PKM2 enhances cancer invasion via ETS-1-dependent induction of matrix metalloproteinase in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Objectives: This study aimed at investigating the molecular mechanism underlying PKM2-mediated cancer invasion.

Materials & Methods: To optimize the investigation of PKM2-specific effects, we used two immortalized oral cell lines. The two cell lines drastically differed in PKM2 expression level, particularly in the level of nuclear PKM2, and subsequently in glucose metabolism and tumorigenicity.

Deep learning-based survival prediction of oral cancer patients.

The Cox proportional hazards model commonly used to evaluate prognostic variables in survival of cancer patients may be too simplistic to properly predict a cancer patient's outcome since it assumes that the outcome is a linear combination of covariates. In this retrospective study including 255 patients suitable for analysis who underwent surgical treatment in our department from 2000 to 2017, we applied a deep learning-based survival prediction method in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients and validated its performance. Survival prediction using DeepSurv, a deep learning based-survival prediction algorithm, was compared with random survival forest (RSF) and the Cox proportional hazard model (CPH).

Paip1 Indicated Poor Prognosis in Cervical Cancer and Promoted Cervical Carcinogenesis.

Purpose: This study was aimed to investigate the role of poly(A)-binding protein-interacting protein 1 (Paip1) in cervical carcinogenesis.

Materials And Methods: The expression of Paip1 in normal cervical epithelial tissues and cervical cancer (CC) tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry. In vivo and in vitro assays were performed to validate effect of Paip1 on CC progression.

Downregulation of CHIP promotes ovarian cancer metastasis by inducing Snail-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in the conversion of early-stage tumors into invasive malignancies. The transcription factor Snail, an extremely unstable protein whose subcellular levels are regulated by many E3 ubiquitin ligases, promotes EMT as well as associated pathological characteristics including migration, invasion, and metastasis. Through yeast two-hybrid screening, we identified the carboxyl terminus of Hsc70-interacting protein (CHIP) as a novel Snail ubiquitin ligase that interacts with Snail to induce ubiquitin-mediated proteasomal degradation.

Cytoskeletal alteration modulates cancer cell invasion through RhoA-YAP signaling in stromal fibroblasts.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts(CAFs) participate in carcinogenesis through interaction with cancer cells. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of cytoskeletal alteration of CAFs and its role in invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC).Immortalized normal fibroblasts(hTERT-hNOFs) co-cultured with OSCC cells showed myofibroblastic and senescent phenotypes like CAFs.

Combined treatment with 2'-hydroxycinnamaldehyde and temozolomide suppresses glioblastoma tumorspheres by decreasing stemness and invasiveness.

Introduction: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and aggressive human primary brain malignancy. The key properties of GBM, stemness and invasiveness, are known to be associated with a highly unfavorable prognosis. Notably, the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is closely related to the progression of GBM.

The Pathogenic Effect of Cortactin Tyrosine Phosphorylation in Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Background/aim: Cortactin (CTTN) has been considered a promising molecular prognostic factor in various types of cancers. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of CTTN in the pathogenesis of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC).

Materials And Methods: CTTN and phospho-CTTN (p-CTTN) expression was determined in 10 healthy controls and 38 CSCC tissue samples by immunohistochemistry.

Bcl-2 is a prognostic marker and its silencing inhibits recurrence in ameloblastomas.

Objectives: Ameloblastomas are the most common odontogenic epithelial tumors with high recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to identify apoptosis-related genes with recurrence of ameloblastomas and to evaluate its feasibility as a prognostic marker and as a target molecule preventing from recurrence.

Materials And Methods: Public microarray data were analyzed.

Mortalin is a distinct bio-marker and prognostic factor in serous ovarian carcinoma.

This study focused on mortalin expression and its relevance to the prognosis in serous ovarian carcinoma, mortalin modulated cell malignant proliferation and EMT progression via Wnt/β-Catenin signaling pathway. In this study, data obtained from Oncomine database, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) analysis and Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was used to assess the expression of mortalin in serous ovarian carcinoma. The prognostic value of mortalin was analyzed using Meier plotter database and Kaplan-Meier.

Therapeutic implications of cancer epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) comprises an essential biological process involving cancer progression as well as initiation. While the EMT has been regarded as a phenotypic conversion from epithelial to mesenchymal cells, recent evidence indicates that it plays a critical role in stemness, metabolic reprogramming, immune evasion and therapeutic resistance of cancer cells. Interestingly, several transcriptional repressors including Snail (SNAI1), Slug (SNAI2) and the ZEB family constitute key players for EMT in cancer as well as in the developmental process.

Microsphere-Based Nanoindentation for the Monitoring of Cellular Cortical Stiffness Regulated by MT1-MMP.

Biophysical properties are intimately connected to metastatic functions and aggressiveness in cancers. Especially, cellular stiffness is regarded as a biomarker for the understanding of metastatic potential and drug sensitivity. Here, protease-mediated changes of cortical stiffness are identified due to the deformation of cytoskeleton alignment at a cortex.

Immunohistochemistry Biomarkers Predict Survival in Stage II/III Gastric Cancer Patients: From a Prospective Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Identification of biomarkers to predict recurrence risk is essential to improve adjuvant treatment strategies in stage II/III gastric cancer patients. This study evaluated biomarkers for predicting survival after surgical resection.

Materials And Methods: This post-hoc analysis evaluated patients from the CLASSIC trial who underwent D2 gastrectomy with or without adjuvant chemotherapy (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin) at the Yonsei Cancer Center.

Platycarya strobilacea leaf extract inhibits tumor necrosis factor-α production and bone loss induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis-derived lipopolysaccharide.

Objective: Remodeling of alveolar bone is controlled by osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-induced bone formation. LPS of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a major causative agent of periodontitis, produces proinflammatory cytokines in host immune cells, which thereby triggers osteoclastogenesis and leads to alveolar bone resorption. We investigated the anti-periodontitis potential of Platycarya strobilacea leaf extract (PLE), which is used as a traditional medicine in Asian countries.

Dishevelling Wnt and Hippo.

As highly conserved signaling cascades of multicellular organisms, Wnt and Hippo pathways control a wide range of cellular activities, including cell adhesion, fate determination, cell cycle, motility, polarity, and metabolism. Dysregulation of those pathways are implicated in many human diseases, including cancer. Similarly to β-catenin in the Wnt pathway, the YAP transcription co-activator is a major player in Hippo.

Ataxia-Telangiectasia-Mutated Protein Expression as a Prognostic Marker in Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Salivary Glands.

Purpose: Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is a high-grade malignant tumor of the salivary glands, clinically characterized by multiple recurrences and late distant metastasis. Biological markers for assessing the prognosis of ACC have remained elusive. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the protein expressions of ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), p53, and ATM-mediated phosphorylated p53 are related to patient survival in ACC.

Cancer-Stimulated CAFs Enhance Monocyte Differentiation and Protumoral TAM Activation via IL6 and GM-CSF Secretion.

M2-type TAMs are increasingly implicated as a crucial factor promoting metastasis. Numerous cell types dictate monocyte differentiation into M2 TAMs via a complex network of cytokine-based communication. Elucidating critical pathways in this network can provide new targets for inhibiting metastasis.

Potential role of HIF-1-responsive microRNA210/HIF3 axis on gemcitabine resistance in cholangiocarcinoma cells.

MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) is a robust target for hypoxia-inducible factor, and its overexpression has been detected in a variety of solid tumors. However, the role of miR-210 in the development, progression and response to therapy in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) remains undefined. We report here that high miR-210 expression was significantly correlated with the shorter survival of CCA patients.

Dishevelled has a YAP nuclear export function in a tumor suppressor context-dependent manner.

Phosphorylation-dependent YAP translocation is a well-known intracellular mechanism of the Hippo pathway; however, the molecular effectors governing YAP cytoplasmic translocation remains undefined. Recent findings indicate that oncogenic YAP paradoxically suppresses Wnt activity. Here, we show that Wnt scaffolding protein Dishevelled (DVL) is responsible for cytosolic translocation of phosphorylated YAP.

Mitofusin-2 Expression Is Implicated in Cervical Cancer Pathogenesis.

Background/aim: It remains unclear whether mitofusin-2 (MFN2) functions as a tumour suppressor or oncogene in cancer progression. In this study we, therefore, aimed to investigate the effect of MFN2 on the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.

Materials And Methods: MFN2 expression was detected in seven healthy cervical, 64 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), and 120 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues by immunohistochemistry.

Effect of herbal extracts on bone regeneration in a rat calvaria defect model and screening system.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of herbal extracts on bone regeneration. Two known samples were screened.

Materials And Methods: We previously established a rat calvaria defect model using a combination of collagen scaffold and herbal extracts.

Minimization of Radial Forearm Flap Donor-Site Scar Using Endoscopy and Allogeneic Dermal Matrix.

Radial forearm free flaps are widely used for soft tissue reconstruction in the oral cavity. However, preparation of the vascular pedicle leaves long undesirable scars. Extensive scar formation also occurs at the skin defect site.

Machine learning to predict the occurrence of bisphosphonate-related osteonecrosis of the jaw associated with dental extraction: A preliminary report.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to build and validate five types of machine learning models that can predict the occurrence of BRONJ associated with dental extraction in patients taking bisphosphonates for the management of osteoporosis.

Patients & Methods: A retrospective review of the medical records was conducted to obtain cases and controls for the study. Total 125 patients consisting of 41 cases and 84 controls were selected for the study.

Observation of acetyl phosphate formation in mammalian mitochondria using real-time in-organelle NMR metabolomics.

Recent studies point out the link between altered mitochondrial metabolism and cancer, and detailed understanding of mitochondrial metabolism requires real-time detection of its metabolites. Employing heteronuclear 2D NMR spectroscopy and C-pyruvate, we propose in-organelle metabolomics that allows for the monitoring of mitochondrial metabolic changes in real time. The approach identified acetyl phosphate from human mitochondria, whose production has been largely neglected in eukaryotic metabolism since its first description about 70 years ago in bacteria.

Organized hematoma of temporomandibular joint.

Organized hematoma is a pseudo-tumorous lesion mostly occurs at sinonasal cavity and often confused with malignant neoplasm. The initiation of this lesion is blood accumulation, probably due to trauma, and this hematoma develops into organized hematoma as it encapsulated with fibrous band and neo-vascularized. Since it is uninformed at temporomandibular joint (TMJ) region, imaging diagnosis might be challenging.