Identification and validation of a metabolism-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of paediatric medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma (MB) is a malignant brain tumour that is highly common in children and has a tendency to spread to the brain and spinal cord. MB is thought to be a metabolically driven brain tumour. Understanding tumour cell metabolic patterns and characteristics can provide a promising foundation for understanding MB pathogenesis and developing treatments. Here, by analysing RNA-seq data of MB samples from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, 12 differentially expressed metabolic-related genes (DE-MRGs) were chosen for the construction of a predictive risk score model for MB. This model demonstrated outstanding accuracy in predicting the outcomes of MB patients and served as a standalone predictor. An evaluation of functional enrichment revealed that the risk score showed enrichment in pathways related to cancer promotion and the immune response. In addition, a high risk score was an independent poor prognostic factor for MB in patients with different ages, sexes, metastasis stages and subgroups (SHH and Group 4). Consistently, the metabolic enzyme ornithine decarboxylase (ODC1) was upregulated in MB patients with poor survival time. Inhibition of ODC1 in primary and metastatic MB cell lines decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion but increased immune infiltration. This study could aid in identifying metabolic targets for MB as well as optimizing risk stratification systems and individual treatment plans for MB patients via the use of a metabolism-related gene prognostic risk score signature.

Effect and potential mechanism of oncometabolite succinate promotes distant metastasis of colorectal cancer by activating STAT3

To investigate the effect of Oncometabolite succinate on colorectal cancer migration and invasion and to initially explore the underlying mechanism.Succinate acid detection kit detected the succinate content in tissues. The growth of colorectal cancer cells was measured by cck-8 assay, wound-healing migration assay and transwell migration and invasion assays, and then explored the level of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and STAT3/ p-STAT3 expression by western blot analysis and quantitative real-time PCR for mRNA expression. We found that succinate levels were significantly higher in carcinoma tissues than paracancerous tissues. After succinate treatment, the colorectal cancer cell lines SW480 and HCT116 had enhanced migration and invasion, the expression of biomarkers of EMT was promoted, and significantly increased phosphorylation of STAT3. In vivo experiments also showed that succinate can increase p-STAT3 expression, promote the EMT process, and promote the distant metastasis of colorectal cancer in mice.Succinate promotes EMT through the activation of the transcription factor STAT3, thus promoting the migration and invasion of colorectal cancer.

Hypoxia Potentiated Lung Cancer Cell Migration and Invasion by up-regulating HIF1α/JAK2/STAT3 Axis and Activating MMP13 Transcription

Excessive aggressive migration and invasion are important factors that increase the mortality of cancer patients. Matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) expression is positively correlated with lung cancer malignancy. However, the mechanism underlying an elevated MMP13 expression is not clearly defined. In this study, we demonstrated that hypoxia induced by CoCl2 enhanced the expression of HIF1α, JAK2, STAT3 and MMP13 in A549 cells. A positive correlation between HIF1α and MMP13 expression was observed in lung adenocarcinoma patients. Mechanically, hypoxia upregulated HIF1α/JAK2/STAT3 signal axis, promoted transcription factor STAT3 to bind to MMP13 promoter region, and activated MMP13 transcription, finally promoted cell invasion and migration. However, stattic (STAT3 inhibitor) could reverse this effect caused by STAT3 in A549 cells. Together our data indicated that hypoxia might promote lung cancer cell migration and invasion through the HIF1α/JAK2/STAT3 axis by activating MMP13 transcription. MMP13 could be a promising therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinoma metastasis.

Nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation of SQSTM1/p62 protein enhances ESCC cell migration and invasion by stabilizing EPLIN expression

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignant disease with a poor prognosis. We previously found that p62 presented a marked nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation in ESCC cells as compared that in normal esophageal epithelial cells, but its effects on ESCC cells remain unclear. This study aims to clarify the impacts of different cellular localization of p62 on the function of ESCC cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. We here demonstrated that cytoplasmic p62 enhances the migration and invasion abilities of esophageal cancer cells, whereas nuclear p62 has no effect. We further explored the interaction protein of p62 by using GST pull-down experiment and identified EPLIN as a potential protein interacting with p62. In addition, reducing EPLIN expression significantly inhibited the migration and invasion of ESCC cells, which were rescued when EPLIN expression was restored after the p62 knockdown. At a molecular level, p62 in cytoplasm positively regulated the expression of EPLIN via enhancing its protein stability. Data from the TCGA and GEO database displayed a significant up-regulation of EPLIN mRNA expression in ESCC tissues compared with corresponding paired esophageal epithelial samples. Our findings present evidence that the nuclear-cytoplasmic translocation of p62 protein contributes to an aggressive malignancy phenotype, providing candidate molecular biomarkers and potential molecular targets for the diagnosis and treatment of ESCC.

Melitoxin Inhibits Proliferation, Metastasis, and Invasion of Glioma U251 Cells by Down-regulating F2RL1

As the principal active component of bee venom, melittin has an anti-cancer effect in different cancers. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of melittin in glioma and explore whether F2RL1 is closely involved in glioblastoma cells proliferation. TCGA and GES databases were used to evaluate the role of F2RL1 in gliomas. The U251 cells were divided into a control lentivirus + PBS group (NC-PBS), F2RL1 intervention lentivirus + PBS group (KD-PBS), control lentivirus + melittin group (NC-melittin), and F2RL1 intervention lentivirus + melittin group (KD-melittin). Cell proliferation was detected by MTT and EDU staining assays. The apoptosis rate was assessed by flow cytometry. Expressions of genes related to apoptosis, cycle arrest, migration, and invasion were detected by qRT-PCR. Cellular LDH concentrations were detected by ELISA. The subcutaneous tumor volume of nude mice was analyzed by xenograft method. F2RL1 was significantly overexpressed in glioma tissues and were reduced in the melittin-treated group compared to the blank group. F2RL1 knockdown and melittin alone or in combination increased the proportion of cells in the G1-phase, and the combination was more pronounced. The KD-melittin group showed a decrease in the number of viable cells at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h compared to the NC-PBS group. The number of cell migration and invasion was decreased in the KD-melittin group compared to the other groups. Moreover, the genes related to cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were significantly changed in the KD-melittin group. At weeks 4, 5, and 6, the tumor volume in the KD-melittin group was smaller than that in the KD-PBS group and NC-melittin group. Interference with the target gene F2RL1 inhibited the proliferation of glioma U251 cells, and melittin treatment inhibited the proliferation of glioma U251 cells. Melittin inhibited the proliferation of glioma U251 cells by suppressing the expression of target gene F2RL1.

[Circ_0026134 regulates the miR-1270/GRB2 pathway to affect the radiosensitivity of hepatoma cells]

Objective: To investigate whether circular RNA 0026134 (circ_0026134) affects the radiosensitivity of hepatoma cells by regulating the miR-1270/growth factor receptor-bound protein 2 (GRB2) pathway. Methods: Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression levels of circ_0026134, miR-1270, and GRB2 in liver cancer tissues and cells. Bioinformatics analysis, a dual-luciferase gene reporter assay, RT-qPCR, and western blot were used to analyze the targeting relationships between circ_0026134 and miR-1270 and miR-1270 and GRB2. The effects of circ_0026134, miR-1270, and GRB2 expression combined with 6 Gy on the proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of Huh7 and SK-HEP-1 cells were detected by a cell counting kit, a transwell assay, a scratch assay, and flow cytometry. The tumorigenesis experiment was used to detect the effect of silencing circ_0026134 in nude mice. Measurement data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation. The independent sample t-test was used for comparison between two groups, and the one-way analysis of variance and SNK-q test were used for comparison between multiple groups. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The expression levels of circ_0026134 and GRB2, Huh7, and SK-HEP-1 cells in liver cancer tissues were significantly increased, while the expression levels of miR-1270 were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The expression of circ_0026134 in Huh7 and SK-HEP-1 decreased significantly after radiotherapy (P < 0.05). circ_0026134 binds directly to miR-1270 and negatively regulates miR-1270 expression (P < 0.05). miR-1270 binds directly to GRB2 and negatively regulates GRB2 expression (P < 0.05). 6 Gy radiation significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Huh7 and SK-HEP-1 cells and induced apoptosis (P < 0.05). Silencing circ_0026134 or overexpression of miR-1270 significantly enhanced the anti-proliferation, anti-migration, invasion, and pro-apoptosis effects of 6 Gy treatment on hepatoma cells (P < 0.05). Inhibition of miR-1270 significantly weakened the effects of silencing circ_0026134 combined with 6 Gy radiation on proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of hepatoma cells (P < 0.05). Overexpression of GRB2 significantly weakened the effects of miR-1270 overexpression combined with 6 Gy radiation on proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of hepatoma cells (P < 0.05). circ_0026134 knockdown significantly delayed tumor growth in vivo (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Silencing circ_0026134 strengthens radiation treatment's anti-proliferation, anti-migration, invasion, and pro-apoptotic effects in hepatoma cells by negatively regulating the miR-1270/GRB2 pathway, thereby enhancing radiosensitivity.

TAPI-1 Exhibits Anti-tumor Efficacy in Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cells via Suppression of NF-κB Signaling Pathway

BACKGROUND

TNF-α processing inhibitor-1 (TAPI-1) is a known metalloproteinase inhibitor with potential anti-inflammatory effects. However, its anti-cancer effects on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have not been uncovered.

AIM

In the present study, the effects of TAPI-1 on ESCC cell viability, migration, invasion, and cisplatin resistance and the underlying molecular mechanisms were investigated in TE-1 and Eca109 cells.

METHODS

To this end, TE-1 and Eca109 cells were exposed to TAPI-1 for indicated time intervals. Cell viability was assessed using cell counting kit-8 assay and apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry assay. Migration and invasion were assessed using Transwell assays. Gene expressions were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. The activation of NF-κB signaling pathway was elucidated via Western blot and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay.

RESULTS

We observed that higher doses (10, 20 μM) of TAPI-1 inhibited ESCC cell viability, while a lower dose (5 μM) of TAPI-1 inhibited ESCC cell migration and invasion and enhanced the chemosensitivity of ESCC cells to cisplatin. Moreover, TAPI-1 suppressed the activation of NF-κB signaling and the target genes expression in the stage of transcription initiation. Furthermore, blocking NF-κB signaling in advance could abolish all the effects of TAPI-1 on ESCC cells.

CONCLUSION

Overall, these results indicated that TAPI-1 impairs ESCC cell viability, migration, and invasion and facilitates cisplatin-induced apoptosis via suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway. TAPI-1 may serve as a potential adjuvant agent with cisplatin for ESCC therapy.

Traditional Banxia Xiexin decoction inhibits invasion, metastasis, and epithelial mesenchymal transition in gastric cancer by reducing lncRNA TUC338 expression

Background

Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula clinically used to treat chronic gastritis, gastric ulcers, gastric cancer, and many other gastrointestinal diseases. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in maintaining the malignant phenotype of tumors. However, no relevant studies have shown whether Banxia Xiexin decoction regulates and controls lncRNA TUC338, and the effect of TUC338 on the regulation of gastric cancer invasion and metastasis remains unclear.

Purpose

To investigate the ability of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Banxia Xiexin decoction (BXD) to inhibit the migration and invasion of human gastric cancer AGS cells by regulating the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) TUC338.

Methods

UHPLC‒MS/MS was used to analyze the chemical components of BXD. MTT was performed to determine the effects of BXD on the proliferation of AGS cells. qRT‒PCR was used to determine the expression of lncRNA TUC338 in gastric cancer tissues, paracarcinoma tissues, AGS human gastric cancer cells and GES-1 normal gastric mucosa cells and to evaluate the effects of BXD on the expression of lncRNA TUC338 in AGS cells. Lentiviral transfection was used to establish human gastric cancer AGS cells with knocked down lncRNA TUC338 expression. The effects of lncRNA TUC338 knockdown on the migration and invasion of AGS cells were observed by a scratch assay and Transwell migration assay, respectively. Western blotting was performed to analyze the effects of lncRNA TUC338 knockdown on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in AGS cells. We performed quality control on three batches of BXD. We used UHPLC‒MS/MS to control the quality of three random batches of BXD used throughout the study.

Results

Ninety-five chemical components were identified from the water extract of BXD, some of which have anticancer effects. The expression of TUC.338 in gastric cancer tissues was higher than that in para-carcinoma tissues. BXD inhibited the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by inhibiting the expression of lncRNA TUC338, which reduced EMT. After knockdown of lncRNA TUC338, the migration and invasion of AGS cells were reduced; the expression of the EMT-related protein E-cadherin was increased, and the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin was reduced.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that BXD has potential as an effective treatment for gastric cancer through the inhibition of lncRNA TUC338 expression.

RRAGB-mediated suppression of PI3K/AKT exerts anti-cancer role in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma (GBM) has a high degree of invasiveness, which is largely attributed to the invalidation of current therapy and the unclear tumor growth mechanism. Ras related GTP binding B (RRAGB) is a family member of the Ras-homologous GTPases. The effect of RRAGB on tumor growth has been recognized, but its influences on GBM progression are ill-defined. Here, in our research, a significantly decreased expression of RRAGB in GBM tissues by using TCGA databases and glioma samples is observed. According to Kaplan-Meier (KM) analysis, RRAGB low expression leads to a significant decrease of overall survival rate of patients, and is associated with the classification of WHO grade, histological type and age increase. Functional enrichment analysis reveals that the pathway of enrichment includes cell cycle arrest, extracellular matrix (ECM) processes and PI3K/AKT signal. Thereafter, our cell experiments confirm an obvious decrease of RRAGB in several GBM cell lines. It should be noted that RRAGB promotion strongly reduces the proliferation, migration and invasion of GBM cells and induces cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase. RRAGB up-regulation significantly decreases the expression of PI3K, phosphorylated AKT, mTOR and S6K in GBM cell lines. Surprisingly, we further find that RRAGB-restrained proliferative, migratory and invasive properties of GBM cells are markedly offset after promoting AKT activation, accompanied with restored phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K, elucidating that AKT signaling blockage is partially indispensable for RRAGB to play its anti-cancer role in GBM. Animal studies confirmed that RRAGB over-expression obviously inhibits the tumor growth both in the xenograft and orthotopic mouse glioma models, along with improved overall survival rates. In short, we provide evidence that RRAGB is a potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker for GBM treatment.

ROR1-AS1 might promote in vivo and in vitro proliferation and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in many pathophysiological processes, including cancer progression. Namely, lncRNA Receptor-tyrosine-kinase-like orphan receptor-1 antisense 1 (ROR1-AS1) is crucial for cancer occurrence and progression in organs such as the liver or bladder. However, its expression and role in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) have not been thoroughly explored.Firstly, we assessed cell viability, proliferation, invasion, and migration using three cell lines (HuCCT-1, QBC399, and RBE) to explore the biological characteristics of ROR1-AS1 in CCA. Secondly, to determine the in vivo effect of ROR1-AS1 on tumor growth, ROR1-AS1 knockdown (KD) HuCCT-1 cells were subcutaneously injected into nude mice to evaluate tumor growth. Finally, we conducted a bioinformatic analysis to confirm the role of ROR1-AS1 in the prognosis and immunity of CCA.In this study, we found that lncRNA ROR1-AS1 was increased in CCA samples and patients with higher ROR1-AS1 expression had a shorter overall survival period. siRNA-mediated KD of ROR1-AS1 significantly reduced cell proliferation and inhibited the migration of CCA cells. In addition, ROR1-AS1 KD HuCCT-1 cells injected into nude mice grew slower than normal CCA cells.In summary, our results show that ROR1-AS1 can promote CCA progression and might serve as a new target for diagnosis and treatment of CCA.

The role of OIP5 in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Opa interacting protein 5 (OIP5), which is a cancer/testis-specific gene, plays a cancer-promoting role in various types of human cancer. However, the role of OIP5 in the carcinogenesis and progression of ovarian cancer remains unknown.

METHODS

We first analyzed the expression of OIP5 in ovarian cancer and various human tumors with the Sangerbox online analysis tool. GSE12470, GSE14407 and GSE54388 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and GEO2R was used to screen differentially expressed genes in ovarian cancer tissues. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis was used to explore the related biological processes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was generated to evaluate the predictive ability of OIP5 for ovarian cancer. Next, RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were utilized to evaluate the expression of OIP5 in ovarian cancer. CCK8, EdU proliferation assays and colony formation assays were used to measure cell proliferation, cell cycle progression was examined by PI staining and flow cytometry, and cell apoptosis was examined by Caspase3/7 activity assays. The effect of OIP5 on the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells was analyzed with Transwell assays.

RESULTS

We found that OIP5 is highly expressed in ovarian cancer through bioinformatics analysis, and importantly, OIP5 may be an important biomarker for the prognosis and diagnosis of ovarian cancer. RT-PCR assays, immunohistochemistry and Western blotting were also used to confirm the high expression of OIP5 in ovarian cancer. Subsequently, we demonstrated that the proliferation and migration of the ovarian cancer cell line A2780 were significantly inhibited after OIP5 gene silencing, apoptosis was increased and cell cycle progression was arrested at the G1 phase.

CONCLUSION

This study indicated that OIP5 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer and that downregulation of OIP5 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, induced cell cycle arrest and promoted cell apoptosis. Therefore, OIP5 may be an important biomarker for the early diagnosis and potential target for treatment of ovarian cancer.

LAGE3 promotes cell metastasis and stemness in non-small cell lung cancer companied with AKT/PI3K signaling pathway activation

BACKGROUND

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is reported to have high mortality and morbidity rate worldwide. It is highly susceptible to metastasis. Previous reports have shown the L antigen family member 3 (LAGE3) expression in many cancers and has a carcinogenic role. However, the molecular mechanism of LAGE3 in NSCLC needs to be further explored.

METHODS

LAGE3 expression profile of NSCLC patients and normal samples in the TCGA cohort was utilized for visualization. Expression pattern of LAGE3 in cell lines of NSCLCs were determined through qRT-PCR. Further, transfection experiments was conducted to measure the LAGE3's effect on the migration, proliferation, invasion, and stemness in NSCLC cell lines (A549 and H1975) by the assays of CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, transwell, and flow cytometry. The in vivo xenograft tumor growth in the nude mouse was conducted to confirm LAGE3 effect on NSCLC tumor growth. Furthermore, western blotting was applied to determine the levels of core proteins including AKT/PI3K signaling pathway and stemness proteins of Nanog, OCT4 and SOX2.

RESULTS

The TCGA based computational analysis showed that LAGE3 mRNA level in NSCLC was inter-related to worse overall survival. The up-regulated level of LAGE3 in NSCLC cell lines indicated its possibility as a future diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. Functional assays showed that cell migration, proliferation, invasion, sphere formation, and stemness-related protein (Nanog, SOX2, and OCT4) levels were significantly repressed by the knockdown of LAGE3. Subsequently, inhibition of LAGE3 in nude mice (in vivo) demonstrated its ability to reduce the tumor growth of NSCLC. The study also showed that LAGE3 knockdown suppressed cell progression by inactivating the signaling pathway of AKT/PI3K.

CONCLUSIONS

LAGE3 could promote NSCLC development by activating the AKT/PI3K signaling pathway, thereby accelerating metastasis and cell stemness.

HS6ST1 overexpressed in cancer-associated fibroblast and inhibited cholangiocarcinoma progression

BACKGROUD

Fibroblasts turn into cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in the tumor microenvironment, which play an important role in tumor progression. However, the mechanism is unclear.

AIMS

To investigate the role of CAFs with HS6ST1-overexpression in cell migration and invasion effects.

METHODS

Human primary CAFs were isolated and identified from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. mRNA profiles differences between CAFs and NFs were examined by using transcriptome sequencing. Using Transwell® migration assays, ICCA cells (RBE and HUCCT1) with NF-CM, CAF-CM, CAFsNC-CM, and CAFsHS6ST1-CM were analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining were used to analyze the expression of HS6ST1 in CAF in 152 patients with ICCA. Overall survival (OS) was compared based on CAF HS6ST1 expression were analysed. The relationship between clinicopathological parameters and survival was also examined.

RESULTS

Successfully isolated CAFs is positive staining with αSMA, FSP-1, FAP, and PDGFR-β. Transcriptome sequencing showed that differently expressed genes were enriched in the function of the extracellular matrix and chemokine signaling pathway. HS6ST1 is differentially expressed between CAFs and NFs, and associated with the migration and invasion of ICCA cells. Moreover, HS6ST1 positive expression of CAFs predicted unfavorable prognosis in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and showed correlation with the presence of lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSION

HS6ST1 is new possibilities for targeting the CAFs to reduce cholangiocarcinoma growth and metastasis.

[LncRNA DRAIC regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells by targeting let-7i-5p]

Objective: To investigate the effects of lncRNA DRAIC on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells and its mechanism. Methods: Reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression of DRAIC in lung cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues of 40 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who underwent surgery in Tangshan People's Hospital from 2019 to 2020. Lung adenocarcinoma cells A549 and H1299 were cultured in vitro and divided into si-NC group, si-DRAIC group, miR-NC group, let-7i-5p mimics group, si-DRAIC+ inhibitor-NC group, and si-DRAIC+ let-7i-5p inhibitor group. CCK-8 method and clone formation experiment were used to detect cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis. Transwell array was used to detect the cell migration and invasion. Western blot was used to detect the protein expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-9, Bcl-2 and Bax. The double luciferase reporter gene experiment was used to verify the regulatory relationship between DRAIC and let-7i-5p. Independent sample t test was used for comparison between two groups, one-way ANOVA was used for comparison between multiple groups, and Pearson correlation analysis was used for correlation analysis. Results: Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of DRAIC in lung adenocarcinoma tissues increased (P<0.05), but the expression level of let-7i-5p decreased (P<0.05). The expression levels of DRAIC and let-7i-5p in lung adenocarcinoma tissues were negatively correlated (r=-0.737, P<0.05). The absorbance value of A549 and H1299 cells in the si-DRAIC group at 48, 72 and 96 hours were lower than those in the si-NC group (P<0.05), the number of clones formed [(91.00±6.08 vs. 136.67±6.51); (50.67±1.53 vs. 76.67±4.51)], the number of migration [(606.67±31.34 vs. 960.00±33.06); (483.33±45.96 vs. 741.67±29.67)], the number of invasion [(185.00±8.19 vs. 447.33±22.05); (365.00±33.87 vs. 688.00±32.97)] were lower than those in the si-NC group (P<0.05). However, the apoptosis rates of cells [(13.43±2.79)% vs. (4.53±0.42)%; (23.77±1.04)% vs. (6.60±1.42)%] were higher than those in the si-NC group (P<0.05). The protein expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-9 and Bax in si-DRAIC group were higher than those in si-NC group, and the protein expression of Bcl-2 was lower than that in si-NC group (P<0.05). DRAIC is located in the cytoplasm. DRAIC targeted and negatively regulated the expression of let-7i-5p. The absorbance values of A549 and H1299 cells in the let-7i-5p mimics group at 48, 72 and 96 hours were lower than those in the miR-NC group (P<0.05), the number of clones formed [(131.33±14.47 vs. 171.33±6.11); (59.33±4.93 vs. 80.33±7.09)], the number of migration [(137.67±3.06 vs. 579.33±82.03); (425.00±11.14 vs. 669.33±21.13)], the number of invasion [(54.00±4.36 vs. 112.67±11.59); (80.00±4.58 vs. 333.33±16.80)] were lower than those in the miR-NC group (P<0.05). However, the apoptosis rates of cells [(14.57±1.10)% vs. (6.97±1.11)%; (23.97±0.42)% vs. (7.07±1.21)%] were higher than those in the miR-NC group (P<0.05). The protein expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-9 and Bax in let-7i-5p mimics group were higher than those in miR-NC group, and the protein expression of Bcl-2 was lower than that in miR-NC group (P<0.05). The absorbance values of A549 and H1299 cells in the si-DRAIC+ let-7i-5p inhibitor group at 48, 72 and 96 hours were higher than those in the si-DRAIC+ inhibitor-NC group (P<0.05), the number of clones formed [(82.00±5.29 vs. 59.00±5.57); (77.67±4.93 vs. 41.33±7.57)], the number of migration [(774.33±35.81 vs. 455.67±19.04); (569.67±18.72 vs. 433.67±16.77)], the number of invasion [(670.33±17.21 vs. 451.00±17.52); (263.67±3.06 vs. 182.33±11.93)] were higher than those in the si-DRAIC+ inhibitor-NC group (P<0.05). However, the apoptosis rates of cells [(7.73±0.45)% vs. (19.13±1.50)%; (8.00±0.53)% vs. (28.40±0.53)%] were lower than those in the si-NC group (P<0.05). The protein expressions of Caspase-3, Caspase-9 and Bax in si-DRAIC+ let-7i-5p inhibitor group were higher than those in si-DRAIC+ inhibitor-NC group, and the protein expression of Bcl-2 was lower than that in si-DRAIC+ inhibitor-NC group (P<0.05). Conclusion: DRAIC is highly expressed in lung adenocarcinoma, and DRAIC promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells and inhibits apoptosis by targeting let-7i-5p.

MST4 promotes proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer by enhancing autophagy

Background

Mammalian infertile-20-like kinase 4 (MST4) plays major roles in the progression of malignant tumor types, but its function in gastric cancer (GC) remains poorly understood.

Objective

To investigate the regulatory mechanism of MST4 in GC.

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to detect MST4 protein in GC tissue. Additionally, the correlation between MST4 expression and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of GC was evaluated. The MST4 expression level in GC cells was measured by western blotting and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, the regulatory mechanism of MST4 was investigated in vitro and in vivo.

Results

Overexpression of MST4 was found in GC tissue and cell lines, which correlated to the tumor size, histological type, invasion depth, ulcer, lymph node metastasis, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion and TNM stage (all P < 0.01). In terms of MST4 functions in vitro, its upregulation facilitated the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Furthermore, MST4 promoted these processes by facilitating autophagy, whereas downregulation of MST4 significantly attenuated these processes. Downregulation of MST4 also attenuated tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

High expression of MST4 indicates a poor prognosis and promotes GC cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis by enhancing autophagy.

High expression of PPFIA1 in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma correlates with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis

BACKGROUND

PTPRF interacting protein alpha 1 (PPFIA1) is reportedly related to the occurrence and progression of several kinds of malignancies. However, its role in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is unclear. This current study investigated the prognostic significance and biological functions of PPFIA1 in ESCC.

METHODS

Oncomine, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were used to investigate PPFIA1 expression in esophageal cancer. The relationship between PPFIA1 expression and clinicopathological characteristics and patient survival was evaluated in GSE53625 dataset, and verified in the cDNA array based on qRT-PCR and tissue microarray (TMA) dataset based on immunohistochemistry. The impact of PPFIA1 on the migration and invasion of cancer cells were investigated by wound-healing and transwell assays, respectively.

RESULTS

The expression of PPFIA1 was obviously increased in ESCC tissues versus adjacent esophageal tissues according to online database analyses (all P < 0.05). High PPFIA1 expression was closely related to several clinicopathological characteristics, including tumor location, histological grade, tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. High PPFIA1 expression was related to worse outcomes and was identified as an independent prognostic factor of overall survival in ESCC patients (GSE53625 dataset, P = 0.019; cDNA array dataset, P < 0.001; TMA dataset, P = 0.039). Downregulation of PPFIA1 expression can significantly reduce the migration and invasion ability of ESCC cells.

CONCLUSION

PPFIA1 is related to the migration and invasion of ESCC cells, and can be used as a potential biomarker to evaluate the prognosis of ESCC patients.

Clonorchis sinensis legumain promotes migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells via regulating tumor-related molecules

BACKGROUND

Clonorchis sinensis infection causes serious pathological changes in the bile duct and is highly correlated with cholangiocarcinoma. The excretory-secretory products (ESP) of C. sinensis play a critical role in the oncogenesis and progression of cholangiocarcinoma, while the components and precise mechanism remain unclear. Here, we evaluated the function of C. sinensis legumain (Cslegumain) in promoting the invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells and the mechanism involved.

METHODS

The structural and molecular characteristics of Cslegumain were predicted and analyzed using the online program Phyre2. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemical staining were performed to test the transcriptional level of Cslegumain and its localization in the adult. Native Cslegumain was detected by western blotting assay. The effects of Cslegumain on the proliferation, invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells were checked using CCK-8 assay, Matrigel transwell assay and scratch wound healing assay. Expression levels of tumor-related molecules regulated by Cslegumain were evaluated by qRT-PCR and western blotting assay.

RESULTS

Cslegumain showed high similarity with human legumain in the secondary and tertiary structures and displayed higher transcriptional levels in the adult worm than in the metacercariae. Native Cslegumain was detected in a catalytic form and was localized mainly in the intestine of the C. sinensis adult and epithelial cells of the intrahepatic bile duct. After transfection into RBE cells, Cslegumain showed high ability in promoting the invasion and migration but not the proliferation of cholangiocarcinoma RBE cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of some molecules including E-cadherin and N-cadherin were downregulated, while the levels of α-actinin 4, β-catenin and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were upregulated.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicated that Cslegumain showed very similar structures as those of human legumain and could promote the invasion and migration of cholangiocarcinoma cells by regulating some tumor-related molecules.

B7-H6 enhances F-actin rearrangement by targeting c-MYC activation to promote medulloblastoma migration and invasion

Medulloblastoma (MB) is children's most common primary malignant primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor. Group 3 MB showed a higher propensity to metastasis, which is molecularly characterized by c-MYC gene amplification. The activation of c-MYC promotes the remodeling of the F-actin cytoskeleton to enhance metastasis. The B7 homologue 6 (B7-H6) is associated with the manifold essential hallmarks of tumorigenesis. In this study, we will explore whether B7-H6 regulates the reorganization of F-actin by elevating the c-MYC expression to promote metastasis. The Daoy cell line was used to act as the cell model of medulloblastoma. Small interfering RNA and the plasmid were used to downregulate and upregulate the expression of B7-H6 in Daoy cells. Transwell assays with/without the matrigel matrix were used to detect migration and invasion of Daoy cells. Western blots were used to detect the expression of related proteins. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the impact of B7-H6 on the c-MYC /F-actin axis. B7-H6 improved migration and invasion in the Daoy cell line. B7-H6 enhanced the rearrangement of F-actin and activated the expression of MMP-9 and MMP-2. B7-H6 promoted the remodeling of F-actin by targeting c-MYC activation to reinforce migration and invasion. B7-H6 acts as a promoter of migration and invasion in medulloblastoma by activating the c-MYC /F-actin axis.

Upregulation of SCD1 by ErbB2 via LDHA promotes breast cancer cell migration and invasion

The incidence of breast cancer ranks at the top of female malignant tumors in China. Metastasis remains the main cause of death among breast cancer patients. The overexpression of ErbB2 is closely related to the metastasis and poor prognosis of breast cancer patients. Therefore, ErbB2 is an important clinical therapeutic target of breast cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of ErbB2 promoting breast cancer metastasis has not been studied clearly. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) is a key enzyme in catalyzing the conversion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) into monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). SCD1 is overexpressed in breast cancer, and its overexpression is an indicator of poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. However, the role of SCD1 in ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer metastasis has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the role of SCD1 in the migration and invasion of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells and its molecular mechanism. First, we demonstrated that ErbB2 upregulates the expression of SCD1. Second, we found that SCD1 and its catalytic product oleic acid played crucial roles in migration and invasion of ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Finally, we found that in breast cancer cells, ErbB2 upregulated SCD1 through lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA). To sum up, upregulation of SCD1 by ErbB2 via LDHA promotes the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells.

Effect and mechanisms of kaempferol against endometriosis based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiments

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease, and its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Patients are at a higher risk of recurrence after surgery or drug withdrawal. In this study, to identify a potentially effective and safe therapy for endometriosis, we screened potential target genes of kaempferol on endometriosis using network pharmacology and further validation. Network pharmacology showed kaempferol may suppress migratory and invasive properties by modulating the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway and its downstream target matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)9. Furthermore, in vitro experiments showed that kaempferol repressed the migration and invasion of endometrial cells, and this effect may be involved in mediating the PI3K-related genes, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and MMP9. Network pharmacology and in vitro experiments showed that kaempferol, repressed the implantation of endometrial cells and formation of ectopic lesions by inhibiting migration and invasion and regulating PTEN and MMP9, which may be associated with the PI3K pathway.

Methyltransferase-like 3 facilitates lung cancer progression by accelerating m6A methylation-mediated primary miR-663 processing and impeding SOCS6 expression

OBJECTIVE

Lung cancer (LC) remains a threatening health issue worldwide. Methyltransferase-like protein 3 (METTL3) is imperative in carcinogenesis via m6A modification of microRNAs (miRNAs). This study estimated the effect of METTL3 in LC by regulating m6A methylation-mediated pri-miR-663 processing.

METHODS

miR-663 expression in 4 LC cell lines and normal HBE cells was determined using RT-qPCR. A549 and PC9 LC cells selected for in vitro studies were transfected with miR-663 mimics or inhibitor. Cell viability, migration, invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis were detected by CCK-8, Transwell, EdU, and flow cytometry assays. The downstream target genes and binding sites of miR-663 were predicted via Starbase database and validated by dual-luciferase assay. LC cells were delivered with oe-METTL3/sh-METTL3. Crosslinking between METTL3 and DGCR8 was verified by co-immunoprecipitation. Levels of m6A, miR-663, and pri-miR-663 were measured by m6A dot blot assay and RT-qPCR. m6A modification of pri-miR-663 was verified by Me-RIP assay. Finally, the effects of METTL3 in vivo were ascertained by tumor xenograft in nude mice.

RESULTS

miR-663 was upregulated in LC cells, and miR-663 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inhibited apoptosis, but miR-663 knockdown exerted the opposite effects. miR-663 repressed SOCS6 expression. SOCS6 overexpression annulled the promotion of miR-663 on LC cell growth. METTL3 bound to DGCR8, and METTL3 silencing elevated the levels of pri-miR-663 and m6A methylation-modified pri-miR-663, and suppressed miR-663 maturation and miR-663 expression. METTL3 facilitated tumor growth in mice through the miR-663/SOCS6 axis.

CONCLUSION

METTL3 promotes LC progression by accelerating m6A methylation-mediated pri-miR-663 processing and repressing SOCS6.

Overexpression of SHARPIN promotes tumor progression in ovarian cancer

SHARPIN (Shank-associated RH domain interacting protein) plays an important role in tumorigenesis. However, its role in ovarian cancer remains largely unknown. To investigate this issue, we systematically analyzed the amplification and expression of the SHARPIN in the TCGA database. From the database, we found that SHARPIN was amplified in ovarian cancer compared to normal ovarian tissue, and the mRNA level of SHARPIN was significantly elevated in ovarian cancer compared to non-tumorigenic ovarian tissue. In addition, we observed similar results from ovarian cancer cell lines and clinical samples from ovarian cancer patients, which indicated that increased SHARPIN expression is associated with tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer. SHARPIN knockdown inhibited the migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells, also inhibited cell cycle and promoted apoptosis, thereby suppressing cell proliferation. RNA-seq results showed that SHARPIN significantly increased the expression of P53 and P21 and decreased the expression of Cyclin D1 and c-Myc, all of which are involved in the regulation of cell proliferation. Subsequent mechanistic exploration revealed that SHARPIN knockdown increased the expression of caspases 3 and 9, leading to apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells. We also found that high expression of SHARPIN was associated with poor prognosis of ovarian cancer patients. Collectively, we demonstrated a positive correlation between SHARPIN and ovarian cancer progression and provide a basis for combined targeted therapy strategies for future ovarian cancer treatment.

miR-21-5p serves as a promoter in renal cell carcinoma progression through ARHGAP24 downregulation

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a highly recurrent aggressive tumor. This study works for the regulation of miR-21-5p on RCC cell functions and novel ideas for therapies of RCC. Isoform expression quantification data were offered by The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) to investigate differentially expressed miRNAs. The way miR-21-5p works on biological functions of RCC was examined with MTT and Transwell assays. The downstream targets of miR-21-5p were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. The binding of two researched objects was verified by the dual-luciferase method. TCGA data manifested a considerably high level of miR-21-5p in RCC tissue, while ARHGAP24 was significantly lowly expressed. miR-21-5p bound ARHGAP24 and stimulated RCC cell functions, whereas ARHGAP24 mimic could reverse such promotion. This work observed miR-21-5p, a stimulator in RCC, and it deteriorated this cancer via repressing its downstream target gene ARHGAP24 expression.

Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most malignant digestive tumors, and its insidious onset and rapid progression are the main reasons for the difficulty in effective treatment. Lysophosphatidylcholine acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) is a key enzyme that regulates phospholipid metabolism of the cell membrane. However, the mechanism by which LPCAT1 regulates HCC metastasis remains unknown. This study aimed to explore its biological function and potential mechanisms concerning migration and invasion in HCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

LPCAT1 expression in HCC tissues and its association with clinical outcomes were investigated by western blotting and bioinformatic methods, respectively. The role of LPCAT1 in migration and invasion was assessed via Transwell assays. The expression pattern of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers was quantified by western blotting. The biological behaviors of LPCAT1 in vivo were evaluated using xenograft tumor models and caudal vein metastatic models. Signaling pathways related to LPCAT1 were predicted using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and further confirmed by western blotting.

RESULTS

LPCAT1 expression was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and indicated a poor prognosis of HCC patients. Several EMT-related markers were found to be regulated by LPCAT1. HCC cells overexpressing LPCAT1 exhibited remarkably high migration and invasion capacities, upregulated expression of mesenchymal markers and reduced E-cadherin expression. In vivo, LPCAT1 promoted HCC pulmonary metastasis. Furthermore, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was confirmed to be activated by LPCAT1.

CONCLUSIONS

LPCAT1 could serve as a promising biomarker of HCC and as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic HCC.

Brusatol inhibits the growth of renal cell carcinoma by regulating the PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Brucea javanica (L.) Merr. is a medicinal herb used in China for the prevention and treatment of diseases such as cancer and malaria. Brusatol was isolated from the seeds of Brucea javanica (L.) Merr, brusatol has a wide range of pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammation and anti-cancer effects.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Renal cell carcinoma is one of the most common urinary system tumours and seriously threatens the lives of patients. We aimed to study the mechanism by which brusatol regulates the growth of renal cancer cells through the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We chose the A498, ACHN, and OSRC-2 cell lines as experimental models. After intervention with brusatol, CCK-8 experiments and plate cloning experiments were used to detect the cell proliferation ability; flow cytometry was used to detect the cell apoptosis rate; scratch and transwell invasion assays were used to detect the cell migration and invasion ability; qRT-PCR and Western blotting was used to detect PTEN, p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, Bax, Bcl2, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, and vimentin relative expression. Then, we knocked down the PTEN gene in the three cell lines and again tested the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion capabilities of each group of cells.

RESULTS

Brusatol significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion and increased the rate of apoptosis of the A498, ACHN, and OSRC-2 cell lines, and brusatol significantly increased the expression of PTEN mRNA and protein, and inhibited the expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT. Moreover, knockdown of PTEN significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of brusatol on the growth of renal cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

Our research results show that brusatol has an effective inhibitory effect on the growth of A498, ACHN, and OSRC-2 renal cancer cell lines, and this effect is likely to be produced by regulating the PTEN/PI3K/AKT signalling pathway.

OIT3 mediates macrophage polarization and facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality; however, effective immunotherapy strategies are limited because of the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Macrophages are essential components of the HCC microenvironment and are related to poor prognosis. Here, we evaluated the attributes of paracancer tissues in tumor immunity and progression using public databases. Based on the abundance of immune cells estimated by CIBERSORT, we performed weighted gene co-expression network analysis and found a specific module associated with M2 macrophages. Through analyzing interaction networks using Cytoscape and public datasets, we identified oncoprotein-induced transcript 3 (OIT3) as a novel marker of M2 macrophages. Overexpression of OIT3 remodeled immune features and reprogrammed the metabolism of M2 macrophages. Moreover, compared with wildtype macrophages, OIT3-overexpressing macrophages further enhanced the migration and invasion of co-cultured cancer cells. Additionally, OIT3-overexpressing macrophages promoted tumorigenesis and cancer development in vivo. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that OIT3 is a novel biomarker of alternatively activated macrophages and facilitates HCC metastasis.

MiR-182-5p inhibits the tumorigenesis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by repressing UBE2T

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2T (UBE2T), a member of the E2 family, has been reported to be overexpressed in certain tumor types and to have an important role in the Fanconi anemia pathway. However, the role of UBE2T in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has not been clarified. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participate in tumorigenesis by binding to genes and proteins that regulate cell proliferation or cell apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine the role of UBE2T and the relationship between miR-182-5p and UBE2T in ccRCC. In the present study, UBE2T expression levels in ccRCC tissues and cells were assessed using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. UBE2T protein expression was assessed in a total of 93 ccRCC patients from Peking University First Hospital (PKU) via immunohistochemistry (IHC). The effects of UBE2T knockdown on ccRCC cells were assessed with MTS assays, wound healing assays, Transwell invasion assays and flow cytometry. The effects of in vivo treatment were evaluated through xenograft experiments. The relationship between miR-182-5p and UBE2T was verified with a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. We found that UBE2T was highly expressed in ccRCC cells and tissues. High UBE2T expression was positively correlated with advanced pathological stage, histological grade, maximum tumor diameter and distant metastasis. Multivariate analysis revealed that UBE2T expression was an independent risk factor for overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with ccRCC. Knockdown of UBE2T significantly suppressed RCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Flow cytometry analysis showed that UBE2T knockdown promoted RCC cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and increased cell apoptosis. The xenograft model confirmed that suppression of UBE2T significantly delayed tumor formation and growth in vivo. In addition, miR-182-5p inhibited UBE2T protein expression by targeting UBE2T mRNA and then inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cell. Our research reveals that UBE2T likely plays a critical role in ccRCC progression and may be a potential therapeutic target for ccRCC.

ErbB2 promotes breast cancer metastatic potential via HSF1/LDHA axis-mediated glycolysis

ErbB2 is overexpressed in approximately 25% of breast cancer cases and promotes metastatic potential. We previously reported that ErbB2 promoted glycolysis via heat shock factor 1 (HSF1)/lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) axis and ErbB2-mediated glycolysis was required for the growth of breast cancer cells. However, the importance of HSF1/LDHA axis-mediated glycolysis in ErbB2-enhanced metastatic potential remains to be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of HSF1/LDHA axis-mediated glycolysis on migration and invasion in breast cancer cells. Firstly, we demonstrated that ErbB2-mediated migration and invasion were dependent on glycolysis in breast cancer cells. Secondly, we found that HSF1/LDHA axis played an important role in glycolysis, which contributed to ErbB2-enhanced migration and invasion. Finally, we showed that ErbB2 was positively correlated with HSF1/LDHA axis in invasive breast cancer patients via GEO analysis. Taken together, ErbB2 promoted metastatic potential of breast cancer cells via HSF1/LDHA axis-mediated glycolysis. And our findings indicated that targeting HSF1/LDHA axis may be a promising strategy to treat ErbB2-overexpressing breast cancer patients.

Role of miR-100-5p and CDC25A in breast carcinoma cells

OBJECTIVE

To inquiry about mechanism of miR-100-5p/CDC25A axis in breast carcinoma (BC), thus offering a new direction for BC targeted treatment.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was employed to explore miR-100-5p and CDC25A mRNA levels. Western blot was employed for detecting protein expression of CDC25A. Targeting relationship of miR-100-5p and CDC25A was verified by dual-luciferase assay. In vitro experiments were used for assessment of cell functions.

RESULTS

In BC tissue and cells, miR-100-5p was significantly lowly expressed (P < 0.05) while CDC25A was highly expressed. Besides, miR-100-5p downregulated CDC25A level. miR-100-5p had a marked influence on the prognosis of patients. The forced miR-100-5p expression hindered BC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and facilitated cell apoptosis. Upregulated miR-100-5p weakened promotion of CDC25A on BC cell growth.

CONCLUSION

Together, these findings unveiled that CDC25A may be a key target of miR-100-5p that mediated progression of BC cells. Hence, miR-100-5p overexpression or CDC25A suppression may contribute to BC diagnosis.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel o-aminobenzamide derivatives as potential anti-gastric cancer agents in vitro and in vivo

Although gastric cancer has become a major public health problem, oral agents applied in clinics for gastric cancer therapy are scarce. Therefore, to explore new oral chemical entities with high efficiency and low toxicity, 41 o-aminobenzamide derivatives based on the scaffolds of MS-275 and SAHA were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their anti-gastric cancer abilities in vitro and in vivo. Structure-activity relationships were discussed, leading to the identification of compounds F8 (IC₅₀ = 0.28 μM against HGC-27 cell) and T9 (IC₅₀ = 1.84 μM against HGC-27 cell) with improved cytotoxicity, anti-gastric cancer proliferation potency, induction of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest ability, inhibition of cell migration and invasion. What is worth mentioning is that compound F8 was more efficient and less toxic than the positive drug capecitabine in vivo on the HGC-27-xenograft model. Meanwhile, compound F8 exhibited suitable pharmacokinetic properties and less acute toxicity (LD₅₀ > 1000 mg/kg). Besides, western blotting analysis, IHC analysis, differentially expressed proteins analysis and ABPP experiment indicated that compound F8 could modulate molecular pathways involved in apoptosis and cell cycle progression. Consequently, compound F8 is a strong candidate for the development of human gastric cancer therapy.

A long noncoding RNA, LncRNA-LOC100127888, is associated with poor prognosis in colorectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. Despite great advances in medical technology, the survival rate of CRC patients is still extremely low, mainly due to recurrence and chemotherapy resistance. Therefore, it is particularly important to find valuable biomarkers to predict the prognosis of CRC.

METHODS

Immunohistochemistry was performed to test the expression of LncA in a CRC tissue microarray containing 470 tumor and corresponding normal tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and a Cox proportional hazard model were used to evaluate the correlation between lncRNA-LOC100127888 (LncA) expression and CRC prognosis. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by CCK-8 and Transwell assays.

RESULTS

The expression of LncA was significantly upregulated in CRC cancer tissues compared with the corresponding noncancer tissues. High LncA expression in cancer tissues was associated with pathological classification, depth of invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM stage and distant metastasis. LncA expression was an unfavorable prognostic factor for CRC patients. Furthermore, LncA combined with clinical variables exhibited synergistic potential for the prediction of CRC prognosis. Low expression of LncA in HT 29 and HCT116 cells could decrease cell proliferation, and the migration and invasion of these cells was inhibited by knockdown of LncA.

CONCLUSION

LncA could be used as an effective biomarker to predict the prognosis of CRC patients. We could predict the prognosis of CRC patients more effectively by combining LncA with clinical indicators.

pylori CagA activates the NLRP3 inflammasome to promote gastric cancer cell migration and invasion

OBJECTIVE

The CagA (cytotoxin-related gene A, CagA) protein is an important factor for the pathogenicity of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori). Although H. pylori has previously been shown to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome, it remains unclear what role CagA plays in this process. In the current study, we aimed to investigate the effect of CagA on NLRP3 activation and how it is linked to gastric cancer cell migration and invasion.

METHODS

CagA positive H. pylori strain (Hp/CagA⁺) and CagA gene knockout mutant (Hp/ΔCagA) infected and the pcDNA3.1/CagA plasmid transfected gastric epithelial cell lines, respectively. The morphological alterations of cells under a microscope; the NLRP3 inflammasome-related markers: NLRP3, caspase-1, and ASC protein levels were detected by Western blot, IL-1β and IL-18 levels were determined by ELISA; cell migration and invasion were determined by transwell assay; and the pyroptosis levels and intracellular ROS were determined by flow cytometry analysis. Then, pretreated with 5 mM NAC for 2 h and subsequently transfected with the pcDNA3.1/CagA plasmid for 48 h, the effects of NAC pretreatment on CagA-induced NLRP3 inflammasome-related markers expression and cell pyroptosis were examined, finally assessed the effect of CagA on migration and invasion in NLRP3-silenced cells.

RESULTS

We found that Hp/CagA⁺ strain infection and pcDNA3.1/CagA vector transfection result in NLRP3 inflammasome activation, generation of intracellular ROS, and increased invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells. Moreover, we found that ROS inhibition via NAC effectively blocks NLRP3 activation and pyroptosis. Silencing of NLRP3 reduces the effects of CagA on gastric cancer cell migration and invasion.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that CagA can promote the invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells by activating NLRP3 inflammasome pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the mechanism of gastric cancer induction by H. pylori.

MiR-552-3p facilitated cell proliferation, migration and invasion by sponging Fibulin 5 in non-small cell lung cancer via activation of ERK/GSK3β/β-catenin signaling pathway

Apart from the fact that miR-552-3p is known to promote cell progression among various cancers, its function on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is unknown which therefore emerges as the purpose of this research. TargetScan, Starbase, miRWalk, miRDB and the Cancer Genome Atlas Lung Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUAD) were utilized to analyze the target genes of miR-552-3p. NSCLC cells were transfected with miR-552-3p mimic, miR-552-3p inhibitor, Fibulin 5 (FBLN5) overexpression plasmid, and small interfering FBLN5 (siFBLN5) and treated with extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) pathway inhibitor PD98059. MiR-552-3p, FBLN5, p-ERK, ERK, p-glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) and β-catenin levels were detected through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blot. The binding sites between miR-552-3p and FBLN5 were predicted by TargetScan, which was tested through dual luciferase reporter analysis. Cell viability, migration and invasion were determined by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, wound healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. MiR-552-3p expression was upregulated in NSCLC and FBLN5 functioned as its target. MiR-552-3p mimic promoted proliferation, migration, invasion, p-ERK, p-GSK3β and β-catenin expressions in NSCLC cells while miR-552-3p inhibitor did the opposite. Overexpressed FBLN5 suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, p-ERK, p-GSK3β and β-catenin expressions in NSCLC cells whereas siFBLN5 exerted the effects opposite to overexpressed FBLN5. PD98059 enhanced the effect of overexpressed FBLN5 on NSCLC cell migration and invasion while reversing the effect of siFBLN5. MiR-552-3p facilitated cell proliferation, migration and invasion in NSCLC through sponging FBLN5 via activation of ERK/GSK3β/β-catenin pathway.

19-Hydroxybufalin inhibits non-small cell lung cancer cell proliferation and promotes cell apoptosis via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Background

Bufadienolides derived from the skin of toads are often regarded as the main active components with antitumor effects. 19-Hydroxybufalin (19-HB) is a monomer of bufadienolides; however, its effects and underlying molecular mechanisms on tumor growth remain to be ascertained. In this report, we focused on the antitumor effects of 19-HB on non-small cell lung cancer to provide a scientific basis for its further development and utilization.

Methods

The antitumor effects of 19-HB on the human NSCLC cell lines NCI-H1299 and NCI-H838 were examined in vitro. The cells were treated with different concentrations of 19-HB, and the inhibition of cell growth was measured by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Furthermore, cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, JC-1 staining, and western blotting. The effects on migration and invasion were evaluated by wound-healing assay, transwell assay, and western blotting. Finally, the antitumor effects of 19-HB were evaluated in vivo using a xenograft mouse model.

Results

19-HB-treated NSCLC cells showed inhibited cell viability and increased apoptosis. The expression levels of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved-PARP, and Bax/Bcl-2 were upregulated, while the mitochondrial membrane potential decreased. In contrast, migration, invasion, as well as the expression of MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, the epithelial–mesenchymal transition-related proteins N-cadherin and Vimentin, and the transcription factors Snail and Slug were inhibited. Furthermore, the expression levels of the key molecules in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway (CyclinD1, c-Myc, and β-catenin) were decreased. In vivo, the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice was also significantly inhibited by 19-HB, and there were no significant changes in biochemical indicators of hepatic and renal function.

Conclusions

19-HB inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of NSCLC cells via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In addition, 19-HB inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice with little toxicity to the liver and kidney. Thus, 19-HB may be a potential antitumor agent for treating NSCLC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40164-021-00243-0.

Uvangoletin, extracted from Sarcandra glabra, exerts anticancer activity by inducing autophagy and apoptosis and inhibiting invasion and migration on hepatocellular carcinoma cells

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Uvangoletin is a dihydrochalcone extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal plant Sarcandra glabra. Previous research has showed that uvangoletin could induce leukemia cell death. However, the anticancer effect of uvangoletin on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been clarified.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the anti-cancer effects of uvangoletin on HCC and to explore its underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We measured the anticancer activities of uvangoletin both in vitro and in vivo by MTT assay and HepG2 xenograft model. The effects of uvangoletin on apoptosis, autophagy, migration and invasion were also determined. Apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry method. Autophagy was assessed by immunofluorescence assay. Cell migration and invasion ability were validated by wound healing assay and cultrex® 96 well cell migration/invasion assay. The expression level of relevant proteins and pathways were examined by western blot.

RESULTS

The results of MTT assay and HepG2 xenograft model showed that uvangoletin could inhibit HCC cells proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Uvangoletin could induce HepG2 cell apoptosis as evidence by the increased expression of cleaved caspase 3, caspase 8 and Bax while decreased Bcl-2 expression. Wound healing assay and transwell assay showed that uvangoletin inhibited HepG2 cells migration and invasion and reduced vimentin, MMP9, MMP2 expression. Uvangoletin also promoted autophagy in HepG2 cells as confirmed by the accumulation of GFP-LC3 puncta. Autophagy inhibitors like 3-MA or CQ could suppress uvangoletin-induced apoptosis. Importantly, uvangoletin-induced anti-EMT effect was also attenuated after autophagy inhibitors added in. Mechanistically, the expressions of p-JNK, p-ERK, p-p38, p-AKT, p-p70S6k and p-mTOR were significantly decreased after uvangoletin treatment.

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that uvangoletin could induce apoptotic and autophagic cell death, inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis on HepG2 cells through Akt/mTOR, MAPK and TGFβ/Smad2 signal pathways.

Overexpressed versican promoted cell multiplication, migration and invasion in gastric cancer

Versican (VCAN) is verified to promote development among many cancers, whose function on gastric cancer (GC) is less studied. This work explored the effect of VCNA on GC. The differentially expressed VCAN between tumor and normal samples, among different cancer stages and the overall survival of GC patients with high and low VCAN levels were predicted through Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2). The association between VCAN and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed by clinical investigation. AGS and NCI-N87 cells were transfected with VCAN short hairpin RNA (shVCAN) and VCAN overexpression plasmid. The VCNA, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E, E-Cadherin, N-Cadherin and Vimentin expression was detected through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot. Cell viability was assessed through MTT assay. Cell migration was measured by wound healing assay and cell invasion was evaluated through Transwell assay. Cell cycle was determined by flow cytometry assay. VCAN was upregulated in GC and its high expression related to advanced TNM stage, Lymph node metastasis, Depth of invasion and Grade. VCAN knockdown inhibited multiplication, migration, invasion, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E, N-Cadherin and Vimentin expression while induced cycle arrest and E-Cadherin level of GC cells, whereas overexpressed VCAN showed opposite results. VCAN had a potential to be a biomarker for GC and overexpressed VCAN promoted GC cell multiplication, migration and invasion.

Lnc-STYK1-2 regulates bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting miR-146b-5p expression and AKT/STAT3/NF-kB signaling

Background

Epigenetic modulation by noncoding RNAs substantially contributes to human cancer development, but noncoding RNAs involvement in bladder cancer remains poorly understood. This study investigated the role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) lnc-STYK1-2 in tumorigenesis in cancerous bladder cells.

Methods

Differential lncRNA and mRNA profiles were characterized by high-throughput RNA sequencing combined with validation via quantitative PCR. Bladder cancer cell proliferation was assessed through MTS, and bladder cancer cell migration and invasion were assessed through a Transwell system. The in vivo tumorigenesis of bladder cancer cells was evaluated using the cancer cell line-based xenograft model. The dual-luciferase reporter assay verified the association of miR-146b-5p with lnc-STYK1-2 and the target gene. Protein abundances and phosphorylation were detected by Western blotting.

Results

Alterations in lncRNA profiles, including decreased lnc-STYK1-2 expression, were detected in bladder cancer tissues compared with adjacent noncancerous tissues. lnc-STYK1-2 silencing effectively promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in two bladder cancer cell lines, 5637 and T24, and their tumorigenesis in nude mice. lnc-STYK1-2 siRNA promoted miR-146b-5p and reduced ITGA2 expression in bladder cancer cells. Moreover, miR-146b-5p suppressed ITGA2 expression in bladder cancer cells through direct association. Also, lnc-STYK1-2 directly associated with miR-146b-5p. Finally, miR-146b-5p inhibitors abrogated the alterations in bladder cell functions, ITGA2 expression, and phosphorylation of AKT, STAT3, and P65 proteins in 5637 and T24 cells induced by lnc-STYK1-2 silencing.

Conclusion

lnc-STYK1-2 inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and tumorigenesis by targeting miR-146b-5p to regulate ITGA2 expression and AKT/STAT3/NF-kB signaling.

[LncRNA ASB16-AS1 regulates the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting miR-1258]

Objective: To investigate the effects of long-chain non-coding RNA ASB16 antisense RNA1 (ASB16-AS1) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting microRNA (miR )-1258. Methods: Forty pairs of esophageal cancer tissues and matched adjacent tissues (distance of tumor margin>3 cm) resected in Xinxiang Central Hospital from May 2016 to July 2017 were collected. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258 in esophageal cancer tissues and adjacent tissues. The small interfering RNA negative control (si-NC), ASB16-AS1 small interfering RNA (si-ASB16-AS1), miR-negative control mimics (miR-NC), miR-1258 mimics (miR-1258), si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-NC, si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-1258, si-ASB16-AS1 and anti-miR-1258 were transfected into Eca109 cells, respectively. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) was utilized to detect the cell viability. Transwell assays were applied to detect cell migration and invasion. Double luciferase reporting experiment and qRT-PCR were used to confirm the relationship between ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258. Results: The expression levels of ASB16-AS1 and miR-1258 in esophageal cancer tissues were 2.95±0.27 and 0.62±0.06, respectively. Compared with 1.00±0.06 and 1.00±0.07 in adjacent tissues, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the si-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.81±0.07 and 1.15±0.11, while those of si-ASB16-AS1 group were 0.46±0.04 and 0.62±0.06 (P<0.05). The numbers of cell migration and invasion in the si-NC group were 86.32±8.24 and 71.29±7.15, respectively, while those of si-ASB16-AS1 group were 43.22±4.31 and 32.36±3.58, respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the miR-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.84±0.08, 1.18±0.12, while those of miR-1258 group were 0.55±0.05, 0.71±0.07 (P<0.05). The migration and invasion numbers of the miR-NC group were (83.15±8.31) and (75.33±7.51), while those of miR-1258 group were (49.58±4.23) and (38.42±3.84), respectively, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). The cell viability of the si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-NC group at 48 h and 72 h were 0.45±0.04, 0.61±0.06, while those of si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-1258 group were 0.72±0.07, 0.98±0.08; The migration and invasion numbers of cells in the si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-NC group were 44.36±4.41 and 31.69±3.85, respectively, while those of si-ASB16-AS1+ anti-miR-1258 group were 72.65±7.27 and 61.22±6.14, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). ASB16-AS1 targeted negative regulation of miR-1258 expression. Conclusions: ASB16-AS1 upregulates in esophageal cancer. ASB16-AS1 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of esophageal cancer cells by targeting miR-1258.

LINC00665 promotes the viability, migration and invasion of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells by targeting miR-101 via modulating PI3K/Akt pathway

T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a high-risk malignancy. The effects of cancer growth-related Long Intergenic Non-Protein Coding RNA 665 (LINC00665) in T-ALL remained obscure, and therefore further exploration was conducted on that in this study. The expression of LINC00665 in acute myeloid leukemia (LAML) tissues and myeloid tissues was analyzed using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) 2. The target microRNA (miR) of LINC00665 was predicted by LncBase Predicted v.2 and verified using dual-luciferase reporter assay. After LINC00665 and miR-101 in T-ALL cells were overexpressed or silenced, the viability, migration and invasion of cell were detected using cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays. The expressions of LINC00665, miR-101, Cyclin D1, Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)-2, MMP-9, phosphorylated (p)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), PI3K, p-Akt, Akt were detected by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. High expression of LINC00665 was presented in LAML tissues, the peripheral blood samples from patients with T-ALL and T-ALL cells. Overexpression of LINC00665 promoted the viability, migration and invasion of T-ALL cells and downregulated miR-101 expression, whereas silencing of LINC00665 did oppositely. MiR-101 could competitively bind to LINC00665, and was low-expressed in T-ALL. MiR-101 mimic inhibited viability, migration and invasion of T-ALL cells, and reversed effects of overexpressed LINC00665, whilst miR-101 inhibitor reversed the effects of LINC00665 silencing. Besides, overexpressed LINC00665 upregulated the expressions of Cyclin D1 MMP-2, and MMP-9 and the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt, which were reversed by miR-101 mimic. LINC00665 could enhance the viability, migration and invasion abilities of T-ALL cells by targeting miR-101 via activating PI3K/Akt pathway.

Protocadherin alpha 3 inhibits lung squamous cell carcinoma metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

BACKGROUND

Lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) is associated with poor clinical prognosis and lacks available targeted therapy. Given that the major threat of cancer is metastasis, delineation of the molecular mechanism underlying it would help devise therapeutic strategies.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the functional role of protocadherin alpha 3 (PCDHA3) in LUSC, as well as investigate the underlying molecular mechanism.

METHODS

Data for PCDHA3 expression and clinical information in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were extracted and analyzed in the UALCAN platform. Expression levels of PCDHA3 in LUSC cell lines were analyzed via RT-PCR and western blot. Overexpression of PCDHA3 was conducted via plasmid transfection. CCK-8 and cell cycle assays were utilized to investigate effect of PCDHA3 on cell proliferation. Transwell assay was used to detect migration and invasion. The underlying mechanism was demonstrated via western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Our data indicate that PCDHA3 was low expressed in three kinds of LUSC cell lines and best in H520 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of PCDHA3 could significantly impair LUSC cells proliferation, invasion and migration. Moreover, PCHDA3 repressed the biomarkers of mesenchymal (N-cadherin, fibronectin and vimentin) and increased expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and α-catenin). On the other hand, PCDHA3 overexpression partially blocked epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

CONCLUSIONS

PCDHA3 suppressed the LUSC cells proliferation, invasion and migration via inhibiting the expression of EMT signatures, suggesting that PCDHA3 could serve as a valuable therapeutic target for LUSC therapy.

Luteolin inhibits the proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion of choroidal melanoma cells in vitro

Choroidal melanoma is a devastating disease that causes visual loss and a high mortality rate due to metastasis. Luteolin, a potential anticancer compound, is widely found in natural plants. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiproliferative, antiadhesive, antimigratory and anti-invasive effects of luteolin on choroidal melanoma cells in vitro and to explore its potential mechanism. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays, Cell adhesion, migration, and invasion assays were performed to examine the inhibitory effects of luteolin on cell cell viability, proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion capacities, respectively. Considering the correlation between Matrix metalloenzymes and tumor metastasis, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) were used to assess matrix metalloproteases MMP-2 and MMP-9 secretion. Western blotting was performed to detect p-PI3K P85, Akt, and p-Akt protein expression. The cytoskeletal proteins vimentin were observed with cell immunofluorescence staining. Luteolin can inhibit OCM-1 cell proliferation, migration, invasion and adhesion and C918 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, Luteolin may have potential as a therapeutic medication for Choroidal melanoma.

miR-129-5p inhibits clear cell renal cell carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting SPN

Objective

Our study aims to investigate the mechanism of the miR-129-5p/SPN axis in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), providing a novel direction for the targeted therapy of ccRCC.

Methods

Bioinformatics methods were implemented to find the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with ccRCC from TCGA database. qRT-PCR was performed to detect miR-129-5p and SPN mRNA expression, while western bot was carried out for the detection of protein expression of SPN. Bioinformatics analysis was used to predict the binding sites of miR-129-5p on SPN 3’UTR, while dual-luciferase assay was conducted to verify their binding relationship. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay and Transwell assay were employed to measure ccRCC cell proliferative ability, cell formation ability, cell migratory and invasive abilities. Flow cytometry was implemented to assess cell cycle and apoptosis.

Results

miR-129-5p exhibited a significantly down-regulated expression level in ccRCC, while SPN showed a remarkably up-regulated expression level. Overexpressed miR-129-5p inhibited ccRCC cell proliferative, invasive and migratory capacities while induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase and promoted cell apoptosis. Dual-luciferase assay confirmed that there was a binding relationship between miR-129-5p and SPN. Moreover, overexpressed miR-129-5p remarkably reduced SPN expression in cancer cells, weakened the promoting effect of SPN on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle progress, and led to enhanced cell apoptotic activity.

Conclusions

Our study proves the regulatory effect of the miR-129-5p/SPN axis in ccRCC, and provides a novel potential target for precise treatment of patients with ccRCC.

Migration and invasion of NSCLC suppressed by the downregulation of Src/focal adhesion kinase using single, double and tetra domain anti- CEACAM6 antibodies

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Overexpression of CEACAM 6 involved in the development of non-small cell lung cancer.

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Anti-CEACAM 6 antibodies with different valences can be used to target CEACAM 6 overexpressing tumor cells.

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Tetravalent sdAb (4Ab) showed significant effect on cell viability.

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High affinity anti-CEACAM 6 antibodies potentially inhibited migration via src/FAK pathway.

Carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecules 6 (CEACAM6) is a cell adhesion receptor. Expression of CEACAM6 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) associated with tumor progression and metastatic condition via Src/FAK signaling pathway. We established three anti-CEACAM6 antibodies with valences, which were designed to be monomeric sdAb, bivalent sdAb (2Ab), and tetravalent sdAb (4Ab). The anti-CEACAM6 antibodies can be used to target CEACAM6 overexpressing NSCLC. Anti-CEACAM6 antibodies, sdAb, 2Ab and 4Ab, were modified with different valency via protein engineering. sdAb and multivalent sdAbs (2Ab & 4Ab) were expressed and purified from E.coli and CHO cells, respectively. We compared the effect of anti-CEACAM6 antibodies with doxorubicin in NSCLC cell line both in vitro and in vivo. The 4Ab showed significant effect on cell viability. In addition, A549 cells treated with 2Ab and 4Ab inhibited the invasion and migration. In western blot, the 2Ab and 4Ab showed significant inhibition of phospho FAK domain Ty397 that is essential for activation of Src kinase family. Meanwhile, overall protein analysis revealed that 2Ab and 4Ab potently inhibited the phosphorylation of pSRC, pERK, pFAK, pAKT, MMP-2, MMP-9 and N-cadherin. Anti-tumor effect was observed in an A549 NSCLC xenograft model treated with 2Ab or 4Ab compared with doxorubicin. Confocal analysis showed higher targeting ability of 4Ab than that of 2Ab at 4 h incubation. Our data suggests that 2Ab and 4Ab inhibits EMT-mediated migration and invasion via suppression of Src/FAK signaling, which exhibits therapeutic efficiency for NSCLC treatment.

[Effects of silencing circRNA ABCB10 expression on biological properties of colorectal cancer cells]

Objective: To investigate the expression of circular ribonucleic acid ABCB10 (circABCB10) in colorectal cancer tissues and cells and its effects on cell biological behavior, radiosensitivity and growth of subcutaneous xenografts. Methods: The tumor tissue and adjacent tissue from colorectal cancer patients treated in Henan People's Hospital were collected from January 2018 to December 2018. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to detect the expressions of circABCB10 and miR-217, cell viability was detected by 3-(4, 5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H tetrazolium bromide (MTT), cell apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry, cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell method, cell radiosensitivity was detected by colony formation assay. The downstream miRNAs of circABCB10 were predicted by Circular RNA Interactome and verified by the dual luciferase reporter gene experiment. The effect of circABCB10 on the growth of transplanted tumor was examined in nude mice. Results: The expression level of circABCB10 mRNA in colorectal cancer tissues was (3.97±2.12), higher than (1.13±0.64) in adjacent tissues (P<0.05). The expression level of circABCB10 mRNA in FHC cells was (1.00±0.09), lower than that (4.53±0.44) in SW480, (3.12±0.32) in HCT116 and (3.51±0.36) in HT29 cells, respectively (all P<0.05). The MTT results showed that the absorbance values of SW480 cells in si-circABCB10-1 group at 48 and 72 hours after transfection were (0.36±0.04) and (0.43±0.04), lower than (0.48±0.05) and (0.82±0.08) in circ-negative control (NC) group, respectively (all P<0.05). The number of migrating cells and invasive cells in si-circABCB10-1 group were (45±8) and (34±7), lower than (106±21) and (84±15) in circ-NC group, respectively (all P<0.01). The radiosensitization ratio was 1.632. The results of subcutaneous transplantation assay showed that the tumor volume and tumor weight of the si-circABCB10-1 group were significantly lower than circ-NC group after 8 days of inoculation ( all P<0.05). MiR-217 is a target gene of circABCB10. Inhibition of miR-217 reversed the inhibitory effect of circABCB10 silencing on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and subcutaneous xenograft growth in nude mice and the radiosensitization activity. Conclusion: Silence of circABCB10 can up-regulate the expression of miR-217 to inhibit the proliferation, migration, invasion and growth of subcutaneous xenografts and increase the radiosensitivity of SW480 cells, which reveals the underlying molecular mechanism of colorectal cancer progression and provides a new sensitizing target for clinical radiotherapy of colorectal cancer.

B3GNT3 acts as a carcinogenic factor in endometrial cancer via facilitating cell growth, invasion and migration through regulating RhoA/RAC1 pathway-associated markers

BACKGROUND

Aberrant expression of beta-1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-3 (B3GNT3) has been frequently clarified in various cancers, however, its role in endometrial cancer (EC) has not been assessed in detail.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the biological role of B3GNT3 in EC and simply explored the detailed mechanism.

METHODS

The EC RNA-Seq dataset from TCGA database was applied to evaluate the expression of B3GNT3 and assess its role on prognostic value. HEC-1-A and KLE cell lines of EC were used to perform loss- and gain-of-function B3GNT3 assays respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein levels of indicated molecules respectively. Cell counting kit-8, clone formation tests, and Transwell assay served to determine the changes of proliferative, invasive and migratory abilities of EC cells after altering the expression of B3GNT3.

RESULTS

B3GNT3 was found to be highly expressed in EC tissues compared to normal tissues according to the online public databases, which confirmed by the following qRT-PCR in 3 EC cell lines. Besides, high B3GNT3 expression presented a worse overall survival in EC patients as compared with low B3GNT3 expression group. Furthermore, functional experiments in vitro indicated that B3GNT3 could facilitate the cell growth, invasion and migration. Moreover, we found that downregulation of B3GNT3 significantly reduced the expression level of GTP-RhoA and GTP-RAC1, whereas upregulation of B3GNT3 presented the opposite results.

CONCLUSION

The results of current study demonstrate that B3GNT3 acts as an oncogene that promotes EC cells growth, invasion and migration possibly through regulating the RhoA/RAC1 signaling pathway-related markers, suggesting that B3GNT3 may be a candidate biomarker for EC therapeutic intervention.

Norepinephrine inhibits migration and invasion of human glioblastoma cell cultures possibly via MMP-11 inhibition

PURPOSE

Growing evidence has shown that the stress hormones affect tumor progression. Patients with surgery to remove tumor often have increased norepinephrine during the perioperative period. However, the effect of norepinephrine on the progression of glioblastoma has not yet studied. Therefore, the present study aimed at investigating the effects of norepinephrine on the migration and invasion of the human glioblastoma U87 and U251 cell lines and the mechanism for the effects.

METHODS

The U87 and U251 cells were treated with 0, 0.1, 1, 5, 10 or 50 μM norepinephrine. A scratch wound healing assay and a transwell invasion assay were used to investigate cell migration and invasion, respectively. The Human Tumor Metastasis RT² Profiler PCR Array was used to detect the expression of 84 genes known to be involved in metastasis.

RESULTS

Following norepinephrine treatment, the ability of the U87 and U251 cells to migrate and invade was significantly decreased. Human Tumor Metastasis RT² Profiler PCR Array assay showed that matrix metallopeptidase-11 (MMP-11) was decreased following norepinephrine treatment. The β-adrenergic receptor blocker (AR) propranolol blunted the suppressive effect of norepinephrine on the migration and invasion of U251 cells but did not have such an effect on the invasion of U87 cells. MMP-11 silencing inhibited the migration and invasion of U87 and U251 cells. The Cancer Genome Atlas data showed that patients with higher expression of MMP-11 in the glioblastoma tissues had poorer prognosis.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicate that norepinephrine inhibits the migration and invasion of human glioblastoma cells. This effect may be mediated by the decrease of MMP-11. β-AR may be a regulatory factor for this effect in U251 cells.

CDCA4 suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transtion (EMT) and metastasis in Non-small cell lung cancer through modulating autophagy

BACKGROUND

Cell division cycle associated 4 (CDCA4) has been reported to be engaged into the progression of several cancers. The function of CDCA4 in Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was unknown. We aimed to explore the critical role of CDCA4 in NSCLC.

METHODS

CDCA4 stably knocking down and overexpression cell lines were established and Western blotting assay was applied to measure relevant protein expression of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transtion (EMT) and cell autophagy. Staining of acidic vacuoles, transmission electron microscopy and immunofluorescence staining were employed to detect autophagy. The ability of cells to migrate and invade were detected by Transwell migration and invasion assays. The interaction of CDCA4 with CARM1 was identified by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting analysis.

RESULTS

In the present study, it was found that inhibition of CDCA4 induced EMT, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells while inhibiting autophagy of NSCLC cells. Meanwhile, overexpression of CDCA4 in NSCLC cells showed the opposite function. More importantly, the inhibition of autophagy could promote the EMT, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells, which should be impaired via the activation of autophagy. In addition, CDCA4-inhibited EMT, migration and invasion could be partially aggravated by autophagy activator, rapamycin, and reversed by autophagy inhibitor, 3-MA. Correspondingly, the application of rapamycin or 3-MA to CDCA4 knockdown cells showed the opposite effects. Further investigation suggested that CDCA4 could interact with coactivator associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1). Autophagy was induced while cell migration and invasion were inhibited in CARM1 knockdown cells. CDCA4 could suppress the protein expression CARM1 and knocking down of CARM1 could alter cell autophagy, migratory and invasive abilities regulated by CDCA4.

CONCLUSION

All data indicated that CDCA4 inhibited the EMT, migration and invasion of NSCLC via interacting with CARM1 to modulate autophagy.

AFF4 facilitates melanoma cell progression by regulating c-Jun activity

Melanoma is characterized by high mortality and poor prognosis due to metastasis. AFF4 (AF4/FMR2 family member 4), as a scaffold protein, is a component of the super elongation complex (SEC), and is involved in the progression of tumors, e.g., leukemia, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, few studies on AFF4 have focused on melanoma. Here, AFF4 expression levels and clinicopathological features were evaluated in melanoma tissue samples. Then, we performed cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays in A375 and A2058 cells lines in vitro to evaluate the role of AFF4 in melanoma. The effects of AFF4 knockdown in vivo were characterized via a xenograft mouse model. Finally, the correlation between c-Jun and AFF4 protein levels in melanoma was analyzed by rescue assay and immunohistochemistry (IHC). We found that AFF4 expression was upregulated in melanoma tumor tissues and that AFF4 protein expression was also closely related to the prognosis of patients with cutaneous melanoma. Moreover, AFF4 could promote the invasion and migration of melanoma cells by mediating epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT). AFF4 might regulate c-Jun activity to promote the invasion and migration of melanoma cells. Importantly, c-Jun was regulated by the AFF4 promoted melanoma tumorigenesis in vivo. Taken together, AFF4 may be a novel oncogene that promotes melanoma progression through regulation of c-Jun activity.

circPARD3 drives malignant progression and chemoresistance of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by inhibiting autophagy through the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway

Background

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the second most common malignant tumor in head and neck. Autophagy and circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in cancer progression and chemoresistance. However, the function and mechanism of circRNA in autophagy regulation of LSCC remain unclear.

Methods

The autophagy-suppressive circRNA circPARD3 was identified via RNA sequencing of 107 LSCC tissues and paired adjacent normal mucosal (ANM) tissues and high-content screening. RT-PCR, Sanger sequencing, qPCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to detect circPARD3 expression and subcellular localization. Biological functions of circPARD3 were assessed by proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagic flux, and chemoresistance assays using in vitro and in vivo models. The mechanism of circPARD3 was investigated by RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pulldown, luciferase reporter assays, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

Autophagy was inhibited in LSCC, and circPARD3 was upregulated in the LSCC tissues (n = 100, p < 0.001). High circPARD3 level was associated with advanced T stages (p < 0.05), N stages (p = 0.001), clinical stages (p < 0.001), poor differentiation degree (p = 0.025), and poor prognosis (p = 0.002) of LSCC patients (n = 100). Functionally, circPARD3 inhibited autophagy and promoted LSCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion and chemoresistance. We further revealed that activation of the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway through sponging miR-145-5p was the main mechanism of circPARD3 inhibited autophagy, promoting LSCC progression and chemoresistance.

Conclusion

Our study reveals that the novel autophagy-suppressive circPARD3 promotes LSCC progression and chemoresistance through the PRKCI-Akt-mTOR pathway, providing new insights into circRNA-mediated autophagy regulation and potential biomarker and target for LSCC treatment.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-020-01279-2.

Hypomethylated SPANXA1/A2 promotes the metastasis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The aberrant expression of SPANXA1/A2 (sperm protein associated with the nucleus on the X-chromosome, family members A1/A2) has been observed in multi types of cancers. However, the roles of SPANXA1/A2 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain largely unknown. The expression of SPANXA1/A2 was evaluated via analyzing UCSC XENA and GEO databases. To dissect the underlying cause of silencing SPANXA1/A2-mediated suppression, cell migration and invasion were detected in SPANXA1/A2 manipulated cell lines. Western blot was performed to evaluate EMT-related factors. The methylation microarray data of SPANXA1/A2 in HNSCC from the UCSC XENA database were used to identify whether aberrant overexpressed SPANXA1/A2 is induced by aberrant DNA methylation. SPANXA1/A2 was highly expressed in tumor tissues and associated with poor survival of patients with HNSCC. Knockdown of SPANXA1/A2 inhibited migration and invasion abilities in both Cal-27 and SCC-9 cells through epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) suppression. The SPANXA1/A2 expression negatively related to its DNA methylation level. SPANXA1/A2 DNA hypomethylation was associated with metastatic stage and poor survival of patients with HNSCC. A dose-dependent increase of SPANXA1/A2 mRNA was observed in both cal-27 and SCC-9 cells after treatment with 5-AZA-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR). We demonstrated that knockdown of SPANXA1/A2 obviously inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion through EMT suppression. DNA hypomethylation might be responsible for the aberrant SPANXA1/A2 overexpressing. SPANXA1/A2 may be used as a diagnosed and independent prognosis indicator of HNSCC, and knockdown of SPANXA1/A2 may present a new gene-based therapy for HNSCC.