IL-21- and CXCL9-engineered GPC3-specific CAR-T cells combined with PD-1 blockade enhance cytotoxic activities against hepatocellular carcinoma.

The application of CAR-T cells in solid tumors poses several challenges, including poor T cell homing ability, limited infiltration of T cells and an immunosuppressive tumor environment. In this study, we developed a novel approach to address these obstacles by designing GPC3-specific CAR-T cell that co-express IL-21 and CXCL9 (21 × 9 GPC3 CAR-T cells) and blocking the PD-1 expression on it. The proliferation, cell phenotype, cytokine secretion and cell migration of indicated CAR-T cells were evaluated in vitro.

mutation and Ras/Raf/MAPK activation confer acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor in an EGFR mutated NSCLC cell line.

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) are standard treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the emergence of EGFR-TKIs resistance poses a big challenge to the treatment. Although several resistant mutations have been identified, our understanding of the mechanisms underlying acquired EGFR-TKIs resistance remains incomplete.

lncRNA HOTAIR promotes gastric cancer proliferation and metastasis via targeting miR-126 to active CXCR4 and RhoA signaling pathway.

HOTAIR, a well-known long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA), has been recognized to contribute to the tumor metastasis in several tumors. But its role in gastric cancer remains elusive. Here, we reported an increase in HOTAIR promoted proliferation and metastasis of gastric cancer cell lines.

MiR-141-3p suppresses gastric cancer induced transition of normal fibroblast and BMSC to cancer-associated fibroblasts via targeting STAT4.

Background: Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are known to be crucial constituents of cancer microenvironment (CME) and play an important role in initiation, progression and metastasis of various types of cancer, such as oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, and gastric cancer. CAFs are usually derived from normal fibroblasts (NFs), but the mechanism of the transition in gastric cancer has not yet been fully elucidated.

Methods: qRT-PCR and western blot were employed to investigate differences of miR-141 and STAT4 expression respectively.

[Construction of γ-synuclein eukaryotic expression vector and its effect on invasion and metastasis of colon cancer cell line SW1116 in vitro].

Objective: To construct γ-synuclein gene eukaryotic expression vector, and to study its effect on the invasion of colon cancer cell line SW1116 and the adhesion between SW1116 and human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVECs) in vitro.

Methods: Total RNA was extracted from colon cancer cell line HT29 and the cDNA of γ-synuclein was amplified using RT-PCR. The digested fragment of cDNA coding sequence was linked to the eukaryotic expression vector pEGFP-C1 containing the GFP gene.

[Effect of PC cell-derived growth factor RNA interference on biological behavior of esophageal squamous carcinoma cells].

Objective: To investigate the effect of PC cell-derived growth factor (PCDGF) RNA interference on esophageal squamous carcinoma cells Eca-109 in vitro.

Methods: The PCDGF-shRNA expression vector was transfected into the Eca-109 cells by liposome. After transfection, the mRNA and protein expressions of PCDGF were detected by RT-PCR and Western-blot respectively.

Effects of γ-synuclein on the tumorigenicity and metastasis of colon cancer SW1116 cells in vitro and in vivo.

Recent evidence suggests the involvement of γ-synuclein in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The present study was designed to further clarify the effects of γ-synuclein on the biological features of colon cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. We constructed the eukaryotic expression vector and siRNA vector and selected stable transfectants to respectively upregulate and downregulate γ-synuclein expression in SW1116 cells.

Floating cells with stem cell properties in gastric cell line SGC-7901.

Aims: To obtain floating spheres from the adherent gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 and to analyze the properties of the spheres.

Methods: Serum-free medium was applied to cultured SGC-7901 cells. Limiting dilution assay, tumor formation assay, microarray analysis, and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR were used to test the stem cell properties of the spheres.

Treatment of established colon carcinoma-bearing mice by dendritic cells pulsed with lysates of heat-treated tumor cells.

To investigate the therapeutic effect of dendritic cells pulsed with lysates of heat-treated CT26 colon carcinoma cells. Bone marrow-derived DCs were pulsed with lysates of heat-treated tumor cells and were used to immunize BALB/c mice with established colon carcinoma. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response was detected.