• Journal of Gynecologic Oncology
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.95.1-95.17
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• 2018

Objective: Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. Our previous results showed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XLOC_006390 plays an important role in cervical cancer. In this study, we have explored the mechanism of action of lncRNA XLOC_006390. Methods: LncRNA XLOC_006390 was proposed to exercise its function as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA), and its potential targeted miRNAs was predicted through the database LncBase Predicted v.2. Two miRNAs, miR-331-3p, and miR-338-3p, were chosen for the study. Expression of miRNAs and lncRNA in cervical cancer cells and tissues was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. To determine the correlation, silencing of XLOC_006390, over-expression of miR-331-3p, and miR-338-3p was performed in SiHa and Caski cell lines, respectively. Results: Based on the interactive effect between miRNA and lncRNA, miR-331-3p and miR-338-3p were significantly downregulated in cervical cancer cells and tissues, and their expression levels were negatively related to that of lncRNA. Our results also showed that the expression of miR-331-3p target gene NRP2, miR-338-3p target genes PKM2, EYA2 was significantly downregulated when the XLOC_006390 was knocked down. Further, XLOC_006390 was found to facilitate cervical cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis by downregulating miR-331-3p and miR-338-3p expression. Conclusion: Taken together, our study demonstrated that XLOC_006390 may serve as a ceRNA and reversely regulates the expression of miR-331-3p and miR-338-3p, thus facilitating cervical cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.20-35
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• 2021

Objectives: Waste treatment by incineration is gradually increasing as the emission of harmful substances has decreased owing to developments in incineration technology. However, residents living near incinerators continue to express anxiety regarding the effects on their health. Therefore, we attempted to summarize the health impact of incinerators by comprehensively reviewing the recently reported literature. Methods: Sixty-two epidemiological research papers related to incineration and health effects were selected from the Google Scholar database and analyzed (from between January 2001 and December 2019). Results: When compared to older incinerators, newer incinerators established after 2000 are considered relatively safe in terms of health effects. Nevertheless, there have been some studies that have linked them to various diseases, such as malignant tumors including soft tissue cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, reproductive disorders, respiratory diseases, and more. In addition, incinerator workers and local residents are considered to be exposed to dioxins and some heavy metals from the incinerator. Since most studies included subjects exposed to older incinerators, it is difficult to apply these results to the health impact assessment of new incinerators. However, it is not appropriate to conclude that new incinerators made with state-of-the-art technology are safe, as chronic environmental diseases caused by hazardous substances tend to appear only after prolonged exposure. Conclusions: In terms of environmental health, it is necessary to continuously monitor the health effects of incinerators. Also, there is a need to develop a research methodology that can minimize various confounders in incineration-related epidemiological study.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.388-402
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• 2022

Malignant meningiomas often show invasive growth that makes complete tumor resection challenging, and they are more prone to recur after radical resection. Invasive meningioma associated transcript 1 (IMAT1) is a long noncoding RNA located on Homo sapiens chromosome 17 that was identified by our team based on absolute expression differences in invasive and non-invasive meningiomas. Our studies indicated that IMAT1 was highly expressed in invasive meningiomas compared with non-invasive meningiomas. In vitro studies showed that IMAT1 promoted meningioma cell invasion through the inactivation of the Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4)/hsa-miR22-3p/Snai1 pathway by acting as a sponge for hsa-miR22-3p, and IMAT1 knockdown effectively restored the tumor suppressive properties of KLF4 by preserving its tumor suppressor pathway. In vivo experiments confirmed that IMAT1 silencing could significantly inhibit the growth of subcutaneous tumors and prolong the survival period of tumor-bearing mice. Our findings demonstrated that the high expression of IMAT1 is the inherent reason for the loss of the tumor suppressive properties of KLF4 during meningioma progression. Therefore, we believe that IMAT1 may be a potential biological marker and treatment target for meningiomas.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.938-948
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• 2022

Gastric cancers (GC) are generally malignant tumors, occurring with high incidence and threatening public health around the world. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play crucial roles in modulating various cancers, including GC. However, the functions of circRNAs and their regulatory mechanism in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain largely unknown. This study focuses on both the role of circCOL1A2 in CRC progression as well as its downstream molecular mechanism. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot were adopted for gene expression analysis. Functional experiments were performed to study the biological functions. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and subcellular fraction assays were employed to detect the subcellular distribution. Luciferase reporter, RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP), co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), RNA pull-down, and immunofluorescence (IF) and immunoprecipitation (IP) assays were used to explore the underlying mechanisms. Our results found circCOL1A2 to be not only upregulated in GC cells, but that it also propels the migration and invasion of GC cells. CircCOL1A2 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sequestering microRNA-1286 (miR-1286) to modulate ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10), which in turn spurs the migration and invasion of GC cells by regulating RFC2. In sum, CircCOL1A2 sponges miR-1286 to promote cell invasion and migration of GC by elevating the expression of USP10 to downregulate the level of RFC2 ubiquitination. Our study offers a potential novel target for the early diagnosis and treatment of GC.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.10
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• pp.729-737
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• 2022

Carboplatin-based chemotherapy is the primary treatment option for the management of retinoblastoma, an intraocular malignant tumor observed in children. The aim of the present study was to establish carboplatin-resistant retinoblastoma cell lines to facilitate future research into the treatment of chemoresistant retinoblastoma. In total, two retinoblastoma cell lines, Y79 and SNUOT-Rb1, were treated with increasing concentrations of carboplatin to develop the carboplatin-resistant retinoblastoma cell lines (termed Y79/CBP and SNUOT-Rb1/CBP, respectively). To verify resistance to carboplatin, the degree of DNA fragmentation and the expression level of cleaved caspase-3 were evaluated in the cells, following carboplatin treatment. In addition, the newly developed carboplatin-resistant retinoblastoma cells formed in vivo intraocular tumors more effectively than their parental cells, even after the intravitreal injection of carboplatin. Interestingly, the proportion of cells in the G₀/G₁ phase was higher in Y79/CBP and SNUOT-Rb1/CBP cells than in their respective parental cells. In line with these data, the expression levels of cyclin D1 and cyclin D3 were decreased, whereas p18 and p27 expression was increased in the carboplatin-resistant cells. In addition, the expression levels of genes associated with multidrug resistance were increased. Thus, these carboplatin-resistant cell lines may serve as a useful tool in the study of chemoresistance in retinoblastoma and for the development potential therapeutics.

• Korean Journal of Head & Neck Oncology
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.53-56
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• 2021

Sebaceous carcinoma (SC) is a rare malignant tumor, with an estimated incidence of approximately 1 to 2 per 1,000,000 per year. Approximately 75% of SCs are reported to occur in eyelids. Most of these tumors are diagnosed at age 40 or over and exhibit a wide variety of patterns in addition to the general appearance previously reported. SC is difficult to diagnose clinically, but can be diagnosed by accompanying biopsy. In cases of SC, additional examinations, such as endoscopy and computed tomography, may be necessary because of its association with Muir-Torre Syndrome. We present the case of a 22-year-old Asian man who complained of a rapidly growing chin tumor. The tumor was treated by surgical resection and adjuvant radiation therapy.

• Korean journal of aerospace and environmental medicine
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.57-59
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• 2021

For nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), surgery is indicated only for stage 3 as a curative measure. Even so, there is a high risk of recurrence following stage 3 lung cancer surgery, a third (33.9%) of patients experienced a cancer recurrence mostly within 2 years after surgery. The median survival time for all stages reaches only 21.9 months. For people undergoing surgery for stage 3A NSCLC, a pre-operative course of (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) can improve survival times, by improving the resectability and lowering the risk of recurrence. Pleural metastases are frequently associated with tumors of the lung and breast. Chest radiographs and computed tomography scans of pleural metastases can present as an effusion or smooth or nodular pleural thickening. In the absence of irregular or nodular pleural thickening, it is difficult to distinguish a benign from a malignant pleural effusion. To treat lung cancer, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) recently have been used to cope with genetic mutations, apart from cytotoxic anticancer drugs. Compared to cytotoxic drugs, they are effective, have fewer side effects, and are easy to administer. Airman must have no cancer disease to apply for Class-I medical certification. Specifically, if previously operated on cancer, the cancer should not remain in the body at present, and the disease free state should persist at least one year after all kinds of anti-cancer treatments including adjuvant chemotherapy are completed. Here, this case deals with a 41-year-old pilot who has ATP license who had stage 3A NSCLC. The pilot underwent curative lung cancer surgery (lobectomy) a year ago and showed suspicious pleural metastasis at the time of his application for certification and was still using an unauthorized TKI agent alectinib (Alecensa; Roche, Basel, Switzerland).

• BMB Reports
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• v.55 no.12
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• pp.615-620
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• 2022

The murine leukemia virus-based semi-retroviral replicating vectors (MuLV-based sRRV) had been developed to improve safety and transgene capacity for cancer gene therapy. However, despite the apparent advantages of the sRRV, improvements in the in vivo transduction efficiency are still required to deliver therapeutic genes efficiently for clinical use. In this study, we established a gibbon ape leukemia virus (GaLV) envelope-pseudotyped semi-replication-competent retrovirus vector system (spRRV) which is composed of two transcomplementing replication-defective retroviral vectors termed MuLV-Gag-Pol and GaLV-Env. We found that the spRRV shows considerable improvement in efficiencies of gene transfer and spreading in both human glioblastoma cells and pre-established human glioblastoma mouse model compared with an sRRV system. When treated with ganciclovir after intratumoral injection of each vector system into pre-established U-87 MG glioblastomas, the group of mice injected with spRRV expressing the herpes simplex virus type 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) gene showed a survival rate of 100% for more than 150 days, but all control groups of mice (HSV1-tk/PBS-treated and GFP/GCV-treated groups) died within 45 days after tumor injection. In conclusion, these findings sug-gest that intratumoral delivery of the HSV1-tk gene by the spRRV system is worthy of development in clinical trials for the treatment of malignant solid tumors.

• BMB Reports
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• v.56 no.4
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• pp.258-264
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• 2023

As a high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma (STS), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) is highly recurrent and malignant. UPS is categorized as a tumor of uncertain differentiation and has few options for treatment due to its lack of targetable genetic alterations. There are also few cell lines that provide a representative model for UPS, leading to a dearth of experimental research. Here, we established and characterized new cell lines derived from two recurrent UPS tissues. Cells were obtained from UPS tissues by mincing, followed by extraction or dissociation using enzymes and culture in a standard culture environment. Cells were maintained for several months without artificial treatment, and some cell clones were found to be tumorigenic in an immunodeficient mouse model. Interestingly, some cells formed tumors in vivo when injected after aggregation in a non-adherent culture system for 24 h. The tissues from in vivo study and tissues from patients shared common histological characteristics. Pathways related to the cell cycle, such as DNA replication, were enriched in both cell clones. Pathways related to cell-cell adhesion and cell-cell signaling were also enriched, suggesting a role of the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition for tumorigenicity in vivo. These new UPS cell lines may facilitate research to identify therapeutic strategies for UPS.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.233-239
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• 2023

Background Trunk defects can occur because of surgical site infections after spinal surgery, resection of malignant tumors, or trauma. Herein, we present our experience of using intercostal artery perforator (ICAP) flaps to reconstruct trunk defects without noteworthy complications. Fourteen patients underwent reconstruction with ICAP flaps between March 2015 and March 2019. Methods Patients' data, including age, sex, the cause of the defect, defect size, perforator location, flap size, complications, and follow-up period, were retrospectively reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 56.5 years (range, 19-80 years). All operations were performed after the results of bacterial culture from the wound showed no microbial growth. We found reliable perforators around the defect using Doppler ultrasonography. The perforator flaps were elevated with a pulsatile perforator and rotated in a propeller fashion to the defects. We performed five dorsal and two lateral ICAP flaps. The mean flap dimensions were 12 × 5.5 cm² (range, 6 × 5 to 18 × 8 cm²). Results Primary closure of the donor site was performed. Marginal congestion was observed as a complication in one case, but it healed with no need for revision. The mean follow-up period was 8 months. All patients were satisfied with the surgical outcomes. Conclusion ICAP flaps can be easily mobilized, thereby reducing donor site morbidity without sacrificing the underlying muscles for trunk reconstruction. Therefore, these flaps are useful options for the reconstruction of trunk defects.