Overexpression of BMAL-1 is related to progression of urothelial carcinoma in arsenic exposure area.

Background: Environmental exposure to arsenic has long been associated with various clinical and pathophysiological aspects of urothelial carcinoma (UC), although the role of arsenic in UC and its impact on circadian proteins, particularly BMAL-1, remains unestablished. Previous research suggests that arsenic upregulates Aurora kinase A (AURKA), subsequently inhibiting GSK-3β, which might lead to overexpression of BMAL-1; nevertheless, the underlying pathway and its clinical significance in UC with arsenic exposure have yet to be validated. This study focuses on two potential upstream regulators of BMAL-1, AURKA and GSK-3β.

Targeting Bmi1 for Enhancing Anoikis Sensitivity and Inhibiting Metastasis in Colorectal Cancer.

Background/aim: Patients diagnosed with advanced metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) confront a bleak prognosis characterized by low survival rates. Anoikis, the programmed apoptosis resistance exhibited by metastatic cancer cells, is a crucial factor in this scenario.

Materials And Methods: We employed bulk flow cytometry and RT-qPCR assays, conducted in vivo experiments with mice and zebrafish, and analyzed patient tissues to examine the effects of the B cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 (Bmi1)-midkine (MDK) axis on the cellular response to anoikis.

Arsenic-induced disruption of circadian rhythms and glutamine anaplerosis in human urothelial carcinoma.

Inorganic arsenic (iAs)-induced urothelial carcinoma (UC) develops into a poor-prognosis malignancy. Arsenic-induced oxidative stress contributes to circadian rhythm disruption altered metabolism. Glutamine anaplerosis is a common metabolic feature of rapidly proliferating malignant cells, in which glutaminase (GLS) is a key enzyme in this process.

Targeting the CDK7-MDK axis to suppresses irinotecan resistance in colorectal cancer.

Aims: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major global health issue, with metastatic cases presenting poor prognosis despite advances in chemotherapy and targeted therapy. Irinotecan, a key drug for advanced CRC treatment, faces challenges owing to the development of resistance. This study aimed to understand the mechanisms underlying irinotecan resistance in colorectal cancer.

Comparison of Confirmed Cytology Smears and Cell Blocks for Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Mutation Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Introduction: Various cytologic specimens have been used to diagnose epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, insufficient samples and lengthy DNA extraction procedures have led to inconsistent diagnostic results. To reduce manipulation losses and improve DNA extraction quality, we provide an improved procedure for DNA extraction from smear samples containing rare tumor cells in NSCLC.

An Optimized Melanin Depigmentation Method for Histopathological and Immunohistochemical Staining of Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded Tissues.

The difficulty in diagnosis of severe melanocytic lesions is a problem to be overcome in pathological practice. Melanin bleaching is an effective approach to ameliorate melanin disturbances in severely pigmented lesions. Although various methods for improving melanin pigmentation in immunohistochemical staining have been reported, these depigmentation methods still need to be optimized and standardized.

Combination of FAK inhibitor and cytokine-induced killer cell therapy: An alternative therapeutic strategy for patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is characterized by the loss of expression of several biomarkers, which limits treatment strategies for the disease. In recent years, immunotherapy has shown promising results in the treatment of various tumors. Emerging evidence demonstrated that TNBC is an immune-activated cancer, suggesting that immunotherapy could be a feasible treatment option for TNBC.

CHD4 plays a critical role in arsenite-induced oxidative damage in human urothelial carcinoma.

Inorganic arsenic (iAs), a known human carcinogen, induces oxidative DNA damage and epigenetic silencing of tumor suppressor genes related to tumor progression. Chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is a chromatin remodeling protein that acts on DNA repair and DNA methylation under oxidative damage in malignancies, but the role of CHD4 in arsenical urothelial carcinoma (UC) is unidentified. Our purpose was to observe CHD4-related repair effects on As-stimulated oxidative damage in human UC.

The Diagnostic Significance of CXCL13 in M2 Tumor Immune Microenvironment of Human Astrocytoma.

CXCL13 may act as a mediator of tumor-associated macrophage immunity during malignant progression. The present study clarifies the clinicopathological significances of CXCL13 and its corresponding trend with M2 macrophage in human astrocytoma. The predictive potential of CXCL13 was performed using 695 glioma samples derived from TCGA lower-grade glioma and glioblastoma (GBMLGG) dataset.

FAK Regulates VEGFR2 Expression and Promotes Angiogenesis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains a significant clinical challenge because of its high vascularity and metastatic and recurrent rates. Tumor angiogenesis is considered an important mediator in the regulation of tumor cell survival and metastasis in TNBC. Angiogenesis is induced by the binding of vascular endothelial growth factor to vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2).

Correction: Pan et al. Impact of FAK Expression on the Cytotoxic Effects of CIK Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. 2020, , 94.

In the original article [...

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Metabolism.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid neoplasms with different biological characteristics. About 90% of all lymphomas in the United States originate from B lymphocytes, while the remaining originate from T cells [1]. The treatment of NHLs depends on the neoplastic histology and stage of the tumor, which will indicate whether radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination is the best suitable treatment [2].

CHD4 as an important mediator in regulating the malignant behaviors of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has ranked first in terms of incidence in Taiwan. Surgical resection combined with chemo-, radio-, or targeted-therapies are the main treatments for CRC patients in current clinical practice. However, many CRC patients still respond poorly to these treatments, leading to tumor recurrence and an unacceptably high incidence of metastasis and death.

Silencing DNA Polymerase β Induces Aneuploidy as a Biomarker of Poor Prognosis in Oral Squamous Cell Cancer.

Most patients with oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) have a locally advanced stage at diagnosis. The treatment strategies are diverse, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite multimodality treatment, the response rate is unsatisfactory.

BMI1-KLF4 axis deficiency improves responses to neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer.

Purpose: Neoadjuvant concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is a gold standard treatment for patients with stage II/III rectal cancer. B-cell-specific Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion site 1 (BMI1) is a member of the polycomb group of proteins that are involved in regulating gene expression. High levels of BMI1 have been demonstrated to contribute to the malignant phenotypes of several cancers; however, its relevance in rectal cancer treated with CCRT is largely unknown.

Increased Vascular Adhesion Protein 1 (VAP-1) Levels are Associated with Alternative M2 Macrophage Activation and Poor Prognosis for Human Gliomas.

Glioma is characterized by a high heterogeneity in the brain tumor. Abundant tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) exist as neoplastic tissues, implicating tumor plasticity and thus leading to therapeutic challenges. Vascular adhesion protein (VAP-1) potentially serves as a mediator for TAM immunity in tumor milieu.

Impact of FAK Expression on the Cytotoxic Effects of CIK Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a special subtype of breast cancer in which several common diagnostic biomarkers are lost. Due to the loss of expression of receptors, treatment options for TNBC are limited. Therefore, finding safe and effective treatments for patients with TNBC is a major objective for clinicians.

Identification of CHD4-β1 integrin axis as a prognostic marker in triple-negative breast cancer using next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics.

Aims: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a special subtype of breast cancer that lacks receptor expression and is difficult to cure. Epigenetic regulators have been suggested as targets for cancer therapy in recent years. Our previous study indicated that the chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein 4 (CHD4) is a prognostic biomarker of TNBC and therapeutic target in patients with TNBC.

FAK is Required for Tumor Metastasis-Related Fluid Microenvironment in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Cancer cell metastasis is the main cause of death in patients with cancer. Many studies have investigated the biochemical factors that affect metastasis; however, the role of physical factors such as fluid shear stress (FSS) in tumorigenesis and metastasis have been less investigated. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has a higher incidence of lymph node invasion and distant metastasis than other subtypes of breast cancer.

Vascular adhesion protein-1 as indicator of breast cancer tumor aggressiveness and invasiveness.

Recent studies suggest that vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1), a 180-KDa homodimeric glycoprotein, may be associated with cancer-related events including tumor cell migration, motility, invasion, or metastasis. Therefore, this study applies VAP-1 immunohistochemical staining to demonstrate the invasiveness component of the breast cancer. The VAP-1 staining results were compared in 148 breast cancer cases to identify possible correlations with clinical status, including age, tumor size, tumor grade, TNM stage, lymphatic invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and survival rate.

Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Metabolism.

Non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHLs) are a heterogeneous group of lymphoid neoplasms with differing biological characteristics. About 90% of all lymphomas in the United States originate from B lymphocytes, while the remaining originate from T cells [1]. The treatment of NHLs depends on neoplastic histology and the stage of the tumor, which will indicate whether radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination is the best suitable treatment [2].

CHD4-mediated loss of E-cadherin determines metastatic ability in triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of cancer with aggressive behaviors (high recurrence and metastasis rate) and poor prognosis. Therefore, studying the determining factors that lead to malignant TNBCs is necessary to develop personalized therapy and improve survival rates. In this study, we first analyzed levels of chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 4 (CHD4) in 60 TNBC patients by immunohistochemical staining.

β1 Integrin as a Prognostic and Predictive Marker in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) displays higher risk of recurrence and distant metastasis. Due to absence of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), TNBC lacks clinically established targeted therapies. Therefore, understanding of the mechanism underlying the aggressive behaviors of TNBC is required for the design of individualized strategies and the elongation of overall survival duration.

Overexpression of vascular adhesion protein-1 is associated with poor prognosis of astrocytomas.

Vascular adhesion protein-1 (VAP-1) is one of the endothelial adhesion molecules that is believed to play a role in tumor progression and metastasis, supporting cancer cell extravasation. Very few studies have been performed on analyzing the contribution of VAP-1 in brain tumor. Astrocytomas are the most common type of brain tumors, which are classified by World Health Organization (WHO) into four grades according to the degree of malignancy.