Increased Expression of microRNA-199b-5p Associates with Poor Prognosis Through Promoting Cell Proliferation, Invasion and Migration Abilities of Human Osteosarcoma

Signal Pathways and microRNAs in Osteosarcoma Growth and the Dual Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Oncogenesis

The major challenges in Osteosarcoma (OS) therapy are its heterogeneity and drug resistance. The development of new therapeutic approaches to overcome the major growth mechanisms of OS is urgently needed. The search for specific molecular targets and promising innovative approaches in OS therapy, including drug delivery methods, is an urgent problem. Modern regenerative medicine focuses on harnessing the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because they have low immunogenicity. MSCs are important cells that have received considerable attention in cancer research. Currently, new cell-based methods for using MSCs in medicine are being actively investigated and tested, especially as carriers for chemotherapeutics, nanoparticles, and photosensitizers. However, despite the inexhaustible regenerative potential and known anticancer properties of MSCs, they may trigger the development and progression of bone tumors. A better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of OS pathogenesis is essential to identify novel molecular effectors involved in oncogenesis. The current review focuses on signaling pathways and miRNAs involved in the development of OS and describes the role of MSCs in oncogenesis and their potential for antitumor cell-based therapy.

Prognostic and clinicopathological value of miR-199b in cancers: a meta-analysis

Background: The prognostic value of miR-199b in cancers has not been fully clarified. Methods: All articles evaluating the prognostic value of miR-199b in tumors were included. The hazard ratio (HR), odds ratio (OR) and 95% CI were calculated to assess the relationship between miR-199b expression and survival outcomes and clinicopathological features. Results: The combined results indicated that high miR-199b expression predicted favorable overall survival (OS) compared with low miR-199b expression (HR: 0.62, 95% CI: 0.44-0.87). In addition, high miR-199b expression had a significant correlation with the prevention of lymph node metastasis (OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.25-0.59). Conclusion: MiR-199b can be used as an effective prognostic marker in cancers.

miR-199b-5p enhances the proliferation of medullary thymic epithelial cells via regulating Wnt signaling by targeting Fzd6

Thymic epithelial cells (TECs) are essential regulators of T-cell development and selection. miRNAs play critical roles in regulating TEC proliferation during the process of thymic aging. Our previous studies revealed that miR-199b-5p was upregulated in TECs from 1- to 3-month-old mice. But its function and potential mechanism are not clear. We hypothesized that miR-199b-5p may play an important role in age-related thymus involution via targeting some genes. To confirm it, the murine thymic epithelial cell line 1 (MTEC1) cells were used. Our results showed that overexpression of miR-199b-5p can enhance MTEC1 cell proliferation. On the contrary, repression of miR-199b-5p can inhibit MTEC1 cell proliferation. Meanwhile, it was confirmed that frizzled receptor 6 (Fzd6) is the direct target gene of miR-199b-5p. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-199b-5p can upregulate the expressions of β-catenin, Tcf7, Wnt4, and C-myc to activate Wnt signaling and cell cycle signaling. Silence of Fzd6 and co-transfection with siFzd6 and miR-199b-5p mimic/inhibitor confirmed that the biological function of miR-199b-5p is indeed by targeting Fzd6 in medullary TECs. Overall, miR-199b-5p is an important regulator in medullary TEC proliferation through targeting Fzd6 to activate Wnt signaling and cell cycle signaling. Our data indicate that miR-199b-5p may block the process of thymic aging and be a potential therapeutic target for thymus involution.

miRNA-216 knockdown has effects to suppress osteosarcoma via stimulating PTEN

The aim of this study is to explain the effects and mechanism of miRNA-216 in osteosarcoma. We firstly evaluated the PTEN expression in 30 pairs of tumor and adjacent tissues which were from the 30 osteosarcoma patients. In the following cell experiments, we measured the cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell invasion, and migration abilities of NC (normal control) group, BL (blank) group, siRNA (miRNA-216 inhibitor) group, and siRNA+PTEN inhibitor group. Furthermore, we measured the relative protein expression of difference groups by WB to explain the mechanism of miRNA-216 in osteosarcoma. The PTEN was confirmed the target gene of miRNA-216 by double luciferase target test. In conclusion, miRNA-216 was an oncogene in osteosarcoma. miRNA-216 knockdown had effects to suppress cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration and improve cell apoptosis by keeping in G1 phase via PTEN.

MicroRNAs signatures, bioinformatics analysis of miRNAs, miRNA mimics and antagonists, and miRNA therapeutics in osteosarcoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) involved in key signaling pathways and aggressive phenotypes of osteosarcoma (OS) was discussed, including PI3K/AKT/MTOR, MTOR AND RAF-1 signaling, tumor suppressor P53- linked miRNAs, NOTCH- related miRNAs, miRNA -15/16 cluster, apoptosis related miRNAs, invasion-metastasis-related miRNAs, and 14Q32-associated miRNAs cluster. Herrin, we discussed insights into the targeted therapies including miRNAs (i.e., tumor-suppressive miRNAs and oncomiRNAs). Using bioinformatics tools, the interaction network of all OS-associated miRNAs and their targets was also depicted.

Evaluation of LDL receptor and Scavenger Receptor, Class B, Type 1 in the malignant and benign breast tumors: The correlation with the expression of miR-199a-5p, miR-199b-5p and miR-455-5p

AIMS

The purpose of present study was to examine the correlations of LDL (LDLR) and HDL (SR-B1) receptors with lipoproteins, miR-199a-5p, miR-199b-5p, miR-455-5p in the malignant and benign breast tumors.

METHODS

Total cholesterol-rich-lipoproteins and the receptors were determined using enzymatic-homogeneous and ELISA methods. The expression levels of miRNAs were detected by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

Receptor expressions and lipoproteins concentration were significantly higher in the malignant tumors (p < 0.05). Positive correlation was found for LDLR with Ki67% and Her2+. HDL-C content of TNBC tumors was higher than those of Non-TNBC (p < 0.05). The expression level of miR-199a-5p was found to be downregulated significantly in the malignant tumors of <2 cm, TNBC, HER2- or stage3. The expression of miR-199b-5p was downregulated in the malignant tumors and was negatively associated with TNBC, stage and Her2+. The expression of miR-455-5p was significantly correlated with Her2- (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was observed for SR-B1 or LDLR with HDL-C or LDL-C and also for SR-B1 with LDLR, although a reverse association was detected for the expression of miR-199b-5p with LDLR in the malignant tumors (p < 0.05). No significant correlations were found for miR-199a-5p or miR-455-5p with LDLR or SR-B1 expressions and also for LDL-C and SR-B1 with clinicopathological features (p ≥ 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Mechanisms potentially involved in the present findings may be due to the lipid internalization and lipoprotein consumption through LDLR and SR-B1 over expression. It is noteworthy that the expression of miR-199b-5p is negatively correlated with LDLR which may suggest it as a suppressor for LDLR expression in the breast cancer.

miRNA signatures in childhood sarcomas and their clinical implications

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

miR-199b-5p inhibits triple negative breast cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting DDR1

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) has received increasing attention from oncologists worldwide due to its poor prognosis and paucity of targeted therapies. MicroRNAs (miRs) are a group of small non-coding RNAs that are responsible for the post-transcriptional regulation of various target genes. The present study demonstrated that the expression of miR-199b-5p in breast cancer tissue was significantly reduced compared with that in normal breast tissues by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. In addition, western blot analysis and luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-199b-5p in TNBC cells inhibited discoidin domain receptor tyrosine kinase 1 expression by directly targeting its 3′-untranslated region. Furthermore, miR-199b-5p markedly suppressed the proliferation and invasion of TNBC cells, as demonstrated by using wound-healing, migration, invasion and proliferation assays. Collectively, these results indicate that miR-199b-5p may be a novel alternative therapeutic target for TNBC.

miR-199b-5p serves as a tumor suppressor in renal cell carcinoma

MicroRNA (miR)-199b-5p has been reported to have a critical role in various types of malignancy. However, the exact function miR-199b-5p in renal cancer remains to be fully elucidated. The present study aimed to detect the expression levels of miR-199b-5p in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) tissues and RCC cell lines, and investigated the effect of miR-199b-5p in vitro with Cell Counting Kit-8, MTT, scratch wound, Transwell and flow cytometric assays. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of miR-199b-5p were significantly downregulated in RCC tissues and cell lines compared with those in paired adjacent normal renal tissues and a reference cell line, respectively. Downregulation of miR-199b-5p by transfection with a synthetic inhibitor promoted cellular proliferation and migration, while reducing the apoptotic rate, indicating that miR-199b-5p may serve as a tumor suppressor in RCC. Further study is required to identify target genes of miR-199b-5p to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the role of miR-199b-5p in the occurrence and development of RCC.

* Glioblastoma Exosomes for Therapeutic Angiogenesis in Peripheral Ischemia

Peripheral ischemia as a result of occlusive vascular disease is a widespread problem in patients older than the age of 65. Angiogenic therapies that can induce microvascular growth have great potential for providing a long-lasting solution for patients with ischemia and would provide an appealing alternative to surgical and percutaneous interventions. However, many angiogenic therapies have seen poor efficacy in clinical trials, suggesting that patients with long-term peripheral ischemia have considerable therapeutic resistance to angiogenic stimuli. Glioblastoma is one of the most angiogenic tumor types, inducing robust vessel growth in the area surrounding the tumor. One major angiogenic mechanism used by the tumor cells to induce blood vessel growth is the production of exosomes and other extracellular vesicles that can carry pro-angiogenic and immunomodulatory signals. Here, we explored whether the pro-angiogenic aspects of glioblastoma-derived exosomes could be harnessed to promote angiogenesis and healing in the context of peripheral ischemic disease. We demonstrate that the exosomes derived from glioblastoma markedly enhance endothelial cell proliferation and increase endothelial tubule formation in vitro. An analysis of the microRNA expression using next generation sequencing identified that exosomes contained a high concentration of miR-221. In addition, we found that glioblastoma exosomes contained significant amounts of the proteoglycans glypican-1 and syndecan-4, which can serve as co-receptors for angiogenic factors, including fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2). In a hindlimb ischemia model in mice, we found that the exosomes promoted enhanced revascularization in comparison to control alginate gels and FGF-2 treatment alone. Taken together, our results support the fact that glioblastoma-derived exosomes have powerful effects in increasing revascularization in the context of peripheral ischemia.

MicroRNA‑199b promotes cell proliferation and invasion in Wilms' tumour by directly targeting Runt‑related transcription factor 3

Emerging evidence has demonstrated that the deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to Wilms' tumour (WT) malignant progression. Therefore, identifying the essential miRNAs for WT onset and progression may be a promising therapeutic method for patients with this disease. Dysregulation of miRNA‑199b (miR‑199b) serves significant roles in various types of human cancer. However, its expression patterns, possible functions and associated mechanisms in WT are largely unknown. In the present study, the expression of miR‑199b in WT tissues was detected by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) analysis. The biological functions of miR‑199b overexpression in WT cells were determined using Cell counting kit‑8 and Transwell invasion assays. The mechanisms underlying the action of miR‑199b in WT cells were also investigated using bioinformatics analysis, a luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blot analysis. It was revealed that miR‑199b expression was upregulated in WT tissues. In addition, the downregulation of miR‑199b attenuated the proliferation and invasion of WT cells. Runt‑related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) was mechanistically predicted as a potential target of miR‑199b. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that RUNX3 was a direct target gene of miR‑199b in WT. In addition, the downregulation of RUNX3 in the WT tissues was inversely correlated with the miR‑199b expression level. The recovered RUNX3 expression counteracted the oncogenic roles of miR‑199b in WT cells. Therefore miR‑199b may serve as an oncogene in WT progression by directly targeting RUNX3, thereby suggesting that the miR‑199b/RUNX3 axis may be a promising therapeutic target for patients with WT.

Prognostic value of microRNAs in osteosarcoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy. We meta-analyzed the prognostic value of altered miRNAs in patients with osteosarcoma.

METHODS

Sources from MEDLINE (from inception to August 2016) and EMBASE (from inception to August 2016) were searched. Studies of osteosarcoma with results of miRNA and studies that reported survival data were included and two authors performed the data extraction independently. Any discrepancies were resolved by a consensus. The outcome was overall survival and event-free survival assessed using hazard ratios (HRs).

RESULTS

After reviewing the full text of 65 articles, 25 studies including 2,278 patients were eligible in this study. The pooled HR for deaths was 1.40 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.94, p=0.04) with random-effects model (χ2=113.08, p<0.00001, I2=79%) for patients of osteosarcoma with lower expression of miRNA. However, the pooled HR for events was not significant (HR 0.97, 0.63-1.48, p=0.87, χ2=72.65, p<0.00001, I2=79%). In pathway analysis of miRNAs, miRNA449a, 199-5p, 542-5p have common target genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Expression level of miRNA in patients of osteosarcoma is important as a prognostic factor.

Germline and somatic genetics of osteosarcoma - connecting aetiology, biology and therapy

Clinical outcomes and treatment modalities for osteosarcoma, the most common primary cancer of bone, have changed very little over the past 30 years. The peak incidence of osteosarcoma occurs during the adolescent growth spurt, which suggests that bone growth and pubertal hormones are important in the aetiology of the disease. Tall stature, high birth weight and certain inherited cancer predisposition syndromes are well-described risk factors for osteosarcoma. Common genetic variants are also associated with osteosarcoma. The somatic genome of osteosarcoma is highly aneuploid, exhibits extensive intratumoural heterogeneity and has a higher mutation rate than most other paediatric cancers. Complex pathways related to bone growth and development and tumorigenesis are also important in osteosarcoma biology. In this Review, we discuss the contributions of germline and somatic genetics, tumour biology and animal models in improving our understanding of osteosarcoma aetiology, and their potential to identify novel therapeutic targets and thus improve the lives of patients with osteosarcoma.

MicroRNAs with prognostic significance in osteosarcoma: a systemic review and meta-analysis

Introduction

This study aimed to elucidate the prognostic value of microRNAs (miRNAs) in patients with osteosarcoma.

Materials and Methods

Studies were recruited by searching PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang data-bases (final search update conducted January 2017). Eligible studies were identified and the quality was assessed using multiple search strategies.

Results

A total of 55 articles that investigated the correlation between miRNA expression and either patient survival or disease recurrence in osteosarcoma was initially identified. Among these, 30 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of our meta-analysis revealed that elevated levels of miR-21, miR-214, miR-29, miR-9 and miR-148a were associated with poor prognosis in osteosarcoma. Additionally, downregulated miR-382, miR26a, miR-126, miR-195 and miR-124 expression indicated poor prognosis in osteosarcoma.

Conclusions

miRNAs may act as independent prognostic factors in patients with osteosarcoma and are useful in stratifying risk.

MiR-199b-5p inhibits osteogenic differentiation in ligamentum flavum cells by targeting JAG1 and modulating the Notch signalling pathway

Ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is a pathology almost only reported in East Asian countries. The leading cause of OLF is thoracic spinal canal stenosis and myelopathy. In this study, the role of miR-199b-5p and jagged 1 (JAG1) in primary ligamentum flavum cell osteogenesis was examined. MiR-199b-5p was found to be down-regulated during osteogenic differentiation in ligamentum flavum cells, while miR-199b-5p overexpression inhibited osteogenic differentiation. In addition, JAG1 was found to be up-regulated during osteogenic differentiation in ligamentum flavum cells, while JAG1 knockdown via RNA interference caused an inhibition of Notch signalling and osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, target prediction analysis and dual luciferase reporter assays supported the notion that JAG1 was a direct target of miR-199b-5p, with miR-199b-5p found to down-regulate both JAG1 and Notch. Further, JAG1 knockdown was demonstrated to block the effect of miR-199b-5p inhibition. These findings imply that miR-199b-5p performs an inhibitory role in osteogenic differentiation in ligamentum flavum cells by potentially targeting JAG1 and influencing the Notch signalling pathway.

Down-regulation of miR-199b-5p is correlated with poor prognosis for breast cancer patients

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of miR-199b-5p in breast cancer patients, as well as explore its effects on breast cancer cells.

METHODS

The expression level of miR-199b-5p in breast cancer tissues and paired non-cancerous tissues were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Chi-square test was used to evaluate the relationship between miR-199b-5p expression and clinical parameters. Besides, overall survival analysis was carried out with Kaplan-Meier curve with log rank test, and the prognostic value of miR-199b-5p in breast cancer was evaluated by cox regression model. In addition, MTT and transwell assays in vitro were used to estimate the effects of miR-199b-5p on breast cancer cells.

RESULTS

MiR-199b-5p was down-regulated in breast cancer tissues, compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). Moreover, its decreased level was significantly correlated with advanced TNM stage (P=0.008) and positive lymph node metastasis (P=0.013). Cell experiments suggested that miR-199b-5p could regulate proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells. In addition, we found that breast cancer patients with low miR-199b-5p expression level had poorer overall survival than those with high level (log rank test, P=0.021). MiR-199b-5p was an independent prognostic factor for breast cancer patients (HR=2.318, 95%CI=1.086-4.949, P=0.030).

CONCLUSION

Down-regulated miR-199b-5p in breast cancer patients is associated with malignant clinical characteristics. MiR-199b-5p may be a potential prognostic biomarker for breast cancer.

MicroRNA-150 functions as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma by targeting IGF2BP1

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with high morbidity in young adults and adolescents. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is involved in OS occurrence and development. miR-150 has been recently widely studied in many cancers, but not including OS. This study is aimed to investigate the expression and biological role of miR-150 in OS. Here, we found that miR-150 expression was consistently downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines compared with the matched adjacent normal tissues and human normal osteoblast cells (NHOst), and its expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. Functional study showed that restoration of miR-150 expression in OS cells could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis in vitro as well as suppressed tumor growth of OS in vivo. Mechanistically, IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 1(IGF2BP1) was confirmed to act as a direct target of miR-150, and the IGF2BP1 mRNA expression was inversely correlated with the level of miR-150 in OS tissues. In addition, downregulation of endogenous IGF2BP1 exhibited similar effects of overexpression of miR-150. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-150 functions as a tumor suppressor in OS partially by targeting IGF2BP1.