The long non-coding RNA DANCR regulates the inflammatory phenotype of breast cancer cells and promotes breast cancer progression via EZH2-dependent suppression of SOCS3 transcription

Long Noncoding RNA DANCR Suppressed Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Septic Acute Kidney Injury by Regulating miR-214 in HK-2 Cells

BACKGROUND Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most important causes of death in sepsis patients. Here, we first measured the level of DANCR (differentiation antagonizing nonprotein coding RNA) expression in AKI, and the potential mechanism was further elucidated. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used qRT-PCR to examine the level of DANCR in patient blood serum samples and in HK-2 cells. In addition, DANCR overexpression was established using lentiviral transfection in HK-2 cells. Subsequently, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and flow cytometry were applied to evaluate the role of DANCR in HK-2 cells treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot and recovery experiments were performed to elucidate the further mechanism. RESULTS We found that DANCR was decreased in the serum of AKI patients and HK-2 cells treated with LPS. Additionally, DANCR promoted cell viability and suppressed cell apoptosis and cytokine production in LPS-treated HK-2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis showed that DANCR served as a sponge for miR-214. Furthermore, DANCR inhibited the expression of Krüppel-like factor 6 (KLF6). CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that AKI development could be alleviated by sponging miR-214 and regulating KLF6 expression, which provides a novel potential mechanism involved in the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis-induced AKI patients.

The Missing Lnc: The Potential of Targeting Triple-Negative Breast Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells by Inhibiting Long Non-Coding RNAs

Treatment decisions for breast cancer are based on staging and hormone receptor expression and include chemotherapies and endocrine therapy. While effective in many cases, some breast cancers are resistant to therapy, metastasize and recur, leading to eventual death. Higher percentages of tumor-initiating cancer stem cells (CSCs) may contribute to the increased aggressiveness, chemoresistance, and worse outcomes among breast cancer. This may be particularly true in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs) which have higher percentages of CSCs and are associated with worse outcomes. In recent years, increasing numbers of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as playing an important role in breast cancer progression and some of these have been specifically associated within the CSC populations of breast cancers. LncRNAs are non-protein-coding transcripts greater than 200 nucleotides which can have critical functions in gene expression regulation. The preclinical evidence regarding lncRNA antagonists for the treatment of cancer is promising and therefore, presents a potential novel approach for treating breast cancer and targeting therapy-resistant CSCs within these tumors. Herein, we summarize the lncRNAs that have been identified as functionally relevant in breast CSCs. Furthermore, our review of the literature and analysis of patient datasets has revealed that many of these breast CSC-associated lncRNAs are also enriched in TNBC. Together, this suggests that these lncRNAs may be playing a particularly important role in TNBC. Thus, certain breast cancer-promoting/CSC-associated lncRNAs could be targeted in the treatment of TNBCs and the CSCs within these tumors should be susceptible to anti-lncRNA therapy.