Yi Zhang¹, Hua Jin^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.8, pp. 1529-1543, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.066479 - 29 August 2025

Abstract Objectives: The present study investigated whether Tripartite Motif-Containing Protein 32 (TRIM32) contributes to the aberrant activation of keloid fibroblasts (KFs) via glycolysis. Methods: The expression levels of TRIM32, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1), hexokinase 2 (HK2), and glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) in normal human skin fibroblasts (NFs) and KFs were analyzed using RT-qPCR analyses and western blotting. Cellular proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated using Transwell, wound healing, 5-ethynyl-2^′-deoxyuridine (EdU), and cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays. The extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) was measured using the XF96 Extracellular Flux Analyzer. Glucose uptake and ATP production were measured using… More >

EDMUND CHEUNG SO^1,2,#, LOUIS W. C. CHOW^3,#, CHIN-MIN CHUANG⁴, CING YU CHEN^5,6, CHENG-HSUN WU⁷, LIAN-RU SHIAO⁸, TING-TSZ OU⁹, KAR-LOK WONG¹⁰, YUK-MAN LEUNG^8,*, YI-PING HUANG^8,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.2, pp. 397-406, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.052743 - 16 January 2025

Abstract Objectives: Mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter (MCU) provides a Ca²⁺ influx pathway from the cytosol into the mitochondrial matrix and a moderate mitochondrial Ca²⁺ rise stimulates ATP production and cell growth. MCU is highly expressed in various cancer cells including breast cancer cells, thereby increasing the capacity of mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uptake, ATP production, and cancer cell proliferation. The objective of this study was to examine MCU inhibition as an anti-cancer mechanism. Methods: The effects of MCU-i4, a newly developed MCU inhibitor, on cell viability, apoptosis, cytosolic Ca²⁺, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ and potential, glycolytic rate, generation of ATP, and reactive oxygen species,… More >

LEI WANG¹, XIANJIN XIE^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.1, pp. 123-132, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.048562 - 20 December 2024

Abstract Background: To investigate SCL/TAL 1 interrupting locus (STIL)’s role and prognostic significance in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) progression, we examined STIL and E2 promoter binding factor 1 (E2F1) expression and their impacts on LUAD prognosis using Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). Methods: Functional assays including CCK-8, wound-healing, 5-ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU), Transwell assays, and flow cytometry, elucidated STIL and E2F1’s effects on cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) identified potential pathways, while metabolic assays assessed glucose metabolism. Results: Our findings reveal that STIL and E2F1 are overexpressed in LUAD, correlating with adverse outcomes. It enhances More >

ELMIRA YAKUPOVA¹, VALENTINA BABENKO^1,2, ALEXEY BOCHARNIKOV¹, KSENIYA FEDULOVA¹, DENIS SILACHEV^1,2, EGOR PLOTNIKOV^1,2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.12, pp. 1827-1834, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.058496 - 30 December 2024

Abstract Background: The active use of stem and progenitor cells in the therapy of various diseases requires the development of approaches for targeted modification of their properties. One such approach is the induction of a pro- or anti-inflammatory phenotype. Methods: In this study, we investigated the effect of a pro-inflammatory environment in vitro on multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) by incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). iCELLigence real-time cell analysis system was used for monitoring cell culture growth. Cell energy metabolism was assessed using the Seahorse XFp Analyzer. For the rat stroke experiment, we used a photoinduced thrombosis (PT)… More >

YUQIN YIN^1,2,#, YU WU^1,#, HONGLIANG HUANG^1,2, YINGYING DUAN^1,2, ZHONGWEN YUAN^1,2, LIHUI CAO^1,2, JINJIN YING^1,2, YONGHENG ZHOU^3,*, SENLING FENG^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.12, pp. 1891-1902, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.048778 - 13 November 2024

Abstract Background: Polymethoxylated flavones (PMFs) are compounds present in citrus peels and other Rutaceae plants, which exhibit diverse biological activities, including robust antitumor and antioxidant effects. However, the mechanism of PMFs in reversing drug resistance to colon cancer remains unknown. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the potential connection between the aerobic glycolysis-ROS-autophagy signaling axis and the reversal of PTX resistance in colon cancer by PMFs. Methods: MTT Cell viability assay and colony formation assay were used to investigate the effect of PMFs combined with PTX in reversing HCT8/T cell resistance ex vivo; the mRNA… More > Graphic Abstract

ZIYONG LIU^1,#, TAO MA^1,#, JINFANG LI², WEI REN^1,*, ZHIXIN ZHANG^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.9, pp. 1453-1465, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.048315 - 23 August 2024

Abstract Background: Interleukin 13 receptor subunit alpha 2 (IL13RA2) plays an essential role in the progression of many cancers. However, the role of IL13RA2 in infantile haemangioma (IH) is still unknown. Materials and Methods: IL13RA2 expression in IH tissues was analyzed using western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunofluorescence. The role of IL13RA2 in haemangioma-derived endothelial cells (HemECs) was determined following knockdown or overexpression of IL13RA2 using CCK-8, colony formation, apoptosis, wound healing, tubule formation, Transwell, and western blot. Results: IL13RA2 expression was upregulated in IH tissues. IL13RA2 overexpression promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of HemECs and induced glycolysis, More >

XUHUI ZHAO^1,2, XIAOMIN HUANG¹, CHUNYAN DANG², XIA WANG¹, YUJIAO QI³, HONGLING LI^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.5, pp. 999-1009, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.046679 - 23 April 2024

Abstract Background: EBV-miR-BARTs exhibit significant relevance in epithelial tumors, particularly in EBV-associated gastric and nasopharyngeal cancers. However, their specific mechanisms in the initiation and progression of gastric cancer remain insufficiently explored. Material and Methods: Initially, EBV-miRNA-BART6-5p and its target gene SMAD4 expression were assessed in EBV-associated gastric cancer tissues and cell lines. Subsequent transfection induced overexpression of EBV-miRNA-BART6-5p in AGS and MKN-45, and downregulation in EBV-positive cells (SUN-719). The subsequent evaluation aimed to observe their impact on gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration, and glycolytic processes, with the TGF-β/SMAD4 signaling pathway value clarified using a TGF-β inhibitor. Results:… More >

CHENYANG CHEN^1,*, JUAN WEN¹, WEI HUANG¹, JIANG LI^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.11, pp. 2423-2433, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.044459 - 27 November 2023

Abstract Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic and progressive disease that is strongly associated with dysregulation of glucose metabolism. Alterations in nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 1 (NR4A1) activity alter the outcome of PAH. This study aimed to investigate the effects of NR4A1 on glycolysis in PAH and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: This study included twenty healthy volunteers and twenty-three PAH patients, and plasma samples were collected from the participants. To mimic the conditions of PAH in vitro, a hypoxia-induced model of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) model was established. The proliferation… More > Graphic Abstract

LIJUN DU¹, KAIKAI DOU¹, NIANHAI LIANG^1,2, JIANMIN SUN¹, RU BAI^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.3, pp. 547-554, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025048 - 03 January 2023

Abstract Background: The Warburg effect is considered as a hallmark of various types of cancers, while the regulatory mechanism is poorly understood. Our previous study demonstrated that miR-194-5p directly targets and regulates insulin-like growth factor1 receptor (IGF1R). In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-194-5p in the regulation of the Warburg effect in ovarian cancer cells. Methods: The stable ovarian cell lines with miR-194-5p overexpression or silencing IGF1R expression were established by lentivirus infection. ATP generation, glucose uptake, lactate production and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) assay were used to analyze the effects of aerobic… More >

ZECHAO LU^1,#, FUCAI TANG^1,#, HAOBIN ZHOU^2,#, ZEGUANG LU^3,#, WANYAN CAI^4,#, JIAHAO ZHANG⁵, ZHICHENG TANG⁶, YONGCHANG LAI^1,*, ZHAOHUI HE^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.2, pp. 339-350, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.023750 - 18 November 2022

Abstract Background: Establishing an appropriate prognostic model for PCa is essential for its effective treatment. Glycolysis is a vital energy-harvesting mechanism for tumors. Developing a prognostic model for PCa based on glycolysis-related genes is novel and has great potential. Methods: First, gene expression and clinical data of PCa patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and glycolysis-related genes were obtained from the Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). Gene enrichment analysis was performed to verify that glycolysis functions were enriched in the genes we obtained, which were used in non-negative matrix factorization… More >