MALAT1 promotes the colorectal cancer malignancy by increasing DCP1A expression and miR203 downregulation

YAP/TAZ enhances P-body formation to promote tumorigenesis

The role of processing bodies (P-bodies) in tumorigenesis and tumor progression is not well understood. Here, we showed that the oncogenes YAP/TAZ promote P-body formation in a series of cancer cell lines. Mechanistically, both transcriptional activation of the P-body-related genes SAMD4A, AJUBA, and WTIP and transcriptional suppression of the tumor suppressor gene PNRC1 are involved in enhancing the effects of YAP/TAZ on P-body formation in colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. By reexpression of PNRC1 or knockdown of P-body core genes (DDX6, DCP1A, and LSM14A), we determined that disruption of P-bodies attenuates cell proliferation, cell migration, and tumor growth induced by overexpression of YAP5SA in CRC. Analysis of a pancancer CRISPR screen database (DepMap) revealed co-dependencies between YAP/TEAD and the P-body core genes and correlations between the mRNA levels of SAMD4A, AJUBA, WTIP, PNRC1, and YAP target genes. Our study suggests that the P-body is a new downstream effector of YAP/TAZ, which implies that reexpression of PNRC1 or disruption of P-bodies is a potential therapeutic strategy for tumors with active YAP.

Competitive endogenous RNA networks: Decoding the role of long non-coding RNAs and circular RNAs in colorectal cancer chemoresistance

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is recognized as one of the most common gastrointestinal malignancies across the globe. Despite significant progress in designing novel treatments for CRC, there is a pressing need for more effective therapeutic approaches. Unfortunately, many patients undergoing chemotherapy develop drug resistance, posing a significant challenge for cancer treatment. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been found to play crucial roles in CRC development and its response to chemotherapy. However, there are still gaps in our understanding of interactions among various ncRNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs). These ncRNAs can act as either oncogenes or tumour suppressors, affecting numerous biological functions in different cancers including CRC. A class of ncRNA molecules known as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) has emerged as a key player in various cellular processes. These molecules form networks through lncRNA/miRNA/mRNA and circRNA/miRNA/mRNA interactions. In CRC, dysregulation of ceRNA networks has been observed across various cellular processes, including proliferation, apoptosis and angiogenesis. These dysregulations are believed to play a significant role in the progression of CRC and, in certain instances, may contribute to the development of chemoresistance. Enriching our knowledge of these dysregulations holds promise for advancing the field of diagnostic and therapeutic modalities for CRC. In this review, we discuss lncRNA- and circRNA-associated ceRNA networks implicated in the emergence and advancement of drug resistance in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Tumor cell stemness in gastrointestinal cancer: regulation and targeted therapy

The cancer stem cells are a rare group of self-renewable cancer cells capable of the initiation, progression, metastasis and recurrence of tumors, and also a key contributor to the therapeutic resistance. Thus, understanding the molecular mechanism of tumor stemness regulation, especially in the gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, is of great importance for targeting CSC and designing novel therapeutic strategies. This review aims to elucidate current advancements in the understanding of CSC regulation, including CSC biomarkers, signaling pathways, and non-coding RNAs. We will also provide a comprehensive view on how the tumor microenvironment (TME) display an overall tumor-promoting effect, including the recruitment and impact of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the establishment of an immunosuppressive milieu, and the induction of angiogenesis and hypoxia. Lastly, this review consolidates mainstream novel therapeutic interventions targeting CSC stemness regulation.

Long non-coding RNA PVT1 induces proliferation, inhibits apoptosis, and induces autophagy by up-regulating Atg5 in rectal cancer cells

BACKGROUND

As a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), PVT1 has been proved to play a role in promoting cancer in many tumors, but there are few reports on its impact on the biological behavior of rectal cancer. Therefore, this study investigated the expression of lncRNA PVT1 in rectal cancer and its relationship with prognosis, as well as its effect on rectal cancer cell autophagy, proliferation, and apoptosis, so as to provide a reliable target for treatment of rectal cancer.

AIM

To investigate the expression of lncRNA PVT1 in rectal cancer and its effects on autophagy and proliferation of rectal cancer cells.

METHODS

The expression data of lncRNA PVT1 in 92 rectal cancer samples and 318 healthy control samples were obtained from the GEPIA database, and the expression levels of lncRNA PVT1 in rectal cancer cell lines SW837, HR8348, SW1463, and FHC were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The relationship between the expression level of lncRNA PVT1 and the prognosis of rectal cancer was analyzed using the R packages (survival and survminer) based on the TCGA database. Overexpression of lncRNA PVT1 was then induced in SW837 and HR8348 cells. Transwell assay, CCK-8 assay, and flow cytometry were used to analyze the changes of cell invasion, proliferation, and apoptosis. Western blot analysis was performed to detect the expression of LC3-II/LC3-I, immunofluorescence was used to analyze the change of LC3 expression, and transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the change of autophagosomes. After co-transfection with si-Atg5, the changes of rectal cancer cell autophagy were analyzed.

RESULTS

The expression of lncRNA PVT1 in rectal cancer tissues and cells increased significantly. The expression of lncRNA PVT1 was related to the prognosis of rectal cancer. Overexpression of lncRNA PVT1 activated autophagy of rectal cancer cells and induced tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis inhibition (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

LncRNA PVT1 is highly expressed in rectal cancer tissues and cells, and is significantly related to the prognosis of rectal cancer. Overexpression of lncRNA PVT1 induces rectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion, and inhibits their apoptosis. LncRNA PVT1 participates in the regulation of rectal cancer cell autophagy by regulating the expression of Atg5, which may be involved in the occurrence and development of rectal cancer.

A glimpse of research cores and frontiers on the relationship between long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and colorectal cancer (CRC) using the VOSviewer tool

As lncRNAs are essential participants in colorectal carcinogenesis. This study aimed to use the VOSviewer tool to access the research cores and frontiers on the relationship between lncRNAs and CRC. Our findings showed that the mechanism of lncRNA in the occurrence and development of CRC was the core theme of the field. (1) Immunotherapy and immune microenvironment of CRC and lncRNAs, (2) CRC and lncRNAs in exosomes and (3) CRC and lncRNA-targeted therapy might represent three research frontiers. A comprehensive understanding of their existing mechanisms and the search for new regulatory paradigms are the core topics of future research. This knowledge will also help us select appropriate targeting methods and select appropriate preclinical models to promote clinical translation and ultimately achieve precise treatment of CRC.

lncRNA-disease association prediction based on the weight matrix and projection score

With the development of medical science, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), originally considered as a noise gene, has been found to participate in a variety of biological activities. Several recent studies have shown the involvement of lncRNA in various human diseases, such as gastric cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, and so forth. However, obtaining lncRNA-disease relationship only through biological experiments not only costs manpower and material resources but also gains little. Therefore, developing effective computational models for predicting lncRNA-disease association relationship is extremely important. This study aimed to propose an lncRNA-disease association prediction model based on the weight matrix and projection score (LDAP-WMPS). The model used the relatively perfect lncRNA-miRNA relationship data and miRNA-disease relationship data to predict the lncRNA-disease relationship. The integrated lncRNA similarity matrix and the integrated disease similarity matrix were established by fusing various methods to calculate the similarity between lncRNA and disease. This study improved the existing weight algorithm, applied it to the lncRNA-miRNA-disease triple network, and thus proposed a new lncRNA-disease weight matrix calculation method. Combined with the improved projection algorithm, the lncRNA-miRNA relationship and miRNA-disease relationship were used to predict the lncRNA-disease relationship. The simulation results showed that under the Leave-One-Out-Cross-Validation framework, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of LDAP-WMPS could reach 0.8822, which was better than the latest result. Taking adenocarcinoma and colorectal cancer as examples, the LDAP-WMPS model was found to effectively infer the lncRNA-disease relationship. The simulation results showed good prediction performance of the LDAP-WMPS model, which was an important supplement to the research of lncRNA-disease association prediction without lncRNA-disease relationship data.

Comprehensive landscape and future perspectives of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC): Based on a bibliometric analysis

This review aimed to use bibliometric analysis to sort out, analyze and summarize the knowledge foundation and hot topics in the field of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in colorectal cancer (CRC), and point out future trends to inspire related research and innovation. We used CiteSpace to analyze publication outputs, countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords. Knowledge foundations, hotspots, and future trends were then depicted. The overall research showed the trend of biomedical-oriented multidisciplinary. Much evidence indicates that lncRNA plays the role of oncogene or tumor suppressor in the occurrence and development of CRC. Besides, many lncRNAs have multiple mechanisms. lncRNAs and metastasis of CRC, lncRNAs and drug resistance of CRC, and the clinical application of lncRNAs in CRC are current research hotspots. Through insight into the development trend of lncRNAs in CRC, this study will help researchers extract hidden valuable information for further research.

MALAT1 in colorectal cancer: Its implication as a diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive biomarker

Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1), originally described as a prognostic biomarker remarkably linked with metastasis potential in lung cancer, has been identified as contributing to many diseases, including colorectal cancer (CRC). This long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has come to the forefront of lncRNA research for its implications in cancer-related processes, such as cell proliferation and migration. In general, lncRNAs are recognized as enhancers, scaffolds, or decoys for a variety of oncogenes and tumor suppressors, although our understanding of lncRNA functions and mechanisms of action is still limited. Nowadays, cancer research is attracted to lncRNAs' ability to improve the early diagnosis of cancer, determine patients' prognosis, or predict therapy outcomes. In this review, we aimed to evaluate recent publications trying to uncover the cellular mechanisms of MALAT1-mediated regulation, and its potential exploitation in the management of CRC. The conclusions of this review provide robust support for the essential role of MALAT1 in CRC development and future personalized therapy.

MALAT1-miRNAs network regulate thymidylate synthase and affect 5FU-based chemotherapy

Background

The active metabolite of 5-Fluorouracil (5FU), used in the treatment of several types of cancer, acts by inhibiting the thymidylate synthase encoded by the TYMS gene, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step in DNA replication. The major failure of 5FU-based cancer therapy is the development of drug resistance. High levels of TYMS-encoded protein in cancerous tissues are predictive of poor response to 5FU treatment. Expression of TYMS is regulated by various mechanisms, including involving non-coding RNAs, both miRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs).

Aim

To delineate the miRNAs and lncRNAs network regulating the level of TYMS-encoded protein.

Main body

Several miRNAs targeting TYMS mRNA have been identified in colon cancers, the levels of which can be regulated to varying degrees by lncRNAs. Due to their regulation by the MALAT1 lncRNA, these miRNAs can be divided into three groups: (1) miR-197-3p, miR-203a-3p, miR-375-3p which are downregulated by MALAT1 as confirmed experimentally and the levels of these miRNAs are actually reduced in colon and gastric cancers; (2) miR-140-3p, miR-330-3p that could potentially interact with MALAT1, but not yet supported by experimental results; (3) miR-192-5p, miR-215-5p whose seed sequences do not recognize complementary response elements within MALAT1. Considering the putative MALAT1-miRNAs interaction network, attention is drawn to the potential positive feedback loop causing increased expression of MALAT1 in colon cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma, where YAP1 acts as a transcriptional co-factor which, by binding to the TCF4 transcription factor/ β-catenin complex, may increase the activation of the MALAT1 gene whereas the MALAT1 lncRNA can inhibit miR-375-3p which in turn targets YAP1 mRNA.

Conclusion

The network of non-coding RNAs may reduce the sensitivity of cancer cells to 5FU treatment by upregulating the level of thymidylate synthase.

Associations of MALAT1 and its functional single nucleotide polymorphisms with cancer

BACKGROUND

Systematic research on the associations between vital single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MALAT1 and cancer risk was still lacking. Thus, we performed this study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The literature searches were until April 1, 2022. The pooled association-analysis results were assessed by odds ratios (ORs) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in three genetic models. In addition, we explored the potential functions of MALAT1 and its vital SNPs based on several public websites.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles about four SNPs (rs619586, rs664589, rs1194338, and rs3200401) involving 11,843 cancer cases and 14,682 controls were collected. Rs619586, rs664589, and rs1194338 were associated with cancer risk (all P-value < 0.05). Each SNP of the three was significantly related to the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC), and rs619586 correlated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk (all P-value < 0.05). The three SNPs might affect the transcription factor, promoter, or enhancer functions. MALAT1 expressed significantly higher in CRC and HCC than in normal tissues. The respective area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of MALAT1 for CRC and HCC patients was 0.783 and 0.864. Moreover, survival analysis indicated that MALAT1 might be a potential prognostic marker of CRC and HCC (all relevant P-value < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The functional SNPs in MALAT1 correlated with cancer risk. MALAT1 and its vital functional SNPs might be potential biomarkers for predicting the risk and prognosis of two types of cancer, especially CRC. Further investigations are needed to confirm our present findings.

MALAT1-related signaling pathways in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most lethal and prevalent solid malignancies worldwide. There is a great need of accelerating the development and diagnosis of CRC. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) as transcribed RNA molecules play an important role in every level of gene expression. Metastasis‐associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript‐1 (MALAT1) is a highly conserved nucleus-restricted lncRNA that regulates genes at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. High expression of MALAT1 is closely related to numerous human cancers. It is generally believed that MALAT1 expression is associated with CRC cell proliferation, tumorigenicity, and metastasis. MALAT1 by targeting multiple signaling pathways and microRNAs (miRNAs) plays a pivotal role in CRC pathogenesis. Therefore, MALAT1 can be a potent gene for cancer prediction and diagnosis. In this review, we will demonstrate signaling pathways associated with MALAT1 in CRC.

Processing body (P-body) and its mediators in cancer

In recent years, processing bodies (P-bodies) formed by liquid-liquid phase separation, have attracted growing scientific attention due to their involvement in numerous cellular activities, including the regulation of mRNAs decay or storage. These cytoplasmic dynamic membraneless granules contain mRNA storage and decay components such as deadenylase and decapping factors. In addition, different mRNA metabolic regulators, including m⁶A readers and gene-mediated miRNA-silencing, are also associated with such P-bodies. Cancerous cells may profit from these mRNA decay shredders by up-regulating the expression level of oncogenes and down-regulating tumor suppressor genes. The main challenges of cancer treatment are drug resistance, metastasis, and cancer relapse likely associated with cancer stem cells, heterogeneity, and plasticity features of different tumors. The mRNA metabolic regulators based on P-bodies play a great role in cancer development and progression. The dysregulation of P-bodies mediators affects mRNA metabolism. However, less is known about the relationship between P-bodies mediators and cancerous behavior. The current review summarizes the recent studies on P-bodies mediators, their contribution to tumor development, and their potential in the clinical setting, particularly highlighting the P-bodies as potential drug-carriers such as exosomes to anticancer in the future.

Comprehensive analysis of ceRNA network of ERCC4 in colorectal cancer

Objective

ERCC4 is one of the most significant molecules of Nucleotide Excision Repair (NER), which has been researched due to its high expression in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to find out the ceRNA (competitive endogenous RNA) network of ERCC4 in CRC.

Methods and Materials

Pan cancer mRNA expression of ERCC4 was evaluated using TCGA database. The protein expression of ERCC4 was evaluated based on the Human Protein Atlas (HPA). We screened DElncRNAs and DEmiRNAs in two groups of ERCC4^high and ERCC4^low expression in CRC. Then a lncRNA-miRNA-ERCC4 regulatory network was constructed based on DElncRNAs and DEmiRNAs using Starbase database and visualized by Cytoscape software. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the ceRNA network. Further, RT-PCR was performed to validate the expression of the representative molecules in the ceRNA network in CRC and normal tissues. The relationship between drug sensitivity and these molecules were also evaluated using RNAactDrug database.

Results

ERCC4 was overexpressed in a variety of tumors at mRNA levels, including CRC. High expression of ERCC4 was also observed on protein level in CRC. A total of 1,885 DElncRNAs and 68 DEmiRNAs were identified from CRC samples in ERCC4^high and ERCC4^low expression groups. Predicted by the Starbase database, we got interacting miRNAs and lncRNAs of ERCC4 from the DEmiRNAs and DElncRNAs, and a lncRNA-miRNA-ERCC4 regulatory network was constructed. Kaplan-Meier survival curves results showed that miR-200c-3p (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.62, P = 0.032), MALAT1 (HR = 1.54, P = 0.016), and AC005520.2 (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.75, P = 0.002) were significantly associated with the prognosis of CRC. After validation by RT-PCR, we found that ERCC4 and MALAT1 were up-regulated in CRC compared with normal tissues, while miR-200c-3p was down-regulated. A strong negative correlation was observed between MALAT1 and miR-200c-3p. Drug sensitivity analysis showed that ERCC4, miR-200c and MALAT1 were all associated with Cisplatin.

Conclusion

We constructed a ceRNA network of ERCC4 in CRC, of which the MALAT1-miR-200c-3p-ERCC4 axis may be involved in the development, prognosis and chemotherapy sensitivity of CRC. These findings might provide novel clues and insights on the molecular mechanisms of ERCC4 and NER pathway in CRC.

The Multiple Function of lncRNA MALAT1 in Cancer Occurrence and Progression

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have received particular attention in the last decade due to its engaging in carcinogenesis and tumorigenesis. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is a lncRNA that plays physiological and pathological roles in many aspects of genome function as well as biological processes involved in cell development, differentiation, proliferation, invasion, and migration. In this article, we will review the effects of lncRNA MALAT1 on the progression of six prevalent human cancers by focusing on MALAT1 ability to regulate post-transcriptional modification and signaling pathways.

MALAT-1 Expression Correlates with Prognosis in Non-Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (abbreviated as NSCLC) progresses rapidly and lacks appropriate biological markers. Recent studies have shown that long noncoding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT-1) has potential application value for clinically diagnosing lung carcinoma. Thus, this study conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis for assessing if MALAT-1 has a relationship to NSCLC outcome.

Methods

This study conducted the search of China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal, SinoMed, EMBASE, Cochrane library, Web of Science, Wanfang database, and PubMed from inception to September, 1, 2021. The published article about MALAT-l expression for NSCLC patients was analyzed. We used combined hazard rates under the confidence interval of 95% for examining the relationship of MALAT-l and NSCLC.

Results

In this meta-analysis, we found that 10 studies were included, and MALAT-1 expressions were distinctly related to an unfavorable overall survival (HR: 2.34 (1.65, 3.33); I2 = 76%). Considering the merger's clinical heterogeneity, for meta-analysis, we used the random-effects method.

Conclusion

Overexpression of MALAT-1 showed correlations to the less effective outcome of NSCLC. MALAT-1 might be a new NSCLC prognosis marker.

lncRNA-disease association prediction based on latent factor model and projection

Computer aided research of lncRNA-disease association is an important way to study the development of lncRNA-disease. The correlation analysis of existing data, the establishment of prediction model, prediction of unknown lncRNA-disease association, can make the biological experiment targeted, improve the accuracy of biological experiment. In this paper, a lncRNA-disease association prediction model based on latent factor model and projection is proposed (LFMP). This method uses lncRNA-miRNA association data and miRNA-disease association data to predict the unknown lncRNA-disease association, so this method does not need lncRNA-disease association data. The simulation results show that under the LOOCV framework, the AUC of LFMP can reach 0.8964. Better than the latest results. Through the case study of lung and colorectal tumors, LFMP can effectively infer the undetected lncRNA-disease association.

Metastatic colorectal cancer: Perspectives on long non-coding RNAs and promising therapeutics

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has long been lethal despite the continuous efforts of researchers worldwide to discover and improve therapeutic regimens. Thanks to the emergence of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which has strongly reshaped our inherent perspectives on the pathophysiological patterns of disease, research in the field has been reinvigorated. Here, we focus on current understanding of the modes of action of lncRNAs, and review their regulatory roles in metastatic colorectal cancer, and discuss correlated potential lncRNA-based therapeutics. All of the discussed studies share clear and promising perspectives on future diagnostic and therapeutic remedies for metastatic colorectal cancer.

SH3PXD2A-AS1/miR-330-5p/UBA2 ceRNA network mediates the progression of colorectal cancer through regulating the activity of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

Long non-coding RNAs have important roles in the occurrence and progression of various cancers. However, the molecular mechanism of lncRNAs in colorectal cancer (CRC) is not well illustrated. Thus, we used bioinformatics methods to find potential lncRNAs associated with CRC progression, and chose SH3PXD2A-AS1 as a candidate for further analysis. The roles of SH3PXD2A-AS1 in CRC cells were determined by CCK-8, transwell invasion, wound healing and flow cytometry assays. Besides, we established the CRC tumor models in nude mice to study the effect of SH3PXD2A-AS1 on the tumor growth. Based on the ceRNA hypothesis, we used miRDB and miRTarBase websites to identify the SH3PXD2A-AS1-related ceRNA regulatory network, and measured the roles of this network in CRC cells. The results revealed that the expression profiles of SH3PXD2A-AS1 from GEO and TCGA databases showed an aberrant high level in CRC tissues compared with colorectal normal tissues. SH3PXD2A-AS1 over-expression was also found in CRC cells. SH3PXD2A-AS1 knockdown inhibited the CRC cellular proliferation, invasion and migration but induced apoptosis. Besides, SH3PXD2A-AS1 knockdown also suppressed the growth of CRC tumors. Furthermore, SH3PXD2A-AS1 could function as a ceRNA of miR-330-5p. Additionally, UBA2 was proved to be a target gene of miR-330-5p. Moreover, SH3PXD2A-AS1 knockdown downregulated UBA2 expression through sponging miR-330-5p to inactivate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting the cell growth and promoting apoptosis. Therefore, the SH3PXD2A-AS1/miR-330-5p/UBA2 network could regulate the progression of CRC through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings offer new sights for understanding the pathogenesis of CRC and provide potential biomarkers for CRC treatment.

Cancer driver gene and non-coding RNA alterations as biomarkers of brain metastasis in lung cancer: A review of the literature

Brain metastasis (BM) is the most common event in patients with lung cancer. Despite multimodal treatments and advances in systemic therapies, development of BM remains one of the main factors associated with poor prognosis and mortality in patients with lung cancer. Therefore, better understanding of mechanisms involved in lung cancer brain metastasis (LCBM) is of great importance to suppress cancer cells and to improve the overall survival of patients. Several cancer-related genes such as EGFR and KRAS have been proposed as potential predictors of LCBM. In addition, there is ample evidence supporting crucial roles of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in mediating LCBM. In this review, we provide comprehensive information on risk assessment, predictive, and prognostic panels for early detection of BM in patients with lung cancer. Moreover, we present an overview of LCBM molecular mechanisms, cancer driver genes, and ncRNAs which may predict the risk of BM in lung cancer patients. Recent clinical studies have focused on determining mechanisms involved in LCBM and their association with diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. These studies have shown that alterations in EGFR, KRAS, BRAF, and ALK, as the most frequent coding gene alterations, and dysregulation of ncRNAs such as miR-423, miR-330-3p, miR-145, piR-651, and MALAT1 can be considered as potential biomarkers of LCBM.

Long noncoding RNA MALAT1 sponging miR-26a-5p to modulate Smad1 contributes to colorectal cancer progression by regulating autophagy

Accumulating evidences have suggested that bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) -Smad have a functional role in regulating autophagy in the development of human colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the regulatory mechanisms controlling this process remain unclear. Here, we showed that Smad1, the key effector of BMP2-Smad signaling, induces autophagy by upregulating autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5) expression, and Smad1 binds to the proximal promoter to induce its expression. Moreover, BMP2 induces autophagy in CRC. Overexpression of Smad1 promotes tumorigenesis and migration of CRC cells, and knockdown of ATG5 is able to rescue the Smad1-induced promotion of CRC proliferation and migration partially. Mechanistically, metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) may act as a competing endogenous RNA by binding with miR-26a-5p competitively and thus modulating the de-repression of downstream target Smad1. Furthermore, clinical analysis results show that Smad1 is positively correlated with MALAT1 and negatively correlated with miR-26a-5p in CRC samples. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that Smad1 may serve as an oncogene in CRC through autophagy.

Prognostic and immunological significance of metastasis associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 among different kinds of cancers

LncRNAs belong to the type of noncoding RNA transcripts, which exceed 200 nucleotides in size. MALAT1 as one of the earlier identified lncRNAs in cancer is investigated by more and more scientific researchers. Expression, clinical significance and function of MALAT1 in pan-cancer exist as big difference. To detect the expression and clinical significance of MALAT1 gene precisely and comprehensively among different kinds of cancers, some classical databases such as GEPIA, TIMER, KM Plotter, and PrognoScan were fully applied. An immunological role of MALAT1 among different kinds of cancers was also determined in TIMER database. Our results showed that MALAT1 was differently expressed in different kinds of cancers using GEPIA, Oncomine, and TIMER databases to analyze. Especially, MALAT1 high RNA level was related to the early stage in lung and gastric cancer patients. MALAT1 expression was closely related to prognosis among different cancer patients. Furthermore, expression of MALAT1 was related to tumor immune cell infiltrating. Expression level of MALAT1 was also related to immune makers such as macrophage, T cell, NK cells, and so on. These findings indicate that MALAT1 could be a potential prognostic biomarker of some kinds of cancer and was significantly correlated with tumor-infiltrating immune cells in a wide variety of cancers.

MALAT1: A Promising Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Cancer metastasis research has emerged in recent years as one of the most important topics of debate in the discovery and development of novel anticancer therapies. Colorectal cancer (CRC), the third most common cancer worldwide, has a high mortality rate due to recurrence and distant metastasis to the liver. Several non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been linked to metastatic CRC (mCRC), including the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) Metastasis-Associated Lung-Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1). MALAT1 is an RNA that has been linked to tumor cell proliferation, progression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), cell migration and invasion, metastasis, and survival in mammalian species. Previously, there was no convincing evidence linking MALAT1 to mCRC. Studies have shown that MALAT1 functions as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) with microRNAs (miRNAs) and interacts directly with oncogenes and proteins. This RNA also activates several signaling pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, and EMT. Meanwhile, standard chemotherapy and immunotherapy are the current treatment options for mCRC patients. However, evidence-based studies have recently demonstrated that inhibiting the MALAT1 RNA transcript can be considered as a treatment option for mCRC, highlighting the need to investigate its roles as a therapeutic target in mCRC. Thus, in this review, we looked at studies that linked MALAT1 to multiple signaling pathways implicated in mCRC, as well as its potential as a therapeutic target for the treatment of mCRC.

The role of M6A modification in the regulation of tumor-related lncRNAs

N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) is the most abundant modification in eukaryotic cells, and it regulates RNA transcription, processing, splicing, degradation, and translation. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as transcriptional products with no or limited protein coding ability more than 200 nt in length, play an important role in epigenetic modification, mRNA transcription, splicing, stability, translation, and other biological functions. Extensive studies have shown that both m⁶A modification and lncRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of various diseases, such as kinds of cancers, heart failure, Alzheimer’s disease, periodontitis, human abdominal aortic aneurysm, and obesity. To date, m⁶A modification has been identified as an important biological function in enrichment and regulation of lncRNAs. In this review, we summarize the role of m⁶A modification in the regulation and function of tumor-related lncRNAs. Moreover, we discuss the potential applications and possible future directions in the field.

Knockdown of Long Non-coding RNA SNGH3 by CRISPR-dCas9 Inhibits the Progression of Bladder Cancer

Recent research evidence documents that lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs lncRNAs) play a pivotal role in the tumorigenesis and development of tumors. LncRNA SNGH3 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 3) is highly expressed in numerous forms of cancer, serving as an oncogene in cancer progression. Nonetheless, the clinical relationship, along with the mechanism of SNGH3 in bladder cancer, have not been studied. Herein, the findings exhibited upregulation of SNGH3 in bladder cancer tissues, along with the cell lines. Furthermore, overexpressed SNGH3 was positively linked to the TNM stage, as well as the histological grade of bladder cancer. Moreover, the silencing of SNGH3, using CRISPR-dCas9, suppressed cell growth along with migration, but elevated bladder cancer cell apoptosis. In summary, we established that SNGH3 serves as a bladder cancer oncogene and could be employed as a prospective diagnostic marker for clinical use, and is also a therapeutic target for CRISPR-mediated gene therapy.

Regulatory Networks of LncRNA MALAT-1 in Cancer

Long noncoding (lnc)RNAs are a group of RNAs with a length greater than 200 nt that do not encode a protein but play an essential role in regulating the expression of target genes in normal biological contexts as well as pathologic processes including tumorigenesis. The lncRNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript (MALAT)-1 has been widely studied in cancer. In this review, we describe the known functions of MALAT-1; its mechanisms of action; and associated signaling pathways and their clinical significance in different cancers. In most malignancies, including lung, colorectal, thyroid, and other cancers, MALAT-1 functions as an oncogene and is upregulated in tumors and tumor cell lines. MALAT-1 has a distinct mechanism of action in each cancer type and is thus at the center of large gene regulatory networks. Dysregulation of MALAT-1 affects cellular processes such as alternative splicing, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, and autophagy, which ultimately results in the abnormal cell proliferation, invasion, and migration that characterize cancers. In other malignancies, such as glioma and endometrial carcinoma, MALAT-1 functions as a tumor suppressor and thus forms additional regulatory networks. The current evidence indicates that MALAT-1 and its associated signaling pathways can serve as diagnostic or prognostic biomarker or therapeutic target in the treatment of many cancers.

Long non-coding RNA ATB is associated with metastases and promotes cell invasion in colorectal cancer via sponging miR-141-3p

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve crucial roles in cancer development and progression. lncRNA-activated by transforming growth factor-β (lncRNA-ATB) mediates cell proliferation. However, the association between lncRNA-ATB and human colorectal cancer (CRC) is not completely understood. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role of lncRNA-ATB in CRC, as well as the underlying mechanism. 50 pairs of tumor tissues and adjacent normal tissues from patients with primary CRC were collected. The expression of lncRNA-ATB and microRNA (miR)-141-3p in CRC tissues, adjacent normal tissues and cell lines was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. CCK-8, colony formation, Transwell, western blot, dual luciferase reporter gene, RNA immunoprecipitation and immunohistochemistry staining assays were conducted to assess the biological function of lncRNA-ATB and miR-141-3p in CRC progression. lncRNA-ATB was upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines compared with healthy tissues and cells, respectively. Moreover, high expression of lncRNA-ATB was significantly associated with advanced TNM stage and metastasis in CRC. In addition, the results indicated that lncRNA-ATB expression predicted the prognosis and overall survival of patients with CRC. Compared with small interfering RNA-negative control, lncRNA-ATB knockdown inhibited CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, whereas, compared with vector, lncRNA-ATB overexpression promoted CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, the in vivo experiment suggested that lncRNA-ATB knockdown inhibited tumor growth. The results also indicated that lncRNA-ATB may contribute to CRC progression via binding to tumor suppressor microRNA-141-3p. Collectively, the present study suggested a crucial role of lncRNA-ATB in CRC tumorigenesis, suggesting that lncRNA-ATB may serve as an important marker for the diagnosis and development of CRC.

Mechanisms of long non-coding RNA function in colorectal cancer tumorigenesis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers globally. Although a variety of CRC screening methods have been developed, many patients are diagnosed at advanced stages of CRC with tumor invasion and distance metastasis. Several studies have suggested the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) as one of the main contributors in CRC tumorigenesis, although the exact underlying mechanism of lncRNAs in CRC is still unknown. Numerous studies have indicated aberrant expression of lncRNAs in CRC through different modes of action such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, DNA repair response, drug-resistance, migration, and metastasis. Furthermore, lncRNA polymorphisms can influence the risk of CRC development. Accordingly, lncRNAs can be served as promising diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers and also desired therapeutic targets affecting the outcome of patients with CRC. In this review, we summarized the updated and novel evidence that identifies different roles of lncRNAs in the tumorigenesis of CRC.

Circ_0007031 Serves as a Sponge of miR-760 to Regulate the Growth and Chemoradiotherapy Resistance of Colorectal Cancer via Regulating DCP1A

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a kind of malignant tumor, and the development of chemoradiotherapy resistance (CRR) increases the difficulty of its treatment. The role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer progression has been well documented. Nevertheless, the function of circ_0007031 in the growth and CRR of CRC has not been well elucidated.

Methods

CRR cell lines were constructed using 5-Fu and radiation. Cell counting kit 8 (CCK8) assay was employed to measure the 5-Fu resistance and proliferation of cells. Clonogenic assay was used to evaluate the radiation resistance of cells. Also, the expression of circ_0007031 and microRNA-760 (miR-760) was determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis of cells were assessed by flow cytometry. Besides, the levels of apoptosis-related protein and mRNA-decapping enzyme 1a (DCP1A) protein were measured by Western blot (WB) analysis. Further, dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used to confirm the interaction between miR-760 and circ_0007031 or DCP1A. In addition, animal experiments were performed to evaluate the function of silenced circ_0007031 on the 5-Fu and radiation resistance of CRC tumors.

Results

Circ_0007031 expression was markedly increased in CRC tissues and cells, especially in CRC resistant cells. Circ_0007031 knockdown hindered proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase, enhanced apoptosis, and lowered the CRR of CRC resistant cells. Further, miR-760 could be targeted by circ_0007031, and its inhibitor could reverse the inhibition effect of circ_0007031 knockdown on the growth and CRR of CRC resistant cells. Moreover, DCP1A was a target of miR-760, and its overexpression could invert the suppression effect of miR-760 overexpression on the growth and CRR of CRC resistant cells. Circ_0007031 silencing could enhance the sensitivity of CRC tumors to 5-Fu and radiation to markedly reduce CRC tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusion

Circ_0007031 might play a positive role in the CRR of CRC through regulating the miR-760/DCP1A axis, which might provide a new approach for treating the CRR of CRC.

Long-Chain Non-Coding RNA Metastasis-Related Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1) Promotes the Proliferation and Migration of Human Pulmonary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells (hPASMCs) by Regulating the MicroRNA-503 (miR-503)/Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) Signal Axis

Background

To study the role of the long-chain noncoding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-related lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1), microRNA-503 (miR-503), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signal axis in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Material/Methods

Total RNA was extracted from the plasma of 45 PAH patients and 45 healthy subjects, and the expression of lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-503 was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The effects of lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-503 on Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (hPASMCs) were tested following in vitro transfection of hPASMCs.

Results

lncRNA MALAT1 was highly expressed in the plasma of PAH patients and in hypoxia-induced hPASMCs. Silencing lncRNA MALAT1 inhibited the proliferation and migration of hPASMC cells while promoting their apoptosis. MiR-503 is underexpressed in plasma and hPASMCs of patients with PAH. TLR4 was a target gene of miR-503 and was highly expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of PAH patients. lncRNA MALAT1 was a “molecular sponge” of miR-503, regulating the expression of TLR4 and the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of hPASMCs through miR-503.

Conclusions

lncRNA MALAT1 promotes the proliferation and migration of hPASMCs and inhibits their apoptosis by inhibiting the miR-503/TLR4 signal axis.

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer, the most common endocrine malignancy, has become the most commonly diagnosed malignant solid tumor. Moreover, some cases have poor prognosis, and the survival period is only 3-5 months. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of functional RNA molecules more than 200 nucleotides in length that lack the ability to encode protein but participate in all aspects of gene regulation. Functionally, many lncRNAs play essential roles in epigenetic regulation at transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels via various molecular mechanisms. Recent studies have discovered important roles for lncRNAs during the complex process of carcinogenesis in thyroid cancer. In this review, we focus on lncRNAs dysregulated in thyroid cancer and summarize recently reported associations between lncRNAs and thyroid cancer in order to demonstrate the significant value of lncRNAs in diagnosis and treatment.

Identification of prognostic biomarkers and drug target prediction for colon cancer according to a competitive endogenous RNA network

Colorectal cancer is one of the commoner digestive tract malignant tumor types, and its incidence and mortality rate are high. Accumulating evidence indicates that long‑chain non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and protein‑coding RNAs interact with each other by competing with the same micro(mi)RNA response element (MREs) and serve an important role in the regulation of gene expression in a variety of tumor types. However, the regulatory mechanism and prognostic role of lncRNA‑mediated competing endogenous (ce)RNA networks in colon cancer have yet to be elucidated. The expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs from 471 colon cancer and 41 paracancerous tissue samples were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. A lncRNA‑miRNA‑mRNA ceRNA network in colon cancer was constructed and comprised 17 hub lncRNAs, 87 hub miRNA and 144 hub mRNAs. The topological properties of the network were analyzed, and the random walk algorithm was used to identify the nodes significantly associated with colon cancer. Survival analysis using the UALCAN database indicated that 2/17 lncRNAs identified [metastasis‑associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript (MALAT1) and maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3)] and 5/144 mRNAs [FES upstream region (FURIN), nuclear factor of activated T‑cells 5 (NFAT5), RNA Binding Motif Protein 12B (RBM12B), Ras related GTP binding A (RRAGA) and WD repeat domain phosphoinositide‑interacting protein 2 (WIPI2)] were significantly associated with the overall survival of patients with colon cancer, and may therefore be used as potential prognostic biomarkers of colon cancer. According to extracted lncRNA‑miRNA‑mRNA interaction pairs, the GSE26334 dataset was used to confirm that the lncRNA MALAT1/miR‑129‑5p/NFAT5 axis may represent a novel regulatory mechanism concerning the progression of colon cancer. The clusterProfiler package was used to analyze Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways in colon cancer. Finally, drugs that significantly interact with the core genes identified in colon cancer were predicted using a hypergeometric test. Of these, fostamatinib was identified to be a targeted drug for colon cancer therapy. The present findings provide a novel perspective for improved understanding of the lncRNA‑associated ceRNA network and may facilitate the development of novel targeted therapeutics in colon cancer.

Long Noncoding RNA MALAT1 Promotes the Development of Colon Cancer by Regulating miR-101-3p/STC1 Axis

Purpose

Colon cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. This study aimed to clarify the effect of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) on CC progression and the potential mechanism.

Methods

CC cell lines HCT116 and HT29 were selected for functional analysis. The expression of MALAT1, microRNA (miR)-101-3p, and stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) in CC tissues and cells were measured by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, wound scratch and transwell assay, respectively. The target relationships (MALAT1 and miR-101-3p, miR-101-3p and STC1) were validated by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assay.

Results

The expression of MALAT1 was elevated in CC tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues and was associated with lymph node metastasis, depth of invasion and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. Up-regulation of MALAT1 promoted the proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibited the apoptosis of CC cells; while MALAT1 knockdown exhibited opposite results. MiR-101-3p was a target of MALAT1, which was negatively regulated by MALAT1. Silencing of miR-101-3p reverses the anti-tumor effect of MALAT1 knockdown on CC cells. STC1 was a target of miR-101-3p, which was negatively regulated by miR-101-3p. Silencing of STC1 reverses the tumor promoting effects of MALAT1 up-regulation and miR-101-3p down-regulation on CC cells.

Conclusion

MALAT1 may function as an oncogene in CC progression by affecting the miR-101-3p/STC1 axis, providing a hopeful therapeutic option for CC.

Targeted Nano-Drug Delivery of Colchicine against Colon Cancer Cells by Means of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles

Antimitotics are important anticancer agents and include the natural alkaloid prodrug colchicine (COL). However, a major challenge of using COL as an anticancer drug is its cytotoxicity. We developed a novel drug delivery system (DDS) for COL using mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs). The MSNs were functionalized with phosphonate groups, loaded with COL, and coated with folic acid chitosan-glycine complex. The resulting nanoformulation, called MSNsPCOL/CG-FA, was tested for action against cancer and normal cell lines. The anticancer effect was highly enhanced for MSNsPCOL/CG-FA compared to COL. In the case of HCT116 cells, 100% inhibition was achieved. The efficiency of MSNsPCOL/CG-FA ranked in this order: HCT116 (colon cancer) > HepG2 (liver cancer) > PC3 (prostate cancer). MSNsPCOL/CG-FA exhibited low cytotoxicity (4%) compared to COL (~60%) in BJ1 normal cells. The mechanism of action was studied in detail for HCT116 cells and found to be primarily intrinsic apoptosis caused by an enhanced antimitotic effect. Furthermore, a contribution of genetic regulation (metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT 1), and microRNA (mir-205)) and immunotherapy effects (angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2 protein) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) was found. Therefore, this study shows enhanced anticancer effects and reduced cytotoxicity of COL with targeted delivery compared to free COL and is a novel method of developing cancer immunotherapy using a low-cost small-molecule natural prodrug.

Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1: An update on expression pattern and functions in carcinogenesis

The Metastasis Associated Lung Adenocarcinoma Transcript 1 (MALAT1) is among long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which has disapproved the old term of "junk DNA" which was used for majority of human genome which are not transcribed to proteins. An extensive portion of literature points to the fundamental role of this lncRNA in tumorigenesis process of diverse cancers ranging from solid tumors to leukemia. Being firstly identified in lung cancer, it has prognostic and diagnostic values in several cancer types. Consistent with the proposed oncogenic roles for this lncRNA, most of studies have shown up-regulation of MALAT1 in malignant tissues compared with non-malignant/normal tissues of the same source. However, few studies have shown down-regulation of MALAT1 in breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colorectal cancer and glioma. In the current study, we have conducted a comprehensive literature search and provided an up-date on the role of MALAT1 in cancer biology. Our investigation underscores a potential role as a diagnostic/prognostic marker and a putative therapeutic target for MALAT1.

MALAT1 rs664589 Polymorphism Inhibits Binding to miR-194-5p, Contributing to Colorectal Cancer Risk, Growth, and Metastasis

Metastasis associated with lung adenocarcinoma transcript-1 (MALAT1) is an evolutionarily highly conserved lncRNA that contributes to colorectal cancer development. However, the exact molecular mechanisms connecting MALAT1 to colorectal cancer have not been fully elucidated. Here, we performed a case-control study in 1,078 patients with colorectal cancer and 1,175 healthy controls to evaluate the association between potentially functional genetic variants of MALAT1 and survival outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. MALAT1 rs664589 CG/GG genotypes significantly increased the associated risk and decreased overall survival of patients with colorectal cancer compared with the CC genotype. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the rs664589 C to G mutation facilitated carcinogenesis and metastasis of colorectal cancer. Mechanistically, the miRNA miR-194-5p targeted MALAT1 for degradation in the nucleus in an Ago2-dependent manner; the rs664589 G allele altered the binding of MALAT1 to miR-194-5p, resulting in increased expression of MALAT1. Colorectal cancer cells and human tissues with the rs664589 CG/GG genotype expressed significantly higher MALAT1 than those with the rs664589 CC genotype. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that MALAT1 was a poor prognostic factor of colorectal cancer. In summary, MALAT1 with the rs664589 G allele demonstrates altered binding to miR-194-5p in the nucleus, leading to increased MALAT1 expression and enhanced colorectal cancer development. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings highlight the functional role of MALAT1 polymorphism in colorectal cancer metastasis and survival as well as the underlying mechanism.

Low level of exosomal long non-coding RNA HOTTIP is a prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer

Molecular risk stratification of colorectal cancer can improve patient outcome. A panel of lncRNAs (H19, HOTTIP, HULC and MALAT1) derived from serum exosomes of patients with non-metastatic CRC and healthy donors was analyzed. Exosomes from healthy donors carried significantly more H19, HULC and HOTTIP transcripts in comparison to CRC patients. Correlation analysis between lncRNAs and clinical data revealed a statistical significance between low levels of exosomal HOTTIP and poor overall survival. This was confirmed by multivariate analysis that HOTTIP is an independent prognostic marker for overall survival (HR: 4.5, CI: 1.69-11.98, p = 0.0027). Here, HOTTIP poses to be a valid biomarker for patients with a CRC to predict post-surgical survival time.

MALAT1 accelerates the development and progression of renal cell carcinoma by decreasing the expression of miR-203 and promoting the expression of BIRC5

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate the roles of the lncRNA MALAT1 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) progression.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was used for the assessment of BIRC5, miRNA-203 and MALAT1 expression. Furthermore, the targeted relationships between miR-203 and BIRC5, as well as MALAT1 and miR-203, were predicted by the miRanda/starBase database and verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The effects of MALAT1, miRNA-203 and BIRC5 on cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell apoptosis, cell invasion and cell migration were studied by using CCK-8, flow cytometry, transwell and wound healing assays, respectively. In addition, the effects of MALAT1 on RCC tumorigenesis were evaluated in vivo by nude mouse tumorigenesis.

RESULTS

The expression levels of BIRC5 and MALAT1 were higher in RCC tissues and cell lines than in adjacent normal tissues and a normal renal cortex proximal tubule epithelial cell line. In contrast, the expression of miRNA-203 in RCC tissues and cell lines was higher than that in adjacent normal tissues and a normal renal cortex proximal tubule epithelial cell line. BIRC5 and MALAT1 promoted cell proliferation yet decreased the percentage of RCC cells at G0/G1 phase.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that MALAT1 functions as a miR-203 decoy to increase BIRC5 expression in RCC.

Association study of genetic variation of lncRNA MALAT1 with carcinogenesis of colorectal cancer

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major public health concern worldwide. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms of CRC remain poorly understood.

Methods

In the current study, we evaluated associations of four genetic variants located in the promoter and gene region of long noncoding RNAs metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (lncRNA MALAT1) with CRC susceptibility among a Chinese population with 966 CRC cases and 988 healthy controls, using a two-stage, case–control study design (400 CRC cases and 400 controls in stage 1, and 566 CRC cases and 588 controls in stage 2).

Results

We found that the minor alleles of rs619586 (OR=0.73; 95% CI=0.60–0.88; P=0.001) and rs1194338 (OR=0.80; 95% CI=0.70–0.92; P=0.001) were significantly associated with decreased CRC susceptibility. Compared with those with rs619586 −AA genotype, the risk of CRC was significantly lower in individuals with AG genotype (OR=0.76; 95% CI=0.61–0.95) and GG genotype (OR=0.46; 95% CI=0.23–0.90). Compared with those with rs1194338 −CC genotype, the risk of CRC was significantly lower in individuals with AC genotype (OR=0.79; 95% CI=0.65–0.95) and AA genotype (OR=0.68; 95% CI=0.51–0.89).

Conclusion

Taken together, our findings provided strong evidence for the hypothesis that genetic variants in lncRNA MALAT1 might contribute to the carcinogenesis of CRC.