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At least 325 records · Page 18

Margin Size is an Independent Predictor of Local Tumor Progression After Ablation of Colon Cancer Liver Metastases

This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between the minimal margin size and local tumor progression (LTP) following CT-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CLM). An institutional review board-approved, HIPPA-compliant review identified 73 patients with 94 previously untreated CLM that underwent RFA between March 2003 and May 2010, resulting in an ablation zone completely covering the tumor 4-8 weeks after RFA dynamic CT. Comparing the pre- with the post-RFA CT, the minimal margin size was categorized to 0, 1-5, 6-10, and 11-15 mm. Follow-up included CT every 2-4 months. Kaplan-Meier methodology and Cox regression analysis were used to evaluate the effect of the minimal margin size, tumor location, size, and proximity to a vessel on LTP. Forty-five of 94 (47.9 %) CLM progressed locally. Median LTP-free survival (LPFS) was 16 months. Two-year LPFS rates for ablated CLM with minimal margin of 0, 1-5 mm, 6-10 mm, 11-15 mm were 26, 46, 74, and 80 % (p < 0.011). Minimal margin (p = 0.002) and tumor size (p = 0.028) were independent risk factors for LTP. The risk for LTP decreased by 46 % for each 5-mm increase in minimal margin size, whereas each additional 5-mm increase in tumor size increased the risk of LTP by 22 %. An ablation zone with a minimal margin uniformly larger than 5 mm 4-8 weeks postablation CT is associated with the best local tumor control.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Hamiltonian Light-Front Field Theory: Recent Progress and Tantalizing Prospects

Fundamental theories, such as quantum electrodynamics and quantum chromodynamics promise great predictive power addressing phenomena over vast scales from the microscopic to cosmic scales. However, new non-perturbative tools are required for physics to span from one scale to the next. I outline recent theoretical and computational progress to build these bridges and provide illustrative results for Hamiltonian Light Front Field Theory. One key area is our development of basis function approaches that cast the theory as a Hamiltonian matrix problem while preserving a maximal set of symmetries. Regulating the theory with an external field that can be removed to obtain the continuum limit offers additional possibilities as seen in an application to the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron. Recent progress capitalizes on algorithm and computer developments for setting up and solving very large sparse matrix eigenvalue problems. Matrices with dimensions of 20 billion basis states are now solved on leadership-class computers for their low-lying eigenstates and eigenfunctions.

Physics↗

Could FDG-PET imaging play a role in the detection of progressing atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients?

Important progresses in the management of patients with human immunodeficiency virus, in particular the advent of new anti-retroviral therapies (ART), have turned this rapidly fatal condition into a controllable chronic disease with a life expectancy that approaches the one from the general population. Cardiovascular diseases have now become one of the leading causes of non-HIV-related mortality in this population. Several factors including the presence of HIV in the vascular wall and the development of dyslipidemia and alteration in body fat distribution under ART might play a role the progression of atherosclerosis in HIV-infected patients. The use of imaging biomarkers may help to identify the factors associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events and select high-risk patients who will benefit the most from the early implementation of preventive treatments.

62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗

Recent progresses on thermal–hydraulics evaluations of accident tolerant fuel cladding materials

Thermal–hydraulics (T-H) experiments have been on the progress to evaluate boiling heat transfer characteristics of accident tolerant fuel (ATF) candidates for further supporting the core-loading of these advanced ATF concepts in light water reactors (LWRs). Here this study covers recent experimental studies of ATF claddings and summarizes some significant results. Recent T-H experimental results of ATF cladding candidates demonstrated that the material thermal–physical properties have pronounced effects on critical heat flux (CHF). Such effects have not been well resolved in the current physics-governing models. These effects of cladding materials on CHF could be potentially rationalized by the material-conjugated boiling heat transfer, where the material-dominated heat conduction competes with the flow boiling-dominated heat convection. As progressively increasing the mass flux and/or liquid subcooling, CHF differences between different materials gradually decrease, which is in agreement with the recent T-H experimental results of ATF claddings. This is because the dominance of heat convection over heat conduction is primarily improved by liquid subcooling and/or mass flow rate. It is noteworthy that surface oxidization of claddings may have unknown impacts on T-H performances because the formation of oxide layers on cladding surfaces introduces variations of material thermal–physical properties and then changes the surface morphological features, which results in some difficulties in evaluating the thermal safety margins of ATF claddings.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

DACH1 regulates cell cycle progression of myeloid cells through the control of cyclin D, Cdk 4/6 and p21{sup Cip1}

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer DACH1 increases cyclin D, F and Cdk 1, 4, 6 in mouse myeloid progenitor cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The knockdown of DACH1 blocked the cell cycle progression of HL-60 cells. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The novel effect of DACH1 related with cell cycle regulation and leukemogenesis. -- Abstract: The cell-fate determination factor Dachshund, a component of the Retinal Determination Gene Network (RDGN), has a role in breast tumor proliferation through the repression of cyclin D1 and several key regulators of embryonic stem cell function, such as Nanog and Sox2. However, little is known about the role of DACH1 in a myeloid lineage as a cell cycle regulator. Here, we identified the differential expression levels of extensive cell cycle regulators controlled by DACH1 in myeloid progenitor cells. The forced expression of DACH1 induced p27{sup Kip1} and repressed p21{sup Cip1}, which is a pivotal characteristic of the myeloid progenitor. Furthermore, DACH1 significantly increased the expression of cyclin D1, D3, F, and Cdk 1, 4, and 6 in myeloid progenitor cells. The knockdown of DACH1 blocked the cell cycle progression of HL-60 promyeloblastic cells through the decrease of cyclin D1, D3, F, and Cdk 1, 4, and 6 and increase in p21{sup Cip1}, which in turn decreased the phosphorylation of the Rb protein. The expression of Sox2, Oct4, and Klf4 was significantly up-regulated by the forced expression of DACH1 in mouse myeloid progenitor cells.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

CHL1 is involved in human breast tumorigenesis and progression

Highlights: •CHL1 is down-regulation in breast cancer tissues. •Down-regulation of CHL1 is related to high grade. •Overexpression of CHL1 inhibits breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion in vitro. •CHL1 deficiency induces breast cancer cell proliferation and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. -- Abstract: Neural cell adhesion molecules (CAM) play important roles in the development and regeneration of the nervous system. The L1 family of CAMs is comprised of L1, Close Homolog of L1 (CHL1, L1CAM2), NrCAM, and Neurofascin, which are structurally related trans-membrane proteins in vertebrates. Although the L1CAM has been demonstrated play important role in carcinogenesis and progression, the function of CHL1 in human breast cancer is limited. Here, we found that CHL1 is down-regulated in human breast cancer and related to lower grade. Furthermore, overexpression of CHL1 suppresses proliferation and invasion in MDA-MB-231 cells and knockdown of CHL1 expression results in increased proliferation and invasion in MCF7 cells in vitro. Finally, CHL1 deficiency promotes tumor formation in vivo. Our results may provide a strategy for blocking breast carcinogenesis and progression.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

A PAUF-neutralizing antibody targets both carcinoma and endothelial cells to impede pancreatic tumor progression and metastasis

Highlights: • PMAb83, a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, impaired tumor progression in vivo. • PMAb83 attenuated aggressiveness of tumor cells and suppressed angiogenesis. • PMAb83 in combination with gemcitabine conferred improved survival of mouse model. - Abstract: Pancreatic adenocarcinoma up-regulated factor (PAUF) is expressed in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. Here we evaluate the anti-tumor efficacy of a human monoclonal antibody against PAUF, PMAb83, to provide a therapeutic intervention to treat the disease. PMAb83 reduced tumor growth and distant metastasis in orthotopically xenografted mice of human PDAC cells. PMAb83 treatment retarded proliferation along with weakened aggressiveness traits of the carcinoma cells. AKT/β-catenin signaling played a role in the carcinoma cell proliferation and the treated xenograft tumors exhibited reduced levels of β-catenin and cyclin D1. Moreover PMAb83 abrogated the PAUF-induced angiogenic responses of endothelial cells, reducing the density of CD31{sup +} vessels in the treated tumors. In combination with gemcitabine, PMAb83 conferred enhanced survival of xenografted mice by about twofold compared to gemcitabine alone. Taken together, our findings show that PMAb83 treatment decreases the aggressiveness of carcinoma cells and suppresses tumor vascularization, which culminates in mitigated tumor growth and metastasis with improved survival in PDAC mouse models.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

The single N-glycan deletion mutant of soluble ErbB3 protein attenuates heregulin β1-induced tumor progression by blocking of the HIF-1 and Nrf2 pathway

Highlights: • The sErbB3 N418Q mutant blocks heregulin β1 induced nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α. • The sErbB3 N418Q mutant attenuates cancer cell migration induced by heregulin β1. • The sErbB3 N418Q mutant blocks heregulin β1 induced nuclear accumulation of Nrf2. • The sErbB3 N418Q mutant may be a potential therapeutic application for tumor. - Abstract: It has been well documented that activation of the ErbB3–PI3K–Akt pathway is implicated in tumor survival and progression. We previously demonstrated that the single N-glycan deletion mutant of soluble ErbB3 protein (sErbB3 N418Q) attenuates heregulin β1-induced ErbB3 signaling. The active PI3K–Akt pathway augments the nuclear accumulation of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-1α, which activates the transcription of many target genes and drives cancer progression. In this study, we focused on the effects of sErbB3 N418Q mutant on nuclear accumulation of HIF-1α. Pretreatment with the sErbB3 N418Q mutant suppressed heregulin β1-induced HIF-1α activation in MCF7 cells. Similar results were also obtained in other breast cancer cell lines, T47D and BT474. Interestingly, these suppressive effects were not observed with the sErbB3 wild type. In addition, pretreatment with the sErbB3 N418Q mutant suppressed the cell migration of MCF7 cells induced by heregulin β1. Furthermore, incubation with heregulin β1 also induced the nuclear accumulation of Nrf2, and this effect was also reduced by the sErbB3 N418Q mutant, but not the sErbB3 wild type. These findings indicated that the sErbB3 N418Q mutant suppressed malignant formation of cancer cells by blocking of the HIF-1α and Nrf2 pathways.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Androgen receptor regulated microRNA miR-182-5p promotes prostate cancer progression by targeting the ARRDC3/ITGB4 pathway

Abstracts: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important endogenous gene regulators that play key roles in prostate cancer development and metastasis. However, specific miRNA expression patterns in prostate cancer tissues from Chinese patients remain largely unknown. In this study, we compared miRNA expression patterns in 65 pairs of prostate cancer and para-cancer tissues by RNA sequencing and found that miR-182-5p was the most up-regulated miRNA in prostate cancer tissues. The result was validated using realtime PCR in 18 pairs of prostate cancer and para-cancer tissues. In in vitro analysis, it was confirmed that miR-182-5p promotes prostate cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration and inhibit apoptosis. In addition, the androgen receptor directly regulated the transcription of miR-182-5p, which could target to the 3′UTR of ARRDC3 mRNA and affect the expression of ARRDC3 and its downstream gene ITGB4. For the in vivo experiment, miR-182-5p overexpression also promoted the growth and progression of prostate cancer tumors. In this regard, we suggest that miR-182-5p may be a key androgen receptor-regulated factor that contributes to the development and metastasis of Chinese prostate cancers and may be a potential target for the early diagnosis and therapeutic studies of prostate cancer. -- Highlights: •miR-182-5p is the mostly up-regulated miRNA in Chinese prostate cancer. •miR-182-5p is regulated by androgen receptor. •miR-182-5p promotes prostate cancer progression. •miR-182-5p regulates ARRDC3/ITGB4 pathway.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

In vivo inhibition of tumor progression by 5 hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (juglone) and 2-(4-hydroxyanilino)-1,4-naphthoquinone (Q7) in combination with ascorbate

The purpose of the study was to obtain further in vivo data of antitumor effects and mechanisms triggered by juglone and Q7 in combination with ascorbate. The study was done using Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice. Treatments were intraperitoneal every 24 h for 9 days. Control group was treated with excipient. Previous tests selected the doses of juglone and Q7 plus ascorbate (1 and 100 mg/kg, respectively). Samples of ascitic fluid were collected to evaluate carbonyl proteins, GSH and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase. Hypoxia inducible factor HIF-1α, GLUT1, proteins driving cell cycle (p53, p16 and cyclin A) and apoptosis (poly-ADP-polymerase PARP, Bax and Bcl-xL) were assessed by western blot. Tumor cells were categorized by the phase of cell cycle using flow cytometry and type of cell death using acridine orange/ethidium bromide. A glucose uptake assessment was performed by liquid scintillation using Ehrlich tumor cells cultured with {sup 14}C-deoxyglucose. Treatments caused increased protein carbonylation and activity of antioxidant enzymes and decreased levels of GSH, HIF-1α, GLUT1 and glucose uptake in tumor cells. They also caused increased number of tumor cells in G1, p53 and p16 activation and decreased cyclin A, but only when combined with ascorbate. Apoptosis was induced mostly when treatments were done with ascorbate, causing PARP and Bax cleavage, and increased Bax/Bcl-xL ratio. Juglone and Q7 in combination with ascorbate caused inhibition of tumor progress in vivo by triggering apoptosis and cell cycle arrest associated with oxidative stress, suppression of HIF-1 and uncoupling of glycolytic metabolism. - Highlights: • Ascorbate potentiates the inhibition caused by juglone and Q7on tumor progress in vivo. • Juglone and Q7 with ascorbate caused widespread oxidative stress in tumor tissue. • Treatments inhibited HIF-1 and GLUT1 expression causing reduced glucose uptake. • Treatments induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in tumor in vivo.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

CREPT regulated by miR-138 promotes breast cancer progression

CREPT (also known as RPRD1B) function as an oncogene and is highly expressed in several kinds of cancers. However, the distribution and clinical significance of CREPT in breast cancer (BC) still not clarified. In this study, we found that the CREPT expression is greatly upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the CREPT expression was significantly associated with tumor differentiation and metastasis. Next, the functional assay of CREPT showed that CREPT could promote BC proliferation and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-138 regulated the expression of CREPT by binding to its 3′-UTR. miR-138 is downregulated and inversely correlated with CREPT expression in BCs. Overexpression of miR-138 suppressed tumor growth and invasion, these effects could be reversed by re-expressing CREPT. Mechanistically, CREPT regulated β-catenin/TCF4/cyclin D1 pathway in BC. In conclusion, the data suggested that miR-138/CREPT involved BC progression, providing potential therapeutic targets for BC. - Highlights: • CREPT expression is greatly upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines. • CREPT could promote BC proliferation and invasion both in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. • CREPT is a direct target of miR-138 in breast cancer. • MiR-138 suppressed BC progression by repressing CREPT. • CREPT regulates β-catenin/TCF4/cyclin D1 pathway in BC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

miR-19 promotes osteosarcoma progression by targeting SOCS6

Highlights: • miR-19 was upregulated and SOCS6 was downregulated in OS. • miR-19 dramatically suppressed OS growth in vitro and in vivo. • SOCS6 is a direct target gene of miR-19 in OS. • miR-19 regulated SOCS6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in OS. microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in cancer development and progression. This study investigated the effects of miR-19 in human osteosarcoma (OS) development. Here, we showed that miR-19 was frequently upregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. Moreover the expression of miR-19 was associated with TNM stage, metastasis, size and poor overall survival. Mechanistically, miR-19 dramatically suppressed OS growth in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatics analyses predicted that SOCS6 is a potential target gene of miR-19 in OS, which was confirmed by luciferase-reporter assay. We also found that SOCS6 expression was downregulated and negatively correlated with miR-19 expression in OS tissues clinically. Moreover, ectopic SOCS6 could reverse miR-19 induced OS growth. Finally, JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway involves miR-19/SOCS6-mediated OS progression. Together, our data provide important evidence for miR-19 mediated SOCS6 in OS growth and revealed miR-19/SOCS6/JAK2/STAT3 pathway as a potential therapeutic strategy for OS patients.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

High ALDH activity defines ovarian cancer stem-like cells with enhanced invasiveness and EMT progress which are responsible for tumor invasion

Highlights: • Pluripotent, invasive and EMT-related genes are positively correlated. • The definition of ovarian ALDH{sup high} CSCLs is verified by their higher colony-formation, multipotent-genes expression and tumorigenicity. • Ovarian ALDH{sup high} CSCLs display advanced invasiveness, EMT progress and apoptosis-resistance. • ALDH{sup high} CSCLs take chief charge of EOC invasion, due to their elevated stemness and metastatic features. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is highly metastatic and current therapeutics are unsatisfactory. Cancer stem/stem-like cells (CSCs/CSCLs) represent a rare population of undifferentiated oncogenic cells responsible for tumor initiation and maintenance. We identified ovarian cancer ALDH{sup high} (aldehyde dehydrogenase) population could perform not only strengthened CSCLs properties embodied in colony-formation, CSCs-markers expression, and tumorigenesis in vivo, but also a greater invasive capacity with advanced EMT progress and anti-apoptosis compared with ALDH{sup low} cells. Furthermore, both the stemness and aggressive features, along with ALDH{sup high} percentages were in positive association with the invasiveness of cell lines for sorting, indicating the promotive role of ALDH{sup high} CSCLs in EOC neoplasia and metastasis, since the whole tumor was derived from the CSCLs with hyperactive self-renewal and aggression. Collectively, this study illustrates the interplay between ALDH{sup high} CSCLs and EOC invasion, and offers a novel application target for the EOC oncotherapy.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Prolyl isomerase Pin1 is required sperm production by promoting mitosis progression of spermatogonial stem cells

Highlights: • Pin1{sup −/−} mice had severe testicular atrophy. • Pin1{sup −/−} mice had less undifferentiated spermatogonia. • Pin1{sup −/−} and WT mice had similar cell counts of spermatogonial stem cells. • Pin1 promotes mitosis progression of spermatogonial stem cells. • Pin1 promotes differentiation of spermatogonial stem cell. A prolyl isomerase Pin1 deficient (Pin1{sup −/−}) male mice had severe testicular atrophy. We investigated the function of Pin1 in spermatogenesis by analyzing the Pin1{sup −/−} mice at reproductive age. Pin1{sup −/−} mice had lessαPLZF positive spermatogonia (undifferentiated spermatogonia) than wild type (WT). Nevertheless, the Pin1{sup −/−} testis contained approximately the same number of GFRα1 positive spermatogonia (SSCs in steady state) as the WT testis. Furthermore, degeneration of the spermatogenia appeared in seminiferous tubules of 10 months old Pin1{sup −/−} mouse testis, and abnormal shape GFRα1 positive spermatogonia were observed. In Pin1{sup −/−} spermatogonia, the ratio of the phospho-histone H3 positive cells (mitotic cells) in GFRα1-positive spermatogonia was higher than that of WT. These results suggest that Pin1 promotes the progression of the mitotic cell cycle of SSC in steady-state, which is required for the sperm production from SSCs.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

AIM2 accelerates the atherosclerotic plaque progressions in ApoE−/− mice

Highlights: • Our study demonstrated that AIM2 plays an important role in atherosclerosis. • We found that AIM2 could mediate GSDMD-N and pyroptosis in VSMCs for the first time. • We first found that AIM2 could affect ICAM-1 and macrophage recruitment in atherosclerosis. • We first found that ox-LDL can promote AIM2 expression through NF-κB signaling. Plaque formation is initiated and triggered by cell death in the vascular wall, which gradually leads to the progression of atherosclerosis. Pyroptosis is a newly discovered form of programmed cell death. Absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2), a member of the HIN-200 protein family, plays an important role in activating inflammasomes. However, the role and mechanism of AIM2 in atherosclerotic plaque progression has not been thoroughly elucidated to date. The effect of pyroptosis and the mechanism for this effect were investigated in apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice. AIM2 overexpression and inhibition were studied in ApoE−/− mice that were fed a high-fat diet. The specific role of AIM2 in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was explored in vitro. The results showed that high fat diet increases the expression of AIM2, ICMA-1, GSDMD-N, which could be mediated by AIM2 expression. The plaque lesion area is lager with AIM2 overexpression. Moreover, TUNEL-positive cells were increased when AIM2 was overexpressed. With increased AIM2, macrophages were enhanced. In vitro studies showed that AIM2 and GSDMD-N expression correlated with ox-LDL levels in a concentration dependent manner. AIM2 expression is associated with NF-κB signaling activity and can be inhibited by NF-κB inhibitor. AIM2 mediated GSDMD activity through ASC, caspase1 pathway. EthD-III and TUNEL staining showed that AIM2 mediates pyroptosis in VSMCs. Our study suggests that AIM2 is not only a regular of inflammasome but also an active participant in atherosclerosis.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Inhibition of KLHL21 prevents cholangiocarcinoma progression through regulating cell proliferation and motility, arresting cell cycle and reducing Erk activation

Highlights: • KLHL21 was upregulated in CCA tissues and its expression correlated with tumor histologic grade and prognosis of patient. • Inhibition of KLHL21 reduced proliferation and triggered G0/G1 cell cycle arrest through P21/P27/Cyclin E1 in CCA cells. • KLHL21 knockdown reduced cell motility and inhibited activation of Erk pathway in CCA cells. Kelch-like family member 21 (KLHL21) is involved in cell mitosis and motility. Nevertheless, the clinical significance and biological function of KLHL21 in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are elusive. This is the first study to describe a pivotal role for KLHL21 in the progression of CCA. The expression of KLHL21 was elevated in CCA tissues compared with paired normal bile duct tissues. In addition, immunohistochemical and statistical analyses demonstrated that the expression of KLHL21 correlated inversely with tumor histological grade (p < 0.05) and the overall survival of patients (p < 0.01). In CCA cells, we found that the inhibition of KLHL21 significantly reduced proliferation, migration and invasion. Further results indicated that inhibition of KLHL21 triggered G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, leading to the increased expression of P21 and P27 and decreased expression of Cyclin E1, which eventually resulted in proliferation suppression in CCA cells. Furthermore, KLHL21 knockdown alleviated the activation of the Erk signaling pathway via decreasing the expression of phospho-Erk1/2. Our data demonstrated that KLHL21 plays an essential role in the tumorigenesis and progression of CCA, implying that it might serve as a potential therapeutic target for CCA treatment.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Small nucleolar RNA U2{sub 1}9 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Emerging evidence suggests that small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have malfunctioning roles in oncogenesis. In the present study, we investigated the role of box C/D small nucleolar RNA U2{sub 1}9 (snoU2{sub 1}9) in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, we screened snoRNAs differential signatures by performing high-throughput small RNA sequence in HCC tissues and validated that upregulated snoU2{sub 1}9 was associated with aggressive phenotypes in HCC patients. Aberrant snoU2{sub 1}9 facilitated HCC cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis and induced cell cycle progression in vitro analyses. We globally investigated the molecular mechanisms of snoU2{sub 1}9 in HCC and found that snoU2{sub 1}9 knockdown inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through inducing the translocation of β-catenin in cytoplasm. We concluded that snoU2{sub 1}9 plays a pathological role in the development and progression of HCC, and is a potential therapeutic target for HCC.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗

Circular RNA hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 promotes lung cancer progression via facilitating ZNF121-dependent MYC expression by sequestering miR-4302

Lung cancer characterized with malignant cell growth is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. In recent years, several circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been reported to participate in lung cancer progression. However, the correlation between circular RNA (circRNA) and lung cancer still remains to be further investigated. In this study, we screened out a highly expressed circular RNA hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 in lung cancer tissues. We showed hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 could serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients with lung cancer. Furthermore, we found that hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 knockdown significantly suppressed lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion in vitro and delayed tumor growth in vivo. In mechanism, we identified hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 as a sponge of miR-4302 targeting ZNF121. By sequestering miR-4302, hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 promoted the expression of ZNF121 which consequently enhanced MYC protein level in lung cancer cells. Through rescue assays, we demonstrated hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809 contributed to lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion via facilitating ZNF121-dependent MYC expression by sponging miR-4302. In conclusion, our findings illustrated a novel hsa{sub c}ircRNA{sub 1}03809/miR-4302/ZNF121/MYC regulatory signaling pathway in lung cancer progression.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗