Correction to "Interleukin-34 promotes the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells".

[This corrects the article on p. 1968 in vol. 14, PMID: 36310707.].

Effects and mechanisms of trifluridine alone or in combination with cryptotanshinone in inhibiting malignant biological behavior of gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of gastric cancer (GC) ranks fourth among all malignant tumors worldwide, and the fatality rate ranks second among all malignant tumors. Several Chinese traditional medicines have been used in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. This study aims to investigate the effect of combinational use of natural product cryptotanshinone (CTS) with anti-cancer drug trifluorothymidine (FTD) in GC. METHODS: Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of the combinational or separate use of FTD and CTS on the growth of HGC-27 and AGS GC cells. The combined index of FTD and CTS was calculated using CompuSyn software. To understand the mechanism, we applied flow cytometry to study the cell cycle and cell apoptosis after treatment. We also investigated the amount of FTD incorporated into the DNA by immunofluorescence assay. The expression of relevant proteins was monitored using western blot. Furthermore, the effect of using TAS-102 in combination with CTS was studied in xenograft tumor nude mice model. RESULTS: FTD and CTS inhibited the growth of GC cells in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. They both exhibited low to sub-micromolar potency in HGC-27 and AGS cells. The combination of FTD and CTS showed synergistic anticancer effect in HGC-27 cells and AGS cells. Our mechanism studies indicate that FTD could block HGC-27 cells at G2/M phase, while CTS could block HGC-27 cells at G1/G0 phase, while FTD combined with CTS could mainly block HGC-27 cells at G2 phase. FTD in combination with CTS significantly increased the apoptosis of HGC-27 cells. We observed that CTS treatment increased the incorporation of FTD into the DNA HGC-27 cell. FTD treatment activated STAT3 phosphorylation in HGC-27 cells, while CTS treatment down-regulated the concentration of p-STAT3. Interestingly, the combination of CTS and FTD reduced STAT3 phosphorylation induced by FTD. In the in vivo experiments, we observed that the combination of TAS-102 with CTS was significantly more potent than TAS-102 on tumor growth inhibition. CONCLUSIONS: FTD combined with CTS has a synergistic anti-gastric cancer effect as shown by in vitro and in vivo experiments, and the combined treatment of FTD and CTS will be a promising treatment option for advanced gastric cancer.

Identification of necroptosis-related genes for predicting prognosis and exploring immune infiltration landscape in colon adenocarcinoma.

Background: Necroptosis is a recently discovered form of cell death that plays an important role in the occurrence and development of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Our study aimed to construct a risk score model to predict the prognosis of patients with COAD based on necroptosis-related genes. Methods: The gene expression data of COAD and normal colon samples were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was used to calculate the risk score based on prognostic necroptosis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Based on the risk score, patients were classified into high- and low-risk groups. Then, nomogram models were built based on the risk score and clinicopathological features. Otherwise, the model was verified in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Additionally, the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the level of immune infiltration were evaluated by "ESTIMATE" and single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA). Functional enrichment analysis was carried out to explore the potential mechanism of necroptosis in COAD. Finally, the effect of necroptosis on colon cancer cells was explored through CCK8 and transwell assays. The expression of necroptosis-related genes in colon tissues and cells treated with necroptotic inducers (TNFα) and inhibitors (NEC-1) was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results: The risk score was an independent prognostic risk factor in COAD. The predictive value of the nomogram based on the risk score and clinicopathological features was superior to TNM staging. The effectiveness of the model was well validated in GSE152430. Immune and stromal scores were significantly elevated in the high-risk group. Moreover, necroptosis may influence the prognosis of COAD via influencing the cancer immune response. In in-vitro experiments, the inhibition of necroptosis can promote proliferation and invasion ability. Finally, the differential expression of necroptosis-related genes in 16 paired colon tissues and colon cancer cells was found. Conclusion: A novel necroptosis-related gene signature for forecasting the prognosis of COAD has been constructed, which possesses favorable predictive ability and offers ideas for the necroptosis-associated development of COAD.

Interleukin-34 promotes the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of gastric cancer cells.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-34 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine involved in tumor development. The role of IL-34 in the proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastric cancer (GC) remains to be investigated. AIM: To investigate whether and how IL-34 affects the proliferation of GC cells and EMT. METHODS: Using immunohistochemical staining, the expression of IL-34 protein was detected in 60 paired GC and normal paracancerous tissues and the relationship between IL-34 and clinicopathological factors was analyzed. The expression of IL-34 mRNA and protein in normal gastric epithelial cell lines and GC was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting, respectively. Stable IL-34 knockdown and overexpression in AGS cell lines were established by lentiviral infection and validated by qRT-PCR and western blotting. The cholecystokinin-8 assay, clone formation assay, cell scratch assay, and transwell system were used to detect GC cell proliferation, clone formation, migration, and invasion capacity, respectively. The effects of IL-34 on the growth of GC transplant tumors were assessed using a subcutaneous transplant tumor assay in nude mice. The effects of IL-34 on the expression level of EMT-associated proteins in AGS cells were examined by western blotting. RESULTS: Expression of IL-34 protein and mRNA was higher in GC cell lines than in GES-1 cells. Compared to matched normal paraneoplastic tissues, the expression of IL-34 protein was higher in 60 GC tissues, which was correlated with tumor size, T-stage, N-stage, tumor, node and metastasis stage, and degree of differentiation. Knockdown of IL-34 expression inhibited the proliferation, clone formation, migration, and invasion of AGS cells, while overexpression of IL-34 promoted cell proliferation, clone formation, migration, and invasion. Furthermore, the reduction of IL-34 promoted the expression of E-cadherin in AGS cells but inhibited the expression of vimentin and N-cadherin. Overexpression of IL-34 inhibited E-cadherin expression but promoted expression of vimentin and N-cadherin in AGS cells. Overexpression of IL-34 promoted the growth of subcutaneous transplanted tumors in nude mice. CONCLUSION: IL-34 expression is increased in GC tissues and cell lines compared to normal gastric tissues or cell lines. In GC cells, IL-34 promoted proliferation, clone formation, migration, and invasion by regulating EMT-related protein expression cells. Interference with IL-34 may represent a novel strategy for diagnosis and targeted therapy of GC.

Cryptotanshinone inhibits cytotoxin-associated gene A-associated development of gastric cancer and mucosal erosions.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 90% of new cases of noncardiac gastric cancer (GC) are related to Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), and cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) is one of the main pathogenic factors. Recent studies have shown that the pharmacological effects of cryptotanshinone (CTS) can be used to treat a variety of tumors. However, the effects of CTS on H. pylori, especially CagA+ strain-induced gastric mucosal lesions, on the development of GC is unknown. AIM: To assess the role of CTS in CagA-induced proliferation and metastasis of GC cells, and determine if CagA+ H. pylori strains causes pathological changes in the gastric mucosa of mice. METHODS: The effects of CTS on the proliferation of GC cells were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, and the abnormal growth, migration and invasion caused by CagA were detected by CCK-8 and transwell assays. After transfection with pSR-HA-CagA and treatment with CTS, proliferation and metastasis were evaluated by CCK-8 and transwell assays, respectively, and the expression of Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing phosphatase 2 (SHP2) and phosphorylated SHP2 (p-SHP2) was detected using western blotting in AGS cells. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to determine the immunoglobulin G (IgG) level against CagA in patient serum. Mice were divided into four groups and administered H. pylori strains (CagA+ or CagA-) and CTS (or PBS) intragastrically, and establishment of the chronic infection model was verified using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of isolated strains. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was used to assess mucosal erosion in the stomach and toxicity to the liver and kidney. RESULTS: CTS inhibited the growth of GC cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. Overexpression of CagA promoted the growth, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Importantly, we demonstrated that CTS significantly inhibited the CagA-induced abnormal proliferation, migration, and invasion of GC cells. Moreover, the expression of p-SHP2 protein in tumor tissue was related to the expression of IgG against CagA in the serum of GC patients. Additionally, CTS suppressed the protein expression levels of both SHP2 and p-SHP2 in GC cells. CTS suppressed CagA+ H. pylori strain-induced mucosal erosion in the stomach of mice but had no obvious effects on the CagA- H. pylori strain group. CONCLUSION: CTS inhibited CagA-induced proliferation and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of GC cells in vitro, and CagA+ H. pylori strains caused mucosal erosions of the stomach in vivo by decreasing the protein expression of SHP2.

Identification of a ferroptosis-related gene signature predictive model in colon cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of colon cancer (CC) is challenging to predict due to its highly heterogeneous nature. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of cell death, has roles in various cancers; however, the correlation between ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) and prognosis in CC remains unclear. METHODS: The expression profiles of FRGs and relevant clinical information were retrieved from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Cox regression analysis and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression model were performed to build a prognostic model in TCGA cohort. RESULTS: Ten FRGs, five of which had mutation rates ≥ 3%, were found to be related to the overall survival (OS) of patients with CC. Patients were divided into high- and low-risk groups based on the results of Cox regression and LASSO analysis. Patients in the low-risk group had a significantly longer survival time than patients in the high-risk group (P < 0.001). Enrichment analyses in different risk groups showed that the altered genes were associated with the extracellular matrix, fatty acid metabolism, and peroxisome. Age, risk score, T stage, N stage, and M stage were independent predictors of patient OS based on the results of Cox analysis. Finally, a nomogram was constructed to predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS of patients with CC based on the above five independent factors. CONCLUSION: A novel FRG model can be used for prognostic prediction in CC and may be helpful for individualized treatment.

Inhibitory effects of isocryptotanshinone on gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common digestive malignancies globally, and the prognosis of patients with advanced tumors remains poor. Isocryptotanshinone (ICTS), isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza, was found to inhibit the proliferation of lung and breast cancer cells. However, whether ICTS has anticancer activities against GC is unknown. In the present study, we reported that the proliferation of GC cells was inhibited by ICTS in a dose- and time-dependent manner. After treatment with ICTS, GC cells were arrested in the G1/G0 phase of cell cycle and the apoptotic cells were induced in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, ICTS suppressed the expression of cell cycle- and apoptosis-associated proteins (e.g., Cyclin D1, phosphorylated Rb, E2F1, Mcl-1, Bcl-2, and Survivin). ICTS inhibited the phosphorylation of STAT3 in a dose-dependent manner. Down-regulated STAT3 attenuated the expression of Cyclin D1, p-Rb, and Survivin, which remarkably increased the sensitivity of ICTS in GC cells; overexpression of STAT3 restored the cell growth and proliferation and the protein expression suppressed by ICTS. ICTS also suppressed the xenograft tumor growth in BALB/c nude mice. Together, these data indicate that ICTS inhibits GC proliferation by inducing G1/G0 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via inhibiting the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Preoperative pre-albumin predicts prognosis of patients after gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction.

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEG) was initially proposed in 1999 by Siewert. During recent decades, the incidence and prevalence of AEG were arising globally whereas the incidence of gastric cancer is gradually declining. Complete blood counting and liver function tests, as the routine examination of immune and nutritional status, were reported to be the predictors of overall survival (OS) in some tumors. However, little is known about the prognostic significance of these indexes in AEG patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the prediction of preoperative pre-albumin, hemoglobin, and prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for survival outcomes in AEG patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 101 AEG patients followed by radical surgery was recruited between January and July 2010. Clinical and laboratory data were obtained and used to evaluate the predictive value through survival analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis determined 200 mg/L, 120 g/L, 5 cm, and 51 as the cutoff values of pre-albumin, hemoglobin, tumor size, and PNI, respectively. RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed that AEG patients with hemoglobin ≥120 g/L, albumin ≥40 g/L, pre-albumin ≥200 g/L, PNI ≥51, and tumor size <5 cm had longer OS (P < 0.05). Additionally, pre-albumin, tumor size, and TNM stage were demonstrated to be independent prognostic indicators by multivariate analysis with Cox regression, and the performance of pre-albumin for predicting OS in AEG patients was further identified by ROC curves (P = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative pre-albumin was an independent prognostic factor, and a high level of pre-albumin predicted longer OS in AEG patients.