The Study of a Novel Sorafenib Derivative HLC-080 as an Antitumor Agent

In this study, our objective is to evaluate the potential of a novel Sorafenib derivative, named HLC-080, as a new anticancer agent for colon cancer. We firstly carried out MTT assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry analysis and transwell invasion assay to determine effect of our compound HLC-080 on cell viability, anti-proliferation activity, cell cycle arrest and the intervention on cell invasion, respectively. On the other hand, in vivo antitumor activity of HLC-080 was also tested using H22 xenograft model and the angiogenesis effect of HLC-080 was measured by EA.hy926 tube formation assay. The expression levels of various proteins in HLC-080 treated with HT-29 cell lines were examined using Western blot and ELISA experiments. The results showed that HLC-080 could dramatically inhibit the growth and colony formation of various tumor cells, therefore exhibited remarkable antitumor activity. HLC-080 can induce cell cycle arrest at G1 phase in HT-29 cells and subsequently inhibit the invasive potential of colon cancer cells. HLC-080 also exhibits anti-angiogenesis effect in EA.hy926 model. Additionally, the in vivo study showed that HLC-080 was able to reduced the tumor weight with the rate of 35.81%. And at the concentration of 0.352±0.034 µM, HLC-080 is able to reduce half of the regular protein level of p-c-Raf (Ser259), consequently block Raf/MEK/ERK signaling in HT-29 cell lines. In conclusion, our study suggests that Sorafenib derivative HLC-080 has the potential to inhibit cell proliferation and angiogenesis, Since, HLC-080 is particularly active against human colon cancer cells, our study highlights that HLC-080 and its related analogues may serve as a new anti-cancer drug, particularly against colon cancer.     

Suppression of Tumor Growth by Pleurotus ferulae Ethanol Extract through Induction of Cell Apoptosis,and Inhibition of Cell Proliferation and Migration

Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Edible medicinal mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine as regimes for cancer patients. Recently anti-cancer bioactive components from some mushrooms have been isolated and their anti-cancer effects have been tested. Pleurotus ferulae, a typical edible medicinal mushroom in Xinjiang China, has also been used to treat cancer patients in folk medicine. However, little studies have been reported on the anti-cancer components of Pleurotus ferulae. This study aims to extract bioactive components from Pleurotus ferulae and to investigate the anti-cancer effects of the extracts. We used ethanol to extract anti-cancer bioactive components enriched with terpenoids from Pleurotus ferulae. We tested the anti-tumour effects of ethanol extracts on the melanoma cell line B16F10, the human gastric cancer cell line BGC 823 and the immortalized human gastric epithelial mucosa cell line GES-1 in vitro and a murine melanoma model in vivo. Cell toxicity and cell proliferation were measured by MTT assays. Cell cycle progression, apoptosis, caspase 3 activity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), migration and gene expression were studied in vitro. PFEC suppressed tumor cell growth, inhibited cell proliferation, arrested cells at G0/G1 phases and was not toxic to non-cancer cells. PFEC also induced cell apoptosis and necrosis, increased caspase 3 activity, reduced the MMP, prevented cell invasion and changed the expression of genes associated with apoptosis and the cell cycle. PFEC delayed tumor formation and reduced tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, ethanol extracted components from Pleurotus ferulae exert anti-cancer effects through direct suppression of tumor cell growth and invasion, demonstrating its therapeutic potential in cancer treatment.     

Knockdown of Lymphoid Enhancer factor 1 Inhibits Colon Cancer Progression In Vitro and In Vivo

Expression of lymphoid enhancer factor 1 (LEF1) is frequently altered in different human cancers. This study aimed to assess LEF1 expression in colon cancer tissues and to explore changed phenotypes, gene expressions, and the possible mechanism after knocked down LEF1 expression in colon cancer cell lines. A total of 106 colon cancer and matched paratumorous normal tissues were used to assess LEF1 expression using immunohistochemistry and qRT-PCR. LEF1 lentivirus was used to knockdown LEF1 expression for the assessment of cell viability, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and gene expressions. The nude mouse xenograft assay was performed to detect the effects of LEF1 knockdown in vivo. The data showed that the levels of LEF1 mRNA and protein were significantly increased in human colon cancer tissues compared to the matched paratumorous normal tissues and were associated with infiltration depth, lymph node and distant metastases, advanced TNM (tumor-node-metastasis) stages, and shorter overall survival. Furthermore, LEF1 knockdown reduced tumor cell viability, invasion capacity, MMP2 and MMP-9 expression, but induced apoptosis. Nude mouse xenograft assay showed that LEF1 knockdown suppressed tumor formation and growth in vivo. In addition, the expression of Notch pathway-related proteins RBP-jκ and Hes1 was reduced in LEF1 knockdown cells. Taken together, LEF1 protein was overexpressed in colon cancer tissues and knockdown of LEF1 expression inhibited colon cancer growth in vitro and in vivo. These data suggest that targeting of LEF1 expression should be further evaluated for colon cancer prevention and therapy.     

Silencing of Jagged1 inhibits cell growth and invasion in colorectal cancer

Dysregulated Notch signaling has a critical role in the tumorigenesis. Jagged1, a Notch ligand, is overexpressed in various human cancers. Recent studies revealed the involvement of Jagged1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. These basic studies provide a promising potential for inhibition of the Notch pathway for the treatment of CRC. Herein, we aimed to investigate the consequences of targeting Jagged1 using shRNA on CRC both in vitro and in vivo to test their potential to inhibit this key element for CRC treatment. We found that downregulation of Jagged1 with lentiviral Jagged1-shRNA resulted in decreased colon cancer cell viability in vitro, most likely mediated through reduced cell proliferation. Importantly, Jagged1 knockdown induced G₀/G₁ phase cell cycle arrest, with reduced Cyclin D1, Cyclin E and c-Myc expression. Silencing of Jagged1 reduced the migration and invasive capacity of the colon cancer cells in vitro. Furthermore, colon cancer cells with knockdown of Jagged1 had much slower growth rate than control cells in a xenograft mouse model in vivo, with a marked downregulation of cell proliferation markers (PCNA, Ki-67, and c-Myc) and metastasis markers (MMP-2 and MMP-9). These findings rationalize a mechanistic approach to CRC treatment based on Jagged1-targeted therapeutic development.     

Progression of Human Renal Cell Carcinoma via Inhibition of RhoA-ROCK Axis by PARG1

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal urological malignancy with high risk of recurrence; thus, new prognostic biomarkers are needed. In this study, a new RCC antigen, PTPL1 associated RhoGAP1 (PARG1), was identified by using serological identification of recombinant cDNA expression cloning with sera from RCC patients. PARG1 protein was found to be differentially expressed in RCC cells among patients. High PARG1 expression is significantly correlated with various clinicopathological factors relating to cancer cell proliferation and invasion, including G3 percentage (P = .0046), Ki-67 score (p expression is also correlated with high recurrence of N0M0 patients (P = .0084) and poor prognosis in RCC patients (P = .0345). Multivariate analysis has revealed that high PARG1 expression is an independent factor for recurrence (P = .0149) of N0M0 RCC patients. In in vitro studies, depletion of PARG1by siRNA in human RCC cell lines inhibited their proliferation through inducing G1 cell cycle arrest via upregulation of p53 and subsequent p21^Cip1/Waf1, which are mediated by increased RhoA-ROCK activities. Similarly, PARG1 depletion cells inhibited invasion ability via increasing RhoA-ROCK activities in the RCC cell lines. Conversely, overexpression of PARG1 on human embryonic kidney cell line HEK293T promotes its cell proliferation and invasion. These results indicate that PARG1 plays crucial roles in progression of human RCC in increasing cell proliferation and invasion ability via inhibition of the RhoA-ROCK axis, and PARG1 is a poor prognostic marker, particularly for high recurrence of N0M0 RCC patients.     

Real‐time cell cycle imaging during melanoma growth,invasion, and drug response

Solid cancers are composed of heterogeneous zones containing proliferating and quiescent cells. Despite considerable insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying aberrant cell cycle progression, there is limited understanding of the relationship between the cell cycle on the one side, and melanoma cell motility, invasion, and drug sensitivity on the other side. Utilizing the fluorescent ubiquitination‐based cell cycle indicator (FUCCI) to longitudinally monitor proliferation and migration of melanoma cells in 3D culture and in vivo, we found that invading melanoma cells cycle actively, while G1‐arrested cells showed decreased invasion. Melanoma cells in a hypoxic environment or treated with mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway inhibitors remained G1‐arrested for extended periods of time, with proliferation and invasion resuming after re‐exposure to a more favorable environment. We challenge the idea that the invasive and proliferative capacity of melanoma cells are mutually exclusive and further demonstrate that a reversibly G1‐arrested subpopulation survives in the presence of targeted therapies.     

Silencing ARHGAP9 correlates with the risk of breast cancer and inhibits the proliferation,migration, and invasion of breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common malignant tumors in women, and screening relevant genes and markers that are involved in BC tumor genesis and progression is of great value. We previously found that messenger RNA expression of ARHGAP9 was high in BC tissue, but it is unclear whether ARHGAP9 participates in the progression of human BC. In this study, we found that ARHGAP9 expression was correlated with poor patient survival, American Joint Committee on Cancer clinical staging, tumor size, and tumor differentiation. MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells exhibited higher expression of ARHGAP9 than other human BC cell lines (HCC1937, MDA‐MB‐453, ZR‐75‐1, and Hs 578T). Knockdown of ARHGAP9 in human BC cells markedly reduced the cell proliferation, migration, and invasive ability of MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Furthermore, small interfering RNA (siRNA) of ARHGAP9 also induced G0‐G1 cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. Expressions of cell cycle markers (CDK2 and CCNB1) and invasion‐related protein (RhoC and MTA1) were downregulated in siRNA‐ARHGAP9‐transfected cells. siRNA of ARHGAP9 also inhibited the phosphorylation of mitogen‐activated protein kinases in BC cells. In conclusion, the abnormal expression of ARHGAP9 may correlate with the genesis, development, and diagnosis of BC.     

Down-Regulation of Filamin Ainteracting protein 1-like Is Associated with Promoter Methylation and an Invasive Phenotype in Breast,Colon, Lung and Pancreatic Cancers

Identifying key mediators of cancer cell invasion and metastasis is critical to the development of more effective cancer therapies. We previously identified Filamin A interacting protein 1-like (FILIP1L) as an important inhibitor of cell migration and invasion in ovarian cancer. FILIP1L expression was inversely correlated with the invasive potential of ovarian cancer cell lines and ovarian cancer specimens. We also demonstrated that DNA methylation in the FILIP1L promoter was a mechanism by which FILIP1L was down-regulated in ovarian cancer. In our present study, we tested this observation in other cancer histologies: breast, colon, lung and pancreatic cancers. Both mRNA and protein expression of FILIP1L were down-regulated in these cancer cells compared with their normal epithelial cells. As in ovarian cancer, DNA methylation is a mechanism by which FILIP1L is down-regulated in these cancer histologies. Methylation status of the FILIP1L promoter was inversely correlated with FILIP1L expression. Reduced methylation in the FILIP1L promoter following treatment with a DNA demethylating agent was associated with restoration of FILIP1L expression in these cancer cells. Further, FILIP1L expression was inversely correlated with the invasive potential of these cancer cells. Re-expression of FILIP1L in FILIP1L-low expressing, highly-invasive cancer cell lines resulted in inhibition of cell invasion. Correspondingly, knockdown of FILIP1L in FILIP1L-high expressing, low-invasive cancer cell lines resulted in increase of cell invasion. Overall, these findings suggest that down-regulation of FILIP1L associated with DNA methylation is related with the invasive phenotype in various cancers. Thus, modulation of FILIP1L expression has the potential to be a target for cancer therapy.     

Gomisin A ameliorates metastatic melanoma by inhibiting AMPK and ERK/JNK-mediated cell survival and metastatic phenotypes

BackgroundGomisin A (G.A), a lignan compound extracted from the fruits of Schisandra chinensis, is known to exert anti-tumor effects on hepatocarcinoma and colorectal cancer cells. Suppression of proliferation and metastatic abilities of cancer cells are some effective cancer treatment methods.PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the effects of G.A on metastatic melanoma, and the mechanism by which it affects metastatic melanoma.Study designThe anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects of G.A were observed in in vitro and in vivo.MethodsWST assay and flow cytometry were conducted to investigate the effect of G.A on proliferation, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis in metastatic melanoma cell lines. Migration and invasion abilities of G.A-treated melanoma cells were observed by wound healing and invasion assays.ResultsG.A (25–100 μM) decreased the viability of melanoma cells by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These anti-proliferative effects of G.A were found to be mediated by AMPK, ERK, and JNK activation. G.A (5–20 μM) decreased the migration and invasion of melanoma cells by suppressing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Consequently, G.A (2–50 mg/kg) inhibited lung metastasis by suppressing EMT and inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in melanoma cells.ConclusionThese results conclude that G.A has the potential to reduce metastatic melanoma through its anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic effects.     

MicroRNA-302a Functions as a Putative Tumor Suppressor in Colon Cancer by Targeting Akt

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators involved in various physical and pathological processes, including cancer. The miRNA-302 family has been documented as playing a critical role in carcinogenesis. In this study, we investigated the role of miRNA-302a in colon cancer. MiRNA-302a expression was detected in 44 colon cancer tissues and 10 normal colon tissues, and their clinicopathological significance was analyzed. Cell proliferation and cell cycle analysis were performed on colon cancer cells that stably expressed miRNA-302a. The target gene of miRNA-302a and the downstream pathway were further investigated. Compared with normal colon tissues, miRNA-302a expression was downregulated in colon cancer tissues. Overexpression of miRNA-302a induced G1/S cell cycle arrest in colon cancer cells, and suppressed colon cancer cell proliferation both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, miRNA-302a inhibited AKT expression by directly binding to its 3′ untranslated region, resulting in subsequent alterations of the AKT-GSK3β-cyclin D1 pathway. These results reveal miRNA-302a as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer, suggesting that miRNA-302a may be used as a potential target for therapeutic intervention in colon cancer.     

Methylselenol,a selenium metabolite,modulates p53 pathway and inhibits the growth of colon cancer xenografts in Balb/c mice

It is has been hypothesized that methylselenol is a critical selenium metabolite for anticancer activity in vivo. In this study, we used a protein array which contained 112 different antibodies known to be involved in the p53 pathway to investigate the molecular targets of methylselenol in human HCT116 colon cancer cells. The array analysis indicated that methylselenol exposure changed the expression of 11 protein targets related to the regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. Subsequently, we confirmed these proteins with the Western blotting approach, and found that methylselenol increased the expression of GADD 153 and p21 but reduced the level of c-Myc, E2F1 and Phos p38 MAP kinase. Similar to our previous report on human HCT116 colon cancer cells, methylselenol also inhibited cell growth and led to an increase in G1 and G2 fractions with a concomitant drop in S-phase in mouse colon cancer MC26 cells. When the MC26 cells were transplanted to their immune-competent Balb/c mice, methylselenol-treated MC26 cells had significantly less tumor growth potential than that of untreated MC26 cells. Taken together, our data suggest that methylselenol modulates the expression of key genes related to cell cycle and apoptosis and inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth.     

Breast Cancer Cell Line Aggregate Morphology Does Not Predict Invasive Capacity

To invade and metastasize to distant loci, breast cancer cells must breach the layer of basement membrane surrounding the tumor and then invade through the dense collagen I-rich extracellular environment of breast tissue. Previous studies have shown that breast cancer cell aggregate morphology in basement membrane extract correlated with cell invasive capacity in some contexts. Moreover, cell lines from the same aggregate morphological class exhibited similarities in gene expression patterns. To further assess the capacity of cell and aggregate morphology to predict invasive capacity in physiologically relevant environments, six cell lines with varied cell aggregate morphologies were assessed in a variety of assays including a 3D multicellular invasion assay that recapitulates cell-cell and cell-environment contacts as they exist in vivo in the context of the primary breast tumor. Migratory and invasive capacities as measured through a 2D gap assay and a 3D spheroid invasion assay reveal that breast cancer cell aggregate morphology alone is insufficient to predict migratory speed in 2D or invasive capacity in 3D. Correlations between the 3D spheroid invasion assay and gene expression profiles suggest this assay as an inexpensive functional method to predict breast cancer invasive capacity.     

Garcinone C suppresses colon tumorigenesis through the Gli1-dependent hedgehog signaling pathway

BackgroundAlthough garcinone C, a natural xanthone derivative identified in the pericarp of Garcinia mangostana, has been demonstrated to exert different health beneficial activities in oxidative stress and β-amyloid aggregation, the role of garcinone C in colon tumorigenesis has not been investigated. In addition, aberrant Hedgehog (Hh) signaling activation is associated with tumorigenesis including colon cancer. Here, we hypothesized that garcinone C can prevent colon tumorigenesis through regulating the Hh signaling pathway.MethodColony formation assay and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the effect of garcinone C on the proliferation and cell cycle progression of colon cancer cells. Protein expression of cell cycle related markers and Hh/Gli1 signaling mediators were determined. The regulatory effect of orally administered garcinone C on the Hh/Gli1 signaling pathway and colon tumorigenesis was evaluated in an azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colon cancer animal model.ResultsGarcinone C suppressed the proliferation of colon cancer cells, induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, as well as regulated the expression of cell cycle-related markers such as cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK6, and p21. Garcinone C inhibited the expression of Gli1, a key mediator of Hedgehog signaling, and protein kinase B (AKT) phosphorylation in Smo-independent colon cancer cells. In the AOM/DSS-induced colon tumorigenesis model, garcinone C significantly inhibited tumor development, regulated the expression of cell cycle markers and Gli1, and reduced AKT phosphorylation in colon tumor tissues, which is consistent with our in vitro results.ConclusionGarcinone C can suppress colon tumorigenesis in vitro and in vivo through Gli1-dependent non-canonical Hedgehog signaling, suggesting that it may serve as a potent chemopreventive agent against colon tumorigenesis.     

IgG silencing induces apoptosis and suppresses proliferation,migration and invasion in LNCaP prostate cancer cells

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) has been implicated in the progression of various cancers. This study explored the role of IgG in the proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle and in vitro invasive properties of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. We used IGHG1 small interfering RNA to silence IgG1 expression in LNCaP cells. The efficacy of IgG1 gene knockdown was confirmed using qPCR and western blotting. The colony formation, proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of LNCaP cells after transfection were assessed using colony-forming, flow cytometry and transwell assays. The expressions of PCNA and caspase-3 proteins in LNCaP cells after transfection were detected with immunofluorescence staining and western blotting. IgG1 silencing significantly decreased the colony formation, survival, cell cycle progression, migration and invasion of LNCaP cells (p?<?0.05). IgG1 silencing also reduced the amount of the proliferation marker PCNA and induced formation of the apoptotic marker caspase-3 (p?<?0.05). Our results show that IgG1 produced by LNCaP cells confers advantages for tumor cell survival, proliferation, migration and invasion, suggesting that IgG1 is a potential target for prostate cancer treatment.