Methylation is an important mechanism contributing to cancer pathology. Methylation of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes has been closely associated with tumor occurrence and development. New insights regarding the potential role of the adenosine receptor-independent pathway in the epigenetic modulation of DNA methylation offer the possibility of new interventional strategies for cancer therapy. Targeting DNA methylation of cancer-related genes is a promising therapeutic strategy; drugs like 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-AZA-CdR, decitabine) effectively reverse DNA methylation and cancer cell growth. However, current anti-methylation (or methylation modifiers) are associated with severe side effects; thus, there is an urgent need for safer and more specific inhibitors of DNA methylation (or DNA methylation modifiers). The adenosine signaling pathway is reported to be involved in cancer pathology and participates in the development of tumors by altering DNA methylation. Most recently, an adenosine metabolic clearance enzyme, adenosine kinase (ADK), has been shown to influence methylation on tumor suppressor genes and tumor development and progression. This review article focuses on recent updates on ADK and its two isoforms, and its actions in adenosine receptor-independent pathways, including methylation modification and epigenetic changes in cancer pathology.

Background Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been reported to be associated with tumor progress and poor prognosis in various cancers. However, the relationship between FABP4 expression and tumor immunity in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is still poorly understood. Methods FABP4 mRNA expression was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)-COAD data. FABP4 protein staining was performed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining in our 10 paired COAD samples and corresponding adjacent noncancerous tissues. The association between FABP4 and immune cell infiltration was evaluated by Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) database. FABP4 coexpressed genes were identified based on Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) database, which were employed for further enrichment analysis. FABP4 related immunomodulators was identified by Tumor and Immune System Interaction Database (TISIDB) database, and a prognostic risk signature was constructed based on FABP4-related immunomodulators using stepwise Cox regression analysis. A nomogram consists of FABP4 related immunomodulators signature and clinical parameters was developed to predict the overall survival (OS). Results In TCGA data, we found that the decreased FABP4 mRNA expression in COAD samples compared with normal samples, and low FABP4 mRNA expression was associated with B cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, myeloid dendritic cells, macrophages, and neutrophils. In our 10 paired samples, the protein levels of COAD were lower in all COAD tissues than in their adjacent noncancerous tissues. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that FABP4 coexpressed genes were mostly enriched in immune-related pathways. Based on 54 FABP4-related immunomodulators, a 2-gene FABP4-related prognostic risk signature was developed, and the signature stratified the patients into the high-risk and low-risk groups with statistically different survival outcomes. The Nomogram consists of the prognostic signature and clinical parameters had a certain predictability for prognosis of COAD patients. Conclusion These findings suggest that FABP4 is associated with 2-gene immune signature which also correlate with the prognosis of COAD patients.

Background: Glutathione S-transferase mu 1 (GSTM1) is one of the major glutathione conjugation enzymes. Its expression and activity have been suggested to correlate with the occurrence of colon cancer; however, the role of GSTM1 in tumor immunity remains unclear.Methods: Relevant data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TGGA), Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC), and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) was used to perform a multi-dimensional expression analysis of GSTM1 in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). The correlation between GSTM1 and tumor immunity was analyzed with multiple online tools. Then protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and functional enrichment analyses of GSTM1-associated immunomodulators were performed. Further, we developed the Cox regression model based on the GSTM1-related immunomodulators. Finally, a GSTM1based clinical nomogram and a calibration curve was established to predict the probability and accuracy of long-term survival.Result: GSTM1 was significantly downregulated in COAD versus normal tissues. Infiltration levels of B cells, CD8 + T cells, and dendritic cells were closely correlated to GSTM1 gene copy number deletion, and GSTM1 expression levels in COAD positively correlated with dendritic cell, B cell, neutrophil, and macrophage infiltration. Functional enrichment analysis indicated 36 GSTM1-related immunomodulators are involved in immune-related pathways of regulating T cell activation and lymphocytic activation. A 2-gene prognostic risk signature based on the 36 GSTM1-related immunomodulators was built using the Cox regression model, and the risk signature in combination with stage had an area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.747 by the receiver operating characteristic method. patients with higher risk scores-calculated based on 2 gene prognostic risk characteristics and further identified as an independent prognostic factorwere associated with worse survival using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Together, the clinical nomogram and calibration curve based on GSTM1 suggested a good prediction accuracy for long-term survival probability.Conclusions: Our study provided evidence supporting the significant role of GSTM1 in COAD immunity and suggests GSTM1 as a potential novel target for COAD immunotherapy.

BackgroundSulfur microbial diet (SMD), related to the enrichment of sulfur-metabolizing gut bacteria, has been confirmed to be linked to an elevated risk of early-onset colorectal adenoma in young females. However, it remains unclear whether SMD is associated with the risk of colorectal adenoma in older people, who are at greater risk for colorectal cancer.MethodsAll data on participants in this study were retrieved from the intervention arm of the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) cancer screening test. Participants’ adherence to this dietary pattern was assessed using SMD score. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were adopted in Cox proportional hazards regression models to assess the link between SMD score and the incidence of colorectal adenoma in participants included in the study. Specific stratified analyses were constructed to assess whether this association changed in different conditions, whereas the robustness of the association was examined through sensitivity analyses.ResultsThe mean baseline age of participants was 62.1 (SD 5.2) years (range 54.0–75.0 years). During 19,468,589 person-years of follow-up, 992 colorectal adenoma cases were documented in a total of 17,627 included participants. In a fully adjusted model, an increased risk of colorectal adenoma was determined in participants in the highest quartile of SMD score in comparison with those in the lowest quartile (HRquartile4 vs. HRquartile1 = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.47; p = 0.017 for trend). This positive association between SMD score and adenoma risk was more evident in participants who were current or former smokers (p = 0.029 for interaction).ConclusionIn this study, our results support a role for the SMD in the carcinogenicity of colorectal cancer precursors among older adults. Nevertheless, these results require validation through more research.