Project description:Neuroblastoma, derived from the sympathetic neural crest, represents the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in children. Amplification of MYCN is widely recognized as a key indicator of unfavorable prognosis in neuroblastoma. However, the structural properties of the N-Myc protein encoded by MYCN have hindered the development of direct inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties. Therefore, uncovering the upstream regulatory mechanisms of N-Myc offers promising new targets for therapeutic intervention in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. In this study, we identified NeuroD1 as a critical regulator closely associated with MYCN amplification. NeuroD1 was shown to drive the proliferation of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NeuroD1 knockdown led to increased K48-linked polyubiquitination of N-Myc, resulting in its proteasomal degradation. Through transcriptional target screening, USP1 was identified as a key downstream effector of NeuroD1. Further investigation revealed that USP1 interacts with N-Myc, removing K48-linked polyubiquitin chains and stabilizing the protein. Importantly, Pimozide, an FDA-approved USP1 inhibitor, was found to effectively suppress USP1 expression, reduce N-Myc levels, and inhibit neuroblastoma cell proliferation. These findings highlight a novel oncogenic axis in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, where NeuroD1 transcriptionally upregulates USP1, facilitating N-Myc stabilization and tumor progression. Additionally, our results underscore the therapeutic potential of repurposing Pimozide as a viable treatment strategy for this aggressive tumor subtype.
Project description:Neuroblastoma, derived from the sympathetic neural crest, represents the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in children. Amplification of MYCN is widely recognized as a key indicator of unfavorable prognosis in neuroblastoma. However, the structural properties of the N-Myc protein encoded by MYCN have hindered the development of direct inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties. Therefore, uncovering the upstream regulatory mechanisms of N-Myc offers promising new targets for therapeutic intervention in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. In this study, we identified NeuroD1 as a critical regulator closely associated with MYCN amplification. NeuroD1 was shown to drive the proliferation of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NeuroD1 knockdown led to increased K48-linked polyubiquitination of N-Myc, resulting in its proteasomal degradation. Through transcriptional target screening, USP1 was identified as a key downstream effector of NeuroD1. Further investigation revealed that USP1 interacts with N-Myc, removing K48-linked polyubiquitin chains and stabilizing the protein. Importantly, Pimozide, an FDA-approved USP1 inhibitor, was found to effectively suppress USP1 expression, reduce N-Myc levels, and inhibit neuroblastoma cell proliferation. These findings highlight a novel oncogenic axis in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, where NeuroD1 transcriptionally upregulates USP1, facilitating N-Myc stabilization and tumor progression. Additionally, our results underscore the therapeutic potential of repurposing Pimozide as a viable treatment strategy for this aggressive tumor subtype.
Project description:Neuroblastoma, derived from the sympathetic neural crest, represents the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in children. Amplification of MYCN is widely recognized as a key indicator of unfavorable prognosis in neuroblastoma. However, the structural properties of the N-Myc protein encoded by MYCN have hindered the development of direct inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties. Therefore, uncovering the upstream regulatory mechanisms of N-Myc offers promising new targets for therapeutic intervention in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. In this study, we identified NeuroD1 as a critical regulator closely associated with MYCN amplification. NeuroD1 was shown to drive the proliferation of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NeuroD1 knockdown led to increased K48-linked polyubiquitination of N-Myc, resulting in its proteasomal degradation. Through transcriptional target screening, USP1 was identified as a key downstream effector of NeuroD1. Further investigation revealed that USP1 interacts with N-Myc, removing K48-linked polyubiquitin chains and stabilizing the protein. Importantly, Pimozide, an FDA-approved USP1 inhibitor, was found to effectively suppress USP1 expression, reduce N-Myc levels, and inhibit neuroblastoma cell proliferation. These findings highlight a novel oncogenic axis in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, where NeuroD1 transcriptionally upregulates USP1, facilitating N-Myc stabilization and tumor progression. Additionally, our results underscore the therapeutic potential of repurposing Pimozide as a viable treatment strategy for this aggressive tumor subtype.
Project description:Neuroblastoma, derived from the sympathetic neural crest, represents the most prevalent extracranial solid tumor in children. Amplification of MYCN is widely recognized as a key indicator of unfavorable prognosis in neuroblastoma. However, the structural properties of the N-Myc protein encoded by MYCN have hindered the development of direct inhibitors with favorable drug-like properties. Therefore, uncovering the upstream regulatory mechanisms of N-Myc offers promising new targets for therapeutic intervention in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma. In this study, we identified NeuroD1 as a critical regulator closely associated with MYCN amplification. NeuroD1 was shown to drive the proliferation of MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NeuroD1 knockdown led to increased K48-linked polyubiquitination of N-Myc, resulting in its proteasomal degradation. Through transcriptional target screening, USP1 was identified as a key downstream effector of NeuroD1. Further investigation revealed that USP1 interacts with N-Myc, removing K48-linked polyubiquitin chains and stabilizing the protein. Importantly, Pimozide, an FDA-approved USP1 inhibitor, was found to effectively suppress USP1 expression, reduce N-Myc levels, and inhibit neuroblastoma cell proliferation. These findings highlight a novel oncogenic axis in MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma, where NeuroD1 transcriptionally upregulates USP1, facilitating N-Myc stabilization and tumor progression. Additionally, our results underscore the therapeutic potential of repurposing Pimozide as a viable treatment strategy for this aggressive tumor subtype.
Project description:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a clonal malignant disorder affecting the hematopoietic system, predominantly featuring abnormal clonal proliferation of myeloid precursor cells and linked to unfavorable prognosis. This investigation seeks to improve clinical outcomes through examing the mechanistic role ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) in AML. Data analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and TARGET databases demonstrated that USP1 exhibits high expression in AML, where increased show positive correlation with poor prognostic outcomes. In vitro studies using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for USP1 knockdown showed significant suppression of AML cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis. Additionally, in vivo investigations indicated that USP1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth and enhanced survival rates. The USP1 inhibitor SJB3-019A displayed similar effects on AML cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) coupled with mass spectrometry analysis indicated that USP1 associates with ID1, mediating its function via deubiquitination mechanisms. CUT&Tag findings additionally demonstrated that ID1 modulates target genes involved in AML. This investigation confirms that USP1 serves a critical role in facilitating the proliferation and survival of AML cells through ID1 stabilization. The findings suggest that the USP1 inhibitor SJB3-019A represents a promising new therapeutic approach for treating AML.
Project description:Gastric cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, and through in vivo and in vitro genetic screens, we identified USP1 as an important factor in promoting tumor progression. Here, we analyzed the transcriptome of sh-USP after knockdown with the aim of identifying downstream effectors of USP1
Project description:Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) represents a clonal malignant disorder affecting the hematopoietic system, predominantly featuring abnormal clonal proliferation of myeloid precursor cells and linked to unfavorable prognosis. This investigation seeks to improve clinical outcomes through examing the mechanistic role ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (USP1) in AML. Data analysis from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and TARGET databases demonstrated that USP1 exhibits high expression in AML, where increased show positive correlation with poor prognostic outcomes. In vitro studies using short hairpin RNA (shRNA) for USP1 knockdown showed significant suppression of AML cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis. Additionally, in vivo investigations indicated that USP1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth and enhanced survival rates. The USP1 inhibitor SJB3-019A displayed similar effects on AML cells. Co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) coupled with mass spectrometry analysis indicated that USP1 associates with ID1, mediating its function via deubiquitination mechanisms. CUT&Tag findings additionally demonstrated that ID1 modulates target genes involved in AML. This investigation confirms that USP1 serves a critical role in facilitating the proliferation and survival of AML cells through ID1 stabilization. The findings suggest that the USP1 inhibitor SJB3-019A represents a promising new therapeutic approach for treating AML.
Project description:RNA polyadenylation is a key post-transcriptional modification essential for gene expression regulation. However, the role and mechanism of polyadenylation and its key molecule, polyadenylate binding protein nuclear 1 (PABPN1), in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly understood. This study investigates the role of PABPN1 and its regulatory genes in HCC progression to identify potential therapeutic targets. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and an independent HCC cohort revealed significant upregulation of PABPN1 in HCC patients, which correlates with poor prognosis. Loss-of-function studies using HCC cell lines and conditional knockout mouse models demonstrated that targeting PABPN1 inhibited HCC progression. Conversely, overexpression of PABPN1 promoted HCC development in vitro and in a hydrodynamic transfection hepatocarcinogenesis mouse model. Mechanistic investigations showed that PABPN1 modulates C5 mRNA polyadenylation and stability, with the PABPN1-C5 axis driving NF-kB activation and recruiting polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells (PMN-MDSCs) to promote HCC progression. Therapeutic targeting of the PABPN1-C5 axis using the C5a receptor inhibitor CCX168 significantly inhibited HCC progression in both in vitro and in vivo models. This study identifies PABPN1 as a critical regulator of HCC development and sheds light on the post-transcriptional regulation of complement components in cancer. Targeting the PABPN1-C5 axis represents a promising strategy for HCC treatment.