JINNI MA^#, MEILIN ZHOU^#, XIN XU, XINYAO GAO, HAIXIA WANG, JINHUA SHEN, LU XUE^*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 239-252, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.045076

Abstract Background: Placenta specific 8 (PLAC8) is a candidate oncogene involved in the development and progression of solid tumors. However, the status of PLAC8 in lung cancer (LC), especially non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still not lucid. Methods: Tissue microarray analysis (TMA) was performed to detect the expression patterns of PLAC8 in LC tissues and cell lines. Then a series of cellular experiments were performed fto assess cell proliferation, cell cycle profiles, and cell motility to explore the role of PLAC8 in NSCLC-derived cell lines: H1299 and A549. Results: TMA results showed that PLAC8 played complex and even contradictory roles… More >

DAOLUN YU¹, DEYONG SHE², KAI GE¹, LEI YANG¹, RUINA ZHAN¹, SHAN LU^3,*, YAFEI CAI^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.1, pp. 139-147, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.045884

Abstract Background: SMAD family proteins (SMADs) are crucial transcription factors downstream of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-ß)/SMAD signaling pathways that have been reported to play a pivotal role in mammalian reproduction. However, the role of SMAD family member 8 (SMAD8, also known as SMAD9), a member of the SMAD family, in mammalian reproduction remains unclear. Methods: We employed RNA interference techniques to knock down Smad8 expression in mouse granulosa cells (GCs) to investigate the effects of Smad8 on GC growth and steroidogenesis. Results: Our findings revealed a significant decrease in the proliferative capacity and a substantial increase in the apoptosis rate… More >

SEUNG-HEE GWAK¹, JUHYUN LEE¹, EUNJI OH¹, DOHYUN LEE^1,2, WONSHIK HAN³, JONGMIN KIM^1,*, KYONG-TAI KIM^4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.2, pp. 421-432, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.031031

Abstract Genetic information is transcribed from genomic DNA to mRNA, which is then translated into three-dimensional proteins. mRNAs can undergo various post-transcriptional modifications, including RNA editing that alters mRNA sequences, ultimately affecting protein function. In this study, RNA editing was identified at the 499th base (c.499) of human vaccinia-related kinase 2 (VRK2). This RNA editing changes the amino acid in the catalytic domain of VRK2 from isoleucine (with adenine base) to valine (with guanine base). Isoleucine-containing VRK2 has higher kinase activity than the valine-containing VRK2, which leads to an increase in tumor cell proliferation. Earlier we reported that VRK2 directly interacts… More > Graphic Abstract

KUO-SHYANG JENG¹, PO-YU CHENG², YUEH-HSIEN LIN², PO-CHUN LIU², PING-HUI TSENG³, YU-CHAO WANG⁴, CHIUNG-FANG CHANG⁵, CHUEN-MIIN LEU^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 163-174, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030975

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. Current therapies are effective for HCC patients with early disease, but many patients suffer recurrence after surgery and have a poor response to chemotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic targets are needed. We analyzed gene expression profiles between HCC tissues and normal adjacent tissues from public databases and found that the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism was significantly different. The analysis showed that AKR1C3 was upregulated in tumors, and high AKR1C3 expression was associated with a poorer prognosis in HCC patients. In vitro, assays demonstrated that the knockdown of AKR1C3… More >

MAKOTO KAWATANI^1,2,*, HARUMI AONO², SAYOKO HIRANUMA³, TAKESHI SHIMIZU³, MAKOTO MUROI^1,2, TOSHIHIKO NOGAWA⁴, TOMOKAZU OHISHI⁵, SHUN-ICHI OHBA⁵, MANABU KAWADA⁵, KANAMI YAMAZAKI⁶, SHINGO DAN⁶, NAOSHI DOHMAE¹, HIROYUKI OSADA^2,7,*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.6, pp. 833-844, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030241

Abstract Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is a central enzyme of the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway and is a promising drug target for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune diseases. This study presents the identification of a potent DHODH inhibitor by proteomic profiling. Cell-based screening revealed that NPD723, which is reduced to H-006 in cells, strongly induces myeloid differentiation and inhibits cell growth in HL-60 cells. H-006 also suppressed the growth of various cancer cells. Proteomic profiling of NPD723-treated cells in ChemProteoBase showed that NPD723 was clustered with DHODH inhibitors. H-006 potently inhibited human DHODH activity in vitro, whereas NPD723 was approximately… More >

Yue Jin¹, Lulu Zhi¹, Xin Tang¹, Yilin Chen¹, John T. Hancock², Xiangyang Hu^1,*

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.92, No.8, pp. 2211-2225, 2023, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2023.026595

Abstract Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a ubiquitous four-carbon non-protein amino acid that is involved in various physiological processes of plant growth and development, such as root architecture, stem elongation, leaf senescence, pollen tube growth, fruit ripening, and seed germination. GABA is also related to plant stress responses, such as drought, salt, cold, and heat stresses. Regulation of GABA in plant stress responses is complex and involves multiple signaling pathways, including calcium and hormone signaling. This paper systematically reviews the synthesis, metabolic pathways and regulatory role of GABA in plants, which will provide new insights into the understanding of plant growth and… More >

Genglong Zhu^*, Xialei Liu^*, Yonghui Su^†, Fangen Kong^‡, Xiaopeng Hong^*, Zhidong Lin^†

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.1, pp. 55-64, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15201143705855

Abstract Liver cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Accumulating evidence has highlighted the critical role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various cancers. The present study aimed to explore the role of lncRNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) in cell growth and migration in MHCC97 cells and its underlying mechanism. First, we assessed the expression of UCA1 in MHCC97 and three other cell lines by RT-qPCR. Then the expression of UCA1, miR-301a, and CXCR4 in MHCC97 cells was altered by transient transfection. The effects of UCA1 and miR-301 on cell… More >

Wei-Zhen Liu, Nian Liu

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.1, pp. 1-8, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15172738893959

Abstract Propofol has been widely used in lung cancer resections. Some studies have demonstrated that the effects of propofol might be mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs). This study aimed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of propofol on lung cancer cells by regulation of miR-1284. A549 cells were treated with different concentrations of propofol, while transfected with miR-1284 inhibitor, si-FOXM1, and their negative controls. Cell viability, migration, and invasion, and the expression of miR-1284, FOXM1, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) factors were detected by CCK-8, Transwell, qRT-PCR, and Western blot assays, respectively. In addition, the regulatory and binding relationships among propofol, miR-1284, and… More >

Teng Liu^*, Juan Xu^†, Hong Li Yan^‡, Feng Chun Cheng^*, Xi Jie Liu^*

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.7, pp. 773-778, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15208986577685

Abstract Luteolin, which is found in plant foods, has a range of therapeutic applications. In order to examine the potential roles of luteolin in ovarian teratocarcinoma, the human ovarian teratocarcinoma cell line PA-1 was selected for functional experiments in vitro and in vivo. We demonstrated that luteolin inhibited the proliferation and colony formation of PA-1 cells in vitro. The flow cytometry results suggested that luteolin induced apoptosis of PA-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Immunofluorescence and qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) was decreased in luteolin-treated cells, whereas the expression of Bcl-2- associated X (Bax) was increased… More >

Zhongyi Mu^*†1, Dan Dong^*1, Ning Wei^‡§, Mingli Sun^¶, Wei Wang^*, Yue Shao^*, Jian Gao^*, Ping Yin^*, Chenghai Zhao^*

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.6, pp. 653-661, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15420748671075

Abstract The lncRNA AFAP1-AS1, oriented from an antisense direction to the protein-coding gene AFAP1 in the opposite strand, was upregulated in a variety of tumors and associated with poor prognosis, including lung cancer, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and so on. However, the biological role of AFAP1-AS1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is still unknown. We observed that AFAP1-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in ccRCC tissues and that patients with high-level expression of AFAP1-AS1 had a shorter overall survival. Knockdown of AFAP1-AS1 markedly suppressed the progression of proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT in ccRCC cells. Downregulation of AFAP1-AS1 resulted in… More >