A new method for predicting the prognosis of colorectal cancer patients through a combination of multiple tumor-associated macrophage markers at the invasive front.

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) are closely related to tumorigenesis and metastasis of multiple cancer types. The infiltration of TAMs is used for predicting the prognosis of cancers, including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the density and prognostic significance of M1 and M2 TAM phenotypes in the intratumor versus the invasive front (IF) are largely unknown in CRC.

Tumor bud-derived CCL5 recruits fibroblasts and promotes colorectal cancer progression via CCR5-SLC25A24 signaling.

Background: Tumor budding is included in the routine diagnosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) and is considered a tumor prognostic factor independent of TNM staging. This study aimed to identify the fibroblast-mediated effect of tumor bud-derived C-C chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) on the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Methods: Recruitment assays and a human cytokine array were used to detect the main cytokines that CRC tumor buds secrete to recruit fibroblasts.

MYH9-dependent polarization of ATG9B promotes colorectal cancer metastasis by accelerating focal adhesion assembly.

Tumour metastasis is a major reason accounting for the poor prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC), and the discovery of targets in the primary tumours that can predict the risk of CRC metastasis is now urgently needed. In this study, we identified autophagy-related protein 9B (ATG9B) as a key potential target gene for CRC metastasis. High expression of ATG9B in tumour significantly increased the risk of metastasis and poor prognosis of CRC.

Gastric aggressive fibromatosis: report of a case and review of the literature.

Objectives: To describe a rare case of aggressive fibromatosis of the stomach and discuss the differential diagnoses.

Methods: A 47-year-old man presented with nonspecific abdominal pain. Gastroscopy revealed stomach wall swelling.

Role of TGFβ3-Smads-Sp1 axis in DcR3-mediated immune escape of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of tumour-associated mortality worldwide, but no significant improvement in treating HCC has been reported with currently available systemic therapies. Immunotherapy represents a new frontier in tumour therapy. Therefore, the immunobiology of hepatocarcinoma has been under intensive investigation.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote colorectal cancer progression by secreting CLEC3B.

Nontumour cells in the tumour microenvironment, especially fibroblasts, contribute to tumour progression and metastasis. The occurrence and evolution of colorectal cancer (CRC) is closely related to cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of the growth factors and cytokines secreted by CAFs on CRC progression.

RGC32 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition by activating the Smad/Sip1 signaling pathway in CRC.

Response gene to complement 32 (RGC32) is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of multiple genes involved in cell growth, viability and tissue-specific differentiation. However, the role of RGC32 in tumorigenesis and tumor progression in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully elucidated. Here, we showed that the expression of RGC32 was significantly up-regulated in human CRC tissues versus adjacent normal tissues.

DcR3 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition through activation of the TGF-β3/SMAD signaling pathway in CRC.

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), a novel member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) family, was recently reported to be associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the role of DcR3 in human colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we found that DcR3 expression was significantly higher in human colorectal cancer tissues than in paired normal tissues, and that DcR3 expression was strongly correlated with tumor invasion, lymph node metastases and poor prognoses.

AKAP-9 promotes colorectal cancer development by regulating Cdc42 interacting protein 4.

Our previous studies have shown that PRKA kinase anchor protein 9 (AKAP-9) is involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation and migration in vitro. However, whether or not AKAP-9 is important for CRC development or metastasis in vivo remains unknown. In the present study, we found that AKAP-9 expression was significantly higher in human colorectal cancer tissues than the paired normal tissues.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 increases AKAP-9 expression by promoting SRPK1-catalyzed SRSF1 phosphorylation in colorectal cancer cells.

Our earlier findings indicate that the long non-coding RNA MALAT1 promotes colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo by increasing expression of AKAP-9. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanism by which MALAT1 enhances AKAP9 expression in CRC SW480 cells. We found that MALAT1 interacts with both SRPK1 and SRSF1.

NDRG1 attenuates epithelial-mesenchymal transition of nasopharyngeal cancer cells via blocking Smad2 signaling.

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) has been implicated in tumorigenesis and metastasis in different cancers. However, its role in nasopharyngeal carcinoma remains unknown. We found that NDRG1 expression level was high in nasopharyngeal cancer 5-8F cells but low in 5-8F-LN cells with lymphatic metastasis potential.

MALAT1 promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation/migration/invasion via PRKA kinase anchor protein 9.

Our previous studies have shown that the 3' end of metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) cell proliferation and migration/invasion in vitro. The role and mechanism of MALAT1 in CRC metastasis in vivo, however, remain largely unknown. In the present study, we found that MALAT1 was up-regulated in human primary CRC tissues with lymph node metastasis.

The establishment of supramolecular immunobead real-time PCR and the identification of Cox-2 as a metastasis-related marker in colorectal carcinoma.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) is an inducible enzyme that converts arachidonic acid to prostaglandins, and it is hypothesized to induce carcinogenesis and metastasis in colorectal cancer. Our previous data also indicated that a higher expression level of Cox-2 was correlated with colorectal cancer metastasis. The Cox-2 protein was detected in the glandular cavity of colorectal cancer and the surrounding interstitial tissues.

[Overexpression of response gene to complement-32 promotes cytoskeleton reorganization in SW480 cell line].

Objective: To construct the recombinant plasmid pcDNA3.0-RGC32 and evaluate the effect of the response gene to complement-32 (RGC32) on cell cytoskeleton in vitro.

Methods: The full-length cDNA of RGC32 was obtained by RT-PCR and inserted into the eukaryotic expression vector pcDNA3.

[Toxicity of matrine in Kunming mice].

Objective: To investigate the acute toxicity and assess the median lethal dose (LD50) of matrine in Kunming mice.

Methods: Matrine at different doses were administered in Kunming mice via intraperitoneal injection, and the toxic reactions and LD50 of matrine was observed and determined.

Results: The acute toxicity test of matrine indicated that the tolerable dose of matrine was above 80 mg/kg in Kunming mice, and the LD50 was 157.

Gene expression profile changes and possible molecular subtypes in differentiated-type nonkeratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a human malignant tumor with a high incidence and a poor prognosis in Southern China and South-eastern Asia. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the gene expression profiles in 24 samples of primary differentiated-type nonkeratining NPC (DNK-NPC) tissues, 24 samples of normal nasopharyngeal tissues and 4 DNK-NPC cell lines using cDNA microarray technology and bioinformatics methods. We found expression level of some genes was wildly alerted in the DNK-NPC samples.

Celecoxib enhances the inhibitory effect of cisplatin on Tca8113 cells in human tongue squamous cell carcinoma in vivo and in vitro.

Background: Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is associated with carcinogenesis, invasiveness, and metastasis of malignant tumors. Inhibition of COX-2 is one hot topic of research in prevention and treatment of malignant tumors. Because of the selective and specific inhibition on the activity of COX-2, the roles of celecoxib in prevention and treatment of tumors have attracted broad attention in recent years.

[Celecoxib enhances the lethal effects of bleomycin in human tongue squamous carcinoma cell line Tca8113].

Objective: To investigate the role of COX-2 inhibitor celecoxib in enhancing the lethal effects of bleomycin in Tca8113 cell line.

Methods: Tca8113 cells were treated with different concentrations of celecoxib and bleomycin for 24, 48, 72 h. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay was used to calculate cell growth inhibition rate and Jin Zheng Jun's method was used to evaluate the interaction of celecoxib and bleomycin on Tca8113 cells.

RGC-32 mediates transforming growth factor-beta-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in human renal proximal tubular cells.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) occurs in several disease states, including renal fibrosis and carcinogenesis. Myofibroblasts produced from EMT of renal tubular cells are responsible for the deposition of extracellular matrix components in a large portion of renal interstitial fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays an essential role in the EMT of renal tubular cells, but the molecular mechanism governing this process remains largely unknown.

[Matrine-induced apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma SW620 cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of matrine on the cell cycle and apoptosis in human colon adenocarcinoma SW620 cells and explore the possible mechanisms.

Methods: The effect of matrine on cell proliferation was assessed using MTT assay, and the cell cycle arrest induced by matrine was determined by flow cytometry. The changes of cell morphology were observed through optical microscope, fluorescence microscope and electron microscope, and the cell apoptosis was detected using Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay.

[Expression of COX-2 and VEGF-C in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue and its correlation to lymph node metastasis].

Objective: To evaluate the coexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) in human squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue (SCCT) and assess their correlations to neoangiogenesis and lymph node metastasis of the tumor.

Methods: Tissue samples of primary SCCT and the metastatic lymph nodes were obtained from 46 patients undergoing surgical resections of SCCT for immunohistochemical detection of COX-2 and VEGF-C expressions.

Results: The over-expression rates of COX-2 and VEGF-C was 82.

[Expression of HSP27 in colorectal carcinoma and its relationship with lymphatic metastasis].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) expression and lymphatic metastasis of colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

Methods: Immunohistochemistry was used to detect HSP27 expression in 68 specimens of human CRC. The expression of HSP27 mRNA and protein was also detected in two colorectal carcinoma cell lines with different lymphatic metastasis potentials by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry.

[Monitoring changes of serum protein markers in metastatic colorectal carcinoma model].

Objective: To investigate the changes of several protein markers in a metastatic colorectal carcinoma model by serum proteomic analysis.

Methods: The pEGFP-N1 plasmid with enhanced expression of green fluorescence protein (EGFP) was transfected into human colon carcinoma cell line SW480 to obtain a stable SW480-EGFP cell line, the SW480-EGFP cells were then injected subcutaneously into nude mice. The harvested tumor cells were implanted orthotopically into the colon of the nude mice.

[Association of abnormal cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression with colorectal carcinoma metastasis].

Objective: To investigate cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression of in colorectal carcinoma cell lines and tissues and its clinical implications.

Methods: SP immunohistochemistry was used to detect COX-2 protein in SW480 and SW620 cell lines and 50 primary colorectal carcinoma and 50 lymphoma metastasis carcinoma specimens. Real-time PCR was used to detect COX-2 mRNA expression in SW480 and SW620 cell lines.

[Expression and diagnostic application of C4.4A protein in squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma].

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic utility of C4.4A gene expression in discriminating a squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from an adenocarcinoma by immunohistochemistry.

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of C4.