Bladder Cancer Cell Invasion Research Articles

A Non-G-Quadruplex DNA Aptamer Targeting NCL for Diagnosis and Therapy in Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) is a highly aggressive malignant tumor affecting the urinary system, characterized by metastasis and a poor prognosis that often leads to limited therapeutic success. This study aims to develop a novel DNA aptamer for the diagnosis and treatment of BC using a tissue-based systematic evolution of ligands by an exponential enrichment (SELEX) process. By using SELEX, this work successfully generatesa new aptamer named TB-5, which demonstrates a remarkable and specific affinity for nucleolin (NCL) in BC tissues and displays marked biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, this work shows thatNCL is a reliable tissue-specific biomarker in BC. Moreover, according to circular dichroism spectroscopy, TB-5 forms a non-G-quadruplex structure, distinguishing it from the current NCL-targetingaptamer AS1411, and exhibits a distinct binding region on NCL compared to AS1411. Notably, this study further reveals that TB-5 activates NCL function by promoting autophagy and suppressing the migration and invasion of BC cells, which occurs by disrupting mRNA transcription processes. These findings highlight the critical role of NCL in the pathological examination of BC and warrant more comprehensive investigations on anti-NCL aptamers in BC imaging and treatment.

Androgen dihydrotestosterone promotes bladder cancer cell proliferation and invasion via EPPK1-mediated MAPK/JUP signalling

The incidence of bladder cancer (BLCA) in men is higher than that in women. Differences in androgen levels between men and women are considered the main causes of incidence rate differences. In this study, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) significantly increased the proliferation and invasion of BLCA cells. In addition, BLCA formation and metastatic rates were higher in N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine (BBN)-treated male mice than in female and castrated male mice in vivo. However, immunohistochemistry showed that androgen receptor (AR) was expressed at low levels in normal and BLCA tissues of men and women. The classical AR pathway considers that DHT binds to AR and induces it to enter the nucleus, where it functions as a transcription factor. Here, a non-AR combination pathway of androgen that promoted BLCA development was investigated. The EPPK1 protein was bombarded with DHT, as determined by biotinylated DHT-binding pull-down experiments. EPPK1 was highly expressed in BLCA tissues, and EPPK1 knockdown significantly inhibited BLCA cell proliferation and invasion promoted by DHT. Moreover, JUP expression was elevated in DHT-treated high-EPPK1 expressing cells, and JUP knockdown inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. EPPK1 overexpression increased tumour growth and JUP expression in nude mice. Furthermore, DHT increased the expression of the MAPK signals p38, p-p38, and c-Jun, and c-Jun could bind to the JUP promoter. However, the promotion of p38, p-p38, and c-Jun expression by DHT was not observed in EPPK1 knockdown cells, and a p38 inhibitor suppressed the DHT-induced effects, indicating that p38 MAPK may be involved in the regulation of DHT-dependent EPPK1-JUP-promoted BLCA cell proliferation and invasion. The growth of bladder tumours in BBN-treated mice was inhibited by the addition of the hormone inhibitor goserelin. Our findings indicated the potential oncogenic role and mechanism of DHT in BLCA pathogenesis through a non-AR pathway, which may serve as a novel therapeutic target for BLCA.

SCARA5 as a downstream factor of PCAT29, inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of bladder cancer

Scavenger receptor class A, member 5 (SCARA5) has been identified a novel tumor suppressor in several cancers. However, the functional and underlying mechanism of SCARA5 in bladder cancer (BC) need investigation. Here, we found SCARA5 expression was downregulated in both BC tissues and cell lines. Low SCARA5 in BC tissues was associated with a shorter overall survival. Moreover, SCARA5 overexpression reduced BC cell viability, colony formation, invasion, and migration. Further investigation demonstrated that the expression of SCARA5 was negatively regulated by miR-141. Furthermore, the long non-coding RNA prostate cancer associated transcript 29 (PCAT29) inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration of BC cells by sponging miR-141. Luciferase activity assays revealed that PCAT29 targeted miR-141 and miR-141 targeted SCARA5. In conclusion, SCARA5, as a downstream factor of the PCAT29/miR-141 axis, inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of BC cells. These findings provide novel insights into the detailed molecular mechanisms of BC development.

Retraction: Long noncoding RNA SNHG1 activates autophagy and promotes cell invasion in bladder cancer.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.660551.].

Exosomes from PYCR1 knockdown bone marrow mesenchymal stem inhibits aerobic glycolysis and the growth of bladder cancer cells via regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway.

Bladder cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease, and pyrroline‑5‑carboxylate reductase 1 (PYCR1) can promote the proliferation and invasion of BC cells and accelerate BC progression. In the present study, si‑PYCR1 was loaded into bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC)‑derived exosomes (Exos) in BC. First, PYCR1 levels in BC tissues/cells were assessed, and cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated. Aerobic glycolysis levels (glucose uptake, lactate production, ATP production, and the expression of relevant enzymes) and the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway phosphorylation levels were determined. PYCR1‑EGFR interactions were examined by co‑immunoprecipitation experiments. RT4 cells transfected with oe‑PYCR1 were treated with EGFR inhibitor CL‑387785. Exos were loaded with si‑PYCR1 and identified, followed by an assessment of their effects on aerobic glycolysis and malignant cell behaviors. Nude mouse models of xenograft tumors were established by injecting mice with Exo‑si‑PYCR1 and Exo‑si‑PYCR1. PYCR1 was upregulated in BC cells, with the highest expression observed in T24 cells and the lowest expression in RT4 cells. Following PYCR1 knockdown, the malignant behaviors of T24 cells and aerobic glycolysis were decreased, while PYCR1 overexpression in RT4 cells averted these trends. PYCR1 interacted with EGFR, and CL‑387785 inhibited the EGFR/PI3K/AKT pathway and attenuated the effects of PYCR1 overexpression on RT4 cells but had no effect on PYCR1 expression. Exo‑si‑PYCR1 showed stronger inhibitory effects on aerobic glycolysis and on the malignant behaviors of T24 cells than si‑PYCR1. Exo‑si‑PYCR1 blocked xenograft tumor growth and had good biocompatibility. Briefly, PYCR1 knocking loaded by BMSC‑derived Exos suppressed aerobic glycolysis and BC growth via the PI3K/AKT pathway by binding to EGFR.

TROP2 translation mediated by dual m6A/m7G RNA modifications promotes bladder cancer development

RNA modifications, including adenine methylation (m6A) of mRNA and guanine methylation (m7G) of tRNA, are crucial for the biological function of RNA. However, the mechanism underlying the translation of specific genes synergistically mediated by dual m6A/m7G RNA modifications in bladder cancer (BCa) remains unclear. We demonstrated that m6A methyltransferase METTL3-mediated programmable m6A modification of oncogene trophoblast cell surface protein 2 (TROP2) mRNA promoted its translation during malignant transformation of bladder epithelial cells. m7G methyltransferase METTL1 enhanced TROP2 translation by mediating m7G modification of certain tRNAs. TROP2 protein inhibition decreased the proliferation and invasion of BCa cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, synergistical knockout of METTL3/METTL1 inhibited BCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion; however, TROP2 overexpression partially abrogated its effect. Furthermore, TROP2 expression was significantly positively correlated with the expression levels of METTL3 and METTL1 in BCa patients. Overall, our results revealed that METTL3/METTL1-mediated dual m6A/m7G RNA modifications enhanced TROP2 translation and promoted BCa development, indicating a novel RNA epigenetic mechanism in BCa.

PHB promotes bladder cancer cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

As a member of PHB (prohibitin1) family, PHB plays important roles in many cancers, but its property in bladder carcinoma aggressiveness is unknown. This research was to explore the function and potential mechanism of PHB in bladder carcinoma in vivo and in vitro. The invasive abilities of cancer cell were determined by transwell and wound-healing assays. The function of PHB was confirmed by gene knockdown and overexpression methods. Further in vivo confirmation was performed in a nude mouse model with lung metastasis. The relationship of PHB and β-catenin was confirmed by immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining assays. The protein expression of epithelial-mescenchymal transition (EMT) and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was tested by immunofluorescence staining and western blotting assay. The depletion of PHB prevented bladder cancer cell invasiveness and inhibited EMT. Contrarily，the abilities of bladder carcinoma cells migration and invasion in vitro as well as metastasis in vivo were enhanced when the PHB overexpressed unnormally. Importantly, the β-catenin was identified to be bound by PHB and β-catenin knockdown reduced the cancer cell migration, invasion and EMT in PHB overexpressing cells. In addition, PHB stabilized β-catenin by inhibiting its ubiqutin-mediated degradation thus leading to increased Wnt/β-catenin signaling. These observations indicate that PHB could promote bladder cancer aggressiveness by binding with β-catenin to prevent the degradation of β-catenin and the localized invasive bladder cancer patients with PHB overexpression should take more aggressive postsurgical adjuvant anticancer therapies.

NEDD4L inhibits migration, invasion, cisplatin resistance and promotes apoptosis of bladder cancer cells by inactivating the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway.

This study identified the function of neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down-regulated 4-like (NEDD4L) on bladder cancer (BLCA). NEDD4L expression in BLCA patients was scrutinized. The function of NEDD4L on the viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion of BLCA cells was evaluated by cell counting kit-8, flow cytometry and Transwell assays. The effect of NEDD4L on the cisplatin (DDP) resistance of the DDP-resistant BLCA cells was explored. The influence of NEDD4L on the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in BLCA cells was tested by Western blot. Rescue experiments were implemented to verify whether NEDD4L regulated BLCA cell malignant behavior by mediating the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity via p62. The effect of NEDD4L on the growth and the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in vivo was researched in xenograft tumor nude mice models. The down-regulated NEDD4L in BLCA patients was associated with unfavorable survival. NEDD4L suppressed the viability (inhibition rate 57.1%/49.0%), migration (inhibition rate 49.7%/77.1%), invasion (inhibition rate 50.6%/75.7%), promoted the apoptosis of T24/5637 cells (promotion rate 243.8%/201.9%), reduced IC 50 of DDP-resistant T24/5637 cells from 132.2/101.8 to 57.81/59.71 μM, respectively, and inactivated the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway in T24/5637 cells. p62 up-regulation partially abrogated the inhibition of NEDD4L on the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity, the malignant behavior of BLCA cells, and the DDP resistance of DDP-resistant BLCA cells. NEDD4L overexpression inhibited the tumor growth and the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway activity in vivo in BLCA. NEDD4L inhibits the progression of BLCA by inactivating the p62/Keap1/Nrf2 pathway. It may be an effective target for BLCA treatment.

M6A-mediated upregulation of lncRNA RMRP boosts the progression of bladder cancer via epigenetically suppressing SCARA5.

Aim: This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between SCARA5 and RMRP in bladder cancer and their underlying mechanism. Methods: Biological functions were evaluated using cell-counting kit 8 assay, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, wound healing and Transwell assays. RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA pull-down and chromatin immunoprecipitation were employed. A xenograft tumor model in nude mice was also conducted. Results & conclusion: RMRP and SCARA5 exhibited an inverse correlation. Downregulation of RMRP significantly suppressed bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which was reversed by SCARA5 overexpression. RMRP recruited DNA methyltransferases to the promoter region of SCARA5, thereby triggering the methylation of the SCARA5 promoter to epigenetically suppress its expression. Our findings elucidate the machinery by which RMRP, stabilized by METTL3, exerts a promoter role in bladder cancer tumorigenesis by triggering SCARA5 methylation.

MP20-10 ENZALUTAMIDE INCREASES PROSTATE CANCER (PCa) CELL INVASION YET DECREASES BLADDER CANCER (BCa) CELL INVASION VIA DIFFERENTIALLY REGULATING THE AR/circRNA-ARC1/miR-125b-2-3p OR MiR-4736/PPARγ/MMP-9 SIGNALS

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP20-10 ENZALUTAMIDE INCREASES PROSTATE CANCER (PCa) CELL INVASION YET DECREASES BLADDER CANCER (BCa) CELL INVASION VIA DIFFERENTIALLY REGULATING THE AR/circRNA-ARC1/miR-125b-2-3p OR MiR-4736/PPARγ/MMP-9 SIGNALS Gang Deng, Yixi Hu, Yin Sun, Jean Joseph, Shuyuan Yeh, Edward M. Messing, and Chawnshang Chang Gang DengGang Deng More articles by this author , Yixi HuYixi Hu More articles by this author , Yin SunYin Sun More articles by this author , Jean JosephJean Joseph More articles by this author , Shuyuan YehShuyuan Yeh More articles by this author , Edward M. MessingEdward M. Messing More articles by this author , and Chawnshang ChangChawnshang Chang More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003245.10AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) is a standard treatment to prevent and shrink PCa growing. However, some patients undergoing ADT may finally develop to hormone-insensitive PCa. The underlying mechanisms haven't been fully elucidated. Here we found ADT-Enz led to increased PCa cell invasion, yet decreased BCa cell invasion. Our goal is to 1.reveal mechanisms of Enz induced hormone-insensitive PCa and find a potential combination therapy. 2. reveal mechanisms of ADT role in BCa and provide an evidence of applying ADT in BCa. METHODS: The human PCa and BCa cells: C4-2, CWR22Rv1, T24 and TCC-SUP were used. Lentiviral plasmids were used to generate gene engineering tools. qPCR and Western blot were used to detect gene expressions. Invasion assay were applied to determine cancer cell invasion capability. Protein-DNA binding complexes were detected by Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays. PPARGC1B/PDK1 3′UTR regions were cloned into the psiCHECKTM-2 vector to assay the miRNA functions. Preclinical mouse PCa model was used to evaluate the anti-cancer efficacy of Enz and circRNA-ARC1 blockage. RESULTS: Mechanistic dissection revealed that suppressing androgens/AR signals could result in differential alterations of the selective circular RNAs (circRNAs) as a result of differential endogenous AR transcription. A negative autoregulation in PCa, yet a positive autoregulation in BCa, as a result of differential binding of AR to different androgen-response elements (AREs) and a discriminating histone H3K4 methylation. Further mechanistic studies indicated that AR-encoded circRNA-ARC1 might sponge the availability of the miR-125b-2-3p and/or miR-4736 to impact the metastasis-related PPARγ/MMP-9 signals. The preclinical mouse model confirms in vitro cell lines data, showing that Enz treatment could increase PCa metastasis, which can be suppressed after iknockdown of circRNA-ARC1. Together, these results demonstrate that antiandrogen therapy with Enz treatment may differentially lead to promoting PCa cell invasion, yet decreasing BCa cell invasion. CONCLUSIONS: Our study is the first to reveal ADT-Enz treatment can promote PCa Cell Invasion yet decrease BCa cell Invasion via differentially regulating the AR/circRNA-ARC1/miR-125b-2-3p or MiR-4736/PPARγ/MMP-9 Signals. Furthermore, our findings may help in development of novel therapeutic approaches to increase the Enz efficacy with less adverse effects in patients with PCa, and providing an evidence of applying ADT in BCa. Source of Funding: This work was partially supported by URMC Urology Department Research fund and George H. Whipple Professorship Endowment © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e279 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Gang Deng More articles by this author Yixi Hu More articles by this author Yin Sun More articles by this author Jean Joseph More articles by this author Shuyuan Yeh More articles by this author Edward M. Messing More articles by this author Chawnshang Chang More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

CircRPPH1 accelerates the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer via enhancing the STAT3 signaling pathway.

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common malignant disease with high recurrence and variable prognosis. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in the development of multiple diseases. However, the biological activities of circRNAs in BCa remain largely elusive. In the present study, it was found that circRPPH1 was upregulated in BCa cell lines compared with normal urothelial cells. CircRPPH1 downregulation could inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasion of BCa cells invitro and invivo. Mechanistically, it was demonstrated that circRPPH1 can act as a sponge of miR‑296‑5P to upregulate STAT3, and interact with FUS to promote phosphorylated (p)‑STAT3 nuclear transport. Overall, circRPPH1 could promote BCa progression through sponging miR‑296‑5p to upregulate the expression of STAT3 and interacting with FUS to promote p‑STAT3 nuclear transport. CircRPPH1 was first identified to play a tumorigenic role in BCa, which could be an underlying therapeutic target.

HSPA5 Promotes the Proliferation, Metastasis and Regulates Ferroptosis of Bladder Cancer

Heat shock protein family A (HSP70) member 5 (HSPA5) is aberrantly expressed in various tumors and closely associated with the progression and prognosis of cancer. Nevertheless, its role in bladder cancer (BCa) remains elusive. The results of our study demonstrated that HSPA5 was upregulated in BCa and correlated with patient prognosis. Cell lines with low expression level of HSPA5 were constructed to explore the role of this protein in BCa. HSPA5 knockdown promoted apoptosis and retarded the proliferation, migration and invasion of BCa cells by regulating the VEGFA/VEGFR2 signaling pathway. In addition, overexpression of VEGFA alleviated the negative effect of HSPA5 downregulation. Moreover, we found that HSPA5 could inhibit the process of ferroptosis through the P53/SLC7A11/GPX4 pathway. Hence, HSPA5 can facilitate the progression of BCa and may be used as a novel biomarker and latent therapeutic target in the clinic.

Aloperine Prevents Migration, Invasion, and Adhesion by Upregulating TIMP-4 in Human Bladder Cancer Cells.

Aloperine (ALO) is an important active component of quinolizidine alkaloids in Sophora flavescens A and Sophora alopecuroides L, and has effective anticancer activity against multiple cancers. However, the influence and mechanism of ALO on migration, invasion, and adhesion in bladder cancer cells remain unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the anticancer effect of ALO on migration, invasion, and adhesion in bladder cancer cells and to investigate its potential TIMP-4-related mechanism. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, wound healing, Transwell invasion, cell adhesion, real-time qPCR, western blot, and ELISA assays were performed to analyze the effect of ALO on migration, invasion, and adhesion in bladder cancer 5637 and UM-UC-3 cells. Furthermore, the anti-TIMP-4 antibody was used to explore the potential effect on ALO-inhibited bladder cancer cells. We have found that ALO significantly suppressed migration, invasion, and adhesion in bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, ALO could downregulate the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 mRNAs and proteins, and increase the expression of TIMP-4 mRNA and protein. Moreover, the anti- TIMP-4 antibody reversed the prevention of migration, invasion, and adhesion in ALO-treated bladder cancer cells. The data in this study suggest that ALO suppressed migration, invasion, and adhesion in bladder cancer cells by upregulating the expression of TIMP-4.

Anti-tumor effect of AZD8055 against bladder cancer and bladder cancer-associated macrophages

The increased activity of the mTOR pathway in bladder cancer has been extensively studied, but no satisfactory mTOR inhibitor has been found in bladder cancer. The role of AZD8055, a second-generation mTOR inhibitor, has not been reported in bladder cancer. Herein, we investigated the effects of AZD8055 on bladder cells and their interaction with macrophages in vivo and in vitro. In four bladder cancer cell lines, the phosphorylation of mTOR, AKT and S6K1 was suppressed by AZD8055. AZD8055 inhibited proliferation and induced G1 cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis of bladder cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner. AZD8055 also inhibits the migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells by blocking EMT and MMP9. In addition, AZD8055 inhibited chemotaxis and M2 phenotype of macrophage after co-culture with bladder cancer cells. These anti-tumor effects of AZD8055 were verified in vivo. Our findings collectively demonstrated that low-dose AZD8055 induces cytotoxicity and apoptosis, and inhibits the Akt/mTOR activation, invasion and migration of bladder cancer. These findings also demonstrate that AZD8055 partially blocked the interactions of bladder cancer cells and macrophages. In conclusion, AZD8055 is a promising mTOR inhibitor for bladder cancer.

EphA2 on urinary extracellular vesicles as a novel diagnostic marker for bladder cancer and its effect on the invasiveness of bladder cancer.

539 Background: An accurate and non-invasive test for diagnosing bladder cancer (BCa) is needed. Potential diagnostic markers include cancer-specific proteins in urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) secreted directly from BCa. In this study, we aimed to identify a uEV-based protein biomarker for the diagnosis of BCa and develop an ELISA for clinical application. In addition, we evaluated whether the identified EV protein exerts a cancer-promoting effect on BCa. Methods: Urinary EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation with a sucrose cushion. Shotgun proteomics (TMT-labeled LC-MS/MS) was performed on uEVs from seven patients with BCa and four healthy individuals. Biomarker candidates were selected from the identified proteins and validated with targeted proteomics (SRM/MRM) of uEVs from 49 patients with BCa and 48 individuals without BCa. In addition, we developed an ELISA, without time-consuming ultracentrifugation, for quantifying the uEV-based protein biomarker and evaluated its diagnostic performance using urine samples from 46 patients with BCa and 46 individuals without BCa. The effect of the validated EV protein on BCa was also analyzed in vitro. Results: Shotgun proteomics identified 1960 proteins, of which 13 membrane proteins were significantly upregulated in the uEVs from patients with BCa. Among them, eight proteins were validated by target proteomics, and Ephrin type-A receptor 2 (EphA2) showed the best diagnostic performance (ROCAUC = 0.79). We developed EV-EphA2-CD9 ELISA as a simple assay for uEV-EphA2 measurement with clinical value, which showed good diagnostic performance (sensitivity: 60.9 %, specificity: 97.8%). Furthermore, the combination of EV-EphA2-CD9 ELISA and urine cytology improved the detection of BCa (sensitivity, 80.4 %; specificity, 97.8 %), which could reduce the frequency of cystoscopy at bladder cancer diagnosis and during follow-up. In addition, we demonstrated that EphA2 promotes the proliferation, invasion, and migration of BCa cells and that EV-EphA2 promotes the invasion of BCa cells. The invasion-promoting effect of EV-EphA2 was attenuated by knockdown of Ephrin-A1, the ligand of EphA2, on BCa cells or by prior exposure of Ephrin-A1 to EV-EphA2, suggesting that the signalling pathway via Ephrin-A1 toward BCa cells was involved in the cancer-promoting effect of EV-EphA2. Conclusions: We identified uEV-EphA2 as a novel diagnostic marker for BCa and established EV-EphA2-CD9 ELISA for uEV-EphA2 quantification, which enables the non-invasive early diagnosis of BCa in clinical practice. Furthermore, we revealed that exosomal EphA2 promotes the invasion of BCa via its ligand; Ephrin-A1 on BCa cells, suggesting that these may be potential therapeutic targets.

Circular RNA Ubiquitin-associated Protein 2 Silencing Suppresses Bladder Cancer Progression by Downregulating DNA Topoisomerase 2-alpha Through Sponging miR-496

BackgroundCircular RNAs (circRNAs) have been uncovered to be implicated in the malignant development of bladder cancer (BC). ObjectiveHerein, this work aimed to investigate the role and mechanism of circRNA ubiquitin-associated protein 2 (circUBAP2) in BC progression. Design, setting, and participantsQuantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used for the detection of genes and proteins. Outcome measurements and statistical analysisIn vitro functional experiments were conducted using colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), Transwell, wound healing, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. A glycolysis analysis was conducted by assessing glucose uptake and lactate production. A murine xenograft model was established to perform in vivo experiments. The binding interaction between miR-496 and circUBAP2 or DNA topoisomerase 2-alpha (TOP2A) was verified using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Results and limitationsCircUBAP2 was highly expressed in BC patients, and high circUBAP2 expression showed a shorter survival rate. Functionally, knockdown of circUBAP2 could suppress BC cell growth, migration, invasion, and aerobic glycolysis in vitro, as well as impede BC growth in nude mice. Mechanistically, circUBAP2 acted as a sponge for miR-496, which targeted TOP2A. Moreover, circUBAP2 could indirectly regulate TOP2A expression through sequestering miR-496. Furthermore, a series of rescue experiments showed that miR-496 inhibition reversed the anticancer action of circUBAP2 knockdown on BC cells. Moreover, miR-496 could attenuate BC cell malignant phenotypes and aerobic glycolysis, which were abolished by TOP2A overexpression. ConclusionsSilencing of circUBAP2 could suppress BC growth, invasion, migration, and aerobic glycolysis by the miR-496/TOP2A axis, suggesting a promising target for the molecular targeted therapies of BC. Patient summaryCircular RNA ubiquitin-associated protein 2 (circUBAP2) was found to be associated with poor prognosis in bladder cancer (BC). Knockdown of circUBAP2 might suppress BC growth, invasion, migration, and aerobic glycolysis, indicating that it may be a new target for the development of molecular targeted therapy for BC.

IGF2BP3 overexpression predicts poor prognosis and correlates with immune infiltration in bladder cancer

BackgroundIGF2BP3 expression is associated with poor prognosis in cancers of multiple tissue origins. However, the precise mechanism of its co-carcinogenic action in bladder cancer is unknown.MethodsWe aimed to demonstrate the relationship between IGF2BP3 expression and pan-cancer using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We next validated IGF2BP3 expression in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE3167). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic values of IGF2BP3. Cox and logistic regression were used to explore the factors affecting the prognosis. Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) network was constructed by STRING. Enrichment analyses were performed to infer involved pathways and functional categories of IGF2BP3 using the cluster Profiler package. We applied single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and TIMER database to evaluate the expression level of immune genes.ResultsPan-cancer analyses reveal that IGF2BP3 was higher in most cancer types, including bladder cancer, and the same results were found in GSE3167. The area under the ROC curve of IGF2BP3 was 0.736, which indicated that IGF2BP3 may be a potential diagnostic biomarker. High IGF2BP3 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) (P = 0.015). For validation, we collected 95 bladder cancer samples and found that IGF2BP3 expression was higher in bladder cancer tissues than that in non-tumor bladder tissues by immunohistochemistry staining. We found a positive correlation between the expression level of IGF2BP3 and the clinical stage of bladder cancer. Immunocyte infiltration analysis showed that high IGF2BP3 expression was correlated with regulating the infiltration level of immune cell, including neutrophil cells and macrophages. IGF2BP3 promotes migration and invasion of bladder cancer cells, while IGF2BP3 inhibition had the opposite effects. Higher IGF2BP3 expression was closely associated with advanced TNM stage.ConclusionIGF2BP3 overexpression was related to disease progression and poor prognosis, as well as infiltration of immune cells in bladder cancer. IGF2BP3 can be a promising independent prognostic biomarker and potential treatment target for bladder cancer.

Effects of p-cresol, a uremic toxin, on cancer cells.

Though p-cresol exists at a low concentration in the blood, it accumulates in various organs of uremic patients. Previous research has shown that the p-cresol promoted bladder cancer cell invasion and migration. This study aims to see if p-cresol had similar effects on kidney cancer cells and liver cancer cells. For 48 hours, 786-O human renal cancer cells and HepG2 human liver cancer cells were treated with p-cresol at concentrations of 0, 10, 20, 40, and 70 µM. The effects of p-cresol on cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were then analyzed using the CCK-8, TUNEL, and Transwell migration/invasion assays, respectively. P-cresol at 0 to 70 µM for 48 hours had no significant toxic effects on 786-O cells or HepG2 cells. We chose 40 µM p-cresol for 48 hours for the following experiment. The viability and proliferation of 786-O cells and HepG2 cells were unaffected after 48 hours of treatment, with 40 µM p-cresol. However, 40 µM p-cresol for 48 hours promoted HepG2 cell migration and invasion but did not have the same effect on the 786-O cell line. P-cresol may be responsible for HepG2 cells' malignant biological behavior. Because the liver is the primary site of p-cresol metabolism, it is important to study the responses of cancer cells in the liver to p-cresol.

ARHGAP6 inhibits bladder cancer cell viability, migration, and invasion via β-catenin signaling and enhances mitomycin C sensitivity.

The Rho/ROCK pathway regulates diverse cellular processes and contributes to the development and advancement of several types of human cancers. This study investigated the role of specific Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAP), ARHGAP6, in bladder cancer (BC). In this study, ARHGAP6 expression in BC and its clinical significance were investigated. In vitro and in vivo assays were used to explore the tumor-related function and the underlying molecular mechanism ARHGAP6 of in BC. The mRNA and protein levels of ARHGAP6 significantly reduced in human BC tissues and cell lines compared with corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues and normal urothelial cells. In vitro, ARHGAP6 overexpression markedly decreased the viability, migration, and invasion of BC cells. Interestingly, low ARHGAP6 expression in BC strongly correlated with poor patient survival and was highly associated with metastasis and β-catenin signaling. Furthermore, ARHGAP6 expression strongly influenced the sensitivity of BC cells to mitomycin C treatment. Together, our results demonstrate that ARHGAP6 plays critical roles in regulating the proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis of BC cells possibly via the modulation of β-catenin and strongly influences the chemosensitivity of BC cells.

Characterization of circSCL38A1 as a novel oncogene in bladder cancer via targeting ILF3/TGF-β2 signaling axis

The regulatory role of circRNAs in cancer metastasis has become a focused issue in recent years. To date, however, the discovery of novel functional circRNAs and their regulatory mechanisms via binding with RBPs in bladder cancer (BC) are still lacking. Here, we screened out circSLC38A1 based on our sequencing data and followed validation with clinical tissue samples and cell lines. Functional assays showed that circSLC38A1 promoted BC cell invasion in vitro and lung metastasis of mice in vivo. By conducting RNA pull-down, mass spectrum, and RIP assays, circSLC38A1 was found to interact with Interleukin enhancer-binding factor 3 (ILF3), and stabilize ILF3 protein via modulating the ubiquitination process. By integrating our CUT&Tag-seq and RNA-seq data, TGF-β2 was identified as the functional target of the circSLC38A1-ILF3 complex. In addition, m6A methylation was enriched in circSLC38A1 and contributed to its upregulation. Clinically, circSLC38A1 was identified in serum exosomes of BC patients and could distinguish BC patients from healthy individuals with a diagnostic accuracy of 0.878. Thus, our study revealed an essential role and clinical significance of circSLC38A1 in BC via activating the transcription of TGF-β2 in an ILF3-dependent manner, extending the understanding of the importance of circRNA-mediated transcriptional regulation in BC metastasis.