LncRNA MEG3 attenuates the malignancy of retinoblastoma cells through inactivating PI3K /Akt/mTOR signaling pathway

Genetic variants of LncRNAs HOTTIP and MEG3 influence nasopharyngeal carcinoma susceptibility and clinicopathologic characteristics in the Southern Chinese population

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies have indicated that HOTTIP and MEG3 are associated with the initiation and progression of various types of tumors, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This investigation aimed to elucidate the impact of HOTTIP and MEG3 polymorphisms on the susceptibility and clinicopathologic characteristics of NPC.

METHODS

This research employed next-generation sequencing and multiplex PCR to assess the polymorphisms of HOTTIP rs1859168 and MEG3 rs7158663 in 200 NPC and 200 healthy individuals respectively. HOTTIP and MEG3 expression were assessed via qRT-PCR assessment. Furthermore, the genotypes and alleles frequency of rs1859168 and rs7158663 were compared between healthy and NPC individuals to elucidate their influence on NPC susceptibility and relation with clinicopathologic characteristics.

RESULTS

In comparison with the healthy cohort, the presence of HOTTIP rs1859168 CC genotype and the C allele were markedly linked with increased NPC incidence (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the MEG3 rs7158663 AA genotype and the A allele also indicated an increased risk of NPC (p < 0.05). The subgroup analysis of age, EBV infection, gender, nationality, smoking, and drinking status revealed no marked association between rs1859168 and rs7158663 genotypes and these potential confounding factors. Moreover, it was observed that rs1859168 CC and rs7158663 AA genotypes were related to local tumor invasion and lymph node metastasis. Additionally, HOTTIP indicated a marked elevation, while MEG3 substantially reduced in NPC samples than the normal nasopharyngeal biospecimens. Patients who carried CC or CA genotypes rather than the HOTTIP rs1859168 AA genotype, had substantially higher HOTTIP levels, while patients with rs7158663 AA or GA genotypes indicated notably lower expression of MEG3 than GG genotype carriers.

CONCLUSION

Individuals with genetic variants of HOTTIP rs1859168 and MEG3 rs7158663 might have an increased risk of NPC susceptibility and related clinicopathologic characteristics, potentially by affecting the expression of HOTTIP and MEG3.

Long non-coding RNA MIMT1 promotes retinoblastoma proliferation via sponging miR-153-5p to upregulate FGF2

With the rapid development of biotechnology, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have shown promising potential for cancer treatment and may become novel therapeutic targets. This study aimed to explore the roles of lncRNAs in retinoblastoma (RB). It involves analysing differentially expressed lncRNAs in RB and normal tissues from the GSE111168 and GSE125903 datasets, further validating them in RB cells. Our findings determined that lncRNA MIMT1 was upregulated in RB cell lines and tissues. In WERI-Rb1 and Y79 cells, silencing MIMT1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, whereas MIMT1 overexpression enhanced cell proliferation. Furthermore, in vivo xenograft experiments demonstrated that MIMT1 knockdown suppressed tumour volume and weight. Subsequent mechanistic investigations showed that MIMT1 upregulates fibroblast expression of FGF2 by binding to miR-153-5p, ultimately promoting RB cell proliferation. This suggest that MIMT1 functions as an oncogene in RB and potentially serves as a molecular marker for diagnostic and prognostic assessments. Thus, the MIMT1/miR-153-5p/FGF2 pathway is a promising therapeutic target for RB treatment.

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Signaling Pathways and Epigenetic Regulation

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) are characterized by dysregulated signaling pathways that are crucial for tumor formation and progression. The efficacy of traditional therapies is limited, particularly in the treatment of PNETs at an advanced stage. Epigenetic alterations profoundly impact the activity of signaling pathways in cancer development, offering potential opportunities for drug development. There is currently a lack of extensive research on epigenetic regulation in PNETs. To fill this gap, we first summarize major signaling events that are involved in PNET development. Then, we discuss the epigenetic regulation of these signaling pathways in the context of both PNETs and commonly occurring-and therefore more extensively studied-malignancies. Finally, we will offer a perspective on the future research direction of the PNET epigenome and its potential applications in patient care.

Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Fibroblasts from Mucopolysaccharidosis Patients

In this report, changes in the levels of various long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were demonstrated for the first time in fibroblasts derived from patients suffering from 11 types/subtypes of mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS). Some kinds of lncRNA (SNHG5, LINC01705, LINC00856, CYTOR, MEG3, and GAS5) were present at especially elevated levels (an over six-fold change relative to the control cells) in several types of MPS. Some potential target genes for these lncRNAs were identified, and correlations between changed levels of specific lncRNAs and modulations in the abundance of mRNA transcripts of these genes (HNRNPC, FXR1, TP53, TARDBP, and MATR3) were found. Interestingly, the affected genes code for proteins involved in various regulatory processes, especially gene expression control through interactions with DNA or RNA regions. In conclusion, the results presented in this report suggest that changes in the levels of lncRNAs can considerably influence the pathomechanism of MPS through the dysregulation of the expression of certain genes, especially those involved in the control of the activities of other genes.