Research progress and applications of epigenetic biomarkers in cancer.

Epigenetic changes are heritable changes in gene expression without changes in the nucleotide sequence of genes. Epigenetic changes play an important role in the development of cancer and in the process of malignancy metastasis. Previous studies have shown that abnormal epigenetic changes can be used as biomarkers for disease status and disease prediction. The reversibility and controllability of epigenetic modification changes also provide new strategies for early disease prevention and treatment. In addition, corresponding drug development has also reached the clinical stage. In this paper, we will discuss the recent progress and application status of tumor epigenetic biomarkers from three perspectives: DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, and histone modification, in order to provide new opportunities for additional tumor research and applications.

Expression of immune related genes and possible regulatory mechanisms in different stages of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which includes simple steatosis (SS) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a significant contributor to liver disease on a global scale. The change of immunity-related genes (IRGs) expression level leads to different immune infiltrations. However, the expression of IRGs and possible regulatory mechanisms involved in NAFLD remain unclear. The objective of our research is to investigate crucial genes linked to the development of NAFLD and the transition from SS to NASH. Methods: Dataset GSE89632, which includes healthy controls, SS patients, and NASH patients, was obtained using the GEO database. To examine the correlation between sets of genes and clinical characteristics, we employed weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and differential expression analysis. Hub genes were extracted using a network of protein-protein interactions (PPI) and three different machine learning algorithms. To validate the findings, another dataset that is publicly accessible and mice that were subjected to a high-fat diet (HFD) or MCD diet were utilized. Furthermore, the ESTIMATE algorithm and ssGSEA were employed to investigate the immune landscape in the normal versus SS group and SS versus NASH group, additionally, the relationship between immune infiltration and the expression of hub genes was also examined. Results: A total of 28 immune related key genes were selected. Most of these genes expressed reverse patterns in the initial and progressive stages of NAFLD. GO and KEGG analyses showed that they were focused on the cytokine related pathways and immune cell activation and chemotaxis. After screening by various algorithms, we obtained two hub genes, including JUN and CCL20. Validation of these findings was confirmed by analyzing gene expression patterns in both the validation dataset and the mouse model. Ultimately, two hub genes were discovered to have a significant correlation with the infiltration of immune cells. Conclusion: We proposed that there were dynamic changes in the expression levels of IRGs in different stages of NAFLD disease, which led to different immune landscapes in SS and NASH. The findings of our research could serve as a guide for the accurate management of various phases of NAFLD.

Circ_0007534 promotes cholangiocarcinoma stemness and resistance to anoikis through DDX3X-mediated positive feedback regulation of parental gene DDX42.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignancy with an extremely poor prognosis, and much remains unknown about its pathogenesis and treatment modalities. Circular RNA (circRNA) has been proven to play regulatory roles in various tumorigenesis, yet its potential function and mechanism in cholangiocarcinoma require further investigation. This study is the first to identify the aberrant expression and functional role of a novel circRNA, circ_0007534, derived from the DDX42 gene, in cholangiocarcinoma. Compared to the normal control group, the expression of circ_0007534 was significantly elevated in the tissues and cells with CCA and that high expression correlated with lymph node invasion and poor prognosis. Functional experiments indicated that downregulating circ_0007534 markedly inhibited the proliferation, migration, invasion, stemness, and anti-anoikis ability of CCA cells, as well as the tumor growth and liver and lung metastasis in nude mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that DDX42, as the parent gene of circ_0007534, can mutually regulate each other's expression. Predominantly located in the cytoplasm, circ_0007534 can form a complex with the RNA-binding protein DDX3X, which enhances the stability of DDX42 mRNA, thereby upregulating the expression of DDX42. This creates a positive feedback loop among the three, collectively promoting the progression of cholangiocarcinoma. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the pivotal role and molecular mechanism of circ_0007534 in the development of CCA, offering potential new targets for early diagnosis and treatment.

Advances in Drug Therapy for Metastatic Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with a notably poor prognosis. A large number of patients with PDAC develop metastases before they are diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPDAC). For mPDAC, FOLFIRINOX or gemcitabine plus nab-paclitaxel are the current first-line treatments. It is important to note, however, that many patients will fail chemotherapy because of drug resistance. ​Heterogeneous tumors and complex tumor microenvironments are key factors. As a result, clinical researchers are exploring a variety of alternative treatment modalities. Current understanding of the molecular signature and immune landscape of PDAC has motivated the emergence of different targeted and immune-based therapeutic approaches, some of which have shown promising results. The purpose of this review is to discuss the new targets and new drugs for mPDAC in terms of specific pathogenic factors such as metabolic vulnerability, DNA damage repair system, tumor microenvironment and immune system, in order to identify potential vulnerabilities in mPDAC patients and hopefully improve the prognosis of mPDAC patients.

Utilization of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. / 3D打印技术在肝胆胰外科中的应用进展.

The technology of three-dimensional (3D) printing emerged in the late 1970s and has since undergone considerable development to find numerous applications in mechanical engineering, industrial design, and biomedicine. In biomedical science, several studies have initially found that 3D printing technology can play an important role in the treatment of diseases in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery. For example, 3D printing technology has been applied to create detailed anatomical models of disease organs for preoperative personalized surgical strategies, surgical simulation, intraoperative navigation, medical training, and patient education. Moreover, cancer models have been created using 3D printing technology for the research and selection of chemotherapy drugs. With the aim to clarify the development and application of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery, we introduce seven common types of 3D printing technology and review the status of research and application of 3D printing technology in the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.

Tertiary lymphoid structures in pancreatic cancer: a new target for immunotherapy.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is extremely malignant and shows limited response to available immunotherapies due to the hypoxic and immunosuppressive nature of its tumor microenvironment (TME). The aggregation of immune cells (B cells, T cells, dendritic cells, etc.), which is induced in various chronic inflammatory settings such as infection, inflammation, and tumors, is known as the tertiary lymphoid structure (TLS). Several studies have shown that TLSs can be found in both intra- and peritumor tissues of PC. The role of TLSs in peritumor tissues in tumors remains unclear, though intratumoral TLSs are known to play an active role in a variety of tumors, including PC. The formation of intratumoral TLSs in PC is associated with a good prognosis. In addition, TLSs can be used as an indicator to assess the effectiveness of treatment. Targeted induction of TLS formation may become a new avenue of immunotherapy for PC. This review summarizes the formation, characteristics, relevant clinical outcomes, and clinical applications of TLSs in the pancreatic TME. We aim to provide new ideas for future immunotherapy of PC.

Liver fibrosis and MAFLD: the exploration of multi-drug combination therapy strategies.

In recent years, the prevalence of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has reached pandemic proportions as a leading cause of liver fibrosis worldwide. However, the stage of liver fibrosis is associated with an increased risk of severe liver-related and cardiovascular events and is the strongest predictor of mortality in MAFLD patients. More and more people believe that MAFLD is a multifactorial disease with multiple pathways are involved in promoting the progression of liver fibrosis. Numerous drug targets and drugs have been explored for various anti-fibrosis pathways. The treatment of single medicines is brutal to obtain satisfactory results, so the strategies of multi-drug combination therapies have attracted increasing attention. In this review, we discuss the mechanism of MAFLD-related liver fibrosis and its regression, summarize the current intervention and treatment methods for this disease, and focus on the analysis of drug combination strategies for MAFLD and its subsequent liver fibrosis in recent years to explore safer and more effective multi-drug combination therapy strategies.

Exosomal miRNAs in the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is highly aggressive having an extremely poor prognosis. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of PC is complex and heterogeneous. Various cellular components in the microenvironment are capable of secreting different active substances that are involved in promoting tumor development. Their release may occur via exosomes, the most abundant extracellular vesicles (EVs), that can carry numerous factors as well as act as a mean of intercellular communication. Emerging evidence suggests that miRNAs are involved in the regulation and control of many pathological and physiological processes. They can also be transported by exosomes from donor cells to recipient cells, thereby regulating the TME. Exosomal miRNAs show promise for use as future targets for PC diagnosis and prognosis, which may reveal new treatment strategies for PC. In this paper, we review the important role of exosomal miRNAs in mediating cellular communication in the TME of PC as well as their potential use in clinical applications.

In the Shadow of the Casinos: The Relationship between Religion and Health in Macau.

Considerable research has shown that religion operates as a protective factor for one's health. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the mechanisms by which religion is linked to individual health and wellbeing, especially in predominantly secular societies. This study tried to address this gap by developing a theoretical model to examine how religiosity is related to life satisfaction and health perception in a non-Western culture. Macau, a Portuguese colony until 1999, remains a diversified culture because of its intermixed historical background from the East and the West. Through structural equation modeling, the analysis of data collected from a representative sample of Macau residents, using a multistage stratified sampling procedure, indicated a positive link between religiosity and health. Moreover, altruism and prejudice mediated a portion of the relationship between religiosity and health. Additionally, our results demonstrated that Macau residents who were more religious had a higher level of altruism and a lower level of prejudice. The link between religion and prejudice in Macau differs from that of many other cultures, indicating that the effect of religion on prejudice varies by cultural context. In sum, our study showed that even in the shadow of glittering casinos, religion is positively related to health.

Long Non-coding RNA FOXD2-AS1 Promotes Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Cholangiocarcinoma Through Regulating miR-760/E2F3 Axis.

BACKGROUND: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has been testified to influence the initiation and evolution of sundry carcinomas. Recently, lncRNA FOXD2 adjacent opposite strand RNA 1 (FOXD2-AS1) has been found to display vital regulating functions in various cancers. METHODS: qRT-PCR was used to verify the dysregulation of FOXD2-AS1 expression in CCA cells and tissues, and the correlation of FOXD2-AS1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics was investigated. The viability, migration, and invasion of CCA cells were verified through CCK-8 assay, colony formation experiment, wound healing assay, and transwell assay. The regulatory networks of FOXD2-AS1 were analyzed by Bioinformatic prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: We discovered that FOXD2-AS1 was significantly upregulated in CCA and its up-regulation was closely correlated with terminal TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and poor survival in the current research. In addition, it was revealed that FOXD2-AS1 was an independent prognostic factor. Functional tests uncovered that the cell viability, migration, and invasion could be restrained through downregulating the expression of FOXD2-AS1, while FOXD2-AS1 overexpression could facilitate the cell viability, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, FOXD2-AS1 was founded to interact directly with miR-760 and the oncogene E2F3 was the downstream target of miR-760 through bioinformatic prediction and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Finally, we testified that FOXD2-AS1 could competitively sponge miR-760 and further upregulated the E2F3 expression to play a vital part in cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: This research revealed that lncRNA FOXD2-AS1 could enhance CCA malignant progression through regulating the miR-760/E2F3 axis and was expected to be a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cholangiocarcinoma.

YY1 and eIF4A3 are mediators of the cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cholangiocarcinoma promoted by circ-ZNF609 by targeting miR-432-5p to regulate LRRC1.

Cholangiocarcinoma is a highly aggressive malignant tumor, and its incidence is increasing all over the world. More and more evidences show that the aberrant expression of circular RNAs play important roles in tumorigenesis and progression. Current studies on the expression and function of circRNAs in cholangiocarcinoma are scarce. In this study, circ-ZNF609 was discovered as a novel circRNA highly expressed in cholangiocarcinoma for the first time. The circ-ZNF609 expression is connected with the advanced TNM stage, lymphatic invasion and survival time in cholangiocarcinoma patients, and can be used as an independent prognostic factor for the patients. Circ-ZNF609 can promote the cholangiocarcinoma cells proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, it can also catalyze the xenograft growth in vivo. The promoting effect of circ-ZNF609 on cholangiocarcinoma is achieved via oncogene LRRC1 up-regulation through targeting miR-432-5p by endogenous competitive RNA mechanism. In addition, transcription factor YY1 can bind to the promoter of ZNF609 to further facilitate the transcription of circ-ZNF609. RNA binding protein eIF4A3 can bind to the pre-mRNA of circ-ZNF609 which promotes the circ-ZNF609 circular formation. Overall, YY1/eIF4A3/circ-ZNF609/miR-432-5p/LRRC1 have a significant role in progression of cholangiocarcinoma, and circ-ZNF609 is expected to become a novel biomarker for targeted therapy and prognosis evaluation of cholangiocarcinoma.

PCAT1 induced by transcription factor YY1 promotes cholangiocarcinoma proliferation, migration and invasion by sponging miR-216a-3p to up-regulate oncogene BCL3.

This study was designed to illustrate the function and role of PCAT1 in CCA. The relative expression was confirmed by RT-qPCR and western blot. The biological function of PCAT1 was evaluated by CCK8, EdU, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, and subcutaneous tumor formation assays. Protein levels of EMT markers were measured by western blot. The binding relationship was predicted by JASPAR and starBase. The binding of YY1 to PCAT1 promoter was assessed by ChIP and luciferase reporter. The binding capacity between miR-216a-3p and PCAT1 as well as BCL3 was assessed by luciferase reporter and AGO2-RIP assays. In this study, we found that PCAT1 was up-regulated in CCA tissues and cells, and the PCAT1 overexpression was associated with poor prognosis. Moreover, PCAT1 was assessed as an independent risk factor of prognosis for CCA patients. Amplified PCAT1 was found to promote tumor proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT process, whereas PCAT1 knockdown inhibited these malignant phenotypes. Mechanistically, PCAT1 was predominantly localized in the cytoplasm and competitively bound miR-216a-3p to increase BCL3 expression. In addition, PCAT1 was activated by transcription factor YY1. This study revealed that PCAT1 acted as an oncogene in CCA, and the YY1/PCAT1/miR-216a-3p/BCL3 axis exhibited critical functions in CCA progression.

Yin Yang 1-induced LINC00667 up-regulates pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 to promote proliferation, migration and invasion of cholangiocarcinoma cells by sponging miR-200c-3p.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being found to play crucial roles in CCA progression. This work aims to investigate the roles of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 667 (LINC00667) in progression of CCA. RT-qPCR and western blot were applied to detect gene expression. Clinical correlation and survival were analyzed by statistical methods. Overexpression and RNA interference approaches were used to investigate the effects of LINC00667 on CCA cells. Tumor xenograft assay was performed to detect the function of LINC00667 in vivo. Transcriptional regulation and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism were predicted via bioinformatics analysis. ChIP, luciferase reporter, and Ago2 RIP assays further confirmed the predicted results. Our data indicated that LINC00667 was highly expressed in CCA tissues and cells, and transcription factor Yin Yang 1 (YY1) induced LINC00667 expression in CCA cells. Up-regulated LINC00667 was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, advanced TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Knockdown of LINC00667 suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CCA cells, while overexpression of LINC00667 acquired opposite effects. Moreover, knockdown of LINC00667 inhibited tumor growth in vivo. In addition, LINC00667 was demonstrated to function as a ceRNA for miR-200c-3p, and then LINC00667 up-regulated pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) to promote CCA development by inhibiting miR-200c-3p. These findings identified a pivotal role of LINC00667 in tumorigenesis and development of CCA. Targeting the YY1/LINC00667/miR-200c-3p/PDK1 axis may provide a new therapeutic strategy for CCA treatment.

LncRNA NORAD promotes proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells through targeting miR-211-5p/FOXD1/VEGF-A axis.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death around the world. Despite improvement in the prevention and treatment of HCC, the clinical prognosis is still poor with increasing mortality. Non-coding RNAs play pivotal roles in HCC oncogenesis, but the detailed mechanism is poorly known. Therefore, the functions and interaction of lncRNA NORAD and miR-211-5p in HCC was investigated in this study. METHODS: Quantitative real-time PCR method was used to analyze the expression of NORAD and miR-211-5p in clinical HCC tissues and cultured cell lines. Knockdown of NORAD and overexpression of miR-211-5p were then carried in HCC cells. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis and luciferase report assays were further employed to analyze the interaction between miR-211-5p and NORAD or FOXD1. RESULTS: Increased lncRNA NORAD and decreased miR-211-5p expression were first detected in HCC compared with the peritumorial area. Further studies showed that knockdown of NORAD or overexpression of miR-211-5p impaired the proliferation, migration and angiogenesis of HCC cells. Mechanistically, we found that NORAD functions as a sponge for miR-211-5p. Moreover, it was revealed that decreased miR-211-5p induced the expression of FOXD1 as well as its downstream target VEGF-A, thereby contributes to enhanced angiogenesis of HCC. CONCLUSION: Elevated NORAD works as a sponge for miR-211-5p in HCC, thus release the inhibition effect of the latter on its downstream target FOXD1 and VEGF-A, which finally promotes angiogenesis. These results provide new insights into the interaction between NORAD and miR-211-5p in HCC and their potential usage as targets for the development of novel therapeutics against HCC.

Long noncoding RNA HOTAIRM1 in human cancers.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of RNAs over 200 nucleotides in length involved in diverse processes in tumor cells including proliferation, invasion and apoptosis. Given these facts, it is hardly accidental that variations in the expression of some lncRNAs have been found to be closely related to carcinogenesis and tumor growth and metastasis. HOTAIRM1, first discovered as an important factor for granulocytic differentiation in NB4 promyelocytic leukemia, has been shown to be a salient cancer-related lncRNA abnormally expressed in a variety of tumors. In this review, we summarize current evidence on the critical role of HOTAIRM1 in human malignancy, its potential mechanism of action and future use in the development of effective therapeutics.

Knockdown of lncRNA SNHG20 Suppressed the Proliferation of Cholangiocarcinoma by Sponging miR-520f-3p.

Objective: A large number of studies had found that small nucleolar RNA host gene 20 (SNHG20) was a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) that played important regulatory functions in numerous tumors. Nevertheless, the expression and pathophysiological role of SNHG20 in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are currently unclear. The objective of this study is to reveal the clinical significance and pathophysiological function of SNHG20 in CCA. Methods: The tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues of CCA were obtained to determine the expression and clinical significance of SNHG20, and the targets of related genes were predicted through bioinformatics analysis. The function and regulatory mechanism of SNHG20 in CCA were evaluated by transfection, CCK-8 experiment, and luciferase reporter assay. Result: In CCA, SNHG20 was highly expressed. Overexpressed SNHG20 was markedly interrelated with the lymph node invasion and TNM stage. In addition, it could be used as indicator to evaluate the prognosis of patients. SNHG20 sponging miR-520f-3p could accelerate the proliferation of CCA tumor cells. MiR-520f-3p acted as a tumor suppressor in CCA and could also serve as a prognostic indicator. Abolition of miR-520f-3p caused an antagonistic effect and diminished the impacts of SNHG20 knockdown. SNHG20 combined with miR-520f-3p could better predict the prognosis of CCA patients. Conclusion: These data confirmed the knockdown SNHG20 expression in CCA could inhibit the proliferation by means of sponging miR-520f-3p.

LncRNA PCAT6 promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma via regulating miR-185-5p/CBX2 axis.

Emerging evidence has revealed markedly roles for long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various cancer processes. Prostate cancer associated transcript 6 (PCAT6) is a novel lncRNA which displays vital regulatory functions in multiple cancers. However, the functions of PCAT6 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remain unclear. Our study confirmed that PCAT6 expression was upregulated in PDAC and the expression of PCAT6 was related to TNM stage, lymph node invasion and overall survival of PDAC patients. PCAT6 might act as an effective tumor biomarker for PDAC patients. Moreover, knockdown of PCAT6 inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion of PDAC in vitro. For the mechanism, miR-185-5p expression was decreased and chromobox 2 (CBX2) expression was increased in PDAC, and further PCAT6 could upregulated the expression of oncogene CBX2 by sponging miR-185-5p. The results above suggested that PCAT6/miR-185-5p/CBX2 exerted crucial functions in tumorigenesis and progression of PDAC.

AR-induced ZEB1-AS1 represents poor prognosis in cholangiocarcinoma and facilitates tumor stemness, proliferation and invasion through mediating miR-133b/HOXB8.

Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 antisense 1 (ZEB1-AS1) has displayed vital regulatory function in various tumors. However, the biological function of ZEB1-AS1 in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains unclear. In this study, we confirmed that ZEB1-AS1 expression was increased in CCA tissues and cells, respectively. Upregulated ZEB1-AS1 was related to lymph node invasion, advanced TNM stage and poor survival of CCA patients. ZEB1-AS1 exhibited high sensitivity and specificity to be an independent poor prognostic factor of patients with CCA. Functionally, knocking down ZEB1-AS1 attenuated tumor cell stemness, restrained cellular viability in vitro and in vivo, and inhibited CCA cell migration and invasion by reversing epithelial-mesenchymal transition. For the mechanism, androgen receptor (AR) directly promoted ZEB1-AS1 expression, and further ZEB1-AS1 increased oncogene homeobox B8 (HOXB8) by sponging miR-133b. In addition, malignant phenotypes of CCA promoted by ZEB1-AS1 dysregulation were rescued separately through interfering miR-133b and HOXB8, suggesting AR/ZEB1-AS1/miR-133b/HOXB8 exerted crucial functions in tumorigenesis and progression of CCA.

Hypoxia and lncRNAs in gastrointestinal cancers.

OBJECTIVES: Hypoxia is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment, and hypoxia regions are frequently found in gastrointestinal cancers, which are associated with worse patients' survival and therapy resistance. However, the potential mechanisms of hypoxic tumor microenvironment still need to be further elucidated, especially about the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hypoxic tumor regions. In recent years, a great mount of independent research showed that many lncRNAs were modulated by hypoxia, and these lncRNAs were named as "hypoxia-regulated lncRNAs". In this review, the recent developments in the expression, regulation and functions of hypoxia-regulated lncRNAs in gastrointestinal cancers were summarized. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this review, we summarized and figured out recent studies concerning the expression and biological mechanisms of hypoxia-regulated lncRNAs in gastrointestinal cancers. The related studies were obtained through a systematic search of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library. RESULTS: Hypoxia-regulated lncRNAs have various roles in the regulation of metabolism, autophagy, invasion and metastasis in the hypoxic microenvironment. More importantly, hypoxic-regulated lncRNAs have a variety of potential mechanisms in gastrointestinal tumors, including epigenetic, lncRNA-miRNA interaction, lncRNA-protein interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Hypoxia-regulated lncRNAs will undoubtedly be developed as targets and promote the progress in ideal therapies for gastrointestinal cancer patients.