Targeting Nrf2 to treat thyroid cancer.

Oxidative stress (OS) is recognized as a contributing factor in the development and progression of thyroid cancer. Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a pivotal transcription factor involved in against OS generated by excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS). It governs the expression of a wide array of genes implicated in detoxification and antioxidant pathways.

Targeting CD36 determines nicotine derivative NNK-induced lung adenocarcinoma carcinogenesis.

Smoking carcinogen nicotine-derived nitrosamine ketone (NNK) is the most potent contributor to lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) development, but the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Here, we reported that fatty acid translocase CD36 was significantly overexpressed in both human LUAD tissues and NNK-induced A/J mice LUAD tumors. The overexpressed CD36 was positively correlated with Src kinase activation, smoking status, metastasis, and worse overall survival of patients with smoking history.

CYP1A2 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma through antagonizing HGF/MET signaling.

Hyperactivation of HGF/MET signaling pathway is a critical driver in liver tumorigenesis. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) was significantly down-regulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, little is explored about its tumor suppressive role in HCC.

Cytochrome P450 1A2 overcomes nuclear factor kappa B-mediated sorafenib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Sorafenib resistance has become the main obstacle in the effective treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) is a newly identified mechanism that contributes to desensitized sorafenib. Cytochrome P450 1A2 (CYP1A2) functions as a tumor suppressor in HCC and its expression is negatively associated with NF-κB in the liver.

Nuclear FOXP3 inhibits tumor growth and induced apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting c-Myc.

The status of FOXP3 and its isoforms in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. We aimed to investigate the expression and function of FOXP3 and its isoforms in HCC. The study was performed on 84 HCC patients, HCC cell lines and a mouse tumor model.

ZBP-89 negatively regulates self-renewal of liver cancer stem cells via suppression of Notch1 signaling pathway.

Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) initiate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and contribute to its recurrence and treatment resistance. Studies have suggested ZBP-89 as a candidate tumor suppressor in HCC. We explored the role of ZBP-89 in the regulation of LCSCs.

The expression of FOXP3 and its role in human cancers.

FOXP3 is a transcription factor, which belongs to the family of FOX protein. FOXP3 was initially discovered in regulatory T cells and supposed to play a significant role in the process of regulatory T cell differentiation. Increasing evidence has shown that FOXP3 is also expressed in tumor cells.

Crosstalk between prognostic long noncoding RNAs and messenger RNAs as transcriptional hallmarks in gastric cancer.

Aim: Our study investigated the significance of the crosstalk between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in gastric cancer (GC).

Methods: lncRNA and mRNA expression profiling data in 671 GC tumors and 77 nontumorous gastric tissues were retrieved from the gene expression omnibus database: GSE54129, GSE13911, GSE19826, GSE79973, GSE15459 and GSE66229. Differentially expressed analysis, RNA coexpression network construction, gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were conducted in this study.

Identification of prognostic and subtype-specific potential miRNAs in thymoma.

Aim: We performed a study to identify the role of microRNA in thymoma.

Patients & Methods: One hundred twenty-three thymoma patients with clinical information and miRNA expression data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were included in the study. Comprehensive bioinformatics analysis was integrated in our analysis.

O-GlcNAc transferase promotes fatty liver-associated liver cancer through inducing palmitic acid and activating endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Background & Aims: O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is a unique glycosyltransferase involved in metabolic reprogramming. We investigated the functional role of OGT in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (NAFLD-HCC).

Methods: The biological function of OGT in NAFLD-HCC was determined by gain- or loss- of OGT functional assays in vitro and in nude mice.

Effects of Glycyrrhizin in a Mouse Model of Lung Adenocarcinoma.

Background: Currently, there is a global attempt to identify potential anti-cancer agents with low toxicity. Previous studies have found that glycyrrhizin exerts anti-cancer action with low toxicity through suppressing thromboxane A2 (TxA2) in lung cancer cell lines. However, these effects have not yet been determined in animal models of lung cancer.

Thromboxane A2 exerts promoting effects on cell proliferation through mediating cyclooxygenase-2 signal in lung adenocarcinoma cells.

Background: Lung cancer concerns a worldwide health problem and the efficacy of available treatments is unsatisfactory. Recently, thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthase (TXAS) and receptor (TXA2R) have been documented to play a role in lung cancer development. Therefore, dual TXA2R modulator (i.

Differential functions of C- and N-terminal hepatitis B x protein in liver cells treated with doxorubicin in normoxic or hypoxic condition.

Hepatitis viral B x protein (HBx), a hepatocarcinogen, is frequently mutated. Hypoxia influences the growth of HCC and also the sensitivity of tumor cells to treatments. We aimed to test the role of HBx and acute hypoxia in the efficacy of chemotherapy.

Downregulation of polo-like kinase 4 in hepatocellular carcinoma associates with poor prognosis.

Polo-like kinase 4 (PLK4), belonging to serine/threonine kinase family, is critical for centriole replication and cell cycle progression. PLK4 has been proposed as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, its expression and significance in HCC have not been well studied.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors facilitate dihydroartemisinin-induced apoptosis in liver cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Liver cancer ranks in prevalence and mortality among top five cancers worldwide. Accumulating interests have been focused in developing new strategies for liver cancer treatment. We have previously showed that dihydroartemisinin (DHA) exhibited antitumor activity towards liver cancer.

Dihydroartemisinin exhibits antitumor activity toward hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and in vivo.

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), a semi-synthetic derivative of artemisinin isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Artemisia annua L., has been shown to exhibit inhibitory effects on human cancer cells. However, its antitumor ability toward hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not been studied.

[Effect of 5F from Pteris semipinnata on expression of Nr1d1 in HO-8910PM cell line].

Objective: To investigate the effects of PsL5F (ent-11alpha-hydroxy-15-oxo-kaur-16-en-19-oic-acid, an extract from Pteris semipinnata L) on the expression of nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D, member 1 (Nr1d1) in highly metastatic ovarian carcinoma HO-8910PM cells, and its mechanisms.

Method: Microarray Chip was used to examine the level of Nr1d1 mRNA expression on HO-8910PM cells treated with PsL5F. Fluorescent quantitative real-time PCR assay and Western blot were performed to verify the effects of PsL5F on Nr1d1 mRNA and protein expression.

Nucleophosmin/B23 interacts with p21WAF1/CIP1 and contributes to its stability.

The cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(WAF1/CIP1) is a critical regulator of cell cycle, and it is easily degraded by proteasome through ubiquitin-dependent and -independent pathway. The mechanism of the post-translational regulation of p21 stability remains to be further clarified. In the present study, we have identified nucleophosmin (NPM)/B23, a multifunctional protein that bound p21 and contributed to its stability.