Translational Cancer Research

Our medical research library holds 12 studies published in Translational Cancer Research (2020–2026). Each entry links to the study's record on PubMed and, where there is one, to the publisher's page and a free full text. 12 have an abstract, the authors' own summary as PubMed records it: open "Abstract" to read it.

About the journal

• Publisher: Pioneer Bioscience Publishing Company
• Published: 2012 to the present, China
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2219-6803 (electronic), 2218-676X (print)
• Its record in the NLM Catalog

2020s

• Divergent roles of PRR11 and HEPACAM in pleural mesothelioma: PRR11 as a prognostic biomarker and HEPACAM as a stage-associated gene with paradoxical expression. R.X. Zhao, M.L. Zhang, Q. Wang, et al. 2026;15(6):476. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis. While identifying drivers of tumor progression is critical, the molecular alterations specifically associated with T-stage advancement remain poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate genes linked to T-stage progression in PM using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, with a focus on the previously unreported roles of PRR11 and HEPACAM in this disease.

  Methods: RNA-sequencing data and clinical information for 87 PM patients were obtained from the TCGA database. After excluding patients with missing survival data, 43 patients were included in the survival analysis. Differential expression analysis was performed between advanced (T3-T4) and early (T1-T2) T-stage tumors using DESeq2. Survival analysis was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Associations between gene expression and T stage were evaluated, and the correlation between PRR11 and HEPACAM was assessed using Spearman correlation analysis.

  Results: A total of 116 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between T3-T4 and T1-T2 tumors. While PRR11 was the most significantly upregulated gene in the overall DEGs analysis (log2FC =5.87), its expression showed no significant difference when directly comparing T3-T4 to T1-T2 groups (P=0.44). However, in multivariate analysis, high PRR11 expression emerged as an independent prognostic factor for worse overall survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) =2.74, P=0.005]. In contrast, HEPACAM, identified as the most significantly downregulated gene in the DEG analysis (log2FC =-5.10), exhibited paradoxically higher expression in advanced T-stage tumors compared to early-stage tumors (P=0.01). HEPACAM expression showed no significant association with OS (log-rank P=0.3). Notably, a significant negative correlation was observed between PRR11 and HEPACAM expression (Spearman's ρ =-0.375, P=0.01).

  Conclusions: This study reveals divergent roles for PRR11 and HEPACAM in PM. PRR11 is a robust independent prognostic biomarker, despite its lack of correlation with local tumor invasion as defined by T stage. HEPACAM demonstrates a complex, stage-dependent expression pattern, suggesting a potential context-dependent role in late-stage tumor biology. The inverse correlation between these genes may reflect opposing cellular programs in PM progression. These findings provide new insights into the molecular heterogeneity of PM and highlight the importance of integrating multiple analytical approaches when interpreting transcriptomic data.

  © AME Publishing Company.

• Identification of a novel prognostic gene signature in pleural mesothelioma: a study based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database and experimental validation. X. Wang, Y. Yang, W. Yang, et al. 2025;14(5):2981-2998. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Early detection and prognostic prediction are crucial in improving the survival of patients with pleural mesothelioma (PM). Therefore, this study aimed to develop a gene prognostic risk model for PM patients based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database analysis and experimental validations.

  Methods: Obtaining gene expression data and clinical information of PM from the TCGA database, the dataset was divided into a training set and a testing set. Univariate Cox regression analysis, robust testing, and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed on the training set to establish a prognostic risk model. Risk scores were calculated for each patient, and the dataset was stratified into high- and low-risk groups. The predictive efficacy and accuracy of the model were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of genes in the prognostic model in clinical samples and PM cell lines were detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Gene expression validation in the prognostic model was conducted using samples from the TCGA and the Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project databases. The University of ALabama at birmingham CANcer data analysis portal (UALCAN) database was utilized to explore the expression patterns of genes in the prognostic model. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed on genes in the prognostic model to explore their potential biological functions and signaling pathways.

  Results: A prognostic risk assessment model consisting of three genes, ubiquitin like with PHD and ring finger domain 1 (UHRF1), kinesin family member 4A (KIF4A), and never in mitosis gene A-related kinase 2 (NEK2) was constructed. The risk score of the prognostic model is calculated as follows: risk score = Expression level of UHRF1 × 1.4525 - Expression level of KIF4A × 1.3270 + Expression level of NEK2 × 1.4167. Patients were further stratified into high- and low-risk groups at this optimal cutoff point. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrate that, compared to patients in the high-risk group, those in the low-risk group exhibited significantly prolonged overall survival. Visualization of the model through a forest plot revealed a Log-Rank P<0.0001 for the entire model, indicating its potential as an independent prognostic marker for PM. The mRNA expression levels of three genes in the prognostic model significantly elevated in tumor samples and PM cell lines than in non-tumorigenic tissues and cell lines as detected by qRT-PCR. Additionally, these genes exhibited significant differences in expression among PM patients of different stages, tumor subtypes, ages, and metastatic statuses. The overexpressed group of these three genes was significantly enriched in pathways such as DNA replication, mRNA surveillance pathway, nuclear transport, ribosome biogenesis in eukaryotes, and spliceosome pathways.

  Conclusions: Three prognostic marker genes (UHRF1, KIF4A, and NEK2) as a gene cluster may serve as prognostic marker genes in PM.

  Copyright © 2025 AME Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• Comprehensive analysis of the effects of the cuprotosis-associated gene SLC31A1 on patient prognosis and tumor microenvironment in human cancer. G. Zhang, N. Wang, S. Ma, et al. 2024;13(2):714-737. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Solute carrier family 31 (copper transporter), member 1 (SLC31A1) is a key factor in maintaining intracellular copper concentration and an important factor affecting cancer energy metabolism. Therefore, exploring the potential biological function and value of SLC31A1 could provide a new direction for the targeted therapy of tumors.

  Methods: This study assessed gene expression levels, survival, clinicopathology, gene mutations, methylation levels, the tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and the immune cell infiltration of SLC31A1 in pan-cancer using the Tumor Immune Estimation Resource 2.0 (TIMER2.0), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), University of Alabama at Birmingham CANcer (UALCAN) data analysis portal, and cBioPortal databases. To further understand the potential biological mechanisms of SLC31A1 in different cancers, single-cell level sequencing and a Gene Ontology/Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (GO/KEGG) enrichment analysis of SLC31A1 were also performed. Finally, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blotting (WB) were used to validate the expression of SLC31A1 in cancers, such as gastric cancer.

  Results: SLC31A1 was expressed in most cancer tissues. In kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), the high expression of SLC31A1 was associated with good overall survival (OS), while in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), lower grade glioma (LGG), mesothelioma (MESO), and skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM), the low expression of SLC31A1 was associated with good OS. The highest frequency of SLC31A1 amplification was observed in ACC. In addition, missense mutations accounted for a major portion of the mutation types. The truncation mutation S105Y may be a putative cancer driver. SLC31A1 affected methylation levels in cancer and was associated with the TMB, MSI, and the level of infiltration of various immune cells. Additionally, the single-cell sequencing results showed that SLC31A1 was associated with multiple biological functions in cancer. Finally, the SLC31A1 enrichment analysis revealed that the SLC31A1-related genes were mainly enriched in the mitochondrial matrix and envelope vesicles. The RT-qPCR and WB results were consistent with the predicted results.

  Conclusions: SLC31A1 may be a potential target related to cancer energy metabolism and may have prognostic value.

  2024 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• NF2 is a candidate diagnosis, prognostic, and immunotherapeutic biomarker: a systematic pan-cancer analysis. H. Zhang, J. Liu. 2024;13(2):1026-1042. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Neurofibromin 2 (NF2) regulates diverse cellular events such as transcription, translation, ubiquitination, and micro-RNA biosynthesis. Previous evidence revealed that aberrant expression of NF2 contributes to tumorigenesis in mesothelioma, meningioma, and breast cancer. However, there is no comprehensive pan-cancer analysis to explore NF2's function in cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and immunological prediction.

  Methods: By extensive use of data profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE), CIBERSORT, Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and cBioPortal, we employed various bioinformatics methods to explore the role of NF2 in pan-cancer, including analyzing the association between NF2 and tumor diagnosis, prognosis, immune cell infiltration, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and microsatellite instability (MSI). Moreover, the co-expression relationship between NF2 expression with RNA modification genes was also constructed.

  Results: Our research indicated that NF2 was highly expressed in most kinds of tumors. NF2 showed an early diagnosis value in 13 types of tumors and was significantly associated with the prognosis in most tumors. The results also verified that NF2 expression was associated with most immune-related cells and signaling pathways in pan-cancer, especially in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma. Furthermore, NF2 gene expression was associated with TMB and MSI in many tumors.

  Conclusions: Our study reveals that NF2 might be helpful in tumor early diagnosis and prognosis evaluation. The expression of NF2 is highly associated with the tumor immune microenvironment. Additionally, NF2 is a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors therapy. Therefore, NF2 can be a promising diagnostic, prognostic, and immunotherapeutic biomarker for many types of tumors.

  2024 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• A deep learning-based model (DeepMPM) to help predict survival in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. W. Li, M. Zhang, S. Cai, et al. 2023;12(10):2887-2897. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare disease with limited treatment and poor prognosis, and a precise and reliable means to predicting MPM remains lacking for clinical use.

  Methods: In the population-based cohort study, we collected clinical characteristics from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. According to the time of diagnosis, the SEER data were divided into 2 cohorts: the training cohort (from 2010 to 2016) and the test cohort (from 2017 to 2019). The training cohort was used to train a deep learning-based predictive model derived from DeepSurv theory, which was validated by both the training and the test cohorts. All clinical characteristics were included and analyzed using Cox proportional risk regression or Kaplan-Meier curve to determine the risk factors and protective factors of MPM.

  Results: The survival model included 3,130 cases (2,208 in the training cohort and 922 in the test cohort). As for model's performance, the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) was 0.7037 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.7030-0.7045] in the training cohort and 0.7076 (95% CI: 0.7067-0.7086) in the test cohort. Older age; male sex, sarcomatoid mesothelioma; and T4, N2, and M1 stage tended to be the risk factors for survival. Meanwhile, epithelioid mesothelioma, surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy tended to be the protective factors. The median overall survival (OS) of patients who underwent surgery combined with radiotherapy was the longest, followed by those who underwent a combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy.

  Conclusions: Our deep learning-based model precisely could predict the survival of patients with MPM; moreover, multimode combination therapy might provide more meaningful survival benefits.

  2023 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Induction of metallothionein expression by supplementation of zinc induces resistance against platinum-based treatment in malignant pleural mesothelioma. M. Wyrich, H. Ohlig, M. Wessolly, et al. 2023;12(8):1929-1936. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive tumor with a dismal prognosis. Currently, multimodality treatment including chemotherapy with cisplatin or carboplatin in combination with pemetrexed offers the best options. Detoxification of heavy metals in the cell by metallothioneins (MT) is associated with early failure to platin-based chemotherapy. The induction of MTs gene expression or its enzyme results in saturation by exposure to metal ions such as zinc or cadmium. Its therapeutically effect is still not analyzed in depth.

  Methods: In our study, we investigated three MPM cell lines and one fibroblast cell line in the course of cisplatin treatment and supplementation of zinc. Cell state analyses via an enzyme-activity based assay were performed. With this, we were able to analyze apoptosis, necrosis and viability of cells. Additionally, we tested treated cells for changes in metallothionein IIA (MT2A) expression by using quantitative realtime polymerase chain reaction.

  Results: Zinc supplementation induces gene expression of MT2A. Overall, a zinc dose-dependent induction of apoptosis under platin-based treatment could be observed. This effect could be verified in all analyzed cell lines in varying intensity.

  Conclusions: MT expression is induced by zinc in a dose-dependent manner and inhibits a successful cisplatin therapy. Therefore, heavy metal exposure during cisplatin therapy, e.g., via cigarette smoke, might be an important factor. This should be considered in further therapeutic approaches.

  2023 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma with a survival of 2.5 years: a case report. Y. Yan, W. Lv, Y. Luo, et al. 2022;11(5):1451-1456. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma (PMPM) is a highly malignant tumor originating in the pericardium serosum with clinical manifestations presenting as constrictive pericarditis, with pericardial tamponade and heart failure. Malignant pericardial mesothelioma is rare and has a poor prognosis, with an average survival time of 6-10 months.

  Case Description: Herein, we report the case of a 57-year-old female who developed chest tightness and panic for no obvious reason. She was diagnosed with tuberculous pericarditis via multiple examinations including positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), pleural biochemical routine, tuberculin purified protein derivative (PPD) test, T cell spot (T-SPOT) test, and echocardiography, and was experienced intermittent relief after anti-tuberculosis treatment. On 21 July, 2020, pericardiectomy was performed due to poor therapeutic effect, and the postoperative pathological diagnosis was malignant mesothelioma. After discussing treatment plans and considering the prognosis, the patient opted for palliative care. Subsequently, her symptoms gradually worsened, with chest tightness, shortness of breath, palpitations at rest, frequent arrhythmias, heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and multiple plasma chamber effusions. This case showed that the most common misdiagnosis of PMPM is tuberculous pericarditis, which needs to be differentiated from pleural mesothelioma with pericardial metastasis.

  Conclusions: The diagnosis of PMPM is usually made by pathologic surgery or histopathological examination to determine the specific disease location. In addition, pericardiocentesis fluid exfoliation cytology, imaging and echocardiography can assist diagnosis. Due to the lack of effective treatment for PMPM, timely surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy are needed to improve the quality of life of patients and prolong their survival time.

  2022 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Serum diagnostic markers for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a narrative review. J.J. Wang, L. Yan. 2022;11(12):4434-4440. Review PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background And Objective: The prognosis of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is poor, and early diagnosis is key to improving the prognosis. Pleural biopsy is the gold reference for diagnosing MPM, but it is an invasive method that can cause operation-related complications such as bleeding and infection. Serum biomarkers, with the advantages of mini-invasiveness, short turnaround time and objectiveness, represent a promising diagnostic tool for MPM.

  Methods: We searched the PubMed database to identify clinical studies published between 1990 to July 2022 that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of serum biomarkers for MPM. The major findings of the verified studies were summarized.

  Key Content And Findings: Currently, there are many available serum markers for MPM, including mesothelin, soluble mesothelin-related peptides, osteopontin, fibulin-3, high mobility group box 1, and microRNA. Systematic review and meta-analysis evidence indicates that the sensitivity and specificity of these serum markers are less than 0.90. In addition, a large portion of previous studies have limitations, especially the representativeness of the study cohort.

  Conclusions: The diagnostic accuracy of currently available serum biomarkers is unsatisfactory, and further studies are needed to investigate novel serum biomarkers.

  2022 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Diagnostic accuracy of circulating miR-126 for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a systematic review and meta-analysis. L. Zhang, Q. Zhou, Y.Q. Han, et al. 2021;10(4):1856-1862. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Circulating microRNAs are novel diagnostic markers for various types of cancer. Several studies have investigated the diagnostic accuracy of circulating miR-126 for malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), but the results varied. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the diagnostic value of circulating miR-126 for MPM.

  Methods: The PubMed database was searched to identify potentially eligible studies published before October 2020. The studies investigating the diagnostic value of circulating miR-126 for MPM were included in a systematic review and meta-analysis. A bivariate model was used to pool eligible studies' sensitivity and specificity. The revised tool for the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS-2) was used to assess eligible studies' quality.

  Results: Four studies with 156 MPM patients and 459 controls were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of circulating miR-126 for MPM were 0.71 and 0.69, respectively. A high risk of bias was observed in the domains of patient selection, index test, and flow and timing.

  Conclusions: Circulating miR-126 has limited value for diagnosing MPM. Considering that the available studies have a high risk of bias, further rigorous studies are needed to assess the diagnostic value of circulating miR-126 for MPM.

  2021 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Dosimetric evaluation of helical tomotherapy and volumetric-modulated arc therapy for malignant pleural mesothelioma: a planning study for dose escalation. F.L. Zhang, N. Lu, H.Y. Jiang, et al. 2021;10(2):914-922. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: To compare the dosimetric differences between helical tomotherapy (HT) and volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT) treatment plans for inoperable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

  Methods: Ten patients with inoperable MPM were retrospectively planned with the HT and VMAT techniques, and the dose-volume histogram (DVH)-based parameters of the planning target volume (PTV) and organs at risk (OARs) were compared.

  Results: Compared with the VMAT plans, the target homogeneity index (HI) and conformity index (CI) of the HT plans were significantly better (HI: 1.04±0.01 vs. 1.11±0.03, CI: 0.80±0.07 vs. 0.71±0.12, respectively) (P<0.001, P=0.013, respectively). Regarding the OARs, including the ipsilateral lung, contralateral lung, heart, and spinal cord, the differences among the V30 (Vx: fraction of volume receiving >5, 10, 20, and 30 Gy, respectively) of the ipsilateral lung and V5, V10, and V20 of the contralateral lung were statistically significant (P=0.031, P=0.030, P=0.021, P=0.003, respectively). However, there was no significant differences between HT plans and VMAT plans, regarding the V5, V10 and V20 of the ipsilateral lung, V3 of the contralateral lung, V5 and Dmean of the heart, and Dmax of the cord. The treatment delivery time of the VMAT was significantly shorter than that of the HT (mean delivery time: 3.27±1.65 vs. 11.11±3.75 min, respectively) (P<0.001).

  Conclusions: Compared to the VMAT plans, the HT plans not only demonstrated more optimal target coverage and conformity but also considerably reduced the dose-volume parameters of the OARs in both low-dose areas in contralateral lung and high-dose areas in ipsilateral lung and contralateral lung, which is correlated to radiation injury. However, the treatment delivery time of the HT plans was longer.

  2021 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis as a rare cause of intestinal obstruction after the treatment of peritoneal mesothelioma: a case report and review of the literature. Z. Ni, Q. Chen, C. Huang, et al. 2021;10(6):3074-3080. Case report PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Sclerosing encapsulating peritonitis (SEP) is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction that is characterized by a thick greyish-white fibrotic membrane encasing the small bowel. The clinical features are typically nonspecific, and they occasionally present with recurrent episodes of incomplete or complete intestinal obstruction. The etiology of SEP remains unclear, and the diagnosis is often delayed mainly due to the lack of specific symptoms. Here, we first report a patient who suffered from SEP after treatment for malignant mesothelioma (MM) with tumor resection supplemented with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) once and intraperitoneal chemotherapy (IPC) eight times. The patient was discharged ten days after surgery and was free of complications at the 4-month follow-up. In addition, we reviewed the published literature from PubMed, only 7 articles of 16 cases finally met the defined requirements. Nine cases of SEP after IPC and 7 cases of SEP after HIPEC were previously reported. We synthetically review the pathogenesis, treatments, and outcomes. In conclusion, SEP is a rare abdominal disease, which is difficult to diagnose preoperatively. CT scanning is the most helpful imaging method for the diagnosis of SEP. Surgery is the most effective method for diagnosis and treatment, if conservative treatment has no effect or abdominal symptoms are aggravated.

  2021 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

• Level of mesothelin expression can indicate the prognosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma. F. Feng, H. Zhang, Y. Zhang, et al. 2020;9(12):7479-7485. PubMed · Publisher · Free full text

  Abstract

  Background: Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a fatal, treatment-resistant tumor. The median survival of MPM is 9-12 months and its early prognostic markers remains uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine that the level of mesothelin expression can be as a predictor of prognosis in MPM patients.

  Methods: Level of mesothelin expression was detected in 38 MPM tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry analysis. The relationship of MPM prognosis and mesothelin expression was evaluated by univariate and multivariate Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier survival curves.

  Results: High level of mesothelin expression was significantly associated with non-epithelioid type of MPM and smoking. Meanwhile, higher level of mesothelin expression indicated a shorter total survival.

  Conclusions: The present study suggested that mesothelin is a dependent prognostic factor in MPM patients and might be a novel potential target for immunotherapy in MPM.

  2020 Translational Cancer Research. All rights reserved.

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