XULONG SUN^1,#, WENTAO DING^2,#, CHAO JIANG³, ZHIAN FANG^4,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.7, pp. 1071-1079, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.050519 - 03 July 2024

Abstract Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a prevalent malignancy, poses significant challenges with high tumor heterogeneity and poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a pivotal role in hepatocarcinogenesis. Although abnormalities in microRNA-557 (miR-557) expression have been implicated in various cancer types, its role in HCC remains unclear. Therefore, there is a need to explore the function of microRNA-557 in HCC. Methods: Candidate miRNAs were identified through screening in GSE108724 and GSE20077. Real-time PCR was employed to analyze the expression level of miR-557 in hepatoma cell lines and tissues. Cell viability and migration assays were applied to assess the… More > Graphic Abstract

XIAOSU SONG, FEN GAO, HONG LI, WEIWEI QIN, CHANJUAN CHAI, GUOJUAN SHI, HUIYU YANG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 849-858, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026545 - 08 March 2023

Abstract Background: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) undergo a conversion from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative synthetic phenotype, contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein that plays an important role in vascular homeostasis by regulating endothelial cell behaviors. However, the expression and role of SEMA7A in VSMCs remain unclear.Methods: In this study, we screened for VSMC-regulating genes in publicly available datasets and analyzed the expression of SEMA7A in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (hCASMCs) treated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). The effects of SEMA7A overexpression and knockdown… More >

Xiaowei Shen^*1, Jianping Huang^†1, Gang Liu^†, Hao Zhang^†, Xiwei Zhang^†, Xiancheng Kong^†, Lei Du^†

Oncology Research, Vol.26, No.7, pp. 1133-1142, 2018, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15168461629558

Abstract Neuroblastoma is a major contributor of cancer-specific mortality. Although remarkable enhancement has been achieved in the treatment of neuroblastoma in patients with early stage disease, limited progress has been made in the treatment of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma. Thus, innovative approaches are required to achieve further improvements in neuroblastoma patient survival outcomes. The major alkaloid obtained from Sophora flavescens Ait, matrine, has been shown to counteract malignancy in various kinds of cancers. In the current study, we evaluated the effects of matrine on the migration and proliferation of neuroblastoma cells. Cell cycle analysis coupled with Transwell More >

Xiaoyan Wang^*, Yongguang Xu^*, Xinlei Chen^*, Jianmin Xiao^†

Oncology Research, Vol.26, No.3, pp. 495-502, 2018, DOI:10.3727/096504017X14982578608217

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effect of dexmedetomidine (DEX) on osteosarcoma (OS) cell line MG63 and to explore the possible relationship between DEX and miR-520-3p in OS. The results showed that DEX could upregulate miR-520-3p, which directly targeted AKT1. Additionally, miR-520-3p also inhibited MG63 cell proliferation and migration, promoted apoptosis, and suppressed protein expressions of AKT, p-AKT, p-mTOR, and p-ERK1/2. DEX can inhibit OS cell proliferation and migration and promote apoptosis by upregulating the expression level of miR-520a-3p. DEX may serve as a potential therapeutic agent in OS treatment, and miR-520a-3p may be a More >

Qun Zhang, Ruixia Su, Chun Shan, Chao Gao, Pei Wu

Oncology Research, Vol.26, No.2, pp. 269-276, 2018, DOI:10.3727/096504017X15075967560980

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Currently, only chemoembolization and sorafenib have shown survival benefits for advanced HCC. There are major unmet needs in HCC management and the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Here we identified NCAPG (non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G) as a novel mitotic gene required for HCC cell proliferation and migration through siRNA knockdown of a panel of novel overexpressed genes in HCC based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. We found that knockdown of NCAPG induces HCC cell mitosis and inhibits cell growth, More >

Jihong Sun^*†1, Jingjing Li^‡1, Weiguo Zhang^*, Juan Zhang^*, Shenjie Sun^*, Guiqi Li^*, Hengliang Song^*, Daguo Wan^*

Oncology Research, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 455-461, 2017, DOI:10.3727/096504016X14747283032017

Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer globally. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested to be closely associated with tumorigenesis. Aberrant expression of miR-509-3p has been reported in cancer studies. However, the expression and mechanism of its function in GC remain unclear. Here we showed that miR-509-3p was downregulated in GC specimens, which was associated with overall survival. Functional investigations demonstrated that the overexpression of miR-509-3p inhibited the migration and proliferation of the GC cells. Additionally, we identified X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) as a direct target of miR-509-3p. Knockdown of XIAP More >

Jian Zhang^*1, ZhenFeng Shi^†1, JinXing Huang^‡, XiaoGuang Zou^§

Oncology Research, Vol.24, No.6, pp. 487-494, 2016, DOI:10.3727/096504016X14685034103752

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the pivotal role of cystatin B (CSTB) in the development of gastric cancer and to explore its possible regulatory mechanism. Human gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells as a model in vitro were transfected with plasmid PCDNA3.1-CSTB and siRNA-CSTB using Lipofectamine 2000. Quantitative realtime PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to determine the relative expression of CSTB and PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-related protein. Moreover, MTT assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry were used to assess cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis, respectively. The results showed that CSTB was significantly downregulated in SGC-7901 cells compared… More >