High Mobility Group A 1 Expression as a Poor Prognostic Marker Associated with Tumor Invasiveness in Gastric Cancer

HMGA1 as a prognostic biomarker for gliomas: expression patterns, survival correlations, and clinical insights from a Pakistani cohort

PURPOSE

High-Mobility Group A1 (HMGA1) is a chromatin-associated protein involved in regulating key cellular processes, including DNA transcription, replication, recombination, and repair. It is highly expressed during embryogenesis and reactivated in various cancers, where it contributes to tumor progression and metastasis. We investigated the prognostic significance of HMGA1 gene expression in gliomas by comparing its expression in normal brain tissue and different glioma grades.

METHODS

Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed on 75 glioma samples obtained from Aga Khan University Hospital (Pakistan), along with 10 Normal Adjacent Tissue (NAT) samples. The correlation between HMGA1 expression and prognosis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier (KM) plotter in glioma patients. Statistical analyses were conducted using the R platform and further validated through the online database Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) using online tools.

RESULTS

HMGA1 expression was significantly upregulated in gliomas compared to NAT (p < 0.001) and increased with tumor grade (p = 0.015). High HMGA1 expression correlated with Ki-67 levels and was associated with worse survival (p = 0.0014). Patients with elevated HMGA1 had a 3.5-fold higher mortality risk (95% CI: 1.5-7.9, p = 0.003). ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.752, indicating its potential prognostic value.

CONCLUSION

HMGA1 overexpression is associated with poor prognosis in gliomas, suggesting its potential as a prognostic marker. However, further validation is needed to confirm its clinical utility.

HMGA1 stimulates cancer stem-like features and sensitivity to monensin in gastric cancer

Gastric cancer represents a serious health problem worldwide, with insufficient molecular biomarkers and therapeutic options. Consequently, several efforts have been directed towards finding specific disease markers in order to develop new therapies capable of defeating gastric cancer. Attention has been pointed to cancer stem cells (CSCs) as they are primarily responsible for tumor initiation and recurrence, making them essential therapeutic targets. Using the SORE6-GFP reporter system, based on the expression of SOX2 and/or OCT4 to drive GFP expression, we isolated gastric cancer stem-like cells (SORE6+ cells) enriched in several molecules, including SOX2, C-MYC, KLF4, HIF-1α, NOTCH1 and HMGA1. Here, we explored the previously undisclosed link of HMGA1 with gastric CSCs. Our results indicated that HMGA1 can activate a transcriptional program that includes SOX2, C-MYC, and KLF4 and endows cells with CSC features. We further showed that chemical induction of gastric CSCs using ciclopirox (CPX) can be mediated by HMGA1. Finally, we showed that HMGA1 GFP+ cells were sensitive to monensin confirming the selective activity of this drug over CSCs. Thus, HMGA1 is a key player in the cellular reprogramming of gastric non-CSCs to cancer stem-like cells.

Contributions of the receptor for advanced glycation end products axis activation in gastric cancer

Compelling shreds of evidence derived from both clinical and experimental research have demonstrated the crucial contribution of receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) axis activation in the development of neoplasms, including gastric cancer (GC). This new actor in tumor biology plays an important role in the onset of a crucial and long-lasting inflammatory milieu, not only by supporting phenotypic changes favoring growth and dissemination of tumor cells, but also by functioning as a pattern-recognition receptor in the inflammatory response to Helicobacter pylori infection. In the present review, we aim to highlight how the overexpression and activation of the RAGE axis contributes to the proliferation and survival of GC cells as and their acquisition of more invasive phenotypes that promote dissemination and metastasis. Finally, the contribution of some single nucleotide polymorphisms in the RAGE gene as susceptibility or poor prognosis factors is also discussed.

MCRS1 Expression Regulates Tumor Activity and Affects Survival Probability of Patients with Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Surgery remains the first-choice treatment. Chemotherapy is considered in the middle and advanced stages, but has limited success. Microspherule protein 1 (MCRS1, also known as MSP58) is a protein originally identified in the nucleus and cytoplasm that is involved in the cell cycle. High expression of MCRS1 increases tumor growth, invasiveness, and metastasis. The mechanistic relationships between MCSR1 and proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) remain to be elucidated. We clarified these relationships using immunostaining of tumor tissues and normal tissues from patients with gastric cancer. High MCRS1 expression in gastric cancer positively correlated with Ki-67, Caspase3, CD31, Fibronectin, pAKT, and pAMPK. The hazard ratio of high MCRS1 expression was 2.44 times that of low MCRS1 expression, negatively impacting patient survival.