Hailong Li^1,#, Wen Ouyang^2,#, Yiyin Long¹, Yun Peng¹, Ziyi Liu¹, Qi Zhou¹, Rong Xu^1,*, Wei Du^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.9, pp. 2549-2571, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2025.065050 - 28 August 2025

Abstract Background: The study aimed to explore the clinical value of mitochondrial ribosomal protein L18 (MRPL18) in breast cancer. Methods: Multiple databases were used to validate the expression of MRPL18. The prognostic impact and predictive value of MRPL18 were evaluated by using predictive models. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed by using GeneMANIA. Enrichment analysis is used to explore the signaling pathway regulated by MRPL18. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assays, colony formation, migration assays, flow cytometry, and xenograft models were employed to evaluate the role of MRPL18 in tumor progression. The immune response of MRPL18 was More >

Hongjuan Guo¹, Dan Liu^1,2, Ruyu Yan^1,2, Tianjing Zhang³, Kecheng Zhou^1,2,*, Minxia Liu^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.49, No.3, pp. 483-502, 2025, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2025.062143 - 31 March 2025

Abstract Objectives: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents a formidable malignancy characterized by its marked metastatic potential and intrinsic resistance to therapeutic interventions. The identification of potential biomarkers delineating the progression and metastatic cascade of NSCLC assumes paramount importance in fostering advancements toward enhanced patient outcomes and prognostic stratification. Methods: The expression level of the actin-related protein 2/3 complex; subunit 1A (ARPC1A) in NSCLC was evaluated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases; along with the LinkedOmics database for co-expression genes. Further verification of ARPC1A expression in normal lung cells… More >

PEILING WU^#, LIFANG ZHAO^#, HONGYAN ZHANG, YUEYAN LOU, DONGFANG CHEN, SHAN XUE, XUEQING LIU^*, HANDONG JIANG^*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.9, pp. 1439-1452, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.047490 - 23 August 2024

Abstract Objectives: The pro-oncogenic effects of NCAPD2 have been extensively studied across various tumor types; however, its precise role within the context of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the biological functions of NCAPD2 in LUAD and unravel the underlying mechanistic pathways. Methods: Utilizing bioinformatics methodologies, we explored the differential expression of NCAPD2 between normal and tumor samples, along with its correlations with clinical-pathological characteristics, survival prognosis, and immune infiltration. Results: In the TCGA-LUAD dataset, tumor samples demonstrated significantly elevated levels of NCAPD2 expression compared to normal samples (p < 0.001). Clinically, higher… More >

KUN FENG^1,#, HAO PENG^2,#, QINGPENG LV¹, YEWEI ZHANG^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.6, pp. 1063-1078, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.047078 - 23 May 2024

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy known for its unfavorable prognosis. The dysregulation of the tumor microenvironment (TME) can affect the sensitivity to immunotherapy or chemotherapy, leading to treatment failure. The elucidation of PHLDA2’s involvement in HCC is imperative, and the clinical value of PHLDA2 is also underestimated. Here, bioinformatics analysis was performed in multiple cohorts to explore the phenotype and mechanism through which PHLDA2 may affect the progression of HCC. Then, the expression and function of PHLDA2 were examined via the qRT-PCR, Western Blot, and MTT assays. Our findings indicate a substantial upregulation of… More >

XIAOFENG GAO^1,2,3,4, JUANJUAN GE³, XUZHENG GAO^1,3, NA MEI^1,3, YANTING SU³, SHIGANG SHAN³, WENBIN QIAN³, JIANGHENG GUAN⁵, ZHENWANG ZHANG^1,3,*, LONG WANG^2,3,4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.4, pp. 659-678, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.046712 - 20 March 2024

Abstract Background: IQGAP3 plays a crucial role in regulating cell proliferation, division, and cytoskeletal organization. Abnormal expression of IQGAP3 has been linked to various tumors, but its function in glioma is not well understood. Methods: Various methods, including genetic differential analysis, single-cell analysis, ROC curve analysis, Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and enrichment analysis, were employed to analyze the expression patterns, diagnostic potential, prognostic implications, and biological processes involving IQGAP3 in normal and tumor tissues. The impact of IQGAP3 on immune infiltration and the immune microenvironment in gliomas was evaluated using immunofluorescence. Additionally, the cBioPortal database was used… More > Graphic Abstract

QIOU GU¹, CHUILIN LAI¹, XIAO GUAN¹, JING ZHU², TIAN ZHAN¹, JIANPING ZHANG^1,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 253-269, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.028336 - 23 February 2024

Abstract Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a serious threat to human health worldwide. Oxaliplatin is a platinum analog and is widely used to treat CRC. However, resistance to oxaliplatin restricts its effectiveness and application while its target recognition and mechanism of action also remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to develop an oxaliplatin-resistant prognostic model to clarify these aspects. Methods: We first obtained oxaliplatin-resistant and parental cell lines, and identified oxaliplatin-resistant genes using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and differential gene analysis. We then acquired relevant data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases.… More > Graphic Abstract

QI XIA¹, XING CHEN², QINGHUA MA³, XIANXIU WEN^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 217-228, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027414 - 23 February 2024

Abstract Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Immune features play an important role in improving the prognosis prediction of BC. However, while previous immune signatures consisted mainly of immune genes, immune cell-based signatures have been rarely reported. Methods: In this study, we report that a novel immune cell signature is effective in improving prognostic prediction by combining M2 macrophages. We identified 17 differentially infiltrating immune cells between cancer and normal groups. Prognostic features of the four immune cells identified by LASSO COX analysis showed… More >

JIECHUAN QIU¹, TIANMIN YANG¹, YANNING SUN², KAI SUN², YINGKUN XU³, QINGHUA XIA^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.3, pp. 545-561, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030462 - 06 February 2024

Abstract This research aims to identify the key fatty acid beta-oxidation (FAO) genes that are altered in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and to analyze the role of these genes in KIRC. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and FAO datasets were used to identify these key genes. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to assess the levels of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase medium chain (ACADM) between KIRC and non-cancer samples. The logistic regression and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used to explore the association between ACADM and clinical features. The diagnostic performance of ACADM for KIRC was… More >

SHUANGSHUANG ZENG^1,2, XI CHEN^1,2, QIAOLI YI^1,2, ABHIMANYU THAKUR³, HUI YANG^4,*, YUANLIANG YAN^1,2, SHAO LIU^1,2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.2, pp. 261-272, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.042345 - 28 December 2023

Abstract Finding biomarkers for immunotherapy is an urgent issue in cancer treatment. Cellular retinoic acid-binding protein 2 (CRABP2) is a controversial factor in the occurrence and development of human tumors. However, there is limited research on the relationship between CRABP2 and immunotherapy response. This study found that negative correlations of CRABP2 and immune checkpoint markers (PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4) were observed in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) and testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT). In particular, in SKCM patients who were treated with PD-1 inhibitors, high levels of CRABP2 predicted poor… More >

JUAN SHEN^1,#, WEIYU ZHANG^2,3,#, QINQIN JIN^2,3,#, FUYU GONG^4,#, HEPING ZHANG⁵, HONGLIANG XU⁵, JIEJIE LI^2,3, HUI YAO^2,3, XIYA JIANG^2,3, YINTING YANG^2,3, LIN HONG^2,3, JIE MEI^2,3, YANG SONG^6,*, SHUGUANG ZHOU^2,3,7,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.2, pp. 339-351, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030887 - 28 December 2023

Abstract Background: Invasive breast carcinoma (BRCA) is associated with poor prognosis and high risk of mortality. Therefore, it is critical to identify novel biomarkers for the prognostic assessment of BRCA. Methods: The expression data of polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) in BRCA and the corresponding clinical information were extracted from TCGA and GEO databases. PLK1 expression was validated in diverse breast cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) was performed to evaluate immune infiltration in the BRCA microenvironment, and the random forest (RF) and… More >