Search

Pancreatic cancer is the 7th leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and its incidence and mortality rate have been on the rise in recent years in Western developed countries. The specificity of the disease and the lack of appropriate treatments have resulted in a 5-year overall survival rate of only 9%. In this study, we conducted a study based on the TCGA database and GEO database and analyzed using the energy metabolism gene set to establish a prognostic model with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify 7-genes prognostic signature, and the gene expression was verified by Real-time PCR. The model was validated using a risk score calculation, and the OS rates of the 7 genes were analyzed using one-way Cox regression. The prognostic relationship between vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 (VAMP2) and pancreatic cancer patients was analyzed by OS and progression-free survival, and the prognosis was found to be significantly worse in the high-expression group. A Nomogram showed that VAMP2 was an independent prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. Gene set enrichment analysis showed that VAMP2 upregulation was enriched in pathways associated with immune response and that VAMP2 downregulation was enriched in metabolism-related pathways. The association of VAMP2 with immune cell infiltration was analyzed for the enrichment results, and VAMP2 was found to be positively associated with all 6 immune cells. The results of this study suggest that VAMP2 is an independent prognostic factor associated with energy metabolism in pancreatic cancer and may be involved in the immune response.

BackgroundTetrastigma hemsleyanum (T. hemsleyanum) is widely used as an adjuvant drug for tumor therapy but its antitumor therapeutic targets and molecular mechanisms have remained unclear. The prediction and analysis of natural products has previously used only network pharmacology methods to identify potential target proteins from public databases. In this study, we use comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and experimental verification to determine the antitumor mechanism of T. hemsleyanum.MethodsNetwork pharmacology analysis was used to predict the potential in vivo target proteins of T. hemsleyanum. The expression matrix and clinical data to perform an analysis of hub genes were collected from the TCGA and GTEx databases, specifically the analysis of expression, prognosis, tumor immune cell infiltration analysis, immune checkpoint genes, microsatellite instability, tumor mutational burden, tumor neoantigen, and immune microenvironment, which identify the roles and biological functions of the hub genes in pan-cancer. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis was used to verify the biological processes and signaling pathways involved in the pan-cancer expression profile.ResultsWe found 124 potential in vivo target proteins of T. hemsleyanum through network pharmacological analysis, and five hub genes (AKR1C1, MET, PTK2, PIK3R1, and CDK6) were then screened by protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and molecular complex detection analysis (MCODE). Experimental intervention with an aqueous extract of T. hemsleyanum verified that these hub genes are the target proteins involved in the regulation of T. hemsleyanum in cells. A pan-cancer analysis then confirmed that CDK6 and MET are potential targets upon which T. hemsleyanum may exert antitumor action, especially in ACC, CESC, LGG, and PAAD. The CDK6 protein targeted by T. hemsleyanum is also involved in the immune and mutation process of pan-cancer, especially in the regulation of immune cell infiltration, immune checkpoint gene expression, microsatellite instability, tumor mutation burdens, and tumor neoantigens. Together, these analyses show that T. hemsleyanum affects tumor immune regulation and genomic stability. Finally, a gene set enrichment analysis confirmed that T. hemsleyanum regulates the cell cycle checkpoint.ConclusionsWe found that T. hemsleyanum can behave as an antitumor agent by acting as a potential cell cycle checkpoint inhibitor in CDK6-driven tumors, such as ACC, CESC, LGG, and PAAD, and that it acts as a tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor that inhibits the expression of the proto-oncogene MET. Combined with an analysis of immune and mutation correlations in pan-cancer, we determined that T. hemsleyanum may function biologically as an immune regulator and interfere with the stability of the tumor genome, which is worthy of further study.

Network pharmacology analysis was used to predict the potentialWe found 124 potentialWe found that

The Erdos group with silicomanganese (SiMn) capacity of 3.3x105t/a by-produces off-gas approaching to about 4.48x108Nm3/a. These off-gases were usually combusted in lime or pellet production or for power generation. However, the thermal efficiency of such utilization is not high, and the added value is comparably low. In addition, all the CO is combusted into CO2 and discharged to the atmosphere. Although the CO direct emission has been solved, it cannot reduce the total CO2emission.To increase the value of silicomanganese off-gas (SMOG) and reduce CO2 emission, Erdos Power & Metallurgical Group (EPMG ) has implemented an off-gas high-efficient utilization project, including the first operating SMOG to methanol plant in China and a food-grade CO2 plant. The units in the methanol plant mainly consists of gas dedusting, washing, compression, one-step fine desulphurization, sulphur-free isothermal water-gas shift(WGS), pressure swing adsorption(PSA) decarbonization, methanol synthesis and rectification. The methanol plant can treat 3.44x108Nm3/a of SMOG producing methanol and by-producing enriched CO2 gas and steam. The methanol can be used as automotive fuel additive or feedstock for producing olefins and other chemicals. Besides, enriched CO2 gas is transported to Erdos food-grade CO2 Plant as raw material, and all steam is used for district heating. This project can reduce about 3.575x105t/a of CO2 emission, which accounts for 64% of total CO2 production from Erdos SiMn production. Its new annual profit is estimated to be more than 100 million RMB. The Chinese silicomanganese industry holds more than 20 million tons of annual production capacity, and its off-gas flow rate exceeds 120 billion Nm3/a. Accordingly, the information presented in this report provide a significant reference on high-efficient off-gas utilization for Chinese silicomanganese manufacturers.