Xiaohua Zhang

Bio: Xiaohua Zhang is an academic researcher from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Glioma & Medicine. The author has an hindex of 11, co-authored 44 publications receiving 453 citations.

Notch1 promotes glioma cell migration and invasion by stimulating β-catenin and NF-κB signaling via AKT activation

Abstract: The Notch signaling pathway has been implicated in both developmental processes and tumorigenesis. Aberrant Notch signaling has been repeatedly demonstrated to facilitate the proliferation and survival of glioma cells by regulating downstream effectors or other signaling pathways. In glioblastoma multiforme specimens from 59 patients, Notch1 was highly expressed in tumor tissues compared with normal brain tissues, and this expression was correlated with elevated AKT phosphorylation and Snail expression. Increased nuclear localization of β-catenin and p50 as well as enhanced IKKα/AKT interaction were also observed in glioma tissues. In U87MG cells, the activation of Notch1 by DLL4 stimulation or by the overexpression of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) resulted in AKT activation and thereby promoted β-catenin activity and NF-κB signaling. Inhibition of EGFR partially blocked the β-catenin and NF-κB signaling stimulated by Notch1 activation. Furthermore, NICD overexpression in U87MG cells led to the upregulated expression of several metastasis-associated molecules, which could be abrogated by the knockdown of either β-catenin or p50. In U87MG and U251 cells, DLL4-induced cellular migration and invasion could be inhibited by either β-catenin or a p50 inhibitor. Collectively, these results indicate that Notch activation could stimulate β-catenin and NF-κB signaling through AKT activation in glioma cells. Thus, Notch activation-stimulated β-catenin and NF-κB signaling synergistically promote the migratory and invasive properties of glioma cells.

Blocking lncRNA MALAT1/miR-199a/ZHX1 Axis Inhibits Glioblastoma Proliferation and Progression

Abstract: Zinc fingers and homeoboxes 1 (ZHX1) is a transcription repressor that has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and progression of diverse tumors. The functional role and regulating mechanism of ZHX1 has not been elucidated in glioblastoma (GBM). Previous reports have suggested that a large number of non-coding RNAs play a vital role in glioma initiation and progression. This study aimed to investigate the functional role and co-regulatory mechanisms of the metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1)/ microRNA-199a (miR-199a)/ZHX1 axis in GBM. We analyzed the expression of the MALAT1/miR-199a/ZHX1 axis and its correlation with patients’ overall survival using two different glioma gene-expression datasets. A series of in vitro and in vivo studies including dual luciferase reporter assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), RNA immunoprecipitation, and pull-down experiments were completed to elucidate the biological significance of the MALAT1/miR-199a/ZHX1 axis in promoting glioma proliferation and progression. Elevated ZHX1 expression correlated with poor prognosis in GBM patients, and in vitro studies demonstrated that ZHX1 attenuated GBM cell apoptosis by downregulation of pro-apoptotic protein (Bax) and upregulation of anti-apoptotic protein (Bcl-2). Furthermore, knockdown of MALAT1 inhibited GBM proliferation and progression in vitro and reduced tumor volume and prolonged survival in an orthotopic GBM murine model. Finally, we demonstrated that MALAT1 promoted ZHX1 expression via acting as a competing endogenous RNA by sponging miR-199a. The MALAT1/miR-199a/ZHX1 axis promotes GBM cell proliferation and progression in vitro and in vivo, and its expression negatively correlates with GBM patient survival. Blocking the MALAT1/miR-199a/ZHX1 axis can serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating GBM.

Blocking lncRNA H19-miR-19a-Id2 axis attenuates hypoxia/ischemia induced neuronal injury.

Abstract: Elevated expression of lncRNA H19 (H19) in the setting of hypoxia has been implicated as a promising therapeutic target for various cancers. However, little is known about the impact and underlying mechanism of H19 in ischemic brain stroke. This study found that H19 levels were elevated in the serum of stroke patients, as well as in the ischemic penumbra of rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R) injury and neuronal cells with oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD). Further, knockdown of H19 with siRNA alleviated cell apoptosis in OGD neuronal cells, and inhibition of H19 in MCAO/R rats significantly decreased neurological deficit, brain infarct volume and neuronal apoptosis. Lastly, with gain and loss of function studies, dual luciferase reported assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and pull-down experiments, we demonstrated the dual competitive interaction of miR-19a with H19 and the 3'-UTR of Id2 mRNA, resulting in the identification of the H19-miR-19a-Id2 axis. With biological studies, we also revealed that H19-miR-19a-Id2 axis modulated hypoxia induced neuronal apoptosis. This study demonstrates that the identified H19-miR-19a-Id2 axis plays a critical role in hypoxia induced neuronal apoptosis, and blocking this axis may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for ischemic brain injury.

Preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio correlated with glioma grading and glioblastoma survival.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a simple, low-cost and easily measured inflammation marker, corresponding with pathological tumor grading and clinical prognosis in various cancers. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the relationship between preoperative NLR and glioma grading and also the correlation between NLR and glioblastoma survival. METHODS The preoperative NLR was analyzed retrospectively in 239 gliomas of different grades, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was adopted to investigate the prediction of glioma grading. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the variables of overall survival (OS) of glioblastoma patients. RESULTS There were significant differences in the preoperative NLR values among the four glioma groups, with the highest values observed in the glioblastoma group (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed the NLR value of 2.36 was a cutoff point for predicting glioblastoma. The OS of patients with high NLR (≥ 4.0) was shorter compared with that with low NLR (< 4.0) (mean 11.23 vs. 18.56 months, p < 0.05). Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis indicated age≥ 60, NLR≥ 4.0, Karnofsky Performance Scores (KPS) ≤ 70, incomplete tumor resection, incomplete Stupp protocol accomplishment and the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) wild-type as independent prognostic indicators for poor outcome (each p < 0.05). CONCLUSION The preoperative NLR was correlated with glioma grading, and the elevated NLR was an independent predictive factor for poor outcome of glioblastoma patients. Abbreviation IDH1: Isocitrate dehydrogenase 1IL-8: Interleukin-8KPS: Karnofsky Performance ScoresNLR: Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratioOS: Overall survivalROC: Receiver operating characteristicSD: Standard deviationsWHO: World Health Organization.

Dysregulated circular RNAs in medulloblastoma regulate proliferation and growth of tumor cells via host genes

Abstract: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been demonstrated to be involved in various biological processes. Nevertheless, the function of circRNAs in medulloblastoma (MB) is still unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the expression profiles of circRNAs and related mechanisms for regulating the proliferation and growth of tumor cells in MB. The expression profiles of circRNAs were screened from four normal cerebellum and four MB samples using a HiSeq Sequencer. Bioinformatic analysis was employed to predict the interaction between circRNAs and mRNAs in MB. Subsequently, the expression levels of eight differential circRNAs [circ-SKA3 (hsa_circ_0029696), circ-DTL (hsa_circ_0000179), circ-CRTAM, circ-MAP3K5 (hsa_circ_0006856), circ-RIMS1-1 (hsa_circ_0132250), circ-RIMS1-2 (hsa_circ_0076967), circ-FLT3-1 (hsa_circ_0100165), and circ-FLT3-2 (hsa_circ_0100168)] were validated using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Moreover, circ-SKA3 and circ-DTL were silenced using small interfering RNAs and their host genes were overexpressed to investigate their role in the pathogenesis of MB. A total of 33 circRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in MB tissues (fold change ≥ 2.0, FDR <0.05), of which three were upregulated and 30 were downregulated; six circRNAs were experimentally validated successfully. Upregulated circ-SKA3 and circ-DTL promoted the proliferation migration and invasion in vitro by regulating the expression of host genes. This novel study exploited the profiling of circRNAs in MB and demonstrated that circ-SKA3 and circ-DTL were crucial in the tumorigenesis and development of MB and might be considered as novel and potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and new targets for the intervention of MB.

The somatic genomic landscape of glioblastoma

Abstract: We describe the landscape of somatic genomic alterations based on multidimensional and comprehensive characterization of more than 500 glioblastoma tumors (GBMs). We identify several novel mutated genes as well as complex rearrangements of signature receptors, including EGFR and PDGFRA. TERT promoter mutations are shown to correlate with elevated mRNA expression, supporting a role in telomerase reactivation. Correlative analyses confirm that the survival advantage of the proneural subtype is conferred by the G-CIMP phenotype, and MGMT DNA methylation may be a predictive biomarker for treatment response only in classical subtype GBM. Integrative analysis of genomic and proteomic profiles challenges the notion of therapeutic inhibition of a pathway as an alternative to inhibition of the target itself. These data will facilitate the discovery of therapeutic and diagnostic target candidates, the validation of research and clinical observations and the generation of unanticipated hypotheses that can advance our molecular understanding of this lethal cancer.

A Circuitous Route to Noncoding RNA

Abstract: Most genetic information is expressed as, and transacted by, proteins. Yet, less than 2% of the human genome actually codes for proteins, prompting a search for functions for the other 98% of the genome, once considered to be mostly “junk DNA.” Transcription is pervasive, however, and high-throughput sequencing has identified tens of thousands of distinct RNAs generated from the non—protein—coding portion of the genome ( 1 ). These so-called noncoding RNAs vary in length, but like protein-coding RNAs, appear to be linear molecules with 5′ and 3′ termini, reflecting the defined start and end points of RNA polymerase on the DNA template. But do all RNAs have to be linear?

Additional file 1: Figure S1. of LncRNAs H19 and HULC, activated by oxidative stress, promote cell migration and invasion in cholangiocarcinoma through a ceRNA manner

Abstract: BackgroundLong non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are known to play important roles in different cell contexts, including cancers. However, little is known about lncRNAs in cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a cholangiocyte malignancy with poor prognosis, associated with chronic inflammation and damage to the biliary epithelium. The aim of the study is to identify if any lncRNA might associate with inflammation or oxidative stress in CCA and regulate the disease progression.MethodsIn this study, RNA-seqs datasets were used to identify aberrantly expressed lncRNAs. Small interfering RNA and overexpressed plasmids were used to modulate the expression of lncRNAs, and luciferase target assay RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) was performed to explore the mechanism of miRNA-lncRNA sponging.ResultsWe firstly analyzed five available RNA-seqs datasets to investigate aberrantly expressed lncRNAs which might associate with inflammation or oxidative stress. We identified that two lncRNAs, H19 and HULC, were differentially expressed among all the samples under the treatment of hypoxic or inflammatory factors, and they were shown to be stimulated by short-term oxidative stress responses to H2O2 and glucose oxidase in CCA cell lines. Further studies revealed that these two lncRNAs promoted cholangiocyte migration and invasion via the inflammation pathway. H19 and HULC functioned as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) by sponging let-7a/let-7b and miR-372/miR-373, respectively, which activate pivotal inflammation cytokine IL-6 and chemokine receptor CXCR4.ConclusionsOur study revealed that H19 and HULC, up-regulated by oxidative stress, regulate CCA cell migration and invasion by targeting IL-6 and CXCR4 via ceRNA patterns of sponging let-7a/let-7b and miR-372/miR-373, respectively. The results suggest that these lncRNAs might be the chief culprits of CCA pathogenesis and progression. The study provides new insight into the mechanism linking lncRNA function with CCA and may serve as novel targets for the development of new countermeasures of CCA.

Notch signaling pathway networks in cancer metastasis: a new target for cancer therapy.

Abstract: Notch signaling pathway is evolutionarily conserved in mammals, which plays an important role in cell development and differentiation. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown that aberrant activation of Notch is associated with tumor process. Aberrant activation of Notch signaling pathway has been found in many different solid tumors can induce cell proliferation, metastasis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Notch receptor and its ligand are both single transmembrane protein, and Notch is activated when it binds to the Notch ligand of neighbor cells. The signal transduction of Notch signaling pathway is only between cells that are in contact with each other, which is independent of second messengers. Thus, Notch needs to cross talk with other signaling pathways, including PI3K/AKT, NF-κB, integrin and miRNAs, to precisely regulate cell fate. In this review, we summarize the roles of Notch signaling pathway in tumor metastasis and its regulatory mechanisms and discuss the current treatment strategies targeting Notch signal pathway.