Efficacy and optimal combination timing of chemotherapy combined with PD-1 inhibitor in advanced cervical cancer: a multicenter retrospective cohort study.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of chemotherapy combined with programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitors in the treatment of advanced cervical cancer and the effect of optimal combination timing on prognosis. Methods: From March 2020 to December 2021, the clinical data of 116 patients with advanced cervical cancer who received PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy were collected. The clinical characteristics and adverse events of the patients were recorded until the cut-off date of follow-up. The primary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS), the objective response rate (ORR), and safety; the secondary endpoints were the disease-control rate (DCR) and overall survival (OS). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyze the prognostic factors affecting the PFS of patients and to assess the effect of the timing of combination therapies on PFS. Results: In total, 85 patients from 4 study centers were included in this study. The median PFS was 10.3 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 9.47-11.13 months], the ORR was 44.7%, the DCR was 75.3%, and the median OS was not reached. The multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis showed that the early combination of chemotherapy with a PD-1 inhibitor provided better PFS than the late combination [hazard ratio (HR) 0.40, 95% CI: 0.24-0.67, P=0.001]. Lymph node metastasis (HR 2.04, 95% CI: 1.24-3.38, P=0.005), and previous treatment (HR 1.79, 95% CI: 1.09-3.00, P=0.023) were also independent risk factors for PFS. During the treatment and follow-up periods, the overall incidence of adverse events in this study was 56.5%, and that of grade ≥3 adverse events was 12.9%. Thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and hypothyroidism were the main treatment-related adverse events, all of which were tolerated, and no serious adverse events leading to death were observed. There were no treatment-related deaths. Conclusions: PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy have good efficacy and controllable safety in patients with advanced cervical cancer. The early combination of PD-1 inhibitors and chemotherapy may provide better survival benefits than the late combination for patients.

Upregulated insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate promotes the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells via the bFGF/AKT signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Some recent studies on insulin receptor tyrosine kinase substrate (IRTKS) have focused more on its functions in diseases. However, there is a lack of research on the role of IRTKS in carcinomas and its mechanism remains ambiguous. In this study, we aimed to clarify the role and mechanism of IRTKS in the carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: We analysed the expression of IRTKS in CRC tissues and normal tissues by researching public databases. Cancer tissues and adjacent tissues of 67 CRC patients who had undergone radical resection were collected from our center. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry were performed in 52 and 15 pairs of samples, respectively. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to observe the effect of IRTKS on CRC cells. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis and Metascape platforms were used for functional annotation and enrichment analysis. We detected the protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation and cell viability of SW480 transfected with small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) with or without basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) through immunoblotting and proliferation assays. RESULTS: The expression of IRTKS in CRC tissues was higher than that in adjacent tissues and normal tissues (all P < 0.05). Disease-free survival of patients with high expression was shorter. Overexpression of IRTKS significantly increased the proliferation rate of CRC cells in vitro and the number of tumor xenografts in vivo. The phosphorylation level of AKT in CRC cells transfected with pLVX-IRTKS was higher than that in the control group. Furthermore, siRNA-IRTKS significantly decreased the proliferation rate of tumor cells and the phosphorylation level of AKT induced by bFGF. CONCLUSION: IRTKS mediated the bFGF-induced cell proliferation through the phosphorylation of AKT in CRC cells, which may contribute to tumorigenicity in vivo.

Alpha-momorcharin enhances Nicotiana benthamiana resistance to tobacco mosaic virus infection through modulation of reactive oxygen species.

Alpha-momorcharin (α-MMC), a member of the plant ribosomal inactivating proteins (RIPs) family, has been proven to exhibit important biological properties in animals, including antiviral, antimicrobial, and antitumour activities. However, the mechanism by which α-MMC increases plant resistance to viral infections remains unclear. To study the effect of α-MMC on plant viral defence and how α-MMC increases plant resistance to viruses, recombinant DNA and transgenic technologies were employed to investigate the role of α-MMC in Nicotiana benthamiana resistance to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. Treatment with α-MMC produced through DNA recombinant technology or overexpression of α-MMC mediated by transgenic technology alleviated TMV-induced oxidative damage and reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during TMV-green fluorescent protein infection of N. benthamiana. There was a significant decrease in TMV replication in the upper leaves following local α-MMC treatment and in α-MMC-overexpressing plants relative to control plants. These results suggest that application or overexpression of α-MMC in N. benthamiana increases resistance to TMV infection. Finally, our results showed that overexpression of α-MMC up-regulated the expression of ROS scavenging-related genes. α-MMC confers resistance to TMV infection by means of modulating ROS homeostasis through controlling the expression of antioxidant enzyme-encoding genes. Overall, our study revealed a new crosstalk mechanism between α-MMC and ROS during resistance to viral infection and provides a framework to understand the molecular mechanisms of α-MMC in plant defence against viral pathogens.

Hederacoside-C protects against AGEs-induced ECM degradation in mice chondrocytes.

Hederacoside-C (HDC), a natural compound extracted from the leaves of Hedera helix with inflammation modulatory properties in variety of disorders. In this study, we investigated the latent mechanism of HDC in alleviating of the progress of OA in vitro experiment. The results showed that HDC pretreatment suppressed the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) induced over-regulation of ROS level and inflammatory factors. Moreover, HDC also downregulate the degradation of ECM induced by AGEs. Mechanistically, the HDC suppressed NF-κB signaling pathway in chondrocyte. To sum up, this study indicated HDC possessed a new potential therapeutic option in osteoarthritis.

VSL#3 can prevent ulcerative colitis-associated carcinogenesis in mice.

AIM: To investigate the effects of VSL#3 on tumor formation, and fecal and intestinal mucosal microbiota in azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) induced mice model. METHODS: C57BL/6 mice were administered AOM/DSS to develop the ulcerative colitis (UC) carcinogenesis model. Mice were treated with 5-ASA (75 mg/kg/d), VSL#3 (1.5 × 109 CFU/d), or 5-ASA combined with VSL#3 by gavage from the day of AOM injection for three months (five days/week). The tumor load was compared in each group, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were evaluated in colon tissue. The stool and intestinal mucosa samples were collected to analyze the differences in the intestinal microbiota by 16s rDNA sequencing method. RESULTS: VSL#3 significantly reduced the tumor load in AOM/DSS-induced mice model and decreased the level of TNF-α and IL-6 in colon tissue. The model group had a lower level of Lactobacillus and higher level of Oscillibacter and Lachnoclostridium in fecal microbiota than the control group. After the intervention with 5-ASA and VSL#3, Bacillus and Lactococcus were increased, while Lachnoclostridium and Oscillibacter were reduced. 5-ASA combined with VSL#3 increased the Lactobacillus and decreased the Oscillibacter. The intestinal mucosal microbiota analysis showed a lower level of Bifidobacterium and Ruminococcaceae_UCG-014 and higher level of Alloprevotella in the model group as compared to the control group. After supplementation with VSL#3, Bifidobacterium was increased. 5-ASA combined with VSL#3 increased the level of both Lachnoclostridium and Bifidobacterium. CONCLUSION: VSL#3 can prevent UC-associated carcinogenesis in mice, reduce the colonic mucosal inflammation levels, and rebalance the fecal and mucosal intestinal microbiota.

Novel CHOP activator LGH00168 induces necroptosis in A549 human lung cancer cells via ROS-mediated ER stress and NF-κB inhibition.

AIM: C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) is a transcription factor that is activated at multiple levels during ER stress and plays an important role in ER stress-induced apoptosis. In this study we identified a novel CHOP activator, and further investigated its potential to be a therapeutic agent for human lung cancer. METHODS: HEK293-CHOP-luc reporter cells were used in high-throughput screening (HTS) to identify CHOP activators. The cytotoxicity against cancer cells in vitro was measured with MTT assay. The anticancer effects were further examined in A549 human non-small cell lung cancer xenograft mice. The mechanisms underlying CHOP activation were analyzed using luciferase assays, and the anticancer mechanisms were elucidated in A549 cells. RESULTS: From chemical libraries of 50 000 compounds, LGH00168 was identified as a CHOP activator, which showed cytotoxic activities against a panel of 9 cancer cell lines with an average IC50 value of 3.26 µmol/L. Moreover, administration of LGH00168 significantly suppressed tumor growth in A549 xenograft bearing mice. LGH00168 activated CHOP promoter via AARE1 and AP1 elements, increased DR5 expression, decreased Bcl-2 expression, and inhibited the NF-κB pathway. Treatment of A549 cells with LGH00168 (10 µmol/L) did not induce apoptosis, but lead to RIP1-dependent necroptosis, accompanied by cell swelling, plasma membrane rupture, lysosomal membrane permeabilization, MMP collapse and caspase 8 inhibition. Furthermore, LGH00168 (10 and 20 µmol/L) dose-dependently induced mito-ROS production in A549 cells, which was reversed by the ROS scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC, 10 mmol/L). Moreover, NAC significantly diminished LGH00168-induced CHOP activation, NF-κB inhibition and necroptosis in A549 cells. CONCLUSION: LGH00168 is a CHOP activator that inhibits A549 cell growth in vitro and lung tumor growth in vivo.

Physalin B not only inhibits the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but also induces incomplete autophagic response in human colon cancer cells in vitro.

AIM: To investigate the effects of physalin B insolated from Physalis divericata on human colon cancer cells in vitro and its anticancer mechanisms. METHODS: Human HCT116 colon cancer cell line was tested. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected, and relevant proteins were measured using Western blot analyses. Autophagosomes were observed in stable GFP-LC3 HCT116 cells. Localization of autophagosomes and lysosomes was evaluated in GFP-LC3/RFP-LAMP1-co-transfected cells. Microtubules and F-actin microfilaments were observed with confocal microscope. Mitochondrial ROS (mito-ROS) was detected with flow cytometry in the cells stained with MitoSox dye. RESULTS: Physalin B inhibited the viability of HCT116 cells with an IC50 value of 1.35 µmol/L. Treatment of the cells with physalin B (2.5-10 µmol/L) induced apoptosis and the cleavage of PARP and caspase-3. Meanwhile, physalin B treatment induced autophagosome formation, and accumulation of LC3-II and p62, but decreased Beclin 1 protein level. Marked changes of microtubules and F-actin microfilaments were observed in physalin B-treated cells, which led to the blockage of co-localization of autophagosomes and lysosomes. Physalin B treatment dose-dependently increased the phosphorylation of p38, ERK and JNK in the cells, whereas the p38 inhibitor SB202190, ERK inhibitor U0126 or JNK inhibitor SP600125 could partially reduce physalin B-induced PARP cleavage and p62 accumulation. Moreover, physalin B treatment dose-dependently increased mito-ROS production in the cells, whereas the ROS scavenger NAC could reverse physalin B-induced effects, including incomplete autophagic response, accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, changes of microtubules and F-actin, activation of p38, ERK and JNK, as well as cell death and apoptosis. CONCLUSION: Physalin B induces mito-ROS, which not only inhibits the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway but also induces incomplete autophagic response in HCT116 cells in vitro.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebra in a population-based study of 5860 individuals: prevalence and relationship to low back pain.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of lumbosacral transitional vertebra (LSTV) within the Chinese Han population, and to determine whether LSTV correlates with low back pain (LBP) and gluteal pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Typical standing pelvic radiographs were obtained for 5860 volunteers between 18 to 60 years of age. The lumbosacral region of each spine was evaluated to identify LSTV, which was classified into types I, II, III, and IV based on Castellvi's method. Histories of low back symptoms were obtained using a questionnaire. The association of different subtypes of LSTV with LBP and gluteal pain was explored. RESULTS: LSTV was found in 15.8% (928 of 5860) of our study population. Of the 928 individuals with LSTV, 44.8% were type I (dysplastic transverse process with height >19mm), 43.2% were type II (pseudoarticulation), 7.2% were type III (fusion), and 4.8% were type IV (a unilateral type II transition with a type III fusion on the contralateral side). Type II LSTV were closely associated with LBP and gluteal pain, with respective odds ratios (ORs) of 2.56 (95% CI: 2.17-3.89) and 5.38 (95% CI: 4.29-8.43). Similarly, types IV LSTV also demonstrated a significant correlation with LBP and gluteal pain, with respective ORs of 4.28 (95% CI: 3.21-6.35) and 6.82 (95% CI: 5.17-16.59). CONCLUSIONS: In this population-based study, the prevalence of LSTV was 15.8%, with type I being the most common. Importantly, LSTV types II and IV were significantly associated with LBP and gluteal pain.

Novel microtubule-targeted agent 6-chloro-4-(methoxyphenyl) coumarin induces G2-M arrest and apoptosis in HeLa cells.

AIM: To identify a novel coumarin analogue with the highest anticancer activity and to further investigate its anticancer mechanisms. METHODS: The viability of cancer cells was investigated using the MTT assay. The cell cycle progression was evaluated using both flow cytometric and Western blotting analysis. Microtubule depolymerization was observed with immunocytochemistry in vivo and a tubulin depolymerization assay in vitro. Apoptosis was demonstrated using Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (PI) double-staining and sub-G(1) analysis. RESULTS: Among 36 analogues of coumarin, 6-chloro-4-(methoxyphenyl) coumarin showed the best anticancer activity (IC(50) value about 200 nmol/L) in HCT116 cells. The compound had a broad spectrum of anticancer activity against 9 cancer cell lines derived from colon cancer, breast cancer, liver cancer, cervical cancer, leukemia, epidermoid cancer with IC(50) value of 75 nmol/L-1.57 µmol/L but with low cytotocitity against WI-38 human lung fibroblasts (IC(50) value of 12.128 µmol/L). The compound (0.04-10 µmol/L) induced G(2)-M phase arrest in HeLa cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was reversible after the compound was removed. The compound (10-300 µmol/L) induced the depolymerization of purified porcine tubulin in vitro. Finally, the compound (0.04-2.5 µmol/L) induced apoptosis of HeLa cells in dose- and time-dependent manners. CONCLUSION: 6-Chloro-4-(methoxyphenyl) coumarin is a novel microtubule-targeting agent that induces G(2)-M arrest and apoptosis in HeLa cells.

[Effects of NAIF1 on biological behavior of esophageal carcinoma cell line EC9706 by using pTet-off system].

AIM: To investigate the effects of NAIF1 on biological behavior of esophageal carcinoma cell line EC9706 by using pTet-off system. METHODS: Constructe the pTRE2-NAIF1 plasmid and co-transfected with PTK-Hyg in human inducable esophageal carcinoma cell line TF93 (derive from EC9706 cell line).After Hygromycin B selection and RT-PCR, Western blot identification we got stable inducable cell clone TF93-pTRE2-NAIF1.By using this clone, we used MTT to test the proliferation rate, flow cytometry to test the cell cycle, Transwell chamber to test the migration ability and tested the adhesion ability of EC9706 under the effect of NAIF1. RESULTS: First we got the stable inducable cell clone TF93-pTRE2-NAIF1, then we found NAIF1 could inhibit the cell proliferation, cause G0/G1 cell arrest and inhibit the migration and adhesion ability of EC9706. CONCLUSION: NAIF1 can inhibit the malignant phenotype of esophageal carcinoma cell line EC9706.

Overexpression of PIP5KL1 suppresses cell proliferation and migration in human gastric cancer cells.

Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase-like 1 (PIP5KL1), the forth member of phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinases (PIPKs) type I, acts as a scaffold for localization and activation of PIPKs, which mediates numerous cellular processes. However, the role of PIP5KL1 in the development of human cancer is still lacking. We therefore examined the expression of PIP5KL1 in human normal and cancer tissues by tissue microarrays (TMAs). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence imaging analysis were used to testify the mRNA and protein levels of PIP5KL1 in human gastric cancer cell line (BGC823). The cell proliferation was investigated with 3-(4,5)-dimethylthiahiazo (-z-y1)-3,5-di-phenytetrazoliumromide (MTT) assay. Both wound healing and transwell migration assay were performed to study the cell migration. The phosphorylation of v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1 (AKT1) was determined by western immunoblot analysis. Immunostaining of gastric cancer tissue microarrays revealed a negative correlation between PIP5KL1 overexpression and gastric cancer in situ. Transient transfection PIP5KL1 induced a significant increase expression at both transcriptional and translational levels and consequent robust inhibition of proliferation (P < 0.05) and migration (P < 0.05) of BGC823 cells. Overexpression of PIP5KL1 markedly inhibited (P < 0.05) serum-induced phosphorylation of AKT1. Taken together, these studies indicate a functional negative correlation between elevated levels of PIP5KL1 and the development of human gastric cancer, suggesting that PIP5KL1 overexpression may suppress gastric cancer formation.