MicroRNA-429 inhibits bone metastasis in breast cancer by regulating CrkL and MMP-9

Non-Coding RNAs in Breast Cancer: Diagnostic and Therapeutic Implications

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer globally, and has recently become the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women. BC is a heterogeneous disease comprising various histopathological and molecular subtypes with differing levels of malignancy, and each patient has an individual prognosis. Etiology and pathogenesis are complex and involve a considerable number of genetic alterations and dozens of alterations in non-coding RNA expression. Non-coding RNAs are part of an abundant family of single-stranded RNA molecules acting as key regulators in DNA replication, mRNA processing and translation, cell differentiation, growth, and overall genomic stability. In the context of breast cancer, non-coding RNAs are involved in cell cycle control and tumor cell migration and invasion, as well as treatment resistance. Alterations in non-coding RNA expression may contribute to the development and progression of breast cancer, making them promising biomarkers and targets for novel therapeutic approaches. Currently, the use of non-coding RNAs has not yet been applied to routine practice; however, their potential has been very well studied. The present review is a literature overview of current knowledge and its objective is to delineate the function of diverse classes of non-coding RNAs in breast cancer, with a particular emphasis on their potential utility as diagnostic and prognostic markers or as therapeutic targets and tools.

Predictive and prognostic biomarkers of bone metastasis in breast cancer: current status and future directions

The most common site of metastasis in breast cancer is the bone, where the balance between osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation is disrupted. This imbalance causes osteolytic bone metastasis in breast cancer, which leads to bone pain, pathological fractures, spinal cord compression, and other skeletal-related events (SREs). These complications reduce patients' quality of life significantly and have a profound impact on prognosis. In this review, we begin by providing a brief overview of the epidemiology of bone metastasis in breast cancer, including current diagnostic tools, treatment approaches, and existing challenges. Then, we will introduce the pathophysiology of breast cancer bone metastasis (BCBM) and the animal models involved in the study of BCBM. We then come to the focus of this paper: a discussion of several biomarkers that have the potential to provide predictive and prognostic value in the context of BCBM-some of which may be particularly compatible with more comprehensive liquid biopsies. Beyond that, we briefly explore the potential of new technologies such as single-cell sequencing and organoid models, which will improve our understanding of tumor heterogeneity and aid in the development of improved biomarkers. The emerging biomarkers discussed hold promise for future clinical application, aiding in the prevention of BCBM, improving the prognosis of patients, and guiding the implementation of personalized medicine.

Exosomal miRNAs as novel avenues for breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of death in women worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease, as shown by the gene expression profiles of breast cancer samples. It begins in milk-producing ducts, with a high degree of diversity between and within tumors, as well as among cancer-bearing individuals. The enhanced prevalence of breast cancer is influenced by various hormonal, lifestyle, and environmental factors, and very early onset of the disease correlates strongly with the risk of local and distant recurrence. Many subtypes are difficult to treat with conventional therapeutic modalities, and therefore, optimal management and early diagnosis are the first steps to minimizing the mortality linked with breast cancer. The use of newer methods of nanotechnology extends beyond the concept of synthesizing drug delivery mechanisms into the creation of new therapeutics, such as delivering chemotherapeutics with nanomaterial properties. Exosomes, a class of nanovesicles, are emerging as novel tools for deciphering the patient-specific proteins and biomarkers across different disease models, including breast cancer. In this review, we address the role of exosomal miRNA in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Research progress of bone metastases: From disease recognition to clinical practice

Bone metastases, as one of the common types of metastatic tumors, have a great impact on the survival period and quality of life of patients. Bone metastases are usually characterized by bone destruction. Skeletal related events caused by bone destruction often lead to pain, pathological fractures and even paralysis. In this review, we provide a detailed explanation of bone metastases from the epidemiology, clinical features, pathogenesis, and recently developed clinical treatment viewpoints. We concluded that the incidence of bone metastases is increasing gradually, with serious clinical symptoms, complex pathogenesis and diverse clinical treatment. Tumor cells, immune cells, osteoblasts/osteoclasts and other cells as well as cytokines and enzymes all play a key role in the pathogenesis of bone metastases. We believe that the future treatment of bone metastases will be diversified and comprehensive. Some advanced technologies, such as nanomedicine, could be used for treatment, but this depends on understanding how disease occurs. With the development of treatment, the survival time and quality of life of patients will be improved.

Matrix metalloproteinases as therapeutic targets in breast cancer

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the most prominent proteinases involved in tumorigenesis. They were initially recognized to promote tumor progression by remodeling the extracellular matrix through their proteolytic activity. However, accumulating evidence has revealed that some MMPs have protective roles in cancer progression, and the same MMP can exert opposing roles depending on the cell type in which it is expressed or the stage of cancer. Moreover, studies have shown that MMPs are involved in cancer progression through their roles in other biological processes such as cell signaling and immune regulation, independent of their catalytic activity. Despite the prognostic significance of tumoral or stromal expression of MMPs in breast cancer, their roles and molecular mechanisms in breast cancer progression remain unclear. As the failures of early clinical trials with broad-spectrum MMP inhibitors were mainly due to a lack of drug specificity, substantial efforts have been made to develop highly selective MMP inhibitors. Some recently developed MMP inhibitory monoclonal antibodies demonstrated promising anti-tumor effects in preclinical models of breast cancer. Importantly, anti-tumor effects of these antibodies were associated with the modulation of tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting that the use of MMP inhibitors in combination with immunotherapy can improve the efficacy of immunotherapy in HER2-positive or triple-negative breast cancer. In this review, the current understanding of the roles of tumoral or stromal MMPs in breast cancer is summarized, and recent advances in the development of highly selective MMP inhibitors are discussed.

Sanyin Formula Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Paclitaxel in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Metastases through the JAK/STAT3 Pathway in Mice

Sanyin formula (SYF) is used as a complementary treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The purpose of this study was to identify the potential functional components and clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms of SYF in TNBC. High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to identify the main components of SYF extracts. Network pharmacology and bioinformatic analyses were carried out to identify potential candidate targets of SYF in TNBC. Cell proliferation was determined with a Celigo imaging cytometer. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were adopted to evaluate cell migration. A Transwell cell-invasion assay was performed with Matrigel-coated membranes. In vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and pathological analyses illustrated the effect of SYF on cancer cell metastasis in tumour-bearing mice. The inhibitory mechanism of SYF was investigated via quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting. We found that 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, and vanillic acid may be the active components of SYF. Molecular docking confirmed that kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid bound stably to proteins such as AKR1C3, MMPs, and STAT3. SYF extract suppressed TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting JAK/STAT3 signalling and then regulating downstream genes, such as MMP-2/MMP-9. SYF regulates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating the JAK/STAT3 signalling pathway and finally inhibits tumour cell metastasis in TNBC. The present study clarifies the mechanism by which SYF inhibits TNBC metastasis and lays an experimental foundation for the continued clinical development of SYF targeting the JAK/STAT3 pathway.

Apelin Promotes Prostate Cancer Metastasis by Downregulating TIMP2 via Increases in miR-106a-5p Expression

Prostate cancer commonly affects the urinary tract of men and metastatic prostate cancer has a very low survival rate. Apelin belongs to the family of adipokines and is associated with cancer development and metastasis. However, the effects of apelin in prostate cancer metastasis is undetermined. Analysis of the database revealed a positive correlation between apelin level with the progression and metastasis of prostate cancer patients. Apelin treatment facilitates cell migration and invasion through inhibiting tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP2) expression. The increasing miR-106a-5p synthesis via c-Src/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway is controlled in apelin-regulated TIMP2 production and cell motility. Importantly, apelin blockade inhibits prostate cancer metastasis in the orthotopic mouse model. Thus, apelin is a promising therapeutic target for curing metastatic prostate cancer.

Prominin 1 Significantly Correlated with Bone Metastasis of Breast Cancer and Influenced the Patient’s Prognosis

Background

This study is aimed at identifying the important biomarkers associated with bone metastasis (BM) in breast cancer (BRCA).

Methods

The GSE175692 dataset was used to detect significant differential expressed genes (DEGs) between BRCA samples with or without BM, and DEG-related pathways were then explored. Further, we constructed the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network on GEGs and filtered 5 vital nodes. We then performed the Cox regression, Kaplan-Meier analysis, nomogram, and ROC curve to filter the most significant prognosis genes. The GSE14020 and GSE124647 datasets were used to verify the expression and prognostic value of hub genes, respectively. Finally, the gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to reveal the potential mechanism.

Results

Totally, 74 DEGs were detected, which mainly correlated with infectious disease, signaling molecules, and interaction. The 5 important DEGs were then filtered, and the Cox regression further showed that 2 genes, including prominin 1 (PROM1) and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), were related to the prognosis of BRCA metastasis patients. Especially, PROM1 presented a better prognostic performance on the survival probability of patients than CCL2. Verification analysis further confirmed the abnormal expression and significant prognostic influence of PROM1. Finally, GSEA revealed that PROM1 was negatively related to IGF1 and mTOR pathways in BRCA metastasis.

Conclusion

PROM1 was an important biomarker associated with BRCA bone metastasis and affected the prognosis of metastatic BRCA patients. It may play a vital role in metastatic BRCA by negatively regulating IGF1 and mTOR pathways.

Immunomodulatory Properties of Human Breast Milk: MicroRNA Contents and Potential Epigenetic Effects

Infants who are exclusively breastfed in the first six months of age receive adequate nutrients, achieving optimal immune protection and growth. In addition to the known nutritional components of human breast milk (HBM), i.e., water, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, it is also a rich source of microRNAs, which impact epigenetic mechanisms. This comprehensive work presents an up-to-date overview of the immunomodulatory constituents of HBM, highlighting its content of circulating microRNAs. The epigenetic effects of HBM are discussed, especially those regulated by miRNAs. HBM contains more than 1400 microRNAs. The majority of these microRNAs originate from the lactating gland and are based on the remodeling of cells in the gland during breastfeeding. These miRNAs can affect epigenetic patterns by several mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications and RNA regulation, which could ultimately result in alterations in gene expressions. Therefore, the unique microRNA profile of HBM, including exosomal microRNAs, is implicated in the regulation of the genes responsible for a variety of immunological and physiological functions, such as FTO, INS, IGF1, NRF2, GLUT1 and FOXP3 genes. Hence, studying the HBM miRNA composition is important for improving the nutritional approaches for pregnancy and infant's early life and preventing diseases that could occur in the future. Interestingly, the composition of miRNAs in HBM is affected by multiple factors, including diet, environmental and genetic factors.

Potential molecular mechanisms and clinical progress in liver metastasis of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant tumor in women and the leading cause of cancer death in women. About 30% of breast cancer patients have metastasis every year, which greatly increases the mortality rate of breast cancer. The main target organs for metastasis are bone, brain, liver and lung. The breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) mechanism is not fully clarified. This is a complex process involving multiple factors, which is not only related to the microenvironment of the primary tumor and liver, but also regulated by a variety of signaling pathways. Clarifying these mechanisms is of great help to guide clinical treatment. With the in-depth study of BCLM, a variety of new treatment schemes such as targeted therapy and endocrine therapy provide new ideas for the cure of BCLM. In this review, we will summarize the molecular mechanism and treatment of BCLM.

MicroRNAs: Emerging Regulators of Metastatic Bone Disease in Breast Cancer

Bone metastasis is a frequent complication in patients with advanced breast cancer. Once in the bone, cancer cells disrupt the tightly regulated cellular balance within the bone microenvironment, leading to excessive bone destruction and further tumor growth. Physiological and pathological interactions in the bone marrow are mediated by cell-cell contacts and secreted molecules that include soluble proteins as well as RNA molecules. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally interfere with their target messenger RNA (mRNA) and subsequently reduce protein abundance. Since their discovery, miRNAs have been identified as critical regulators of physiological and pathological processes, including breast cancer and associated metastatic bone disease. Depending on their targets, miRNAs can exhibit pro-tumorigenic or anti-tumorigenic functions and serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. These properties have encouraged pre-clinical and clinical development programs to investigate miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets in various diseases, including metastatic cancers. In this review, we discuss the role of miRNAs in metastatic bone disease with a focus on breast cancer and the bone microenvironment and elaborate on their potential use for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in metastatic bone disease and beyond.

Preclinical Imaging Evaluation of miRNAs' Delivery and Effects in Breast Cancer Mouse Models: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

We have conducted a systematic review focusing on the advancements in preclinical molecular imaging to study the delivery and therapeutic efficacy of miRNAs in mouse models of breast cancer.

METHODS

A systematic review of English articles published in peer-reviewed journals using PubMed, EMBASE, BIOSIS™ and Scopus was performed. Search terms included breast cancer, mouse, mice, microRNA(s) and miRNA(s).

RESULTS

From a total of 2073 records, our final data extraction was from 114 manuscripts. The most frequently used murine genetic background was Balb/C (46.7%). The most frequently used model was the IV metastatic model (46.8%), which was obtained via intravenous injection (68.9%) in the tail vein. Bioluminescence was the most used frequently used tool (64%), and was used as a surrogate for tumor growth for efficacy treatment or for the evaluation of tumorigenicity in miRNA-transfected cells (29.9%); for tracking, evaluation of engraftment and for response to therapy in metastatic models (50.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

This review provides a systematic and focused analysis of all the information available and related to the imaging protocols with which to test miRNA therapy in an in vivo mice model of breast cancer, and has the purpose of providing an important tool to suggest the best preclinical imaging protocol based on available evidence.

MicroRNAs and Their Roles in Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis

Bone metastasis occurs in advanced stages of breast cancer, worsening the quality of life and increasing the mortality of patients. Current treatments for bone metastasis are only palliative, and efficient therapeutic targets need to be still identified. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a large class of small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression within cells. Interestingly, the expression of certain miRNAs has been associated with several stages of bone metastasis progression, highlighting the importance of these small RNAs during the course of the metastatic disease. In this review, we aim to summarise the most recent findings on miRNAs and their mRNA targets in driving breast cancer bone metastasis. Furthermore, we discuss the possibility to use miRNAs as direct therapeutic targets or as advanced therapies for breast cancer bone metastasis, as well as their potential as predictive biomarkers of bone metastasis for an early diagnosis and a better tailoring of therapies for cancer patients.

PNMA5 Promotes Bone Metastasis of Non-small-Cell Lung Cancer as a Target of BMP2 Signaling

Bone metastases frequently occur in NSCLC patients at the late stage, indicating poor survival. However, mechanisms about the initiation of NSCLC bone metastases remain largely unclear. In our previous reports, BMP2 signaling activation has been found to enhance NSCLC bone metastases through enhancing carcinoma cells migration, invasion, osteoclasts differentiation and osteoblasts immature differentiation. Nevertheless, downstream target genes of BMP2 contributing to those processes still remain unknown. In this project, we find that the expression of Pnma5 is higher in metastatic bone tumors of Lewis lung carcinoma than in metastatic lung tumors and parental Lewis lung cells. Pnma5 overexpression not only can promote cell migration and invasion of NSCLC cells but also tumor-induced osteoclasts differentiation. Interestingly, knockdown of Pnma5 in Lewis lung cells blocks BMP2 signaling from inducing Lewis lung cells migration and invasion. Although BMP2 signaling can promote Lewis lung cells-induced osteoclasts differentiation from macrophages, this effect can also be blocked when Pnma5 is knocked down in Lewis lung cells. Moreover, Pnma5 can promote NSCLC bone metastases in vivo as the downstream target of BMP2. Those results above indicate that BMP2 signaling enhances NSCLC bone metastases via its direct downstream target gene Pnma5. This research reveals the detailed molecular mechanism about how BMP2 signaling contributes to NSCLC bone metastases via PNMA5 and provides a new potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC bone metastases.

Exosomal microRNAs: Pleiotropic Impacts on Breast Cancer Metastasis and Their Clinical Perspectives

As a major threat factor for female health, breast cancer (BC) has garnered a lot of attention for its malignancy and diverse molecules participating in its carcinogenesis process. Among these complex carcinogenesis processes, cell proliferation, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), and angiogenesis are the major causes for the occurrence of metastasis and chemoresistance which account for cancer malignancy. MicroRNAs packaged and secreted in exosomes are termed "exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs)". Nowadays, more researches have uncovered the roles of exosomal miRNAs played in BC metastasis. In this review, we recapitulated the dual actions of exosomal miRNAs exerted in the aggressiveness of BC by influencing migration, invasion, and distant metastasis. Next, we presented how exosomal miRNAs modify angiogenesis and stemness maintenance. Clinically, several exosomal miRNAs can govern the transformation between drug sensitivity and chemoresistance. Since the balance of the number and type of exosomal miRNAs is disturbed in pathological conditions, they are able to serve as instructive biomarkers for BC diagnosis and prognosis. More efforts are needed to connect the theoretical studies and clinical traits together. This review provides an outline of the pleiotropic impacts of exosomal miRNAs on BC metastasis and their clinical implications, paving the way for future personalized drugs.

Application of "omics" sciences to the prediction of bone metastases from breast cancer: State of the art

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequent malignancy and the first cause of cancer-related death in women. The majority of patients with advanced BC develop skeletal metastases which may ultimately lead to serious complications, termed skeletal-related events, that often dramatically impact on quality of life and survival. Therefore, the identification of biomarkers able to stratify BC patient risk to develop bone metastases (BM) is fundamental to define personalized diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, possibly at the earliest stages of the disease. In this regard, the advent of "omics" sciences boosted the investigation of several putative biomarkers of BC osteotropism, including deregulated genes, proteins and microRNAs. The present review revisits the current knowledge on BM development in BC and the most recent studies exploring potential BM-predicting biomarkers, based on the application of omics sciences to the study of primary breast malignancies.

BMP2 signalling activation enhances bone metastases of non-small cell lung cancer

Distant metastases occur when non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is at late stages. Bone metastasis is one of the most frequent metastases of NSCLC and leads to poor prognosis. It has been reported that high expression of BMP2 in NSCLC correlates with poor survival, but whether BMP2 contributes to NSCLC bone metastasis remains largely unknown. The activation of BMP signalling is found in metastatic bone tumours of mice Lewis lung carcinoma and predicts poor survival in human NSCLC. BMP2 signalling activation can enhance bone metastasis of Lewis lung carcinoma. Moreover, BMP2 secreted by stroma fibroblasts can promote the migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. Besides, in combination with pre‐osteoblast and LLCs, BMP2 could enhance the differentiation of macrophages into osteoclasts to play roles in the osteolytic mechanism of NSCLC bone metastasis. Interestingly, NSCLC cells can also enrich BMP2 to pre‐osteoblasts to function in the osteoblastic mechanism. Our results firstly demonstrate the detailed mechanisms about what roles BMP2 signalling play in enhancing NSCLC bone metastases. These findings provide a new potential therapy choice for preventing bone metastases of NSCLC via the inhibition of BMP2 signalling.