PURPOSE: Despite considerable evidence that supports the NF-kB role in the immune system and lymphomagenesis, it is unclear whether specific NF-kB dimers control a particular set of genes that account for their biological functions. Our previous work showed that Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) is unique, among germinal center (GC)-derived lymphomas, with respect to its dependency on Rel-B to survive. In contrast, diffuse large B-Cell lymphoma (DLBCL) including both Activated B-Cell-Like and Germinal Center B-Cell-Like, requires cREL and Rel-A to survive and it is not affected by Rel-B depletion. These findings highlighted the activity of specific NF-kB subunits in different GC-derived lymphomas.
METHODS: Sequenced chromatin immunoprecipitated DNA fragments (ChIP-Seq) analysis revealed an extensive NF-kB DNA-binding network in DLBCL and HL. The ChIP-Seq data was merged with microarray analysis following the Rel-A, Rel-B or cRel knockdown to determine effectively regulated genes.
RESULTS: Downstream target analysis showed enrichment for cell cycle control, among other signatures. Rel-B and cRel controlled different genes within the same signature in HL and DLBCL, respectively. BCL2 was exclusively controlled by Rel-B in HL. Both mRNA and protein levels decreased following Rel-B depletion meanwhile there was no change upon cRel knock-down. BCL2 exogenous expression partially rescued the death induced by decreased Rel-B in HL cells.
CONCLUSION: The Rel-B hierarchical network defined HL and the cRel hierarchical network characterized DLBCL. Each Rel member performs specific functions in distinct GC-derived lymphomas. This result should be considered for the development of targeted therapies that are aimed to selectively inhibit individual NF-kB dimers.

A small subpopulation of cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) present in almost all tumors is responsible for drug resistance and tumor recurrence. The role of NF-kB and miRNA in close association with essential risk factors, tobacco, alcohol and high risk HPV infection during oral carcinogenesis and its prognosis is not well understood. We have isolated cancer stem like SP cells from both HPV+/-ve oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines and primary tumors, which formed orospheres, expressed stemness markers Oct4, Sox-2, CD133 and CD117. These cells showed differentially upregulated expression of NF-kB proteins and selective overexpression of viral oncogenes E6/E7 only in HPV16+ve cells which formed higher number of orospheres, overexpressed c-Rel and selectively activated p65 that heterodimerized with p50 to show higher DNA binding activity. Further, selective over expression of miR-21 and miR-155 and downregulation of miR-34a were demonstrated by HPV+ve CSCs which overexpress HPV16 oncogene E6 that is responsible for the maintenance of stemness. While, HPV-ve CSCs show exclusively p50 homodimeriztion, poor differentiation and worst prognosis, HPV infection induced participation of p65 along with deregulated expression of specific miRNAs led to well differentiation of tumors and better prognosis.

Approximately 15% of patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) die after relapse or progressive disease. Comprehensive genetic characterization is required to better understand its molecular pathology and improve management. However, genetic information on cHL is hard to obtain mainly due to rare malignant Hodgkin- and Reed-Sternberg cells (HRSC), whose overall frequencies in the affected tissues ranges from 0.1 to 10%. Therefore, enrichment of neoplastic cells is necessary for the majority of genetic investigations. We have developed a new high-throughput method for marker-based enrichment of archival formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue-derived HRSC nuclei by fluorescence-assisted flow sorting (FACS) and successfully applied it on ten cHL cases. Genomic DNA extracted from sorted nuclei was used for targeted high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of 68 genes that are frequently affected in lymphomas. Chromosomal copy number aberrations were investigated by the Agilent SurePrint 180k microarray. Our method enabled HRSC nuclei enrichment to 40-90% in sorted populations. This level of enrichment was sufficient for reliable identification of tumor-specific mutations and copy number aberrations. Genetic analysis revealed that components of JAK-STAT signaling pathway were affected in all investigated tumors by frequent mutations of SOCS1 and STAT6 as well as copy number gains of JAK2. Involvement of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway compounds was evident from recurrent gains of the locus containing the REL gene and mutations in TNFAIP3 and CARD11. Finally, genetic alterations of PD-L1 and B2M suggested immune evasion as mechanisms of oncogenesis in some patients. In this work, we present a new method for HRSC enrichment from FFPE tissue blocks by FACS and demonstrate the feasibility of a wide-scale genetic analysis by cutting-edge molecular methods. Our work opens the door to a large resource of archived clinical cHL samples and lays foundation to more complex studies aimed to answer important biological and clinical questions that are critical to improve cHL management.

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the risk miRNAs (microRNAs) for AML (acute myeloid leukemia) prognosis and related regulatory mechanisms. Methods MiRNA and gene expression data, as well as clinical data of 176 patients were first downloaded from TCGA. Then miRNAs and genes significantly affecting the survival time based on KM survival curve were identified using Log Rank test. Next, COX proportional-hazard regression analysis was performed to screen the risk miRNAs (P-value < 0.05). Common genes from survival analysis and predicted by miRWalk were used to construct the miRNA regulatory network with the risk miRNAs. Finally, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, as well as functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis. Results The survival analysis revealed 33 miRNAs and 1,377 genes significantly affecting the survival time. HR values of nine miRNAs (up-regulated hsa-mir-606, 520a, 137, 362, 599, 600, 202, 639and down-regulated 502) were either >1 or <1. The miRNA regulatory network contained 477 nodes and 944 edges. The top ten genes of the constructed PPI network were EGFR, EIF4G1, REL, TOP1, COL14A1, HDAC3, MRPL49, PSMA2, TOP2A and VCAM1 successively. According to pathway enrichment analysis, 6 KEGG pathways and 6 REACTOME pathways were obtained respectively. Conclusion Up-regulated hsa-mir-520a, 599, 606, 137 and 362 may increase the prognostic risk for AML patients via regulating the expression of corresponding target genes, especially COL14A1, HDAC3, REL, EGFR, PSMA2, EIF4G1, MRPL49 and TOP1.

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients with early relapse or refractory disease have a very poor outcome. Immunochemotherapy resistance will probably, also in the era of targeted drugs, remain the major cause of treatment failure. We used proteomic mass spectrometry to analyse the global protein expression of micro-dissected formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumour tissues from 97 DLBCL patients: 44 with primary refractory disease or relapse within 1 year from diagnosis (REF/REL), and 53 who were progression-free more than 5 years after diagnosis (CURED). We identified 2127 proteins: 442 were found in all patients and 102 were differentially expressed. Sixty-five proteins were overexpressed in REF/REL patients, of which 46 were ribosomal proteins (RPs) compared with 2 of the 37 overexpressed proteins in CURED patients (P = 7·6 × 10

BACKGROUND: MicroRNA (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by inhibiting the translation of target mRNAs. Among several dysregulated miRNAs in human cancer, the up-regulation of miR-221 has been associated with development of a variety of hematologic and solid malignancies. In this study, we investigated the involvement of miR-221 in breast cancer.
METHODS: TaqMan microRNA assay was used to detect the miR-221 levels in normal cells and in MDA-MB 231 and SkBr3 breast cancer cells as well as in main players of the tumor microenvironment, namely cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). miR-221 mimic sequence and locked nucleic acid (LNA)-i-miR-221 construct were used to induce or inhibit, respectively, the miR-221 expression in cells used. Quantitative PCR and western blotting analysis were performed to evaluate the levels of the miR-221 target gene A20 (TNFAIP3), as well as the member of the NF-kB complex namely c-Rel and the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was performed to ascertain the recruitment of c-Rel to the CTFG promoter. Finally, the cell growth and migration in the presence of LNA-i-miR-221 or silencing c-Rel and CTGF by specific short hairpin were assessed by cell count, colony formation and boyden chambers assays. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA.
RESULTS: We first demonstrated that LNA-i-miR-221 inhibits both endogenous and ectopic expression of miR-221 in our experimental models. Next, we found that the A20 down-regulation, as well as the up-regulation of c-Rel induced by miR-221 were no longer evident using LNA-i-miR-221. Moreover, we established that the miR-221 dependent recruitment of c-Rel to the NF-kB binding site located within the CTGF promoter region is prevented by using LNA-i-miR-221. Furthermore, we determined that the up-regulation of CTGF mRNA and protein levels by miR-221 is no longer evident using LNA-i-miR221 and silencing c-Rel. Finally, we assessed that cell growth and migration induced by miR-221 in MDA-MB 231 and SkBr3 breast cancer cells as well as in CAFs are abolished by LNAi-miR-221 and silencing c-Rel or CTGF.
CONCLUSIONS: Overall, these data provide novel insights into the stimulatory action of miR-221 in breast cancer cells and CAFs, suggesting that its inhibition may be considered toward targeted therapeutic approaches in breast cancer patients.

Interferon regulatory factor (IRF) 4 and the proto-oncogene c-Rel cooperate in growth and antiviral drug resistance of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). To elucidate the target of IRF4 and c-Rel in ATLL, we determined the simultaneous binding sites of IRF4 and c-Rel using ChIP-seq technology. Nine genes were identified within 2 kb of binding sites, including MIR3662. Expression of miR-3662 was regulated by IRF4, and to a lesser extent by c-Rel. Cell proliferation was inhibited by knockdown of miR-3662 and expression of miR-3662 was correlated with antiviral drug resistance in ATLL cell lines. Thus, miR-3662 represents a target for therapies against ATLL.

The human riboflavin transporter-3 (encoded by SLC52A3) plays a prominent role in riboflavin absorption. Interestingly, abnormal expression patterns of SLC52A3 in multiple types of human cancers have been recently noted. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its dysregulation remain unclear. In this study, we find that SLC52A3 has two transcript variants that differ in the transcriptional start site, and encode different proteins: SLC52A3a and SLC52A3b. Importantly, aberrant expressions of SLC52A3 are associated with stepwise development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) as well as the survival rates of ESCC patients. Functionally, SLC52A3a, but not SLC52A3b, strongly promotes the proliferation and colony formation of ESCC cells. Furthermore, SLC52A3 5'-flanking regions contain NF-κB p65/Rel-B-binding sites, which are crucial for mediating SLC52A3 transcriptional activity in ESCC cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and electrophoretic mobility shift assay reveal that p65/Rel-B bind to 5'-flanking regions of SLC52A3. Accordingly, NF-κB signaling upregulates SLC52A3 transcription upon TNFα stimulation. Taken together, these results elucidate the mechanisms underlying SLC52A3 overexpression in ESCC. More importantly, our findings identify SLC52A3 as both a predictive and prognostic biomarker for this deadly cancer.

Cullin 4B, a member of the Cullins, which serve as scaffolds to facilitate the assembly of E3 ligase complexes, is aberrantly expressed in many cancers, including osteosarcoma. Recently, we observed that CUL4B forms the CRL4B

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) is frequently altered in DLBCL and inhibition of HDAC6 has potent anti-tumor effects in vitro and in vivo. We profiled miRNAs that altered in the HDAC6 knockdown DLBCL cells with NanoString nCounter assay and identified microRNA-27b (miR-27b) as the most significantly increased miRNA. We validated decreased expression of miR-27b in DLBCL tissues, and we found that low expression of miR-27b was associated with poor overall survival of patients with DLBCL. In addition, forced expression of miR-27b suppressed DLBCL cell viability and proliferation in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, Rel A/p65 is found to negatively regulate miR-27b expression, and its acetylation and block of nuclear translocalization caused by HDAC6 inhibition significantly elevates miR-27b expression. Furthermore, miR-27b targets MET and thus represses the MET/PI3K/AKT pathway. These findings highlight an important role of miR-27b in the development of DLBCL and uncover a HDAC6-Rel A/p65-miR-27b-MET signaling pathway. Elevating miR-27b through HDAC6 inhibition would be a promising strategy for DLBCL treatment.

BACKGROUND: Social factors in the patient macroenvironment have been shown to influence molecular events in the tumor microenvironment and thereby influence cancer progression. However, biomarkers providing a window into the longitudinal effects of biobehavioral factors on tumor biology over time are lacking. Exosome analysis is a novel strategy for in vivo monitoring of dynamic changes in tumor cells. This study examined exosomal profiles from patients with low or high levels of social support for epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) polarization and gene expression related to inflammation and β-adrenergic signaling.
METHODS: Exosomes were isolated from plasma sampled from a series of 40 women before primary surgical resection of advanced-stage, high-grade ovarian carcinoma. Samples were selected for analysis on the basis of extremes of low and high levels of social support. After exosomal isolation and RNA extraction, a microarray analysis of the transcriptome was performed.
RESULTS: Primary analyses identified significant upregulation of 67 mesenchymal-characteristic gene transcripts and downregulation of 63 epithelial-characteristic transcripts in patients with low social support; this demonstrated increased EMT polarization (P = .0002). Secondary analyses using promoter sequence bioinformatics supported a priori hypotheses linking low social support to 1) increased activity of cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein (CREB)/activating transcription factor (ATF) family transcription factors that mediate the β-adrenergic response to catecholamines via the cyclic adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A signaling pathway (mean fold change for CREB: 2.24 ± 0.65; P = .0019; mean fold change for ATF: 2.00 ± 0.55; P = .0049) and 2) increased activity of the proinflammatory nuclear factor κB/Rel family of transcription factors (mean fold change: 2.10 ± 0.70; P = .0109).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the possibility of leveraging exosomes as a noninvasive assessment of biobehavioral factors to help to direct personalized treatment approaches. Cancer 2018;124:580-6. © 2017 American Cancer Society.

There is a dearth of knowledge about the pathogenesis of premalignant lung lesions, especially for atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH), the only known precursor for the major lung cancer subtype adenocarcinoma (LUAD). In this study, we performed deep DNA and RNA sequencing analyses of a set of AAH, LUAD, and normal tissues. Somatic

The c-Rel transcription factor is a unique member of the NF-kB family that has a role in apoptosis, proliferation and cell survival. Overexpression of c-Rel is detected in many human B cell tumors, including B-cell leukemia and several cancers. The study aimed to investigate the effects of c-Rel siRNA on the proliferation and apoptosis of relapsed pre-B acute leukemia cells. The c-Rel siRNA was transfected into Leukemia cells using an Amaxa cell line Nucleofector kit L (Lonza). Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were done to measure the expression levels of mRNA and protein, respectively. The flow cytometry was used to analyze the effect of c-Rel siRNA on the apoptosis and proliferation of Leukemia cells. Observed c-Rel expression in the 5 pre-B Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients were higher than the normal cells. The c-Rel siRNA transfection significantly blocked the expression of c-Rel mRNA in a time-dependent manner, leading to a strong growth inhibition and enhanced apoptosis (P<0.05). Our results demonstrated that c-Rel plays a fundamental role in the survival. Therefore, c-Rel can be considered as an attractive target for gene therapy in ALL patients. Also siRNA-mediated silencing of this gene may be a novel strategy in ALL treatment.

Cervical cancer is the fourth common cancer in women resulting worldwide in 266,000 deaths per year. Belonging to the carcinomas, new insights into cervical cancer biology may also have great implications for finding new treatment strategies for other kinds of epithelial cancers. Although the transcription factor NF-κB is known as a key player in tumor formation, the relevance of its particular subunits is still underestimated. Here, we applied CRISPR/Cas9n-mediated genome editing to successfully knockout the NF-κB subunit c-REL in HeLa Kyoto cells as a model system for cervical cancers. We successfully generated a homozygous deletion in the c-REL gene, which we validated using sequencing, qPCR, immunocytochemistry, western blot analysis, EMSA and analysis of off-target effects. On the functional level, we observed the deletion of c-REL to result in a significantly decreased cell proliferation in comparison to wildtype (wt) without affecting apoptosis. The impaired proliferative behavior of c-REL-/- cells was accompanied by a strongly decreased amount of the H2B protein as well as a significant delay in the prometaphase of mitosis compared to c-REL+/+ HeLa Kyoto cells. c-REL-/- cells further showed significantly decreased expression levels of c-REL target genes in comparison to wt. In accordance to our proliferation data, we observed the c-REL knockout to result in a significantly increased resistance against the chemotherapeutic agents 5-Fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (5-FUDR) and cisplatin. In summary, our findings emphasize the importance of c-REL signaling in a cellular model of cervical cancer with direct clinical implications for the development of new treatment strategies.

There remains a large discrepancy between the known genetic contributions to cancer and that which can be explained by genomic variants, both inherited and somatic. Recently, understudied repetitive DNA regions called microsatellites have been identified as genetic risk markers for a number of diseases including various cancers (breast, ovarian and brain). In this study, we demonstrate an integrated process for identifying and further evaluating microsatellite-based risk markers for lung cancer using data from the cancer genome atlas and the 1000 genomes project. Comparing whole-exome germline sequencing data from 488 TCGA lung cancer samples to germline exome data from 390 control samples from the 1000 genomes project, we identified 119 potentially informative microsatellite loci. These loci were found to be able to distinguish between cancer and control samples with sensitivity and specificity ratios over 0.8. Then these loci, supplemented with additional loci from other cancers and controls, were evaluated using a target enrichment kit and sample-multiplexed nextgen sequencing. Thirteen of the 119 risk markers were found to be informative in a well powered study (>0.99 for a 0.95 confidence interval) using high-depth (579x±315) nextgen sequencing of 30 lung cancer and 89 control samples, resulting in sensitivity and specificity ratios of 0.90 and 0.94, respectively. When 8 loci harvested from the bioinformatic analysis of other cancers are added to the classifier, then the sensitivity and specificity rise to 0.93 and 0.97, respectively. Analysis of the genes harboring these loci revealed two genes (ARID1B and REL) and two significantly enriched pathways (chromatin organization and cellular stress response) suggesting that the process of lung carcinogenesis is linked to chromatin remodeling, inflammation, and tumor microenvironment restructuring. We illustrate that high-depth sequencing enables a high-precision microsatellite-based risk classifier analysis approach. This microsatellite-based platform confirms the potential to create clinically actionable diagnostics for lung cancer.

Gastrointestinal (g.i.) large cell lymphoma is currently regarded as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) despite a more favorable clinical outcome compared to other DLBCL. Cluster analyses on a transcriptome signature of NF-κB target genes of 30 g.i. marginal zone B-cell lymphomas (MZBL; 8 g.i. MZBL, 22 large cell MZBL - among them 9 with coexisting small cell component) and 6 DLBCL (3 activated B-cell like (ABC), 3 germinal center-like (GCB)) reveals a distinct pattern. The distinctiveness of large cell MZBL samples is further confirmed by a cohort of 270 available B-cell lymphoma and B-cell in silico profiles. Of the NF-κB genes analyzed, c-REL was overexpressed in g.i. MZBL. c-REL amplification was limited to 6/22 large cell MZBL including the large cell component of 2/9 composite small cell/large cell lymphomas, and c-Rel protein expression was found in the large cell compartment of composite lymphomas. Classification experiments on DLBCL and large cell MZBL profiles support the concept that the large cell MZBL is a distinct type of B-cell lymphoma.

Even though various molecules may serve as biomarkers, little is known concerning the mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis of ESCC, particularly the transcriptional regulatory network. Thus, in the present study, paired ESCC and non-cancerous (NC) tissues were assayed by Affymetrix microarray assays. Passing Attributes between Networks for Data Assimilation (PANDA) was used to construct networks between transcription factors (TFs) and their targets. AnaPANDA program was applied to compare the regulatory networks. A hypergeometric distribution model-based target profile similarity analysis was utilized to find co-activation effects using both TF-target networks and differential expression data. There were 1,116 genes upregulated and 1,301 genes downregulated in ESCC compared with NC tissues. In TF-target networks, 16,970 ESCC-specific edges and 9,307 NC-specific edges were identified. Edge enrichment analysis by AnaPANDA indicated 17 transcription factors (NFE2L2, ELK4, PAX6, TLX1, ESR1, ZNF143, TP53, REL, ELF5, STAT1, TBP, NHLH1, FOXL1, SOX9, STAT3, ELK1, and HOXA5) suppressed in ESCC and 5 (SPIB, BRCA1, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1) activated in ESCC. For SPIB, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1, a strong and significant co-activation effect among them was detected in ESCC. In conclusion, the construction of transcriptional regulatory networks found SPIB, MZF1, MAFG and NFE2L1 co-activated in ESCC, which provides distinctive insight into the carcinogenesis mechanism of ESCC.

Cervical cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in women all over the world. The exact mechanism of occurrence and development of cervical cancer has not been fully elucidated. CD38 is a type II transmembrane glycoprotein, which was found to mediate diverse activities, including signal transduction, cell adhesion, and cyclic ADP-ribose synthesis. Here, we reported that CD38 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited cell apoptosis in cervical cancer cells by affecting the mitochondria functions. We established stable cervical cancer cell lines with CD38 over-expressed. CCK8 assay and colony formation assay indicated that CD38 promoted cervical cancer cell proliferation. Nude mouse tumorigenicity assay showed that CD38 significantly promotes tumor growth in vivo. CD38 also induced S phase accumulation in cell cycle analysis and suppressed cell apoptosis in cervical cancer cells. Meanwhile, flow cytometry analysis of mitochondria functions suggested that CD38 decreased intracellular Ca

Background: Inflammation has been identified as a hallmark of high-risk Group A (GpA) ependymoma (EPN). Chronic interleukin (IL)-6 secretion from GpA tumors drives an immune suppressive phenotype by polarizing infiltrating monocytes. This study determines the mechanism by which IL-6 is dysregulated in GpA EPN.
Methods: Twenty pediatric GpA and 21 pediatric Group B (GpB) EPN had gene set enrichment analysis for MSigDB Hallmark gene sets performed. Protein and RNA from patients and cell lines were used to validate transcriptomic findings. GpA cell lines 811 and 928 were used for in vitro experiments performed in this study.
Results: The nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) pathway is a master regulator of IL-6 and a signaling pathway enriched in GpA compared with GpB EPN. Knockdown of NF-κB led to significant downregulation of IL-6 in 811 and 928. NF-κB activation was independent of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) stimulation in both cell lines, suggesting that NF-κB hyperactivation is mediated through an alternative mechanism. Leucine zipper downregulated in cancer 1 (LDOC1) is a known transcriptional repressor of NF-κB. In many cancers, LDOC1 promoter is methylated, which inhibits gene transcription. We found decreased LDOC1 gene expression in GpA compared with GpB EPN, and in other pediatric brain tumors. EPN cells treated with 5AZA-DC, demethylated LDOC1 regulatory regions, upregulated LDOC1 expression, and concomitantly decreased IL-6 secretion. Stable knockdown of LDOC1 in EPN cell lines resulted in a significant increase in gene transcription of v-rel avian reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog A, which correlated to an increase in NF-κB target genes.
Conclusion: These results suggest that epigenetic silencing of LDOC1 in GpA EPN regulates tumor biology and drives inflammatory immune phenotype.

An increasing number of researchers are focusing on the influence of local peptide hormones such as angiotensin II (Ang II) and relaxin 2 (RLN2) in the regulation of inflammation and carcinogenesis. The interaction between the renin‑angiotensin system (RAS) and relaxin family peptide system (RFPS) is known to influence the proliferation, adhesion and migration of normal and cancer prostate cell lines. The aim of the present study was to evaluate changes in the expression of nuclear factor‑κB subunit 1 (NFKB1), nuclear factor‑κB subunit 2 (NFKB2), REL proto‑oncogene nuclear factor‑κB p65 subunit (REL), RELA proto‑oncogene nuclear factor‑κB subunit (RELA) and RELB proto‑oncogene nuclear factor‑κB subunit (RELB) mRNA caused by Ang II and RLN2. The members of NF‑kB family are involved in many processes associated with cancer development and metastasis. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis identified that both peptide hormones have an influence on the relative expression of nuclear factor‑κB. Following treatment with either peptide, NFKB1 expression was downregulated in all prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP, DU‑145 and PC3), but not in normal epithelial cells (PNT1A). Conversely, RELB mRNA was enhanced only in non‑cancerous prostate cells. RELA expression was strongly stimulated in the most aggressive cell line, whereas REL mRNA was unchanged. In many cases, the effect was strictly dependent on the cell line and/or the type of peptide: Ang II increased expression of both RELA and REL genes in the androgen‑dependent cell line while RLN2 enhanced NFKB2 and RELA mRNA in androgen‑independent cells (DU‑145). Further research is needed to understand the regulation of NF‑κB family members by key renin‑angiotensin system and RFPS peptides in prostate cancer cells; however, prostate carcinogenesis appears to be influenced by the balance between the cross‑regulation of nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) and androgen receptor pathways by Ang II and relaxin 2.

We hypothesized that human genes and disease-associated alleles might be systematically functionally annotated using morphological profiling of cDNA constructs, via a microscopy-based Cell Painting assay. Indeed, 50% of the 220 tested genes yielded detectable morphological profiles, which grouped into biologically meaningful gene clusters consistent with known functional annotation (e.g., the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK cascade). We used novel subpopulation-based visualization methods to interpret the morphological changes for specific clusters. This unbiased morphologic map of gene function revealed TRAF2/c-REL negative regulation of YAP1/WWTR1-responsive pathways. We confirmed this discovery of functional connectivity between the NF-κB pathway and Hippo pathway effectors at the transcriptional level, thereby expanding knowledge of these two signaling pathways that critically regulate tumor initiation and progression. We make the images and raw data publicly available, providing an initial morphological map of major biological pathways for future study.

OBJECTIVE: Choriocarcinoma is the most common epithelial cancer among gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTDs); the mechanism of trophoblastic carcinogenesis is unknown. This study aimed to examine the expression of NF-κB family proteins in GTDs and placental tissues as well as the roles of c-Rel in choriocarcinoma.
METHODS: We examined the expression of NF-κB family proteins in normal placenta and hydatidiform mole tissues as well as extravillous trophoblast (EVT) and choriocarcinoma cell lines by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Immunoprecipitation was performed to determine which proteins can bind with c-Rel in choriocarcinoma cells. To investigate the roles of c-Rel in choriocarcinoma, we examined the effects of c-Rel knockdown and overexpression on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion using small interfering RNAs and gene activation plasmid.
RESULTS: The expression of c-Rel was strong in choriocarcinoma and EVTs, but very weak in villi of normal placenta and hydatidiform mole. Immunoprecipitation suggested that c-Rel heterodimerizes with p65 in choriocarcinoma. c-Rel knockdown reduced invasion, migration, and AKT phosphorylation in choriocarcinoma cells. c-Rel overexpression in choriocarcinoma increased migratory and invasive abilities, and the effect on invasion was inhibited by a PI3K inhibitor.
CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that c-Rel might play a role in promoting the invasion of choriocarcinoma cells through PI3K/AKT signaling.

The mechanism by which the transcription factors inhibit the miRNA expression in ovarian cancer chemoresistance is unclear. The present study investigated the mechanism underlying the transcriptional repression of miR-134 in chemoresistant serous epithelial ovarian cancer. The results demonstrate that NF-κB1, c-Rel, and ELK1 are involved as transcription factors in repressing miR-134 expression in paclitaxel-resistant ovarian cancer cells. Knockdown of these transcription factors led to increased miR-134 expression, resulting in increased apoptosis and inhibition of proliferation in SKOV3-TR30 cells. NF-κB1, c-Rel, and ELK1 mRNA expression was upregulated in chemoresistant specimens and negatively correlated with miR-134 expression. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that high nuclear expressions of NF-κB1, c-Rel, ELK1 were significantly associated with short survival in serous epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Finally, TAB1 was identified as a functional target of miR-134, and the expression of TAB1 was increased by the transcription factors of NF-κB1, c-Rel, and ELK1 via miR-134. Taken together, these results provide an insight into the mechanism of repressed miR-134 expression in chemoresistance of serous epithelial ovarian cancer.

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is a common type of indolent lymphoma that occasionally transforms to more aggressive B-cell lymphomas. These transformed follicular lymphomas (tFL) are often associated with chemoresistance whose mechanisms are currently unknown. REL, a proto-oncogene located on frequently amplified 2p16.1-p15 locus, promotes tumorigenesis in many cancer types through deregulation of the NF-κB pathway; however, its role in FL pathobiology or chemoresistance has not been addressed. Here, we evaluated REL gene copy number by q-PCR on FFPE FL tumor samples, and observed REL amplification in 30.4% of FL cases that was associated with weak elevation of transcript levels. PCR-Sanger analysis did not show any somatic mutation in FL tumors. In support of a marginal oncogenic role, a REL-transduced FL cell line was positively selected under limiting serum conditions. Interestingly, reanalysis of previously reported gene expression profiles revealed significant enrichment of DNA damage-induced repair and cell cycle arrest pathways in tFL tumors with high REL expression compared to those with low REL expression consistent with the critical role of c-REL in genotoxicity-induced NF-κB signaling, which was reported to lead to drug resistance. In addition to DNA damage repair genes such as ATM and BRCA1, anti-apoptotic BCL2 was significantly elevated in REL-high FL and tFL tumors. Altogether these data suggest that other genes located in amplified 2p16.1-p15 locus may have more oncogenic role in FL etiology; however, high REL expression may be useful as a predictive biomarker of response to immunochemotherapy, and inhibition of c-REL may potentially sensitize resistant FL or tFL cells to chemotherapy.

The c-Rel transcription factor is a unique member of the nuclear factor (NF)-κB family that has a role in curtailing the proliferation, differentiation, cytokine production, and overall activity of B- and T-cells. In addition, c-Rel is a key regulator of apoptosis in that it influences the expression of anti-apoptotic genes such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL; conversely, inhibition of c-Rel increases cell apoptosis. To better understand the relationship between c-Rel expression and effects on B- and T-cell expansion, the current study evaluated c-Rel expression in cord blood mononuclear cells. This particular source was selected as cord blood is an important source of cells used for transplantation and immunotherapy, primarily in treating leukemias. As stem cell factor (SCF) and FLT3 are important agents for hematopoietic stem cell expansion, and cytokines like interleukin (IL)-2, -7, and -15 are essential for T- and B- (and also NK) cell development and proliferation, the current study evaluated c-Rel expression in cord blood mononuclear cells and CD34

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although rituximab therapy improves clinical outcome, some patients develop resistant DLBCL; however, the genetic alterations in these patients are not well documented. To identify the genetic background of refractory DLBCL, we conducted whole-exome sequencing and transcriptome sequencing for six patients with refractory and seven with responsive DLBCL. The average numbers of pathogenic somatic single nucleotide variants and indels in coding regions were 71 in refractory patients (range 28-120) and 38 (range 19-66) in responsive patients. Missense mutations of TP53 were exclusive in 50% (3/6) of refractory patients and involved the DNA-binding domain of TP53. All missense mutations of TP53 were accompanied by copy number deletions. RAB11FIP5, PRKCB, PRDM15, FNBP4, AHR, CEP128, BRE, DHX16, MYO6, and NMT1 mutations were recurrent in refractory patients. MYD88, B2M, SORCS3, and WDFY3 mutations were more frequent in refractory patients than in responsive patients. REL-BCL11A fusion was found in two refractory patients; one had both fusion and copy number gain. Recurrent copy gains of POU2AF1, SLC1A4, REL11, FANCL, CACNA1D, TRRAP, and CUX1 with significantly increased average expression were found in refractory patients. The expression profile revealed enriched gene sets associated with treatment resistance, including oxidative phosphorylation and ATP-binding cassette transporters. In conclusion, this study integrated both genomic and transcriptomic alterations associated with refractory DLBCL and found several treatment-resistance alterations that may contribute to refractoriness.

We evaluated the impact of recipient and cord blood unit (CBU) genetic polymorphisms related to immune response on outcomes after unrelated cord blood transplantations (CBTs). Pretransplant DNA samples from 696 CBUs with malignant diseases were genotyped for NLRP1, NLRP2, NLRP3, TIRAP/Mal, IL10, REL, TNFRSF1B, and CTLA4. HLA compatibility was 6 of 6 in 10%, 5 of 6 in 39%, and ≥4 of 6 in 51% of transplants. Myeloablative conditioning was used in 80%, and in vivo T-cell depletion in 81%, of cases. The median number of total nucleated cells infused was 3.4 × 10

miR‑574‑5p has been reported involved in the pathogenesis of numerous human malignancies such as colorectal and lung cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of REL and miR‑574 in the recurrence of prostate cancer (PCa) and to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our literature search found that miR‑574 is regulated in cancer stem cells (CSCs), and next we used the microRNA (miRNA) database (www.mirdb.org) to find REL as a target of miR‑574. Luciferase assay was performed to verify the miRNA/target relationship. Oligo-transfection, real‑time PCR and western blot analysis were used to support the conclusions. We validated REL to be the direct gene via luciferase reporter assay system, and real‑time PCR and western blot analysis were also conducted to study the mRNA and protein expression level of REL between different groups (recurrence and non‑recurrence) or cells treated with scramble control, miR‑574 mimics, REL siRNA and miR‑574 inhibitors, indicating the negative regulatory relationship between miR‑574 and REL. We also investigated the relative viability of prostate CSCs when transfected with scramble control, miR‑574 mimics, REL siRNA and miR‑574 inhibitors to validate miR‑574 to be positively interfering with the viability of prostate CSCs. We then investigated the relative apoptosis of prostate CSCs when transfected with scramble control, miR‑574 mimics, REL siRNA and miR‑574 inhibitors. The results showed miR‑574 inhibited apoptosis. In conclusion, miR‑574 might be a novel prognostic and therapeutic target in the management of PCa recurrence.

We investigated gene expression profiles of the NF-κB pathway in patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) receiving adjuvant chemotherapy to determine the prognostic value of NF-κB pathway genes according to chemotherapeutic regimen. We used the nCounter expression assay to measure expression of 11 genes (NFKB1, NFKB2, RELA, RELB, REL, TP53, FOXC1, TBP, SP1, STAT3 and IRF1 genes) belonging to the NF-κB pathway using mRNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from 203 patients diagnosed with TNBC. Of the 203 patients, 116 were treated with a chemotherapeutic regimen containing doxorubicin. As revealed by the expression profiles of the 11 genes, increased expression of SP1 was associated with poor prognosis in TNBC patients treated with adjuvant doxorubicin chemotherapy (5-year distant recurrence-free survival [5Y DRFS], low vs. high expression [cut-off: median]: 92.3% vs. 71.6%, P = 0.001). In a multivariate Cox regression model, SP1 expression was a useful marker for predicting long-term prognosis in TNBC patients receiving doxorubicin treatment, and we thus suggest that SP1 expression could serve as a prognostic marker in these patients.

The rare memory B cells in thymus (Thy) are considered the cells of origin for primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. The objectives of the present study were to characterize the normal memory B-cell compartment in Thy and to support its association with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. Seven paired human tissue samples from Thy and sternum bone marrow (BM) were harvested during cardiac surgery. B-cell subsets were phenotyped by Euroflow standard and fluorescence-activated cell sorting for microarray analysis on the Human Exon 1.0 ST Arrays platform. Differentially expressed genes between Thy and BM memory B cells were identified and correlated with the molecular subclasses of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Within Thy, 4% (median; range 2%-14%) of the CD45(+) hematopoietic cells were CD19(+) B cells, with a major fraction being CD27(+)/CD38(-) memory B cells (median 80%, range 76%-93%). The BM contained 14% (median; range 3%-27%), of which only a minor fraction (median 5%, range 2%-10%) were memory B cells. Global gene expression analysis of the memory B-cell subsets from the two compartments identified 133 genes upregulated in Thy, including AICDA, REL, STAT1, TNF family, SLAMF1, CD80, and CD86. In addition, exons 4 and 5 in the 3' end of AICDA were more highly expressed in Thy than in BM. The Thy memory B-cell gene profile was overexpressed in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma compared with other diffuse large B-cell lymphoma subclasses. The present study describes a Thy memory B-cell subset and its gene profile correlated with primary mediastinal B-cell lymphomas, suggesting origin from Thy memory B cells.