Using a dyadic social interaction (DSI) paradigm, we validated a scenario of pain-related empathic responses in rats and mice, during which socially transferred pain was identified in naïve observers spontaneously engaging in caring behavior (allolicking and allogrooming, ALAG) toward a familiar pain sufferer. Although 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and its receptor subtype 5-HT 2AR are major players in mammalian social behaviors, whether they have specific modulatory actions in these processes remains unknown. Here, by genetic and pharmacological depletion of central 5-HT, we demonstrated that observers lacking 5-HT showed deficiencies not only in empathic responses but also in sniffing, huddling, and self-grooming during DSI with a familiar pain sufferer. However, bilateral intra-mPFC microinjections of M100907, a selective 5-HT 2AR antagonist, or downregulation of 5-HT 2AR expression in the bilateral mPFC, selectively inhibited socially transferred pain and ALAG without affecting other behaviors in observers. Moreover, systemic or intra-mPFC administration of 25CN-NBOH, a high-affinity and selective 5-HT 2AR agonist, selectively promoted empathic responses in observers toward a stranger pain sufferer in an antagonist-reversible manner, a phenomenon rarely observed under the naïve-pain DSI paradigm. Finally, 5-HT 2AR downregulation in the bilateral mPFC abolished the empathic responsiveness induced by 25CN-NBOH (i.p.) in stranger observers. Collectively, our findings establish that 5-HT 2AR activation in the mPFC is both necessary and sufficient for selectively mediating empathic responses in bystanders toward individuals in pain, identifying 5-HT 2AR as a promising therapeutic target for alleviating prosocial and empathic impairments seen in disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder.

In order to solve the problems of receptor promiscuity and poor blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration in the treatment of glioblastomas (GBM), a novel dual-functional nanocomplex drug delivery system is developed based on the strategy of peptide-drug conjugates. In this study, SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX is designed and screened out by matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), to which it exhibits the best affinity. The MMP-2-sensitive peptide (PVGLIG) and a cell-penetration peptide (SynB3) are combined to form a dual-functional peptide. Moreover, as a drug-peptide nanocomplex, SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX exhibited a high potential to form an aggregation with good solubility that can release paclitaxel (PTX) through the cleavage of MMP-2. From a functional perspective, it is found that SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX can specifically inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of GBM cells in vitro in the presence of MMP-2, in contrast to that observed in MMP-2 siRNA transfected cells. Further investigation in vivo shows that SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX easily enters the brain of U87MG xenograft nude mice and can generate a better suppressive effect on GBM through a controlled release of PTX from SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX compared with PTX and temozolomide. Thus, it is proposed that SynB3-PVGLIG-PTX can be used as a novel drug-loading delivery system to treat GBM due to its specificity and BBB permeability.

BACKGROUND:Glioma, the most prevalent primary brain tumor, is characterized by rapid proliferation, invasive growth patterns, and poor clinical outcomes. This study investigates the expression and clinical significance of chromatin architecture protein high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) in glioma, aiming to identify potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. METHODS:The expression of HMGA2 in different grades glioma samples was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The functions of HMGA2 in glioma cells were identified by migration, invasion, proliferation and orthotopic tumor transplantation assays. The downstream genes of HMGA2 were screened by RNA-Seq. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR), electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromosome conformation capture assay (3 C) were used to analyze the downstream mechanism of HMGA2 in glioma cells. RESULTS:We demonstrated a positive correlation between HMGA2 expression levels and glioma malignancy grade through IHC analysis. Multivariate COX regression analysis further established HMGA2 as an independent prognostic factor in glioma. Our functional studies revealed that HMGA2 significantly enhances the migration, invasion, and proliferation capabilities of glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Mechanistically, we identified insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP3) as a novel downstream target of HMGA2. HMGA2 mediates transcriptional repression of IGFBP3 through disruption of promoter-enhancer interactions, leading to subsequent activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and promotion of malignant phenotypes in GBM. CONCLUSION:We confirmed a novel chromatin conformation-mediated transcriptional repression mechanism of HMGA2. By regulating IGFBP3 expression and modulating the PI3K/Akt pathway, HMGA2 emerges as a promising prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for glioma patients.

BackgroundTriple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most lethal breast cancer subtype, demonstrates poor prognosis due to its high rates of metastasis, recurrence, and mortality. The metastatic potential in TNBC patients serves as a critical determinant of clinical outcomes. The high mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) has emerged as a novel chromatin architectural regulator, its specific role in TNBC metastasis requires further investigation.MethodsWe analyzed the expression of HMGA2 in TNBC and non-TNBC patients using Genomic Data Commons (GDC) The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and immunohistochemistry. The correlation between HMGA2 expression and patient prognosis was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier estimator. The roles of HMGA2 in TNBC metastasis were validated through cell wound healing assay, transwell assay and lung metastatic model. RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation, DNA electrophoretic mobility shift, co-immunoprecipitation and chromosome conformation capture assays were applied to identify the mechanisms by how HMGA2 functions as a novel chromatin architectural regulator.ResultsOur study revealed significantly upregulated HMGA2 expression in TNBC patients compared to non-TNBC patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated a strong association between elevated HMGA2 expression and poor prognosis in TNBC cases. Functional studies showed that HMGA2 downregulation markedly inhibited TNBC metastatic progression. Mechanistic investigations revealed that HMGA2 facilitates TNBC metastasis through transcriptional activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Specifically, HMGA2 interacted with lysine acetyltransferase 6A (KAT6A) to mediate histone acetylation at MMPs promoter regions. Concurrently, HMGA2 induced chromatin conformation changes to enhance MMPs transcriptional activity.ConclusionThese findings establish that the HMGA2/KAT6A complex promote MMPs expression to drive TNBC metastasis, identifying novel therapeutic targets for this aggressive malignancy.

Meningiomas are common Central Nervous System (CNS) tumors, typically benign, but they can occasionally metastasize or exhibit aggressive behavior. We present a case of meningioma with metastasis to unique sites (pulmonary and left cubital fossa) and intracranial recurrent progression. This case highlights challenges in managing recurrent and metastatic meningioma and the potential risks of intraoperative cell salvage (IOCS).

Improving glioma treatment effectiveness requires a thorough understanding of gliomagenesis. Emerging evidences have proved that zinc and ring finger 2 (ZNRF2) contributes to development of various human malignancies. Nevertheless, a comprehensive study of ZNRF2’s role in glioma is absent currently. Utilizing open resources from Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Connectivity Map (cMap) and other bioinformatic tools, we systematically examined the expression, clinical significance, prognostic value, regulated biological processes, immune infiltration, and potential inhibitors of ZNRF2 in gliomas. Functional experiments were also performed to validate its oncogenic roles in glioblastoma (GBM) cells. Our findings revealed that ZNRF2 expression was elevated in gliomas compared to normal brains, and its higher levels were correlated with increased grades and worse patient prognosis. The immune analysis suggested that immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoint genes could be beneficial for glioma patients with elevated ZNRF2 expression. Endogenous ZNRF2 knockdown impaired GBM cell proliferation, G2/M cell cycle progression and glycolysis, which was revealed by reduced ATP, pyruvic acid, lactic acid levels and less glucose uptake. Finally, we identified methylprednisolone (MP) as a potential ZNRF2 inhibitor and validated its anti-glioma effects in vitro. MP also enhanced the sensitization of GBM cells to temozolomide (TMZ), the primary chemotherapeutic agent for GBM in clinic. Taken together, our study demonstrated ZNRF2 as an essential tumor-promoting factor by favoring GBM cell proliferation and glycolysis. Our findings suggested that ZNRF2 might serve as a novel independent prognostic biomarker and promising therapeutic target for glioma patients.

We present a clinically instructive case of a 50-year-old woman with acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody-positive generalized myasthenia gravis (MG) who subsequently developed glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65) antibody-associated neurological disorders alongside a type B2 thymoma. This rare coexistence highlights the profound immune dysregulation induced by thymomas, wherein loss of self-tolerance emergence multiple concurrent autoimmune phenomena. The patient's favorable response to multimodal immunotherapy-including efgartigimod, high-dose corticosteroids, and rituximab-underscores the therapeutic imperative for early, targeted immunomodulation in such complex neuroimmunological syndromes. As no standardized treatment currently exists for MG with GAD65-IgG-associated neurological disorders, this case provides critical clinical insights into both the diagnostic and therapeutic approach for this complex disease.

Background:Alu-mediated p21 transcriptional regulator (APTR) overexpression is detected in different human cancers; however, few reports have investigated APTR gene amplification conditions. Furthermore, whether APTR amplification is related to glioma malignancy and the underlying mechanism remain unknown. Methods:APTR amplification and expression levels in 153 glioma samples were analyzed using qPCR. Correlations between APTR and patient prognosis were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival and COX regression analyses. Both in vitro and in vivo phenotypic assays were performed to confirm the carcinogenic effects of APTR in glioblastoma (GBM) cells. RNA-sequencing and RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays were performed to confirm APTR as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and to identify the downstream axis of APTR. Results:Our results suggest that APTR amplification and overexpression are novel independent diagnostic biomarkers for predicting poor prognosis in patients with gliomas. APTR knockdown significantly repressed the proliferation and invasion of GBM cells, both in vitro and in vivo. APTR was demonstrated to absorb miR-6734-5p and upregulate TCF7 and LEF1 expression. Taken together, these results suggest that APTR promotes the malignant phenotypes of GBM by inducing TCF7 and LEF1 expression. Conclusion:We identified APTR as a novel prognostic biomarker in patients with gliomas and confirmed that APTR is a ceRNA that promotes glioma progression via the APTR/miR-6734-5p/TCF7/LEF1 axis.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most frequent and lethal subtype of glioma that leads to unsatisfactory clinical outcomes. Hypoxia-induced chemoresistance exacerbates therapy. S100 calcium-binding protein A10 (S100A10) plays a crucial role in the oncogenesis of multiple human tumors. However, its role in to hypoxia-driven GBM progression and chemoresistance remains unclear. S100A10 was identified as a key gene because of its significant upregulation in GBM, hypoxia-treated GBM cells and temozolomide (TMZ)-resistant GBM cells. Public datasets, quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot were performed to determine the levels of S100A10 in gliomas and cell lines. The clinical relevance, prognostic significance, and functional enrichment of S100A10 were fully assessed using open resources from the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). CCK8, 5-ethynyl-2’-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, colony formation, annexin V staining, and flow cytometry assays were used to measure the proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis of GBM cells in vitro. Glycolysis potential was examined by determining lactate and pyruvate production. The interaction between hypoxia and S100A10 was assessed by qPCR and Western blot. Our study suggests that hypoxia-induced S100A10 expression facilitates proliferation and glycolysis and inhibits apoptosis by regulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, which enhances TMZ resistance in GBM cells.

肿瘤坏死因子受体相关因子 4(tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 4,TRAF4)是TRAFs(tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factors)蛋白家族的成员之一,其作为信号转导的接头分子,具有E3泛素连接酶活性,可激活多种下游信号通路,在神经发生与胚胎发育、免疫调节与炎症反应、氧化损伤及代谢等多种生理过程中发挥着重要的调控作用.TRAF4在多种肿瘤中异常高表达,并调控肿瘤的发生发展.本文根据TRAF4的生理和病理调控功能,对TRAF4与肿瘤发生和发展的关系进行综述,为该基因在肿瘤治疗中的应用提供参考.

Collision tumors are rarely reported in patients with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease, even though VHL patients often present with multi-organ tumor syndromes, like hemangioblastoma and renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Hemangioblastoma is rarely located in a supratentorial location, and intracranial lateral ventricular is also not a common site of metastasis for RCC. It is extremely rare for the two tumors to collide in the supratentorial area. We report a 64-year-old man with a history of clear cell RCC who presented with a sudden headache. The brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed that there was a cystic-solid mass in the intracranial lateral ventricular trigone. Histopathologically, the tumor consisted of two distinct components, most of which showed the typical morphology of hemangioblastoma. However, there were a few acinar structures composed of clear cells scattered in hemangioblastoma, and these acinar structures were subsequently confirmed as clear cell RCC. The genetic testing confirmed that the patient had VHL disease with de novo somatic mutation. Based on our case report, we systematically reviewed the characteristics of collision tumor composed of hemangioblastoma and metastatic RCC in VHL patients. The special growth site of our case is the first report of this kind of collision tumor, and can also help enrich our understanding of VHL disease and collision tumor.

BACKGROUND:Emerging evidence has shown that miR-29 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for malignancies. The roles of miR-29a/b/c in glioma pathogenesis remain need further investigation.METHODS:The expression levels of miR-29a/b/c and CDC42 were systematically analysed, and prognostic significance was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. The roles of miR-29a/b/c in apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms were explored via an alkaline single-cell gel electrophoresis assay, caspase 3/7 activity assays and Western blotting.RESULTS:miR-29a/b/c expression decreased progressively with the elevation of the WHO grade in our 147 human glioma specimens, compared with 20 non-tumour control brain tissues, and decreased miR-29a/b/c expression was associated with more aggressive phenotypes. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses demonstrated that lower miR-29a/b/c expression was correlated with worse prognosis, which was confirmed by analysis of 198 glioma patients from the CGGA cohort. These all indicate that miR-29a/b/c were independent predictors of prognosis in glioma patients. miR-29a/b/c induced apoptosis in GBM cells by silencing CDC42. Further detailed mechanistic investigation revealed that miR-29a/b/c promoted apoptosis in a p53-dependent manner by suppressing the CDC42/PAK/AKT/MDM2 pathway.CONCLUSIONS:miR-29a/b/c are independent predictors of prognosis in glioma patients. They induce glioblastoma cell apoptosis via silencing of CDC42 and suppression of downstream PAK/AKT/MDM2 signalling in a p53-dependent manner.

AIMS:The serine/arginine-rich splicing factor (SRSF) protein family members are essential mediators of the alternative splicing (AS) regulatory network, which is tightly implicated in cancer progression. However, the expression, clinical correlation, immune infiltration, and prognostic value of SRSFs in gliomas remain unclear.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Glioma samples were extracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) datasets. Several databases, such as HPA, DAVID, UALCAN were used to comprehensively explore the roles of SRSFs. In addition, experimental validation of SRSF10 was also conducted.KEY FINDINGS:Here, we found the expression alterations of the SRSF family in glioma samples using data from the TCGA and CGGA_325 datasets. Among the 12 genes, most were found to be closely associated with glioma clinical features, which linked to poor prognosis in glioma patients. Interestingly, survival analysis identified only SRSF10 as a potential independent risk prognostic biomarker for glioma patients. Immune analysis indicated that glioma patients with high SRSF10 expression may respond well to immunotherapies targeting immune checkpoint (ICP) genes. Finally, knocking down SRSF10 reduced glioma cell viability, induced G1 cell cycle arrest, and induced the exclusion of bcl-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) exon 5a.SIGNIFICANCE:Overall, this study uncovers the oncogenic roles of most SRSF family members in glioma, with the exception of SRSF5, while highlighting SRSF10 as a potential novel independent prognostic biomarker for glioma.

Synergies of transcription factors, chromatin modifiers and their target genes are vital for cell fate determination in human cancer. Although the importance of numerous epigenetic machinery for regulating gliomagenesis has been previously recognized, how chromatin modifiers collaborate with specific transcription factors remains largely elusive. Herein we report that Pontin chromatin remodelling factor acts as a coactivator for LEF1 to activate TGFβ/SMAD signalling, thereby contributing to gliomagenesis. Pontin is highly expressed in gliomas, and its overexpression paralleled the grade elevation and poor prognosis of patients. Functional studies verified its oncogenic roles in GBM cells by facilitating cell proliferation, survival and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing results revealed that Pontin regulated multiple target genes involved in TGFβ/SMAD signalling. Intriguingly, we found that Pontin amplified TGFβR2 gene transcription by recruiting LEF1, thereby activating TGFβ/SMAD signalling and facilitating gliomagenesis. Furthermore, higher TGFβR2 expression conferred worse patient outcomes in glioma. To conclude, our study revealed that the Pontin-LEF1 module plays a crucial role in driving TGFβR2 gene transcription, which could be exploited to target TGFβ/SMAD signalling for anti-glioma therapy.

Pontin (RUVBL1) is a highly conserved ATPase of the AAA + (ATPases Associated with various cellular Activities) superfamily and is implicated in various biological processes crucial for oncogenesis. Its overexpression is observed in multiple human cancers, whereas the relevance of Pontin to gliomagenesis remains obscure. To gain insights into Pontin involvement in glioma, we performed bioinformatics analyses of Pontin co-expressed genes, Pontin-affected genes, and carried out experimental studies. The results verified that Pontin was upregulated in gliomas. Its higher levels might predict the worse prognosis of glioma patients. The Pontin co-expressed genes were functionally enriched in cell cycle progression and RNA processing. In the nucleus, Pontin promoted cell growth via facilitating cell cycle progression. Using RNA-seq, we found that Pontin knockdown resulted in altered expression of multiple genes, among which the E2F1 targets accounted for a large proportion. Mechanistic studies found that Pontin interacted with E2F1 and markedly amplified the E2F1 transcription response in an ATPase domain-dependent manner. By analyzing the RNA-seq data, we also found that Pontin could impact on the alternative splicing (AS). Both differential expressed genes and AS events affected by Pontin were associated with cell cycle regulation. Taken together, our findings provide novel insights of the importance of Pontin in gliomagenesis by regulating cell cycle and AS, and shed light on the possible application of Pontin as an antineoplastic target in glioma.

目的:探讨HIF-1α通过调节TP53INP1蛋白对乳腺癌细胞迁移及侵袭能力的影响.方法:通过免疫组化检测60例乳腺癌标本中TP53INP1和HIF-1α的表达情况及分析其临床病理资料.通过体外构建HIF-1α及共转染HIF-1α和TP53INP1细胞模型,迁移侵袭实验和划痕实验检测HIF-1α和TP53INP1对乳腺癌细胞迁移侵袭能力的影响;Western blot实验研究共同下调HIF-1α和TP53INP1对MMP2、VEGF蛋白表达水平的影响.结果:免疫组化实验显示HIF-1α在人乳腺癌组织中高表达,TP53INP1呈低表达,两者之间具有相关性且均与淋巴结转移有关(P<0.05).迁移侵袭实验及划痕实验显示在乳腺癌MDA-MB-231细胞和MCF-7细胞中下调HIF-1α抑制了迁移侵袭及愈合能力,MCF-7细胞中共同转染下调HIF-1α和TP53INP1质粒之后逆转了乳腺癌细胞的迁移侵袭能力及愈合能力(P<0.05).Western blot实验显示shHIF-1α和TP53INP1共转染后在MDA-MB-231细胞中MMP2表达水平高于下调HIF-1α表达组.共转染shHIF-1α和shTP53 INP1质粒后在MCF-7细胞中,VEGF和MMP2表达高于下调shHIF-1α组(P<0.05).结论:HIF-1α可能通过下调TP53INP1的表达促进乳腺癌细胞的迁移侵袭能力.

Glioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor, in which glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant and lethal. However, the current chemotherapy drugs are still unsatisfactory for GBM therapy. As the natural products mainly extracted from Eucalyptus species, phloroglucinol-terpene adducts have the potential to be anti-cancer lead compounds that attracted increasing attention. In order to discover the new lead compounds with the anti-GBM ability, we isolated Eucalyptal A with a phloroglucinol-terpene skeleton from the fruit of E. globulus and investigated its anti-GBM activity in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, we verified that Eucalyptal A could inhibit the proliferation, growth and invasiveness of GBM cells in vitro. Moreover, Eucalyptal A had the same anti-GBM activity in tumor-bearing mice as in vitro and prolonged the overall survival time by maintaining mice body weight. Further mechanism research revealed that Eucalyptal A downregulated SRSF1 expression and rectified SRSF1-guided abnormal alternative splicing of MYO1B mRNA, which led to anti-GBM activity through the PDK1/AKT/c-Myc and PAK/Cofilin axes. Taken together, we identified Eucalyptal A as an important anti-GBM lead compound, which represents a novel direction for glioma therapy.