New Insight into Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Therapy: The Potential Roles of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Autophagy Mechanisms

Triple Negative Breast Cancer Preclinical Therapeutic Management by a Cationic Ruthenium-Based Nucleolipid Nanosystem

Based on compelling preclinical evidence concerning the progress of our novel ruthenium-based metallotherapeutics, we are focusing research efforts on challenging indications for the treatment of invasive neoplasms such as the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This malignancy mainly afflicts younger women, who are black, or who have a BRCA1 mutation. Because of faster growing and spreading, TNBC differs from other invasive breast cancers having fewer treatment options and worse prognosis, where existing therapies are mostly ineffective, resulting in a large unmet biomedical need. In this context, we benefited from an experimental model of TNBC both in vitro and in vivo to explore the effects of a biocompatible cationic liposomal nanoformulation, named HoThyRu/DOTAP, able to effectively deliver the antiproliferative ruthenium(III) complex AziRu, thus resulting in a prospective candidate drug. As part of the multitargeting mechanisms featuring metal-based therapeutics other than platinum-containing agents, we herein validate the potential of HoThyRu/DOTAP liposomes to act as a multimodal anticancer agent through inhibition of TNBC cell growth and proliferation, as well as migration and invasion. The here-obtained preclinical findings suggest a potential targeting of the complex pathways network controlling invasive and migratory cancer phenotypes. Overall, in the field of alternative chemotherapy to platinum-based drugs, these outcomes suggest prospective brand-new settings for the nanostructured AziRu complex to get promising goals for the treatment of metastatic TNBC.

Development and validation of prognostic model based on the analysis of autophagy-related genes in colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Autophagy, a process of self-digestion, is closely related to multiple biological processes of colon cancer. This study aimed to construct and evaluate prognostic signature of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) to predict overall survival (OS) in colon cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, a total of 234 ARGs were downloaded via The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Based on the TCGA dataset, differentially expressed ARGs were identified in colon cancer. The univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to screen prognostic ARGs to construct the prognostic model. The feasibility of the prognostic model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and Kaplan-Meier curves. A prognostic model integrating the gene signature with clinical parameters was established with a nomogram.

RESULTS

We developed an autophagy risk signature based on the 6 ARGs (ULK3, ATG101, MAP1LC3C, TSC1, DAPK1, and SERPINA1). The risk score was positively correlated with poor outcome and could independently predict prognosis. Furthermore, the autophagy-related signature could effectively reflect the levels of immune cell type fractions and indicate an immunosuppressive microenvironment.

CONCLUSION

We innovatively identified and validated 6 autophagy-related gene signature that can independently predict prognosis and reflect overall immune response intensity in the colon cancer microenvironment.

Small nucleolar RNA host genes promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transition lead cancer progression and metastasis

The small nucleolar RNA host genes (SNHGs) belong to the long non-coding RNAs and are reported to be able to influence all three levels of cellular information-bearing molecules, that is, DNA, RNA, and proteins, resulting in the generation of complex phenomena. As the host genes of the small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), they are commonly localized in the nucleolus, where they exert multiple regulatory functions orchestrating cellular homeostasis and differentiation as well as metastasis and chemoresistance. Indeed, worldwide literature has reported their involvement in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of different histotypes of cancer, being able to exploit peculiar features, for example, the possibility to act both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Moreover, SNHGs regulation is a fundamental topic to better understand their role in tumor progression albeit such mechanism is still debated. Here, we reviewed the biological functions of SNHGs in particular in the EMT process and discussed the perspectives for new cancer therapies.