Identifying MiR-140-3p as a stable internal reference to normalize MicroRNA qRT-PCR levels of plasma small extracellular vesicles in lung cancer patients.

Exploration of a stably expressed gene as a reference is critical for the accurate evaluation of miRNAs isolated from small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). In this study, we analyzed small RNA sequencing on plasma sEV miRNAs in the training dataset (n = 104) and found that miR-140-3p was the most stably expressed candidate reference for sEV miRNAs. We further demonstrated that miR-140-3p expressed most stably in the validation cohort (n = 46) when compared to two other reference miRNAs, miR-451a and miR-1228-3p, and the commonly-used miRNA reference U6. Finally, we compared the capability of miR-140-3p and U6 as the internal reference for sEV miRNA expression by evaluating key miRNAs expression in lung cancer patients and found that miR-140-3p was more suitable as a sEV miRNA reference gene. Taken together, our data indicated miR-140-3p as a stable internal reference miRNA of plasma sEVs to evaluate miRNA expression profiles in lung cancer patients.

A specific super-enhancer actuated by berberine regulates EGFR-mediated RAS-RAF1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 pathway to induce nasopharyngeal carcinoma autophagy.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), primarily found in the southern region of China, is a malignant tumor known for its highly metastatic characteristics. The high mortality rates caused by the distant metastasis and disease recurrence remain unsolved clinical problems. In clinic, the berberine (BBR) compound has widely been in NPC therapy to decrease metastasis and disease recurrence, and BBR was documented as a main component with multiple anti-NPC effects. However, the mechanism by which BBR inhibits the growth and metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains elusive. Herein, we show that BBR effectively inhibits the growth, metastasis, and invasion of NPC via inducing a specific super enhancer (SE). From a mechanistic perspective, the RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) results suggest that the RAS-RAF1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway, activated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), plays a significant role in BBR-induced autophagy in NPC. Blockading of autophagy markedly attenuated the effect of BBR-mediated NPC cell growth and metastasis inhibition. Notably, BBR increased the expression of EGFR by transcription, and knockout of EGFR significantly inhibited BBR-induced microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3)-II increase and p62 inhibition, proposing that EGFR plays a pivotal role in BBR-induced autophagy in NPC. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) results found that a specific SE existed only in NPC cells treated with BBR. This SE knockdown markedly repressed the expression of EGFR and phosphorylated EGFR (EGFR-p) and reversed the inhibition of BBR on NPC proliferation, metastasis, and invasion. Furthermore, BBR-specific SE may trigger autophagy by enhancing EGFR gene transcription, thereby upregulating the RAS-RAF1-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. In addition, in vivo BBR effectively inhibited NPC cells growth and metastasis, following an increase LC3 and EGFR and a decrease p62. Collectively, this study identifies a novel BBR-special SE and established a new epigenetic paradigm, by which BBR regulates autophagy, inhibits proliferation, metastasis, and invasion. It provides a rationale for BBR application as the treatment regime in NPC therapy in future.

Oncogenic seRNA functional activation: a novel mechanism of tumorigenesis.

seRNA is a noncoding RNA (ncRNA) transcribed from active super-enhancer (SE), through which SE exerts biological functions and participates in various physiological and pathological processes. seRNA recruits cofactor, RNA polymerase II and mediator to constitute and stabilize chromatin loop SE and promoter region, which regulates target genes transcription. In tumorigenesis, DNA insertion, deletion, translocation, focal amplification and carcinogen factor mediate oncogenic SE generation, meanwhile, oncogenic SE transcribes into tumor-related seRNA, termed as oncogenic seRNA. Oncogenic seRNA participates in tumorigenesis through activating various signal-pathways. The recent reports showed that oncogenic seRNA implicates in a widespread range of cytopathological processes in cancer progression including cell proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, extracellular matrix stiffness and angiogenesis. In this article, we comprehensively summarized seRNA's characteristics and functions, and emphatically introduced inducible formation of oncogenic seRNA and its functional mechanisms. Lastly, some research strategies on oncogenic seRNA were introduced, and the perspectives on cancer therapy that targets oncogenic seRNA were also discussed.

Dinitrosopiperazine-decreased PKP3 through upregulating miR-149 participates in nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a high metastatic clinicopathological feature. As a carcinogen factor, N,N'-dinitrosopiperazine (DNP) is involved in NPC metastasis, but its precise mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Herein, we showed that DNP promotes NPC metastasis through upregulating miR-149. DNP was found to decrease Plakophilin3 (PKP3) expression, further DNP-decreased PKP3 was verified to be through upregulating miR-149. We also found that DNP induced proliferation, adhesion, migration and invasion of NPC cell, which was inhibited by miR-149-inhibitor. DNP may promote NPC metastasis through miR-149-decreased PKP3 expression. Therefore, DNP-increased miR-149 expression may be an important factor of NPC high metastasis, and miR-149 may serve as a molecular target for anti-metastasis therapy of NPC.

Lentivirus-mediated over-expression of let-7b microRNA suppresses hepatic fibrosis in the mouse infected with Schistosoma japonicum.

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling pathway is documented to participate in liver fibrosis via multifactorial mechanisms. microRNA Let-7b (Let-7b) has been proved to alleviate cell fibrosis through regulating TGF-ß receptor I (TßRI), but whether it is involved in Schistosomiasis liver fibrosis (SLF) has not been determined. In the present, SLF mice model was used to investigate Let-7b's function and mechanism in SLF. We found that hepatic let-7b expression was continuously declined in SLF, accompanied by the induction of TGF-ß pathway molecules (TGF-ß1, TßRI), profibrogenic mediators (α-SMA, colla I), and Th1/Th2 cells response factors (IFN-γ, IL-4). When recombinant Lentivirus of let-7b (Lenti-let-7b) was transfected into S. japonicum-infected mice, the mice hepatic fibrosis was distinctly ameliorated, and TGF-ß1, TßRI, α-SMA, and colla I expressions were remarkly decreased, mice serum IL-4 and IFN-γ levels were reduced. Similarly, over-expression of let-7b down-regulated the expression of TßRI in THP-1 cells transfected with let-7b mimics, while TßRI was up-regulated after treated with let-7b inhibitor. These findings suggested that let-7b is a negative regulator to SLF through downregulating TßRI, and inhibits Th1 and Th2 type cell immune response. This provides a novel potential therapeutic strategy for SFL prevention.

Krüppel-like factor 17, a novel tumor suppressor: its low expression is involved in cancer metastasis.

Krüppel-like factor (KLF) family is highly conserved zinc finger transcription factors that regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. KLF17 is a member of the KLF family. Recent studies have demonstrated that KLF17 low expression and inactivation are caused by microRNA, gene mutation, and loss of heterozygosity in human tumors, which participates in tumor progression. KLF17 low expression increases cancer metastatic viability; its mechanism is that low KLF17 mediates epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) through regulating EMT-related genes expression; the reduced-KLF17 also increases cancer metastasis though upregulating inhibitor of DNA binding 1 (ID1). Additionally, mutant p53 proteins are capable of developing a complex with KLF17, which mediate the depletion of KLF17 inhibiting EMT gene transcription and increases cancer metastasis. KLF17 downregulation also mediates the activation of TGF-ß pathway.

Diagnostic values of serum cathepsin B and D in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic and prognostic significance of increased cathepsin B (CTSB) and cathepsin D (CTSD) concentration in the serum of cancer patients were evaluated for some tumor types. High expression of CTSD and CTSB was detected in biopsy tissues from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, whether CTSD and CTSB serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers of NPC remains unclear. METHODS: Serum samples were collected from 40 healthy volunteers and 80 NPC patients enrolled in the study. CTSB and CTSD in the serum samples were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Concomitantly, the relationship between CTSB and CTSD concentrations and clinicopathological prognosis was assessed. The sensitivity and specificity of the two components in the diagnosis of NPC were evaluated in 80 NPC patients. RESULTS: ELISA analysis showed that in the sera obtained from NPC patients, the CTSB concentration was 12.5 ± 3.5 mg/L (median, 12.4 mg/L), and the CTSD concentration was 15.7 ± 8.7 mg/L (median, 14.7 mg/L). CTSB and CTSD levels were significantly higher in the NPC patient population compared to the healthy control population (p = 0.001; p = 0.001, respectively). The presence of CTSB and CTSD in the serum of the patients with NPC correlated with the tumor node metastasis (TNM) scores (p = 0.001). Other parameters were not identified to be of significance. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed that a cut off CTSB concentration of 12.4 mg/L had 61.9% sensitivity and 63.2% specificity in the prediction of progression-free survival (Area under the curve (AUC) = 0.525; 95% CI, 39.7-65.2; p = 0.704); whereas a cut off CTSD concentration of 14.7 mg/L had 66.7% sensitivity, and 58.5% specificity (AUC = 0.552; 95% CI, 42.3-68.1; p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Serum CTSB and CTSD concentrations were found to have a diagnostic value in NPC. However, the CTSB and CTSD serum levels had no prognostic role for the outcome in NPC patients.

The role of microRNAs in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a distinct type of head and neck cancer, is prevalent in Southeast Asia and southern China. Ethnic background and environmental factors contribute to the development of NPC, further complicating its pathogenesis. An increasing body of evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of NPC, in particular, 32 miRNAs are involved in NPC tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis. The causal involvement of miRNAs in NPC and their possible use as biomarkers have been extensively studied with promising results, demonstrating the diagnostic and therapeutic potential of miRNAs in NPC. In this review, we summarize the role of all the known miRNAs involved in the signaling pathway implicated in NPC.

Therapeutic evaluation of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded latent membrane protein-1 targeted DNAzyme for treating of nasopharyngeal carcinomas.

The ability of the 10-23 DNAzyme to specifically cleave RNA with high efficiency has fuelled expectation that this agent may have useful applications for targeted therapy. Here, we, for the first time, investigated the antitumor and radiosensitizing effects of a DNAzyme (DZ1) targeted to the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-LMP1 mRNA of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in patients. Preclinical studies indicated that the DNAzyme was safe and well tolerated. A randomized and double-blind clinical study was conducted in 40 NPC patients who received DZ1 or saline intratumorally, in conjunction with radiation therapy. Tumor regression, patient survival, EBV DNA copy number and tumor microvascular permeability were assessed in a 3-month follow-up. The mean tumor regression rate at week 12 was significantly higher in DZ1 treated group than in the saline control group. Molecular imaging analysis showed that DZ1 impacted on tumor microvascular permeability as evidenced by a faster decline of the K(trans) in DZ1-treated patients. The percentage of the samples with undetectable level of EBV DNA copy in the DZ1 group was significantly higher than that in the control group. No adverse events that could be attributed to the DZ1 injection were observed in patients.

Identification of novel signaling components in N,N'-dinitrosopiperazine-mediated metastasis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma by quantitative phosphoproteomics.

BACKGROUND: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a highly invasive and metastatic cancer. N,N'-dinitrosopiperazine (DNP), a carcinogen with specificity for nasopharyngeal epithelium, facilitates NPC metastasis. However, the underlying mechanism is not known. METHODS: Quantitative phosphoproteomics, using stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell cultures, was employed to identify phosphoproteins associated with NPC metastasis mediated by DNP. NPC cell line 6-10B, which is relatively less metastatic, was used to investigate DNP-mediated metastasis. Boyden chamber invasion assay was used to measure DNP-induced motility and invasion, and nude mice were used to verify DNP-mediated metastasis in vivo. Several different phosphoproteins detected by proteomics analysis were verified by immunoblotting. DNP-mediated metastasis facilitated by lysine-rich CEACAM1 co-isolated protein (LYRIC) phosphorylation at serine 568 was confirmed using mutations targeting the phosphorylation site of LYRIC. DNP-mediated metastasis through LYRIC phosphorylation was confirmed in the NPC cell line CNE1. DNP-mediated LYRIC phosphorylation at serine 568 was also verified in metastatic tumors of BABL/c nude mice. RESULTS: Boyden chamber invasion assay indicated that DNP mediated cell motility and invasion of NPC cell 6-10B in vitro, and experiments with nude mice indicated that DNP increased 6-10B metastasis in vivo. In the phosphoproteomics analysis, we detected 216 phosphorylation sites on 130 proteins; among these, 48 phosphorylation sites on 30 unique phosphopeptides were modulated by DNP by at least 1.5-fold. DNP mediated the expression of phosphorylated GTPase, ferritin, LYRIC, and RNA polymerase, and it decreased the expression of phosphorylated torsin-1A protein 1. Furthermore, DNP induced LYRIC phosphorylation at serine 568 to facilitate cell motility and invasion, whereas DNP-mediated motility and invasion was decreased when serine 568 in LYRIC was mutated. In another NPC cell line, CNE1, DNP also mediated cell motility and invasion followed by enhanced phosphorylation of LYRIC at serine 568. Finally, phosphorylated-LYRIC expression at serine 568 was significantly increased in metastatic tumors induced by DNP. CONCLUSION: DNP regulates multiple signaling pathways through protein phosphorylation, including the phosphorylation of LYRIC at serine 568, and mediates NPC metastasis. These findings provide insights on the complexity and dynamics of DNP-facilitated metastasis, and may help to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by clarifying NPC-induced metastasis.

Dinitrosopiperazine-mediated phosphorylated-proteins are involved in nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastasis.

N,N'-dinitrosopiperazine (DNP) with organ specificity for nasopharyngeal epithelium, is involved in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) metastasis, though its mechanism is unclear. To reveal the pathogenesis of DNP-induced metastasis, immunoprecipitation was used to identify DNP-mediated phosphoproteins. DNP-mediated NPC cell line (6-10B) motility and invasion was confirmed. Twenty-six phosphoproteins were increased at least 1.5-fold following DNP exposure. Changes in the expression levels of selected phosphoproteins were verified by Western-blotting analysis. DNP treatment altered the phosphorylation of ezrin (threonine 567), vimentin (serine 55), stathmin (serine 25) and STAT3 (serine 727). Furthermore, it was shown that DNP-dependent metastasis is mediated in part through ezrin at threonine 567, as DNP-mediated metastasis was decreased when threonine 567 of ezrin was mutated. Strikingly, NPC metastatic tumors exhibited a higher expression of phosphorylated-ezrin at threonine 567 than the primary tumors. These findings provide novel insight into DNP-induced NPC metastasis and may contribute to a better understanding of the metastatic mechanisms of NPC tumors.

Berberine-mediated Ferroptosis through System Xc-/GSH/GPX4 Axis Inhibits Metastasis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant tumor that is highly prevalent in Southeast China, and its metastasis remains an unresolved clinical problem. Ferroptosis, a type of nonapoptotic cell death, is a critical pathway in tumor metastasis. Berberine (BBR), a plant alkaloid, has been explored as a potential anti-NPC metastatic agent; however, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we showed that BBR exerted its anti-metastasis role by inhibiting system Xc-/GSH/GPX4 axis-driven ferroptosis. The present study demonstrated for the first time that BBR induced ferroptosis in NPC cells by increasing reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation and cellular Fe2+ and that the ferroptosis inhibitors Ferrostatin-1 and Deferoxamine mesylate rescued BBR-induced NPC cell death. Moreover, the ferroptotic characteristics of BBR-treated NPC cells were observed using transmission electron microscopy. Mechanistically, system Xc- (SLC7A11 and SLC3A2) and GSH levels were found to be suppressed after treatment with BBR. We demonstrated that the system Xc-/GSH/GPX4 axis was a critical mediator of BBR-induced ferroptosis. Furthermore, GPX4, a key inhibitor of lipid peroxidation, was greatly suppressed by BBR at both protein and mRNA levels. Molecular docking results showed a strong interaction between GPX4 and BBR. Notably, GPX4 overexpression reversed the effect of BBR-induced ferroptosis in NPC cells. Finally, BBR-mediated inhibition of NPC metastasis was validated in vivo using a mouse model. Taken together, our data suggest that BBR induced ferroptosis of NPC cells via suppressing the system Xc-/GSH/GPX4 axis, provides new insights into the mechanism of BBR anti-NPC metastasis.

Research progress on the correlation between platelet aggregation and tumor progression.

Platelets are generally considered as the main functional unit of the coagulation system. However, more and more studies have confirmed that platelets also have an important relationship with tumor progression. Tumor cells can utilize platelets to promote their own infiltration and hematogenous metastasis, and platelets are activated and aggregated in this process. Therefore, platelet aggregation may be a concomitant marker of tumor progression. This is of great significance for predicting tumor metastasis before timely treatments.

Ferroptosis: a critical mechanism of N6-methyladenosine modification involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent regulatory cell necrosis induced by iron overload and lipid peroxidation. It occurs when multiple redox-active enzymes are ectopically expressed or show abnormal function. Hence, the precise regulation of ferroptosis-related molecules is mediated across multiple levels, including transcriptional, posttranscriptional, translational, and epigenetic levels. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a highly evolutionarily conserved epigenetic modification in mammals. The m6A modification is commonly linked to tumor proliferation, progression, and therapy resistance because it is involved in RNA metabolic processes. Intriguingly, accumulating evidence suggests that dysregulated ferroptosis caused by the m6A modification drives tumor development. In this review, we summarized the roles of m6A regulators in ferroptosis-mediated malignant tumor progression and outlined the m6A regulatory mechanism involved in ferroptosis pathways. We also analyzed the potential value and application strategies of targeting m6A/ferroptosis pathway in the clinical diagnosis and therapy of tumors.

Validation of Core Ingredients and Molecular Mechanism of Cinobufotalin Injection Against Liver Cancer.

Purpose: Cinobufotalin injection has obvious curative effects on liver cancer patients with less toxicity and fewer side effects than other therapeutic approaches. However, the core ingredients and mechanism underlying these anti-liver cancer effects have not been fully clarified due to its complex composition. Methods: Multidimensional network analysis was used to screen the core ingredients, key targets and pathways underlying the therapeutic effects of cinobufotalin injection on liver cancer, and in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to confirm the findings. Results: By construction of ingredient networks and integrated analysis, eight core ingredients and ten key targets were finally identified in cinobufotalin injection, and all of the core ingredients are tightly linked with the key targets, and these key targets are highly associated with the cell cycle-related pathways, supporting that both cinobufotalin injection and its core ingredients exert anti-liver cancer roles by blocking cell cycle-related pathways. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo experiments confirmed that either cinobufotalin injection or one of its core ingredients, cinobufagin, significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression and xenograft tumor growth, and the key target molecules involved in the cell cycle pathway such as CDK1, CDK4, CCNB1, CHEK1 and CCNE1, exhibit consistent changes in expression after treatment with cinobufotalin injection or cinobufagin. Interestingly, some key targets CDK1, CDK4, PLK1, CHEK1, TTK were predicted to bind with multiple of core ingredients of cinobufotalin injection, and the affinity between one of the critical ingredients cinobufagin and key target CDK1 was further confirmed by SPR assay. Conclusion: Cinobufotalin injection was confirmed to includes eight core ingredients, and they play therapeutic effects in liver cancer by blocking cell cycle-related pathways, which provides important insights for the mechanism of cinobufotalin injection antagonizing liver cancer and the development of novel small molecule anti-cancer drugs.

tRNA Modifications and Modifying Enzymes in Disease, the Potential Therapeutic Targets.

tRNA is one of the most conserved and abundant RNA species, which plays a key role during protein translation. tRNA molecules are post-transcriptionally modified by tRNA modifying enzymes. Since high-throughput sequencing technology has developed rapidly, tRNA modification types have been discovered in many research fields. In tRNA, numerous types of tRNA modifications and modifying enzymes have been implicated in biological functions and human diseases. In our review, we talk about the relevant biological functions of tRNA modifications, including tRNA stability, protein translation, cell cycle, oxidative stress, and immunity. We also explore how tRNA modifications contribute to the progression of human diseases. Based on previous studies, we discuss some emerging techniques for assessing tRNA modifications to aid in discovering different types of tRNA modifications.

Dissecting the roles and clinical potential of YY1 in the tumor microenvironment.

Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) is a member of the GLI-Kruppel family of zinc finger proteins and plays a vital dual biological role in cancer as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor during tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) is identified as the "soil" of tumor that has a critical role in both tumor growth and metastasis. Many studies have found that YY1 is closely related to the remodeling and regulation of the TME. Herein, we reviewed the expression pattern of YY1 in tumors and summarized the function and mechanism of YY1 in regulating tumor angiogenesis, immune and metabolism. In addition, we discussed the potential value of YY1 in tumor diagnosis and treatment and provided a novel molecular strategy for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of tumors.

NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 is a potential pan-cancer prognostic biomarker and is related to immunity.

BACKGROUND: NOP2/Sun RNA methyltransferase 2 (NSUN2), an important methyltransferase of m5C, has been poorly studied in cancers, and the relationship between NSUN2 and immunity remains largely unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the expression and prognostic value of NSUN2 and the role of NSUN2 in immunity in cancers. METHODS: The TIMER, CPTAC and other databases were used to analyze the expression of NSUN2, its correlation with clinical stage and its prognostic value across cancers. Moreover, the TISIDB, TIMER2.0 and Sangerbox platform were used to depict the relationships between NSUN2 and immune molecular subtypes, tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), immune checkpoints (ICPs) and immunoregulatory genes. Furthermore, the NSUN2-interacting proteins and related genes as well as the coexpression networks of NSUN2 in LIHC, LUAD and HNSC were explored with the STRING, DAVID, GEPIA2 and LinkedOmics databases. Finally, the subcellular location and function of NSUN2 in HepG2, A549 and 5-8F cells were investigated by performing immunofluorescence, CCK-8 and wound healing assays. RESULTS: Overall, NSUN2 was highly expressed and related to a poor prognosis in most types of cancers and was also significantly associated with immune molecular subtypes in some cancer types. Furthermore, NSUN2 was significantly associated with the levels of ICPs and immunoregulatory genes. In addition, NSUN2 was found to be involved in a series of immune-related biological processes, such as the humoral immune response in LIHC and LUAD and T-cell activation and B-cell activation in HNSC. Immunofluorescence and CCK-8 assays also confirmed that NSUN2 was widely expressed in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and overexpression of NSUN2 promoted the proliferation and migration of HepG2, A549 and 5-8F cells. NSUN2 was also confirmed to positively regulate the expression of PD-L1. CONCLUSION: NSUN2 serves as a pan-cancer prognostic biomarker and is correlated with the immune infiltration of tumors.