m6A-induced TRIB3 regulates Hippo pathway through interacting with LATS1 to promote the progression of lung adenocarcinoma.

Recent studies have indicated that dysregulation of the Hippo/Yes-associated protein (YAP) axis is associated with tumor progression and therapy resistance in various cancer types, including lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Understanding the regulation of Hippo signaling in LUAD is of great significance. Elevated levels of TRIB3, a pseudo kinase, have been observed in certain lung malignancies and are associated with an unfavorable prognosis. Our research aims to investigate whether increased TRIB3 levels enhance the malignant characteristics of LUAD cells and tumor progression through its interaction with the Hippo signaling pathway. In this study, we reported a positive correlation between elevated expression of TRIB3 and LUAD progression. Additionally, TRIB3 has the ability to enhance TEAD luciferase function and suppress Hippo pathway activity. Moreover, TRIB3 increases total YAP protein levels and promotes YAP nuclear localization. Mechanistic experiments revealed that TRIB3 directly interacts with large tumor suppressor kinase 1 (LATS1), thereby suppressing Hippo signaling. Moreover, the decrease in METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine modification of TRIB3 results in a substantial elevation of its expression levels in LUAD cells. Collectively, our research unveils a novel discovery that TRIB3 enhances the growth and invasion of LUAD cells by interacting with LATS1 and inhibiting the Hippo signaling pathway. TRIB3 may serve as a potential biomarker for an unfavorable prognosis and a target for novel treatments in YAP-driven lung cancer.

Prognostic value of metabolic genes in lung adenocarcinoma via integrative analyses.

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common malignant lung tumor. Metabolic pathway reprogramming is an important hallmark of physiologic changes in cancers. However, the mechanisms through which these metabolic genes and pathways function in LUAD as well as their prognostic values have not been fully established. METHODS: Four publicly available datasets from GEO and TCGA were used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in LUAD, which were then subjected to GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Associations between metabolic gene expressions with overall survival, tumor stage, TP53 mutation status, and infiltrated immune cells were investigated. Protein-protein interactions were evaluated using GeneMANIA and Metascape. RESULTS: By integrating four public datasets, 247 DEGs were identified in LUAD. These DEGs were significantly enriched in regulation of chromosome segregation, centromeric region, and histone kinase activity GO terms, as well as in cell cycle, p53 signaling pathway, metabolic pathways, and other KEGG pathways. Elevated expressions of ten metabolic genes in LUAD were significantly associated with poor survival outcomes. These metabolic genes were highly expressed in more advanced tumor stage and TP53 mutated patients. Moreover, expression levels were significantly correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells. PPI interaction analysis revealed that the top 20 genes interacting with each metabolic gene were significantly enriched in DNA replication, response to radiation, and central carbon metabolism in cancer. CONCLUSION: This study elucidates on molecular changes in metabolic genes in LUAD, which may inform the development of genetically oriented diagnostic approaches and effective treatment options.

A pan-cancer analysis of the oncogenic role of ERCC6L.

BACKGROUND: Excision repair cross-complementation group 6 like (ERCC6L), a polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1)-interacting checkpoint helicase, confers a high risk of cancer and enhances the progression of a variety of cancers. The present investigation aimed to elucidate the pan-cancer expression patterns of ERCC6L and to examine the possibility of using this gene for patient diagnosis and prognosis. METHODS: The expression patterns of ERCC6L in normal and cancer patients at various clinical stages were explored based on TCGA datasets. Subsequently, Bioinformatics techniques were then used to analyze patient's survival probabilities, Cox multivariate clinical parameters, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) terms related to ERCC6L, the correlation between mRNA expression levels and patient survival, genetic alterations or somatic mutations of ERCC6L, and immune infiltration. RESULTS: Most cancer types had higher ERCC6L mRNA levels than normal tissue. Higher ERCC6L expression levels were correlated with poor prognosis for cancer patients. Thus, ERCC6L may serve as an effective diagnostic and prognostic marker for multiple cancers. Moreover, ERCC6L expression levels were higher in patients with higher clinical tumor grades and were associated with poor prognoses at these stages. GO and KEGG analyses revealed a correlation between ERCC6L expression levels and chromatin and cell cycle events. We also found that the mRNA expression level of the ERCC6L promoter and a favorable prognosis was negatively correlated with the promoter's methylation but not with copy number variation. A quantitative analysis of immune infiltration suggested a positive correlation between ERCC6L levels and the infiltration of Th2 immune cells in main cancer types. Finally, we examined the ERCC6L somatic mutations, especially single-nucleotide variants, and ERCC6L expression-related drug sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Herein, we reported a comprehensive investigation of the tumor-promoting role of ERCC6L in various cancer types. ERCC6L is a candidate biomarker for diagnosing and unfavorable prognosis of specific cancers.

The potential mechanism of Chebulae Fructus in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma on the basis of network pharmacology.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks third on the list of the leading cause for cancer death globally. The treatment of HCC patients is unsatisfactory. However, the traditional Chinese medicine Chebulae Fructus has potential efficacy in the treatment of HCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We mined the active ingredients of Chebulae Fructus and its main targets from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database. HCC-related datasets were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in HCC were obtained by differential expression analysis. Top10 small molecule compounds capable of reversing HCC pathology were screened by the Connectivity Map database based on DEGs. Ellipticine, an extract of Chebulae Fructus, had the potential to reverse HCC pathology. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks of DEGs in HCC were constructed using STRING. Eighteen potential targets of Chebulae Fructus for the treatment of HCC were obtained by taking intersection of DEGs in HCC with targets corresponding to the active constituents of Chebulae Fructus. In addition, MTT assay was also employed to examine the effect of ellipticine on HCC cell viability. RESULTS: It has been shown that ellipticine and ellagic acid have antitumor activity. Random Walk with Restart analysis of PPI networks was performed using potential targets as seeds, and the genes with the top 50 affinity coefficients were selected to construct a drug-active constituent-gene interaction network. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses of key genes involved in the treatment of HCC with Chebulae Fructus demonstrated that these genes were mainly enriched in signaling pathways related to tumor metabolism such as cAMP signaling pathway and Ras signaling pathway. Finally, it was verified by MTT assay that proliferation of HCC cells could be remarkably hindered. CONCLUSIONS: We excavated ellipticine, a key active constituent of Chebulae Fructus, by network pharmacology, and elucidated the signaling pathways involved in Chebulae Fructus, providing a theoretical basis for the use of Chebulae Fructus for HCC clinical application.

Regulation of stem-like cancer cells by glutamine through ß-catenin pathway mediated by redox signaling.

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are thought to play an important role in tumor recurrence and drug resistance, and present a major challenge in cancer therapy. The tumor microenvironment such as growth factors, nutrients and oxygen affect CSC generation and proliferation by providing the necessary energy sources and growth signals. The side population (SP) analysis has been used to detect the stem-like cancer cell populations based on their high expression of ABCG2 that exports Hoechst-33342 and certain cytotoxic drugs from the cells. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of a main nutrient molecule, glutamine, on SP cells and the possible underlying mechanism(s). METHODS: Biochemical assays and flow cytometric analysis were used to evaluate the effect of glutamine on stem-like side population cells in vitro. Molecular analyses including RNAi interfering, qRT-PCR, and immunoblotting were employed to investigate the molecular signaling in response to glutamine deprivation and its influence on tumor formation capacity in vivo. RESULTS: We show that glutamine supports the maintenance of the stem cell phenotype by promoting glutathione synthesis and thus maintaining redox balance for SP cells. A deprivation of glutamine in the culture medium significantly reduced the proportion of SP cells. L-asparaginase, an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of asparagine and glutamine to aspartic acid and glutamate, respectively, mimics the effect of glutamine withdrawal and also diminished the proportion of SP cells. Mechanistically, glutamine deprivation increases intracellular ROS levels, leading to down-regulation of the ß-catenin pathway. CONCLUSION: Glutamine plays a significant role in maintaining the stemness of cancer cells by a redox-mediated mechanism mediated by ß-catenin. Inhibition of glutamine metabolism or deprivation of glutamine by L-asparaginase may be a new strategy to eliminate CSCs and overcome drug resistance.

Exosomal miR-122-3p represses the growth and metastasis of MCF-7/ADR cells by targeting GRK4-mediated activation of the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway.

Breast cancer (BC) is a common cancer whose incidence continues to grow while its medical progress has stagnated. miRNAs are vital messengers that facilitate communications among different cancer cells. This study was to reveal the correlation of miR-122-3p expression with BC metastasis and Adriamycin (ADM) resistance and its mechanism of inhibiting BC metastasis. We found that expression of miR-122-3p is negatively correlated with BC metastasis and is lower in MCF-7/ADR cells. Overexpression of miR-122-3p in MCF-7/ADR cancer cells impairs their ability to migrate, invade, and stimulate blood vessel formation. Further research found that miR-122-3p directly binds to the 3' UTR of GRK4, reducing the phosphorylation of LRP6, which activates the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, facilitating BC development and metastasis. In addition, we observed that miR-122-3p is present in MCF-7  cells, and treatment of MCF-7/ADR cells with MCF-7-derived exosomes, but not with exosomes from miR-122-3p-deficient MCF-7 cells, has identical effects to miR-122-3p overexpression. Data from xenograft experiments further suggest that excess miR-122-3p and MCF-7-derived exosomes inhibit the growth and metastasis of MCF-7/ADR cancer cells in vivo. In conclusion our data reveal that exosomal miR-122-3p may negatively regulate BC growth and metastasis, potentially serving as a diagnostic and druggable target for BC treatment.

Exploring the function and prognostic value of RPLP0, RPLP1 and RPLP2 expression in lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most common subtype of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is characterized by its heterogeneity and poor prognosis. The role of ribosomal proteins RPLP0, RPLP1 and RPLP2 in multiple cancers has been implicated. However, their function in LUAD and their correlation with the poor prognosis of LUAD remains elusive. In this study, we performed a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the impact of these ribosomal proteins on LUAD. Our findings reveal that RPLP0, RPLP1 and RPLP2 are overexpressed in LUAD, which are likely attributed to abnormal copy number variations and decreased methylation levels of their promoters. LUAD patients with high expression of RPLP0, RPLP1 or RPLP2 have worse clinical outcomes in terms of overall survival (OS), first progression (FP) and post-progression survival (PPS), indicating poor prognosis. Moreover, the expression of RPLP0, RPLP1 and RPLP2 affects immune cell infiltration in LUAD tissues. Finally, we identified multiple existing drugs that may inhibit the expression of RPLP1 and RPLP2. Collectively, our data implicate the oncogenic role of RPLP0, RPLP1 and RPLP2 in LUAD and underscore their prognostic value in LUAD patients.

TRIM24/ZFX affects the stemness and resistance to 5-FU of colorectal cancer cells.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer death, and about 10% of all malignancies are CRC. Cancer stem cells are considered main culprits in CRC treatment resistance and disease recurrence. This study explored the effects of tripartite motif containing 24 (TRIM24) and zinc finger protein, X-linked (ZFX) on CRC cell stemness and 5-FU resistance. A 5-FU-resistant cell line (HT29-5-FU) was constructed for functional analysis of CRC 5-FU-resistant cells. qRT-PCR and western blot (WB) were employed to analyze mRNA and protein levels of ZFX in 5-FU resistant cells and sensitive cells. WB was also utilized to analyze the surface markers of stem cells in each group. CCK-8 assay determined the IC50 values of different cell groups treated with 5-FU. The sphere-forming ability of cells in each group was determined using tumor sphere assay. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay validated binding of ZFX to TRIM24. ZFX was highly expressed in HT29-5-FU cells. Silencing ZFX significantly reduced the 5-FU resistance and IC50 value of HT29-5-FU cells, and the surface markers and cell sphere-forming ability of stem cells were also significantly reduced. The function of HT29 cells was opposite when ZFX was overexpressed. In CRC cells, TRIM24 was an upstream transcription factor of ZFX, and they interacted with each other. TRIM24 activated the expression of ZFX to influence the stemness and 5-FU resistance of cells. The TRIM24/ZFX regulatory axis affected the stemness of CRC cells and their sensitivity to 5-FU, providing potential drug targets for novel therapeutic avenues for CRC.

Ribosomal protein L32 enhances hepatocellular carcinoma progression.

PURPOSE: The underlying mechanisms of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have not been fully investigated, and effective biomarkers for HCC are still needed to be explored. Therefore, our study sought to thoroughly examine the clinical significance and biological functions of the ribosomal protein L32 (RPL32) in HCC by coupling bioinformatic methods with experimental analysis. METHODS: To determine the clinical significance of RPL32, bioinformatic analyses were performed to examine RPL32 expression in HCC patient samples and to correlate RPL32 expression and HCC patient survival rates, genetic alterations, and immune cell infiltration. Cell counting kit-8 assays, colony formation, flow cytometry, and transwell assays were performed to examine the effects of RPL32 on HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in HCC cell lines (SMMC-7721 and SK-HEP-1) where RPL32 was silenced using small interfering ribonucleic acid. RESULTS: In the current study, we show that RPL32 was highly expressed in HCC samples. Moreover, high levels of RPL32 were associated with unfavorable outcomes in patients with HCC. Promoter methylation and copy number variation of RPL32 were associated with RPL32 mRNA expression. Results from the RPL32 silencing experiments indicated that the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of SMMC-7721 and SK-HEP-1 cells were attenuated upon RPL32 depletion. CONCLUSION: RPL32 correlates with a favorable prognosis in patients with HCC and promotes the survival, migration, and invasion of HCC cells.

The Mitochondrial Protein C1QBP Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Enhancing Cell Survival, Migration and Invasion.

Backgrounds: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major type of death-causing cancer whose pathological mechanisms are not fully understood. In addition, the identification of effective biomarkers for HCC prognosis is in emergency. Although a variety of studies have shown that Complement C11 binding protein (C1QBP) may play a tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressive role in cancer, the functions and mechanisms of C1QBP in HCC progression are under-investigating. Methods and results: Bioinformatic approaches were employed for checking the expression of C1QBP in HCC patient samples and the association between C1QBP mRNA expression and survival rates of patients with HCC or the promoter methylation of C1QBP. MTT analysis, PI/Annexin V staining, transwell and metabolic flux assays were performed to examine the effects of C1QBP on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and oxidative phosphorylation of HCC cells. In the present study, we observed that C1QBP is lower expressed in HCC samples and cell lines. Moreover, high levels of C1QBP were associated with unfavorable outcomes of HCC patients. Loss-of-function assays showed that proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells were mitigated while cell apoptosis was augmented upon the loos of C1QBP. Moreover, the oxidative phosphorylation was moderately decreased when C1QBP was depleted. Furthermore, we also investigated the methylation status and copy number variation of C1QBP and analyzed their correlation with its mRNA expression in HCC patients. Finally, we suggested that C1QBP is correlated with genes encoding ribosome RPL-related proteins and mitochondrial MRPL-related proteins in HCC patients. Conclusions: C1QBP is correlated with a poor prognosis of HCC patients and promotes the survival, migration and invasion of HCC cells.

Identification of Potential Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Targets in Gliomas via Bioinformatic Analyses.

BACKGROUND: Glioma is a common tumor originating from the glial cells of the brain. Immune checkpoint inhibitors can potentially be used to treat gliomas, although no drug is currently approved. METHODS: The expression levels of the immune checkpoint genes in glioma and normal tissues, and their correlation with the IDH mutation status and complete 1p/19q codeletion, were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. Survival analyses were conducted using the CGGA database. Protein-protein interaction and functional enrichment analyses were performed via the STRING database using GO, KEGG, and Reactome pathways. The correlation between the immune checkpoints and the immune cell infiltration was determined using the TISIDB and TIMER databases. RESULTS: HAVCR2 was overexpressed in the gliomas compared to normal brain tissues, as well as in the high-grade glioma patients and significantly downregulated in IDH mutant or 1p/19q codeletion patients. Overexpression of HAVCR2 was associated with poor survival in tumor grades II, III, and IV and was the most correlated with immune infiltration of B and T cells. CONCLUSION: HAVCR2 can be a potential therapeutic target for cancer immunotherapy for glioma patients.

A comprehensive pan-cancer analysis of the expression characteristics, prognostic value, and immune characteristics of TOP1MT.

Background: Mitochondria are at the heart of a number of metabolic pathways providing enormous energy for normal cell growth and regulating tumor cell growth as well as survival. Mitochondrial topoisomerase I (TOP1MT) is a type IB topoisomerase found in the mitochondria of vertebrates. However, no pan-cancer analysis of TOP1MT has been reported. This study aims to explore TOP1MT expression in pan-cancer tissues and identify whether it can be a target for mitochondrial anticancer therapy. Methods and results: The original TOP1MT expression data in 33 different types of cancer patients were downloaded from the TCGA and GTEx databases. TOP1MT was highly expressed in cancer tissues, including BLCA, BRCA, CHOL, COAD, DLBC, ESCA, GBM, HNSC, KIRC, KIRP, LGG, LIHC, LUAD, LUSC, PAAD, PCPG, PRAD, READ, SKCM, STAD, THYM, UCEC, and UCS. According to Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis, high TOP1MT expression in BLCA, HNSC, KIRP, PAAD, UCEC, and LIHC cancer tissues was linked to poor prognosis of cancer patients, i.e., poor OS, disease-specific survival, and PFI. Linkedomics analysis identified a positive correlation of TOP1MT expression with CNA, but a negative correlation with methylation. TOP1MT expression significantly correlated with immune cells and immune checkpoints in the TIMER database. Functional analysis showed a close relationship between TOP1MT expression and ribosomes. Conclusion: In summary, TOP1MT is a potential biomarker for mitochondrial anticancer therapy and cancer immunotherapy.

ERCC6L is a biomarker and therapeutic target for non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) accounts for the majority of lung cancer which is one of the most common cancer types and results in high percentage of cancer-related deaths. Although NSCLC patients have been benefiting from the existing standard treatments, more candidate biomarkers for effective diagnosis and targets for therapy are still required to be uncovered. The expression pattern and biological function of Excision repair cross-complementation group 6 like (ERCC6L) in NSCLC are ill-investigated. METHODS: We performed bioinformatic analyses in NSCLC patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) or lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC), respectively. Patient survival determination and meta-analysis were carried out to check the clinical significance of ERCC6L. Datamining was also performed to evaluate the ERCC6L mRNA and protein expression levels in patients with LUAD and the correlation with immune cell infiltration. In silico prediction indicated the potential interacting proteins and correlated pathways of ERCC6L in LUAD. Loss-of-function studies were performed to determine the role of ERCC6L in LUAD cells. RESULTS: Here, we found that ERCC6L is upregulated in patients with LUAD and LUSC and is strongly associated with poor outcomes of LUAD, but not LUSC, patients. In addition, ERCC6L mRNA and protein were shown to be more expressed in patients with advanced stages of LUAD. Finally, functional analyses reveal the promoting effects of ERCC6L on LUAD cell survival, migration and invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Cohort data analysis and experimental validation shed light on the promising prognostic and therapeutic application of ERCC6L in LUAD, but maybe not LUSC, patients.

CircRBM33 downregulation inhibits hypoxia-induced glycolysis and promotes apoptosis of breast cancer cells via a microRNA-542-3p/HIF-1α axis.

Many circRNAs are involved in the carcinogenesis of breast cancer (BCa) through the transcription of microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs. This study investigated circRBM33 regulation of the miR-542-3p/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) axis in BCa. BCa clinical tissue samples were collected to test differential expressions of circRBM33, miR-542-3p, and HIF-1α. MCF-7 cells were subjected to normoxia or hypoxia and transfected with plasmids that regulated CircRBM33, miR-542-3p, and HIF-1α expression levels. Glycolysis was evaluated by measuring glucose consumption, lactic acid production, and protein expression of hexokinase 2, glucose transporter type 1 and lactic dehydrogenase A. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were also assessed, and the interactions between genes were explored. CircRBM33 and HIF-1α were upregulated, while miR-542-3p was downregulated in BCa tissue samples and cell lines. Hypoxia induced circRBM33 expression in BCa cells, which negatively regulated miR-542-3p expression. CircRBM33 knockdown or miR-542-3p rescue reduced glycolysis and proliferation and promoted apoptosis of BCa cells. MiR-542-3p inhibition rescued circRBM33 knockdown-mediated glycolysis, proliferation and apoptosis of BCa cells. MiR-542-3p targeted HIF-1α, and the overexpression of HIF-1α reversed the effect of miR-542-3p upregulation on glycolysis, proliferation, and apoptosis of BCa cells. Collectively, downregulating circRBM33 suppresses miR-542-3p-targeted HIF-1α expression, resulting in the inhibition of glycolysis and proliferation and the promotion of BCa cells' apoptosis.

Rapamycin inhibits lung squamous cell carcinoma growth by downregulating glypican-3/Wnt/ß-catenin signaling and autophagy.

PURPOSE: There is not much progress in the treatment for lung squamous cell carcinoma LSCC in the past few years. Rapamycin Rapa, an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin mTOR, has exhibited antitumor efficacy in a variety of malignant tumors. It has recently been reported that Rapamycin can induce autophagy signaling pathway in lung cancer and Glypican-3GPC3 can promote the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by stimulating canonical Wnt signaling pathway. The aim of this study is to investigate the mechanisms of rapamycin's antitumor efficacy in relation to GPC3/Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and autophagy in LSCC. METHODS: SK-MES-1 cells, a LSCC cell line, were treated with various concentrations of rapamycin with or without Glypican-3 GPC3-targeting siRNA. SK-MES-1 cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay. Protein expression levels of GPC3, ß-catenin, Beclin-1 were checked via western blotting. We established the xenograft mice model to investigate the suppression effect of rapamycin on LSCC. In addition, we further testified the metabolism protein of autophagy process using the xenograft tumor tissue. RESULTS: Rapamycin could inhibit the SK-MES-1 cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner both in vitro and in vivo by decreasing the GPC3 expression and downregulating the glypican-3/Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, we found that GPC3 silencing can activate the glypican-3/Wnt/ß-catenin pathway and autophagy, which contribute to the suppression of tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSION: Rapamycin suppresses the growth of lung cancer through down-regulating glypican-3/Wnt/ß-catenin signaling, which mediates with activation of autophagy. This study suggests GPC3 is a new promising target for rapamycin in the treatment of lung cancer.

Value of Growth/Differentiation Factor 15 in Diagnosis and the Evaluation of Chemotherapeutic Response in Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: There is a need for efficient, convenient, and inexpensive methods to accurately diagnose the clinical stage of lung cancer and evaluate the efficacy of chemotherapy in patients with lung cancer. Although growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF)-15 has great potential as a tumor marker, supporting clinical evidence is still lacking. In this study, we aimed to analyze the relationship between serum GDF15 concentration and the clinical characteristics of patients with lung cancer, and to assess the value of GDF15 in the diagnosis and curative effect of chemotherapy. METHODS: The study comprised 160 participants in total, of whom 88 had lung cancer, 31 had pneumonia, and 41 were control subjects. Among the 88 patients with lung cancer, 64 were willing to participate in follow-up chemotherapy-related studies and meet the inclusion criteria. The serum GDF15 concentration in 288 samples (31 cases, pneumonia group samples; 41 cases, control samples; 88 cases, lung cancer group samples; 64 cases, after 1 chemotherapy cycle; and 64 cases, after 2 chemotherapy cycles) with advanced lung cancer were detected by ELISA. The possible correlations between serum GDF15 level and sex, age, height, weight, body mass index, smoking history, diabetes status, and laboratory findings (hemoglobin, prealbumin, and lactate dehydrogenase) were analyzed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Thereafter, the sensitivity of GDF15 in diagnosing lung cancer was calculated. The serum levels of GDF15, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA) 21-1 were determined in 64 patients with lung cancer, before and after chemotherapy reception. For the evaluation of the efficacy of chemotherapy, receiver operating characteristic curves were plotted. FINDINGS: Serum GDF15 concentration at baseline was significantly higher in the lung cancer group than were those in the pneumonia and control groups (both, P < 0.001). An increased expression of serum GDF15 was significantly correlated with diabetes, anemia, and clinical stage (tumor size, nodal involvement, and presence/absence of metastasis). After 2 cycles of chemotherapy among the 64 patients who received it, serum GDF15 concentrations were significantly different from baseline in those who had progressive disease (P = 0.003), stable disease (P < 0.001), or partial response (P = 0.039). The AUC of GDF15 was greater than those of CEA, NSE, and CYFRA 21-1 (0.851 vs 0.630, 0.720, and 0.654, respectively). IMPLICATIONS: GDF15 is complementary to CEA, NSE, and CYFRA 21-1 in diagnosing lung cancer and, when used in combination, it could be of great diagnostic value and may facilitate correct predictions of the efficacy of chemotherapy. Therefore, serum GDF15 concentration is valuable in lung cancer diagnosis and in the evaluation of the efficacy of chemotherapy.

Mining topoisomerase isoforms in gastric cancer.

DNA topoisomerases essentially remove topological strains generated during DNA replication, transcription, DNA repair, and other cytogenetic processes. However, distinct expression level and prognostic significance of individual topoisomerase isoforms in gastric cancer (GC) remain largely unexplored. In this study, we utilized Oncomine and Kaplan-Meier plotter database to detect the mRNA expression level of individual topoisomerase isoforms as well as assess their prognostic significance in GC patients. With the exception of TOP3B and TOP2B, levels of all topoisomerase isoforms were found to be elevated in GC patients when compared to the normal tissues. Elevated expression of TOP1 and TOP1MT was relevant to longer overall survival (OS) in GC and gastric intestinal type adenocarcinoma (GITA) patients, but not in diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma (DFA) patients. Increased expression of TOP2A and TOP2B was related to better OS in GC, as well as in GITA and DFA patients. In contrast, increased expression TOP3A and TOP3B was associated with shorter OS in GC, as well as in GITA and DFA patients. We also applied the Tumor IMmune Estimation Resource (TIMER) tool to assess the correlations between distinct topoisomerase isoforms and the infiltrating immune cell landscape. Furthermore, we found that down-regulating the expression of TOP3A by shRNA significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation in GC cells compared to control shRNA treated cells. Thus our study lays the framework for utilizing topoisomerases in better understanding the complexity and heterogeneity of GC and for developing strategies for novel customized therapy in GC patients.

Serum thrombospondin-2 is a candidate diagnosis biomarker for early non-small-cell lung cancer.

Thrombospondin-2 (THBS2) is a secreted protein overexpressed in numerous cancers and may function as a diagnostic tumor marker. The objective of the present study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of serum THBS2 in early stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Serum THBS2 and Cyfra21-1 level were evaluated in blood samples of 112 patients from NSCLC groups and 51 healthy control (HC) groups. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic significance. Serum THBS2 level was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC patients compared with healthy control subjects (P<0.0001), and the postoperative THBS2 level decreased significantly (P<0.0001). ROC curves analysis demonstrated that THBS2 was a comparable biomarker as Cyfra21-1 to distinguish early stage NSCLC or lung squamous cell carcinoma (SC) from healthy control subjects. And Cyfra21-1 was observed with significantly improved performances by the combination of THBS2 to distinguish early stage NSCLC (P<0.05) as well as SC (P<0.05) from the control subjects. In addition, THBS2 was estimated to perform well in the diagnosis of patients with Cyfra21-1-negative NSCLC (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.73). In summary, the present study suggested that serum THBS2 might be an early diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Gene expression and prognosis of NOX family members in gastric cancer.

INTRODUCTION: Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidases (NOX) are frequently deregulated in several human malignancies, including gastric cancer (GC). NOX-derived reactive oxygen species have been reported to contribute to gastric carcinogenesis and cancer progression. However, the expression and prognostic role of individual NOX in GC patients remain elusive. METHODS AND MATERIALS: We investigated genetic alteration and mRNA expression of NOX family in GC patients via the cBioPortal, Human Protein Atlas, and Oncomine databases. Furthermore, we evaluated prognostic value of distinct NOX in GC patients through "The Kaplan-Meier plotter" database. RESULTS: Our analysis demonstrated that mRNA deregulation of NOX genes was common alteration in GC patients. Compared with normal tissues, NOX1/2/4 mRNA expression levels in GC tissues were higher, while NOX5 and DUOX1/2 expression levels were lower. Importantly, our results indicated that high mRNA expression of NOX2 was associated with better overall survival whereas NOX4 and DUOX1 were correlated with worse overall survival in all GC patients, particularly in intestinal-type GC patients. In addition, our data also shed light on the diverse roles of individual NOX members in GC patients with different clinicopathological features, including human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status, clinical stages, pathological grades, and different choices of treatments of GC patients. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that individual NOX family genes, especially NOX2/4, and DUOX1, are potential prognostic markers in GC and implicate that the use of NOX inhibitor targeting NOX4 and DUOX1 may be an effective strategy for GC therapy.

Elimination of stem-like cancer cell side-population by auranofin through modulation of ROS and glycolysis.

Cancer side-population (SP) represents a sub-population of stem-like cancer cells that have an important role in drug resistance due to their high expression of the ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2 involved in drug export. Auranofin (AF), a clinical drug of gold complex that is used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, has been reported inducing tumor antiproliferation. However, whether AF can impact SP cells remains unclear. Our study showed that AF caused a depletion of SP cells and a downregulation of stem cell markers, and impaired their ability to form tumor colonies in vitro and incidence to develop tumors in vivo of lung cancer cells. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) had an important role in mediating AF-induced depletion of SP cells, which could be reversed by antioxidant NAC. Further study revealed that AF could also cause ATP depletion by inhibition of glycolysis. The depletion of cellular ATP might impair the function of ABCG2 pump, leading to increased drug accumulation within the cells and thus enhancing anticancer activity of chemotherapeutic agents such as adriamycin. Synergistic effect of AF and adriamycin was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. Simultaneous increase of ROS and inhibition of glycolysis is a novel strategy to eliminate stem-like cancer cells. Combination of AF with adriamycin seems to be promising to enhance therapeutic effectiveness.