Has-miR-30a regulates autophagic activity in cervical cancer upon hydroxycamptothecin exposure

Riddling Substitution of "hsa" to "has" in the Enigmatic MicroRNA Nomenclature

This concise review and analysis offers an initial unpacking of a previously under-recognized issue within the microRNA research and communications field regarding the inadvertent use of "has" instead of "hsa" in article titles in the microRNA nomenclature. This subtle change, often the result of grammar auto correction tools, introduces considerable ambiguity and confusion among readers and researchers in reporting of microRNA-related discoveries. The impact of this issue cannot be underestimated, as precise and consistent nomenclature is vital for science communication and computational retrieval of relevant scientific literature and to advance science and innovation. We suggest that the recognition and correction of these often inadvertent "hsa" to "has" substitution errors are timely and important so as to ensure a higher level of accuracy throughout the writing and publication process in the microRNA field in particular. Doing so will also contribute to clarity and consistency in the field of microRNA research, ultimately improving scientific veracity, communication, and progress.

The Roles of Autophagy-related miRNAs in Gynecologic Tumors: A Review of Current Knowledge for Possible Targeted Therapy

Gynecological cancers are the leading cause of malignancy-related death and disability in the world. These cancers are diagnosed at end stages, and unfortunately, the standard therapeutic strategies available for the treatment of affected women [including chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery] are not safe and effective enough. Moreover, the unwanted side-effects lowering the patients' life quality is another problem for these therapies. Therefore, researchers should search for better alternative/complementary treatments. The involvement of autophagy in the pathogenesis of various cancers has been demonstrated. Recently, a novel crosstalk between microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs with important regulatory functions, and autophagy machinery has been highlighted. In this review, we indicate the importance of this interaction for targeted therapy in the treatment of cancers including gynecological cancers, with a focus on underlying mechanisms.

Regulatory miRNAs in cancer cell recovery from therapy exposure and its implications as a novel therapeutic strategy for preventing disease recurrence

The desired outcome of cancer therapies is the eradication of disease. This can be achieved when therapy exposure leads to therapy-induced cancer cell death as the dominant outcome. Theoretically, a permanent therapy-induced growth arrest could also contribute to a complete response, which has the potential to lead to remission. However, preclinical models have shown that therapy-induced growth arrest is not always durable, as recovering cancer cell populations can contribute to the recurrence of cancer. Significant research efforts have been expended to develop strategies focusing on the prevention of recurrence. Recovery of cells from therapy exposure can occur as a result of several cell stress adaptations. These include cytoprotective autophagy, cellular quiescence, a reversable form of senescence, and the suppression of apoptosis and necroptosis. It is well documented that microRNAs regulate the response of cancer cells to anti-cancer therapies, making targeting microRNAs therapeutically a viable strategy to sensitization and the prevention of recovery. We propose that the use of microRNA-targeting therapies in prolonged sequence, that is, a significant period after initial therapy exposure, could reduce toxicity from the standard combination strategy, and could exploit new epigenetic states essential for cancer cells to recover from therapy exposure. In a step toward supporting this strategy, we survey the available scientific literature to identify microRNAs which could be targeted in sequence to eliminate residual cancer cell populations that were arrested as a result of therapy exposure. It is our hope that by successfully identifying microRNAs which could be targeted in sequence we can prevent disease recurrence.

Novel 2-Amino-1,4-Naphthoquinone Derivatives Induce A549 Cell Death through Autophagy

A series of 1,4-naphthoquinone derivatives containing were synthesized as anti-cancer agents and the crystal structure of compound 5a was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. In addition, the inhibitory activities against four cancer cell lines (HepG2, A549, K562, and PC-3) were tested, respectively, and compound 5i showed significant cytotoxicity on the A549 cell line with the IC₅₀ of 6.15 μM. Surprisingly, in the following preliminary biological experiments, we found that compound 5i induced autophagy by promoting the recycling of EGFR and signal transduction in the A549 cell, resulting in the activation of the EGFR signal pathway. The potential binding pattern between compound 5i and EGFR tyrosine kinase (PDB ID: 1M17) was also identified by molecular docking. Our research paves the way for further studies and the development of novel and powerful anti-cancer drugs.

Integrating Expression Data-Based Deep Neural Network Models with Biological Networks to Identify Regulatory Modules for Lung Adenocarcinoma

Simple Summary

The growing evidence suggested that competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have significant associations with tumor occurrence and progression, yet the regulatory mechanism of them in lung adenocarcinoma remains unclear. Identification of the regulatory modules for lung adenocarcinoma is a critical and fundamental step towards understanding the regulatory mechanisms during carcinogenesis. Deep neural network (DNN) models have become a powerful tool to intelligently recognize the sophisticated relationships of ceRNAs appropriately. In this paper, multiple deep neural network models were constructed using the expression data to identify regulatory modules for lung adenocarcinoma in biological networks. Three identified regulatory modules association with lung adenocarcinoma were validated from three aspects, i.e., literature review, functional enrichment analysis, and an independent dataset. The regulatory relationships between RNAs were validated in various datasets, including CPTAC, TCGA and an expression profile from the GEO database. Our study will contribute to improving the understanding of regulatory mechanisms in the carcinogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma and provide schemes for identifying novel regulatory modules of other cancers.

Abstract

Lung adenocarcinoma is the most common type of primary lung cancer, but the regulatory mechanisms during carcinogenesis remain unclear. The identification of regulatory modules for lung adenocarcinoma has become one of the hotspots of bioinformatics. In this paper, multiple deep neural network (DNN) models were constructed using the expression data to identify regulatory modules for lung adenocarcinoma in biological networks. First, the mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs with significant differences in the expression levels between tumor and non-tumor tissues were obtained. MRNA DNN models were established and optimized to mine candidate mRNAs that significantly contributed to the DNN models and were in the center of an interaction network. Another DNN model was then constructed and potential ceRNAs were screened out based on the contribution of each RNA to the model. Finally, three modules comprised of miRNAs and their regulated mRNAs and lncRNAs with the same regulation direction were identified as regulatory modules that regulated the initiation of lung adenocarcinoma through ceRNAs relationships. They were validated by literature and functional enrichment analysis. The effectiveness of these regulatory modules was evaluated in an independent lung adenocarcinoma dataset. Regulatory modules for lung adenocarcinoma identified in this study provided a reference for regulatory mechanisms during carcinogenesis.

The Autophagy Process in Cervical Carcinogenesis: Role of Non-Coding-RNAs, Molecular Mechanisms, and Therapeutic Targets

Autophagy is a highly conserved multistep lysosomal degradation process in which cellular components are localized to autophagosomes, which subsequently fuse with lysosomes to degrade the sequestered contents. Autophagy serves to maintain cellular homeostasis. There is a close relationship between autophagy and tumor progression, which provides opportunities for the development of anticancer therapeutics that target the autophagy pathway. In this review, we analyze the effects of human papillomavirus (HPV) E5, E6, and E7 oncoproteins on autophagy processes in cervical cancer development. Inhibition of the expression or the activity of E5, E6, and E7 can induce autophagy in cells expressing HPV oncogenes. Thus, E5, E6, and E7 oncoproteins target autophagy during HPV-associated carcinogenesis. Furthermore, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) expression profiling in cervical cancer has allowed the identification of autophagy-related ncRNAs associated with HPV. Autophagy-related genes are essential drivers of autophagy and are regulated by ncRNAs. We review the existing evidence regarding the role of autophagy-related proteins, the function of HPV E5, E6, and E7 oncoproteins, and the effects of noncoding RNA on autophagy regulation in the setting of cervical carcinogenesis. By characterizing the mechanisms behind the dysregulation of these critical factors and their impact on host cell autophagy, we advance understanding of the relationship between autophagy and progression from HPV infection to cervical cancer, and highlight pathways that can be targeted in preventive and therapeutic strategies against cervical cancer.

Identification of autophagy-associated miRNA signature for the cervical squamous cell cancer and high-grade cervical intraepithelial lesions

Cervical cancer markedly threatens women's health worldwide and currently ranks fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in women according to recent global cancer statistics. Recent advances have proven that not only tumor suppressor and oncogenes but also non-coding RNAs including micro RNAs (miRNAs) have significant impact in the development and progression of cervical cancers. Previous studies have identified many cancer-specific miRNAs for the early detection of cervical cancers. However, the diagnostic and prognostic use of autophagy-associated miRNAs for the cervical squamous cell cancer (SCC) cases and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) have not been uncovered. In the present study, we revealed that miRNAs are differentially expressed in both cervical SCC and HSIL. A total of 35 HSIL, 35 cervical SCC and 30 healthy controls were enrolled for the present study. Total RNA including miRNAs were isolated from the FFPE tissue samples and miRNA expression levels were quantified by quantitative PCR. Predicted miRNA targets of autophagy related genes were determined using miRNA-target prediction algorithms. MiR-143, miR-372, miR-375 and miR-30c were markedly downregulated in HSIL and cervical SCC. MiR-130a was significantly upregulated in the cervical SCC group compared to HSIL and control groups. MiR-30a, miR-520e, miR-548c and miR-372 were significantly associated with the overall survival of cervical SCC patients and these miRNAs were determined to be significant diagnostic markers as revealed by ROC analysis. Together, these results indicate that autophagy-associated miRNAs are potentially valuable for the differential diagnosis and targeted therapy to cervical cancer.

Comprehensive analysis of ceRNA networks in HPV16- and HPV18-mediated cervical cancers reveals XIST as a pivotal competing endogenous RNA

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide, being closely related to high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPVs). After a particular HR-HPV infects a cervical cell, transcriptional changes in the host cell are expected, including the regulation of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs. Such transcripts may work independently or integrated in complex molecular networks - as in competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks. In our research, we gathered transcriptome data from samples of HPV16/HPV18 cervical squamous cell carcinoma and endocervical adenocarcinoma (CESC), from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. Using GDCRNATools, we identified ceRNA networks that differentiate HPV16- from HPV18-mediated CESC. For HPV16-CESC, three lncRNA-mRNA co-expressed pairs were reported, all led by the X-inactive specific transcript (XIST): XIST | DLG5, XIST | LGR4, and XIST | ZNF81. The XIST | LGR4 and XIST | ZNF81 pairs shared 11 miRNAs, suggesting an increased impact on their final biological effect. XIST also stood out as an important lncRNA in HPV18-CESC, leading 35 of the 42 co-expressed pairs. Some mRNAs, such as ADAM9 and SLC38A2, emerged as important players in the ceRNA regulatory networks due to sharing a considerable amount of miRNAs with XIST. Furthermore, some XIST-associated axes, namely XIST | miR-23a-3p | LGR4 and XIST | miR-30b-5p or miR-30c-5p or miR-30e-5p I ADAM9, had a significant impact on the overall survival of HPV16- and HPV18-CESC patients, respectively. Together, these data suggest that XIST has an important role in HPV-mediated tumorigenesis, which may implicate different molecular signatures between HPV16 and HPV18-associated tumors.

MicroRNA-30a targets BECLIN-1 to inactivate autophagy and sensitizes gastrointestinal stromal tumor cells to imatinib

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), the most widespread type of sarcoma, contain driver gene mutations predominantly of receptor tyrosine kinase and platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha. However, the inevitable development of resistance to imatinib (IM) cannot be fully attributed to secondary driver gene mutations. In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-30a in sensitization of GIST cells to IM in vivo and in vitro. Higher levels of miR-30a were detected in GIST-T1 cells, which were more sensitive to IM than GIST-882 cells. IM treatment also reduced miR-30a levels, indicating the possible role of miR-30a in GIST IM resistance. Subsequently, miR-30a was confirmed to be an IM sensitizer via a mechanism that was attributed to its involvement in the regulation of cell autophagy. The interaction of miR-30a and autophagy in IM treated GIST cells was found to be linked by beclin-1. Beclin-1 knockdown increased IM sensitivity in GIST cell lines. Finally, miR-30a was confirmed to enhance IM sensitivity of GIST cells in mouse tumor models. Our study provides evidence for the possible role of miR-30a in the emergence of secondary IM resistance in GIST patients, indicating a promising target for overcoming this chemoresistance.

Mitochondria and nucleus delivery of active form of 10-hydroxycamptothecin with dual shell to precisely treat colorectal cancer

AIM

The objective of this study was to deliver a ring-closed form of 10-hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) to the mitochondria and nucleus to treat colorectal cancer.

MATERIALS & METHODS

HCPT-loaded nanoparticle HCPT@PLGA-PEG_2k-triphenylphosphonium/PLGA-hyd-PEG_4k-folic acid (PT/PHF) and HCPT@PT/PLGA-SS-PEG_4k-folic acid (PSF) were prepared by using emulsion-solvent evaporation method.

RESULTS

In vitro experimental results indicated HCPT@PT/PHF and HCPT@PT/PSF maintained a large amount of HCPT in active form, and delivered more HCPT to the nucleus and mitochondria of the tumor cell, which resulted in the enhancement of cytotoxicity of HCPT. In vivo experimental results indicated that HCPT@PT/PHF and HCPT@PT/PSF delivered more ring-closed form of HCPT to tumor tissue, which led to strong antitumor activity.

CONCLUSION

HCPT@PT/PHF and HCPT@PT/PSF could enhance therapeutic efficacy of HCPT to colorectal cancer.

microRNAs: New prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is as a kind of cancer beginning from the cervix. Given that cervical cancer could be observed in women who infected with papillomavirus, regular oral contraceptives, and multiple pregnancies. Early detection of cervical cancer is one of the most important aspects of the therapy of this malignancy. Despite several efforts, finding and developing new biomarkers for cervical cancer diagnosis are required. Among various prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers, miRNA have been emerged as powerful biomarkers for detection, treatment, and monitoring of response to therapy in cervical cancer. Here, we summarized various miRNAs as an employable platform for prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in the treatment of cervical cancer.

MiR-30a: A Novel Biomarker and Potential Therapeutic Target for Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, highly conserved noncoding RNAs molecules, consisting of 18–25 nucleotides that regulate gene expression by binding to complementary binding sites within the 3′untranslated region (3′UTR) of target mRNAs. MiRNAs have been involved in regulating gene expression and diverse physiological and pathological processes. Several studies have reported that miR-30a, situated on chromosome 6q.13, is produced by an intronic transcriptional unit. Moreover, miR-30a has demonstrated its role in biological processes, including inhibiting proliferation and metastasis in many tumors, autophagy in chronic myelogenous leukemia, and regulating TGF-b1-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, based on the pathogenetic relationship between miR-30a and cancer in tumorigenesis, we believe that miR-30a may serve as tumor promising biomarker. Moreover, it would offer a therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer.

Hydroxycamptothecin mediates antiproliferative effects through apoptosis and autophagy in A549 cells

Hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) represents a new generation of anticancer drugs, with almost no side effects when used for the treatment of a number of types of cancer. Autophagy is becoming recognized as an important biological mechanism in human cancer, including lung cancer. However, the involvement of autophagy in the antiproliferative effects of HCPT on lung cancer remains unclear. In the present study, A549 cells, an accepted model of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, were employed. It was demonstrated that HCPT was able to suppress proliferation and induce apoptosis and autophagy in A549 cells. The molecular mechanism underlying HCPT-induced cell death was attributed to apoptosis and autophagy. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that an autophagy inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, accelerated HCPT-induced cell death in A549 cells. The results of the present study may lead to a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism by which HCPT regulates NSCLC A549 cells. These results highlight the potential use of autophagy inhibitors in combination with traditional chemotherapy drugs for the treatment of lung cancer.

MiR-30a inhibits BECN1-mediated autophagy in diabetic cataract

Purpose

To investigate the role of microRNAs in the regulation of autophagy and apoptosis in lens epithelial cells (LECs) during diabetic cataract formation.

Methods

A miRNA microarray study and quantitative real-time PCR were performed to identify the expression of miRNAs in LECs of diabetic cataract. Human LECs were cultured in high glucose conditions as a diabetic cataract model. BECN1 and LC3B were detected by Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR. The extent of apoptosis was measured using FACSCalibur flow cytometry.

Results

Downregulation of miR-30a was identified in LECs attached to diabetic cataract tissues. By the bioinformatic assay and the luciferase activity assay, BECN1 was found to be a direct target of miR-30a. MiR-30a reduced the BECN1-mediated autophagy activity induced by high glucose in LECs in vitro. The ratio of LECs apoptosis was also decreased.

Conclusion

MiR-30a was involved in the inhibition of autophagy by targeting BECN1 in LECs in human diabetic cataract.

MicroRNAs play big roles in modulating macrophages response toward mycobacteria infection

Macrophages are crucial player in the defense against multiple intracellular pathogens. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis which inflicted around one third of global population, can replicate and persist within macrophages. MicroRNAs, endogenous, small noncoding RNA, can regulate the expression of macrophages genes required for appropriate signaling. Mycobacteria can manipulate the expression of macrophages microRNAs to subvert cell response for its survival and persistence. This review summarized the progress of microRNAs in mycobacterial pathogenesis.