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Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex cellular process that allows cells to change their phenotype from epithelial to mesenchymal-like. Type 3 EMT occurs during cancer progression. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RNA-binding motif single-stranded interacting protein 3 (RBMS 3) in the process of EMT. To investigate the impact of RBMS 3 on EMT, we performed immunohistochemical (IHC) reactions on archived paraffin blocks of invasive ductal breast carcinoma (n = 449), allowing us to analyze the correlation in expression between RBMS 3 and common markers of EMT. The IHC results confirmed the association of RBMS 3 with EMT markers. Furthermore, we performed an in vitro study using cellular models of triple negative and HER-2-enriched breast cancer with the overexpression and silencing of RBMS 3. RT-qPCR and Western blot methods were used to detect changes at both the mRNA and protein levels. An invasion assay and confocal microscopy were used to study the migratory potential of cells depending on the RBMS 3 expression. The studies conducted suggest that RBMS 3 may potentially act as an EMT-promoting agent in the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), but as an EMT suppressor in the HER-2-enriched subtype. The results of this study indicate the complex role of RBMS 3 in regulating the EMT process and present it as a future potential target for personalized therapies and a diagnostic marker in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The aim of this study was to analyze rs2234693 and rs9340799 polymorphisms of the ESR1 gene in the context of breast cancer risk in Polish patients. Materials and Methods: The study involved a group of 117 patients with breast cancer and 106 controls. The analyses were carried out using the polymerase chain reaction – restriction fragments length polymorphism technique. Results: The presence of the CC genotype in rs2234693 more than doubled the risk of breast cancer (p=0.04), whereas the presence of the TT genotype in rs2234693 significantly reduced the risk of developing this type of cancer (p=0.0002). The presence of the GG genotype in rs9340799 more than doubled the risk of breast cancer (p=0.04), which was confirmed by the analysis of the recessive model (p=0.04). Conclusion: The polymorphisms rs2234693 and rs9340799 of the ESR1 gene may be associated with the risk of breast cancer among Polish women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transcription factor hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is one of the main factors in the cell's response to a lack of oxygen. Hypoxia is a typical feature of a growing cancerous tumor. Increased activity of HIF-1 is observed in many cancers, including endometrial cancer. HIF-1 functions as a heterodimer consisting of three subunits HIF-1α, HIF-2α, and HIF-3α and one subunit β. HIF-1α is a subunit that is sensitive to oxygen concentration and is constitutively expressed. The HIF-1α gene is highly polymorphic. Literature data suggest that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the HIF-1α gene may be risk factors for endometrial cancer. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cancer development, progression and prognosis, including the role of SNPs, could lead to the development of new anti-cancer therapies., (Copyright © 2024 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.)

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10 million fatalities occurred in 2023. Breast cancer (BC) ranked first among malignancies with 2.26 million cases, lung cancer (LC) second with 2.21 million cases, and colon and rectum cancers (CC, CRC) third with 1.93 million cases. These results highlight the importance of investigating novel cancer prognoses and anti-cancer markers. In this study, we investigated the potential effects of alpha-2 macroglobulin and its receptor, LRP1, on the outcomes of breast, lung, and colorectal malignancies. Immunohistochemical staining was used to analyze the expression patterns of A2M and LRP1 in 545 cases of invasive ductal breast carcinoma (IDC) and 51 cases of mastopathies/fibrocystic breast disease (FBD); 256 cases of non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) and 45 cases of non-malignant lung tissue (NMLT); and 108 cases of CRC and 25 cases of non-malignant colorectal tissue (NMCT). A2M and LRP1 expression levels were also investigated in breast (MCF-7, BT-474, SK-BR-3, T47D, MDA-MB-231, and MDA-MB-231/BO2), lung (NCI-H1703, NCI-H522, and A549), and colon (LS 180, Caco-2, HT-29, and LoVo) cancer cell lines. Based on our findings, A2M and LRP1 exhibited various expression patterns in the examined malignancies, which were related to one another. Additionally, the stroma of lung and colorectal cancer has increased levels of A2M/LRP1 areas, which explains the significance of the stroma in the development and maintenance of tumor homeostasis. A2M expression was shown to be downregulated in all types of malignancies under study and was positively linked with an increase in cell line aggressiveness. Although more invasive cells had higher levels of A2M expression, an IHC analysis showed the opposite results. This might be because exogenous alpha-2-macroglobulin is present, which has an inhibitory effect on several cancerous enzymes and receptor-dependent signaling pathways. Additionally, siRNA-induced suppression of the transcripts for A2M and LRPP1 revealed their connection, which provides fresh information on the function of the LRP1 receptor in A2M recurrence in cancer. Further studies on different forms of cancer may corroborate the fact that both A2M and LRP1 have high potential as innovative therapeutic agents., Competing Interests: None., (AJCR Copyright © 2024.)