scholarly journals Molecular mechanisms and therapeutic targets in neuroblastoma

2018 ◽  
Vol 131 ◽  
pp. 164-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Inge Johnsen ◽  
Cecilia Dyberg ◽  
Susanne Fransson ◽  
Malin Wickström
2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhong ◽  
Xiangcheng Xiao

Abstract Background and Aims The exact molecular mechanisms underlying IgA nephropathy (IgAN) remains incompletely defined. Therefore, it is necessary to further elucidate the mechanism of IgA nephropathy and find novel therapeutic targets. Method Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was applied to kidney biopsies from 4 IgAN and 1 control subjects to define the transcriptomic landscape at the single-cell resolution. Unsupervised clustering analysis of kidney specimens was used to identify distinct cell clusters. Differentially expressed genes and potential signaling pathways involved in IgAN were also identified. Results Our analysis identified 14 cell subsets in kidney biopsies from IgAN patients, and analyzed changing gene expression in distinct renal cell types. We found increased mesangial expression of several novel genes including MALAT1, GADD45B, SOX4 and EDIL3, which were related to proliferation and matrix accumulation and have not been reported in IgAN previously. The overexpressed genes in tubule cells of IgAN were mainly enriched in inflammatory pathways including TNF signaling, IL-17 signaling and NOD-like receptor signaling. Moreover, the receptor-ligand crosstalk analysis revealed potential interactions between mesangial cells and other cells in IgAN. Specifically, IgAN with overt proteinuria displayed elevated genes participating in several signaling pathways which may be involved in pathogenesis of progression of IgAN. Conclusion The comprehensive analysis of kidney biopsy specimen demonstrated different gene expression profile, potential pathologic ligand-receptor crosstalk, signaling pathways in human IgAN. These results offer new insight into pathogenesis and identify new therapeutic targets for patients with IgA nephropathy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Liu ◽  
Xiang Ao ◽  
Guoqiang Ji ◽  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Wanpeng Yu ◽  
...  

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of digestive systems worldwide, with high recurrence and mortality. Chemotherapy is still the standard treatment option for GC and can effectively improve the survival and life quality of GC patients. However, with the emergence of drug resistance, the clinical application of chemotherapeutic agents has been seriously restricted in GC patients. Although the mechanisms of drug resistance have been broadly investigated, they are still largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large group of small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) widely involved in the occurrence and progression of many cancer types, including GC. An increasing amount of evidence suggests that miRNAs may play crucial roles in the development of drug resistance by regulating some drug resistance-related proteins as well as gene expression. Some also exhibit great potential as novel biomarkers for predicting drug response to chemotherapy and therapeutic targets for GC patients. In this review, we systematically summarize recent advances in miRNAs and focus on their molecular mechanisms in the development of drug resistance in GC progression. We also highlight the potential of drug resistance-related miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for GC patients.


2022 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang Ma ◽  
Gang Wang ◽  
Hao Fan ◽  
Zengliang Li ◽  
Wangwang Chen ◽  
...  

AbstractGastric cancer (GC) is a global health problem and further studies of its molecular mechanisms are needed to identify effective therapeutic targets. Although some long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been found to be involved in the progression of GC, the molecular mechanisms of many GC-related lncRNAs remain unclear. In this study, a series of in vivo and in vitro assays were performed to study the relationship between FAM225A and GC, which showed that FAM225A levels were correlated with poor prognosis in GC. Higher FAM225A expression tended to be correlated with a more profound lymphatic metastasis rate, larger tumor size, and more advanced tumor stage. FAM225A also promoted gastric cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Further mechanistic investigation showed that FAM225A acted as a miR-326 sponge to upregulate its direct target PADI2 in GC. Overall, our findings indicated that FAM225A promoted GC development and progression via a competitive endogenous RNA network of FAM225A/miR-326/PADI2 in GC, providing insight into possible therapeutic targets and prognosis of GC.


Hereditas ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Tang ◽  
Xiaobo Yang ◽  
Huaqing Shu ◽  
Yuan Yu ◽  
Shangwen Pan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sepsis and septic shock are life-threatening diseases with high mortality rate in intensive care unit (ICU). Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication of sepsis, and its occurrence is a poor prognostic sign to septic patients. We analyzed co-differentially expressed genes (co-DEGs) to explore relationships between septic shock and AKI and reveal potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets of septic-shock-associated AKI (SSAKI). Methods Two gene expression datasets (GSE30718 and GSE57065) were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The GSE57065 dataset included 28 septic shock patients and 25 healthy volunteers and blood samples were collected within 0.5, 24 and 48 h after shock. Specimens of GSE30718 were collected from 26 patients with AKI and 11 control patents. AKI-DEGs and septic-shock-DEGs were identified using the two datasets. Subsequently, Gene Ontology (GO) functional analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were performed to elucidate molecular mechanisms of DEGs. We also evaluated co-DEGs and corresponding predicted miRNAs involved in septic shock and AKI. Results We identified 62 DEGs in AKI specimens and 888, 870, and 717 DEGs in septic shock blood samples within 0.5, 24 and 48 h, respectively. The hub genes of EGF and OLFM4 may be involved in AKI and QPCT, CKAP4, PRKCQ, PLAC8, PRC1, BCL9L, ATP11B, KLHL2, LDLRAP1, NDUFAF1, IFIT2, CSF1R, HGF, NRN1, GZMB, and STAT4 may be associated with septic shock. Besides, co-DEGs of VMP1, SLPI, PTX3, TIMP1, OLFM4, LCN2, and S100A9 coupled with corresponding predicted miRNAs, especially miR-29b-3p, miR-152-3p, and miR-223-3p may be regarded as promising targets for the diagnosis and treatment of SSAKI in the future. Conclusions Septic shock and AKI are related and VMP1, SLPI, PTX3, TIMP1, OLFM4, LCN2, and S100A9 genes are significantly associated with novel biomarkers involved in the occurrence and development of SSAKI.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Yanan Jiang ◽  
Xiuyun Shen ◽  
Moyondafoluwa Blessing Fasae ◽  
Fengnan Zhi ◽  
Lu Chai ◽  
...  

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is among the most common and lethal form of cancer worldwide. However, its diagnosis and treatment are still dissatisfactory, due to limitations in the understanding of its pathogenic mechanism. Therefore, it is important to elucidate the molecular mechanisms and identify novel therapeutic targets for HCC. Circadian rhythm-related genes control a variety of biological processes. These genes play pivotal roles in the initiation and progression of HCC and are potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. This review gives an update on the research progress of circadian rhythms, their effects on the initiation, progression, and prognosis of HCC, in a bid to provide new insights for the research and treatment of HCC.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Lisa Linck-Paulus ◽  
Claus Hellerbrand ◽  
Anja K. Bosserhoff ◽  
Peter Dietrich

In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on miRNAs as therapeutic targets in two cancer types that were frequently described to be driven by miRNAs—melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By focusing on common microRNAs and associated pathways in these—at first sight—dissimilar cancer types, we aim at revealing similar molecular mechanisms that are evolved in microRNA-biology to drive cancer progression. Thereby, we also want to outlay potential novel therapeutic strategies. After providing a brief introduction to general miRNA biology and basic information about HCC and melanoma, this review depicts prominent examples of potent oncomiRs and tumor-suppressor miRNAs, which have been proven to drive diverse cancer types including melanoma and HCC. To develop and apply miRNA-based therapeutics for cancer treatment in the future, it is essential to understand how miRNA dysregulation evolves during malignant transformation. Therefore, we highlight important aspects such as genetic alterations, miRNA editing and transcriptional regulation based on concrete examples. Furthermore, we expand our illustration by focusing on miRNA-associated proteins as well as other regulators of miRNAs which could also provide therapeutic targets. Finally, design and delivery strategies of miRNA-associated therapeutic agents as well as potential drawbacks are discussed to address the question of how miRNAs might contribute to cancer therapy in the future.


Author(s):  
Xiang-jun Chen ◽  
Sha Liu ◽  
Dong-mei Han ◽  
De-zhi Han ◽  
Wei-jing Sun ◽  
...  

AbstractMelanoma is a common lethal skin cancer. Dissecting molecular mechanisms driving the malignancy of melanoma may uncover potential therapeutic targets. We previously identified miR-145-5p as an important tumor-suppressive microRNA in melanoma. Here, we further investigated the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in melanoma. We identified RP11-705C15.3, a regulator of miR-145-5p, as an oncogenic lncRNA in melanoma. RP11-705C15.3 competitively bound miR-145-5p, relieved the repressive roles of miR-145-5p on its target NRAS, upregulated NRAS expression, and activated MAPK signaling. In vitro functional assays revealed that ectopic expression of RP11-705C15.3 promoted melanoma cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and promoted migration and invasion. Silencing of RP11-705C15.3 repressed melanoma cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, and repressed migration and invasion. Notably, the roles of RP11-705C15.3 in melanoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion are reversed by miR-145-5p overexpression. In vivo functional assays revealed that RP11-705C15.3 promoted melanoma tumor growth and metastasis, which were also reversed by miR-145-5p overexpression. Furthermore, we investigated the expression of RP11-705C15.3 in clinical melanoma tissues and found that RP11-705C15.3 was increased in melanoma tissues. High expression of RP11-705C15.3 was positively correlated with thickness, ulceration, metastasis, and inferior overall survival. Taken together, our findings suggest RP11-705C15.3 as a novel oncogene in melanoma, and highlight that the RP11-705C15.3/miR-145-5p/NRAS/MAPK signaling axis may be potential therapeutic targets for melanoma.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1619 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Bello-Perez ◽  
Isabel Sola ◽  
Beatriz Novoa ◽  
Daniel J. Klionsky ◽  
Alberto Falco

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic necessitates a review of the molecular mechanisms underlying cellular infection by coronaviruses, in order to identify potential therapeutic targets against the associated new disease (COVID-19). Previous studies on its counterparts prove a complex and concomitant interaction between coronaviruses and autophagy. The precise manipulation of this pathway allows these viruses to exploit the autophagy molecular machinery while avoiding its protective apoptotic drift and cellular innate immune responses. In turn, the maneuverability margins of such hijacking appear to be so narrow that the modulation of the autophagy, regardless of whether using inducers or inhibitors (many of which are FDA-approved for the treatment of other diseases), is usually detrimental to viral replication, including SARS-CoV-2. Recent discoveries indicate that these interactions stretch into the still poorly explored noncanonical autophagy pathway, which might play a substantial role in coronavirus replication. Still, some potential therapeutic targets within this pathway, such as RAB9 and its interacting proteins, look promising considering current knowledge. Thus, the combinatory treatment of COVID-19 with drugs affecting both canonical and noncanonical autophagy pathways may be a turning point in the fight against this and other viral infections, which may also imply beneficial prospects of long-term protection.


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