The role of TAOK3 in cancer progression and development as a prognostic marker: A pan-cancer analysis study

The protein kinase TAOK3, belongs to the MAP kinase family, is one of three closely related members, namely TAOK1, TAOK2, and TAOK3. We performed a pan-cancer investigation of TAOK3 across different cancer types, including uterine carcinosarcoma, adenocarcinoma of the stomach and pancreas, and endometrial carcinoma of the uterus, to better understand TAOK3's role in cancer. In at least 16 types of cancer, our findings indicate that TAOK3 expression levels differ considerably between normal and tumor tissues. In addition, our study is the first to identify the oncogenic role of TAOK3 locus S331 and S471 in renal clear cell carcinoma, Glioblastoma Multiforme, hepatocellular carcinoma, Lung adenocarcinoma, and Pancreatic adenocarcinoma, indicating their involvement in cancer progression. In addition, our data analysis indicates that copy number variation is the most prevalent form of mutation in the TAOK3 gene, and that there is a negative correlation between TAOK3 mRNA and DNA promoter methylation. Moreover, our analysis suggests that TAOK3 may serve as a prognostic marker for several kinds of cancer, including Colon adenocarcinoma, renal clear cell carcinoma, Lower Grade Glioma, Lung adenocarcinoma, Mesothelioma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, our research on signature cancer genes has uncovered a positive association between TAOK3 and SMAD2, SMAD4, and RNF168 in most of the malignancies we have examined. TAOK3 is also correlated with the frequency of mutations and microsatellite instability in four types of cancer. Numerous immune-related genes are closely associated with TAOK3 levels in numerous malignancies. TAOK3 expression is positively correlated with immune infiltrates, which include activated CD4 T cells, CD8 T cells, and type 2T helper cells. Our pan-cancer analysis of TAOK3 provides vital insight into its potential role across a variety of cancer types.

In vivo and in vitro Evaluation of Cytokine Expression Profiles During Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Infection

Background

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) first emerged in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is associated with a high mortality rate.

Aim

To determine the effect of MERS-CoV on the immune response in infected patients and investigate cytokine production in the A549 epithelial cell line in response to a recombinant MERS-CoV spike protein (rSP) in the presence or absence of anti-dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) antibody (3 independent experiments). Cytokine levels were measured using a cytokine ELISA array.

Methods

A Bio-Plex multiplex assay and cytokine ELISA were used in our study to measure the cytokine levels.

Results

Comparative analysis of MERS-CoV-infected patients (4 samples) and noninfected healthy controls (HCs) (5 samples) showed that serum levels of the following cytokines and chemokines were significantly higher in MERS-CoV patients than in the HCs (*p < 0.05): interferon (IFN)-α2 (43.4 vs 5.4), IFN-β (17.7 vs 6.2), IFN-γ (43.4 vs 9.7), interleukin (IL)-8 (13.7 vs 0), IL-2 (11.2 vs 3), IL-27p28 (57.8 vs 13.8), and IL-35 (167.5 vs 87.5).

Discussion

Our results revealed that MERS-CoV infection induced a slight increase in IFN levels but triggered a more pronounced increase in expression of the regulatory cytokines IL-27 and IL-35. A recombinant version of the full-length MERS-CoV spike protein increased the expression of IL-8 (160 pg/mL), IL-2 (100 pg/mL) and IL-12 (65 pg/mL) in A549 lung epithelial cells compared to that in the unstimulated control cells. The presence of anti-DPP4 antibody did not affect cytokine suppression or induction in A549 cells in vitro but decreased the level of IL-8 from 160 pg/mL to 65 pg/mL.

Conclusion

MERS-CoV can decrease IFN levels to interfere with the IFN pathway and enhance the production of regulatory cytokines. Inhibition of the increases in IL-27 and IL-35 may contribute to halting MERS-CoV in the early stage of infection.

The effect of human placental chorionic villi derived mesenchymal stem cell on triple-negative breast cancer hallmarks

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can influence the tumour microenvironment (TEM) and play a major role in tumourigenesis. Triple-negative [Ostrogen receptor (ER-), Progesterone receptor (PgR-), and HER2/neu receptor (HER2-)] breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive class of BC characterized by poor prognosis and lacks the benefit of routinely available targeted therapies. This study aims to investigate the effect of human placental chorionic villi derived MSCs (CVMSCs) on the behavior of TNBC in vitro. This was done by assaying different cancer hallmarks including proliferation, migration and angiogenesis. Cell proliferation rate of TNBC cell line (MDA-MB231) was monitored in real time using the xCELLigence system. Whereas, Boyden chamber migration assay was used to measure MDA-MB231 motility and invasiveness toward CVMSCs. Finally, a three-dimensional (3D) model using a co-culture system of CVMSCs with MDA-MB231 with or without the addition of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was created to assess tumour angiogenesis in vitro. CVMSCs were able to significantly reduce the proliferative and migratory capacity of MDA-MB231 cells. Co-culturing of MDA-MB231 with CVMSCs, not only inhibited the tube formation ability of HUVECs but also reduced the expression of the BC characteristic cytokines; IL-10, IL-12, CXCL9 and CXCL10 of CVMSCs. These results support the hypothesis that CVMSCs can influence the behavior of TNBC cells and provides a basic for a potential therapeutic approach in a pre-clinical settings. The data from this study also highlight the complexity of the in vitro cancer angiogenesis model settings and regulations.

Role of Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 in Spinal Cord Injury-Induced Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain (NP) affects approximately 4 million people in the United States with spinal cord injury (SCI) being a common cause. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an integral role in mediating inflammatory responses, cellular signaling, cell migration, extracellular matrix degradation and tissue remodeling and repair. As such, they are major components in the pathogenesis of secondary injury within the central nervous system. Other gene regulatory pathways, specifically MAPK/extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (ERK) and Wnt/β-catenin, are also believed to participate in secondary injury likely intersect. The study aims to examine the MMP-2 signaling pathway associated with ERK and Wnt/β-catenin activity during contusion SCI (cSCI)-induced NP in a rat model. This is an experimental study investigating the implication of MMP-2 in SCI-induced NP and its association with the cellular and molecular changes in the interactions between extracellular signaling kinase and β-catenin. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats received cSCI injury by NYU impactor by dropping 10 g weight from a height of 12.5 mm. Locomotor functional recovery of injured rats was measured on post cSCI day 1, and weekly thereafter for 6 weeks using Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan scores. Thermal hyperalgesia (TH) testing was performed on days 21, 28, 35 and 42 post cSCI. The expression and/or activity of MMP-2, β-catenin and ERK were studied following harvest of spinal cord tissues between 3 and 6 weeks post cSCI. All experiments were funded by the department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health having no conflict of interest. MMP-2 and β-catenin expression were elevated and gradually increased from days 21 to 42 compared to sham-operated rats and injured rats that did not exhibit TH. The expression of phosphorylated ERK (phospho-ERK) increased on day 21 but returned to baseline levels on day 42 whereas total ERK levels remained relatively unchanged and constant. Chronic NP is associated with changes in the expression of MMP-2, β-catenin and ERK. Our data suggest that the transient upregulation of phospho-ERK is involved in the initial upregulation of both β-catenin and MMP-2 following cSCI-induced NP states.