Upregulation of Thr/Tyr kinase Increases the Cancer Progression by Neurotensin and Dihydropyrimidinase-Like 3 in Lung Cancer

Identification and validation of a novel nine-gene prognostic signature of stem cell characteristic in hepatocellular carcinoma

Currently, cancer stem cells (CSCs) are regarded as the most promising target for cancer therapy due to their close association with tumor resistance, invasion, and recurrence. Thus, identifying CSCs-related genes and constructing a prognostic risk model associated with CSCs may be crucial for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) therapy. Xena Browser was used to download gene expression profiles and clinical data, while MSigDB was used to obtain genes associated with CSCs. Firstly, the non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) algorithm was used to cluster the HCC samples based on CSCs-related genes. To evaluate the predictive performance of the risk model, the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used. The R package "rms" was used to construct the final nomogram based on risk scores and clinical characteristics. Based on 449 CSCs-related genes, a total of 588 HCC samples from TCGA-LIHC and ICGC-LIRI_JP were classified into four molecular subtypes with marked differences in survival and mRNA stemness index (mRNAsi) between subtypes. Univariate Cox regression, multivariate Cox regression, and LASSO regression analyses were performed on a total of 1417 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between subtypes, and a nine-gene prognostic model was constructed with TTK, ST6GALNAC4, SPP1, SGCB, MEP1A, HTRA1, CD79A, C6, and ATP2A3. In both the training and testing sets and the external validation cohort, the risk model performed well in predicting HCC patients' survival. A nomogram was constructed and had high predictive efficacy in short-term survival. In comparison with the other two prognostic models, our nine-gene signature model performed best. We constructed a nine-gene signature model to predict the survival of HCC patients, which has good predictive efficacy and stability. The model may contribute to guiding the prognostic assessment of HCC patients in clinical practice.

A novel brown adipocytes-related gene signature predicts and validates prognosis and immune infiltration of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common kidney cancer. The crosstalk between tumor tissue and adjacent adipose tissue has been appreciated recently. This study examines the predictive usefulness of brown adipocyte-related genes (BARGs) in ccRCC.

METHODS

The transcriptome and clinical data of ccRCC patients were obtained from TCGA-KIRC and USA-ccRCC cohorts (848 tumor samples; 72 normal samples). Lasso-Cox methods were used to construct the risk prognostic signature model. We used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to evaluate the prognostic significance of the risk model with ROC curves ascertaining prediction accuracy. The differences in immune cell infiltrates and signature risk scores between different risk categories were analyzed. Finally, biological experiments were performed to explore the functions of candidate genes.

RESULTS

TCGA-KIRC patients were classified into two clusters that differed significantly regarding overall survival (OS) and tumor microenvironment. After screening BARGs candidates, a signature consisting of PPP1R1A, DPYSL3, and PTPRM was created to calculate risk score. Patients were assigned to the high or low-risk group, and the high-risk group had a significantly worse prognosis. Consistent trend was validated in external USA-ccRCC cohort. Meanwhile, the signature risk score affected immune cell infiltrates within the ccRCC microenvironment, positively correlated with the infiltration of CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, CD56dim, CD56bright NK cells, MDSCs, and macrophage cells, while negatively correlated with neutrophil, iDCs, mast cells, and eosinophil. Finally, knockdown of PPP1R1A and DPYSL3 in renal cancer cells showed impairment in tumor proliferation ability of ccRCC in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, knockdown of PTPRM exhibited a promotive effect.

CONCLUSION

We developed a predictive BARGs-related risk signature for early diagnosis and classifying ccRCC patients, which offers potential targets for individualized treatment of ccRCC.

A Multi-Omics Study of Epigenetic Changes in Type II Alveolar Cells of A/J Mice Exposed to Environmental Tobacco Smoke

Lung cancer remains a major contributor to cancer fatalities, with cigarette smoking known to be responsible for up to 80% of cases. Based on the ability of cigarette smoke to induce inflammation in the lungs and increased lung cancer incidence in smokers with inflammatory conditions such as COPD, we hypothesized that inflammation plays an important role in the carcinogenicity of cigarette smoke. To test this hypothesis, we performed multi-omic analyses of Type II pneumocytes of A/J mice exposed to cigarette smoke for various time periods. We found that cigarette smoke exposure resulted in significant changes in DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation, gene expression patterns, and protein abundance that were partially reversible and contributed to an inflammatory and potentially oncogenic phenotype.

Hijacking monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) for various cancer types by small molecular inhibitors: Deep insights from a decade of research and patents

Monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) has garnered significant attention due to its pivotal role in regulating the cell cycle. Anomalous expression and hyperactivation of MPS1 have been associated with the onset and advancement of diverse cancers, positioning it as a promising target for therapeutic interventions. This review focuses on MPS1 small molecule inhibitors from the past decade, exploring design strategies, structure-activity relationships (SAR), safety considerations, and clinical performance. Notably, we propose prospects for MPS1 degraders based on proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs), as well as reversible covalent bonding as innovative MPS1 inhibitor design strategies. The objective is to provide valuable information for future development and novel perspectives on potential MPS1 inhibitors.

Annexin A2 combined with TTK accelerates esophageal cancer progression via the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

Annexin A2 (ANXA2) is a widely reported oncogene. However, the mechanism of ANXA2 in esophageal cancer is not fully understood. In this study, we provided evidence that ANXA2 promotes the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) through the downstream target threonine tyrosine kinase (TTK). These results are consistent with the up-regulation of ANXA2 and TTK in ESCC. In vitro experiments by knockdown and overexpression of ANXA2 revealed that ANXA2 promotes the progression of ESCC by enhancing cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, animal models also confirmed the role of ANXA2 in promoting the proliferation and metastasis of ESCC. Mechanistically, the ANXA2/TTK complex activates the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and accelerates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby promoting the invasion and metastasis of ESCC. Furthermore, we identified that TTK overexpression can reverse the inhibition of ESCC invasion after ANXA2 knockdown. Overall, these data indicate that the combination of ANXA2 and TTK regulates the activation of the Akt/mTOR pathway and accelerates the progression of ESCC. Therefore, the ANXA2/TTK/Akt/mTOR axis is a potential therapeutic target for ESCC.

Upregulation of TTK expression is associated with poor prognosis and immune infiltration in endometrial cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Threonine and tyrosine kinase (TTK) is associated with invasion and metastasis in various tumors. However, the prognostic importance of TTK and its correlation with immune infiltration in endometrial cancer (EC) remain unclear.

METHODS

The expression profile of TTK was analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteome Cancer Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). TTK protein and mRNA levels were verified in EC cell lines. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the ability of TTK to distinguish between normal and EC tissues. K-M survival analysis was also conducted to evaluate the impact of TTK on survival outcomes. Protein‒protein interaction (PPI) networks associated with TTK were explored using the STRING database. Functional enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the biological functions of TTK. TTK mRNA expression and immune infiltration correlations were examined using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and the Tumor-Immune System Interaction Database (TISIDB).

RESULTS

TTK expression was significantly greater in EC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Higher TTK mRNA expression was associated with tumor metastasis and advanced TNM stage. The protein and mRNA expression of TTK was significantly greater in tumor cell lines than in normal endometrial cell lines. ROC curve analysis revealed high accuracy (94.862%), sensitivity (95.652%), and specificity (94.894%) of TTK in differentiating EC from normal tissues. K-M survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high TTK expression had worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) rates. Correlation analysis revealed that TTK mRNA expression was correlated with B cells and neutrophils.

CONCLUSION

TTK upregulation is significantly associated with poor survival outcomes and immune infiltration in patients with EC. TTK can serve as a potential biomarker for poor prognosis and a promising immunotherapy target in EC. Further investigation of the role of TTK in EC may provide valuable insights for therapeutic interventions and personalized treatment strategies.

Development of MPS1 Inhibitors: Recent Advances and Perspectives

Monopolar spindle kinase 1 (MPS1) plays a pivotal role as a dual-specificity kinase governing spindle assembly checkpoint activation and sister chromatid separation in mitosis. Its overexpression has been observed in various human malignancies. MPS1 reduces spindle assembly checkpoint sensitivity, allowing tumor cells with a high degree of aneuploidy to complete mitosis and survive. Thus, MPS1 has emerged as a promising candidate for cancer therapy. Despite the identification of numerous MPS1 inhibitors, only five have advanced to clinical trials with none securing FDA approval for cancer treatment. In this perspective, we provide a concise overview of the structural and functional characteristics of MPS1 by highlighting its relevance to cancer. Additionally, we explore the structure-activity relationships, selectivity, and pharmacokinetics of MPS1 inhibitors featuring diverse scaffolds. Moreover, we review the reported work on enhancing MPS1 inhibitor selectivity, offering valuable insights into the discovery of novel, highly potent small-molecule MPS1 inhibitors.

CWH43 Is a Novel Tumor Suppressor Gene with Negative Regulation of TTK in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most prevalent forms of cancer globally, and its late-stage survival outcomes are less than optimal. A more nuanced understanding of the underlying mechanisms behind CRC's development is crucial for enhancing patient survival rates. Existing research suggests that the expression of Cell Wall Biogenesis 43 C-Terminal Homolog (CWH43) is reduced in CRC. However, the specific role that CWH43 plays in cancer progression remains ambiguous. Our research seeks to elucidate the influence of CWH43 on CRC's biological behavior and to shed light on its potential as a therapeutic target in CRC management. Utilizing publicly available databases, we examined the expression levels of CWH43 in CRC tissue samples and their adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Our findings indicated lower levels of both mRNA and protein expressions of CWH43 in cancerous tissues. Moreover, we found that a decrease in CWH43 expression correlates with poorer prognoses for CRC patients. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the suppression of CWH43 led to increased cell proliferation, migration, and invasiveness, while its overexpression had inhibitory effects. Further evidence from xenograft models showed enhanced tumor growth upon CWH43 silencing. Leveraging data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), our Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated a positive relationship between low CWH43 expression and the activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal Transition (EMT) pathway. We conducted RNA sequencing to analyze gene expression changes under both silenced and overexpressed CWH43 conditions. By identifying core genes and executing KEGG pathway analysis, we discovered that CWH43 appears to have regulatory influence over the TTK-mediated cell cycle. Importantly, inhibition of TTK counteracted the tumor-promoting effects caused by CWH43 downregulation. Our findings propose that the decreased expression of CWH43 amplifies TTK-mediated cell cycle activities, thus encouraging tumor growth. This newly identified mechanism offers promising avenues for targeted CRC treatment strategies.

Upregulation of dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 (DPYSL3) protein predicts poor prognosis in urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Dihydropyrimidinase-like 3 (DPYSL3) is a cytosolic phosphoprotein expressed in the nervous system and is crucial for neurogenesis. A previous study showed that increased DPYSL3 expression promotes tumour aggressiveness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, gastric cancer, and colon cancer. However, the role of DPYSL3 in affecting the biological behaviour of urothelial carcinoma (UC) is not yet understood.

METHODS

A UC transcriptomic dataset from the Gene Expression Omnibus and the Urothelial Bladder Cancer (BLCA) dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas were used for the in silico study. We collected 340 upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) and 295 urinary bladder urothelial carcinoma (UBUC) samples for the immunohistochemical study. Fresh tumour tissue from 50 patients was used to examine the DPYSL3 mRNA level. In addition, urothelial cell lines with and without DPYSL3 knockdown were used for the functional study.

RESULTS

The in silico study revealed that DPYSL3 correlated with advanced tumour stage and metastasis development while functioning primarily in the nucleobase-containing compound metabolic process (GO:0006139). DPYSL3 mRNA expression is significantly upregulated in advanced UC. Furthermore, overexpression of the DPYSL3 protein is significantly associated with the aggressive behaviour of UTUC and UBUC. DPYSL3 expression independently predicts disease-specific survival (DSS) and metastatic-free survival (MFS) in patients with UC. In non-muscle-invasive UBUC, DPYSL3 expression predicts local recurrence-free survival. UC cell lines with DPYSL3 knockdown exhibited decreased proliferation, migration, invasion, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) tube formation but increased apoptosis and G1 arrest. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the enriched processes related to DPYSL3 overexpression in UC were tissue morphogenesis, cell mesenchyme migration, smooth muscle regulation, metabolic processes, and RNA processing. In vivo study revealed DPYSL3 knockdown in UC tumours significantly suppressed the growth of tumours and decreased MYC and GLUT1 protein expression.

CONCLUSIONS

DPYSL3 promotes the aggressiveness of UC cells by changing their biological behaviours and is likely associated with cytoskeletal and metabolic process modifications. Furthermore, DPYSL3 protein overexpression in UC was associated with aggressive clinicopathological characteristics and independently predicted poor clinical outcomes. Therefore, DPYSL3 can be used as a novel therapeutic target for UC.

Developing mRNA signatures as a novel prognostic biomarker predicting high risk multiple myeloma

Background

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an essentially incurable disease. This study aimed to establish a predictive model for estimating prognosis in newly diagnosed MM based on gene expression profiles.

Methods

RNA-seq data were downloaded from the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) CoMMpass Study and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and protein-protein interaction network analysis were performed to identify hub genes. Enrichment analysis was also conducted. Patients were randomly split into training (70%) and validation (30%) datasets to build a prognostic scoring model based on the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). CIBERSORT was applied to estimate the proportion of 22 immune cells in the microenvironment. Drug sensitivity was analyzed using the OncoPredict algorithm.

Results

A total of 860 newly diagnosed MM samples and 444 normal counterparts were screened as the datasets. WGCNA was applied to analyze the RNA-seq data of 1589 intersecting genes between differentially expressed genes and prognostic genes. The blue module in the PPI networks was analyzed with Cytoscape, and 10 hub genes were identified using the MCODE plug-in. A three-gene (TTK, GINS1, and NCAPG) prognostic model was constructed. This risk model showed remarkable prognostic value. CIBERSORT assessment revealed the risk model to be correlated with activated memory CD4 T cells, M0 macrophages, M1 macrophages, eosinophils, activated dendritic cells, and activated mast cells. Furthermore, based on OncoPredict, high-risk MM patients were sensitive to eight drugs.

Conclusions

We identified and constructed a three-gene-based prognostic model, which may provide new and in-depth insights into the treatment of MM patients.

Investigation of Transcriptome Patterns in Endometrial Cancers from Obese and Lean Women

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological malignancy in developed countries. One of the largest risk factors for endometrial cancer is obesity. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the transcriptome of endometrial cancers from obese vs. lean women. Here we investigate the transcriptome of endometrial cancer between obese and lean postmenopausal women using rRNA-depleted RNA-Seq data from endometrial cancer tissues and matched adjacent non-cancerous endometrial tissues. Differential expression analysis identified 12,484 genes (6370 up-regulated and 6114 down-regulated) in endometrial cancer tissues from obese women, and 6219 genes (3196 up-regulated and 3023 down-regulated) in endometrial cancer tissues from lean women (adjusted p-value < 0.1). A gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the top 1000 up-regulated genes (by adjusted p-value) were enriched for growth and proliferation pathways while the top 1000 down-regulated genes were enriched for cytoskeleton restructure networks in both obese and lean endometrial cancer tissues. In this study, we also show perturbations in the expression of protein coding genes (HIST1H2BL, HIST1H3F, HIST1H2BH, HIST1H1B, TTK, PTCHD1, ASPN, PRELP, and CDH13) and the lncRNA MBNL1-AS1 in endometrial cancer tissues. Overall, this study has identified gene expression changes that are similar and also unique to endometrial cancers from obese vs. lean women. Furthermore, some of these genes may serve as prognostic biomarkers or, possibly, therapeutic targets for endometrial cancer.

The Therapeutic Potential of ADAMTS8 in Lung Adenocarcinoma without Targetable Therapy

Lung cancer is well known for its high mortality worldwide. The treatment for advanced lung cancer needs more attention to improve its survival time. A disintegrin and metallopeptidase with thrombospondin motifs 8 (ADAMTS8) has been linked to several cancer types. However, its role in lung cancer is worthy of deep investigation to promote novel drug development. This study took advantage of RNA-seq and bioinformatics to verify the role that ADAMTS8 plays in lung cancer. The functional assays suggested that ADAMTS8 mediates invasion and metastasis when expressed at a low level, contributing to poor overall survival (OS). The expression of ADAMTS8 was under the regulation of GATA Binding Protein 1 (GATA1) and executed its pathologic role through Thrombospondin Type 1 Domain Containing 1 (THSD1) and ADAMTS Like 2 (ADAMTSL2). To define the impact of ADAMTS8 in the lung cancer treatment strategy, this study further grouped lung cancer patients in the TCGA database into mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/wild-type EGFR and programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) high/low groups. Importantly, the expression of ADAMTS8 was correlated positively with the recruitment of anticancer NKT cells and negatively with the infiltration of immunosuppressive Treg and exhausted T cells. The results indicated that lung cancer patients with higher ADAMTS8 levels among wild-type EGFR or low PD-L1 groups survive longer than those with lower levels do. This study indicates that ADAMTS8 might be a treatment option for patients with lung adenocarcinoma who lack efficient targeted or immunotherapies.

Comprehensive analysis of the prognostic value and immune implications of the TTK gene in lung adenocarcinoma: a meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis

Background

High expression levels of the TTK gene are closely related to tumor occurrence and poor prognosis, as confirmed by some studies. Our study explored the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with different TTK levels and the possible pathological mechanism of TTK in LUAD.

Methods

We extensively searched literature databases and high-throughput sequencing databases and included relevant literature or datasets in the meta-analysis according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) related to TTK expression were calculated, publication bias was assessed, and sensitivity tests were performed. We also compared the relationship between cancer immune infiltrating cells and tumor mutation burden (TMB) in patients with different TTK expression levels via bioinformatics analysis. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of some chemotherapeutic and targeted therapy drugs were calculated. The potential biological functions or pathways associated with different TTK expression levels were determined by gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).

Results

The meta-analysis revealed that higher TTK expression level was significantly associated with poor prognosis in LUAD patients, both in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The expression level of TTK was significantly correlated with presence of some immune cells and TMB. Tumors with higher TTK expression levels were mostly enriched for the cell cycle, DNA replication and homologous recombination pathways. In addition, patients with different TTK expression levels were differently sensitive to some antitumor drugs.

Conclusion

TTK may be a promising prognostic biomarker for LUAD and is worthy of further investigation.

Network Pharmacology and Comparative Transcriptome Reveals Biotargets and Mechanisms of Curcumol Treating Lung Adenocarcinoma Patients With COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to 4,255,892 deaths worldwide. Although COVID-19 vaccines are available, mutant forms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have reduced the effectiveness of vaccines. Patients with cancer are more vulnerable to COVID-19 than patients without cancer. Identification of new drugs to treat COVID-19 could reduce mortality rate, and traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) has shown potential in COVID-19 treatment. In this study, we focused on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) patients with COVID-19. We aimed to investigate the use of curcumol, a TCM, to treat LUAD patients with COVID-19, using network pharmacology and systematic bioinformatics analysis. The results showed that LUAD and patients with COVID-19 share a cluster of common deregulated targets. The network pharmacology analysis identified seven core targets (namely, AURKA, CDK1, CCNB1, CCNB2, CCNE1, CCNE2, and TTK) of curcumol in patients with COVID-19 and LUAD. Clinicopathological analysis of these targets demonstrated that the expression of these targets is associated with poor patient survival rates. The bioinformatics analysis further highlighted the involvement of this target cluster in DNA damage response, chromosome stability, and pathogenesis of LUAD. More importantly, these targets influence cell-signaling associated with the Warburg effect, which supports SARS-CoV-2 replication and inflammatory response. Comparative transcriptomic analysis on in vitro LUAD cell further validated the effect of curcumol for treating LUAD through the control of cell cycle and DNA damage response. This study supports the earlier findings that curcumol is a potential treatment for patients with LUAD and COVID-19.

Identification of Diagnostic Biomarkers, Immune Infiltration Characteristics, and Potential Compounds in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Aims

This study is aimed at investigating the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by identifying key biomarkers, associated immune infiltration, and small-molecule compounds using bioinformatic analysis.

Methods

Six datasets were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, and the batch effect was adjusted. Functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were used to analyse differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Furthermore, candidate small-molecule drugs associated with RA were selected from the Connectivity Map (CMap) database. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, support vector machine recursive feature elimination, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on DEGs to screen for RA diagnostic markers. The receiver operating characteristic curve, concordance index, and GiViTi calibration band were the metrics used to assess the diagnostic markers of RA identified in this analysis. The single-sample gene set enrichment analysis was performed to calculate the scores of infiltrating immune cells and evaluate the activities of immune-related pathways. Finally, the correlation between screening markers and RA diagnosis was determined.

Results

A total of 227 DEGs were identified. Functional enrichment analysis and KEGG revealed that DEGs were enriched by the immune response. CMap analysis identified 11 small-molecule compounds with therapeutic potential for RA. In gene expression, the activities of 13 immune cells and 12 immune-related pathways significantly differed between patients with RA and healthy controls. DPYSL3 and SPP1 had the potential to diagnose RA. SPP1 expression was positively correlated with DPYSL3 in 11 immune cells and 10 immune-related pathways.

Conclusion

This study comprehensively analysed DEGs and immune infiltration and screened for potential diagnostic markers and small-molecule compounds of RA.

Identification of Master Regulators Driving Disease Progression, Relapse, and Drug Resistance in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Backgrounds: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death worldwide. Current treatment strategies primarily involve surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, determined by TNM stages, histologic types, and genetic profiles. Plenty of studies have been trying to identify robust prognostic gene expression signatures. Even for high performance signatures, they usually have few shared genes. This is not totally unexpected, since a prognostic signature is associated with patient survival and may contain no upstream regulators. Identification of master regulators driving disease progression is a vital step to understand underlying molecular mechanisms and develop new treatments.

Methods: In this study, we have utilized a robust workflow to identify potential master regulators that drive poor prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. This workflow takes gene expression signatures that are associated with poor survival of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, EGFR-TKI resistance, and responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors, respectively, and identifies recurrent master regulators from seven public gene expression datasets by a regulatory network-based approach.

Results: We have found that majority of the master regulators driving poor prognosis in early stage LUAD are cell-cycle related according to Gene Ontology annotation. However, they were demonstrated experimentally to promote a spectrum of processes such as tumor cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Master regulators predicted from EGFR-TKI resistance signature and the EMT pathway signature are largely shared, which suggests that EMT pathway functions as a hub and interact with other pathways such as hypoxia, angiogenesis, TNF-α signaling, inflammation, TNF-β signaling, Wnt, and Notch signaling pathways. Master regulators that repress immunotherapy are enriched with MYC targets, E2F targets, oxidative phosphorylation, and mTOR signaling.

Conclusion: Our study uncovered possible mechanisms underlying recurrence, resistance to targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. The predicted master regulators may serve as potential therapeutic targets in patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

TTK inhibition increases cisplatin sensitivity in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma through the mTOR/autophagy pathway

High-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) is the most lethal gynecological malignancy. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying HGSOC development, progression, chemotherapy insensitivity and resistance remain unclear. Two independent GEO datasets, including the gene expression profile of primary ovarian carcinoma and normal controls, were analyzed to identify genes related to HGSOC development and progression. A KEGG pathway analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed that the cell cycle pathway was the most enriched pathway, among which TTK protein kinase (TTK) was the only gene with a clinical-grade inhibitor that has been investigated in a clinical trial but had not been studied in HGSOC. TTK was also upregulated in cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells from two other datasets. TTK is a regulator of spindle assembly checkpoint signaling, playing an important role in cell cycle control and tumorigenesis in various cancers. However, the function and regulatory mechanism of TTK in HGSOC remain to be determined. In this study, we observed TTK upregulation in patients with HGSOC. High TTK expression was related to a poor prognosis. Genetic and pharmacological inhibition of TTK impeded the proliferation of ovarian cancer cells by disturbing cell cycle progression and increasing apoptosis. TTK silencing increased cisplatin sensitivity by activating the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) complex to further suppress cisplatin-induced autophagy in vitro. In addition, the enhanced sensitivity was partially diminished by rapamycin-mediated inhibition of mTOR in TTK knockdown cells. Furthermore, TTK knockdown increased the toxicity of cisplatin in vivo by decreasing autophagy. These findings suggest that the administration of TTK inhibitors in combination with cisplatin may lead to improved response rates to cisplatin in patients with HGSOC presenting high TTK expression. In summary, our study may provide a theoretical foundation for using the combination therapy of cisplatin and TTK inhibitors as a treatment for HGSOC in the future.

Hsp90 regulates the tumorigenic function of tyrosine protein kinase in osteosarcoma

Despite recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, osteosarcoma remains as the most common bone cancer in children and is associated with poor prognosis. Growing evidence has supported dysregulation of threonine and tyrosine protein kinase (TTK) expression as a hallmark of multiple cancers, however, its function in osteosarcoma remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we found that TTK was frequently overexpressed in osteosarcoma and associated with increased tumour growth and progression. Moreover, using both in vitro and in vivo assays, we provided evidence that TTK level was regulated by a molecular chaperone, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). Hsp90 directly interacted with TTK and prevents proteasome-dependent TTK degradation, leading to the accumulation of TTK in osteosarcoma cells. Elevated TTK promoted cancer cell proliferation and survival by activating cell-cycle progression and inhibiting apoptosis. Consistently, depletion of TTK by Hsp90 inhibition induced cell-cycle arrest, generated aneuploidy and eventually resulted in apoptotic cancer cell death. Together, our study revealed an important Hsp90-TTK regulatory axis in osteosarcoma cells to promote cancer cell growth and survival. These findings expand our knowledge on osteosarcoma pathogenesis and offer novel therapeutic options for clinical practice.

Reversine, a selective MPS1 inhibitor, induced autophagic cell death via diminished glucose uptake and ATP production in cholangiocarcinoma cells

Reversine is a selective inhibitor of mitotic kinase monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) and has been reported as an anticancer agent in various cancers. The effects of reversine on bile duct cancer, cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a lethal cancer in Northeastern Thailand, were investigated. This study reports that reversine inhibited cell proliferation of CCA cell lines in dose- and time-dependent manners but had less inhibitory effect on an immortalized cholangiocyte cell line. Reversine also triggered apoptotic cell death by decreasing anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1, increasing Bax pro-apoptotic protein and activating caspase-3 activity. Moreover, reversine induced autophagic cell death by increasing LC3-II and Beclin 1 while decreasing p62. Reversine activated autophagy via the AKT signaling pathway. Additionally, this study demonstrated for the first time that reversine could diminish the expression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1- alpha (HIF-1α) and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1), resulting in a reduction of glucose uptake and energy production in CCA cell lines. These findings suggest that reversine could be a good candidate as an alternative or supplementary drug for CCA treatment.

High Monopolar Spindle 1 Is Associated with Short Survival of Cholangiocarcinoma Patients and Enhances the Progression Via AKT and STAT3 Signaling Pathways

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy of the bile duct epithelium. The major problems of this cancer are late diagnosis and a high rate of metastasis. CCA patients in advanced stages have poor survival and cannot be cured with surgery. Therefore, targeting molecules involved in the metastatic process may be an effective CCA treatment. Monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1) is a kinase protein that controls the spindle assemble checkpoint in mitosis. It is overexpressed in proliferating cells and various cancers. The functional roles of MPS1 in CCA progression have not been investigated. The aims of this study were to examine the roles and molecular mechanisms of MPS1 in CCA progression. Immunohistochemistry results showed that MPS1 was up-regulated in carcinogenesis of CCA in a hamster model, and positive expression of MPS1 in human CCA tissues was correlated to short survival of CCA patients (n = 185). Small interfering RNA (siRNA)-induced knockdown of MPS1 expression reduced cell proliferation via G2/M arrest, colony formation, migration, and invasion. Moreover, MPS1 controlled epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated migration via AKT and STAT3 signaling transductions. MPS1 was also involved in MMPs-dependent invasion of CCA cell lines. The current research highlights for the first time that MPS1 has an essential role in promoting the progression of CCA via AKT and STAT3 signaling pathways and could be an attractive target for metastatic CCA treatment.