Identification of SULF1 as a Shared Gene in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and Lung Adenocarcinoma / 中国肺癌杂志

BACKGROUND@#Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an idiopathic chronic, progressive interstitial lung disease with a diagnosed median survival of 3-5 years. IPF is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer. Therefore, exploring the shared pathogenic genes and molecular pathways between IPF and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) holds significant importance for the development of novel therapeutic approaches and personalized precision treatment strategies for IPF combined with lung cancer.@*METHODS@#Bioinformatics analysis was conducted using publicly available gene expression datasets of IPF and LUAD from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis was employed to identify common genes involved in the progression of both diseases, followed by functional enrichment analysis. Subsequently, additional datasets were used to pinpoint the core shared genes between the two diseases. The relationship between core shared genes and prognosis, as well as their expression patterns, clinical relevance, genetic characteristics, and immune-related functions in LUAD, were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and single-cell RNA sequencing datasets. Finally, potential therapeutic drugs related to the identified genes were screened through drug databases.@*RESULTS@#A total of 529 shared genes between IPF and LUAD were identified. Among them, SULF1 emerged as a core shared gene associated with poor prognosis. It exhibited significantly elevated expression levels in LUAD tissues, concomitant with high mutation rates, genomic heterogeneity, and an immunosuppressive microenvironment. Subsequent single-cell RNA-seq analysis revealed that the high expression of SULF1 primarily originated from tumor-associated fibroblasts. This study further demonstrated an association between SULF1 expression and tumor drug sensitivity, and it identified potential small-molecule drugs targeting SULF1 highly expressed fibroblasts.@*CONCLUSIONS@#This study identified a set of shared molecular pathways and core genes between IPF and LUAD. Notably, SULF1 may serve as a potential immune-related biomarker and therapeutic target for both diseases.

Progress in the Study of Spindle Assembly Checkpoint in Lung Cancer / 中国肺癌杂志

Spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is a protective mechanism for cells to undergo accurate mitosis. SAC prevented chromosome segregation when kinetochores were not, or incorrectly attached to microtubules in the anaphase of mitosis, thus avoiding aneuploid chromosomes in daughter cells. Aneuploidy and altered expression of SAC component proteins are common in different cancers, including lung cancer. Therefore, SAC is a potential new target for lung cancer therapy. Five small molecule inhibitors of monopolar spindle 1 (MPS1), an upstream component protein of SAC, have entered clinical trials. This article introduces the biological functions of SAC, summarizes the abnormal expression of SAC component proteins in various cancers and the research progress of MPS1 inhibitors, and expects to provide a reference for the future development of lung cancer therapeutic strategies targeting SAC components.
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Intranasal Administration of Oxytocin Attenuates Stress Responses Following Chronic Complicated Stress in Rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms may develop when we fail to adapt to various stressors of our daily life. Central oxytocin (OXT) can counteract the biological actions of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), and in turn attenuates stress responses. Administration (intracerebroventricular) of OXT significantly antagonized the inhibitory effects of chronic complicated stress (CCS) on GI dysmotility in rats. However, intracerebroventricular administration is an invasive pathway. Intranasal administration can rapidly deliver peptides to the brain avoiding stress response. The effects of intranasal OXT on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and GI motility in CCS conditions have not been investigated. METHODS: A CCS rat model was set up, OXT 5, 10, or 20 μg were intranasal administered, 30 minutes prior to stress loading. Central CRF and OXT expression levels were analyzed, serum corticosterone and OXT concentrations were measured, and gastric and colonic motor functions were evaluated by gastric emptying, fecal pellet output, and motility recording system. RESULTS: Rats in CCS condition showed significantly increased CRF expression and corticosterone concentration, which resulted in delayed gastric emptying and increased fecal pellet output, attenuated gastric motility and enhanced colonic motility were also recorded. OXT 10 μg or 20 μg significantly reduced CRF mRNA expression and the corticosterone concentration, OXT 20 μg also helped to restore GI motor dysfunction induced by CCS. CONCLUSION: Intranasal administration of OXT has an anxiolytic effect and attenuates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in response to CCS, and gave effects which helped to restore GI dysmotility, and might be a new approach for the treatment of stress-induced GI motility disorders.