PD-L1 Induces Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells Through Activation of the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is a malignant epithelial carcinoma of the head and neck. Cancer therapy targeting programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) or programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) is revolutionary. However, the tumorigenic mechanism of PD-L1 is not yet clear in NPC. Here we demonstrated an oncogenic role of PD-L1 via activating PI3K/AKT in NPC cells. PD-L1 overexpression was frequently detected in NPC biopsies and cell lines by qRT-PCR. PD-L1 overexpression and knockdown demonstrated that PD-L1 promoted NPC cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, PD-L1 prominently activated the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in a PI3K/AKT-dependent manner. Taken together, we found that PD-L1 overexpression confers NPC cell malignancy and aggressiveness via activating the downstream PI3K/AKT signaling. Thus, these results provide a basis for diagnosis and treatment of NPC.     

Emodin Inhibits Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Migration by Suppressing Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition via the Wnt/b-Catenin Pathway

Colon cancer (CC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Emodin is an anthraquinone-active substance that has the ability to affect tumor progression. Our study aims to explore the effects and the relevant mechanism of emodin on the invasion and migration of CC in vitro and in vivo. In our study, we found that emodin inhibited the invasion and migration abilities of RKO cells and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), MMP-9, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a dose-dependent manner. Further research suggested that emodin inhibited EMT by increasing the mRNA level of E-cadherin and decreasing the expression of N-cadherin, Snail, and b-catenin. Emodin also significantly inhibited the activation of the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway by downregulating the expression of related downstream target genes, including TCF4, cyclin D1, and c-Myc. A Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway agonist abolished the effect of emodin on EMT and cell mobility, suggesting that emodin exerted its regulating role through the Wnt/b-catenin pathway. The CC xenograft model was established to study the antitumor efficiency of emodin in vivo. The in vivo study further demonstrated that emodin (40 mg/kg) suppressed tumor growth by inhibiting EMT via the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway in vivo. Taken together, we suggest that emodin inhibits the invasion and migration of CC cells in vitro and in vivo by blocking EMT, which is related with the inhibition of the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway     

miR-186 Represses Proliferation,Migration, Invasion,and EMT of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Directly Targeting CDK6

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of miR-186 on proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this work, miR-186 was downregulated in HCC tissues and cells, and low miR-186 level helped predict the occurrence of vascular invasion and poor prognosis in patients with HCC. miR-186 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and tumor growth in nude mice, repressed migration and invasion abilities, and enhanced apoptosis in HCC cells. miR-186 also retarded progression of EMT. miR-186 directly bound to the 3 -untranslated regions of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6) to inhibit its expression. Overexpression of CDK6 markedly reversed inhibitory effects of miR-186 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Conversely, inhibition of CDK6 exerted synergic effect on the biological functions of miR-186. In conclusion, miR-186 represses proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT, and induces apoptosis through targeting CDK6 in HCC, which may provide a new therapeutic target for HCC.     

Emodin Inhibits Colon Cancer Cell Invasion and Migration by Suppressing Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway

Colon cancer (CC) is the third most common cancer worldwide. Emodin is an anthraquinone-active substance that has the ability to affect tumor progression. Our study aims to explore the effects and the relevant mechanism of emodin on the invasion and migration of CC in vitro and in vivo. In our study, we found that emodin inhibited the invasion and migration abilities of RKO cells and decreased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-7 (MMP-7), MMP-9, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in a dose-dependent manner. Further research suggested that emodin inhibited EMT by increasing the mRNA level of E-cadherin and decreasing the expression of N-cadherin, Snail, and b-catenin. Emodin also significantly inhibited the activation of the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway by downregulating the expression of related downstream target genes, including TCF4, cyclin D1, and c-Myc. A Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway agonist abolished the effect of emodin on EMT and cell mobility, suggesting that emodin exerted its regulating role through the Wnt/b-catenin pathway. The CC xenograft model was established to study the antitumor efficiency of emodin in vivo. The in vivo study further demonstrated that emodin (40 mg/kg) suppressed tumor growth by inhibiting EMT via the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway in vivo. Taken together, we suggest that emodin inhibits the invasion and migration of CC cells in vitro and in vivo by blocking EMT, which is related with the inhibition of the Wnt/b-catenin signaling pathway.     

OLFM4 Inhibits Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition and Metastatic Potential of Cervical Cancer Cells

OLFM4 has been shown to play an important role in tumor initiation and progression. This study aims to investigate the role of OLFM4 in metastatic cervical cancer and its underlying mechanism. Here we discover that OLFM4 expression is significantly reduced in metastatic cervical cancer. Accordingly, overexpression of OLFM4 inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration, and invasion in human cervical cancer cells. To further explore its molecular mechanisms, we reveal that OLFM4 augmentation interferes with mTOR signaling pathway, and the suppressive effects of OLFM4 on cell migration and invasion are largely weakened by phosphatidic acid (PA)-induced mTOR signal activation, which implicates the potential role of the mTOR pathway in OLFM4-related cervical metastasis. In conclusion, our results confirm OLFM4 as a tumor suppressor that inhibits cervical cancer metastasis by regulating mTOR signal pathway.     

NOTCH通路依赖PI3K/AKT通路调控胶质瘤干细胞增殖和自我更新能力

目的 探讨NOTCH通路对胶质母细胞瘤细胞增殖和自我更新能力调控及其潜在机制。方法 体外培养LN-229、U118-MG和A172胶质瘤干细胞球;MTT实验和单细胞成球实验分别检测胶质瘤干细胞增殖和自我更新能力;靶向AKT1慢病毒载体shRNA和PI3K抑制剂LY294002抑制PI3K/AKT信号通路活性,检测NOTCH通路功能是否依赖PI3K/AKT通路;Western blot检测NOTCH通路和PI3K/AKT通路活性;BLISS独立模型评价NOTCH抑制剂DAPT和LY294002的相互作用。结果 LN-229、U118-MG和A172体外培养形成胶质瘤干细胞球;DAPT抑制NOTCH通路活性同时降低PI3K/AKT通路活性,且NOTCH通路对PI3K/AKT通路的调控不依赖于PTEN介导;DAPT抑制胶质瘤干细胞增殖和体外单细胞成球能力;ShAKT1和LY294002抑制PI3K/AKT通路活性,同时显著减弱DAPT对胶质瘤干细胞增殖和体外单细胞成球能力的抑制作用（P<0.05）,DAPT和LY294002联合使用产生拮抗作用。结论 NOTCH通路依赖于PI3K/AKT通路调控胶质瘤干细胞增殖和自我更新能力。     

Ursolic Acid Attenuates TGF-b1-Induced Epithelial–Mesenchymal Transition in NSCLC by Targeting Integrin aVb5/MMPs Signaling

Transforming growth factor- 1 (TGF- 1)-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may contribute to tumor metastasis. TGF- 1-induced EMT in H1975 cells (a human NSCLC cell line) resulted in the adoption of mesenchymal responses that were predominantly mediated via the TGF- 1–integrin signaling pathway. Ursolic acid has been previously reported to inhibit tumor growth and metastasis in several cancers. However, whether ursolic acid can attenuate TGF- 1-induced EMT in H1975 cells and its underlying mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, ursolic acid significantly attenuated the TGF- 1-induced decrease in E-cadherin level and elevated the level of N-cadherin. Furthermore, ursolic acid inhibited the mesenchymal-like responses in H1975 cells, including cell migration, invasion, and activity of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)-2 and -9. Finally, our new findings provided evidence that ursolic acid could inhibit EMT in NSCLC through TGF- 1 signaling pathway-mediated integrin V 5 expression, and this might be the potential mechanism of resveratrol on the inhibition of invasion and metastases in NSCLC. We conclude that ursolic acid attenuated TGF- 1-induced EMT in H1975 cells and thus might be a promising therapeutic agent for treating NSCLC.     

抑制Notch和PI3K/Akt信号通路对食管腺癌细胞增殖、侵袭及迁移的影响

目的 探讨Notch和PI3K/Akt两条信号通路对人食管腺癌细胞OE33增殖、侵袭及迁移能力的影响及两条信号通路之间的联系。方法 应用Notch信号通路阻滞剂DAPT和PI3K/Akt信号通路阻滞剂LY294002分别单独和联合处理OE33细胞,设置对照组;Western blot和实时定量PCR法检测OE33细胞中NICD、Hes1、p-Akt、PTEN蛋白和mRNA的表达变化;CCK-8法检测细胞的增殖抑制率;划痕实验用于检测细胞迁移能力的变化;Transwell细胞侵袭实验用于检测细胞的侵袭能力变化。结果 Notch1通路阻滞剂DAPT能减低Notch1通路相关蛋白NICD和Hes1的表达,并能提高p-Akt蛋白的表达;PI3K/Akt路阻滞剂LY294002不仅使p-Akt的蛋白表达水平减低,还能降低Hes1的蛋白表达水平,同时使NICD的蛋白和Hes1的mRNA表达水平增高。DAPT和LY294002联合处理组的NICD、Hes1、p-Akt的蛋白表达均较空白对照组和单药处理组降低,同时细胞的增殖、迁移和转移能力亦明显减弱。各处理组中PTEN的蛋白和mRNA表达水平较对照组均有一定程度的升高。结论 Notch和PI3K/Akt两条信号通路在食管腺癌细胞OE33中可能存在串话, 同时抑制这两种信号通路能有效的抑制OE33的增殖、侵袭及迁移。     

PI3K/AKT信号通路与前列腺癌关系的研究进展

近年来针对前列腺癌靶向治疗的研究作为新的热点受到越来越多的关注,主要集中在非AR途径的通路及靶点的探索,其中较为成熟且具有明显研究价值的途径之一是磷脂酰肌3-羟激酶(PI3K)/丝氨酸-苏氨酸蛋白激酶(AKT)信号通路.研究表明,该信号通路的异常活化与疾病的发展和转归有显著相关性,在机体细胞的生长、增殖、凋亡以及炎症反...     

Induction of metastatic potential by TrkB via activation of IL6/JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT signaling in breast cancer

In metastatic breast cancers, the acquisition of metastatic ability, which leads to clinically incurable disease and poor survival, has been associated with acquisition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program and self-renewing trait (CSCs) via activation of PI3K/AKT and IL6/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathways. We found that TrkB is a key regulator of PI3K/AKT and JAK/STAT signal pathway-mediated tumor metastasis and EMT program. Here, we demonstrated that TrkB activates AKT by directly binding to c-Src, leading to increased proliferation. Also, TrkB increases Twist-1 and Twist-2 expression through activation of JAK2/STAT3 by inducing c-Src-JAK2 complex formation. Furthermore, TrkB in the absence of c-Src binds directly to JAK2 and inhibits SOCS3-mediated JAK2 degradation, resulting in increased total JAK2 and STAT3 levels, which subsequently leads to JAK2/STAT3 activation and Twist-1 upregulation. Additionally, activation of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway via induction of IL-6 secretion by TrkB enables induction of activation of the EMT program via induction of STAT3 nuclear translocation. These observations suggest that TrkB is a promising target for future intervention strategies to prevent tumor metastasis, EMT program and self-renewing trait in breast cancer.     

LPA经PI3K/Akt信号转导通路抑制顺铂诱导卵巢癌细胞凋亡

 目的 研究PI3K/AKT信号转导通路对LPA保护顺铂诱导的卵巢癌SKOV3细胞凋亡作用的影响。 方法 MTT法检测LPA和LY294002对DDP作用后的SKOV3细胞增殖活性的影响;Hoechst33258荧光染色 观察凋亡细胞;FCM分析细胞凋 亡率;凝胶电泳观察凋亡细胞的DNA“梯状”条带;Western blot检测LPA、LY294002对磷酸 化Akt蛋白表达的影响。 结果 LPA+LY294002+DDP组对SKOV3细胞增殖的抑制作用、凋亡小体的产生及细胞凋亡率高于 LPA+DDP组(P<0.05),而与 LY294002+DDP组差异无统计学意义, DNA片段凝胶电泳示LPA作用后不产生明显的凋亡片段, LPA和LY294002同时作用可出现DNA断裂梯形条带。Western blot结果示LPA作用后磷酸化Akt 蛋白表达升高,而LY294002作用后,磷酸化Akt蛋白表达明显下降。 结论 LPA通过激活PI3K/Akt信号转导通路抑制顺铂诱导的卵巢癌细胞的凋亡。     

乳腺癌组织和细胞中低表达的LZTS2 通过PI3K/AKT信号通路抑制癌细胞增殖、迁移和EMT

[摘要] 目的：探讨亮氨酸拉链肿瘤抑制因子2（leucine zipper tumor suppressor 2, LZTS2）基因在人乳腺癌组织和细胞系中的表达及其对乳腺癌细胞增殖、迁移和EMT的影响及其作用机制。方法：收集2016 年1 月至2016 年12 月开封中心医院乳腺外科收治的50 例女性乳腺癌患者的癌及癌旁组织标本和乳腺癌细胞系MCF-7、MDA-MB-231、MDA-MB-468 以及正常人乳腺上皮细胞株HBL-100,用qPCR 和Western blotting 检测乳腺癌组织和细胞中LZTS2 mRNA和蛋白表达水平。构建pcDNA-LZTS2 真核表达载体并采用脂质体转染MCF-7 细胞,同时转染pcDNA3.1 作为阴性对照。用Western blotting 检测转染48~72 h 后MCF-7 细胞中LZTS2 蛋白表达水平;用MTT法、Transwell 小室法检测LZTS2 过表达对细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭的影响,同时用Western blotting检测细胞中EMT相关蛋白Cyclin D1、波形蛋白、神经钙黏蛋白、上皮钙黏蛋白以及PI3K/AKT信号通路中相关蛋白的表达。结果：人乳腺癌组织中LZTS2 mRNA和蛋白表达水平均明显低于癌旁组织（P<0.05 或P<0.01）;乳腺癌MCF-7、MDA-MB-231 和MDA-MB-468 细胞中LZTS2 mRNA和蛋白表达水平显著低于乳腺上皮细胞HBL-100（P<0.05 或P<0.01）。与空白对照组和pcDNA3.1组相比,pcDNA-LZTS2 组MCF-7 细胞中LZTS2 蛋白表达水平明显上调（P<0.01）,细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭能力显著受到抑制（P<0.05 或P<0.01）,同时过表达LZTS2 细胞中Cyclin D1、波形蛋白和神经钙黏蛋白表达水平均明显降低（P<0.05 或P<0.01）、上皮钙黏蛋白表达水平明显升高（均P<0.01）,显示LZTS2 过表达通过降低p-PI3K和p-AKT 表达而抑制PI3K/AKT信号通路。结论：LZTS2 在乳腺癌中低表达,过表达LZTS2 能够抑制乳腺癌细胞的增殖、迁移和侵袭能力,可能与抑制细胞EMT过程的PI3K/AKT信号通路有关。     

H19 Facilitates Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Migration and Invasion via Sponging miR-let-7

The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) H19 has been described to participate in the metastasis of various tumors. Nevertheless, whether H19 promotes or impedes tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) cell migration and invasion remains controversial. Here we found that the expression of H19 was elevated in TSCC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, we demonstrated that the expression of H19 was higher in metastasized tumors compared with unmetastasized tumors. Consistently, TSCC cells express higher levels of H19 than human squamous cells. Subsequently, depletion of H19 impaired the migration and invasion abilities of TSCC cells. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that H19 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to sponge miRNA let-7a, leading to an increase in a let-7a target, the key regulator of tumor metastasis HMGA2, which is enriched in TSCC tissues and cell lines. Intriguingly, inhibition of let-7a significantly rescued the short hairpin H19 (shH19)-induced decrease in TSCC migration and invasion. These findings revealed that the H19/let-7a/HMGA2/EMT axis plays a critical role in the regulation of TSCC migration and invasion, which may provide a new therapeutic target for TSCC.     

MicroRNA-3127 promotes cell proliferation and tumorigenicity in hepatocellular carcinoma by disrupting of PI3K/AKT negative regulation

Recent studies have shown that multiple phosphatases deactivate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Here we demonstrated that, by suppressing multiple phosphatases, miR-3127 promotes growth of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our study also reveals clinical significance of miR-3127 expression in HCC patients. MiR-3127 expression was markedly upregulated in HCC tissues and cells. Furthermore, high miR-3127 expression was associated with an aggressive phenotype and poor prognosis. MiR-3127 overexpression promoted HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Also, miR-3127 accelerated G1-S transition by activating AKT/FOXO1 signaling, by directly targeting the 3′ untranslated regions (3`UTR) of pleckstrin homology domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1/2 (PHLPP1/2), inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 4A (INPP4A), and inositol polyphosphate-5-phosphatase J (INPP5J) mRNA, repressing their expression. In agreement, the miRNA antagonist antagomir-3127 suppressed HCC cell proliferation and tumor growth by inhibiting the AKT/FOXO1 signaling. Taken together, these findings suggest that silencing miR-3127 might be a potential therapeutic strategy.     

PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路在Burkitt淋巴瘤中的研究进展

 Burkitt淋巴瘤是一种高度侵袭性的非霍奇金淋巴瘤，是人类生长最快的肿瘤。根据流行病学及miRNA不同，分为地方型、散发型与免疫缺陷相关型。该病主要发生在儿童及青少年，少数发生于成年人。经短期、强效化疗后疗效显著，但成年、晚期、耐药的患者预后较差。PI3K/AKT/mTOR信号通路在细胞的生长、分化、代谢、生存以及增殖等方面发挥重要作用，研究发现，该信号通路在Burkitt淋巴瘤中呈激活状态，且针对该通路的抑制剂对Burkitt淋巴瘤细胞有抑制作用。通过对该信号通路与PTEN、c-Myc、自噬在Burkitt淋巴瘤中作用及相互关系的研究，了解其发病机制，设计该通路抑制剂与其他相关通路抑制剂或与单克隆抗体的联合用药，为晚期、耐药的患者寻找精准、高效、低毒的靶向治疗方案。     

Bicarbonate transporter SLC4A7 promotes EMT and metastasis of HNSCC by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Currently, therapeutic modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy are being used to treat HNSCC. However, the treatment outcomes of most patients are dismal because they are already in middle or advanced stage by the time of diagnosis and poorly responsive to treatments. It is therefore of great interest to clarify mechanisms that contribute to the metastasis of cells to identify possible targets for therapy. In this study, we identified the Na⁺-coupled bicarbonate transporter, SLC4A7, play essential roles in the metastasis of HNSCC. Our results showed that the relative expression of SLC4A7 messenger RNA was highly expressed in HNSCCs samples from TCGA, and compared with precancerous cells of human oral mucosa (DOK), SLC4A7 was highly expressed in HNSCC cell lines. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that dysregulation of SLC4A7 had minor influence on the proliferation of HNSCC but impacted HNSCC's migration and invasion. Meanwhile, SLC4A7 could promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in HNSCC. RNA-seq, KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and Western blot further revealed that downregulation of SLC4A7 in HNSCC cells inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings were further validated via rescue experiments using a small molecule inhibitor of PI3K/mTOR (GDC-0980). Our findings suggest that SLC4A7 promotes EMT and metastasis of HNSCC through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, which may be a valuable predictive biomarker and potential therapeutic target in HNSCC.     

Profilin 2 Promotes Proliferation and Metastasis of Head and Neck Cancer Cells by Regulating PI3K/AKT/b-Catenin Signaling Pathway

Profilin 2 (PFN2) was found to be mainly expressed in neurons and involved in the development of the brain. In recent years, emerging evidence indicated that PFN2 is also significantly upregulated in various cancers including head and neck cancer (HNSC) and influences cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. However, the role of PFN2 in HNSC development and progression remains unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the role of PFN2 in the development of HNSC and its possible molecular mechanisms. Bioinformatics showed that increased expression of PFN2 in tumors correlated highly with poor prognosis of HNSC patients. Our results indicated that PFN2 was highly expressed in HNSC tissues and in HNSC cell lines. Knockdown of PFN2 inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of HNSC cells, while PFN2 overexpression produced the opposite effects. Using a nude mouse xenograft model, we substantiated the tumor-promoting effect of PFN2 on HNSC in vivo. Furthermore, we found that PFN2 downregulation reduced the phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3 and reduced the expression of -catenin in HNSC cells. The opposite was observed when PFN2 was overexpressed. Collectively, these results suggest that PFN2 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of HNSC by activating the PI3K/Akt/ -catenin signaling pathway. Although further validation is needed, we speculate that PFN2 plays a crucial role in HNSC and may be a promising therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker.