Search

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common tumor in the oral cavity and maxillofacial region. Increasing evidence suggests that aerobic glycolysis plays an important role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of OSCC. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers related to glycolysis in OSCC represents considerable potential for improving its treatment. Methods: In the present study, a single‐sample gene‐set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm with weighted gene co‐expression network analysis (WGCNA) were used to quantify the degree of glycolysis and identify key modules with the greatest correlation with glycolysis. Results: Glycolytic scores significantly correlated with prognosis. In the key module 5 HUB genes were finally selected, which displayed a robust predictive effect. The expressions of key genes were associated with glycolysis. Conclusions: The research comprehensively analyzed the glycolysis of OSCC and identified several biomarkers related to glycolysis. These biomarkers may represent potential therapeutic targets for future OSCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bone augmentation or grafting is often required for placement of dental implants or surgical reconstruction of bony defects. Bioabsorbable magnesium implant was shown to promote osteogenesis in long bones. The objectives of this study were to determine osteogenic effects of pure magnesium (Mg) in rat mandible and underlying mechanisms.Methods: Pure Mg was implanted in sockets after rat mandibular incisors were extracted. Titanium (Ti) was used as control. Systemic effects were determined by serum Mg level and histologic analyses of liver and kidney. Local Mg concentration was measured by microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). Alveolar bone was analyzed by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology. Osteogenic effects of 0.8 to 20 mM magnesium chloride (MgCl2 ) on periosteum-derived cells (PDCs) were evaluated by proliferation, alizarin red staining and quantitative RT-PCR assays.Results: Systemic effects were similar in Mg and Ti groups. Higher local Mg concentration was detected in Mg group (P < 0.05). Micro-CT showed higher alveolar bone volume (2- and 6-weeks post-operation) and denser cancellous bone (2 weeks post-operation) in Mg group, with significant amount of new subperiosteal bone formation on lateral alveolar bone surfaces by H&E staining. In PDC culture, proliferation rates, osteogenic gene expression for runt related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), bone sialoprotein (Bsp) and osteocalcin (Ocn), as well as calcium nodule formation rose significantly in 5, 10, and 20 mM MgCl2 groups.Conclusions: Rapid osteogenesis (especially subperiosteal) is induced by pure Mg in rat mandibular alveolar bone. Osteogenic capacity of PDCs is enhanced by higher Mg ion concentrations in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Our aim was to develop and validate a competing risk nomogram to determine the probability of cancer‐specific death in buccal mucosa cancer (BMC) patients. Materials and Methods: We examined the records of BMC patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (China). We adopted the cumulative incidence function and Fine–Gray proportional hazards model based on univariate and multivariate analyses by R‐software to identify the risk factors associated with cancer‐specific death. Subsequently, a nomogram was developed and validated to predict the 3‐ and 5‐year probability of cancer‐specific death. Results: In 1,286 BMC patients identified from SEER database, cumulative incidences of cancer‐specific death after diagnosis were 33.4% and 35.5% for 3 and 5 years, respectively. In the training cohort (n = 902) from SEER database, the Fine–Gray model indicated that age, Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) stages, grade, surgery, and histological type were independent risk factors associated with cancer‐specific death, based on which a prognostic nomogram was developed. In the internal validation cohort from SEER database (n = 384) and the external validation cohort from our medical center (n = 174), the nomogram was well calibrated and showed remarkable prediction performance. Conclusion: The nomogram created herein may prove to be a good assistant tool for assessing the prognosis of BMC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing evidence has shown that aberrant miRNAs contribute to the development and progression of human melanoma. Previous studies have shown that miR-125b functions as a suppressor in malignant melanoma. However, the molecular function and mechanism by which miR-125b influences melanoma growth and invasion are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-125b in melanoma progression and metastasis. We found that miR-125b expression is significantly downregulated in primary melanoma, and an even greater downregulation was observed in metastatic invasion. Restored expression of miR-125b in melanoma suppressed cell proliferation and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that upregulating miR-125b significantly inhibits malignant phenotypes by repressing the expression of integrin alpha9 (ITGA9). Finally, our data reveal that upregulated expression of ITGA9 in melanoma tissues is inversely associated with miR-125b levels. Together, our results demonstrate that upregulation of ITGA9 in response to the decrease in miR-125b in metastatic melanoma is responsible for melanoma tumor cell migration and invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional clinicopathological indices are insufficient in predicting the prognosis of patients diagnosed with oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC/OPSCC). Notably, autophagy and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the development and progression of various types of cancer. The present study aimed to assess the association between autophagy-related lncRNAs and the prognosis of patients diagnosed with OSCC/OPSCC. Gene sequencing and clinicopathological data of patients with OSCC/OPSCC were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database, while gene set functional classification was downloaded from the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis database. Out of the 413 transcriptome data samples and 402 clinicopathological data samples retrieved, a total of nine autophagy-related lncRNAs, including PTCSC2, AC099850.3, LINC01963, RTCA-AS1, AP002884.1, UBAC2-AS1, AL512274.1, MIR600HG and AL354733.3, were screened. This was geared towards establishing a signature through gene co-expression network, univariate and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Cox regression analyses. Based on this signature, the patients were subdivided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that the overall survival of the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of the low-risk group. Furthermore, principal components analysis demonstrated that the patients diagnosed with OSCC/OPSCC could be distinguished into low-survival and high-survival groups according to the signature. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses of clinicopathological data and the signature revealed that the signature could potentially be used as an independent prognostic factor for OSCC/OPSCC. In addition, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis of clinical samples demonstrated the validity of the signature. In summary, the present study revealed that the signature based on autophagy-related lncRNAs potentially acts as an independent prognostic indicator for patients with OSCC/OPSCC. Furthermore, it promotes research on targeted diagnosis and treatment of patients diagnosed with OSCC/OPSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]