1.Impacts of curcumin on proliferation, migration and cisplatin resistance of bladder cancer cells by regulating LKB1-AMPK-LC3 signaling pathway.
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(1):9-16
Objective To study the impacts of curcumin on the proliferation, migration and cisplatin (DDP) resistance of bladder cancer cells by regulating the liver kinase B1-AMP activated protein kinase-microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LKB1-AMPK-LC3) signaling pathway. Methods Human bladder cancer cell line T24 was cultured in vitro, and its DDP resistant T24/DDP cells were induced by cisplatin (DDP). After treating T24 and T24/DDP cells with different concentrations of curcumin, the optimal concentration of curcumin was screened by MTT assay. T24 cells were randomly grouped into control group, curcumin group, metformin group, and combination group of curcumin and metformin. After treatment with curcumin and LKB1-AMPK activator metformin, the proliferation, autophagy, migration, and apoptosis of T24 cells in each group were detected by MTT assay, monodansylcadavrine (MDC) fluorescence staining, cell scratch assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Western blot was used to detect the expression of proteins related to LKB1-AMPK-LC3 signaling pathway in T24 cells of each group. T24/DDP cells were randomly assigned into control group, curcumin group, metformin group, and combination group of curcumin and metformin. Cells were treated with curcumin and metformin according to grouping and treated with different concentrations of DDP simultaneously. Then, the effect of curcumin on the DDP resistance coefficient of T24/DDP cells was detected by MTT assay. T24/DDP cells were randomly grouped into control group, DDP group, combination groups of DDP and curcumin, DDP and metformin, DDP, curcumin and metformi. After treatment with DDP, curcumin, and metformin, the proliferation, autophagy, migration, apoptosis, drug resistance, and the expression of proteins related to LKB1-AMPK-LC3 signaling pathway in T24/DDP cells of each group were detected with the same methods. Results Compared with the control group, the activity of T24 cells, relative number of autophagosomes, migration rate, Phosphorylated-LKB1 (p-LKB1)/LKB1, Phosphorylated-AMPK (p-AMPK)/AMPK, LC3II/LC3I, and the DDP resistance coefficient of T24/DDP cells in the curcumin group were lower, and the apoptosis rate of T24 cells was higher; the changes in various indicators in the metformin group were opposite to those in the curcumin group. Compared with the curcumin group, the activity of T24 cells, relative number of autophagosomes, migration rate, p-LKB1/LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, LC3II/LC3I, and the DDP resistance coefficient of T24/DDP cells in the combination group of curcumin and metformin were higher, and the apoptosis rate of T24 cells was lower. Compared with the control group, there were no obvious changes in various indicators of T24/DDP cells in the DDP group. Compared with the control group and DDP group, the viability of T24/DDP cells, relative number of autophagosomes, migration rate, P-glycoprotein (P-gp) protein expression, p-LKB1/LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, and LC3II/LC3I in the combination group of DDP and curcumin were lower, and the apoptosis rate of T24/DDP cells was higher; the changes in the above indicators in the combination group of DDP and metformin were opposite to those in the combination group of DDP and curcumin. Compared with the combination group of DDP and curcumin, the viability of T24/DDP cells, relative number of autophagosomes, migration rate, P-gp protein expression, p-LKB1/LKB1, p-AMPK/AMPK, and LC3II/LC3I in the combination group of DDP, curcumin and metformin were higher, and the apoptosis rate of T24/DDP cells was lower. Conclusion Curcumin can reduce the activity of LKB1-AMPK-LC3 signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting autophagy, proliferation and migration of bladder cancer cells, promoting their apoptosis, and weakening their resistance to DDP.
Humans
;
Cisplatin/pharmacology*
;
Curcumin/pharmacology*
;
Cell Proliferation/drug effects*
;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
;
Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases/genetics*
;
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism*
;
Drug Resistance, Neoplasm/drug effects*
;
Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/pathology*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Cell Movement/drug effects*
;
AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
;
Microtubule-Associated Proteins/metabolism*
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Apoptosis/drug effects*
;
Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology*
;
Metformin/pharmacology*
;
Autophagy/drug effects*
2.CCDC97 influences the immune microenvironment and biological functions in HCC.
Lingling MO ; Xinyue WU ; Xiaohua PENG ; Chuang CHEN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(1):23-30
Objective To explore the clinical and immunological significance of CCDC97 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods Clinical data and RNA sequencing results from HCC patients were retrieved from TCGA and ICGC databases. Bioinformatics analysis and in vitro experiments were performed to investigate the role of CCDC97 in HCC. Results The expression level of CCDC97 was elevated in HCC patients and HCC cells, closely associated with pathological features and prognosis. CCDC97 was identified as a novel prognostic biomarker. It is linked to the spliceosome pathway, which is significantly active in tumors and potentially promotes carcinogenesis. CCDC97 is also highly expressed in various immune cells and is associated with microenvironment. Furthermore, knocking down CCDC97 in vitro suppressed cell migration, invasion, and proliferation. Conclusion CCDC97 plays a critical role in HCC progression and the immune microenvironment, making it a potential target for prognosis and therapeutic intervention.
Humans
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Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism*
;
Liver Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Tumor Microenvironment/genetics*
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Cell Movement/genetics*
;
Cell Proliferation
;
Prognosis
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics*
;
Male
3.Knockdown of BHLHE40 inhibits the proliferation, migration, invasion and PI3K/AKT signaling activity of osteosarcoma cells.
Yang YANG ; Fan YE ; Litao SUN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(1):38-44
Objective To investigate the effect of basic helix-loop-helix family member E40 (BHLHE40) on the invasion and migration of osteosarcoma (OS) cells, and to explore the role of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway in the biological behavior of OS mediated by BHLHE40, providing a scientific basis for targeted therapy of OS. Methods On the basis of clinical OS samples and OS cell lines, the expression differences of BHLHE40 between OS and adjacent tissues, as well as those between OS cells and normal osteoblast cell lines, were analyzed. BHLHE40 knockdown OS cells were obtained through shRNA transfection. The effects of BHLHE40 on OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined using CCK-8, EdU staining, wound healing, and Transwell assays. The involvement of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was assessed by Western blotting. Further validation was conducted in vivo experiments. Results The expression of BHLHE40 was significantly higher in OS tissues compared to adjacent tissues. In OS cell lines, BHLHE40 protein expression levels were increased compared to normal osteoblasts, and the cell line with the highest BHLHE40 expression was selected for subsequent knockdown experiments. Compared with the knockdown control group, the BHLHE40 knockdown group exhibited reduced cell viability, EdU-positive cell count, colony number, cell migration, and invasion abilities, along with downregulation of phosphorylated PI3K(p-PI3K)/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT protein expression. The aforementioned functions of BHLHE40 were also reproduced in in vivo experiments. Conclusion BHLHE40 is highly expressed in OS tissues, and its knockdown can significantly inhibit OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while reducing PI3K/AKT signaling pathway activity. This suggests that BHLHE40 could serve as a novel therapeutic target for OS.
Osteosarcoma/metabolism*
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Humans
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Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
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Cell Proliferation/genetics*
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Cell Movement/genetics*
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Signal Transduction/genetics*
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Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
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Cell Line, Tumor
;
Animals
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Neoplasm Invasiveness
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors/metabolism*
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Bone Neoplasms/metabolism*
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Mice
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Gene Knockdown Techniques
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Male
;
Female
;
Mice, Nude
4.Potential molecular mechanism of lncRNAs HOTAIR in malignant metastasis of esophageal cancer.
Kaijin LU ; Jiangfeng SHEN ; Guang HAN ; Quan CHEN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(3):236-244
Objective To elucidate the molecular mechanism by which exosomes (Exo) derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) carrying HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (lncRNA HOTAIR) promote the metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods CAFs were collected from tumor tissues, and non-cancer associated fibroblasts (NFs) were obtained from adjacent normal tissues at least 5 cm away from the tumor. Exosomes (CAFs-Exo and NFs-Exo) were isolated from conditioned media collected from CAFs or NFs. CAFs-Exo and NFs-Exo were incubated with human ESCC cell line TE-1 for 24 hours, and CCK-8 was used to determine the cell proliferation ability. Scratch test and Transwell test were performed to determine the cell migration and invasion ability. TE-1 cells were divided into the following two groups: NC group and KD group. The NC group and KD group were transfected with control siRNAs or siRNAs targeting HOTAIR respectively. The effects of HOTAIR knock-down on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis were determined. Results CAFs-Exo promoted the proliferation of TE-1 cells more significantly than NFs-Exo. Compared with NFs-Exo group, the migration and invasion ability of TE-1 cells treated with CAFs-Exo were improved significantly. In addition, CAFs-Exo treatment inhibited the expression of E-cadherin and enhanced the expression of N-cadherin. The expression of HOTAIR in CAFs was significantly higher than that in NFs. Compared with NFs-Exo, the expression level of HOTAIR in CAFs-Exo increased significantly. Compared with NC group, the proliferation, migration and invasion of TE-1 cells in KD group decreased significantly. Compared with NC group, hexokinase 2 (HK2), extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) and ATP/ADP ratio of TE-1 cells in KD group decreased significantly. Conclusion HOTAIR, an exosome derived from CAFs, may be involved in metastasis and EMT by regulating glycolysis in ESCC cells.
Humans
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RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism*
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Esophageal Neoplasms/metabolism*
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Cell Movement/genetics*
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Cell Proliferation/genetics*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
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Exosomes/genetics*
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Neoplasm Metastasis
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Neoplasm Invasiveness
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Glycolysis/genetics*
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Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts/metabolism*
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Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/metabolism*
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Cadherins/genetics*
5.Sialyltransferase ST3GAL1 promotes malignant progression in glioma.
Zihao ZHAO ; Wenjing ZHENG ; Lingling ZHANG ; Wenjie SONG ; Tao WANG
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(4):308-317
Objective To investigate the clinical relevance and diagnostic or prognostic value of ST3β-galactoside α-2, 3-sialyltransferase 1 (ST3GAL1) in glioma and to confirm its role in promoting malignant phenotypes. Methods Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we analyzed the correlation between ST3GAL1 expression levels in glioma and clinical parameters to evaluate its diagnostic and prognostic value. The impact of ST3GAL1 on malignant phenotypes of glioma cells-including proliferation, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and invasion was further validated through ST3GAL1 knockdown experiments. Results The expression level of ST3GAL1 was significantly higher in glioma tissues compared to healthy brain tissues and showed a strong correlation with clinical characteristics of glioma patients. Survival analysis and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve demonstrated that ST3GAL1 could serve as a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for glioma. Knockdown of ST3GAL1 suppressed proliferation, invasion, and migration capabilities of glioma cell lines, and induced G1-phase cell cycle arrest. Conclusion ST3GAL1 promotes malignant phenotypes in glioma and plays a critical role in its malignant progression, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for glioma diagnosis and prognosis.
Humans
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Sialyltransferases/metabolism*
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Glioma/diagnosis*
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Cell Proliferation/genetics*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Brain Neoplasms/enzymology*
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beta-Galactoside alpha-2,3-Sialyltransferase
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Disease Progression
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Prognosis
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Cell Movement/genetics*
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Apoptosis/genetics*
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Male
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Female
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism*
;
Middle Aged
6.Molecular mechanisms of TPT1-AS1 in regulating epithelial ovarian cancer cell invasion, migration, and angiogenesis by targeting the miR-324/TWIST1 axis.
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(6):536-543
Objective To explore the mechanism of TPT1-AS1 targeting miR-324/TWIST1 axis to regulate the proliferation, invasion, migration and angiogenesis of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) cells, thereby affecting ovarian cancer (OC) progression. Methods RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of TPT1-AS1 and miR-324 in 29 OC lesions and adjacent tissue samples. The two OC cell models of TPT1-AS1 overexpression and miRNA324 knockdown were constructed, and the cell proliferation, invasion and migration abilities were detected by CCK-8, TranswellTM and scratch test. Western blot analysis was used to detect the protein expression levels of TWIST1, epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), Vimentin, and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) in OC cells. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and RNA pull-down experiments were used to verify the interaction between TPT1-AS1 and miR-324. Immunohistochemistry and Targetscan bioinformatics analysis were used to verify the negative regulatory role of miR-324 in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Results The TPT1-AS1 expression was significantly higher in OC tissues than that in para-cancerous tissues, while the miR-324 expression was significantly lower. In SKOV3 cells with TPT1-AS1 overexpression, the miR-324 expression decreased significantly, and TPT1-AS1 was negatively correlated with miR-324. It was also found that TPT1-AS1 and miR-324 were co-expressed in OC cells, and there was a direct binding relationship between them. Down-regulation of miR-324 significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration of SKOV3 cells. Further studies revealed that miR-324 had a binding site at the 3'-UTR end of the TWIST1, a key transcription factor for EMT. Inhibiting miR-324 expression increased the transcription level of TWIST1, leading to a decrease in E-cadherin protein expression and an increase in Vimentin protein expression. Additionally, the downregulation of miR-324 resulted in an increased expression level of VEGF-A protein, which in turn enhanced angiogenesis of OC. Conclusion TPT1-AS1 promotes EOC cell proliferation, invasion, migration and angiogenesis by negatively regulating the miR-324/TWIST1 axis, thus promoting the development of OC. These findings provide new potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of OC.
Humans
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MicroRNAs/metabolism*
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Female
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Cell Movement/genetics*
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Ovarian Neoplasms/blood supply*
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Twist-Related Protein 1/metabolism*
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Neovascularization, Pathologic/genetics*
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Neoplasm Invasiveness
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Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial/metabolism*
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Nuclear Proteins/metabolism*
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Cell Proliferation/genetics*
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Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/genetics*
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism*
;
Cadherins/genetics*
;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/genetics*
;
Vimentin/genetics*
;
Angiogenesis
7.Effects of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 on proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of thyroid cancer cells by regulating the miR-221-3p/SOCS3 signaling axis.
Hui WANG ; Yu GUO ; Peipei ZHANG ; Haoyu YANG ; Chuntao TIAN ; Mingming JIN
Chinese Journal of Cellular and Molecular Immunology 2025;41(9):798-805
Objective To explore the influences of long-chain noncoding RNA DHRS4-AS1 (lncRNA DHRS4-AS1) on the proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis of thyroid cancer (TC) cells by regulating the microRNA-221-3p (miR-221-3p)/suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) signaling axis. Methods Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect the expression of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1, miR-221-3p, and SOCS3 mRNA in TC cell lines, and the optimal cell line was selected for subsequent experiments. FTC-133 cells were divided into five groups: control group, pcDNA-NC group, DHRS4-AS1 group, DHRS4-AS1 combined with agomir NC group, and DHRS4-AS1 combined with miR-221-3p-agomir group. Transfection efficiency was assessed using qRT-PCR. Dual luciferase reporter assays were applied to verify the targeting interaction between lncRNA DHRS4-AS1, SOCS3, and miR-221-3p. Western blot analysis was used to detect the expression of SOCS3 in FTC-133 cells. EdU method was used to measure cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was applied to measure the apoptosis of FTC-133 cells. Scratch experiment was applied to measure the migration of FTC-133 cells. Transwell chamber was applied to detect the invasion of FTC-133 cells. Nude mouse transplantation tumor experiment was used to observe the effect of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 on the growth of TC transplantation tumors. Results Dual luciferase reporter assays showed a targeting relationship between lncRNA DHRS4-AS1, miR-221-3p, and SOCS3. LncRNA DHRS4-AS1 and SOCS3 were downregulated and miR-221-3p was upregulated in FTC-133 cells. Overexpression of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion of FTC-133 cells, while inducing apoptosis. Conversely, miR-221-3p overexpression reversed these inhibitory effects, and suppressed the apoptosis. Nude mouse transplantation experiment observed that overexpression of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 resulted in a decrease in tumor tissue quality and volume, and a decrease in miR-221-3p expression and an increase in SOCS3 expression. Conclusion LncRNA DHRS4-AS1 is downregulated in FTC-133 cells. Overexpression of lncRNA DHRS4-AS1 can inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of TC cells and induce apoptosis by regulating the miR-221-3p/SOCS3 signaling axis.
MicroRNAs/metabolism*
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Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 3 Protein/metabolism*
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Humans
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RNA, Long Noncoding/metabolism*
;
Apoptosis/genetics*
;
Cell Proliferation/genetics*
;
Cell Movement/genetics*
;
Thyroid Neoplasms/physiopathology*
;
Animals
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Signal Transduction/genetics*
;
Cell Line, Tumor
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Mice, Nude
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Neoplasm Invasiveness
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
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Mice
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
8.Effect of TBL1XR1 Mutation on Cell Biological Characteristics of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.
Hong-Ming FAN ; Le-Min HONG ; Chun-Qun HUANG ; Jin-Feng LU ; Hong-Hui XU ; Jie CHEN ; Hong-Ming HUANG ; Xin-Feng WANG ; Dan GUO
Journal of Experimental Hematology 2025;33(2):423-430
OBJECTIVE:
To investigate the effect of TBL1XR1 mutation on cell biological characteristics of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).
METHODS:
The TBL1XR1 overexpression vector was constructed and DNA sequencing was performed to determine the mutation status. The effect of TBL1XR1 mutation on apoptosis of DLBCL cell line was detected by flow cytometry and TUNEL fluorescence assay; CCK-8 assay was used to detect the effect of TBL1XR1 mutation on cell proliferation; Transwell assay was used to detect the effect of TBL1XR1 mutation on cell migration and invasion; Western blot was used to detect the effect of TBL1XR1 mutation on the expression level of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) related proteins.
RESULTS:
The TBL1XR1 overexpression plasmid was successfully constructed. The in vitro experimental results showed that TBL1XR1 mutation had no significant effect on apoptosis of DLBCL cells. Compared with the control group, TBL1XR1 mutation enhanced cell proliferation, migration and invasion of DLBCL cells. TBL1XR1 gene mutation significantly increased the expression of N-cadherin protein, while the expression of E-cadherin protein decreased.
CONCLUSION
TBL1XR1 mutation plays a role in promoting tumor cell proliferation, migration and invasion in DLBCL. TBL1XR1 could be considered as a potential target for DLBCL therapy in future research.
Humans
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Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/pathology*
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Cell Proliferation
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Mutation
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Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear/genetics*
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Apoptosis
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Cell Line, Tumor
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Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
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Cell Movement
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Repressor Proteins/genetics*
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Nuclear Proteins/genetics*
;
Cadherins/metabolism*
9.ARID1B Gene Deletion Promotes the Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of NSCLC Cells.
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(3):165-175
BACKGROUND:
Abnormalities of the switch/sucrose nonfermentable (SWI/SNF) chromatin-remodeling complex are closely related to various cancers, and ARID1B (AT-rich interaction domain 1B) is one of the core subunits of the SWI/SNF complex. Mutations or copy number deletions of the ARID1B gene are associated with impaired DNA damage response and altered chromatin accessibility. However, whether ARID1B deficiency affects the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aims to reveal the regulatory role of ARID1B gene deletion on the malignant phenotype of NSCLC cells and its molecular mechanism.
METHODS:
Online databases were used to analyze the relationship between ARID1B and the prognosis of patients with lung cancer, and the expression levels of ARID1B in lung cancer tissues. The CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat) technology was employed to construct stable ARID1B gene knockout (KO) cell lines. The plate colony formation assay was used to detect cell proliferation, and the Transwell cell migration and invasion assays were used to detect changes in cell migration ability. RNA-Seq was utilized for the expression and enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes. Western blot (WB) was used to verify the knockout effect of the ARID1B gene and to detect the expression changes of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) signaling pathway-related proteins. Nude mouse tumor models were constructed and the tumorigenic abilities of control and ARID1B-deficient cells were compared.
RESULTS:
Patients with low ARID1B expression have poor overall survival. ARID1B is differentially expressed in lung cancer and normal tissues, and its expression level being lower in cancer cells. ARID1B-deficient cells had significantly enhanced in vitro proliferation, migration and invasion abilities. In animal experiments, the tumor formation speed of ARID1B gene deficient cells was significantly accelerated. Enrichment analysis of RNA-Seq results revealed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in MAPK, phosphoinositide 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) and other signaling pathways. WB experiments demonstrated that the expressions of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and Vimentin changed in ARID1B gene deficient cells, and the expressions of MAPK and p-MAPK was increased.
CONCLUSIONS
The A549-ARID1B KO and PC9-ARID1B KO cell lines were successfully established. The ARID1B-deficient cell lines demonstrated high migration, invasion and proliferation potential at both in vitro and in vivo biological behavior levels and at the transcriptome sequencing level. The changes in the expression of EMT markers and the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway suggest possible metastasis mechanisms of ARID1B-deficient NSCLC.
Humans
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Cell Proliferation/genetics*
;
Cell Movement/genetics*
;
Lung Neoplasms/metabolism*
;
Animals
;
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/physiopathology*
;
Transcription Factors/metabolism*
;
Neoplasm Invasiveness
;
Mice
;
DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism*
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Gene Deletion
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Cell Line, Tumor
;
Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
;
Mice, Nude
;
Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
10.ADAR1 Regulates the ERK/c-FOS/MMP-9 Pathway to Drive the Proliferation and Migration of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cells.
Li ZHANG ; Xue PAN ; Wenqing YAN ; Shuilian ZHANG ; Chiyu MA ; Chenpeng LI ; Kexin ZHU ; Nijia LI ; Zizhong YOU ; Xueying ZHONG ; Zhi XIE ; Zhiyi LV ; Weibang GUO ; Yu CHEN ; Danxia LU ; Xuchao ZHANG
Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer 2025;28(9):647-657
BACKGROUND:
Double-stranded RNA-specific adenosine deaminase 1 (ADAR1) binds to double-stranded RNA and catalyzes the deamination of adenosine (A) to inosine (I). The functional mechanism of ADAR1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of ADAR1 in NSCLC and to elucidate its potential role in regulating tumor cell proliferation and migration.
METHODS:
Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and cBioPortal were analyzed to assess the correlation between high ADAR1 expression and clinicopathological features as well as prognosis in lung cancer. We performed Western blot (WB), cell proliferation assays, Transwell invasion/migration assays, and nude mouse xenograft modeling to examine the phenotypic changes and molecular mechanisms induced by ADAR1 knockdown. Furthermore, the ADAR1 p150 overexpression model was utilized to validate the proposed mechanism.
RESULTS:
ADAR1 expression was significantly elevated in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) tissues compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues (LUAD: P=3.70×10-15, LUSC: P=0.016). High ADAR1 expression was associated with poor prognosis (LUAD: P=2.03×10-2, LUSC: P=2.81×10-2) and distant metastasis (P=0.003). Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) indicated that elevated ADAR1 was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway activation, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression, and cell adhesion. ADAR1 and MMP-9 levels showed a strongly positive correlation (P=6.45×10-34) in 10 lung cancer cell lines, highest in H1581. Knockdown of ADAR1 in H1581 cells induced a rounded cellular morphology with reduced pseudopodia. Concomitantly, it suppressed cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and in vivo tumorigenesis. It also suppressed ERK phosphorylation and downregulated cellular Finkel-Biskis-Jinkins murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog (c-FOS), MMP-9, N-cadherin, and Vimentin. Conversely, ADAR1 p150 overexpression in PC9 cells enhanced ERK phosphorylation and increased c-FOS and MMP-9 expression.
CONCLUSIONS
High ADAR1 expression is closely associated with poor prognosis and distant metastasis in NSCLC patients. Mechanistically, ADAR1 may promote proliferation, invasion, migration, and tumorigenesis in lung cancer cells via the ERK/c-FOS/MMP-9 axis.
Humans
;
Lung Neoplasms/physiopathology*
;
Adenosine Deaminase/genetics*
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Matrix Metalloproteinase 9/genetics*
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Cell Proliferation
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/physiopathology*
;
Cell Movement
;
Animals
;
Mice
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RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics*
;
Female
;
Male
;
Cell Line, Tumor
;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos/genetics*
;
Middle Aged
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MAP Kinase Signaling System
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Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
;
Mice, Nude
;
Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases/genetics*

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