Oncology reports
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O-GlcNAcylation is a dynamic post-translational modification that has extensive crosstalk with phosphorylation either at the same or adjacent sites of various proteins. We have previously reported that O-GlcNAcylation level was increased in primary breast and colorectal cancer, but the interplay of the two modifications remains unclear. Therefore, we explored crosstalk of the modifications by RNA interference against O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) in colorectal cancer cells. ⋯ Moreover, the metastatic colorectal cancer cells, SW620, had more O-GlcNAc-PKM2 and showed lower PKM2-specific activity compared to the non-metastatic colorectal cancer SW480 cells. These results suggested roles of O-GlcNAcylation in modulating serine phosphorylation, as well as in regulating PKM2 activity and expression. Interfering levels of O-GlcNAcylation of PKM2 may be a novel target in controlling cancer metabolism and tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer.
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Tumor cells from the same origin comprise different cell populations. Among them, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have higher tumorigenicity. It is necessary to enrich CSCs to determine an effective way to suppress and eliminate them. ⋯ Tumor sphere cells showed higher tumorigenic ability in vivo, indicating that more CSCs were enriched in the sphere cells. More blood vessels were formed in the tumor generated by sphere cells suggesting the interaction between CSCs and blood vessel. A reliable model of enriching CSCs from the human A549 NSCLC cell line was established that was simple and cost-effective compared to other methods.
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BATF2 has been found to be decreased in a variety of human malignancies, while its clinical significance and functional roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unknown. Herein, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression pattern and to explore the potential functions of BATF2 in ESCC tissues and cell lines. BATF2 mRNA and protein expression levels in human tissues and human ESCC cell lines were evaluated by quantitative real‑time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blotting (WB) and immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses. ⋯ Pathological grade (P=0.027), clinical stage (P=0.000), lymph node metastasis (P=0.002) and BATF2 expression (P=0.028) were identified as independent prognostic factors for overall survival (OS). In the in vitro studies, upregulation of BATF2 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasive ability of the human ESCC KYSE-410 cells. In conclusion, as a tumor suppressor, BATF2 serves as a prognostic biomarker of ESCC and it may be a potential therapeutic target for ESCC treatment.
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Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common type of bone cancer. Even with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, the prognosis for OS is poor. In the present study, we investigated the proliferation and invasion inhibitory effect of apigenin on human OS cells and the possible molecular mechanisms involved. ⋯ Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of apigenin on OS cells was reversed by overexpression of β-catenin, but enhanced by knockdown of β-catenin. Collectively, our results showed that apigenin inhibits the tumor growth of OS cells by inactivating Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Therefore, apigenin is a promising chemotherapeutic agent that may be used in the treatment of human OS.
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A pooled analysis of two case-control studies on meningioma with patients diagnosed during 1997-2003 and 2007-2009 was conducted. Both genders were included, aged 20-80 and 18-75 years, respectively, at the time of diagnosis. Population-based controls, matched according to age and gender, were enrolled. ⋯ There was no association for ipsilateral use or anatomical tumor location. The present study showed a somewhat increased risk among heavy users of mobile and cordless phones. Since meningioma is generally a slow-growing tumor, longer latency period is necessary for definitive conclusions.