A Synthetic CPP33-Conjugated HOXA9 Active Domain Peptide Inhibits Invasion Ability of Non-Small Lung Cancer Cells

Homeobox A9 (HOXA9) expression is associated with the aggressive growth of cancer cells and poor prognosis in lung cancer. Previously, we showed that HOXA9 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In the present study, we have carried out additional studies toward the development of a peptide-based therapeutic agent. Vectors expressing partial DNA fragments of HOXA9 were used to identify a unique domain involved in the inhibition of NSCLC cell invasion. Next, we performed in vitro invasion assays and examined the expression of EMT-related genes in transfected NSCLC cells. The C-terminal fragment (HOXA9-C) of HOXA9 inhibited cell invasion and led to upregulation of CDH1 and downregulation of SNAI2 in A549 and NCI-H1299 cells. Reduced SNAI2 expression was consistent with the decreased binding of transcription factor NF-kB to the SNAI2 promoter region in HOXA9-C overexpressing cells. Based on the above results, we synthesized a cell-permeable peptide, CPP33-HADP (HOXA9 active domain peptide), for lung-specific delivery and tested its therapeutic efficiency. CPP33-HADP effectively reduced the invasion ability of NSCLC cells in both in vitro and in vivo mouse models. Our results suggest that CPP33-HADP has significant potential for therapeutic applications in metastatic NSCLC.

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Circular RNA FLNA acts as a sponge of miR-486-3p in promoting lung cancer progression via regulating XRCC1 and CYP1A1

Cancer Gene Therapy ◽

10.1038/s41417-021-00293-w ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jiongwei Pan ◽

Gang Huang ◽

Zhangyong Yin ◽

Xiaoping Cai ◽

Enhui Gong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Related Factors

AbstractSignificantly high-expressed circFLNA has been found in various cancer cell lines, but not in lung cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the role of circFLNA in the progression of lung cancer. The target gene of circFLNA was determined by bioinformatics and luciferase reporter assay. Viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of the transfected cells were detected by CCK-8, colony formation, wound-healing, and transwell assays, respectively. A mouse subcutaneous xenotransplanted tumor model was established, and the expressions of circFLNA, miR-486-3p, XRCC1, CYP1A1, and related genes in the cancer cells and tissues were detected by RT-qPCR, Western blot, or immunohistochemistry. The current study found that miR-486-3p was low-expressed in lung cancer. MiR-486-3p, which has been found to target XRCC1 and CYP1A1, was regulated by circFLNA. CircFLNA was located in the cytoplasm and had a high expression in lung cancer cells. Cancer cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were promoted by overexpressed circFLNA, XRCC1, and CYP1A1 but inhibited by miR-486-3p mimic and circFLNA knockdown. The weight of the xenotransplanted tumor was increased by circFLNA overexpression yet reduced by miR-486-3p mimic. Furthermore, miR-486-3p mimic reversed the effect of circFLNA overexpression on promoting lung cancer cells and tumors and regulating the expressions of miR-486-3p, XRCC1, CYP1A1, and metastasis/apoptosis/proliferation-related factors. However, overexpressed XRCC1 and CYP1A1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-486-3p mimic on cancer cells and tumors. In conclusion, circFLNA acted as a sponge of miR-486-3p to promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo by regulating XRCC1 and CYP1A1.

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Integrin α3β1 Promotes Invasive and Metastatic Properties of Breast Cancer Cells through Induction of the Brn-2 Transcription Factor

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13030480 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 480

Author(s):

Rakshitha Pandulal Miskin ◽

Janine S. A. Warren ◽

Abibatou Ndoye ◽

Lei Wu ◽

John M. Lamar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Transcription Factor ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cell Invasion ◽

Breast Cancer Cells ◽

Gene Promoter ◽

Akt Inhibitor ◽

Integrin Α3β1

In the current study, we demonstrate that integrin α3β1 promotes invasive and metastatic traits of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells through induction of the transcription factor, Brain-2 (Brn-2). We show that RNAi-mediated suppression of α3β1 in MDA-MB-231 cells caused reduced expression of Brn-2 mRNA and protein and reduced activity of the BRN2 gene promoter. In addition, RNAi-targeting of Brn-2 in MDA-MB-231 cells decreased invasion in vitro and lung colonization in vivo, and exogenous Brn-2 expression partially restored invasion to cells in which α3β1 was suppressed. α3β1 promoted phosphorylation of Akt in MDA-MB-231 cells, and treatment of these cells with a pharmacological Akt inhibitor (MK-2206) reduced both Brn-2 expression and cell invasion, indicating that α3β1-Akt signaling contributes to Brn-2 induction. Analysis of RNAseq data from patients with invasive breast carcinoma revealed that high BRN2 expression correlates with poor survival. Moreover, high BRN2 expression positively correlates with high ITGA3 expression in basal-like breast cancer, which is consistent with our experimental findings that α3β1 induces Brn-2 in TNBC cells. Together, our study demonstrates a pro-invasive/pro-metastatic role for Brn-2 in breast cancer cells and identifies a role for integrin α3β1 in regulating Brn-2 expression, thereby revealing a novel mechanism of integrin-dependent breast cancer cell invasion.

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POU2F2 promotes the proliferation and motility of lung cancer cells by activating AGO1

BMC Pulmonary Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12890-021-01476-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ronggang Luo ◽

Yi Zhuo ◽

Quan Du ◽

Rendong Xiao

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Tumor Growth ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Progression ◽

Human Lung ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Human Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Tissues

Abstract Background To detect and investigate the expression of POU domain class 2 transcription factor 2 (POU2F2) in human lung cancer tissues, its role in lung cancer progression, and the potential mechanisms. Methods Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays were conducted to assess the expression of POU2F2 in human lung cancer tissues. Immunoblot assays were performed to assess the expression levels of POU2F2 in human lung cancer tissues and cell lines. CCK-8, colony formation, and transwell-migration/invasion assays were conducted to detect the effects of POU2F2 and AGO1 on the proliferaion and motility of A549 and H1299 cells in vitro. CHIP and luciferase assays were performed for the mechanism study. A tumor xenotransplantation model was used to detect the effects of POU2F2 on tumor growth in vivo. Results We found POU2F2 was highly expressed in human lung cancer tissues and cell lines, and associated with the lung cancer patients’ prognosis and clinical features. POU2F2 promoted the proliferation, and motility of lung cancer cells via targeting AGO1 in vitro. Additionally, POU2F2 promoted tumor growth of lung cancer cells via AGO1 in vivo. Conclusion We found POU2F2 was highly expressed in lung cancer cells and confirmed the involvement of POU2F2 in lung cancer progression, and thought POU2F2 could act as a potential therapeutic target for lung cancer.

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Knockdown CYP2S1 inhibits lung cancer cells proliferation and migration

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-210189 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Huan Guo ◽

Baozhen Zeng ◽

Liqiong Wang ◽

Chunlei Ge ◽

Xianglin Zuo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cell Proliferation ◽

Cell Growth ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Invasion And Migration ◽

And Migration

BACKGROUND: The incidence of lung cancer in Yunnan area ranks firstly in the world and underlying molecular mechanisms of lung cancer in Yunnan region are still unclear. We screened a novel potential oncogene CYP2S1 used mRNA microassay and bioinformation database. The function of CYP2S1 in lung cancer has not been reported. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the functions of CYP2S1 in lung cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCR were used to verify the expression of CYP2S1. Colony formation and Transwell assays were used to determine cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Xenograft assays were used to detected cell growth in vivo. RESULTS: CYP2S1 is significantly up-regulated in lung cancer tissues and cells. Knockdown CYP2S1 in lung cancer cells resulted in decrease cell proliferation, invasion and migration in vitro. Animal experiments showed downregulation of CYP2S1 inhibited lung cancer cell growth in vivo. GSEA analysis suggested that CYP2S1 played functions by regulating E2F targets and G2M checkpoint pathway which involved in cell cycle. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with high CYP2S1 had markedly shorter event overall survival (OS) time. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that CYP2S1 exerts tumor suppressor function in lung cancer. The high expression of CYP2S1 is an unfavorable prognostic marker for patient survival.

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Glycyrol Alone or in Combination with Gefitinib Is Effective against Gefitinib-Resistant HCC827GR Lung Cancer Cells

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112210526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 10526

Author(s):

Shuang Zhao ◽

Shangyun Lu ◽

Lihong Fan ◽

Hongbo Hu

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Xenograft Model ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Clinical Utilization ◽

Murine Xenograft Model ◽

Coumarin Compounds ◽

Line Setting

Gefitinib has been clinically demonstrated to be effective in the first-line setting for patients with advanced EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, acquired therapeutic resistance to gefitinib almost unavoidably develops, posing a major hurdle for its clinical utilization. Our previous study showed that glycyrol (GC), a representative of coumarin compounds isolated from the medicinal plant licorice, was effective against A549 lung cancer cells in both cell culture and a murine xenograft model. In this follow-up study, we evaluated the effect of glycyrol against gefitinib-resistant NSCLC and its ability to overcome the resistance using gefitinib-resistant HCC827GR cells. Results showed that glycyrol was effective against HCC827GR cells in both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, glycyrol was able to significantly increase the sensitivity of HCC827GR cells to gefitinib, mechanistically associated with inactivating MET, which is a known important contributor to the resistance of HCC827GR cells to gefitinib. The findings of the present study suggest that glycyrol holds potential to be developed as a novel agent against gefitinib-resistant NSCLC.

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Synergy of nanodiamond-doxorubicin conjugates and PD-L1 blockade effectively turns tumor associated macrophages against tumor cells

10.21203/rs.3.rs-715564/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Huazhen Xu ◽

Tongfei Li ◽

Chao Wang ◽

Yan Ma ◽

Yan Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Tumor Cell ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Tumor Cells ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Tumor Associated Macrophages ◽

M1 Type

Abstract Background: Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are the most abundant stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment. Turning the TAM against their host tumor cells is an intriguing therapeutic strategy particularly attractive for patients with immunologically “cold” tumors. This concept was mechanistically demonstrated on in vitro human and murine lung cancer cells and their corresponding TAM models through combinatorial use of nanodiamond-doxorubicin conjugates (Nano-DOX) and a PD-L1 blocking agent BMS-1. Nano-DOX are an agent previously proved to be able to stimulate tumor cells’ immunogenicity and thereby reactivate the TAM into the anti-tumor M1 phenotype. Results: Nano-DOX were first shown to stimulate the tumor cells and the TAM to release the cytokine HMGB1 which, regardless of its source, acted through the RAGE/NF-κB pathway to induce PD-L1 in the tumor cells and PD-L1/PD-1 in the TAM. Interestingly, Nano-DOX also induced NF-κB-dependent RAGE expression in the tumor cells and thus reinforced HMGB1’s action thereon. Then, BMS-1 was shown to enhance Nano-DOX-stimulated M1-type activation of TAM both by blocking Nano-DOX-induced PD-L1 in the TAM and by blocking tumor cell PD-L1 ligation with TAM PD-1. The TAM with enhanced M1-type repolarization both killed the tumor cells and suppressed their growth. BMS-1 could also potentiate Nano-DOX’s action to suppress tumor cell growth via blocking of Nano-DOX-induced PD-L1 therein. Finally, Nano-DOX and BMS-1 achieved synergistic therapeutic efficacy against in vivo tumor grafts in a TAM-dependent manner. Conclusions: PD-L1/PD-1 upregulation mediated by autocrine and paracrine activation of the HMGB1/RAGE/NF-κB signaling is a key response of lung cancer cells and their TAM to stress, which can be induced by Nano-DOX. Blockade of Nano-DOX-induced PD-L1, both in the cancer cells and the TAM, achieves enhanced activation of TAM-mediated anti-tumor response.

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Bicistronic transfer of CDKN2A and p53 culminates in collaborative killing of human lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo

Gene Therapy ◽

10.1038/s41434-019-0096-1 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1-2) ◽

pp. 51-61

Author(s):

Juliana G. Xande ◽

Ana P. Dias ◽

Rodrigo E. Tamura ◽

Mario C. Cruz ◽

Bárbara Brito ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Human Lung ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Human Lung Cancer ◽

Human Lung Cancer Cells

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Baicalin suppresses lung cancer growth by targeting PDZ-binding kinase/T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase

Bioscience Reports ◽

10.1042/bsr20181692 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xin Diao ◽

Danfen Yang ◽

Yu Chen ◽

Wentian Liu

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Protein Kinase ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Ex Vivo ◽

Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Cancer Growth ◽

Downstream Signaling ◽

Lak Cell

AbstractBaicalin is the main bioactive component extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Baical Skullcap Root, and its anti-tumor activity has been studied in previous studies. PDZ-binding kinase/T-LAK cell-originated protein kinase (PBK/TOPK), a serine/threonine protein kinase, is highly expressed in many cancer cells and stimulates the tumorigenic properties, and so, it is a pivotal target for agent to cure cancers. We reported for the first time that baicalin suppressed PBK/TOPK activities by directly binding with PBK/TOPK in vitro and in vivo. Ex vivo studies showed that baicalin suppressed PBK/TOPK activity in JB6 Cl41 cells and H441 lung cancer cells. Moreover, knockdown of PBK/TOPK in H441 cells decreased their sensitivity to baicalin. In vivo study indicated that injection of baicalin in H441 tumor-bearing mice effectively suppressed cancer growth. The PBK/TOPK downstream signaling molecules Histone H3 and ERK2 in tumor tissues were also decreased after baicalin treatment. Taken together, baicalin can inhibit proliferation of lung cancer cells as a PBK/TOPK inhibitor both in vitro and in vivo.

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Effect of Compound K, a Metabolite of Ginseng Saponin, Combined with γ-Ray Radiation in Human Lung Cancer Cells in Vitro and in Vivo

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ◽

10.1021/jf900331g ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 57 (13) ◽

pp. 5777-5782 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

Sungwook Chae ◽

Kyoung Ah Kang ◽

Weon Young Chang ◽

Min Jung Kim ◽

Su Jae Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Human Lung ◽

Human Lung Cancer ◽

Compound K ◽

Ginseng Saponin ◽

Human Lung Cancer Cells ◽

Γ Ray

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α5β1 integrin recycling promotes Arp2/3-independent cancer cell invasion via the formin FHOD3

The Journal of Cell Biology ◽

10.1083/jcb.201502040 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 210 (6) ◽

pp. 1013-1031 ◽

Cited By ~ 72

Author(s):

Nikki R. Paul ◽

Jennifer L. Allen ◽

Anna Chapman ◽

Maria Morlan-Mairal ◽

Egor Zindy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Cells ◽

Cell Invasion ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Cancer Metastasis ◽

Cancer Cell Invasion ◽

Coupling Protein ◽

Α5β1 Integrin ◽

In Cells

Invasive migration in 3D extracellular matrix (ECM) is crucial to cancer metastasis, yet little is known of the molecular mechanisms that drive reorganization of the cytoskeleton as cancer cells disseminate in vivo. 2D Rac-driven lamellipodial migration is well understood, but how these features apply to 3D migration is not clear. We find that lamellipodia-like protrusions and retrograde actin flow are indeed observed in cells moving in 3D ECM. However, Rab-coupling protein (RCP)-driven endocytic recycling of α5β1 integrin enhances invasive migration of cancer cells into fibronectin-rich 3D ECM, driven by RhoA and filopodial spike-based protrusions, not lamellipodia. Furthermore, we show that actin spike protrusions are Arp2/3-independent. Dynamic actin spike assembly in cells invading in vitro and in vivo is regulated by Formin homology-2 domain containing 3 (FHOD3), which is activated by RhoA/ROCK, establishing a novel mechanism through which the RCP–α5β1 pathway reprograms the actin cytoskeleton to promote invasive migration and local invasion in vivo.

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