S100A4 in relation to PDAC. We also observed an increase of CEACAM7 in PDAC cell line panel model. However, poorly differentiated, and normal cell lines did not show any expression. Human tissue analysis also strengthened our data by showing strong and positive IHC staining in early-stage tumors.

CONCLUSION

Our observations clearly cite that CEACAM7 can serve as a potential early diagnostic and/or prognostic marker of PDAC and may also potentiate the sensitivity of the existing biomarker panel of PDAC. However, further studies are warranted to determine its clinical significance.

Transcriptomic Context of RUNX3 Expression in Monocytes: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

The runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) regulates the differentiation of monocytes and their response to inflammation. However, the transcriptomic context of RUNX3 expression in blood monocytes remains poorly understood. We aim to learn about RUNX3 from its relationships within transcriptomes of bulk CD14+ cells in adults. This study used immunomagnetically sorted CD14+ cell gene expression microarray data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA, n = 1202, GSE56047) and the Correlated Expression and Disease Association Research (CEDAR, n = 281, E-MTAB-6667) cohorts. The data were preprocessed, subjected to RUNX3-focused correlation analyses and random forest modeling, followed by the gene ontology analysis. Immunity-focused differential ratio analysis with intermediary inference (DRAIMI) was used to integrate the data with protein-protein interaction network. Correlation analysis of RUNX3 expression revealed the strongest positive association for EVL (r_mean = 0.75, p_FDR-MESA = 5.37 × 10^-140, p_FDR-CEDAR = 5.52 × 10^-80), ARHGAP17 (r_mean = 0.74, p_FDR-MESA = 1.13 × 10^-169, p_FDR-CEDAR = 9.20 × 10^-59), DNMT1 (r_mean = 0.74, p_FDR-MESA = 1.10 × 10^-169, p_FDR-CEDAR = 1.67 × 10^-58), and CLEC16A (r_mean = 0.72, p_FDR-MESA = 3.51 × 10^-154, p_FDR-CEDAR = 2.27 × 10^-55), while the top negative correlates were C2ORF76 (r_mean = -0.57, p_FDR-MESA = 8.70 × 10^-94, p_FDR-CEDAR = 1.31 × 10^-25) and TBC1D7 (r_mean = -0.55, p_FDR-MESA = 1.36 × 10^-69, p_FDR-CEDAR = 7.81 × 10^-30). The RUNX3-associated transcriptome signature was involved in mRNA metabolism, signal transduction, and the organization of cytoskeleton, chromosomes, and chromatin, which may all accompany mitosis. Transcriptomic context of RUNX3 expression in monocytes hints at its relationship with cell growth, shape maintenance, and aspects of the immune response, including tyrosine kinases.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium exerts anti-tumor effects on KGN cells in a cell density-dependent manner through activation of the Hippo pathway

BACKGROUND

The conditioned medium from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs-CM) provides a new cell-free therapy for tumors due to its unique secretome. However, there are many contradictory reports about the effect of UCMSCs-CM on tumor cells. The loss of contact inhibition is a common characteristic of tumor cells. A relationship between the effect of UCMSCs-CM on tumor cells and contact inhibition in tumor cells is rarely concerned. Whether the effect of UCMSCs-CM on tumor cells is affected by cell density? Here, we explored the effect of UCMSCs-CM on granulosa tumor cell line (KGN) cells at low or high density.

METHODS

Growth curve and CCK8 assay were used to assess cell proliferation and viability. Scratch wound and matrigel invasion assay were implicated to detect cell motility of KGN cells. UCMSCs-CM effects on cell cycle, apoptosis and pathway-related proteins were investigated by flow cytometry, TUNEL assay, western blot and immunofluorescence analysis respectively.

RESULTS

In growth curve analysis, before KGN cells proliferated into confluence, UCMSCs-CM had no effect on cell proliferation. However, once the cells proliferate to contact each other, UCMSCs-CM significantly inhibited proliferation. Meanwhile, when KGN cells were implanted at high density, UCMSCs-CM could induce cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, inhibit cell migration, invasion and promote apoptosis. While it had no similar effect on KGN cells implanted at low density. In mechanism, the UCMSCs-CM treatment activated the Hippo pathway when KGN cells were implanted at high density. Consistently, the MST1/2 inhibitor, XMU-MP-1, inhibited the activation of the Hippo pathway induced by UCMSCs-CM treatment and accordingly declined the anti-tumor effect of UCMSCs-CM on KGN cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The effect of UCMSCs-CM on tumor cells is affected by cell density. UCMSCs-CM exerted anti-tumor effect on KGN cells by activating Hippo pathway to restore contact inhibition. Our results suggest that UCMSCs-CM is a promising therapeutic candidate for GCT treatment.

Mitochondrial Factor C20orf7 Facilitates the EMT-Mediated Cancer Cell Migration and the Proliferation of Colon Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo

Colon cancer is a major malignant neoplasm with a low survival rate for late-stage patients. Therefore, the investigation of molecules regulating colon cancer progression and the discovery of novel therapeutic targets is critical. Mitochondria play a vital role in maintaining the homeostasis of cells. Abnormal mitochondrial metabolism alterations and the induction of glycolysis can facilitate tumor growth; therefore, targeting mitochondrial molecules is suggested to be a promising strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, we investigated the role of this largely unknown mitochondrial factor, chromosome 20 open reading frame 7 (C20orf7), in colon cancer progression. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technology was utilized for C20orf7 depletion, and functional assays were performed to examine the regulation of C20orf7 in colon cancer cells. We demonstrated that C20orf7 facilitates epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated cell migration and promotes the proliferation of colon cancer. The anti-cancer drug 5-fluorouracil (5FU) was also applied, and C20orf7 was targeted with a combination of 5FU treatment, which could further enhance the anti-cancer effect in the colon cancer cell line and the xenograft mice model. In summary, this study demonstrated, for the first time, that C20orf7 plays a promotional role in cancer tumorigenesis and could be a promising therapeutic target in colon cancer treatment.