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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
Induction of Mesenchymal-Epithelial Transitions in Sarcoma Cells
Published on: April 7, 2017
Low NT5DC2 expression predicts favorable prognosis and suppresses soft tissue sarcoma progression via ECM-receptor
Zhen Huang1, Enjie Xu1, Xiaolong Ma1
1Department of Orthopaedic, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Background:
Soft tissue sarcoma, a malignant tumor arising from mesenchymal tissues with poor prognosis. 5'-Nucleotidase Domain Containing 2 (NT5DC2) is a novel oncogene, and the precise involvement of NT5DC2 in soft tissue sarcoma were still undefined. Hence, our study aims to investigate NT5DC2 functions in soft tissue sarcoma progression.
Methods:
The tumor immune single-cell hub 2 (TISCH2) website, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) pan-cancer or sarcoma and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO, GSE21122) databases were applied to visualize the NT5DC2 status in the sarcoma databases. The NT5DC2 protein expression in sarcoma tissues in our hospital was detected by using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and analyzed the associations between NT5DC2 expression and clinicopathological parameters. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), colony formation, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry and xenograft model were used to elucidate the effects of NT5DC2 downregulated by lentivirus in sarcoma cell.
Results:
The TISCH2 website detection found that NT5DC2 expression is enriched in malignant cells in sarcoma single-cell database. Furthermore, the TCGA-sarcoma database indicated that NT5DC2 expression correlates with metastasis, positive margin status, prognosis, and diagnostic value. Additionally, IHC staining showed that 40 % of soft tissue sarcoma patients present high expression of NT5DC2, and NT5DC2 upregulation is closely associated with poor prognosis. Functional verification analysis further revealed that downregulating NT5DC2 expression can suppress sarcoma progression through the ECM-receptor interaction pathway.
Conclusion:
Low expression of NT5DC2 predicts a favorable prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma, and downregulated NT5DC2 expression can suppress sarcoma cell progression through the ECM-receptor interaction pathway.
Insights
Low expression of 5'-Nucleotidase Domain Containing 2 (NT5DC2) indicates a better prognosis for soft tissue sarcoma. Downregulating NT5DC2 suppresses sarcoma progression via the ECM-receptor interaction pathway.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research
Background:
- Soft tissue sarcoma is a mesenchymal malignancy with a poor prognosis.
- The role of the novel oncogene 5'-Nucleotidase Domain Containing 2 (NT5DC2) in soft tissue sarcoma remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of NT5DC2 in soft tissue sarcoma progression.
- To determine the prognostic value of NT5DC2 in soft tissue sarcoma.
Main Methods:
- Utilized public databases (TISCH2, TCGA, GEO) for NT5DC2 expression analysis.
- Performed immunohistochemistry (IHC) on patient tissues.
- Employed cell-based assays (RT-qPCR, EdU, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry) and a xenograft model to assess NT5DC2 function after lentiviral downregulation.
Main Results:
- NT5DC2 is enriched in malignant sarcoma cells and its expression correlates with metastasis, margin status, and prognosis.
- High NT5DC2 expression was observed in 40% of soft tissue sarcoma patients and associated with poor prognosis.
- Downregulating NT5DC2 suppressed sarcoma progression, linked to the ECM-receptor interaction pathway.
Conclusions:
- Low NT5DC2 expression predicts a favorable prognosis in soft tissue sarcoma.
- NT5DC2 downregulation inhibits sarcoma cell progression through the ECM-receptor interaction pathway.
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