FEZF1 is an Independent Predictive Factor for Recurrence and Promotes Cell Proliferation and Migration in Cervical Cancer.

The Fez family zinc finger protein 1 (FEZF1), a critical transcription factor in nervous system development, has been implicated in cancer progression recently. However, its clinical significance remains unknown. By analyzing gene expression data of eight most common cancer types from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we found that FEZF1 prominently associated with the recurrence-free survival of cervical cancer patients (P<0.001) and was an independent diagnostic factor for cervical cancer recurrence (P=0.002). Moreover, FEZF1 expression was significantly higher in the tumor samples from cervical cancer patients with relapse in TCGA(P=0.015). By RNA interference, we knocked down FEZF1 and found that cell proliferation, growth and migration were significantly decreased in C33A and SiHa cells. Meanwhile, FEZF1 knockdown also attenuated the growth of C33A cells in nude mice. In contrast, expression of FEZF1 promoted cell proliferation, growth and migration in HeLa cells. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, we revealed that FEZF1 could bind to multiple key genes in the Wnt signaling pathway in HeLa cells. Furthermore, analysis of the levels of ß-catenin protein, the core component of the Wnt pathway, and downstream effector genes of the pathway showed that FEZF1 could activate the Wnt pathway. Together, these results suggest that FEZF1 promotes cell proliferation and migration possibly by acting as a transcriptional activator of the Wnt signaling pathway in cervical cancer, and also provide a valuable molecular predictive marker for cervical cancer recurrence.

Long noncoding RNA OCC-1 suppresses cell growth through destabilizing HuR protein in colorectal cancer.

Overexpressed in colon carcinoma-1 (OCC-1) is one of the earliest annotated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, its function remains largely unknown. Here, we revealed that OCC-1 plays a tumor suppressive role in CRC. OCC-1 knockdown by RNA interference promotes cell growth both in vitro and in vivo, which is largely due to its ability to inhibit G0 to G1 and G1 to S phase cell cycle transitions. In addition, overexpression of OCC-1 can suppress cell growth in OCC-1 knockdown cells. OCC-1 exerts its function by binding to and destabilizing HuR (ELAVL1), a cancer-associated RNA binding protein (RBP) which can bind to and stabilize thousands of mRNAs. OCC-1 enhances the binding of ubiquitin E3 ligase ß-TrCP1 to HuR and renders HuR susceptible to ubiquitination and degradation, thereby reducing the levels of HuR and its target mRNAs, including the mRNAs directly associated with cancer cell growth. These findings reveal that lncRNA OCC-1 can regulate the levels of a large number of mRNAs at post-transcriptional level through modulating RBP HuR stability.

[Clinical data analysis of 2491 acupuncture inpatient consultations: a report from Qilu Hospital of Shandong University].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the 2491 acupuncture inpatient consultations in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University during 2014, and analyze the application of acupuncture in comprehensive hospital, hoping to provide direction and methods for clinical practice and scientific research of acupuncture. METHODS: The consultation record and hospitalization information during 2014 in Department of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, were collected and summarized through Inpatient Information Management System. The distribution of consultation discipline and disease were analyzed. RESULTS: Among all the consultations, 15 second-class disciplines were involved, and the number of neurology and surgery was 1399, accounting for 59.00% of all consultation. 111 types of diseases were found in consultation, mainly postoperative complications, cerebrovascular disease and arthropathy. The primary disease of consultations involved all the systems, mainly nervous system disease, musculoskeletal system disease, connective tissue diseases and genitourinary system diseases, accounting for 73.89% of all consultations. . CONCLUSION: Acupuncture is closely related with clinical disciplines of neurology and surgery. The cooperation between acupuncture and pediatrics and oncology should be strengthened. Acupuncture has an advantage over treating postoperative complications and neuromuscular diseases.