scholarly journals Biomimetic tissue models reveal the role of hyaluronan in melanoma proliferation and invasion

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1405-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiranuwat Sapudom ◽  
Khiet-Tam Nguyen ◽  
Steve Martin ◽  
Tom Wippold ◽  
Stephanie Möller ◽  
...  

Biomimetic matrix models demonstrate the role of the size-dependent effect of hyaluronan in melanoma progression and reveal an alternative explanation for in vivo findings of hyaluronan dependent melanoma growth.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yarong Guo ◽  
Bao Chai ◽  
Junmei Jia ◽  
Mudan Yang ◽  
Yanjun Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective Dysregulation of KLF7 participates in the development of various cancers, but it is unclear whether there is a link between HCC and aberrant expression of KLF7. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of KLF7 in proliferation and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Methods CCK8, colony growth, transwell, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis detection were performed to explore the effect of KLF7, VPS35 and Ccdc85c on cell function in vitro. Xenografted tumor growth was used to assess in vivo role of KLF7. Chip-qPCR and luciferase reporter assays were applied to check whether KLF7 regulated VPS35 at transcriptional manner. Co-IP assay was performed to detect the interaction between VPS35 and Ccdc85c. Immunohistochemical staining and qRT-PCR analysis were performed in human HCC sampels to study the clinical significance of KLF7, VPS35 and β-catenin. Results Firstly, KLF7 was highly expressed in human HCC samples and correlated with patients’ differentiation and metastasis status. KLF7 overexpression contributed to cell proliferation and invasion of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. KLF7 transcriptional activation of VPS35 was necessary for HCC tumor growth and metastasis. Further, co-IP studies revealed that VPS35 could interact with Ccdc85c in HCC cells. Rescue assay confirmed that overexpression of VPS35 and knockdown of Ccdc85c abolished the VPS35-medicated promotion effect on cell proliferation and invasion. Finally, KLF7/VPS35 axis regulated Ccdc85c, which involved in activation of β-catenin signaling pathway, confirmed using β-catenin inhibitor, GK974. Functional studies suggested that downregulation of Ccdc85c partly reversed the capacity of cell proliferation and invasion in HCC cells, which was regulated by VPS35 upregulation. Lastly, there was a positive correlation among KLF7, VPS35 and active-β-catenin in human HCC patients. Conclusion We demonstrated that KLF7/VPS35 axis promoted HCC cell progression by activating Ccdc85c-medicated β-catenin pathway. Targeting this signal axis might be a potential treatment strategy for HCC.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1334
Author(s):  
Ye Liu ◽  
Zahra Mohri ◽  
Wissal Alsheikh ◽  
Umber Cheema

The development of biomimetic, human tissue models is recognized as being an important step for transitioning in vitro research findings to the native in vivo response. Oftentimes, 2D models lack the necessary complexity to truly recapitulate cellular responses. The introduction of physiological features into 3D models informs us of how each component feature alters specific cellular response. We conducted a systematic review of research papers where the focus was the introduction of key biomimetic features into in vitro models of cancer, including 3D culture and hypoxia. We analysed outcomes from these and compiled our findings into distinct groupings to ascertain which biomimetic parameters correlated with specific responses. We found a number of biomimetic features which primed cancer cells to respond in a manner which matched in vivo response.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianmin Liu ◽  
Ming Chen ◽  
Longyang Ma ◽  
Xingbo Dang ◽  
Gongliang Du

Abstract Background: Accumulating evidence has shown that lncRNA growth arrest special 5 (GAS5) is a well‑known tumor suppressor in the pathogenesis of a variety of human cancers. However, the detailed role of GAS5 in osteosarcoma is largely unclear. Here, we explore the role of GAS5 in progression of osteosarcoma. Methods: The expression level of GAS5 was detected in human osteosarcoma tissues and matched adjacent tissues, as well as osteosarcoma cell lines and non-malignant osteoblast cells. Then, in vitro gain- and loss-of-function experiments, with the pcDNA-GAS5 expression vector and GAS5-siRNA, were performed in U2OS and HOS cells to determine the effect of GAS5 on osteosarcoma cell proliferation and invasion. Subsequently, we searched potential miRNA targets with bioinformatics analysis and confirmed their interaction by using luciferase reporter gene and RNA pull-down assays. The function and mechanism of miR-23a-3p in proliferation and invasion was also investigated in U2OS and HOS cells. Furthermore, rescue experiments were performed to verify the involvement of miR-23a-3p and its target gene in GAS5-mediated cell behaviors. Finally, a xenograft nude mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection with U2OS cells overexpressing GAS5 or not, and the effect of GAS5 on tumor growth in vivo was evaluated. Results: GAS5 was downregulated in human osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of GAS5 could significantly suppress, and downregulation of GAS5 promoted, proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. GAS5 could directly bind with and downregulated miR-23a-3p that post-transcriptionally downregulated the tumor suppressor PTEN and positively regulated proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. Rescue experiments confirmed the involvement of miR-23a-3p and PTEN in GAS5-mediated cell behaviors by modifying the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinases/protein-serine-threonine kinase (PI3K/AKT) pathway. GAS5 could inhibit tumor growth in vivo . Conclusion: GAS5 functions as a competing endogenous RNA , sponging miR-23a-3p, to promote PTEN expression and suppress cell growth and invasion in osteosarcoma by regulating the PI3K/AKT pathway.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 777-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian-Jun Sun ◽  
Guo-Yong Chen ◽  
Zhan-Tao Xie

Background/Aims: A growing body of evidence supports the notion that MicroRNAs (miRNAs) function as key regulators of tumorigenesis. In the present study, the expression and roles of miRNA-361-5p were explored in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression miR-361-5p in HCC tissues and pair-matched adjacent normal tissues. MTT and BrdU assays were used to identify the role of miR-361-5p in the regulation of proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Using bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assays and Western blots were used to identify the molecular target of miR-361-5p. nude mice were used to detect the anti-tumor role of miR-361-5p in vivo. Results: miR-361-5p was down-regulated in HCC tissues in comparison to adjacent normal tissues, due to hypermethylation at its promoter region. Overexpression of miR-361-5p suppressed proliferation and invasion of HCC cells. Chemokine (C-X-C Motif) receptor 6 (CXCR6) was identified as a target of miR-361-5p. Indeed, knockdown of CXCR6 photocopied, while overexpression of CXCR6 largely attenuated the anti-proliferative effect of miR-361-5p. More importantly, in vivo studies demonstrated that forced expression of miR-361-5p significantly inhibited tumor growth in the nude mice. Conclusion: Our results indicate that miR-361-5p acts as a tumor suppressor and might serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sunita Sinha ◽  
Satyendra Kumar Singh ◽  
Nitish Jangde ◽  
Rashmi Ray ◽  
Vivek Rai

AbstractMelanoma originates from melanin-producing cells called melanocytes. Melanoma poses a great risk because of its rapid ability to spread and invade new organs. Cellular metastasis involves alteration in the gene expression profile and their transformation from epithelial to mesenchymal state. Despite of several advances, metastatic melanoma being a key cause of therapy failure and mortality remains poorly understood. p32 has been found to be involved in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. However, the role of p32 in melanoma progression and metastasis remains underexplored. Here, we identify the role of p32 in the malignancy of both murine and human melanoma. p32 knockdown leads to reduced cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in murine and human melanoma cells. Furthermore, p32 promotes in vitro tumorigenesis, inducing oncogenes and EMT markers. Mechanistically, we show p32 regulates tumorigenic and metastatic properties through the Akt/PKB signaling pathway in both murine and human melanoma. Furthermore, p32 silencing attenuates melanoma tumor progression and lung metastasis in vivo, modulating the tumor microenvironment by inhibiting the angiogenesis, infiltration of macrophages, and leukocytes in mice. Taken together, our findings identify that p32 drives melanoma progression, metastasis, and regulates the tumor microenvironment. p32 can be a target of a novel therapeutic approach in the regulation of melanoma progression and metastasis.


Author(s):  
Ping Zhao ◽  
Hai-Tao Guan ◽  
Zhi-Jun Dai ◽  
Yu-Guang Ma ◽  
Xiao-Xu Liu ◽  
...  

Sparc/osteonectin, cwcv, and kazal-like domains proteoglycan (testican) 1 (SPOCK1), known as testican-1, were found to be involved in the development and progression of tumors. However, in colorectal cancer (CRC), the expression pattern of SPOCK1 and its functional role remain poorly investigated. In the present study, we explored the role of SPOCK1 in CRC. Our results demonstrated that SPOCK1 is overexpressed in CRC cell lines. SPOCK1 silencing significantly inhibited the proliferation in vitro and the tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, SPOCK1 silencing significantly attenuated the migration/invasion by reversing the EMT process in CRC cells. Finally, knockdown of SPOCK1 obviously decreased the protein expression levels of p-PI3K and p-Akt in HCT116 cells. In total, our study demonstrated for the first time that knockdown of SPOCK1 inhibits the proliferation and invasion in CRC cells, possibly through the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Therefore, SPOCK1 may be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of CRC.


Oncogene ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaobin Huang ◽  
Wuguo Deng ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
Yue Yan ◽  
Chuanbo Xie ◽  
...  

AbstractWe identified fermitin family member 2 (FERMT2, also known as kindlin-2) as a potential target in A375 cell line by siRNA library screening. Drugs that target mutant BRAF kinase lack durable efficacy in the treatment of melanoma because of acquired resistance, thus the identification of novel therapeutic targets is needed. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify kindlin-2 expression in melanoma samples. The interaction between kindlin-2 and Rac1 or p-Rac/Cdc42 guanine nucleotide exchange factor 6 (α-Pix) was investigated. Finally, the tumor suppressive role of kindlin-2 was validated in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of clinical samples and Oncomine data showed that higher levels of kindlin-2 predicted a more advanced T stage and M stage and facilitated metastasis and recurrence. Kindlin-2 knockdown significantly inhibited melanoma growth and migration, whereas kindlin-2 overexpression had the inverse effects. Further study showed that kindlin-2 could specifically bind to p-α-Pix(S13) and Rac1 to induce a switch from the inactive Rac1-GDP conformation to the active Rac1-GTP conformation and then stimulate the downstream MAPK pathway. Moreover, we revealed that a Rac1 inhibitor suppressed melanoma growth and metastasis and the combination of the Rac1 inhibitor and vemurafenib resulted in a better therapeutic outcome than monotherapy in melanoma with high kindlin-2 expression and BRAF mutation. Our results demonstrated that kindlin-2 promoted melanoma progression, which was attributed to specific binding to p-α-Pix(S13) and Rac1 to stimulate the downstream MAPK pathway. Thus, kindlin-2 could be a potential therapeutic target for treating melanoma.


2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Ma ◽  
Qiong Shi ◽  
Sen Guo ◽  
Peng Xu ◽  
Xiuli Yi ◽  
...  

Melanoma is the most lethal skin cancer that originates from epidermal melanocytes. Recently, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as critical regulators of cancer pathogenesis and potential therapeutic targets. However, the expression profile of lncRNAs and their role in melanoma progression have not been thoroughly investigated. Herein, we firstly obtained the expression profile of lncRNAs in primary melanomas using microarray analysis and unveiled the differentially-expressed lncRNAs compared with nevus. Subsequently, a series of bioinformatics analysis showed the great involvement of dysregulated lncRNAs in melanoma biology and immune response. Further, we identified lncRNA CD27-AS1-208 as a novel nuclear-localized factor with prominent facilitative role in melanoma cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Mechanistically, CD27-AS1-208 could directly interact with STAT3 and contribute to melanoma progression in a STAT3-dependent manner. Ultimately, the role of CD27-AS1-208 in melanoma progression in vivo was also investigated. Collectively, the present study offers us a new horizon to better understand the role of lncRNAs in melanoma pathogenesis and demonstrates that CD27-AS1-208 up-regulation contributes to melanoma progression by activating STAT3 pathway. Targeting CD27-AS1-208 in melanoma cells can be exploited as a potential therapeutic approach that needs forward validation in clinical trials in the future.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anbang Wang ◽  
Aimin Jiang ◽  
Xinxin Gan ◽  
Zheng Wang ◽  
Jinming Huang ◽  
...  

Long noncoding RNAs play an essential role in bladder cancer progression. The role of long noncoding RNA EGFR-AS1 in bladder cancer needs further study. We used clinical specimens to analyze the relationship between EGFR-AS1 and bladder cancer patients’ characteristics. The functional experiments and mechanism studies were performed using qRT-PCR, transwell assay, survival analysis, and correlation analysis. We found that high expression of EGFR-AS1 was nearly related to aggressive bladder cancer and indicated poor prognosis for patients. The functional experiments in vivo and in vitro suggested that EGFR-AS1 promoted the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells. Mechanically, EGFR-AS1 promoted the expression of EGFR by inhibiting the degradation of EGFR mRNA, thereby promoting the metastasis of bladder cancer. In addition, EGFR-AS1/EGFR may be involved in the immune-related pathways of bladder cancer. These studies indicate that the EGFR-AS1/EGFR pathway may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for bladder cancer.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tao Ma ◽  
Yue Ma ◽  
Yongjun Du ◽  
Zhongheng Wei ◽  
Jianchu Wang ◽  
...  

Backgroundcirc0013958 was identified as a biomarker, which can be used for the diagnosis and screening of lung cancer. However, the role of circ0013958 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.MethodsIn our study, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the levels of circ0013958 in HCC tissues and cell lines. EdU, CCK-8, transwell, flow cytometry and tumorigenesis assays were applied to assess the functions of circ0013958 in HCC in vitro and in vivo. Western blot assay was to detect the expression of WEE1. Luciferase reporter assay, bioinformatics analysis and rescue experiments were used to examine the interaction among circ0013958, miR-532-3p and WEE1.ResultsIt revealed that circ0013958 was significantly up-regulated in HCC, which was positively correlated with poor prognosis of HCC patients. Circ0013958 promoted HCC cell proliferation and invasion, inhibited cell apoptosis in vitro, and promoted tumorigenesis in vivo. Circ0013958 acted as a miR-532-3p sponge to regulate WEE1 expression, thus promoting the progression of HCC.ConclusionsCirc0013958 promotes HCC progression through miR-532-3p/WEE1 axis. Circ0013958 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target of HCC.


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