Suppression of tumor cell invasiveness and in vivo tumor growth by microRNA-874 in non-small cell lung cancer

Transcriptional regulation and therapeutic potential of cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) in sarcoma

Sarcomas include various subtypes comprising two significant groups - soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Although the survival rate for some sarcoma subtypes has improved over time, the current methods of treatment remain efficaciously limited, as recurrent, and metastatic diseases remain a major obstacle. There is a need for better options and therapeutic strategies in treating sarcoma. Cyclin dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) is a transcriptional kinase and has emerged as a promising target for treating various cancers. The aberrant expression and activation of CDK9 have been observed in several sarcoma subtypes, including rhabdomyosarcoma, synovial sarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chordoma. Enhanced CDK9 expression has also been correlated with poorer prognosis in sarcoma patients. As a master regulator of transcription, CDK9 promotes transcription elongation by phosphorylation and releasing RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) from its promoter proximal pause. Release of RNAPII from this pause induces transcription of critical genes in the tumor cell. Overexpression and activation of CDK9 have been observed to lead to the expression of oncogenes, including MYC and MCL-1, that aid sarcoma development and progression. Inhibition of CDK9 in sarcoma has been proven to reduce these oncogenes' expression and decrease proliferation and growth in different sarcoma cells. Currently, there are several CDK9 inhibitors in preclinical and clinical investigations. This review aims to highlight the recent discovery and results on the transcriptional role and therapeutic potential of CDK9 in sarcoma.

MicroRNA-874 targets phosphomevalonate kinase and inhibits cancer cell growth via the mevalonate pathway

The microRNA (miR) miR-874, a potential tumour suppressor, causes cell death via target gene suppression in various cancer types. Mevalonate pathway inhibition also causes cell death in breast cancer. However, the relationship between the mevalonate pathway and miR-874-induced apoptosis or its association with the tumour suppressor p53 has not been elucidated. We identified phosphomevalonate kinase (PMVK), a key mevalonate pathway enzyme, and sterol regulatory element-binding factor 2 (SREBF2), the master cholesterol biosynthesis regulator, as direct miR‑874 targets. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed a significant miR-874-mediated downregulation of PMVK and SREBF2 gene expression and p53 pathway enrichment. Luciferase reporter assays showed that miR-874 directly regulated PMVK and SREBF2. miR-874-induced apoptosis was p53 dependent, and single-cell RNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that miR-874 transfection resulted in apoptosis and p53 pathway activation. Downregulation of PMVK expression also caused cell cycle arrest and p53 pathway activation, which was rescued by geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) supplementation. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database indicated a negative correlation between miR-874 and PMVK expression and between miR-874 and SREBF2 expression. These findings suggest that miR-874 suppresses the mevalonate pathway by targeting SREBF2 and PMVK, resulting in GGPP depletion, which activates the p53 pathway and promotes cycle arrest or apoptosis.

miR-874: An Important Regulator in Human Diseases

miR-874 is located at 5q31.2, which is frequently deleted in cancer. miR-874 is downregulated in 22 types of cancers and aberrantly expressed in 18 types of non-cancer diseases. The dysfunction of miR-874 is not only closely related to the diagnosis and prognosis of tumor patients but also plays an important role in the efficacy of tumor chemotherapy drugs. miR-874 participates in the ceRNA network of long non-coding RNAs or circular RNAs, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of cancer and other non-cancer diseases. In addition, miR-874 is also involved in the regulation of multiple signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, Hippo signaling pathway, PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and Hedgehog signaling pathway. This review summarizes the molecular functions of miR-874 in the biological processes of tumor cell survival, apoptosis, differentiation, and tumorigenesis, and reveal the value of miR-874 as a cancer biomarker in tumor diagnosis and prognosis. Future work is necessary to explore the potential clinical application of miR-874 in chemotherapy resistance.

miR-874-3p mitigates cisplatin resistance through modulating NF-κB/inhibitor of apoptosis protein signaling pathway in epithelial ovarian cancer cells

The resistance to cisplatin, the most common platinum chemotherapy drug, may confine the efficacy of treatment in epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Aberrant expression of inhibitor of apoptosis proteins set the stage for resistance to cisplatin in EOC; besides, chemosensitivity in EOC can be chalked up to dysregulation of specific miRNAs. Herein, we investigated whether there is a potential correlation between miR-874-3p and the X-chromosome-linked inhibitor of apoptosis, a member of the IAP protein family in cisplatin-resistant EOC cells. The lower expression of miR-874-3p was found in SKOV3-DDP cells; it was also in association with cisplatin-resistance in EOC cells. XIAP was found to contribute to developing platinum resistance and is an authentic target for miR-874-3p in SKOV3-DDP cells. Consistently, restoration of miR-874-3p expression reversed cisplatin resistance in such cells by modulating XIAP and NF-κB/Survivin signaling pathway. Besides, siRNA knock down of XIAP in SKOV3-DDP cells had an anti-migratory effect like those with miR-874 overexpression. Importantly, the enforced expression of XIAP rescued SKOV3-DDP cells from the cytotoxic effects of miR-874-3p. Finally, miR-874-3p sensitized EOC cells to cisplatin-induced apoptosis, at least in part, through targeting XIAP. The cytotoxic effects of miR-874-3p can be attributed to the targeting XIAP in cisplatin-resistant EOC cells. We believe that the combination of cisplatin with miR-874-3p may make a potential strategy to reverse cisplatin resistance.

The Role and Expression of Angiogenesis-Related miRNAs in Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most frequently diagnosed malignant tumor and the third highest cause of cancer mortality worldwide. For advanced GC, many novel drugs and combinations have been tested, but results are still disappointing, and the disease is incurable in the majority of cases. In this regard, it is critical to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying GC development. Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer with a fundamental role in GC growth and progression. Ramucirumab, a monoclonal antibody that binds to vascular endothelial growth factor-2 (VEGFR-2), is approved in the treatment of advanced and pretreated GC. However, no predictive biomarkers for ramucirumab have been identified so far. Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are a class of evolutionarily-conserved single-stranded non-coding RNAs that play an important role (via post-transcriptional regulation) in essentially all biologic processes, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, survival, invasion, and migration. In our review, we aimed to analyze the available data on the role of angiogenesis-related miRNAs in GC.

MiR-874-3p plays a protective role in intervertebral disc degeneration by suppressing MMP2 and MMP3

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a spinal degenerative disease and one of the most important causes of musculoskeletal disability. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-mediated extracellular matrix degradation is the core process of IDD. The regulators of MMPs in the intervertebral disc are still not fully known. In this study, using quantitative reverse transcription PCR, luciferase reporter assay, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, we found that the miR-874-3p expression level was significantly decreased in IDD patients. MiR-874-3p could target and repress MMP2 and MMP3 expression in nucleus pulposus cells. These results could improve the understanding of IDD and provide a possible diagnostic marker and treatment candidate for IDD. The miR-874-3p/MMP2/MMP3 axis might also provide direction for future cancer and inflammation investigations.

Regulators at Every Step-How microRNAs Drive Tumor Cell Invasiveness and Metastasis

Simple Summary

Tumor cell invasiveness and metastasis are key processes in cancer progression and are composed of many steps. All of them are regulated by multiple microRNAs that either promote or suppress tumor progression. Multiple studies demonstrated that microRNAs target the mRNAs of multiple genes involved in the regulation of cell motility, local invasion, and metastatic niche formation. Thus, microRNAs are promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets in oncology.

Abstract

Tumor cell invasiveness and metastasis are the main causes of mortality in cancer. Tumor progression is composed of many steps, including primary tumor growth, local invasion, intravasation, survival in the circulation, pre-metastatic niche formation, and metastasis. All these steps are strictly controlled by microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs can act as oncomiRs that promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis or as tumor suppressor miRNAs that inhibit tumor progression. These miRNAs regulate the actin cytoskeleton, the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors including integrins and ECM-remodeling enzymes comprising matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and regulate epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), hence modulating cell migration and invasiveness. Moreover, miRNAs regulate angiogenesis, the formation of a pre-metastatic niche, and metastasis. Thus, miRNAs are biomarkers of metastases as well as promising targets of therapy. In this review, we comprehensively describe the role of various miRNAs in tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.

Regulators at Every Step—How microRNAs Drive Tumor Cell Invasiveness and Metastasis

Tumor cell invasiveness and metastasis are the main causes of mortality in cancer. Tumor progression is composed of many steps, including primary tumor growth, local invasion, intravasation, survival in the circulation, pre-metastatic niche formation, and metastasis. All these steps are strictly controlled by microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. miRNAs can act as oncomiRs that promote tumor cell invasion and metastasis or as tumor suppressor miRNAs that inhibit tumor progression. These miRNAs regulate the actin cytoskeleton, the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors including integrins and ECM-remodeling enzymes comprising matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), and regulate epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), hence modulating cell migration and invasiveness. Moreover, miRNAs regulate angiogenesis, the formation of a pre-metastatic niche, and metastasis. Thus, miRNAs are biomarkers of metastases as well as promising targets of therapy. In this review, we comprehensively describe the role of various miRNAs in tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastasis.

Bioinformatics analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) contains 85% of lung cancer. Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) are the largest NSCLC subgroups. The aim of the study was to investigate the underlying mechanism in developing more effective subtype-specific molecular therapeutic procedures.

METHODS

A total of 876 specimens were used in this study: 494 LUAD tissues (ie, 449 LUAD tissues and 45 matched normal tissues) and 382 LUSC tissues (ie, 337 LUSC tissues and 45 matched normal tissues). The miRNA sequencing data were processed using R. The differential expressed miRNAs between lung cancer and normal tissues were analyzed using the limma package in R. Gene expression, Western blotting, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and luciferase assay were used to test LUAD and LUSC.

RESULTS

LUAD and LUSC appear sharply distinct at molecular and pathological level. Let-7a-5p, miR-338, miR-375, miR-217, miR-627, miR-140, miR-147b, miR-138-2, miR-584, and miR-197 are top 10 relevant miRNAs and CLDN3, DSG3, KRT17, TMEM125, KRT5, NKX2-1, KRT7, ABCC5, KRAS, and PLCG2 are top 10 relevant genes in NSCLC. At the same time, the miRNAs expression levels were also quite different between the two groups. Among the differential expressed miRNAs, let-7a-5p was significantly down-regulated in LUAD while miR-338 was markedly down-regulated in LUSC. Bioinformatics analyses appeared that let-7a-5p directly targets high-molecular weight keratin 5 (KRT5) which were shown to be a strong risk factor for LUAD. And NK2 homeobox 1(NKX2-1) which was associated with tumor progression in LUSC was identified as a target gene of miR-338.

CONCLUSIONS

Distinct profile of miRNAs can take a part in the development of LUAD and LUSC and thus could serve as a subtype-specific molecular therapeutic target to protect against LUAD and LUSC.

MiR-874 Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Glioma Cells and Correlates with Prognosis of Glioma Patients

Previous studies showed that miR-874 expression was abnormally expressed in many tumors. However, the potential role of miR-874 in glioma remains a mystery. This study aimed to investigate its expression, clinical significance, and cellular function in glioma. A total of 105 glioma patients were enrolled in the present study. The RT-qPCR analysis was used to detect the expression of miR-874 in glioma tissues and cells. The χ² test was used to analyze the association between miR-874 expression and clinical characteristics of patients. Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate Cox regression assays were used to analyze the prognostic value of miR-874 in glioma. Cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assays were used to explore the alterations in a series of cancer-related phenotypes affected by miR-874, including cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capacities. The expression of miR-874 was significantly downregulated in human glioma tissue specimens and cell lines. Furthermore, the expression of miR-874 was associated with tumor size, KPS, and WHO grade. The decreased expression of miR-874 was associated with shorter overall survival. Then functional assays indicated that upregulation of miR-874 suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells in vitro. The present study indicated that miR-874 inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells and might be a novel prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for glioma.

miR‑584‑5p regulates migration and invasion in non‑small cell lung cancer cell lines through regulation of MMP‑14

An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are involved in cancer progression. In 2010, an estimated 1,500,000 patients suffered mortality from lung cancer (LC) worldwide, and ~80% of LC patients were diagnosed with non‑small‑cell lung cancer (NSCLC). miR‑584‑5p was reported to be a potential biomarker in the diagnosis of LC; in addition, miR‑584 was recently observed to suppress the progression of thyroid carcinoma, glioma and gastric cancer. However, the specific function of miR‑584‑5p in NSCLC remains unclear. In the present study, miR‑584‑5p was decreased in the tumor tissues of NSCLC patients. Furthermore, miR‑584‑5p markedly inhibited the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. The direct regulatory association between miR‑584‑5p and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‑14 was verified by a luciferase reporter gene assay. Furthermore, the results indicated that miR‑584‑5p inhibited the expression of MMP‑14 at the protein and mRNA levels. miR‑584‑5p also inhibited the expression of MMP‑4 and Slug, which are involved in tumor invasion and metastasis. Taken together, these results indicated that the miR‑584‑5p/MMP‑14 axis may serve as an anticancer target in the treatment of NSCLC patients.

Functional validation of miRNAs targeting genes of DNA double-strand break repair to radiosensitize non-small lung cancer cells

DNA-Double strand breaks (DSBs) generated by radiation therapy represent the most efficient lesions to kill tumor cells, however, the inherent DSB repair efficiency of tumor cells can cause cellular radioresistance and impact on therapeutic outcome. Genes of DSB repair represent a target for cancer therapy since their down-regulation can impair the repair process making the cells more sensitive to radiation. In this study, we analyzed the combination of ionizing radiation (IR) along with microRNA-mediated targeting of genes involved in DSB repair to sensitize human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. MicroRNAs are natural occurring modulators of gene expression and therefore represent an attractive strategy to affect the expression of DSB repair genes. As possible IR-sensitizing targets genes we selected genes of homologous recombination (HR) and non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) pathway (i.e. RAD51, BRCA2, PRKDC, XRCC5, LIG1). We examined these genes to determine whether they may be real targets of selected miRNAs by functional and biological validation. The in vivo effectiveness of miRNA treatments has been examined in cells over-expressing miRNAs and treated with IR. Taken together, our results show that hsa-miR-96-5p and hsa-miR-874-3p can directly regulate the expression of target genes. When these miRNAs are combined with IR can decrease the survival of NSCLC cells to a higher extent than that exerted by radiation alone, and similarly to radiation combined with specific chemical inhibitors of HR and NHEJ repair pathway.

MiR-874 alleviates renal injury and inflammatory response in diabetic nephropathy through targeting toll-like receptor-4

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a kind of diabetic complication with capillary damage, and its pathogenesis remains obscure. Recently, microRNAs have been identified as diagnostic biomarkers in various diseases including DN. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) contributes to inflammation, and it has been implicated in diabetes pathophysiology. This study was designed to investigate the role of miR-874 and TLR4 in a streptozotocin (STZ)-induced DN rat model and glucose-induced mouse podocyte model. In the current study, we reported that miR-874 was markedly downregulated in DN rats and glucose-induced mouse podocytes compared with the corresponding control groups with the activation of TLR4. In addition, we observed that overexpression of miR-874 was able to alleviate renal injury in DN rats. The cell counting kit (CCK-8) assay and 5-Ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay demonstrated that glucose simulation significantly inhibited podocyte proliferation and induced cell apoptosis, which can be reversed by miR-874 mimics significantly. Notably, miR-874 overexpression dramatically attenuated the inflammatory response, indicated by the decreased levels of interleukin-6, L-1β, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Finally, the binding correlation between miR-874 and TLR4 was confirmed by carrying out dual-luciferase reporter assay in our study. It was found that overexpression of miR-874 depressed TLR4 levels in podocytes. These findings implied for the first time that the overexpression of miR-874 repressed glucose-triggered podocyte injury through targeting TLR4 and suggested that miR-874/TLR4 axis might represent a pathological mechanism of DN.

Micro-RNAs as critical regulators of matrix metalloproteinases in cancer

Metastasis is known to be one of the important factors associated with cancer-related deaths worldwide. Several cellular and molecular targets are involved in the metastasis process. Among these targets, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play central roles in promoting cancer metastasis. MMPs could contribute toward tumor growth, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion via degradation of the extracellular matrix and activation of pre-pro-growth factors. Therefore, identification of various cellular and molecular pathways that affect MMPs could contribute toward a better understanding of the metastatic pathways involved in various tumors. Micro-RNAs are important targets that could affect MMPs. Multiple lines of evidence have indicated that deregulation of various micro-RNAs, including miR-9, Let-7, miR-10b, and miR-15b, affects metastasis of tumor cells via targeting MMPs.

MicroRNA‑874 prohibits the proliferation and invasion of retinoblastoma cells by directly targeting metadherin

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve important roles in regulating gene expression by directly binding to the 3'‑untranslated regions of target genes. Multiple miRNAs are dysregulated in retinoblastoma (RB) and their dysregulation is closely related to RB malignancy. Therefore, exploring the detailed roles of miRNAs in RB is valuable to facilitate the development of effective therapeutic targets for patients with this disease. miRNA‑874‑3p (miR‑874) has been recently reported to be downregulated in several types of human cancer and serves an essential role in cancer progression. However, the expression pattern and detailed roles of miR‑874 in RB, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms in RB, have not been clearly elucidated. Therefore, this study detected miR‑874 expression in RB tissues and cell lines. The biological roles of miR‑874 in RB were determined and the underlying mechanisms of its actions in RB cells were also examined. This study revealed that miR‑874 expression was aberrantly underexpressed in RB tissues and cell lines. However, returning miR‑874 expression restricted the proliferative and invasive abilities of RB cells. In terms of the underlying mechanism, metadherin (MTDH) was validated as a direct target gene of miR‑874 in RB cells. MTDH inhibition could imitate the inhibitory roles of miR‑874 overexpression in RB cells. Furthermore, forced MTDH expression partially reversed the suppressive effects of miR‑874 on RB cells. In conclusion, this study revealed that miR‑874 may inhibit RB progression by directly targeting MTDH. Restoration of miR‑874 expression may be a novel strategy for preventing the rapid growth and metastasis of RB cells.

The effects of aberrant expression of LncRNA DGCR5/miR-873-5p/TUSC3 in lung cancer cell progression

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer‐related mortality worldwide, and nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for 80% of all pulmonary carcinomas. Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been paid attention for exploring treatment of various diseases. Upregulation of DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 5 (DGCR5) predicts better lung squamous cell carcinoma prognosis; therefore, we explore the role of DGCR5 in lung cancer in our present study. Consecutive patients with LC were treated in our hospital between January 2015 and January 2016. qRT‐PCR demonstrated that DGCR5 was significantly lower in neoplastic tissues than in non‐neoplastic tissues. For in vitro experiments, cell growth, migration, and invasion were significantly lower in A549 cells transfected with pcDNA3.1‐DGCR5 than pcDNA3.1, which were verified by 5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay, scratch test, and transwell assay, respectively, with no significant induction on cell apoptosis that was demonstrated by flow cytometry (FCM) assay. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of tumor suppressor candidate 3 (TUSC3, 49‐55 bp) and DGCR5 (801‐807 bp) shared a common hsa‐miR‐873‐5p binding site, and the direct interaction between DGCR5 and hsa‐miR‐873‐5p or hsa‐miR‐873‐5p and TUSC3 was verified by dual‐luciferase reporter assay. qRT‐PCR demonstrated that hsa‐miR‐873‐5p was dramatically higher and TUSC3 was significantly lower in neoplastic tissues than in non‐neoplastic tissues. DGCR5 decreased the protein level of TUSC3 by miR‐873‐5p which was demonstrated by Western blot and immunofluorescence. The role of DGCR5 in tumorigenesis in vivo was consistent with in vitro assays, Ki‐67‐positive cell number (exhibited by immunohistochemical staining), tumor size, and tumor weight of A549‐DGCR5 group were significantly lower in comparison with A549‐control group.

MicroRNA‑874 inhibits proliferation and invasion of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cells by directly targeting paired box 6

Studies have demonstrated that a number of microRNAs (miRNAs) are dysregulated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and alterations in their expression may affect the onset and progression of PDAC. Therefore, the expression patterns, biological functions and associated molecular mechanisms of miRNAs in PDAC should be elucidated for the development of novel therapeutic methods. Previous studies reported significant miRNA‑874 (miR‑874) dysregulation in multiple types of human cancer. However, the expression pattern, possible roles and underlying mechanisms of miR‑874 in PDAC remain to be elucidated. This study evaluated miR‑874 expression in PDAC and examined its biological functions and underlying mechanism of action in PDAC progression. miR‑874 expression was downregulated in PDAC tissues and cell lines. Functional experiments demonstrated that upregulation of miR‑874 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in PDAC. Additionally, paired box 6 (PAX6) was predicted as a putative target of miR‑874 using bioinformatics analysis. Further experiments demonstrated that PAX6 may be the direct target gene of miR‑874 in PDAC. PAX6 knockdown exhibited similar inhibitory effects to miR‑874 overexpression in PDAC cells. In addition, restored PAX6 expression may reverse the suppressive roles of miR‑874 overexpression in PDAC cells. The results demonstrated that miR‑874 may serve tumor suppressive roles in PDAC by directly targeting PAX6. Therefore, miR‑874 may exhibit potential applications for treatment of patients with PDAC.

DNA methylation mediated silencing of microRNA-874 is a promising diagnosis and prognostic marker in breast cancer

MicroRNA-874 (miR-874) is downregulated in several human cancers and has been suggested to be a tumor suppressor gene. However, the molecular mechanism of miR-874 downregulation in breast cancer has not been well elucidated. Here we aimed to study the aberrant hyper-methylation of CpG sites with the utility of miR-874 downreregulation in breast cancer and evaluate the clinical function of miR-874 as a prognostic marker. The miR-874 expressions in cells and tissues of two breast cancer lines were measured by real-time PCR. The DNA methylation status of the miR-874 promoter region in 19 pairs of breast cancer and adjacent normal samples was analyzed with Sequenom EpiTYPER MassArray. To evaluate whether miR-874 is a potential prognostic marker in breast cancer, we also explored the clinical long-time follow-up records from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We found miR-874 expression was downregulated in 47 pairs of breast cancer tissues. Moreover, univariate and multivariate analysis revealed miR-874 expression may be a prognostic biomarker of overall survival in breast cancer patients. Preconditioning with 5-Aza-CdR in two cell lines elevated miR-874 expressions. The data from Sequenom EpiTYPER MassArray showed that DNA methylation of the promoter region of miR-874 was upregulated and accompanied by decreased miR-874 expression, which was further confirmed by TCGA. After comprehensive considerations, we think miR-874, which might be served as a prognostic biomarker, is mediated by DNA methylation.

MicroRNA-874 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion by targeting cyclin-dependent kinase 9 in osteosarcoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) perform important roles in the development and progression of human malignancy. miR-874, as a tumor suppressor, is decreased in malignant tumors, including osteosarcoma. However, the potential mechanism of miR-874 in osteosarcoma remains largely unknown. In the present study, a dual-luciferase reporter system supported cyclin-dependent kinase 9 (CDK9) as a direct target gene of miR-874. miR-874 mimics evidently repressed CDK9 expression in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines exhibited increased expression of CDK9, and CDK9 expression levels were inversely correlated (R=−0.725) with that of miR-874 in osteosarcoma tissues. Finally, CDK9 overexpression reversed the potential effect of miR-874 on the proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells. Overall, the results revealed that miR-874, as a tumor suppressor, is involved in osteosarcoma progression and metastasis by targeting CDK9, indicating that the miR-874/CDK9 pathway may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

MicroRNA-874 inhibits TNF-α-induced remodeling in human fetal airway smooth muscle cells by targeting STAT3

Pro-inflammatory cytokines-induced airway remodeling was a significant feature of asthma disease. The aim of the present study was to explore the functional significance of miR-874 in tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-treated human fetal airway smooth muscle (fASM) cells. Here, we found that TNF-α treatment significantly down-regulated the expression of miR-874 in fASM cells. MiR-874 overexpression markedly inhibited cell viability and migration, suppressed the expression of PCNA and Ki67, reduced the expression of collagen I and collagen III, decreased the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and MMP-2, and induced an obvious elevation of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). In addition, the increased production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and eotaxin induced by TNF-α were significantly inhibited by miR-874 overexpression. Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) 3 was identified as a direct target of miR-874, and STAT3 overexpression partly reversed the protective effects of miR-874 against TNF-α-induced airway remodeling. Overall, these findings demonstrate that miR-874 inhibits TNF-α-induced remodeling in human fASM cells at least in part by targeting STAT3.

microRNA-874 suppresses tumor proliferation and metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting the DOR/EGFR/ERK pathway

The δ opioid receptor (DOR) is involved in the regulation of malignant transformation and tumor progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, regulation of the DOR in HCC remains poorly defined. We found that miR-874 was identified as a negative regulator of the DOR, which is a direct and functional target of miR-874 via its 3' untranslated region (UTR). Moreover, miR-874 was downregulated in HCC and its expression was inversely correlated with DOR expression. Downregulation of miR-874 was also associated with larger tumor size, more vascular invasion, a poor TNM stage, poor tumor differentiation, and inferior patient outcomes. Functionally, overexpression of miR-874 in the HCC cell line SK-hep-1 inhibited cell growth, migration, in vitro invasion, and in vivo tumorigenicity. Furthermore, miR-874 overexpression suppressed the DOR, resulting in a downregulated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation. The EGFR activator-epidermal growth factor (EGF)-can rescue the proliferation and migration suppression induced by miR-874 overexpression, and the rescue effects of the EGF were blocked by an ERK inhibitor. Our study results suggest that miRNA-874 is a negative regulator of the DOR that can suppress tumor proliferation and metastasis in HCC by targeting the DOR/EGFR/ERK pathway, which may be a potential target for HCC treatment.

The search of CAR, AhR, ESRs binding sites in promoters of intronic and intergenic microRNAs

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Many exogenous compounds or xenobiotics may affect microRNA expression. It is a well-established fact that xenobiotics with planar structure like TCDD, benzo(a)pyrene (BP) can bind aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) followed by its nuclear translocation and transcriptional activation of target genes. Another chemically diverse group of xenobiotics including phenobarbital, DDT, can activate the nuclear receptor CAR and in some cases estrogen receptors ESR1 and ESR2. We hypothesized that such chemicals can affect miRNA expression through the activation of AHR, CAR, and ESRs. To prove this statement, we used in silico methods to find DRE, PBEM, ERE potential binding sites for these receptors, respectively. We have predicted AhR, CAR, and ESRs binding sites in 224 rat, 201 mouse, and 232 human promoters of miRNA-coding genes. In addition, we have identified a number of miRNAs with predicted AhR, CAR, and ESRs binding sites that are known as oncogenes and as tumor suppressors. Our results, obtained in silico, open a new strategy for ongoing experimental studies and will contribute to further investigation of epigenetic mechanisms of carcinogenesis.

Downregulation of miR-874-3p promotes chemotherapeutic resistance in colorectal cancer via inactivation of the Hippo signaling pathway

Overcoming resistance to chemotherapy is an arduous challenge in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC), particularly since the underlying molecular mechanisms remain obscure. In the present study, we reported that miR-874-3p was markedly downregulated in CRC tissues compared with that in adjacent normal colorectal epithelial tissues. Upregulation of miR-874-3p attenuated the chemoresistance of CRC cells to 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in vitro and in vivo. Conversely, inhibition of miR-874-3p yielded an opposite effect. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that miR-874-3p directly inhibited the expression of transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ of the Hippo signaling pathway, resulting in the inactivation of the TEAD transcription. Thus, our findings clarify a novel mechanism by which miR-874-3p restores chemotherapeutic sensitivity of CRC to 5-FU, indicating that offering miR-874-3p mimics in combination with 5-FU may serve as a new therapeutic strategy to circumvent the chemoresistance in CRC.

An Integrative Model of miRNA and mRNA Expression Signature for Patients of Breast Invasive Carcinoma with Radiotherapy Prognosis

Radiotherapy is widely used in breast cancer treatment. The radiotherapy for breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA) presents challenges with the complex clinical factors, and too many genes have been found to be associated with BRCA radiotherapy prognosis. The aim of this study was to construct an integrative model to combine the clinical data and RNA expression data (including microRNA and mRNA) to predict the survival durations of BRCA patients with radiotherapy. Also, the authors try to find the key regulation pairs between mRNA and miRNA from prediction. They collected mRNA and microRNA expression profiles and gathered the corresponding clinical data of 73 BRCA patients with radiotherapy from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). According to an integrative model from univariate Cox regression between RNA expression and patient survival, they classified the patients with radiotherapy into low-risk and high-risk groups. The results showed that nine mRNAs were considered as protective genes and five miRNAs and eight mRNAs were considered as high-risk genes. Moreover, the high-risk group has a significantly shorter survival time in comparison with the low-risk group by the log-rank test (p = 0.0039). The reliability of the gene signature was validated by an independent data set from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Furthermore, three pairs of miRNA-mRNA, closely associated to survival, were identified. These findings and method may prove valuable for improving the clinical management of BRCA patients with radiotherapy.

Unique roles of Akt1 and Akt2 in IGF-IR mediated lung tumorigenesis

AKT is a serine-threonine kinase that becomes hyperactivated in a number of cancers including lung cancer. Based on AKT's association with malignancy, molecules targeting AKT have entered clinical trials for solid tumors including lung cancer. However, the AKT inhibitors being evaluated in clinical trials indiscriminately inhibit all three AKT isoforms (AKT1-3) and it remains unclear whether AKT isoforms have overlapping or divergent functions. Using a transgenic mouse model where IGF-IR overexpression drives lung tumorigenesis, we found that loss of Akt1 inhibited while loss of Akt2 enhanced lung tumor development. Lung tumors that developed in the absence of Akt2 were less likely to appear as discrete nodules and more frequently displayed a dispersed growth pattern. RNA sequencing revealed a number of genes differentially expressed in lung tumors lacking Akt2 and five of these genes, Actc1, Bpifa1, Mmp2, Ntrk2, and Scgb3a2 have been implicated in human lung cancer. Using 2 human lung cancer cell lines, we observed that a selective AKT1 inhibitor, A-674563, was a more potent regulator of cell survival than the pan-AKT inhibitor, MK-2206. This study suggests that compounds selectively targeting AKT1 may prove more effective than compounds that inhibit all three AKT isoforms at least in the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

MicroRNA-574-5p promotes metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer by targeting PTPRU

Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been associated with malignant behavior in a variety of cancers. Our previous study demonstrated that miRNA expression profiles are predictors for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We also showed that miRNAs are involved in small-cell lung cancer metastasis. Here, we used qRT-PCR to re-analyze our previous microarray results using serum samples from 75 patients with NSCLC. Surprisingly, we found that miR-574-5p and miR-874 were overexpressed in patients with metastatic advanced NSCLC but not in patients with non-metastatic advanced NSCLC. Additionally, miR-574-5p expression was correlated between matched serum and tissue samples from 68 patients. However, these 2 miRNAs are not prognostic factors for NSCLC. Transwell and wound-healing assays showed that miR-574-5p promotes the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Furthermore, miR-574-5p enhanced the tyrosine phosphorylation of β-catenin by repressing PTPRU expression in vitro. In conclusion, this study explored the expression of miR-574-5p in clinical samples and its molecular mechanisms in the metastasis of advanced NSCLC.

Expression analysis of three miRNAs, miR-26a, miR-29b and miR-519d, in relation to MMP-2 expression level in non-small cell lung cancer patients: a pilot study

Lung cancer is the most common cause of death in men and second only to breast cancer in women. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in tumorigenesis and function as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Among other genes, miRNAs regulate matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), the proteolytic enzymes playing a significant role in the degradation of extracellular matrix, enhancing tumor invasion and metastasis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the expression levels of selected miRNAs: miR-26a, miR-29b and miR-519d, and their target gene, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The results were correlated with tumor staging, NSCLC histopathological subtypes and patients' demographical features to assess the possible diagnostic/prognostic value of the studied miRNAs and MMP-2. Total RNA was isolated from 38 NSCLC tissue samples, and the expression analysis was performed using TaqMan(®) probes in qPCR assay. The results indicated underexpression of selected miRNAs and overexpression of MMP-2. The decrease in miRNA-29b expression was statistically significant and differentiated NSCLC histopathological subtypes. Additionally, statistically significant negative correlation was found between MMP-2 expression and its regulatory miR-26a. There are very few studies reporting miRNA-MMPs analysis on mRNA level in lung cancer, and no similar reports are available from Polish population. The results of our pilot study indicated the diagnostic potential of miR-29b and MMP-2, an inverse association between miR-26a and MMP-2, and proved the role of MMP-2 and the studied miRNAs in lung carcinogenesis. Further studies are needed to verify their potential usefulness for the treatment of lung cancer.

MicroRNA-874 inhibits growth, induces apoptosis and reverses chemoresistance in colorectal cancer by targeting X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein

MicroRNA-874 (miR-874) is downregulated and acts as a tumor suppressor in several types of cancers, whereas the biological function of miR-874 in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains unclear. The aims of the present study were to investigate the clinical significance, biological effects, and the underlying mechanisms of miR-874 in CRC. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to detect miR-874 expression in CRC cell lines and tissue samples. MTT and colony formation assays and flow cytometry were performed to analyze the effects of miR-874 expression on growth, apoptosis and the chemoresistance of CRC cells. Regulation of putative miR-874 targets was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assays. RT-qPCR and western blot assays were performed to detected the levels of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) mRNA and protein expression. It was found that expression of miR-874 was downregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines, and its expression was significantly negatively correlated with TNM stage and lymph node metastasis of the CRC patients. Functional assays revealed that restoration of miR-874 inhibited proliferation, reduced colony formation, enhanced apoptosis, as well as decreased the 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance of the CRC cells. Through luciferase activity assay, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, XIAP was shown to be a direct target of miR-874. In addition, XIAP expression was significantly increased in the CRC tissues and cell lines, and was inversely correlated with miR-874 expression. Importantly, downregulation of XIAP in CRC cells had an effect similar to that of miR-874 overexpression. Taken together, these data showed that miR-874 inhibits growth, increases apoptosis and enhances chemosensitivity in CRC cells by targeting XIAP, suggesting that miR-874 may be a potential molecular target for the treatment of human CRC.

MicroRNA networks regulated by all-trans retinoic acid and Lapatinib control the growth, survival and motility of breast cancer cells

SKBR3-cells, characterized by ERBB2/RARA co-amplification, represent a subgroup of HER2⁺ breast-cancers sensitive to all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and Lapatinib. In this model, the two agents alone or in combination modulate the expression of 174 microRNAs (miRs). These miRs and predicted target-transcripts are organized in four interconnected modules (Module-1 to -4). Module-1 and Module-3 consist of ATRA/Lapatinib up-regulated and potentially anti-oncogenic miRs, while Module-2 contains ATRA/Lapatinib down-regulated and potentially pro-oncogenic miRs. Consistent with this, the expression levels of Module-1/-3 and Module-2 miRs are higher and lower, respectively, in normal mammary tissues relative to ductal-carcinoma-in-situ, invasive-ductal-carcinoma and metastases. This indicates associations between tumor-progression and the expression profiles of Module-1 to -3 miRs. Similar associations are observed with tumor proliferation-scores, staging, size and overall-survival using TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) data. Forced expression of Module-1 miRs, (miR-29a-3p; miR-874-3p) inhibit SKBR3-cell growth and Module-3 miRs (miR-575; miR-1225-5p) reduce growth and motility. Module-2 miRs (miR-125a; miR-193; miR-210) increase SKBR3 cell growth, survival and motility. Some of these effects are of general significance, being replicated in other breast cancer cell lines representing the heterogeneity of this disease. Finally, our study demonstrates that HIPK2-kinase and the PLCXD1-phospholipase-C are novel targets of miR-193a-5p/miR-210-3p and miR-575/miR-1225-5p, respectively.

MicroRNA-874 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor by Targeting Cancer/Testis Antigen HCA587/MAGE-C2

Cancer/testis antigen HCA587/MAGE-C2 has been considered as a tumor specific target for immunotherapy. It has been reported that HCA587/MAGE-C2 plays an active role in tumorigenesis by promoting the growth and survival of tumor cells. However, the regulation of HCA587/MAGE-C2 expression in cancer cells remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a large family of gene regulators, have been shown to negatively regulate the expression of important cancer-related genes and contribute to the initiation and development of cancers. In this study, we conducted searches of miRNAs that regulate HCA587/MAGE-C2 expression. We combined bioinformatics tools with biological validation assays to demonstrate that HCA587/MAGE-C2 is a direct target of microRNA-874 (miR-874). Furthermore, we investigated the expression levels of miR-874 in human hepatocellular carcinoma tissues and paired adjacent normal tissues by stem-loop reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The results revealed a significant downregulation of miR-874 expression in tumor tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. Finally, we demonstrated that overexpression of miR-874, as well as HCA587/MAGE-C2 silencing, resulted in suppression of tumor cell proliferation and invasion. Moreover, the inhibition effects of miR-874 on cell proliferation and invasion were reversed by co-expression of HCA587/MAGE-C2 in A375 cells. Taken together, our data demonstrated that HCA587/MAGE-C2 is a direct target of miR-874, and miR-874 may function as a tumor suppressive miRNA, at least in part, by negatively regulating HCA587/MAGE-C2 expression in cancer cells.

Differences in miRNA and mRNA Profile of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Variants

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) can be divided into classical variant of PTC (cPTC), follicular variant of PTC (fvPTC), and tall cell variant (tcPTC). These variants differ in their histopathology and cytology; however, their molecular background is not clearly understood. Our results shed some new light on papillary thyroid cancer biology as new direct miRNA-gene regulations are discovered. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) 466 thyroid cancer samples were studied in parallel datasets to discover potential miRNA-mRNA regulations. Additionally, miRNAs and genes differentiating PTC variants (cPTC, fvPTC, and tcPTC) were indicated. Putative miRNA regulatory pairs were discovered: hsa-miR-146b-5p with PHKB and IRAK1, hsa-miR-874-3p with ITGB4 characteristic for classic PTC samples, and hsa-miR-152-3p with TGFA characteristic for follicular variant PTC samples. MiRNA-mRNA regulations discovery opens a new perspective in understanding of PTC biology. Furthermore, our successful pipeline of miRNA-mRNA regulatory pathways discovery could serve as a universal tool to find new miRNA-mRNA regulations, also in different datasets.

miR-874 suppresses the proliferation and metastasis of osteosarcoma by targeting E2F3

Increasing evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in osteosarcoma (OS) occurrence and development. MicroRNA-874 (miR-874) has proven to be dysregulated in several human cancers. However, the biological function and underlying molecular mechanism of miR-874 in OS remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the biological role and potential mechanism of miR-874 in OS. Here, we found that miR-874 expression was significantly decreased in OS cell lines and tissues by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and its expression was correlated with tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, tumor size, and lymph node metastasis (all P < 0.01). Functional study revealed that overexpression of miR-874 in OS cells could remarkably inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion and induce cell apoptosis. In addition, E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3) was confirmed as a target of miR-874 in OS cells. E2F3 mRNA expression was upregulated and was inversely correlated with the level of miR-874 in OS tissues. Importantly, downregulation of E2F3 mimicked the effect of overexpression miR-874 in OS cells, and E2F3 overexpression partially attenuated the tumor-suppressive effects of miR-874 in OS cells. Taken together, these findings suggested that miR-874 might suppress the growth and metastasis of OS cells partially by targeting E2F3.

miR-874 functions as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting angiogenesis through STAT3/VEGF-A pathway in gastric cancer

MicroRNAs are endogenously expressed, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression by targeting mRNAs for translational repression or degradation. Our previous studies indicated that miR-874 played a suppressive role in gastric cancer (GC) development and progression. However, the role of miR-874 in tumor angiogenesis and the mechanisms underlying its function in GC remained to be clarified. Here, gain- and loss-of-function assays demonstrated that miR-874 inhibited the tumor angiogenesis of GC cells in vitro and in vivo. Through reporter gene and western blot assays, STAT3 was shown to be a direct target of miR-874. Overexpression of STAT3 rescued the loss of tumor angiogenesis caused by miR-874. Conversely, the STAT3-shRNA attenuated the increased tumor angiogenesis caused by the miR-874-inhibitor. Furthermore, the levels of miR-874 were inversely correlated with those of STAT3 protein in GC tissues. Taken together, these findings indicate that down-regulation of miR-874 contributes to tumor angiogenesis through STAT3 in GC, highlighting the potential of miR-874 as a target for human GC therapy.

Analysis of MicroRNA Expression Profile Identifies Novel Biomarkers for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small noncoding RNAs, regulate the expression of genes that play roles in human cancer via posttranscriptional inhibition.

Methods

To identify the potential miRNA biomarkers in NSCLC, we downloaded the miRNA expression profile (ID: GSE29248) of NSCLC from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed the differentially expressed miRNAs in NSCLC tissue compared with normal control tissue. Then the targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs were screened and used in network construction and functional enrichment analysis.

Results

We identified a total of 17 miRNAs that showed a significantly differential expression in NSCLC tissue. We found that miR-34b and miR-520h might play important roles in the regulation of NSCLC, miR-22 might be a novel biomarker as an oncogene, and miR-448 might promote, while miR-654-3p prevents, NSCLC progression.

Conclusions

Our study may provide the groundwork for further clinical molecular target therapy experiments in NSCLC.

MicroRNA-874 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human breast cancer by targeting CDK9

It has been demonstrated that miR-874 plays important roles in many types of cancers. Nevertheless, its biological function in breast cancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that the expression level of miR-874 is down-regulated in breast cancer in comparison with the adjacent normal tissues. The overexpression of miR-874 is able to inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Using a bioinformatics method, we further show that CDK9 is a direct target of miR-874 and that its protein level is negatively regulated by miR-874. Therefore, the data reported in this manuscript demonstrate that miR-874 is an important regulator in breast cancer and imply that the miR-874/CDK9 axis has potential as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

miRNAs in lung cancer: a link to aging

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Development of lung cancer is associated with exposure to carcinogens such as tobacco smoke and some environmental factors. The incidence of lung cancer increases with age, particularly after age 60. It was estimated that less than 2% of all lung cancer cases occurred in patients younger than 45; therefore, this type of tumor can be considered as an aging-related disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules capable of regulating expression of over 50% of protein-coding genes. miRNAs were shown to play an extremely important role in cell functioning, affecting all biological processes, as well as development of various diseases. Expression profiles of miRNAs are known to be altered in cancer, including lung cancer, and also exhibit changes during aging. These RNA molecules are stable in tissue sections and blood and reflect tumor origin, histotype, and stage, which make them candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. miRNA mimetics or inhibitors can be delivered into a cell, with possible therapeutic implications. Here, we review the results obtained during the last several years that demonstrate the aging-related regulation of miRNAs expression, in association with their role in lung cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to anticancer therapy, as well as the possibility to use miRNAs as predictive biomarkers for treatment response.

Downregulation of GSK3β by miR-544a to maintain self-renewal ability of lung caner stem cells

In order to study the influence and mechanism of miR-544a on the self-renewal ability of lung cancer stem cells, TargetScan was used to predict the target gene of miR-544a. A luciferase reporter system and western blotting were used to validate the target genes identified by TargetScan. 95C and 95D low and high metastatic human lung cancer cells were transfected with miR-544a, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to verify the miR-544a expression in these two cell lines. Tumor ball (spheroid) suspension culture was use to study the effects of miR-544a on lung cancer stem cells. TargetScan predicted that miR-544a interacted with GSK3β. A luciferase reporter system (F=201.37, P<0.01) and western blot analysis was used to validate that miR-544a could inhibit the expression of GSK3β, while β-catenin and CD133 were significantly increased in miR-544a-overexpressing 95C and 95D cells (F=9.43, 7.73 and 3.37, respectively; P<0.01). qPCR revealed that miR-544a was overexpressed in transfected 95C and 95D cells (20.51±0.97 and 15.16±1.38, respectively; F=418.05; P<0.01). miR-544a-overexpressing cells formed spheroids in suspension cultures of spheroid single cells. miR-544a was shown to reduce the expression of GSK3β and activate the Wnt signaling pathway to maintain the self-renewal ability of lung caner stem cells.

MicroRNAs in the Regulation of MMPs and Metastasis

MicroRNAs are integral molecules in the regulation of numerous physiological cellular processes including cellular differentiation, proliferation, metabolism and apoptosis. Their function transcends normal physiology and extends into several pathological entities including cancer. The matrix metalloproteinases play pivotal roles, not only in tissue remodeling, but also in several physiological and pathological processes, including those supporting cancer progression. Additionally, the contribution of active MMPs in metastatic spread and the establishment of secondary metastasis, via the targeting of several substrates, are also well established. This review focuses on the important miRNAs that have been found to impact cancer progression and metastasis through direct and indirect interactions with the matrix metalloproteinases.

miR-205 promotes the growth, metastasis and chemoresistance of NSCLC cells by targeting PTEN

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. microRNAs (miRNAs) play critical roles in carcinogenesis. miR-205 has been shown to be upregulated in NSCLC. In the present study, we identified the promotive effects of miR-205 on various significant biological properties of NSCLC cells, and confirmed the regulation of PTEN by miR-205. The expression of miR-205 was examined by quantitative real-time PCR both in NSCLC cell lines and tissues. The effect of miR-205 on PTEN expression was assessed in NSCLC cell lines with miR-205 mimics/inhibitor to elevate/decrease miR-205 expression. Furthermore, the roles of miR-205 in regulating the biological properties of NSCLC cells, including growth, invasion and chemoresistance, were assayed using miR-205 mimic/inhibitor-transfected cells. The 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of PTEN combined with miR-205 and this was confirmed by luciferase reporter assay and western blotting. miR-205 expression was increased in NSCLC cell lines as well as in tissues. Overexpression of miR-205 promoted growth, migration and invasion, and enhanced the chemoresistance of NSCLC cells. Luciferase activity and western blotting demonstrated that miR-205 negatively regulated PTEN at a posttranscriptional level. However, miR-205 knockdown suppressed these processes in A549 cells and increased the expression of PTEN protein. Furthermore, overexpression of PTEN exhibited effects identical with those of the miR-205 inhibitor in NSCLC cells. Our results demonstrated that miR-205 is involved in the tumorigenesis of NSCLC through modulation of the PTEN signaling pathway.