YTHDC1 promotes the malignant progression of gastric cancer by promoting ROD1 translocation to the nucleus.

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) make vital impacts on tumor progression and are important potential targets for tumor treatment. Previous studies have shown that RBP regulator of differentiation 1 (ROD1), enriched in the nucleus, is abnormally expressed and functions as a splicing factor in tumors; however, the mechanism underlying its involvement in gastric cancer (GC) is unknown. In this study, ROD1 is found to stimulate GC cell proliferation and metastasis and is related to poor patient prognosis. In vitro experiments showed that ROD1 influences GC proliferation and metastasis through modulating the imbalance of the level of the oncogenic gene OIP5 and the tumor suppressor gene GPD1L. Further studies showed that the N6-methyladenosine (m6A) "reader" protein YTHDC1 can interact with ROD1 and regulate the balance of the expression of the downstream molecules OIP5/GPD1L by promoting the nuclear enrichment of ROD1. Therefore, YTHDC1 stimulates GC development and progression through modulating nuclear enrichment of the splicing factor ROD1.

Recent advances in IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis.

The incidence of IgG4-related autoimmune pancreatitis (IgG4-AIP) is high in Asia and other countries, and unnecessary treatment is often undertaken due to both missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis in clinical practice. Although IgG4-AIP has attracted increasing attention, the details of IgG4-AIP pathogenesis and systemic immune response, including its relationship to tumor pathogenesis, are still unclear. In recent years, research on serum immunological detection, pathological features, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and treatment measures for IgG4-AIP has gradually increased. It is of great importance to summarize and discuss the latest progress regarding IgG4-AIP disease.

Sintilimab plus fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel regimen as neoadjuvant therapy for resectable gastric cancer and biomarker exploration.

At present, preoperative chemotherapy is the standard of care for the neoadjuvant treatment of potentially resectable gastric cancer (GC). However, because the efficacy and prognosis are not ideal, curative effects for this population are unsatisfactory. With the development of immune checkpoint inhibitors, the results of a few encouraging early trials of immunotherapeutic agents as neoadjuvant therapies for resectable GC have been reported. However, markers of the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors remain unclear. This prospective single-center, single-arm observational study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of sintilimab plus the fluorouracil, leucovorin, oxaliplatin and docetaxel regimen as a neoadjuvant treatment for localized GC. More importantly, this work assesses multiple dimensions and include ctDNA, the immune microenvironment and intestinal microbiome to explore correlations between biomarkers and neoadjuvant therapeutic efficacy. Clinical trial registration: ChiCTR2200061629 (www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx).

Value of a preoperative prognostic nutritional index for the prognostic evaluation of gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma patients.

Objective: To study the value of Onodera's prognostic nutrition index (PNI) in patients with gastric neuroendocrine cancer (G-NEC). Methods: The clinical data on 148 cases of G-NEC presented between March 2010 and April 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The relationship between the clinical characteristics of the patients and PNI was analyzed. Optimal PNI cutoff values for G-NEC prognosis prediction were calculated using the X-tile software. The survival curves were created using the Kaplan-Meier method. A Cox proportional hazards model was also established to identify independent prognostic factors that impact the prognosis of patients with G-NEC. Results: The median overall survival (OS) rate was 30 months (range 6-127 months), and the OS rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 89.2, 71.6 and 68.2%, respectively. The mean PNI of the 148 patients before the operation was 49.5 ± 8.0. The mean PNI of patients with anemia (p < 0.001) and abnormal carcinoembryonic antigen (p = 0.039) was significantly lower than that of patients without such comorbidities. The mean PNI of patients with Stage III tumors (p < 0.001) and postoperative complications was significantly lower (p = 0.005). PNI optimal cutoff values were 50 (p < 0.001). Based on the cut-off value of the PNI, these patients were divided into a PNI-high group (PNI ≥ 50.0, n = 77) and a PNI-low group (PNI < 50.0, n = 71). The PNI-high group had a significantly better 5-years OS rate compared with the PNI-low group (76.6% vs. 59.2%, χ2 = 14.7, p < 0. 001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that PNI and pathological stage were independent prognostic factors for patients with G-NEC. In the subgroup analysis, OS rates were significantly lower in the PNI-low group than in the PNI-high group among patients with stage I and stage III of the disease. Conclusion: The PNI is a simple and useful marker for predicting long-term outcomes in G-NEC patients regardless of tumor stage. Based on our results, we suggest that PNI should be included in routine assessments of patients with G-NEC.

Early assessment of circulating exosomal lncRNA-GC1 for monitoring neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The timing of surgery for patients with gastric cancer (GC) who undergo neoadjuvant chemotherapy (neoCT) was mainly guided by serial radiologic imaging. However, an earlier assessment was indispensable to avoid delayed treatment for nonresponders and excessive toxicity for responders. Our previous study has identified circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 as a biomarker for early detection and monitoring progression of GC. However, the potential role of neoCT remains poorly understood. METHODS: In this explorative biomarker analysis, we conducted a multi-cohort study to examine longitudinal levels of circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 in 798 patients enrolled in the RESONANCE study (NCT01583361). Both circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 and traditional gastrointestinal biomarkers were assessed at defined time nodes. Computed tomography (CT) scans were performed before treatment and 8-10 weeks and assessed based on the RECIST criteria. RESULTS: Circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 could be detected in 96.3% of patients at baseline, and significant reductions were observed before cycle 2 (P<0.0001). Levels of circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 showed a stronger correlation with tumor burden and exhibited earlier dynamic changes than the traditional gastrointestinal biomarkers during the first cycle of neoCT. Strong agreement was observed between circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 response (reduction >50%) and radiographic response (Cohen's κ, 0.704). Importantly, circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 maintained predictive value in two external cohorts. Patients with circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 response showed superior disease-free survival [hazard ratio (HR), 0.6238; 95% CI, 0.4095-0.9501; P=0.0118] and overall survival (HR, 0.6131; 95% CI, 0.4016-0.9358; P=0.0090). CONCLUSION: Circulating extracellular vesicles-derived lncRNA-GC1 is an early marker of neoCT efficacy and predicts superior survival in GC patients treated with neoCT.

Different 18F-FDG imaging: A rare case of liver multiple carcinomas.

A 49-year-old man was referred to the hospital with the complaints of haematochezia and weight loss. Colonoscopy and pathological needle biopsy suggested moderately to highly differentiated adenocarcinoma. The patient underwent abdominal CT examination, which demonstrated two augmented and irregular masses in the liver. However, the glucose metabolism of 18F-FDG in these two lesions was completely different. Considering the different glucose metabolism, a needle biopsy of the liver mass was performed, and the diagnosis was rectal cancer with liver metastasis and primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Prognostic model based on m6A-associated lncRNAs in esophageal cancer.

Background: This research aimed to build an m6A-associated lncRNA prognostic model of esophageal cancer that can be used to predict outcome in esophageal cancer patients. Methods: RNA sequencing transcriptome data and clinical information about patients with esophageal cancer were obtained according to TCGA. Twenty-four m6A-associated genes were selected based on previous studies. m6A-associated lncRNAs were determined through Pearson correlation analysis. Three m6A-associated lncRNA prognostic signatures were built through analysis of the training set using univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression. To validate the stabilization of the risk signature, Kaplan-Meier and ROC curve analyses were performed on the testing and complete sets. The prognoses of EC patients were predicted quantitatively by building a nomogram. GSEA was conducted to analyze the underlying signaling pathways and biological processes. To identify the underlying mechanisms through which the lncRNAs act, we constructed a PPI network and a ceRNA network and conducted GO and KEGG pathway analyses. EC samples were evaluated using the ESTIMATE algorithm to compute stromal, immune, and estimate scores. The ssGSEA algorithm was used to quantitatively infer immune cell infiltration and immune functions. The TIDE algorithm was performed to simulate immune evasion and predict the response to immunotherapy. Results: We identified and validated an m6A-associated lncRNA risk model in EC that could correctly and reliably predict the OS of EC patients. The ceRNA network, PPI network, and GO and KEGG pathway analyses confirmed and the underlying mechanisms and functions provided enlightenment regarding therapeutic strategies for EC. Immunotherapy responses were better in the low-risk subgroup, and PD-1 and CTLA4 checkpoint immunotherapy benefited the patients in the low-risk subgroup. Conclusions: We constructed a new m6A-related lncRNA prognostic risk model of EC, based on three m6A-related lncRNAs: LINC01612, AC025166.1 and AC016876.2, that can predict the prognoses of EC patients.

Corrosion Behavior of High-Cr-Ni Materials in Biomass Incineration Atmospheres.

In this paper, the corrosion test of high-Cr-Ni tubes was carried out in a biomass incinerator by replacing the original heated surface tube with a test tube. The investigated materials are high-Cr-Ni stainless steels (TP347H, SP2215, and Sanicro25) and alloy (HT700T). Long-term services (>4000 h) to investigate the corrosion rates and corrosion characteristics of the materials have been carried out. The appearance, element content, and composition of corrosion products after corrosion of the specimens were analyzed. Analysis indicates that the deposits are mainly composed of alkali metal salts, iron oxides, iron sulfates, and complex salts. Moreover, the corrosion morphology of the materials with different Cr-Ni contents varies greatly. TP347H has a high corrosion rate (0.11 mm/1000 h) with intergranular corrosion cracks and pitting on the windward side. However, the corrosion pattern of HT700T is comprehensive corrosion and the corrosion rate is low (0.015 mm/1000 h). Using corrosion rate as a criterion for corrosion resistance, HT700T has the highest corrosion resistance, while TP347H has the lowest. The corrosion behavior is also related to the corrosion resistance index (CI) value based on the content of critical elements. The order of material corrosion resistance predicted by the CI value is the same as reflected by the corrosion rate.

Comparison of the Efficacy of D2 Gastrectomy Plus Liver Radiofrequency Combined With Chemotherapy Versus Chemotherapy Alone in the Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer With Unresectable Synchronous Liver Metastases: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

Background: Whether patients with advanced gastric cancer with unresectable synchronous liver metastases require surgical treatment remains a controversial topic among surgeons. Recently, an open-label multicenter, international RCT study show that compared with chemotherapy alone, gastric resection combined with chemotherapy had no survival advantage for advanced gastric cancer with unresectable synchronous liver metastases. A limitation of this study was that gastrectomy for gastric cancers was restricted to D1 lymphadenectomy and no metastatic lesions were removed. Whether D2 gastrectomy plus liver radiofrequency plus postoperative chemotherapy could provide benefits to these patients is worthy of further confirmation by high-level evidence-based medicine. Methods/Design: This study will investigate the efficacy of D2 gastrectomy plus liver radiofrequency plus postoperative chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone in a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial that will enroll 200 patients who have advanced gastric cancer with unresectable synchronous liver metastases. The patients will be randomly divided into two groups: the test group (D2 gastrectomy plus liver radiofrequency plus postoperative chemotherapy, n=100) and the control group (chemotherapy alone, n=100). The patients' general information, past medical history, laboratory tests, imaging results, surgery details, and chemotherapy details will be recorded and analysed. The overall survival (OS) will be recorded as primary endpoints. Progression-free survival (PFS) and the total incidence of complications will be recorded as secondary endpoints. Discussion: This study is to establish a multicentre randomized controlled trial to compare the efficacy of D2 gastrectomy plus liver radiofrequency combined with postoperative chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, Approved No. of ethics committee:ChiECRCT20200331. Registered on 15 November 2020. Registration number:ChiCTR2000039964. The study has received full ethical and institutional approval. Advantages and Limitations of this Study: This is the first clinical trial that will provide evidence on the efficacy of D2 gastrectomy plus liver radiofrequency combined with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for the treatment of advanced gastric cancer with unresectable synchronous liver metastases. A prospective RCT with 200 patients who have advanced gastric cancer with unresectable synchronous liver metastases. Clinical Trial Registration: [https://www.chictr.org.cn/], identifier ChiCTR2000039964.

Initial experience with triple port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the feasibility and short-term clinical efficacy of triple-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TPLDG) with five-port laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (FPLDG). Methods: From April 2020 to December 2021, this retrospective study included all consecutive patients (n = 21) who underwent TPLDG + D2 lymph node dissection, and randomly screened patients who underwent FPLDG + D2 lymph node dissection during this period (n = 30). Results: There were no significant differences in intraoperative (P > 0.05) and postoperative complication rate (P = 0.635) between the two groups. The changes in the first ambulation, flatus, water intake after surgery and postoperative hospitalization were also similar between the two groups (P > 0.05). However, time to abdominal drainage tube removal (1.62 ± 0.15 days vs. 2.00 ± 0.12 days, P = 0.046), NRS pain score on the first postoperative day (1.91 ± 0.15 days vs. 2.47 ± 0.12 days, P = 0.004) and hemameba level on the third postoperative day (7.89 ± 0.51 days vs. 10.52 ± 0.58 days, P = 0.002) were significantly lower in the TPLDG group compared to the FPLDG group. Conclusion: TPLDG is a safer, feasible, and short-term alternative to conventional LDG for distal gastric cancer.

Exceeding 30 ELNs is strongly recommended for pT3-4N0 patients with gastric cancer: A multicenter study of survival, recurrence, and prediction model.

The argument concerning the exact minimum number of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) has continued for a long time among various regions, and no consensus has been reached for stratified pathological T stages for data to date. Data from 4607 pN0 patients with gastric cancer were analyzed. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the similar overall survival (OS) outcomes among the 3 groups (ELNs ≤ 15, 16 ≤ ELNs ≤ 29 and ELNs ≥ 30, P = .171). However, the ELNs ≥ 30 group had a better disease-free survival (DFS) outcome compared with the others (all P < .05). An increased ELN group (ELNs ≥ 30) showed an improved OS only for pT3 patients (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.397, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.182-0.866, P = .020), while an improved DFS for pT3 patients (HR = 0.362, 95%CI: 0.152-0.860, P = .021) and pT4 patients (HR = 0.484, 95%CI: 0.277-0.844, P = .011) in the multivariate analysis. A well discriminated and calibrated nomogram was constructed to predict the probability of the OS and DFS, with the C-index for OS and DFS prediction of 0.782 (95%CI: 0.735 to 0.829) and 0.738 (95%CI: 0.685 to 0.791), respectively. This study provides new and useful insights into the impact of ELN count on reducing stage migration and postoperative recurrence of pN0 patients with gastric cancer in 2000-2017. In conclusion, a larger number of ELNs is suggested for surgeons to prolong the prognosis of pN0 gastric cancer, especially for pT3 patients.

LINC00671 suppresses cell proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic cancer by inhibiting AKT and ERK signaling pathway.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an emerging field of tumor biology, playing essential roles in cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. However, the overall functional and clinical significance of most lncRNAs in pancreatic cancer is not thoroughly understood. Here, we described most of the lncRNAs with aberrant expression patterns in pancreatic cancer as detected by microarray. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction further verified that the expression of LINC00671 was decreased in pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient samples. Furthermore, lower LINC00671 expression was associated with reduced tumor differentiation, aggressiveness, and poor prognosis. Functionally, LINC00671 overexpression inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro, and reduced tumor growth in vivo. LINC00671 is mainly located in the cytoplasm. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses indicated that LINC00671 binds to multiple miRNAs and therefore could be involved in multiple tumor-associated pathways, such as the AMPK signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry further confirmed that LINC00671 overexpression suppressed the AKT, ERK, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathways. Overall, these results indicated that LINC00671 acts as a novel tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer. Our findings may provide a new potential target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

The mRNA of TCTP functions as a sponge to maintain homeostasis of TCTP protein levels in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is a highly conserved protein that accumulated in the tumorigenesis of various malignancies. Despite the important role of TCTP protein in tumor progression, the precise function and underlying mechanistic regulation of TCTP mRNA in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. In this study, we found that TCTP protein was overexpressed in HCC patients but TCTP mRNA expression levels were reversed. TCTP knockout HCC cells exhibited attenuated abilities of proliferation, migration, and invasion. The knockdown of TCTP by siRNA effectively reduced TCTP mRNA levels but not protein levels in HCC cells. Moreover, although the constitutive knockdown of TCTP inhibited almost 80% of TCTP protein expression levels in tumors of wildtype transgenic mice (TCTP KD/WT), partial restoration of TCTP protein expression was observed in the tumors of heterozygous TCTP mice (TCTP KD/TCTP±). The blockage of mRNA synthesis with ActD stimulated TCTP protein expression in HCC cells. In contrast, combined treatment with ActD and CHX or MG132 treatment alone did not lead to the TCTP protein accumulation in cells. Furthermore, following the introduction of exogenous TCTP in cells and orthotopic HCC tumor models, the endogenous TCTP protein did not change with the recombinational TCTP expression and kept a rather stable level. Dual-luciferase assays revealed that the coding sequence of TCTP mRNA functions as a sponge to regulate the TCTP protein expression. Collectively, our results indicated that the TCTP mRNA and protein formed a closed regulatory circuit and works as a buffering system to keep the homeostasis of TCTP protein levels in HCC.

Long noncoding RNA SLC2A1-AS1 regulates aerobic glycolysis and progression in hepatocellular carcinoma via inhibiting the STAT3/FOXM1/GLUT1 pathway.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal malignant diseases worldwide. Despite advances in the diagnosis and treatment of HCC, its overall prognosis remains poor. Recent studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in various pathophysiological processes, including liver cancer. In the current study, we report that lncRNA SLC2A1-AS1 is frequently downregulated in HCC samples, as shown by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. SLC2A1-AS1 deletion is significantly associated with recurrence-free survival in HCC. By performing glucose uptake, lactate production and ATP detection assays, we found that SLC2A1-AS1-mediated glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) downregulation significantly suppressed glycolysis of HCC. In vitro Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation, transwell assays as well as in vivo tumorigenesis and metastasis assays showed that SLC2A1-AS1 overexpression significantly suppressed proliferation and metastasis in HCC through the transcriptional inhibition of GLUT1. Results from fluorescence in situ hybridization, ChIP and luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that SLC2A1-AS1 exerts its regulatory role on GLUT1 by competitively binding to transketolase and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and inhibits the transactivation of Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) via STAT3, thus resulting in inactivation of the FOXM1/GLUT1 axis in HCC cells. Our findings will be helpful for understanding the function and mechanism of lncRNA in HCC. These data also highlight the crucial role of SLC2A1-AS1 in HCC aerobic glycolysis and progression and pave the way for further research regarding the potential of SLC2A1-AS1 as a valuable predictive biomarker for HCC recurrence.

Downregulation of CENPK suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma malignant progression through regulating YAP1.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have found that centromere protein K (CENPK) is overexpressed in several tumour types and promotes tumor progression. However, there has been little research on the role of CENPK in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The expression of CENPK in HCC tissues was quantified by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. Cells were transfected with lentiviral plasmids containing shRNA sequences targeting CENPK and YAP1 to silence the expression of CENPK and YAP1. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, and transwell invasion assay were performed to evaluate cell growth, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Tumorigenicity assay was used to detect the effect of CENPK on the growth of HCC cells. Western blot assay was performed to investigate the expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and YAP1. RESULTS: Compared to that in adjacent non-tumor tissues, CENPK was aberrantly upregulated in HCC tumor tissues. Furthermore, CENPK knockdown significantly inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT progression in HCC cells. Mechanistically, we identified that YAP1 was responsible for the tumor-suppressive effects of CENPK knockdown in the HCC cells. The inhibitory effects of CENPK silencing on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT were partially reversed by the restoration of YAP1 expression. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that the CENPK-YAP1-EMT axis plays a critical role in regulating HCC malignant progression, indicating the role of this axis as a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

ERRATUM.

MicroRNA-200a (miR-200a) is frequently downregulated in most cancer types and plays an important role in carcinogenesis and cancer progression. In this study, we determined that miR-200a was downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and cell lines, consistent with the results of our previous study. Because a previous study suggested that downregulation of miR-200a is correlated with HCC metastasis, we aimed to elucidate the mechanism underlying the role of miR-200a in metastasis in HCC. Here we observed that overexpression of miR-200a resulted in suppression of HCC metastatic ability, including HCC cell migration, invasion, and metastasis, in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assays indicated that GAB1 is a direct target of miR-200a. Inhibition of GAB1 resulted in substantially decreased cell invasion and migration similar to that observed with overexpression of miR-200a in HCC cell lines, whereas restoration of GAB1 partially rescued the inhibitory effects of miR-200a. Taken together, these data provide novel information for comprehending the tumor-suppressive role of miR-200a in HCC pathogenesis through inhibition of GAB1 translation.

Circular RNA circRHOT1 is upregulated and promotes cell proliferation and invasion in pancreatic cancer.

AIM: We aimed to identify the roles of circRHOT1 in pancreatic cancer. MATERIALS & METHODS: The circRHOT1 was acquired from our previous study followed by quantitative real-time PCR and fluorescence in situ hybridization validation in pancreatic cancer. We used siRNA and shRNA to explore the function of circRHOT1 in pancreatic cancer cells. Bioinformatic analyses were applied to study the potential mechanism of circRHOT1. RESULTS: The circRHOT1 was upregulated in pancreatic cancer and predominantly located in the cytoplasm. Reducing the circRHOT1 expression may inhibit the pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration. The circRHOT1 may play a role in pancreatic cancer through binding miR-26b, miR-125a, miR-330 and miR-382 to regulate multiple tumor-associated pathways. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that circRHOT1 may serve as an oncogenic circRNA that promotes tumor progression.

Blockade of ARHGAP11A reverses malignant progress via inactivating Rac1B in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The molecular signaling events involving in high malignancy and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are extremely complicated. Blockade of currently known targets has not yet led to successful clinical outcome. More understanding about the regulatory mechanisms in HCC is necessary for developing new effective therapeutic strategies for HCC patients. METHODS: The expression of Rho GTPase-activating protein 11A (ARHGAP11A) was examined in human normal liver and HCC tissues. The correlations between ARHGAP11A expression and clinicopathological stage or prognosis in HCC patients were analyzed. ARHGAP11A was downregulated to determine its role in the proliferation, invasion, migration, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) development, and regulatory signaling of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: ARHGAP11A exhibited high expression in HCC, and was significantly correlated with clinicopathological stage and prognosis in HCC patients. Moreover, ARHGAP11A facilitated Hep3B and MHCC97-H cell proliferation, invasion, migration and EMT development in vitro. ARHGAP11A knockdown significantly inhibited the in vivo growth and metastasis of HCC cells. Furthermore, ARHGAP11A directly interacted with Rac1B independent of Rho GTPase- activating activity. Rac1B blockade effectively interrupted ARHGAP11A-elicited HCC malignant phenotype. Meanwhile, upregulation of Rac1B reversed ARHGAP11A knockdown mediated mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) development in HCC cells. CONCLUSION: ARHGAP11A facilitates malignant progression in HCC patients via ARHGAP11A-Rac1B interaction. The ARHGAP11A/Rac1B signaling could be a potential therapeutic target in the clinical treatment of HCC.

PTBP3 splicing factor promotes hepatocellular carcinoma by destroying the splicing balance of NEAT1 and pre-miR-612.

Nuclear-enriched RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) are mainly involved in transcriptional regulation, which is a critical checkpoint to tune gene diversity and expression levels. We analyzed nuclear RBPs in human HCC tissues and matched normal control tissues. Based on the gene expression levels, PTBP3 was identified as top-ranked in the nuclei of HCC cells. HCC cell lines then were transfected with siRNAs or lentiviral vectors. PTBP3 promoted HCC cell proliferation and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and qRT-PCR assays verified that PTBP3 protein recruited abundant lnc-NEAT1 splicing variants (NEAT1_1 and NEAT1_2) and pre-miR-612 (precursor of miR-612) in the nucleus. NEAT1_1, NEAT1_2 and miR-612 expression levels were determined by PTBP3. Correlational analyses revealed that PTBP3 was positively correlated with NEAT1, but it was inversely correlated with miR-612 in HCC. The P53/CCND1 and AKT2/EMT pathways were determined by NEAT1 and miR-612 respectively in HCC. The PTBP3high and NEAT1high/miR-612low patients had a shorter overall survival. Therefore, nuclear-enriched RBP, PTBP3, promotes HCC cell malignant growth and metastasis by regulating the balance of splicing variants (NEAT1_1, NEAT1_2 and miR-612) in HCC.