LINC00461, a long non-coding RNA, is important for the proliferation and migration of glioma cells LINC00461, a long non-coding RNA, is important for the proliferation and migration of glioma cells

The Protein kinase CK2 (formerly known as casein kinase 2) is a highly conserved serine/ threonine kinaseoverexpressed in various human carcinomas and its high expression often correlates with poor prognosis. CK2 proteinis localized in the nucleus of many tumor cells and correlates with clinical features in many cases. Increased expressionof CK2 in mice results in the development of various types of carcinomas (both solids and blood related tumors, suchas (breast carcinoma, lymphoma, etc), which reveals its carcinogenic properties. CK2 plays essential roles in many keybiological processes related to carcinoma, including cell apoptosis, DNA damage responses and cell cycle regulation.CK2 has become a potential anti-carcinoma target. Various CK2 inhibitors have been developed with anti-neoplasticproperties against a variety of carcinomas. Some CK2 inhibitors have showed good results in in vitro and pre-clinicalmodels, and have even entered in clinical trials. This article will review effects of CK2 and its inhibitors on commoncarcinomas in in vitro and pre-clinical studies.

Cytokines including tumor necrosis factor, interleukins, interferons, and chemokines are abundantly produced in various diseases. As pleiotropic factors, cytokines are involved in nearly every aspect of cellular functions such as migration, survival, proliferation, and differentiation. Oligodendrocytes are the myelin-forming cells in the central nervous system and play critical roles in the conduction of action potentials, supply of metabolic components for axons, and other functions. Emerging evidence suggests that both oligodendrocytes and oligodendrocyte precursor cells are vulnerable to cytokines released under pathological conditions. This review mainly summarizes the effects of cytokines on oligodendrocyte lineage cells in central nervous system diseases. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of cytokines on oligodendrocyte lineage cells contributes to our understanding of central nervous system diseases and offers insights into treatment strategies.

Transcription factor 3 (TCF3) is a member of the T-cell factor/lymphoid enhancer factor (TCF/LEF) transcription factor family. Recent studies have demonstrated its potential carcinogenic properties. Here we show that TCF3 was upregulated in glioma tissues compared with normal brain tissues. This upregulation of the TCF3 gene probably has functional significance in brain-tumor progression. Our studies on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell lines show that knock-down of TCF3 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell migration. Further analysis revealed that down-regulation of TCF3 gene expression inhibits Akt and Erk1/2 activation, suggesting that the carcinogenic properties of TCF3 in GBM are partially mediated by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–Akt and MAPK–Erk signaling pathways. Considered together, the results of this study demonstrate that high levels of TCF3 in gliomas potentially promote glioma development through the Akt and Erk pathways.