Article
Oncology
Lixing Xiao, Guoying Zou, Rui Cheng, Pingping Wang, Kexin Ma, Huimin Cao, Wenyang Zhou, Xiyun Jin, Zhaochun Xu, Yan Huang, Xiaoyu Lin, Huan Nie, Qinghua Jiang
Summary: This study found that existing methods for evaluating cancer stemness in KIRC patients are not effective and overlook the impact of alternative splicing. A new prediction model was established to accurately predict KIRC-specific stemness, highlighting the critical role of alternative splicing events in poor prognosis.
Article
Oncology
Elisabetta Stanzani, Leire Pedrosa, Guillaume Bourmeau, Oceane Anezo, Aleix Noguera-Castells, Anna Esteve-Codina, Lorena Passoni, Michela Matteoli, Nuria de la Iglesia, Giorgio Seano, Fina Martinez-Soler, Avelina Tortosa
Summary: The study reveals the crucial role of integrin a6 in controlling stemness and radiotherapy resistance in different molecular subtypes of glioblastoma stem-like cells. Inhibition of integrin a6 can potentially limit malignant characteristics and tumor relapse in both GSCs subtypes, highlighting its importance in improving patient outcomes.
Article
Cell Biology
Yu-Ting Zhan, Lei Li, Ting-Ting Zeng, Ning-Ning Zhou, Xin-Yuan Guan, Yan Li
Summary: The upregulation of SNRPB in HCC is associated with tumor malignancy and patient survival. Functional studies indicate that SNRPB promotes HCC cell proliferation and stemness maintenance, while also inducing metabolic reprogramming in HCC cells. In addition, SNRPB facilitates the formation of specific splice variants that activate pathways contributing to HCC progression.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qi Chen, Meng Gu, Zhi-kang Cai, Hu Zhao, Shi-cheng Sun, Chong Liu, Ming Zhan, Yan-bo Chen, Zhong Wang
Summary: CD44 serves as a marker of cancer stem cells in many tumors, with alternative splicing generating various isoforms. This study reveals a novel mechanism where TGF-beta 1 induces CD44 alternative splicing, promoting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and stemness in prostate cancer cells. The findings demonstrate the important roles of CD44 isoforms and TGF-beta 1 in tumor progression.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Seema Bhuyan, Bidisha Pal, Lekhika Pathak, Partha Jyoti Saikia, Shirsajit Mitra, Sukanya Gayan, Reza Bayat Mokhtari, Hong Li, Chilakamarti V. Ramana, Debabrat Baishya, Bikul Das
Summary: Tumor hypoxia and oxidative stress can lead to aggressive and inflammatory characteristics in cancer stem cells (CSCs). This study found that CSCs exposed to extreme hypoxia and then reoxygenated exhibited defense against pathogen invasion by inducing bystander apoptosis of non-infected CSCs. The conditioned media (CM) of infected CSCs showed direct antimicrobial activity and induced apoptosis in non-infected CSCs. Furthermore, the CM treatment in mice with xenograft tumors resulted in a significant reduction in the number of CSCs residing in the hypoxic niches. These findings suggest that post-hypoxia CSCs serve as a functional defense against bacterial invasion and that the CM of these cells may have therapeutic potential against CSCs in hypoxic niches.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Saran Kumar, Libat Bar-Lev, Husni Sharife, Myriam Grunewald, Maxim Mogilevsky, Tamar Licht, Jermaine Goveia, Federico Taverna, Iddo Paldor, Peter Carmeliet, Eli Keshet
Summary: The study uncovered the influence of vascular cues on GSC gene expression and function, revealing that perivascular GSCs possess superior tumor-initiation potential and a unique metabolic milieu dominated by mTOR activity. Additionally, bidirectional communication between glioma cells and ECs, primarily through Notch-mediated signaling, impacts genes responsible for maintaining GSCs in an undifferentiated state.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mohammed Al-Obaide, Albi Ishmakej, Christina Brown, Matteo Mazzella, Patrina Agosta, Mick Perez-Cruet, G. Rasul Chaudhry
Summary: In this study, the correlation between the expression of ITGA6 and ITGA6-AS1 in human mesenchymal stem cells was investigated. It was found that the expression levels of ITGA6 and ITGA6-AS1 are associated with cell proliferation, size, and differentiation potential. The study suggests that post-transcriptional regulation of ITGA6 in mesenchymal stem cells is controlled by ITGA6-AS1, which may play a critical role in determining the heterogeneity of MSC function and cell fate.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Xin Luo, Dezhi Geng, Qirong Zhang, Tao Ye, Yifan Zhang, Ziyi Li, Yadong Huang, Qi Xiang
Summary: A novel recombinant protein FCP was designed to modulate the function of extracellular matrix (ECM) and promote cell migration and adhesion, while maintaining stemness of stem cells. The construction of a stable FCP protein model was achieved through a template-independent ab initio prediction modeling approach, which predicted the binding sites between FCP and integrin beta 3. This study provides important information on the molecular structure and bioactivity of FCP, which can be used for designing new compounds.
APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Antonio Maurizi, Michela Ciocca, Cristiano Giuliani, Ilaria Di Carlo, Anna Teti
Summary: This study identified the role of N-Cadherin in breast cancer cell dormancy and stemness. Breast cancer cells that interact with spindle-shaped N-Cadherin(+) Osteoblasts (SNOs) become dormant, and N-Cadherin mediates the adhesion of breast cancer cells to SNOs. The study also revealed differences in the role of N-Cadherin between human and mouse breast cancer cell lines.
Review
Oncology
Jiangling Xiong, Lianlian Yan, Cheng Zou, Kai Wang, Mengjie Chen, Bin Xu, Zhipeng Zhou, Dingxiao Zhang
Summary: Integrins are adhesion molecules and receptors that regulate cellular functions in response to environmental cues. Dysregulation of integrins is linked to cancer development, and integrins play a crucial role in controlling cancer stem cells and tumor stemness functions.
JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Martina Crippa, Simone Bersini, Mara Gilardi, Chiara Arrigoni, Sara Gamba, Anna Falanga, Christian Candrian, Gabriele Dubini, Marco Vanoni, Matteo Moretti
Summary: The presence of platelets and neutrophils in the early metastatic niche significantly enhances cancer cell transendothelial migration. Using an antiplatelet drug can reduce the expression of EMT markers in cancer cells and impair their ability to extravasate, providing new insights for clinical treatment.
Article
Materials Science, Biomaterials
Ling Zhang, Na Xiong, Yanfei Liu, Lili Gan
Summary: The study demonstrates that incorporating cell-adhesive ligands in 3D self-assembling peptide hydrogels is effective for maintaining stem cell survival, proliferation, and enhancing osteogenic differentiation. The composite hydrogels also upregulate the expression of pluripotent markers in stem cells, indicating their potential for modulating cell fate.
REGENERATIVE BIOMATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yan Fu, Chen Bai, Shengsheng Wang, Denggang Chen, Peng Zhang, Hailang Wei, Fan Rong, Chao Zhang, Shaojuan Chen, Zhenjun Wang
Summary: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of cancer-related death, and the presence of cancer stem cells (CSC) contributes to tumor relapse and drug resistance. Targeting alternative splicing has shown promise in treating CRC. This study identified RBM17 as an oncogene in CRC cells, promoting CSC properties through the regulation of FOXM1 and Sox2 expression. AKT1 was also found to be an upstream kinase in the control of RBM17-mediated alternative splicing and enhancement of CSC properties in CRC cells. This study suggests that the AKT1-RBM17-FOXM1-Sox2 axis could be a potential target for modulating alternative splicing and reducing CSC properties in CRC.
Article
Oncology
Guixi Zheng, Hakim Bouamar, Matyas Cserhati, Carla R. Zeballos, Isha Mehta, Habil Zare, Larry Broome, Ruolei Hu, Zhao Lai, Yidong Chen, Francis E. Sharkey, Meenakshi Rani, Glenn A. Halff, Francisco G. Cigarroa, Lu-Zhe Sun
Summary: The study found that ITGA6 is upregulated in HCC tumors and has a malignant promoting role in HCC cells through integrin alpha 6 beta 4 complex. Thus, integrin alpha 6 beta 4 may be a therapeutic target for treating HCC patients.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
(2022)
Article
Biology
Davia Blake, Caleb M. Radens, Max B. Ferretti, Matthew R. Gazzara, Kristen W. Lynch
Summary: The study investigates the impact of CD28 costimulation on alternative splicing in T cells activated through the T cell receptor (TCR). It is found that CD28 signaling has minimal impact on splicing alone but enhances the extent of change in TCR-induced alternative splicing events. Interestingly, enhanced splicing events occur within genes encoding key components of the apoptotic signaling pathway. Experimental evidence shows that isoforms induced by CD3/CD28 costimulation promote resistance to apoptosis and changes in these genes function combinatorially to further promote cell viability. The JNK signaling pathway is also found to be required for these splicing events, highlighting their co-regulation.
