Role of non-coding RNAs mediated pyroptosis on cancer therapy: a review.

INTRODUCTION: Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are incapable of encoding proteins, are involved in the progression of numerous tumors by altering transcriptional and post-transcriptional processing. Recent studies have revealed prominent features of ncRNAs in pyroptosis, a type of non-apoptotic programmed cellular destruction linked to an inflammatory reaction. Drug resistance has arisen gradually as a result of anti-apoptotic proteins, therefore strategies based on pyroptotic cell death have attracted increasing attention. We have observed that ncRNAs may exert significant influence on cancer therapy, chemotherapy, radio- therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, by regulating pyroptosis. AREAS COVERED: Literatures were searched (December 2023) for studies on cancer therapy for ncRNAs-mediated pyroptotic cell death. EXPERT OPINION: The most universal mechanical strategy for ncRNAs to regulate target genes is competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNA). Besides, certain ncRNAs could directly interact with proteins and modulate downstream genes to induce pyroptosis, resulting in tumor growth or inhibition. In this review, we aim to display that ncRNAs, predominantly long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), could function as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis and produce new insights into anti-cancer strategies modulated by pyroptosis for clinical applications.

Context-dependent roles for ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase CKMT1 in breast cancer progression.

Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer, enabling cancer cells to rapidly proliferate, invade, and metastasize. We show that creatine levels in metastatic breast cancer cell lines and secondary metastatic tumors are driven by the ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (CKMT1). We discover that, while CKMT1 is highly expressed in primary tumors and promotes cell viability, it is downregulated in metastasis. We further show that CKMT1 downregulation, as seen in breast cancer metastasis, drives up mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. CKMT1 downregulation contributes to the migratory and invasive potential of cells by ROS-induced upregulation of adhesion and degradative factors, which can be reversed by antioxidant treatment. Our study thus reconciles conflicting evidence about the roles of metabolites in the creatine metabolic pathway in breast cancer progression and reveals that tight, context-dependent regulation of CKMT1 expression facilitates cell viability, cell migration, and cell invasion, which are hallmarks of metastatic spread.

Glutamine transporter SLC38A3 promotes breast cancer metastasis via Gsk3ß/ß-catenin/EMT pathway.

Breast cancer is the leading cancer-related cause of death in women. Here we show that solute carrier family 38-member 3 (SLC38A3) is overexpressed in breast cancer, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells and tissues. Our study reveals that SLC38A3 regulates cellular glutamine, glutamate, asparagine, aspartate, alanine, and glutathione (GSH) levels in breast cancer cells. Our data demonstrate that SLC38A3 enhances cell viability, cell migration and invasion in vitro, and promotes tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, while reducing apoptosis and oxidative stress. Mechanistically, we show that SLC38A3 suppresses the activity of glycogen synthase kinase 3-ß (Gsk3ß), a negative regulator of ß-catenin, and increases protein levels of ß-catenin, leading to the upregulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)-inducing transcription factors and EMT markers in breast cancer. In summary, we show that SLC38A3 is overexpressed in breast cancer and promotes breast cancer metastasis via the GSK3ß/ß-catenin/EMT pathway, presenting a novel therapeutic target to explore for breast cancer.

Key regulator PNPLA8 drives phospholipid reprogramming induced proliferation and migration in triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype and leads to the poorest patient outcomes despite surgery and chemotherapy treatment. Exploring new molecular mechanisms of TNBC that could lead to the development of novel molecular targets are critically important for improving therapeutic options for treating TNBC. METHODS: We sought to identify novel therapeutic targets in TNBC by combining genomic and functional studies with lipidomic analysis, which included mechanistic studies to elucidate the pathways that tie lipid profile to critical cancer cell properties. Our studies were performed in a large panel of human breast cancer cell lines and patient samples. RESULTS: Comprehensive lipid profiling revealed that phospholipid metabolism is reprogrammed in TNBC cells. We discovered that patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing lipase 8 (PNPLA8) is overexpressed in TNBC cell lines and tissues from breast cancer patients. Silencing of PNPLA8 disrupted phospholipid metabolic reprogramming in TNBC, particularly affecting the levels of phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylcholine (PC), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and glycerophosphocholine (GPC). We showed that PNPLA8 is essential in regulating cell viability, migration and antioxidation in TNBC cells and promoted arachidonic acid and eicosanoid production, which in turn activated PI3K/Akt/Gsk3ß and MAPK signaling. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights PNPLA8 as key regulator of phospholipid metabolic reprogramming and malignant phenotypes in TNBC, which could be further developed as a novel molecular treatment target.

Primary breast tumor induced extracellular matrix remodeling in premetastatic lungs.

The premetastatic niche hypothesis proposes an active priming of the metastatic site by factors secreted from the primary tumor prior to the arrival of the first cancer cells. We investigated several extracellular matrix (ECM) structural proteins, ECM degrading enzymes, and ECM processing proteins involved in the ECM remodeling of the premetastatic niche. Our in vitro model consisted of lung fibroblasts, which were exposed to factors secreted by nonmalignant breast epithelial cells, nonmetastatic breast cancer cells, or metastatic breast cancer cells. We assessed ECM remodeling in vivo in premetastatic lungs of female mice growing orthotopic primary breast tumor xenografts, as compared to lungs of control mice without tumors. Premetastatic lungs contained significantly upregulated Collagen (Col) Col4A5, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP9 and MMP14, and decreased levels of MMP13 and lysyl oxidase (LOX) as compared to control lungs. These in vivo findings were consistent with several of our in vitro cell culture findings, which showed elevated Col14A1, Col4A5, glypican-1 (GPC1) and decreased Col5A1 and Col15A1 for ECM structural proteins, increased MMP2, MMP3, and MMP14 for ECM degrading enzymes, and decreased LOX, LOXL2, and prolyl 4-hydroxylase alpha-1 (P4HA1) for ECM processing proteins in lung fibroblasts conditioned with metastatic breast cancer cell media as compared to control. Taken together, our data show that premetastatic priming of lungs by primary breast tumors resulted in significant ECM remodeling which could facilitate metastasis by increasing interstitial fibrillar collagens and ECM stiffness (Col14A1), disruptions of basement membranes (Col4A5), and formation of leaky blood vessels (MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, and MMP14) to promote metastasis.

LncRNA BCAR4 promotes migration, invasion, and chemo-resistance by inhibiting miR-644a in breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Metastasis and drug resistance of breast cancer have become a barrier to treating patients successfully. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known as vital players in cancer development and progression.  METHODS: The RT-qPCR were used to detect the gene expression. Colony formation assay, would healing assay, and transwell assay were performed to investigate oncogenic functions of cells. CCK8 assay was used to detect the cell viability. Western blot was applied to detect the protein level. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to determine the relationship between molecules. Mouse orthotopic xenograft tumor models were established to evaluate the effects of BCAR4 on tumor growth and metastasis in vivo.  RESULTS: LncRNA BCAR4 was significantly increased in breast cancer patients' tissues and plasma and upregulated in breast cancer cell lines. BCAR4 upregulation was correlated with the TNM stages and decreased after surgical removal of breast tumors. Silencing of BCAR4 suppressed breast cancer cell colony formation, migration, invasion, and xenograft tumor growth and promoted chemo-sensitivity. Mechanistically, BCAR4 facilitates breast cancer migration and invasion via the miR-644a-CCR7 axis of the MAPK pathway. BCAR4 promotes ABCB1 expression indirectly by binding to and down-regulating miR-644a to induce chemo-resistance in breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide insights into the oncogenic role of BCAR4 and implicate BCAR4 as a potential diagnostic biomarker and a promising therapeutic agent to suppress metastasis and inhibit chemo-resistance of breast cancer.

A multimodal pipeline using NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry imaging from the same tissue sample.

NMR spectroscopy and matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI MSI) are both commonly used to detect large numbers of metabolites and lipids in metabolomic and lipidomic studies. We have demonstrated a new workflow, highlighting the benefits of both techniques to obtain metabolomic and lipidomic data, which has realized for the first time the combination of these two complementary and powerful technologies. NMR spectroscopy is frequently used to obtain quantitative metabolite information from cells and tissues. Lipid detection is also possible with NMR spectroscopy, with changes being visible across entire classes of molecules. Meanwhile, MALDI MSI provides relative measures of metabolite and lipid concentrations, mapping spatial information of many specific metabolite and lipid molecules across cells or tissues. We have used these two complementary techniques in combination to obtain metabolomic and lipidomic measurements from triple-negative human breast cancer cells and tumor xenograft models. We have emphasized critical experimental procedures that ensured the success of achieving NMR spectroscopy and MALDI MSI in a combined workflow from the same sample. Our data show that several phospholipid metabolite species were differentially distributed in viable and necrotic regions of breast tumor xenografts. This study emphasizes the power of combined NMR spectroscopy-MALDI imaging to advance metabolomic and lipidomic studies.

CPT1A-mediated fatty acid oxidation promotes cell proliferation via nucleoside metabolism in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

As the first rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid oxidation (FAO), CPT1 plays a significant role in metabolic adaptation in cancer pathogenesis. FAO provides an alternative energy supply for cancer cells and is required for cancer cell survival. Given the high proliferation rate of cancer cells, nucleotide synthesis gains prominence in rapidly proliferating cells. In the present study, we found that CPT1A is a determining factor for the abnormal activation of FAO in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells. CPT1A is highly expressed in NPC cells and biopsies. CPT1A dramatically affects the malignant phenotypes in NPC, including proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and tumor formation ability in nude mice. Moreover, an increased level of CPT1A promotes core metabolic pathways to generate ATP, inducing equivalents and the main precursors for nucleotide biosynthesis. Knockdown of CPT1A markedly lowers the fraction of 13C-palmitate-derived carbons into pyrimidine. Periodic activation of CPT1A increases the content of nucleoside metabolic intermediates promoting cell cycle progression in NPC cells. Targeting CPT1A-mediated FAO hinders the cell cycle G1/S transition. Our work verified that CPT1A links FAO to cell cycle progression in NPC cellular proliferation, which supplements additional experimental evidence for developing a therapeutic mechanism based on manipulating lipid metabolism.

Unlabeled aspirin as an activatable theranostic MRI agent for breast cancer.

Rationale: Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is emerging as an alternative to gadolinium-based contrast MRI. We have evaluated the possibility of CEST MRI of orthotopic breast tumor xenografts with unlabeled aspirin's conversion to salicylic acid (SA) through various enzymatic activities, most notably inhibition of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1/-2 enzymes. Methods: We measured the COX-1/-2 expression in four breast cancer cell lines by Western Blot analysis and selected the highest and lowest expressing cell lines. We then performed CEST MRI following aspirin treatment to detect SA levels and ELISA to measure levels of downstream prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). We also injected aspirin into the tail vein of mice growing orthotopic tumor xenografts which expressed high and low COX-1/-2 and acquired SA CEST MR images of these tumor xenografts for up to 70 minutes. Tumors were then harvested to perform Western Blot and ELISA experiments to measure COX-1/-2 expression and PGE2 levels, respectively. Results: Western Blots determined that SUM159 cells contained significantly higher COX-1/-2 expression levels than MDA-MB-231 cells, in line with higher levels of downstream PGE2. SA CEST MRI yielded similar contrast at approximately 3% for both cell lines, independent of COX-1/-2 expression level. PGE2 levels decreased by about 50% following aspirin treatment. Results from our mouse study aligned with cultured cells, the overall SA CEST MRI contrast in both MDA-MB-231 and SUM159 tumor xenograft models was 5~8% at one hour post injection. PGE2 levels were ten times higher in SUM159 than MDA-MB-231 and decreased by 50%. The CEST contrast directly depended on the injected dose, with ~6%, ~3% and ~1.5% contrast observed following injection of 100 µL of 300 mM, 200 mM and 150 mM aspirin, respectively. Conclusions: Our data demonstrate the feasibility of using aspirin as a noninvasive activatable CEST MRI contrast agent for breast tumor detection.

Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A is a novel diagnostic and predictive biomarker for breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1A (CPT1A), the key regulator of fatty acid oxidation, contributes to tumor metastasis and therapeutic resistance. We aimed to identify its clinical significance as a biomarker for the diagnosis and prediction of breast cancer. METHODS: Western blot, ELISA and in silico analysis were used to confirm CPT1A levels in breast cancer cell lines, cell culture medium and breast cancer tissues. Four hundred thirty breast cancer patients, 200 patients with benign breast disease, and 400 healthy controls were enrolled and randomly divided into a training set and a test set with a 7:3 ratio. Training set was used to build diagnostic models and 10-fold cross validation was used to demonstrate the performance of the models. Then test set was aimed to validate the effectiveness of the diagnostic models. ELISA was conducted to detect individual serum CPT1A levels. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated, and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of CPT1A as a biomarker in breast cancer diagnosis. CPT1A levels between post-operative and pre-operative samples were also compared. RESULTS: CPT1A was overexpressed in breast cancer tissues, cell lines and cell culture medium. Serum CPT1A levels were higher in breast cancer patients than in controls and were significantly associated with metastasis, TNM stage, histological grading and molecular subtype. CPT1A levels were decreased in post-operative samples compared with paired pre-operative samples. Moreover, CPT1A exhibited a higher efficacy in differentiating breast cancer patients from healthy controls (training set: area under the curve, AUC, 0.892, 95% CI, 0.872-0.920; test set, AUC, 0.904, 95% CI, 0.869-0.939) than did CA15-3, CEA, or CA125. CONCLUSION: CPT1A is overexpressed in breast cancer and can be secreted out of breast cancer cell. Serum CPT1A is positively associated with breast cancer progression and could serve as an indicator for disease monitoring. Serum CPT1A displayed a remarkably high diagnostic efficiency for breast cancer and could be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of breast cancer.

Annexin-1 Mimetic Peptide Ac2-26 Suppresses Inflammatory Mediators in LPS-Induced Astrocytes and Ameliorates Pain Hypersensitivity in a Rat Model of Inflammatory Pain.

Ac2-26, a mimetic peptide of Annexin-A1, plays a vital role in the anti-inflammatory response mediated by astrocytes. In this study, we aimed to explore the underlying mechanisms of Ac2-26-mediated anti-inflammatory effect. Specifically, we investigated the inhibitory effects of Ac2-26 on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced astrocyte migration and on pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines expressions, as well as one glutathione (GSH) reductase mRNA and total intracellular GSH levels in LPS-induced astrocytes. Additionally, we investigated whether mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway were involved in this process. Finally, we evaluated the analgesic effect of Ac2-26 in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced inflammatory pain model. Our results demonstrated that Ac2-26 inhibited LPS-induced astrocytes migration, reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1α)] and upregulated GSH reductase mRNA and GSH levels in LPS-induced astrocytes in vitro. This process was mediated through the p38, JNK-MAPK signaling pathway, but not dependent on the NF-κB pathway. Furthermore, the p38 and JNK inhibitors mimicked the effects of Ac2-26, whereas a p38 and JNK activator anisomycin partially reversed its function. Finally, Ac2-26 treatment reduced CFA-induced activation of astrocytes and production of inflammatory mediators in the spinal cord. These results suggest that Ac2-26 attenuates pain by inhibiting astrocyte activation and the production of inflammatory mediators; thus, this work presents Ac2-26 as a potential drug to treat neuropathic pain.

Association of the vitamin D metabolism gene GC and CYP27B1 polymorphisms with cancer susceptibility: a meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis.

Nowadays, vitamin D is known to have functions beyond bone formation, including inhibiting angiogenesis and promoting tumor apoptosis. CYP27B1 and group-specific component (GC), the main enzyme responsible for the degradation and transport of active vitamin D, play important role in many cancer-related cellular processes. Relationships between CYP27B1 and GC polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility have been widely investigated, whereas the results are inconsistent. We strictly searched EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, WanFang and CNKI electronic databases for relevant studies exploring the associations of GC (rs4588 and rs7041) and CYP27B1 (rs4646537, rs3782130) polymorphisms with cancer risks according to search strategy. Thirty-two studies published in 13 articles involving 15713 cases and 17304 controls were included. Our analyses suggested that rs4588 and rs7041 polymorphisms were significantly associated with overall cancer risk. Stratification analyses of ethnicity indicated that rs4588 polymorphism significantly increased cancer risk in Caucasians and Asians, while rs7041 polymorphism significantly increased cancer risk in Asians. When studies were stratified by cancer type, our results indicated that rs4588 significantly increased the risk of breast cancer and digestive system tumor, but not in prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer, while rs7041 significantly increased the risk of non-small cell lung cancer. Above associations were noteworthy findings as evaluated by false-positive report probabilities (FPRPs). There were no associations of rs4646537 and rs3782130 with overall cancer risks. Associations between CYP27B1 and GC polymorphisms and cancer risks were examined, and additional large samples are necessary to validate our results.

microRNA-21 promotes breast cancer proliferation and metastasis by targeting LZTFL1.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer type in female. As microRNAs play vital role in breast cancer, this study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism and clinical value of miR-21 in breast cancer. METHODS: qRT-PCR was performed to detect miR-21 levels in plasma of 127 healthy controls, 82 benign breast tumor, 252 breast cancer patients, as well as in breast cancer cell lines. Transwell and wound healing assay were used to analyze breast cancer metastasis in response to miR-21 inhibitor. Colony formation and eFluor™ 670 based flow cytometric analysis were used to test breast cancer proliferation following miR-21 inhibitor treatment. Leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1 (LZTFL1), the target gene of miR-21 was predicted by MIRDB, TargetScan 5.1, PicTar and miRanda. Survival analysis of LZTFL1 levels in breast cancer prognosis was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method by log-rank test according to data from the Cancer Genome Atlas. Luciferase activity assay was performed to confirm the regulation of miR-21 on LZTFL1. LZTFL1 siRNA and miR-21 inhibitor were co-transfected to breast cancer cells, then cell proliferation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) makers were tested. BALB/c nude mice were injected in situ with Hs578T cells stably overexpressing miR-21. Breast tumor growth, metastasis and the expression of EMT markers or LZTFL1 were detected in vivo. RESULTS: Plasma miR-21 levels were elevated in breast cancer patients compared with healthy controls and benign breast tumor patients, and the miR-21 levels were significantly decreased after surgery comparing with pre operation in 44 patients. Inhibition of miR-21 suppressed cell proliferation and metastasis in breast cancer cells. LZTFL1 was identified as a novel target gene of miR-21. Knockdown of LZTFL1 overcame the suppression of miR-21 inhibitor on cell proliferation, metastasis and the expression of EMT markers in breast cancer cells. miR-21 overexpression promoted breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that plasma miR-21 level is a crucial biomarker for breast cancer diagnosis and targeting miR-21-LZTFL1-EMT axis might be a promising strategy in breast cancer therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Retrospectively registered.

PGC1α/CEBPB/CPT1A axis promotes radiation resistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma through activating fatty acid oxidation.

The PPAR coactivator-1α (PGC1α) is an important transcriptional co-activator in control of fatty acid metabolism. Mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is the primary pathway for the degradation of fatty acids and promotes NADPH and ATP production. Our previous study demonstrated that upregulation of carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 A (CPT1A), the key regulator of FAO, promotes radiation resistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). In this study, we found that high expression of PGC1α is associated with poor overall survival in NPC patients after radiation treatment. Targeting PGC1α could sensitize NPC cells to radiotherapy. Mechanically, PGC1α binds to CCAAT/enhancer binding protein ß (CEBPB), a member of the transcription factor family of CEBP, to promote CPT1A transcription, resulting in activation of FAO. Our results revealed that the PGC1α/CEBPB/CPT1A/FAO signaling axis promotes radiation resistance of NPC. These findings indicate that the expression of PGC1α could be a prognostic indicator of NPC, and targeting FAO in NPC with high expression of PGC1α might improve the therapeutic efficacy of radiotherapy.

Mitochondrial network structure homeostasis and cell death.

Mitochondria are the major cellular energy-producing organelles and intracellular source of reactive oxygen species. These organelles are responsible for driving cell life and death through mitochondrial network structure homeostasis, which is determined by a balance of fission and fusion. Recent advances revealed that a number of components of the fission and fusion machinery, including dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1), mitofusin1/2 (Mfn1/2) and Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1), that have been implicated in mitochondrial shape changes are indispensible for autophagy, apoptosis and necroptosis. Drp1 is the main regulator of mitochondrial fission and has become a key point of contention. The controversy focuses on whether Drp1 is directly involved in the regulation of cell death and, if involved, whether is it a stimulator or a negative regulator of cell death. Here, we examine the relevance of the homeostasis of the mitochondrial network structure in 3 different types of cell death, including autophagy, apoptosis and necroptosis. Furthermore, a variety of cancers often exhibit a fragmented mitochondrial phenotype. Thus, the fragmented ratio can reflect tumor progression that predicts prognosis and therapeutic response. In addition, we investigate whether the targeting of the mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 could be a novel therapeutic approach.

Wild-type IDH2 promotes the Warburg effect and tumor growth through HIF1α in lung cancer.

Hotspot mutations of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/2) have been studied in several cancers. However, the function of wild-type IDH2 in lung cancer and the mechanism of its contribution to growth of cancer cells remain unknown. Here, we explored the role and mechanism of wild-type IDH2 in promoting growth of lung cancer. Methods: Information regarding genomic and clinical application focusing on IDH2 in cancer was examined in several databases of more than 1,000 tumor samples. IDH2 expression was assessed by immunohistochemistry in tissues from lung cancer patients. The biological functions of IDH2 were evaluated by using cell-based assays and in vivo xenograft mouse models. Results: Here we reported that wild-type IDH2 is up-regulated and is an indicator of poor survival in lung cancer and several other cancers. Targeting IDH2 with shRNA resulted in decreased HIF1α expression, leading to the attenuation of lung cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth. Treatment of lung cancer cells with AGI-6780 (a small molecule inhibitor of IDH2), PX-478 (an inhibitor of HIF1α) or incubation with octyl-α-KG inhibited lung cancer cell proliferation. Conclusion: IDH2 promotes the Warburg effect and lung cancer cell growth, which is mediated through HIF1α activation followed by decreased α-KG. Therefore, IDH2 could possibly serve as a novel therapeutic target for lung cancer.

Targeting CPT1A-mediated fatty acid oxidation sensitizes nasopharyngeal carcinoma to radiation therapy.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) has a particularly high prevalence in southern China, southeastern Asia and northern Africa. Radiation resistance remains a serious obstacle to successful treatment in NPC. This study aimed to explore the metabolic feature of radiation-resistant NPC cells and identify new molecular-targeted agents to improve the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy in NPC. Methods: Radiation-responsive and radiation-resistant NPC cells were used as the model system in vitro and in vivo. Metabolomics approach was used to illustrate the global metabolic changes. 13C isotopomer tracing experiment and Seahorse XF analysis were undertaken to determine the activity of fatty acid oxidation (FAO). qRT-PCR was performed to evaluate the expression of essential FAO genes including CPT1A. NPC tumor tissue microarray was used to investigate the prognostic role of CPT1A. Either RNA interference or pharmacological blockade by Etomoxir were used to inhibit CPT1A. Radiation resistance was evaluated by colony formation assay. Mitochondrial membrane potential, apoptosis and neutral lipid content were measured by flow cytometry analysis using JC-1, Annexin V and LipidTOX Red probe respectively. Molecular markers of mitochondrial apoptosis were detected by western blot. Xenografts were treated with Etomoxir, radiation, or a combination of Etomoxir and radiation. Mitochondrial apoptosis and lipid droplets content of tumor tissues were detected by cleaved caspase 9 and Oil Red O staining respectively. Liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry approach was used to identify CPT1A-binding proteins. The interaction of CPT1A and Rab14 were detected by immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence and in situ proximity ligation analysis. Fragment docking and direct coupling combined computational protein-protein interaction prediction method were used to predict the binding interface. Fatty acid trafficking was measured by pulse-chase assay using BODIPY C16 and MitoTracker Red probe. Results: FAO was active in radiation-resistant NPC cells, and the rate-limiting enzyme of FAO, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 A (CPT1A), was consistently up-regulated in these cells. The protein level of CPT1A was significantly associated with poor overall survival of NPC patients following radiotherapy. Inhibition of CPT1A re-sensitized NPC cells to radiation therapy by activating mitochondrial apoptosis both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we identified Rab14 as a novel CPT1A binding protein. The CPT1A-Rab14 interaction facilitated fatty acid trafficking from lipid droplets to mitochondria, which decreased radiation-induced lipid accumulation and maximized ATP production. Knockdown of Rab14 attenuated CPT1A-mediated fatty acid trafficking and radiation resistance. Conclusion: An active FAO is a vital signature of NPC radiation resistance. Targeting CPT1A could be a beneficial regimen to improve the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy in NPC patients. Importantly, the CPT1A-Rab14 interaction plays roles in CPT1A-mediated radiation resistance by facilitating fatty acid trafficking. This interaction could be an attractive interface for the discovery of novel CPT1A inhibitors.

IDH2 is a novel diagnostic and prognostic serum biomarker for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the most common leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Late diagnosis contributes to a high mortality rate and poor survival of this cancer. In our previous study, we found that IDH2 polymorphism rs11540478 is a risk factor for lung cancer. Here, we examined IDH2 protein expression in culture medium in which two non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, H460 and A549, were growing. We found that the IDH2 protein was elevated in the culture supernatant fraction in a time- and cell number-dependent manner. Next, we used ELISA methods to examine IDH2 protein level in serum from patients with NSCLC and healthy controls. We found that IDH2 protein levels in serum could distinguish NSCLC patients from healthy controls with an AUC (area under the curve) of 0.83 (95% confidence interval = 0.79-0.88). The IDH2 level was decreased in serum from NSCLC postsurgical patients compared with the paired presurgical serum. High serum IDH2 levels appear to correlate with poor survival in patients with NSCLC. These results suggest that IDH2 levels in the serum could be a new effective biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC.