Publications by authors named "Xiaocheng Cao"

Background: Fructus Viticis Total Flavonoids (FVTF) is a novel candidate preparation that possesses anticancer activity. However, the role and mechanism of FVTF-inhibiting human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell stem properties is unclear.

Methods: Liquid chromatography (LC) in conjugation with mass spectrometer (MS) was used to identify the compounds of FVTF.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

PD-L1 is an immune checkpoint molecule mediating cancer immune escape, and its expression level in the tumor has been used as a biomarker to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Our previous study reveals that an 11 amino acid-long ANXA1-derived peptide (named A11) binds and degrades the PD-L1 protein in multiple cancers and is a potential peptide for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Near-infrared fluorescence (NIF) optical imaging of tumors offers a noninvasive method for detecting cancer and monitoring therapeutic responses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Our previous study found KCTD10 negatively regulates Notch signaling, but whether KCTD10 regulates human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenicity was uncertain.

Methods: We used lentivirus infection to regulate KCTD10 expression in HCC cell lines, then monitored tumor sphere formation rate, cell migration, and tumorigenicity, cancer stem cell (CSC) biomarkers and Notch signaling variation.

Results: Down-regulation of KCTD10 in HCC cell lines (Hep3B and MHCC97H) enhanced the expression of CSC marker genes, promoted self-renewal and tumorigenic ability, and increased the CD133 cell population.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) has been reported to promote stemness of lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSLCs) which had higher glycolytic rates compared with non-CSLCs. Isovitexin exhibited an inhibitory effect on the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. However, whether isovitexin could inhibit the promotion of stemness of LCSLCs mediated by MnSOD through glycolysis remains unclear.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) promotes invasive and migratory activities by upregulating Forkhead box protein M1 (FoxM1) expression. The present study investigated whether modulation of MnSOD and FoxM1 expression was responsible for the antitumor effects of genistein on cancer stem-like cells (CSLCs) derived from non-small cell lung cancer cells (NSCLCs). Spheroids prepared from H460 or A549 cells were defined as lung cancer stem-like cells (LCSLCs) and were treated with genistein.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) induces FoxM1 expression, subsequently contributing to migration in several cancer cells. Isovitexin (ISOV) was recently found to downregulate MnSOD and FoxM1, decreasing stemness in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) stem-like cells (HCSLCs). The current study aimed to determine whether inhibition of migration, invasion and EMT in HCSLCs by ISOV results from MnSOD/FoxM1 signaling blockade and subsequent Twist1, Slug, ZEB1 and MMP-2 downregulation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: We previously demonstrated that isovitexin (apigenin-6-C-glucoside, ISOV) suppressed the stemness of human Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, the mechanism of its action remains to be deciphered.

Objective: The current study was to examine whether ISOV regulates the miR-34a expression and hence suppresses the stemness of HCC SK-Hep-1 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Whether DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1)/miR-34a/FoxM1 signaling promotes the stemness of liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess whether methylation-based silencing of miR-34a by DNMT1 contributes to stemness features via FoxM1 upregulation in LCSCs.

Methods: The CD133 subgroup of MHCC97H cells sorted by MACS was used as LCSCs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Casticin (CAS) is a polymethyl flavonoid from Fructus viticis and has multiple pharmacological activities, including anticancer. However, whether the molecular mechanism underlying CAS represses stemness characteristics in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells involves intervention in the reciprocal negative regulation between DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and miR-148a-3p has not yet been reported. In this study, the effect of CAS on stemness characteristics of HCC cells and its mechanism were investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Isovitexin (apigenin-6-C-glucoside, ISOV) is a natural flavonoid that exhibits tumor suppressive activity on various types of cancer. However, it is unknown whether the mechanism of its action in osteosarcoma (OS) is associated with epigenetic regulation and whether it involves DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), microRNAs and their targets.

Materials And Methods: The present study investigated the effects of ISOV on DNMT1 activation and miR-34a and Bcl-2 expression levels in order to explain the mechanism underlying ISOV-mediated repression of proliferation and stemness.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) upregulating FoxM1 have previously been demonstrated promoting lung cancer stemness. Isovitexin exhibits antitumor activities in various cancers. This study aimed to assess whether isovitexin inhibits hepatic carcinoma stem-like cells (HCSLCs) features via regulating MnSOD and FoxM1 expression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Recent studies showed that macrophages co-cultured with ovarian cancer stem-like cells (OCSLCs) induced SKOV3 cell stemness via IL-8/STAT3 signaling. Genistein (GEN) demonstrates chemopreventive activity in inflammation-associated cancers. The present study aimed to examine whether and if GEN inhibits the stemness of SKOV3 and OVCA-3R cells induced by co-culture of THP-1 macrophages and SKOV3-derived OCSLCs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Manganese superoxide dismutase promotes migration and invasion in lung cancer cells via upregulation of the transcription factor forkhead box M1. Here, we assessed whether upregulation of forkhead box M1 by manganese superoxide dismutase overexpression mediates the acquisition of cancer stem-like cell characteristics in non-small cell lung cancer H460 cells. The second-generation spheroids from H460 cells were used as lung cancer stem-like cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The malignant phenotype of the cells resulting from human liver cancer is driven by liver cancer stem-like cells (LCSLCs). Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-type 2 channel (TRPV2) contributes to the progression of different tumor types, including liver cancer. In the current study, the TRPV2 expression levels give rise to the effect on stemness in liver cancer cell lines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Among recent concepts in the cancer biology field, the tumor microenvironment is highly associated with cancer stem cells, and plays a key role in tumor progression. This study aimed to explore the mechanism that the stemness induction of SKOV3 cell line by macrophages derived from THP-1 cells, which was co-cultured with SKOV3-derived ovarian cancer stem-like cells (OCSLCs). Sphere formation, soft agar colony formation, and expression levels of CD133 and CD44 were assessed to reflect OCSLC properties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The role of resveratrol (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene; RES) in lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC)‑induced injury and inflammation in endothelial cells (regarded as an early event in arteriosclerosis) is unclear. The present study investigated whether RES reduces lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity and secretion of inflammatory cytokines such asinterleukin‑6 and tumor necrosis factor‑α, via the Toll‑like receptor (TLR)‑4/myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor (NF)‑κB signal transduction pathway in LPC‑induced damage and inflammation in human umbilical vein endothelial‑12 (HUVE‑12) cells. Using an ELISA and western blotting, the present study investigated the effects of RES on LDH activity and cytokine secretion.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) have central functions in cancer formation and development. Aberrant expression of AKT, ERK and NF-κB signaling pathways have been reported in several types of CSCs. Phytochemicals from dietary compounds possess anti-CSC properties, and have been characterized as promising therapeutic agents for the prevention and treatment of many types of cancers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a member of the family of latent cytoplasmic transcriptional factors that could regulate cell proliferation, survival, and development. It has been reported that Twist is a target gene of STAT3, and STAT3/Twist signaling plays an important role in regulating cancer progress. Here, to explore whether 8-bromo-7-methoxychrysin (BrMC) inhibits liver cancer stem-like cell (LCSLC) properties via disrupting STAT3/Twist signaling, we cultured SMMC-7721 cells in vitro, and evaluated the effects of BrMC on the stemness of spheroids by determining the sphere-forming capability and migration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Persistent human papilloma virus (HPV) infection induces chronic inflammation resulting in human cervical cancer. However, the mechanisms underlying carcinogenesis via chronic inflammation remain largely unclear. We investigated the role of pro-inflammatory factors in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell-like (CSCL) characteristics of HeLa cells exposed to TNF‑α with or without TGF‑β.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF