miR-96 regulates migration and invasion of bladder cancer through epithelial-mesenchymal transition in response to transforming growth factor-β1

Amplification-Free Analysis of Bladder Cancer MicroRNAs on Wrinkled Silica Nanoparticles with DNA-Functionalized Quantum Dots

Bladder cancer (BC) occurrence and progression are accompanied by alterations in microRNAs (miRNAs) expression levels. Simultaneous detection of multiple miRNAs contributes to the accuracy and reliability of the BC diagnosis. In this work, wrinkled silica nanoparticles (WSNs) were applied as the microreactor for multiplex miRNAs analysis without enzymes or nucleic acid amplification. Conjugated on the surface of WSNs, the S9.6 antibody was adopted as the universal module for binding DNA/miRNA duplexes, regardless of their sequence. Furthermore, single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) was labeled with quantum dots (QDs) for identifying a given miRNA to form QDs-ssDNA/miRNA, which enabled the specific capture of the corresponding QDs on the wrinkled surface of WSNs. Based on the detection of fluorescence signals that were ultimately focused on WSNs, target miRNAs could be sensitively identified to a femtomolar level (5 fM) with a wide dynamic range of up to 6 orders of magnitude. The proposed strategy achieved high specificity to obviously distinguish single-base mutation sequences and possessed multiplex assay capability. Moreover, the assay exhibited excellent practicability in the multiplex detection of miRNAs in clinical serum specimens.

miRNA/epithelial-mesenchymal axis (EMT) axis as a key player in cancer progression and metastasis: A focus on gastric and bladder cancers

The metastasis a major hallmark of tumors that its significant is not only related to the basic research, but clinical investigations have revealed that majority of cancer deaths are due to the metastasis. The metastasis of tumor cells is significantly increased due to EMT mechanism and therefore, inhibition of EMT can reduce biological behaviors of tumor cells and improve the survival rate of patients. One of the gaps related to cancer metastasis is lack of specific focus on the EMT regulation in certain types of tumor cells. The gastric and bladder cancers are considered as two main reasons of death among patients in clinical level. Herein, the role of EMT in regulation of their progression is evaluated with a focus on the function of miRNAs. The inhibition/induction of EMT in these cancers and their ability in modulation of EMT-related factors including ZEB1/2 proteins, TGF-β, Snail and cadherin proteins are discussed. Moreover, lncRNAs and circRNAs in crosstalk of miRNA/EMT regulation in these tumors are discussed and final impact on cancer metastasis and response of tumor cells to the chemotherapy is evaluated. Moreover, the impact of miRNAs transferred by exosomes in regulation of EMT in these cancers are discussed.

The miR-183 Cluster: Biogenesis, Functions, and Cell Communication via Exosomes in Cancer

Cancer is one of the leading causes of human death. MicroRNAs have been found to be closely associated with cancer. The miR-183 cluster, comprising miR-183, miR-96, and miR-182, is transcribed as a polycistronic miRNA cluster. Importantly, in most cases, these clusters promote cancer development through different pathways. Exosomes, as extracellular vesicles, play an important role in cellular communication and the regulation of the tissue microenvironment. Interestingly, the miR-183 cluster can be detected in exosomes and plays a functional regulatory role in tumor development. Here, the biogenesis and functions of the miR-183 cluster in highly prevalent cancers and their relationship with other non-coding RNAs are summarized. In addition, the miR-183 cluster in exosomes has also been discussed. Finally, we discuss the miR-183 cluster as a promising target for cancer therapy. This review is expected to provide a new direction for cancer treatment.

FOXQ1 recruits the MLL complex to activate transcription of EMT and promote breast cancer metastasis

Aberrant expression of the Forkhead box transcription factor, FOXQ1, is a prevalent mechanism of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis in multiple carcinoma types. However, it remains unknown how FOXQ1 regulates gene expression. Here, we report that FOXQ1 initiates EMT by recruiting the MLL/KMT2 histone methyltransferase complex as a transcriptional coactivator. We first establish that FOXQ1 promoter recognition precedes MLL complex assembly and histone-3 lysine-4 trimethylation within the promoter regions of critical genes in the EMT program. Mechanistically, we identify that the Forkhead box in FOXQ1 functions as a transactivation domain directly binding the MLL core complex subunit RbBP5 without interrupting FOXQ1 DNA binding activity. Moreover, genetic disruption of the FOXQ1-RbBP5 interaction or pharmacologic targeting of KMT2/MLL recruitment inhibits FOXQ1-dependent gene expression, EMT, and in vivo tumor progression. Our study suggests that targeting the FOXQ1-MLL epigenetic axis could be a promising strategy to combat triple-negative breast cancer metastatic progression.

MiR-96-5p induced NDRG1 deficiency promotes prostate cancer migration and invasion through regulating the NF-κB signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE: The N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1) has been discovered as a significant gene in the progression of cancers. However, the regulatory mechanism of NDRG1 remained obscure in prostate cancer (PCa). METHODS: The miR-96-5p and NDRG1 expression levels were evaluated in PCa cell lines, prostate tissues, and validated public databases by real-time PCR, western blot analysis, and immunohistochemistry. The function of miR-96-5p and NDRG1 were investigated by wound healing and transwell assays in vitro, and mouse xenograft assay in vivo. The candidate pathway regulated by NDRG1 was conducted by the next-generation gene sequencing technique. Immunofluorescence and luciferase assay was used to detect the relation between miR-96-5p, NDRG1, and NF-kB pathway. RESULTS: Overexpressing NDRG1 suppresses the migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vitro, and inhibits metastasis in vivo. Moreover, miR-96-5p contributes to NDRG1 deficiency and promotes PCa cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, NDRG1 loss activates the NF-KB pathway, which stimulates p65 and IKBa phosphorylation and induces EMT in PCa. CONCLUSIONS: MiR-96-5p promotes the migration and invasion of PCa by targeting NDRG1 and regulating the NF-κB pathway.

Comprehensive Analysis of Correlations in the Expression of miRNA Genes and Immune Checkpoint Genes in Bladder Cancer Cells

Personalised medicine is the future and hope for many patients, including those with cancers. Early detection, as well as rapid, well-selected treatment, are key factors leading to a good prognosis. MicroRNA mediated gene regulation is a promising area of development for new diagnostic and therapeutic methods, crucial for better prospects for patients. Bladder cancer is a frequent neoplasm, with high lethality and lacking modern, advanced therapeutic modalities, such as immunotherapy. MicroRNAs are involved in bladder cancer pathogenesis, proliferation, control and response to treatment, which we summarise in this perspective in response to lack of recent review publications in this field. We further performed a correlation-based analysis of microRNA and gene expression data in bladder cancer (BLCA) TCGA dataset. We identified 27 microRNAs hits with opposite expression profiles to genes involved in immune response in bladder cancer, and 24 microRNAs hits with similar expression profiles. We discuss previous studies linking the functions of these microRNAs to bladder cancer and assess if they are good candidates for personalised medicine therapeutics and diagnostics. The discussed functions include regulation of gene expression, interplay with transcription factors, response to treatment, apoptosis, cell proliferation and angiogenesis, initiation and development of cancer, genome instability and tumour-associated inflammatory reaction.

MicroRNAs: Their Role in Metastasis, Angiogenesis, and the Potential for Biomarker Utility in Bladder Carcinomas

Angiogenesis is the process of generating new capillaries from pre-existing blood vessels with a vital role in tumor growth and metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs that exert post-transcriptional control of protein regulation. They participate in the development and progression of several cancers including bladder cancer (BLCA). In cancer tissue, changes in microRNA expression exhibit tissue specificity with high levels of stability and detectability. miRNAs are less vulnerable to degradation, making them novel targets for therapeutic approaches. A suitable means of targeting aberrant activated signal transduction pathways in carcinogenesis of BLCA is possibly through altering the expression of key miRNAs that regulate them, exerting a strong effect on signal transduction. Precaution must be taken, as the complexity of miRNA regulation might result in targeting several downstream tumor suppressors or oncogenes, enhancing the effect further. Since exosomes contain both mRNA and miRNA, they could therefore possibly be more effective in targeting a recipient cell if they deliver a specific miRNA to modify the recipient cell protein production and gene expression. In this review, we discuss the molecules that have been shown to play a significant role in BLCA tumor development. We also discuss the roles of various miRNAs in BLCA angiogenesis and metastasis. Advances in the management of metastatic BLCA have been limited; miRNA mimics and molecules targeted at miRNAs (anti-miRs) as well as exosomes could serve as therapeutic modalities or as diagnostic biomarkers.

Circular RNA POSTN Promotes Myocardial Infarction-Induced Myocardial Injury and Cardiac Remodeling by Regulating miR-96-5p/BNIP3 Axis

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most prevalent cardiac disease with high mortality, leading to severe heart injury. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new type of regulatory RNAs and participate in multiple pathological cardiac progressions. However, the role of circRNAs Postn (circPostn) in MI modulation remains unclear. Here, we aimed to explore the effect of circPostn on MI-induced myocardial injury and cardiac remodeling. We identified that the expression of circPostn was elevated in the plasma of MI patients, MI mouse model, and hypoxia and reoxygenation (H/R)-treated human cardiomyocytes. The depletion of circPostn significantly attenuated MI-related myocardium injury and reduced the infarct size in MI mouse model. The circPostn knockdown obviously enhanced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS) and inhibited left ventricular anterior wall thickness at diastole (LVAWd) and left ventricular posterior wall thickness at diastole (LVPWd). The depletion of circPostn was able to decrease MI-induced expression of collagen 1α1 and collagen 3α1 in the ventricular tissues of mice. The protein expression of collagen and α-smooth muscle actin (SMA) was up-regulated in MI mice and was inhibited by circPostn knockdown. Meanwhile, the expression of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was repressed by circPostn depletion in the ventricular tissues of MI mice. Besides, the circPostn depletion attenuated cardiomyocyte apoptosis in mice. Mechanically, circPostn served as a miR-96-5p sponge and miR-96-5p-targeted BNIP3 in human cardiomyocytes, in which circPostn up-regulated BNIP3 expression by targeting miR-96-5p. circPostn promoted H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury by modulating miR-96-5p/BNIP3 axis. Thus, we conclude that circPostn contributes to MI-induced myocardial injury and cardiac remodeling by regulating miR-96-5p/BNIP3 axis. Our finding provides new insight into the mechanism by which circPostn regulates MI-related cardiac dysfunction. circPostn, miR-96-5p, and BNIP3 are potential targets for the treatment of MI-caused heart injury.

Regulation of cell-cell adhesion in prostate cancer cells by microRNA-96 through upregulation of E-Cadherin and EpCAM

Prostate cancer is one of the most common cancers in men, yet the biology behind lethal disease progression and bone metastasis is poorly understood. In this study, we found elevated levels of microRNA-96 (miR-96) in prostate cancer bone metastasis samples. To determine the molecular mechanisms by which miR-96 deregulation contributes to metastatic progression, we performed an Argonaute2-immunoprecipitation assay, in which mRNAs associated with cell–cell interaction were enriched. The expression of two cell adhesion molecules, E-Cadherin and EpCAM, was upregulated by miR-96, and potential targets sites were identified in the coding sequences of their mRNAs. We further showed that miR-96 enhanced cell–cell adhesion between prostate cancer cells as well as their ability to bind to osteoblasts. Our findings suggest that increased levels of miR-96 give prostate cancer cells an advantage at forming metastases in the bone microenvironment due to increased cell–cell interaction. We propose that miR-96 promotes bone metastasis in prostate cancer patients by facilitating the outgrowth of macroscopic tumours in the bone.

MicroRNAs and target molecules in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is considered as one of the most common malignant tumors in humans with complex pathogenesis including gene expression variation, protein degradation, and changes in signaling pathways. Many studies on involved miRNAs in BC have demonstrated that they could be used as potential biomarkers in the prognosis, response to treatment, and screening before the cancerous phenotype onset. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate many cellular processes through their different effects on special targets along with modifying signaling pathways, apoptosis, cell growth, and differentiation. The diverse expression of miRNAs in cancerous tissues could mediate procedures leading to the oncogenic or suppressor behavior of certain genes in cancer cells. Since a specific miRNA may have multiple targets, an mRNA could also be regulated by multiple miRNAs which further demonstrates the actual role of miRNAs in cancer. In addition, miRNAs can be utilized as biomarkers in some cancers that cannot be screened in the early stages. Hence, finding blood, urine, or tissue miRNA biomarkers by novel or routine gene expression method could be an essential step in the prognosis and control of cancer. In the present review, we have thoroughly evaluated the recent findings on different miRNAs in BC which can provide comprehensive information on better understanding the role of diverse miRNAs and better decision making regarding the new approaches in the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, and treatment of BC.

Expression profile of microRNAs in bladder cancer and their application as biomarkers

Bladder cancer (BC) comprises 3% of all cancers and is particularly common in the developed countries. Early diagnosis is an important necessity in improvement of BC prognosis, as patients' outcome is significantly different between muscle invasive BC (MIBC) and non-muscle invasive BC cases. This cancer is resulted from an intricate interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Recent studies have identified microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential modulators of carcinogenic potential of BC cells. These small transcripts regulate expression of target genes mostly through binding with their 3' untranslated regions. Expression of several oncomiRs has been increased in BC tissues, peripheral blood or urine samples of these patients. These miRNAs promote oncogenic potential of BC through modulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition or PI3K/AKT, JAK/STAT and NF-κB/Snail signaling pathways. Besides, a number of tumor suppressive miRNAs have been down-regulated in BC samples leading to enhanced proliferation, invasiveness and metastasis of these cells. TGFβ1, Akt, MAPK, MET/SMAD3/SNAIL, MAPK1/Slug/vimentin and Wnt7a/β-catenin pathways and axes are among molecular targets of these miRNAs. Aberrant expressions of miRNAs in biofluids of patients with BC have potentiated them as molecular markers for prediction of disease course. In the current review, we provided a summary of studies which reported aberrant expression of miRNAs and their implications in the diagnosis or prognosis of patients with BC.

Role of microRNA/Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Axis in the Metastasis of Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is the 11th most common diagnosed cancer, and a number of factors including environmental and genetic ones participate in BC development. Metastasis of BC cells into neighboring and distant tissues significantly reduces overall survival of patients with this life-threatening disorder. Recently, studies have focused on revealing molecular pathways involved in metastasis of BC cells, and in this review, we focus on microRNAs (miRNAs) and their regulatory effect on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) mechanisms that can regulate metastasis. EMT is a vital process for migration of BC cells, and inhibition of this mechanism restricts invasion of BC cells. MiRNAs are endogenous non-coding RNAs with 19-24 nucleotides capable of regulating different cellular events, and EMT is one of them. In BC cells, miRNAs are able to both induce and/or inhibit EMT. For regulation of EMT, miRNAs affect different molecular pathways such as transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), Snail, Slug, ZEB1/2, CD44, NSBP1, which are, discussed in detail this review. Besides, miRNA/EMT axis can also be regulated by upstream mediators such as lncRNAs, circRNAs and targeted by diverse anti-tumor agents. These topics are also discussed here to reveal diverse molecular pathways involved in migration of BC cells and strategies to target them to develop effective therapeutics.

miR‑96 exerts an oncogenic role in the progression of cervical cancer by targeting CAV‑1

Cervical cancer is the 4th most common malignant tumor type affecting women worldwide; however, its molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. Previous studies have indicated that microRNAs (miRs) serve crucial roles in the cellular functions of tumors. miR‑96 is involved in the tumorigenesis of many cancer types. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role and mechanism of miR‑96 in the progression of cervical cancer. The present results suggested that overexpression of miR‑96 significantly enhanced the proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of cervical cancer cells, while inhibiting miR‑96 had the opposite effects. Additionally, activation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway was enhanced by miR‑96 overexpression, while it was inhibited by the miR‑96 inhibitor. Moreover, it was identified that miR‑96 may directly target caveolin‑1 (CAV‑1) to decrease its expression level. Furthermore, overexpression of CAV‑1 could reverse the increase in cell proliferation, migration and invasion induced by miR‑96, as well as the upregulation of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. In conclusion, the present results suggested that miR‑96 may have an oncogenic role in the progression of cervical cancer by targeting CAV‑1. Therefore, miR‑96 may be a potential target for cervical cancer therapy.

MiR-96-5p promotes breast cancer migration by activating MEK/ERK signaling

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in women worldwide. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the potential role of miR-96-5p in breast cancer.

METHODS

Breast cancer tissues and matched para-cancerous tissues were collected. The expression of microRNA-96-5p (miR-96-5p) and arginine kinase 3 (AK3) was detected by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The correlation between miR-96-5p and AK3 was calculated by Pearson's Chi-square test. Moreover, mimics or inhibitors of miR-96-5p were applied to explore whether miR-96-5p influences the migration capacity in Transwell and wound healing assays. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to identify the target genes of miR-96-5p through the TargetScan, miRDB and miRanda databases. A luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify AK3 as a downstream target gene of miR-96-5p.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-96-5p was significantly increased in breast cancer tissue and breast cancer cell lines compared with para-cancerous tissue and a breast cell line, respectively. The expression of miR-96-5p negatively correlated with AK3 gene expression. AK3 was demonstrated to be a direct mRNA target of miR-96-5p. AK3 was positively associated with the overall survival of breast cancer patients. Kaplan-Meier curve and log rank test analyses revealed that decreased AK3 levels were significantly associated with reduced overall survival. miR-96-5p was shown to promote the migration of breast cancer cells through the MEK/ERK signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Our results identify a role for miR-96-5p in promoting breast cancer cell migration through activation of MEK/ERK signaling by targeting AK3.

Downregulation of miR-96 suppresses the profibrogenic functions of cardiac fibroblasts induced by angiotensin II and attenuates atrial fibrosis by upregulating KLF13

Atrial fibrosis is a hallmark of structural remodeling in atrial fibrillation (AF). MicroRNA-96 (miR-96) has been reported to be associated with pulmonary fibrosis and hepatic fibrosis. Nevertheless, the role of miR-96 in atrial fibrosis is still unclear. In our study, we showed that miR-96 is upregulated in human atrial tissues from AF patients and positively correlates with collagen I and collagen III levels. Knockdown of miR-96 reduced angiotensin II (Ang-II)-induced cardiac-fibroblast proliferation, migration, and collagen production, whereas ectopic expression of miR-96 yielded opposite results. Furthermore, we demonstrated that miR-96 represses KLF13 expression, subsequently promoting Ang-II-induced proliferation, migration, and collagen production in murine cardiac fibroblasts. Moreover, we observed that the knockdown of miR-96 attenuated the Ang-II-induced atrial fibrosis in a mouse model of AF. All the findings point to a potential target for the prevention or treatment of atrial fibrosis.

miRNAs: A Promising Target in the Chemoresistance of Bladder Cancer

Chemotherapy is an important cancer treatment method. Tumor chemotherapy resistance is one of the main factors leading to tumor progression. Like other malignancies, bladder cancer, especially muscle-invasive bladder cancer, is prone to chemotherapy resistance. Additionally, only approximately 50% of muscle-invasive bladder cancer responds to cisplatin-based chemotherapy. miRNAs are a class of small, endogenous, noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level, which results in the inhibition of translation or the degradation of mRNA. In the study of miRNAs and cancer, including gastric cancer, prostate cancer, liver cancer, and colorectal cancer, it has been found that miRNAs can regulate the expression of genes related to tumor resistance, thereby promoting the progression of tumors. In bladder cancer, miRNAs are also closely related to chemotherapy resistance, suggesting that miRNAs can be a new therapeutic target for the chemotherapy resistance of bladder cancer. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms of miRNAs in the chemotherapy resistance of bladder cancer is an important foundation for restoring the chemotherapy sensitivity of bladder cancer and improving the efficacy of chemotherapy and patient survival. In this article, we review the role of miRNAs in the development of chemotherapy-resistant bladder cancer and the various resistance mechanisms that involve apoptosis, the cell cycle, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Identification of Potentially Functional CircRNA-miRNA-mRNA Regulatory Network in Gastric Carcinoma using Bioinformatics Analysis

Background

As all we know, gastric cancer (GC) is a highly aggressive disease. Recently, circular RNA (circRNA) was found to play a vital role in regulation of GC. Some circRNAs could regulate messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by functioning as a microRNA (miRNA) sponge. Nevertheless, the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network involved GC rarely has been explored and researched.

Material/Methods

All the differentially expressed circRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNA were derived from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarray data (GSE78092, GSE89143, GSE93415, and GSE54129). GC level 3 miRNA-sequencing data and clinical information were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Furthermore, a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed by Cytoscape (version 3.6.1). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway revealed the functions and signaling pathways associated with these target genes. Hub genes of protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were identified by STRING database and cytoHubba.

Results

The regulatory network consists of 3 circRNAs, 22 miRNAs, and 128 mRNAs. Only 3 miRNAs of the network were consistent with the expression of TCGA and were associated with some clinical features. The results of the functional analysis of 128 mRNAs showed that GO analysis and KEGG pathways of inclusion criteria were 49 and 24, respectively. PPI network and Cytoscape showed that the top 10 hub genes were MYC, CTGF, TGFBR2, TGFBR1, SERPINE1, KRAS, ZEB1, THBS1, CDK6, and TNS1; 4 of which were verified by GEPIA based on TCGA. Highly expressed SERPINE1 had a poor OS (over survival) and DFS (disease-free survival), and TGFBR1 expression increased along with the increase of clinical stages.

Conclusions

This study looked at a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network associated with GC and explored the potential functions of mRNA in the network, then identified a new molecular marker for prediction, prognosis, and therapeutic targets for clinical patients.

MicroRNA-96-3p promotes metastasis of papillary thyroid cancer through targeting SDHB

Background

MicroRNA (MiRNA) is a small non-coding RNA which is implicated in a cohort of biological function in cancer, including proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis and invasion. MiR-96 has been reported to be involved in many cancers, including papillary thyroid cancer. However, the role of miR-96-3p in papillary thyroid cancer metastasis is still unclear.

Methods

qRT-PCR is used to detect the level of miR-96-3p and mRNA of SDHB in PTC tissues and cell lines. Western blot assays are used to verify the protein expression of SDHB. The transwell assays are performed to identify the migration ability of PTC cell lines. Moreover, dual-luciferase 3'-UTR reporter assays are chosen to illuminate the direct target of miR-96-3p.

Results

The relative miR-96-3p upregulate in PTC tissues and three PTC cell lines (B-CPAP, K-1 and TPC-1 cells) while the relative SDHB is opposite. Our results revealed that the miR-96-3p promotes metastasis and invasion in PTC cell lines (K-1 and TPC-1 cells) by direct targeting SDHB and influence the downstream protein AKT.

Conclusions

Taken together, the miR-96-3p is involved in PTC metastasis and invasion by direct targeting SDHB and the downstream molecule AKT and mTOR.

Propofol exhibits a tumor-suppressive effect and regulates cell viability, migration and invasion in bladder carcinoma by targeting the microRNA-10b/HOXD10 signaling pathway

2,6-diisopropylphenol (propofol) is a commonly used intravenous anesthetic drug, which has been reported to serve an antitumor role in human cancers. The current study aimed to assess the effects of propofol on the biological behaviors of human bladder cancer cells and to elucidate its potential molecular mechanism. The results of MTT, wound healing and Matrigel invasion assays demonstrated that propofol significantly inhibited the viability, migration and invasion of bladder cancer T24 cells in vitro. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting revealed that propofol decreased the expression levels of microRNA (miR)-10b and increased the expression levels of homeobox D10 (HOXD10) in T24 cells. Luciferase reporter assay revealed that HOXD10 was a direct target of miR-10b in T24 cells. T24 cells transfected with a miR-10b mimic significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of HOXD10. In addition, overexpression of miR-10b partly reversed the inhibitory effect of propofol on T24 cell viability, migration and invasion induced by upregulation of HOXD10. In summary, the present study focused on the role of propofol in the treatment of bladder cancer and demonstrated that propofol may serve a tumor-suppressive role and control cell viability, migration and invasion of T24 cells by targeting the miR-10b/HOXD10 signaling pathway, which indicated that propofol may be used as an effective therapeutic drug for the treatment of bladder cancer.

MiR-96 induced non-small-cell lung cancer progression through competing endogenous RNA network and affecting EGFR signaling pathway

Objectives

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has become a serious global health problem in the 21st century, and tumor proliferation and metastasis are the leading causes of death in patients with lung cancer. The present study aimed to verify the function of miR-96 and miR-96 in relation to competing with endogenous RNA regulatory network in NSCLC progression including proliferation and metastasis.

Materials and Methods

Clinical data of miR-96 expression was collected from StarBase 2.0 developed by Sun Yat-sen University. We used wound-healing, transwell and MTT assays to measure migration, invasion and proliferation of NSCLC cell lines after different treatment. Quantitative real time PCR and western blot were used to test differential genes expression. In order to identify target between genes (FOXO1 and DUSP1) and miR-96, luciferase assay was used. Luciferase activities in FOXO1 and DUSP1 wild type plasmid groups were compared to mutant groups.

Results

qRT-PCR and online database results indicated that miR-96 is highly associated with NSCLC when compared to normal patients. In addition, miR-96 indeed induced migration, invasion and proliferation of NSCLC cell line. In addition, FOXO1 and DUSP1 are targets of miR-96 and these three molecules form competing endogenous RNA network. miR-96 related competing endogenous RNA network affects cell metastasis via epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling.

Conclusion

miR-96 can be considered as one of tumor-inducer and form competing endogenous RNA network with FOXO1 and DUSP1, which affects downstream EGFR signaling.

Integrated bioinformatics analysis reveals role of the LINC01093/miR-96-5p/ZFAND5/NF-κB signaling axis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a significant health burden worldwide and its pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. One of the means by which long non-coding (lnc)RNAs regulate gene expression is by interacting with micro (mi)RNAs and acting as competing endogenous (ce)RNAs. lncRNAs have important roles in various diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential roles of lncRNAs in HCC. The RNA expression profiles of 21 paired tissues of HCC and adjacent non-tumor tissues were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The differentially expressed RNAs were analyzed using the DESeq package in R. Expression validation and survival analysis of selected RNAs were performed using Gene Expression Profile Interactive Analysis and/or Kaplan-Meier Plotter. The target genes of the miRNAs were predicted using lncBase or TargetScan. Functional analyses were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery, and regulatory networks were determined using Cytoscape. Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1093 (LINC01093) was identified as one of the most significantly downregulated lncRNAs in HCC tissues. Downregulated expression of LINC01093 was associated with poor prognosis. A ceRNA network involving LINC01093, miR-96-5p and zinc finger AN1-type containing 5 (ZFAND5) was established. According to functional analyses, NF-κB signaling was implicated in the regulatory network for HCC. The present study revealed that a LINC01093/miR-96-5p/ZFAND5/NF-κB signaling axis may have an important role in the pathogenesis of HCC, and further investigation of this axis may provide novel insight into the development and progression of HCC.

miR-96 acts as a tumor suppressor via targeting the BCR-ABL1 oncogene in chronic myeloid leukemia blastic transformation

MicroRNA-mediated posttranscriptional regulation is an important epigenetic regulatory mechanism of gene expression, and its dysregulation is involved in the development and progression of a variety of malignancies, including chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The BCR-ABL1 fusion gene is not only the initiating factor of CML, but it is also an important driving factor for blastic transformation. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) targeting BCR-ABL1 tyrosine kinase activity, represented by imatinib, are currently the first-line treatment for CML. However, due to primary resistance or secondary resistance caused by mutations in the BCR-ABL1 kinase domain, TKIs cannot completely prevent the progression of CML; thus, the study of BCR-ABL1 gene expression regulation is of great significance. In this study, bioinformatics analysis and our results showed that miR-96 could directly bind to the 3'UTR region of BCR-ABL1 to regulate fusion protein expression, thereby regulating its downstream signaling pathway activity. We also found that miR-96 was downregulated during the progression from the chronic phase (CML-CP) to the blast crisis (CML-BC). Downregulation of miR-96 could promote the proliferation and participate in the cell differentiation of CML-BC cells. Additionally, we found that the novel histone deacetylase drug chidamide and the DNA methyltransferase inhibitor decitabine could restore the low expression of miR-96 in CML cells, and there were two abnormal hypermethylated sites in the promoter region of miR-96 in CML, suggesting that its low expression might be at least partially regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. In addition, re-expression of miR-96 could increase the sensitivity of CML-BC cells to imatinib. Thus, miR-96 functions as a tumor suppressor, and re-expression of this microRNA might have therapeutic benefits in CML blastic transformation.