MiR-130b suppresses prostate cancer metastasis through down-regulation of MMP2

Evaluation of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 levels and telomere length with telomerase activity in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequent cancer in males, as well as the second highest cause of cancer-related deaths in men. Differences in expression levels of miRNAs were linked with prostat cancer pathogenesis. qPCR was used to evaluate the expression of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH (n = 20) and PC (n = 22, pre- and post-operative) patients plasma. Relative telomere lengths (RLTs) in genomic DNA isolated from plasma were measured with qPCR, and telomerase activity analyzed by the ELISA method. PSA levels of PC patients were greater than of BPH patients (p = 0.0473). miR-130b-3p and miR-375 levels were significantly lower in pre-operative specimens of PC patients according to BPH (p = 0,0362, p = 0.0168, respectively). Similarly, post-operative miR-375 levels were lower in PC patients than in BPH patients (p = 0.1866). BPH patients had shorter RTLs than PC patients in both pre- (p=0.0438) and post-operative (p=0.0297) specimens. Telomerase activity was higher in PC patients than BPH(p = 0.0129). Interestingly, telomerase activity was further increased after surgery (p = 0.0003). We aim to identify the levels of miR-130b-3p and miR-375 expression and their relationship with telomerase activity in PC patients. Our data suggest that miRNAs and telomere length (TL) with telomerase activity may play a role in regulating prostate tumorgenesis and may be used as biomarkers for PC diagnosis.

Role of miR-301b-3p/5p in breast cancer: A study based on the cancer GenomeAtlas program (TCGA) and bioinformatics analysis

Background

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancer type of women in the world. miR-301b-3p/5p were paired miRNAs derived from the same pre-miRNA, which may have different clinical roles in tumor and requires more exploration and research.

Methods

In order to investigate the differential expression, clinical significance, diagnostic and prognostic value of miR-301b-3p/5p and explore their function in breast cancer, we extracted information of miRNAs from TCGA data sets for clinical correlation analysis, and the potential function was explored by GO、KEGG enrichment and immunoinfiltration analysis.

Results

miR-301b-3p/5p were both highly expressed in breast cancer, there is a positive correlation between them. miR-301b-3p and miR-301b-5p have different clinical features. In breast cancer, miR-301b-3p can be used as a potential diagnostic marker while miR-301b-5p can be used as a prognostic molecule. GO, KEGG enrichment and immunoinfiltration analysis reveals that miR-301b-3p focuses on molecular functions, miR-301b-5p focuses on regulation of angiogenesis, and it is correlated with immune cells.

Conclusions

miR-301b-3p and miR-301b-5p are both tumor promoter in breast cancer, miR-301b-3p can be used as a potential diagnostic marker, while miR-301b-5p can be used as a prognostic molecule and an underlying therapy target. Although miR-301b-3p/5p is a pair of miRNAs from two arms of the same pre-miRNA, they may promote the progression of breast cancer together through different pathway.

The Bone Microenvironment Soil in Prostate Cancer Metastasis: An miRNA Approach

Bone metastatic prostate cancer (PCa) is associated with a high risk of mortality. Changes in the expression pattern of miRNAs seem to be related to early aspects of prostate cancer, as well as its establishment and proliferation, including the necessary steps for metastasis. Here we compiled, for the first time, the important roles of miRNAs in the development, diagnosis, and treatment of bone metastasis, focusing on recent in vivo and in vitro studies. PCa exosomes are proven to promote metastasis-related events, such as osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation and proliferation. Aberrant miRNA expression in PCa may induce abnormal bone remodeling and support tumor development. Furthermore, miRNAs are capable of binding to multiple mRNA targets, a dynamic property that can be harnessed for the development of treatment tools, such as antagomiRs and miRNA mimics, which have emerged as promising candidates in PCa treatment. Finally, miRNAs may serve as noninvasive biomarkers, as they can be detected in tissue and bodily fluids, are highly stable, and show differential expression between nonmetastatic PCa and bone metastatic samples. Taken together, the findings underscore the importance of miRNA expression profiles and miRNA-based tools as rational technologies to increase the quality of life and longevity of patients.

Angiogenesis and prostate cancer: MicroRNAs comes into view

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is an important stage in the growth of cancer. Extracellular matrix, endothelial cells, and soluble substances must be carefully coordinated during the multistep procedure of angiogenesis. Inducers and inhibitors have been found to control pretty much every phase. In addition to benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and angiogenesis have a critical role in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) is endogenous, short, non-coding RNA molecules of almost 22 nucleotides play a role in regulating cellular processes and regulating several genes' expression. Through controlling endothelial migration, differentiation, death, and cell proliferation, miRNAs have a significant function in angiogenesis. A number of pathological and physiological processes, particularly prostate cancer's emergence, depend on the regulation of angiogenesis. Investigating the functions played with miRNAs in angiogenesis is crucial because it might result in the creation of novel prostate cancer therapies that entail regulating angiogenesis. The function of several miRNAs and its targeting genes engaged in cancer of the prostate angiogenesis will be reviewed in this review in light of the most recent developments. The potential clinical utility of miRNAs potentially a novel therapeutic targets will also be explored, as well as their capacity to control prostate cancer angiogenesis and the underlying mechanisms.

Exosomal miRNAs-a diagnostic biomarker acting as a guiding light in the diagnosis of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer, one of the major causes of mortality globally is regarded as the second leading cause of mortality among men. It is known to affect the stromal cells surrounding it. Through the use of exosomes, the affected stromal cells can promote the growth and spread of the cancer. Exosomes are known to play a role not only in the development and progression of cancer but also contribute to the drug-resistance character of cancer cells. Recently, the discovery of the small non-coding RNAs or miRNA has attracted attention of cancer researchers as they can regulate the expression of different genes. Therefore, exosomal miRNA can be used as a novel and reliable biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. In addition, exosomal miRNAs can also be used as a potential treatment for prostate cancer. The goal of this review is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the current knowledge about the role of exosomal miRNAs in the treatment of patients with prostate cancer and their potential role in monitoring the disease.

The role of miRNA-128 in the development and progression of gastrointestinal and urogenital cancer

Increasing data have shown the significance of various miRNAs in malignancy. In this regard, parallel to its biological role in normal tissues, miRNA-128 (miR-128) has been found to play an essential immunomodulatory function in the process of cancer initiation and development. The occurrence of the aberrant expression of miR-128 in tumors and the unique properties of miRNAs raise the prospect of their use as biomarkers and the next generation of molecular anticancer therapies. The function of miR-128 in malignancies such as breast, prostate, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, esophageal, cervical, ovarian and bladder cancers and hepatocellular carcinoma is discussed in this review. Finally, the effect of exosomal miR-128 on cancer resistance to therapeutics and cancer immunotherapy in certain malignancies is highlighted.

Long non-coding RNA MRPS30 divergent transcript can be detected in the cytoplasm of triple-negative breast cancer cells and is targeted by microRNA-130b

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MRPS30 divergent transcript (also known as BRCAT54) is recently reported to promote lung cancer. The involvement of BRCAT54 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is unknown. This study investigated the role of BRCAT54 in TNBC. The expression of BRCAT54 and microRNA(miR)-130b was detected by RT-qPCR. The subcellular location of BRCAT54 in TNBC cells was analyzed by nuclear fractionation assay. Overexpression of BRCAT54 and miR-130b was achieved in TNBC cells to explore the interaction between then. The role of BRCAT54 and miR-130b in TNBC cell proliferation was evaluated by BrdU assay. BRCAT54 was downregulated in TNBC, while miR-130b was upregulated in TNBC tissues. BRCAT54 and miR-130b were inversely correlated across both TNBC and normal tissues. BRCAT54 was detected in cytoplasm and was predicted to be targeted by miR-130b. In TNBC cells, downregulation of BRCAT54 was observed after the overexpression of miR-130b. Moreover, BRCAT54 decreased cell proliferation and miR-130b increased cell proliferation. Besides, BRCAT54 suppressed the role of miR-130b in increasing cell proliferation. Therefore, BRCAT54 can be detected in cytoplasm and was targeted by miR-130b to increase cell proliferation.

Systems biomarkers for papillary thyroid cancer prognosis and treatment through multi-omics networks

The identification of biomolecules associated with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) has upmost importance for the elucidation of the disease mechanism and the development of effective diagnostic and treatment strategies. Despite particular findings in this regard, a holistic analysis encompassing molecular data from different biological levels has been lacking. In the present study, a meta-analysis of four transcriptome datasets was performed to identify gene expression signatures in PTC, and reporter molecules were determined by mapping gene expression data onto three major cellular networks, i.e., transcriptional regulatory, protein-protein interaction, and metabolic networks. We identified 282 common genes that were differentially expressed in all PTC datasets. In addition, six proteins (FYN, JUN, LYN, PML, SIN3A, and RARA), two Erb-B2 receptors (ERBB2 and ERBB4), two cyclin-dependent receptors (CDK1 and CDK2), and three histone deacetylase receptors (HDAC1, HDAC2, and HDAC3) came into prominence as proteomic signatures in addition to several metabolites including lactaldehyde and proline at the metabolome level. Significant associations with calcium and MAPK signaling pathways and transcriptional and post-transcriptional activities of 12 TFs and 110 miRNAs were also observed at the regulatory level. Among them, six miRNAs (miR-30b-3p, miR-15b-5p, let-7a-5p, miR-130b-3p, miR-424-5p, and miR-193b-3p) were associated with PTC for the first time in the literature, and the expression levels of miR-30b-3p, miR-15b-5p, and let-7a-5p were found to be predictive of disease prognosis. Drug repositioning and molecular docking simulations revealed that 5 drugs (prochlorperazine, meclizine, rottlerin, cephaeline, and tretinoin) may be useful in the treatment of PTC. Consequently, we report here biomolecule candidates that may be considered as prognostic biomarkers or potential therapeutic targets for further experimental and clinical trials for PTC.

miR-130b suppresses the invasion and migration of prostate cancer via inhibiting DLL1 and regulating the PI3K/Akt pathways

Prostate cancer occurs in the prostatic epithelium and poses a threat to the health of middle-aged and older males. The objective of the present study was to explore the roles of microRNA (miRNA/miR)-130b in prostate cancer and potential molecular mechanisms in order to control the migration and invasion of prostate cancer. For this purpose, reverse transcription-PCR was performed to evaluate the mRNA levels of DLL1, phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K), protein kinase B (Akt) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)9, and western blot analysis was carried out to detect the protein expression levels of DLL1, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, p-Akt and MMP9. A Transwell assay was conducted to examine the invasion rate of prostate cancer cells. Furthermore, a scratch wound assay was performed to examine the migration rate of prostate cancer cells. A luciferase assay was performed to examine the interaction between miRNA and its target mRNA. The results revealed that miR-130b had abnormal (low) expression in tumor tissues compared with that in the adjacent normal tissue. An miR-130b mimic suppressed the expression of DLL1. The expression of p-PI3K, p-Akt and MMP9 in prostate cancer cells transfected with the miR-130b mimic was decreased in comparison to the negative control and control groups. Furthermore, migration and invasion were significantly suppressed in the miR-130b mimic group. In conclusion, a novel pathway interlinking miR-130b and MMP9, p-Akt and p-PI3K, which regulates the migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells, was identified. These findings provide an intriguing biomarker and treatment strategy for patients with prostate cancer.

Competitive Endogenous RNA Landscape in Epstein-Barr Virus Associated Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma

Non-coding RNAs have been shown to play important regulatory roles, notably in cancer development. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNAs and circular RNAs in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC) by constructing a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA co-expression network and performing differential expression analysis on mRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs. Specifically, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection has been found to be an important risk factor for NPC, and potential pathological differences may exist for EBV+ and EBV- subtypes of NPC. By comparing the expression profile of non-cancerous immortalized nasopharyngeal epithelial cell line and NPC cell lines, we identified differentially expressed coding and non-coding RNAs across three groups of comparison: cancer vs. non-cancer, EBV+ vs. EBV- NPC, and metastatic vs. non-metastatic NPC. We constructed a ceRNA network composed of mRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs, leveraging co-expression and miRNA target prediction tools. Within the network, we identified the regulatory ceRNAs of CDKN1B, ZNF302, ZNF268, and RPGR. These differentially expressed axis, along with other miRNA-circRNA pairs we identified through our analysis, helps elucidate the genetic and epigenetic changes central to NPC progression, and the differences between EBV+ and EBV- NPC.

Identification of MicroRNAs as Viable Aggressiveness Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer

MiRNAs play a relevant role in PC (prostate cancer) by the regulation in the expression of several pathways’ AR (androgen receptor), cellular cycle, apoptosis, MET (mesenchymal epithelium transition), or metastasis. Here, we report the role of several miRNAs’ expression patterns, such as miR-93-5p, miR-23c, miR-210-3p, miR-221-3p, miR-592, miR-141, miR-375, and miR-130b, with relevance in processes like cell proliferation and MET. Using Trizol^® extraction protocol and TaqMan™ specific probes for amplification, we performed miRNAs’ analysis of 159 PC fresh tissues and 60 plasmas from peripheral blood samples. We had clinical data from all samples including PSA, Gleason, TNM, and D’Amico risk. Moreover, a bioinformatic analysis in TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) was included to analyze the effect of the most relevant miRNAs according to aggressiveness in an extensive cohort (n = 531). We found that miR-210-3p, miR-23c, miR-592, and miR-93-5p are the most suitable biomarkers for PC aggressiveness and diagnosis, respectively. In fact, according with our results, miR-93-5p seems the most promising non-invasive biomarker for PC. To sum up, miR-210-3p, miR-23c, miR-592, and miR-93-5p miRNAs are suggested to be potential biomarkers for PC risk stratification that could be included in non-invasive strategies such as liquid biopsy in precision medicine for PC management.

Exosomal miR-130b-3p Promotes Progression and Tubular Formation Through Targeting PTEN in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accounting for two-thirds of head and neck cancer, is characterized by poor prognosis and a high rate of mortality. Exosomes have emerged as potential molecule-shuttle in intercellular communication, thereby regulating the physiological processes of recipient cells. To date, the effect of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) on the progression of OSCC has not been fully investigated. In this study, we found that the protein, but not mRNA expression of Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was decreased in OSCC. The results revealed that miR-130b-3p was an important negative regulator for PTEN expression. Additionally, overexpression and knockdown of miR-130b-3p enhanced and inhibited angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively. Also, miR-130b-3p was transferred by exosomes to HUVECs and then promoted angiogenesis and inhibit the expression of PTEN. Furthermore, exosomal miR-130b-3p derived from OSCC cells promoted tumor growth and blood vessel formation in the xenograft mice model. Taken together, we demonstrated that exosome-mediated miR-130b-3p promoted progression and tubular formation in OSCC in vitro and in vivo. These results would provide new insight into exploring biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies for OSCC.

MicroRNA-130b functions as an oncogene and is a predictive marker of poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinoma

Lung cancer is an aggressive disease and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In the past several decades, the incidence of adenocarcinoma has significantly increased, and accounts for ~40% of all lung cancer cases. In the present study, we investigated the clinicopathologic significance of microRNA-130b (miR-130b) in lung adenocarcinoma and analyzed its cancer-specific functions. RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of 146 lung adenocarcinoma cases, and miR-130b expression was analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. NCI-H1650 cells were transfected with miR-130b mimic and inhibitor to determine its effects on tumor cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. The expression of miR-130b in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was classified into two groups according to the median value. High expression of miR-130b was associated with higher histological grade, advanced pathologic T stage, lymph node metastasis, and lymphovascular invasion. Moreover, survival analysis showed that high miR-130b expression was significantly associated with unfavorable prognosis. In addition, miR-130b upregulation promoted cell migration and invasion, while its downregulation resulted in decreased cell proliferation, migration, and wound healing in in vitro experiments. In conclusion, these findings suggest that miR-130b promotes tumor progression and serves as a biomarker of poor prognosis for patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Hence, targeting miR-130b may serve as a potential therapeutic strategy for lung cancer.

BAP1 suppresses prostate cancer progression by deubiquitinating and stabilizing PTEN

Deubiquitinase BAP1 is an important tumor suppressor in several malignancies, but its functions and critical substrates in prostate cancer (PCa) remain unclear. Here, we report that the mRNA and protein expression levels of BAP1 are downregulated in clinical PCa specimens. BAP1 can physically bind to and deubiquitinate PTEN, which inhibits the ubiquitination-mediated degradation of PTEN and thus stabilizes PTEN protein. Ectopically expressed BAP1 in PCa cells increases PTEN protein level and subsequently inhibits the AKT signaling pathway, thus suppressing PCa progression. Conversely, knockdown of BAP1 in PCa cells leads to the decrease in PTEN protein level and the activation of the Akt signaling pathway, therefore promoting malignant transformation and cancer metastasis. However, these can be reversed by the re-expression of PTEN. More importantly, we found that BAP1 protein level positively correlates with PTEN in a substantial fraction of human cancers. These findings demonstrate that BAP1 is an important deubiquitinase of PTEN for its stability and the BAP1-PTEN signaling axis plays a crucial role in tumor suppression.

Elevated microRNA-130b-5p or silenced ELK1 inhibits self-renewal ability, proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities, and promotes apoptosis of cervical cancer stem cells

Cervical cancer (CC) is the most familiar gynecological malignancy. With the poor prognosis of CC patients, this study explored the effect of microRNA (miR)-130b-5p targeting ELK1 expression on self-renewal ability and stemness of CC stem cells. The tissues of patients with CC or cervical benign lesions were collected. MiR-130b-5p and ELK1 expression was detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis. Human CC cell line Hela was cultured and the induced CC stem cells were introduced with miR-130b-5p mimic or silenced ELK1 to figure their roles in self-renewal ability, stemness, colony formation, proliferation, migration, invasion abilities, and apoptosis of CC stem cells. Tumor growth was detected in nude mice in vivo. The targeting relationship between miR-130b-5p and ELK1 was analyzed using bioinformatic prediction and dual luciferase reporter gene assay. Decreased miR-130b-5p and elevated ELK1 existed in CC tissues of patients. Up-regulated miR-130b-5p decreased ELK1 expression in CC stem cells. Elevated miR-130b-5p or silenced ELK1 inhibited self-renewal ability and stemness, colony formation, proliferation, migration and invasion abilities, promoted apoptosis of CC stem cells, as well as decreased the weight and volume of tumor in nude mice. ELK1 was found to be targeted by miR-130b-5p. Overexpression ELK1 effectively reversed the cellular phenotypic changes and tumor formation in vivo caused by up-regulation of miR-130b-5p. We conclude that up-regulated miR-130b-5p or silenced ELK1 inhibits CC stem cell growth.

MiRNA-671-5p Promotes prostate cancer development and metastasis by targeting NFIA/CRYAB axis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second cause of death due to malignancy among men, and metastasis is the leading cause of mortality in patients with PCa. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important regulatory roles in tumor development and metastasis. Here, we identified 13 miRNAs related to PCa metastasis by bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, we found that miR-671-5p was increased in metastatic PCa tissues, and its high expression indicated poor prognosis of PCa. MiR-671-5p could facilitate PCa cells proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and vivo. We confirmed that miR-671-5p directly bound to the 3’ untranslated regions of NFIA mRNA, and NFIA directly bound to the CRYAB promoter. High expression of NFIA and CRYAB negatively correlated with the advanced clinicopathological characteristics and metastasis status of PCa patients. Our study demonstrated that miR-671-5p promoted PCa development and metastasis by suppressing NFIA/ CRYAB axis.

LncRNA UCA1 maintains the low-tumorigenic and nonmetastatic status by stabilizing E-cadherin in primary prostate cancer cells

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) have emerged as important players in cancer biology. Increasing evidence suggests that LncRNAs are frequently dysregulated in cancer and may function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (UCA1), a LncRNA, firstly identified in bladder transitional cell carcinoma, seems to act as an oncogene in many different types of human cancers by promoting cell proliferation and migration. In this study, we revealed a novel biological function of UCA1, which was different from that reported by previous studies, was responsible for maintaining the low-tumorigenic, nonmetastatic phenotypes in primary prostate epithelial cells. UCA1 could stabilize E-cadherin protein by preventing the interaction between E-cadherin and its E3 ligase MDM2, which suppressed MDM2-mediated ubiquitination and degradation of E-cadherin. In addition, we also found that UCA1 acted as a sponge of miR-296-3p, which targeted E-cadherin gene CDH1 messenger RNA at the posttranscription level. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that UCA1 had a new important role in effectively keeping E-cadherin at a high level through a dual mechanism, which maintained primary prostate cancer cells at the low-tumorigenic and nonmetastatic status.

Detection and Prognosis of Prostate Cancer Using Blood-Based Biomarkers

Prostate cancer (PCa) is second only to lung cancer as a cause of death. Clinical assessment of patients and treatment efficiency therefore depend on the disease being diagnosed as early as possible. However, due to issues regarding the use of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) for screening purposes, PCa management is among the most contentious of healthcare matters. PSA screening is problematic primarily because of diagnosis difficulties and the high rate of false-positive biopsies. Novel PCa biomarkers, such as the Prostate Health Index (PHI) and the 4Kscore, have been proposed in recent times to improve PSA prediction accuracy and have shown higher performance by preventing redundant biopsies. The 4Kscore also shows high precision in determining the risk of developing high-grade PCa, whereas elevated PHI levels suggest that the tumor is aggressive. Some evidence also supports the effectiveness of miRNAs as biomarkers for distinguishing PCa from benign prostatic hyperplasia and for assessing the aggressiveness of the disease. A number of miRNAs that possibly act as tumor inhibitors or oncogenes are impaired in PCa. These new biomarkers are comprehensively reviewed in the present study in terms of their potential use in diagnosing and treating PCa.

Role of VEGFs/VEGFR-1 Signaling and its Inhibition in Modulating Tumor Invasion: Experimental Evidence in Different Metastatic Cancer Models

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family members, VEGF-A, placenta growth factor (PlGF), and to a lesser extent VEGF-B, play an essential role in tumor-associated angiogenesis, tissue infiltration, and metastasis formation. Although VEGF-A can activate both VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 membrane receptors, PlGF and VEGF-B exclusively interact with VEGFR-1. Differently from VEGFR-2, which is involved both in physiological and pathological angiogenesis, in the adult VEGFR-1 is required only for pathological angiogenesis. Besides this role in tumor endothelium, ligand-mediated stimulation of VEGFR-1 expressed in tumor cells may directly induce cell chemotaxis and extracellular matrix invasion. Furthermore, VEGFR-1 activation in myeloid progenitors and tumor-associated macrophages favors cancer immune escape through the release of immunosuppressive cytokines. These properties have prompted a number of preclinical and clinical studies to analyze VEGFR-1 involvement in the metastatic process. The aim of the present review is to highlight the contribution of VEGFs/VEGFR-1 signaling in the progression of different tumor types and to provide an overview of the therapeutic approaches targeting VEGFR-1 currently under investigation.

Protocadherin 7 is overexpressed in castration resistant prostate cancer and promotes aberrant MEK and AKT signaling

BACKGROUND

Castrate resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) accounts for almost all prostate cancer (PCa) deaths. Aberrant activation of ERK/MEK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways plays an important role in subsets of patients with CRPC. The role of protocadherin 7 (PCDH7) in modulating these signaling pathways is investigated for the first time in PCa in the present investigation.

METHODS

PCDH7 expression was analyzed in CRPC/neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) dataset. Protein expression was assessed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry, and messenger RNA (mRNA) by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Small hairpin ribonucleic acid was used to knockdown PCDH7. Colony formation, cell migration, and invasion studies were done using standard protocols.

RESULTS

PCDH7 amplification/mRNA upregulation was observed in 41% of patients in CRPC/NEPC dataset. PCDH7 was also overexpressed in CRPC cells. Increased PCDH protein expression was observed during tumor progression in PCa tissues and in TRAMP mice. Epidermal growth factor treatment resulted in aberrant activation of ERK/AKT. Knockdown of PCDH7 decreased ERK, AKT, and RB phosphorylation and reduced colony formation, decreased cell invasion, and cell migration.

CONCLUSIONS

These data show for the first time that PCDH7 is overexpressed in a large number of patients with CRPC and suggest that PCDH7 may be an attractive target in subsets of patients with CRPC for whom there is no cure to-date.

MiR-130b/TNF-α/NF-κB/VEGFA loop inhibits prostate cancer angiogenesis

BACKGROUND

Angiogenesis is a critical biological process essential for solid cancer growth and metastasis. It has been shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in a variety of biological processes in cancers. However, whether miR-130b is involved in prostate cancer angiogenesis remains ill-defined.

METHODS

We performed the miRNA microarray to analyze miRNA expression in human prostate cancer specimens. In vitro gain-of-function assays and loss-of-function assays were conducted to explore the potential functions of miR-130b in human prostate cancer cells. Correlation analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay were performed to validate whether tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was a direct target of miR-130b. The Matrigel plug and tumor vascular imaging assays were performed to confirm the anti-angiogenic activity of miR-130b in nude mice.

RESULTS

We found that miR-130b was one of the miRNAs being most significantly downregulated. Subsequently, we found that miR-130b expression was markedly downregulated in human prostate cancer cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-130b in prostate cancer cells significantly promoted the proliferation, invasion and tubule formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), while ectopic expression of miR-130b blocked prostate cancer angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic analyses indicated that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) was regulated by miR-130b directly. MiR-130b attenuated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling and its downstream gene vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) by directly inhibiting TNF-α expression. Additionally, subsequent investigations identified that the ectopic level of VEGFA markedly abrogated the anti-angiogenic effect induced by miR-130b. Interestingly, VEGFA could in turn decrease the expression of miR-130b, thus forming a negative feedback loop that drives the angiogenesis of prostate cancer.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that miR-130b/TNF-α/NF-κB/VEGFA feedback loop is significantly correlated with angiogenesis in prostate cancer and miR-130b could be regarded as potential therapeutic target for prostate cancer anti-angiogenesis treatment.

Circulating miR-130b- and miR-21-based diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the histological types of primary liver cancer with high recurrence and mortality in the world. The purpose of this study was to explore the diagnostic and therapeutic value for HCC patients.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the circulating miR‐130b‐5p (miR‐130b) and miR‐21‐5p (miR‐21) expression levels in patients with HCC and their association with clinical parameters.

Results

The circulating miR‐130b and miR‐21 were all upregulated in patients with HCC. The upregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) were associated with clinicopathological parameters of tumor capsular infiltration and clinical TNM stage. Also, the poor prognosis of patients with upregulated miRNAs levels suggested that it may be an effective therapeutic target for HCC by suppression of the miRNAs levels. In addition, the combined detection of serum miR‐130b and miR‐21 performed better in the diagnosis of HCC with a sensitivity of 92.16% and an accuracy rate of 77.51%. In vivo, tumors treated with the nanoparticle (NP)/miR‐130b and miR‐21 inhibitor complexes had significantly lower growth than the other groups.

Conclusion

The circulating miR‐130b and miR‐21 can be used as potential tumor biomarkers to diagnose liver cancer, and the combined detection of serum miR‐130b and miR‐21 is superior to the diagnosis of HCC. NP/miR‐130b and miR‐21 inhibitor complexes show good therapeutic effects in vivo and are expected to become therapeutic targets worthy of further study.

Exploring the Potential of MicroRNA Let-7c as a Therapeutic for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and often presents with aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression. Identifying and understanding the unique expression profiles could aid in the detection and treatment of this disease. This review aims to identify miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for PCa. Three bio-informatic searches were conducted to identify miRNAs that are reportedly implicated in the pathogenesis of PCa. Only hsa-Lethal-7 (let-7c), recognized for its role in PCa pathogenesis, was common to all three databases. Three further database searches were conducted to identify known targets of hsa-let-7c. Four targets were identified, HMGA2, c-Myc (MYC), TRAIL, and CASP3. An extensive review of the literature was undertaken to assess the role of hsa-let-7c in the progression of other malignancies and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target for PCa. The heterogeneous nature of cancer makes it logical to develop mechanisms by which the treatment of malignancies is tailored to an individual, harnessing specific knowledge of the underlying biology of the disease. Resetting cellular miRNA levels is an exciting prospect that will allow this ambition to be realized.

miR-130b Promotes Sunitinib Resistance through Regulation of PTEN in Renal Cell Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs are a class of small noncoding RNAs that play an important role in progression and drug resistance in cancer. Several reports have shown that miR-130b modulates cell growth and drug resistance in some cancers. However, the expression and biological role of miR-130b in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the expression and functional role of miR-130b and to analyze the association between miR-130b and sunitinib resistance in RCC.

METHODS

The expression of miR-130b in 32 RCC tissues and their corresponding normal kidney tissues was determined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We performed a 4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay in RCC cell lines transfected with miR-130b inhibitor or miR-130b mimics. We evaluated the relationship between miR-130b and PTEN and also analyzed the effect of miR-130b on sunitinib resistance.

RESULTS

qRT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of miR-130b was higher in RCC tissues than in corresponding normal kidney tissues. The MTT assay revealed that miR-130b modulated cell growth. qRT-PCR revealed an inverse correlation between miR-130b and PTEN in RCC. Western blotting demonstrated that miR-130b regulated the expression of PTEN in the RCC cell line. Additionally, miR-130b was associated with sunitinib resistance through regulation of PTEN. We established the sunitinib-resistant Caki-1 (Caki-1-SR) cells and observed that the expression of miR-130b was elevated in Caki-1-SR cells compared with parental Caki-1 cells. Knockdown of miR-130b improved sunitinib resistance in Caki-1-SR cells.

CONCLUSION

The expression of miR-130b was upregulated in RCC. miR-130b promoted cell growth and was associated with sunitinib resistance through regulating PTEN expression. Collectively, these results suggest that miR-130b may play an oncogenic role and be a promising therapeutic target.

The Functional Role of Prostate Cancer Metastasis-related Micro-RNAs

The mortality of patients with hormone-resistant prostate cancer can be ascribed to a large degree to metastasis to distant organs, predominantly to the bones. In this review, we discuss the contribution of micro-RNAs (miRs) to the metastatic process of prostate cancer. The criteria for selection of miRs for this review were the availability of preclinical in vivo metastasis-related data in conjunction with prognostic clinical data. Depending on their function in the metastatic process, the corresponding miRs are up- or down-regulated in prostate cancer tissues when compared to matching normal tissues. Up-regulated miRs preferentially target suppressors of cytokine signaling or tumor suppressor-related genes and metastasis-inhibitory transcription factors. Down-regulated miRs promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition or mesenchymal-epithelial transition and diverse pro-metastatic signaling pathways. Some of the discussed miRs exert their function by simultaneously targeting epigenetic pathways as well as cell-cycle-related, anti-apoptotic and signaling-promoting targets. Finally, we discuss potential therapeutic options for the treatment of prostate cancer-related metastases by substitution or inhibition of miRs.

MicroRNAs in prostate cancer: From function to biomarker discovery

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a small functional non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression through mRNA degradation or translational repression. miRNAs are key regulatory components of various cellular networks. Current evidence support that multiple mammalian genome-encoded miRNAs impact the cellular biology, including proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, and tumorigenesis, by targeting specific subsets of mRNAs. This minireview is focused on the current themes underlying the interactions between miRNAs and their mRNA targets and pathways in prostate tumorigenesis and progression, and their potential clinical utility as biomarkers for prostate cancer. Impact statement The primary goal of this article was to review recent literature on miRNA biogenesis and further elaborate on the identity of newly discovered miRNAs and their potential functional significance in the complex biological network associated with prostate tumorigenesis and disease progression and as biomarkers for prostate cancer.

Knockdown of lncRNA BDNF-AS suppresses neuronal cell apoptosis via downregulating miR-130b-5p target gene PRDM5 in acute spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE

The present study was designed to investigate the molecular mechanism and biological roles of lncRNA brain-derived neurotrophic factor antisense (lncRNA BDNF-AS) in acute spinal cord injury (ASCI).

METHODS

The rat model of ASCI and hypoxic cellular model were established to detect the expression of BDNF-AS, miR-130b-5p, PR (PRDI-BF1 and RIZ) domain protein 5 (PRDM5) and cleaved caspase 3 (c-caspase 3) using qRT-PCR and western blot. Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) score was carried out to assess neurological function. Flow cytometry was used to determine the apoptosis of neuronal cells. The association among BDNF-AS, miR-130b-5p and PRDM5 were disclosed by RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay, RNA pull-down assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

BDNF-AS, PRDM5 and c-caspase 3 expression were significantly upregulated, while miR-130b-5p was suppressed in the ASCI group and neuronal cells following hypoxia treatment. BDNF-AS knockdown inhibited neuronal cell apoptosis. Further studies indicated that BDNF-AS functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-130b-5p in neuronal cells. Further investigations demonstrated that PRDM5 was a target of miR-130b-5p and BDNF-AS knockdown exerted anti-apoptotic effects via miR-130b-5p/PRDM5 axis.

CONCLUSION

The lncRNA BDNF-AS/miR-130b-5p/PRDM5 axis might be a promising therapeutic target for ASCI.

Up-Regulation of miR-130b-3p Activates the PTEN/PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Pathway to Defense against Mycoplasma gallisepticum (HS Strain) Infection of Chicken

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the pathogen of chronic respiratory disease (CRD), hallmarked by vigorous inflammation in chickens, causing the poultry industry enormous losses. miRNAs have emerged as important regulators of animal diseases. Previous miRNA sequencing data has demonstrated that miR-130b-3p is up-regulated in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the function of miR-130b-3p in MG infection of chickens. RT-qPCR results confirmed that miR-130b-3p was up-regulated both in MG-infected chicken embryo lungs and chicken embryonic fibroblast cells (DF-1 cells). Furthermore, functional studies showed that overexpression of miR-130b-3p promoted MG-infected DF-1 cell proliferation and cell cycle, whereas inhibition of miR-130b-3p weakened these cellular processes. Luciferase reporter assay combined with gene expression data supported that phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) was a direct target of miR-130b-3p. Additionally, overexpression of miR-130b-3p resulted in up-regulations of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), serine/threonine kinase (AKT), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), whereas inhibition of miR-130b-3p led to the opposite results. Altogether, upon MG infection, up-regulation of miR-130b-3p activates the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, facilitates cell proliferation and cell cycle via down-regulating PTEN. This study helps to understand the mechanism of host response to MG infection.

An integrated view of the role of miR-130b/301b miRNA cluster in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is a major health problem worldwide due to its high incidence morbidity and mortality. There is currently a need of improved biomarkers, capable to distinguish mild versus aggressive forms of the disease, and thus guide therapeutic decisions. Although miRNAs deregulated in cancer represent exciting candidates as biomarkers, its scientific literature is frequently fragmented in dispersed studies. This problem is aggravated for miRNAs belonging to miRNA gene clusters with shared target genes. The miRNA cluster composed by hsa-mir-130b and hsa-mir-301b precursors was recently involved in prostate cancer pathogenesis, yet different studies assigned it opposite effects on the disease. We sought to elucidate the role of the human miR-130b/301b miRNA cluster in prostate cancer through a comprehensive data analysis of most published clinical cohorts. We interrogated methylomes, transcriptomes and patient clinical data, unifying previous reports and adding original analysis using the largest available cohort (TCGA-PRAD). We found that hsa-miR-130b-3p and hsa-miR-301b-3p are upregulated in neoplastic vs normal prostate tissue, as well as in metastatic vs primary sites. However, this increase in expression is not due to a decrease of the global DNA methylation of the genes in prostate tissues, as the promoter of the gene remains lowly methylated in normal and neoplastic tissue. A comparison of the levels of human miR-130b/301b and all the clinical variables reported for the major available cohorts, yielded positive correlations with malignance, specifically significant for T-stage, residual tumor status and primary therapy outcome. The assessment of the correlations between the hsa-miR-130b-3p and hsa-miR-301b-3p and candidate target genes in clinical samples, supports their repression of tumor suppressor genes in prostate cancer. Altogether, these results favor an oncogenic role of miR-130b/301b cluster in prostate cancer.

MicroRNAs as Regulators of Prostate Cancer Metastasis

Prostate cancer causes significant morbidity in men and metastatic disease is a major cause of cancer related deaths. Prostate metastasis is controlled by various cellular intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which are often under the regulatory control of various metastasis-associated genes. Given the dynamic nature of metastatic cancer cells, the various factors controlling this process are themselves regulated by microRNAs which are small non-coding RNAs. Significant research work has shown differential microRNA expression in primary and metastatic prostate cancer suggesting their importance in prostate pathogenesis. We will review the roles of different microRNAs in controlling the various steps in prostate metastasis.

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

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

Transcribed ultraconserved region Uc.63+ promotes resistance to docetaxel through regulation of androgen receptor signaling in prostate cancer

Docetaxel is the standard chemotherapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). However, nearly all patients ultimately become refractory due to the development of docetaxel resistance. The transcribed ultraconserved regions (T-UCRs) are a novel class of non-coding RNAs that are absolutely conserved across species and are involved in carcinogenesis including prostate cancer (PC). In this study, we investigated the transcriptional levels of 26 representative T-UCRs and determined the regions that were differentially expressed in PC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that the expression of T-UCR Uc.63+ was increased in PC tissues. MTT assay and wound healing assay revealed that Uc.63+ was involved in cell growth and cell migration. miR-130b was predicted to have binding sites within the Uc.63+ sequence. The expression of miR-130b was significantly disturbed by the overexpression or knockdown of Uc.63+. We also showed that Uc.63+ regulated the expression of MMP2 via miR-130b regulation. Furthermore, overexpression of Uc.63+ increased the expression of AR and its downstream molecule PSA and promoted resistance to docetaxel through AR regulation. In patients treated with docetaxel, the expression of serum Uc.63+ in the docetaxel-resistant patients was higher than that in the docetaxel-sensitive patients (P = 0.011). Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the high expression of serum Uc.63+ correlated with a worse prognosis (P = 0.020). These results substantially support the important role that Uc.63+ plays in PC progression by interacting with miR-130b and indicate that Uc.63+ could potentially be a promising serum marker for deciding the best treatment for patients with CRPC.

Implications of microRNA dysregulation in the development of prostate cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that target mRNA to reduce protein expression. They play fundamental roles in several diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa). A single miRNA can target hundreds of mRNAs and coordinately regulate them, which implicates them in nearly every biological pathway. Hence, miRNAs modulate proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis, most of them constituting crucial hallmarks of cancer. Due to these properties, miRNAs emerged as promising tools for diagnostic, prognosis and management of cancer patients. Moreover, they come out as potential targets for cancer treatment, and several efforts are being made to progress in the field of miRNA-based cancer therapy. In this review, we will summarize the recent information about miRNAs in PCa. We will recapitulate all the miRNAs involved in the androgen pathway and the biology of PCa, focusing in PCa initiation and progression. In particular, we will describe the miRNAs associated with cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis in PCa, as well as invasion, adhesion and metastatic miRNAs. We will revise the recent progress made understanding the role of circulating miRNAs identified in PCa that might be useful for PCa patient stratification. Another key aspect to be discussed in this review is miRNAs’ role in PCa therapy, including the miRNAs delivery.

microRNAs Make the Call in Cancer Personalized Medicine

Since their discovery and the advent of RNA interference, microRNAs have drawn enormous attention because of their ubiquitous involvement in cellular pathways from life to death, from metabolism to communication. It is also widely accepted that they possess an undeniable role in cancer both as tumor suppressors and tumor promoters modulating cell proliferation and migration, epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Moreover, microRNAs can even affect the tumor surrounding environment influencing angiogenesis and immune system activation and recruitment. The tight association of microRNAs with several cancer-related processes makes them undoubtedly connected to the effect of specific cancer drugs inducing either resistance or sensitization. In this context, personalized medicine through microRNAs arose recently with the discovery of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the target binding sites, in the sequence of the microRNA itself or in microRNA biogenesis related genes, increasing risk, susceptibility and progression of multiple types of cancer in different sets of the population. The depicted scenario implies that the overall variation displayed by these small non-coding RNAs have an impact on patient-specific pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of cancer drugs, pushing on a rising need of personalized treatment. Indeed, microRNAs from either tissues or liquid biopsies are also extensively studied as valuable biomarkers for disease early recognition, progression and prognosis. Despite microRNAs being intensively studied in recent years, a comprehensive review describing these topics all in one is missing. Here we report an up-to-date and critical summary of microRNAs as tools for better understanding personalized cancer biogenesis, evolution, diagnosis and treatment.

miR-130b directly targets ARHGAP1 to drive activation of a metastatic CDC42-PAK1-AP1 positive feedback loop in Ewing sarcoma

Ewing Sarcoma (ES) is a highly aggressive bone tumor with peak incidence in the adolescent population. It has a high propensity to metastasize, which is associated with dismal survival rates of approximately 25%. To further understand mechanisms of metastasis we investigated microRNA regulatory networks in ES. Our studies focused on miR-130b due to our analysis that enhanced expression of this microRNA has clinical relevance in multiple sarcomas, including ES. Our studies provide insights into a novel positive feedback network involving the direct regulation of miR-130b and activation of downstream signaling events contributing toward sarcoma metastasis. Specifically, we demonstrated miR-130b induces proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro and increased metastatic potential in vivo. Using microarray analysis of ES cells with differential miR-130b expression we identified alterations in downstream signaling cascades including activation of the CDC42 pathway. We identified ARHGAP1, which is a negative regulator of CDC42, as a novel, direct target of miR-130b. In turn, downstream activation of PAK1 activated the JNK and AP-1 cascades and downstream transcriptional targets including IL-8, MMP1 and CCND1. Furthermore, chromatin immunoprecipitation of endogenous AP-1 in ES cells demonstrated direct binding to an upstream consensus binding site within the miR-130b promoter. Finally, small molecule inhibition of PAK1 blocked miR-130b activation of JNK and downstream AP-1 target genes, including primary miR-130b transcripts, and miR-130b oncogenic properties, thus identifying PAK1 as a novel therapeutic target for ES. Taken together, our findings identify and characterize a novel, targetable miR-130b regulatory network that promotes ES metastasis.

Long non-coding RNA CCAT1 promotes metastasis and poor prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer

In this study, we reported that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) CCAT1 was upregulated in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues, and was associated with FIGO stage, histological grade, lymph node metastasis and poor survival of EOC patients. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that CCAT1 was an independent prognostic indicator. While CCAT1 downregulation inhibited EOC cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), migration and invasion, CCAT1 upregulation promoted EOC cell EMT, migration and invasion. We further identified and confirmed that miR-152 and miR-130b were the targets of CCAT1, and CCAT1 functioned by targeting miR-152 and miR-130b. Subsequently, ADAM17 and WNT1, and STAT3 and ZEB1 were confirmed to be the targets of miR-152 and miR-130b, respectively, and could be regulated by CCAT1 in EOC cells. Knockdown of anyone of these four proteins inhibited EOC cell EMT, migration and invasion. Taken together, our study first revealed a critical role of CCAT1-miR-152/miR-130b-ADAM17/WNT1/STAT3/ZEB1 regulatory network in EOC cell metastasis. These findings provide great insights into EOC initiation and progression, and novel potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis for EOC.

The MMP2 rs243865 polymorphism increases the risk of prostate cancer: A meta-analysis

Prostate cancer is a common cancer in men. However, the association between the rs243865 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the matrix metalloproteinase 2 gene (MMP2) and the risk for prostate cancer is inconclusive. We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and the Chinese CNKI and WANFANG databases for the relevant literature. Data were extracted and pooled results were estimated from odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). The quality of included studies was assessed, and publication bias of all included studies was examined. A total five studies involving 1895 patients with prostate cancer and 1918 controls were included. There was a significant association between rs243865 polymorphisms and higher risk of prostate cancer in the co-dominant model, dominant model, and allele model (CC vs. CT+TT, OR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.22–2.11, P = 0.001; CC vs. CT, OR: 1.80, 95% CI: 1.34–2.42, P < 0.001; C vs. T, OR: 1.32, 95% CI: 1.05–1.66, P = 0.016, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between the co-recessive model and recessive model. Our meta-analysis results suggest that MMP2 rs243865 polymorphisms are significantly associated with higher risk of prostate cancer.

MiR-199a-3p suppresses proliferation and invasion of prostate cancer cells by targeting Smad1

OBJECTIVES

This study was intended to analyze effects of miR-199a-3p and Smad1 on proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer (PCa) cells.

RESULTS

MiR-199a-3p was significantly decreased in PCa tissues in comparison to that in adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.05). Over-expressed miR-199a-3p markedly suppressed proliferation and invasion of PCa cells (P < 0.05). MiR-199a-3p was negatively correlated with Smad1 expression, and overexpression of Smad1 could antagonize the effects of miR-199a-3p on PCa cells.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The PCa tissues and their adjacent normal tissues were collected from 54 PCa patients. Expressions of miR-199a-3p and Smad1 mRNA in tissues and cells were evaluated with real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunohistochemistry assay was used to detect Smad1 protein expressions. The target relationship between miR-199a-3p and Smad1 was assessed by luciferase reporter assay. The PCa cell lines (i.e. PC-3 cells) were transfected with miR-199a-3p mimics and Smad1-cDNA. MTT and Transwell assays were applied to detect proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of PCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-199a-3p suppressed proliferation and invasion of PCa cells by targeting Smad1.

MiRNA199a-3p suppresses tumor growth, migration, invasion and angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting VEGFA, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, HGF and MMP2

Increasing significance of tumor-stromal interaction in development and progression of cancer implies that signaling molecules in the tumor microenvironment (TME) might be the effective therapeutic targets for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, the role of microRNA miR-199a-3p in the regulation of TME and development of HCC has been investigated by several in vitro and in vivo assays. Expression of miR-199a-3p was observed significantly low in HCC tissues and its overexpression remarkably inhibited in vivo tumor growth and metastasis to lung in NOD-SCID mice. In vitro restoration of miR-199a-3p expression either in endothelial cells (ECs) or in cancer cells (CACs) significantly diminished migration of ECs in co-culture assay. Again incubation of miR-199a-3p transfected ECs with either conditioned media (CM) of CACs or recombinant VEGF has reduced tube formation, in ECs and it was also dropped upon growth in CM of either anti-VEGF antibody-treated or miR-199a-3p-transfected CACs. In addition, bioinformatics and luciferase-reporter assays revealed that miR-199a-3p inhibited VEGF secretion from CACs and VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 expression on ECs and thus restricted cross talk between CACs and ECs. Again, restoration of miR-199a-3p in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) reduced migration and invasion of CACs in co-culture assay, while it was enhanced by the overexpression of HGF suggesting miR-199a-3p has hindered HSC-CACs cross talk probably by inhibiting HGF and regulating matrix metalloproteinase MMP2, which were found as targets of miR-199a-3p subsequently by luciferase-reporter assay and gelatin zymography, respectively. Thus, these findings collectively highlight that miR-199a-3p restricts metastasis, invasion and angiogenesis in HCC and hence it may be considered as one of the powerful effective therapeutics for management of HCC patients.

Exosomes and Exosomal MicroRNAs in Prostate Cancer Radiation Therapy

Despite current risk stratification systems using traditional clinicopathologic factors, many localized and locally advanced prostate cancers fail radical treatment (ie, radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy). Therefore, a pressing need exists for enhanced methods of disease stratification through novel prognostic and predictive tools that can reliably be applied in clinical practice. Exosomes are 50- to 150-nm small vesicles released by cancer cells that reflect the genetic and nongenetic materials of parent cancer cells. Cancer cells can contain distinct sets of microRNA profiles, the expression of which can change owing to stress such as radiation therapy. These alterations or distinctions in contents allow exosomes to be used as prognostic and/or predictive biomarkers and to monitor the treatment response. Additionally, microRNAs have been shown to influence multiple processes in prostate tumorigenesis, including cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, migration, oncogene inhibition, and radioresistance. Thus, comparative exosomal microRNA profiling at different levels could help portray tumor aggressiveness and response to radiation therapy. Although technical challenges persist in exosome isolation and characterization, recent improvements in microRNA profiling have evolved toward in-depth analyses of the exosomal cargo and its functions. We have reviewed the role of exosomes and exosomal microRNAs in biologic processes of prostate cancer progression and radiation therapy response, with a particular focus on the development of clinical assays for treatment personalization.

Downregulation of miR-130b~301b cluster is mediated by aberrant promoter methylation and impairs cellular senescence in prostate cancer

BACKGROUND

Numerous DNA-damaging cellular stresses, including oncogene activation and DNA-damage response (DDR), may lead to cellular senescence. Previous observations linked microRNA deregulation with altered senescent patterns, prompting us to investigate whether epigenetic repression of microRNAs expression might disrupt senescence in prostate cancer (PCa) cells.

METHODS

Differential methylation mapping in prostate tissues was carried using Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. After validation of methylation and expression analyses in a larger series of prostate tissues, the functional role of the cluster miR-130b~301b was explored using in vitro studies testing cell viability, apoptosis, invasion and DNA damage in prostate cancer cell lines. Western blot and RT-qPCR were performed to support those observations.

RESULTS

We found that the miR-130b~301b cluster directs epigenetic activation of cell cycle inhibitors required for DDR activation, thus stimulating the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Furthermore, overexpression of miR-130b~301b cluster markedly reduced the malignant phenotype of PCa cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether, these data demonstrate that miR-130b~301b cluster overexpression might effectively induce PCa cell growth arrest through epigenetic regulation of proliferation-blocking genes and activation of cellular senescence.

miR-130b-3p inhibits cell invasion and migration by targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 in breast carcinoma

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy in women, and the incidence rate has increased dramatically in recent years. Metastasis is responsible for most advanced breast cancer mortality, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood despite extensive research. Recently, short non-coding RNA molecules, including miRNAs, which mediate changes in signalling pathways, have emerged as metastatic regulators of the breast carcinoma. Previous reports have suggested that miR-130b-3p has both oncogenic and tumour suppressor functions in a cancer type-dependent manner. However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-130b-3p in the development of metastasis in breast carcinoma remain unclear. Here, we reported for the first time that miR-130b-3p was differentially expressed in early-stage non-invasive MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells and aggressive late-stage MDA-MB-231 cells. In gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, we demonstrated that miR-130b-3p could inhibit breast carcinoma cell invasion and migration by directly targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1). Our data also indicated that MMP-9, MMP-13, and VEGF were regulated by miR-130b-3p and may be involved in the inhibition of cell invasion and migration in breast carcinoma. Collectively, our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of miR-130b-3p and suggest that miR-130b-3p may be a potential target against human breast cancer metastasis.

Curcumin inhibits the survival and metastasis of prostate cancer cells via the Notch-1 signaling pathway

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men, and it urgently demands precise interventions that target the signaling pathways implicated in its initiation, progression, and metastasis. The Notch-1 signaling pathway is closely associated with the pathophysiology of prostate cancer. This study investigated the antitumor effects and mechanisms of curcumin, which is a well-known natural compound from curcuminoids, in prostate cancer cells. Viability, proliferation, and migration were analyzed in two prostate cancer cell lines, DU145 and PC3, after curcumin treatment. Whether the Notch-1 signaling pathway is involved in the antitumor effects of curcumin was examined. Curcumin inhibited the survival and proliferation of PC3 and DU145 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner and inhibited DU145 migration. Curcumin did not affect the expression of Notch-1 or its active product NICD, but it did inhibit the expression of MT1-MMP and MMP2 proteins in DU145 cells. We found that curcumin inhibited the DNA-binding ability of NICD in DU145 cells. In conclusion, curcumin inhibited the survival and metastasis of prostate cancer cells via the Notch-1 signaling pathway.

The roles of microRNAs related with progression and metastasis in human cancers

Metastasis is an important factor in predicting the prognosis of the patients with cancers and contributes to high cancer-related mortality. Recent studies indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) played a functional role in the initiation and progression of human malignancies. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs of about 22 nucleotides in length that can induce messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation or repress mRNA translation by binding to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of their target genes. Overwhelming reports indicated that miRNAs could regulate cancer invasion and metastasis via epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related and/or non-EMT-related mechanisms. In this review, we concentrate on the underlying mechanisms of miRNAs in regulating cancer progression and metastasis.

MicroRNA Exert Macro Effects on Cancer Bone Metastasis

Bone metastasis is a deadly complication of cancers arising from many different primary tumor locations. Cross talk between cancer and bone cells is a well-established driver of bone metastasis, and recent work reveals microRNA (miRNA) as key players in this communication. Functional significance of miRNA was first demonstrated in cancer cells and has now also been documented in bone cell differentiation and skeletal remodeling. Review of recent literature highlights how different miRNAs can impact each step of the metastatic process by acting in both tumor and the metastatic niche to exert pleiotropic effects. Additionally, whether a miRNA is ultimately pro- or anti-metastatic dependents on the context-varied or even opposite outcomes can be conferred by the same miRNA in different cancer/cell types. In spite of this complexity, emerging research has provided a wealth of knowledge to uncover the exciting potential of miRNA as new diagnostic tools and therapeutic treatments for cancer bone metastasis.

Dissecting the role of microRNAs in prostate cancer metastasis: implications for the design of novel therapeutic approaches

Metastatic prostate cancer is a lethal disease that remains incurable despite the recent approval of new drugs, thus making the development of alternative treatment approaches urgently needed. A more precise understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying prostate cancer dissemination could lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for the design of efficient anti-metastatic strategies. MicroRNA (miRNAs) are endogenous, small non-coding RNA molecules acting as key regulators of gene expression at post-transcriptional level. It has been clearly established that altered miRNA expression is a common hallmark of cancer. In addition, emerging evidence suggests their direct involvement in the metastatic cascade. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the data generated in experimental tumor models indicating that specific miRNAs may impinge on the different stages of prostate cancer metastasis, including (i) the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and cell migration/invasion, (ii) the interplay between cancer cells and the surrounding stroma, (iii) the control of angiogenesis, (iv) the regulation of anoikis, and (v) the colonization of distant organs. Moreover, we show preliminary evidence of the clinical relevance of some of these miRNAs, in terms of association with tumor aggressiveness/dissemination and clinical outcome, as emerged from translation studies carried out in prostate cancer patient cohorts. We also discuss the potential and the current limitations of manipulating metastasis-related miRNAs, by mimicking or inhibiting them, as a strategy for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the advanced disease.