EZH2 promotes colorectal cancer stem-like cell expansion by activating p21cip1-Wnt/β-catenin signaling.

Because colorectal cancer (CRC) stem-like cells (CCS-like cells) contribute to poor patient prognosis, these cells are a potential target for CRC therapy. However, the mechanism underlying the maintenance of CCS-like cell properties remains unclear. Here, we found that patients with advanced stage CRC expressed high levels of polycomb group protein enhancer of zeste homologue 2 (EZH2).

Neuropilin-2 mediates lymphangiogenesis of colorectal carcinoma via a VEGFC/VEGFR3 independent signaling.

Lymphangiogenesis critically contributes to the lymphatic metastasis of colorectal carcinomas (CRCs), but the underlying mechanism of CRC lymphangiogenesis remains largely elusive. We have previously demonstrated that Semaphorin-3F (SEMA3F) is critically involved in CRC metastasis, and the receptor of SEMA3F, neuropilin-2 (NRP2), originally described as an axon guiding chemorepulsant implicated in nerve development, has been suggested in promoting lymphangiogenesis via acting as an obligate co-receptor of VEGFR3 cooperatively enhancing the activity of VEGF-C. Our present study revealed that in colorectal carcinomas, NRP2 expression levels of tumor-associated lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) are significantly correlated with the density of tumor lymphatic vessels.

Long-term results of a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled phase III trial: Endostar (rh-endostatin) versus placebo in combination with vinorelbine and cisplatin in advanced non-small cell lung cancer.

Background:  : Phase II-III trials in patients with untreated and previously treated locally advanced or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) suggested that Endostar was able to enhance the effect of platinum-based chemotherapy (NP regimen) with tolerable adverse effects.

Methods: Four hundred and eighty six patients were randomized into two arms: study arm A: NP plus Endostar (n = 322; vinorelbine, cisplatin, Endostar), and study arm B: NP plus placebo (n = 164; vinorelbine, cisplatin, 0.9% sodium chloride).

Expression of pim-1 in tumors, tumor stroma and tumor-adjacent mucosa co-determines the prognosis of colon cancer patients.

Provirus integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus (pim-1) is a proto-oncogene that is linked to the development and progression of several cancers. In this study, we evaluated pim-1 expression in tumors, tumor stroma and tumor-adjacent mucosa together as an independent prognostic factor for colon cancer patients. The study included 343 colon cancer patients.

Interleukin-12 inhibits the survival of human colon cancer stem cells in vitro and their tumor initiating capacity in mice.

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a potent immunomodulatory cytokine with unknown direct effect on the property of cancer stem cells (CSCs). In this study, we investigated the capacity of IL-12 to regulate the self-renewal and differentiation of human colon CSCs in vitro, as well as the effect of IL-12 on the growth of tumors initiated by CSCs in mice. After over-expression of IL-12 with lentiviral transfection, CSCs exhibited reduced invasiveness and tumorsphere formation in association with increased apoptosis in vitro.

Multimodal therapy for adult Wilms' tumour: an experience from one centre.

Introduction: Wilms' tumour (WT) is very rare in adults but very common in children. Treatment guidelines for adult patients with WT are still insufficient. Some study groups recommend that therapeutic protocols for adults with WT (AWT) should follow the guidelines that have been established for children.

Highly enriched CD133(+)CD44(+) stem-like cells with CD133(+)CD44(high) metastatic subset in HCT116 colon cancer cells.

Stem-like cancer cells (SLCCs) are distinct cellular subpopulation in colon cancer that is essential for tumor maintenance. Previous studies indicated that SLCCs accounted for only a minor subset in a given cancer model. However, we found that SLCCs frequency varied among a panel of colon cancer cell lines, with HCT116 cells composed mainly of SLCCs, as demonstrated by colonosphere forming capability and CD133 expression.

Colorectal tumor derived fibronectin alternatively spliced EDA domain exserts lymphangiogenic effect on human lymphatic endothelial cells.

The objective of this study was to investigate whether tumor derived fibronectin alternatively spliced EDA domain has a lymphangiogenic potency on human lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) in tumor generation to facilitate tumor lymphatic metastasis. LECs were cultured in three-dimentional culture system and treated with SW480 supernant which was highly rich in EDA, the result demonstrated that SW480 supernant could facilitate tube-like formations of LECs evidently when compared with controls. Integrinalpha9 was identified by immunofluorescence to be a specific receptor for EDA because we found co-locozation of EDA and integrinalpha9 on LECs as well as significant upregulation of integrinalpha9 in SW480 supernant treated group.

Knockdown of focal adhesion kinase reverses colon carcinoma multicellular resistance.

Chemotherapy resistance in solid tumors is broad and encompasses diverse unrelated drugs. Three-dimensional multicellular spheroids (MCSs) are a good model for studying in vitro drug resistance. In the current study, we investigated the role of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) chemoresistance in colon carcinoma MCS culture cells.

Down-regulation of alphav integrin by retroviral delivery of small interfering RNA reduces multicellular resistance of HT29.

Since multicellular resistance (MCR) has been shown to be as adhesion-dependent, the role of alphav integrin in MCR of HT29 was investigated in this paper. Down-regulation of alphav integrin reduced MCR to oxaliplatin, but did not detectably change the drug sensitivity of monolayers. Down-regulation of alphav integrin decreased phosphorylated NF-kappaB p65 and increased phosphorylated JNK2 in multicellular spheroids.

Downregulation of the hexokinase II gene sensitizes human colon cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil.

Background: Extensive trials have indicated that cancer cells with high glycolytic activity exhibit decreased sensitivity to anticancer agents. Moreover, recent research has proven that specific inhibitors of hexokinase (HK) II, a key glycolytic enzyme, may enhance the activity of anticancer drugs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and mechanisms of HK II on chemosensitivity of a colon cancer cell line (LoVo) to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU).

[Expression of hexokinase-II gene in human colon cancer cells and the therapeutic significance of inhibition thereof].

Objective: To investigate the expression of hexokinase (HK)-II gene in human colon cancer cells and the therapeutic significance of inhibition of HK-II gene.

Methods: Human colon cancer cells of the lines HCT-116, LOVO, HT-19, and SW480 were cultured. The mRNA expression and protein expression of HK-II in these cells were detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting respectively.

[Identification bcr-abl fusion gene in leukemia cells with oligonucleotide microarray].

To explore the application value of bcr-abl fusion gene deterction microarray in diagnosis, typing, choosing of treatment variant and prognosis judgment, probe for fusion gene detection was designed, oligonucleotide microarray was prepared; total RNA was extracted, reverse-transcripted and labeled by fluorescence, then cDNA was hybridized with microarray in order to detect bcr-abl fusion gene in leukemia cells. The results showed that better reaction conditions were gained by exploration of hybridizotion temperature and elution conditions, bcr-abl fusion gene in leukemia cells was detected by prepared miccroarray. In conclusion, oligonucleotide microarray is effective in detecting the fusion gene and has some unique advantages and certain clinical application value, but has some deficiency too.

Clinical benefit of gemcitabine plus cisplatin 3-week regimen for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a prospective observational study.

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy has been proved effective in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of first-line chemotherapy with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GEM-Cis) 3-week regimen in routine care of Chinese patients with advanced NSCLC.

Methods: Two hundred and twenty-one patients with NSCLC stage IIIb or IV were enrolled and 209 were eligible for effectiveness and safety analysis.