• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.3061-3065
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• 2015

Background: Rac3, a member of the Rac family of small guanosine triphosphatases (GTPases), regulates a variety of cell functions, including the organization of the cytoskeleton, cell migration, and invasion. Overexpression of Rac3 has been reported in several human cancers. However, the role of Rac3 in lung cancer (LC) has not been determined in detail. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of silencing of Rac3 expression in human LC cells and the consequences for cell survival. Materials and Methods: Lentivirus small hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference techniques were utilized to knock down the Rac3 gene. Gene and protein expression was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. LC cell apoptosis was examined by annexin V-APC /propidium iodide staining. Results: Efficient silencing of Rac3 strongly inhibited A549 cell proliferation and colony formation ability, and significantly decreased tumor growth. Moreover, flow cytometry analysis showed that knockdown of Rac3 led to G2/M phase cell cycle arrest as well as an excess accumulation of cells in the G1 and S phase. Conclusions: Thus, functional analysis using shRNAs revealed a critical role for Rac3 in the tumor growth of LC cells. shRNA silencing of Rac3 could provide an effective strategy to treat LC.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.211-217
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• 2011

Panax ginseng CA Meyer, a herb from the Araliaceae, has traditionally been used as a medicinal plant in Asian countries. Ginseng extract fermented by ginsenoside-${\beta}$-glucosidase treatment is enriched in ginsenosides such as Rh2 and Rg3. Here we show that a fermented ginseng extract, BST204, has anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects on HT-29 human colon cancer cells. Treatment of HT-29 cells with BST204 induced cell cycle arrest at $G_1$ phase without progression to apoptosis. This cell cycle arrest was accompanied by up-regulation of tumor suppressor proteins, p53 and p21$^{WAF1/Cip1}$, down-regulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase/cyclins, Cdk2, cyclin E, and cyclin D1 involved in $G_1$ or $G_1/S$ transition, and decrease in the phosphorylated form of retinoblastoma protein. In addition, BST204 suppressed the migration of HT-29 cells induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate, which correlated with the inhibition of metalloproteinase-9 activity and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activity. The effects of BST204 on the proliferation and the invasiveness of HT-29 cells were similar to those of Rh2. Taken together, the results suggest that fermentation of ginseng extract with ginsenoside-${\beta}$-glucosidase enhanced the anti-proliferative and the anti-invasive activity against human colon cancer cells and these anti-tumor effects of BST204 might be mediated in part by enriched Rh2.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.3051-3056
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• 2014

Previous studies have demonstrated that JMJD2A is a potential oncogene and is overexpressed in human tumors. However, its role in the endometrial carcinoma remains largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that JMJD2A was overexpressed in endometrial carcinoma, using immunohistochemistry, quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting. Downregulation of JMJD2A led to reduced endometrial carcinoma RL95-2 and ISK cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis as asessed with cell counting kit-8, cell migration and invasive assays. Collectively, our results support that JMJD2A is a promoter of endometrial carcinoma cell proliferation and survival, and is a potential novel drug target.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.377-385
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Abundant consumption of seaweeds in the diet is epidemiologically linked to the reduction in risk of developing cancer. In larger cases, however, identification of particular seaweeds that are accountable for these effects is still lacking, hindering the recognition of competent dietary-based chemo preventive approaches. The aim of this research was to establish the antiproliferative potency and angiosuppressive mode of action of Stoechospermum marginatum seaweed methanolic extract using various experimental models. MATERIALS/METHODS: Among the 15 seaweeds screened for antiproliferative activity against Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) cell line, Stoechospermum marginatum extract (SME) was found to be the most promising. Therefore, it was further investigated for its anti-proliferative activity in-vitro against choriocarcinoma (BeWo) and non-transformed Human embryonic kidney (HEK 293) cells, and for its anti-migratory/tube formation activity against HUVEC cells in-vitro. Subsequently, the angiosuppressive activity of S. marginatum was established by inhibition of angiogenesis in in-vivo (peritoneal angiogenesis and chorioallantoic membrane assay) and ex-vivo (rat cornea assay) models. RESULTS: Most brown seaweed extracts inhibited the proliferation of EAT cells, while green and red seaweed extracts were much less effective. According to the results, SME selectively inhibited proliferation of BeWo cells in-vitro in a dose-dependent manner, but had a lesser effect on HEK 293 cells. SME also suppressed the migration and tube formation of HUVEC cells in-vitro. In addition, SME was able to suppress VEGF-induced angiogenesis in the chorio allantoic membrane, rat cornea, and tumor induced angiogenesis in the peritoneum of EAT bearing mice. A decrease in the microvessel density count and CD31 antigen staining of treated mice peritoneum provided further evidence of its angiosuppressive activity. CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, the data underline that VEGF mediated angiogenesis is the target for the angiosuppressive action of SME and could potentially be useful in cancer prevention or treatment involving stimulated angiogenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5577-5582
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• 2014

Objective: To observe the effects of metastasis-associated tumor gene family 2 (MTA2) depletion on human breast cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Methods: A short-hairpin RNA targeting MTA2 was chemically synthesized and transfected into a lentivirus to construct Lv-shMTA2 for infection into the MDA-MB231 human breast cancer cell line. At 48 hours after infection cells were harvested and mRNA and protein levels of MTA2 were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting, respectively. Cell viability and metastasis were assessed by CCK-8, wound-healing assay and Transwell assay, respectively. In addition, a xenograft model of human breast cancer was constructed to investigate cancerous cell growth and capacity for metastasis. Results: After infection with Lv-shMTA2, mRNA and protein levels of MTA2 was significantly reduced (p<0.05) and MDA-MB231 cell proliferation and metastasis were inhibited (p<0.05). In addition, mean tumor size was smaller than that in control group nude mice (p<0.05) and numbers of metastatic deposits in lung were lower than in control group mice (p<0.05). Depletion of MTA2 affected MMP-2 and apoptosis-related protein expression. Conclusions: For the first time to our knowledge we showed that MTA2 depletion could significantly inhibit human breast cancer cell growth and metastasis, implying that MTA2 might be involved in the progression of breast cancer. The role of MTA2 in breast cancer growth and metastasis might be linked with regulation of matrix metalloproteinase and apoptosis.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.71-82
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• 2008

Survivin is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family that have been known to inhibit activated caspases in apoptosis. In contrast to most IAP family members, survivin mRNA is expressed during fetal development, is not found in normal adult tissues and is overexpressed again in the cancer. Though survivin expression has been documented in most human cancers, little is known about its expression in OSCC and its potential value as a predictor of cancer survival. The purpose of this study was to investigate survivin expression in OSCC and to evaluate its value as a prognostic marker. We evaluated survivin expressions in cancer lines and OSCC samples and investigated the relationships between survivin expressions and clini-co-pathological parameters including stage, differentiation, proliferation, lymph node metastasis, blood vessel density, and gelatinolytic activity. With immunohistochemistry, we analyzed survivin expression in 38 OSCCs. Patients' clinico-pathological parameters and their survival rate were analyzed to reveal their correlations with Survivin expressions. We cultured oral cancer cell lines and evaluated the correlation between gelatinolytic activities and survivin expressions of them. Survivin protein was observed both in nuclei and cytoplasm of tumor specimens while little or not observed in normal gingival mucosal tissues. Additionally, survivin expressions were correlated with lymph node metastasis, tumor proliferation and survival rate. Survivin expression was observed in 100% of 38 samples of OSCC and its expression levels are statistically associated with the proliferative activity of the tumors, lymph node metastasis and the survival of the patients. Based on these results, survivin is commonly expressed in OSCC and may thus provide valuable prognostic information related with lymph node metastasis, proliferation and survival rate as well as a potential therapeutic target in OSCC.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.754-762
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• 2021

Background: Ginsenoside Rh2, a major saponin derivative in ginseng extract, is recognized for its anti-cancer activities. Compared to coding genes, studies on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) that are regulated by Rh2 in cancer cells, especially on competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) are sparse. Methods: LncRNAs whose promoter DNA methylation level was significantly altered by Rh2 were screened from methylation array data. The effect of STXBP5-AS1, miR-4425, and RNF217 on the proliferation and apoptosis of MCF-7 breast cancer cells was monitored in the presence of Rh2 after deregulating the corresponding gene. The ceRNA relationship between STXBP5-AS1 and miR-4425 was examined by measuring the luciferase activity of a recombinant luciferase/STXBP5-AS1 plasmid construct in the presence of mimic miR-4425. Results: Inhibition of STXBP5-AS1 decreased apoptosis but stimulated growth of the MCF-7 cells, suggesting tumor-suppressive activity of the lncRNA. MiR-4425 was identified to have a binding site on STXBP5-AS1 and proven to be downregulated by STXBP5-AS1 as well as by Rh2. In contrast to STXBP5-AS1, miR-4425 showed pro-proliferation activity by inducing a decrease in apoptosis but increased growth of the MCF-7 cells. MiR-4425 decreased luciferase activity from the luciferase/STXBP5-AS1 construct by 26%. Screening the target genes of miR-4425 and Rh2 revealed that Rh2, STXBP5-AS1, and miR-4425 consistently regulated tumor suppressor RNF217 at both the RNA and protein level. Conclusion: LncRNA STXBP5-AS1 is upregulated by Rh2 via promoter hypomethylation and acts as a ceRNA, sponging the oncogenic miR-4425. Therefore, Rh2 controls the STXBP5-AS1/miR-4425/RNF217 axis to suppress breast cancer cell growth.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.231-239
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• 2019

Suppressor of Variegation 3-9 Homolog 2 (SUV39H2) methylates the lysine 9 residue of histone H3 and induces heterochromatin formation, resulting in transcriptional repression or silencing of target genes. SUV39H1 and SUV39H2 have a role in embryonic development, and SUV39H1 was shown to suppress cell cycle progression associated with Rb. However, the function of human SUV39H2 has not been extensively studied. We observed that forced expression of SUV39H2 decreased cell proliferation by inducing $G_1$ cell cycle arrest. In addition, SUV39H2 was degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasomal pathway. Using yeast two-hybrid screening to address the degradation mechanism and function of SUV39H2, we identified translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) as an SUV39H2-interacting molecule. Mapping of the interacting regions indicated that the N-terminal 60 amino acids (aa) of full-length SUV39H2 and the C-terminus of TCTP (120-172 aa) were critical for binding. The interaction of SUV39H2 and TCTP was further confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence staining for colocalization. Moreover, depletion of TCTP by RNAi led to up-regulation of SUV39H2 protein, while TCTP overexpression reduced SUV39H2 protein level. The half-life of SUV39H2 protein was significantly extended upon TCTP depletion. These results clearly indicate that TCTP negatively regulates the expression of SUV39H2 post-translationally. Furthermore, SUV39H2 induced apoptotic cell death in TCTP-knockdown cells. Taken together, we identified SUV39H2, as a novel target protein of TCTP and demonstrated that SUV39H2 regulates cell proliferation of lung cancer cells.

• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.99.1-99.11
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• 2018

Objective: The present study is to evaluate the biological functions of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), X-inactive specific transcript, X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) in human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: XIST was upregulated in EOC cell lines, CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells by lentiviral transduction. The effects of XIST overexpression on cancer cell proliferation, invasion, chemosensitivity and in vivo tumor growth were investigated, respectively. Possible sponging interaction between XIST and human microRNA hsa-miR-214-3p was further evaluated. Furthermore, hsa-miR-214-3p was overexpressed in XIST-upregulated CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells to evaluate its effect on XIST-mediated EOC regulation. Results: Lentivirus-mediated XIST upregulation had significant anticancer effects in CAOV3 and OVCAR3 cells by suppressing cancer cell proliferation, invasion, increasing cisplatin chemosensitivity and inhibiting in vivo tumor growth. Hsa-miR-214-3p was confirmed to directly bind XIST, and inversely downregulated in XIST-upregulated EOC cells. In EOC cells with XIST upregulation, secondary lentiviral transduction successfully upregulated hsa-miR-214-3p expression. Subsequently, hsa-miR-214-3p upregulation functionally reversed the anticancer effects of XIST-upregulation in EOC. Conclusion: Upregulation of lncRNA XIST may suppress EOC development, possibly through sponging effect to induce hsa-miR-214-3p downregulation

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.331-341
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• 2021

Liver cancer is a common tumor and currently the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality globally. Liver cancer is highly related to inflammation as more than 90% of liver cancer arises in the context of hepatic inflammation, such as hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection. Despite significant improvements in the therapeutic modalities for liver cancer, patient prognosis is not satisfactory due to the limited efficacy of current drug therapies in anti-metastatic activity. Therefore, developing new effective anti-cancer agents with anti-metastatic activity is important for the treatment of liver cancer. In this study, SP-8356, a verbenone derivative with anti-inflammatory activity, was investigated for its effect on the growth and migration of liver cancer cells. Our findings demonstrated that SP-8356 inhibits the proliferation of liver cancer cells by inducing apoptosis and suppressing the mobility and invasion ability of liver cancer cells. Functional studies revealed that SP-8356 inhibits the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways, which are related to cell proliferation and metastasis, resulting in the downregulation of metastasis-related genes. Moreover, using an orthotopic liver cancer model, tumor growth was significantly decreased following treatment with SP-8356. Thus, this study suggests that SP-8356 may be a potential agent for the treatment of liver cancer with multimodal regulation.