Genome-wide identification of m6A-associated functional SNPs as potential functional variants for thyroid cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Genome-wide identification of m6A-associated functional SNPs as potential functional variants for thyroid cancer Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5402-5414. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT m6A methylation has been demonstrated to be one of the most important epigenetic regulation mechanisms in cell differentiation and cancer development especially m6A derived diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers have been identified in the past several years. However, systemic investigation to the interaction between germline single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and m6A has not been conducted yet. In this study, we collected previous identified significant thyroid cancer associated SNPs from UKB cohort (358 cases and 407,399 controls) and ICR cohort (3,001 patients and 287,550 controls) and thyroid eQTL (sample size = 574 from GTEx project) and m6A-SNP (N = 1,678,126) were applied to prioritize the candidate SNPs. Finally, five candidate genes (PLEKHA8, SMUG1, CDC123, RMI2, ACSM5) were identified to be thyroid cancer associated m6A-related genetic suscepti bility. Loss and gain function studies of m6A writer proteins confirm that ACSM5 is regulated by m6A methylation of mRNA. Moreover, ACSM5 is downregulated in thyroid cancer and inversely correlated with PTC malignancy and patient survival. Together, our study highlight mRNA-seq and m6A-seq double analysis provided a novel approach to identify cancer biomarkers and understanding the heterogeneity of human cancers. PMID:34873468 | PMC:PMC8640822 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Dual anticancer role of metformin: an old drug regulating AMPK dependent/independent pathways in metabolic, oncogenic/tumorsuppresing and immunity context

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Dual anticancer role of metformin: an old drug regulating AMPK dependent/independent pathways in metabolic, oncogenic/tumorsuppresing and immunity context Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5625-5643. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Metformin has been known to treat type 2 diabetes for decades and is widely prescribed antidiabetic drug. Recently, its anticancer potential has also been discovered. Moreover, metformin has low cost thus it has attained profound research interest. Comprehensing the complexity of the molecular regulatory networks in cancer provides a mode for advancement of research in cancer development and treatment. Metformin targets many pathways that play an important role in cancer cell survival outcome. Here, we described anticancer activity of metformin on the AMPK dependent/independent mechanisms regulating metabolism, oncogene/tumor suppressor signaling pathways together with the issue of clinical studies. We also provided brief overwiev about recently described metformin's role in cancer immunity. Insight in these complex molecular networks, will simplify application o f metformin in clinical trials and contribute to improvement of anti-cancer therapy. PMID:34873484 | PMC:PMC8640802 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

New insights into the functions of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms and progesterone signaling

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader New insights into the functions of progesterone receptor (PR) isoforms and progesterone signaling Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5214-5232. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Progesterone, the ovarian steroid hormone, regulates a plentitude of biological processes in tissues ranging from the brain to bones. Recognizing the role of progesterone and its receptors in physiological processes and maladies can prevent and treat various diseases. Apart from its physiological functions, its role in developing diseases, especially breast cancer, is a recent topic of deliberation. There exists conflicting experimental and epidemiological evidence linking progesterone to breast cancer. This review tries to describe the physiological functions of progesterone and its receptors, genomic and non-genomic signaling, splice variants, and a different aspect of progesterone signaling. Furthermore, we seek to address or attempt to discuss the following pertinent questions on steroid hormone signaling; How does progesterone influence breast cancer progres sion? How does it change the molecular pathways in breast cancer with different receptor statuses, the specific role of each isoform, and how does the ER/and PR ratio affect progesterone signaling? PMID:34873457 | PMC:PMC8640821 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

DNA methylation markers in esophageal cancer: an emerging tool for cancer surveillance and treatment

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader DNA methylation markers in esophageal cancer: an emerging tool for cancer surveillance and treatment Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5644-5658. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Esophageal carcinoma (EC) is one of the most pervasive cancers in the world, with upwards of 500,000 new diagnoses, annually. Despite its prominence, advancements in the detection and treatment of EC have been marginal over the past 30 years and the survival rate continues to stay below 20%. This is due to the uncommonly heterogeneous presentation of EC which presents unprecedented challenges in improving patient survival and quality of care. However, distinct epigenetic alterations to the DNA methylome may provide an avenue to drastically improve the detection and treatment of EC. Specifically, the creation of novel biomarker panels that consist of EC-specific methylation markers have shown promise as a potential alternative to the more invasive, contemporary diagnostic methods. Additionally, growing insight into the biological and clinical properties of EC-spec ific methylation patterns have opened a window of opportunity for enhanced treatment; of growing interest is the application of "DNMT inhibitors" - a class of drugs which inhibit excessive methylation and have been shown to re-sensitize chemoresistant tumors. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the current advancements in EC DNA methylation to underscore a potential approach to its detection and treatment. PMID:34873485 | PMC:PMC8640794 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Targeting the oncogenic TBX3:nucleolin complex to treat multiple sarcoma subtypes

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Targeting the oncogenic TBX3:nucleolin complex to treat multiple sarcoma subtypes Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5680-5700. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Sarcomas are diverse cancers of mesenchymal origin, with compromised clinical management caused by insufficient diagnostic biomarkers and limited treatment options. The transcription factor TBX3 is upregulated in a diverse range of sarcoma subtypes, where it plays a direct oncogenic role, and it may thus represent a novel therapeutic target. To identify versatile ways to target TBX3, we performed affinity purification coupled by mass spectrometry to identify putative TBX3 protein cofactors that regulate its oncogenic activity in sarcomas. Here we identify and validate the multifunctional phosphoprotein nucleolin as a TBX3 cofactor. We show that nucleolin is co-expressed with TBX3 in several sarcoma subtypes and their expression levels positively correlate in sarcoma patients which are associated with poor prognosis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that nucleolin and TBX3 interact in chondrosarcoma, liposarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma cells where they act together to enhance proliferation and migration and regulate a common set of tumor suppressor genes. Importantly, the nucleolin targeting aptamer, AS1411, exhibits selective anti-cancer activity in these cells and mislocalizes TBX3 and nucleolin to the cytoplasm which correlates with the re-expression of the TBX3/nucleolin target tumor suppressors CDKN1A (p21CIP1) and CDKN2A (p14ARF). Our findings provide the first evidence that TBX3 requires nucleolin to promote features of sarcomagenesis and that disruption of the oncogenic TBX3-nucleolin interaction by AS1411 may be a novel approach for treating sarcomas. PMID:34873487 | PMC:PMC8640805 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Development of KAM score to predict metastasis and worse survival in breast cancer

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Development of KAM score to predict metastasis and worse survival in breast cancer Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5388-5401. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Some may think that prediction of metastasis is meaningless since metastatic breast cancer is currently incurable. We argue that effective identification of developing metastasis will enable us to design and conduct clinical trials specifically targeting those patients at high risk. The current study sought to generate the KAM score by 4 genes (BRSK2, EYA1, SIGLEC15, and AGTR1) overexpressed in primary breast cancer that developed metastasis to bone compared with matched controls without metastasis longer than 10 years. A high KAM score was prognostic of poor overall (OS), disease free survival (DFS), and disease specific survival (DSS) in the METABRIC, and OS in the GSE96058 cohorts. A high KAM score was significantly associated with clinical aggressiveness, such as high American Joint Committee Cancer (AJCC) stage, lymph node metastasis, Nottingha m pathological grade, and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). Subgroup analysis revealed that a high KAM score was associated with worse OS in ER-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer in both cohorts. A high KAM breast cancer enriched all 5 cell proliferation-related gene sets of the Hallmark collection and interferon (IFN)-γ response gene sets. Furthermore, a high KAM breast cancer was significantly infiltrated with a high fraction of not only anti-cancer but also pro-cancer immune cells and associated with high level of cytolytic activity. Finally, a high KAM breast cancer was significantly associated with lung metastasis. In conclusion, we developed KAM score using 4 gene expressions that predict lung metastasis and patient survival in breast cancer. PMID:34873467 | PMC:PMC8640803 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

From development to cancer - an ever-increasing role of AGR2

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader From development to cancer - an ever-increasing role of AGR2 Via American Journal of Cancer Research Am J Cancer Res. 2021 Nov 15;11(11):5249-5262. eCollection 2021. ABSTRACT Anterior gradient 2, AGR2, is a small, 20 kDa protein that plays a vital role in oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. AGR2 is involved in several signal transduction pathways that are essential for cell survival. It was initially discovered in the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, where it plays an important function in embryonic development. Akin to several other developmental genes, it is also frequently deregulated in cancer, where it plays a decisive role in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis. In this review, we have summarized currently known AGR2 functions, its expression and function in embryonic and cancer development, as well as its potential as a candidate tumor biomarker and promising new target for cancer immunotherapy. PMID:34873459 | PMC:PMC8640830 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Third molar surgical difficulty scales: systematic review and preoperative assessment form

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Third molar surgical difficulty scales: systematic review and preoperative assessment form Via pubmed: "med oral patol oral... Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2021 Dec 7:24951. doi: 10.4317/medoral.24951. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: The main objective of this systematic review was to collect the pre-existing scales for assessing the difficulty of third molar extraction. The secondary objective was to design a proposal for a preoperative evaluation protocol for the difficulty of third molar extraction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two independent researchers conducted an electronic search in Pubmed (MEDLINE), Cochrane, and Scopus databases during March 2021. Included studies evaluated the prediction of the difficulty of surgical removal of impacted upper or lower third molars using new indices/scales or pre-existing scales with or without modifications. Articles referring to coronectomies or assessing pre-surgical difficulty using other tools were excluded. Neither language nor publication date restrictions were applied. RESULTS: Out of 242 articles, 13 prospective cohort studies were finally selected. Seven developed new indices/scales, and 6 assessed the predictive ability of some pre-existing scales. Most of the indices/scales contained radiological variables and few added any patient-related variables. We proposed a preoperative assessment protocol of the difficulty of third molar extraction to facilitate treatment planning and/or considerate referral in cases of high difficulty. This proposal used patient-related, radiological and surgical variables. CONCLUSIONS: Using a preoperative protocol to evaluate the surgical difficulty, including different patient-specific, radiological and surgical variables, could facilitate treatment planning, help clinicians prevent complications and assess the possibility of referral. PMID:34874928 | DOI:10.4317/medoral.24951 View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 produced by melanoma cells contributes to melanoma tumor growth and metastasis in vivo by enhancing tumor vascularization

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 produced by melanoma cells contributes to melanoma tumor growth and metastasis in vivo by enhancing tumor vascularization Via Melanoma Research - Published Ahead-of-Print Macrophage inhibitory cytokine-1 (MIC-1) has been reported to be elevated in various human cancers including melanoma; however, the function of MIC-1 in cancer remains unclear. In this study, we attempt to clarify the role of MIC-1 in tumor pathogenesis by employing the orthotopic B16F1 melanoma mouse model in which seru m MIC-1 levels are positively correlated with tumor size. By stably transfecting a MIC-1 expression construct into B16F1 melanoma cells, we increased the expression and secretion levels of MIC-1. This increase in MIC-1 expression significantly enhanced the growth of tumors derived from B16F1 cells in vivo, despite not affecting in vitro cell growth. The elevated MIC-1 expression in B16F1 cells also resulted in lymph node metastasis in B16F1 tumor-bearing mice, significantly increasing mortality. Interestingly, among small melanoma tumors of similar size, tumors derived from the MIC-1-transfected B16F1 cells exhibited enhanced blood vessel formation compared with those of mock transfectant cells. Also, more MIC-1 was found in well-vascularized tumor regions than in poorly vascularized tumor regions. Moreover, conditioned medium (CM) of the MIC-1-transfected melanoma cells enhanced the angiogenic properties of endothelial cells more than CM of mock transfectant cells. Notably, hypoxic culture conditions forced parental B16F1 cells to secrete more endothelial cell-stimulating factors, among which the function of MIC-1 was confirmed by blocking the effects with an anti-MIC-1 antibody. Taken together, these results suggest that the MIC-1 produced by melanoma cells in response to oxygen deprivation promotes tumor vascularization during melanoma development in vivo, leading to enhanced tumor growth and metastasis. * Jaeseob Lee and Young-June Jin contributed equally to the writing of this article. Received 29 March 2021 Accepted 22 September 2021 Correspondence to Hansoo Lee, PhD, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea, Tel: +82 33 250 8530; e-mail: hslee@kangwon.ac.kr Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.