The hedgehog pathway in breast cancer

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers around the world with approximately 1.6 million new cases and 425 thousand deaths from the disease in 2010 （1）. While early detection methods and treatment have continuously evolved and improved over the years, there is still a strong need to further understand the pathways and mechanisms that lead to and drive this malignancy with the ultimate goal being more personalized, less toxic treatment with improved survival and higher cure rates.

The role of microRNAs during the genesis of medulloblastomas induced by the hedgehog pathway

Constitutive hedgehog （Hh） signaling is associated with the genesis of medulloblastomas （MB）. The objective of this study is to identify special microRNAs （miRNAs） regulated by the Hh pathway, and to clarify the role of miRNAs during the genesis of MB induced by sustained Hh activation. In the primary screening, we used stemloop RT-PCR to test the expression of 90 different miRNAs in the wildtype （WT） and Ptc-/- MEF cell lines. In the secondary screening, the miRNAs screened from the first screening were validated in the Sufu-/- MEF cell lines. We then verified the expression of miRNAs both in the normal cerebellar tissues and the MB induced by activated Hh pathway, and examined the expression of the other 21 miRNA members of the miR-154 cluster in the MB and normal cerebellum. In the first screening, 13 miRNAs showed significant differential expression in WT and Ptc-/- MEF cell lines, while 10 of them had significant difference in the Sufu-/- MEF cell line. Compared to the normal mouse cerebellum, only 2 miRNAs in 15 miRNAs were differentially expressed between the MB and normal cerebellar tissues. Among 21 members of the miR-154 cluster, 6 miRNAs were downregulated in the MB. Our study demonstrated that miR-154 may be regulated by the Hh pathway, and the activation of the Hh pathway led to the downregulation of the miR-154 cluster, resulting in the genesis of MB.

Hedgehog pathway orchestrates the interplay of histone modifications and tailors combination epigenetic therapies in breast cancer

Epigenetic therapies that cause genome-wide epigenetic alterations,could trigger local interplay between different histone marks,leading to a switch of transcriptional outcome and therapeutic responses of epigenetic treatment.However,in human cancers with diverse oncogenic activation,how oncogenic pathways cooperate with epigenetic modifiers to regulate the histone mark interplay is poorly understood.We herein discover that the hedgehog(Hh)pathway reprograms the histone methylation landscape in breast cancer,especially in triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC).This facilitates the histone acetylation caused by histone deacetylase(HDAC)inhibitors and gives rise to new therapeutic vulnerability of combination therapies.Specifically,overexpression of zinc finger protein of the cerebellum 1(ZIC1)in breast cancer promotes Hh activation,facilitating the switch of H3K27 methylation(H3K27me)to acetylation(H3K27ac).The mutually exclusive relationship of H3K27me and H3K27ac allows their functional interplay at oncogenic gene locus and switches therapeutic outcomes.Using multiple in vivo breast cancer models including patient-derived TNBC xenograft,we show that Hh signaling-orchestrated H3K27me and H3K27ac interplay tailors combination epigenetic drugs in treating breast cancer.Together,this study reveals the new role of Hh signaling-regulated histone modifications interplay in responding to HDAC inhibitors and suggests new epigenetically-targeted therapeutic solutions for treating TNBC.

Anethole improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos by reducing oxidative stress via the sonic hedgehog signaling pathway

Background Anethole(AN)is an organic antioxidant compound with a benzene ring and is expected to have a positive impact on early embryogenesis in mammals.However,no study has examined the effect of AN on porcine embryonic development.Therefore,we investigated the effect of AN on the development of porcine embryos and the underlying mechanism.Results We cultured porcine in vitro-fertilized embryos in medium with AN(0,0.3,0.5,and 1 mg/mL)for 6 d.AN at 0.5 mg/mL significantly increased the blastocyst formation rate,trophectoderm cell number,and cellular survival rate compared to the control.AN-supplemented embryos exhibited significantly lower reactive oxygen species levels and higher glutathione levels than the control.Moreover,AN significantly improved the quantity of mitochondria and mitochondrial membrane potential,and increased the lipid droplet,fatty acid,and ATP levels.Interestingly,the levels of proteins and genes related to the sonic hedgehog(SHH)signaling pathway were significantly increased by AN.Conclusions These results revealed that AN improved the developmental competence of porcine preimplantation embryos by activating SHH signaling against oxidative stress and could be used for large-scale production of high-quality porcine embryos.

CK2αcauses stemness and chemotherapy resistance in liver cancer through the Hedgehog signaling pathway

Background:Liver cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths globally.Cancer cell stem-ness and chemotherapy resistance contribute to the high mortality.Although evidence indicates that the alpha subunit of protein kinase 2(CK2α)is involved in several human cancers,its function in liver cancer remains unknown.In the present study,we aimed to elucidate the role of CK2αin liver cancer.Methods:We examined the role of CK2αregulation in stemness and chemotherapy resistance capacity of liver cancer cells.MTT assays,tumor sphere formation assays,RT-PCR,flow cytometry,Western blotting assay,clonogenicity assay,matrigel invasion assay and bioinformatics were conducted in this study.Results:CK2αexpression in the liver cancer tissues was notably upregulated compared with that in the corresponding non-tumorous tissues.The overexpression of CK2αpromoted tumor sphere formation,increased the percentage of CD133(+)and side population cells,caused the resistance of liver cancer cells to 5-FU treatment,increased the expression levels of NANOG,OCT4,SOX2,Gli1 and Ptch1,and enhanced the ability of CD133(+)cell clone formation and invasion.Consistently,the downregulation of CK2αhad the opposite effects.CK2αsilencing inhibited the Hedgehog pathway by reducing the expression of Gli1 and Ptch1.Mechanistically,CK2αregulation on liver cancer cell stemness and chemotherapy resistance was found to be involved in the Hedgehog signaling pathway.Conclusions:Our study may bring some new insights into the occurrence of liver cancer.Furthermore,these findings suggest that targeting CK2αmay be a novel therapeutic strategy for patients with liver cancer.

Expression of Gli1 in the hedgehog signaling pathway and breast cancer recurrence

The hedgehog （Hh） signaling pathway plays an essential role in the embryonic development and homeostasis of diverse adult tissues, and its deregulation has been implicated in the tumorigenesis and metastasis of various malignancies including breast cancer. Aberrant activation of the Hh pathway includes the following mechanisms： （I） Hh ligand-independent mechanism - Loss of function mutations in the Hh receptor Patched 1 （PTCH1） or gain of function mutations in the Smoothened （SMO） lead to constitutive activation of this pathway; （II） Autocrine signaling- Ith ligand produced by tumor cells stimulates the Hh signaling in tumor cells; （III） Paracrine signaling - tumor cell produced-Hh ligand activates stromal and endothelial cells that produce growth factors in microenvironment for supporting tumor growth and survival; and （IV） Reverse paracrine signaling - Hh ligand produced by stromal cells support tumor growth and survival. Upon the pathway activation, the Gli transcription factors, effectors of the Hh signaling, activate or inhibit transcription by binding to their responsive genes and interacting with the transcriptional complex. The Gli transcription factor family includes Glil, Gli2, and Gli3 （1）. Glil is a transcriptional activator whose expression has been recognized as an activation state of the Hh signaling pathway, Gli2 is either an activator or repressor, and Gli3 is a strong repressor of transcriptional activities. To date, a ligand-dependent autocrine model of activating the Hh signaling has been described in breast cancer, and both an autocrine and paracrine mechanisms in colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and prostate cancer （2,3）. Notably, a ligand-independent mechanism （mutationsin PTCHI and SMO） of the signaling has been well demonstrated in basal cell carcinoma and medulloblastoma （4,5）.

Development of hedgehog pathway inhibitors by epigenetically targeting GLI through BET bromodomain for the treatment of medulloblastoma

Medulloblastoma(MB)is a common yet highly heterogeneous childhood malignant brain tumor,however,clinically effective molecular targeted therapy is lacking.Modulation of hedgehog(HH)signaling by epigenetically targeting the transcriptional factors GLI through bromodomain-containing protein 4(BRD4)has recently spurred new interest as potential treatment of HH-driven MB.Through screening of current clinical BRD4 inhibitors for their inhibitory potency against glioma-associated oncogene homolog(GLI)protein,the BRD4 inhibitor 2 was selected as the lead for further structural optimization,which led to the identification of compounds 25 and 35 as the high potency HH inhibitors.Mechanism profiling showed that both compounds suppressed HH signaling by interacting with the transcriptional factor GLI,and were equally potent against the clinical resistant mutants and the wild type of smoothened(SMO)receptor with IC50 values around 1 nmol/L.In the resistant MB allograft mice,compound 25 was well tolerated and markedly suppressed tumor growth at both 5 mg/kg(TGI=83.3%)and 10 mg/kg(TGI=87.6%)doses.Although further modification is needed to improve the pharmacokinetic(PK)parameters,compound 25 represents an efficacious lead compound of GLI inhibitors,possessing optimal safety and tolerance to fight against HH-driven MB.

Genetic variants in the Hedgehog signaling pathway genes are associated with gastric cancer risk in a Chinese Han population

The Hedgehog signaling pathway participates in the occurrence and progression of cancers including gastric cancer.We conducted this study to evaluate whether genetic variants in the Hedgehog signaling pathway genes would affect gastric cancer risk.Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation(MAGMA)was used to investigate the aggregated genetic effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)assigned to candidate genes.The relationship between SNPs and gastric cancer risk was estimated by multivariate logistic regression analyses.Gene expression was calculated using databases obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)and The Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO).Kaplan‐Meier plotter was used to evaluate the association between gene expression with gastric cancer survival.Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0(TIMER 2.0)was applied to determine the correlation between selected gene expression and the immune cell infiltration degree.We identified that the G allele of rs2990912 in KIF27 was associated with higher gastric cancer risk,especially in the young and male subgroups.The expression of KIF27 in gastric cancer tissues was higher than that in normal tissues,leading to poor survival in gastric cancer patients.Besides,KIF27 expression was related to immune cell infiltration and positively correlated with PD-L1 expression.Our findings highlight the key role of genetic variation in the Hedgehog signaling pathway genes in gastric cancer susceptibility,which may provide important insights into the diagnosis,prognosis,and treatment of gastric cancer.

Inhibition of self-renewal and differentiation of HT-29 cells-derived cancer stem-like cells by scutellarin via Hedgehog signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effect of scutellarin on the self-renewal and differentiation of HT-29 cells-derived cancer stem-like cells(HT-29CSC)in vitro and in vivo,and to explore its mechanism.METHODS The effect of scutellarin on the growth of HT-29CSC was determined by 3D Culture assay.The effect of scutellarin on growth and transformation of HT-29CSC was probed by soft agar colony formation assay.The effect of scutellarin on the differentiation of HT-29CSC was determined by serum induction differentiation assay in vitro.The effects of scutellarin on the expressions of marker gene Lgr5,target gene c-Myc,proliferation gene CK20 and Nanog gene were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.Investigate the effect of scutellarin on the expression of c-Myc,Gli1,and Lgr5 protein by Western blotting.A subcutaneous xenograft model of colon cancer in nude mice was established and administered by intraperitoneal injection.The change of body weight and tumor size of nude mice were observed every two days.Investi⁃gate the effects of scutellarin on the growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice.The expression of CD133,Lgr5,Gli1,Ptch1,c-Myc,Ki67,CK20,Nanog gene in tumors were measured by quantitative real-time RT-PCR.The expression of c-Myc,Gli1,Lgr5,CD133,Ki67 protein were measured by Western blotting.RESULTS Scutellarin can inhibit the growth of HT-29CSC in 3D culture.Compared with the solvent control group,scutellarin can significantly inhibit the growth and transformation and differentiation of HT-29CSC in vitro(P<0.01).The expression levels of marker genes Lgr5,target gene c-Myc,proliferation gene CK20 and Nanog in HT-29CSC were down-regulated by scutellarin.Scutellarin can reduce the expression of c-Myc,Gli1,and Lgr5 protein in HT-29CSC.Scutellarin can inhibit the growth of colon cancer xenografts,lower CD133,Lgr5,Gli1,Ptch1,c-Myc,Ki67,CK20,and Nanog mRNA level of xenograft tumors,reduce the expression of c-Myc,Gli1,Lgr5,CD133,and Ki67 protein of xenograft tumors in nude mice.CONCLUSION Scutellarin,which is the main component of scutellaria barbata,can inhibit the differentiation of HT-29CSC and the mechanism is to inhibit the activity of Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Inhibitory action of berberine on colorectal cancer HCT116 cells by regulation of Hedgehog signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibition and mechanism of berberine on human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells through canonical Hedgehog signaling pathway.METHODS The effect of berberine on cell morphology was observed by microscopy.MTT colorimetric assay,cell scratch experiment,colony formation assay and Hoechest/PI staining were utilized to detect the activities of berberine on cell viability,cell migration and cell apoptosis.Flow cytometry was applied to examine the cell apoptosis.The effects of berberine on caspase-3 and caspase-9 were detected by caspase activity detection kit.The expressions of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related proteins SHH,GLI1,PTCH1,SMO,SUFU,apoptosis-related proteins Bax and Bcl-2 as well as cell cycle-related proteins cyclin D1 were detected by Western blotting.Additionally,quantitative real time RT-PCR was employed to assess the mRNA expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related genes SHH,GLI1,PTCH1,SMO,SUFU,apoptosis-related genes Bax and Bcl-2 as well as cell cycle-related genes cyclin D1.RESULTS Berberine sharply altered the morphology of human colorectal cancer HCT116 cells,demonstrated by that migration ability of HCT116 cells was reduced significantly and the nuclei were densely stained.Berberine could induce apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner.The activities of caspase-3 and caspase-9 were increased prominently.The expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related protein SUFU and apoptosis-related protein Bax were augmented substantially.The expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related proteins SHH,GLI1,PTCH1,SMO,apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 as well as cell cycle-related genes cyclin D1 were markedly lessened.Besides,the mRNA expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related gene SUFU and apoptosis-related gene Bax were augmented substantially.The mRNA expression levels of Hedgehog signaling pathway-related genes SHH,GLI1,PTCH1,SMO,apoptosis-related gene Bcl-2 as well as cell cycle-related gene cyclin D1 were markedly lessened.CONCLUSION Berberine,which is the main component of coptidis rhizoma,can remarkably restrain the growth and proliferation,promote apoptosis of human colorectal cancer cells HCT116,and the underlying mechanism may be involved in suppressing the activity of the Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Activation of Sonic Hedgehog Signaling Pathway in S-type Neuroblastoma Cell Lines

The effects of Sonic hedgehog(Shh) signaling pathway activation on S-type neuroblastoma(NB) cell lines and its role in NB tumorigenesis were investigated.Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of Shh pathway components— Patched1(PTCH1) and Gli1 in 40 human primary NB samples.Western blotting and RT-PCR were used to examine the protein expression and mRNA levels of PTCH1 and Gli1 in three kinds of S-type NB cell lines(SK-N-AS,SK-N-SH and SHEP1),respectively.Exogenous Shh was administrated to activate Shh signaling pathway while cyclopamine was used as a selective antagonist of Shh pathway.S-type NB cell lines were treated with different concentrations of Shh or/and cyclopamine for different durations.Cell viability was measured by using MTT method.Apoptosis rate and cell cycle were assayed by flow cytometry.The xenograft experiments were used to evaluate the role of Shh pathway in tumor growth in immunodeficient mice.High-level expression of PTCH1 and Gli1 was detected in both NB samples and S-type NB cell lines.Cyclopamine decreased the survival rate of the three cell lines while Shh increased it,and the inhibition effects of cyclopamine could be partially reversed by shh pre-treatment.Cyclopamine induced the cell apoptosis and the cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phase,while Shh induced the reverse effects and could partially prevent effects of cyclopamine.Cyclopamine could also inhibit the growth of NB in vivo.Our studies revealed that activation of the Shh pathway is important for survival and proliferation of S-type NB cells in vivo and in vitro through affecting cell apoptosis and cell cycle,suggesting a new therapeutic approach to NB.

Pentoxifylline Inhibits Liver Fibrosis via Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

Infection of schistosomiasis japonica may eventually lead to liver fibrosis, and no effective antifibrotic therapies are available but liver transplantation. Hedgehog（HH） signaling pathway has been involved in the process and is a promising target for treating liver fibrosis. This study aimed to explore the effects of pentoxifylline（PTX） on liver fibrosis induced by schistosoma japonicum infection by inhibiting the HH signaling pathway. Phorbol12-myristate13-acetate（PMA） was used to induce human acute mononuclear leukemia cells THP-1 to differentiate into macrophages. The THP-1-derived macrophages were stimulated by soluble egg antigen（SEA）, and the culture supernatants were collected for detection of activation of macrophages. Cell Counting Kit-8（CCK-8） was used to detect the cytotoxicity of the culture supernatant and PTX on the LX-2 cells. The LX-2 cells were administered with activated culture supernatant from macrophages and（or） PTX to detect the transforming growth factor-β gene expression. The m RNA expression of shh and gli-1, key parts in HH signaling pathway, was detected. The m RNA expression of shh and gli-1 was increased in LX-2 cells treated with activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant, suggesting HH signaling pathway may play a key role in the activation process of hepatic stellate cells（HSCs）. The expression of these genes decreased in LX-2 cells co-cultured with both activated macrophages-derived culture supernatant and PTX, indicating PTX could suppress the activation process of HSCs. In conclusion, these data provide evidence that PTX prevents liver fibrogenesis in vitro by the suppression of HH signaling pathway.

Identification of Proteins and Genes Associated with Hedgehog Signaling Pathway Involved in Neoplasm Formation Using Text-Mining Approach

Analysis of molecular mechanisms that lead to the development of various types of tumors is essential for biology and medicine,because it may help to find new therapeutic opportunities for cancer treatment and cure including personalized treatment approaches.One of the pathways known to be important for the development of neoplastic diseases and pathological processes is the Hedgehog signaling pathway that normally controls human embryonic development.Systematic accumulation of various types of biological data,including interactions between proteins,regulation of genes transcription,proteomics,and metabolomics experiments results,allows the application of computational analysis of these big data for identification of key molecular mechanisms of certain diseases and pathologies and promising therapeutic targets.The aim of this study is to develop a computational approach for revealing associations between human proteins and genes interacting with the Hedgehog pathway components,as well as for identifying their roles in the development of various types of tumors.We automatically collect sets of abstract texts from the NCBI PubMed bibliographic database.For recognition of the Hedgehog pathway proteins and genes and neoplastic diseases we use a dictionary-based named entity recognition approach,while for all other proteins and genes machine learning method is used.For association extraction,we develop a set of semantic rules.We complete the results of the text analysis with the gene set enrichment analysis.The identified key pathways that may influence the Hedgehog pathway and their roles in tumor development are then verified using the information in the literature.

Research Progress of PTCH1 Gene in Lung Cancer

Background: The PTCH1 gene, also known as Patched 1, is located on the long arm of human chromosome 9 (9q22.3). It encodes the PTCH1 protein, which is a critical transmembrane receptor within the Hedgehog signaling pathway (Hh), playing a pivotal role in cellular communication and developmental processes. Recent studies have highlighted the significance of mutations in PTCH1 in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, positioning it as a crucial molecule for investigation in oncology. Purpose: This review aims to elucidate the role of the PTCH1 and the Hedgehog pathway in the initiation, progression, and potential treatment of lung cancer, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for personalized and precise therapeutic strategies. Method: To ensure a comprehensive review, this study systematically searched for literature related to the PTCH1, lung cancer, and the Hedgehog pathway across multiple databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure). The search strategy involved using specific keywords and advanced filtering options to include the most relevant and recent studies. Initial screening excluded irrelevant articles, followed by a detailed evaluation of the selected studies based on their scientific quality and relevance. Results: This review indicated that specific mutations in the PTCH1 gene are closely associated with the onset and progression of lung cancer. These mutations impede normal Hedgehog signaling, leading to unregulated cell proliferation and tumor growth. Targeting PTCH1, including vismodegib, have shown efficacy in clinical cases, particularly in SCCL with specific PTCH1 mutations, leading to complete remissions. Furthermore, the interaction between PTCH1 and microRNA-212 suggests potential therapeutic approaches by targeting miRNA to regulate PTCH1 expression. In addition, the investigation of traditional Chinese medicines such as Ginsenosides and Cordyceps sinensis extracts has shown their potential to modulate the Hedgehog pathway and reverse drug resistance. Conclusions: An in-depth understanding of the precise mechanisms by which PTCH1 mutations promote lung cancer could facilitate the development of targeted therapies. This study highlights the potential of PTCH1 as a biomarker for diagnosis and a target for precision medicine in lung cancer treatment, advocating for further research into its molecular pathways and therapeutic applications.

Blocking Ihh Signaling Pathway Inhibits the Proliferation and Promotes the Apoptosis of PSCs

Summary： The roles of Indian hedgehog （Ihh） signaling pathway in the proliferation and apoptosis of precartilaginous stem cells （PSCs） were investigated. PSCs, labeled with fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 （FGFR-3）, were isolated from neonatal rats by immunomagnetic separation. After identification with FGFR-3 and Col II, the cells were incubated with different concentrations of cyclopamine （cyclo）, the specific inhibitor of Ihh signaling pathway. The morphologic changes of the cells were observed under the inverted phase contrast microscope. The mRNA expression levels of Ihh, parathyroid hormonerelated peptide （PTHrP）, protein Patched （Ptch）, Bcl-2 and p21 were detected by RT-PCR. The protein expression levels of Ihh and Ptch were measured by Western blot. MTT assay was used to examine the effects of cyclo on proliferation of PSCs. Apoptosis rate of PSCs was examined by AnnexinV/PI assay of flow cytometric analyses. After PSCs were incubated with cyclo, obvious morphologic changes were observed as compared with the control group. The mRNA expression levels of PTHrP, Ptch and Bcl-2 were decreased to varying degrees in a cyclo dose-dependent manner. However, the expression levels of Ihh and p21 mRNA were increased. The protein expression of Ptch and Ihh had the same change as the mRNA expression. Meanwhile, cyclo could obvi- ously inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of PSCs. The results indicated that Ihh signaling pathway plays an important role in regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of PSCs, which is probably mediated by Bcl-2 and p21.

Sonic hedgehog elevates N-myc gene expression in neural stem cells

Proliferation of neural stem cells is regulated by the secreted signaling molecule sonic hedgehog. In this study, neural stem cells were infected with recombinant adeno-associated virus expressing sonic hedgehog-N-enhanced green fluorescent protein. The results showed that overexpression of sonic hedgehog in neural stem cells induced the increased expression of Gill and N-myc, a target gene of sonic hedgehog. These findings suggest that N-myc is a direct downstream target of the sonic hedgehog signal pathway in neural stem cells. Sonic hedgehog and N-myc are important mediators of sonic hedgehog-induced proliferation of neural stem cells.

Research Progress of PTCH1 Gene in Lung cancer

Background:The PTCH1 gene,also known as Patched 1,is located on the long arm of human chromosome 9(9q22.3).It encodes the PTCH1 protein,which is a critical transmembrane receptor within the Hedgehog signaling pathway(Hh),playing a pivotal role in cellular communication and developmental processes.Recent studies have highlighted the significance of mutations in PTCH1 in the pathogenesis of lung cancer,positioning it as a crucial molecule for investigation in oncology.Purpose:This review aims to elucidate the role of the PTCH1 and the Hedgehog pathway in the initiation,progression,and potential treatment of lung cancer,thereby providing a theoretical foundation for personalized and precise therapeutic strategies.Method:To ensure a comprehensive review,this study systematically searched for literature related to the PTCH1,lung cancer,and the Hedgehog pathway across multiple databases including PubMed,Web of Science,and CNKI(China National Knowledge Infrastructure).The search strategy involved using specific keywords and advanced filtering options to include the most relevant and recent studies.Initial screening excluded irrelevant articles,followed by a detailed evaluation of the selected studies based on their scientific quality and relevance.Results:This review indicated that specific mutations in the PTCH1 gene are closely associated with the onset and progression of lung cancer.These mutations impede normal Hedgehog signaling,leading to unregulated cell proliferation and tumor growth.Targeting PTCH1,including vismodegib,have shown efficacy in clinical cases,particularly in SCCL with specific PTCH1 mutations,leading to complete remissions.Furthermore,the interaction between PTCH1 and microRNA-212 suggests potential therapeutic approaches by targeting miRNA to regulate PTCH1 expression.In addition,the investigation of traditional Chinese medicines such as Ginsenosides and Cordyceps sinensis extracts has shown their potential to modulate the Hedgehog pathway and reverse drug resistance.Conclusions:An in-depth understanding of the precise mechanisms by which PTCH1 mutations promote lung cancer could facilitate the development of targeted therapies.This study highlights the potential of PTCH1 as a biomarker for diagnosis and a target for precision medicine in lung cancer treatment,advocating for further research into its molecular pathways and therapeutic applications.

Novel molecular targets in hepatocellular carcinoma

Globally,hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is a leading cause of cancer and cancerrelated deaths.The therapeutic efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatment in patients with advanced HCC remains low,which results in a poor prognosis.The development of sorafenib for the treatment of HCC has resulted in a new era of molecular targeted therapy for this disease.However,the median overall survival was reported to be barely higher in the sorafenib treatment group than in the control group.Hence,in this review we describe the importance of developing more effective targeted therapies for the management of advanced HCC.Recent investigations of molecular signaling pathways in several cancers have provided some insights into developing molecular therapies that target critical members of these signaling pathways.Proteins involved in the Hedgehog and Notch signaling pathways,Polo-like kinase 1,arginine,histone deacetylases and Glypican-3 can be potential targets in the treatment of HCC.Monotherapy has limited therapeutic efficacy due to the development of inhibitory feedback mechanisms and induction of chemoresistance.Thus,emphasis is now on the development of personalized and combination molecular targeted therapies that can serve as ideal therapeutic strategies for improved management of HCC.

Where are the theca cells from: the mechanism of theca cells derivation and differentiation

Mammalian follicles are composed of oocytes,granulosa cells,and theca cells.Theca cells form in the secondary follicles,maintaining follicular structural integrity and secreting steroid hormones.Two main sources of theca cells exist:Wilms tumor 1 positive(Wt1+)cells native to the ovary and Gli1+mesenchymal cells migrated from the mesonephros.Normal folliculogenesis is a process where oocytes,granulosa cells,and theca cells constantly interact with and support each other through autocrine and paracrine mechanisms.The proliferation and differentiation of theca cells are regulated by oocyte-derived factors,including growth development factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15,and granulosa cell-derived factors,including desert hedgehog,Indian hedgehog,kit ligand,insulin-like growth factor 1,as well as hormones such as insulin and growth hormones.Current research on the origin of theca cells is limited.Identifying the origin of theca cells will help us to systematically elaborate the mechanisms of follicular formation and development.

The GLI2 Missense Variant rs3738880 Significantly Increases the Risk of Neural Tube Defects in the Han Chinese Population

Background:The sonic hedgehog(SHH)pathway is an important signaling pathway for neural tube closure.GLI family zinc finger 2(GLI2)is the major activation mediator of the SHH pathway;however,no single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in GLI2 have been reported to be associated with human neural tube defects(NTDs)to date.Here,we evaluated a mutation in GLI2 in the Han Chinese population.Methods:We used SNPscan to genotype rs3738880 in the GLI2 coding region.We then investigated the function of this gene by Western blotting and dual-luciferase assays.Results:In this study,we found that the GLI2 missense variant rs3738880 significantly increased the risk of NTDs in the Han Chinese population via association studies in a cohort of 254 patients and 277 controls from Shanxi Province(odds ratio[OR]=1.89,95%confidence interval[CI]=1.28-2.80,P=0.0012).Additional stratified analyses demonstrated that rs3738880 was significantly related to spina bifida(114 cases,OR=2.01,95%CI=1.19–3.38,P=0.0067).Functional analysis revealed that rs3738880 did not affect GLI2 protein stability and significantly increased SHH activity because of the introduction of a potential phosphorylation site in GLI2.Conclusion:rs3738880 was a risk factor for NTDs in the Han Chinese population.