MiR-329 suppresses osteosarcoma development by downregulating Rab10

miR-329b-5p Affects Sheep Intestinal Epithelial Cells against Escherichia coli F17 Infection

Diarrhea is the most common issue in sheep farms, typically due to pathogenic Escherichia coli (E. coli) infections, such as E. coli F17. microRNA, a primary type of non-coding RNA, has been shown to be involved in diarrhea caused by pathogenic E. coli. To elucidate the profound mechanisms of miRNA in E. coli F17 infections, methods such as E. coli F17 adhesion assay, colony counting assay, relative quantification of bacterial E. coli fimbriae gene expression, indirect immune fluorescence (IF), Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), Western blotting (WB), and scratch assay were conducted to investigate the effect of miR-329b-5p overexpression/knock-down on E. coli F17 susceptibility of sheep intestinal epithelial cells (IECs). The findings indicated that miR-329b-5p enhances the E. coli F17 resistance of sheep IECs to E.coli F17 by promoting adhesion between E. coli F17 and IEC, as well as IEC proliferation and migration. In summary, miR-329b-5p plays a crucial role in the defense of sheep IECs against E. coli F17 infection, providing valuable insights into its mechanism of action.

Circ_SIPA1L1 Promotes Osteosarcoma Progression Via miR-379-5p/MAP3K9 Axis

Background: Osteosarcoma (OS) is a common malignant bone tumor. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert important roles in the pathogenesis of human cancers, including OS. In this study, the authors focused on the role and mechanism of circRNA signal-induced proliferation-associated 1 like 1 (circ_SIPA1L1) in OS. Methods: The enrichment of SIPA1L1, circ_SIPA1L1, microRNA-379-5p (miR-379-5p), and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 9 (MAP3K9) was assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was analyzed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The colony formation capacity was assessed through colony formation assay. Transwell assays were used to detect the migration and invasion abilities. Western blot assay was used to measure the expression of metastasis-related proteins and MAP3K9. The target interactions between the genes in circ_SIPA1L1/miR-379-5p/MAP3K9 axis were predicted by StarBase and confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The in vivo role of circ_SIPA1L1 was verified by murine xenograft assay. Results: Circ_SIPA1L1 abundance was aberrantly elevated in OS tissues and cell lines. Circ_SIPA1L1 accelerated the proliferation and metastasis abilities of OS cells. Circ_SIPA1L1 promoted the malignant behaviors of OS cells through elevating MAP3K9 level. MiR-379-5p directly bound to circ_SIPA1L1 and MAP3K9. MiR-379-5p interference rescued the abilities of proliferation and metastasis in OS cells, which were suppressed by the silencing of circ_SIPA1L1. Circ_SIPA1L1 promoted the development of OS via miR-379-5p/MAP3K9 in vivo. Conclusion: Circ_SIPA1L1 promoted the progression of OS via miR-379-5p/MAP3K9 axis.

Lnc-ing epigenetic mechanisms with autophagy and cancer drug resistance

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) comprise a diverse class of RNA molecules that regulate various physiological processes and have been reported to be involved in several human pathologies ranging from neurodegenerative disease to cancer. Therapeutic resistance is a major hurdle for cancer treatment. Over the past decade, several studies has emerged on the role of lncRNAs in cancer drug resistance and many trials have been conducted employing them. LncRNAs also regulate different cell death pathways thereby maintaining a fine balance of cell survival and death. Autophagy is a complex cell-killing mechanism that has both cytoprotective and cytotoxic roles. Similarly, autophagy can lead to the induction of both chemosensitization and chemoresistance in cancer cells upon therapeutic intervention. Recently the role of lncRNAs in the regulation of autophagy has also surfaced. Thus, lncRNAs can be used in cancer therapeutics to alleviate the challenges of chemoresistance by targeting the autophagosomal axis. In this chapter, we discuss about the role of lncRNAs in autophagy-mediated cancer drug resistance and its implication in targeted cancer therapy.

Evaluation of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase inhibition as a novel strategy for the treatment of osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma

Rab GTPases are critical regulators of protein trafficking in the cell. To ensure proper cellular localization and function, Rab proteins must undergo a posttranslational modification, termed geranylgeranylation. In the isoprenoid biosynthesis pathway, the enzyme geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (GGDPS) generates the 20-carbon isoprenoid donor (geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate [GGPP]), which is utilized in the prenylation of Rab proteins. We have pursued the development of GGDPS inhibitors (GGSI) as a novel means to target Rab activity in cancer cells. Osteosarcoma (OS) and Ewing sarcoma (ES) are aggressive childhood bone cancers with stagnant survival statistics and limited treatment options. Here we show that GGSI treatment induces markers of the unfolded protein response (UPR) and triggers apoptotic cell death in a variety of OS and ES cell lines. Confirmation that these effects were secondary to cellular depletion of GGPP and disruption of Rab geranylgeranylation was confirmed via experiments using exogenous GGPP or specific geranylgeranyl transferase inhibitors. Furthermore, GGSI treatment disrupts cellular migration and invasion in vitro. Metabolomic profiles of OS and ES cell lines identify distinct changes in purine metabolism in GGSI-treated cells. Lastly, we demonstrate that GGSI treatment slows tumor growth in a mouse model of ES. Collectively, these studies support further development of GGSIs as a novel treatment for OS and ES.

Circular RNAs: pivotal role in the leukemogenesis and novel indicators for the diagnosis and prognosis of acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematological malignancy and affected patients have poor overall survival (OS) rates. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a unique loop structure. In recent years, with the development of high-throughput RNA sequencing, many circRNAs have been identified exhibiting either up-regulation or down-regulation in AML patients compared with healthy controls. Recent studies have reported that circRNAs regulate leukemia cell proliferation, stemness, and apoptosis, both positively and negatively. Additionally, circRNAs could be promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in AML. In this study, we present a comprehensive review of the regulatory roles and potentials of a number of dysregulated circRNAs in AML.

Rab GTPases: The principal players in crafting the regulatory landscape of endosomal trafficking

After endocytosis, diverse cargos are sorted into endosomes and directed to various destinations, including extracellular macromolecules, membrane lipids, and membrane proteins. Some cargos are returned to the plasma membrane via endocytic recycling. In contrast, others are delivered to the Golgi apparatus through the retrograde pathway, while the rest are transported to late endosomes and eventually to lysosomes for degradation. Rab GTPases are major regulators that ensure cargos are delivered to their proper destinations. Rabs are localized to distinct endosomes and play predominant roles in membrane budding, vesicle formation and motility, vesicle tethering, and vesicle fusion by recruiting effectors. The cascades between Rabs via shared effectors or the recruitment of Rab activators provide an additional layer of spatiotemporal regulation of endocytic trafficking. Notably, several recent studies have indicated that disorders of Rab-mediated endocytic transports are closely associated with diseases such as immunodeficiency, cancer, and neurological disorders.

Osteosarcoma and Metastasis

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in adolescents. Its high propensity to metastasize is the leading cause for treatment failure and poor prognosis. Although the research of osteosarcoma has greatly expanded in the past decades, the knowledge and new therapy strategies targeting metastatic progression remain sparse. The prognosis of patients with metastasis is still unsatisfactory. There is resonating urgency for a thorough and deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying osteosarcoma to develop innovative therapies targeting metastasis. Toward the goal of elaborating the characteristics and biological behavior of metastatic osteosarcoma, it is essential to combine the diverse investigations that are performed at molecular, cellular, and animal levels from basic research to clinical translation spanning chemical, physical sciences, and biology. This review focuses on the metastatic process, regulatory networks involving key molecules and signaling pathways, the role of microenvironment, osteoclast, angiogenesis, metabolism, immunity, and noncoding RNAs in osteosarcoma metastasis. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of current research advances, with the hope to discovery druggable targets and promising therapy strategies for osteosarcoma metastasis and thus to overcome this clinical impasse.

CHML targeted by miR-199a-3p promotes non-small cell lung cancer cell growth via binding to Rab5A

Choroideremia-like (CHML) has been demonstrated to be related to the development of urothelial carcinoma, multiple myeloma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Whereas, the association between CHML and lung cancer remains dimness. CHML expression was analyzed in NSCLC patients from TCGA dataset and evaluated in our collected NSCLC tissues and NSCLC cell lines. The effects of CHML on the proliferation and apoptosis of NSCLC were investigated in A549 and H1299 cells that downregulation of CHML as well as in H1299-induced xenograft mouse model. An upstream miRNA of CHML was further analyzed. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis and co-immunoprecipitation assay were carried out to explore the mechanism of CHML in NSCLC. We found CHML expression was upregulated in NSCLC patients and cell lines compared with their controls. Knockdown of CHML suppressed the viability and BrdU-positive cell number, and elevated the proportion of Tunel-positive cells and levels of Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved-caspase-3 in NSCLC cells. In mouse models, downregulation of CHML decreased tumor volume and weight, attenuated Ki-67 staining, whereas elevated numbers of Tunel-positive cells, and upregulated levels of Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved-caspase-3. CHML was demonstrated to be a target of miR-199a-3p. miR-199a-3p inhibitor significantly promoted the proliferation, and attenuated the apoptosis of H1299 cells, which were abrogated by CHML silencing. CHML promoted the proliferation of NSCLC cells via directly binding to Rab5A. Taken together, this study revealed that CHML was an oncogene in NSCLC and it could promote the proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of NSCLC cells through binding to Rab5A. CHML was targeted by miR-199a-3p in this cancer.

FAM49B promotes breast cancer proliferation, metastasis, and chemoresistance by stabilizing ELAVL1 protein and regulating downstream Rab10/TLR4 pathway

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most common cancers and the leading cause of death in women. Previous studies have demonstrated that FAM49B is implicated in several tumor progression, however, the role and mechanism of FAM49B in BC remain to be explored. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to systematically study the role of FAM49B in the proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, and chemoresistance of BC, as well as the corresponding molecular mechanisms and downstream target.

METHODS

The ONCOMINE databases and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases were analyzed to find FAM49B and its prognostic values in BC. FAM49B expression in BC and adjacent non-tumor tissues was detected by western blot and IHC. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to identify the prognosis of BC patients. After FAM49B knockdown in MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, a combination of co-immunoprecipitation, MTT, migration, and apoptosis assays, nude mouse xenograft tumor model, in addition to microarray detection and data analysis was used for further mechanistic studies.

RESULTS

In BC, the results showed that the expression level of FAM49B was significantly higher than that in normal breast tissue, and highly expression of FAM49B was significantly positively correlated with tumor volume, histological grade, lymph node metastasis rate, and poor prognosis. Knockdown of FAM49B inhibited the proliferation and migration of BC cells in vitro and in vivo. Microarray analysis revealed that the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway was inhibited upon FAM49B knockdown. In addition, the gene interaction network and downstream protein validation of FAM49B revealed that FAM49B positively regulates BC cell proliferation and migration by promoting the Rab10/TLR4 pathway. Furthermore, endogenous FAM49B interacted with ELAVL1 and positively regulated Rab10 and TLR4 expression by stabilizing ELAVL1. Moreover, mechanistic studies indicated that the lack of FAM49B expression in BC cells conferred more sensitivity to anthracycline and increased cell apoptosis by downregulating the ELAVL1/Rab10/TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate that FAM49B functions as an oncogene in BC progression, and may provide a promising target for clinical diagnosis and therapy of BC.

LINC00152 acts as a potential marker in gliomas and promotes tumor proliferation and invasion through the LINC00152/miR-107/RAB10 axis

PURPOSE

Aberrant expression of long noncoding RNAs plays a pivotal role in tumorigenesis. Recently, several studies have showed that the LINC00152 gene is upregulated in a variety of tumors and plays an oncogene role; however, its underlying molecular mechanisms in glioblastoma remain unclear. In this study, we prepare to investigate the biological role and underlying molecular mechanisms of LINC00152 in glioblastoma cells.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis to identify LINC00152 expression, Cell Counting kit-8 assay and Colony formation assay were used to evaluate proliferation, Flow cytometric analysis was used to evaluate apoptosis, Cell Matrigel invasion assay and Wound healing assay was used to evaluate invasion, Western blot analysis to check protein expression level, Mouse xenograft models was used to check cell proliferation in vivo.

RESULTS

In this study, we found that LINC00152 was upregulated in gliomas and its expression was significantly associated with high tumor aggressiveness and poor outcomes for glioma patients. Functionally, the knockdown of LINC00152 not only inhibited malignant behaviors of glioma, such as proliferation and invasion of glioma cells and induced apoptosis in vitro but also suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, results of the bioinformatics analysis and experimental studies confirmed that LINC00152 and RAB10 as the targets of miR-107, and LINC00152 might act as a sponge for miR-107 to regulate the expression of RAB10 in glioblastoma. Additionally, silencing miR-107 reversed the effects induced by LINC00152 knockdown on glioblastoma cells both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggested that LINC00152 is a candidate prognostic marker of glioma, and that the LINC00152/MIR-107/RAB10 axis plays a pivotal role in regulation of the glioma malignancy, and therefore, targeting the axis might be an effective therapeutic strategy to treat glioma.

Long noncoding RNA CYTOR triggers gastric cancer progression by targeting miR-103/RAB10

Growing evidence has indicated that the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CYTOR is involved in the initiation and progression of malignancies, including gastric cancer. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of CYTOR in gastric cancer development are not fully understood. In the present study, we aimed to clarify the association of CYTOR, miR-103, and RAB10 in gastric cancer progression. We found that CYTOR expression was increased in metastatic gastric cancer biopsies compared with that in primary samples. CYTOR expression was significantly positively correlated with the invasiveness, lymph node metastasis, and advanced stages of gastric cancer. In addition, downregulation of CYTOR expression hampered cell proliferation and migration but induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, CYTOR sponged miR-103 and diminished miR-103 expression, thus rescuing oncogene RAB10 expression. Knockdown of CYTOR suppressed tumor growth in human BGC823 mouse models. These findings suggest that the CYTOR/miR-103/RAB10 axis is a novel signaling pathway that facilitates gastric cancer progression. CYTOR-targeted interventions provide a rationale to improve therapies targeting gastric cancer progression.

MicroRNA-1253 Suppresses Cell Proliferation Migration and Invasion of Osteosarcoma by Targeting MMP9

Purpose:

MicroRNAs play an important role in osteosarcoma (OS) development and progress. Although miR-1253 was considered as a tumor-inhibitor in some cancers, it’s function in the OS is not clear.

Methods:

In our study, we examined the expression of miR-1253 in OS cells and osteoblast cells using quantitative real-time PCR. The proliferation of OS cells was measured by BrdU assay, and we performed transwell to detect migration and invasion of OS cells. Meanwhile, EMT proteins were tested by western blot. We used Bioinformatics to predict the target genes of miR-1253 and found out Matrix metalloproteinases9 (MMP9) was one of that. The direct combination between miR-1253 and MMP9 was verified by double luciferase reporting experiment. Quantitative real-time PCR and western blot were used to detect the expression of MMP9.

Results:

We found that the expression level of miR-1253 in OS cells was significantly lower than that in osteoblast cells. Overexpression of miR-1253 could significantly inhibit OS cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT. And then, MMP9 was predicted as a downstream target of miR-1253 by Bioinformatics analysis. Further experiments showed that miR-1253 could reduce the protein level of MMP9 by directly binding to the 3’-UTR of MMP9. Afterward, we performed a rescue experiment, in which both MMP9 and miR-1253 were overexpressed. Compared with the groups overexpressed miR-1253 alone, cell proliferation, migration and invasion in co-overexpression groups were improved.

Conclusions:

In summary, these results suggested that miR-1253 down-regulated in OS cells, and could suppress the proliferation, migration and invasion of OS cells. Its molecular regulatory mechanism was that inhibits the expression of the downstream target gene MMP9 by directly binding, thus affect OS cell functions. Therefore, miR-1253 has the potential to become a biomarker and therapeutic target for OS therapy.

The role of biomechanical forces and MALAT1/miR-329-5p/PRIP signalling on glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head

Glucocorticoid‐induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GIONFH) is a common orthopaedic disease. GIONFH primarily manifests clinically as hip pain in the early stages, followed by the collapse of the femoral head, narrowing of the hip joint space and damage to the acetabulum, resulting in severely impaired mobility. However, the pathogenesis of GIONFH is not clearly understood. Recently, biomechanical forces and non‐coding RNAs have been suggested to play important roles in the pathogenesis of GIONFH. This study aimed to evaluate the role of biomechanical forced and non‐coding RNAs in GIONFH. We utilized an in vivo, rat model of GIONFH and used MRI, μCT, GIONFH‐TST (tail suspension test), GIONFH‐treadmill, haematoxylin and eosin staining, qRT‐PCR and Western blot analysis to analyse the roles of biomechanical forces and non‐coding RNAs in GIONFH. We used RAW264.7 cells and MC3T3E1 cells to verify the role of MALAT1/miR‐329‐5p/PRIP signalling using a dual luciferase reporter assay, qRT‐PCR and Western blot analysis. The results demonstrated that MALAT1 and PRIP were up‐regulated in the femoral head tissues of GIONFH rats, RAW264.7 cells, and MC3T3E1 cells exposed to dexamethasone (Dex). Knockdown of MALAT1 decreased PRIP expression in rats and cultured cells and rescued glucocorticoid‐induced osteonecrosis of femoral head in rats. The dual luciferase reporter gene assay revealed a targeting relationship for MALAT1/miR‐329‐5p and miR‐329‐5p/PRIP in MC3T3E1 and RAW264.7 cells. In conclusion, MALAT1 played a vital role in the pathogenesis of GIONFH by binding to (‘sponging’) miR‐329‐5p to up‐regulate PRIP. Also, biomechanical forces aggravated the pathogenesis of GIONFH through MALAT1/miR‐329‐5p/PRIP signalling.

Overexpression of miR-329-3p sensitizes osteosarcoma cells to cisplatin through suppression of glucose metabolism by targeting LDHA

Osteosarcoma (OS) is one of the most frequent malignant bone tumor types. Traditional treatments of OS involve standard chemotherapy or combination with radiation before and after surgery. Cisplatin is one of the most effective chemotherapeutic drugs used for treating osteosarcoma. However, patients with advanced tumor stages develop cisplatin resistance, leading to a major clinical challenge. In this study, we investigated the roles of miR-329-3p in cisplatin sensitivity of osteosarcoma cells. We found miR-329-3p was significantly downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues compared with normal bone tissues. Overexpression of miR-329-3p suppressed osteosarcoma cell proliferation. Moreover, we observed low-toxic cisplatin treatments suppressed miR-329-3p but higher concentrations of cisplatin-induced miR-329-3p expression. In addition, miR-329-3p was significantly downregulated in cisplatin-resistant Saos-2 cells which displayed elevated glucose metabolism. Overexpression of miR-329-3p significantly impaired glucose metabolism of Saos-2 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assay consistently demonstrated the glycolysis enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase-A (LDHA) was a direct target of miR-329-3p in osteosarcoma cells. Rescue experiments revealed restoration of LDHA in miR-329-3p-overexpressed cisplatin-resistant cells effectively recovered glucose metabolism, resulting in increased cisplatin resistance. This study demonstrates a miR-329-3p-LDHA-glucose metabolism-cisplatin resistance axis in osteosarcoma cells, providing a miRNA-based therapeutic strategy against chemoresistant osteosarcoma.

LncRNA EBLN3P promotes the progression of osteosarcoma through modifying the miR-224-5p/Rab10 signaling axis

The treatment of patients with advanced-stage osteosarcoma represents a major challenge, with very few treatments currently approved. Although accumulating evidence has demonstrated the importance of lncRNAs in osteosarcoma, the current knowledge on the functional roles and molecular mechanisms of lncRNA endogenous born avirus-like nucleoprotein (EBLN3P) is limited. At present, the expressions of EBLN3P and miR-224-5p in osteosarcoma tissues were quantified by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR assay, and the expression of Ras-related protein 10 (Rab10) in osteosarcoma tissues was quantified by immunohistochemistry and western-blotting. The bioinformatics prediction software ENCORI was used to predict the putative binding sites of EBLN3P, Rab10 and miR-224-5p. The regulatory role of EBLN3P or miR-224-5p on cell proliferation, migration and invasion ability were verified by Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The interaction among EBLN3P, miR-224-5p and Rab10 were testified by luciferase. The increased expression of EBLN3P and Rab10 and decreased expression of miR-224-5p were observed in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Besides, the overexpression of EBLN3P or knockdown of miR-224-5p were revealed to promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assay revealed that EBLN3P could directly interacted with miR-224-5p to attenuate miR-224-5p binding to the Rab10 3'-untranslated region. Furthermore, the mechanistic investigations revealed activation of the miR-224-5p/Rab10 regulatory loop by knockdown of miR-372-3p or overexpression of Rab10, thereby confirming the in vitro role of EBLN3P in promoting osteosarcoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to demonstrate that EBLN3P may act as a competitive endogenous RNA to modulate Rab10 expression by competitive sponging to miR-224-5p, leading to the regulation of osteosarcoma progression, which indicates a possible new approach to osteosarcoma diagnosis and treatment.

MicroRNA-329-3p alleviates high glucose-induced endothelial cell injury via inhibition of the TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway

The aim of the current study was to determine the expression of microRNA (miRNA/miR)-329-3p in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate the effect of miR-329-3p on vascular endothelial cell function under high-glucose conditions. A total of 33 healthy individuals and 31 patients with T2DM were enrolled in the present study. Peripheral blood was collected from all participants. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with a miR-329-3p mimic or miR-329-3p inhibitor. Following treatment with 25 mmol/l glucose, a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry analysis were used to assess cell viability and apoptosis levels, respectively. A dual luciferase reporter assay, western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR were used to assess molecular mechanism of miR-329-3p in HUVECs. The results revealed that plasma miR-329-3p expression was decreased patients with T2DM compared with healthy controls, and in HUVECs treated with high glucose concentrations. In addition, miR-329-3p reduced high glucose-induced damage to HUVEC cells. miR-329-3p directly bound to toll like receptor (TLR)-4 and regulated its expression at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. miR-329-3p was also demonstrated to be involved in the regulation of the TLR4/tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6)/nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB under a high glucose environment. In conclusion, the results indicated that miR-329-3p may protect endothelial cells from high glucose-induced apoptosis via inhibition of the TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway. The present study also demonstrated that miR-329-3p expression in the plasma of patients with T2DM was reduced, suggesting that upregulation of miR-329-3p may alleviate high glucose-induced endothelial cell injury via inhibition of the TLR4/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway.

LINC00441 promotes cervical cancer progression by modulating miR-450b-5p/RAB10 axis

Background

As one of the most common gynaecological malignant tumors, cervical cancer (CC) has become an important public health issue. Emerging evidence has revealed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial regulators of biological functions in cancers, including CC. And the oncogenic role of LINC00441 has been verified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But the molecular mechanism and biological functions of LINC00441 in CC remain unknown.

Methods

qRT-PCR analysis detected the expression of genes in CC tissues or cells. CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, western blot assays as well as animal studies were conducted to analyze the function of LINC00441 in CC. Luciferase reporter, RIP and RNA pull down assays were applied to verify the binding relations among the indicated genes.

Results

LINC00441 was upregulated in CC tissues and cells. Further, LINC00441 depletion repressed cell proliferation and motility in vitro as well as tumor growth in vivo. LINC00441 could sponge miR-450b-5p to upregulate RAB10 expression. Finally, miR-450b-5p inhibitor or RAB10 upregulation counteracted LINC00441 knockdown-mediated function on the development of CC.

Conclusions

LINC00441 drives CC progression by targeting miR-450b-5p/RAB10 axis, which might provide new idea for researching CC-related molecular mechanism.

LncRNA-PCAT1 maintains characteristics of dermal papilla cells and promotes hair follicle regeneration by regulating miR-329/Wnt10b axis

BACKGROUND

The failure of hair follicle regeneration is the major cause of alopecia, which is a highly prevalent disease worldwide. Dermal papilla (DP) cells play important role in the regulation of hair follicle regeneration. However, the molecular mechanism of how dermal papilla cells direct follicle regeneration is still to be elucidated.

METHODS

In vitro DP 3D culturing and in vivo nude mice DP sphere implanted models were used to examine the molecular regulation of DP cells and follicle regeneration. qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to detect gene and protein expression, respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression level of Wnt10b, Ki-67 and β-catenin. Luciferase assay was used to examine the relationship among PCAT1, miR-329 and Wnt10b. ALP activity was measured by ELISA. H&E staining was used to measure follicle growth in skin tissues.

RESULTS

Up-regulation of PCAT1 and Wnt10b, however, down-regulation of miR-329 were found in the in vitro 3D dermal papilla. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase assays demonstrated that PCAT1 promoted Wnt10b expression by sponging miR-329. Knockdown of PCAT1 suppressed the proliferation and activity, as well as ALP and other DP markers of DP cells by targeting miR-329. Knockdown of PCAT1 regulated miR-329/Wnt10b axis to attenuate β-catenin expression and nucleus translocation to inhibit Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Furthermore, knockdown of PCAT1 suppressed DP sphere induced follicle regeneration and hair growth in nude mice.

CONCLUSION

PCAT1 maintains characteristics of DP cells by targeting miR-329 to activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby promoting hair follicle regeneration.

microRNA-519d Induces Autophagy and Apoptosis of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells Through Activation of the AMPK Signaling Pathway via Rab10

Background and Aim

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a type of cancer with high mortality rates. The overexpression of microRNA-519d (miR-519d) has been explored in different types of cancers, which could significantly help suppress cancer development. This study aimed to investigate the interaction of miR-519d with its target gene, Rab10, as well as its effects on cell proliferation and autophagy in HCC cells through modulation of the AMPK signaling pathway.

Methods

Microarray analysis was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes in HCC, and the target genes of the screened-out miRNA were predicted and verified. The expression of miR-519d and Rab10, AMPK signaling pathway-related proteins, apoptosis- and autophagy-related proteins was determined by RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis in HCC tissues and cell lines. Lastly, the effects of miR-519d and Rab10 in HCC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mouse tumour xenograft in vivo were examined through gain- and loss-of-function experiments.

Results

MiR-519d was down-regulated and Rab10 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-519d decreased the expression of Rab10, mTOR, and Bcl-2, but increased the expression of Bax, Beclin1, Atg5, and p53. Upregulated miR-519d and downregulated Rab10 expression suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis and autophagy in HCC cells. Finally, upregulation of miR-519d inhibited tumour growth in vivo.

Conclusion

The result obtained in this study indicates that up-regulation of miR-519d inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis and autophagy of HCC cells through activation of the AMPK signaling pathway via downregulating Rab10, which provides a potential target for the treatment of HCC.

LncRNA TUG1 Regulates Cell Viability and Death by Regulating miR-193a-5p/Rab10 Axis in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a serious threat to human health. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Taurine-Upregulated Gene1 (TUG1) has been reported to participate in the development and progression of several cancers, including AML. Herein, we aimed to investigate the pathognomonic role of TUG1 in AML cells and its potential mechanistic pathway.

Methods

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay was applied to detect the expression levels of lncRNA TUG1, miR-193a-5p and Rab10 in AML bone marrow and cell lines. The CCK-8 assay was conducted to assess the cell viability of AML HL-60 and NB4 cells and cell apoptotic assay was performed to assess the cell death. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was carried out to clarify the relationships among TUG1, miR-193a-5p and Rab10. Also, the protein level of Rab10 was examined by Western blot assay.

Results

LncRNA TUG1 was up-regulated in AML bone marrow and cells. Functional analysis showed that the silencing of TUG1 suppressed cell viability, while promoted cell death in AML HL-60 and NB4 cells. TUG1 targeted miR-193a-5p and negatively regulated miR-193a-5p expression. Overexpressed miR-193a-5p resulted in the decrease of cell viability and the increase in the cell death in AML cells. Restoration experiments proved that TUG1 regulated the cell viability and death of AML cells through regulating the miR-193a-5p/Rab10 axis. Rab10 was a direct target of miR-193a-5p and was inversely regulated by miR-193a-5p. TUG1 regulated the cell viability and death of AML cells through upregulating Rab10.

Conclusion

Silencing of lncRNA TUG1 induces a cytotoxic effect on AML cell lines through sponging miR-193a-5p and the suppression of Rab10.

Prognostic role of 14q32.31 miRNA cluster in various carcinomas: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Deregulated miR-379/miR-656 cluster expression is considered as important for carcinogenesis and can be used as a potential prognostic marker. Hence, the meta-analysis was conducted to test the utility of miR-379/miR-656 cluster as a prognostic marker in various cancers. A literature search was performed using Web of Science, PubMed and Cochrane Library to obtain relevant studies and were subjected to various subgroup and bioinformatics analyses. Selected twenty-three studies contained 13 cancer types comprising of 3294 patients from 7 nations. Univariate and multivariate data showed an association of high expression of miRNAs with the poor prognosis of cancer patients (p < 0.001). The subgroup analysis showed that lung cancer, breast cancer and papillary renal cell carcinoma (p < 0.001) have a negative association with the survival of patients. Our study is the first meta-analysis showing the association of miR-379/miR-656 cluster expression and overall survival, suggesting its potential as a prognostic indicator in multiple cancers.

miRNA signatures in childhood sarcomas and their clinical implications

Progresses in multimodal treatments have significantly improved the outcomes for childhood cancer. Nonetheless, for about one-third of patients with Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, or osteosarcoma steady remission has remained intangible. Thus, new biomarkers to improve early diagnosis and the development of precision-targeted medicine remain imperative. Over the last decade, remarkable progress has been made in the basic understanding of miRNAs function and in interpreting the contribution of their dysregulation to cancer development and progression. On this basis, this review focuses on what has been learned about the pivotal roles of miRNAs in the regulation of key genes implicated in childhood sarcomas.

microRNA-329 reduces bone cancer pain through the LPAR1-dependent LPAR1/ERK signal transduction pathway in mice

Background:

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a common symptom occurring among patients with cancer and has a detrimental effect on their quality of life. Growing evidence has implicated microRNA-329 (miR-329) in the progression of bone diseases. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the potential effects of miR-329 on BCP in a BCP mouse model via binding to lysophosphatidic acid receptor 1 (LPAR1) through the LPAR1/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway.

Methods:

Initially, a BCP mouse model was established via injection of 4 × 10⁴ murine breast tumor (4T1 cell) cells (4 μl). The interaction between miR-329 and LPAR1 was identified using a bioinformatics website and dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The modeled mice were subsequently treated with miR-329 mimic, LPAR1 shRNA, or both, in order to examine the effect of miR-329 on the paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL) of mice, the expression of LPAR1/ERK signaling pathway-related genes.

Results:

The positive expression rate of LPAR1 protein and extent of ERK1/2 phosphorylation were increased in BCP mouse models. LPAR1 is a target gene of miR-329, which can inhibit the expression of LPAR1. In response to miR-329 overexpression and LPAR1 silencing, BCP mice showed increased PWT and PWL, along with decreased LPAR1 expression and ratio of p-ERK/ERK.

Conclusions:

Altogether, the results obtained indicated that miR-329 can potentially alleviate BCP in mice via the inhibition of LPAR1 and blockade of the LPAR1/ERK signaling pathway, highlighting that upregulation of miR-329 could serve as a therapeutic target for BCP treatment.

Long Non-Coding RNA LINC00152 Regulates Cell Proliferation, Migration And Invasion In Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Via miR-107/Rab10 Axis

Background

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common  malignant tumor in East Asia. Emerging evidence indicated that long intergenic non-coding RNA 152 (LINC00152) acts as an oncogene in many types of cancers including ESCC. This study aims to identify the biological mechanisms of LINC00152 in ESCC, hinting for new therapeutic target for ESCC patients.

Methods

The levels of LINC00152, microRNA-107 (miR-107) and Ras-related protein Rab-10 (Rab10) were measured in ESCC tissues and cells using qRT-PCR. The protein level of Rab10 was measured by Western blot assay. The putative target of LINC00152 or miR-107 was searched using starBase v2.0 and TargetScan online databases, and dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to detect the interaction between miR-107 and LINC00152 or Rab10. The cell viability was monitored by CCK8 assay, and the abilities of migration and invasion were assessed by Transwell assay, respectively. The mice model experiments were constructed to affirm the biological role of LINC00152 in vivo.

Results

LINC00152, Rab10 was significantly upregulated, and miR-107 was strikingly down-regulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines (TE-1 and KYSE30). LINC00152 was verified as a sponge for miR-107, and Rab10 was a direct target of miR-107. LINC00152 depletion decreased cell viability and abilities of migration and invasion by regulating miR-107 in vitro and blocked xenograft tumor growth in vivo. The overexpression of miR-107 reduced cell viability and the abilities of migration and invasion by modulating Rab10. LINC00152 positively regulated Rab10 expression by sponging miR-107.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that LINC00152 modulated Rab10 to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion in ESCC by sponging miR-107. This new regulatory network may provide a novel therapeutic target for ESCC patients.

LncRNA TP73-AS1 is a novel regulator in cervical cancer via miR-329-3p/ARF1 axis

Cervical cancer holds one of the highest morbidity and mortality in various types of cancers. It even leads to the most number of cancer-related deaths of women. A lot of research has indicated that the anomalous expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) would induce carcinogenesis and is associated with poor prognosis of patients with cancer. However, the function and mechanism of many lncRNAs still call for further research. Tumor Protein P73 Antisense RNA 1 (TP73-AS1) is no exception. LncRNA TP73-AS1 has been found to promote cancer progressions in various cancers. It is upregulated in cervical cancer cells. The proliferation and migration ability of cervical cancer cells can also be boosted by TP73-AS1 in return. Meanwhile, miRNA-329-3p is downregulated in cervical cancer cells and could bind with both TP73-AS1 and ADP Ribosylation Factor 1 (ARF1). TP73-AS1 inhibited miR-329-3p expression while miR-329-3p inhibited ARF1 expression. More importantly, TP73-AS1 can positively regulate ARF1 expression. Based on all these experiments, TP73-AS1 regulates ARF1 expression by competitively binding with miR-329-3p, thus regulating cervical cancer progression. Further rescue assays confirmed TP73-AS1 regulates cervical cell proliferation and migration via miR-329-3p/ARF1. TP73-AS1 might serve as a novel regulator in cervical cancer.

MicroRNA-329 upregulation impairs the HMGB2/β-catenin pathway and regulates cell biological behaviors in melanoma

Melanoma is responsible for the majority of deaths caused by skin cancer. Antitumor activity of microRNA-329 (miR-329) has been seen in several human cancers. In this study, we identify whether miR-329 serves as a candidate regulator in melanoma. Melanoma-related differentially expressed genes were screened with its potential molecular mechanism predicted. Melanoma tissues and pigmented nevus tissues were collected, where the levels of miR-329 and high-mobility group box 2 (HMGB2) were determined. To characterize the regulatory role of miR-329 on HMGB2 and the β-catenin pathway in melanoma cell activities, miR-329 mimics, miR-329 inhibitors, and siRNA-HMGB2 were transfected into melanoma cells. Cell viability, migration, invasion, cell cycle, and apoptosis were assessed. miR-329 was predicted to influence melanoma by targeting HMGB2 via the β-catenin pathway. High level of HMGB2 and low miR-329 expression were observed in melanoma tissues. HMGB2 was targeted and negatively regulated by miR-329. In melanoma cells transfected with miR-329 mimics or siRNA-HMGB2, cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were impeded, yet cell cycle arrest and apoptosis were promoted, corresponding to decreased levels of β-catenin, cyclin D1, and vimentin and increased levels of GSK3β and E-cadherin. Collectively, our results show that miR-329 can suppress the melanoma progression by downregulating HMGB2 via the β-catenin pathway.

MicroRNA-Based Diagnosis and Treatment of Metastatic Human Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the bones that commonly occurs in young individuals. The 5-year survival rate of osteosarcoma patients is 60-70%. Metastasis to the lungs leads to death in 30-40% of osteosarcoma patients. Therefore, the development of effective strategies for early detection and treatment of this disease are important to improve the survival of osteosarcoma patients. However, metastatic markers for osteosarcoma and molecules that might be targeted for the treatment of metastatic osteosarcoma have not been identified yet. Therefore, the mechanism of metastasis to the lungs needs to be explored from a novel viewpoint. Recently, the aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been reported to be involved in the carcinogenesis and cancer progression of many cancers. Furthermore, miRNAs in the blood have been reported to show an aberrant expression unique to several cancers. Therefore, miRNAs are gaining attention as potential diagnostic markers for cancers. On the other hand, normalizing the dysregulated expression of miRNAs in cancer cells has been shown to alter the phenotype of cancer cells, and thus treatment strategies targeting miRNAs are also being considered. This review summarizes the abnormality of miRNA expression associated with the metastasis of osteosarcoma and describes the present situation and issues regarding the early diagnosis and development of treatment strategies for metastatic osteosarcoma based on the current understanding of this disease.

miR-552-5p facilitates osteosarcoma cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting WIF1

miR-552 promotes tumor growth and metastasis in colorectal cancer. However, the function of miR-552 in osteosarcoma remains unclear. The current study investigated the role and mechanism of miR-552-5p in the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. miR-552-5p was significantly upregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines compared with adjacent normal tissues and normal osteoblast cells. Knockdown of miR-552-5p significantly reduced the proliferation of MG63 and U2OS cells, and inhibited cell migration and invasion. Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (WIF1) was the direct target gene of miR-552-5p in osteosarcoma cells. Overexpression of miR-552-5p markedly decreased the expression of WIF1 in MG63 and U2OS cells. A negative association was identified between the expression levels of miR-552-5p and WIF1 in osteosarcoma tissues. Furthermore, the expression of WIF1 was downregulated in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. Finally, knockdown of WIF1 in MG63 and U2OS cells treated with miR-552-5p inhibitors rescued their ability to proliferate, migrate and invade. Overall, the results indicated that miR-552-5p promoted osteosarcoma development and progression by inhibiting WIF1. Therefore, miR-552-5p may serve as a new therapeutic target for treatment of patients with osteosarcoma.

Construction of microRNA-messenger networks for human osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is the most common bone tumor in children and young adults. Although the microRNAs (miRNA) expression analyses of osteosarcoma have been performed previously, the construction of miRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA) networks for osteosarcoma is needed. This study aimed to identify osteosarcoma-related miRNAs through analyzing the microarray datasets and to construct the regulatory network of miRNA-mRNA for human osteosarcoma. The datasets were extracted from the Gene Expression Omnibus and the differentially expressed miRNAs were screened through the limma package in Bioconductor. Genes targeted by the differentially expressed miRNAs were screened out by using the Miranda, MirTarget2, PicTar, PITA, and TargetScan databases. The predicted target genes were further analyzed by Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analysis and a regulatory network of differentially expressed miRNAs and their target osteosarcoma-associated genes was constructed. A total of 36 downregulated miRNAs and 182 upregulated miRNAs were identified in osteosarcoma samples compared with normal samples and 397 target genes for upregulated miRNAs and 222 target genes for downregulated miRNAs were obtained. The enriched pathways for target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs included transcriptional misregulation in cancer, the AMPK signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. In the regulatory network, has-miR-199a-5p targeted the highest number of genes and nemo-like kinase (NLK) was targeted by five miRNAs (hsa-miR-140-5p, hsa-miR-107, hsa-miR-324-5p, hsa-miR-199a-5p, and hsa-miR-28-5p). The has-miR-324-5p targets NLK, TGFB2, and PPARG. These miRNAs and their target genes may serve as potential therapeutic targets of osteosarcoma.

Long non-coding RNA DLX6-AS1/miR-141-3p axis regulates osteosarcoma proliferation, migration and invasion through regulating Rab10

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs) DLX6-AS1 plays significant roles in various types of malignant tumors, including osteosarcoma (OS), the most prevalent primary malignant bone tumor.

MicroRNA-329-mediated PTTG1 downregulation inactivates the MAPK signaling pathway to suppress cell proliferation and tumor growth in cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a severe malignancy usually producing a poor prognosis and high mortality rate. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported in association with CCA; however, the role miR-329 plays in the CCA condition still remains unclear. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the underlying mechanism of which miR-329 is influencing the progression of CCA. This work studied the differential analysis of the expression chips of CCA obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Next, to determine both the expression and role of pituitary tumor transforming gene-1 (PTTG1) in CCA, the miRNAs regulating PTTG1 were predicted. In the CCA cells that had been intervened with miR-329 upregulation or inhibition, along with PTTG1 silencing, expression of miR-329, PTTG1, p-p38/p38, p-ERK5/ERK5, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Cyclin D1, Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and caspase-3 were determined. The effects of both miR-329 and PTTG1 on cell proliferation, cell-cycle distribution, and apoptosis were also assayed. The miR-329 was likely to affect the CCA development through regulation of the PTTG1-mediated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The miR-329 targeted PTTG1, leading to inactivation of the MAPK signaling pathway. Upregulation of miR-329 and silencing of PTTG1 inhibited the CCA cell proliferation, induced cell-cycle arrest, and subsequently promoted apoptosis with elevations in Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and total caspase-3, but showed declines in PCNA, Cyclin D1, and Bcl-2. Moreover, miR-329 was also found to suppress the tumor growth by downregulation of PTTG1. To summarize, miR-329 inhibited the expression of PTTG1 to inactivate the MAPK signaling pathway, thus suppressing the CCA progression, thereby providing a therapeutic basis for the CCA treatment.

Deep RNA sequencing reveals the dynamic regulation of miRNA, lncRNAs, and mRNAs in osteosarcoma tumorigenesis and pulmonary metastasis

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common pediatric malignant bone tumor, and occurrence of pulmonary metastasis generally causes a rapid and fatal outcome. Here we aimed to provide clues for exploring the mechanism of tumorigenesis and pulmonary metastasis for OS by comprehensive analysis of microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and mRNA expression in primary OS and OS pulmonary metastasis. In this study, deep sequencing with samples from primary OS (n = 3), pulmonary metastatic OS (n = 3), and normal controls (n = 3) was conducted and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs), lncRNAs (DElncRNAs), and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) between primary OS and normal controls as well as pulmonary metastatic and primary OS were identified. A total of 65 DEmiRNAs, 233 DElncRNAs, and 1405 DEmRNAs were obtained between primary OS and normal controls; 48 DEmiRNAs, 50 DElncRNAs, and 307 DEmRNAs were obtained between pulmonary metastatic and primary OS. Then, the target DEmRNAs and DElncRNAs regulated by the same DEmiRNAs were searched and the OS tumorigenesis-related and OS pulmonary metastasis-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed, respectively. Based on these ceRNA networks and Venn diagram analysis, we obtained 3 DEmiRNAs, 15 DElncRNAs, and 100 DEmRNAs, and eight target pairs including miR-223-5p/(CLSTN2, AC009951.1, LINC01705, AC090673.1), miR-378b/(ALX4, IGSF3, SULF1), and miR-323b-3p/TGFBR3 were involved in both tumorigenesis and pulmonary metastasis of OS. The TGF-β superfamily co-receptor TGFBR3, which is regulated by miR-323b-3p, acts as a tumor suppressor in OS tumorigenesis and acts as a tumor promoter in pulmonary metastatic OS via activation of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) program.In conclusion, the OS transcriptome (miRNA, lncRNA, and mRNA) is dynamically regulated. These analyses might provide new clues to uncover the molecular mechanisms and signaling networks that contribute to OS progression, toward patient-tailored and novel-targeted treatments.

RAB10 overexpression promotes tumor growth and indicates poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide, has a high recurrence rate with current treatment modalities. Identifying biomarkers for early diagnosis and discovering new sufficient molecular targets for the development of targeted therapies are urgently needed. RAB10, a member of the RAS family, has been shown to be highly expressed in HCC. However, the function of RAB10 in HCC is less studied. Here we report that RAB10 acts as an oncogene in HCC. The shRNA-mediated knockdown of RAB10 significantly reduced the proliferation of HCC cells and colony formation, induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and increased apoptosis in vitro. In addition, RAB10 knockdown suppressed HCC growth in nude mice. Moreover, RAB10 silencing decreased the phosphorylation of InsR, Met/HGFR, Ron/MST1R, Ret, c-Kit/SCFR, EphA3, EphB4, Tyro3/Dtk, Axl, Tie2/TEK, VEGFR2/KDR, Akt/PKB/Rac, S6 Ribosomal Protein and c-Abl, while the phosphorylation of HSP27, p38 MAPK, Chk2 and TAK1 increased significantly. These results suggest that RAB10 regulates cell survival and proliferation through multiple oncogenic, cell stress and apoptosis pathways. More importantly, high RAB10 expression levels in HCC cells correlated with a poor prognosis in HCC patients. Therefore, our findings revealed an oncogenic role for RAB10 in the pathogenesis of HCC and that RAB10 is a potential molecular target or a biomarker for HCC.

Consequences of Rab GTPase dysfunction in genetic or acquired human diseases

Rab GTPases are important regulators of intracellular membrane trafficking in eukaryotes. Both activating and inactivating mutations in Rab genes have been identified and implicated in human diseases ranging from neurological disorders to cancer. In addition, altered Rab expression is often associated with disease prognosis. As such, the study of diseases associated with Rabs or Rab-interacting proteins has shed light on the important role of intracellular membrane trafficking in disease etiology. In this review, we cover recent advances in the field with an emphasis on cellular mechanisms.

Retracted Article: Down-regulation of Rab10 inhibits hypoxia-induced invasion and EMT in thyroid cancer cells by targeting HIF-1α through the PI3K/Akt pathway

Rab10, a member of the Rab family, is localized to endocytic compartments and serves as a regulator of intracellular vesicle trafficking. Previous studies mainly paid attention to the role of Rab10 in transport. Recently, Rab10 has been reported to be involved in the progression of various cancers. However, the biological functions of Rab10 in thyroid cancer remain unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Rab10 was highly expressed in thyroid cancer tissues and cell lines. Down-regulation of Rab10 inhibited hypoxia-induced migration, invasion and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of thyroid cancer cells. Moreover, HIF-1α and the PI3K/Akt pathway were involved in the inhibitory effect of Rab10 down-regulation on thyroid cancer cell invasion and EMT induced by hypoxia. Taken together, our study provided further evidence to support the role of Rab10 as a therapeutic target for thyroid cancer.

Rab10, a member of the Rab family, is localized to endocytic compartments and serves as a regulator of intracellular vesicle trafficking.

Consequences of Rab GTPase dysfunction in genetic or acquired human diseases

Rab GTPases are important regulators of intracellular membrane trafficking in eukaryotes. Both activating and inactivating mutations in Rab genes have been identified and implicated in human diseases ranging from neurological disorders to cancer. In addition, altered Rab expression is often associated with disease prognosis. As such, the study of diseases associated with Rabs or Rab-interacting proteins has shed light on the important role of intracellular membrane trafficking in disease etiology. In this review, we cover recent advances in the field with an emphasis on cellular mechanisms.

MicroRNA-329 inhibits cell proliferation and tumor growth while facilitates apoptosis via negative regulation of KDM1A in gastric cancer

Altered expression of microRNA (miRNA) is strongly implicated in gastric cancer (GC). Here, we demonstrated a decreased expression of miRNA-329 in GC. Then we explored the regulatory mechanisms responsible for its effect on GC cells. GC tissues and their adjacent non-tumor tissues were collected. Complete follow-up was updated. A series of inhibitors, mimics, and siRNA against KDM1A were introduced to validate regulatory mechanisms for miR-497 and KDM1A in BGC-823 cells. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot assay were employed for evaluating the expressions of miRNA-329, KDM1A, H3K4me1, and H3K4me2. Cell proliferation, cycle progression, and apoptosis were assessed by means of an MTT assay and flow cytometry. Cell colony formation was assessed. uman gastric cancer xenotransplanted into nude mice was studied. As opposed to adjacent tissues and gastritis tissues, miRNA-329 was highly expressed and KDM1A was low expressed in GC tissues. The patients with high miRNA-329 expression or low KDM1A expression had longer survival periods. The miRNA-329 mimics and siRNA against KDM1A decreased KDM1A expression and increased H3K4me1 and H3K4me2 expressions. Forced expression of miRNA-329 in gastric cancer cells significantly promotes their capacity of apoptosis but reduces proliferation, migration, and invasion. KDM1A is a direct downstream target for miRNA-329. In a nude mouse subcutaneous tumor system, in vivo tumor growth of BGC-823 was significantly inhibited after treatment of miRNA-329 mimics or siRNA against KDM1A. We conclude that miRNA-329 functions as a tumor suppressor in GC, which could be achieved via transcriptional suppression of KDM1A.

MicroRNA‑329 serves a tumor suppressive role in colorectal cancer by directly targeting transforming growth factor beta‑1

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer‑associated mortalities worldwide. Increasing studies have demonstrated that the deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) is associated with the occurrence and development of multiple types of human cancer, including CRC. miR‑329 has been identified to be downregulated in various types of cancer; however, its expression pattern, functions and mechanisms in CRC remain unclear. The present study demonstrated that miR‑329 was lowly expressed in CRC tissue samples and cell lines. Low expression of miR‑329 was correlated with tumor‑node‑metastasis stage and lymph node metastasis in patients with CRC. In vitro experiments revealed that resumption expression of miR‑329 suppressed cell proliferation and invasion in CRC. Furthermore, the results of the present study indicated that miR‑329 targets transforming growth factor‑β1 (TGF‑β1) directly in vitro. TGF‑β1 was demonstrated to be upregulated in CRC tissue samples and inversely correlated with miR‑329 expression. Upregulation of TGF‑β1 was able to partially counteract the antitumor roles of miR‑329 on CRC cell proliferation and invasion. The results of the current study revealed that miR‑329 suppresses CRC cell proliferation and invasion through targeting TGF‑β1, thus suggesting that targeting miR‑329/TGF‑β1 may provide a novel effective therapeutic approach for the treatment of patients with CRC.

MicroRNA-329-3p targets MAPK1 to suppress cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common gynecological cancer worldwide and remains as one of the leading causes of cancer-related death among women. Despite great progress in the treatment of cervical cancer, the 5-year overall survival rate for patients with this disease remains unsatisfactory. Over the past decade, an increasing number of studies indicate a central role for microRNAs in the initiation and progression of cervical cancer. microRNA‑329-3p (miR-329-3p) has been studied in many types of human cancer; however, the expression level, biological role and the underlying mechanism of miR-329-3p in cervical cancer has not yet been investigated. In the present study, we found that the expression levels of miR-329-3p were reduced in both cervical cancer tissues and cell lines. Low miR-329-3p expression was negatively correlated with histological grade, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, and lymph node metastasis of cervical cancer patients. In addition, upregulation of miR‑329-3p suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion of cervical cancer. Furthermore, MAPK1 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-329-3p. MAPK1 was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer tissues and was inversely correlated with miR-329-3p expression in the cervical cancer tissues. Silencing of MAPK1 by RNA interference mimicked the effects of miR-329-3p overexpression on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in cervical cancer. Moreover, rescue experiments showed that restoration of the expression of MAPK1 reversed the effects of miR‑329-3p overexpression in cervical cancer cells. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-329-3p has a critical tumor-suppressive roles by directly targeting MAPK1 in cervical cancer, and it may be investigated as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with this disease.

MicroRNA-199a-5p promotes tumour growth by dual-targeting PIAS3 and p27 in human osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary bone malignancy and remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in adolescents. Emerging evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) are correlated with clinical and biological characteristics of OS. However, the involvement of miR-199a-5p in OS development remains unclear. In this study, we examined the function of miR-199a-5p in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that miR-199a-5p was significantly up-regulated in OS patient tissues and cells. The inhibition of miR-199a-5p led to a significant decrease in cell proliferation and tumour growth. We further demonstrated that miR-199a-5p could directly bind to the 3′UTRs of the mRNA of both PIAS3 and p27 and mediate a decrease in the protein levels of PIAS3 and p27, thereby stimulating STAT3 activation and cell cycle progression in OS cells. Rescue experiments of PIAS3 and p27 further revealed that PIAS3 and p27 were functional targets of miR-199a-5p. Moreover, enhancing the expressions of both PIAS3 and p27 using miR-199a-5p-targeted inhibitors in an OS xenograft model was shown to be a promising approach for OS clinical therapy. Our findings indicate that the pathway of miR-199a-5p targeting both PIAS3 and p27 is a possible mechanism that contributes to tumour growth in OS.

Overexpression of miR-92a promotes the tumor growth of osteosarcoma by suppressing F-box and WD repeat-containing protein 7

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be critical players in osteosarcoma (OS). Among numerous cancer-related miRNAs, the expression level of miR-92a and its potential role in OS has not been investigated. Here, We showed that overexpression of miR-92a was identified in OS specimens and cells compared to normal bone tissues. The high level of miR-92a was correlated with high T classification and advanced clinical stages of OS patients. Notably, miR-92a highly expressing OS patients showed a notably reduced survival rate. In vitro experiments showed that loss of miR-92a inhibited U2OS cell proliferation and cell-cycle progression while induced apoptosis. In turn, its restoration facilitated MG-63 cell growth and suppressed apoptosis. Experimental nude mice showed that miR-92a silencing prohibited the in vivo growth of OS cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics software predicted that F-box and WD repeat-containing protein 7 (FBXW7) was a direct target of miR-92a. We then observed the negative regulation of miR-92a on FBXW7 expression and the direct binding between them was further verified by dual-luciferase assays in OS cells. Forced expression of FBXW7 resulted in reduced proliferation, cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and increased apoptosis in miR-92a overexpressing MG-63 cells. In summary, this study demonstrates miR-92a probably functions as a driver of tumor progression by targeting FBXW7, and highlights the potential effects of miR-92a on prognosis and treatment of OS.