Cancer Biology & Therapy最新文献

Tumor metastasis is a major obstacle for the effective treatment of breast cancer. Some studies showed that exosomes could promote tumor distant metastasis by establishing pre-metastasis niches (PMN). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in exosomes play a critical role in tumor development and invasion. We aimed to investigate the effects of exosomal miRNAs derived from breast cancer cells on metastasis. MiRNA sequencing and RT-PCR approach were used to screen potential exosomal miRNAs. We compared the levels of serum exosomal miRNAs from breast cancer patients and those from MCF10A/MCF7/MDA-MB-231 cells. We found that differential exosomal miRNAs screened from patients with metastasis have higher expression levels in exosomes secreted by MDA-MB-231 cells. Using miRNA mimics or inhibitors, exosomal miR-122-5p was found to enhance the secretion levels of chemokine MCP-1 and SDF-1 from WI-38 lung fibroblast cells. In vitro luciferase assay and western blot confirmed the targeting of 3'-untranslated region of MKP-2 and suppression of MKP-2 expression by miR-122-5p in WI-38 cells. Treatment of xenograft mice with exosomal miR-122-5p increased the levels of MCP-1 and SDF-1 in serum, and promoted lung metastasis of breast cancer. In conclusion, we identified exosomal miR-122-5p from breast cancer cells that could promote the chemokine secretion of lung fibroblasts, which might facilitate the chemotaxis and colonization of breast cancer cells in lung tissue.

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a common urinary malignancy with high metastatic potential. However, the mechanisms underlying its progression remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the role and regulatory mechanisms of NR4A3, a nuclear receptor involved in apoptosis and tumor suppression, in BLCA progression, particularly its impact on anoikis resistance and metastasis. NR4A3 expression levels were analyzed using the GEPIA database. Functional studies were conducted by overexpressing NR4A3 in adherent and suspension-cultured BLCA cells. Apoptosis, invasion, migration, and ER stress marker (Bip and CHOP) expression were evaluated. Subcutaneous and lung metastasis models in BALB/c nude mice were used for in vivo validation. GEPIA analysis showed that NR4A3 is significantly downregulated in BLCA. NR4A3 overexpression increased apoptosis, reduced invasion and migration, and upregulated Bip and CHOP expression. In vivo, NR4A3 overexpression significantly reduced lung metastasis in BALB/c nude mice (n = 8 per group, p < .001). Mechanistically, NR4A3 promoted ER stress by regulating the EWSR1/Ezrin pathway, thereby suppressing anoikis resistance. NR4A3 functions as a tumor suppressor in BLCA by enhancing endoplasmic reticulum stress and inhibiting anoikis resistance through the EWSR1/Ezrin pathway. It may serve as a promising therapeutic target for metastatic BLCA.

To explore the expression of miR-135a-3p in prostate cancer，analyze its effects on tumor development and the involved mechanisms. A total of 125 specimens of cancer tissues and corresponding adjacent normal tissues from prostate cancer patients were collected. Real - Time quantitative PCR was employed to quantify the expression levels of miR-135a-3p in prostate cancer tissues and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and Cox regression were performed to evaluate the prognostic significance of miR-135a-3p in prostate cancer. The CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to validate the targeting interaction between miR-135a-3p and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). miR-135a-3p is lowly expressed in prostate cancer tissues and cells, and its low expression is associated with poor prognosis of patients. The low expression state of miR-135a-3p showed a significant correlation with TNM stage, clinical stage, Gleason score, and lymph node metastasis. In addition, miR-135a-3p inhibits the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and cancer progression by negatively regulating the expression of TLR4. miR-135a-3p is downregulated in prostate cancer and is associated with poor prognosis of patients. It exerts an inhibitory effect on the progression of prostate cancer by targeting TLR4.

The majority of the pseudogenes are inert in normal transcription. Their transcripts are mostly attributed to non-coding RNAs that play various functions in human tumorigenicity and progression. Distinctively, pseudogene MT2P1 is universally transcribed in hepatocytes and presents a significant decrease in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The effect of MT2P1-RNA on HCC cell proliferation and apoptosis needs investigation. MT2P1-RNA was detected by RT-qPCR assay in HCC tissues and cell lines, combined with the exploration of the public databases. The immunohistochemistry assay was used for testing the expression profile of E2F7 and the parental gene MT2A. The clinicopathological features of the patients were collected and analyzed. Ectopic expression of MT2P1-RNA in HCC cell lines was conducted, and the CCK8 assay and flow cytometry assay were carried out. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and Dual-luciferase reporter assay were, respectively, applied to validate the interaction between MT2P1, E2F7, and microRNA-15b-5p. The downregulation of MT2P1-RNA in HCC is negatively correlated with dismal clinicopathological features. MT2P1-RNA significantly suppressed HCC cell proliferation and induced apoptosis. E2F7 depletion sequentially elevated the level of MT2P1-RNA and MT2A, and E2F7 was validated as a suppressive transcription factor of the MT2P1 gene. The direct interactions of either MT2P1/miR-15b-5p or miR-15b-5p/MT2A were, respectively, ascertained, enlightening the ceRNA effect of them. The pseudogene-derived MT2P1-RNA is a suppressor of HCC by exerting the ceRNA effect on preserving MT2A, and its transcription is regulated by the suppressive transcription factor E2F7.

Prostate cancer (PCA) remains a significant health challenge, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies to enhance patient outcomes. Recent research has identified cuproptosis, a copper-dependent programmed cell death mechanism, as a promising target in PCA treatment. Elevated copper levels have been associated with tumor progression and therapeutic resistance, highlighting the need for innovative approaches. This review synthesizes current findings on the role of copper and cuproptosis in PCA, focusing on the mechanisms underlying cuproptosis, the identification of key biomarkers, and the therapeutic potential of copper complexes and ionophores. The integration of cuproptosis-related biomarkers into clinical practice may facilitate personalized treatment strategies, while ongoing research into copper-based therapies holds promise for overcoming limitations of traditional chemotherapy. Future directions should emphasize elucidating the molecular mechanisms of cuproptosis and optimizing therapeutic applications to improve patient outcomes in PCA.

Hypoxia as a hallmark of solid malignancies compromises therapeutic efficacy and prognosis. This study deciphers the functional role of hypoxia-induced ferroptosis in glioma prognosis. Hypoxia-related transcripts and ferroptosis markers were curated from public databases. ConsensusClusterPlus identify hypoxia-based molecular subtypes, while LASSO-penalized Cox regression integrated with limma-based differential expression analysis screened prognostic ferroptosis genes. Subsequent risk modeling was validated against clinical parameters and extended through nomogram construction. Protein-protein interaction networks centered on HIF-1αidentified high-confidence interactors, with parallel immune correlation analysis completing the systems-level investigation.Based on 27 hypoxia-associated genes, we stratified samples into three distinct hypoxic clusters. Differential analysis of 123 ferroptosis markers across clusters, combined with univariate Cox regression and LASSO regression, identified 23 hypoxia-induced ferroptosis genes for constructing a prognostic model. The model demonstrated robust predictive accuracy with AUC values of 0.80 (1-year), 0.86 (3-year), and 0.86 (5-year). GSEA revealed significant enrichment in ECM-receptor interactions, focal adhesion, JAK-STAT signaling, and p53 signaling pathways, suggesting their involvement in hypoxia-induced ferroptosis. Our risk model significantly outperformed conventional clinical parameters (pathology, grade, age, primary/recurrent status). Protein-protein interaction analysis incorporating HIF-1αand the 23-model genes identified XBP1 and VEGFA co-expression as significant positive prognostic factor. The immune infiltration analysis further indicated that M0 macrophages may participate in the regulation of the prognosis of VEGFA-XBP1.Hypoxia-induced ferroptosis modulation emerges as a prognostic factor in gliomas, with XBP1 and VEGFA representing druggable nodes for novel combination therapies.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the role of extracellular vesicles derived from lung cancer stem cells (lung CSCs-EVs) in lung cancer and to explore their potential mechanisms.

Methods: Lung CSCs were first isolated and verified using flow cytometry and RT-qPCR assays. Lung CSCs-EVs were extracted through ultracentrifugation and further characterized using transmission electron microscopy and Western blotting. The interaction between lung CSCs-EVs and lung cancer cells was observed through PKH67 staining. Subsequently, we analyzed the differentially expressed genes in lung CSCs using bioinformatics data analysis and evaluated the prognostic value of ZNF280B in lung cancer with the Kaplan-Meier Plotter. RT-qPCR was utilized to assess the mRNA expression levels of these genes, while Western blotting was used to evaluate the protein expression levels of ZNF280B and P53. Next, CCK-8 and colony formation assays were conducted to assess the effects of lung CSCs-EVs and ZNF280B on cancer cell proliferation, migration (via wound healing assay), and invasion (using transwell assay). Additionally, subcutaneous tumor-bearing experiments in nude mice were performed to evaluate the roles of lung CSCs-EVs in lung cancer progression in vivo.

Results: The results indicated that lung CSCs-EVs accelerated the progression of lung cancer. Mechanistically, these lung CSCs-EVs transferred ZNF280B into cancer cells, leading to the inhibition of P53 expression.

Conclusions: In summary, the manuscript first describes the molecular mechanism by which lung CSCs-EVs promote pro-cancer functions in lung cancer through the ZNF280B/P53 axis.

The highest incidence and cancer-related mortality rate among women worldwide is due to breast cancer. Triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) are associated with more inferior outcomes than other breast cancers because of their progressive nature and the deficit in available therapies. Therefore, there is a need for new therapeutic approaches. Our lab determined that chemotherapy induces the release of extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP), and, hence, augments TNBC cells' response to chemotherapy. Despite this, eATP concentrations are restricted by a variety of extracellular ATPases. We propose that, as an ATPase inhibitor, heparan sulfate (HS) would augment eATP concentrations and TNBC vulnerability induced by chemotherapy. Sulfatase 2 (SULF2) removes sulfate from HS, the functional group essential for ATPase inhibition. Consequently, we propose that TNBC cell death and eATP release induced by chemotherapy would be intensified by SULF2 inhibitors. We examined eATP and cell viability in paclitaxel-treated TNBC and nontumorigenic immortal mammary epithelial MCF-10A cells in the presence of OKN-007, a selective SULF2 inhibitor, and/or heparan sodium sulfate. Furthermore, sulfatase 1 (SULF1) and SULF2 protein expressions were ascertained. We found that the expression of SULF2 was greater in TNBC cell lines when compared to MCF-10A cells. The release of eATP and loss of TNBC cell viability induced by chemotherapy was enhanced by OKN-007. The co-treatment of chemotherapy and OKN-007 also attenuated cancer-initiating cells. This data implies that the combination of SULF2 inhibitors with chemotherapy augments eATP and decreases cell viability of TNBC greater than chemotherapy alone.

Exosome-based therapies represent a pioneering frontier in cancer treatment, leveraging the natural cellular communication mechanisms encapsulated in exosomes. These nano-sized vesicles serve as carriers of proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, reflecting the physiological state of their cells of origin, which makes them ideal candidates for targeted cancer therapies and diagnostics. Despite their potential, the path to clinical application is fraught with challenges. This review explores the inherent challenges associated with exosome-based cancer vaccines, focusing on tumor heterogeneity, the technical difficulties in exosome isolation and characterization, the need for standardized protocols, and the scalability of production methods. It also explores the interaction between exosomes and the immune system, a crucial factor in developing effective cancer vaccines. The review explores strategies to improve diagnostic tools, targeted delivery systems, and therapy based on individual tumor profiles, highlighting the need for innovative approaches and collaborative efforts to maximize exosome-based cancer vaccines' therapeutic potential.