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Objective. To explore the cancer stemness features and develop a novel cancer stemness-related prognostic signature for colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Methods. We downloaded the mRNA expression data and clinical data of COAD from TCGA database and GEO database. Stemness index, mRNAsi, was utilized to investigate cancer stemness features. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify cancer stemness-related genes. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to construct a prognostic risk cancer stemness-related signature. We then performed internal and external validation. The relationship between cancer stemness and COAD immune microenvironment was investigated. Results. COAD patients with higher mRNAsi score or EREG-mRNAsi score have significant longer overall survival (OS). We identified 483 differently expressed genes (DEGs) between the high and low mRNAsi score groups. We developed a cancer stemness-related signature using fifteen genes (including RAB31, COL6A3, COL5A2, CCDC80, ADAM12, VGLL3, ECM2, POSTN, DPYSL3, PCDH7, CRISPLD2, COLEC12, NRP2, ISLR, and CCDC8) for prognosis prediction of COAD. Low-risk score was associated with significantly preferable OS in comparison with high-risk score, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for OS prediction was 0.705. The prognostic signature was an independent predictor for OS of COAD. Macrophages, mast cells, and T helper cells were the vital infiltration immune cells, and APC costimulation and type II IFN response were the vital immune pathways in COAD. Conclusions. We developed and validated a novel cancer stemness-related prognostic signature for COAD, which would contribute to understanding of molecular mechanism in COAD.

Copper is an essential element and has redox potential, thus copper complexes have been developed rapidly with the hope of curing cancer. To further develop anticancer agents and investigate their anticancer mechanisms, two Cu complexes, [Cu(bpbb)·Cl·SCN]·(CHOH) () and [Cu(bpbb)·Br·(OH)] (), were synthesized and characterized using 4,4'-bis((2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-benzo[]imidazol-1-yl)methyl)biphenyl (bpbb), with associated Cu(ii) salts. Complex is a binuclear structure, whereas is a one-dimensional complex. Compared with , complex exhibited potent cytotoxicity toward four cell lines (HCT116, BGC823, HT29, and SMMC7721), and was most effective against HCT116 cells. Therefore, further in-depth investigation was carried out using complex. Absorption spectral titration experiments, ethidium bromide displacement assays, and circular dichroism spectroscopic studies suggested that complex binds strongly to DNA by intercalation. Complex exhibited a clear concentration-dependent pBR322 DNA cleavage activity. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry testing implied that complex could enter cells and that DNA was one important target. Cellular level assays suggested that complex activates the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species, causing DNA damage, promoting cell cycle arrest and mitochondria dysfunction, and inducing cellular apoptosis.