MicroRNA-191 promotes pancreatic cancer progression by targeting USP10

Functional and Potential Therapeutic Implication of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer

The alarmingly low five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer presents a global health challenge, contributing to about 7% of all cancer-related deaths. Late-stage diagnosis and high heterogeneity are the biggest hurdles in treating pancreatic cancer. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel biomarkers that could help in early detection as well as improve therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNA, have emerged as promising candidates with regard to both diagnostics and therapeutics. Dysregulated miRNAs play pivotal roles in accelerating tumor growth and metastasis, orchestrating tumor microenvironment, and conferring chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. The differential expression profiles of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer could be utilized to explore novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we also covered studies on recent advancements in various miRNA-based therapeutics such as restoring miRNAs with a tumor-suppressive function, suppressing miRNA with an oncogenic function, and combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Despite several challenges in terms of specificity and targeted delivery, miRNA-based therapies hold the potential to revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer by simultaneously targeting multiple signaling pathways.

Carbamazepine regulates USP10 through miR-20a-5p to affect the deubiquitination of SKP2 and inhibit osteogenic differentiation

BACKGROUND

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) harm bone health and are significantly associated with osteoporosis development. In this study, we aimed to explore the mechanisms involved in carbamazepine (CBZ) and microRNA (miR)-20a-5p/ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10)/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (SKP2) axis in osteoporosis.

METHODS

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were treated with different concentrations of CBZ. Knocking down or overexpressing miR-20a-5p, USP10, and SKP2 cell lines were constructed. The expressions of miR-20a-5p, USP10, SKP2, runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Osterix (Osx), osteocalcin (OCN) and Collagen I were detected with western blot (WB) and reverse transcriptase-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining was performed to measure calcium deposition. Dual-luciferase assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were applied to verify the binding relationship between miR-20a-5p and USP10. USP10 and SKP2 combination was verified by Co-Immunopurification (Co-IP). The stability of the SKP2 protein was verified by Cycloheximide chase assay.

RESULTS

CBZ could reduce cell activity. ALP activity and ARS staining were enhanced in the osteogenic induction (OM) group. The expressions of Runx2, ALP, Osx, OCN and Collagen I were increased. CBZ reduced miR-20a-5p expressions. Verification experiments showed miR-20a-5p could target USP10. USP10 increased SKP2 stability and promoted SKP2 expression. CBZ regulated miR-20a-5p/USP10/SPK2 and inhibited BMSCs osteogenic differentiation.

CONCLUSIONS

CBZ regulated USP10 through miR-20a-5p to affect the deubiquitination of SKP2 and inhibit osteogenic differentiation, which provided a new idea for osteoporosis treatment.

SOX21-AS1 activated by STAT6 promotes pancreatic cancer progression via up-regulation of SOX21

Background

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant tumor which threatens human’s health. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in many cancers, including PC, but their mechanisms in PC have not yet been entirely clarified. We focused on revealing the potential function of lncRNA SOX21-AS1 in PC.

Methods

Functional assays assessed SOX21-AS1 function on PC progression. Bioinformatics analysis, along with mechanism assays were taken to unmask the regulatory mechanism SOX21-AS1 may exert in PC cells.

Results

SOX21-AS1 possessed a high expression level in PC cells. SOX21-AS1 absence suppressed PC cell proliferation, migration, stemness and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) while elevated cell apoptosis. SOX21-AS1 positively regulated its nearby gene SRY-box transcription factor 21 (SOX21) at post-transcriptional level. Through mechanism assays, we uncovered that SOX21-AS1 sponged SOX21-AS1 to elevate SOX21 mRNA and recruited ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) to deubiquitinate and stabilize SOX21 protein. Moreover, signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 (STAT6) could transcriptionally activate SOX21-AS1 and SOX21 expression.

Conclusions

SOX21-AS1 aggravated the malignant development of PC, which might provide the utility value for PC treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12967-022-03521-5.

The Emerging Role of MicroRNAs and Autophagy Mechanism in Pancreatic Cancer Progression: Future Therapeutic Approaches

Pancreatic cancer constitutes the fourth most frequent cause of death due to malignancy in the US. Despite the new therapeutic modalities, the management of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered a difficult task for clinicians due to the fact that is usually diagnosed in already advanced stages and it is relatively resistant to the current chemotherapeutic agents. The molecular background analysis of pancreatic malignant tumors, which includes various epigenetic and genetic alterations, opens new horizons for the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. The interplay between miRNAs, autophagy pathway, and pancreatic carcinogenesis is in the spotlight of the current research. There is strong evidence that miRNAs take part in carcinogenesis either as tumor inhibitors that combat the oncogene expression or as promoters (oncomiRs) by acting as oncogenes by interfering with various cell functions such as proliferation, programmed cell death, and metabolic and signaling pathways. Deregulation of the expression levels of various miRNAs is closely associated with tumor growth, progression, and dissemination, as well as low sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents. Similarly, autophagy despite constituting a pivotal homeostatic mechanism for cell survival has a binary role in PDAC, either as an inhibitor or promoter of carcinogenesis. The emerging role of miRNAs in autophagy gets a great deal of attention as it opens new opportunities for the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the management of this aggressive and chemoresistant malignancy. In this review, we will shed light on the interplay between miRNAs and the autophagy mechanism for pancreatic cancer development and progression.

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10, a deubiquitinating enzyme: Assessing its role in tumor prognosis and immune response

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) is a member of the ubiquitin-specific protease family that removes the ubiquitin chain from ubiquitin-conjugated protein substrates. We performed a literature search to evaluate the structure and biological activity of USP10, summarize its role in tumorigenesis and tumor progression, and discuss how USP10 may act as a tumor suppressor or a tumor-promoting gene depending on its mechanism of action. Subsequently, we elaborated further on these results through bioinformatics analysis. We demonstrated that abnormal expression of USP10 is related to tumorigenesis in various types of cancer, including liver, lung, ovarian, breast, prostate, and gastric cancers and acute myeloid leukemia. Meanwhile, in certain cancers, increased USP10 expression is associated with tumor suppression. USP10 was downregulated in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and associated with reduced overall survival in patients with KIRC. In contrast, USP10 upregulation was associated with poor prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC). In addition, we elucidated the novel role of USP10 in the regulation of tumor immunity in KIRC and HNSC through bioinformatics analysis. We identified several signaling pathways to be significantly associated with USP10 expression, such as ferroptosis, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, TGF-β, and G2/M checkpoint. In summary, this review outlines the role of USP10 in various forms of cancer, discusses the relevance of USP10 inhibitors in anti-tumor therapies, and highlights the potential function of USP10 in regulating the immune responses of tumors.

USP10 as a Potential Therapeutic Target in Human Cancers

Deubiquitination is a major form of post-translational protein modification involved in the regulation of protein homeostasis and various cellular processes. Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), comprising about five subfamily members, are key players in deubiquitination. USP10 is a USP-family DUB featuring the classic USP domain, which performs deubiquitination. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that USP10 is a double-edged sword in human cancers. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying its different effects in tumorigenesis remain elusive. A possible reason is dependence on the cell context. In this review, we summarize the downstream substrates and upstream regulators of USP10 as well as its dual role as an oncogene and tumor suppressor in various human cancers. Furthermore, we summarize multiple pharmacological USP10 inhibitors, including small-molecule inhibitors, such as spautin-1, and traditional Chinese medicines. Taken together, the development of specific and efficient USP10 inhibitors based on USP10’s oncogenic role and for different cancer types could be a promising therapeutic strategy.

Oncogenomic Changes in Pancreatic Cancer and Their Detection in Stool

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is an aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis. To improve patient survival, the development of screening methods for early diagnosis is pivotal. Oncogenomic alterations present in tumor tissue are a suitable target for non-invasive screening efforts, as they can be detected in tumor-derived cells, cell-free nucleic acids, and extracellular vesicles, which are present in several body fluids. Since stool is an easily accessible source, which enables convenient and cost-effective sampling, it could be utilized for the screening of these traces. Herein, we explore the various oncogenomic changes that have been detected in PC tissue, such as chromosomal aberrations, mutations in driver genes, epigenetic alterations, and differentially expressed non-coding RNA. In addition, we briefly look into the role of altered gut microbiota in PC and their possible associations with oncogenomic changes. We also review the findings of genomic alterations in stool of PC patients, and the potentials and challenges of their future use for the development of stool screening tools, including the possible combination of genomic and microbiota markers.

miRNA Sequence Analysis in Patients With Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are the non-coding RNAs that can both attach to the untranslated and coding sections of target mRNAs, triggering destruction or post-transcriptional alteration. miRNAs regulate various cellular processes such as immune function, apoptosis, and tumorigenesis. About 35,000 miRNAs have been discovered in the human genome. The increasing evidence suggests that the dysregulation of human miRNAs may have a role in the etiology of some disorders including cancer. Only a small sub-set of human miRNAs has functionally been validated in the pathogenesis of oncogenic viruses such as Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV). KSHV is the cause of various human malignancies including primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) and Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), which are mainly seen in AIDS patients or other immunocompromised people. We aimed to identify the miRNAs in Kaposi’s sarcoma cases, with the comparison of KSHV seropositive and seronegative tumors with the controls and in each other in Turkish Kaposi’s sarcoma patients. We performed the miRNA-sequencing at genome level in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 16 Kaposi’s sarcoma patients, and in 8 healthy controls matched for age, gender, and ethnicity. A total of 642 miRNA molecules with different expression profiles were identified between the patients and the healthy controls. Currently, out of 642 miRNAs, 7 miRNAs (miR-92b-3p, miR-490-3p, miR-615-3p, miR-629-5p, miR-1908, miR-3180, miR-4433b-3p) which have not been described in the literature in the context of Kaposi’s sarcoma were addressed in the study for the first time and 9 novel miRNAs, not found previously in the database, have been detected in Kaposi’s sarcoma using the miRNA-sequencing technique. This study demonstrates the identification of differently expressed miRNAs which might be the new therapeutic targets for Kaposi’s sarcoma, that has limited treatment options and can be used in the etiology, diagnosis, and prognosis of this cancer.

Crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways involved in pancreatic cancer and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with 5-year survival rates below 8%. Most patients with PC and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) die after relapse and cancer progression as well as resistance to treatment. Pancreatic tumors contain a high desmoplastic stroma that forms a rigid mass and has a potential role in tumor growth and metastasis. PC initiates from intraepithelial neoplasia lesions leading to invasive cancer through various pathways. These lesions harbor particular changes in signaling pathways involved in the tumorigenesis process. These events affect both the epithelial cells, including the tumor and the surrounding stroma, and eventually lead to the formation of complex signaling networks. Genetic studies of PC have revealed common molecular features such as the presence of mutations in KRAS gene in more than 90% of patients, as well as the inactivation or deletion mutations of some tumor suppressor genes including TP53, CDKN2A, and SMAD4. In recent years, studies have also identified different roles of microRNAs in PC pathogenesis as well as their importance in PC diagnosis and treatment, and their involvement in various signaling pathways. In this study, we discussed the most common pathways involved in PC and PDAC as well as their role in tumorigenesis and progression. Furthermore, the miRNAs participating in the regulation of these signaling pathways in PC progression are summarized in this study. Therefore, understanding more about pathways involved in PC can help with the development of new and effective therapies in the future.

High Levels of Prebiotic Resistant Starch in Diet Modulate a Specific Pattern of miRNAs Expression Profile Associated to a Better Overall Survival in Pancreatic Cancer

Dietary patterns are well known risk factors involved in cancer initiation, progression, and in cancer protection. Previous in vitro and in vivo studies underline the link between a diet rich in resistant starch (RS) and slowing of tumor growth and gene expression in pancreatic cancer xenograft mice. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of a diet rich in resistant starch on miRNAs and miRNAs-target genes expression profile and on biological processes and pathways, that play a critical role in pancreatic tumors of xenografted mice. miRNA expression profiles on tumor tissues displayed 19 miRNAs as dysregulated in mice fed with RS diet as compared to those fed with control diet and differentially expressed miRNA-target genes were predicted by integrating (our data) with a public human pancreatic cancer gene expression dataset (GSE16515). Functional and pathway enrichment analyses unveiled that miRNAs involved in RS diet are critical regulators of genes that control tumor growth and cell migration and metastasis, inflammatory response, and, as expected, synthesis of carbohydrate and glucose metabolism disorder. Mostly, overall survival analysis with clinical data from TCGA (n = 175) displayed that almost four miRNAs (miRNA-375, miRNA-148a-3p, miRNA-125a-5p, and miRNA-200a-3p) upregulated in tumors from mice fed with RS were a predictor of good prognosis for pancreatic cancer patients. These findings contribute to the understanding of the potential mechanisms through which resistant starch may affect cancer progression, suggesting also a possible integrative approach for enhancing the efficacy of existing cancer treatments.

miR-155, miR-191, and miR-494 as diagnostic biomarkers for oral squamous cell carcinoma and the effects of Avastin on these biomarkers

Objectives

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of the most common types of head and neck cancer. MicroRNAs, as new biomarkers, are recommended for diagnosis and treatment of different types of cancers. Bevacizumab, sold under the trade name Avastin, is a humanized whole monoclonal antibody that targets and blocks VEGF-A (vascular endothelial growth factor A; angiogenesis) and oncogenic signaling pathways.

Materials and Methods

This study comprised 50 cases suffering from OSCC and 50 healthy participants. Peripheral blood samples were collected in glass test tubes, and RNA extraction was started immediately. Expression levels of miR-155, miR-191, and miR-494 biomarkers in the peripheral blood of OSCC-affected individuals and healthy volunteers in vivo were evaluated using real-time PCR. The influence of Avastin on the expression levels of the aforementioned biomarkers in vitro and in the HN5 cell line was also investigated.

Results

Expression levels of miR-155, miR-191, and miR-494 in the peripheral blood of individuals affected by OSCC were higher than in those who were healthy. Moreover, Avastin at a concentration of 400 µM caused a decrease in the expression levels of the three biomarkers and a 1.5-fold, 3.5-fold, and 4-fold increase in apoptosis in the test samples compared to the controls in the HN5 cell line after 24, 48, and 72 hours, respectively.

Conclusion

The findings of this study demonstrate that overexpression of miR-155, miR-191, and miR-494 is associated with OSCC, and Avastin is able to regulate and downregulate the expression of those biomarkers and increase apoptosis in cancerous cells in the HN5 cell line

The USP10-HDAC6 axis confers cisplatin resistance in non-small cell lung cancer lacking wild-type p53

Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 10 (USP10) stabilizes both tumor suppressors and oncogenes in a context-dependent manner. However, the nature of USP10’s role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. By analyzing The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we have shown that high levels of USP10 are associated with poor overall survival in NSCLC with mutant p53, but not with wild-type p53. Consistently, genetic depletion or pharmacological inhibition of USP10 dramatically reduces the growth of lung cancer xenografts lacking wild-type p53 and sensitizes them to cisplatin. Mechanistically, USP10 interacts with, deubiquitinates, and stabilizes oncogenic protein histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6). Furthermore, reintroducing either USP10 or HDAC6 into a USP10-knockdown NSCLC H1299 cell line with null-p53 renders cisplatin resistance. This result suggests the existence of a “USP10-HDAC6-cisplatin resistance” axis. Clinically, we have found a positive correlation between USP10 and HDAC6 expression in a cohort of NSCLC patient samples. Moreover, we have shown that high levels of USP10 mRNA correlate with poor overall survival in a cohort of advanced NSCLC patients who received platinum-based chemotherapy. Overall, our studies suggest that USP10 could be a potential biomarker for predicting patient response to platinum, and that targeting USP10 could sensitize lung cancer patients lacking wild-type p53 to platinum-based therapy.

Comparison of tumour and serum specific microRNA changes dissecting their role in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: a meta-analysis

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is considered as one of the most aggressive cancers lacking efficient early detection biomarkers. Circulating miRNAs are now being considered to have potency to be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in different diseases as well as cancers. In case of cancer, a fraction of the circulating miRNAs is actually derived from the tumour tissue. This fraction would function as stable biomarker for the disease and also would contribute to the understanding of the disease development. There are not many studies exploring this aspect in pancreatic cancer and even there is not much overlap of results between existing studies.

Methods

In order to address that gap, we performed a miRNA microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed circulating miRNAs between PDAC patients and normal healthy individuals and also found two more similar datasets to perform a meta-analysis using a total of 182 PDAC patients and 170 normal, identifying a set of miRNAs significantly altered in patient serum. Next, we found five datasets studying miRNA expression profile in tumour tissues of PDAC patients as compared to normal pancreas and performed a second meta-analysis using data from a total of 183 pancreatic tumour and 47 normal pancreas to detect significantly deregulated miRNAs in pancreatic carcinoma. Comparison of these two lists and subsequent search for their target genes which were also deregulated in PDAC in inverse direction to miRNAs was done followed by investigation of their role in disease development.

Results

We identified 21 miRNAs altered in both pancreatic tumour tissue and serum. While deciphering the functions of their target genes, we characterized key miR-Gene interactions perturbing the biological pathways. We identified important cancer related pathways, pancreas specific pathways, AGE-RAGE signaling, prolactin signaling and insulin resistance signaling pathways among the most affected ones. We also reported the possible involvement of crucial transcription factors in the process.

Conclusions

Our study identified a unique meta-signature of 21 miRNAs capable of explaining pancreatic carcinogenesis and possibly holding the potential to act as biomarker for the disease detection which could be explored further.

Usp10 Modulates the Hippo Pathway by Deubiquitinating and Stabilizing the Transcriptional Coactivator Yorkie

The Hippo signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved regulator that plays important roles in organ size control, homeostasis, and tumorigenesis. As the key effector of the Hippo pathway, Yorkie (Yki) binds to transcription factor Scalloped (Sd) and promotes the expression of target genes, leading to cell proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis. Thus, it is of great significance to understand the regulatory mechanism for Yki protein turnover. Here, we provide evidence that the deubiquitinating enzyme ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (Usp10) binds Yki to counteract Yki ubiquitination and stabilize Yki protein in Drosophila S2 cells. The results in Drosophila wing discs indicate that silence of Usp10 decreases the transcription of target genes of the Hippo pathway by reducing Yki protein. In vivo functional analysis ulteriorly showed that Usp10 upregulates the Yki activity in Drosophila eyes. These findings uncover Usp10 as a novel Hippo pathway modulator and provide a new insight into the regulation of Yki protein stability and activity.

MicroRNA-191 targets CCAAT/enhanced binding protein β and functions as an oncogenic molecule in human non-small cell lung carcinoma cells

The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRs) may be involved in tumor growth and progression in human non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The present study aimed to investigate the potential roles of miR-191 in NSCLC. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction were performed to assess protein and/or mRNA levels. Scratch wound healing and transwell assays were performed to determine the NSCLC cell migration and invasion. A luciferase demonstrated that CCAAT/enhanced binding protein β (C/EBPβ) was a target of miR-191. Previously, miR-191 has been reported to act as an oncogenic player in multiple human cancers. C/EBPβ has been identified as a target gene of miR-191; however, the roles and underlying mechanisms of miR-191 associated with the regulation of tumor invasion in NSCLC remain unknown. In the present study, it was demonstrated that miR-191 expression levels were higher in human NSCLC tumors compared with in normal adjacent tissue and elevated miR-191 expression levels were closely associated with tumor node metastasis stage in patients with NSCLC. Furthermore, transfection with miR-191 mimic inhibited C/EBPβ expression at the mRNA and protein levels and promoted A549 cell migration and invasion. C/EBPβ was reported to be the direct target gene of miR-191 using a dual luciferase reporter assay. Finally, C/EBPβ siRNA can mimic the effects of miR-191. These findings indicated that miR-191 may function as an oncogene in NSCLC, at least partially due to its negative regulatory on C/EBPβ.

SOX4: Epigenetic regulation and role in tumorigenesis

Sex-determining region Y-related (SRY) high-mobility group box 4 (SOX4) is a member of the group C subfamily of SOX transcription factors and promotes tumorigenesis by endowing cancer cells with survival, migratory, and invasive capacities. Emerging evidence has highlighted an unequivocal role for this transcription factor in mediating various signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and tumor progression. During the last decade, numerous studies have highlighted the epigenetic interplay between SOX4-targeting microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and SOX4 and the subsequent modulation of tumorigenesis, invasion and metastasis. In this review, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the role of SOX4 in cancer development and progression, the epigenetic regulation of SOX4, and the potential utilization of SOX4 as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and its depletion as a therapeutic target.

Identification of a transcription factor-microRNA network in esophageal adenocarcinoma through bioinformatics analysis and validation through qRT-PCR

Purpose: The rapidly rising incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), which is usually diagnosed late with a poor prognosis, has become a growing problem. This study investigated the potential transcription factor (TF)-related molecular mechanisms of EAC by using bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR validation.

Methods: Expression profile datasets for mRNAs (GSE92396, GSE13898, GSE26886 and GSE1420) and miRNAs (GSE16456) were downloaded from the GEO database. Overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified through integrative analysis. Then, a TF-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed based on bioinformatics data from the TRRUST, TRED and miRTarBase database. Furthermore, overall survival analysis for the mRNAs and miRNAs in the TF-miRNA-mRNA network was performed with data from TCGA, and qRT-PCR was used to validate the results.

Results: A total of 294 overlapping DEGs were identified in EAC tissues compared to normal tissues, including 181 downregulated and 113 upregulated genes. Then, 16 TFs that could target the DEGs and were related to cancer were predicted based on public databases, and 41 DEGs that could be targeted were identified as key genes. Additionally, 12 DEMs were predicted through miRTarBase to be associated with the key genes, and TP53-(miR-125b)-ID2 and JUN-(miR-30a)-IL1A from the TF-miRNA-mRNA network were identified to potentially play significant roles in EAC. Furthermore, CCL20, IL1A, ABCC3, hsa-miR-23b, and hsa-miR-191, which are involved in the TF-miRNA-mRNA network, were found to be significantly associated with patient survival in EAC. Finally, the expression of a miRNA-mRNA pair (hsa-miR-30a-5p and IL1A) was revealed to be correlated with prognosis.

Conclusion: In this study, a TF-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed to analyze the potential molecular mechanisms of EAC. Key genes and miRNAs associated with patient survival were identified, which may reveal promising approaches for EAC diagnosis and therapy.

Hypoxia-induced miR-191-C/EBPβ signaling regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis of fibroblast-like synoviocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

Hypoxia plays an important role in the proliferation of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS), leading to pathology of RA. This study was conducted to evaluate hypoxia-induced microRNAs (hypoxamiR) in RA-FLS and its role in the function of RA-FLS.

METHODS

RA-FLS were cultured under normoxia (21% O₂) or hypoxia (3% O₂) condition, followed by a microRNA (miRNA) array analysis. The upregulation of miR-191 by hypoxia was confirmed in RA-FLS and FLS from osteoarthritis (OA) patients by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Transfection of miR-191 mimic and inhibitor was used to investigate the function of miR-191 in RA-FLS. The functional targets of miR-191 were predicted by bioinfomatics and then validated by reporter gene assay.

RESULTS

A subset of miRNAs was identified to be induced by hypoxia including miR-191. The upregulation of miR-191 was found to be specific in hypoxic RA-FLS, compared to hypoxic OA-FLS. We observed that miR-191 in RA-FLS increased cellular proliferation via promoting G₁/S transition of the cell cycle and suppressed cell apoptosis induced by cell starvation. Bioinformatical analysis and experimental assays identified CCAAT/enhancer binding protein β (C/EBPβ) as a target gene of miR-191 in RA-FLS. Enforced expression of C/EBPβ rescued the cellular phenotypes induced by miR-191. In addition, an inverse correlation between the C/EBPβ level and hypoxia stimulation was found in RA-FLS, and overexpression of C/EBPβ could partly rescue the hypoxia-induced cell proliferation.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated the miR-191-C/EBPβ signaling pathway mediating the hypoxia-induced cell proliferation in RA.

Association and clinical implication of the USP10 and MSH2 proteins in non-small cell lung cancer

Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) is involved in a number of biological processes by stabilizing several proteins, which have been implicated in multiple stages of tumorigenesis and progression. Previous studies have indicated that USP10 stabilizes and deubiquitinates MutS homolog 2 (MSH2) in in vitro and in vivo models. The level of MSH2 protein has been positively correlated with that of the USP10 protein in a panel of lung cancer cell lines. Furthermore, depletion of USP10 in lung cancer cells causes decreased apoptosis and increased cell survival upon treatment with DNA-damaging agents. However, the expression and clinical implication of USP10 protein in lung cancer tissues is not clear. Additionally, whether the level of MSH2 protein is positively correlated with that of the USP10 protein in lung cancer tissues also remains unresolved. Therefore, USP10 protein expression was detected in 148 human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and 139 non-cancerous lung tissues using immunohistochemistry, whereas mRNA was investigated by Gene Expression Omnibus dataset and The Cancer Genome Atlas database analyses. It was identified that USP10 protein expression was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues compared with in normal lung tissues (P<0.05). However, no significant difference in USP10 mRNA expression between the two tissues was identified. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between the USP10 and MSH2 proteins in NSCLC tissues (P<0.05). However, the clinicopathological features and survival analysis indicated that the USP10 and MSH2 proteins were not associated with clinical features, including age, sex, tumor size, Tumor-Node-Metastasis stage and tumor cell differentiation, along with the prognosis of NSCLC. Collectively, these results suggest that downregulation of USP10 protein serves an important function in the tumorigenesis of NSCLC, and the level of USP10 protein is positively correlated with that of MSH2 protein in NSCLC tissues, which may indicate that USP10 also stabilizes the MSH2 protein in patients with lung cancer.

Dual loss of USP10 and p14ARF protein expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with small intestinal adenocarcinoma

Oncogene-induced senescence occurs following oncogene activation in normal cells and is considered as a critical tumor-suppressing mechanism. Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) has been reported to play a vital role in oncogene-induced senescence via the deubiquitination-dependent stabilization of p14ARF. However, knowledge of the clinical significance of USP10 and p14ARF expression in patients with small intestinal adenocarcinoma is limited. To study the clinical significance of USP10 and p14ARF expression, we performed immunohistochemistry for USP10 and p14ARF on 195 surgically resected small intestinal adenocarcinoma specimens. Furthermore, we performed methylation analysis on five small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and matched adjacent normal intestinal tissue samples. UPS10 ( p = 0.023) and p14ARF ( p = 0.007) expression were significantly decreased in adenocarcinoma in comparison with normal tissue. The loss of USP10 was observed in 124/194 (63.9%) of small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and was correlated with a higher pT stage ( p = 0.044), lymphatic invasion ( p = 0.033), and the absence of sporadic adenoma ( p = 0.024) and peritumoral dysplasia ( p = 0.019). p14ARF expression was downregulated in 75/195 (38.5%) of small intestinal adenocarcinoma samples and was associated with vascular ( p = 0.011) and lymphatic ( p = 0.013) invasions. The loss of USP10 expression was associated with the loss of p14ARF expression ( r = 0.342, p < 0.001). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the combined loss of USP10 and p14ARF expression could be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in small intestinal adenocarcinoma. Furthermore, the aberrant hypermethylation of the USP10 and p14ARF promoter could be a key mechanism for the downregulation of USP10 and p14ARF proteins in small intestinal adenocarcinoma. These findings suggest that the dual loss of USP10 and p14ARF could be used as a prognostic indicator of small intestinal adenocarcinoma.

USP10 promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis through activating the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway

Endometriosis has been initially described as endometrial-like tissue outside of the uterine cavity. The mitogen-activated protein kinase/ERK kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway playing an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration has been found to be activated in endometriosis. However, regulation of the MEK/ERK signaling pathway in endometriosis has not been fully understood. In this study, primary-cultured endometrial stromal cells were collected from patients with endometriosis and healthy controls, and the proliferation, apoptosis, and migration of ectopic endometrial stromal cells transfected with ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10)-small-interfering RNA (siRNA) or pLVX-Puro-USP10 with or without MEK inhibitor PD-98059 or exogenous signaling stimulation such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) were measured by CCK-8, flow cytometry, and Transwell, respectively. The gene and protein expressions were measured by real-time PCR or Western blot. USP10 overexpression promoted ectopic endometrial stromal cell migration and proliferation, suppressed cell apoptosis, and activated MEK/ERK signaling that is a critical downstream target of the serine/threonine protein kinase Raf-1, which was significantly blocked by PD-98059. USP10 silencing demonstrated the inverse effects, and these effects induced by USP10 silencing were significantly blocked by EGF. USP10 overexpression promoted Raf-1 protein expression, but not mRNA expression, through deubiquitination. In conclusion, these results suggest that USP10 promotes proliferation and migration and inhibits apoptosis of endometrial stromal cells in endometriosis through activating the Raf-1/MEK/ERK pathway.

LncRNA HOTAIR acts a competing endogenous RNA to control the expression of notch3 via sponging miR-613 in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly cancers with a poor prognosis. Though studies have implicated the roles of microRNAs in pancreatic cancer progression, little is known about the role of miR-613 in pancreatic cancer. In the present study, the expression of miR-613 was down-regulated in pancreatic cancer tissues and cancer cell lines. Down-regulation of miR-613 was positively correlated with tumor differentiation, advanced TNM stage, nodal metastasis and shorter overall survival in patients with pancreatic cancer. Overexpression of miR-613 suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and migration, and induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase in pancreatic cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay and rescue experiments showed that notch3 was a direct target of miR-613. MiR-613 was inversely correlated with notch3 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues. The long non-coding RNA, HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) was up-regulated in both pancreatic cancer tissues and cancer cell lines, and HOTAIR suppressed the expression of miR-613 via functioning as a competing endogenous RNA. In vivo studies showed that stable overexpression of miR-613 or knock-down of HOTAIR suppressed tumor growth and also reduced the expression of notch3. In conclusion, these results suggest that HOTAIR functions as a competing endogenous RNA to regulate notch3 expression via sponging miR-613 in pancreatic cancer.

MicroRNA-216b reduces growth, migration and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells by directly targeting ρ-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1

Developments in cancer therapy have greatly improved the survival time for patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC); however, the prognosis of patients with PDAC remains poor. Understanding the expression patterns and functions of microRNAs may provide strategies for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with PDAC. The present study aimed to explore the expression and functions of microRNA-216b (miR-216b) in PDAC. The expression of miR-216b in PDAC tissues and cell lines was quantified with reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. An miR-216b mimic was introduced into PDAC cells to induce the effects of miR-21b overexpression. The effects of miR-216b overexpression on growth, migration and invasion of PDAC cells were evaluated by cell proliferation assay, migration and invasion assays, respectively. The molecular mechanism underlying the suppressive effects of miR-216b on PDAC was also examined; a direct target gene of miR-216b, ρ-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), was downregulated by ROCK1 short interfering RNA to investigate the effects on growth, migration and invasion of PDAC cells. The present study revealed that miR-216b was significantly downregulated in PDAC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-216b inhibited growth, migration and invasion of PDAC cells in vitro. ROCK1 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-216b in pancreatic cancer and the downregulation of ROCK1 resembled the effects of miR-216b overexpression in PDAC cells. Taken together, miR-216b acted as a tumor suppressor in PDAC and may represent a novel therapeutic target in PDAC.

MicroRNA-191-5p exerts a tumor suppressive role in renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a common tumor of the urinary system. Previously, miR-191-5p has been reported to be associated with various types of cancer; however, its specific functions in RCC have not been investigated to date. In the present study, the expression of miR-191-5p in the 786-O and ACHN cell lines was detected in vitro by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results of RT-qPCR revealed that miR-191-5p was significantly downregulated in the two cell lines compared with the 293T cell line. miR-191-5p was also significantly downregulated in RCC tissue compared with paired normal tissue. In addition, the effects of miR-191-5p on cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were examined by CCK-8, MTT, wound scratch, Transwell and flow cytometry assays. Downregulation of miR-191-5p was observed to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as to repress the cell apoptosis of 786-O and ACHN cells. Therefore, the current study suggests that miR-191-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in RCC. Further studies are required to uncover the underlying signaling pathway of miR-191-5p and its potential role as a biomarker for early detection and prognosis prediction, and as a therapeutic target of RCC.

Functional role of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1 (EIF4G1) in NSCLC

Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4 gamma 1(EIF4G1) is related to tumorigenesis and tumor progression. However, its role and the underlying mechanisms in the regulation of tumor development in non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) remain largely unknown. Here we report that the levels of EIF4G1 expression are much higher in NSCLC cell lines and tumor tissues than those in the normal lung cells and adjacent normal tissues from the same patients. Using shRNA to knock down EIF4G1 expression stably, we found EIF4G1 required for NSCLC cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, migration and invasion. Furthermore, silencing of EIF4G1 induces NSCLC cell apoptosis and causes G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. To identify the partner protein network of EIF4G1 in NSCLC cells, we found that Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10) can directly interacts with EIF4G1, while acting as a negative regulator for EIF4G1-mediated functions. Together, our results indicate that EIF4G1 functions as an oncoprotein during NSCLC development, which may represent a novel and promising therapeutic target in lung cancer.

P53-miR-191-SOX4 regulatory loop affects apoptosis in breast cancer

miRNAs have emerged as key participants of p53 signaling pathways because they regulate or are regulated by p53. Here, we provide the first study demonstrating direct regulation of an oncogenic miRNA, miR-191-5p, by p53 and existence of a regulatory feedback loop. Using a combination of qRT-PCR, promoter-luciferase, and chromatin-immunoprecipitation assays, we show that p53 brings about down-regulation of miR-191-5p in breast cancer. miR-191-5p overexpression brought about inhibition of apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines (MCF7 and ZR-75) as demonstrated by reduction in annexin-V stained cells and caspase 3/7 activity, whereas miR-191-5p down-regulation showed the opposite. We further unveiled that SOX4 was a direct target of miR-191-5p. SOX4 overexpression was shown to increase p53 protein levels in MCF7 cells. miR-191-5p overexpression brought about down-regulation of SOX4 and thus p53 levels, suggesting the existence of a regulatory feedback loop. Breast cancer treatment by doxorubicin, an anti-cancer drug, involves induction of apoptosis by p53; we thus wanted to check whether miR-191-5p affects doxorubicin sensitivity. Interestingly, Anti-miR-191 treatment significantly decreased the IC50 of the doxorubicin drug and thus sensitized breast cancer cells to doxorubicin treatment by promoting apoptosis. Overall, this work highlights the importance of the p53-miR-191-SOX4 axis in the regulation of apoptosis and drug resistance in breast cancer and offers a preclinical proof-of-concept for use of an Anti-miR-191 and doxorubicin combination as a rational approach to pursue for better breast cancer treatment.

MicroRNA‑296 targets AKT2 in pancreatic cancer and functions as a potential tumor suppressor

Although microRNA-296 (miR-296) has been studied in various types of human cancer, its expression, biological role and mechanism of action in pancreatic cancer remains to be elucidated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the expression level, possible roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR‑296 in pancreatic cancer. The present study revealed that miR‑296 is significantly downregulated in tissue from patients with pancreatic cancer and in human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines, when compared with matched healthy tissue and normal human pancreatic cell lines, respectively. In addition, restoration of miR‑296 expression was revealed to inhibit the proliferation, migration and invasive activity of pancreatic cancer cells. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter assay validated the AKT2 gene as a direct target of miR‑296 in pancreatic cancer. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis revealed that miR‑296 was able to decrease AKT2 expression at the post‑transcriptional level. Notably, the effects of AKT2 knockdown were similar to miR‑296 overexpression in pancreatic cancer. In conclusion, the present findings indicate a role for miR‑296 as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic cancer through directly targeting AKT2, thus suggesting that miR‑296 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Targeting Deubiquitinating Enzymes in Glioblastoma Multiforme: Expectations and Challenges

Glioblastoma (GBM) is regarded as the most common primary intracranial neoplasm. Despite standard treatment with tumor resection and radiochemotherapy, the outcome remains gloomy. It is evident that a combination of oncogenic gain of function and tumor-suppressive loss of function has been attributed to glioma initiation and progression. The ubiquitin-proteasome system is a well-orchestrated system that controls the fate of most proteins by striking a dynamic balance between ubiquitination and deubiquitination of substrates, having a profound influence on the modulation of oncoproteins, tumor suppressors, and cellular signaling pathways. In recent years, deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) have emerged as potential anti-cancer targets due to their targeting several key proteins involved in the regulation of tumorigenesis, apoptosis, senescence, and autophagy. This review attempts to summarize recent studies of GBM-associated DUBs, their roles in various cellular processes, and discuss the relation between DUBs deregulation and gliomagenesis, especially how DUBs regulate glioma stem cells pluripotency, microenvironment, and resistance of radiation and chemotherapy through core stem-cell transcriptional factors. We also review recent achievements and progress in the development of potent and selective reversible inhibitors of DUBs, and attempted to find a potential GBM treatment by DUBs intervention.

Roles of TP53 in determining therapeutic sensitivity, growth, cellular senescence, invasion and metastasis

TP53 is a critical tumor suppressor gene that regulates cell cycle progression, apoptosis, cellular senescence and many other properties critical for control of normal cellular growth and death. Due to the pleiotropic effects that TP53 has on gene expression and cellular physiology, mutations at this tumor suppressor gene result in diverse physiological effects. T53 mutations are frequently detected in numerous cancers. The expression of TP53 can be induced by various agents used to treat cancer patients such as chemotherapeutic drugs and ionizing radiation. Radiation will induce Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and other kinases that results in the phosphorylation and activation of TP53. TP53 is also negatively regulated by other mechanisms, such as ubiquitination by ligases such as MDM2. While TP53 has been documented to control the expression of many "classical" genes (e.g., p21^Cip-1, PUMA, Bax) by transcriptional mechanisms for quite some time, more recently TP53 has been shown to regulate microRNA (miR) gene expression. Different miRs can promote oncogenesis (oncomiR) whereas others act to inhibit tumor progression (tumor suppressor miRs). Targeted therapies to stabilize TP53 have been developed by various approaches, MDM2/MDM4 inhibitors have been developed to stabilize TP53 in TP53-wild type (WT) tumors. In addition, small molecules have been isolated that will reactivate certain mutant TP53s. Both of these types of inhibitors are in clinical trials. Understanding the actions of TP53 may yield novel approaches to suppress cancer, aging and other health problems.

Functional characterization of AMP-activated protein kinase signaling in tumorigenesis

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a ubiquitously expressed metabolic sensor among various species. Specifically, cellular AMPK is phosphorylated and activated under certain stressful conditions, such as energy deprivation, in turn to activate diversified downstream substrates to modulate the adaptive changes and maintain metabolic homeostasis. Recently, emerging evidences have implicated the potential roles of AMPK signaling in tumor initiation and progression. Nevertheless, a comprehensive description on such topic is still in scarcity, especially in combination of its biochemical features with mouse modeling results to elucidate the physiological role of AMPK signaling in tumorigenesis. Hence, we performed this thorough review by summarizing the tumorigenic role of each component along the AMPK signaling, comprising of both its upstream and downstream effectors. Moreover, their functional interplay with the AMPK heterotrimer and exclusive efficacies in carcinogenesis were chiefly explained among genetically altered mice models. Importantly, the pharmaceutical investigations of AMPK relevant medications have also been highlighted. In summary, in this review, we not only elucidate the potential functions of AMPK signaling pathway in governing tumorigenesis, but also potentiate the future targeted strategy aiming for better treatment of aberrant metabolism-associated diseases, including cancer.

The miRacle in Pancreatic Cancer by miRNAs: Tiny Angels or Devils in Disease Progression

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive malignancy with increasing incidence and high mortality. Surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment of patients with PDAC. Because of the late presentation of the disease, about 20 percent of patients are candidates for this treatment. The average survival of resected patients is between 12 and 20 months, with a high probability of relapse. Standard chemo and radiation therapies do not offer significant improvement of the survival of these patients. Furthermore, novel treatment options aimed at targeting oncogenes or growth factors in pancreatic cancer have proved unsuccessful. Thereby, identifying new biomarkers that can detect early stages of this disease is of critical importance. Among these biomarkers, microRNAs (miRNAs) have supplied a profitable recourse and become an attractive focus of research in PDAC. MiRNAs regulate many genes involved in the development of PDAC through mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. The possibility of intervention in the molecular mechanisms of miRNAs regulation could begin a new generation of PDAC therapies. This review summarizes the reports describing miRNAs involvement in cellular processes involving pancreatic carcinogenesis and their utility in diagnosis, survival and therapeutic potential in pancreatic cancer.

MiR-572 prompted cell proliferation of human ovarian cancer cells by suppressing PPP2R2C expression

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains one of the most common types of malignant cancer, and the molecular mechanism underlying its proliferation is still largely unclear. It is reported that microRNAs acted as important regulators of cell proliferation by regulating its targeted gene. In this study, our result showed that miR-572 was markedly upregulated in OC cell lines and clinical tissues. Results of both gain-of-function and loss-of-function experiments revealed that upregulation of miR-572 expression dramatically promoted OC cell proliferation, whereas decreased miR-572 expression significantly reduced cell proliferation. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays further revealed PPP2R2C, a putative tumor suppressor as a potential target of miR-572. Moreover, silencing of PPP2R2C using small interfering RNA (siRNA) counteracted the proliferation arrest by miR-572-in in OC cells. In sum, our data provide that miR-572 promoted cell proliferation in OC by targeting PPP2R2C and might serve as a therapeutic target of OC.

USP10 Expression in Normal Adrenal Gland and Various Adrenal Tumors

Ubiquitin-specific protease 10 (USP10), a novel deubiquitinating enzyme, is associated with androgen receptor transcriptional activity and pathological processes of tumor. However, information between USP10 and the adrenal gland is limited. In particular, the role of USP10 in adrenal tumors has not been elucidated yet. This study aims to investigate the expression of USP10 in the human normal adrenal gland and various adrenal tumors. Tissue samples were obtained from 30 adrenocortical adenomas, nine adrenocortical adenocarcinomas, and 20 pheochromocytomas following laparoscopic surgery. Twenty normal adrenal glands were obtained from kidney surgical resection conducted due to renal cell carcinomas. USP10 expression was investigated on protein levels using immunohistochemistry and on mRNA levels using bioinformatics analysis in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) Datasets. In the 20 cases of normal adrenal glands analyzed, USP10 protein was constantly expressed in situ in the cortex of the adrenal glands, but in the medulla of the gland, only the sustentacular cells were detected positive. In adrenal tumors, detectable levels of USP10 protein were found in 100 % (30/30) adrenocortical adenomas, 88.89 % (8/9) adrenocortical carcinomas, and 10 % (2/20) pheochromocytomas. Bioinformatics analysis did not show a significant difference in USP10 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression between adrenal tumors and normal adrenal gland tissues. A positive USP10 immunoreaction can be useful in distinguishing adrenal cortical tumors from pheochromocytoma.

MicroRNAs as biomarkers and prospective therapeutic targets in colon and pancreatic cancers

Colon and pancreatic cancers have high mortality rates due to early metastasis prior to the onset of symptoms. Screening tests for colorectal cancer are invasive and expensive. No effective screening is available for pancreatic cancer. Identification of biomarkers for early detection in both of these cancers is being extensively researched. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are small non-coding molecule biomarkers that regulate cancers. Measurement of miRNAs in pancreatic fluid or blood could be a preferred non-invasive screening method. The regulation of colon and pancreatic cancers by miRNA is complex. miRNA play a central role in inflammation, invasiveness, and tumor progression in these two cancers, as well as regulation of the NF-κB pathway. miRNA's evolving role in screening is also reviewed.