miR-186 modulates hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and mobility via targeting MCRS1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling

WNT/β-catenin signaling in hepatocellular carcinoma: The aberrant activation, pathogenic roles, and therapeutic opportunities

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a liver cancer, highly heterogeneous both at the histopathological and molecular levels. It arises from hepatocytes as the result of the accumulation of numerous genomic alterations in various signaling pathways, including canonical WNT/β-catenin, AKT/mTOR, MAPK pathways as well as signaling associated with telomere maintenance, p53/cell cycle regulation, epigenetic modifiers, and oxidative stress. The role of WNT/β-catenin signaling in liver homeostasis and regeneration is well established, whereas in development and progression of HCC is extensively studied. Herein, we review recent advances in our understanding of how WNT/β-catenin signaling facilitates the HCC development, acquisition of stemness features, metastasis, and resistance to treatment. We outline genetic and epigenetic alterations that lead to activated WNT/β-catenin signaling in HCC. We discuss the pivotal roles of CTNNB1 mutations, aberrantly expressed non-coding RNAs and complexity of crosstalk between WNT/β-catenin signaling and other signaling pathways as challenging or advantageous aspects of therapy development and molecular stratification of HCC patients for treatment.

RBCK1 overexpression is associated with immune cell infiltration and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

RBCK1 is an important E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays an important role in many major diseases. However, the function and mechanism of RBCK1 in pan-cancer and its association with immune cell infiltration have not been reported. The purpose of this study is to find out the expression of RBCK1 in cancer, and to explore the relationship between RBCK1 and the prognosis of patients. Our results show that the expression of RBCK1 is up-regulated in a variety of malignant tumors, and is closely related to the prognosis of patients. Further studies have shown that RBCK1 regulates protein expression in the nucleus and plays an important role in ribosome and valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation. Genetic variation analysis showed that RBCK1 was mainly involved in missense mutations in multiple tumors, and mutated patients showed poor prognoses. Further studies showed that RBCK1 may be interacted with proteins such as RNRPB, MCRS1, TRIB3, MKKS and ARPC3. Through protein interaction analysis, we found 43 proteins interacting with RBCK1 in liver cancer. We also analyzed immune cell infiltration and found that RBCK1 expression was positively correlated with T cells and macrophages, while it was negatively correlated with neutrophils, NK cells, and DCs in liver cancer. Finally, we confirmed experimentally that RBCK1 can significantly inhibit the apoptosis and invasion of HCC. Therefore, we speculate that RBCK1 plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of HCC.

The role and application of vesicles in triple-negative breast cancer: Opportunities and challenges

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) carry DNA, RNA, protein, and other substances involved in intercellular crosstalk and can be used for the targeted delivery of drugs. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is rich in recurrent and metastatic disease and lacks therapeutic targets. Studies have proved the role of EVs in the different stages of the genesis and development of TNBC. Cancer cells actively secrete various biomolecules, which play a significant part establishing the tumor microenvironment via EVs. In this article, we describe the roles of EVs in the tumor immune microenvironment, metabolic microenvironment, and vascular remodeling, and summarize the application of EVs for objective delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, immune antigens, and cancer vaccine adjuvants. EVs-based therapy may represent the next-generation tool for targeted drug delivery for the cure of a variety of diseases lacking effective drug treatment.

Harnessing function of EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma: From biological view to nanotechnological standpoint

Management of cancer metastasis has been associated with remarkable reduction in progression of cancer cells and improving survival rate of patients. Since 90% of mortality are due to cancer metastasis, its suppression can improve ability in cancer fighting. The EMT has been an underlying cause in increasing cancer migration and it is followed by mesenchymal transformation of epithelial cells. HCC is the predominant kind of liver tumor threatening life of many people around the world with poor prognosis. Increasing patient prognosis can be obtained via inhibiting tumor metastasis. HCC metastasis modulation by EMT and HCC therapy by nanoparticles are discussed here. First of all, EMT happens during progression and advanced stages of HCC and therefore, its inhibition can reduce tumor malignancy. Moreover, anti-cancer compounds including all-trans retinoic acid and plumbaging, among others, have been considered as inhibitors of EMT. The EMT association with chemoresistance has been evaluated. Moreover, ZEB1/2, TGF-β, Snail and Twist are EMT modulators in HCC and enhancing cancer invasion. Therefore, EMT mechanism and related molecular mechanisms in HCC are evaluated. The treatment of HCC has not been only emphasized on targeting molecular pathways with pharmacological compounds and since drugs have low bioavailability, their targeted delivery by nanoparticles promotes HCC elimination. Moreover, nanoparticle-mediated phototherapy impairs tumorigenesis in HCC by triggering cell death. Metastasis of HCC and even EMT mechanism can be suppressed by cargo-loaded nanoparticles.

The molecular characteristics and functional roles of microspherule protein 1 (MCRS1) in gene expression, cell proliferation, and organismic development

Accurate spatial and temporal regulation of cell cycle progression is essential for cell proliferation and organismic development. This review demonstrates the role of microspherule protein 58kD, commonly known as MCRS1, as a key cell cycle regulator of higher eukaryotic organisms. We discuss the isoforms and functional domains of MCRS1 as well as their subcellular localization at specific stages of the cell cycle. These molecular characteristics reveal MCRS1's dynamic regulatory role in gene expression, genome stability, cell proliferation, and organismic development. Furthermore, we discuss the molecular details of its seemingly opposite, tumor-suppressive or tumor-promoting, role in different types of cancer.

HtrA2 Independently Predicts Poor Prognosis and Correlates with Immune Cell Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

High-temperature requirement protein A2 (HtrA2), a mitochondrial protein, is related to apoptosis regulation. However, the role of HtrA2 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. In the present study, we explored the prognostic value and expression pattern of HtrA2 in HCC and confirmed its independent value for predicting outcomes via Cox analyses. LinkedOmics and GEPIA2 were used to construct the coexpression and functional networks of HtrA2. Additionally, the data obtained from TCGA was analyzed to investigate the relationship between the infiltration of immune cells and HtrA2 mRNA expression. Finally, the expression pattern of HtrA2 in HCC was confirmed by wet-lab experiments. The results showed high HtrA2 expression (P < 0.001) presented in tumor tissues in TCGA-HCC. Moreover, high HtrA2 expression was confirmed to be associated with poor HCC patient survival (P < 0.05). HtrA2 has also been recognized as an essential risk factor for overall survival (P=0.01, HR = 1.654, 95% CI 1.128-2.425), disease-specific survival (P=0.004, HR = 2.204, 95% CI 1.294-3.753), and progression-free interval (P=0.007, HR = 1.637, 95% CI 1.145-2.341) of HCC. HCC patients with low HtrA2 methylation had worse overall survival than patients with high methylation (P=0.0019). Functional network analysis suggests that HtrA2 regulates mitochondrial homeostasis through pathways involving multiple microRNAs and transcription factors in HCC. In addition, HtrA2 expression correlated with infiltrating levels of multiple immune cell populations. At last, increased expression of HtrA2 in HCC was confirmed using wet-lab experiments. Our study provides evidence that the upregulation of HtrA2 in HCC is an independent predictor of prognosis. Our results provide the foundation for further study on the roles of HtrA2 in HCC tumorigenesis.

MCRS1 Expression Regulates Tumor Activity and Affects Survival Probability of Patients with Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths. Surgery remains the first-choice treatment. Chemotherapy is considered in the middle and advanced stages, but has limited success. Microspherule protein 1 (MCRS1, also known as MSP58) is a protein originally identified in the nucleus and cytoplasm that is involved in the cell cycle. High expression of MCRS1 increases tumor growth, invasiveness, and metastasis. The mechanistic relationships between MCSR1 and proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) remain to be elucidated. We clarified these relationships using immunostaining of tumor tissues and normal tissues from patients with gastric cancer. High MCRS1 expression in gastric cancer positively correlated with Ki-67, Caspase3, CD31, Fibronectin, pAKT, and pAMPK. The hazard ratio of high MCRS1 expression was 2.44 times that of low MCRS1 expression, negatively impacting patient survival.

Wnt Signaling Pathway Is among the Drivers of Liver Metastasis

Liver metastasis, originating either from a primary liver or other cancer types, represent a large cancer-related burden. Therefore, studies that add to better understanding of its molecular basis are needed. Herein, the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in liver metastasis is outlined. Its role in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), motility, migration, metastasis formation, and other steps of the metastatic cascade are presented. Additionally, the roles of the Wnt signaling pathway in the liver metastasis formation of colorectal, breast, gastric, lung, melanoma, pancreatic, and prostate cancer are explored. The special emphasis is given to the role of the Wnt signaling pathway in the communication between the many of the components of the primary and secondary cancer microenvironment that contribute to the metastatic outgrowth in the liver. The data presented herein are a review of the most recent publications and advances in the field that add to the idea that the Wnt pathway is among the drivers of liver metastasis and that its targeting could potentially relieve liver metastasis–related complications.

FOXD1, negatively regulated by miR-186, promotes the proliferation, metastasis and radioresistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Foxhead box D1 (FOXD1) is validated to be over-expressed in a variety of human malignancies and promotes cancer progression. Nevertheless, the role of FOXD1 and the associated mechanism in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown.

METHODS

A total of seventy-five cases of NPC tissue samples were collected. FOXD1 expression in NPC tissues and cells (SUNE1, CNE1, CNE2, and HONE1) was detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. The relationship between FOXD1 expression and clinicopathological parameters of NPC patients was analyzed. FOXD1 mRNA and miR-186 expression in NPC tissues and cells was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The cell viability of NPC cells was detected using CCK-8 assay. Colony survival of NPC cells exposed to different doses of radiation was detected using colony formation assay. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the migration and invasion of NPC cells. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to verify the targeting relationship between miR-186 and FOXD1.

RESULTS

FOXD1 was over-expressed in NPC tissues (average fold change on mRNA level = 4.72), and its high expression was correlated to NPC positive lymph node metastasis and tissue differentiation. The over-expression of FOXD1 promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion and radio-resistance of NPC cells. On the contrary, the knock-down of FOXD1 inhibited the malignant phenotypes of the above cells. It was verified that FOXD1 was one of the downstream targets of miR-186 and was negatively regulated by it.

CONCLUSION

FOXD1, which is negatively regulated by miR-186, acts as a novel oncogene in NPC and serves as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for NPC. The research will provide great theoretical basis for further clinical diagnosis and therapy.

miR-186 Inhibits Liver Cancer Stem Cells Expansion via Targeting PTPN11

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) participated in the regulation of tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis, recurrence and chemo-resistance of cancers. However, the potential function of miRNAs in cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells (T-ICs) was not clearly elucidated. In the present study, we found that miR-186 expression was reduced in liver CSCs. Functional studies showed that miR-186 knockdown facilitated liver CSCs self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Conversely, forced miR-186 expression suppressed liver CSCs self-renewal and tumorigenesis. Mechanically, miR-186 downregulated PTPN11 via binding to its 3'-UTR in liver CSCs. The correlation of miR-186 and PTPN11 was confirmed in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients' tissues. Further study showed that interference of PTPN11 can abolished the discrepancy between miR-186 mimic and control HCC cells in self-renewal and the proportion of CSCs. Additionally, we found that miR-186 overexpression HCC cells were more sensitive to cisplatin treatment. Clinical cohort analysis showed that HCC patients with high miR-186 were benefited more from transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment. In conclusion, our study demonstrates a new regulation mechanism of liver CSCs, a new target for HCC, and a biomarker for postoperative TACE.

Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling as a Driver of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression: An Emphasis on Molecular Pathways

Liver cancers cause a high rate of death worldwide and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered as the most common primary liver cancer. HCC remains a challenging disease to treat. Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is considered a tumor-promoting factor in various cancers; hence, the present review focused on the role of Wnt signaling in HCC, and its association with progression and therapy response based on pre-clinical and clinical evidence. The nuclear translocation of β-catenin enhances expression level of genes such as c-Myc and MMPs in increasing cancer progression. The mutation of CTNNB1 gene encoding β-catenin and its overexpression can lead to HCC progression. β-catenin signaling enhances cancer stem cell features of HCC and promotes their growth rate. Furthermore, β-catenin prevents apoptosis in HCC cells and increases their migration via triggering EMT and upregulating MMP levels. It is suggested that β-catenin signaling participates in mediating drug resistance and immuno-resistance in HCC. Upstream mediators including ncRNAs can regulate β-catenin signaling in HCC. Anti-cancer agents inhibit β-catenin signaling and mediate its proteasomal degradation in HCC therapy. Furthermore, clinical studies have revealed the role of β-catenin and its gene mutation (CTNBB1) in HCC progression. Based on these subjects, future experiments can focus on developing novel therapeutics targeting Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HCC therapy.

MiR-15b-5b Regulates the Proliferation of Prostate Cancer PC-3 Cells via Targeting LATS2

Purpose

In order to investigate the role of miR-15b-5b in the progression of prostate cancer.

Methods

We employed RT-qPCR assay to analyze the transcriptional level of miR-15b-5b in cell lines including PC-3, prostate cancer tissues as well as normal prostate tissues. The protein level of large tumor suppressor factor 2 (LATS2) was detected by Western blot in similar specimens. Bioinformatic analysis was used to predict the targets of miR-15b-5p, and dual-luciferase assay was performed to confirm the relationship of miR-15b-5p with LATS2. Cell proliferation assay and colony formation assay were used to assess the effects of miR-15b-5b on the proliferation of PC-3 cells. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify factors associated with overall survival using the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

MiR-15b-5b was up-regulated in prostate cancer tissues as well as cell lines, and increased expression of miR-15b-5b was highly correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with prostate cancer. Ectopic expression of miR-15b-5b promoted the proliferation of PC-3 cells. Reciprocally, silence of miR-15b-5b elicited opposite effects on cell proliferation. Mechanistically, we identified LATS2 as the target of miR-15b-5b, which in turn limited LATS2 expression in PC-3 cells. Furthermore, the stimulatory effects of miR-15b-5b on cell proliferation can be attenuated by overexpression of LATS2. Conversely, inhibition of LATS2 promoted the proliferation of PC-3 cells induced by miR-15b-5b. Our data thus demonstrate that dysregulation of miR-15b-5b exacerbates prostate cancer progression via suppression of LATS2.

Conclusion

The identification of the oncogenic role of miR-15b-5b in prostate cancer thus proposes that miR-15b-5p might be a new therapeutic target for the treatment of prostate cancer.

New Advances in Canonical Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling in Cancer

Wnt/β-catenin-mediated signaling is a key pathway regulating tissue growth and development, and tumorigenesis, and has received increasing attention in recent years. In addition to participating in healthy tissue and organ development, ectopic activation of the pathway can cause a variety of tumors and other pathologies. The pathway plays a critical role in many processes such as proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, epithelial–mesenchymal transition and cancer cell stemness. The importance of the Wnt signal is self-evident. This review describes the underlying mechanism of Wnt signaling pathway and highlights the latest findings on the relationship between Wnt signaling pathway and tumorigenesis. In addition, the potential relationship between miRNAs and Wnt signaling is presented. Furthermore, we discuss the intrinsic link between Wnt signaling and cancer cell stemness, which shed light on the malignant progression of tumor cells. Finally, cancer treatment strategies based on the canonical Wnt signaling pathway are summarized, hoping to help clinical development.

MiR-186 represses progression of renal cell cancer by directly targeting CDK6

The function of miR-186 in the progression of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains poorly investigated. Our study aims to identify the molecular mechanism underlying miR-186-regulated proliferation, migration and invasion of RCC. Firstly, our data confirmed that miR-186 was significantly reduced and CDK6 was obviously increased in RCC tissues and cells. MiR-186 or CDK6 was associated with advanced TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis. MiR-186 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration, invasion and in vivo tumor growth, induced apoptosis, and blocked cell cycle progression in G0/G1 phase. MiR-186 also induced Bax expression and inhibited the expressions of Bcl-2, cyclin D1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes. Additionally, CDK6 expression was downregulated by miR-186 via binding to its 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Moreover, ectopic expression of CDK6 could partially abrogate the inhibitory effect of miR-186. In conclusion, miR-186 suppresses proliferation, migration and invasion of RCC by inhibiting CDK6 expression.

The Dual Role of miR-186 in Cancers: Oncomir Battling With Tumor Suppressor miRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs which regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level. Alterations of miR-186 expression were demonstrated in numerous cancers, shown to play a vital role in oncogenesis, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and drug resistance. MiR-186 was documented as a tumor suppressor miRNA in the majority of studies, while conflicting reports verified miR-186 as an oncomir. The contradictory role in cancers may impede the application of miR-186, as well as other dual-functional miRNAs, as a diagnostic and therapeutic target. This review emphasizes the alterations and functions of miR-186 in cancers and discusses the mechanisms behind the contradictory findings. Among these, target abundance and dose-dependent effects of miR-186 are highlighted. The paper aims to review the challenges involved in developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment based on dual-functional miRNAs.

Clinical Value of Serum and Exhaled Breath Condensate miR-186 and IL-1β Levels in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to investigate the expression level and clinical significance of serum and exhaled breath condensate miR-186 and IL-1β in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

METHODS

The serum and exhaled breath condensate specimens of 62 non-small cell lung cancer patients and 60 healthy controls were collected to detect miR-186 expression levels by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to examine IL-1β concentration. Statistical analyses were used to evaluate the correlation between miR-186 and IL-1β in serum and clinicopathological features, traditional serum tumor markers, and inflammatory markers. The diagnostic efficacy of miR-186 and IL-1β for non-small cell lung cancer was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The correlation between miR-186 and IL-1β was determined.

RESULTS

① The relative expression level of miR-186 was greatly reduced in the serum and EBC of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, and the miR-186 expression level was reduced in different TNM stages of non-small cell lung cancer, from the early to later stages. ② The IL-1β concentration in serum and exhaled breath condensate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer was increased. ③ Serum miR-186 and IL-1β levels were closely related to lymph node metastasis, and the low expression of serum miR-186 and the high concentration of IL-1β were associated with higher serum carcinoembryonic antigen, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels. ④ ROC curve analysis showed that exhaled breath condensate miR-186 had higher area under the curve than serum miR-186, and the combined detection showed higher diagnostic efficacy than the separate detection. In addition, the combined detection of IL-1β and miR-186 has a larger AUC than the separate detection of both. ⑤ The correlation between serum miR-186 and IL-1β was negative.

CONCLUSION

miR-186 and IL-1β are expected to be potential diagnostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer.