Downregulation of PDIA3 inhibits gastric cancer cell growth through cell cycle regulation.

OBJECTIVE: Protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3) promotes the correct folding of newly synthesized glycoproteins in the endoplasmic reticulum. PDIA3 is overexpressed in most tumors, and it may become a biomarker of cancer prognosis and immunotherapy. Our study aims to detect the expression level of PDIA3 in gastric cancer (GC) and its association with GC development as wells as the underlying mechanisms. METHODS: GC cell lines with PDIA3 knockdown by siRNA, CRISPR-cas9 sgRNAs or a pharmacological inhibitor of LOC14 were prepared and used. PDIA3 knockout GC cells were established by CRISPR-cas9-PDIA3 system. The proliferation, migration, invasion and cell cycle of GC cells were analyzed by cell counting kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Immunodeficient nude mice was used to evaluate the role of PDIA3 in tumor formation. Quantitative PCR and western blot were used for examining gene and protein expressions. RNA sequencing was performed to see the altered gene expression. RESULTS: The expressions of PDIA3 in GC tissues and cells were increased significantly, and its expression was negatively correlated with the three-year survival rate of GC patients. Down-regulation of PDIA3 by siRNA, LOC14 or CRISPR-cas9 significantly inhibited proliferation, invasion and migration of GC cells TMK1 and AGS, with cell cycle arrested at G2/M phase. Meanwhile, decreased PDIA3 significantly inhibited growth of tumor xenograft in vivo. It was found that cyclin G1 (encoded by CCNG1 gene) expression was decreased by downregulation of PDIA3 in GC cells both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, protein levels of other cell cycle related factors including cyclin D1, CDK2, and CDK6 were also significantly decreased. Further study showed that STAT3 was associated with PDIA3-mediated cyclin G1 regulation. CONCLUSION: PDIA3 plays an oncogenic role in GC. Our findings unfolded the functional role of PDIA3 in GC development and highlighted a novel target for cancer therapeutic strategy.

Dysregulation of immunity by cigarette smoking promotes inflammation and cancer: A review.

Smoking is a serious global health issue. Cigarette smoking contains over 7000 different chemicals. The main harmful components include nicotine, acrolein, aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, which play the key role for cigarette-induced inflammation and carcinogenesis. Growing evidences show that cigarette smoking and its components exert a remarkable impact on regulation of immunity and dysregulated immunity promotes inflammation and cancer. Therefore, this comprehensive and up-to-date review covers four interrelated topics, including cigarette smoking, inflammation, cancer and immune system. The known harmful chemicals from cigarette smoking were summarized. Importantly, we discussed in depth the impact of cigarette smoking on the formation of inflammatory or tumor microenvironment, primarily by affecting immune effector cells, such as macrophages, neutrophils, and T lymphocytes. Furthermore, the main molecular mechanisms by which cigarette smoking induces inflammation and cancer, including changes in epigenetics, DNA damage and others were further summarized. This article will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of cigarette smoking on inducing inflammation and cancer.

A Bioresponsive Genetically Encoded Antimicrobial Crystal for the Oral Treatment of Helicobacter Pylori Infection.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) causes infection in the stomach and is a major factor for gastric carcinogenesis. The application of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as an alternative treatment to traditional antibiotics is limited by their facile degradation in the stomach, their poor penetration of the gastric mucosa, and the cost of peptide production. Here, the design and characterization of a genetically encoded H. pylori-responsive microbicidal protein crystal Cry3Aa-MIIA-AMP-P17 is described. This designed crystal exhibits preferential binding to H. pylori, and when activated, promotes the targeted release of the AMP at the H. pylori infection site. Significantly, when the activated Cry3Aa-MIIA-AMP-P17 crystals are orally delivered to infected mice, the Cry3Aa crystal framework protects its cargo AMP against degradation, resulting in enhanced in vivo efficacy against H. pylori infection. Notably, in contrast to antibiotics, treatment with the activated crystals results in minimal perturbation of the mouse gut microbiota. These results demonstrate that engineered Cry3Aa crystals can serve as an effective platform for the oral delivery of therapeutic peptides to treat gastrointestinal diseases.

Does each Component of Reactive Oxygen Species have a Dual Role in the Tumor Microenvironment?

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of highly reactive oxidizing molecules, including superoxide anion (O2•-) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), among others. Moderate levels of ROS play a crucial role in regulating cellular signaling and maintaining cellular functions. However, abnormal ROS levels or persistent oxidative stress can lead to changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that favor cancer development. This review provides an overview of ROS generation, structure, and properties, as well as their effects on various components of the TME. Contrary to previous studies, our findings reveal a dual effect of ROS on different components of the TME, whereby ROS can either enhance or inhibit certain factors, ultimately leading to the promotion or suppression of the TME. For example, H2O2 has dual effects on immune cells and non-cellular components within the TME, while O2•- has dual effects on T cells and fibroblasts. Furthermore, each component demonstrates distinct mechanisms of action and ranges of influence. In the final section of the article, we summarize the current clinical applications of ROS in cancer treatment and identify certain limitations associated with existing therapeutic approaches. Therefore, this review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of ROS, highlighting their dual effects on different components of the TME, and exploring the potential clinical applications that may pave the way for future treatment and prevention strategies.

PROTACs in gastrointestinal cancers.

Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) presents a powerful strategy for targeted protein degradation (TPD). The heterobifunctional PROTAC molecule consists of an E3 ligase ligand covalently linked to a protein of interest (POI) via a linker. PROTAC can induce ubiquitinated proteasomal degradation of proteins by hijacking the ubiquitin-proteasome degradation system (UPS). This technique has the advantages of broad targeting profile, good cell permeability, tissue specificity, high selectivity, oral bioavailability, and controllability. To date, a growing number of PROTACs targeting gastrointestinal cancers have been successfully developed, and, in many cases, their POIs have been validated as clinical drug targets. To the best of our knowledge, 15 PROTACs against various targets are currently tested in clinical trials, and many more are likely to be added in the near future. Therefore, this paper details the mechanism, research progress, and application in clinical trials of PROTACs, and summarizes the research achievements related to PROTACs in gastrointestinal cancers. Finally, we discuss the advantages and potential challenges of PROTAC for cancer treatment.

Carboranes as unique pharmacophores in antitumor medicinal chemistry.

Carborane is a carbon-boron molecular cluster that can be viewed as a 3D analog of benzene. It features special physical and chemical properties, and thus has the potential to serve as a new type of pharmacophore for drug design and discovery. Based on the relative positions of two cage carbons, icosahedral closo-carboranes can be classified into three isomers, ortho-carborane (o-carborane, 1,2-C2B10H12), meta-carborane (m-carborane, 1,7-C2B10H12), and para-carborane (p-carborane, 1,12-C2B10H12), and all of them can be deboronated to generate their nido- forms. Cage compound carborane and its derivatives have been demonstrated as useful chemical entities in antitumor medicinal chemistry. The applications of carboranes and their derivatives in the field of antitumor research mainly include boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), as BNCT/photodynamic therapy dual sensitizers, and as anticancer ligands. This review summarizes the research progress on carboranes achieved up to October 2021, with particular emphasis on signaling transduction pathways, chemical structures, and mechanistic considerations of using carboranes.

The Role of Vitamin D in Gastrointestinal Diseases: Inflammation, Gastric Cancer, and Colorectal Cancer.

Vitamin D as a prohormone is converted into the active form in vivo and binds to vitamin D receptors, exercising a wide range of biological functions. Recent studies strongly support that vitamin D supplementation is associated with reduced cancer risk and a good prognosis. Gastrointestinal cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The key role of vitamin D in the development of gastrointestinal cancer has been observed. Moreover, Vitamin D can also affect innate immunity and perform anti-inflammation and anti-infection actions. Given the intimate relationship between cancer and inflammation, we herein summarize epidemiological and preclinical studies of vitamin D and the underlying mechanism of its action in inflammation, gastric and colorectal cancer by our group and other researchers. A beneficial effect of vitamin D in cancer and inflammatory disease has been supported by different studies. More controlled and larger clinical trials are needed before a reliable conclusion and realization of vitamin D supplementation in the adjunct treatment of gastrointestinal inflammation and cancer.

Vitamin D suppressed gastric cancer cell growth through downregulating CD44 expression in vitro and in vivo.

OBJECTIVES: Vitamin D deficiency was found to be associated with increased risk for gastric cancer (GC). We previously found that vitamin D inhibited GC cell growth in vitro. However, the in vivo antitumor effect of vitamin D in GC as well as the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the anticancer effect of vitamin D on GC both in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: Human GC cells MKN45, MKN28, and KATO III were used. The expressions of vitamin D receptor (VDR) and CD44 were downregulated by using predesigned siRNA molecules. Cell viability was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay. Soft agar assay was used for colony formation of GC cells. Flow cytometry was used to assess CD44-positive cell population. CD44high cancer cells were enriched by using anti-CD44-conjugated magnetic microbeads. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were performed to detect gene and protein expressions, respectively. Clinical samples were collected for evaluation of the correlation of VDR and CD44 expression. Orthotopic tumor-bearing mice were established to evaluate the antitumor effect of vitamin D. RESULTS: The results showed that the active form of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)2D3, had a remarkable inhibitory effect in CD44-expressing human GC MKN45 and KATO III cells, but not in CD44-null MKN28 cells. The gene expressions of CD44 and VDR in GC cell lines and GC patient tissues were positively correlated. Furthermore, 1,25(OH)2D3 suppressed MKN45 and KATO III cell growth through VDR-induced suppression of CD44. Additionally, we demonstrated that 1,25(OH)2D3 inhibited Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, which might lead to the downregulation of CD44. In an orthotopic GC nude mice model, both oral intake of vitamin D and intraperitoneal injection with 1,25(OH)2D3 could significantly inhibit orthotopic GC growth and CD44 expression in vivo. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study provided the first evidence that vitamin D suppressed GC cell growth both in vitro and in vivo through downregulating CD44. The present study sheds light on repurposing vitamin D as a potential therapeutic agent for GC prevention and treatment.

The Multifaceted Role of Long Non-Coding RNA in Gastric Cancer: Current Status and Future Perspectives.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the major public health concerns. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been increasingly demonstrated to possess a strong correlation with GC and play a critical role in GC occurrence, progression, metastasis and drug resistance. Many studies have shed light on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of lncRNAs in GC. In this review, we summarized the updated research about lncRNAs in GC, focusing on their roles in Helicobacter pylori infection, GC metastasis, tumor microenvironment regulation, drug resistance and associated signaling pathways. LncRNAs may serve as novel biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of GC and potential therapeutic targets. The research gaps and future directions were also discussed.

The distinct roles of exosomes in tumor-stroma crosstalk within gastric tumor microenvironment.

Gastric cancer (GC) development is a complex process displaying polytropic cell and molecular landscape within gastric tumor microenvironment (TME). Stromal cells in TME, including fibroblasts, endothelial cells, mesenchymal stem cells, and various immune cells, support tumor growth, metastasis, and recurrence, functioning as the soil for gastric tumorigenesis. Importantly, exosomes secreted by either stromal cells or tumor cells during tumor-stroma crosstalk perform as crucial transporter of agents including RNAs and proteins for cell-cell communication in GC pathogenesis. Therefore, given the distinct roles of exosomes secreted by various cell types in GC TME, increasing evidence has indicated that exosomes present as new biomarkers for GC diagnosis and prognosis and shed light on novel approaches for GC treatment.

Excessive Intake of Longan Arillus Alters gut Homeostasis and Aggravates Colitis in Mice.

Background: Longan is the fruit of Dimocarpus longan Lour. and the longan arillus has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine possessing various health benefits. However, the excessive intake of longan is found in daily life to cause "shanghuo" syndrome. "Shanghuo" has been linked to increased disease susceptibility. The present study thus aimed to investigate the toxicological outcomes after excessive longan treatment. Methods: Longan extract at a normal dosage of 4 g/kg and two excess dosages of 8 and 16 g/kg was orally administered to normal C57BL/6J mice for two weeks or to C57BL/6J mice with DSS-induced colitis. Mouse gut microbiome were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Short chain fatty acid (SCFA) contents in colonic contents were measured by GC-MS. Colon tissue was used for histopathological observation after H and E staining, detection of protein expression by western blot, analysis of gene expression by qPCR, and detection of apoptotic cells by TUNEL assay. ELISA was used for biochemical analysis in serum. Results: In normal mice, repeated longan intake at excess doses, but not the normal dose, increased infiltration of inflammatory cells, elevated serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 and reduced production of SCFAs. In DSS-induced colitic mice, longan intake at 4 g/kg did not promote colitis in mice, while excessive longan (8 or 16 g/kg) aggravated colitis in mice, showing increased inflammation, more serious histological abnormalities, increased gut permeability, and increased epithelia injury when compared to DSS alone. Excessive longan induced a significant reduction of microbial diversity in colitic mice, accompanied with aggravated alterations of DSS-associated bacteria including the increase of Proteobacteria phylum and genera of Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Turicibacter and Escherchia-Shigella, and the decrease of norank_f__Muribaculaceae. The changed microbial compositions were accompanied with decreased SCFAs when longan was supplemented with DSS. The aggravated colon injury by excessive intake of longan in colitic mice was tightly correlated with the altered microbial communities and decreased SCFAs production. Conclusion: Excessive longan intake disturbs gut homeostasis and aggravates colitis via promoting inflammation and altering gut microbe compositions and associated metabolism in mice. Our findings warrant rational longan arillus consumption as a dietary supplement or herbal medicine.

The role of Fibrinogen-like proteins in Cancer.

Fibrinogen-associated protein (FREP) family is a family of proteins with a fibrin domain at the carboxyl terminus. Recent investigations illustrated that two members of FREP family, fibrinogen-like protein-1 (FGL1) and fibrinogen-like protein-2 (FGL2), play crucial roles in cancer by regulating the proliferation, invasion, and migration of tumor cells, or regulating the functions of immune cells in tumor microenvironment. Meanwhile, they are potential targets for medical intervention of tumor development. In this review, we discussed the structure, and the roles of FGL1 and FGL2 in tumors, especially the roles in regulating immune cell functions.

Identification of Prognostic Genes in the Tumor Microenvironment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world. The efficacy of immunotherapy usually depends on the interaction of immunomodulation in the tumor microenvironment (TME). This study aimed to explore the potential stromal-immune score-based prognostic genes related to immunotherapy in HCC through bioinformatics analysis. Methods: ESTIMATE algorithm was applied to calculate the immune/stromal/Estimate scores and tumor purity of HCC using the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) transcriptome data. Functional enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was analyzed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery database (DAVID). Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis were performed for prognostic gene screening. The expression and prognostic value of these genes were further verified by KM-plotter database and the Human Protein Atlas (HPA) database. The correlation of the selected genes and the immune cell infiltration were analyzed by single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). Results: Data analysis revealed that higher immune/stromal/Estimate scores were significantly associated with better survival benefits in HCC within 7 years, while the tumor purity showed a reverse trend. DEGs based on both immune and stromal scores primarily affected the cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction signaling pathway. Among the DEGs, three genes (CASKIN1, EMR3, and GBP5) were found most significantly associated with survival. Moreover, the expression levels of CASKIN1, EMR3, and GBP5 genes were significantly correlated with immune/stromal/Estimate scores or tumor purity and multiple immune cell infiltration. Among them, GBP5 genes were highly related to immune infiltration. Conclusion: This study identified three key genes which were related to the TME and had prognostic significance in HCC, which may be promising markers for predicting immunotherapy outcomes.

Engineered TCR-T Cell Immunotherapy in Anticancer Precision Medicine: Pros and Cons.

This review provides insight into the role of engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) in immunotherapy. Novel approaches have been developed to boost anticancer immune system, including targeting new antigens, manufacturing new engineered or modified TCRs, and creating a safety switch for endo-suicide genes. In order to re-activate T cells against tumors, immune-mobilizing monoclonal TCRs against cancer (ImmTAC) have been developed as a novel class of manufactured molecules which are bispecific and recognize both cancer and T cells. The TCRs target special antigens such as NY-ESO-1, AHNAKS2580F or ERBB2H473Y to boost the efficacy of anticancer immunotherapy. The safety of genetically modified T cells is very important. Therefore, this review discusses pros and cons of different approaches, such as ImmTAC, Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK), and inducible caspase-9 in cancer immunotherapy. Clinical trials related to TCR-T cell therapy and monoclonal antibodies designed for overcoming immunosuppression, and recent advances made in understanding how TCRs are additionally examined. New approaches that can better detect antigens and drive an effective T cell response are discussed as well.

The dietary supplement Rhodiola crenulata extract alleviates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis in mice through anti-inflammation, mediating gut barrier integrity and reshaping the gut microbiome.

Rhodiola species are edible medicinal plants, which have been traditionally used in both Asia and Europe as an adaptogen, a tonic, an anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory supplement. However, whether it presents a therapeutic effect on colitis or not remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of a Rhodiola crenulata extract (RCE) on mice with DSS-induced colitis. RCE significantly alleviated the pathological abnormalities in colitic mice, including the correspondingly increased colon length, ameliorated colonic injury and reduced pro-inflammatory factors. The protective effect was similar to that of the positive control, 5-aminosalicylic acid. The DSS-induced epithelial apoptosis and maintained intestinal barrier function were attenuated by RCE through the upregulation of the level of tight junction proteins such as ZO-1 and occludin. Notably, RCE prevented gut dysbiosis in colitic mice by restoring the microbial richness and diversity, and decreasing the abundance of Proteobacteria phylum and opportunistic pathogenic Parasutterella and Staphylococcus, as well as increasing the abundance of beneficial microbes in Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, which were closely correlated with its protective effect against colitis. Meanwhile, chemical characterization of RCE was performed by UPLC-HR-MS to explain its material basis. A total of 63 compounds were identified, while the content of two bioactive ingredients (salidroside, 1.81%; rosavin, 0.034%) was determined.

Identification of cluster of differentiation molecule-associated microRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for gastrointestinal cancer immunotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Cluster of differentiation molecules are markers of immune cells that have been identified as a potential immunotherapeutic target for cancer treatment. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes whose importance in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of gastric and colorectal cancers has been widely reported. However, their association with cluster of differentiation molecules in gastrointestinal cancers has not been well studied. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze the relationship between microRNAs and cluster of differentiation molecules in gastrointestinal cancers, and to identify cluster of differentiation molecule-associated microRNAs as prognostic biomarkers for gastrointestinal cancer patients. METHODS: Targetscan, Starbase, DIANA microT, and miRDB were used to investigate microRNA profiles that might be correlated with cluster of differentiation molecules in gastrointestinal cancers. Moreover, The Cancer Genome Atlas data analysis was used to investigate the association between cluster of differentiation molecules and microRNA expression in patients with gastric, colon, rectal, pancreatic, and esophageal cancers. The Kaplan-Meier plotter was used to identify the association between overall survival and cluster of differentiation molecule-associated microRNA expression in gastrointestinal cancer patients. RESULTS: miR-200a, miR-559, and miR-1236 were negatively associated with CD86, CD81, and CD160, respectively, in almost all types of gastrointestinal cancers, which were further verified in the in vitro studies by transfecting microRNA mimics in gastric cancer, colon cancer, pancreatic, and esophageal cell lines. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that miR-200a, miR-1236, and miR-559 are identified as cluster of differentiation-associated microRNAs in gastrointestinal cancers, providing a novel perspective to identify new therapeutic targets for cancer immunotherapy in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Long Non-Coding RNAs: Potential Biomarkers and Targets for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy and Diagnosis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Increasing studies showed that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a novel class of RNAs that are greater than 200 nucleotides in length but lack the ability to encode proteins, exert crucial roles in the occurrence and progression of HCC. LncRNAs promote the proliferation, migration, invasion, autophagy, and apoptosis of tumor cells by regulating downstream target gene expression and cancer-related signaling pathways. Meanwhile, lncRNA can be used as biomarkers to predict the efficacy of HCC treatment strategies, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, and as a potential individualized tool for HCC diagnosis and treatment. In this review, we overview up-to-date findings on lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for HCC surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy resistance, target therapy, and immunotherapy, and discuss the potential clinical application of lncRNA as tools for HCC diagnosis and treatment.

Conditional reprogramming: next generation cell culture.

Long-term primary culture of mammalian cells has been always difficult due to unavoidable senescence. Conventional methods for generating immortalized cell lines usually require manipulation of genome which leads to change of important biological and genetic characteristics. Recently, conditional reprogramming (CR) emerges as a novel next generation tool for long-term culture of primary epithelium cells derived from almost all origins without alteration of genetic background of primary cells. CR co-cultures primary cells with inactivated mouse 3T3-J2 fibroblasts in the presence of RHO-related protein kinase (ROCK) inhibitor Y-27632, enabling primary cells to acquire stem-like characteristics while retain their ability to fully differentiate. With only a few years' development, CR shows broad prospects in applications in varied areas including disease modeling, regenerative medicine, drug evaluation, drug discovery as well as precision medicine. This review is thus to comprehensively summarize and assess current progress in understanding mechanism of CR and its wide applications, highlighting the value of CR in both basic and translational researches and discussing the challenges faced with CR.