Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent solid malignancies worldwide. There is a great need of accelerating the development and diagnosis of CRC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) as transcribed RNA molecules play an important role in every level of gene expression. Metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript‐1 (MALAT1) is a highly conserved nucleus-restricted lncRNA that regulates genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. High expression of MALAT1 is closely related to numerous human cancers. It is generally believed that MALAT1 expression is associated with CRC cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. MALAT1 by targeting multiple signaling pathways and microRNAs (miRNAs) plays a pivotal role in CRC pathogenesis. Therefore, MALAT1 can be a potent gene for cancer prediction and diagnosis. In this review, we will demonstrate signaling pathways associated with MALAT1 in CRC.

Background: Curdione is a sesquiterpene isolated from Curcumae Rhizoma that possesses high biological activity and extensive pharmacological effects. As a traditional Chinese medicine, Curcumae Rhizoma can inhibit the development of many types of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. However, the anti-colorectal mechanism of its monomer curdione remains unclear. Methods: Colorectal cancer (CRC) cells were treated with curdione at doses of 12.5 μM, 25 μM, and 50 μM, and then the cells’ activity was measured with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT). Nude mice were administered different doses of curdione subcutaneously and oxaliplatin by tail vein injection, and then hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining was adopted to examine tumor histology. Moreover, flow cytometry was applied to detect reactive oxygen species in cells and tissues. Kits were employed to detect the levels of iron ions, malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxide, and glutathione. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blotting were adopted to detect ferroptosis and m6A modification-related factors. A methylation spot hybridization assay was performed to measure changes in overall methylation. SLC7A11 and HOXA13 were measured by MeRIP-qPCR. The shRNA-METTL14 plasmid was constructed to verify the inhibitory effect of curdione on CRC. Results: A dose-dependent decrease in activity was observed in curdione-treated cells. Curdione increased the accumulation of reactive oxygen species in CRC cells and tumor tissues, greatly enhanced the levels of malondialdehyde, lipid hydroperoxide and Fe²⁺, and lowered the activity of glutathione. According to the qPCR and Western blot results, curdione promoted the expression of METTL14 and YTHDF2 in CRC cells and tissues, respectively, and decreased the expression of SLC7A11, SLC3A2, HOXA13, and glutathione peroxidase 4. Additionally, in animal experiments, the curdione-treated group showed severe necrosis of tumor cells, as displayed by HE staining. Furthermore, compared with the control group, levels of m6A modifying factors (namely, SLC7A11 and HOXA13) were increased in the tissues after drug intervention. METTL14 knockdown was followed by an increase in CRC cell activity and glutathione levels. However, the levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, and iron ions decreased. The expression levels of SLC7A11, SLC3A2, HOXA13, and GPX4 were all increased after METTL14 knockdown. Conclusion: The results suggest that curdione induces ferroptosis in CRC by virtue of m6A methylation.

The present study aimed to examine the effects of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on the sensitivity of a colorectal cancer cell line to radiotherapy, and to investigate its association with DNA damage and repair. Flow cytometry and immunofluorescence were employed to detect growth hormone receptor (GHR) expression in nine human colorectal cancer cell lines. A colony forming assay was performed to measure the colorectal cancer cell proliferation post‑radiotherapy, as an indicator of radiotherapy sensitivity. The comet assay results were interpreted as an indicator of radiotherapy‑induced DNA damage, and growth arrest and DNA damage 45 (GADD45) and apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease (APEN) protein expression were quantified with western blot analysis from the same cell lines. The results demonstrated that the colony‑forming efficiency (CFE) was significantly increased in HCT‑8 cells subject to radiotherapy and rhGH pretreatment compared with the cells treated with radiotherapy alone, in a dose‑dependent manner (0‑100 mg/l). This effect was enhanced under high doses of radiation (8 Gy; 52.1±2.9 vs. 21.0±2.7; P<0.001) and was ameliorated with GHR neutralizing antibody exposure. By contrast, rhGH pre‑incubation did not change the colony formation rate in GHR(‑) LOVO cells. rhGH intervention reduced the early HCT‑8 cell DNA damage (21.53±2.88 vs. 36.56±3.93; P=0.003) as well as the following plateau phase, compared with cells treated with radiotherapy alone (5.5±0.42 vs. 9.07±0.84; P=0.012). rhGH upregulated GADD45 and APEN protein expression, which is associated with cellular stress responses and DNA damage repair (P=0.007). The results suggest that rhGH is able to protect colorectal cancer cells from radiation through the interaction with GHR, which is associated with the promotion of DNA damage repair activity.

Background: Effective prevention and treatment are urgently needed, since gastric cancer (GC) poses a grave threat to the health and well-being of patients. The 5 East Asian countries (China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Mongolia) represent one of the most significant regions globally in terms of GC burden. Objective: The goal of this study is to examine the patterns and trends of GC across 5 East Asian countries between 1990 and 2021. Methods: We retrieved data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021 regarding the prevalence, incidence, mortality, years lived with disability (YLDs), years of life lost (YLLs), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) associated with GC in 5 East Asian countries from 1990 to 2021. We further assessed the burden of GC according to age and sex. We used decomposition analysis to examine the changes in the number of new cases, patients, and deaths related to GC. We also used Joinpoint (Joinpoint Regression Program, Version 5.1.0) and age-period-cohort analysis methods to interpret the epidemiological characteristics of GC. Autoregressive integrated moving average model (ARIMA) and Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) prediction models were used to forecast the GC burden by 2036. Results: Among the 5 East Asian countries, China recorded the highest incidence, prevalence, death, YLLs, YLDs, and DALYs in both 1990 and 2021. From 1990 to 2021, the age-standardized rates for prevalence, mortality, incidence, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs across the 5 East Asian countries showed an overall decline, though they remained higher than the global average. In all 5 East Asian countries, individuals aged 65 years and older consistently exhibited the highest rates for prevalence, incidence, mortality, YLDs, YLLs, and DALYs. The prevalence rate in South Korea, the incidence rate in North Korea and Mongolia, and the mortality rate in China are influenced by aging, surpassing the global aging average. Conclusions: The disease burden of GC in the 5 East Asian countries has consistently ranked high over the past 3 decades, particularly among the older individuals. The burden of GC in the 5 East Asian countries is expected to present a major public health challenge, primarily driven by the large population size and the aging demographic.

BACKGROUND Da Vinci Robotics-assisted total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery for rectal cancer is becoming more widely used. There is no strong evidence that robotic-assisted surgery and laparoscopic surgery have similar outcomes in elderly patients with TME for rectal cancer. AIM To determine the improved oncological outcomes and short-term efficacy of robot-assisted surgery in elderly patients undergoing TME surgery. METHODS A retrospective study of the clinical pathology and follow-up of elderly patients who underwent TME surgery at the Department of Gastrointestinal Oncology at the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine was conducted from March 2020 through September 2023. The patients were divided into a robot-assisted group (the R-TME group) and a laparoscopic group (the L-TME group), and the short-term efficacy of the two groups was compared. RESULTS There were 45 elderly patients (≥ 60 years) in the R-TME group and 50 elderly patients (≥ 60 years) in the L-TME group. There were no differences in demographics, conversion rates, or postoperative complication rates. The L-TME group had a longer surgical time than the R-TME group [145 (125, 187.5) vs 180 (148.75, 206.25) min, P = 0.005), and the first postoperative meal time in the L-TME group was longer than that in the R-TME (4 vs 3 d, P = 0.048). Among the sex and body mass index (BMI) subgroups, the R-TME group had better outcomes than did the L-TME group in terms of operation time (P = 0.042) and intraoperative assessment of bleeding (P = 0.042). In the high BMI group, catheter removal occurred earlier in the R-TME group than in the L-TME group (3 vs 4 d, P = 0.001), and autonomous voiding function was restored. CONCLUSION The curative effect and short-term efficacy of robot-assisted TME surgery for elderly patients with rectal cancer are similar to those of laparoscopic TME surgery; however, robotic-assisted surgery has better short-term outcomes for individuals with risk factors such as obesity and pelvic stenosis. Optimizing the learning curve can shorten the operation time, reduce the recovery time of gastrointestinal function, and improve the prognosis.