GPC3 expression in mouse ovarian cancer induces GPC3‑specific T cell-mediated immune response through M1 macrophages and suppresses tumor growth

The chemical composition of Diwu YangGan capsule and its potential inhibitory roles on hepatocellular carcinoma by microarray-based transcriptomics

The Traditional Chinese Medicine compound preparation known as Diwu Yanggan capsule (DWYG) can effectively hinder the onset and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is recognized worldwide as a significant contributor to fatalities associated with cancer. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms implicated have remained ambiguous. In present study, the model of HCC was set up by the 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF)/partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. To confirm the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in the microarray analysis, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was conducted. In the meantime, the liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to characterize the component profile of DWYG. Consequently, the DWYG treatment exhibited the ability to reverse 51 variation genes induced by 2-AAF/PH. Additionally, there was an overlap of 54 variation genes between the normal and model groups. Upon conducting RT-qPCR analysis, it was observed that the expression levels of all genes were increased by 2-AAF/PH and subsequently reversed after DWYG treatment. Notably, the fold change of expression levels for all genes was below 0.5, with 3 genes falling below 0.25. Moreover, an investigation was conducted to determine the signaling pathway that was activated/inhibited in the HCC group and subsequently reversed in the DWYG group. Moreover, the component profile of DWYG encompassed a comprehensive compilation of 206 compounds that were identified or characterized. The findings of this study elucidated the potential alleviative mechanisms of DWYG in the context of HCC, thereby holding significant implications for its future clinical utilization and widespread adoption.

A stable gene set for prediction of prognosis and efficacy of chemotherapy in gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is a primary reason for cancer death in the world. At present, GC has become a public health issue urgently to be solved to. Prediction of prognosis is critical to the development of clinical treatment regimens. This work aimed to construct the stable gene set for guiding GC diagnosis and treatment in clinic.

Methods

A public microarray dataset of TCGA providing clinical information was obtained. Dimensionality reduction was carried out by selection operator regression on the stable prognostic genes discovered through the bootstrap approach as well as survival analysis.

Findings

A total of 2 prognostic models were built, respectively designated as stable gene risk scores of OS (SGRS-OS) and stable gene risk scores of PFI (SGRS-PFI) consisting of 18 and 21 genes. The SGRS set potently predicted the overall survival (OS) along with progression-free interval (PFI) by means of univariate as well as multivariate analysis, using the specific risk scores formula. Relative to the TNM classification system, the SGRS set exhibited apparently higher predicting ability. Moreover, it was suggested that, patients who had increased SGRS were associated with poor chemotherapeutic outcomes.

Interpretation

The SGRS set constructed in this study potentially serves as the efficient approach for predicting GC patient survival and guiding their treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08444-w.

Preclinical and Clinical Immunotherapeutic Strategies in Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

In the past 20 years, the immune system has increasingly been recognized as a major player in tumor cell control, leading to considerable advances in cancer treatment. While promising with regards to melanoma, renal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, immunotherapy provides, for the time being, limited success in other cancers, including ovarian cancer, potentially due to insufficient immunogenicity or to a particularly immunosuppressive microenvironment. In this review, we provide a global description of the immune context of ovarian cancer, in particular epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). We describe the adaptive and innate components involved in the EOC immune response, including infiltrating tumor-specific T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, and natural killer and myeloid cells. In addition, we highlight the rationale behind the use of EOC preclinical mouse models to assess resistance to immunotherapy, and we summarize the main preclinical studies that yielded anti-EOC immunotherapeutic strategies. Finally, we focus on major published or ongoing immunotherapy clinical trials concerning EOC.

Macrophage Polarization in the Development and Progression of Ovarian Cancers: An Overview

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at late stages because of atypical symptoms and the lack of effective early diagnostic measures. The mechanisms underlying the oncogenesis and development of ovarian cancer are not clear. Macrophages, immune cells derived from the innate immune system, have two states of polarization (M1 and M2) that develop in response to different stimuli. The polarization and differentiation of macrophages into the cancer-inhibiting M1 and cancer-promoting M2 types represent the two states of macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. The interaction of polarized macrophages with cancer cells plays a crucial role in a variety of cancers. However, the effects of macrophage M1/M2 polarization on ovarian cancer have not yet been systematically and fully discussed. In this review, we discuss not only the occurrence, development and influences of macrophage polarization but also the association between macrophage polarization and ovarian cancer. The polarization of macrophages into the M1 and M2 phenotypes plays a pivotal role in ovarian cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis, and provides targets for macrophage-centered treatment in the cancer microenvironment for ovarian cancer therapy. We also addressed the regulation of macrophage polarization in ovarian cancer via noncoding RNAs, exosomes, and epigenetics.

Bipolar Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Cancer as Targets for Therapy

Ovarian cancer, a rare but fatal disease, has been a challenging area in the field of gynecological cancer. Ovarian cancer is characterized by peritoneal metastasis, which is facilitated by a cross-talk between tumor cells and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In epithelial ovarian cancer, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute over 50% of cells in the peritoneal TME and malignant ascites, and are potential targets for therapy. Here, we review the bipolar nature of TAMs and the evolving strategies to target TAMs in ovarian cancer.

Bipolar Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Cancer as Targets for Therapy

Ovarian cancer, a rare but fatal disease, has been a challenging area in the field of gynecological cancer. Ovarian cancer is characterized by peritoneal metastasis, which is facilitated by a cross-talk between tumor cells and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In epithelial ovarian cancer, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute over 50% of cells in the peritoneal TME and malignant ascites, and are potential targets for therapy. Here, we review the bipolar nature of TAMs and the evolving strategies to target TAMs in ovarian cancer.

Bipolar Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Ovarian Cancer as Targets for Therapy

Ovarian cancer, a rare but fatal disease, has been a challenging area in the field of gynecological cancer. Ovarian cancer is characterized by peritoneal metastasis, which is facilitated by a cross-talk between tumor cells and other cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME). In epithelial ovarian cancer, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) constitute over 50% of cells in the peritoneal TME and malignant ascites, and are potential targets for therapy. Here, we review the bipolar nature of TAMs and the evolving strategies to target TAMs in ovarian cancer.

Effects of celastrol on enhancing apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells via the downregulation of microRNA‑21 and the suppression of the PI3K/Akt‑NF‑κB signaling pathway in an in vitro model of ovarian carcinoma

Celastrol has previously been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, bruises, back pain and additional diseases. At present, efficacy studies predominantly focus on the anti‑inflammatory, antioxidative and antitumor effects of celastrol. However, the effect of celastrol on ovarian cancer cells is not fully elucidated. In the present study, the effects of celastrol were investigated in ovarian cancer cells and the mechanisms involved were explored. In OVCAR3 cells, celastrol was observed to suppress cellular proliferation, induce apoptosis and increase caspase‑9 and ‑3 activity in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. The expression levels of microRNA‑21 (miRNA‑21) were reduced, in addition to a reduction in the levels of phosphoinositide 3‑kinase (PI3K)/p‑Akt‑NF (NF)‑κB following treatment with celastrol. Notably, reduced expression of miRNA‑21 replicated the effect of celastrol on OVCAR3 cells and inhibited the PI3K/p‑Akt‑NF‑κB signaling pathway in an in vitro model of ovarian carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge this is the first study to indicate that celastrol may represent a potential agent for the treatment of human ovarian carcinoma, via the induction of apoptosis through the downregulation of miRNA‑21 and the PI3K/Akt‑NF‑κB signaling pathway in an in vitro model of ovarian carcinoma.

KLHL21, a novel gene that contributes to the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has very high prevalence and associated-mortality. However, targeted therapies that are currently used in clinical practice for HCC have certain limitations, in part because of the lack of reliable and clinically applicable biomarkers that can be used for diagnosis and prognosis assessments and for the surveillance of treatment effectiveness.

METHODS

Meta-analysis was used to analyze the integrated microarray data for global identification of a set of robust biomarkers for HCC. Quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to validate the expression levels of selected genes. Gene expression was inhibited by siRNA. CellTiter 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation assays were used to determine cell proliferation, and Transwell assays were used to determine cell migration and invasion potential.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis of the expression data provided a gene expression signature from a total of 1525 patients with HCC, showing 1529 up-regulated genes and 478 down-regulated genes in cancer samples. The expression levels of genes having strong clinical significance were validated by qRT-PCR using primary HCC tissues and the paired adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. Up-regulation of VPS45, WIPI1, TTC1, IGBP1 and KLHL21 genes and down-regulation of FCGRT gene were confirmed in clinical HCC samples. KLHL21 was the most promising gene for potential use as a bioclinical marker in this analysis. Abrogating expression of it significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that KLHL21 is a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Our findings also provide novel candidate genes on a genome-wide scale, which may have significant impact on the design and execution of effective therapy of HCC patients.

miR-297 acts as an oncogene by targeting GPC5 in lung adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Emerging studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in carcinogenesis of many developing human tumours. However, the functions and mechanisms of miR-297 in lung cancer have, up to now, been largely undefined.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Here, miR-297 expression was measured in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines, using qRT-PCR. Lung adenocarcinoma cell line was treated with an miR-297 mimic. MTT and colony analysis were performed to detect cell proliferation and colony formation. The direct target gene of miR-297 was assessed by qRT-PCR, Western blotting and luciferase assays.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that miR-297 expression was upregulated in lung adenocarcinomas compared to adjacent normal tissues. Expression of miR-297 was also upregulated in tested lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Ectopic expression of miR-297 enhanced lung adenocarcinoma cell proliferation and colony formation. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-297 promoted cell migration and invasion. In addition, we identified Glypican-5 (GPC5) as a direct target gene of miR-297 in lung adenocarcinoma cells. Expression of GPC5 was downregulated in both lung adenocarcinoma tissues and cell lines. Moreover, expression of GPC5 was inversely associated with expression of miR-297 in lung adenocarcinoma tissues.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that miR-297 acted as an oncogenic miRNA, partly by targeting GPC5, adenocarcinoma of the lung.