MiR-590-5p inhibits colorectal cancer angiogenesis and metastasis by regulating nuclear factor 90/vascular endothelial growth factor A axis

FGF18, a prominent player in FGF signaling, promotes gastric tumorigenesis through autocrine manner and is negatively regulated by miR-590-5p

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) and their receptors are significant components during fundamental cellular processes. FGF18 plays a distinctive role in modulating the activity of both tumor cells and tumor microenvironment. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the expression and functional role of FGF18 in gastric cancer (GC) and elucidate its regulatory mechanisms. The upregulation of FGF18 was detected in seven out of eleven (63.6%) GC cell lines. In primary GC samples, FGF18 was overexpressed in genomically stable and chromosomal instability subtypes of GC and its overexpression was associated with poor survival. Knocking down FGF18 inhibited tumor formation abilities, induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest and enhanced anti-cancer drug sensitivity. Expression microarray profiling revealed that silencing of FGF18 activated ATM pathway but quenched TGF-β pathway. The key factors that altered in the related signaling were validated by western blot and immunofluorescence. Meanwhile, treating GC cells with human recombinant FGF18 or FGF18-conditioned medium accelerated tumor growth through activation of ERK-MAPK signaling. FGF18 was further confirmed to be a direct target of tumor suppressor, miR-590-5p. Their expressions showed a negative correlation in primary GC samples and more importantly, re-overexpression of FGF18 partly abolished the tumor-suppressive effect of miR-590-5p. Our study not only identified that FGF18 serves as a novel prognostic marker and a therapeutic target in GC but also enriched the knowledge of FGF-FGFR signaling during gastric tumorigenesis.

MicroRNA-590-5p represses proliferation of human fetal airway smooth muscle cells by targeting signal transducer and activator of transcription 3

INTRODUCTION

Pediatric asthma has remained a health threat to children in recent years. The abnormal proliferation of airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells contributes to airway remodeling during development of asthma. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical regulators of ASM cell proliferation during airway remodeling. miR-590-5p has been reported to regulate cell proliferation in various cell types. However, it remains unclear whether miR-590-5p regulates ASM cell proliferation. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential role of miR-590-5p in regulating fetal ASM cell proliferation in vitro stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

miRNA, mRNA, and protein expression was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 and BrdU assays. The target of miR-590-5p was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

MiR-590-5p expression was significantly down-regulated in fetal ASM cells stimulated with PDGF (p < 0.05). Overexpression of miR-590-5p inhibited cell proliferation (p < 0.05), whereas the suppression of miR-590-5p promoted cell proliferation of fetal ASM cells stimulated with PDGF (p < 0.05). Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) was identified as a target gene of miR-590-5p. In addition, miR-590-5p negatively regulated STAT3 expression (p < 0.05). Moreover, miR-590-5p also modulated downstream genes of STAT3 including cyclin D3 and p27 (p < 0.05). The restoration of STAT3 significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-590-5p on fetal ASM cell proliferation.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-590-5p inhibits proliferation of fetal ASM cells by down-regulating STAT3, thereby suggesting a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of pediatric asthma.

MicroRNA-590-5p Inhibits Intestinal Inflammation by Targeting YAP

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Hippo signalling is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that controls organ size by regulating cell proliferation, survival, apoptosis, and stem cell self-renewal. In addition, Hippo signalling is profoundly implicated in intestinal regeneration and cancer. However, its roles in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease [CD] remain largely unexplored.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR] was performed to identify the deregulated molecules in Hippo signalling. Expression of the highly upregulated Yes-associated protein 1 [YAP] was subsequently examined by qRT-PCR, western blotting, and immunohistochemistry in the intestinal tissues of CD patients and the colons of 2,4,6-trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid [TNBS]-induced colitis mice. The microRNAs [miRNAs] predicted to target YAP were explored by transfection of miR-590-5p mimics or inhibitors and analyzed by luciferase reporter assay. The roles of the miR-590-5p/YAP axis in CD and colorectal cancer were studied in experimental colitis mice and colorectal cancer cell lines.

RESULTS

YAP mRNA was significantly upregulated in intestinal epithelial cells in CD patients and TNBS-induced colitis mice. MiR-590-5p suppressed YAP expression by directly targeting the YAP 3'-untranslated region in Caco-2 cells and SW620 cells. Upregulation of miR-590-5p in colon reduced YAP level and its downstream targets in intestinal epithelial cells [IECs]. Treatment of miR-590-5p or YAP inhibitor Verteporfin alleviated experimental colitis. Targeting the miR-590-5p/YAP axis inhibited cell proliferation and invasiveness of colorectal cancer [CRC] cells in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that miR-590-5p inhibits intestinal inflammation in mouse colon and tumourigenesis of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting YAP. The miR-590-5p/YAP axis may be an important novel mechanism in the pathogenesis of CD and colorectal cancer.

MicroRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs: potential tumor biomarkers and targets for colorectal cancer

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) can be divided into microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), pRNAs, and tRNAs. Traditionally, miRNAs exert their biological function mainly through the inhibition of translation via the induction of target RNA transcript degradation. lncRNAs and circRNAs were once considered to have no potential to code proteins. Here, we will review the current knowledge on ncRNAs in relation to their origins, characteristics, and functions. We will also review how ncRNAs work as competitive endogenous RNA, gene transcription and expression regulators, and RNA-binding protein sponges in colorectal cancer (CRC). Notably, except for the abovementioned mechanisms, recent advances revealed that lncRNAs can also act as the precursor of miRNAs, and a small portion of lncRNAs and circRNAs was verified to have the potential to code proteins, providing new evidence for the significance of ncRNAs in CRC tumorigenesis and development.

Prognostic value of microRNAs in colorectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Background

Numerous studies have shown that miRNA levels are closely related to the survival time of patients with colon, rectal, or colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the outcomes of different investigations have been inconsistent. Accordingly, a meta-analysis was conducted to study associations among the three types of cancers.

Materials and methods

Studies published in English that estimated the expression levels of miRNAs with survival curves in CRC were identified until May 20, 2017 by online searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library by two independent authors. Pooled HRs with 95% CIs were used to estimate the correlation between miRNA expression and overall survival.

Results

A total of 63 relevant articles regarding 13 different miRNAs, with 10,254 patients were ultimately included. CRC patients with high expression of blood miR141 (HR 2.52, 95% CI 1.68-3.77), tissue miR21 (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.12-1.53), miR181a (HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.26-1.83), or miR224 (HR 2.12, 95% CI 1.04-4.34), or low expression of tissue miR126 (HR 1.55, 95% CI 1.24-1.93) had significantly poor overall survival (P<0.05).

Conclusion

In general, blood miR141 and tissue miR21, miR181a, miR224, and miR126 had significant prognostic value. Among these, blood miR141 and tissue miR224 were strong biomarkers of prognosis for CRC.

Loss of PPM1F expression predicts tumour recurrence and is negatively regulated by miR-590-3p in gastric cancer

OBJECTIVES

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as small non-coding RNA molecules act by negatively regulating their target genes. Recent studies have shown that protein phosphatase Mg2+/Mn2+-dependent 1F (PPM1F) plays a critical role in cancer metastasis. But, the regulation mechanisms of PPM1F by miRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) remain undefined.

METHODS

The correlation of PPM1F or miR-590-3p (miR-590) expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of the patients with GC was analysed by TCGA RNA-sequencing data. The miRNAs that target PPM1F gene were identified by bioinformatics and Spearman correlation analysis, and the binding site between miR-590 and PPM1F 3'UTR was confirmed by dual luciferase assay. MTT and Transwell assays were conducted to evaluate the effects of miR-590 or (and) PPM1F on cell proliferation and invasion.

RESULTS

We found that PPM1F expression was downregulated in GC tissues and cell lines and was correlated with tumour recurrence in patients with GC. The decreased expression of PPM1F was attributed to the dysregulation of miR-590 expression rather than its genetic or epigenetic alterations. Overexpression of miR-590 promoted cell proliferation and invasion capability of GC cells, while knockdown of miR-590 reversed these effects. Moreover, PPM1F was validated as a direct target of miR-590 and counteracted the tumour-promoting effects caused by miR-590. The expression of miR-590 presented the negative correlation with PPM1F expression and acted as an independent prognostic factor for tumour recurrence in patients with GC.

CONCLUSION

PPM1F may function as a suppressive factor and is negatively regulated by miR-590 in GC.

MicroRNA-1253 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion of non-small-cell lung carcinoma by targeting WNT5A

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of target genes. miRNA dysregulation is involved in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. In this study, we identified microRNA-1253 (miR-1253) as being significantly down-regulated in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) tissues and associated with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor survival. The enhanced expression of miR-1253 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells in vitro. Bioinformatics analyses showed that miR-1253 directly targeted WNT5A (long isoform), which was confirmed using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. The inhibitory effects of miR-1253 on the growth and metastasis of NSCLC cells were attenuated and phenocopied by WNT5A (long) overexpression and knockdown, respectively. Consistent with the in vitro results, subcutaneous tumor and metastatic NSCLC mouse models showed that miR-1253 functions as a potent suppressor of NSCLC in vivo. Taken together, our findings indicated that miR-1253 inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells by targeting WNT5A (long isoform) and provided new evidence of miR-1253 as a potential therapeutic target in NSCLC.

New insights into the regulatory role of microRNA in tumor angiogenesis and clinical implications

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and metastasis. Understanding the regulation of tumor angiogenesis has become increasingly important. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that function in diverse biological processes via post-transcriptional regulation. Extensive studies have revealed two important regulatory roles of miRNAs in tumor angiogenesis: miRNAs in tumor cells affect the activity of endothelial cells via non-cell-autonomous mechanisms, and miRNAs in endothelial cells regulate the cell-autonomous behavior. Recent advances have further highlighted the role of tumor-derived extracellular vesicles in the regulation of tumor angiogenesis via transferring miRNAs to endothelial cells. In this review, we summarize the regulatory role of miRNA in tumor angiogenesis, with a highlight on clinical implications of miRNAs as biomarkers for anti-angiogenic therapy response, and as therapeutic interventions against tumor angiogenesis in vivo.

Hypoxia-induced microRNA-590-5p promotes colorectal cancer progression by modulating matrix metalloproteinase activity

Hypoxia leads to cancer progression and promotes the metastatic potential of cancer cells. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA that have emerged as key players involved in cancer development and progression. Hypoxia alters a set of hypoxia-mediated miRNAs expression during tumor development and it may function as oncogenes or tumor-suppressors. However, the roles and molecular mechanisms of hypoxia-regulatory miRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression remain poorly understood. Here we firstly identified miR-590-5p as hypoxia-sensitive miRNAs which was upregulated in colon cancer cells under hypoxia. Hypoxia-induced miR-590-5p suppressed the expression of RECK, in turn, promoting cell invasiveness and migratory abilities via activation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and filopodia protrusion in vitro. Inhibition of miR-590-5p suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in mouse xenograft and CRC liver metastasis models via inhibition of MMPs activity. Clinical analysis revealed higher miR-590-5p expression in CRC, compared to normal specimens. Furthermore, miR-590-5p expression was significantly increased in liver metastasis as compared to their matched primary CRC. Taken together, our findings provide the first evidence that miR-590-5p may have potential as a therapeutic target for CRC patients with metastasis.

MicroRNAs in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis

Cancer metastasis is a malignant process by which tumor cells migrate from their primary site of origin to other organs. It is the main cause of poor prognosis in cancer patients. Angiogenesis is the process of generating new blood capillaries from pre-existing vasculature. It plays a vital role in primary tumor growth and distant metastasis. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in regulating normal physiological processes as well as cancer pathogenesis. They suppress gene expression by specifically binding to the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of their target genes. They can thus act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors depending on the function of their target genes. MicroRNAs have shown great promise for use in anti-metastatic cancer therapy. In this article, we review the roles of various miRNAs in cancer angiogenesis and metastasis and highlight their potential for use in future therapies against metastatic cancer.

miR-590-5P inhibits the progression of tongue squamous cell carcinoma by targeting FasL

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated microRNA-590-5P (miR-590-5P), which functions as an anti-onco-miRNA in TSCC by downregulating FasL expression.

METHODS

In this study, immunohistochemistry was used to detect FasL protein expression in 30 OSCC samples and 8 normal oral mucosa tissue samples. Target Scan was used to predict miRNAs that target FasL. Luciferase reporter assays were used to confirm the effects of miRNA on FasL. Subsequently, the SCC3 tongue cancer cell line was transfected with a miR-590-5P mimic or miR-590-5P inhibitor. qPCR and Western blots were used to detect the expression levels of miR-590-5P and FasL. SCC3 cell viability, apoptosis and growth were assayed by MTT assays, colony formation assays, and a xenograft model.

RESULTS

FasL expression was significantly higher in OSCC tissue samples than in normal oral mucosa tissue samples. miR-590-5P could downregulate the expression of FasL in vitro via direct binding to its 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Overexpression of miR-590-5P inhibited the proliferation of SCC3 cells. Moreover, miR-590-5P increased the sensitivity of SCC3 cells to the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin (DDP) and led to a significant decrease in colony formation ability. The xenograft experiment confirmed that miR-590-5P can suppress the development of TSCC.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that miR-590-5P targets FasL to inhibit the development of tongue cancer and that miR-590-5P may be a novel therapeutic target for TSCC.

The miR-875-5p inhibits SATB2 to promote the invasion of lung cancer cells

The pathogenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is regulated by various miRNAs. In this study, we identified that miR-875-5pis up-regulated in NSCLC patients, and inhibited SATB Homeobox 2(SATB2) to promote proliferation and invasion of NSCLCcells.CCK-8assay revealed thatmiR-875-5p mimics promoted proliferation of NSCLC cells. Transwell assay showed that miR-875-5pmimicspromoted the invasion and migration of NSCLC cells. Luciferase assays confirmed that miR-875-5pdirectly binds to the 3'untranslated region of SATB2, and western blotting showed that miR-875-5psuppresses the expression of SATB2 at the protein level. Moreover, the inhibitors of miR-875-5pinhibit proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cell lines. The miR-875-5pwouldbe a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC treatment in the future.

MicroRNA‑512‑3p is upregulated, and promotes proliferation and cell cycle progression, in prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in males worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are small non‑coding RNAs that participate in the regulation of various biological processes by regulating post‑transcriptional gene expression. However, whether dysregulation of miRNA expression may be associated with the carcinogenesis of PCa remains to be elucidated. The present study identified differentially expressed miRNAs in PCa by analyzing two publicly available gene expression datasets, GSE14857 and GSE21036. The results demonstrated that miR‑512‑3p was significantly upregulated in PCa. Furthermore, the present study explored the molecular functions of miR‑512‑3p in PCa, and demonstrated that overexpression of miR‑512‑3p promoted PCa cell proliferation and reduced G1 phase cell cycle arrest in PCa. These results indicated that miR‑512‑3p may act as an oncogene in PCa. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study revealed the molecular functions of miR‑512‑3p in PCa. To obtain valuable insights into the potential mechanisms of miR‑512‑3p, bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify the targets of miR‑512‑3p. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway and Gene Ontology category analyses revealed that miR‑512‑3p may be associated with the mitogen‑activated protein kinase signaling pathway and numerous biological processes, including cell adhesion, cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis. These results suggested that miR‑512‑3p may be considered a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target of PCa.

MicroRNA-590 promotes pathogenic Th17 cell differentiation through targeting Tob1 and is associated with multiple sclerosis

Although the exact pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS) remains largely unclear, Th17 cells have been suggested as an essential regulator in the disease induction. Emerging evidence have demonstrated that noncoding RNAs, especially microRNAs (miRs), play a crucial role in modulation of Th17 cell differentiation and autoimmune disease development. Here, we revealed that miR-590 expression was markedly increased in periphery blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with MS, and positively correlated with the disease severity. Th17 cells were found to express high level of miR-590. We further demonstrated that miR-590 was able to facilitate Th17 differentiation and pathogenicity. Notably, we identified that miR-590 directly targeted Tob1, a known suppressor of Th17 differentiation. The expression level of Tob1 was observed to be significantly decreased in PBMC of patients with MS. Our finding suggest that miR-590 could enhance pathogenic Th17 differentiation in MS and augment inflammation in central nervous system (CNS) through inhibiting Tob1.

GSK-3β phosphorylation-dependent degradation of ZNF281 by β-TrCP2 suppresses colorectal cancer progression

Zinc finger protein 281 (ZNF281) has been recently shown to be critical for CRC progression. However, the immediate upstream regulators of ZNF281 remain unclear. Here we reported that the E3 ligase the β-transducin repeat-containing protein 2 (β-TrCP2) governs the ubiquitination and degradation of ZNF281. In human CRC specimens, endogenous β-TrCP2 were inversely correlated with ZNF281. Beta-TrCP2 reversed the phenotype of CRC cell with overexpressed ZNF281. Moreover, we found that glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), not GSK-α, could bind to and phosphorylate ZNF281 at one consensus motif (TSGEHS; phosphorylation site is shown in italics), which promotes the interaction of ZNF281 with β-TrCP2, not β-TrCP1, and leads to the subsequent ubiquitination and degradation of phosphorylated ZNF281. A mutant of ZNF281 (ZNF281-S638A) is much more stable than wild-type ZNF281 because ZNF281-S638A mutant abolishes the phosphorylation by GSK-3β and can not be ubiquitinated and degraded by β-TrCP2. Conversely, ZNF281 transcriptionally repressed the expression of β-TrCP2, indicating a negative feedback loop between ZNF281 and β-TrCP2 in CRC cells. These findings suggest that the turnover of ZNF281 by β-TrCP2 might provide a potentially novel treatment for patients with CRC.

Ferulic Acid Improves Functional Recovery after Acute Spinal Cord Injury in Rats by Inducing Hypoxia to Inhibit microRNA-590 and Elevate Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Expressions

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is the leading cause of paralysis, disability and even death in severe cases, and neural stem cells (NSCs) transplant has been employed for repairing SCI. Ferulic acid (FA) is able to promote neurogenesis in various stem cell therapies. We aimed to investigate the effect of FA on NSC transplant therapy, and the underlying mechanism, in improving functional recovery in SCI rat model. A rat model of SCI was established, which then received transplant of NSCs with or without FA pre-treatment. Functional recovery of the SCI rats was then evaluated, in terms of spinal cord water content, myeloperoxidase activity and behavioral assessments. Effect of FA in inducing hypoxia in NSCs was also assessed, followed by identifying the hypoxic regulated microRNA and the subsequent target gene. Transplant of FA pre-treated NSCs improved functional recovery of SCI rats to a more significant extent than NSCs without FA pre-treatment. The beneficial effects of FA in repairing SCI was mediated by inducing hypoxia in NSCs, which in turn inhibited microRNA-590 to elevate vascular endothelial growth factor expression. Our findings support the clinical potential of FA in improving efficacy of NSC transplant therapy for treatment of SCI.

MiR-590-5p, a density-sensitive microRNA, inhibits tumorigenesis by targeting YAP1 in colorectal cancer

YAP1, a transcription co-activator, mediates the biological functions of the Hippo pathway. YAP1 inactivation is involved in cell-cell contact inhibition. In various tumors, YAP1 is upregulated through multiple mechanisms, and it functions as an oncogene. Here, we provided evidence that YAP1 influenced multiple signaling pathways in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. We reported that miR-590-5p directly targets YAP1 and inhibits tumorigenesis in CRC cells both in vitro and in vivo xenograft model. We analyzed different cell densities and found that increased density caused increased expression of miR-590-5p, and decreased expression of its precursors (pri- and pre-miR-590). Increasing cancer cell density upregulated the expression of a RNase III endonuclease, DICER1. DICER1 increased miR-590 biogenesis and inhibited YAP1. In DICER1-defective CRC cells, addition of pre-miR-590 did not inhibit YAP1 expression. Analyses of clinical data demonstrated that the DICER1-miR-590-5p-YAP1 axis was dysregulated in CRC specimens and affected patient survival. Cell-cell contact inhibition is crucial to prevent uncontrolled cell proliferation. Identification of this cell density-sensitive, DICER1-miR-590-5p-YAP1 axis may provide a basis for developing new biomarkers or targeted therapies for CRC.

MicroRNA-429 inhibits gastric cancer migration and invasion through the downregulation of specificity protein 1

microRNAs (miRs) have been reported to have an important role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Although miR-429 has been shown to be downregulated in gastric cancer (GC), the function of miR-429 in the metastasis of GC has yet to be investigated. In the present study, GC cells were transfected with miR-429, and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, cell migration assays, cell invasion assays, western blot analysis and luciferase assays were conducted to investigate the role of miR-429 in GC cells. It was demonstrated that miR-429 expression was markedly increased following transfection of the cells with miR-429. Furthermore, miR-429 was shown to inhibit the migration and invasion of GC cell lines. In addition, this study provided evidence that miR-429 directly targets specificity protein 1 in GC cells. The results of the present study may enhance current knowledge regarding the molecular basis of cancer metastasis and provide a potential therapeutic strategy for GC.