poly(I:C) synergizes with proteasome inhibitors to induce apoptosis in cervical cancer cells.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignancies in women, with a poor survival rate. Thus, there is a need to define effective combination strategies to improve therapy. In this study, we report that dsRNA poly(I:C) up-regulated the expression of IFNß and apoptosis-associated genes in cervical cancer cells, activating both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, and eventually inducing cell death. Similarly, proteasome inhibitors also effectively induced cervical cancer cell apoptosis, probably through prevention of p53 degradation, inhibiting NF-κB signal activation and decreasing BCL-2 expression. Importantly, the combination of poly(I:C) with proteasome inhibitors enhanced caspase-8 and caspase-9 activation, and synergistically induced cervical cancer cell apoptosis. Both activated p38 signals and increased ROS levels, and their combination extended these effects. Collectively, we show that the activation of multiple pro-apoptotic pathways by poly(I:C) and proteasome inhibitors underpin a synergistic effect on inducing cervical cancer cell death, suggesting a potential therapeutic combination with clinical relevance.

Wogonin Strengthens the Therapeutic Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in DSS-Induced Colitis via Promoting IL-10 Production.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are prevalent and debilitating diseases; their clinical remedy is desperately unmet. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are pluripotent stem cells with multiple immunomodulatory effects, which are attributed to their efficacy in the IBD rodent model. Optimization of MSC regimes in IBD is a crucial step for their further clinical application. Wogonin is a flavonoid-like compound, which showed extensive immunomodulatory and adjuvant effects. This research is aimed at investigating whether and how Wogonin boosted the therapeutic efficiency of MSCs on DSS-induced colitis. Our results showed that the MSC treatment with Wogonin significantly alleviated the intestinal inflammation in IBD mice by increased IL-10 expression. In vitro experiments, Wogonin obviously raised the IL-10 production and ROS levels of MSCs in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, western blot data suggested Wogonin improves the IL-10 production by inducing transcript factor HIF-1α expression via AKT/GSK3ß signal pathway. Finally, the favorable effects of Wogonin on MSCs were confirmed by IL-10 blockade experiment in vivo. Together, our results suggested that Wogonin significantly increased the IL-10 production and enhanced the therapeutic effects of MSCs in DSS-induced colitis. This work suggested Wogonin as a novel optimal strategy for MSC clinical application.

Amphiregulin alleviated concanavalin A-induced acute liver injury via IL-22.

OBJECTIVES: Amphiregulin (Areg), a glycoprotein from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) ligand family, has a well-documented protective role against tissue injury; however, its effects on immune-mediated liver injury are still unclear. Here, we used a concanavalin A (ConA)-induced acute liver hepatitis model to explore the effects of Areg on immune-mediated acute liver injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Some C57BL/6 mice were administered ConA at a dose of 20 mg/kg (model mice), and some received 5 µg of Areg (treated mice). Then, their survival rates over 36 h were analyzed. After 5 h of treatment, liver function, hepatic histology, and apoptosis in liver tissue were investigated, and cytokine expression and neutrophil infiltration and activity in the liver were detected. Moreover, the protective effects of Areg were also evaluated without IL-22 in vivo. RESULTS: Our results showed that Areg administration increased acute liver failure (ALF) mouse survival, restored liver function, and alleviated liver damage. Interestingly, Areg administration increased IL-22 production in hepatic T cells and upregulated IL-22 concentrations in the serum and liver, whereas IL-22 neutralization completely abolished the therapeutic effect of Areg. Meanwhile, Areg administration was concomitant with increased expression of the anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, which are important in the hepatoprotective mechanism of IL-22. CONCLUSIONS: Areg showed direct protective effects against ConA-induced acute liver injury, which suggests the potential therapeutic application of Areg in immune-mediated ALF.

Wogonin Suppresses IL-10 Production in B Cells via STAT3 and ERK Signaling Pathway.

Wogonin (5,7-dihydroxy-8-methoxyflavone) is an ingredient of the extracts from Scutellaria baicalensis, which has documented a wide spectrum of anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities, including inhibiting regulatory T cells, regulating effector T cell functions, and mediating macrophage immunity. However, the potential effect of Wogonin on B cells has not been fully understood. Here, our results showed that Wogonin inhibited IL-10 secretion in B cells. When purified B cells were activated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro, the amount of IL-10 production in supernatant was decreased by Wogonin significantly. The protective role of B cells on dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colitis was alleviated after exposure to Wogonin. Furthermore, administration of Wogonin on LPS-treated B cells suppressed phosphorylation of STAT3 and ERK, but not AKT. Interestingly, among those IL-10 signaling-associated transcription factors, mRNA and protein levels of Hif-1α were specifically decreased by Wogonin. Overall, our study indicates that Wogonin suppresses potentially IL-10 production in B cells via inhibition of the STAT3 and ERK signaling pathway as well as inhibition of mRNA and protein levels of the transcription factor Hif-1α. These results provide novel and potential molecular targets of Wogonin in B cells and help us further understand its mechanism of action, which could potentially improve its clinical application in the future.

Podocytic infolding in Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia with novel SMARCAL1 mutations: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Schimke immuno-osseous dysplasia (SIOD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, progressive renal insufficiency and defective cellular immunity. Podocytic infolding glomerulopathy (PIG) is a newly proposed disease entity characterized by microspheres or microtubular structures associated with podocytes infolding into the glomerular basement membrane (GBM) on electron microscopy (EM). CASE PRESENTATION: A 4-year-old boy was admitted to our ward due to proteinuria and edema lasting 1 month. He had a short trunk and demonstrated subtle dysmorphology, with a triangular shape, a broad nasal bridge and a bulbous nasal tip. The laboratory findings were as follows: lymphocytes, 0.5 × 109/L; urine protein, 3.67 g/d; albumin, 9.8 g/L; and cholesterol, 11.72 mmol/L. Skeletal X rays showed small iliac wings, small ossification centers of the capital femoral epiphyses, shallow dysplastic acetabular fossae and mildly flattened vertebrae. The specimen for light microscopy (LM) suggested focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). EM revealed a focal thickness of the GBM with some cytoplasmic processes of podocyte infolding into the GBM. Gene sequencing showed novel compound heterozygous mutations in the SMARCAL1 gene (c.2141 + 5G > A; c.2528 + 1G > A) that were inherited from his parents. Finally, we established the diagnosis of SIOD and treated him with diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). CONCLUSION: The pathogenic mechanism of PIG has not been clarified. Further studies are required to understand whether gene mutations, especially those related to podocytes, contribute to the pathogenesis of podocytic infolding.

CUDC-907 blocks multiple pro-survival signals and abrogates microenvironment protection in CLL.

CUDC-907, a dual PI3K/HDAC inhibitor, has been proposed to have therapeutic potential in hematopoietic malignancies. However, the molecular mechanisms of its effects in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) remain elusive. We show that CLL cells are sensitive to CUDC-907, even under conditions similar to the protective microenvironment of proliferation centres. CUDC-907 inhibited PI3K/AKT and HDAC activity, as expected, but also suppressed RAF/MEK/ERK and STAT3 signalling and reduced the expression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family proteins BCL-2, BCL-xL, and MCL-1. Moreover, CUDC-907 downregulated cytokines BAFF and APRIL and their receptors BAFFR, TACI, and BCMA, thus blocking BAFF-induced NF-κB signalling. T cell chemokines CCL3/4/17/22 and phosphorylation of CXCR4 were also reduced by CUDC-907. These data indicated that CUDC-907 abrogates different protective signals and suggested that it might sensitize CLL cells to other drugs. Indeed, combinations of low concentrations of CUDC-907 with inhibitors of BCL2, BTK, or the NF-κB pathway showed a potent synergistic effect. Our data indicate that, apart from its known functions, CUDC-907 blocks multiple pro-survival pathways to overcome microenvironment protection in CLL cells. This provides a rationale to evaluate the clinical relevance of CUDC-907 in combination therapies with other targeted inhibitors.

High brain acid soluble protein 1(BASP1) is a poor prognostic factor for cervical cancer and promotes tumor growth.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to determine whether brain abundant membrane attached signal protein 1 (BASP1) is a valuable prognostic biomarker for cervical cancer and whether BASP1 regulates the progression of cervical cancer. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry were used to determined BASP1 levels. Statistical analyses were used to examine whether BASP1 was a prognostic factor for patients with cervical cancer. The MTT assay, colony formation assay, cell cycle assay, anchorage-independent growth assay, and a tumor xenograft model were used to determine the role of BASP1 in the proliferation and tumorigenicity of cervical cancer. RESULTS: Brain abundant membrane attached signal protein 1 was upregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cells, and BASP1 expression levels were higher in patients that had died during follow-up compared with those that survived. There was a positive correlation between BASP1 expression and clinical stage (p < 0.001), T classification (p < 0.001), N classification (p < 0.05), and survival or mortality (p < 0.05). Patients with higher BASP1 expression had a shorter overall survival time. Cox regression analysis shown BSAP1 was an unfavorable prognostic factor for patients with cervical cancer. Overexpression of BASP1 promoted the proliferation of cervical cancer and its colony formation ability, accelerated cell cycle progression, and enhanced tumorgenicity. BASP1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of cervical cancer and its colony formation ability, suppressed cell cycle progression, and decreased tumorgenicity. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that BASP1 not only is a novel prognostic factor for patients with cervical cancer, but also promotes the proliferation and tumorigenicity of cervical cancer.

Activating KIR2DS4 Is Expressed by Uterine NK Cells and Contributes to Successful Pregnancy.

Tissue-specific NK cells are abundant in the pregnant uterus and interact with invading placental trophoblast cells that transform the maternal arteries to increase the fetoplacental blood supply. Genetic case-control studies have implicated killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) genes and their HLA ligands in pregnancy disorders characterized by failure of trophoblast arterial transformation. Activating KIR2DS1 or KIR2DS5 (when located in the centromeric region as in Africans) lower the risk of disorders when there is a fetal HLA-C allele carrying a C2 epitope. In this study, we investigated another activating KIR, KIR2DS4, and provide genetic evidence for a similar effect when carried with KIR2DS1 KIR2DS4 is expressed by ∼45% of uterine NK (uNK) cells. Similarly to KIR2DS1, triggering of KIR2DS4 on uNK cells led to secretion of GM-CSF and other chemokines, known to promote placental trophoblast invasion. Additionally, XCL1 and CCL1, identified in a screen of 120 different cytokines, were consistently secreted upon activation of KIR2DS4 on uNK cells. Inhibitory KIR2DL5A, carried in linkage disequilibrium with KIR2DS1, is expressed by peripheral blood NK cells but not by uNK cells, highlighting the unique phenotype of uNK cells compared with peripheral blood NK cells. That KIR2DS4, KIR2DS1, and some alleles of KIR2DS5 contribute to successful pregnancy suggests that activation of uNK cells by KIR binding to HLA-C is a generic mechanism promoting trophoblast invasion into the decidua.

Mir-765 promotes cell proliferation by downregulating INPP4B expression in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

microRNAs (miRNAs) dysregulation is widely involved in cancer progression and contributed to sustained cell proliferation by directly targeting multiple targets. Therefore, better understanding the underlying mechanism of miRNA in carcinogenesis may improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for malignancy. In our study, we found that mir-765 is upregulated in both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines and tissues, compared to human normal liver cell line and adjacent non-cancerous tissues, respectively. Overexpression of mir-765 increased HCC cells proliferation and tumorigenicity, whereas inhibition of mir-765 reverses this effect. Furthermore, we demonstrated that INPP4B as a direct target of mir-765 and ectopic expression of mir-765 repressed INPP4B expression, resulting in upregulation of p-AKT, Cyclin D1, and downregulation of p-FOXO3a, p21 expression in HCC. Strikingly, we found that silencing the expression of INPP4B is the essential biological function of miR-765 during HCC cell proliferation. Collectively, our findings reveal that miR-765 is a potential onco-miR that participates in carcinogenesis of human HCC by suppressing INPP4B expression, and might represent a potential therapeutic target for HCC patients.

MiR-1180 promotes apoptotic resistance to human hepatocellular carcinoma via activation of NF-κB signaling pathway.

Apoptosis resistance in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant factor in carcinogenesis. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in apoptosis resistance is crucial for developing anticancer therapies. Importantly, small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported as key biomarkers for detecting tumour onset and progression. In the present study, we demonstrate that miR-1180 is upregulated in HCC. Ectopic expression of miR-1180 has an anti-apoptotic effect in HCC, while miR-1180 inhibition increases cell apoptosis, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, our results show that miR-1180 directly targets key inhibitors of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway (i.e., OTUD7B and TNIP2) and the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 associated death promoter (BAD) protein by post-transcriptional downregulation. Therefore, the anti-apoptotic function of miR-1180 in HCC may occur through NF-κB pathway activation via downregulation of its negative regulators. In conclusion, our study reveals the critical role of miR-1180 during apoptosis resistance in HCC.

HDAC inhibitors suppress c-Jun/Fra-1-mediated proliferation through transcriptionally downregulating MKK7 and Raf1 in neuroblastoma cells.

Activator protein 1 (AP-1) is a transcriptional factor composed of the dimeric members of bZIP proteins, which are frequently deregulated in human cancer cells. In this study, we aimed to identify an oncogenic AP-1 dimer critical for the proliferation of neuroblastoma cells and to investigate whether histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACIs), a new generation of anticancer agents, could target the AP-1 dimer. We report here that HDACIs including trichostatin A, suberoylanilidehydroxamic acid, valproic acid and M344 can transcriptionally suppress both c-Jun and Fra-1, preceding their inhibition of cell growth. c-Jun preferentially interacting with Fra-1 as a heterodimer is responsible for AP-1 activity and critical for cell growth. Mechanistically, HDACIs suppress Fra-1 expression through transcriptionally downregulating Raf1 and subsequently decreasing MEK1/2-ERK1/2 activity. Unexpectedly, HDACI treatment caused MKK7 downregulation at both the protein and mRNA levels. Deletion analysis of the 5'-flanking sequence of the MKK7 gene revealed that a major element responsible for the downregulation by HDACI is located at -149 to -3 relative to the transcriptional start site. Knockdown of MKK7 but not MKK4 remarkably decreased JNK/c-Jun activity and proliferation, whereas ectopic MKK7-JNK1 reversed HDACI-induced c-Jun suppression. Furthermore, suppression of both MKK-7/c-Jun and Raf-1/Fra-1 activities was involved in the tumor growth inhibitory effects induced by SAHA in SH-SY5Y xenograft mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that c-Jun/Fra-1 dimer is critical for neuroblastoma cell growth and that HDACIs act as effective suppressors of the two oncogenes through transcriptionally downregulating MKK7 and Raf1.

DDR2 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma invasion and metastasis via activating ERK signaling and stabilizing SNAIL1.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found that DDR2 is up-regulated in many tumor types and facilitates tumor progression. However, the role of DDR2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression and its downstream signaling pathways remain unclear. METHODS: DDR2 expression was assessed in several cell lines and 112 pairs of HCC and matched adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. Clinical significance of DDR2 in HCC was analyzed. Phosphorylated DDR2 (p-DDR2) expression was detected by immunoblotting to evaluate its correlation with DDR2. The effect of DDR2 on HCC cell migration and invasion were examined. Cycloheximide chase experiments were performed to detect the half-life of SNAIL1. Moreover, DDR2 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry to evaluate its correlation with SNAIL1. The regulatory effect of DDR2 on ERK signaling, SNAIL1, EMT, MT1-MMP and MMP2 was confirmed by immunoblotting. The effect of type I collagen on DDR2/ERK2/SNAIL1 signaling was assessed. RESULTS: DDR2 was more highly expressed in HCC than in non-HCC tissues. DDR2 overexpression was correlated with clinicopathological features of poor prognosis. Clinical analysis revealed that DDR2 is an independent prognostic marker for predicting overall survival and disease free survival of HCC patients. Overexpression of DDR2 is associated with p-DDR2 amplification. In vitro studies showed that DDR2 facilitates HCC cell invasion, migration and EMT via activating ERK2 and stabilizing SNAIL1. DDR2 can up-regulate MT1-MMP and MMP2 expression through ERK2/SNAIL1 signaling in HCC. Additionally, collagen I can induce DDR2/ERK2/SNAIL1 signaling activation in HCC cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that DDR2 plays an important role in promoting HCC cell invasion and migration, and may serve as a novel therapeutic target in HCC.

Tissue-Specific Education of Decidual NK Cells.

During human pregnancy, fetal trophoblast cells invade the decidua and remodel maternal spiral arteries to establish adequate nutrition during gestation. Tissue NK cells in the decidua (dNK) express inhibitory NK receptors (iNKR) that recognize allogeneic HLA-C molecules on trophoblast. Where this results in excessive dNK inhibition, the risk of pre-eclampsia or growth restriction is increased. However, the role of maternal, self-HLA-C in regulating dNK responsiveness is unknown. We investigated how the expression and function of five iNKR in dNK is influenced by maternal HLA-C. In dNK isolated from women who have HLA-C alleles that carry a C2 epitope, there is decreased expression frequency of the cognate receptor, KIR2DL1. In contrast, women with HLA-C alleles bearing a C1 epitope have increased frequency of the corresponding receptor, KIR2DL3. Maternal HLA-C had no significant effect on KIR2DL1 or KIR2DL3 in peripheral blood NK cells (pbNK). This resulted in a very different KIR repertoire for dNK capable of binding C1 or C2 epitopes compared with pbNK. We also show that, although maternal KIR2DL1 binding to C2 epitope educates dNK cells to acquire functional competence, the effects of other iNKR on dNK responsiveness are quite different from those in pbNK. This provides a basis for understanding how dNK responses to allogeneic trophoblast affect the outcome of pregnancy. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms that determine the repertoire of iNKR and the effect of self-MHC on NK education may differ in tissue NK cells compared with pbNK.

PSCA s2294008 C>T and rs2976392 G>A polymorphisms contribute to cancer susceptibility: evidence from published studies.

PSCA gene plays an important role in cell adhesion, proliferation and survival. Increasing studies have focused on the association of PSCA gene rs2294008 C>T and rs2976392 G>A with cancer risk. However, the conclusions were inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to elucidate whether there is a true association, or artifact. We systematically searched eligible studies from MEDLINE, EMBASE and CBM database. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate the strength of the association. The final analysis included 32 studies consisting of 30028 cases and 38765 controls for the rs2294008 C>T polymorphism, and 14 studies with 8190 cases and 7176 controls for the rs2976392 G>A polymorphism. Consequently, the PSCA rs2294008 C>T polymorphism was significantly associated with increased overall cancer risk. Further stratifications indicated the increased risk was more pronounced for gastric (diffused type and non-gastric cardia adenocarcinoma) and bladder cancer. A similar association was observed for the rs2976392 G>A polymorphism. This meta-analysis demonstrated that both of the PSCA rs2294008 C>T and rs2976392 G>A polymorphisms are associated with increased cancer risk, especially for gastric cancer and bladder cancer. Further large-scale studies with different ethnicities and subtypes of gastric cancer are required to confirm the results from this meta-analysis.

URG4/URGCP enhances the angiogenic capacity of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro via activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND: Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by hypervascularity; high levels of angiogenesis are associated with poor prognosis and a highly invasive phenotype in HCC. Up-regulated gene-4 (URG4), also known as upregulator of cell proliferation (URGCP), is overexpressed in multiple tumor types and has been suggested to act as an oncogene. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of URG4/URGCP on the angiogenic capacity of HCC cells in vitro. METHODS: Expression of URG4/URGCP in HCC cell lines and normal liver epithelial cell lines was examined by Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. URG4/URGCP was stably overexpressed or transiently knocked down using a shRNA in two HCC cell lines. The human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tubule formation and Transwell migration assays and chicken chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay were used to examine the angiogenic capacity of conditioned media from URG4/URGCP-overexpressing and knockdown cells. A luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the transcriptional activity of nuclear factor kappa - light - chain - enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). NF-κB was inhibited by overexpressing degradation-resistant mutant inhibitor of κB (IκB)-α. Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGFC), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and v-myc avian myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog (MYC) were examined by quantitative real-time PCR; VEGFC protein expression was analyzed using an ELISA. RESULTS: URG4/URGCP protein and mRNA expression were significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines. Overexpressing URG4/URGCP enhanced - while silencing URG4/URGCP decreased - the capacity of HCC cell conditioned media to induce HUVEC tubule formation and migration and neovascularization in the CAM assay. Furthermore, overexpressing URG4/URGCP increased - whereas knockdown of URG4/URGCP decreased - VEGFC expression, NF-κB transcriptional activity, the levels of phosphorylated (but not total) IκB kinase (IKK) and IκB-α, and expression of TNFα, IL-6, IL-8 and MYC in HCC cells. Additionally, inhibition of NF-κB activity in HCC cells abrogated URG4/URGCP-induced NF-κB activation and angiogenic capacity. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that URG4/URGCP plays an important pro-angiogenic role in HCC via a mechanism linked to activation of the NF-κB pathway; URG4/URGCP may represent a potential target for anti-angiogenic therapy in HCC.

A novel role for microRNA-129-5p in inhibiting ovarian cancer cell proliferation and survival via direct suppression of transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ.

Transcriptional co-activator Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are key oncogenes in mammalian cells. Activities of YAP and TAZ are largely restricted by the Hippo tumor suppressor pathway through phosphorylation-ubiquitination mechanisms. The involvement of microRNA in cancer progression has recently been reported, though whether they have a role in activating YAP and TAZ in human cancer cells remains unclear. Here, we report a microRNA, miR-129-5p, directly represses YAP and TAZ expression, leading to the inactivation of TEA domain (TEAD) transcription, and the downregulation of Hippo downstream genes, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and Cyclin A. Furthermore, we reveal miR-129-5p inhibits ovarian cancer cell proliferation, survival and tumorigenicity, and that downregulation of miR-129-5p in ovarian cancer cells highly correlates with malignant progression and poor survival. Hence, we demonstrate a novel mechanism for YAP and TAZ activation in cancers, indicating not only a potentially pivotal role for miR-129-5p in the progression of ovarian cancer, but also offering new therapeutic strategies to circumvent the disease.

Mir-208 promotes cell proliferation by repressing SOX6 expression in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the major histological type of esophageal cancer in developing countries. The prognosis and survival rate of ESCC are very poor. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as important regulators of cancer cell biological processes. To better understanding the molecular mechanisms by which they regulate the behavior of cancer cells is needed. METHODS: The expression of miR-208 was examined in ESCC cell lines and tumor tissues by real-time PCR. Proliferation capability of ESCC cells upon regulation of miR-208 expression was detected by MTT assay, colony formation assay, anchorage-independent growth ability assay and flow cytometry analysis. The target of miR-208 was determined by western blotting analysis, luciferase reporter assay and real-time PCR. RESULTS: miR-208 was upregulated in ESCC cell lines and tissues. Overexpression of miR-208 in ESCC cells increased cell proliferation, tumorigenicity and cell cycle progression, whereas inhibition of miR-208 reduced cells proliferation, tumorigenicity and cell cycle progression. Additionally, SOX6 was identified as a direct target of miR-208. Ectopic expression of miR-208 led to downregulation of SOX6 protein, which resulted in the downregulation of p21, upregulation of cyclin D1 and phosphorylation of Rb. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that miR-208 represents a potential onco-miR and participates in ESCC carcinogenesis by suppressing SOX6 expression.

Association between the PARP1 Val762Ala polymorphism and cancer risk: evidence from 43 studies.

BACKGROUND: Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) plays critical roles in the detection and repair of damaged DNA, as well as cell proliferation and death. Numerous studies have examined the associations between PARP1 Val762Ala (rs1136410 T>C) polymorphism and cancer susceptibility; nevertheless, the findings from different research groups remain controversial. METHODS: We searched literatures from MEDLINE, EMBASE and CBM pertaining to such associations, and then calculated pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) by using random-effects model. The false-positive report probability (FPRP) analysis was used to confirm the validity of significant findings. Moreover, potential effects of rs1136410 variants on PARP1 mRNA expression were analyzed for three ethnicities by combining data from HapMap (genotype) and SNPexp (mRNA expression). RESULTS: The final meta-analysis incorporated 43 studies, consisting of 17,351 cases and 22,401 controls. Overall, our results did not suggest significant associations between Ala variant (Ala/Ala or Ala/Val genotype) and cancer risk. However, further stratification analysis showed significantly increased risk for gastric cancer (Ala/Ala vs. Val/Val: OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.01-2.42, Ala/Val vs. Val/Val: OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.14-1.58, dominant model: OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.21-1.65 and Ala vs. Val: OR = 1.29, 95% CI = 1.07-1.55). On the contrary, decreased risk for brain tumor (Ala/Val vs. Val/Val: OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.68-0.87, dominant model: OR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.68-0.87 and Ala vs. Val: OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.74-0.91). Additionally, we found that the Ala carriers had a significantly increased risk in all models for Asians. Our mRNA expression data provided further biological evidence to consolidate this finding. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some limitations, this meta-analysis found evidence for an association between the PAPR1 Val762Ala and cancer susceptibility within gastric cancer, brain tumor and Asian subgroups.

Maternal uterine NK cell-activating receptor KIR2DS1 enhances placentation.

Reduced trophoblast invasion and vascular conversion in decidua are thought to be the primary defect of common pregnancy disorders including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. Genetic studies suggest these conditions are linked to combinations of polymorphic killer cell Ig-like receptor (KIR) genes expressed by maternal decidual NK cells (dNK) and HLA-C genes expressed by fetal trophoblast. Inhibitory KIR2DL1 and activating KIR2DS1 both bind HLA-C2, but confer increased risk or protection from pregnancy disorders, respectively. The mechanisms underlying these genetic associations with opposing outcomes are unknown. We show that KIR2DS1 is highly expressed in dNK, stimulating strong activation of KIR2DS1+ dNK. We used microarrays to identify additional responses triggered by binding of KIR2DS1 or KIR2DL1 to HLA-C2 and found different responses in dNK coexpressing KIR2DS1 with KIR2DL1 compared with dNK only expressing KIR2DL1. Activation of KIR2DS1+ dNK by HLA-C2 stimulated production of soluble products including GM-CSF, detected by intracellular FACS and ELISA. We demonstrated that GM-CSF enhanced migration of primary trophoblast and JEG-3 trophoblast cells in vitro. These findings provide a molecular mechanism explaining how recognition of HLA class I molecules on fetal trophoblast by an activating KIR on maternal dNK may be beneficial for placentation.