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Background: Gefitinib (GR), a representative drug of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI), is a key pillar in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), but drug resistance is universal. Identifying the potential factors of drug resistance to GR is essential to treat patients with EGFR mutant LUAD., Methods: The GR-resistant LUAD cells were established and confirmed by MTT assay. The effects of PC4 and SRSF1 interacting protein 1 (PSIP1) on GR-resistant cell proliferation and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo were detected by colony formation, flow cytometry, tumor-bearing animal model, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL staining. Western blotting and qPCR were used to determine the expression of relevant markers. The effect of PSIP1 on the promoter region of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 3 (WASF3) was detected by the dual-luciferase assay. The interaction between PSIP1 and RNA polymerase II was evaluated using ChIP-qPCR and Co-IP assays., Results: PSIP1 was highly enriched in GR-resistant LUAD cells. Downregulation of PSIP1 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation of LUAD-resistant cells and promoted apoptosis. WASF3 was shown to have similar effects as PSIP1 in promoting drug resistance in LUAD cells. PSIP1 promoted the transcriptional activity of WASF3, which was achieved by increasing RNA polymerase II recruitment on the WASF3 promoter. Furthermore, PSIP1 positively regulated the expression of the pro-EGFR-TKI resistance factor integrin subunit beta 3 (ITGB3)., Conclusion: Our work suggests that PSIP1 promotes resistance to GR in LUAD cells by inducing the expression of WASF3 and its downstream regulator ITGB3., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Ethics approval: All procedures involving animal experiments were performed with consent from the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Approval No. 2024-KY-0567–001). Consent for publication: All authors have read the paper and agree that it can be published. Informed consent: Informed Consent is not required for this study., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Federación de Sociedades Españolas de Oncología (FESEO).)

The WASF3 gene promotes cancer cell invasion and metastasis, and genetic inactivation leads to suppression of metastasis. To identify small molecules that might interfere with WASF3 function, we performed an in silico docking study to the regulatory pocket of WASF3 using the National Cancer Institute (NCI) diversity set VI small molecule library. Compounds that showed the maximum likelihood of interaction with WASF3 were screened for their effect on cell movement in breast and prostate cancer cells, a well-established predictor of invasion and metastasis. Three hit compounds were identified that affected cell movement, and the same compounds also suppressed cell migration and invasion in vitro in both MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and Du145 prostate cancer cells. Using a zebrafish metastasis assay, one of these compounds, NSC670283, showed significant suppression of metastasis in vivo while not affecting cell proliferation. NSC670283 showed a consistent effect on suppression of invasion and metastasis, and cellular temperature shift assays provided support for physical interaction with WASF3. In addition, suppression of cell movement and invasion was accompanied by a decrease in actin filament polymerization. The data in this study suggest that these small molecules inhibit cancer cell invasion and metastasis, and to our knowledge, it is the first identification of a small molecule that can potentially inhibit WASF3-directed metastasis, laying the foundation for medicinal chemistry approaches to enhance the potency of the identified compounds., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is characterized by various disabling symptoms including exercise intolerance and is diagnosed in the absence of a specific cause, making its clinical management challenging. A better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying this apparent bioenergetic deficiency state may reveal insights for developing targeted treatment strategies. We report that overexpression of Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome Protein Family Member 3 ( WASF3 ), here identified in a 38-y-old woman suffering from long-standing fatigue and exercise intolerance, can disrupt mitochondrial respiratory supercomplex formation and is associated with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Increased expression of WASF3 in transgenic mice markedly decreased their treadmill running capacity with concomitantly impaired respiratory supercomplex assembly and reduced complex IV levels in skeletal muscle mitochondria. WASF3 induction by ER stress using endotoxin, well known to be associated with fatigue in humans, also decreased skeletal muscle complex IV levels in mice, while decreasing WASF3 levels by pharmacologic inhibition of ER stress improved mitochondrial function in the cells of the patient with chronic fatigue. Expanding on our findings, skeletal muscle biopsy samples obtained from a cohort of patients with ME/CFS showed increased WASF3 protein levels and aberrant ER stress activation. In addition to revealing a potential mechanism for the bioenergetic deficiency in ME/CFS, our study may also provide insights into other disorders associated with fatigue such as rheumatic diseases and long COVID.

Background: Metastasis is most often the root cause of cancer-related death. Human short stature homeobox 2 (SHOX2), a homeodomain transcription factor, is a novel inducer of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells, though its exact role and underlying mechanisms in metastasis are not well understood., Methods: TCGA analysis was performed to identify the clinical relevance of SHOX2 in breast cancer. Gene depletion was achieved by short hairpin RNA and small interfering RNA. Molecular regulations and alterations were assessed by Western blotting, immunoprecipitation, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with qPCR (ChIP-qPCR), and ChIP/re-ChIP. The impact of SHOX2 signaling on tumor growth and metastasis was evaluated in orthotopic breast tumor mice., Results: The expression level of SHOX2 is strongly associated with poor distant metastasis-free survival in breast cancer patients and inactivation of SHOX2 suppresses breast tumor growth and metastasis in mice. In breast cancer cells, SHOX2 directly activates Wiskott-Aldridge syndrome protein family member 3 (WASF3), a metastasis-promoting gene, at the transcriptional level, leading to a significant increase in metastatic potential. Mechanistically, SHOX2 activates signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and recruits it to the WASF3 promoter, where STAT3 cooperates with SHOX2 to form a functional immunocomplex to promote WASF3 transcriptional activity in breast cancer cells. WASF3 knockdown abrogates SHOX2-induced metastasis, but not SHOX2-dependent tumorigenesis., Conclusions: These findings provide a critical link between the SHOX2-STAT3-WASF3 signaling axis and metastasis and suggest that the targeting of this signaling node may represent a valuable alternative strategy for combating breast cancer metastasis., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Increasing evidence indicates that cancer metastasis is regulated by specific genetic pathways independent of those controlling tumorigenesis and cancer growth. WASF3, a Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member, appears to play a major role not only in the regulation of actin cytoskeleton dynamics but also in cancer cell invasion/metastasis. Recent studies have highlighted that WASF3 is a master regulator and acts as a pivotal scaffolding protein, bringing the various components of metastatic signaling complexes together both spatially and temporally. Herein, targeting WASF3 at the levels of transcription, protein stability, and phosphorylation holds great promise for metastasis suppression, regardless of the diverse genetic backgrounds associated with tumor development. This review focuses on the critical and distinct contributions of WASF3 in the regulation of signal pathways promoting cancer cell invasion and metastasis.

Cancer cells with cancer stem cell (CSC) properties initiate both primary tumor formation and metastases at distant sites. Acquisition of CSC properties is highly associated with epigenetic alterations, including those mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs). We have previously established the breast cancer patient-derived tumor xenograft (PDX) mouse model in which CSC marker CD44 + cancer cells formed spontaneous microscopic metastases in the liver. In this PDX mouse, we found that the expression levels of 3 miRNAs (miR-25, miR-93, and miR-106b) in the miR-106b-25 cluster were much lower in the CD44 + human cancer cells metastasized to the liver than those at the primary site. Constitutive overexpression of miR-93 suppressed invasive ability and 3D-organoid formation capacity of breast cancer cells in vitro and significantly suppressed their metastatic ability to the liver in vivo. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 3 (WASF3), a regulator of both cytoskeleton remodeling and CSC properties, was identified as a functional target of miR-93: overexpression of miR-93 reduced the protein level of WASF3 in breast cancer cells and WASF3 rescued the miR-93-mediated suppression of breast cancer cell invasion. These findings suggest that miR-93 functions as a metastasis suppressor by suppressing both invasion ability and CSC properties in breast cancers., (© 2020 The Authors. Cancer Science published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Cancer Association.)

Background: Gastric cancer is one of the most aggressive tumors, usually resulting in metastasis, and therapies for advanced gastric cancer remain limited. Drug resistance is the main reason for chemotherapeutic failure in gastric cancer. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein family member 3 (WASF3) is required for invasion and metastasis of different cancers. However, there has been little study of WASF3 expression involvement in gastric cancer. In this study, we explored the role of WASF3 in the sensitivity of gastric cancer to oxaliplatin, and the underlying mechanisms., Methods: We silenced WASF3 using WASF3-siRNA in MGC803 cells. Then, CCK-8, flow cytometry and transwell assay were performed to study the effect of WASF3 silencing on proliferation, migration, invasiveness and apoptosis of MGC803 cells. Moreover, we evaluated the potential mechanism in vitro to determine the sensitization to oxaliplatin induced by WASF3., Results: WASF3 silencing by small interfering RNA inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of gastric cancer cells. We also observed that WASF3 knockdown promoted cell apoptosis and enhanced oxaliplatin sensitivity. Furthermore, the sensitization to oxaliplatin induced by WASF3 knockdown depended on the inhibition of Atg12-mediated autophagy., Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrates WASF3 targeting is a new potential therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Aim: WASF3 has been shown to be required for invasion and metastasis in different cancers, this study is to explore the prognostic value of WASF3 in gastric cancer.  Materials & methods: The coexpression of WASF3 and E-cadherin in gastric cancer patients and cells were evaluated. Results: WASF3 was overexpressed and the expression of E-cadherin (p = 0.002). Patients with WASF3-positive expression had a poorer prognosis. The multivariate analysis showed that WASF3 expression is an independent prognostic factor related to overall survival (p = 0.027). WASF3 expression is associated with decreased expression of E-cadherin (p = 0.002). Patients with WASF3-positive expression had a poorer prognosis. The multivariate analysis showed that WASF3 expression is an independent prognostic factor related to overall survival (p = 0.027). Conclusion:  Our analysis demonstrates that WASF3 expression correlates with poor outcomes and is a potential prognostic factor in gastric cancer patients.

The WASF3 gene facilitates the metastatic phenotype, and its inactivation leads to suppression of invasion and metastasis regardless of the genetic background of the cancer cell. This reliance on WASF3 to facilitate metastasis suggests that targeting its function could serve as an effective strategy to suppress metastasis. WASF3 stability and function are regulated by the WASF Regulatory Complex (WRC) of proteins, particularly CYFIP1 and NCKAP1. Knockdown of these proteins in vitro leads to disruption of the WRC and suppression of invasion. We have used mouse xenograft models of breast cancer metastasis to assess whether targeting the WRC complex suppresses metastasis in vivo. Stapled peptides targeting the WASF3-CYFIP1 interface (WAHM1) and the CYFIP1-NCKAP1 interface (WANT3) suppress the development of lung and liver metastases. Targeting these critical protein-protein interactions, therefore, could potentially be developed into a therapeutic strategy to control cancer cell invasion and metastasis., Competing Interests: DECLARATION OF CONFLICTING INTERESTS: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Aims: The aim of the study was to explore the effect of miR-200b on the development of human peripheral blood monocyte-deriveddendritic-cell (DC) and its mechanisms., Main Methods: Expression levels of miR-200b and its predicted targets were measured by real time-PCR. Protein expression of WASF3 was determined by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation from the buffy coat fraction of anticoagulated blood. Monocytes were purified from PBMCs using anti-CD14 microbeads. The immunophenotypes of DCs were tested by flow cytometry., Key Findings: A strong reduction in miR-200b expression was associated with human peripheral blood monocyte-derivedDC differentiation. The overexpression of miR-200b significantly reduced the numbers of protruding veils in mature DCs (mDCs) that are critical for promoting antigen-specificT-cell activation. Further experiments showed that miR-200b could regulate the function of DCs by targeting WASF3, a protein involved in cell movement and invasion., Significance: Our results define an important function of miR-200b in the negative regulation of DC development and provide a potential form of miRNA-mediated cell therapy for diseases that range from auto-immunity to graft-versus-host disease., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

JAK-STAT3 signaling, while regulating many aspects of cancer development and progression, promotes invasion and metastasis through activation of key metastasis promoting genes such as WASF3. STAT3 promotes WASF3 expression and JAK2 independently activates it, which is required for invasion. JAK-STAT3 signaling is dependent on WASF3 function, since its inactivation in cells expressing JAK-STAT3 suppresses invasion. WASF3 overexpression leads to activation of NFκB and ZEB1 which also promote invasion through regulation of target genes involved in metastasis. NFκB frequently cooperates with STAT3 to upregulate metastasis promoting genes such as matrix metalloproteinases and cytokines, as well as to suppress microRNAs which can suppresses invasion. This better understanding of the complex role played by JAK-STAT3 in the regulation of cell movement, invasion, and metastasis provides opportunities to suppress this lethal aspect of cancer progression by not only targeting the JAK and STAT3 proteins directly, but also some of the downstream effectors of JAK-STAT3 signaling.