Therapeutic Targeting of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer

Expression of Long Non-Coding RNA H19 in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

OObjective: Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) H19 has essential roles in growth, migration, invasion, and metastasis of most cancers. H19 dysregulation is present in a large number of solid tumors and leukemia. However, the expression level of H19 in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has not been elucidated yet. The current study aimed to explore H19 expression in ALL patients and cell lines.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This experimental study was conducted in bone marrow (BM) samples collected from 25 patients with newly diagnosed ALL. In addition, we cultured the RPMI-8402, Jurkat, Ramos, and Daudi cell lines and assessed the effects of internal (hypoxia) and external (chemotherapy medications L-asparaginase [ASP] and vincristine [VCR]) factors on h19 expression. The expressions of H19, P53, c-Myc, HIF-1α and β-actin were performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method.

RESULTS

There was significantly increased H19 expression in the B-cell ALL (B-ALL, P<0.05), T-cell ALL (T-ALL, P<0.01) patients and the cell lines. This upregulation was governed by the P53, HIF-1α, and c-Myc transcription factors. We observed that increased c-Myc expression induced H19 expression; however, P53 adversely affected H19 expression. In addition, the results indicated that chemotherapy changed the gene expression pattern. There was a considerable decrease in H19 expression after exposure to chemotherapy medications; nonetheless, hypoxia induced H19 expression through P53 downregulation.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that H19 may have an important role in pathogenesis in ALL and may act as a promising and potential therapeutic target.

The potential regulatory role of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis in teleost fish

Research over the past two decades has confirmed that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), which are abundant in cells from yeast to vertebrates, are no longer "junk" transcripts but functional regulators that can mediate various cellular and physiological processes. The dysregulation of ncRNAs is closely related to the imbalance of cellular homeostasis and the occurrence and development of various diseases. In mammals, ncRNAs, such as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), have been shown to serve as biomarkers and intervention targets in growth, development, immunity, and disease progression. The regulatory functions of lncRNAs on gene expression are usually mediated by crosstalk with miRNAs. The most predominant mode of lncRNA-miRNA crosstalk is the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis, in which lncRNAs act as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Compared to mammals, little attention has been given to the role and mechanism of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis in teleost species. In this review, we provide current knowledge about the teleost lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis, focusing on its physiological and pathological regulation in growth and development, reproduction, skeletal muscle, immunity to bacterial and viral infections, and other stress-related immune responses. Herein, we also explored the potential application of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA axis in the aquaculture industry. These findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of ncRNA and ncRNA-ncRNA crosstalk in fish biology to improve aquaculture productivity, fish health and quality.

Evaluation of Apoptosis, Cell Proliferation and Cell Cycle Progression by Inactivation of the NEAT1 Long Noncoding RNA in a Renal Carcinoma Cell Line Using CRISPR/Cas9

Background

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in cellular mechanisms including transcription, translation, and apoptosis. NEAT1 is one of the essential types of lncRNAs in humans that can bind to active genes and modify their transcription. NEAT1 upregulation in various forms of cancer such as kidney cancer has been reported. Kidney cancer accounts for approximately 3% of all cancers worldwide and occurs almost twice as often in men as in women.

Objectives

This study has been performed to knockout the NEAT1 gene using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique in the Renal Cell Carcinoma ACHN cell line and to evaluate its effects on cancer progression and apoptosis.

Material and Methods

Two specific (single guide RNA (sgRNA) sequences for the NEAT1 gene were designed by CHOPCHOP software. These sequences were then cloned into plasmid pSpcas9, and recombinant vectors PX459-sgRNA1 and PX459-sgRNA2 were generated. ACHN cells were transfected using recombinant vectors carrying sgRNA1 and sgRNA2. The expression level of apoptosis-related genes was assessed by real-time PCR. Annexin, MTT and cell scratch tests were performed to evaluate the survival, proliferation, and migration of the knocked out cells, respectively.

Results

The results have shown successful knockout of the NEAT1 gene in the cells of the treatment group. Expressions of P53, BAK, BAX and FAS genes in the cells of the treatment group (NEAT1 knockout) showed significant increases in expression compared to the cells of the control group (P <0.01). Additionally, decreased expression of BCL2 and survivin genes was observed in knockout cells compared to the control group (p <0.05). In addition, in the cells of the treatment group compared to control cells, a significant decrease in cell viability, ability to migrate and cell growth and proliferation was observed.

Conclusion

Inactivation of the NEAT1 gene in ACHN cell line using CRISPR/Cas9 technology elevated apoptosis and reduced cell survival and proliferation which makes it a novel target for kidney cancer therapeutics.

A novel regulator in cancer initiation and progression: long noncoding RNA SHNG9

Cancer has become the most common life-threatening disease in the world. Cancers presenting with advanced stages and metastasis show poor prognosis, even with the application of radiotherapy, surgery, chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It is of great importance to explore novel, efficient biomarkers and their internal mechanisms. Recently, it has been reported that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumor initiation and progression, influencing downstream mRNAs by interacting with miRNAs and functioning as sponges in competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 9 (SNHG9) binds with miRNAs, inducing miRNA downregulation. The downregulated miRNAs enhance downstream target gene expression via ceRNA networks. Dysregulation of SNHG9 is widely observed in tumors and is associated with clinical prognosis features, which makes it a valuable target for cancer biomarkers and therapeutics. Dysregulated SNHG9 in tumor cells also functions in tumor proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion and inhibition of apoptosis and tumor cell metabolism. This systematic review of SNHG9 in tumors provides new perspectives on cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Interactions of melatonin with various signaling pathways: implications for cancer therapy

Melatonin is a neuro-hormone with conserved roles in evolution. Initially synthetized as an antioxidant molecule, it has gained prominence as a key molecule in the regulation of the circadian rhythm. Melatonin exerts its effect by binding to cytoplasmic and intra-nuclear receptors, and is able to regulate the expression of key mediators of different signaling pathways. This ability has led scholars to investigate the role of melatonin in reversing the process of carcinogenesis, a process in which many signaling pathways are involved, and regulating these pathways may be of clinical significance. In this review, the role of melatonin in regulating multiple signaling pathways with important roles in cancer progression is discussed, and evidence regarding the beneficence of targeting malignancies with this approach is presented.

Ferroptosis: Reviewing CRC with the Third Eye

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has been one of the most common cancers and maintains the second-highest incidence and mortality rates among all cancers. The high risk of recurrence and metastasis and poor survival are still huge challenges in CRC therapy, in which the discovery of ferroptosis provides a novel perspective. It has been ten years since a unique type of regulated cell death driven by iron accumulation and lipid peroxidation was proposed and named ferroptosis. During the past decade, there have been multiple pieces of evidence suggesting that ferroptosis participates in the pathophysiological processes during disease progression. In this review, we describe ferroptosis as an imbalance of oxidant systems and anti-oxidants which results in lipid peroxidation, membrane damage, and finally cell death. We elaborate on the mechanisms of ferroptosis and systematically summarize recent studies on the regulatory pathways of ferroptosis in CRC from various perspectives, ranging from encoding genes, noncoding RNAs to regulatory proteins. Finally, we discuss the potential therapeutic role of ferroptosis in CRC treatments.

Roles and Mechanisms of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a major health threat and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women worldwide. The detailed mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of breast cancer remain unclear. In recent years, amounting evidence indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) played crucial roles in regulating various biological processes and malignancy tumors, including breast cancer. In this review, we briefly introduce the functions and underlying mechanisms by which lncRNAs are involved in breast cancer. We summarize the roles of the lncRNAs in regulating malignant behaviors of breast cancer, such as cell proliferation, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), apoptosis, and drug resistance. Additionally, we also briefly summarize the roles of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in breast cancer carcinogenesis.

Single Oligonucleotide Capture of RNA And Temperature Elution Series ( SOCRATES ) for Identification of RNA-binding Proteins

The importance of studying the mechanistic aspects of long non-coding RNAs is being increasingly emphasized as more and more regulatory RNAs are being discovered. Non-coding RNA sequences directly associate with generic RNA-binding proteins as well as specific proteins, which cooperate in the downstream functions of the RNA and can also be dysregulated in various physiologic states and/or diseases. While current methods exist for identifying RNA-protein interactions, these methods require high quantities of input cells or use pooled capture reagents that may increase non-specific binding. We have developed a method to efficiently capture specific RNAs using less than one million input cells. One single oligonucleotide is used to pull down the target RNA of choice and oligonucleotide selection is driven by sequence accessibility. We perform thermal elution to specifically elute the target RNA and its associated proteins, which are identified by mass spectrometry. Ultimately, two target and control oligonucleotides are used to create an enrichment map of interacting proteins of interest. This protocol was validated in: eLife (2021), DOI: 10.7554/eLife.68263.

Is Evolutionary Conservation a Useful Predictor for Cancer Long Noncoding RNAs? Insights from the Cancer LncRNA Census 3

Evolutionary conservation is a measure of gene functionality that is widely used to prioritise long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) in cancer research. Intriguingly, while updating our Cancer LncRNA Census (CLC), we observed an inverse relationship between year of discovery and evolutionary conservation. This observation is specific to cancer over other diseases, implying a sampling bias in the selection of lncRNA candidates and casting doubt on the value of evolutionary metrics for the prioritisation of cancer-related lncRNAs.

Non-coding RNA-related antitumor mechanisms of marine-derived agents

In the last two decades, natural active substances have attracted great attention in developing new antitumor drugs, especially in the marine environment. A series of marine-derived compounds or derivatives with potential antitumor effects have been discovered and developed, but their mechanisms of action are not well understood. Emerging studies have found that several tumor-related signaling pathways and molecules are involved in the antitumor mechanisms of marine-derived agents, including noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). In this review, we provide an update on the regulation of marine-derived agents associated with ncRNAs on tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion, migration, drug sensitivity and resistance. Herein, we also describe recent advances in marine food-derived ncRNAs as antitumor agents that modulate cross-species gene expression. A better understanding of the antitumor mechanisms of marine-derived agents mediated, regulated, or sourced by ncRNAs will provide new biomarkers or targets for potential antitumor drugs from preclinical discovery and development to clinical application.

LncRNA CRLM1 inhibits apoptosis and promotes metastasis through transcriptional regulation cooperated with hnRNPK in colorectal cancer

Background

Colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) continue to have a low survival rate. The number of CRLM regulators and clinical indicators remains limited. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a new master regulator of cell invasion and metastasis. However, the function and regulation mechanism of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis are yet unknown.

Methods

To screen and identify CRLM-related lncRNAs, public transcriptome data were used. Gain and loss of function experiments were carried out to investigate the biological activities of lncRNA CRLM1 in vitro and in vivo. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP), immunofluorescence (IF), quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), western blotting, and rescue experiments were performed to explore the molecular mechanism of CRLM1. Moreover, identified the proteins, DNAs, and RNAs that interact with CRLM1.

Results

The investigation of lncRNA expression dynamics in CRLM, primary CRC, and normal tissues in this work resulted in identifying a series of lncRNAs associated with metastasis, including CRLM1. CRLM1 inhibited apoptosis of CRC cells and promoted liver metastasis in Balb/C nude mice. CRLM1 was weakly associated with the chromatin regions of genes involved in cell adhesion and DNA damage, and this association was bidirectionally correlated with CRLM1-regulated pro-metastatic gene expression. CRLM1 physically interacts with the hnRNPK protein and promotes its nuclear localization. CRLM1 effectively enhances hnRNPK promoter occupancy and co-regulates the expression of a panel of metastatic genes.

Conclusions

The finding of the clinically significant lncRNA CRLM1 in promoting metastasis and regulating gene expression suggests a potential biomarker and target for CRLM therapy.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13578-022-00849-9.

DANCR deletion retards the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma based on gene knockout and patient-derived xenograft in situ hepatoma mice model

Our previous study has demonstrated that the expression level of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) increases in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), contributing to the initiation and aggravation of such kind of malignant tumor, which is recognized as a promising therapeutic target for patients with HCC. To further investigate the effect of DANCR on HCC in preclinical models, we generated a Dancr knockout (KO) mice model by Cas9/gRNA technology and a patient-derived xenograft (PDX) in situ hepatoma mice model using immunodeficient mice and utilized adeno-associated virus 8 (AAV8) delivery DANCR-shRNA system to silence the expression of DANCR in xenograft tumor. Here, we reported that Dancr expression mainly occurred in hepatocytes and its depletion significantly alleviated hepatic fibrosis in mice and showed a prospective result with smaller tumor size and fewer number of tumors in HCC preclinical mice model. Additionally, we found that the expression of Dancr in mice cirrhotic liver was positively correlated with the content of Dancr in serum. Overall, DANCR KO can inhibit the occurrence and development of HCC and is a target worthy of further study in patients with HCC.

A single N6-methyladenosine site regulates lncRNA HOTAIR function in breast cancer cells

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification of RNA regulates normal and cancer biology, but knowledge of its function on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains limited. Here, we reveal that m6A regulates the breast cancer-associated human lncRNA HOTAIR. Mapping m6A in breast cancer cell lines, we identify multiple m6A sites on HOTAIR, with 1 single consistently methylated site (A783) that is critical for HOTAIR-driven proliferation and invasion of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells. Methylated A783 interacts with the m6A "reader" YTHDC1, promoting chromatin association of HOTAIR, proliferation and invasion of TNBC cells, and gene repression. A783U mutant HOTAIR induces a unique antitumor gene expression profile and displays loss-of-function and antimorph behaviors by impairing and, in some cases, causing opposite gene expression changes induced by wild-type (WT) HOTAIR. Our work demonstrates how modification of 1 base in an lncRNA can elicit a distinct gene regulation mechanism and drive cancer-associated phenotypes.

Identification of long non-coding RNA using single nucleotide epimutation analysis: a novel gene discovery approach

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in a variety of mechanisms related to tumorigenesis by functioning as oncogenes or tumor-suppressors or even harboring oncogenic and tumor-suppressing effects; representing a new class of cancer biomarkers and therapeutic targets. It is predicted that more than 35,000 ncRNA especially lncRNA are positioned at the intergenic regions of the human genome. Emerging research indicates that one of the key pathways controlling lncRNA expression and tissue specificity is epigenetic regulation.

METHODS

In the current article, a novel approach for lncRNA discovery based on the intergenic position of most lncRNAs and a single CpG site methylation level representing epigenetic characteristics has been suggested.

RESULTS

Using this method, a novel antisense lncRNA named LINC02892 presenting three transcripts without the capacity of coding a protein was found exhibiting nuclear, cytoplasmic, and exosome distributions.

CONCLUSION

The current discovery strategy could be applied to identify novel non-coding RNAs influenced by methylation aberrations.

Epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related long noncoding RNAs in gastric carcinoma

As an evolutionarily phenotypic conversion program, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been implicated in tumour deterioration and has facilitated the metastatic ability of cancer cells via enhancing migration and invasion. Gastric cancer (GC) remains a frequently diagnosed non-skin malignancy globally. Most GC-associated mortality can be attributed to metastasis. Recent studies have shown that EMT-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in GC progression and GC cell motility. In addition, lncRNAs are associated with EMT-related transcription factors and signalling pathways. In the present review, we comprehensively described the EMT-inducing lncRNA molecular mechanisms and functional perspectives of EMT-inducing lncRNAs in GC progression. Taken together, the statements of this review provided a clinical implementation in identifying lncRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for advanced GC.

Long noncoding RNA ST8SIA6-AS1 promotes cell proliferation and metastasis in triple-negative breast cancer by targeting miR-145-5p/CDCA3 to inactivate the p53/p21 signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, always exhibits a poor prognosis due to high risk of early recurrence and distant metastasis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported as crucial regulators in breast cancer. However, the functions and action mechanisms of lncRNA ST8SIA6-AS1 in TNBC are largely unknown.

METHODS

Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot assays were used to measure the expression levels of different genes and proteins. Cell proliferation ability was monitored by CCK-8, colony forming and flow cytometry assays. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion. The regulatory mechanisms of ST8SIA6-AS1 in TNBC were confirmed by dual luciferase reporter and RIP assays. A mouse xenograft model was established to investigate the role of ST8SIA6-AS1 in TNBC tumor growth.

RESULTS

ST8SIA6-AS1 displayed a higher expression in TNBC cells. Silencing ST8SIA6-AS1 impaired cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, migration, and invasion in vitro, and slowed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, ST8SIA6-AS1 could facilitate the expression of its target CDCA3 (cell division cycle associated protein 3) and inactivate the p53/p21 signaling by inhibiting miR-145-5p. Moreover, miR-145-5p exerted a tumor-suppressive activity by targeting CDCA3. The tumor-suppressive effects induced by ST8SIA6-AS1 knockdown were abated by the down-regulation of miR-145-5p or the up-regulation of CDCA3.

CONCLUSION

ST8SIA6-AS1 exerts an oncogenic role in TNBC by interacting with miR-145-5p to up-regulate CDCA3 expression and inactivate the p53/p21 signaling, highlighting ST8SIA6-AS1 as a promising molecular target to combat TNBC.

APAF1-Binding Long Noncoding RNA Promotes Tumor Growth and Multidrug Resistance in Gastric Cancer by Blocking Apoptosome Assembly

Chemotherapeutics remain the first choice for advanced gastric cancers (GCs). However, drug resistance and unavoidable severe toxicity lead to chemotherapy failure and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in tumor progression in many cancers, including GC. Here, through RNA screening, an apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (APAF1)-binding lncRNA (ABL) that is significantly elevated in cancerous GC tissues and an independent prognostic factor for GC patients is identified. Moreover, ABL overexpression inhibits GC cell apoptosis and promotes GC cell survival and multidrug resistance in GC xenograft and organoid models. Mechanistically, ABL directly binds to the RNA-binding protein IGF2BP1 via its KH1/2 domain, and then IGF2BP1 further recognizes the METTL3-mediated m6A modification on ABL, which maintains ABL stability. In addition, ABL can bind to the WD1/WD2 domain of APAF1, which competitively prevent cytochrome c from interacting with APAF1, blocking apoptosome assembly and caspase-9/3 activation; these events lead to resistance to cell death in GC cells. Intriguingly, targeting ABL using encapsulated liposomal siRNA can significantly enhance the sensitivity of GC cells to chemotherapy. Collectively, the results suggest that ABL can be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in GC.

Unveiling caspase-2 regulation by non-coding RNAs

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a group of RNA molecules, such as small nucleolar RNAs, circular RNAs (circRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs) and long-noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), that do not encode proteins. Although their biofunctions are not well-understood, many regulatory ncRNAs appear to be highly involved in regulating the transcription and translation of several genes that have essential biological roles including cell differentiation, cell death, metabolism, tumorigenesis and so on. A growing number of studies have revealed the associations between dysregulated ncRNAs and caspases involved in cell death in numerous human diseases. As one of the initiator and executor caspases, caspase-2 is the most evolutionally conserved caspase in mammals, exerting both apoptotic and non-apoptotic functions. A great deal of studies has shown the involvement of caspase-2 as a tumor suppressor in multiple oncogene-driven cancers, and yet a comprehensive understanding of its biological roles remains largely unknown. In this review, we highlight a compilation of studies focused on the interaction between caspase-2 and miRNAs/lncRNAs in the context of different diseases in order to deepen our knowledge on the regulatory biofunctions of caspase-2 and, furthermore, provide more insight into understanding the role that ncRNAs/caspase-2 axis plays in the development of human diseases.

Long noncoding RNA negative regulator of antiviral response contributes to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression via targeting miR-299-3p

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal cancer (PDAC) has high malignancy and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with high levels of malignancy, including PDAC. However, the biological and clinical significance of negative regulator of antiviral response (NRAV) in PDAC is unclear.

AIM

To study the regulatory role of lncRNA NRAV in PDAC.

METHODS

GEPIA analyzed lncRNA NRAV and miRNA (miR-299-3p) expression levels in PDAC tissues and measured them in PDAC cells by quantitative measurements in real time. The specific role of NRAV and miR-299-3p in cell proliferation and transfer potential was evaluated by cell formation analysis, Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell analysis. The relationship between NRAV and miR-299-3p was studied by predictive bioinformatics, RNA immunoassay, and fluorescence enzyme analysis. In vivo experiments included transplantation of simulated tumor cells under naked mice.

RESULTS

The expression level of lncRNA NRAV was higher in both tumor tissues and cell lines of PDAC and was negatively associated with the clinical survival of PDAC patients. Functionally, overexpression of NRAV promoted cell proliferation and metastasis of PDAC cells, while knockdown of NRAV reversed these effects. Finally, NRAV was performed as a molecular sponge of miR-299-3p. Moreover, overexpression of miR-299-3p could reverse the promoting effects of NRAV on cell proliferation and metastasis of PDAC cells.

CONCLUSION

NRAV facilitates progression of PDAC as a molecular sponge of miR-299-3p and may be a potential molecular marker for diagnosis and treatment of PDAC.

LincRNAs and snoRNAs in Breast Cancer Cell Metastasis: The Unknown Players

Recent advances in research have led to earlier diagnosis and targeted therapies against breast cancer, which has resulted in reduced breast cancer-related mortality. However, the majority of breast cancer-related deaths are due to metastasis of cancer cells to other organs, a process that has not been fully elucidated. Among the factors and genes implicated in the metastatic process regulation, non-coding RNAs have emerged as crucial players. This review focuses on the role of long intergenic noncoding RNAs (lincRNAs) and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) in breast cancer cell metastasis. LincRNAs are transcribed between two protein-coding genes and are longer than 200 nucleotides, they do not code for a specific protein but function as regulatory molecules in processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, migration, and invasion while most of them are highly elevated in breast cancer tissues and seem to function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) inhibiting relevant miRNAs that specifically target vital metastasis-related genes. Similarly, snoRNAs are 60-300 nucleotides long and are found in the nucleolus being responsible for the post-transcriptional modification of ribosomal and spliceosomal RNAs. Most snoRNAs are hosted inside intron sequences of protein-coding and non-protein-coding genes, and they also regulate metastasis-related genes affecting related cellular properties.

LINC00467: A key oncogenic long non-coding RNA

The significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development and progression of human cancers has attracted increasing attention in recent years of investigations. Having versatile interactions and diverse functions, lncRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor-suppressors to actively regulate cell proliferation, survival, stemness, drug resistance, invasion and metastasis. LINC00467, an oncogenic member of long intergenic non-coding RNAs, is upregulated in numerous malignancies and its high expression is often related to poor clinicopathological features. LINC00467 facilitates the progression of cancer via sponging tumor-suppressive microRNAs, inhibiting cell death cascade, modulating cell cycle controllers, and regulating signalling pathways including AKT, STAT3, NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin. A growing number of studies have revealed that LINC00467 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and its inhibitory targeting has a valuable therapeutic potential to suppress the malignant phenotypes of cancer cells. In the present review, we discuss the importance of LINC00467 and provide a comprehensive collection of its functions and molecular mechanisms in a variety of cancer types.

Allelic expression imbalance in articular cartilage and subchondral bone refined genome-wide association signals in osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVES

To present an unbiased approach to identify positional transcript single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of osteoarthritis (OA) risk loci by allelic expression imbalance (AEI) analyses using RNA sequencing of articular cartilage and subchondral bone from OA patients.

METHODS

RNA sequencing from 65 articular cartilage and 24 subchondral bone from OA patients was used for AEI analysis. AEI was determined for all genes present in the 100 regions reported by the GWAS catalog that were also expressed in cartilage or bone. The count fraction of the alternative allele (φ) was calculated for each heterozygous individual with the risk-SNP or with the SNP in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with it (r2 > 0.6). Furthermore, a meta-analysis was performed to generate a meta-φ (null hypothesis median φ = 0.49) and P-value for each SNP.

RESULTS

We identified 30 transcript SNPs (28 in cartilage and 2 in subchondral bone) subject to AEI in 29 genes. Notably, 10 transcript SNPs were located in genes not previously reported in the GWAS catalog, including two long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs), MALAT1 (meta-φ = 0.54, FDR = 1.7x10-4) and ILF3-DT (meta-φ = 0.6, FDR = 1.75x10-5). Moreover, 12 drugs were interacting with 7 genes displaying AEI, of which 7 drugs have been already approved.

CONCLUSIONS

By prioritizing proxy transcript SNPs that mark AEI in cartilage and/or subchondral bone at loci harboring GWAS signals, we present an unbiased approach to identify the most likely functional OA risk-SNP and gene. We identified 10 new potential OA risk genes ready for further, translation towards underlying biological mechanisms.

Long non-coding RNAs play an important regulatory role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression through aerobic glycolysis

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells generate ATP mainly through aerobic glycolysis, which promotes tumorigenesis and tumor progression. Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are a class of transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides with little or without evident protein-encoding function. LncRNAs are involved in the ten hallmarks of cancer, interestingly, they are also closely associated with aerobic glycolysis. However, the mechanism of this process is non-transparent to date. Demonstrating the mechanism of lncRNAs regulating tumorigenesis and tumor progression through aerobic glycolysis is particularly critical for cancer therapy, and may provide novel therapeutic targets or strategies in cancer treatment. In this review, we discuss the role of lncRNAs and aerobic glycolysis in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, and further explore their interaction, in hope to provide a novel therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Circular RNAs as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers in renal cell carcinoma

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play pivotal roles in proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells. This study is aimed to systematically summarize the current evidence regarding the clinical implications of circRNAs in RCC patients.

Methods

A systematic search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was performed until January 1, 2022. The correlation between the expression of circRNAs and clinicopathological, prognostic, and diagnostic features of RCC was evaluated using the meta‐analysis.

Results

Ultimately, 41 studies with 3485 RCC patients were included in this study: 26 studies for clinicopathological features, 31 studies for prognosis, and eight studies for diagnosis. Altered expression of circRNAs was significantly associated with clinicopathological characteristics of RCC, including tumor size, tumor stage, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, and TNM stage. The tumor promoter circRNAs were associated with reduced overall survival (OS) (Hazard Ratio (HR) = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68–2.34) and disease/progression/recurrence‐free survival (DFS/PFS/RFS) (HR = 2.34, 95% CI 1.85–2.97). Contrarily, the tumor suppressor circRNAs were linked with better OS (HR = 0.49, 95% CI 0.40–0.60) and DFS/PFS/RFS (HR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.28–0.59). The pooled sensitivity and specificity of circRNAs for RCC diagnosis in tissue samples were both 0.84. These results in fluid samples (serum and urine) were 0.78 and 0.69, respectively.

Conclusion

CircRNAs can serve as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for RCC.

Effect of long noncoding RNA CCAT2 on drug sensitivity to 5-fluorouracil of breast cancer cells through microRNA-145 meditated by p53

The current study was set out to investigate the mechanism by which silenced long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) colon cancer-associated transcript 2 (CCAT2) modulates the cell growth, migration, invasion, and drug sensitivity of breast cancer (BC) cells to 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) with the involvement of miR-145 and p53. First, high CCAT2 expression was presented in BC cells and tissues. Subsequently, the links between CCAT2 expression and BC clinicopathological features were analyzed. Highly-expressed CCAT2 was linked to lymph node metastasis, positive progesterone receptor, estrogen receptor, and Ki-67 of BC cells. Then, the gain- and loss-of-function approaches were performed to measure the regulatory role of CCAT2 in the biological processes of BC cells. Silencing of CCAT2 suppressed in vitro cell growth, proliferation, invasion, migration abilities, and epithelial-mesenchymal transformation, increased cell apoptosis, and enhanced drug sensitivity of BC cells. Silencing of CCAT2 upregulated miR-145, which was poorly expressed in drug-resistant BC cells. p53 can bind to the miR-145 promoter region and increase miR-145 expression. Upregulation of miR-145 induced by silencing of CCAT2 can be invalidated by p53-siRNA. To conclude, p53-induced activation of miR-145 could be inhibited by CCAT2, while overexpression of CCAT2 could improve the drug resistance of BC cells to 5-Fu.

Microtubule-affinity regulating kinase 4: A potential drug target for cancer therapy

The human genome encodes more than 500 protein kinases that work by transferring the γ-phosphate group from ATP to serine, threonine, or tyrosine (Ser/Thr/Tyr) residues. Various kinases are associated with the onset of cancer and its further progression. The recent advancements in developing small-molecule kinase inhibitors to treat different cancer types have shown noticeable results in clinical therapies. Microtubule-affinity regulating kinase 4 (MARK-4) is a Ser/Thr protein kinase that relates structurally to AMPK/Snf1 subfamily of the CaMK kinases. The protein kinase modulates major signalling pathways such as NF-κB, mTOR and the Hippo-signalling pathway. MARK4 is associated with various cancer types due to its important role in regulating microtubule dynamics and subsequent cell division. Aberrant expression of MARK4 is linked with several pathologies such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, obesity, etc. This review provides detailed information on structural aspects of MARK4 and its role in various signalling pathways related to cancer. Several therapeutic molecules were designed to inhibit the MARK4 activity from controlling associated diseases. The review further highlights kinase-targeted drug discovery and development in oncology and cancer therapies. Finally, we summarize the latest findings regarding the role of MARK4 in cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease path to provide a solid rationale for future investigation and therapeutic intervention.

Docetaxel resistance-derived LINC01085 contributes to the immunotherapy of hormone-independent prostate cancer by activating the STING/MAVS signaling pathway

Acquired docetaxel (doc) resistance, one of the major reasons for unfavorable prognosis in patients with aggressive hormone-independent prostate cancer (HIPC), is a major obstacle for patient treatment. Dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs promotes or suppresses chemoresistance in multiple cancers; however, the specific molecular mechanisms underlying HIPC remain unknown. In this study, we found that the LINC01085, as a tumor-suppressor, which showed significant clinically relevant in HIPC patients with doc-resistance. Mechanistically, in docetaxel-sensitive cells, LINC01085 could specifically bind to both TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), and higher LINC01085 RNA levels could inhibit TBK1 dimerization. Whereas, in doc-resistant cells, lower LINC01085 RNA level lost the strong binding with both, meanwhile, the interaction between TBK1 and GSK3β enhanced which accelerated TBK1 phosphorylation at the Ser-172 site, resulting in decreased expression levels of PD-L1 and NF-κB as well as the secretion of type I/III interferons. Thus, Overexpression of LINC01085 combined with immune checkpoint blockade is an effective strategy for the treatment of HIPC patients.

PVT1 is a stress-responsive lncRNA that drives ovarian cancer metastasis and chemoresistance

Metastatic growth of ovarian cancer cells into the peritoneal cavity requires adaptation to various cellular stress factors to facilitate cell survival and growth. Here, we demonstrate the role of PVT1, one such stress induced long non-coding RNA, in ovarian cancer growth and metastasis. PVT1 is an amplified and overexpressed lncRNA in ovarian cancer with strong predictive value for survival and response to targeted therapeutics. We find that expression of PVT1 is regulated by tumor cells in response to cellular stress, particularly loss of cell-cell contacts and changes in matrix rigidity occurring in a YAP1-dependent manner. Induction of PVT1 promotes tumor cell survival, growth, and migration. Conversely, reducing PVT1 levels robustly abrogates metastatic behavior and tumor cell dissemination in cell lines and syngeneic transplantation models in vivo. We find that reducing PVT1 causes widespread changes in the transcriptome leading to alterations in cellular stress response and metabolic pathways including doxorubicin metabolism, which impacts chemosensitivity. Together, these findings implicate PVT1 as a promising therapeutic target to suppress metastasis and chemoresistance in ovarian cancer.

A review on the role of MCM3AP-AS1 in the carcinogenesis and tumor progression

Minichromosome Maintenance Complex Component 3 Associated Protein Antisense 1 (MCM3AP-AS1) is an RNA gene located on 21q22.3. The sense transcript from this locus has dual roles in the pathogenesis of solid tumors and hematological malignancies. MCM3AP-AS1 has been shown to sequester miR-194-5p, miR-876-5p, miR-543-3p, miR-28-5p, miR-93, miR-545, miR-599, miR‐193a‐5p, miR-363-5p, miR-204-5p, miR-211-5p, miR-15a, miR-708-5p, miR-138, miR-138-5p, miR-34a, miR-211, miR‐340‐5p, miR-148a, miR-195-5p and miR-126. Some cancer-related signaling pathway, namely PTEN/AKT, PI3K/AKT and ERK1/2 are influenced by this lncRNA. Cell line studies, animal studies and clinical studies have consistently reported oncogenic role of MCM3AP-AS1 in different tissues except for cervical cancer in which this lncRNA has tumor suppressor role. In the current manuscript, we collected evidence from these three sources of evidence to review the impact of MCM3AP-AS1 in the carcinogenesis.

Construction of Endometrial Carcinoma ceRNA Network and Screening of Key Genes Based on TCGA Database

Objective

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has received more and more attention in human tumor research. This study is aimed at clarifying the regulatory network of lncRNAs-microRNAs- (miRNAs-) mRNAs and at determining the relevant targets in the development of endometrial cancers.

Methods

Download the miRNA, mRNA, and lncRNA expression profile data of endometrial cancer patients from TCGA; use the "DESeq2" package of R software to identify the differential expression of miRNAs, mRNAs, and lncRNAs; construct a network of ceRNA; and perform gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway enrichment assessment on mRNAs in the network of ceRNA; string and Cytoscape 3.7.2 perform PPI assessment on target genes and TOP 10 hub gene screening; Cytoscape 3.7.2 computer program was employed for constructing the lncRNA-miRNA-TOP10 hub mRNA network diagram to determine the signal axis; StarBase database to verify the Top10 hub mRNA expression; the "survival" package in R computer program was implemented to analyze the survival rate of all genes on the lncRNA-miRNA-Top10 hub mRNA network diagram; RT-qPCR to verify the expression level of genes on the signal axis.

Results

1119 differential mRNAs, 14 differential lncRNAs, and 65 differential miRNAs were screened in TCGA; we constructed a ceRNA regulatory network composed of 5 DELs, 7 DEMs, and 90 DEGs; String combined with Cytoscape to screen out Top10 hub genes, namely: LEFTY1, LIN28A, LHX3, ST8SIA3, CEP55, FBXO32, DCN, ANGPTL1, ADRA1A, and KCNMA1; the StarBase database verification results show that ADRA1A, ANGPTL1, FBXO32, KCNMA1, and DCN are downregulated in endometrial cancer tissues; LEFTY1, LIN28A, LHX3, ST8SIA3, and CEP55 are upregulated in endometrial cancer; the constructed lncRNA-miRNA-hub Top10 mRNA network map identified CTD-2314B22, RP11-89 K21/hsa-miR-143, hsa-miR-424/LEFTY1, LIN28A, LHX3, ST8SIA3, and CEP55 signal axis; survival analysis results show that CTD-2314B22, RP11-89 K21, hsa-miR-96, hsa-miR-211, LHX3, ST8SIA3, and DCN are all related to survival; RT-qPCR results indicate CTD-2314B22, RP11-89 K21, LEFTY1, LIN28A, LHX3, ST8SIA3, and CEP55 are upregulated in endometrial cancer cells, and hsa-miR-143 and hsa-miR-424 are downregulated in endometrial cancer cells.

Conclusion

From the perspective of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network, our study identified CTD-2314B22, RP11-89 K21/hsa-miR-143, hsa-miR-424/LEFTY1, LIN28A, LHX3, ST8SIA3, and CEP55 signal axis, which can present considerably potent biomarkers and therapeutic targets for treating endometrial cancer.

Identification of prognostic and immunotherapy-related eRNA ID2-AS1 in bladder cancer

AbstractEnhancer RNAs (eRNAs) can participate in enhancer regulation and target gene transcription, thus affecting the occurrence and development of tumors. In this study, we identified eRNAs closely related to bladder cancer (BLCA). Gene expression profiles and clinical information from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used in this study. The Atlas of Noncoding RNAs in Cancer (TANRIC) co-expression data was also studied to evaluate correlations between the inferred levels of eRNA and its predicted target genes. Moreover, we evaluated differences in tumor microenvironment between high and low ID2-AS1 expression groups, and predicted the response of high- and low-expression groups to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment. Finally, we analyzed the prognostic value of ID2-AS1 in different tumors. ID2-AS1 and ID2 were identified as eRNAs and target genes related to the prognosis of BLCA. Low ID2-AS1 levels were associated with advanced age, low overall survival, high histological grade, and late BLCA staging. ID2-AS1 appeared to regulate epithelial mesenchymal transition, mitotic spindle assembly, and angiogenesis, thereby affecting BLCA progression. The ID2-AS1 high-expression group had better ICI treatment response. In addition, ID2-AS1 also had prognostic value in other cancers. ID2-AS1 helps predict prognostic and immunotherapeutic effects in BLCA.

Recent Deep Learning Methodology Development for RNA–RNA Interaction Prediction

Genetic regulation of organisms involves complicated RNA–RNA interactions (RRIs) among messenger RNA (mRNA), microRNA (miRNA), and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). Detecting RRIs is beneficial for discovering biological mechanisms as well as designing new drugs. In recent years, with more and more experimentally verified RNA–RNA interactions being deposited into databases, statistical machine learning, especially recent deep-learning-based automatic algorithms, have been widely applied to RRI prediction with remarkable success. This paper first gives a brief introduction to the traditional machine learning methods applied on RRI prediction and benchmark databases for training the models, and then provides a recent methodology overview of deep learning models in the prediction of microRNA (miRNA)–mRNA interactions and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)–miRNA interactions.

The crosstalk between long non-coding RNAs and the hedgehog signaling pathway in cancer

Hedgehog (Hh) is a conserved signaling pathway that is involved in embryo development as well as adult tissue maintenance and repair in invertebrates and vertebrates. Abnormal activation of this pathway in various types of malignant drug- and apoptosis-resistant tumors has made it a therapeutic target against tumorigenesis. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanisms that promote the activation or inhibition of this pathway is critical. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a subclass of non-coding RNAs with a length of > 200 nt, affect the expression of Hh signaling components via a variety of transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes. This review focuses on the crosstalk between lncRNAs and the Hh pathway in carcinogenesis, outlines the broad role of Hh-related lncRNAs in tumor progression, and illustrates their clinical diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic potential in tumors.

Noncoding RNA-mediated macrophage and cancer cell crosstalk in hepatocellular carcinoma

The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a well-recognized system that plays an essential role in tumor initiation, development, and progression. Intense intercellular communication between tumor cells and other cells (especially macrophages) occurs in the TME and is mediated by cell-to-cell contact and/or soluble messengers. Emerging evidence indicates that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are critical regulators of the relationship between cells within the TME. In this review, we provide an update on the regulation of ncRNAs (primarily micro RNAs [miRNAs], long ncRNAs [lncRNAs], and circular RNAs [circRNAs]) in the crosstalk between macrophages and tumor cells in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). These ncRNAs are derived from macrophages or tumor cells and act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, contributing to tumor progression not only by regulating the physiological and pathological processes of tumor cells but also by controlling macrophage infiltration, activation, polarization, and function. Herein, we also explore the options available for clinical therapeutic strategies targeting crosstalk-related ncRNAs to treat HCC. A better understanding of the relationship between macrophages and tumor cells mediated by ncRNAs will uncover new diagnostic biomarkers and pharmacological targets in cancer.

Designing libraries for pooled CRISPR functional screens of long noncoding RNAs

Human and other genomes encode tens of thousands of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), the vast majority of which remain uncharacterised. High-throughput functional screening methods, notably those based on pooled CRISPR-Cas perturbations, promise to unlock the biological significance and biomedical potential of lncRNAs. Such screens are based on libraries of single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) whose design is critical for success. Few off-the-shelf libraries are presently available, and lncRNAs tend to have cell-type-specific expression profiles, meaning that library design remains in the hands of researchers. Here we introduce the topic of pooled CRISPR screens for lncRNAs and guide readers through the three key steps of library design: accurate annotation of transcript structures, curation of optimal candidate sets, and design of sgRNAs. This review is a starting point and reference for researchers seeking to design custom CRISPR screening libraries for lncRNAs.

The multi-molecular mechanisms of tumor-targeted drug resistance in precision medicine

Clinically, cancer drug therapy is still dominated by chemotherapy drugs. Although the emergence of targeted drugs has greatly improved the survival rate of patients with advanced cancer, drug resistance has always been a difficult problem in clinical cancer treatment. At the current level of medicine, most drugs cannot escape the fate of drug resistance. With the emergence and development of gene detection, liquid biopsy ctDNA technology, and single-cell sequencing technology, the molecular mechanism of tumor drug resistance has gradually emerged. Drugs can also be updated in response to drug resistance mechanisms and bring higher survival benefits. The use of new drugs often leads to new mechanisms of resistance. In this review, the multi-molecular mechanisms of drug resistance are introduced, and the overcoming of drug resistance is discussed from the perspective of the tumor microenvironment.

Identification of LOC101927355 as a Novel Biomarker for Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia, a disorder with a heterogeneous physiopathology, can be attributed to maternal, fetal, and/or placental factors. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to a class of non-coding RNAs, the essential regulators of biological processes; their differential expression has been associated with the pathogenesis of multiple diseases. The study aimed to identify lncRNAs, expressed in the placentas and plasma of patients who presented with preeclampsia, as potential putative biomarkers of the disease. In silico analysis was performed to determine lncRNAs differentially expressed in the placentas of patients with preeclampsia, using a previously published RNA-Seq dataset. Seven placentas and maternal plasma samples collected at delivery from preterm preeclamptic patients (≤37 gestational weeks of gestation), and controls were used to validate the expression of lncRNAs by qRT-PCR. Six lncRNAs were validated and differentially expressed (p < 0.05) in the preeclampsia and control placentas: UCA1 and HCG4 were found upregulated, and LOC101927355, LINC00551, PART1, and NRAD1 downregulated. Two of these lncRNAs, HCG4 and LOC101927355, were also detected in maternal plasma, the latter showing a significant decrease (p = 0.03) in preeclamptic patients compared to the control group. In silico analyses showed the cytoplasmic location of LOC101927355, which suggests a role in post-transcriptional gene regulation. The detection of LOC101927355 in the placenta and plasma opens new possibilities for understanding the pathogenesis of preeclampsia and for its potential use as a biomarker.

DMDRMR promotes angiogenesis via antagonizing DAB2IP in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients are highly angiogenic and treated by targeted therapies against VEGFA/VEGFR signaling pathway. However, tumors with such targeted therapies remain a significant clinic challenge. Understanding the underlying mechanism against angiogenesis is highly desired. Here, we demonstrated that the lncRNA DMDRMR serves as a sponge of miR-378a-5p to increase EZH2 and SMURF1 expression, thus promoting EZH2-mediated transcriptional repression of DAB2IP and SMURF1-mediated degradation of DAB2IP. Consequently, this axis activates VEGFA/VEGFR2 signaling pathway, resulting in angiogenesis and resistance of tumor cells to sunitinib in ccRCC. Moreover, the competing endogenous RNA regulatory axis of DMDRMR is clinically relevant to ccRCC pathogenesis and prognosis of patients with ccRCC. Our results support that the DMDRMR/miR-378a-5p/DAB2IP axis may serve as a novel target for combination diagnosis or therapy of ccRCC patients. Our findings may have highly clinical relevance for future translation to develop the targeted therapies for patients with ccRCC.

A ceRNA Network Composed of Survival-Related lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs in Clear Cell Renal Carcinoma

Clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) is one of the most common renal carcinomas worldwide, which has worse prognosis compared with other subtypes of tumors. We propose a potential RNA regulatory mechanism associated with ccRCC progression. Accordingly, we screened out clinical factors and the expression of RNAs and miRNAs of ccRCC from the TCGA database. 9 lncRNAs (FGF12-AS2, WT1-AS, TRIM36-IT1, AC009093.1, LINC00443, TCL6, COL18A1-AS1, AC110619.1, HOTTIP), 2 miRNAs (mir-155 and mir-21), and 3 mRNAs (COL4A4, ERMP1, PRELID2) were selected from differential expression RNAs and built predictive survival models. The survival models performed very well in predicting prognosis and were found to be highly correlated with tumor stage. In addition, the survival-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA (ceRNA) network was constructed by 18 RNAs including 12 mRNAs, 2 miRNAs, and 4 lncRNAs. It is found that the “ECM-receptor interaction,” “Pathways in cancer,” and “Chemokine signaling pathway” as the main pathways in KEGG pathway analysis. Overall, we established predictive survival model and ceRNA network based on multivariate Cox regression analysis. It may open a new approach and potential biomarkers for clinical prognosis and treatment of ccRCC patients.

Role of the Long Intergenic Non-Protein-Coding RNA 1278/miR-185-5p/Cystatin SN Axis in Laryngeal Cancer Cells

Laryngeal cancer accounts for 25%–30% of tumors in the head and neck. Cystatin SN (CST1) was revealed to show upregulated expression in this cancer, while its functions and upstream pathway remain unknown and need investigation. The current study was designed to solve this problem. We designed short hairpin RNAs targeting CST1 for the loss-of-function assays to probe the influences of CST1 in laryngeal cancer cell proliferation and motility. The upstream competitive endogenous RNA pattern of CST1 was searched using bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by luciferase reporter assays. The experimental results demonstrated that CST1 is a tumor facilitator in laryngeal cancer by stimulating cellular proliferative, migrative, and invasive abilities. CST1 is regulated by the long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 1278 (LINC01278)/miR-185-5p axis. LINC01278 knockdown and miR-185-5p overexpression exert the same functions as CST1 knockdown to repress cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, LINC01278 plays an oncogenic role in laryngeal cancer by suppressing miR-185-5p to enhance CST1 expression, which enriches the molecular mechanism for the carcinogenesis of laryngeal cancer.

Long Non Coding RNA Based Regulation of Cerebrovascular Endothelium

The rapid and high throughput discovery of long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has far outstripped the functional annotation of these novel transcripts in their respective cellular contexts. The cells of the blood brain barrier (BBB), especially the cerebrovascular endothelial cells (CVECs), are strictly regulated to maintain a controlled state of homeostasis for undisrupted brain function. Several key pathways are understood in CVEC function that lead to the development and maintenance of their barrier properties, the dysregulation of which leads to BBB breakdown and neuronal injury. Endothelial lncRNAs have been discovered and functionally validated in the past decade, spanning a wide variety of regulatory mechanisms in health and disease. We summarize here the lncRNA-mediated regulation of established pathways that maintain or disrupt the barrier property of CVECs, including in conditions such as ischemic stroke and glioma. These lncRNAs namely regulate the tight junction assembly/disassembly, angiogenesis, autophagy, apoptosis, and so on. The identification of these lncRNAs suggests a less understood mechanistic layer, calling for further studies in appropriate models of the blood brain barrier to shed light on the lncRNA-mediated regulation of CVEC function. Finally, we gather various approaches for validating lncRNAs in BBB function in human organoids and animal models and discuss the therapeutic potential of CVEC lncRNAs along with the current limitations.

Prognostic Value of LINC-ROR (rs1942347) Variant in Patients with Colon Cancer Harboring BRAF Mutation: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis

Emerging studies show that long intergenic non-protein coding RNA, regulator of reprogramming (LINC-ROR) is aberrantly expressed in several types of cancer, including colon cancer (CC). LINC-ROR intronic variant rs1942347 may impact gene regulation and disease phenotype. We aimed to explore the potential association of LINC-ROR (rs1942347) with the clinicopathological features and outcome of CC cases. Archived FFPE (n = 180) CC samples were enrolled. Taq-Man allelic discrimination PCR was used for genotyping in propensity-matched cohorts with/without positive staining for mutant BRAF protein after eliminating confounders bias. The rs1942347*A allele variant was associated with high pathological grade, larger tumor size, distant metastasis, and mortality. Multiple logistic regression analysis adjusted by sex and BRAF mutation showed A/A genotype carriers to have 3 times more risk of early onset of cancer (OR = 3.13, 95%CI = 1.28–7.69, p = 0.034) than T/T genotype carriers. Overall analysis showed that rs1942347*A allele carriers had higher risk of mortality under heterozygote (OR = 2.13, 95%CI = 1.08–4.35, p = 0.003), homozygote (OR = 5.0, 95%CI = 1.69–14.29, p = 0.003), dominant (OR = 3.33, 95%CI = 1.20–9.09, p = 0.003), and recessive (OR = 2.63, 95%CI = 1.37–5.0, p = 0.011) models compared to T/T allele carriers. Stratified analysis by BRAF status revealed that the ancestor T/T allele conferred protection in BRAF mutant CC patients and was associated with a 73–93% reduced risk of mortality under heterozygote/homozygote comparison models. Using Kaplan–Meier curves, carriers of the A/A genotype had shorter survival times than T/T cohorts. The univariate Cox regression model revealed that the A/A genotype was associated with a 3.5 times greater mortality risk than the T/T genotype. However, after adjustment by multiple Cox regression analysis, the risk was insignificant. In conclusion, this is the first study identifying the potential association of the LINC-ROR (rs1942347) variant with CC prognosis.