Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute最新文献

{"title":"Dual-attention bidirectional LSTM with feature genomic analysis improves prognostic survival prediction in colorectal cancer patients.","authors":"Zhuochao Wu, Xueping Tan, Dinghui Wu, Min Tao, Chaoqun Li, Rongrui Liang","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00363-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00363-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer necessitate accurate prediction of patients' prognostic survival time for better management, early screening, and extended lifespan. This study uses the TCGA public dataset to conduct differential analysis on lncRNAs in 39 diseased tissues and their normal counterparts from 413 colorectal cancer patient samples, identifying 458 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELncRNAs). Univariate Cox regression analysis revealed 23 DELncRNAs significantly associated with overall survival (OS). These 23 DELncRNAs were further refined using the LASSO algorithm to determine their feature coefficients. An adaptive mining approach with dual-attention mechanisms was employed to explore the correlative properties between various factors and survival time. A bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural network was established for survival prediction. The model was validated using the Jiangnan University colorectal cancer dataset, demonstrating reliable predictions for patient survival and valuable support for clinical decision-making. The AUC values for patient survival prediction during the 3-year, 3-6 year, and 6-year periods were nearly 1.00, significantly outperforming other comparative trials.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313283/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147988105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unlocking new therapeutic horizons through integrative bioinformatics and transcriptomics for drug repositioning in breast cancer therapy.","authors":"Wirawan Adikusuma, Lalu Muhammad Irham, Rahmat Dani Satria, Ika Nurlaila, Dyah Laksmi Dewi, Firdayani Firdayani, Inna Syafarina","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00368-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00368-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Breast cancer (BRCA) remains one of the most frequently diagnosed malignancies and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women worldwide. Its molecular heterogeneity and limited therapeutic options for aggressive subtypes highlight the need for novel treatment strategies. Drug repositioning offers a promising approach by identifying new therapeutic uses for existing drugs with established safety profiles.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied an integrative transcriptomic and bioinformatics framework to identify candidate drug targets and repurposed drugs for BRCA. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from four Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray datasets using the limma package with thresholds of |log2 fold change| > 1 and false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05. Overlapping DEGs were expanded through protein-protein interaction analysis using the STRING database. Functional annotation across ten biological evidence categories was performed using WebGestalt to prioritize BRCA risk genes through a multi-criteria scoring approach. Drug-gene interactions were then analyzed using the Drug-Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb), and tissue-specific gene expression was evaluated using the GTEx database.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-eight consistently dysregulated genes were identified and expanded into a 77-gene interaction network. Functional prioritization yielded 18 BRCA risk genes, including five druggable targets associated with 11 candidate drugs. ITGB7 emerged as a promising biomarker and therapeutic target, with vedolizumab identified as the top candidate drug.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the potential of integrative transcriptomic analysis to identify biomarkers and drug repositioning candidates in BRCA, providing a foundation for further experimental validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preclinical efficacy of drug delivery systems in colon cancer therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of in vivo animal studies.","authors":"Rozafa Koliqi, Arlinda Daka Grapci, Michael Y Henein, Agata Bielecka-Dabrowa, Ibadete Bytyçi","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00365-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00365-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drug delivery systems (DDS) offer a promising strategy to enhance the therapeutic index of chemotherapeutic agents in colon cancer by improving tumor targeting, circulation time, and controlled drug release. Despite extensive preclinical research, a quantitative synthesis evaluating the efficacy of DDS and the influence of design parameters remains lacking.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of preclinical in vivo studies assessing DDS-based chemotherapy in murine models of colon cancer. A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane CENTRAL, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed through October 15, 2025. Outcomes included tumor growth inhibition, with subgroup analyses examining the effects of DDS platform, chemotherapeutic agent, targeting strategy, ligand type, and route of administration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twenty-three studies comprising 25 experiments and 539 animals were included. Overall, DDS-based therapies significantly reduced tumor growth compared with controls ((WMD: - 557.7; 95% CI: - 716.8 to - 398.5; I²=88%; p < 0.001) and free-drug administration ((WMD: - 276.3; 95% CI: - 367.6 to - 185.1; I²=78%; p < 0.001). Both targeted and non-targeted DDS significantly reduced tumor growth compared with free drug treatment, while targeted DDS showed significantly greater efficacy than non-targeted systems (WMD: - 240.3; 95% CI: - 399.4 to - 81.25; I²=59%; p = 0.003). Although no statistically significant differences were observed between DDS platforms or chemotherapeutic agent subgroups, micelle-based systems and DDS formulations incorporating SN-38 or doxorubicin tended to show greater tumor growth reduction. Intravenous administration demonstrated significantly greater efficacy than intraperitoneal delivery, while hyaluronic acid- and aptamer-based targeting strategies achieved the largest tumor growth inhibition. Risk-of-bias assessment indicated moderate methodological quality, with variability in reporting of randomization, blinding, and sample size calculations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>DDS-based chemotherapy consistently improves antitumor efficacy in preclinical colon cancer models, with targeting strategy, platform type, chemotherapeutic agent, and administration route influencing outcomes. These findings support the rational design of DDS platforms and underscore their translational potential. Rigorous preclinical study design and standardized reporting of efficacy and safety are essential to facilitate clinical translation.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313309/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147972897","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Overcoming barriers: mechanisms and strategies of nanoparticles in overcoming the blood-brain barrier and drug resistance in glioblastomas.","authors":"Qiusi Tian, Yanbin Liang, Tao Huang, Feilong Chen, Qun Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00362-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00362-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glioma, particularly glioblastoma (GBM), represent a major challenge in neuro-oncology due to their highly aggressive nature and poor therapeutic outcomes. The presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) severely restricts the efficient delivery of therapeutic agents to tumor sites, while the frequent emergence of drug resistance further compromises treatment efficacy.In recent years, nanoparticles have emerged as promising drug delivery platforms, demonstrating considerable potential in overcoming the BBB, enhancing targeting specificity, and reversing drug resistance, owing to their favorable biocompatibility and tunable physicochemical properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in the application of nanoparticles for glioma therapy, with a particular focus on strategies for BBB penetration and resistance reversal.Specifically, we summarize the design principles and functional modifications of nanoparticles, as well as their diverse therapeutic mechanisms, including drug delivery, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, ferroptosis induction, and modulation of the tumor microenvironment. In addition, the mechanisms underlying nanoparticle-mediated targeting and controlled drug release are discussed in detail.Importantly, current evidence suggests that nanoparticle-based platforms offer a versatile and effective approach for overcoming key biological barriers and therapeutic resistance in glioma, although their clinical translation remains constrained by challenges related to safety, scalability, and targeting heterogeneity. Future research should focus on the development of multifunctional and personalized nanomedicine strategies, integration with multimodal therapies, and rigorous evaluation of long-term safety and clinical efficacy, in order to facilitate the successful translation of these technologies into clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147964203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Research status and challenges of anti-tumor effects of natural saponins and their combination therapy.","authors":"Can Cui, Zhou-Juan Zheng, Si Li, Xiang-Lan Piao","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00354-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00354-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cancer is a leading global cause of death, and traditional chemotherapy is plagued by severe side effects, making the development of high-efficacy and low-toxicity antitumor agents an urgent need. Saponins, natural bioactive compounds, exhibit prominent antitumor potential. This review systematically retrieved relevant literature from 2015 to 2025 via Web of Science, PubMed and other databases, summarizing the antitumor effects and mechanisms of saponins, their synergistic value in combination with chemotherapy, as well as existing saponin-based drugs, translational challenges and corresponding solutions. Saponin monomers exert distinct antitumor efficacy, and their rational combination with chemotherapy yields notable advantages. Structural modification and dosage form optimization can effectively mitigate the inherent limitations of saponins. In conclusion, natural saponins hold great translational potential for antitumor therapy, and combination regimens represent a promising research focus in oncology treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313304/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147964225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Nanomedicine against oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy: hypotheses and research perspectives on ion channels and immune microenvironment.","authors":"Yuan Gao, Pankui Li","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00355-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00355-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oxaliplatin serves as a cornerstone chemotherapeutic agent for solid tumors (e.g., colorectal and gastric cancers); however, its associated dose-limiting peripheral neuropathy (OIPN) severely compromises patients’ quality of life and treatment completion rates. OIPN manifests as acute cold-induced paresthesia and chronic cumulative sensory neuropathy, with complex, incompletely elucidated pathophysiological mechanisms. This review systematically summarizes the core molecular mechanisms of OIPN, focusing on: (1) sensitization of transient receptor potential vanilloid/ankyrin channels (TRPV1/TRPA1), (2) dysregulated expression and function of voltage-gated sodium channels (NaV1.7, NaV1.8), and (3) the critical role of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38-MAPK) pathway activation in neuronal hyperexcitability and pain signal transduction within dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons. Additionally, we delve into dynamic alterations of the DRG immune microenvironment (notably macrophages and T cells) during OIPN initiation/progression, as well as their crosstalk with neurons. To address the clinical dilemma of limited effective preventive/therapeutic approaches, this review outlines limitations of current strategies and highlights the advantages of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems in enhancing neuroprotective agent bioavailability and enabling targeted delivery. Finally, we hypothesize the integration of salidroside (a natural product with anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties) with nanotechnology, and propose leveraging cutting-edge tools (spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA sequencing) to elucidate its potential mechanistic action in OIPN—providing a theoretical hypothesis and exploratory research directions for precision OIPN prevention and treatment, in the absence of any empirical evidence for salidroside’s efficacy in this specific pathological context.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313292/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147868816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association of EGFR gene polymorphisms rs2072454 and rs2227983 with lung cancer susceptibility in a Western Algerian population: a case-control study.","authors":"Linda Temimi, Noria Bouras, Abdelkader Bousahba, Ahlem Megaïz, Malika Lechar, Meriem Mekedem, Sonia Seddiki, Tewfik Sahraoui","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00364-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00364-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Data on specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including rs2072454 and rs2227983, remain limited, particularly in North African populations. This study aimed to evaluate the association between these two SNPs and lung cancer risk in a Western Algerian population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a case-control study including 143 participants, 73 lung cancer patients recruited from the University Hospital Centre of Oran, and 70 healthy controls recruited from the blood transfusion centre of the University Hospital Establishment of Oran (UHEO) and volunteer pool. Genotyping of EGFR rs2072454 and rs2227983 polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Statistical analyses were conducted using R software, with logistic regression models adjusted for gender and smoking status.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The CT genotype of rs2072454 showed a nominal association with increased lung cancer risk under the overdominant model (OR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.04-5.30, p = 0.04). For rs2227983, while the dominant model (AG/ GG vs AA) demonstrated the best fit based on AIC/BIC criteria, however, only the AG genotype showed a borderline association in adenocarcinoma cases under the codominant model (OR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.0-7.5, p = 0.04). No significant haplotype associations or linkage disequilibrium was observed between the two SNPs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest potential, but uncertain, associations between EGFR polymorphisms and lung cancer susceptibility in this population. The results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited sample size and require validation in larger cohorts.</p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313285/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147868835","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MRI-based correlates of brain changes and quality of life outcomes following radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.","authors":"Noor Shatirah Voon, Kah Hui Yap, Noorazrul Yahya","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00353-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00353-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>PURPOSE: Radiotherapy (RT) for brain-related tumours can impact multiple neural structures responsible for cognitive, emotional, physical, and social functioning, which in turn may influence a patient’s quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to determine the demographic, dosimetric, and MRI-derived morphological factors associated with reduced QoL among patients following RT. METHODS: One hundred patients between the ages of 20 and 76 years who received RT and had both pre-RT and post-RT (6–12 months) MRI scans, along with completed QoL assessments (EORTC QLQ-C30 and HRQoL), were included. Regions of interest (ROIs)—comprising the hippocampus, temporal lobes, cerebellum, and thalamus—were manually delineated, and relevant dosimetric parameters were extracted. QoL assessments were administered post-RT via telephone interviews. Spearman correlation and Bayesian analyses were performed to examine associations between QoL domains, demographic factors, dosimetry, and MRI-based volumetric changes. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was observed between QoL and treatment dose, with both mean and maximum doses showing associations with lower global QoL (Dmean r = − 0.211, p = 0.035; Dmax r = − 0.229, p = 0.022). Multiple QoL domains, including general health status, physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning, demonstrated dose-dependent decline (p < 0.05). QoL was also influenced by gender and cancer stage. Bayesian estimation identified demographic factors, dosimetric parameters, and morphological volume changes—particularly in the hippocampus, bilateral temporal lobes, cerebellum, and thalamus—as significant predictors of post-RT QoL. CONCLUSION: Post-RT QoL appears to reflect a combined influence of demographic characteristics, tumour stage, radiation dose, and MRI-detected structural alterations. Integration of routine neuroimaging with dosimetric optimisation may improve early identification of at-risk patients and support personalised treatment planning. </p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147816538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early cardiotoxicity of radiotherapy in breast cancer patients after chemotherapy: the early warning sign.","authors":"Zakka Zayd Zhullatullah Jayadisastra, Muhammad Ivan Aulia Sani, Lucia Kris Dinarti, Hasanah Mumpuni, Susanna Hilda Hutajulu, Wigati Dhamiyati","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00341-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00341-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Radiotherapy, like chemotherapy, in breast cancer can cause cardiotoxicity. Research about the combined effect of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on left ventricular diastolic function (LVDD) is limited. Therefore, this study was conducted to see the early effect of radiotherapy in patients after completing chemotherapy. METHOD: This research was a prospective analytical observational study with a pre-post design that was conducted from August 2023 to August 2024 in breast cancer patients who had completed their chemotherapy in Sardjito Hospital. The primary endpoint was cardiotoxicity in any level according to European Society of Cardiology (ESC) 2022 cardio-oncology guideline. Cardiotoxicity was diagnosed by considering patients’ history, physical examination, and echocardiography results. RESULT: Twenty-nine female subjects were enrolled. Seven subjects (24.14%) had cardiotoxicity with one of them was symptomatic. McNemar test showed significant effect of radiotherapy (p = 0.016). Types of chemotherapy were not a confounding factor in this study. CONCLUSION: Radiotherapy may cause mild cardiotoxicity in short term. A routine screening protocol is needed to prevent further complication. </p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13262374/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147775224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rho-associated kinase (ROCK)-associated proteins and genes-encoded proteins upregulated in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC).","authors":"Muhammad Asyaari Zakaria, Nor Fadilah Rajab, Eng Wee Chua, Muhammad Redha Abdullah Zawawi, Siti Fathiah Masre","doi":"10.1186/s43046-026-00351-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43046-026-00351-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) signaling pathway was reported to be overexpressed in cancer, as it promotes multiple hallmarks of cancer. However, the characterization of ROCK signaling pathway expression in dual-stage carcinogenesis of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate ROCK signaling pathway expression during LUSC progression in vivo. METHODS: Female BALB/c mice were treated with N-nitroso-tris-chloroethylurea (NTCU) to induce pre-malignant and malignant LUSC stages. The lung tissues were subjected to immunohistochemistry and Western blot for ROCK-associated protein expression analysis. Then, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis from two expression profiling datasets: GSE30219 and GSE31446, was performed to determine the mRNA expression of ROCK-associated proteins in human LUSC. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network (analysed via Cytoscape) and correlation analysis (analysed via Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2; GEPIA2) were also conducted to identify the relationships between each ROCK-associated protein. RESULTS: This study found a significantly higher expression (p-value<0.05) of ROCK-associated proteins such as pFAK, RhoABC, ROCK1, ROCK2, and pMLC during LUSC progression via IHC and Western blot assays. Notably, RhoA, RhoB, and pMLC (MYL9) mRNA were significantly upregulated in human LUSC. The PPI and correlation analysis identified RhoA, ROCK1, and ROCK2 as highly correlated ROCK-associated genes encoded proteins in LUSC. CONCLUSION: Increased ROCK-associated proteins and genes expression in dual-stage carcinogenesis of LUSC may reflect their essential role in cancer growth. Bioinformatic analysis results verify the importance of ROCK signaling pathways in LUSC growth, making them promising targets for future LUSC treatment. </p>","PeriodicalId":17301,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Egyptian National Cancer Institute","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313306/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147723232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}