Up-regulation of microRNA-496 suppresses proliferation, invasion, migration and in vivo tumorigenicity of human osteosarcoma cells by targeting eIF4E

Plasma microRNA Profiling in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Pilot Study

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a chronic metabolic disease characterized by insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction and leading to many micro- and macrovascular complications. In this study we analyzed the circulating miRNA expression profiles in plasma samples from 44 patients with T2D and 22 healthy individuals using next generation sequencing and detected 229 differentially expressed miRNAs. An increased level of miR-5588-5p, miR-125b-2-3p, miR-1284, and a reduced level of miR-496 in T2D patients was verified. We also compared the expression landscapes in the same group of patients depending on body mass index and identified differential expression of miR-144-3p and miR-99a-5p in obese individuals. Identification and functional analysis of putative target genes was performed for miR-5588-5p, miR-125b-2-3p, miR-1284, and miR-496, showing chromatin modifying enzymes and apoptotic genes being among the significantly enriched pathways.

Functional Role of RBP in Osteosarcoma: Regulatory Mechanism and Clinical Therapy

Malignant bone neoplasms can be represented by osteosarcoma (OS), which accounts for 36% of all sarcomas. To reduce tumor malignancy, extensive efforts have been devoted to find an ideal target from numerous candidates, among which RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) have shown their unparalleled competitiveness. With the special structure of RNA-binding domains, RBPs have the potential to establish relationships with RNAs or small molecules and are considered regulators of different sections of RNA processes, including splicing, transport, translation, and degradation of RNAs. RBPs have considerable significant roles in various cancers, and experiments revealed that there was a strong association of RBPs with tumorigenesis and tumor cell progression. Regarding OS, RBPs are a new orientation, but achievements in hand are noteworthy. Higher or lower expression of RBPs was first found in tumor cells compared to normal tissue. By binding to different molecules, RBPs are capable of influencing tumor cell phenotypes through different signaling pathways or other axes, and researches on medical treatment have been largely inspired. Exploring the prognostic and therapeutic values of RBPs in OS is a hotspot where diverse avenues on regulating RBPs have achieved dramatical effects. In this review, we briefly summarize the contribution of RBPs and their binding molecules to OS oncogenicity and generally introduce distinctive RBPs as samples. Moreover, we focus on the attempts to differentiate RBP's opposite functions in predicting prognosis and collect possible strategies for treatment. Our review provides forwards insight into improving the understanding of OS and suggests RBPs as potential biomarkers for therapies.

Signal Pathways and microRNAs in Osteosarcoma Growth and the Dual Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Oncogenesis

The major challenges in Osteosarcoma (OS) therapy are its heterogeneity and drug resistance. The development of new therapeutic approaches to overcome the major growth mechanisms of OS is urgently needed. The search for specific molecular targets and promising innovative approaches in OS therapy, including drug delivery methods, is an urgent problem. Modern regenerative medicine focuses on harnessing the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because they have low immunogenicity. MSCs are important cells that have received considerable attention in cancer research. Currently, new cell-based methods for using MSCs in medicine are being actively investigated and tested, especially as carriers for chemotherapeutics, nanoparticles, and photosensitizers. However, despite the inexhaustible regenerative potential and known anticancer properties of MSCs, they may trigger the development and progression of bone tumors. A better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of OS pathogenesis is essential to identify novel molecular effectors involved in oncogenesis. The current review focuses on signaling pathways and miRNAs involved in the development of OS and describes the role of MSCs in oncogenesis and their potential for antitumor cell-based therapy.

Osteosarcoma and Metastasis

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in adolescents. Its high propensity to metastasize is the leading cause for treatment failure and poor prognosis. Although the research of osteosarcoma has greatly expanded in the past decades, the knowledge and new therapy strategies targeting metastatic progression remain sparse. The prognosis of patients with metastasis is still unsatisfactory. There is resonating urgency for a thorough and deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying osteosarcoma to develop innovative therapies targeting metastasis. Toward the goal of elaborating the characteristics and biological behavior of metastatic osteosarcoma, it is essential to combine the diverse investigations that are performed at molecular, cellular, and animal levels from basic research to clinical translation spanning chemical, physical sciences, and biology. This review focuses on the metastatic process, regulatory networks involving key molecules and signaling pathways, the role of microenvironment, osteoclast, angiogenesis, metabolism, immunity, and noncoding RNAs in osteosarcoma metastasis. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of current research advances, with the hope to discovery druggable targets and promising therapy strategies for osteosarcoma metastasis and thus to overcome this clinical impasse.

Eukaryotic initiating factor eIF4E is targeted by EBV-encoded miR-BART11-3p and regulates cell cycle and apoptosis in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma

The eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) is a component of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4F, a significant complex in the protein translation process. It has been found to be closely related to many human tumors, such as gastric carcinoma. It is known that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) upregulates eIF4E in various ways in nasopharyngeal carcinoma. However, there are very few studies on eIF4E in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma. We found that the expression level of eIF4E in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma was lower than other types of gastric carcinoma, and the downregulation of eIF4E could lead to increased apoptosis of gastric carcinoma cells, retardation at S phase, and decreased cell migration. The dual luciferase reporter experiment showed that EBV-miR-BART11-3p could directly target the 3'-UTR region of eIF4E, and BART11-3p is the key factor leading to the downregulation of eIF4E. It could provide a new evidence for EBV-regulating host gene to affect the development of gastric carcinoma.

Serum long non‑coding RNA NNT‑AS1 protected by exosome is a potential biomarker and functions as an oncogene via the miR‑496/RAP2C axis in colorectal cancer

Increasing evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) serve an essential role in carcinogenesis and cancer development. It has been reported that lncRNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase antisense RNA 1 (NNT-AS1) serves a crucial role in several types of cancer. However, the clinical significance of circulating NNT-AS1 expression in colorectal cancer (CRC) remains to be elucidated. The current study aimed to investigate the potential role of NNT-AS1 and the clinical significance of its serum expression levels in patients with CRC. The expression of NNT-AS1 was measured in 40 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissues from patients with CRC via reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The serum expression levels of NNT-AS1 were assayed in an independent cohort of healthy controls and patients with CRC. The levels of NNT-AS1 were also compared between paired preoperative and postoperative serum samples. In addition, the presence of exosomal NNT-AS1 in serum was explored. Furthermore, the biological roles of NNT-AS1 were investigated in CRC cells in vitro. The expression of NNT-AS1 was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues (P<0.05). A higher level of NNT-AS1 was associated with an advanced CRC stage. The serum levels of NNT-AS1 were significantly upregulated in patients with CRC compared with healthy subjects (P<0.05). Furthermore, the NNT-AS1 levels were significantly decreased in postoperative samples compared with preoperative samples (P<0.01). In addition, it was also identified that NNT-AS1 was upregulated in CRC exosomes (P<0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed in NNT-AS1 levels between serum and exosomes. Silencing of NNT-AS1 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells. It was also identified that NNT-AS1 exerted its effects via regulation of the microRNA-496/Ras-related protein Rap-2c axis. The present study demonstrated that circulating NNT-AS1, which may be protected by exosomes, could be a novel potential biomarker and therapeutic target in CRC.

NNT-AS1 modulates prostate cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration through miR-496/DDIT4 axis

Background

Emerging studies have disclosed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as pivotal modulators in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). Current research planned to figure out the involvement of lncRNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase antisense RNA 1 (NNT-AS1) in PCa.

Methods

RNA expression was examined using RT-qPCR in PCa cells. Functional assays assessed the viability, proliferation, apoptosis and migration of PCa cells. RNA pull down and luciferase reporter experiments detected the interplay between miRNA and lncRNA or mRNA.

Results

NNT-AS1 was apparently upregulated in PCa cells. NNT-AS1 deficiency abrogated PCa cell viability, proliferation and migration but promoted apoptosis. Besides, miR-496 could be sequestered by NNT-AS1 to elevate the expression of DNA damage inducible transcript 4 (DDIT4) in PCa. Rescue assays indicated that overexpressed DDIT4 or restrained miR-496 could reverse the influence of NNT-AS1 depletion on malignant processes in PCa cells.

Conclusion

NNT-AS1 contributes to the malignant phenotypes of PCa cells through targeting miR-496 to boost DDIT4 expression.

Identification of potential crucial genes and key pathways in osteosarcoma

Background

The aim of this study is to identify the potential pathogenic and metastasis-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in osteosarcoma through bioinformatic analysis of Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

Results

Gene expression profiles of GSE14359, GSE16088, and GSE33383, in total 112 osteosarcoma tissue samples and 7 osteoblasts, were analyzed. Seventy-four normal-primary DEGs (NPDEGs) and 764 primary-metastatic DEGs (PMDEGs) were screened. VAMP8, A2M, HLA-DRA, SPARCL1, HLA-DQA1, APOC1 and AQP1 were identified continuously upregulating during the oncogenesis and metastasis of osteosarcoma. The enriched functions and pathways of NPDEGs include procession and presentation of antigens, activation of MHC class II receptors and phagocytosis. The enriched functions and pathways of PMDEGs include mitotic nuclear division, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and focal adhesion. With protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analyzed by Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plug-in of Cytoscape software, one hub NPDEG (HLA-DRA) and 7 hub PMDEGs (CDK1, CDK20, CCNB1, MTIF2, MRPS7, VEGFA and EGF) were eventually selected, and the most significant pathways in NPDEGs module and PMDEGs module were enriched in the procession and presentation of exogenous peptide antigen via MHC class II and the nuclear division, respectively.

Conclusions

By integrated bioinformatic analysis, numerous DEGs related to osteosarcoma were screened, and the hub DEGs identified in this study are possibly part of the potential biomarkers for osteosarcoma. However, further experimental studies are still necessary to elucidate the biological function and mechanism of these genes.

LINC00689 promotes prostate cancer progression via regulating miR-496/CTNNB1 to activate Wnt pathway

Background

Accumulating evidence has proved the significant influence of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer formation and development, including PCa.

Methods

The role of LINC00689 in PCa was confirmed by RT-qPCR, MTT, colony formation, flow cytometry, western blot and transwell assays. Besides, the binding ability between LINC00689 and miR-496 was validated by using luciferase reporter assay. Then RT-qPCR, RIP and luciferase reporter and western blot assays were employed to verify the interactions among LINC00689, miR-496 and CTNNB1. Furthermore, the rescuing role of CTNNB1 in Wnt pathway was proved by RT-qPCR, TOP/FOP Flash and western blot assays.

Results

LINC00689 was upregulated in PCa tissues and cells as well as at the terminal stage. Further, knock down of LINC00689 repressed PCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and initiated PCa cell apoptosis. Additionally, miR-496 inhibitor and pcDNA3.1/CTNNB1 could neutralize the prohibitive effects of LINC00689 silencing on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, meanwhile, could offset the encouraging role of knocking down LINC00689 in cell apoptosis. Moreover, CTNNB1 upregulation exerted redemptive function in Wnt pathway inhibited by LINC00689 depletion.

Conclusions

To sum up, LINC00689 promotes PCa progression via regulating miR-496/CTNNB1 to activate Wnt pathway, which may contribute to research about new targets for PCa treatment.

Down-regulation of miR-10b represses cell vitality in osteosarcoma and is inversely associated with prognosis via interacting with FAM46C: Running title: MiR-10b/FAM46C axis modulates OS progression

The purpose of this exploration was to detect the biological effects of miR-10b/FAM46C pair on osteosarcoma (OS) development. By accessing to the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we achieved expressional profiles of miR-10b and FAM46C. Kaplan-Meier method was applied to determine the overall survival rates of OS patients. MiR-10b mimic/inhibitor were utilized to alter miR-10b expression. Overexpression of FAM46C was induced by pcDNA3.1-FAM46C. QRT-PCR and western blot were conducted to assess the expression levels. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays were employed to evaluate the proliferative, invasive and migratory properties of OS cells. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to confirm the association between miR-10b and FAM46C. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to determine the target of miR-10b. The overall survival of OS patients was inversely correlated with miR-10b expression. MiR-10b was increased in OS compared with normal controls. Depletion of miR-10b attenuated the proliferation, invasion and migration of MG-63 cells. FAM46C was considered as a target gene of miR-10b and inversely related with miR-10b. Overexpression of FAM46C could inhibit cell growth, invasion and migration in OS; furthermore, it also can enforced the miR-10b inhibitor-induced effects on cell behaviors of OS cells. Down-regulation of miR-10b played a suppressive effect on the cell activity in OS cells, which provides a novel insight into the advance of OS therapeutic therapies.

MicroRNA-496 suppresses tumor cell proliferation by targeting BDNF in osteosarcoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are integrally involved in biological and pathobiological development. Many studies have demonstrated the abnormal expression of microRNA-496 (miR-496) in various human malignant tumors. The present study was designed to investigate the functions and the underlying mechanisms of miR-496 in osteosarcoma (OS) progression. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to determine the expression of miR-496 in OS tissues and cell lines. Luciferase activity was used to confirm the interaction between miR-496 and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a downstream gene of miR-496. RT-qPCR was also used to quantify BDNF mRNA expression, and the BDNF protein expression level was detected by western blot analysis. In addition, the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) was used to detect cell viability. The results revealed that the level of miR-496 expression was significantly reduced in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines. BDNF was verified to be a direct target gene of miR-496 and was found to be negatively regulated by miR-496. Overall, it was demonstrated that miR-496 inhibits osteosarcoma cell proliferation via inhibition of BDNF. Thus, the miR-496/BDNF axis may be a novel strategy for the clinical treatment of OS.

Long noncoding RNA NNT-AS1 enhances the malignant phenotype of bladder cancer by acting as a competing endogenous RNA on microRNA-496 thereby increasing HMGB1 expression

The long noncoding RNA nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase antisense RNA 1 (NNT-AS1) is a key malignancy regulator in a variety of human cancers. In this study, we first measured the expression of NNT-AS1 in bladder cancer and examined its role in cancer progression. The mechanisms behind the oncogenic functions of NNT-AS1 in bladder cancer were explored. We found that NNT-AS1 was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. This increased expression demonstrated a significant correlation with advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and shorter overall survival. NNT-AS1 knockdown suppressed bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and facilitated apoptosis in vitro and hindered tumor growth in vivo. NNT-AS1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA for microRNA-496 (miR-496), and the suppressive effects of NNT-AS1 knockdown on malignant characteristics were abrogated by miR-496 silencing. HMGB1 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-496 in bladder cancer, and HMGB1 expression was enhanced by NNT-AS1 via sponging of miR-496. In conclusion, the NNT-AS1–miR-496–HMGB1 pathway plays a significant role in the aggressive behavior of bladder cancer and may lead to new NNT-AS1–based diagnostics and therapeutics.

miR-496 suppress tumorigenesis via targeting BDNF-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer

microRNA-496 (miR-496) was found expressed abnormally in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). But the study about the role of miR-496 on NSCLC was not satisfactory in date. Therefore, here we designed to explore the role of miR-496 and the probable internal mechanism in tumorigenesis of NSCLC. Increasing miR-496 both in NSCLC patients and cell lines could significantly restrained cell proliferation. For farther researching the regulation mechanism of miR-496 on NSCLC, we screen Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) as a potential target of miR-496 by bioinformatic methods and predicted a possible target of miR-496 in the 3'untranslated region (UTR) of miR-496. In clinical patients and most NSCLC cell lines including H1650, H292, H1944 and A549, increasing expression of miR-496 suppressed tumor growth via inactivating BDNF-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway activation. In a word, our fingdings first represent a mechanism of miR-496 on NSCLC tumor growth via inactivating BDNF-mediated PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.