Dysregulation of the miR-325-3p/DPAGT1 axis supports HBV-positive HCC chemoresistance

MicroRNA‑325: A comprehensive exploration of its multifaceted roles in cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic implications (Review)

MicroRNA (miRNA/miR) represents a category of endogenous, short-chain non-coding RNA molecules comprising ~22 nucleotides. Specifically, miR-325 is situated within the first sub-band of region 2 on the short arm of the X chromosome. Notably, aberrant expression of miR-325 has been observed across various tumor systems, spanning the nervous, endocrine, respiratory, reproductive and digestive systems. miR-325 exhibits the capacity to target a minimum of 20 protein-coding genes, thereby influencing diverse cellular processes, including cell proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, apoptosis, invasion and migration. Moreover, miR-325 serves a pivotal role in the formation of six competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory axes, involving one circular RNA, four long non-coding RNA and one additional miRNA. By participating in various signaling pathways through gene targeting, the abnormal expression of miR-325 has been associated with clinicopathological conditions in diverse patients with cancer, significantly impacting both the clinicopathology and prognosis of affected individuals. Additionally, miR-325 has been associated with the development of resistance to oxaliplatin, cisplatin and doxorubicin in cancer cells. Its involvement in the anticancer molecular mechanisms of these agents underscores its potential significance in therapeutic contexts. However, it is noteworthy that the current study did not specifically address sex-based cell line selection. In conclusion, the present review provides a comprehensive summary of the relevant findings concerning miR-325, offering valuable insights for future research endeavors focused on determining the molecular mechanisms associated with this miRNA.

Dysregulated microRNAs as a biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a high incidence and fatality rate worldwide. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most important risk factors for its occurrence and development. Early detection of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC) can improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Biomarkers are extremely helpful, not only for early diagnosis, but also for the development of therapeutics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a subset of non-coding RNAs approximately 22 nucleotides in length, have increasingly attracted scientists' attention due to their potential utility as biomarkers for cancer detection and therapy. HBV profoundly impacts the expression of miRNAs potentially involved in the development of hepatocarcinogenesis. In this review, we summarize the current progress on the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-HCC. From a molecular standpoint, we discuss the mechanism by which HBV regulates miRNAs and investigate the exact effect of miRNAs on the promotion of HCC. In the near future, miRNA-based diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications will make their way into the clinical routine.

Useful genes for predicting the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization in hepatocellular carcinoma

Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is generally used to treat patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a common and deadly cancer; however, its efficacy varies according to factors such as tumor volume, stage, serum alpha-fetoprotein level, and chosen feeding artery. In addition, gene-related factors have been recently suggested to be involved in the regulation and prediction of TACE outcomes. Accordingly, genes could serve as effective biomarkers to select patients who can benefit from TACE. These gene-related factors can activate signaling pathways affecting cancer cell survival while regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and the tumor microenvironment, all directly associated with tumor progression, thereby affecting TACE efficacy. Moreover, this disordered gene expression is associated with poor prognosis in patients with HCC, including TACE resistance, postoperative recurrence, and metastasis. To identify the exact relationship between various genes and TACE efficacy, this review summarizes the involvement of protein-coding and non-coding genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms in TACE efficacy for predicting the efficacy of TACE; the present findings may help improve the efficacy of TACE in clinical settings.

Non-coding RNA in cancer drug resistance: Underlying mechanisms and clinical applications

Cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed malignant diseases worldwide, posing a serious, long-term threat to patients’ health and life. Systemic chemotherapy remains the first-line therapeutic approach for recurrent or metastatic cancer patients after surgery, with the potential to effectively extend patient survival. However, the development of drug resistance seriously limits the clinical efficiency of chemotherapy and ultimately results in treatment failure and patient death. A large number of studies have shown that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), particularly microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs, are widely involved in the regulation of cancer drug resistance. Their dysregulation contributes to the development of cancer drug resistance by modulating the expression of specific target genes involved in cellular apoptosis, autophagy, drug efflux, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and cancer stem cells (CSCs). Moreover, some ncRNAs also possess great potential as efficient, specific biomarkers in diagnosis and prognosis as well as therapeutic targets in cancer patients. In this review, we summarize the recent findings on the emerging role and underlying mechanisms of ncRNAs involved in cancer drug resistance and focus on their clinical applications as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer treatment. This information will be of great benefit to early diagnosis and prognostic assessments of cancer as well as the development of ncRNA-based therapeutic strategies for cancer patients.

miRNAs inspirations in hepatocellular carcinoma: Detrimental and favorable aspects of key performers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC initiation, progression, and therapy failure are all influenced by various variables, including microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are short non-coding RNA sequences that modulate target mRNA expression by deteriorating or repressing translation. miRNAs play an imperative role in HCC pathogenesis by triggering the induction of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their proliferation, while also delaying apoptosis, sustaining the cell cycle, and inspiring angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, miRNAs modulate crucial HCC-related molecular pathways such as the p53 pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, VEGFR2, and PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. Consequently, the goal of this review was to give an up-to-date overview of oncogenic and tumor suppressor (TS) miRNAs, as well as their potential significance in HCC pathogenesis and treatment responses, highlighting their underpinning molecular pathways in HCC initiation and progression. Similarly, the biological importance and clinical application of miRNAs in HCC are summarized.

MiR-222-3p induced by hepatitis B virus promotes the proliferation and inhibits apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma by upregulating THBS1

This study aimed to explore the role of miR-222-3p in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). MiR-222-3p expression in tumor tissues of HBV (+) or HBV (-) HCC patients and corresponding cell lines was detected by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was assessed by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. The potential targets of miR-222-3p were predicted by Targetscan, and the binding relationship between miR-222-3p and thrombospondin-1 (THBS1) was determined by luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. MiR-222-3p was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines and further elevated by HBV infection. MiR-222-3p downregulation effectively inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of HBV (-) HepG2 cells, HBV (+) HepG2.2.15 cells, Huh7-V cells, and Huh7-HBV cells. In addition, miR-222-3p overexpression enhanced the proliferation of these cell lines but exhibited no obvious effect on their apoptosis. Mechanistically, miR-222-3p was directly bound to the 3'-UTR of THBS1 and acted as its competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). Interestingly, THBS1 silencing attenuated the inhibitory effect of miR-222-3p downregulation on the proliferation of these cell lines in vitro. Our results revealed that HBV infection further increased miR-222-3p expression and promoted HCC progression via miR-222-3p-mediated THBS1 downregulation. Our findings suggest that miR-222-3p might be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for HCC and HBV-related HCC.

Oncogenic viruses and chemoresistance: What do we know?

Chemoresistance is often referred to as a major leading reason for cancer therapy failure, causing cancer relapse and further metastasis. As a result, an urgent need has been raised to reach a full comprehension of chemoresistance-associated molecular pathways, thereby designing new therapy methods. Many of metastatic tumor masses are found to be related with a viral cause. Although combined therapy is perceived as the model role therapy in such cases, chemoresistant features, which is more common in viral carcinogenesis, often get into way of this kind of therapy, minimizing the chance of survival. Some investigations indicate that the infecting virus dominates other leading factors, i.e., genetic alternations and tumor microenvironment, in development of cancer cell chemoresistance. Herein, we have gathered the available evidence on the mechanisms under which oncogenic viruses cause drug-resistance in chemotherapy.

MicroRNAs: Regulators of immunological reactions in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third prominent cause of cancer mortality, with increasing prevalence and poor survival worldwide. Being diagnosed at an advanced stage, HCC frequently results in poor prognosis, treatment failure, and recurrence. Post-treatment reactivation and recurrence often amplify the immunosuppressed state induced by HCC pathogenesis. Therefore, stimulating the immune system may be a potential therapy measure for the treatment of HCC. Immune responses of the body may be potentiated by modulation of various effector cells such as B-cells, T-cells, Treg cells, natural killer cells, dendritic cells, cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and other antigen-presenting cells. microRNAs (small non-coding RNAs) are the regulators of gene expression via translational inhibition or mRNA degradation. Various activities and developmental stages of the immune system are governed by miRNAs and they have a regulative impact on innate and adaptive immune cells in both, healthy and diseased conditions. Their misexpression has been associated with the initiation, development, and metastasis of various cancer types, including HCC. This review summarizes the functional impact of these immuno-miRNAs in the improvement of tumor conditions.

The Mechanisms of HBV-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy, and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is its major pathogenic factor. Over the past decades, it has been confirmed that HBV infection could promote disease progression through a variety of mechanisms, ultimately leading to the malignant transformation of liver cells. Many factors have been identified in the pathogenesis of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC), including HBV gene integration, genomic instability caused by mutation, and activation of cancer-promoting signaling pathways. As research in the progression of HBV-HCC progresses, the role of many new mechanisms, such as epigenetics, exosomes, autophagy, metabolic regulation, and immune suppression, is also being continuously explored. The occurrence of HBV-HCC is a complex process caused by interactions across multiple genes and multiple steps, where the synergistic effects of various cancer-promoting mechanisms accelerate the process of disease evolution from inflammation to tumorigenesis. In this review, we aim to provide a brief overview of the mechanisms involved in the occurrence and development of HBV-HCC, which may contribute to a better understanding of the role of HBV in the occurrence and development of HCC.

LncRNA LINC00467 acted as an oncogene in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by accelerating cell proliferation and preventing cell apoptosis via the miR-485-5p/DPAGT1 axis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Esophageal carcinoma has been regarded as one of the top 10 common malignancies globally. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an important subtype of esophageal carcinoma with approximately 20% survival rate. Long noncoding RNAs were documented to regulate the occurrence or progression of several tumors. However, neither the biological role nor the molecular mechanism of LINC00467 has been explored. This research is aimed to investigating the regulatory mechanism of LINC00467 in ESCC.

METHODS

In this study, a series of experiments including reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, Cell Counting Kit-8, luciferase reporter, western blot, and RNA immunoprecipitation were designed and conducted to explore the potential function and mechanism of LINC00467 in ESCC.

RESULTS

According to experimental results, we found out upregulated LINC00467 improved cell proliferation, but hindered cell apoptosis. In mechanism, miR-485-5p was predicted, screened out, and validated to combine with LINC00467, which displayed lower expression in ESCC. Additionally, miR-485-5p negatively regulated and directly targeted DPAGT1. Rescue assays suggested that DPAGT1 amplification was able to recover the influence of LINC00467 deficiency on cell proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of LINC00467 suppressed tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

We proved that LINC00467 acted as an oncogene in ESCC by accelerating cell proliferation and preventing cell apoptosis via miR-485-5p/DPAGT1 axis. This may provide a potential diagnostic marker for ESCC treatment.

MicroRNA signature in liver cancer

Liver cancer is the 7^th utmost frequent neoplasm and the 4^th principal source of cancer deaths. This malignancy is linked with several environmental and lifestyle-related factors emphasizing the role of epigenetics in its pathogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been regarded as potent epigenetic mechanisms partaking in the pathogenesis of liver cancer. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been related with poor outcome of patients with liver cancer. In the current manuscript, we provide a concise review of the results of recent studies about the role of miRNAs in the progression of liver cancer and their diagnostic and prognostic utility.

Cancer-associated fibroblast-derived exosomal microRNA-24-3p enhances colon cancer cell resistance to MTX by down-regulating CDX2/HEPH axis

MicroRNA‐24‐3p (miR‐24‐3p) has been implicated as a key promoter of chemotherapy resistance in numerous cancers. Meanwhile, cancer‐associated fibroblasts (CAFs) can secret exosomes to transfer miRNAs, which mediate tumour development. However, little is known regarding the molecular mechanism of CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p in colon cancer (CC). Hence, this study intended to characterize the functional relevance of CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p in CC cell resistance to methotrexate (MTX). We identified differentially expressed HEPH, CDX2 and miR‐24‐3p in CC through bioinformatics analyses, and validated their expression in CC tissues and cells. The relationship among HEPH, CDX2 and miR‐24‐3p was verified using ChIP and dual‐luciferase reporter gene assays. Exosomes were isolated from miR‐24‐3p inhibitor–treated CAFs (CAFs‐exo/miR‐24‐3p inhibitor), which were used in combination with gain‐of‐function and loss‐of‐function experiments and MTX treatment. CCK‐8, flow cytometry and colony formation assays were conducted to determine cell viability, apoptosis and colony formation, respectively. Based on the findings, CC tissues and cells presented with high expression of miR‐24‐3p and low expression of HEPH and CDX2. CDX2 was a target gene of miR‐24‐3p and could up‐regulate HEPH. Under MTX treatment, overexpressed CDX2 or HEPH and down‐regulated miR‐24‐3p reduced cell viability and colony formation and elevated cell apoptosis. Furthermore, miR‐24‐3p was transferred into CC cells via CAF‐derived exosomes. CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p inhibitor diminished cell viability and colony formation and increased cell apoptosis in vitro and inhibited tumour growth in vivo under MTX treatment. Altogether, CAF‐derived exosomal miR‐24‐3p accelerated resistance of CC cells to MTX by down‐regulating CDX2/HEPH axis.

Identification of a Six-Gene Signature for Predicting the Overall Survival of Cervical Cancer Patients

Background

Although the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased in recent decades with the development of human papillomavirus vaccines and cancer screening, cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Identifying potential biomarkers for cervical cancer treatment and prognosis prediction is necessary.

Methods

Samples with mRNA sequencing, copy number variant, single nucleotide polymorphism and clinical follow-up data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and randomly divided into a training dataset (N=146) and a test dataset (N=147). We selected and identified a prognostic gene set and mutated gene set and then integrated the two gene sets with the random survival forest algorithm and constructed a prognostic signature. External validation and immunohistochemical staining were also performed.

Results

We obtained 1416 differentially expressed prognosis-related genes, 624 genes with copy number amplification, 1038 genes with copy number deletion, and 163 significantly mutated genes. A total of 75 candidate genes were obtained after overlapping the differentially expressed genes and the genes with genomic variations. Subsequently, we obtained six characteristic genes through the random survival forest algorithm. The results showed that high expression of SLC19A3, FURIN, SLC22A3, and DPAGT1 and low expression of CCL17 and DES were associated with a poor prognosis in cervical cancer patients. We constructed a six-gene signature that can separate cervical cancer patients according to their different overall survival rates, and it showed robust performance for predicting survival (training set: p ˂ 0.001, AUC = 0.82; testing set: p ˂ 0.01, AUC = 0.59).

Conclusion

Our study identified a novel six-gene signature and nomogram for predicting the overall survival of cervical cancer patients, which may be beneficial for clinical decision-making for individualized treatment.

MiR-325-3p mediate the CXCL17/CXCR8 axis to regulate angiogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma

INTRODUCTION

MicroRNA-325-3p (miR-325-3p) is involved in the progression of a great number of tumors. However, the regulatory mechanism of miR-325-3p on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

AIM

In this paper, we aim to investigate the underlying mechanism by which miR-325-3p regulate the progression of HCC.

METHODS

RT-qPCR was performed to detect the levels of miR-325-3p, CXCL17, and CXCR8. Western bolt was conducted to determine the levels of pro-angiogenic factors VEGF, FGF2, Ang-1 and PDGF-B. Immunohistochemistry was carried to detect the distribution and expression of Ki-67 and CD34 in HCC tissues. MTT and colony formation were carried to evaluate cell proliferation, endothelial tube-formation assay was used detect tubule formation, and transwell assay was performed to evaluate cell migration and invasion ability. Dual-luciferase activity assay was used to verify the relationship between miR-325-3p and CXCL17.

RESULTS

MiR-325-3p was down-regulated in HCC cells and tissues, miR-325-3p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Besides, miR-325-3p overexpression inhibited angiogenesis of HCC. CXCL17 is a direct target of miR-325-3p and partially mediates the effect of miR-325-3p on proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of HCC.

CONCLUSION

MiR-325-3p regulated angiogenesis of HCC via mediating CXCL17/CXCR8 axis, indicating miR-325-3p may serve as a promising therapy biomarker for HCC.

SNHG6 Interacted with miR-325-3p to Regulate Cisplatin Resistance of Gastric Cancer by Targeting GITR

Background

Cisplatin resistance results in the failure of platinum-based chemotherapy and relapse of gastric cancer. We aimed to investigate the potential regulating role of SNHG6/miR-325-3p/GITR in reversing cisplatin resistance.

Patients and Methods

A total of 137 gastric cancer patients were recruited. qRT-PCR and ELISA were used to test the expression of target genes. CCK-8 and caspase 3/7 kit were used to test the cell viability and apoptosis rate. Dual luciferase reporter gene and RNA-pull down assay were used to investigate the potential interaction between target genes.

Results

SNHG6 and GITR were up regulated in gastric cancer; however, miR-325-3p was down-regulated. Besides, SNHG6, miR-325-3p and GITR expression were associated with gastric cancer prognosis. Then, we found that GITR and SNHG6 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of MKN45 and MKN45 cisplatin resistance cell line; however, miR-325-3p inhibited proliferation and promoted apoptosis of these cell lines. Furthermore, SNHG6 might bind to miR-325-3p to regulate its expression, and miR-325-3p directly interacted with the 3`UTR of GITR.

Conclusion

SNHG6 binds to miR-325-3p, which directly interacted with GITR to regulate cisplatin resistance of gastric cancer.

miR-325-3p Protects Neurons from Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation and Reoxygenation Injury via Inhibition of RIP3

OBJECTIVE

Recent reports have corroborated that micro-RNAs (miRs) are related to the pathological changes of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CIR) induced injury. This work aimed to unearth the role and potential mechanism of miR-325-3p in regulating neuronal survival in CIR injury.

METHODS

To conduct this investigation, we established an in vitro model of CIR injury by subjecting neurons to oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R). Gain and loss of function of miR-325-3p and receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3 (RIP3) in neurons were performed to observe its effect on cell apoptosis and the release of lactate dehydrogenase. The levels of miR-325-3p and RIP3 in neurons were detected by qRT-PCR. Western blot was employed to inspect the levels of caspase3, Bax, and Bcl-2, as well as p38 and JNK phosphorylation. The relationship between miR-325-3p and RIP3 was detected by TargetScan and validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Firstly, miR-325-3p expression was obviously downregulated while RIP3 expression was upregulated in neurons following OGD/R treatment. Overexpressed miR-325-3p or downexpressed RIP3 ameliorated OGD/R-induced neuronal injury. Besides, RIP3 was a direct target mRNA of miR-325-3p. Additionally, Western blot revealed the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was involved in the regulation of miR-325-3p on OGD/R-induced neuronal injury. Furthermore, miR-325-3p was verified to hinder OGD/R-induced neuronal injury through downregulating RIP3.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that miR-325-3p targets RIP3 to inactivate the MAPK pathway, thereby protecting neurons against OGD/R-induced injury.

The Underlying Mechanisms of Noncoding RNAs in the Chemoresistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal human malignancies. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, can improve the outcomes of HCC patients. Nevertheless, chemoresistance has become a major hurdle in the effective treatment of HCC. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including mircoRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been demonstrated to participate in the onset and progression of HCC. Moreover, multiple lines of evidence have indicated that ncRNAs also play a pivotal role in HCC drug resistance. ncRNAs can regulate drug efflux and metabolism, glucose metabolism, cellular death pathways, and malignant characteristics in HCC. A deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for ncRNA-mediated drug resistance in HCC will provide new opportunities for improving the treatment of HCC. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the molecular mechanisms by which ncRNAs regulate HCC chemoresistance, as well as their potential clinical implications in overcoming HCC chemoresistance.