Integrative analysis of the prognostic value and immune microenvironment of mitophagy-related signature for multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a fatal malignant tumor in hematology. Mitophagy plays vital roles in the pathogenesis and drug sensitivity of MM. METHODS: We acquired transcriptomic expression data and clinical index of MM patients from NCI public database, and 36 genes involved in mitophagy from the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) database. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression analysis was conducted to construct a risk score prognostic model. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operation characteristic curves (ROC) were conducted to identify the efficiency of prognosis and diagnosis. ESTIMATE algorithm and immune-related single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was performed to uncover the level of immune infiltration. QRT-PCR was performed to verify gene expression in clinical samples of MM patients. The sensitivity to chemotherapy drugs was evaluated upon the database of the genomics of drug sensitivity in cancer (GDSC). RESULTS: Fifty mitophagy-related genes were differently expressed in two independent cohorts. Ten out of these genes were identified to be related to MM overall survival (OS) rate. A prognostic risk signature model was built upon on these genes: VDAC1, PINK1, VPS13C, ATG13, and HUWE1, which predicted the survival of MM accurately and stably both in training and validation cohorts. MM patients suffered more adverse prognosis showed more higher risk core. In addition, the risk score was considered as an independent prognostic element for OS of MM patients by multivariate cox regression analysis. Functional pathway enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) based on risk score showed terms of cell cycle, immune response, mTOR pathway, and MYC targets were obviously enriched. Furthermore, MM patients with higher risk score were observed lower immune scores and lower immune infiltration levels. The results of qRT-PCR verified VDAC1, PINK1, and HUWE1 were dysregulated in new diagnosed MM patients. Finally, further analysis indicated MM patients showed more susceptive to bortezomib, lenalidomide and rapamycin in high-risk group. CONCLUSION: Our research provided a neoteric prognostic model of MM based on mitophagy genes. The immune infiltration level based on risk score paved a better understanding of the participation of mitophagy in MM.

Using Circ-ANAPC7 as a Novel Type of Biomarker in the Monitoring of Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

INTRODUCTION: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of RNAs which occupy gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level, involve in many physiological processes, and participate in many diseases, especially in cancer. Our previous study showed 1 altered circRNA named circ-anaphase promoting complex subunit 7 (ANAPC7) that was upregulated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To further clear the expression and clinical significance of circ-ANAPC7, we enlarged the sample size and illuminated the diagnostic and monitoring value of circ-ANAPC7 in AML. METHODS: Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was supposed to confirm the expression of circ-ANAPC7 of AML patients. We assessed the correlation of circ-ANAPC7 and clinical variables using the Spearman correlation test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was carried out to evaluate the diagnostic value. RESULTS: Circ-ANAPC7 was first found to be upregulated in AML, and its expression was correlated to white blood cell counts in peripheral blood and blast percentage in bone marrow. ROC curve analysis revealed that circ-ANAPC7 has a significant value of auxiliary AML diagnosis (area under the curve = 0.915, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the expression level of circ-ANAPC7 was changed accompanied with disease condition transformation. CONCLUSION: Circ-ANAPC7 was upregulated in newly diagnosed and relapsed AML. It may serve as potential biomarkers for AML patient's diagnosis and monitoring.

Identification of key biomarkers associated with cell adhesion in multiple myeloma by integrated bioinformatics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignant disease whose underlying molecular mechanism has not yet fully understood. Generally, cell adhesion plays an important role in MM progression. In our work, we intended to identify key genes involved in cell adhesion in MM. METHODS: First, we identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from the mRNA expression profiles of GSE6477 dataset using GEO2R with cut-off criterion of p < 0.05 and [logFC] ≥ 1. Then, GO and KEGG analysis were performed to explore the main function of DEGs. Moreover, we screened hub genes from the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and evaluated their prognostic and diagnostic values by the PrognoScan database and ROC curves. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis including clinical correlation analysis, GSEA and transcription factor (TF) prediction, pan-cancer analysis of candidate genes was performed using both clinical data and mRNA expression data. RESULTS: First of all, 1383 DEGs were identified. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis suggested that many DEGs were enriched in cell adhesion. 180 overlapped genes were screened out between the DEGs and genes in GO terms of cell adhesion. Furthermore, 12 genes were identified as hub genes based on a PPI network analysis. ROC curve analysis demonstrated that ITGAM, ITGB2, ITGA5, ITGB5, CDH1, IL4, ITGA9, and LAMB1 were valuable biomarkers for the diagnosis of MM. Further study demonstrated that ITGA9 and LAMB1 revealed prognostic values and clinical correlation in MM patients. GSEA and transcription factor (TF) prediction suggested that MYC may bind to ITGA9 and repress its expression and HIF-1 may bind to LAMB1 to promote its expression in MM. Additionally, pan-cancer analysis showed abnormal expression and clinical outcome associations of LAMB1 and ITGA9 in multiple cancers. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, ITGA9 and LAMB1 were identified as potent biomarkers associated with cell adhesion in MM.

miR-582-5p serves as an antioncogenic biomarker in intermediate risk AML with normal cytogenetics and could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of leukemia cells.

Numerous studies confirmed that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression contributes to cancer development and progression. We carried out this study to explore the expression profile of miRNAs in intermediate risk acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and locate certain miRNAs as biomarkers. We profiled differentially expressed miRNAs by performing miRNA sequencing analysis in the patients' samples. Bioinformatic analysis showed the most significantly expressed genes mostly involved in cellular component organization, cell differentiation, and cell development. Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction validated the expression of miR-582-5p in different groups of AML samples. It was confirmed that miR-582-5p was downregulated in newly diagnosed AML and relapse/refractory AML compared with CR AML or controls. Among intermediate risk AML patients with normal cytogenetics, a lower level of miR-582-5p is correlated with an unfavorable outcome, and a shorter overall survival. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments revealed that miR-582-5p could inhibit proliferation, suppress migration, and invasion ability and induce apoptosis of leukemia cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-582-5p can increase sensitivity of cells to Ara-C. In conclusion, miR-582-5p can serve as an antioncogenic biomarker in intermediate risk AML with normal cytogenetics for risk classification and outcome prediction. These results showed a novel role for miR-582-5p in predicting the prognosis and promoting the tumor growth of AML.

High Expression Levels of Long Noncoding RNA Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 18 and Semaphorin 5A Indicate Poor Prognosis in Multiple Myeloma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to detect the expression of long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 18 (SNHG18) andsemaphorin 5A (SEMA5A) genes in multiple myeloma (MM) patients and to explore the correlation of the expression of these genes with the clinical characteristics and prognosis of MM patients. METHODS: Forty-seven newly diagnosed MM, 18 complete remission MM, 13 refractory/relapse MM, and 22 iron deficiency anemia (serving as control) samples were extracted at the Department of Hematology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Xian Jiaotong University between January 2015 and December 2016. The clinical features of the MM patients are summarized. Real-time quantitative PCR was performed to analyze the relative expression levels of the SNHG18 and SEMA5Agenes. The clinical characteristics and overall survival (OS) of the MM patients were statistically analyzed while measuring different levels of SNHG18 and SEMA5Agene expression. At the same time, the correlation between the expression of SNHG18 and SEMA5A was also analyzed. RESULTS: The analysis confirmed that SNHG18 and its possible target gene SEMA5A were both highly expressed in newly diagnosed MM patients. After analyzing the clinical significance of SNHG18 and SEMA5A in MM patients, we found that the expression of SNHG18 and SEMA5A was related to the Durie-Salmon (DS), International Staging System (ISS), and Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) classification systems, and the Mayo Clinic Risk Stratification for Multiple Myeloma (mSMART; p < 0.05). Moreover, we observed a significant difference in OS between the SNHG18/SEMA5A high expression group and the low expression group. We found a positive correlation between SNHG18 and SEMA5A expression (r = 0.709, p < 0.01). Surprisingly, the expected median OS times of both the SNHG18 and SEMA5Ahigh expression groups were significantly decreased, which was in contrast to those of both the SNHG18 and SEMA5Alow expression groups and the single-gene high expression group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: High expression of both SNHG18 and SEMA5A is associated with poor prognosis in patients with MM.

Expression profile analysis of long non-coding RNA in acute myeloid leukemia by microarray and bioinformatics.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are transcripts longer than 200 nt that are involved in tumorigenesis and play a key role in cancer progression. To determine whether lncRNAs are involved in acute myeloid leukemia (AML), we analyzed the expression profile of lncRNAs and mRNAs in AML. Five pairs of AML patients and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) controls were screened by microarray. Through coexpression analysis, differently expressed transcripts were divided into modules, and lncRNAs were functionally annotated. We further analyzed the clinical significance of crucial lncRNAs from modules in public data. Finally, the expression of three lncRNAs, RP11-222K16.2, AC092580.4, and RP11-305O.6, were validated in newly diagnosed AML, AML relapse, and IDA patient groups by quantitative RT-PCR, which may be associated with AML patients' overall survival. Further analysis showed that RP11-222K16.2 might affect the differentiation of natural killer cells, and promote the immunized evasion of AML by regulating Eomesodermin expression. Analysis of this study revealed that dysregulated lncRNAs and mRNAs in AML vs IDA controls could affect the immune system and hematopoietic cell differentiation. The biological functions of those lncRNAs need to be further validated.

Circ-ANAPC7 is Upregulated in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Appears to Target the MiR-181 Family.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a family of novel non-coding RNAs associated with various diseases, especially cancer. Recent studies have demonstrated that circRNAs participate in pathogenesis mainly by acting as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. The expression profile of circRNAs in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has rarely been reported. METHODS: Profiles of circRNAs were analyzed using an Arraystar human circRNA microarray with 5 bone marrow samples from patients with newly diagnosed AML and 5 from patients with iron-deficiency anemia. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR was used to validate the expression pattern of circRNAs. Furthermore, circRNA-miRNA network, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were applied. RESULTS: CircRNA microarray analysis revealed that 698 circRNAs were differentially expressed in AML patients, with 282 circRNAs found to be upregulated and 416 to be downregulated. Quantitative reverse transcription PCR showed that circ-ANAPC7 was significantly upregulated in AML. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that circ-ANAPC7 acts as a sponge for the miR-181 family, KEGG analysis revealed that it is associated with cancer-related pathways, and GO analysis indicated that most of its target genes are involved in biological processes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that circ-ANAPC7 is a promising biomarker for AML, and that it might participate in AML pathogenesis by acting as a sponge for the miR-181 family.

A novel ferroptosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis in multiple myeloma.

Background: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a highly malignant hematological tumor with a poor overall survival (OS). Due to the high heterogeneity of MM, it is necessary to explore novel markers for the prognosis prediction for MM patients. Ferroptosis is a form of regulated cell death, playing a critical role in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the predictive role of ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) in MM prognosis remains unknown. Methods: This study collected 107 FRGs previously reported and utilized the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) cox regression model to construct a multi-genes risk signature model upon FRGs. The ESTIMATE algorithm and immune-related single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) were carried out to evaluate immune infiltration level. Drug sensitivity was assessed based on the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer database (GDSC). Then the synergy effect was determined with Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and SynergyFinder software. Results: A 6-gene prognostic risk signature model was constructed, and MM patients were divided into high and low risk groups. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that patients in the high risk group had significantly reduced OS compared with patients in the low risk group. Besides, the risk score was an independent predictor for OS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis confirmed the predictive capacity of the risk signature. Combination of risk score and ISS stage had better prediction performance. Enrichment analysis revealed immune response, MYC, mTOR, proteasome and oxidative phosphorylation were enriched in high risk MM patients. We found high risk MM patients had lower immune scores and immune infiltration levels. Moreover, further analysis found that MM patients in high risk group were sensitive to bortezomib and lenalidomide. At last, the results of the in vitro experiment showed that ferroptosis inducers (RSL3 and ML162) may synergistically enhance the cytotoxicity of bortezomib and lenalidomide against MM cell line RPMI-8226. Conclusion: This study provides novel insights into roles of ferroptosis in MM prognosis prediction, immune levels and drug sensitivity, which complements and improves current grading systems.

PRMT1 methylation of WTAP promotes multiple myeloma tumorigenesis by activating oxidative phosphorylation via m6A modification of NDUFS6.

Epigenetic modifications play important roles during the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma (MM). Herein, we found that protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1) was highly expressed in MM patients, which was positively correlated with MM stages. High PRMT1 expression was correlated with adverse prognosis in MM patients. We further showed that silencing PRMT1 inhibited MM proliferation and tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that the knockdown of PRMT1 reduced the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) of MM cells through NDUFS6 downregulation. Meanwhile, we identified that WTAP, a key component of the m6A methyltransferase complex, was methylated by PRMT1, and NDUFS6 was identified as a bona fide m6A target of WTAP. Finally, we found that the combination of PRMT1 inhibitor and bortezomib synergistically inhibited MM progression. Collectively, our results demonstrate that PRMT1 plays a crucial role during MM tumorigenesis and suggeste that PRMT1 could be a potential therapeutic target in MM.

PSMB7 Is a Key Gene Involved in the Development of Multiple Myeloma and Resistance to Bortezomib.

Multiple myeloma (MM), the second most commonly diagnosed hematologic neoplasm, is the most significant clinical manifestation in a series of plasma cell (PC) dyscrasia. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) and smoldering MM (SMM), approximately 1% or 10% of which, respectively, can progress to MM per year, are the premalignant stages of MM. The overall survival (OS) of MM is significantly improved by the introduction of proteasome inhibitors (PIs), but almost all MM patients eventually relapse and resist anti-MM drugs. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the progression of MM and the mechanisms related to MM drug resistance. In this study, we used weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to analyze the gene expression of the dynamic process from normal plasma cells (NPC) to malignant profiling PC, and found that the abnormal gene expression was mainly concentrated in the proteasome. We also found that the expression of one of the proteasomal subunits PSMB7 was capable of distinguishing the different stages of PC dyscrasia and was the highest in ISS III. In the bortezomib (BTZ) treated NDMM patients, higher PSMB7 expression was associated with shorter survival time, and the expression of PSMB7 in the BTZ treatment group was significantly higher than in the thalidomide (Thai) treatment group. In summary, we found that PSMB7 is the key gene associated with MM disease progression and drug resistance.

lncRNA ST3GAL6­AS1 promotes invasion by inhibiting hnRNPA2B1­mediated ST3GAL6 expression in multiple myeloma.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable disease caused by the infiltration of malignant plasma B cells into bone marrow, whose pathogenesis remains largely unknown. Long non­coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as important factors in pathogenesis. Our previous study validated that lncRNA ST3 ß­galactoside α­2,3­sialyltransferase 6 antisense RNA 1 (ST3GAL6­AS1) was upregulated markedly in MM. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate the molecular mechanisms of ST3GAL6­AS1 in MM cells. ST3GAL6­AS1 expression levels in MM cells was detected using reverse transcription­quantitative PCR. ST3GAL6­AS1 antisense oligonucleotides and small interfering RNAs were transfected into MM cells to downregulate expression. In vitro assays were performed to investigate the functional role of ST3GAL6­AS1 in MM cells. RNA pull­down, RNA immunoprecipitation and comprehensive identification of RNA­binding proteins using mass spectrometry assays were used to determine the mechanism of ST3GAL6­AS1­mediated regulation of underlying targets. It was reported that knockdown of ST3GAL6­AS1 suppressed the adhesion, migration and invasion ability of MM cells in vitro. Expression of ST3GAL6 was significantly reduced when ST3GAL6­AS1 was knock downed in MM cells. Moreover, mechanistic investigation showed that ST3GAL6­AS1 could suppress ST3GAL6 mRNA degradation via interacting with heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1 (hnRNPA2B1). The present results suggested that upregulated lncRNA ST3GAL6­AS1 promotes adhesion and invasion of MM cells by binding with hnRNPA2B1 to regulate ST3GAL6 expression.

CD138- multiple myeloma cells express high level of CHK1 which correlated to overall survival in MM patient.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a disease in which abnormal plasma cells proliferate and secrete monoclonal immunoglobulin in the bone marrow. The main characteristic of plasma cells is the expression of the cell surface antigen syndecan-1 (CD138). However, the expression of CD138 is limited to terminally differentiated plasma cells during B cell development. A small subpopulation (2~5%) of human MM cells that lack CD138 expression has been shown to possess enormous proliferation potential in vitro experiment and in animal models, and they also can differentiate into CD138+ plasma cells. Thus, this small subset of MM cells was regarded as myeloma cancer stem cell (MCSC). However, its characteristics associated with the pathogenesis of MM remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed the gene expression data of CD138 cell lines downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Limma package in RStudio was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Genes enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed on DAVID and STRING databases. Furthermore, overall survival (OS) analysis in MM patient was utilized to screen out the hub-genes closely associate with the MM pathogenesis process. Hub-genes expression validation and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was performed in different stages of plasma cell disorder diseases. Finally, we verified these findings in MM patient samples. Through integrated bioinformatics analysis of MM CD138- and CD138+ cell lines, we found that CDC7, CDK1, and CHK1 are highly expressed in CD138- MM cells. These genes are crucial in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle pathway, which is closely related to the malignant proliferation in various tumor cells. Of note, we found that patients with high expression of CDC7, CDK1, and CHK1 had shorter overall survival time. The expression of CHK1 was significantly increased in MM cells compared with normal plasma cell (NPC) and MGUS. More importantly, we further clarified that the expression of CHK1 in release/refraction MM (R/R MM) has obviously increased compared with new diagnosed MM (ND MM).

IGF-1 promotes multiple myeloma progression through PI3K/Akt-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

AIMS: To investigate the role and mechanism of insulin-like growth factor 1(IGF-1)-mediated EMT on multiple myeloma (MM) growth and metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression data from GEO datasets were utilized to explore the expression levels of IGF-1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers in MM. Western blotting and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect the protein levels of EMT markers as well as key components of the PI3K/Akt pathway. Cell proliferation ability was assessed using colony formation assay and EdU incorporation assays. Transwell migration and invasion assays were performed to assess cell metastasis properties. Vimentin was knocked down by using electro-transfection with small interfering RNA (siRNA) to detect the effect of IGF-1-mediated EMT on MM cell growth and metastasis. KEY FINDINGS: First of all, the analysis of GEO database revealed that IGF-1 was excessively expressed and closely correlated with the expression of the EMT markers in MM patients. Furthermore, we demonstrated that IGF-1 enhanced the acquisition of mesenchymal features in a time-dependent manner. Additionally, in vitro studies revealed that IGF-1-mediated mesenchymal phenotype promoted MM migration, invasion and colony formation. Finally, the mechanism study showed PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was involved in the IGF-1-induced EMT in MM cells. SIGNIFICANCE: IGF-1-induced mesenchymal phenotype contributed to MM progression via the PI3K/Akt pathway regulation.

Blockade of HSP70 by VER-155008 synergistically enhances bortezomib-induced cytotoxicity in multiple myeloma.

Proteasome inhibitor bortezomib is one of the most effective drugs currently available for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM). However, the intrinsic and acquired resistance to bortezomib can limit its effectiveness. The activation of heat shock response has been characterized as a potential resistance mechanism protecting MM cells from bortezomib-induced cell death. In this study, in response to bortezomib therapy, we discovered that HSP70 is one of the most substantially upregulated heat shock proteins. In order to further explore approaches to sensitizing bortezomib-based treatment for MM, we investigated whether targeting HSP70 using a specific inhibitor VER-155008 combined with bortezomib could overcome the acquired resistance in MM. We found that HSP70 inhibitor VER-155008 alone significantly decreased MM cell viability. Moreover, the combination of VER-155008 and bortezomib synergistically induced MM cell apoptosis markedly in vitro. Notably, the combined treatment was found to increase the cleavage of PARP, an early marker of chemotherapy-induced apoptosis. Importantly, the reduction of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and Mcl-1 and the induction of pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member BH3-only protein NOXA and Bim were confirmed to be tightly associated with the synergism. Finally, the ER stress marker CHOP (CCAAT-enhancer binding protein homologous protein), which can cause transcriptional activation of genes involved in cell apoptosis, was markedly induced by both VER-155008 and bortezomib. Taken together, our finding of a strong synergistic interaction between VER-155008 and bortezomib may support for combination therapy in MM patients in the future.

Serum platelet factor 4 is a promising predictor in newly diagnosed patients with multiple myeloma treated with thalidomide and VAD regimens.

OBJECTIVE: Frequent loss of expression of platelet factor 4 (PF4) in multiple myeloma (MM) was revealed in several previous researches. The predictive analysis of serum PF4 level in newly diagnosed MM has not been well elucidated. This study is to assess if serum PF4 could be a prognostic factor in predicting treatment response and survival of MM treated with thalidomide and VAD regimens. METHODS: Sera of 122 MM were gained pre- and post-treatment of chemotherapy and oral thalidomide. Serological PF4 measurements were performed by ELISA. Kaplan-Meier method was employed for survival analysis. Log rank test was used significance analysis. Multivariate analysis of overall survival used Cox-regression. RESULTS: Our data showed that the median serum PF4 concentration was negatively associated with MM response and a significant correlation between serum PF4 level and unfavorable clinical features (ß2-microglobulin, ISS stage, del17p and creatinine). MM with lower serum PF4 concentration at diagnosis were prone to gain complete remission and very good partial remission after two courses of chemotherapy. Besides del17p, ß2-microglobulin, treatment response, the low serum PF4 concentration was an independent variable associated with a poor overall survival by univariate analysis and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: We speculate serum PF4 is a promising response and prognostic factor in newly diagnosed MM treated with thalidomide and VAD regimens.

Inhibition of WNT7A-ß-catenin signaling pathway sensitizes oral squamous cell carcinoma to cisplatin.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type and most threatening head and neck cancer worldwide. Here, we aim to study the relationship between the WNT7A-ß-Catenin signaling pathway and the chemotherapy resistance of OSCC patients. We analyzed 42 OSCC patients and 19 adjacent non-tumor tissues, evaluated the expression levels of WNT7A mRNA, and subsequently studied WNT7A dependent cisplatin resistance in OSCC cell line KB cells. Moreover, we also utilized an in vivo mouse model to validate our findings. We first found a significant upregulation of WNT7A mRNA in OSCC patients. Our results showed that the knockdown of WNT7A sensitized KB cells to cisplatin. Moreover, our results revealed that nuclear ß-catenin was dramatically reduced and cleaved caspase-3 and cleaved PARP were dramatically induced when WNT7A was knocked down in cisplatin treated KB cells. Besides, we found that the knockdown of WNT7A significantly reduced the weight and volumes of xenograft tumors. Moreover, we examined apoptotic cells and found that the combination of WNT7A knockdown and cisplatin treatment resulted in many more apoptotic cells than cisplatin treatment alone, suggesting that the knockdown of WNT7A sensitized KB cells to cisplatin treatment in vivo. Our results revealed that inhibition of WNT7A-ß-catenin signaling sensitizes OSCC to cisplatin, which has provided insights into the molecular diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.

Focusing on long non-coding RNA dysregulation in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

AIMS: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological cancer with a higher rate of relapse. Alterations in the function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) promote the progression and metastasis of cancer. We carry out this study to explore the expression profile of differently expressed lncRNAs in newly diagnosed MM. MAIN METHODS: The Bone marrows we analyzed were obtained from five MM and five IDA patients (serving as controls). Arraystar Human LncRNA Array V4.0 was used to profile expression of lncRNAs and mRNAs. Gene ontology (GO) and pathway analysis were utilized to understand the biological roles of differently expressed genes, while Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for constructing the lncRNA-mRNA co-expression network. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to confirm the expressions of dysregulated lncRNAs. KEY FINDINGS: Bioinformatic analysis of the lncRNA expression identified >3000 dysregulated lncRNAs (difference ≥ 2-fold) in MM samples. GO and pathway analysis revealed that ECM-receptor and cell cycle pathway-related genes were significantly associated with MM. Four dysregulated lncRNAs were confirmed by qRT-PCR. Among them, the expression of ST3GAL6-AS1, LAMA5-AS1and RP11-175D17.3wereassociated with stage and risk status of MM. On the basis of GEO public database analysis, LAMA5-AS1 was related with an overall survival rate of MM patients. SIGNIFICANCE: These results reveal the feasible functions of lncRNAs in pathogenesis of MM. Further studies are required to explore whether these lncRNAs could serve as candidate therapeutic targets and new molecular biomarkers for MM.

Granulocyte colony stimulating factor priming chemotherapy is more effective than standard chemotherapy as salvage therapy in relapsed acute myeloid leukemia.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: To improve the complete remission (CR) rate of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and alleviate the severe side effects of double induction chemotherapy, we combined a standard regimen with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming chemotherapy to compose a new double induction regimen for AML patients who failed to achieve CR after the first course. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-seven patients with AML who did not achieve CR after the first course of standard chemotherapy were enrolled. Among them, 45 patients received G-CSF priming combined with low-dose chemotherapy during days 20-22 of the first course of chemotherapy, serving as priming group, 52 patients were administered standard chemotherapy again, serving as control group. RESULTS: Between the two groups there were no differences in the French-American-British (FAB) classification, risk status, the first course of chemotherapy, blood cell count or blasts percentage of bone marrow before the second course. But the CR rate was significantly higher and the adverse effect was much lower in the priming group than the control group. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that WBC level before the second course and the selection of the second chemotherapy regimen were two independent factors for long survival of patients. DISCUSSION: These results elucidate that standard chemotherapy followed by G-CSF priming new double induction chemotherapy is an effective method for AML patients to improve CR rate and reduce adverse effects.