Apoptosis In Bladder Cancer Cells Research Articles

A study on the significance of serine hydroxymethyl transferase expression and its role in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a common malignant tumor in urinary system all over the world. However, due to its high recurrence rate and complex causes, clinicians often have limited options for surgical and drug treatments. Recent researchs on the molecular mechanism of BLCA have reveals its biological progress and potential for early diagnosis. Serine hydroxymethyltransferase 1/2 (SHMT1/2) is a crucial enzyme in the one-carbon metabolism of tumor cells, and the expression levels of these isozymes have been found to be associated with the biological progression of various malignant tumors. However, the impact of SHMT1/2 on the biological progression of bladder cancer and its molecular regulation mechanism remain unclear. In this research utilizes BLCA clinical sample data, the TCGA database, and in vitro cell experiments to predict the expression levels of SHMT1/2 in BLCA. The findings indicate that SHMT1 remained unchanged, while SHMT2 expression is increased in BLCA, which was related to poor prognosis. Additionally, SHMT2 affects the growth, migration, and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in vitro. It also influences the expression levels of E-cadherin and N-cadherin, ultimately impacting the malignant biological progression of bladder tumors. These results establish a correlation between SHMT2 and the malignant biological progression of BLCA, providing a theoretical basis for the early diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.

Securinine inhibits the tumor growth of human bladder cancer cells by suppressing Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and activating p38 and JNK signaling pathways

Bladder cancer (BC) is the most common malignant tumor in urinary system. Although chemotherapy is one of the most important adjuvant treatments for BC, drug resistance, non-specific toxicity and severe side effects are the major obstacles to BC chemotherapy. Natural products have always been a leading resource of antitumor drug discovery, with the advantages of excellent effectiveness, low toxicity, multi-targeting potency and easy availability.In this study, we evaluated the potential anti-tumor effect of securinine (SEC), a natural alkaloid from Securinega suffruticosa, on BC cells in vitro and in vivo, and delineated the underlying mechanism. We found that SEC inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion, induced the apoptosis of BC cells in vitro, and retarded the xenograft tumor growth of BC cell in vivo. Notably, SEC had a promising safety profile because it presented no or low toxicity on normal cells and mice. Mechanistically, SEC inactivated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway while activated p38 and JNK signaling pathway. Moreover, β-catenin overexpression, the p38 inhibitor SB203580 and the JNK inhibitor SP600125 both mitigated the inhibitory effect of SEC on BC cells. Furthermore, we demonstrated a synergistic inhibitory effect of SEC and gemcitabine (GEM) on BC cells in vitro and in vivo.Taken together, our findings suggest that SEC may exert anti-BC cell effect at least through the activation of p38 and JNK signaling pathways, and the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. More meaningfully, the findings indicate that GEM-induced BC cell killing can be enhanced by combining with SEC.

A first-in-class TIMM44 blocker inhibits bladder cancer cell growth

Mitochondria play a multifaceted role in supporting bladder cancer progression. Translocase of inner mitochondrial membrane 44 (TIMM44) is essential for maintaining function and integrity of mitochondria. We here tested the potential effect of MB-10 (MitoBloCK-10), a first-in-class TIMM44 blocker, against bladder cancer cells. TIMM44 mRNA and protein expression is significantly elevated in both human bladder cancer tissues and cells. In both patient-derived primary bladder cancer cells and immortalized (T24) cell line, MB-10 exerted potent anti-cancer activity and inhibited cell viability, proliferation and motility. The TIMM44 blocker induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in bladder cancer cells, but failed to provoke cytotoxicity in primary bladder epithelial cells. MB-10 disrupted mitochondrial functions in bladder cancer cells, causing mitochondrial depolarization, oxidative stress and ATP reduction. Whereas exogenously-added ATP and the antioxidant N-Acetyl Cysteine mitigated MB-10-induced cytotoxicity of bladder cancer cells. Genetic depletion of TIMM44 through CRISPR-Cas9 method also induced robust anti-bladder cancer cell activity and MB-10 had no effect in TIMM44-depleted cancer cells. Contrarily, ectopic overexpression of TIMM44 using a lentiviral construct augmented proliferation and motility of primary bladder cancer cells. TIMM44 is important for Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation. In primary bladder cancer cells, Akt-S6K1 phosphorylation was decreased by MB-10 treatment or TIMM44 depletion, but enhanced after ectopic TIMM44 overexpression. In vivo, intraperitoneal injection of MB-10 impeded bladder cancer xenograft growth in nude mice. Oxidative stress, ATP reduction, Akt-S6K1 inhibition and apoptosis were detected in MB-10-treated xenograft tissues. Moreover, genetic depletion of TIMM44 also arrested bladder cancer xenograft growth in nude mice, leading to oxidative stress, ATP reduction and Akt-S6K1 inhibition in xenograft tissues. Together, targeting overexpressed TIMM44 by MB-10 significantly inhibits bladder cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Comprehensive analysis indicated that NDE1 is a potential biomarker for pan-cancer and promotes bladder cancer progression.

The nuclear distribution E homologue 1 (NDE1) is a crucial dynein binding partner. The NDE1 protein has the potential to disrupt the normal functioning of centrosomes, leading to a compromised ability to generate spindles and ensure precise separation of chromosomes during cell division. The potential consequences of this phenomenon include genomic instability, malignant transformation and the proliferation of neoplastic growths. However, studies examining the connection between NDE1 and cancer is still very rare. The expression level, prognostic impact, gene change, DNA methylation, protein interaction, mRNA m6A modification, ceRNA network, associated gene and function enrichment, and immune-related effects of NDE1 in pan-cancer were examined using a range of online analytic tools and the R software package. The CCK-8 test, transwell assay, scratch assay and colony formation assay were used to confirm the effects of NDE1 on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells. Numerous tumour types have elevated NDE1, which is linked to a bad prognosis. NDE1 is an excellent diagnostic tool for many different types of cancer. Numerous malignancies have been linked to genetic changes in NDE1. NDE1 was connected to TMB, MSI, several immunological checkpoint genes and immune cell infiltration. NDE1 is linked to a number of immunological subtypes. NDE1 could affect how well immunotherapy works to treat different types of cancer. NDE1 was mostly associated with cell cycle, chromosomal segregation, DNA replication and mitotic segregation, according to GO and KEGG analyses. NDE1 physically binds to PAFAH1B1 and DCTN1, respectively. The proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells may be prevented by NDE1 knockdown. Furthermore, knockdown of NDE1 promoted the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells. High expression of NDE1 is present in a variety of tumours, which is linked to a bad prognosis for cancer. Knockdown of NDE1 inhibited the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of bladder cancer cells, and promoted the apoptosis. For a number of malignancies, NDE1 may be a biomarker for immunotherapy and prognosis.

Cytotoxicity and Apoptosis Studies of Brucein D against T24 Bladder Cancer Cells.

Brucein D (BrD), a quassinoid isolated from Brucea javanica fruit, reportedly demonstrates anti-cancer activity. This study's objective is to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Brucein D and its ability to induce apoptosis in T24 bladder cancer cells. We investigated the cytotoxic activity of BrD against the T24 cell through the induction of apoptosis in vitro. This cytotoxic activity was evaluated with ΜΤΤ assay and followed by Calcein-AM/PI viability staining. Apoptotic activity was determined with Hoechst 33342 nuclear staining and DNA fragmentation. Doxorubicin and docetaxel were used as a positive control. Evaluation of apoptotic-related gene expression, Bax, Bak, Bcl2, and p53 was also performed using semi-quantitative PCR analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted using One-way ANOVA followed by post hoc test Turkey's HSD (Honestly Significance Difference). Results show that BrD had high toxicity against T24 bladder cancer cells with an IC50 value of 7.65 ± 1.2 µg/mL but relatively less toxic to 1BR3 normal skin fibroblast cells compared to the doxorubicin and docetaxel treated cells. The viability assay shows that BrD significantly increases the percentage of dead cells relative to control in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the percentage of cells with apoptotic appearance was significantly higher in group treated with BrD IC50 (56.04±3.09%) compared to control (9.42±2.88). The result was similar to doxorubicin IC50 (58.97±12.31) but lower than docetaxel IC50 (74.42±9.79). DNA fragmentation in gel electrophoresis was also observed in T24 cells treated with BrD. Apoptosis was also verified by an alteration in the expression of apoptosis-related genes, upregulation of Bax, Bak, and p53, and downregulation of Bcl-2. BrD has shown a cytotoxic effect against T24 bladder cancer cells. Hence, it is a promising natural compound for the management of bladder cancer by induction of apoptosis through activation of the intrinsic pathway, with low toxicity to normal cells.

The potential mechanism of ursolic acid in the treatment of bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking.

This study explored the potential molecular mechanisms of ursolic acid (UA) in bladder cancer treatment using network pharmacology and molecular docking. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology and UniProt databases were used to screen potential targets of UA. Relevant bladder cancer target genes were extracted using the GeneCards database. All data were pooled and intercrossed to obtain common target genes of UA and bladder cancer. Gene Ontology functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Molecular docking was conducted to verify the possible binding conformation between UA and bladder cancer cells. Then, in vitro experiments were performed to further validate the predicted results. UA exerts anti-tumor effects on bladder cancer through multiple targets and pathways. Molecular docking indicated that UA undergoes stable binding with the proteins encoded by the top six core genes (STAT3, VEGFA, CASP3, TP53, IL1B, and CCND1). The in vitro experiments verified that UA can induce bladder cancer cell apoptosis by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Our study illustrated the potential mechanism of UA in bladder cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The results will provide scientific references for follow-up studies and clinical treatment.

Excavatolide C/cisplatin combination induces antiproliferation and drives apoptosis and DNA damage in bladder cancer cells.

Excavatolide C (EXCC), a marine coral-derived compound, exhibits an antiproliferation effect on bladder cancer cells. The present study evaluated the improvement in the antiproliferation ability of EXCC by co-treatment with cisplatin in bladder cancer cells. EXCC/cisplatin (12.5 and 1μg/mL) showed higher antiproliferation effects on bladder cancer cells than single treatments (EXCC or cisplatin alone) in the 48h ATP assay. EXCC/cisplatin also enhanced the increase in subG1, annexin V-mediated apoptosis, and activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and several caspases (caspases 3, 8, and 9) compared to the single treatments. Cellular and mitochondrial oxidative stress was enhanced with EXCC/cisplatin compared to the single treatments according to analyses of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial superoxide, and mitochondrial membrane potential; in addition, cellular antioxidants, such as glutathione (GSH), and the mRNA expressions of antioxidant signaling genes (catalase and NFE2-like bZIP transcription factor 2) were downregulated. EXCC/cisplatin treatment produced more DNA damage than the single treatments, as indicated by γH2AX and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels. Moreover, several DNA repair genes for homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) were downregulated in EXCC/cisplatin compared to others. The addition of the GSH precursor N-acetylcysteine, which has ROS scavenging activity, attenuated all EXCC/cisplatin-induced changes. Notably, EXCC/cisplatin showed lower antiproliferation, apoptosis, ROS induction, GSH depletion, and γH2AX DNA damage in normal cells than in bladder cancer cells. Therefore, the co-treatment of EXCC/cisplatin reduces the proliferation of bladder cancer cells via oxidative stress-mediated mechanisms with normal cell safety.

[6]-Shogaol Induces Apoptosis of Murine Bladder Cancer Cells.

Bladder cancer is considered one of the most aggressive neoplasms due to its recurrence and progression profile, and even with the improvement in diagnosis and treatment methods, the mortality rate has not shown a declining trend in recent decades. From this perspective, the search and development of more effective and safer therapeutic alternatives are necessary. Phytochemicals are excellent sources of active principles with therapeutic potential. [6]-Shogaol is a phenolic compound extracted from the ginger rhizomes that has shown antitumor effects in a wide variety of cancer models. However, there is no record in the literature of studies reporting these effects in models of bladder cancer. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the in vitro cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic potential of [6]-Shogaol against murine bladder cancer urothelial cells (MB49). The cytotoxic effects of [6]-Shogaol on cell viability (MTT method), cell morphology (light microscopy), alteration of proliferative processes (clonogenic assay), oxidative stress pathway (levels of reactive oxygen species) and the induction of apoptotic events (flow cytometry and high-resolution epifluorescence imaging) were evaluated in murine urothelial bladder cancer cell lines (MB49), relative to non-tumor murine fibroblasts (L929). The results showed that [6]-Shogaol was able to induce concentration-dependent cytotoxic effects, which compromised cell viability, exhibiting an inhibitory concentration of 50% of cells (IC50) of 146.8 µM for MB49 tumor cells and 236.0 µM for L929 non-tumor fibroblasts. In addition to inhibiting and altering the proliferative processes if colony formation, it presented pro-apoptotic activity identified through a quantitative analysis and the observation of apoptotic phenotypes, events apparently mediated by the induction of nuclear fragmentation. The data presented suggest that [6]-Shogaol has a higher concentration-dependent cytotoxic and apoptosis-inducing potential in MB49 cells than in L929 fibroblasts. These results may contribute to the development of therapeutic alternatives for bladder cancer.

Hyperoside induces cell cycle arrest and suppresses tumorigenesis in bladder cancer through the interaction of EGFR-Ras and Fas signaling pathways.

Hyperoside is a natural flavonol glycoside widely found in plants and has been reported to have a variety of pharmacological effects, including anticancer abilities. In this study, we demonstrated for the first time that hyperoside inhibited the proliferation of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, hyperoside could not only induce cell cycle arrest, but also induce apoptosis of a few bladder cancer cells. Quantitative proteomics, bioinformatics analysis and Western blotting confirmed that hyperoside induced the overexpression of EGFR, Ras and Fas proteins, which affects a variety of synergistic and antagonistic downstream signaling pathways, including MAPKs and Akt, ultimately contributing to its anticancer effects in bladder cancer cells. This study reveals that hyperoside could be a promising therapeutic strategy for the prevention of bladder cancer.

The Effects of Calcium Channel Blocker Combined with Oxaliplatin on Apoptosis of Bladder Cancer Cells

Objective: This experiment explores the effect of calcium ion (Ca2+) on oxaliplatin-induced bladder cancer cell apoptosis and investigates the impact of blocking calcium channels on oxaliplatin-induced bladder cancer cell apoptosis.

MicroRNA-152 specifically targets kinesin family member 14 to suppress the advancement of bladder cancer cells via PI3K/AKT pathway

BackgroundKinesin family member 14 (KIF14) overexpression has been linked to tumor progression and metastasis in different malignancies, but its precise molecular mechanism in bladder cancer (BLCA) remains unclear. MethodsThe expression of KIF14 in BLCA and its relationship with clinical outcomes were assessed. Functional investigations on KIF14 were conducted using CCK-8, Transwell experiment, colony formation, scratch motility assays, and flow cytometry. We examined the downstream route of KIF14 and identified its upstream regulatory factor through luciferase reporter experiments and bioinformatics tools. ResultsOur findings demonstrated that increased KIF14 expression was associated with poor survival prognosis in BLCA patients. Deletion of KIF14 affected cell cycle progression, induced apoptosis, and inhibited cell growth, migration, and invasion. GSEA analysis revealed a strong association between KIF14 expression and the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Further research showed that KIF14 deletion decreased the levels of p-PI3K, p-AKT, FOXM1, and CCNB1. We also found that has-miR-152-3p (miR-152) suppressed BLCA cell growth by post-transcriptionally regulating KIF14 expression. ConclusionsOur findings suggest that targeting KIF14 could alter the PI3K/AKT and FOXM1-CCNB1 axis, leading to growth inhibition, cell cycle arrest, and induction of apoptosis in BLCA cells. Additionally, miR-152 directly regulates KIF14 expression at the post-transcriptional level. Overall, KIF14 represents a promising therapeutic target for BLCA clinical therapy.

Apatinib Inhibits Bladder Cancer through Suppression of the VEGFR2- PI3K-AKT Signaling Pathway as Revealed by Network Pharmacology and in vitro Experimental Verification.

This study aimed to evaluate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of Apatinib anti-bladder cancer via network pharmacology and experimental verification. Network pharmacology was used to screen the possible signaling pathways of Apatinib in bladder cancer, and the most likely pathway was selected for in vitro validation. CCK-8 and colony formation assay were used to detect the effect of Apatinib on the proliferation of bladder cancer cells. Hoechst staining and flow cytometry detected apoptosis of bladder cancer cells induced by Apatinib. Western blot was performed to distinguish the effect of Apatinib on the expression levels of key targets. Apatinib can affect many signaling pathways and the correlation of the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the greatest. In vitro experiments showed that Apatinib could inhibit bladder cancer cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and up-regulate the expression of apoptosisrelated proteins Cleaved-PARP and down-regulate the expression of Bcl-2. Furthermore, Apatinib could decrease the protein expression of VEGFR2, P-VEGFR2, P-PI3K and P-AKT. Apatinib could promote apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by inhibiting the VEGFR2- PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

FAM111B Acts as an Oncogene in Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is a prevalent malignancy of the urinary system, associated with a high recurrence rate and poor prognosis. FAM111B, which encodes a protein containing a trypsin-like cysteine/serine peptidase domain, has been implicated in the progression of various human cancers; however, its involvement in BLCA remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the expression of FAM111B gene in tumor tissues compared to para-tumor tissues using immunohistochemistry and observed a significantly higher FAM111B gene expression in tumor tissues. Furthermore, analysis of clinical characteristics indicated that the increased FAM111B gene expression correlated with lymphatic metastasis and reduced overall survival. To investigate its functional role, we employed FAM111B-knockdown BLCA cell models and performed cell proliferation, wound-healing, transwell, and flow cytometry assays. The results showed that decreased FAM111B gene expression inhibited proliferation and migration but induced apoptosis in BLCA cells. In vivo experiments further validated that FAM111B knockdown suppressed tumor growth. Overall, our findings suggest that FAM111B acts as an oncogene in BLCA, playing a critical role in tumorigenesis, progression, and metastasis of BLCA. In conclusion, we have demonstrated a strong correlation between the expression of FAM111B gene and the development, progression, and metastasis of bladder cancer (BLCA). Thus, FAM111B is an oncogene associated with BLCA and holds promise as a molecular target for future treatment of this cancer.

Inhibition of autophagy can promote the apoptosis of bladder cancer cells induced by SC66 through the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway

Bladder cancer is among the ten most prevalent cancer types worldwide, and its prognosis has not improved significantly in the past three decades because of cognitive limitations in the molecular mechanisms that drive the malignant progression of bladder cancer. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify new therapeutic drugs or molecular targets to improve the prognosis of patients with bladder cancer. SC66, a novel allosteric inhibitor of AKT, has recently been reported to exert potent anticancer effects on various cancer cells. However, the mechanisms underlying its anticancer effects in bladder cancer remain largely unknown. Consequently, this study aimed to conduct a series of molecular and cellular biology experiments to verify the anticancer effect and potential mechanism of action of SC66 in bladder cancer in vitro. A xenograft tumor model was established to confirm its anticancer role in vivo. Our results showed that SC66 inhibited cell proliferation, triggered mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, and initiated autophagy in bladder cancer cells dose-dependently. In addition, our results suggested that SC66-caused apoptosis and autophagy were endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent. Interestingly, the activation of autophagy can partially protect bladder cancer cells from apoptosis under endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by SC66 treatment. This study shows that SC66 exerts its anticancer impact on bladder cancer by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis. It also reveals that inhibiting autophagy can increase the cytotoxic effects of SC66 in bladder cancer. Overall, this is the first study on the anticancer effect of SC66 mediated by the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway and the first report on the AKT-independent anticancer mechanism of SC66 in bladder cancer. Conclusively, exploring the relationship between apoptosis, autophagy, and endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by SC66 indicates that SC66 is a promising novel agent for patients with bladder cancer.

Cardamonin suppresses glycolysis and induces oxidative stress by inhibiting PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway in bladder cancer cells

Purpose: To evaluate the effect and underlying mechanisms of action of cardamine on the progression of bladder cancer (BC).Methods: Human bladder epithelium immortalized cell line (SV-HUC-1) and human bladder cancer (BC) cell lines (T24 and UM-UC-3) were used in this investigation. They were treated with cardamine at concentrations of 0, 15, 30, 60 or 120 μmol/L. Cell viability was determined using cell counting kit 8(CCK-8) assay while 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (Edu) assay was used to assess cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation were determined by flow cytometry whereas glucose uptake, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and lactate production were determined using their respective assay kits. Furthermore, the expression levels of nuclear factor level (erythroidderived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2), NAD(P)H, quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylated-AKT (p-AKT), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), p-PI3K, mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase (mTOR) and p-mTOR were evaluated by western blot analysis.Results: Cardamine significantly reduced cell viability and inhibited cell proliferation in BC cells in a dose-dependent manner, but did not affect human normal cells. In addition, treatment with the compound induced apoptosis in BC cells; the higher the concentration, the higher the apoptosis level. Besides, cardamine administration suppressed aerobic glycolysis, and decreased the nuclear factor level (Nrf2) level, thereby increasing ROS production in a concentration-dependent manner.Furthermore, it blocked the activation of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal cascade.Conclusion: Cardamine inhibits glycolysis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, and also promotes apoptosis as well as oxidative stress in BC cells. Thus, the compound is a potential therapeutic reagent for BC.

The Role of Specificity Protein 1 (SP1) in Bladder Cancer Progression through PTEN-Mediated AKT/mTOR Pathway

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate the potential mechanism of specificity protein 1 (SP1) in bladder cancer progression through the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway. Methods: Human bladder cancer cell lines (HT-1197, HT-1376, and T24) and normal ureteral epithelial cell line SV-HUC-1 were used. SP1 expression was detected via quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting. Cell viability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed using CCK-8, transwell, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The involvement of the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway was evaluated by Western blot. A mouse xenograft model was built, and immunohistochemical staining was applied to visualize SP1 and Ki67 expression in tumor tissues. Results: SP1 was overexpressed in bladder cancer cells. SP1 knockdown inhibited viability, migration, and invasion and promoted apoptosis in bladder cancer cells. PTEN intervention increased cell viability, migration, and invasion and decreased apoptosis, which was reversed by SP1 knockdown. The activation of the AKT/mTOR pathway resulting from PTEN knockdown was attenuated by SP1 knockdown. In vivo results showed that SP1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth, increased PTEN expression, and decreased AKT/mTOR pathway-related protein levels. Conclusion: SP1 promotes bladder cancer progression by inhibiting the PTEN-mediated AKT/mTOR pathway. Targeting SP1 may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating bladder cancer.

Forkhead box F1 functions as a novel prognostic biomarker and induces caspase‑dependent apoptosis in bladder cancer.

The downregulated expression of forkhead box F1 (FOXF1) has been found in many malignant tumors but no research was done in bladder cancer (BC). The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic value and antitumor effects of FOXF1 in patients with BC. Herein, a retrospectively recruited BC cohort and public datasets were utilized to identify the predictive ability of FOXF1 and determine its association with the clinical characteristics of BC patients. It was found that the expression level of FOXF1 was notably lower in BC tissues than in para‑cancerous mucosae. Low FOXF1 expression was associated with unfavorable clinicopathological features and poor prognosis. Furthermore, in BC cells, the mRNA and protein expression levels of FOXF1 were examined using reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR and western blot analysis. Cell viability was examined using Cell Counting Kit‑8, EdU and clonogenic capacity assays. Cell apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. The results revealed that the activation of FOXF1 impaired cell viability and induced apoptosis in BC. The antitumor effects of FOXF1 were also validated using animal models. Subsequently, caspase‑3 was spotted as a downstream gene of FOXF1 by using RNA sequencing and protein‑protein interaction analyses. FOXF1 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of BC cells via caspase signaling pathway. The present study demonstrates the expression patterns, prognostic predictive ability and antitumor effects of FOXF1 in BC. FOXF1 is a favorable biomarker for predicting clinical outcomes in patients with BC and represents a potential therapeutic target.

Sertindole, an Antipsychotic Drug, Curbs the STAT3/BCL-xL Axis to Elicit Human Bladder Cancer Cell Apoptosis In Vitro.

Bladder cancer is the leading urinary tract malignancy. Epidemiological evidence has linked lower cancer incidence in schizophrenia patients to long-term medication, highlighting the anticancer potential of antipsychotics. Sertindole is an atypical antipsychotic agent with reported anticancer action on breast and gastric cancers. Yet, sertindole's effect on bladder cancer remains unaddressed. We herein present the first evidence of sertindole's antiproliferative effect and mechanisms of action on human bladder cancer cells. Sertindole was cytotoxic against bladder cancer cells while less cytotoxic to normal urothelial cells. Apoptosis was a primary cause of sertindole's cytotoxicity, as the pan-caspase inhibitor z-VAD-fmk rescued cells from sertindole-induced killing. Mechanistically, sertindole inhibited the activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), an oncogenic driver of bladder cancer, as sertindole lowered the levels of tyrosine 705-phosphorylated STAT3 along with that of STAT3's target gene BCL-xL. Notably, ectopic expression of the dominant-active STAT3 mutant impaired sertindole-induced apoptosis in addition to restoring BCL-xL expression. Moreover, bladder cancer cells overexpressing BCL-xL were refractory to sertindole's proapoptotic action, arguing that sertindole represses STAT3 to downregulate BCL-xL, culminating in the induction of apoptosis. Overall, the current study indicated sertindole exerts bladder cancer cytotoxicity by provoking apoptosis through targeted inhibition of the antiapoptotic STAT3/BCL-xL signaling axis. These findings implicate the potential to repurpose sertindole as a therapeutic strategy for bladder cancer.

Microtubule Dynamics Deregulation Induces Apoptosis in Human Urothelial Bladder Cancer Cells via a p53-Independent Pathway.

Bladder cancer (BLCA) is the sixth most common type of cancer and has a dismal prognosis if diagnosed late. To identify treatment options for BLCA, we systematically evaluated data from the Broad Institute DepMap project. We found that urothelial BLCA cell lines are among the most sensitive to microtubule assembly inhibition by paclitaxel treatment. Strikingly, we revealed that the top dependencies in BLCA cell lines include genes encoding proteins involved in microtubule assembly. This highlights the importance of microtubule network dynamics as a major vulnerability in human BLCA. In cancers such as ovarian and breast, where paclitaxel is the gold standard of care, resistance to paclitaxel treatment has been linked to p53-inactivating mutations. To study the response of BLCA to microtubule assembly inhibition and its mechanistic link with the mutational status of the p53 protein, we treated a collection of BLCA cell lines with a dose range of paclitaxel and performed a detailed characterization of the response. We discovered that BLCA cell lines are significantly sensitive to low concentrations of paclitaxel, independently of their p53 status. Paclitaxel induced a G2/M cell cycle arrest and growth inhibition, followed by robust activation of apoptosis. Most importantly, we revealed that paclitaxel triggered a robust DNA-damage response and apoptosis program without activating the p53 pathway. Integration of transcriptomics, epigenetic, and dependency data demonstrated that the response of BLCA to paclitaxel is independent of p53 mutational signatures but strongly depends on the expression of DNA repair genes. Our work highlights urothelial BLCA as an exceptional candidate for paclitaxel treatment. It paves the way for the rational use of a combination of paclitaxel and DNA repair inhibitors as an effective, novel therapeutic strategy.

MTHFD2 promotes PD-L1 expression via activation of the JAK/STAT signalling pathway in bladder cancer.

Although combination chemotherapy is widely used for bladder cancer (BC) treatment, the recurrence and progression rates remain high. Therefore, novel therapeutic targets are required. Methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 2 (MTHFD2) contributes to tumourigenesis and immune evasion in several cancers; however, its biological function in BC remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the expression, prognostic value and protumoural function of MTHFD2 in BC and elucidate the mechanism of programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation by MTHFD2. An analysis using publicly available databases revealed that a high MTHFD2 expression was correlated with clinical features and a poor prognosis in BC. Furthermore, MTHFD2 promoted the growth, migration, invasion and tumourigenicity and decreased the apoptosis of BC cells in vivo and in vitro. The results obtained from databases showed that MTHFD2 expression was correlated with immune infiltration levels, PD-L1 expression, and the Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK/STAT) pathway. The expression of MTHFD2, PD-L1 and JAK/STAT signalling pathway-related proteins increased after interferon gamma treatment and decreased after MTHFD2 knockdown. Moreover, addition of a JAK/STAT pathway activator partially reduced the effect of MTHFD2 knockdown on BC cells. Collectively, our findings suggest that MTHFD2 promotes the expression of PD-L1 through the JAK/STAT signalling pathway in BC.