BAOXING HUANG^1,#, ZICHANG JIA^1,#, CHENCHEN FU², MOXIAN CHEN², ZEZHUO SU^3,*, YUNSHENG CHEN^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 567-575, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.051672 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is a member of the lipocalin superfamily with multiple functions and can participate in the transport of a variety of small lipophilic ligands in vivo. LCN2 is significantly expressed in various tumors and plays an important role in regulating tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. The specific actions of LCN2 in tumors may vary depending on the particular type of cancer involved. In this review, we provide an extensive overview of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of LCN2 in health and disease. Furthermore, we summarize the impact of LCN2 dysregulation in a broad range More >

ZIYI FANG^1,2, YONGFU SHAO^1,2,*, MENG HU¹, JIANING YAN², GUOLIANG YE^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 549-566, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.051589 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are formed by splicing of precursor RNAs and covalently linked at the 5′ and 3′ ends. Dysregulated circRNAs are closely related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of gastrointestinal malignancies. CircRNAs, including circRNA_0008717, circGOT1, circ-DOCK5, circVPS33B, circPVT1, circMET, circ-OXCT1, circ_67835, circRTN4, circ_0087502, circFNDC38, circ_PTEN1, circPGPEP1, and circ-E-Cad are involved in the EMT process of gastrointestinal malignancies through a variety of mechanisms, such as regulating EMT-inducing transcription factors, signaling pathways, and tumor microenvironments. Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are common malignant tumors worldwide, and the heterogeneity and easy metastasis of gastrointestinal malignancies limit the effectiveness of More > Graphic Abstract

DONGYUN RONG^1,2,#, YUSHEN SU^1,#, ZHIRUI ZENG³, YAN YANG⁴, HONGUAN LU^1,*, YU CAO^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 605-616, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050661 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Terpinen-4-ol (T4O), a key constituent of tea tree essential oil and various aromatic plants, has shown promising antiproliferative and pro-apoptotic effects in melanoma and other cancer types. However, its efficacy against cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. Thus, in this study, we investigated the in vivo and in vitro effects of T4O on cSCC cell lines and preliminarily explored its impacting pathways. Methods: Using CCK8 and assay colony formation, we assessed the viability of cSCC A431, SCL-1, and COLO-16 cells treated with T40 at varying concentrations (0, 1, 2, and 4 μM). Flow cytometry was… More >

RAHUL KUMAR SINGH^1,#, SUROJIT MANDAL^1,#, ADRIJA MOHANTA¹, RITU YADAV¹, RAJIV RANJAN KUMAR¹, RINKU KHATKAR¹, VIVEK UTTAM¹, UTTAM SHARMA¹, MANJIT KAUR RANA², MANJU JAIN³, HARDEEP SINGH TULI⁴, AKLANK JAIN^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 591-604, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050548 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Objectives: Recently, we and others have demonstrated the involvement of Zinc Finger Antisense 1 (ZFAS1) in cancer development. However, the intricate interplay of ZFAS1 with miRNAs and mRNAs remains to be fully understood. Materials and methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines to retrieve and assess the available literature on the topic “ZFAS1/miRNA/mRNA axis” and “Cancer” from databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. We also used bioinformatic webtools for analyzing the potential miRNA targets of ZFAS1 and its role in survival of cancer patients along with their role in various biological functions and pathways. Results: Our literature search… More >

DAIEN ZHOU^1,#, HAOYANG YUAN^2,#, YIWEI HU³, CHUXU WANG¹, SA GE¹, KOUFENG SHAO⁴, HONGYING WANG¹, XIAOFENG TIAN^1,*, HAIBO HU^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 653-663, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050182 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Despite the identification of numerous therapeutic targets in lung cancer, achieving significant efficacy has been challenging. TNFRSF21 plays an important role in various cancers. We investigated the function of TNFRSF21 in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: The prognostic value of TNFRSF21 expression in lung cancer was evaluated by the GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier Plotter databases. Lung cancer cell viability was assessed by the CCK8 assay. TNFRSF21 expression patterns in lung cancer tissues and cells were examined using RT-PCR assay. Tumor sphere growth was evaluated through tumor sphere formation assays. MtROS contents in lung cancer cells were… More >

DONG JIANG¹, ZHI QI³, ZHIYING XU^2,*, YIRAN LI^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 709-722, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050125 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent liver malignancy. This study examined the roles of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and cytochrome b5 domain containing 2 (CYB5D2) in HCC etiology and their prognostic biomarker potential. Methods: Key modules and prognostic genes were identified by analyzing the GSE101685 dataset by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression. The expression levels of CYB5D2 and TGF-β in HCC cell lines were quantified using Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB) assays. Effects of CYB5D2 overexpression on cell proliferation,… More >

LI SUN^1,#, SHICHAO ZHUO^2,#, XIAOXIN LI², HUSHENG KONG³, WEIWEI DU³, CHONG ZHOU⁴, JUNXING HUANG^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 641-651, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.050057 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Cisplatin (DDP) has been used in the treatment of various human cancers. However, DDP alone lacks efficacy in treating triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), and its clinical application is often hampered by side effects. Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) is one of the active components extracted from Astragalus membranaceus and has gained attention for its various biological properties. This research is aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of APS and DDP on TNBC and explore the potential mechanisms. Methods: The efficacy and mechanisms of single or combined treatment were evaluated using Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK8) assay, Annexin… More >

KE TIAN¹, ZHIPENG LI², XIANGYU ZHAI^2,3, HUAXIN ZHOU², HUI YAO^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.3, pp. 617-630, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.049772 - 28 February 2025

Abstract Background: Primary liver cancer poses a significant global health burden, with projections indicating a surpassing of one million cases by 2025. Cuproptosis, a copper-dependent mechanism of cell death, plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis, progression, and prognosis of various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Purpose: This study aimed to develop a prognostic model for HCC based on cuproptosis-related genes, utilizing clinical data and gene expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Materials and Methods: Clinical features and gene expression data of HCC patients were collected from publicly available More >

YARU DU^1,2,#, ZHIHUI PEI^1,3,#, SHUQIN HU⁴, CHUANWEN LIAO¹, SHUHAO LIU^1,*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.2, pp. 309-325, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.058273 - 16 January 2025

Abstract Objectives: KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) is an RNA-binding protein involved in several cellular processes, including nuclear splicing, mRNA localization, and cytoplasmic degradation. While KHSRP’s role has been studied in other cancers, its specific involvement in gastric cancer remains poorly understood. This study aims to explore KHSRP expression in gastric cancer and its potential effects on tumor progression and immune response. Methods: KHSRP expression in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues was analyzed using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The correlation between KHSRP expression, patient survival, and immune response was also assessed.… More >

NAIXIONG PENG, YUEFENG CAI, DONG CHEN, LING DENG, ZEJIAN ZHANG, WEI LI^*

Oncology Research, Vol.33, No.2, pp. 347-356, 2025, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.056039 - 16 January 2025

Abstract Background: Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC), the leading histological subtype of RCC, lacks any targeted therapy options. Although some studies have shown that early growth response factor 1 (EGR1) has a significant role in cancer development and progression, its role and underlying mechanisms in ccRCC remain poorly understood. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was utilized to examine the expression of EGR1 in ccRCC. The expression of EGR1 in 55 ccRCC tissues was evaluated using immunohistochemistry. The link between EGR1 expression and clinicopathological variables was examined through an analysis. Gain-of-function assays were employed to… More >