LncRNA SNHG16 promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells by targeting miR-1301/BCL9 axis

Osteosarcoma in a ceRNET perspective

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most prevalent and fatal type of bone tumor. It is characterized by great heterogeneity of genomic aberrations, mutated genes, and cell types contribution, making therapy and patients management particularly challenging. A unifying picture of molecular mechanisms underlying the disease could help to transform those challenges into opportunities.This review deeply explores the occurrence in OS of large-scale RNA regulatory networks, denominated "competing endogenous RNA network" (ceRNET), wherein different RNA biotypes, such as long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs and mRNAs can functionally interact each other by competitively binding to shared microRNAs. Here, we discuss how the unbalancing of any network component can derail the entire circuit, driving OS onset and progression by impacting on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, tumor growth and metastasis, and even chemotherapeutic resistance, as distilled from many studies. Intriguingly, the aberrant expression of the networks components in OS cells can be triggered also by the surroundings, through cytokines and vesicles, with their bioactive cargo of proteins and non-coding RNAs, highlighting the relevance of tumor microenvironment. A comprehensive picture of RNA regulatory networks underlying OS could pave the way for the development of innovative RNA-targeted and RNA-based therapies and new diagnostic tools, also in the perspective of precision oncology.

LncRNA SNHG25 Predicts Poor Prognosis and Promotes Progression in Osteosarcoma via the miR-497-5p/SOX4 Axis

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is a disease that primarily affects adolescents with skeletal immaturity. LncRNAs are abnormally expressed and correlated with osteosarcoma patients' prognosis. We identified aberrant expression of LncRNA SNHG25 (small nucleolar RNA host gene 25) in osteosarcoma and analyzed the molecular mechanisms by which it regulates osteosarcoma progression.

METHODS

The expression levels of SNHG25 in tumour specimens and cells were measured by RTqPCR. Loss-of-function assays were conducted to investigate the functional role of SNHG25 in vitro and in vivo. Bioinformatic predictions, dual-luciferase reporter assays, and western blotting were performed to explore the possible underlying mechanisms.

RESULTS

SNHG25 was highly expressed in osteosarcoma cells and tissues. The Kaplan-Meier curve showed that the survival rate of patients with high SNHG25 expression was significantly lower than those with low SNHG25 expression. Functional studies have indicated that inhibition of SNHG25 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while promoting apoptosis. SNHG25 knockdown suppresses osteosarcoma tumour growth in vivo. SNHG25 functions as a sponge for miR-497-5p in osteosarcoma cells. The level of SNHG25 was negatively correlated with that of miR-497-5p. The proliferation, invasion, and migration of osteosarcoma cells were restored by transfection of the miR-497-5p inhibitor in the SNHG25 knockdown group.

CONCLUSION

SNHG25 was determined to function as an oncogene by promoting osteosarcoma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration through the miR-497-5p/SOX4 axis. Upregulation of SNHG25 expression indicated poor prognosis in patients with osteosarcoma, which showed that SNHG25 may serve as a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker in osteosarcoma.

In vitro Anti-malignant Property of PCMT1 Silencing and Identification of the SNHG16/miR-195/PCMT1 Regulatory Axis in Breast Cancer Cells

BACKGROUND

Protein L-isoaspartate (D-aspartate) O-methyltransferase (PCMT1) is a highly conserved protein repair enzyme that participates in regulating the progression of human cancers. We therefore studied the function and the related mechanisms of PCMT1 in breast cancer cells.

METHODS

Expression profile and prognostic analysis of PCMT1 in breast cancer patients were analyzed using online databases. PCMT1 expression in breast cancer cells was detected by western blot analysis. Cell proliferation was determined by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry analysis and caspase-3/7 activity assay. Cell invasion was assessed by Transwell invasion assay. The small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16)/miR-195/PCMT1 regulatory axis was identified using bioinformatics analysis.

RESULTS

PCMT1 expression was increased in breast cancer tissues and cells. High PCMT1 expression was correlated with poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. PCMT1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation and colony formation ability in breast cancer cells. Moreover, PCMT1 knockdown induced apoptosis and restrained the invasive ability in breast cancer cells. PCMT1 overexpression increased the proliferative and invasive abilities of breast cancer cells. miR-195 was identified as the unique upstream miRNA of PCMT1. SNHG16 was identified as the unique upstream lncRNA of miR-195. SNHG16 knockdown downregulated PCMT1 by increasing miR-195 expression. Breast cancer cell proliferation was regulated by the SNHG16/miR-195/PCMT1 axis.

CONCLUSION

PCMT1 silencing inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and induced apoptosis in breast cancer cells and the SNHG16/miR-195/PCMT1 regulatory axis might serve as a potential therapeutic target for breast cancer.

Modulation of immunosuppressive cells and noncoding RNAs as immunotherapy in osteosarcoma

The most common bone cancer is osteosarcoma (OS), which mostly affects children and teenagers. Early surgical resection combined with chemotherapy significantly improves the prognosis of patients with OS. Existing chemotherapies have poor efficacy in individuals with distant metastases or inoperable resection, and these patients may respond better to novel immunotherapies. Immune escape, which is mediated by immunosuppressive cells in the tumour microenvironment (TME), is a major cause of poor OS prognosis and a primary target of immunotherapy. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells, regulatory T cells, and tumour-associated macrophages are the main immunosuppressor cells, which can regulate tumorigenesis and growth on a variety of levels through the interaction in the TME. The proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of OS cells can all be impacted by the expression of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which can also influence how immunosuppressive cells work and support immune suppression in TME. Interferon, checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, and engineered chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) T cells for OS have all been developed using information from studies on the metabolic properties of immunosuppressive cells in TME and ncRNAs in OS cells. This review summarizes the regulatory effect of ncRNAs on OS cells as well as the metabolic heterogeneity of immunosuppressive cells in the context of OS immunotherapies.

MiR-1301-3p Inhibits Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition via Targeting RhoA in Pancreatic Cancer

Micro(mi)RNAs play an essential role in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in human cancers. This study aimed to uncover the regulatory mechanism of miR-1301-3p on EMT in pancreatic cancer (PC). The miRNA profilings from Gene Expression Omnibus data sets (GSE31568, GSE41372, and GSE32688) demonstrated the downregulation of miR-1301-3p in PC tissues, which was validated with 72 paired PC tissue samples through qRT-PCR detection. The low level of miR-1301-3p was associated with a poor prognosis for PC patients from the PC cohort of The Cancer Genome Atlas and the validation cohort. Gene Ontology analyses indicated that the target genes of miR-1301-3p were involved in cell cycle and adherent junction regulation. In vitro assays revealed that miR-1301-3p suppressed the proliferation and migration abilities of PC cells. Western blotting and luciferase reporter assays suggested that miR-1301-3p inhibited RhoA expression by targeting its 3′-untranslated region; RhoA upregulated N-cadherin and vimentin levels; however, it downregulated the E-cadherin level. In conclusion, our study showed that miR-1301-3p could serve as a prognostic biomarker for PC and suppress PC cell malignancy by targeting the RhoA-induced EMT process.

Aberrant Expression of miR-1301 in Human Cancer

miR-1301 is a newly discovered miRNA, which is abnormally expressed in 14 types of tumors. miR-1301 inhibits 23 target genes, forms a ceRNA network with 2 circRNAs and 8 lncRNAs, and participates in 6 signaling pathways, thereby affecting tumor cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, etc. Abnormal expression of miR-1301 is often associated with poor prognosis of cancer patients. In addition, miR-1301 is related to the anti-tumor effect of epirubicin on osteosarcoma and imatinib on chronic myeloid leukemia(CML) and can enhance the cisplatin sensitivity of ovarian cancer. This work systematically summarizes the abnormal expression and prognostic value of miR-1301 in a variety of cancers, depicts the miR-1301-related signaling pathways and ceRNA network, and provides potential clues for future miR-1301 research.

A Review on the Role of Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 6 Long Non-coding RNAs in the Carcinogenic Processes

Being located on 17q25.1, small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG16) is a member of SNHG family of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) with 4 exons and 13 splice variants. This lncRNA serves as a sponge for a variety of miRNAs, namely miR-520a-3p, miR-4500, miR-146a miR-16–5p, miR-98, let-7a-5p, hsa-miR-93, miR-17-5p, miR-186, miR-302a-3p, miR-605-3p, miR-140-5p, miR-195, let-7b-5p, miR-16, miR-340, miR-1301, miR-205, miR-488, miR-1285-3p, miR-146a-5p, and miR-124-3p. This lncRNA can affect activity of TGF-β1/SMAD5, mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt, RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK and PI3K/AKT pathways. Almost all studies have reported oncogenic effect of SNHG16 in diverse cell types. Here, we explain the results of studies about the oncogenic role of SNHG16 according to three distinct sets of evidence, i.e., in vitro, animal, and clinical evidence.

Anticancer effects of melatonin via regulating lncRNA JPX-Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway in human osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a type of malignant primary bone cancer, which is highly aggressive and occurs more commonly in children and adolescents. Thus, novel potential drugs and therapeutic methods are urgently needed. In the present study, we aimed to elucidate the effects and mechanism of melatonin on OS cells to provide a potential treatment strategy for OS. The cell survival rate, cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis were examined by trypan blue assay, MTT, colony formation, wound healing, transwell invasion and attachment/detachment assay, respectively. The expression of relevant lncRNAs in OS cells was determined by real-time qPCR analysis. The functional roles of lncRNA JPX in OS cells were further examined by gain and loss of function assays. The protein expression was measured by western blot assay. Melatonin inhibited the cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis of OS cells (Saos-2, MG63 and U2OS) in a dose-dependent manner. Melatonin treatment significantly downregulated the expression of lncRNA JPX in Saos-2, MG63 and U2OS cells. Overexpression of lncRNA JPX into OS cell lines elevated the cell viability and proliferation, which was accompanied by the increased metastasis. We also found that melatonin inhibited the OS progression by suppressing the expression of lncRNA JPX via regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our results suggested that melatonin inhibited the biological functions of OS cells by repressing the expression of lncRNA JPX through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway, which indicated that melatonin might be applied as a potentially useful and effective natural agent in the treatment of OS.

miR-1301-3p suppresses tumor growth by downregulating PCNA in thyroid papillary cancer

OBJECTIVE

Thyroid carcinoma is the most common endocrine tumor, and thyroid papillary carcinoma is the most common form. Although thyroid papillary carcinoma presents a good prognosis, some patients still exhibit recurrence or distant metastasis. miR-1301-3p has been found involved in the occurrence and development of some special tumors. Our study aims to investigate the miR-1301-3p expression in thyroid papillary carcinoma, to explore its biological function, and to provide a potential marker for diagnosis and treatment of thyroid papillary carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The tissue samples from 70 patients with PTC (n = 35) and benign tumors (n = 35) were collected respectively. miR-1301-3p expression were detected by qPCR. Diagnostic value of miR-1301-3p was analyzed by ROC curve. CCK-8 assays and flow cytometry were performed to detect the effect of miR-1301-3p on TPC-1 function. PCNA expression of protein was detected by WB.

RESULTS

Compared with the normal group, the expression of miR-1301-3p was obviously decreased in both benign group and PTC group. With the higher T and N grades, the lower expression of miR-1301-3p. ROC curve analysis showed that the diagnostic values of miR-1301-3p for benign tumor and PTC were 0.766 and 0.881, respectively. Vitro experiments showed that miR-1301-3p was decreased in TPC-1 cells, then, upregulated miR-1301-3p blocked the TPC-1 cell cycle in G1/S phase, and inhibited the proliferation. PCNA expression was significantly increased in TPC-1 cells and significantly decreased after upregulation of miR-1301-3p.

CONCLUSION

The present study showed that the expression of miR-1301-3p in PTC was significantly decreased, which was related to T and N grade. Upregulation of miR-1301-3p could inhibit cell proliferation and cell migration. miR-1301-3p may serve as a potential biomarker for the early diagnosis and treatment of PTC.

The value of lncRNAs as prognostic biomarkers on clinical outcomes in osteosarcoma: a meta-analysis

Background

In recent years, emerging studies have demonstrated critical functions and potential clinical applications of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in osteosarcoma. To further validate the prognostic value of multiple lncRNAs, we have conducted this updated meta-analysis.

Methods

Literature retrieval was conducted by searching PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library (last update by October 2, 2019). A meta-analysis was performed to explore association between lncRNAs expression and overall survival (OS) of osteosarcoma patients. Relationships between lncRNAs expression and other clinicopathological features were also analyzed respectively.

Results

Overall, 4351 patients from 62 studies were included in this meta-analysis and 25 lncRNAs were identified. Pooled analyses showed that high expression of 14 lncRNAs connoted worse OS, while two lncRNAs were associated with positive outcome. Further, analysis toward osteosarcoma clinicopathologic features demonstrated that overexpression of TUG1 and XIST indicated poor clinical parameters of patients.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis has elucidated the prognostic potential of 16 lncRNAs in human osteosarcoma. Evidently, desperate expression and functional targets of these lncRNAs offer new approaches for prognosis and therapy of osteosarcoma.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-07882-w.

The critical roles of lncRNAs in the development of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is rare malignancy of childhood and adolescence, with high morbidity and mortality despite accomplishment of diverse therapeutic modalities. Identification of the underlying mechanism of osteosarcoma evolution would help in better management of this rare malignancy. Lots of investigations have described abnormal regulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in clinical specimens of osteosarcoma and the established cell lines. This malignancy has been associated with over-expression of TUG1, LOXL1-AS1, MIR100HG, NEAT1, HULC, ANRIL and a number of other lncRNAs, while under-expression of lots of lncRNAs including LncRNA-p21, FER1L4, GAS5, LncRNA NR_136400 and LINC-PINT. Expression amounts of LUCAT1, LINC00922, SNHG12, FOXC2-AS1 and OIP5-AS1 lncRNAs have been associated with response to a number of chemotherapeutic agents. Taken together, lncRNAs are possible targets for proposing novel advanced therapeutic modalities for osteosarcoma.

Long Non-Coding RNA HCG11 Aggravates Osteosarcoma Carcinogenesis via Regulating the microRNA-579/MMP13 Axis

Background

Previous studies have suggested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were involved in tumorigenesis of various human carcinomas, including osteosarcoma (OS). However, the expression and specific role of lncRNA HLA complex group 11 (HCG11) in OS remain unknown. The current study aimed at revealing the role of lncRNA HCG11 and its related mechanism in OS.

Methods

lncRNA HCG11 expression was verified with RT-qPCR followed by sub-localization determination. LncRNA-microRNA (miRNA) and miRNA–mRNA interactions were predicted by online bioinformatics websites. Validation was performed using dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, and gain- and loss-of-function experiments. The effects of lncRNA HCG11, miR-579 and matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) on the proliferation, migration and invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of OS cells were detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), Transwell assays and Western blot analysis.

Results

LncRNA HCG11 overexpression was observed in OS tissues and cell lines. Downregulation of lncRNA HCG11/MMP13 or overexpression of miR-579 blocked the progression of OS cells. LncRNA HCG11, which is located in the cytoplasm, promoted MMP13 expression through sponging miR-579.

Conclusion

LncRNA HCG11 might be beneficial for OS aggravation via sponging miR-579 and facilitating MMP13 expression, which represents a candidate biomarker and target for OS therapy.

SNHG16 knockdown inhibits tumorigenicity of neuroblastoma in children via miR-15b-5p/PRPS1 axis

Neuroblastoma is an important problem in children. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exhibit important roles in tumorigenicity of neuroblastoma. However, the role and mechanism of lncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) in neuroblastoma tumorigenicity remain poorly understood. Forty-six neuroblastoma samples and 28 normal tissues were harvested. The levels of SNHG16, microRNA-15b-5p (miR-15b-5p), and phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase 1 (PRPS1) were detected via quantitative reverse transcription PCR or western blot. Cell proliferation as well as cycle distribution were measured via 3-(4, 5-Dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide or flow cytometry. Cell metastasis was investigated via epithelial-mesenchymal transition or transwell assay. The target relationship of miR-15b-5p and SNHG16 or PRPS1 was explored via starBase and dual-luciferase reporter assay. The role of SNHG16 in neuroblastoma in vivo was analyzed using a xenograft model. We found SNHG16 and PRPS1 levels were increased in neuroblastoma tissues and cells. SNHG16 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, increased the cell cycle distribution at G0/G1 phase, and decreased the cells at S phase. SNHG16 overexpression caused an opposite effect. SNHG16 silence suppressed neuroblastoma cell metastasis. PRPS1 knockdown constrained cell proliferation and metastasis and regulated cell cycle distribution. miR-15b-5p was sponged by SNHG16 and directly targeted PRPS1. miR-15b-5p knockdown or PRPS1 overexpression mitigated the influence of SNHG16 silence on cell cycle, proliferation, and metastasis. SNHG16 knockdown reduced xenograft tumor growth. In conclusion, SNHG16 downregulation suppressed neuroblastoma tumorigenicity by regulating cell cycle, proliferation, and metastasis via miR-15b-5p/PRPS1 axis.

ELF1-activated FOXD3-AS1 promotes the migration, invasion and EMT of osteosarcoma cells via sponging miR-296-5p to upregulate ZCCHC3

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a malignant carcinoma often occurring in adolescents. The critical function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer arouses increasing attention. Nevertheless, the specific function of FOXD3 Antisense RNA 1 (FOXD3-AS1) in OS has not been understood yet. In this research, FOXD3-AS1 showed strengthened level in OS specimens and cell lines, and its deficiency restrained cell migration, invasion and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in OS. Then, we confirmed the interaction of FOXD3-AS1 with microRNA-296-5p (miR-296-5p) and that miR-296-5p overexpression blocked OS cell migration, invasion and EMT. Besides, miR-296-5p targeted zinc finger CCHC-type containing 3 (ZCCHC3), and FOXD3-AS1 released ZCCHC3 via sequestering miR-296-5p. Moreover, rescue assays delineated that ZCCHC3 upregulation neutralized the inhibitory effect of FOXD3-AS1 depletion on in vitro behaviors and in vivo tumorigenesis in OS. In addition, E74 like ETS transcription factor 1 (ELF1) stimulated FOXD3-AS1 transcription, and ELF1 silence-suppressed malignant phenotypes of OS cells were offset by FOXD3-AS1 upregulation. Overall, present work elucidated that ELF1-activated FOXD3-AS1 aggravated cell migration, invasion and EMT in OS via absorbing miR-296-5p to augment ZCCHC3 expression, which might provide potential guidance for researchers to find effective targets for OS treatment.

LncRNA SNHG16 as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in human cancers

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) represent an important class of RNAs comprising more than 200 nucleotides, which are produced by RNA polymerase II. Although lacking an open reading framework and protein-encoding activity, lncRNAs can mediate endogenous gene expression by serving as chromatin remodeler, transcriptional or post-transcriptional modulator, and splicing regulator during gene modification. In recent years, increasing evidence shows the significance of lncRNAs in many malignancies, with vital roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Moreover, lncRNAs were also considered potential diagnostic and prognostic markers in cancer. The lncRNA small nuclear RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16), found on chromosome 17q25.1, represents a novel tumor-associated lncRNA. SNHG16 was recently found to exhibit dysregulated expression in a variety of malignancies. There are growing evidence of SNHG16's involvement in characteristics of cancer, including proliferation, apoptosis, together with its involvement in chemoresistance. In addition, SNHG16 has been described as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in cancer patients. The current review briefly summarizes recently reported findings about SNHG16 and discuss its expression, roles, mechanisms, and diagnostic and prognostic values in human cancers.

Clinicopathological significance and prognosis of long noncoding RNA SNHG16 expression in human cancers: a meta-analysis

Background

Recent studies have highlighted the important role of long non-coding RNA SNHG16 in various human cancers. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the effect of SNHG16 expression on clinicopathological features and prognosis in patients with different kinds of human cancers.

Methods

We performed a systematic search in electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science, to investigate the potential association between SNHG16 expression and prognostic significance and clinical features in cancer patients. Odds ratios (ORs) or hazards ratios (HRs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled to estimate the prognosis value of SNHG16 by StataSE 15.0 software.

Results

A total of 16 eligible studies with 1299 patients were enrolled in our meta-analysis. The results revealed that increased expression level of SNHG16 was significantly associated with larger tumor size (OR: 3.357; 95% CI: 2.173–5.185; P < 0.001), advanced TNM stage (OR: 2.930; 95% CI: 1.522–5.640; P = 0.001) and poor histological grade (OR: 3.943; 95% CI: 1.955–7.952; P < 0.001), but not correlated with smoking status (P = 0.489), sex (P = 0.932), distant metastasis (P = 0.052), or lymph node metastasis (P = 0.155). Moreover, the pooled HR showed that elevated expression SNHG16 was associated with a significantly poorer overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.866, 95% CI: 1.571–2.216, P < 0.001). For the set of cancer types, high expression of SNHG16 was significantly associated with shorter OS in patients with cancers of the urinary system (HR: 2.523, 95% CI:1.540–4.133; P <0.001), digestive system (HR: 2.406, 95% CI:1.556–3.721; P <0.001), and other cancers (including glioma and non-small cell lung cancer) (HR: 1.786, 95% CI:1.406–2.267; P <0.001).

Conclusions

LncRNA SNHG16 overexpression might serve as an unfavorable prognostic factor, which provides a basis for medical workers to evaluate the prognosis of patients and to help the decision-making process.

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 sponges miR-34c-5p to promote osteosarcoma growth via ALDOA enhanced aerobic glycolysis

Metabolic switch from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis, which is also called the Warburg effect, is a hallmark of osteosarcoma (OS) and leads to the enhancement of cell chemoresistance, growth, metastasis, and invasion. Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial role in the Warburg effect of cancer cells. Here, we report that lncRNA KCNQ1OT1 was upregulated in OS. Meanwhile, functional experiments demonstrated that the KCNQ1OT1 facilitated proliferation and suppressed apoptosis of OS cells. In addition, KCNQ1OT1 contributed to the Warburg effect by stimulating aldolase A (ALDOA) expression. Furthermore, using bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, and RNA pull-down assay, we identified that KCNQ1OT1 functions as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-34c-5p, which inhibited ALDOA expression by directly targeting its 3'UTR. Taken together, these data identified a key role of KCNQ1OT1 in glucose metabolism reprogramming of OS. Targeting the KCNQ1OT1/miR-34c-5p/ALDOA axis may be a potential therapeutic target in OS treatment.

LINC01354 Promotes Osteosarcoma Cell Invasion by Up-regulating Integrin β1

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Long noncoding RNAs have been proved to play a key role in the development and progression of various tumors, including osteosarcoma (OS). However, the role and molecular mechanism of lncRNA in osteosarcoma metastasis remains unknown. Our purpose is to explore the clinical significance and biological function of LINC01354 in osteosarcoma.

METHODS

Expression of LINC01354 in OS tissues, serum and cell lines was measured and the association between LINC01354 expression and clinicopathological factors was analyzed. The functional effects of LINC01354 were examined in vitro by using transwell assays, western blot, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in vivo in a xenograft tumor mouse model.

RESULTS

LINC01354 was overexpressed in OS tissues, serum and cells. LINC01354 overexpression promoted OS cells invasion, EMT and integrin β1 expression, while knockdown of LINC01354 inhibited OS cell invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and integrin β1 expression. In addition, integrin-β1 blockage with MAB13 antibody abrogated the effects of LINC01354 overexpression on promoting OS cells invasion and EMT. In addition, LINC01354 promoted OS cell metastasis in vivo.

CONCLUSION

LINC01354 promote OS cell EMT and invasion through up-regulating integrin β1. Our study suggested that LINC01354 may be regarded as a potential target for the clinical treatment of OS.

SNHG16: A Novel Long-Non Coding RNA in Human Cancers

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been considered as central regulators in diverse biological processes controlling tumorigenesis. Small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) is an important tumor-associated lncRNA mainly involved in tumorigenesis and progression by competing with endogenous RNA (ceRNA) which sponges tumor-suppressive microRNA (miRNA), and by its recruitment mechanism. SNHG16 is overexpressed in tumor tissues and cell lines of different kinds of cancers, and its presence is associated with a poor clinical prognosis. Reviewing all publications about SNHG16 revealed that it plays a key role in the different hallmarks that define human cancer, including promoting proliferation, activating migration and invasion, inhibiting apoptosis, affecting lipid metabolism and chemoresistance. This review highlights the role that the aberrant expression of SNHG16 plays in the development and progression of cancer, and suggests that SNHG16 may function as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for human cancers.

NRAS Contributes to Retinoblastoma Progression Through SNHG16/miR-183-5p/NRAS Regulatory Network

Purpose

The oncogene of wild type neuroblastoma RAS viral oncogene homolog (NRAS) has been found to involve in the tumorigenesis of cancers. However, the role of NRAS in retinoblastoma (RB) progression remains largely unknown.

Methods

The expression levels of NRAS, miR-183-5p and small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) were measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay or Western blot assay, respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were analyzed with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay or flow cytometry, respectively. Transwell assay was used to determine cell migration and invasion abilities. The interaction between miR-183-5p and NRAS or SNHG16 was analyzed using bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results

NRAS was elevated in RB tissues and cell lines, knockdown of NRAS could inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion but induced apoptosis in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. NRAS was confirmed to be a target of miR-183-5p and was negatively regulated by miR-183-5p in RB cells. Moreover, overexpressed NRAS reversed miR-183-5p mediated inhibition on RB cell progression. Besides that, SNHG16 directly interacted with miR-183-5p and reduced miR-183-5p expression in RB cells. The suppression of RB cell progression induced by SNHG16 silencing could be partially attenuated by the inhibition of miR-183-5p. Besides that, SNHG16 could regulate NRAS expression through competitively binding to miR-183-5p in RB cells.

Conclusion

NRAS functioned as an oncogene to contribute to RB progression by SNHG16/miR-183-5p/NRAS regulatory network, indicating a novel and promising therapeutic target for RB.

Mechanisms and Functions of Long Non-Coding RNAs at Multiple Regulatory Levels

Long non-coding (lnc) RNAs are non-coding RNAs longer than 200 nt. lncRNAs primarily interact with mRNA, DNA, protein, and miRNA and consequently regulate gene expression at the epigenetic, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels in a variety of ways. They play important roles in biological processes such as chromatin remodeling, transcriptional activation, transcriptional interference, RNA processing, and mRNA translation. lncRNAs have important functions in plant growth and development; biotic and abiotic stress responses; and in regulation of cell differentiation, the cell cycle, and the occurrence of many diseases in humans and animals. In this review, we summarize the functions and mechanisms of lncRNAs in plants, humans, and animals at different regulatory levels.

MicroRNA-1296-5p suppresses the proliferation, migration, and invasion of human osteosarcoma cells by targeting NOTCH2

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly aggressive bone tumor with a poor prognosis. MicroRNAs are revealed to exerts essential roles in the carcinogenesis and tumor invasion of OS. But, the function of miR-1296-5p and its related mechanism in OS progression have not yet been studied. This study discovered the levels of miR-1296-5p in OS and corresponding noncancerous tissues, and we demonstrated that miR-1296-5p level was markedly downregulated in tumor specimens as compared with nontumor tissues. In addition, we discovered that miR-1296-5p was also underexpressed in OS cells compared with the hFOB1.19 osteoblast cells. Interestingly, the reduced expression of miR-1296-5p was confirmed to associated with large tumor size, advanced tumor stages, and distance metastasis, respectively. Patients with OS low-expressing miR-1296-5p showed a prominent shorter survival. In addition, gain-of-function assays verified that miR-1296-5p overexpression remarkably repressed OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Conversely, depletion of miR-1296-5p facilitated the growth and mobility of OS cells. Notably, miR-1296-5p inversely modulated notch receptor 2 (NOTCH2) in OS cells. The level of NOTCH2 messenger RNA was negatively correlated with miR-1296-5p level in OS samples. NOTCH2 knockdown markedly suppressed the abilities of MG-63 cell proliferation and mobility. More importantly, the restoration of NOTCH2 prominently rescued miR-1296-5p-induced tumor-suppressive effects on MG-63 cells. In conclusion, our study identified the reduced expression of miR-1296-5p, which contributed to OS progression. miR-1296-5p might be a promising prognostic marker and therapeutic target in OS.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG16 promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma cells by targeting miR-497-5p/PIM1 axis

The aberrant expression and dysfunction of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified as critical factors governing the initiation and progression of different human cancers, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) has been recognized as a tumour-promoting factor in various types of cancer. However, the biological role of SNHG16 and its underlying mechanism are still unknown in DLBCL. Here we disclosed that SNHG16 was overexpressed in DLBCL tissues and the derived cell lines. SNHG16 knockdown significantly suppressed cell proliferation and cell cycle progression, and it induced apoptosis of DLBCL cells in vitro. Furthermore, silencing of SNHG16 markedly repressed in vivo growth of OCI-LY7 cells. Mechanistically, SNHG16 directly interacted with miR-497-5p by acting as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) and inversely regulated the abundance of miR-497-5p in DLBCL cells. Moreover, the proto-oncogene proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukaemia virus 1 (PIM1) was identified as a novel direct target of miR-497-5p. SNHG16 overexpression rescued miR-497-5p-induced down-regulation of PIM1 in DLBCL cells. Importantly, restoration of PIM1 expression reversed SNHG16 knockdown-induced inhibition of proliferation, G0/G1 phase arrest and apoptosis of OCI-LY7 cells. Our study suggests that the SNHG16/miR-497-5p/PIM1 axis may provide promising therapeutic targets for DLBCL progression.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG16 promotes human retinoblastoma progression via sponging miR-140-5p

Small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16), a long non-coding RNA, was reported to function as an oncogene in multiple cancers. However, its biological function and regulatory mechanism in retinoblastoma (RB) has not yet been revealed. In this study, we attempted to ascertain the biological role and underlying regulatory mechanism of SNHG16 in RB progression. The expression levels of SNHG16 were measured in RB tissues and cell lines. The effects of SNHG16 knockdown on the proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis were investigated using corresponding experiments. Bioinformatic analysis, luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation assay were applied to identify potential microRNAs (miRs) that could bind with SNHG16. A nude model was established to investigate the effect of SNHG16 knockdown on tumor growth in vivo. We found that SNHG16 expression was upregulated in RB tissues and cell lines compared with normal controls. Knockdown of SNHG16 in RB cells significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation, and promoted apoptosis in vitro, as well as retarded tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigation illustrated that SNHG16 acted as a sponge for miR-140-5p and regulated its expression in RB cells. Clinical evidence revealed a negative correlation between SNHG16 and miR-140-5p in RB specimens. Rescue experiments showed that inhibition of miR-140-5p partially attenuated the growth-suppressing effects of SNHG16-depletion on RB cells.. Collectively, SNHG16 exerts oncogenic role in RB by sponging miR-140-5p, suggesting that SNHG16 might be a potential therapy target for RB.

LncRNA MNX1-AS1 promotes progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating miR-34a/SIRT1 axis

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are powerful factors influencing the tumorigenesis and metastasis of multiple carcinomas. LncRNA MNX1-AS1 plays critical roles in the progression of tumor formation according to recent research, while its roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unknown.

METHODS

The expression levels of lncRNA MNX1-AS1 were examined in ESCC tissues by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The role of lncRNA MNX1-AS1 was performed by WST-1 proliferation assays, migration and invasion assays. Besides, the molecular mechanism of lncRNA MNX1-AS1 was verified by online bioinformatics, qRT-PCR and rescue assays.

RESULTS

MNX1-AS1 was signifcantly upregulated in ESCC tissues. It was conformed that high MNX1-AS1 expression was associated with ESCC lymph node metastasis. Moreover, we found that knockdown of MNX1-AS1 apparently suppressed the cell proliferation, migration, and invasion capacity. Flow cytometry analysis showed MNX1-AS1 regulated ESCC cell cycle and apoptosis progression. Mechanism analysis revealed that miR-34a inhibitor could rescue the influence of inhibiting MNX1-AS1 on ESCC cells migration by serving as competing endogenous RNA (ceRNAs). Furthermore, we found that miR-34a specifically targeted SIRTI.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, we demonstrated that lncRNA MNX1-AS1/miR-34a/SIRT1 regulatory axis could play an important role in ESCC progression, and MNX1-AS1 may act as a novel potential biomarker for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.