The tumor therapeutic potential of long non-coding RNA delivery and targeting

Tumour-regulatory role of long non-coding RNA HOXA-AS3

Dysregulation of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXA-AS3 has been shown to contribute to the development of multiple cancer types. Several studies have presented the tumour-modulatory role or prognostic significance of this lncRNA in various kinds of cancer. Overall, HOXA-AS3 can act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) that inhibits the activity of seven microRNAs (miRNAs), including miR-29a-3p, miR-29 b-3p, miR-29c, miR-218-5p, miR-455-5p, miR-1286, and miR-4319. This relieves the downstream messenger RNA (mRNA) targets of these miRNAs from miRNA-mediated translational repression, allowing them to exert their effect in regulating cellular activities. Examples of the pathways regulated by lncRNA HOXA-AS3 and its associated downstream targets include the WNT/β-catenin and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) activities. Besides, HOXA-AS3 can interact with other cellular proteins like homeobox HOXA3 and HOXA6, influencing the oncogenic signaling pathways associated with these proteins. Generally, HOXA-AS3 is overexpressed in most of the discussed human cancers, making this lncRNA a potential candidate to diagnose cancer or predict the clinical outcomes of cancer patients. Hence, targeting HOXA-AS3 could be a new therapeutic approach to slowing cancer progression or as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target. A drawback of using lncRNA HOXA-AS3 as a biomarker or therapeutic target is that most of the studies that have reported the tumour-regulatory roles of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 are single observational, in vitro, or in vivo studies. More in-depth mechanistic and large-scale clinical trials must be conducted to confirm the tumour-modulatory roles of lncRNA HOXA-AS3 further. Besides, no lncRNA HOXA-AS3 inhibitor has been tested preclinically and clinically, and designing such an inhibitor is crucial as it may potentially slow cancer progression.

Critical roles of lncRNA-mediated autophagy in urologic malignancies

Urologic oncology is a significant public health concern on a global scale. Recent research indicates that long chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and autophagy play crucial roles in various cancers, including urologic malignancies. This article provides a summary of the latest research findings, suggesting that lncRNA-mediated autophagy could either suppress or promote tumors in prostate, kidney, and bladder cancers. The intricate network involving different lncRNAs, target genes, and mediated signaling pathways plays a crucial role in urological malignancies by modulating the autophagic process. Dysregulated expression of lncRNAs can disrupt autophagy, leading to tumorigenesis, progression, and enhanced resistance to therapy. Consequently, targeting particular lncRNAs that control autophagy could serve as a dependable diagnostic tool and a promising prognostic biomarker in urologic oncology, while also holding potential as an effective therapeutic approach.

Classification of Long Non-Coding RNAs s Between Early and Late Stage of Liver Cancers From Non-coding RNA Profiles Using Machine-Learning Approach

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which are RNA sequences greater than 200 nucleotides in length, play a crucial role in regulating gene expression and biological processes associated with cancer development and progression. Liver cancer is a major cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, notably in Thailand. Although machine learning has been extensively used in analyzing RNA-sequencing data for advanced knowledge, the identification of potential lncRNA biomarkers for cancer, particularly focusing on lncRNAs as molecular biomarkers in liver cancer, remains comparatively limited. In this study, our objective was to identify candidate lncRNAs in liver cancer. We employed an expression data set of lncRNAs from patients with liver cancer, which comprised 40 699 lncRNAs sourced from The CancerLivER database. Various feature selection methods and machine-learning approaches were used to identify these candidate lncRNAs. The results showed that the random forest algorithm could predict lncRNAs using features extracted from the database, which achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.840 for classifying lncRNAs between early (stage 1) and late stages (stages 2, 3, and 4) of liver cancer. Five of 23 significant lncRNAs (WAC-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1, ARRDC1-AS1, AC133528.2, and RP11-1094M14.11) were differentially expressed between early and late stage of liver cancer. Based on the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database, higher expression of WAC-AS1, MAPKAPK5-AS1, and ARRDC1-AS1 was associated with shorter overall survival. In conclusion, the classification model could predict the early and late stages of liver cancer using the signature expression of lncRNA genes. The identified lncRNAs might be used as early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for patients with liver cancer.

METTL3-Mediated LINC00475 Alternative Splicing Promotes Glioma Progression by Inducing Mitochondrial Fission

Mitochondrial fission promotes glioma progression. The function and regulation mechanisms of lncRNAs in glioma mitochondrial fission are unclear. The expression of LINC00475 and its correlation with clinical parameters in glioma were analyzed using bioinformatics. Then, in vitro and in vivo assays were performed to explore the function of spliced variant LINC00475 (LINC00475-S) in gliomas. To explore the mechanisms, RNA-seq, MeRIP, RIP, pulldown-IP, dCas9-ALKBH5 editing system, LC/MS, and Western blotting were utilized. LINC00475 was confirmed to be overexpressed and with higher frequencies of AS events in gliomas compared to normal brain tissue and was associated with worse prognosis. In vitro and animal tumor formation experiments demonstrated that the effect of LINC00475-S on proliferation, metastasis, autophagy, and mitochondrial fission of glioma cells was significantly stronger than that of LINC00475. Mechanistically, METTL3 induced the generation of LINC00475-S by splicing LINC00475 through m6A modification and subsequently promotes mitochondrial fission in glioma cells by inhibiting the expression of MIF. Pull-down combined LC/MS and RIP assays identified that the m6A recognition protein HNRNPH1 bound to LINC00475 within GYR and GY domains and promoted LINC00475 splicing. METTL3 facilitated HNRNPH1 binding to LINC00475 in an m6A-dependent manner, thereby inducing generation of LINC00475-S. METTL3 facilitated HNRNPH1-mediated AS of LINC00475, which promoted glioma progression by inducing mitochondrial fission. Targeting AS of LINC00475 and m6A editing could serve as a therapeutic strategy against gliomas.

Nanotherapeutic approaches for delivery of long non-coding RNAs: an updated review with emphasis on cancer

The long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) comprise a wide range of RNA species whose length exceeds 200 nucleotides, which regulate the expression of genes and cellular functions in a wide range of organisms. Several diseases, including malignancy, have been associated with lncRNA dysregulation. Due to their functions in cancer development and progression, lncRNAs have emerged as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer diagnosis and treatment. Several studies have investigated the anti-cancer properties of lncRNAs; however, only a few lncRNAs have been found to exhibit tumor suppressor properties. Furthermore, their length and poor stability make them difficult to synthesize. Thus, to overcome the instability of lncRNAs, poor specificity, and their off-target effects, researchers have constructed nanocarriers that encapsulate lncRNAs. Recently, translational medicine research has focused on delivering lncRNAs into tumor cells, including cancer cells, through nano-drug delivery systems in vivo. The developed nanocarriers can protect, target, and release lncRNAs under controlled conditions without appreciable adverse effects. To deliver lncRNAs to cancer cells, various nanocarriers, such as exosomes, microbubbles, polymer nanoparticles, 1,2-dioleyl-3-trimethylammoniumpropane chloride nanocarriers, and virus-like particles, have been successfully developed. Despite this, every nanocarrier has its own advantages and disadvantages when it comes to delivering nucleic acids effectively and safely. This article examines the current status of nanocarriers for lncRNA delivery in cancer therapy, focusing on their potential to enhance cancer treatment.

Circadian rhythm-associated lncRNA RP11-414H17.5 as a key therapeutic target in osteosarcoma affects the tumor immune microenvironment and enhances malignancy

BACKGROUND

It has previously been proven that circadian rhythm disruption is associated with the incidence and deterioration of several tumors, which potentially leads to increased tumor susceptibility and a worse prognosis for tumor-bearing patients. However, their potential role in osteosarcoma has yet to be sufficiently investigated.

METHODS

Transcriptomic and clinical data of 84 osteosarcoma samples and 70 normal bone tissue samples were obtained from the TARGET and GTEx databases, circadian rhythm-related genes were obtained from Genecards, and circadian rhythm-related lncRNAs (CRLs) were obtained by Pearson correlation analysis, differential expression analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. COX regression and LASSO regression were performed on the CRLs in order to construct a circadian rhythm-related prognostic prediction signature (CRPS). CRPS reliability was verified by Kaplan-Meier (KM), principal component analysis (PCA), nomogram, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. CRPS effects on the immune microenvironment of osteosarcoma were explored by enrichment analysis and immune infiltration analysis, and the effect of critical gene RP11-414H17.5 on osteosarcoma was experimentally verified.

RESULT

CRPS consisting of three CRLs was constructed and its area under the curve (AUC) values predicted that osteosarcoma prognosis reached 0.892 in the training group and 0.843 in the test group, with a p value of < 0.05 for the KM curve and stable performance across different clinical subgroups. PCA analysis found that CRPS could significantly distinguish between different risk subgroups, and exhibited excellent performance in the prediction of the immune microenvironment. The experiment verified that RP11-414H17.5 can promote metastasis and inhibit apoptosis of osteosarcoma cells.

CONCLUSION

The study revealed that circadian rhythm plays a crucial role in osteosarcoma progression and identified the impact of the key gene RP11-414H17.5 on osteosarcoma, which provides novel insights into osteosarcoma diagnosis and therapy.

Targeting autophagy and beyond: Deconvoluting the complexity of Beclin-1 from biological function to cancer therapy

Beclin-1 is the firstly-identified mammalian protein of the autophagy machinery, which functions as a molecular scaffold for the assembly of PI3KC3 (class III phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase) complex, thus controlling autophagy induction and other cellular trafficking events. Notably, there is mounting evidence establishing the implications of Beclin-1 in diverse tumorigenesis processes, including tumor suppression and progression as well as resistance to cancer therapeutics and CSC (cancer stem-like cell) maintenance. More importantly, Beclin-1 has been confirmed as a potential target for the treatment of multiple cancers. In this review, we provide a comprehensive survey of the structure, functions, and regulations of Beclin-1, and we discuss recent advances in understanding the controversial roles of Beclin-1 in oncology. Moreover, we focus on summarizing the targeted Beclin-1-regulating strategies in cancer therapy, providing novel insights into a promising strategy for regulating Beclin-1 to improve cancer therapeutics in the future.

[High expression of long noncoding RNA UCA1 promotes invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of trophoblasts in vitro]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the role of urothelial carcinoma antigen 1 (UCA1) in regulation of invasion, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of trophoblast HTR-8/SVneo cells and its association with tubal pregnancy.

METHODS

Cultured HTR- 8/SVneo cells stimulated with interleukin-6 (IL-6) were examined for changes in UCA1 expression and cell migration ability using qRT-PCR and scratch assay, respectively. A HTR-8/SVneo cell model with UCA1 silencing was constructed by transient transfection, and the migration and invasion abilities of the cells were assessed using Scratch assay and Transwell assay; qRT-PCR and Western blotting were performed to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of EMT markers.

RESULTS

HTR-8/SVneo cells stimulated with IL-6 exhibited significantly increased migration ability and up-regulated expression of UCA1 (P < 0.01). UCA1 silencing obviously suppressed migration and invasion abilities of HTR-8/SVneo cells (P < 0.01), significantly up-regulated the mRNA and protein expressions of EMT epithelial marker E-cadherin (P < 0.01), and down-regulated the expressions of the mesenchymal markers integrin β3, vimentin and N-cadherin (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

UCA1 may be a key gene that promotes the occurrence of tubal pregnancy and thus provides a new therapeutic target for tubal pregnancy.

Abnormal expressions of PURPL, miR-363-3p and ADAM10 predicted poor prognosis for patients with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma

Objective: This study aimed to elucidate the prognostic implications of deviant expressions of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) p53 upregulated regulator of p53 levels (PURPL), microRNA-363-3p (miR-363-3p), and ADAM metallopeptidase domain 10 (ADAM10) in patients diagnosed with ovarian serous cystadenocarcinoma (OSC). Methods: To predict and refine the targeted miRNAs and downstream target genes for PURPL, we utilized open medical databases. Through the employment of real-time RT-PCR, we conducted tissue analysis to discern the expressions of PURPL, miR-363-3p, and ADAM10 in both OSC and control tissues. The pathological correlations in the clinic and the prognostic implications of deviant expressions of PURPL, miR-363-3p, and ADAM10 in OSC patients were analyzed independently. Results: Database inquiries revealed that PURPL might target miR-363-3p, and in turn, miR-363-3p could target ADAM10. Differential expression of PURPL, miR-363-3p, and ADAM10 was observed between OSC and paired tissues. The premature version of miR-363-3p, miR-363, correlated with overall survival (OS), while ADAM10 corresponded with progression-free survival (PFS) in ovarian cancer patients. Tissue detection displayed significantly elevated expressions of PURPL and ADAM10, and conspicuously diminished expressions of miR-363-3p in OSC tissues compared to the control tissues (P<0.05). A negative correlation was observed between the expressions of PURPL and miR-363-3p, and miR-363-3p and ADAM10, while a positive correlation was found between PURPL and ADAM10 in different ovarian tissues (P<0.05). In OSC tissues, upregulation of PURPL was associated with an advanced clinical stage, TP53 mutation, and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), downregulation of miR-363-3p was associated with a more advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), and overexpression of ADAM10 correlated with a more advanced FIGO stage. High expressions of PURPL and ADAM10, and low expression of miR-363-3p, were linked with poor PFS and OS in OSC patients, respectively (P<0.05). In addition, OSC patients with elevated PURPL and reduced miR-363-3p, patients with elevated PURPL and ADAM10, and patients with reduced miR-363-3p and elevated ADAM10 also demonstrated worse PFS and OS, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusions: The anomalous expressions of PURPL, miR-363-3p, and ADAM10 might contribute to the pathogenesis of OSC via up-down stream regulation, and these abnormal expressions could serve as potential prognostic indicators for OSC patients.