Down-regulation of miR-150 induces cell proliferation inhibition and apoptosis in non-small-cell lung cancer by targeting BAK1 in vitro

Panel of miR-150 and linc00673, regulators of CCR6/CCL20 may serve as non-invasive diagnostic marker of non-small cell lung cancer

The C-C motif ligand 20 (CCL20) is a chemokine that specifically binds to the chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6) and the CCL20/CCR6 axis has been implicated in the non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) development and progression. Its expression is regulated by mutual interactions of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). This goals of presented study was to evaluate the expression level of CCR6/CCL20 mRNA in NSCLC tissue comparative to selected ncRNAs: miR-150, linc00673. The expression level of the studied ncRNAs was also assessed in serum extracellular vesicles (EVs). Thirty patients (n = 30) were enrolled as the study cohort. Total RNA was isolated from tumor tissue, adjacent macroscopically unchanged tissue and serum EVs. The expression level of studied genes and ncRNAs were estimated based on the qPCR method. Higher expression level of CCL20 mRNA but lower expression level of CCR6 mRNA were observed in tumor in comparison to control tissue. Relative to the smoking status, higher CCL20 (p < 0.05) and CCR6 mRNA (p > 0.05) expression levels were observed in current smokers than in never smokers. In serum EVs the expression level of miR-150 has a negative correlation with AJCC tumor staging, whereas the expression level of linc00673 positively correlated (p > 0.05). The lower expression level of miR-150 and higher expression level of linc00673 in serum EVs were observed in NSCLC patients with lymph nodes metastases (p > 0.05). Regarding the histopathological type, significantly lower expression level of miR-150 and higher expression level of linc00673 were observed in the serum EVs of patients with AC compared to patient with SCC. Our findings revealed that smoking significantly changed the expression level of CCL20 mRNA in NSCLC tissue. Changes in expression levels of miR-150 and linc00673 in the serum EVs of NSCLC patients in relation to presence of lymph node metastases and the stage of cancer development may serve as a non-invasive molecular biomarkers of tumor progression. Furthermore, expression levels of miR-150 and linc00673 may serve as non-intrusive diagnostic biomarkers differentiating adenocarcinoma from squamous cell carcinoma.

Matched Analyses of Brain Metastases versus Primary Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Reveal a Unique microRNA Signature

Distant spreading of tumor cells to the central nervous system in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occurs frequently and poses major clinical issues due to limited treatment options. RNAs displaying differential expression in brain metastasis versus primary NSCLC may explain distant tumor growth and may potentially be used as therapeutic targets. In this study, we conducted systematic microRNA expression profiling from tissue biopsies of primary NSCLC and brain metastases from 25 patients. RNA analysis was performed using the nCounter Human v3 miRNA Expression Assay, NanoString technologies, followed by differential expression analysis and in silico target gene pathway analysis. We uncovered a panel of 11 microRNAs with differential expression and excellent diagnostic performance in brain metastasis versus primary NSCLC. Five microRNAs were upregulated in brain metastasis (miR-129-2-3p, miR-124-3p, miR-219a-2-3p, miR-219a-5p, and miR-9-5p) and six microRNAs were downregulated in brain metastasis (miR-142-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-199b-5p, miR-199a-3p, miR-199b-5p, and miR-199a-5p). The differentially expressed microRNAs were predicted to converge on distinct target gene networks originating from five to twelve core target genes. In conclusion, we uncovered a unique microRNA profile linked to two target gene networks. Our results highlight the potential of specific microRNAs as biomarkers for brain metastasis in NSCLC and indicate plausible mechanistic connections.

Identification of pyroptosis-related gene signature for predicting prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer using bioinformatics

Pancreatic cancer, a common digestive system malignancy, is dubbed the "king of cancers". The role of pyrophosis-related genes (PRGs) in pancreatic cancer prognosis is yet unknown. In pancreatic cancer and normal tissue, we discovered 9 PRGs that are expressed differently in pancreatic cancer and healthy tissue. Based on the differential expression of PRGs, 2 clusters of pancreatic cancer cases could be identified. The 2 groups had significant disparities in total survival time. The prognostic model of a 5-PRGs signature was created using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method. The median risk score was used to split pancreatic cancer patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort into 2 groups: low risk and high risk. Patients classified as low-risk had significantly higher survival rates than those classified as high-risk (P < .01). The same results were obtained by validating them against the Gene Expression Omnibus database (P = .030). Cox regression statistical analysis showed that risk score was an independent predictor of overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell cycle-related biological processes and signaling pathways were enriched. Additionally, the immunological status of the high-risk group worsened. In conclusion, a novel pyroptosis-related gene signature can be used to predict pancreatic cancer patient prognosis.

The emerging landscape of exosomal CircRNAs in solid cancers and hematological malignancies

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of recently discovered noncoding RNA. They exert their biological functions by competitively binding to microRNAs (miRNAs) as miRNA sponges, promoting gene transcription and participating in the regulation of selective splicing, interacting with proteins and being translated into proteins. Exosomes are derived from intracavitary vesicles (ILVs), which are formed by the inward budding of multivesicular bodies (MVBs), and exosome release plays a pivotal role in intercellular communication. Accumulating evidence indicates that circRNAs in exosomes are associated with solid tumor invasion and metastasis. Additionally, emerging studies in the last 1 ~ 2 years have revealed that exosomal circRNA also have effect on hematological malignancies. In this review, we outline the properties and biological functions of circRNAs and exosomes. In particular, we summarize in detail the mechanism and roles of exosomal circRNAs and highlight their application as novel biomarkers in malignant tumors.

The p53 Pathway Related Genes Predict the Prognosis of Colon Cancer

Background

Colon cancer is a common gastrointestinal malignancy. This study aimed to explore the relationship between p53 pathway-related genes and prognosis of colon cancer.

Methods

The mRNA datasets of colon cancer and adjacent tissues were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, and the differential expression of genes in two groups was analyzed. Then, P53 pathway-related genes were intersected with differentially expressed genes (DEGs) to obtain P53 pathway-related differentially expressed genes. Then, overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), and progression-free survival (PFS) in clusters were compared by consistent cluster analysis. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis of DEGs was performed to obtain survival-related DEGs. Risk scores were calculated for each sample based on survival-related DEGs, and patients were divided into high/low risk scores. Prognostic differences, tumor immune cell infiltration levels, and immune pathway activation status were compared between the two groups.

Results

We identified 28 DEGs and two clusters. There are significant differences in PFS between the two clusters (P=0.011), and no significant difference between OS and DSS. We obtained 3 DEGs (CDKN2A, BAK1, BTG1) that were significantly related to PFS, and CDKN2A was considered an independent prognostic factor. PFS showed statistically significant difference between high/low risk score groups (P=0.015). There were significant differences in immune cell infiltration level and immune pathway activity between two groups.

Conclusion

The p53 pathway-related genes are significantly related to PFS in colon cancer patients and play an important role in regulating the tumor immune microenvironment.

Prognosis-related autophagy genes in female lung adenocarcinoma

To screen the prognosis-related autophagy genes of female lung adenocarcinoma by the transcriptome data and clinical data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database.In this study, screen meaningful female lung adenocarcinoma differential genes in TCGA, use univariate Cox proportional regression model to select genes related to prognosis, and establish the best risk model. In this study, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes were applied for carrying out bioinformatics analysis of gene function.The gene expression and clinical data of 264 female lung adenocarcinoma patient samples were downloaded from TCGA. Twelve down-regulated genes: NRG3, DLC1, NLRC4, DAPK2, HSPB8, PPP1R15A, FOS, NRG1, PRKCQ, GRID1, MAP1LC3C, GABARAPL1. Up-regulated 15 genes: PARP1, BNIP3, P4HB, ATIC, IKBKE, ITGB4, VMP1, PTK6, EIF4EBP1, GAPDH, ATG9B, ERO1A, TMEM74, CDKN2A, BIRC5. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that these genes were significantly associated with autophagy and mitochondria (animals). Multifactor Cox analysis of autophagy-related genes showed that ITGA6, ERO1A, FKBP1A, BAK1, CCR2, FADD, EDEM1, ATG10, ATG4A, DLC1, VAMP7, ST13 were identified as independent prognostic indicators. According to the multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model, there was a significant difference in the survival rate observed between the high-risk group (n = 124) and the low-risk group (n = 126) during the 10-year follow-up (P < .05). Univariate Cox analysis showed that tumor stage, T, M, and N stages, and risk score were all related to the survival rate of female lung adenocarcinoma patients. Multivariate Cox analysis found that autophagy-related risk scores were independent predictors, with an area under curve (AUC) value of 0.842. At last, there is autophagy genes differentially expressed among various clinicopathological parameters: ATG4A, BAK1, CCR2, DLC1, ERO1A, FKBP1A, ITGA6.The risk score can be used as an independent prognostic indicator for female patients with lung adenocarcinoma. The autophagy genes ITGA6, ERO1A, FKBP1A, BAK1, CCR2, FADD, EDEM1, ATG10, ATG4A, DLC1, VAMP7, ST13 were identified as prognostic genes in female lung adenocarcinoma, which may be the targets of treatment in the future.

Prognostic Signature of Osteosarcoma Based on 14 Autophagy-Related Genes

Background: Osteosarcoma is a common malignancy of bone with inferior survival outcome. Autophagy can exert multifactorial influence on tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, the specific function of genes related to autophagy in the prognosis of osteosarcoma patients remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to explore the association of genes related to autophagy with the survival outcome of osteosarcoma patients.

Methods: The autophagy-associated genes that were related to the prognosis of osteosarcoma were optimized by LASSO Cox regression analysis. The survival of osteosarcoma patients was forecasted by multivariate Cox regression analysis. The immune infiltration status of 22 immune cell types in osteosarcoma patients with high and low risk scores was compared by using the CIBERSORT tool.

Results: The risk score model constructed according to 14 autophagy-related genes (ATG4A, BAK1, BNIP3, CALCOCO2, CCL2, DAPK1, EGFR, FAS, GRID2, ITGA3, MYC, RAB33B, USP10, and WIPI1) could effectively predict the prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma. A nomogram model was established based on risk score and metastasis.

Conclusion: Autophagy-related genes were identified as pivotal prognostic signatures, which could guide the clinical decision making in the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells-Derived Exosomal MicroRNA-150-3p Promotes Osteoblast Proliferation and Differentiation in Osteoporosis

At present, much more studies have focused on the role of microRNAs in osteoporosis, but the more specific role of microRNA-150-3p (miR-150-3p) in osteoporosis still needs full exploration. We aim at investigating the role of miR-150-3p in osteoporosis and at exploring the related mechanisms. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were cultured, from which exosomes were isolated. Osteoporosis models were established by ovariectomy and injected with transfected BMSCs exosomes. Bone formation markers in serum, histopathological changes and miR-150-3p, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) and Osterix expression, and osteoblast apoptosis in femoral tissues were detected. Osteoblasts were isolated and co-cultured with the transfected BMSCs-derived exosomes. Osteoblast proliferation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis, along with miR-150-3p, Runx2, and Osterix expression in osteoblasts were detected. In vivo experiment demonstrated that miR-150-3p, Runx2, and Osterix expression was decreased whereas bone formation markers were decreased in osteoporosis. BMSCs exosomes attenuated osteoporosis, which was further improved by upregulated miR-150-3p in exosomes whereas it was impaired by downregulated miR-150-3p in exosomes. In vitro experiments declared decreased miR-150-3p, Runx2, and Osterix expression; suppressed proliferation; and encouraged apoptosis in osteoblasts in osteoporosis. BMSCs exosomes promoted osteoblast proliferation and differentiation and inhibited apoptosis, which was strengthened by raised exosomal miR-150-3p whereas it was disrupted by inhibited exosomal miR-150-3p. Our study elucidates that exosomal miR-150-3p promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation in osteoporosis and provides a new clue for the treatment of patients with osteoporosis.

miR-150 regulates glucose utilization through targeting GLUT4 in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in cardiac function and metabolism. However, whether they regulate insulin resistance (IR) of cardiomyocytes remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to shed light on this issue with a focus on miR-150. We found here that miR-150 level was elevated in myocardium of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rat model and in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes induced by high glucose (25 mM) and high insulin (1 μM). Deregulation of miR-150 downregulated the protein and mRNA levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) as assessed by western blot, real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and immunofluorescence assays. Overexpression of miR-150 inhibited glucose utilization in cardiomyocytes as detected by 2-deoxyglucose transport and glucose consumption assays. In contrast, knockdown of miR-150 significantly increased glucose uptake in cardiomyocytes. Moreover, GLUT4 translocation was increased after transfection of miR-150 inhibitor (AMO-150). Collectively, miR-150 reduced glucose utilization by directly decreasing the expression and translocation of GLUT4 in the cardiomyocytes with IR and therefore might be a new therapeutic target for metabolic diseases such as T2DM.

Exosome-transmitted circular RNA hsa_circ_0051443 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma progression

Extracellular communication in the tumor microenvironment is critical. Results of qRT-PCR show that circ-0051443 is significantly lower in the plasma exosomes and tissues from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) than healthy controls. Compared with the producer cells, circ-0051443 is mainly packaged into exosomes. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) shows that the patients with HCC can be distinguished from the controls by exosomal circ-0051443. The role of exosomal circ-0051443 in HCC was determined by animal and cell analyses. Circ-0051443 is transmitted from normal cells to HCC cells via exosomes and suppresses the malignant biological behaviors by promoting cell apoptosis and arresting the cell cycle. Exosomal circ-0051443 decreases the weight and volume of the xenograft tumors in nude mice via BAK1 upregulation in these tumors. BAK1 expression is mediated by exosomal circ-0051443 through competitive bound to miR-331-3p. Therefore, exosomal circ-0051443 can serve as a predictor and potential therapeutic target for HCC.

Upregulated expression of miR-421 is associated with poor prognosis in non-small-cell lung cancer

Background

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents the most frequent subtype of lung cancer. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have attracted a lot of attention with regard to their clinical significance and crucial biological functions in various human cancers. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic significance of microRNA-421 (miR-421) and its correlation with tumor progression in NSCLC.

Materials and methods

Expression levels of miR-421 in both serum and tissue samples were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The prognostic value of miR-421 was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression assay. To explore the functional role of miR-421 during NSCLC progression, cell experiments were carried out.

Results

Expression of serum and tissue miR-421 was upregulated in the NSCLC patients compared with the normal controls (all P<0.001), and the expression showed a significant correlation between the serum samples and tissues (R=0.475, P<0.001). The increased miR-421 expression was associated with positive lymph-node metastasis and advanced TNM stage (all P<0.05). Moreover, patients with high miR-421 expression had poor overall survival compared with those with low expression (log-rank P=0.007). The overexpression of miR-421 proved to be an independent prognostic factor for NSCLC (HR=1.991, 95% CI=1.046–3.791, P=0.036). According to the cell experiments, the proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells were suppressed by knockdown of miR-421.

Conclusion

Overexpression of miR-421 serves as a prognostic biomarker and may be involved in the promotion of tumor progression in NSCLC.

Cationic liquid crystalline nanoparticles for the delivery of synthetic RNAi-based therapeutics

RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics have been used to silence the expression of targeted pathological genes. Small interfering RNA (siRNAs) and microRNA (miRNAs) inhibitor have performed this function. However, short half-life, poor cellular uptake, and nonspecific distribution of small RNAs call for the development of novel delivery systems to facilitate the use of RNAi. We developed a novel cationic liquid crystalline nanoparticle (CLCN) to efficiently deliver synthetic siRNAs and miRNAs. CLCNs were prepared by using high-speed homogenization and assembled with synthetic siRNA or miRNA molecules in nuclease-free water to create CLCN/siRNA or miRNA complexes. The homogeneous and stable CLCNs and CLCN-siRNA complexes were about 100 nm in diameter, with positively charged surfaces. CLCNs are nontoxic and are taken up by human cells though endocytosis. Significant inhibition of gene expression was detected in transiently transfected lung cancer H1299 cells treated with CLCNs/anti-GFP complexes 24 hours after transfection. Biodistribution analysis showed that the CLCNs and CLCNs-RNAi complexes were successfully delivered to various organs and into the subcutaneous human lung cancer H1299 tumor xenografts in mice 24 hours after systemic administration. These results suggest that CLCNs are a unique and advanced delivery system capable of protecting RNAi from degradation and of efficiently delivering RNAi in vitro and in vivo.

Prognostic Circulating MicroRNA Biomarkers in Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Role for miR-150

Circulating microRNA biomarkers can be indicators of early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) but may also hold prognostic value. The ability to predict prognosis of early-stage NSCLC is important, as it may potentially impact patient outcome. Studies to define these prognostic microRNA biomarkers are urgently needed. Also, insight into the biological significance of the microRNA biomarker in the cancer cell-and within the tumor-may reveal novel and therapeutically interesting signaling networks.

Predictive relevance of miR-34a, miR-224 and miR-342 in patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the lung undergoing palliative chemotherapy

Attributing to their pathophysiological role and stability in biological samples, microRNAs (miRNAs) have the potential to become valuable predictive markers for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Samples of biopsy tissue constitute suitable material for miRNA profiling with the aim of predicting the effect of palliative chemotherapy. The present study group included 81 patients (74 males, 7 females, all smokers or former smokers) with the squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) histological subtype of NSCLC at a late stage (3B or 4). All patients received palliative chemotherapy based on platinum derivatives in combination with paclitaxel or gemcitabine. The expression of 17 selected miRNAs was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in tumor tissue macrodissected from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples. To predict the effect of palliative chemotherapy, the association between gene expression levels and overall survival (OS) time was analyzed. From the 17 miRNAs of interest, low expression levels of miR-342 and high expression levels of miR-34a and miR-224 were associated with a reduced OS time in subgroups of patients based on smoking status and treatment modality. Using cluster analysis, associations between combinations of miR-34a, -224 and -342 expression levels with patient survival were identified. The present study revealed that patients with the simultaneous high expression of miR-224 and -342 had a similar prognostic outcome to those with the low expression of miR-224 and -342, which was significantly reduced, compared with patients exhibiting high expression of either miR-224 or miR-342 with low expression of the other. We hypothesize that the effect of a particular miRNA is dependent on the expression level of other members of the miRNA network. This finding appears to complicate survival analyses based on individual miRNAs as markers. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence that specific miRNAs were associated with OS time, which may be candidate predictors for the effectiveness of palliative treatment in SCC lung cancer patients. This objective can be better achieved by combining more markers together than by using individual miRNAs.

Investigation on tissue specific effects of pro-apoptotic micro RNAs revealed miR-147b as a potential biomarker in ovarian cancer prognosis

The development and progression of cancer can be ascribed to imbalances in gene regulation leading to aberrant cellular behavior. The loss of micro RNAs (miRNAs) exhibiting tumor-suppressive function has been demonstrated to be often causative for uncontrolled cell proliferation, migration or tissue infiltration. The installation of de novo tumor suppressive function by using pro-apoptotic miRNAs might be a promising therapeutic approach. In addition, there is a great demand for novel biomarkers for the prognosis of cancer, which prompted us to transfer a high content miRNA screening initially performed to identify bioprocess relevant miRNAs in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells to human cancer cell lines . Analysis of screened miRNAs exhibiting strongest pro-apoptotic effects discovered globally and cross-species active candidates. The recovery rate of apoptosis inducing miRNAs was highest in the human ovarian carcinoma cell line SKOV3. Focusing on ovarian cell lines miR-1912, miR-147b and miR-3073a showed significant apoptosis induction in cell lines with different genetic background (SKOV3^p53null, OVCAR3^p53R248Q, TOV21G, TOV112D^p53R175H, A2780, A2780-cis^p53K351N) alone and additive effects in combination with carboplatin. While expression analysis revealed a low endogenous expression of miR-1912 and miR-147b in SKOV3, miRNA expression was highly upregulated upon apoptosis induction using chemotherapeutics. Ectopic introduction of these miRNAs lead to enhanced activation of caspase-dependent death signaling and an induction of the pro-apoptotic proteins Bak1 and Bax and a reduced expression of Bcl2 and Bcl-xL. Finally, analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas data revealed the expression of hsa-miR-147b-5p to show a positive influence on the median survival of ovarian cancer patients.

MicroRNA-30e Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Cervical Carcinoma Cells through Targeting GALNT7

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism of occurrence and development of cervical cancer is obscure. In this study, we observed that miR-30e was downregulated in clinical cervical cancer tissues and cervical cancer cells. Next, overexpression of miR-30e reduced the cervical cancer cell growth through MTT, colony formation, EdU, and Transwell assay in SiHa and Caski cells. Subsequently, UDP-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine: polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 7 (GALNT7) was identified as a potential miR-30e target by bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, we showed that miR-30e was able to bind to the 3′UTR of GALNT7 by luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the mRNA and protein levels of GALNT7 in cervical cancer cells were downregulated by miR-30e. And we validated that downregulation of GALNT7 repressed the proliferation of SiHa and Caski cells by MTT, colony formation, and Transwell assay. We identified that the restoration of GALNT7 expression was able to counteract the effect of miR-30e on cell proliferation of cervical cancer cells. Furthermore, we found that the expression levels of GALNT7 were frequently upregulated and negatively correlative to those of miR-30e in cervical cancer tissues. In addition, we validated that restoration of GALNT7 rescued the miR-30e–suppressed growth of cervical cancer xenografts in vivo. In conclusion, the current results suggest that miR-30e may function as tumor suppressors in cervical cancer through downregulation of GALNT7. Both miR-30e and its novel target, GALNT7, may play an important role in the process of cervical cancer.

Shared Gene Expression Alterations in Nasal and Bronchial Epithelium for Lung Cancer Detection

Background

We previously derived and validated a bronchial epithelial gene expression biomarker to detect lung cancer in current and former smokers. Given that bronchial and nasal epithelial gene expression are similarly altered by cigarette smoke exposure, we sought to determine if cancer-associated gene expression might also be detectable in the more readily accessible nasal epithelium.

Methods

Nasal epithelial brushings were prospectively collected from current and former smokers undergoing diagnostic evaluation for pulmonary lesions suspicious for lung cancer in the AEGIS-1 (n = 375) and AEGIS-2 (n = 130) clinical trials and gene expression profiled using microarrays. All statistical tests were two-sided.

Results

We identified 535 genes that were differentially expressed in the nasal epithelium of AEGIS-1 patients diagnosed with lung cancer vs those with benign disease after one year of follow-up ( P  < .001). Using bronchial gene expression data from the AEGIS-1 patients, we found statistically significant concordant cancer-associated gene expression alterations between the two airway sites ( P  < .001). Differentially expressed genes in the nose were enriched for genes associated with the regulation of apoptosis and immune system signaling. A nasal lung cancer classifier derived in the AEGIS-1 cohort that combined clinical factors (age, smoking status, time since quit, mass size) and nasal gene expression (30 genes) had statistically significantly higher area under the curve (0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74 to 0.89, P  = .01) and sensitivity (0.91; 95% CI = 0.81 to 0.97, P  = .03) than a clinical-factor only model in independent samples from the AEGIS-2 cohort.

Conclusions

These results support that the airway epithelial field of lung cancer-associated injury in ever smokers extends to the nose and demonstrates the potential of using nasal gene expression as a noninvasive biomarker for lung cancer detection.

MicroRNA-150 targets Rho-associated protein kinase 1 to inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion in papillary thyroid carcinoma

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent malignant tumor of the endocrine organs and accounts for one third of all head and neck tumors. Dysregulation of microRNAs is well‑known to contribute to the development of various cancers, including papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), which accounts for 80‑90% of all thyroid cancer cases. The present study aimed to investigate the expression, functional roles of microRNA‑150 (miR‑150) and its direct target gene in PTC. miR‑150 expression in PTC tissues and cell lines was analyzed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR). After transfection with miR‑150 mimics, cell proliferation, migration and invasion was analyzed by MTT and Transwell assays, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate the potential target genes of miR‑150, which were then confirmed by luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blotting. Functional assays were also applied to investigate the effects of endogenous Rho‑associated protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) in PTC. miR‑150 was demonstrated to be significantly downregulated in PTC tissues and cell lines. In addition, reduced miR‑150 expression was obviously correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis in PTC patients. Restoration of miR‑150 expression significantly inhibited PTC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. Furthermore, ROCK1 was identified as a direct target gene of miR‑150. Therefore, ROCK1 knockdown may serve tumor suppressive functions in PTC, induced by miR‑150 overexpression. In conclusion, miR‑150 overexpression in PTC may inhibit growth and metastasis of PTC cells. miR‑150/ROCK1‑based targeted therapy may be a potential strategy for the treatment of PTC.

MicroRNA-150 functions as an antioncogenic regulator in osteosarcoma

Numerous studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in several physiological and pathological processes, and participate in cancer initiation and progression. The abnormal expression of miR-150 has been reported in numerous types of human cancer. However, at present there are no studies of miR-150 in osteosarcoma (OS). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to measure miR-150 expression levels in OS tissues and cell lines. Subsequent to transfection with miR-150 mimics or zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1) small interfering RNA, an MTT assay, Transwell migration and invasion assays, western blotting and a Dual-Luciferase reporter assay were performed in human OS cell lines. The present study revealed that miR-150 was downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines. In addition, the expression levels of miR-150 were correlated with the clinical stage and degree of distant metastasis of patients with OS. In addition, ZEB1 was identified as a direct target of miR-150 in vitro. In conclusion, miR-150 targeted ZEB1 to function as an antioncogenic regulator in OS. These findings elucidated a novel underlying mechanism for the pathogenic process in OS carcinogenesis and progression, and may provide novel targeted therapeutic regimens for patients with OS.

Differential Expression of MicroRNAs in Hepatitis C Virus-Mediated Liver Disease Between African Americans and Caucasians: Implications for Racial Health Disparities

African Americans (AAs) have higher hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mortality rates than Caucasian Americans (CAs). Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to cirrhosis and HCC. HCV infection is highly prevalent in the AA population compared to other racial groups. AAs are also less likely to naturally clear HCV, potentially contributing to higher prevalence of HCV. However, the explanation for this disparity is currently unknown. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in the blood are emerging as biomarkers for pathological conditions. Expression analysis of miRNAs in major racial groups would be important for optimizing personalized treatment strategies. Here we assessed the differential expression of circulatory miRNAs from HCV-infected AA and CA patients. We identified increased expression of miR-146a, miR-150, and miR-155 in HCV-infected AA patient sera compared to that of CA. Further analysis demonstrated that these miRNAs were significantly elevated in AA patients diagnosed with HCV-mediated HCC. Higher expression of miR-150 was also noted in cirrhosis and HCC in AA patients, which may serve as a predictor of liver disease progression in this population. The differential expression of miRNAs suggests that these miRNAs and their target genes could be useful to gain further mechanistic insight of racial disparity associated with HCV-mediated pathogenesis.

Integrative microRNA and gene profiling data analysis reveals novel biomarkers and mechanisms for lung cancer

BACKGROUND

Studies on the accuracy of microRNAs (miRNAs) in diagnosing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) have still controversial. Therefore, we conduct to systematically identify miRNAs related to NSCLC, and their target genes expression changes using microarray data sets.

METHODS

We screened out five miRNAs and six genes microarray data sets that contained miRNAs and genes expression in NSCLC from Gene Expression Omnibus.

RESULTS

Our analysis results indicated that fourteen miRNAs were significantly dysregulated in NSCLC. Five of them were up-regulated (miR-9, miR-708, miR-296-3p, miR-892b, miR-140-5P) while nine were down-regulated (miR-584, miR-218, miR-30b, miR-522, miR486-5P, miR-34c-3p, miR-34b, miR-516b, miR-592). The integrating diagnosis sensitivity (SE) and specificity (SP) were 82.6% and 89.9%, respectively. We also found that 4 target genes (p < 0.05, fold change > 2.0) were significant correlation with the 14 discovered miRNAs, and the classifiers we built from one training set predicted the validation set with higher accuracy (SE = 0.987, SP = 0.824).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that integrating miRNAs and target genes are valuable for identifying promising biomarkers, and provided a new insight on underlying mechanism of NSCLC. Further, our well-designed validation studies surely warrant the investigation of the role of target genes related to these 14 miRNAs in the prediction and development of NSCLC.

MiR-150 promotes cellular metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer by targeting FOXO4

Previous studies have shown that dysregulation of microRNA-150 (miR-150) is associated with aberrant proliferation of human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. However, whether miR-150 has a critical role in NSCLC cell metastasis is unknown. Here, we reveal that the critical pro-metastatic role of miR-150 in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal-transition (EMT) through down-regulation of FOXO4 in NSCLC. In vitro, miR-150 targets 3'UTR region of FOXO4 mRNA, thereby negatively regulating its expression. Clinically, the expression of miR-150 was frequently up-regulated in metastatic NSCLC cell lines and clinical specimens. Contrarily, FOXO4 was frequently down-regulated in NSCLC cell lines and clinical specimens. Functional studies show that ectopic expression of miR-150 enhanced tumor cell metastasis in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model, and triggered EMT-like changes in NSCLC cells (including E-cadherin repression, N-cadherin and Vimentin induction, and mesenchymal morphology). Correspondingly, FOXO4 knockdown exhibited pro-metastatic and molecular effects resembling the effect of miR-150 over-expression. Moreover, NF-κB/snail/YY1/RKIP circuitry regulated by FOXO4 were likely involved in miR-150-induced EMT event. Simultaneous knockdown of miR-150 and FOXO4 abolished the phenotypic and molecular effects caused by individual knockdown of miR-150. Therefore, our study provides previously unidentified pro-metastatic roles and mechanisms of miR-150 in NSCLC.

Prognostic role of microRNA-150 in various carcinomas: a meta-analysis

Objective

MicroRNA-150 (miR-150) was revealed to be an attractive prognostic biomarker in recent studies. However, the prognostic significance of miR-150 expression in cancer remains inconclusive. The aim of this study was to summarize the global predicting role of miR-150 in survival in patients with various carcinomas.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified through multiple search strategies. Data were extracted from the studies by investigating the relationship between miR-150 expression and survival in patients with cancer. A meta-analysis of the hazard ratio (HR) was then performed to evaluate the prognostic role of miR-150 in different tumors. Pooled HRs of miR-150 for overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated to measure the effect of miR-150 expression on prognosis.

Results

This meta-analysis included nine published studies concerning various carcinomas. Our results indicate that an elevated miR-150 expression is associated with an enhanced overall survival in the digestive tract cancer subgroup (HR =0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.37–0.90) and a poor progression-free survival in various cancers (HR =3.08, 95% CI: 2.00–4.75).

Conclusion

miR-150 may have the potential to become a new useful prognostic factor to monitor cancer prognosis and progression. However, given the current insufficient relevant data, further clinical studies are needed.

MicroRNA-486 as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis and Recurrence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Early diagnosis is essential for improvements of prognosis and survival of the patients. Currently, there is no effective biomarker available in clinical settings for early detection of lung cancer. Altered expressions in many cancer types including NSCLC and stable existence in plasma make microRNAs (miRNAs) a group of potentially useful biomarkers for clinical assessments of patients with NSCLC.

Objectives

To evaluate the potential values of miRNAs as blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis in NSCLC patients.

Methods

Peripheral blood samples from healthy volunteers and early-staged NSCLC patients before and after surgery were collected, and plasma was separated. Expression of ten miRNAs in the plasma and tumor sections of the patients was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Results

MiRNA (miR)-486 and miR-150 were found to significantly distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy volunteers. Area under curve of miR-486 and miR-150 were 0.926 (sensitivity, 0.909; specificity, 0.818) and 0.752 (sensitivity, 0.818; specificity, 0.818), respectively. In response to therapy, patients with down-regulated miR-486 expression showed prolonged recurrence-free survival than those with un-reduced miR-486 expression (median, unreached vs. 19 months; hazard ratio, 0.1053; 95% confidence interval, 0.01045 to 1.060; P=0.056).

Conclusions

The results suggest that miR-486 and miR-150 could be potential blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis of NSCLC. Monitoring change of miR-486 expression in plasma might be an effective and non-invasive method for recurrence prediction of early-staged NSCLC patients.

Role of microRNA-150 in solid tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of small endogenous noncoding RNAs and their altered expression has been associated with various cellular functions, including cell development, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, signal transduction, tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Accumulating evidence has indicated that miRNA (miR)-150 plays an essential regulatory role in normal hematopoiesis and tumorigenesis; therefore, miR-150 may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the diagnosis and treatment of various malignancies. The aim of the present review was to summarize the current knowledge on the functions and regulatory mechanism of miR-150 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor gene in solid tumors. In addition, its potential application as a tumor biomarker, targeted therapeutic strategy and index of prognosis in various cancer types was investigated.

miR-150 modulates cisplatin chemosensitivity and invasiveness of muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells via targeting PDCD4 in vitro

BACKGROUND

Chemotherapeutic insensitivity and tumor cell invasiveness are major obstacles to effectively treating muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Recent reports show that microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the chemotherapeutic response and disease progression of MIBC. Therefore, here we investigated the role of miR-150 in MIBC cells in vitro.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

miR-150 expression was quantified by qRT-PCR in two MIBC cell lines (5637 and T24). After successful miR-150 inhibition by transfection, MTS and transwell assays were used to assess the MIBC's cisplatin sensitivity and cell invasiveness, respectively. The TargetScan database and a luciferase reporter system were used to identify whether the programmed cell death 4 protein (PDCD4) is a direct target of miR-150 in MIBC cells.

RESULTS

miR-150 expression was found to be significantly increased in both MIBC cell lines, and treatment with a miR-150 inhibitor significantly sensitized MIBC cells to cisplatin and inhibited MIBC cell invasiveness. PDCD4 was identified as a direct target of miR-150 in MIBC cells, and increased PDCD4 expression via transfection with the pLEX-PDCD4 plasmid efficiently sensitized MIBC cells to cisplatin chemotherapy and inhibited MIBC cell invasiveness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides novel evidence that miR-150 functions as a tumor promoter in reducing chemosensitivity and promoting invasiveness of MIBC cells via targeting PDCD4. Thus, modulation of the miR-150-PDCD4 axis shows promise as a therapeutic strategy for MIBC.

Anomalous altered expressions of downstream gene-targets in TP53-miRNA pathways in head and neck cancer

The prevalence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, HNSCC, continues to grow. Change in the expression of TP53 in HNSCC affects its downstream miRNAs and their gene targets, anomalously altering the expressions of the five genes, MEIS1, AGTR1, DTL, TYMS and BAK1. These expression alterations follow the repression of TP53 that upregulates miRNA-107, miRNA- 215, miRNA-34 b/c and miRNA-125b, but downregulates miRNA-155. The above five so far unreported genes are the targets of these miRNAs. Meta-analyses of microarray and RNA-Seq data followed by qRT-PCR validation unravel these new ones in HNSCC. The regulatory roles of TP53 on miRNA-155 and miRNA-125b differentiate the expressions of AGTR1 and BAK1in HNSCC vis-à-vis other carcinogenesis. Expression changes alter cell cycle regulation, angiogenic and blood cell formation, and apoptotic modes in affliction. Pathway analyses establish the resulting systems-level functional and mechanistic insights into the etiology of HNSCC.

MicroRNA-150 predicts a favorable prognosis in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, and inhibits cell invasion and metastasis by suppressing transcriptional repressor ZEB1

MicroRNA (miR)-150 has been reported to be dramatically downregulated in human epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) tissues and patients’ serum compared to normal controls. This study aimed to investigate clinical significance and molecular mechanisms of miR-150 in EOC. In the current study, quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that miR-150 was significantly downregulated in human EOC tissues compared to normal tissue samples. Then, we demonstrated the significant associations of miR-150 downregulation with aggressive clinicopathological features of EOC patients, including high clinical stage and pathological grade, and shorter overall and progression-free survivals. More importantly, the multivariate analysis identified miR-150 expression as an independent prognostic biomarker in EOC. After that, luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that Zinc Finger E-Box Binding Homeobox 1 (ZEB1), a crucial regulator of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), was a direct target of miR-150 in EOC cells. Moreover, we found that the ectopic expression of miR-150 could efficiently inhibit cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis by suppressing the expression of ZEB1. Furthermore, we also observed a significantly negative correlation between miR-150 and ZEB1 mRNA expression in EOC tissues (rs = –0.45, P<0.001). In conclusion, these findings offer the convincing evidence that aberrant expression of miR-150 may play a role in tumor progression and prognosis in patients with EOC. Moreover, our data reveal that miR-150 may function as a tumor suppressor and modulate EOC cell proliferation, and invasion by directly and negatively regulating ZEB1, implying the re-expression of miR-150 might be a potential therapeutic strategy for EOC.