JYOTHI B. NAIR^1,2, ANU MARY JOSEPH³, SANOOP P.⁴, MANU M. JOSEPH^5,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.11, pp. 1579-1602, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2024.054879 - 07 November 2024

Abstract Nanoparticles represent a heterogeneous collection of materials, whether natural or synthetic, with dimensions aligning in the nanoscale. Because of their intense manifestation with the immune system, they can be harvested for numerous bio-medical and biotechnological advancements mainly in cancer treatment. This review article aims to scrutinize various types of nanoparticles that interact differently with immune cells like macrophages, dendritic cells, T lymphocytes, and natural killer (NK) cells. It also underscores the importance of knowing how nanoparticles influence immune cell functions, such as the production of cytokines and the presentation of antigens which are crucial for… More >

WEIGANG XIU^1,#, XINGYU LIU^1,2,#, KAIXIN HU^1,2, QIN ZHANG^3,*, HUASHAN SHI^4,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.10, pp. 1613-1621, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2024.047933 - 18 September 2024

Abstract Elevated serum cholesterol metabolism is associated with a reduced risk of lung cancer. Disrupted cholesterol metabolism is evident in both lung cancer patients and tumor cells. Inhibiting tumor cell cholesterol uptake or biosynthesis pathways, through the modulation of receptors and enzymes such as liver X receptor and sterol-regulatory element binding protein 2, effectively restrains lung tumor growth. Similarly, promoting cholesterol excretion yields comparable effects. Cholesterol metabolites, including oxysterols and isoprenoids, play a crucial role in regulating cholesterol metabolism within tumor cells, consequently impacting cancer progression. In lung cancer patients, both the cholesterol levels in the… More >

QI XIA¹, XING CHEN², QINGHUA MA³, XIANXIU WEN^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.48, No.2, pp. 217-228, 2024, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027414 - 23 February 2024

Abstract Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women. Immune features play an important role in improving the prognosis prediction of BC. However, while previous immune signatures consisted mainly of immune genes, immune cell-based signatures have been rarely reported. Methods: In this study, we report that a novel immune cell signature is effective in improving prognostic prediction by combining M2 macrophages. We identified 17 differentially infiltrating immune cells between cancer and normal groups. Prognostic features of the four immune cells identified by LASSO COX analysis showed… More >

JING GUO¹, CHANGYONG TONG¹, JIANGUANG SHI¹, XINJIAN LI¹, XUEQIN CHEN^2,*

Oncology Research, Vol.32, No.1, pp. 199-212, 2024, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.030969 - 15 November 2023

Abstract Oxidative stress (OS) is intimately associated with tumorigenesis and has been considered a potential therapeutic strategy. However, the OS-associated therapeutic target for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unconfirmed. In our study, gene expression data of ESCC and clinical information from public databases were downloaded. Through LASSO-Cox regression analysis, a risk score (RS) signature map of prognosis was constructed and performed external verification with the GSE53625 cohort. The ESTIMATE, xCell, CIBERSORT, TIMER, and ImmuCellAI algorithms were employed to analyze infiltrating immune cells and generate an immune microenvironment (IM). Afterward, functional enrichment analysis clarified the underlying… More >

QINGPAN BU, PING LI, YUNFEI XIA, XINPEI WEI, KAI SONG^*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.11, pp. 2535-2546, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.030781 - 27 November 2023

Abstract Mannose, a different isomer of the hydroxyl group at the C-2 position of glucose, shares the same transport carrier protein with glucose to enter cells and participate in the regulation of glucose metabolism. It affects cell growth, differentiation, and function and plays an active role in tumor immunity and inflammatory processes. This paper provides theoretical support for expanding the clinical applications of mannose by exploring its constitution, metabolic pathways, and role in regulating immune cell function and treating immunology-related diseases. More > Graphic Abstract

BOWEN PENG¹, YUN GE¹, GANG YIN^2,3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.7, pp. 1519-1535, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027026 - 21 June 2023

Abstract Background: Tanshinone IIA, one of the main ingredients of Danshen, is used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, potential targets of the molecule in the therapy of HCC are unknown. Methods: In this study, we collected the tanshinone IIA targets from public databases for investigation. We screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across HCC and normal tissues using mRNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression models were used to identify and construct the prognostic gene signature. Results: Finally, we discovered common… More >

QIOU GU, TIAN ZHAN, XIAO GUAN, CHUILIN LAI, NA LU, GUOGUANG WANG, LEI XU, XIANG GAO, JIANPING ZHANG^*

Oncology Research, Vol.31, No.3, pp. 287-297, 2023, DOI:10.32604/or.2023.028124 - 22 May 2023

Abstract Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignancy with the worst prognosis that seriously threatens human health, especially in East Asia. Apolipoprotein C1 (apoc1) belongs to the apolipoprotein family. In addition, apoc1 has been associated with various tumors. However, its role in GC remains unclear. Methods: Firstly, we quantified its expression in GC and adjacent tumor tissues, using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Next, we assessed cell invasion and migration abilities. Finally, we revealed the role of apoc1 in the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune cell infiltration and drug sensitivity. Results: Firstly, in TCGA database, it has been shown that… More >

SHA LI^1,2,#, YAQIONG LIU^3,#, CHAOLING YAO¹, ANJI XU¹, XIAOLING ZENG⁴, YUXIN GE⁴, XIAOWU SHENG⁴, HAILIN ZHANG^1,2, XIAO ZHOU^1,2,*, YING LONG^1,2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.5, pp. 1003-1019, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.027209 - 10 April 2023

Abstract Background: Nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein-3 (NSD3) is a histone lysine methyltransferase and a crucial regulator of carcinogenesis in several cancers. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value and potential function of NSD3 in 33 types of human cancer. Methods: The data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Kaplan-Meier analysis, CIBERSORT, gene set enrichment analysis, and gene set variation analysis were performed. The expression of NSD3 was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Results: The expression of NSD3 was altered in pan-cancer samples. Patients with higher levels of NDS3 generally had… More >

ZHANSHU LIU¹, XI HUANG^2,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.3, pp. 593-605, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.024148 - 03 January 2023

Abstract Purpose: Iron metabolism maintains the balance between iron absorption and excretion. Abnormal iron metabolism can cause numerous diseases, including tumor. This study determined the iron metabolism-related genes (IMRGs) signature that can predict the prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The roles of these genes in the immune microenvironment were also explored. Methods: A total of 514 IMRGs were downloaded from the Molecular Characteristics Database (MSigDB). IMRGs related to AML prognosis were identified using Cox regression and LASSO analyses and were used to construct the risk score model. AML patients were stratified into high-risk groups (cluster 1)… More >

WENLI ZENG¹, FENG LING², KAINUO DANG³, QINGJIA CHI^3,*

BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.3, pp. 581-592, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025957 - 03 January 2023

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with poor prognosis and fluctuations in immune status. Although studies have found that secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) is involved in HCC progression, its independent prognostic value and immune-mediated role remain unclear. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus data, we found that low expression of SPP1 is significantly associated with improved survival of HCC patients and that SPP1 expression is correlated with clinical characteristics. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression confirmed that SPP1 is an independent prognostic factor of HCC. Subsequently, we found that T cell CD4 memory-activated monocytes,… More >