HOXA9 promotes proliferation, metastasis and prevents apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: This research aimed to evaluate the expression level of Homeobox A9 (HOXA9) and its role in tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: Bioinformatic analysis, qPCR and Western blot analysis of clinical samples were employed to evaluate mRNA and protein levels of HOXA9 in HCC patients and cell lines. In vitro cell proliferation, migration and invasion, cloning formation, xenograft tumor model, wound healing and apoptosis assays, RNA sequencing analysis of RPL38-silenced HCC-LM3 cells and qPCR, Western blot analysis were performed for validation.

SEC24C suppresses the propagation and chemoresistance of hepatocellular carcinoma by promoting unfolded protein response-related apoptosis.

Cells routinely utilize the unfolded protein response (UPR) to alleviate endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress or trigger about apoptotic death under extreme ER-stress conditions. Tumor cells are subjected to persistent ER-stress due to their crowded microenvironment, but can maintain hyperactive proliferation under most stressful conditions. Therefore, understanding strategies employed by cancer cells to escape from UPR-related apoptosis has important medical implications.

NDRG1 overcomes resistance to immunotherapy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through inhibiting ATG9A-dependent degradation of MHC-1.

Aims: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a deadly disease that is resistant to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapies. Emerging evidence suggests that NDRG1 may be an important target for the development of new therapies for PDAC. Herein, we investigated the novel roles of NDRG1 and Combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) in the treatment of PDAC ICB resistance.

A pan-cancer analysis of the prognostic and immunological roles of matrix metalloprotease-1 (MMP1) in human tumors.

Objective: Cancer remains the leading killer of human health worldwide. It has been shown that matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP1) is related to poor prognosis in cancers such as BRCA, CESC and COAD. However, systematic pan-cancer analysis about the prognostic and immunological roles of MMP1 has not been explored.