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Melittin's non-specific cytotoxicity and hemolytic activity restrict its clinical use, but polypeptide modification is thoμght to be highly selective and well-tolerated. Here, we synthesized a novel antineoplastic peptide UM-6 based on melittin and explored the mechanism related to its anti-proliferation and metastasis on cervical cancer (CC). In the present study, we demonstrated that UM-6 inhibits viability of CC cell lines Caski and Hela in vitro by inducing apoptosis and autophagy with low toxicity to normal epithelial cells. UM-6 also triggers the Hippo signaling pathway, promoting cytoplasmic retention and phosphorylation-dependent degradation of YAP, as well as inhibiting YAP-TEAD binding and reducing transcriptional activity, suppressing downstream target gene expression. Injection of UM-6 in mice can significantly inhibit the growth of xenograft tumors, and greatly reduce the number, volume, and burden of abdominal tumors in the metastasis models without significant toxicity. These current results suggest that UM-6 has the potential to serve as a new anticancer drug candidate.

Objective. To research the impact of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a prognostic parameter in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Methods. We searched the databases such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), EMBASE, PubMed, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Wanfang, and CNKI for articles illustrating the impact of pretreatment NLR on survival data in NSCLC patients undergoing EGFR-TKIs treatment. We did a meta-analysis for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results. We recruited 10 studies in our meta-analysis. Our study suggested that patients with low NLR had better PFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.16–2.39), and P value = 0.005) and OS (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = (1.08–2.55), and P value = 0.02) in comparison to patients with high NLR. Conclusion. In conclusion, our meta-analysis revealed that lower NLR predicted a better survival (PFS and OS) in patients receiving the treatment of EGFR-TKIs.

The female lower genital tract melanomas mainly include vulvar, vaginal and cervical melanoma. There is little clinical data on the melanomas thus making them highly lethal with their prognosis being worse than for cutaneous melanoma and other gynecological malignancies. Surgery is still the primary treatment for gynecological melanomas with wide local resection (WLE) of tumors with adequate margins being preferred for early-stage vulvar melanoma while complete resection of the primary tumor is the standard treatment for early-stage cervical and vaginal melanoma. Sentinel lymph node biopsy seems to avoid unnecessary complete regional lymphadenectomy. However, it should be chosen cautiously. Recently discovered molecular changes have provided new hopes for effective systemic treatment of female genital tract melanomas. In this review, we summarize the pathogenesis and clinicopathological characteristics of these rare melanomas with particular emphasis on new therapies and clinical management methods that may affect prognosis. The review aims to provide a viable direction for clinicians to diagnose and treat female lower genital tract melanomas.

Cervical cancer is one of most malignant gynecological tumors. However, effective means for diagnosing and treating cervical cancer have yet to be identified. A few decades ago, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were regarded as useless parts of the genome, however, increasing data have demonstrated the importance of lncRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancers. The aim of the present study is to summarize the role(s) of HOTAIR, MALAT1, CCAT2, SPRY4-IT1, RSU1P2, CCHE1, lncRNA-EBIC and PVT1. Approximately 14 lncRNAs are involved in cervical cancer and several important proteins, miRNAs and other molecules and play crucial roles in a few traditional signaling pathways that have been proven to be related to those lncRNAs. In conclusion, lncRNAs may be useful as exact treatment targets and diagnostic biomarkers for improving therapies in cervical cancer patients and lncRNAs may contribute to effective diagnosis and treatment methods for cervical cancer.

The Hippo pathway has been initially discovered by screening genes that regulate organ size in Drosophila. Recent studies have highlighted the role of the Hippo pathway in controlling organ size, tissue homeostasis and regeneration, and signaling dysregulation, especially the overactivation of the transcriptional coactivator YAP/TAZ, which leads to uncontrolled cell growth and malignant transformation. The core components of the Hippo pathway may initiate tumorigenesis by inducing tumor stem cells and proliferation, ultimately leading to metastasis and drug resistance, which occurs extensively in gynecological malignancies, including cervical cancer, ovarian cancer, and endometrial cancer. In this review, we attempt to systematically summarize recent progress in our understanding of the mechanism of Hippo pathway regulation in tumorigenesis and the mechanisms that underlie alterations during gynecological malignancies, as well as new therapeutic strategies.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological tumors in females, which is closely related to high-rate HPV infection. Methylation alteration is a type of epigenetic decoration that regulates the expression of genes without changing the DNA sequence, and it is essential for the progression of cervical cancer in pathogenesis while reflecting the prognosis and therapeutic sensitivity in clinical practice. Hydroxymethylation has been discovered in recent years, thus making 5-hmC, the more stable marker, attract more attention in the field of methylation research. As markers of methylation, 5-hmC and 5-mC together with 5-foC and 5-caC draw the outline of the reversible cycle, and 6-mA takes part in the methylation of RNA, especially mRNA. Furthermore, methylation modification participates in ncRNA regulation and histone decoration. In this review, we focus on recent advances in the understanding of methylation regulation in the process of cervical cancer, as well as HPV and CIN, to identify the significant impact on the prospect of overcoming cervical cancer.