TBL1XR1 induces cell proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis by the PI3K/AKT pathway in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Two decades of a protooncogene TBL1XR1: from a transcription modulator to cancer therapeutic target

Transducin beta-like 1X-related protein 1 (TBL1XR1) was discovered two decades ago and was implicated as part of the nuclear transcription corepressor complex. Over the past 20 years, the emerging oncogenic function of TBL1XR1 in cancer development has been discovered. Recent studies have highlighted that the genetic aberrations of TBL1XR1 in cancers, especially in hematologic tumors, are closely associated with tumorigenesis. In solid tumors, TBL1XR1 is proposed to be a promising prognostic biomarker due to the correlation between abnormal expression and clinicopathological parameters. Post-transcriptional and post-translational modification are responsible for the expression and function of TBL1XR1 in cancer. TBL1XR1 exerts its functional role in various processes that involves cell cycle and apoptosis, cell proliferation, resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, cell migration and invasion, stemness and angiogenesis. Multitude of cancer-related signaling cascades like Wnt-β-catenin, PI3K/AKT, ERK, VEGF, NF-κB, STAT3 and gonadal hormone signaling pathways are tightly modulated by TBL1XR1. This review provided a comprehensive overview of TBL1XR1 in tumorigenesis, shedding new light on TBL1XR1 as a promising diagnostic biomarker and druggable target in cancer.

MicroRNAs as the critical regulators of tumor angiogenesis in liver cancer

Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies in human digestive system. Despite the recent therapeutic methods, there is a high rate of mortality among liver cancer patients. Late diagnosis in the advanced tumor stages can be one of the main reasons for the poor prognosis in these patients. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms of liver cancer can be helpful for the early stage tumor detection and treatment. Vascular expansion in liver tumors can be one of the important reasons for poor prognosis and aggressiveness. Therefore, anti-angiogenic drugs are widely used in liver cancer patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have key roles in the regulation of angiogenesis in liver tumors. Due to the high stability of miRNAs in body fluids, these factors are widely used as the non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic markers in cancer patients. Regarding, the importance of angiogenesis during liver tumor growth and invasion, in the present review, we discussed the role of miRNAs in regulation of angiogenesis in these tumors. It has been reported that miRNAs mainly exert an anti-angiogenic function by regulation of tumor microenvironment, transcription factors, and signaling pathways in liver tumors. This review can be an effective step to suggest the miRNAs for the non-invasive early detection of malignant and invasive liver tumors.

LINC01578 affects the radiation resistance of lung cancer cells through regulating microRNA-216b-5p/TBL1XR1 axis

Radiation resistance largely limits the survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To understand the mechanism underlying radiation resistance, we explored the influence of LINC01578 in radiation-resistant NSCLC cells. LINC01578, miR-216b-5p and Transducin (beta)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1 (TBL1XR1) expression was evaluated in patients with NSCLC, and their correlation with patients' prognosis was examined. Radiation-resistant NSCLC cell line (A549-RR) was induced and treated with oligonucleotide or plasmid transfection, and cell biological functions were captured. The interplay between LINC01578, miR-216b-5p and TBL1XR1 was clarified. NSCLC patients showed high LINC01578 and TBL1XR1 expression, and low miR-216b-5p expression, which was correlated to shorter patients' prognosis, respectively. LINC01578 or TBL1XR1 deficiency or miR-216b-5p elevation suppressed the functional activities of A549-RR cells. LINC01578 suppression elevated miR-216b-5p expression, consequently leading to the down-regulation of TBL1XR1. miR-216b-5p silencing or TBL1XR1 overexpression compromised LINC01578 knockdown's effects on radiation resistance of A549-RR cells. In brief, LINC01578 suppresses miR-216b-5p and enhances TBL1XR1 expression, thus to promote biological functions of radiation-resistant NSCLC cells.

Human exposure to low dose ionizing radiation affects miR-21 and miR-625 expression levels

BACKGROUND

Recently exposure to ionizing radiation driven by artificial radiation sources such as Medical X-rays and Nuclear medicine has increased hastily. Ionizing radiation-induced the DNA damage and activate the DNA damage response signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of miR-21 and miR-625 in response to low-dose ionizing radiation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the blood sample of 38 volunteer patients who underwent Cardiac scans before and after ^99mTc-MIBI injection were used. The WBC of patients was used for RNA extraction and after cDNA synthesis by the poly-A method the expression level of miR-21 and miR-625 was evaluated by real-time PCR method.

RESULTS

The results of this study indicated that miR-21 and miR- 625 were significantly upregulated under exposure to low-dose ionizing radiation. The expression level of these miRNAs was not significantly correlated with the age and BMI of patients. More ever the bioinformatics analysis indicated that SP1 was a common target of both miRNAs and had the highest degree between hub genes.

CONCLUSION

In summary miR-21 and miR-625 can contribute to the response to acute low dose ionizing radiation by targeting the SP1. However further studies should be carried out on the molecular mechanism of effects of miR-21 and miR-625 in response to low dose ionizing radiation by targeting the SP1.

Scoparone inhibits pancreatic cancer through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant tumor of the gastrointestinal system whose emerging resistance to chemotherapy has necessitated the development of novel antitumor treatments. Scoparone, a traditional Chinese medicine monomer with a wide range of pharmacological properties, has attracted considerable attention for its antitumor activity.

AIM

To explore the potential antitumor effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer and the possible molecular mechanism of action.

METHODS

The target genes of scoparone were determined using both the bioinformatics and multiplatform analyses. The effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle, and apoptosis was detected in vitro. The expression of hub genes was tested using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the molecular mechanism was analyzed using Western blot. The in vivo effect of scoparone on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation was detected using a xenograft tumor model in nude mice as well as immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

The hub genes involved in the suppression of pancreatic cancer by scoparone were obtained by network bioinformatics analyses using publicly available databases and platforms, including SwissTargetPrediction, STITCH, GeneCards, CTD, STRING, WebGestalt, Cytoscape, and Gepia; AKT1 was confirmed using qRT-PCR to be the hub gene. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay revealed that the viability of Capan-2 and SW1990 cells was significantly reduced by scoparone treatment exhibiting IC50 values of 225.2 μmol/L and 209.1 μmol/L, respectively. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that scoparone inhibited the migration and invasion of pancreatic cancer cells. Additionally, flow cytometry confirmed that scoparone caused cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis. Scoparone also increased the expression levels of Bax and cleaved caspase-3, decreased the levels of MMP9 and Bcl-2, and suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt without affecting total PI3K and Akt. Moreover, compared with the control group, xenograft tumors, in the 200 μmol/L scoparone treatment group, were smaller in volume and lighter in weight, and the percentages of Ki65- and PCNA-positive cells were decreased.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that scoparone inhibits pancreatic cancer cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo, inhibits migration and invasion, and induces cycle arrest and apoptosis in vitro through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-1178-3p suppresses the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating transducin (beta)-like 1 X-linked receptor 1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are implicated in various cancer-relevant cellular processes, including cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. However, the function of miRNAs in hepatocellular cancer (HCC) has not been fully clarified. This study aimed to investigate the role of miR-1178-3p in HCC metastasis and try to reveal the potential mechanism. In the present study, we found that miR-1178-3p was down-regulated, while TBL1XR1 was up-regulated in HCC cancer tissues by bioinformatics analysis and RT-PCR. We further confirmed the connection of miR-1178-3p and TBL1XR1 using dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay. Moreover, gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrated that overexpress miR-1178-3p inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cells and reduced the xenograft tumor growth and angiogenesis by regulating the TBL1XR1/PI3K/Akt axis. Our results indicated that the novel identified miR-1178-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC through regulating TBL1XR1/PI3K/Akt pathway, and these findings could be a valid molecular target for liver cancer therapy.