Pan-cancer analysis of NUP155 and validation of its role in breast cancer cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis.

NUP155 is reported to be correlated with tumor development. However, the role of NUP155 in tumor physiology and the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) has not been previously examined. This study comprehensively investigated the expression, immunological function, and prognostic significance of NUP155 in different cancer types. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that NUP155 was upregulated in 26 types of cancer. Additionally, NUP155 upregulation was strongly correlated with advanced pathological or clinical stages and poor prognosis in several cancers. Furthermore, NUP155 was significantly and positively correlated with DNA methylation, tumor mutational burden, microsatellite instability, and stemness score in most cancers. Additionally, NUP155 was also found to be involved in TIME and closely associated with tumor infiltrating immune cells and immunoregulation-related genes. Functional enrichment analysis revealed a strong correlation between NUP155 and immunomodulatory pathways, especially antigen processing and presentation. The role of NUP155 in breast cancer has not been examined. This study, for the first time, demonstrated that NUP155 was upregulated in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) cells and revealed its oncogenic role in BRCA using molecular biology experiments. Thus, our study highlights the potential value of NUP155 as a biomarker in the assessment of prognostic prediction, tumor microenvironment and immunotherapeutic response in pan-cancer.

Acetyl-bufalin shows potent efficacy against non-small-cell lung cancer by targeting the CDK9/STAT3 signalling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target in cancers. Bufalin is an effective anti-tumour agent; however, the clinical application of bufalin is limited due to its high toxicity. Acetyl-bufalin, the bufalin prodrug, was designed and synthesised with higher efficiency and lower toxicity. METHODS: Three non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, a xenograft model and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model were used to examine the effects of acetyl-bufalin. CDK9/STAT3 involvement was investigated by knockdown with siRNA, proteome microarray assay, western blot analysis and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Acute toxicity test and pharmacokinetics (PK) study were conducted to assess the safety and PK. The human NSCLC tissues were analysed to verify high CDK9 expression. RESULTS: We showed that CDK9 induced NSCLC cell proliferation and that this effect was associated with STAT3 activation, specifically an increase in STAT3 phosphorylation and transcription factor activity. Acetyl-bufalin is an effective and safety inhibitor of the CDK9/STAT3 pathway, leading to the impediment of various oncogenic processes in NSCLC. Molecular docking and high-throughput proteomics platform analysis uncovered acetyl-bufalin directly binds to CDK9. Consequently, acetyl-bufalin impaired the complex formation of CDK9 and STAT3, decreased the expressions of P-STAT3, and transcribed target genes such as cyclin B1, CDC2, MCL-1, Survivin, VEGF, BCL2, and it upregulated the expression levels of BAX and caspase-3 activity. Acetyl-bufalin inhibited tumour growth in NSCLC xenograft and PDX models. CONCLUSIONS: Acetyl-bufalin is a novel blocker of the CDK9/STAT3 pathway thus may have potential in therapy of NSCLC and other cancers.

Alantolactone promotes ER stress-mediated apoptosis by inhibition of TrxR1 in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines and in a mouse model.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with poor clinical outcome and currently no effective targeted therapies are available. Alantolactone (ATL), a sesquiterpene lactone, has been shown to have potential anti-tumour activity against various cancer cells. However, the underlying mechanism and therapeutic effect of ATL in the TNBC are largely unknown. In the present study, we found that ATL suppresses TNBC cell viability by reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and subsequent ROS-dependent endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress both in vitro and in vivo. Thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) expression and activity of were significantly up-regulated in the TNBC tissue specimens compare to the normal adjacent tissues. Further analyses showed that ATL inhibits the activity of TrxR1 both in vitro and in vivo in TNBC and knockdown of TrxR1 in TNBC cells sensitized ATL-induced cell apoptosis and ROS increase. These results will provide pre-clinical evidences that ATL could be a potential therapeutic agent against TNBC by promoting ROS-ER stress-mediated apoptosis through partly targeting TrxR1.

Alantolactone sensitizes human pancreatic cancer cells to EGFR inhibitors through the inhibition of STAT3 signaling.

Several studies have implicated the feedback activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) as a new cancer drug-resistance mechanism and linked it to the failure of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapies. In this study, we discovered that Alantolactone, a natural sesquiterpene lactone, potently inhibited human pancreatic cancer cells and suppressed constitutively activated STAT3. In contrast, Alantolactone had little effect on the EGFR pathway. Moreover, combination of Alantolactone and an EGFR inhibitor, Erlotinib or Afatinib, demonstrated a remarkable synergistic anti-cancer effect against pancreatic cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Our results suggested that Alantolactone could sensitize human pancreatic cancer cells to EGFR inhibitors possibly through down-regulating the STAT3 signaling. Alantolactone, when combined with other EGFR targeted agents, could be further developed as a potential therapy for pancreatic cancer.

Schisandrin B exhibits potent anticancer activity in triple negative breast cancer by inhibiting STAT3.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subgroup of human breast cancer. In this study, we have examined the potential of Schisandrin B (Sch B), a bioactive chemical compound found in Schisandra chinensis, against TNBC. We used MDA-MB-231, BT-549, and MDA-MB-468 TNBC cells and immunodeficient mice to study the effect of Sch B. Our results show that Sch B inhibits TNBC growth by inducing cell cycle arrest and by triggering apoptotic death. Sch B also inhibited the migration and colony formation of tumor cells, and prevented the growth of TNBC cells in mice. We found that these inhibitory activities were mediated through suppression of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation. Taken together, our studies show that Sch B has potent anti-tumor activity against TNBC via a novel mechanism involving STAT3 inactivation.

Increased Intracellular Reactive Oxygen Species Mediates the Anti-Cancer Effects of WZ35 via Activating Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway in Prostate Cancer Cells.

BACKGROUND: The limited treatment option for recurrent prostate cancer and eventual resistant to conventional chemotherapy drugs has fueled continued interest in finding new anti-neoplastic agents. WZ35, a chemical analog of curcumin, had been demonstrated to have high chemical stability and potential anticancer effects in gastric cancer cells. The present study aimed to investigate the anti-prostate cancer effects of WZ35 in vitro and in vivo as well as the underlying mechanism. METHODS: Two prostate cancer cell lines RM-1 and DU145 were utilized to test the anti-cancer effects of WZ35 and the underlying mechanism. MTT assay was used to assess the cytotoxic effect of WZ35. Cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, alteration of ROS, and [Ca2+ ]i level were evaluated using flow cytometry. Western blotting assay was applied to measure the levels of proteins associated with apoptosis and cell cycle. Immunofluorescence staining and Electron micrographs were used to evaluate activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Tumor models in nude mice were induced by injection of RM-1 prostate cancer cells to test the in vivo anticancer action of WZ35. RESULTS: Our results showed that WZ35 treatment induced loss of cell viability, cell apoptosis, and G2/M cycle arrest in both RM-1 and DU145 cells, coupled with ROS overproduction, intracellular calcium surge, and activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway in RM-1 cells. Interestingly, all above changes induced by WZ35 were completely reversed by ROS blockage. In addition, prevention of [Ca2+ ]i elevation by BAPTA/AM also inhibited activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway induced by WZ35. In vivo studies, WZ35 treatment significantly inhibited RM-1 homograft tumor growth along with increased ROS accumulation, mitochondrial disruption, and cell apoptosis in tumor tissues. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this work provides a novel anticancer candidate for the treatment of prostate cancer and demonstrated that increased ROS mediate the anti-cancer effects of WZ35 via activating mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Importantly, this work also reveals that targeting ROS generation might be an effective strategy in human androgen-resistant prostate cancer treatment. Prostate 77:489-504, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Curcumin analog L48H37 induces apoptosis through ROS-mediated endoplasmic reticulum stress and STAT3 pathways in human lung cancer cells.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Curcumin is a well-known natural product with anticancer ability, however, its poor bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles have limited its application in anticancer therapy. Previously, we reported that L48H37, a novel analog of curcumin with higher bioavailability, ameliorated LPS-induced inflammation, but the anticancer effect of L48H37 is still unknown. In the present study, we have investigated the effects of L48H37 in human lung cancer cells. Our results show that L48H37 decreases lung cancer cell growth and colony formation. These alterations were mediated through induction of G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in lung cancer cells. After L48H37 treatment, ER stress-related proteins were increased, and the expression of p-STAT3 was decreased in a dose-dependent manner. L48H37 also induced the accumulation of ROS in lung cancer cells, and pretreatment with NAC could fully reverse L48H37-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) increase. Blocking ROS was able to reverse L48H37-induced endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Finally, we show that L48H37 inhibits the growth of lung cancer xenografts without exhibiting toxicity. Treatment of mice bearing human lung cancer xenografts with L48H37 was also associated with indices of ER stress activation. In summary, our results provide evidence for a novel anti-tumor candidate for the treatment of lung cancer.

A novel STAT3 inhibitor HO-3867 induces cell apoptosis by reactive oxygen species-dependent endoplasmic reticulum stress in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Pancreatic cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy among solid tumors and has shown an increasing trend year by year. Thus, there is an urgent need for the discovery of new anticancer drugs for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. In recent years, it has been reported that the compound HO-3867, a novel analog of the natural product curcumin, showed antitumor activity with low toxicity. However, the underlying mechanism of this compound's attack on cancer cells is not very clear. In the present study, it was found that HO-3867 showed good antitumor activity at the concentration of 2 µmol/l in PANC-1 and BXPC-3 cells. Importantly, it was also found that HO-3867 treatment significantly induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in human pancreatic cancer cell lines, inducing PANC-1 and BXPC-3 cells. Co-treatment with the ROS scavenger, N-acetyl cysteine, partially abrogated HO-3867-induced cell apoptosis. The activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase and endoplasmic reticulum stress indicated a downstream event of ROS generation in mediating the anticancer effect of the HO-3867. In addition, independent of the ROS pathway, direct STAT3 inhibition was observed in HO-3867-induced cell apoptosis. Taken together, the results of this work suggest that both the ROS-dependent ER stress and STAT3 pathways were implicated in the cell apoptosis induced by the novel compound HO-3867.

Demethylzeylasteral exerts potent efficacy against non-small-cell lung cancer via the P53 signaling pathway.

Lung cancer has one of the highest mortality rates worldwide, with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) constituting approximately 85% of all cases. Demethylzeylasteral (DEM), extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F, exhibits notable anti-tumor properties. In this study, we revealed that DEM could effectively induce NSCLC cell apoptosis. Specifically, DEM can dose-dependently suppress the viability and migration of human NSCLC cells. RNA-seq analysis revealed that DEM regulates the P53-signaling pathway, which was further validated by assessing crucial proteins involved in this pathway. Biacore analysis indicated that DEM has high affinity with the P53 protein. The CDX model demonstrated DEM's anti-tumor actions. This work provided evidence that DEM-P53 interaction stabilizes P53 protein and triggers downstream anti-tumor activities. These findings indicate that DEM treatment holds promise as a potential therapeutic approach for NSCLC, which warrants further clinical assessment in patients with NSCLC.

Effectiveness of OK-432 (Sapylin) to reduce seroma formation after axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of seroma formation after axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer cannot be ignored. Various approaches have been used in an effort to reduce it, but these results are still controversial. We aimed to describe a new method of application of OK-432 (Sapylin, heat-treated Su strain of Streptococcus) to reduce seroma formation after axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer and to verify the safety and efficacy of it as a beneficial supplement for conventional surgery. METHODS: A prospective, randomized analysis of consecutive quadrantectomy or mastectomy plus axillary lymphadenectomy using or not using OK-432 was designed. From July 2010 to November 2011, a total of 111 patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized study and completed the follow-up. OK-432 applied to the axillary fossa plus placement of closed suction drainage was used in 54 patients (the experimental group); placement of closed suction drainage was used in 57 patients (the control group). RESULTS: There were no statistical significance between the two groups in terms of age, body mass index, treatment received, tumor size, number of removed lymph nodes, and lymph node status. Postoperative drainage magnitude and duration were significantly reduced in the experimental group (P = 0.008 and 0.003, respectively). One week after hospital discharge, fewer patients developed a palpable seroma in the experimental group: 10 in the experimental group versus 28 in the control group (P = 0.001). Fewer seromas needed aspiration (mean 1 [range 0-3] in the experimental group vs. mean 4 [range 1-5] in the control group; P < 0.001). There were no significant differences in terms of the incidence of complications associated with axillary lymphadenectomy (P = 0.941). CONCLUSIONS: OK-432 is a feasible and safe option for axillary lymphadenectomy for breast cancer. The use of it does not always prevent seroma formation, but it can reduce drainage magnitude and duration, as well as decrease the incidence of seroma after the removal of drainage. It may be increasingly conducted in day surgery clinics.

Prognostic value analysis of cholesterol and cholesterol homeostasis related genes in breast cancer by Mendelian randomization and multi-omics machine learning.

Introduction: The high incidence of breast cancer (BC) prompted us to explore more factors that might affect its occurrence, development, treatment, and also recurrence. Dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism has been widely observed in BC; however, the detailed role of how cholesterol metabolism affects chemo-sensitivity, and immune response, as well as the clinical outcome of BC is unknown. Methods: With Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis, the potential causal relationship between genetic variants of cholesterol and BC risk was assessed first. Then we analyzed 73 cholesterol homeostasis-related genes (CHGs) in BC samples and their expression patterns in the TCGA cohort with consensus clustering analysis, aiming to figure out the relationship between cholesterol homeostasis and BC prognosis. Based on the CHG analysis, we established a CAG_score used for predicting therapeutic response and overall survival (OS) of BC patients. Furthermore, a machine learning method was adopted to accurately predict the prognosis of BC patients by comparing multi-omics differences of different risk groups. Results: We observed that the alterations in plasma cholesterol appear to be correlative with the venture of BC (MR Egger, OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.35-0.84, p<0.006). The expression patterns of CHGs were classified into two distinct groups(C1 and C2). Notably, the C1 group exhibited a favorable prognosis characterized by a suppressed immune response and enhanced cholesterol metabolism in comparison to the C2 group. In addition, high CHG score were accompanied by high performance of tumor angiogenesis genes. Interestingly, the expression of vascular genes (CDH5, CLDN5, TIE1, JAM2, TEK) is lower in patients with high expression of CHGs, which means that these patients have poorer vascular stability. The CAG_score exhibits robust predictive capability for the immune microenvironment characteristics and prognosis of patients(AUC=0.79). It can also optimize the administration of various first-line drugs, including AKT inhibitors VIII Imatinib, Crizotinib, Saracatinib, Erlotinib, Dasatinib, Rapamycin, Roscovitine and Shikonin in BC patients. Finally, we employed machine learning techniques to construct a multi-omics prediction model(Risklight),with an area under the feature curve (AUC) of up to 0.89. Conclusion: With the help of CAG_score and Risklight, we reveal the signature of cholesterol homeostasis-related genes for angiogenesis, immune responses, and the therapeutic response in breast cancer, which contributes to precision medicine and improved prognosis of BC.

Acetyl-cinobufagin suppresses triple-negative breast cancer progression by inhibiting the STAT3 pathway.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of breast cancer (BC) worldwide has increased substantially in recent years. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to a crucial event impacting tumor heterogeneity. Although cinobufagin acts as an effective anticancer agent, the clinical use of cinobufagin is limited due to its strong toxicity. Acetyl-cinobufagin, a pre-drug of cinobufagin, was developed and prepared with greater efficacy and lower toxicity. METHODS: A heterograft mouse model using triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, was used to evaluate the potency of acetyl-cinobufagin. Signal transducer and stimulator of transcription 3 (STAT3)/EMT involvement was investigated by gene knockout experiments using siRNA and Western blot analysis. RESULTS: Acetyl-cinobufagin inhibited proliferation, migration, and cell cycle S/G2 transition and promoted apoptosis in TNBC cells in vitro. In general, IL6 triggered the phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT3 thereby activating the STAT3 pathway and inducing EMT. Mechanistically, acetyl-cinobufagin suppressed the phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT3 and blocked the interleukin (IL6)-triggered translocation of STAT3 to the cell nucleus. In addition, acetyl-cinobufagin suppressed EMT in TNBC by inhibiting the STAT3 pathway. Experiments in an animal model of breast cancer clearly showed that acetyl-cinobufagin was able to reduce tumor growth. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study support the potential clinical use of acetyl-cinobufagin as a STAT3 inhibitor in TNBC adjuvant therapy.

ß, ß-Dimethylacrylshikonin potentiates paclitaxel activity, suppresses immune evasion and triple negative breast cancer progression via STAT3Y705 phosphorylation inhibition based on network pharmacology and transcriptomics analysis.

BACKGOUND: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an extremely aggressive and rapidly progressing cancer, wherein existing therapies provide little benefit to patients. ß, ß-Dimethylacrylshikonin (DMAS), an active naphthoquinone derived from comfrey root, has potent anticancer activity. However, the antitumor function of DMAS against TNBC remains to be proved. PURPOSE: Explore effects of DMAS on TNBC and clarify the mechanism. STUDY DESIGN: Network pharmacology, transcriptomics and various cell functional experiments were applied to TNBC cells to explore the effects of DMAS on TNBC. The conclusions were further validated in xenograft animal models. METHODS: MTT, EdU, transwell, scratch tests, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and immunoblot were utilized to assess the activity of DMAS on three TNBC cell lines. The anti-TNBC mechanism of DMAS was clarified by overexpression and knockdown of STAT3 in BT-549 cells. In vivo efficacy of DMAS was analysed using a xenograft mouse model. RESULTS: In vitro analysis revealed that DMAS inhibited the G2/M phase transition and suppressed TNBC proliferation. Additionally, DMAS triggered mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis and reduced cell migration by antagonizing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistically, DMAS exerted its antitumour effects by inhibiting STAT3Y705 phosphorylation. STAT3 overexpression abolished the inhibitory effect of DMAS. Further studies showed that treatment with DMAS inhibited TNBC growth in a xenograft model. Notably, DMAS potentiated the sensitivity of TNBC to paclitaxel and inhibited immune evasion by downregulating the immune checkpoint PD-L1. CONCLUSIONS: For the first time, our study revealed that DMAS potentiates paclitaxel activity, suppresses immune evasion and TNBC progression by inhibiting STAT3 pathway. It has the potential as a promising agent for TNBC.

A Novel Nomogram Model to Identify Candidates and Predict the Possibility of Benefit From Primary Tumor Resection Among Female Patients With Metastatic Infiltrating Duct Carcinoma of the Breast: A Large Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of primary site surgery on survival remains controversial in female patients with stage IV breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of primary tumor surgery in patients with stage IV breast cancer and concurrently develop a nomogram to identify which patients will benefit from surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively searched the SEER database for female patients newly diagnosed with stage IV breast infiltrating duct carcinoma (BIDC) between 2010 and 2015 and then divided them into surgery and non-surgery groups. The propensity score matching (PSM) method was implemented to eliminate the bias, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was generated to compare the overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) between the two groups. After PSM, Cox regression analyses were performed to determine the independent protective value of primary tumor surgery, while logistic regression analyses were utilized to uncover significant predictors of surgical benefit and establish a screening nomogram for female patients with stage IV BIDC. Nomogram performance was evaluated by calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). RESULT: 5,475 patients with stage IV BIDC were included in this study, and 2,375 patients (43.38%) received primary tumor surgery. After PSM, the median CSS was 53 months (95% CI: 46.84-59.16) in the surgery group compared with only 33 months (95% CI: 30.05-35.95) in the non-surgery group. We further found that primary tumor surgery was an independent protective factor for patients with stage IV BIDC. The independent factors affecting the benefit of locoregional surgery in patients with stage IV BIDC included histological grade, T stage, molecular subtype, lung metastasis, liver metastasis, brain metastasis, and marital status. The AUC of the nomogram was 0.785 in the training set and 0.761 in the testing set. The calibration curves and DCA confirmed that the nomogram could precisely predict the possibility of benefit from primary tumor resection. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that primary tumor surgery improved the prognosis of female patients with stage IV BIDC and developed a nomogram to quantify the probability of surgical benefit to help identify surgical candidates clinically.

Downstream Neighbor of Son Overexpression is Associated With Breast Cancer Progression and a Poor Prognosis.

PURPOSE: The incidence rate of breast cancer (BC) has increased annually. Downstream neighbor of son (DONSON) critically affects cell cycle progression and maintains stable genomic properties; however, its relevant effects on BC growth and progression require in-depth investigation. METHODS: DONSON upregulation was validated in public databases. DONSON expression in matched BC and adjacent tissues and cell lines (MDA-MB-231, BT-549, and HS-578T) was determined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. In vitro apoptosis, invasion, migration, and proliferation tests were performed to ascertain the functions of DONSON in BC cell lines. Then, using western blot analysis, the levels of DONSON downstream proteins were determined. RESULTS: Compared to the control, DONSON was expressed at higher levels in BC tissues and cell lines. DONSON knockdown facilitated apoptosis and limited proliferation, migration, invasion, and S/G2 transition of BC cells in vitro. Furthermore, DONSON overexpression promoted BC cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in vitro. Moreover, DONSON knockdown reduced cyclin A1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 2 levels. Moreover, DONSON knockdown limited the progression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition. CONCLUSION: DONSON critically affects BC growth and serves as a possible target and marker for the efficacy of subsequent therapies.

A Novel Approach: Combining Prognostic Models and Network Pharmacology to Target Breast Cancer Necroptosis-Associated Genes.

Breast cancer (BC) accounts for the highest proportion of the all cancers among women, and necroptosis is recognized as a form of caspase-independent programmed cell death. We created prognostic signatures using univariate survival analysis, and lasso regression, to assess immune microenvironments between subgroups. We then used network pharmacology to bind our drugs to target differentially expressed genes (DEGs). A signature comprising a set of necroptosis-related genes was established to predict patient outcomes based on median risk scores. Those above and below the median were classified as high-risk group (HRG) and low-risk group (LRG), respectively. Patients at high risk had lower overall survival, and poorer predicted tumor, nodes, and metastases stages (TNM). The novel prognostic signature can effectively predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients docking of ß,ß-dimethyl acryloyl shikonin (DMAS) to possible targets to cure breast cancer. We found that all current prognostic models do not offer suitable treatment options. In additional, by docking drugs DMAS that have been initially validated in our laboratory to treat breast cancer. We hope that this novel approach could contribute to cancer research.

Cinobufagin suppresses colorectal cancer growth via STAT3 pathway inhibition.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has become one of the most common types of cancer with the highest morbidity and mortality rates globally. Cinobufagin, a natural product extracted from toad venom and a major active ingredient in cinobufotalin, exhibits high antitumor activity. Here, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo antitumor activities of cinobufagin and explored the underlying mechanisms in CRC. Cinobufagin could inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion and promote apoptosis of HCT116, RKO, and SW480 cells in vitro. Mechanistically, cinobufagin simultaneously suppressed the phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and blocked the interleukin-6 (IL6)-induced nuclear translocation of STAT3. IL6 activated the STAT3 pathway, subsequently inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Furthermore, cinobufagin suppressed EMT in CRC by inhibiting the STAT3 pathway. Animal experiments clearly showed that cinobufagin could reduce tumor growth. Cinobufagin may be used clinically as a novel STAT3 inhibitor for CRC adjuvant therapy.

Genetic landscape of breast cancer and mutation tracking with circulating tumor DNA in Chinese women.

Considerable efforts have been devoted to exploring the breast cancer mutational landscape to understand its genetic complexity. However, no studies have yet comprehensively elucidated the molecular characterization of breast tumors in Chinese women. This study aimed to determine the potential clinical utility of peripheral blood assessment for circulating tumor-derived DNA (ctDNA) and comprehensively characterize the female Chinese population's genetic mutational spectrum. We used Omi-Seq to create cancer profiles of 273 patients enrolled at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. The gene landscape results indicate PIK3CA and TP53 as the most frequently detected genes, followed by ERBB2, in Chinese breast cancer patients. The accuracy of ERBB2 copy number variations in tissue/formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded samples was 95% with 86% sensitivity and 99% specificity. Moreover, mutation numbers varied between different molecular cell-free DNA subtypes, with the basal-like patients harboring a higher number of variants than the luminal patients. Furthermore, ratio changes in the max ctDNA allele fraction highly correlated with clinical response measurements, including cancer relapse and metastasis. Our data demonstrate that ctDNA characterization using the Omi-Seq platform can extend the capacity of personalized clinical cancer management.

The BRAF mutation is predictive of aggressive clinicopathological characteristics in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: This study analyzed the utility of BRAF mutation screening of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) specimens for predicting aggressive clinicopathological characteristics of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). METHODS: We assessed the T1799A BRAF mutation status in FNAB specimens obtained from 61 PTMC patients before undergoing operations for PTMC. We examined whether the BRAF mutation was associated with clinicopathologic characteristics in PTMC. Additionally, we reviewed the BRAF mutation status, and clinical, ultrasound (US), hematological, and pathology records of the patients and analyzed the associations between these characteristics and lateral lymph node metastasis (LNM). RESULTS: Analysis of the preoperative FNABs accurately reflected the BRAF status of the resected tissues in 19 of the 20 paired samples (95% concordance). We observed that the BRAF mutation was statistically significantly associated with multifocality, extrathyroidal invasion, lateral LNM, and advanced tumor stages III and IV. The BRAF mutation, pathologic features (central LNM), and US features (upper pole location) were independent predictive factors for lateral LNM in a multivariate analysis with odds ratios of 18.144 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.999-164.664; P = 0.01), 8.582 (95% CI, 1.014-76.662; P = 0.049) and 9.576 (95% CI, 1.374-66.728; P = 0.023), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: BRAF mutation-positive PTMCs were more likely to manifest aggressive characteristics (extrathyroidal extension and LNM). The BRAF mutation screening of FNAB specimens can be used to predict aggressive clinicopathological characteristics of PTMC. Lateral neck nodes should be meticulously analyzed for cases of PTMC demonstrating the following three characteristics: BRAF mutation, central LNM, and US features in the upper pole location.

The Prognostic Value of Combination of Plasma Fibrinogen and CA19-9 in Non-Distant Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Surgery.

PURPOSE: This article aimed to study the prognostic value of preoperative plasma fibrinogen and CA19-9 in non-distant metastatic breast cancer (BC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 343 non-distant metastatic BC patients were included in this study. The optimal cut-off values of plasma fibrinogen and CA19-9 were obtained by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to evaluate prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). Survival data were assessed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with the Log-rank test. Based on the cut-off values, we classified the fibrinogen-CA19-9 score as follows: 2 (both hyperfibrinogenemia and high CA19-9), 1 (either hyperfibrinogenemia or high CA19-9), and 0 (neither hypefibrinogenemia nor high CA19-9). RESULTS: Our follow-up time totaled 10 years, the median follow-up time was 77 months (range=2-119 months), and 82 (23.9%) of 343 patients died during the follow-up period. The optimal cut-off values of plasma fibrinogen and CA19-9 were 2.805 g/L and 11.85 U/mL, respectively. The multivariate Cox analysis results suggested that there was a significant association between worse OS and elevated preoperative plasma fibrinogen and CA19-9 levels (HR=2.016, 95% CI=1.216-3.342, P=0.007; and HR=2.042, 95% CI=1.282-3.253, P=0.003). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) increased from 0.589 (for plasma fibrinogen) and 0.594 (for CA19-9) to 0.640 when these two parameters were combined. When we added this combined factor to the multivariate analysis, it was an independent prognostic factor for BC (P<0.001). According to the above results, we chose four prognostic factors to construct our nomogram. The AUC was 0.724, which indicates that the nomogram performs well. CONCLUSION: The combination of plasma fibrinogen and CA19-9 could be used as a valid independent prognostic factor for non-distant metastatic BC compared with either parameter alone and could easily be applied in clinical practice.