[Retracted] MicroRNA­383 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer by directly targeting paired box 6.

Following the publication of this paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that certain of the cell migration and invasion assay data shown in Figs. 2C and 5C were strikingly similar to data appearing in different form in other articles by different authors at different research institutes, several of which have been retracted. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article were already under consideration for publication, or had already been published, prior to its submission to Molecular Medicine Reports, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Molecular Medicine Reports 17: 6893­6901, 2018; DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2018.8682].

Doxorubicin and Edelfosine Combo-Loaded Lipid-Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Synergistic Anticancer Effect Against Drug-Resistant Osteosarcoma.

INTRODUCTION: The failure of chemotherapy in osteosarcoma results in drug resistance and acute side effects in the body. METHODS: In this study, we have prepared a novel folate receptor-targeted doxorubicin (DOX) and edelfosine (EDL)-loaded lipid-polymer hybrid nanoparticle (DE-FPLN) to enhance the anticancer efficacy in osteosarcoma. The nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized for in vitro biological assays followed by detailed antitumor efficacy analysis and toxicity analysis in a xenograft model. RESULTS: The dual drug-loaded nanoparticles showed a nanosized morphology and physiological stability. The targeted nanoparticles showed enhanced cellular internalization and subcellular distribution in MG63 cancer cells compared to that of non-targeted nanoparticles. Among many ratios of DOX and EDL, 1:1 ratiometric combinations of drugs were observed to be highly synergistic in killing the cancer cells. MTT assay and caspase-3/7 activity assay clearly showed the superior anticancer efficacy of DE-FPLN formulations in inducing the cancer cell death. In vitro results indicate that the co-administration of two drugs in a folic acid-targeted nanoparticle could potentially induce the apoptosis and cell death. In vivo results displayed the potency of tumor cell killing and significant suppression of tumor growth without any detectable side effects. CONCLUSION: The lipid-polymer hybrid nanocarriers with multiple properties of high drug loading, sequential and ratiometric drug release, improved physiological stability, prolonged blood circulation, and tumor-specific targeting are promising for the delivery of multiple drugs in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

MicroRNA-383 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion in colorectal cancer by directly targeting paired box 6.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most prevalent cancer and the fourth­most common cause of cancer-associated fatality worldwide. The expression and biological roles of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in tumourigenesis, and their regulatory function in a number of biological processes correlated with cancer have been investigated. miR­383 has been reported to be deregulated in several human cancer types. However, the involvement and effects of miR­383 on CRC progression and its underlying mechanism remain unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine miR­383 expression, investigate the biological functions of miR­383 and identify its mechanism of action in CRC cells. In the present study, miR­383 was significantly downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Low miR­383 expression was negatively associated with tumour size, lymph node metastasis and TNM stage. Function experiments demonstrated that miR­383 upregulation inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CRC cells. Paired box 6 (PAX6) was confirmed as a direct target of miR­383. PAX6 was upregulated in CRC tissues and was negatively correlated with miR­383 expression. Induced PAX6 overexpression effectively rescued the tumour­suppressing roles of miR­383 on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. These findings suggested that miR­383 may act as a tumour suppressor in CRC by directly targeting PAX6 and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for CRC treatment.

The Glasgow Prognostic Score Predicts Response to Chemotherapy in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death in women worldwide. The Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), a cumulative prognostic score based on C-reactive protein and albumin, indicates the presence of a systemic inflammatory response. The GPS has been adopted as a powerful prognostic tool for patients with various types of malignant tumors, including breast cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the value of the GPS in predicting the response and toxicity in breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with metastatic breast cancers in a progressive stage for consideration of chemotherapy were eligible. The clinical characteristics and demographics were recorded. The GPS was calculated before the onset of chemotherapy. Data on the response to chemotherapy and progression-free survival (PFS) were also collected. Objective tumor responses were evaluated according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). Toxicities were graded according to National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTC) version 3.0 throughout therapy. RESULTS: In total, 106 breast cancer patients were recruited. The GPS was associated with the response rate (p = 0.05), the clinical benefit rate (p = 0.03), and PFS (p = 0.005). The GPS was the only independent predictor of PFS (p = 0.005). The GPS was significantly associated with neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anorexia, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, and mucositis (p = 0.05-0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that GPS assessment is associated with poor clinical outcomes and severe chemotherapy-related toxicities in patients with metastatic breast cancer who have undergone chemotherapy, without any specific indication regarding the type of chemotherapy applied.

Down-regulation of long non-coding RNA GAS5 is associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been investigated as a new class of regulators of cellular processes, such as cell growth, apoptosis, and carcinogenesis. lncRNA GAS5 has recently been identified to be involved in tumorigenesis of several cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer and renal cancer. However, the regulation of GAS5 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been reported before. METHODS: Expression of GAS5 in tumor and their normal matched tissues was determined by quantitative real-time PCR in n = 71 HCC patients, and its association with overall survival of patients was analyzed by statistical analysis. RESULTS: The expression level of GAS5 was reduced in HCC in comparison to normal matched tissues (P < 0.05). It is also proved that GAS5 expression was to be associated with HCC tumor size, lymphnode metastasis and clinical stage (P < 0.05). In addition, the Kaplan-Meier survival curves revealed that low GAS5 expression was associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. GAS5 expression was an independent prognostic marker of overall HCC patient survival in a multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The study proved for the first time that GAS5 down regulated in a majority of HCC patients. Our results indicated that GAS5 expression was an independent prognostic factor for patients with liver cancer, which might be a potential valuable biomarker for HCC.

Monitoring of peptide-specific and gamma interferon-productive T cells in patients with active and convalescent tuberculosis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay.

To establish a high-efficiency gamma interferon-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (IFN-γ ELISPOT assay) for detection of tuberculosis (TB), peptides (E6, E7, and C14) and peptide mixtures (E6 plus E7 and E6 plus E7 plus C14) were used to monitor peripheral blood (PBL) samples from patients with pulmonary TB (PTB), as well as control samples. The positive detection rates of the five IFN-γ ELISPOT assays were 78.38%, 74.86%, 55.83%, 90.43%, and 91.51%, respectively, and there were similar detection rates between the two combined peptide mixture IFN-γ ELISPOT assays and the tuberculin skin test (TST) (90.62% versus 95.59%). No significant difference was found between the detection rates of the two combined peptide mixture IFN-γ ELISPOT assays and the T-SPOT.TB assay for 86 patients with PTB (P > 0.05), but the median number of spot-forming cells/10(6) cells (SFP value) for positive results was higher by the former than by the latter assay (P < 0.05). In contrast, the 29.93% positive detection rate and median SFP value of 482 by the two combined peptide mixture IFN-γ ELISPOT assays were significantly higher than the corresponding values of 14.29% and 152 by T-SPOT.TB assay for the same 147 community donors (P < 0.05). For nine PTB patients tracked, the SFP value of 7 for the two peptide mixture IFN-γ ELISPOT assays began to decrease from the second month after regular treatment. A relatively low, almost normal, SFP level was reached and maintained after the third or fourth month. Two in-house IFN-γ ELISPOT assays and the T-SPOT.TB assay could reduce the false-positive and false-negative detection rates of TST and sputum acid-fast staining. Therefore, these two combined peptide mixture IFN-γ ELISPOT assays have a potential advantage, beyond their greater specificity and sensitivity, for use in screening and detection of active TB infection (TBI) and latent TB infection (LTBI) in China.