Vitamin C Selectively Inhibits Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma Cell Growth by Suppressing the HIF-1 Pathway

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a significant health concern.
• Understanding the molecular mechanisms of KIRC is crucial for developing effective treatments.
• Vitamin C's potential role in cancer therapy warrants investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of vitamin C on KIRC.
• To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms of vitamin C's action in KIRC.
• To explore the relationship between vitamin C, KIRC, and the HIF-1 pathway.

Main Methods:

• Bioinformatics analysis of vitamin C direct target proteins (DPTs) and KIRC gene expression data.
• Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and pathway analysis.
• RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to identify differentially expressed genes.
• In vitro assays including CCK8, real-time quantitative PCR, Western blotting, flow cytometry, and colony formation assay.

Main Results:

• Vitamin C DPTs are linked to KIRC and the HIF-1 pathway.
• Common genes between vitamin C targets and KIRC are involved in the HIF-1 pathway.
• Differentially expressed genes in KIRC treated with vitamin C are associated with hypoxia.
• Vitamin C demonstrated an inhibitory effect on KIRC cell growth in vitro.
• Vitamin C inhibits KIRC growth via the HIF-1 pathway.

Conclusions:

• Bioinformatics analysis successfully identified the molecular mechanism of vitamin C in KIRC.
• Experimental validation confirmed vitamin C's inhibitory role in KIRC through the HIF-1 pathway.
• Integrated bioinformatics and experimental approaches are valuable for drug-disease interaction studies.