Tumor cell-intrinsic programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) signals mediate tumor initiation, progression and metastasis, but their effects in ameloblastoma (AM) have not been reported. In this comprehensive study, we observed marked upregulation of PD-L1 in AM tissues and revealed the robust correlation between elevated PD-L1 expression and increased tumor growth and recurrence rates. Notably, we found that PD-L1 overexpression markedly increased self-renewal capacity and promoted tumorigenic processes and invasion in hTERT⁺-AM cells, whereas genetic ablation of PD-L1 exerted opposing inhibitory effects. By performing high-resolution single-cell profiling and thorough immunohistochemical analyses in AM patients, we delineated the intricate cellular landscape and elucidated the mechanisms underlying the aggressive phenotype and unfavorable prognosis of these tumors. Our findings revealed that hTERT⁺-AM cells with upregulated PD-L1 expression exhibit increased proliferative potential and stem-like attributes and undergo partial epithelial‒mesenchymal transition. This phenotypic shift is induced by the activation of the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling axis; thus, this study revealed a crucial regulatory mechanism that fuels tumor growth and recurrence. Importantly, targeted inhibition of the PD-L1-PI3K-AKT-mTOR signaling axis significantly suppressed the growth of AM patient-derived tumor organoids, highlighting the potential of PD-L1 blockade as a promising therapeutic approach for AM.
Ameloblastoma/metabolism* ; Humans ; B7-H1 Antigen/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology* ; Signal Transduction ; Cell Proliferation ; Up-Regulation ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Telomerase/metabolism* ; Jaw Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Female ; Male

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of the expression levels of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) and Dickkopf-related protein 3 (DKK3) in the PCa tissue with biochemical recurrence (BR) of the malignancy after radical surgery. METHODS: This study included 105 cases of PCa diagnosed in our hospital from January 2016 to December 2020 and, according to BR within 3 years after surgery, we divided them into a BR (n = 22) and a non-BR group (n = 83). We detected the expressions of PRMT5 and DKK3 in the prostate tissues of the patients by immunohistochemistry, analyzed the correlation of the expression levels of PRMT5 and DKK3 using the Spearman method, and conducted a multivariate analysis of postoperative BR of the malignancy using the Cox multivariate regression model. RESULTS: The positive expression of PRMT5 was significantly higher while that of DKK3 remarkably lower in the PCa than in the adjacent tissue (P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between the expression levels of PRMT5 and DKK3 in the PCa tissue (r = －0.532, P<0.05). The expressions of PRMT5 and DKK3 were significantly associated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stages, positive surgical margins, peripheral nerve invasion, capsular invasion, seminal vesicle invasion and vascular invasion (P<0.05). The percentage of TNM stages III－IV, the positive expression of PRMT5 and the negative expression of DKK3 were remarkably higher in the BR than in the non-BR group (P<0.05). PRMT5 was found to be an independent risk factor for while DKK3 a protective factor against postoperative BR of PCa in the patients (P<0.05). CONCLUSION PRMT5 is highly while DKK3 lowly expressed in PCa tissue, and their expressions are both closely related to the biochemical recurrence of PCa after radical surgery.
Humans ; Male ; Protein-Arginine N-Methyltransferases/metabolism* ; Prostatectomy ; Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism* ; Middle Aged ; Immunohistochemistry

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the factors influencing collection of autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells in lymphoma patients. METHODS: Clinical data of 74 patients who received autologous peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cells mobilization and collection in the 940th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force of PLA from April 2009 to April 2021 were collected. The effects of gender, age, disease type, stage, course of disease, chemotherapy cycle number, relapse, radiotherapy, disease status and blood routine indexes on the day of collection on peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell collection were analyzed. RESULTS: The success rate of collection was 95.9%(71/74), and the excellent rate of collection was 71.6%(53/74). There was a significantly statistical differentce in the number of CD34⁺ cells in grafts collected from patients with chemotherapy cycle ≤6 and >6 ［(9.1±5.2)×10⁶/kg vs (6.4±3.7)×10⁶/kg, P=0.031］. The number of CD34⁺ cells in the first collection was positively correlated with WBC count, hemoglobin, platelet count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count and hematocrit value on the day of collection ( r value was 0.424,0.486,0.306,0.289,0.353,0.428,0.528, respectively). WBC count, hemoglobin, monocyte count and hematocrit value have higher predictive value for the first collection of CD34⁺ cells. The area under the receiver operating characteristic was 0.7061,0.7845,0.7319,0.7848, respectively. CONCLUSION Low dose CTX and VP16 chemotherapy combined with G-CSF can effectively mobilize autologous peripheral blood stem cells. The cycle number of chemotherapy relates to the collection of autologous peripheral blood stem cells. After mobilization, the success of the first collection can be better predicted by the blood routine indexes.
Humans ; Antigens, CD34/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization ; Lymphoma/drug therapy* ; Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor/pharmacology* ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Hemoglobins ; Transplantation, Autologous ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

BACKGROUND: Cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cells in tumors that exhibit self-renewal and differentiation properties. CSCs play a vital role in tumor formation, progression, relapse, and therapeutic resistance. B7-H3, an immunoregulatory protein, has many protumor functions. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying the role of B7-H3 in regulating gastric cancer (GC) stemness. Our study aimed to explore the impacts of B7-H3 on GC stemness and its underlying mechanism. METHODS: GC stemness influenced by B7-H3 was detected both in vitro and in vivo . The expression of stemness-related markers was examined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Western blotting, and flow cytometry. Sphere formation assay was used to detect the sphere-forming ability. The underlying regulatory mechanism of B7-H3 on the stemness of GC was investigated by mass spectrometry and subsequent validation experiments. The signaling pathway (Protein kinase B [Akt]/Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 [Nrf2] pathway) of B7-H3 on the regulation of glutathione (GSH) metabolism was examined by Western blotting assay. Multi-color immunohistochemistry (mIHC) was used to detect the expression of B7-H3, cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), and Nrf2 on human GC tissues. Student's t -test was used to compare the difference between two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between two molecules. The Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. RESULTS: B7-H3 knockdown suppressed the stemness of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo . Mass spectrometric analysis showed the downregulation of GSH metabolism in short hairpin B7-H3 GC cells, which was further confirmed by the experimental results. Meanwhile, stemness characteristics in B7-H3 overexpressing cells were suppressed after the inhibition of GSH metabolism. Furthermore, Western blotting suggested that B7-H3-induced activation of GSH metabolism occurred through the AKT/Nrf2 pathway, and inhibition of AKT signaling pathway could suppress not only GSH metabolism but also GC stemness. mIHC showed that B7-H3 was highly expressed in GC tissues and was positively correlated with the expression of CD44 and Nrf2. Importantly, GC patients with high expression of B7-H3, CD44, and Nrf2 had worse prognosis ( P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS B7-H3 has a regulatory effect on GC stemness and the regulatory effect is achieved through the AKT/Nrf2/GSH pathway. Inhibiting B7-H3 expression may be a new therapeutic strategy against GC.
Humans ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism* ; Signal Transduction ; Stomach Neoplasms

BACKGROUND: Glutamine synthetase (GS) and arginase 1 (Arg1) are widely used pathological markers that discriminate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; however, their clinical significance in HCC remains unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 431 HCC patients: 251 received hepatectomy alone, and the other 180 received sorafenib as adjuvant treatment after hepatectomy. Expression of GS and Arg1 in tumor specimens was evaluated using immunostaining. mRNA sequencing and immunostaining to detect progenitor markers (cytokeratin 19 [CK19] and epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM]) and mutant TP53 were also conducted. RESULTS: Up to 72.4% (312/431) of HCC tumors were GS positive (GS+). Of the patients receiving hepatectomy alone, GS negative (GS-) patients had significantly better overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) than GS+ patients; negative expression of Arg1, which is exclusively expressed in GS- hepatocytes in the healthy liver, had a negative effect on prognosis. Of the patients with a high risk of recurrence who received additional sorafenib treatment, GS- patients tended to have better RFS than GS+ patients, regardless of the expression status of Arg1. GS+ HCC tumors exhibit many features of the established proliferation molecular stratification subtype, including poor differentiation, high alpha-fetoprotein levels, increased progenitor tumor cells, TP53 mutation, and upregulation of multiple tumor-related signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS GS- HCC patients have a better prognosis and are more likely to benefit from sorafenib treatment after hepatectomy. Immunostaining of GS may provide a simple and applicable approach for HCC molecular stratification to predict prognosis and guide targeted therapy.
Humans ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/metabolism* ; Sorafenib/therapeutic use* ; Liver Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase/metabolism* ; Hepatectomy ; Retrospective Studies ; Prognosis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/surgery*

Detailed characterizations of genomic alterations have not identified subtype-specific vulnerabilities in adult gliomas. Mapping gliomas into developmental programs may uncover new vulnerabilities that are not strictly related to genomic alterations. After identifying conserved gene modules co-expressed with EGFR or PDGFRA (EM or PM), we recently proposed an EM/PM classification scheme for adult gliomas in a histological subtype- and grade-independent manner. By using cohorts of bulk samples, paired primary and recurrent samples, multi-region samples from the same glioma, single-cell RNA-seq samples, and clinical samples, we here demonstrate the temporal and spatial stability of the EM and PM subtypes. The EM and PM subtypes, which progress in a subtype-specific mode, are robustly maintained in paired longitudinal samples. Elevated activities of cell proliferation, genomic instability and microenvironment, rather than subtype switching, mark recurrent gliomas. Within individual gliomas, the EM/PM subtype was preserved across regions and single cells. Malignant cells in the EM and PM gliomas were correlated to neural stem cell and oligodendrocyte progenitor cell compartment, respectively. Thus, while genetic makeup may change during progression and/or within different tumor areas, adult gliomas evolve within a neurodevelopmental framework of the EM and PM molecular subtypes. The dysregulated developmental pathways embedded in these molecular subtypes may contain subtype-specific vulnerabilities.
Humans ; Brain Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism* ; Glioma/pathology* ; Neural Stem Cells/pathology* ; Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells/pathology* ; Tumor Microenvironment

OBJECTIVES: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, relapsing inflammation of the colon. Impaired epithelial repair is an important biological features of UC. Accelerating intestinal epithelial repair to achieve endoscopic mucosal healing has become a key goal in UC. Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a key transcriptional coactivator that regulates organ size, tissue growth and tumorigenesis. Growing studies have focused on the role of YAP in intestinal epithelial regeneration. This study explore the molecular mechanism for the role YAP in modulating colonic epithelial proliferation, repair, and the development of colitis associated cancer. METHODS: We constructed the acute colitis mouse model through successive 5 days of 3% dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS) induction. Then YAP-overexpressed mouse model was constructed by intraperitoneal injection the YAP overexpressed and negative control lentivirus into DSS mice. On the 5th day of DSS induction and the 5th day of normal drinking water after removing DSS (5+5 d), the mice were killed by spinal dislocation. The colon was taken to measure the length, and the bowel 1-2 cm near the anal canal was selected for immunohistochemical and Western blotting. We used YAP over-expressed colonic epithelial cells and small interfering signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) RNA to probe the regulation of YAP on STAT3, using cell counting kit-8 and scratch assays to explore the role of YAP on colonic epithelial cell proliferation. Finally, we conducted co-immunoprecipitation to test the relationship between YAP and STAT3. RESULTS: After DSS treatment, the expression of YAP was dramatically diminished in crypts. Compared with the empty control mice, overexpression of YAP drastically accelerated epithelial regeneration after DSS induced colitis, presenting with more intact of structural integrity in intestinal epithelium and a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells in the mucosa. Further Western blotting, functional experiment and co-immunoprecipitation analyses showed that the expression of YAP in nucleus was significantly increased by 2 h post DSS cessation, accompanied with up-regulated total protein levels of STAT3 and phosphorylated-STAT3 (p-STAT3). Overexpression of YAP enhanced the expression of STAT3, p-STAT3, and their transcriptional targets including c-Myc and Cyclin D1. In addition, it promoted the proliferation and the "wound healing" of colonic cells. However, these effects were reversed when silencing STAT3 on YAP-overexpressed FHC cells. Moreover, protein immunoprecipitation indicated that YAP could directly interact with STAT3 in the nucleus, up-regulatvng the expressvon of STAT3. Finally, during the process of CAC, overexpression of YAP mutant caused the down-regulated expression of STAT3 and inhibited the development and progress of CAC. CONCLUSIONS YAP activates STAT3 signaling in regulation of epithelial cell proliferation and promotes mucosal regeneration after DSS induced colitis, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target in UC. However, persistent and excessive YAP activation may promote CAC development.
Animals ; Mice ; Cell Proliferation ; Colitis/drug therapy* ; Colon/metabolism* ; Dextran Sulfate/adverse effects* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Intestinal Mucosa ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/metabolism* ; STAT3 Transcription Factor/metabolism* ; YAP-Signaling Proteins/metabolism*

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A total of 10%‒15% of DLBCL cases are associated with myelocytomatosis viral oncogene homolog(MYC) and/or B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) translocation or amplification. BCL2 inhibitors have potent anti-tumor effects in DLBCL; however, resistance can be acquired through up-regulation of alternative anti-apoptotic proteins. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor chidamide can induce BIM expression, leading to apoptosis of lymphoma cells with good efficacy in refractory recurrent DLBCL. In this study, the synergistic mechanism of chidamide and venetoclax in DLBCL was determined through in vitro and in vivo models. We found that combination therapy significantly reduced the protein levels of MYC, TP53, and BCL2 in activated apoptotic-related pathways in DLBCL cells by increasing BIM levels and inducing cell apoptosis. Moreover, combination therapy regulated expression of multiple transcriptomes in DLBCL cells, involving apoptosis, cell cycle, phosphorylation, and other biological processes, and significantly inhibited tumor growth in DLBCL-bearing xenograft mice. Taken together, these findings verify the in vivo therapeutic potential of chidamide and venetoclax combination therapy in DLBCL, warranting pre-clinical trials for patients with DLBCL.
Aminopyridines ; Animals ; Benzamides ; Biological Phenomena ; Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic ; Down-Regulation ; Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors/therapeutic use* ; Humans ; Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse/pathology* ; Mice ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism* ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/therapeutic use* ; Sulfonamides ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism*

BACKGROUND: Re-biopsy of metastasis in advanced breast cancer (ABC) has become an international convention to assist the diagnosis and evaluation of tumor heterogeneity. This study aimed to detect diagnostic diversity and inconsistencies among estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression levels between primary and metastatic lesions. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1670 cases of ABC patients who had undergone at least one lesion re-biopsy from January 2010 to December 2018. The pathological diagnosis of biopsies, distribution of biopsy sites, and severe puncture complications at each site were collected. In addition, the inconsistency rates and related factors of ER, PR, and HER2 expression between primary and metastatic lesions were analyzed fully considering patients' demographic profiles and disease characteristics. RESULTS: In total, 1670 cases of breast cancer (BC) patients diagnosed by pathology underwent one to four biopsies of recurrences or metastases in different sites or at different stages during the rescue treatment, producing 2019 histopathological specimens which were analyzed in the study. Pathological diagnosis showed that eight patients had benign pathological diagnoses, 11 patients had second primary malignant tumors but without recurrences of breast cancer, and 17 patients had pathologically confirmed breast cancer recurrences combined with second primary cancer. In 1173 patients who presented ER, PR, and HER2 expressions in primary and metastatic lesions, the inconsistency rates of ER, PR, and HER2 were 17.5% (205/1173), 31.3% (367/1173), and 13.9% (163/1173), respectively. The multivariate analysis showed that the age at the onset of breast cancer or adjuvant endocrine therapy was an independent factor affecting changes in PR expression level. Except one liver puncture with local hemorrhage and two lung punctures with hemopneumothorax, no other severe puncture complications occurred in 1950 non-surgical rebiopsies. CONCLUSIONS The pathological diagnosis of metastasis re-biopsy of ABC was diverse, and the ER, PR, and HER2 expression levels were inconsistent between primary and metastatic lesions. Therefore, more attention should be paid to perform biopsies of relapsed and metastatic breast cancers routinely in clinical practice.
Humans ; Female ; Breast Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Retrospective Studies ; Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology* ; Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism* ; Receptor, ErbB-2/metabolism* ; Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism* ; Biopsy ; Neoplasm Metastasis

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, combined with total mesorectal excision, has become the standard treatment for advanced localized rectal cancer (RC). However, the biological complexity and heterogeneity of tumors may contribute to cancer recurrence and metastasis in patients with radiotherapy-resistant RC. The identification of factors leading to radioresistance and markers of radiosensitivity is critical to identify responsive patients and improve radiotherapy outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, endogenous, and noncoding RNAs that affect various cellular and molecular targets. miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in multiple biological processes associated with RC. In this review, we summarized the signaling pathways of miRNAs, including apoptosis, autophagy, the cell cycle, DNA damage repair, proliferation, and metastasis during radiotherapy in patients with RC. Also, we evaluated the potential role of miRNAs as radiotherapeutic biomarkers for RC.
Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Rectal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Radiation Tolerance/genetics*