Identification of gene signatures associated with ulcerative colitis and the association with immune infiltrates in colon cancer.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases, including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease, are some of the most common inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The dysfunction of the immune system in the intestines is suggested to be the underlying cause of the pathogenesis of UC. However, the mechanisms regulating these dysfunctional immune cells and inflammatory phenotypes are still unclear.

TIMP2 is associated with prognosis and immune infiltrates of gastric and colon cancer.

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP2), a member of tissue inhibitors of the metalloproteinase (TIMP) family is associated with the progression of various tumors. However, the association of TIMP2 with cancer prognosis and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes remains unclear. TIMP2 expression was analyzed by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), TNM plot, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, and 50 paired gastric cancer tissues.

The Prognostic and Predictive Significance of circRNA CDR1as in Tumor Progression.

Cerebellar degeneration-related protein 1 antisense (CDR1as) is an important member of the circRNAs family, also known as cirs-7. Its main function is to act as a mir-7 sponge. Accumulated studies show that CDR1as is closely related to various diseases, especially cancer.

Role of microRNAs in remodeling the tumor microenvironment (Review).

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non‑coding RNAs that are known to regulate gene expression at the post‑transcriptional level. miRNA expression is often deregulated in several human cancers, affecting the communication between tumor stroma and tumor cells, among other functions. Understanding the role of miRNAs in the tumor microenvironment is crucial for fully elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor progression and exploring novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

The Emerging Role of GC-MSCs in the Gastric Cancer Microenvironment: From Tumor to Tumor Immunity.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been declared to not only participate in wound repair but also affect tumor progression. Tumor-associated MSCs, directly existing in the tumor microenvironment, play a critical role in tumor initiation, progression, and development. And different tumor-derived MSCs have their own unique characteristics.

The Emerging Role of YAP/TAZ in Tumor Immunity.

Yes-associated protein (YAP)/WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1 (TAZ) is an important transcriptional regulator and effector of the Hippo signaling pathway that has emerged as a critical determinant of malignancy in many human tumors. YAP/TAZ expression regulates the cross-talk between immune cells and tumor cells in the tumor microenvironment through its influence on T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells, and macrophages. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are poorly understood.

YAP signaling in gastric cancer-derived mesenchymal stem cells is critical for its promoting role in cancer progression.

Cancer-associated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are critically involved in tumor development and progression. However, the mechanisms of action for MSCs in cancer remain largely unknown. Herein, we reported that the expression of Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) was higher in gastric cancer derived mesenchymal stem cells (GC‑MSCs) than that in bone marrow derived MSCs (BM‑MSCs).

3,3'-Diindolylmethane stimulates exosomal Wnt11 autocrine signaling in human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to enhance wound healing.

Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) are suggested as a promising therapeutic tool in regenerative medicine, however, their efficacy requires improvement. Small molecules and drugs come up to be a convenient strategy in regulating stem cells fate and function. Here, we evaluated 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM), a natural small-molecule compound involved in the repairing effects of hucMSCs on a deep second-degree burn injury rat model.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells alleviate inflammatory bowel disease through the regulation of 15-LOX-1 in macrophages.

Objective: To investigate the role of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) in the treatment of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Results: ICG-hucMSCs homed to colon tissues of IBD mice 12 h after injection. The injection of hucMSCs significantly relieved the IBD symptoms and inflammatory cell infiltration.

Exosomes from Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Identification, Purification, and Biological Characteristics.

Our and other groups have discovered that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived exosomes are a novel therapeutical modality for many diseases. In this study, we summarized a method to extract and purify hucMSCs-exosomes using ultrafiltration and gradient centrifugation in our laboratory and proved that hucMSCs-exosomes prepared according to our procedure were stable and bioactive. Results showed that exosomes derived from hucMSC were 40~100 nm and CD9 and CD81 positive.

Exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells activate NF-κB pathway in macrophages to promote cancer progression.

Exosomes are nano-sized membrane vesicles secreted by both normal and cancer cells. Emerging evidence indicates that cancer cells derived exosomes contribute to cancer progression through the modulation of tumor microenvironment. However, the effects of exosomes derived from gastric cancer cells on macrophages are not well understood.

HucMSC Exosome-Delivered 14-3-3ζ Orchestrates Self-Control of the Wnt Response via Modulation of YAP During Cutaneous Regeneration.

Numerous studies showed that mesenchymal stem cells derived exosome (MSC-Ex) markedly enhanced tissue regeneration, however, the issue of whether MSC-Ex could control stem cells expansion after a regenerative response to prevent tissue from overcrowding and dysplasia remains to be established. Herein, we found that human umbilical cord MSC (hucMSC)-exosomal14-3-3ζ mediated the binding of YAP and p-LATS by forming a complex to promote the phosphorylation of YAP, which orchestrate exosomal Wnt4 signal in cutaneous regeneration. First, we assessed deep second-degree burn rats treated with hucMSC-Ex and discovered that hucMSC-Ex promoting self-regulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling at the remodeling phase of cutaneous regeneration.

Anti-cancer drug 3,3'-diindolylmethane activates Wnt4 signaling to enhance gastric cancer cell stemness and tumorigenesis.

As a natural health supplement, 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) is proposed as a preventive and chemotherapeutic agent for cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing cell apoptosis. However, we found that in contrary to high level of DIM (30 μM), low level of DIM (1 μM and 10 μM) obviously promoted gastric cancer cell growth and migration. In addition, we found that low level of DIM increased the expression of stemness factors and enhanced the pluripotency of gastric cancer cells.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell exosomes enhance angiogenesis through the Wnt4/β-catenin pathway.

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) and their exosomes have been considered as potential therapeutic tools for tissue regeneration; however, the underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized the exosomes from hucMSCs (hucMSC-Ex) and demonstrated that hucMSC-Ex promoted the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, we demonstrated that hucMSC-Ex promoted wound healing and angiogenesis in vivo by using a rat skin burn model.