Regulating POLR3G by MicroRNA-26a-5p as a promising therapeutic target of lung cancer stemness and chemosensitivity

ncStem: a comprehensive resource of curated and predicted ncRNAs in cancer stemness

Cancer stemness plays an important role in cancer initiation and progression, and is the major cause of tumor invasion, metastasis, recurrence, and poor prognosis. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a class of RNA transcripts that generally cannot encode proteins and have been demonstrated to play a critical role in regulating cancer stemness. Here, we developed the ncStem database to record manually curated and predicted ncRNAs associated with cancer stemness. In total, ncStem contains 645 experimentally verified entries, including 159 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), 254 microRNAs (miRNAs), 39 circular RNAs (circRNAs), and 5 other ncRNAs. The detailed information of each entry includes the ncRNA name, ncRNA identifier, disease, reference, expression direction, tissue, species, and so on. In addition, ncStem also provides computationally predicted cancer stemness-associated ncRNAs for 33 TCGA cancers, which were prioritized using the random walk with restart (RWR) algorithm based on regulatory and co-expression networks. The total predicted cancer stemness-associated ncRNAs included 11 132 lncRNAs and 972 miRNAs. Moreover, ncStem provides tools for functional enrichment analysis, survival analysis, and cell location interrogation for cancer stemness-associated ncRNAs. In summary, ncStem provides a platform to retrieve cancer stemness-associated ncRNAs, which may facilitate research on cancer stemness and offer potential targets for cancer treatment. Database URL: http://www.nidmarker-db.cn/ncStem/index.html.

Non-coding RNAs and exosomal non-coding RNAs in lung cancer: insights into their functions

Lung cancer is the second most common form of cancer worldwide Research points to the pivotal role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in controlling and managing the pathology by controlling essential pathways. ncRNAs have all been identified as being either up- or downregulated among individuals suffering from lung cancer thus hinting that they may play a role in either promoting or suppressing the spread of the disease. Several ncRNAs could be effective non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose or even serve as effective treatment options for those with lung cancer, and several molecules have emerged as potential targets of interest. Given that ncRNAs are contained in exosomes and are implicated in the development and progression of the malady. Herein, we have summarized the role of ncRNAs in lung cancer. Moreover, we highlight the role of exosomal ncRNAs in lung cancer.

MiRNA-145-5p inhibits gastric cancer progression via the serpin family E member 1- extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 axis

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and play a critical role in cancer physiology. However, there is still a limited understanding of the function and regulatory mechanism of miRNAs in gastric cancer (GC).

AIM

To investigate the role and molecular mechanism of miRNA-145-5p (miR145-5p) in the progression of GC.

METHODS

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to detect miRNA expression in human GC tissues and cells. The ability of cancer cells to migrate and invade was assessed using wound-healing and transwell assays, respectively. Cell proliferation was measured using cell counting kit-8 and colony formation assays, and apoptosis was evaluated using flow cytometry. Expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated protein was determined by Western blot. Targets of miR-145-5p were predicated using bioinformatics analysis and verified using a dual-luciferase reporter system. Serpin family E member 1 (SERPINE1) expression in GC tissues and cells was evaluated using RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The correlation between SERPINE1 expression and overall patient survival was determined using Kaplan-Meier plot analysis. The association between SERPINE1 and GC progression was also tested. A rescue experiment of SERPINE1 overexpression was conducted to verify the relationship between this protein and miR-145-5p. The mechanism by which miR-145-5p influences GC progression was further explored by assessing tumor formation in nude mice.

RESULTS

GC tissues and cells had reduced miR-145-5p expression and SERPINE1 was identified as a direct target of this miRNA. Overexpression of miR-145-5p was associated with decreased GC cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and EMT, and these effects were reversed by forcing SERPINE1 expression. Kaplan-Meier plot analysis revealed that patients with higher SERPINE1 expression had a shorter survival rate than those with lower SERPINE1 expression. Nude mouse tumorigenesis experiments confirmed that miR-145-5p targets SERPINE1 to regulate extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (ERK1/2).

CONCLUSION

This study found that miR-145-5p inhibits tumor progression and is expressed in lower amounts in patients with GC. MiR-145-5p was found to affect GC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by negatively regulating SERPINE1 levels and controlling the ERK1/2 pathway.

Cancer stem cells: a target for overcoming therapeutic resistance and relapse

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cells in cancers that are thought to initiate tumorous transformation and promote metastasis, recurrence, and resistance to treatment. Growing evidence has revealed the existence of CSCs in various types of cancers and suggested that CSCs differentiate into diverse lineage cells that contribute to tumor progression. We may be able to overcome the limitations of cancer treatment with a comprehensive understanding of the biological features and mechanisms underlying therapeutic resistance in CSCs. This review provides an overview of the properties, biomarkers, and mechanisms of resistance shown by CSCs. Recent findings on metabolic features, especially fatty acid metabolism and ferroptosis in CSCs, are highlighted, along with promising targeting strategies. Targeting CSCs is a potential treatment plan to conquer cancer and prevent resistance and relapse in cancer treatment.

Flavonoids on the Frontline against Cancer Metastasis

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in cancer patients [...].

Expression and Regulatory Mechanisms of MicroRNA in Cholesteatoma: A Systematic Review

Cholesteatoma is a temporal bone disease characterized by dysfunctions of keratinocytes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionary conserved noncoding RNAs that regulate mRNA expression. They can be packaged into exosomes and transported to target cells that can be used in the future therapy of cholesteatoma. This study aimed to collect knowledge on the role of miRNAs and exosomal miRNAs in cholesteatoma and was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. Four databases were screened: Pubmed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. The last search was run on the 6th of June 2023. We included full-text original studies written in English, which examined miRNAs in cholesteatoma. The risk of bias was assessed using the Office of Health Assessment and Translation (OHAT) Risk of Bias Rating Tool, modified for the needs of this review. We identified 118 records and included 18 articles. Analyses revealed the downregulation of exosomal miR-17 as well as miR-10a-5p, miR-125b, miR-142-5p, miR34a, miR-203a, and miR-152-5p and the overexpression of exosomal miR-106b-5p as well as miR-1297, miR-26a-5p, miR-199a, miR-508-3p, miR-21-3p, miR-584-5p, and miR-16-1-3p in cholesteatoma. The role of differentially expressed miRNAs in cholesteatoma, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, the cell cycle, differentiation, bone resorption, and the remodeling process, was confirmed, making them a potential therapeutic target in this disease.