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Afshar S, Leili T, Amini P, Dinu I. Introducing novel key genes and transcription factors associated with rectal cancer response to chemoradiation through co-expression network analysis. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18869. [PMID: 37636389 PMCID: PMC10447927 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Preoperative radiochemotherapy is a promising therapeutic method for locally advanced rectal cancer patients. However, the response of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients to preoperative radiotherapy varies widely. In this study, we aimed to identify novel biomarkers that could predict the response of colorectal tumors to treatment using a systems biology approach. We applied the Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to construct co-expression networks and evaluated the correlation of these networks with radiation using the module-trait relationship. We then identified hub genes and related transcription factors in the selected co-expression module. Our analysis of seven constructed modules revealed that one module, which contained 113 nodes and 6066 edges, had the strongest correlation with radiation effects on CRC (correlation = 0.85; p-value = 6e-7). By analyzing the selected module with the CytoHubba plugin, we identified four hub genes, including ZEB2, JAM2, NDN, and PPAP2A. We also identified seven important transcription factors, including KLF4, SUZ12, TCF4, NANOG, POU5F1, SOX2, and SMARCA4, which may play essential roles in regulating the four hub genes. In summary, our findings suggest that ZEB2, JAM2, NDN, and PPAP2A, along with the seven transcription factors related to these hub genes, may be associated with the response of colorectal tumors to chemoradiotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeid Afshar
- Cancer Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Tapak Leili
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Modeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran
| | - Payam Amini
- School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, UK
| | - Irina Dinu
- School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Rohilla S, Singh M, Priya S, Almalki WH, Haniffa SM, Subramaniyan V, Fuloria S, Fuloria NK, Sekar M, Singh SK, Jha NK, Chellappan DK, Negi P, Dua K, Gupta G. Exploring the Mechanical Perspective of a New Anti-Tumor Agent: Melatonin. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 2023; 42:1-16. [PMID: 36734949 DOI: 10.1615/jenvironpatholtoxicoloncol.2022042088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a serotonin-derived pineal gland hormone with many biological functions like regulating the sleep-wake cycle, circadian rhythm, menstrual cycle, aging, immunity, and antioxidants. Melatonin synthesis and release are more pronounced during the night, whereas exposure to light decreases it. Evidence is mounting in favor of the therapeutic effects of melatonin in cancer prevention, treatment and delayed onset in various cancer subtypes. Melatonin exerts its anticancer effect through modification of its receptors such as melatonin 1 (MT1), melatonin 2 (MT2), and inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, epigenetic alterations (DNA methylation/demethylation, histone acetylation/deacetylation), metastasis, angiogenesis, altered cellular energetics, and immune evasion. Melatonin performs a significant function in immune modulation and enhances innate and cellular immunity. In addition, melatonin has a remarkable impact on epigenetic modulation of gene expression and alters the transcription of genes. As an adjuvant to cancer therapies, it acts by decreasing the side effects and boosting the therapeutic effects of chemotherapy. Since current treatments produce drug-induced unwanted toxicities and side effects, they require alternate therapies. A recent review article attempts to summarize the mechanistic perspective of melatonin in different cancer subtypes like skin cancer, breast cancer, hepatic cancer, renal cell cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), colon oral, neck, and head cancer. The various studies described in this review will give a firm basis for the future evolution of anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suman Rohilla
- SGT College of Pharmacy, Shree Guru Gobind Singh Tricentenary University, Gurugram, 122505, India
| | - Mahaveer Singh
- Swami Keshvanand Institute of Pharmacy (SKIP), Raiser, Bikaner, 334803, India
| | - Sakshi Priya
- Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, Rajasthan 333031, India
| | - Waleed Hassan Almalki
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Shahril Mohamed Haniffa
- Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, MAHSA University, Saujana Putra 42610, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Vetriselvan Subramaniyan
- Faculty of Medicine, Bioscience and Nursing, MAHSA University, Bandar Saujana Putra, 42610 Jenjarom Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Shivkanya Fuloria
- Faculty of Pharmacy /Centre of Excellence for Biomaterials Engineering, AIMST University, Kedah 08100, Malaysia
| | - Neeraj Kumar Fuloria
- Faculty of Pharmacy/Centre of Excellence for Biomaterials Engineering, AIMST University, Kedah 08100, Malaysia
| | - Mahendran Sekar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh 30450, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Sachin Kumar Singh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, 144411, India; Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Sharda University, Uttar Pradesh, Greater Noida, India
| | - Dinesh Kumar Chellappan
- Department of Life Sciences, School of Pharmacy, International Medical University (IMU), Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, 57000, Malaysia
| | - Poonam Negi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences, Solan, 173229, India
| | - Kamal Dua
- Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo NSW 2007, Australia; Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Gaurav Gupta
- Department of Pharmacology, Suresh GyanVihar University, Jagatpura, Jaipur, India; Department of Pharmacology, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, Saveetha Institute of Medical Sciences, Saveetha University, Chennai, India; Uttaranchal Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India
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Melatonin and Pathological Cell Interactions: Mitochondrial Glucose Processing in Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212494. [PMID: 34830375 PMCID: PMC8621753 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is synthesized in the pineal gland at night. Since melatonin is produced in the mitochondria of all other cells in a non-circadian manner, the amount synthesized by the pineal gland is less than 5% of the total. Melatonin produced in mitochondria influences glucose metabolism in all cells. Many pathological cells adopt aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) in which pyruvate is excluded from the mitochondria and remains in the cytosol where it is metabolized to lactate. The entrance of pyruvate into the mitochondria of healthy cells allows it to be irreversibly decarboxylated by pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) to acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). The exclusion of pyruvate from the mitochondria in pathological cells prevents the generation of acetyl-CoA from pyruvate. This is relevant to mitochondrial melatonin production, as acetyl-CoA is a required co-substrate/co-factor for melatonin synthesis. When PDH is inhibited during aerobic glycolysis or during intracellular hypoxia, the deficiency of acetyl-CoA likely prevents mitochondrial melatonin synthesis. When cells experiencing aerobic glycolysis or hypoxia with a diminished level of acetyl-CoA are supplemented with melatonin or receive it from another endogenous source (pineal-derived), pathological cells convert to a more normal phenotype and support the transport of pyruvate into the mitochondria, thereby re-establishing a healthier mitochondrial metabolic physiology.
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Zhang N, Sundquist J, Sundquist K, Ji J. Use of Melatonin Is Associated With Lower Risk of Colorectal Cancer in Older Adults. Clin Transl Gastroenterol 2021; 12:e00396. [PMID: 34342302 PMCID: PMC8337060 DOI: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preclinical evidence suggests that melatonin may affect cellular pathways involved in colorectal cancer (CRC). We sought to test whether melatonin use was associated with decreased risk of CRC using population-based data. METHODS We performed a nationwide cohort study using a new-user study design. We identified a total of 58,657 incident melatonin users aged 50 years and older from the Prescribed Drug Register, and matched them with 175,971 comparisons who did not use melatonin, on the ratio of 1:3. The Cox regression model was used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS The incidence rate of CRC was 10.40 per 10,000 person-years for melatonin users, whereas the rate was 12.82 per 10,000 person-years in the nonusers. We found a significant negative association between melatonin use and risk of CRC (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.72-0.92). A test for trend showed a significant dose-response correlation (P < 0.001). The decrease of CRC risk was independent of tumor location and stage at diagnosis. When stratified by age groups, the inverse association was significant only among individuals aged 60 years and older. DISCUSSION This population-based cohort study suggests that the use of melatonin was associated with a reduced risk of CRC. Further studies are needed to confirm the observed association and to explore the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naiqi Zhang
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden;
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden;
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Japan
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden;
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), Department of Functional Pathology, School of Medicine, Shimane University, Japan
| | - Jianguang Ji
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Sweden;
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Gurunathan S, Qasim M, Kang MH, Kim JH. Role and Therapeutic Potential of Melatonin in Various Type of Cancers. Onco Targets Ther 2021; 14:2019-2052. [PMID: 33776451 PMCID: PMC7987311 DOI: 10.2147/ott.s298512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a large group of diseases and the second leading cause of death worldwide. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach, and liver cancers are the most common types of cancer in men, whereas breast, colorectal, lung, cervical, and thyroid cancers are the most common among women. Presently, various treatment strategies, including surgical resection combined with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, nanotherapy, and immunotherapy, have been used as conventional treatments for patients with cancer. However, the clinical outcomes of advanced-stage disease remain relatively unfavorable owing to the emergence of chemoresistance, toxicity, and other undesired detrimental side effects. Therefore, new therapies to overcome these limitations are indispensable. Recently, there has been considerable evidence from experimental and clinical studies suggesting that melatonin can be used to prevent and treat cancer. Studies have confirmed that melatonin mitigates the pathogenesis of cancer by directly affecting carcinogenesis and indirectly disrupting the circadian cycle. Melatonin (MLT) is nontoxic and exhibits a range of beneficial effects against cancer via apoptotic, antiangiogenic, antiproliferative, and metastasis-inhibitory pathways. The combination of melatonin with conventional drugs improves the drug sensitivity of cancers, including solid and liquid tumors. In this manuscript, we will comprehensively review some of the cellular, animal, and human studies from the literature that provide evidence that melatonin has oncostatic and anticancer properties. Further, this comprehensive review compiles the available experimental and clinical data analyzing the history, epidemiology, risk factors, therapeutic effect, clinical significance, of melatonin alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents or radiotherapy, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms of its anticancer effect against lung, breast, prostate, colorectal, skin, liver, cervical, and ovarian cancers. Nonetheless, in the interest of readership clarity and ease of reading, we have discussed the overall mechanism of the anticancer activity of melatonin against different types of cancer. We have ended this report with general conclusions and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangiliyandi Gurunathan
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Center of Bioengineering and Nanomedicine, Department of Food Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Min-Hee Kang
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
| | - Jin-Hoi Kim
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biotechnology, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Korea
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Anti-Warburg Effect of Melatonin: A Proposed Mechanism to Explain its Inhibition of Multiple Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22020764. [PMID: 33466614 PMCID: PMC7828708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22020764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glucose is an essential nutrient for every cell but its metabolic fate depends on cellular phenotype. Normally, the product of cytosolic glycolysis, pyruvate, is transported into mitochondria and irreversibly converted to acetyl coenzyme A by pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC). In some pathological cells, however, pyruvate transport into the mitochondria is blocked due to the inhibition of PDC by pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. This altered metabolism is referred to as aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect) and is common in solid tumors and in other pathological cells. Switching from mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis provides diseased cells with advantages because of the rapid production of ATP and the activation of pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) which provides nucleotides required for elevated cellular metabolism. Molecules, called glycolytics, inhibit aerobic glycolysis and convert cells to a healthier phenotype. Glycolytics often function by inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor-1α leading to PDC disinhibition allowing for intramitochondrial conversion of pyruvate into acetyl coenzyme A. Melatonin is a glycolytic which converts diseased cells to the healthier phenotype. Herein we propose that melatonin's function as a glycolytic explains its actions in inhibiting a variety of diseases. Thus, the common denominator is melatonin's action in switching the metabolic phenotype of cells.
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