Silencing Long Non-coding RNA LINC01224 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via MicroRNA-330-5p-Induced Inhibition of CHEK1

Long Non-coding RNA Linc01224 Regulates Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth Through Interactions with miR-485-5p and IGF2BP3

Increasing evidence illustrates that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play significant oncogenic roles, including hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC). The function and mechanism of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of a specific lncRNA, linc01224, in regulating the miR-485-5p/IGF2BP3 axis in HSCC. We confirmed the lncRNA expression profiles in 5 pairs of HSCC and normal tissues by lncRNA sequencing. Another 28 HSCC tissues were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). qRT-PCR was also used to detect the expression levels of linc01224, miR-485-5p and IGF2BP3 in HSCC cell lines. Next, functional experiments in vitro and in vivo were applied to determine the effects of linc01224 silencing on tumor proliferation, migration, apoptosis and progression in HSCC. Linc01224 expression was significantly higher in HSCC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. In addition, HSCC patients with low IGF2BP3 expression had good survival. In vitro assays were mechanistically performed to explore whether linc01224 positively regulates IGF2BP3 expression via its competitive inhibition of miR-485-5p. An in vivo animal model also confirmed that linc01224 could promote the occurrence and development of HSCC. Our study first identified that linc01224 plays an oncogenic role in HSCC. It suggests that linc01224 may act as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for HSCC.

Establishment of an endoplasmic reticulum stress-associated lncRNAs model to predict prognosis and immunological characteristics in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

The endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways play an essential role in the pathophysiology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and activation of the UPR pathway is strongly associated with tumor growth. However, the function of ERS-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HCC is less recognized.

METHODS

We have used TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) to obtain clinical and transcriptome data for HCC patients and the GSEA (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis) molecular signature database to get the ERS gene. ERS-associated prognostic lncRNA was determined using univariate Cox regression study. Then, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariate Cox regression study were used to construct ERS-associated lncRNAs risk model. Next, we use Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival study, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, univariate and multivariate Cox regression study to validate and evaluate the risk model. GSEA reveals the underlying molecular mechanism of the risk model. In addition, differences in Immune cell Infiltration Study, half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) and immune checkpoints blockade (ICB) treatment between high and low risk groups were analyzed.

RESULTS

We constructed a risk model consisting of 6 ERS-associated lncRNAS (containingMKLN1-AS, LINC01224, AL590705.3, AC008622.2, AC145207.5, and AC026412.3). The KM survival study showed that the prognosis of HCC patients in low-risk group was better than that in high-risk group. ROC study, univariate and multivariate Cox regression study showed that the risk model had good predictive power for HCC patients. Our verification sample verified the aforesaid findings. GSEA suggests that several tumor- and metabolism-related signaling pathways are associated with risk groups. Simultaneously, we discovered that the risk models may help in the treatment of ICB and the selection of chemotherapeutic drugs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this article, we created an ERS-associated lncRNAs risk model to help prognostic diagnosis and personalized therapy in HCC.

A network pharmacology and bioinformatics exploration of the possible molecular mechanisms of Fuzheng Xiaoliu Granule for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background and Aim

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the ten most common malignant tumors in the world, and it is a major problem in the world. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has many advantages in the prevention and treatment of HCC, but its complicated mechanism of action is difficult to clarify, which limits its research and development. The continuous development of bioinformation technology provides new methods and opportunities for the research of TCM. This study used modern network pharmacology and bioinformatic methods to explore the possible molecular mechanism of the Chinese herbal compound Fuzheng Xiaoliu Granule (FZXLG) to treat HCC, to provide a theoretical basis for their clinical application and basic research, to promote the modernization of TCM, and to promote its worldwide application.

Methods

The active ingredients of FZXLG were collected and screened through TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, and other databases. The targets of FZXLG were predicted by PubChem and SwissTargetPrediction; HCC disease-related targets were obtained by GeneCards, OMIM, and other disease databases, and the potential gene targets of FZXLG for HCC treatment were screened. The "Prescription-TCMs-Ingredients-Targets" network of FZXLG for the treatment of HCC was constructed, along with the screening of core effective components. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of HCC tumor and non-tumor adjacent tissues combined with clinical data in the TCGA database were analyzed to obtain the prognostic genes of HCC. Then, FZXLG genes affecting HCC prognosis were screened and further screening the core target genes. The correlation between core gene expression with prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and immunohistochemical changes in HCC patients was studied. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis of the FZXLG genes affecting HCC prognosis were performed using DAVID database. AutoDockTools software was then used for molecular docking verification.

Results

The ten core effective ingredients of FZXLG for HCC treatment included multiple flavonoids ingredients such as quercetin, luteolin, and formononetin. 11 core targets of FZXLG affecting the prognosis of HCC were screened, among which estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) and catalase (CAT) were favorable prognostic factors, while EGF, MMP9, CCNA2, CCNB1, CDK1, CHEK1, and E2F1 were adverse prognostic factors. MMP9 and EGF were positively correlated with six TIIC subsets. The different expression levels of CAT, PLG, AR, MMP9, CCNA2, CCNB1, CDK1, and E2F1 were correlated with the immunohistochemical staining changes in normal liver and liver cancer. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis yielded 33 pathways including cell cycle, p53, hepatitis B, and other signaling pathways. Molecular docking verified that the main core components had good binding to the protective prognostic core targets ESR1 and CAT.

Conclusions

FZXLG may treat HCC through multiple ingredients, multiple targets, and multiple pathways, affecting the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and immunohistochemical changes of HCC.

Relevance for Patients

FZXLG is a Chinese herbal compound for the treatment of HCC, with significant clinical efficacy. However, the mechanism of action is unclear and lacks theoretical support, which limits its popularization application. This study preliminarily revealed its molecular mechanism, providing a theoretical basis for its clinical application, which can better guide its clinical popularization application, and also provide a new strategy for the treatment of HCC.

Long Non-coding RNA LINC01224 Promotes the Malignant Behaviors of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cells via Regulating the miR-193a-5p/NUP210 Axis

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a prevalent malignant tumor in women and is characterized by high incidence and mortality. Current evidence has suggested that multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play regulatory roles in TNBC, while the specific mechanism of LINC01224 in TNBC remains unclear. In this study, LINC01224 was highly expressed in TNBC cells. Moreover, LINC01224 downregulation inhibited TNBC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. Additionally, LINC01224 stabilized NUP210 mRNA through interaction with miR-193a-5p, thereby aggravating the malignant phenotypes of TNBC. Overall, LINC01224 functions as a tumor promoter for TNBC.

Construction of a prognostic model for HCC based on ferroptosis-related lncRNAs expression and its potential to predict the response and irAEs of immunotherapy

Background: Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death process, and studies have confirmed that it plays an important regulatory role in the occurrence and development of various malignancies including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition, the role of abnormally expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating and driving the occurrence and development of HCC has attracted more and more attention. However, there is still a lack of research on the role of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in the prognosis prediction of HCC patients.

Method: In this study, we used the Pearson test method to analyze the association between differentially expressed lncRNAs and ferroptosis-related genes in HCC and normal tissues obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and found 68 aberrantly expressed and prognosis-related ferroptosis-related lncRNAs. Based on this, we established an HCC prognostic model composed of 12 ferroptosis-related lncRNAs. In addition, HCC patients were divided into a high-risk group and a low-risk group according to the risk score of this 12 ferroptosis-related lncRNAs prognostic model. Gene enrichment analysis indicated that ferroptosis-related lncRNA-based expression signatures may regulate HCC immune microenvironment signaling pathways through ferroptosis, chemical carcinogenesis-reactive oxygen species, and NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity pathways. In addition, immune cell correlation analysis showed that there were significant differences in immune infiltrating cell subtypes, such as Th cells, macrophages, monocytes, and Treg cells between the two groups. In addition, the expression of multiple immune checkpoint molecules was found to be significantly increased in the high-risk group (eg, PD1, CTLA-4, CD86, etc.).

Results: Our research provides a new method for predicting prognosis using a ferroptosis-related lncRNA expression signature prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma. And it provides new tools for predicting patient response and adverse effects of immunotherapy.

Conclusion: In conclusion, ferroptosis-related lncRNA expression signatures can be used to construct a prognostic prediction model to predict the overall survival of HCC patients, and can be used as an independent influencing factor for prognosis. Further analysis showed that ferroptosis-related lncRNAs may affect the efficacy of immunotherapy in patients with HCC by altering the tumor microenvironment, so this model may serve as a new indicator of the response and irAEs of HCC to immunotherapy.

Trophectoderm non-coding RNAs reflect the higher metabolic and more invasive properties of young maternal age blastocysts

Increasing female age is accompanied by a corresponding fall in her fertility. This decline is influenced by a variety of factors over an individual's life course including background genetics, local environment and diet. Studying both coding and non-coding RNAs of the embryo could aid our understanding of the causes and/or effects of the physiological processes accompanying the decline including the differential expression of sub-cellular biomarkers indicative of various diseases. The current study is a post-hoc analysis of the expression of trophectoderm RNA data derived from a previous high throughput study. Its main aim is to determine the characteristics and potential functionalities that characterize long non-coding RNAs. As reported previously, a maternal age-related component is potentially implicated in implantation success. Trophectoderm samples representing the full range of maternal reproductive ages were considered in relation to embryonic implantation potential, trophectoderm transcriptome dynamics and reproductive maternal age. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) biomarkers identified here are consistent with the activities of embryo-endometrial crosstalk, developmental competency and implantation and share common characteristics with markers of neoplasia/cancer invasion. Corresponding genes for expressed lncRNAs were more active in the blastocysts of younger women are associated with metabolic pathways including cholesterol biosynthesis and steroidogenesis.

A ferroptosis-associated lncRNAs signature predicts the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Mounting evidence shows that lncRNAs can be used as prognostic biomarkers of HCC. Here, we developed a multi-lncRNA prognostic signature comprising ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC.

METHODS

Gene expression data and clinical information of HCC were obtained from the TCGA dataset. Differentially expressed genes of ferroptosis (DE-Ferrs) were screened. Correlation analysis was carried between lncRNAs and DE-Ferrs to identify ferroptosis-related lncRNAs. lncRNAs associated with prognosis and ferroptosis were identified using Univariate Cox analysis. Data from a TCGA dataset were randomly grouped into training and verification sets. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator method analysis was carried out to identify lncRNAs with prognostic value. These lncRNAs were used to construct a prognostic signature using the training set. The signature was validated in the verification set.

RESULTS

A total of 90 DE-Ferrs-related lncRNAs were identified which were significantly correlated with HCC prognosis. Seven lncRNAs were used to construct a 7-lncRNA signature. The area under the curves for 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) were 0.748, 0.681, and 0.659 in the training set, and 0.791, 0.731, and 0.815 in the validation set, respectively. The results demonstrated that a high-risk score was significantly associated with a high tumor grade, high infiltration of macrophages and fibroblasts in the tumor, and high expression of m6A methylation regulatory factors. A nomogram was constructed using the risk score and clinical features for predicting the prognosis of HCC. The nomogram showed high prediction accuracy.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the established 7 ferroptosis-related lncRNAs signature can accurately predict HCC prognosis.

Bioinformatics Analysis for Constructing a Six-Immune-Related Long Noncoding RNA Signature as a Prognostic Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The present study was aimed at identifying the potential prognostic biomarkers of the immune-related long noncoding RNA (IRL) signature for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). RNA-sequencing data and clinical information about HCC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The IRLs were determined with regard to the coexpression of immune-related genes and differentially expressed lncRNAs. The survival IRLs were obtained using the univariate Cox analysis. Subsequently, the prognosis model was constructed via the multivariate Cox analysis. Subsequently, functional annotation was conducted using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and principal component analysis (PCA). In total, 341 IRLs were identified, and 6 IRLs were found to have a highly significant association with the prognosis of patients with HCC. The immune prognosis model was constructed with these 6 IRLs (AC099850.4, negative regulator of antiviral response, AL031985.3, PRRT3-antisense RNA1, AL365203.2, and long intergenic nonprotein coding RNA 1224) using the multivariate Cox regression analysis. In addition, immune-related prognosis signatures were confirmed as an independent prognostic factor. The association between prognostic signatures and immune infiltration indicated that the 6 lncRNAs could reflect the immune status of the tumor. Collectively, the present study demonstrates that six-lncRNA signatures may be potential biomarkers to predict the prognosis of patients with HCC.

LncRNA 122049 suppresses apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells in ischemic AKI by targeting the miR-330-5p/ELK1 axis

Several studies have reported that long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) were associated with the progression of acute kidney injury (AKI). However, the role and regulation mechanism of lncRNA122049 in ischemic AKI remains unknown. In the present study, we found that lncRNA 122049 protected against the ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) induced apoptosis in BUMPT cells. Mechanistically, the lncRNA 122049 directly sponged miR-330-5p, then increased the expression of ELK1(ETS transcription factor ELK1) to decrease renal cell apoptosis. In addition, miR-330-5p inhibitor completely reversed the pro-apoptotic effect of LncRNA 122049 siRNA on I/R-induced BUMPT cells apoptosis. Finally, overexpression of lncRNA 122049 attenuated ischemic mice AKI via targeting of the miR-330-5p/ELK1 axis. Collectively, the data demonstrated that LncRNA 122049 prevented the I/R-induced renal cell apoptosis via regulation of the miR-330-5p/ELK1 axis, which brings new insights into the pathogenesis and potential targeted treatment of ischemic AKI.

Development of a Genomic Instability-Derived lncRNAs-Based Risk Signature as a Predictor of Prognosis for Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) ranks fourth in the incidence rate among the most frequent gynaecological malignancies reported in the developed countries. Approximately 280,000 endometrial cancer cases are reported worldwide every year. Genomic instability and mutation are some of the favourable characteristics of human malignancies such as endometrial cancer. Studies have established that the majority of genomic mutations in human malignancies are found in the chromosomal regions that do not code for proteins. In addition, the majority of transcriptional products of these mutations are long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In this study, 78 lncRNA genes were found on the basis of their mutation counts. Then, these lncRNAs were investigated to determine their relationship with genomic instability through hierarchical cluster analysis, mutation analysis, and differential analysis of driving genes responsible for genomic instability. The prognostic value of these lncRNAs was also assessed in patients with EC, and a risk factor score formula composed of 15 lncRNAs was constructed. We then identified this formula as genome instability-derived lncRNA-based gene signature (GILncSig), which stratified patients into high- and low-risk groups with significantly different outcome. And GILncSig was further validated in multiple independent patient cohorts as a prognostic factor of other clinicopathological features, such as stage, grade, overall survival rate. We observed that a high-risk score is often associated with an unfavourable prognosis in patients with EC.

Molecular mechanism of miR-34b-5p and RNA binding protein HuR binding to lncRNA OIP5-AS1 in colon cancer cells

Colon cancer (CC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. Long non-coding RNA OIP5-AS1 (lncRNA OIP5-AS1) expression pattern has been studied in many cancers. We aimed to identify the mechanism of lncRNA OIP5-AS1 in CC development. OIP5-AS1 expression pattern in CC tissues and cells was detected and the relation between OIP5-AS1 level and CC prognosis was analyzed. The proliferation, migration and invasion of CC cells were detected after silencing or overexpression of OIP5-AS1. Tumor xenograft in nude mice was established to verify the effect of OIP5-AS1 in vivo. The interaction between HuR protein and OIP5-AS1 and the interaction of miR-34b-5p with HuR and OIP5-AS1 were measured. OIP5-AS1 was highly expressed in CC and associated with poor prognosis. Silencing OIP5-AS1 inhibited CC cell malignant behaviors and inhibited the growth rate and tumor weight. In the mechanism, HuR bound to OIP5-AS1 and stabilized OIP5-AS1 expression. Both miR-34-5p and HuR bind to OIP5 and oppositely affect its expression. miR-34b-5p inhibited the proliferation and invasion of CC cells by inhibiting OIP5-AS1 and PI3K/Akt pathway. miR-34b-5p inhibited CC growth by inhibiting OIP5-AS1. Collectively, miR-34b-5p targets HuR and miR-34b-5p binds to OIP5-AS1 with HuR, thus inhibiting OIP5-AS1 and PI3K/Akt pathway and CC progression.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Prognostic Signature of Mutation-Derived Genome Instability-Related lncRNAs for Patients With Endometrial Cancer

Background: Emerging evidence shows that genome instability-related long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to tumor–cell proliferation, differentiation, and metastasis. However, the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of genome instability-related lncRNAs in endometrial cancer (EC) are underexplored.

Methods: EC RNA sequencing and corresponding clinical data obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were used to screen prognostic lncRNAs associated with genomic instability via univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The genomic instability-related lncRNA signature (GILncSig) was developed to assess the prognostic risk of high- and low-risk groups. The prediction performance was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The immune status and mutational loading of different risk groups were compared. The Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC) and the CellMiner database were used to elucidate the relationship between the correlation of prognostic lncRNAs and drug sensitivity. Finally, we used quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) to detect the expression levels of genomic instability-related lncRNAs in clinical samples.

Results: GILncSig was built using five lncRNAs (AC007389.3, PIK3CD-AS2, LINC01224, AC129507.4, and GLIS3-AS1) associated with genomic instability, and their expression levels were verified using qRT-PCR. Further analysis revealed that risk score was negatively correlated with prognosis, and the ROC curve demonstrated the higher accuracy of GILncSig. Patients with a lower risk score had higher immune cell infiltration, a higher immune score, lower tumor purity, higher immunophenoscores (IPSs), lower mismatch repair protein expression, higher microsatellite instability (MSI), and a higher tumor mutation burden (TMB). Furthermore, the level of expression of prognostic lncRNAs was significantly related to the sensitivity of cancer cells to anti-tumor drugs.

Conclusion: A novel signature composed of five prognostic lncRNAs associated with genome instability can be used to predict prognosis, influence immune status, and chemotherapeutic drug sensitivity in EC.

Pyroptosis-Related LncRNA Signature Predicts Prognosis and Is Associated With Immune Infiltration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Pyroptosis is an inflammatory form of programmed cell death that is involved in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were recently verified as crucial mediators in the regulation of pyroptosis. However, the role of pyroptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC and their associations with prognosis have not been reported. In this study, we constructed a prognostic signature based on pyroptosis-related differentially expressed lncRNAs in HCC. A co-expression network of pyroptosis-related mRNAs-lncRNAs was constructed based on HCC data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. Cox regression analyses were performed to construct a pyroptosis-related lncRNA signature (PRlncSig) in a training cohort, which was subsequently validated in a testing cohort and a combination of the two cohorts. Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed that patients in the high-risk group had poorer survival times. Receiver operating characteristic curve and principal component analyses further verified the accuracy of the PRlncSig model. Besides, the external cohort validation confirmed the robustness of PRlncSig. Furthermore, a nomogram based on the PRlncSig score and clinical characteristics was established and shown to have robust prediction ability. In addition, gene set enrichment analysis revealed that the RNA degradation, the cell cycle, the WNT signaling pathway, and numerous immune processes were significantly enriched in the high-risk group compared to the low-risk group. Moreover, the immune cell subpopulations, the expression of immune checkpoint genes, and response to chemotherapy and immunotherapy differed significantly between the high- and low-risk groups. Finally, the expression levels of the five lncRNAs in the signature were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. In summary, our PRlncSig model shows significant predictive value with respect to prognosis of HCC patients and could provide clinical guidance for individualized immunotherapy.

Construction and Validation of a Ferroptosis-Related lncRNA Signature as a Novel Biomarker for Prognosis, Immunotherapy and Targeted Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Recently, immunotherapy combined with targeted therapy has significantly prolonged the survival time and improved the quality of life of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, HCC treatment remains challenging due to the high heterogeneity of this malignancy. Sorafenib, the first-line drug for the treatment of HCC, can inhibit the progression of HCC by inducing ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is associated with the formation of an immunosuppressive microenvironment in tumours. Moreover, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are strongly associated with ferroptosis and the progression of HCC. Discovery of ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (FR-lncRNAs) is critical for predicting prognosis and the effectiveness of immunotherapy and targeted therapies to improve the quality and duration of survival of HCC patients. Herein, all cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database were divided into training and testing groups at a 6:4 ratio to construct and validate the lncRNA signatures. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and Cox regression analyses were used to screen the six FR-lncRNAs (including MKLN1-AS, LINC01224, LNCSRLR, LINC01063, PRRT3-AS1, and POLH-AS1). Kaplan–Meier (K–M) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses demonstrated the optimal predictive prognostic ability of the signature. Furthermore, a nomogram indicated favourable discrimination and consistency. For further validation, we used real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to analyse the expression of LNCSRLR, LINC01063, PRRT3-AS1, and POLH-AS1 in HCC tissues. Moreover, we determined the ability of the signature to predict the effects of immunotherapy and targeted therapy in patients with HCC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and somatic mutation analysis showed that ferroptosis-related pathways, immune-related pathways, and TP53 mutations may be strongly associated with the overall survival (OS) outcomes of HCC patients. Overall, our study suggests that a new risk model of six FR-lncRNAs has a significant prognostic value for HCC and that it could contribute to precise and individualised HCC treatment.

Identification of a Novel Survival-Related circRNA–miRNA–mRNA Regulatory Network Related to Immune Infiltration in Liver Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Increasing studies have reported that circular RNAs (circRNAs) play critical roles in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of circRNA-related competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in liver hepatocellular carcinoma (LIHC) are still unclear. In the present study, we discovered dysregulated circRNAs through Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) analysis and validated the expression of the top seven circRNAs with upregulated expression by qRT–PCR and Sanger sequencing. Then, the Cancer-Specific CircRNA Database (CSCD) was used to predict the downstream miRNAs of seven circRNAs, and expression and survival analyses through The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were performed to identify the key miRNA in LIHC. Thereafter, the hsa_circ_0017264-hsa-miR-195–5p subnetwork was successfully constructed. Subsequently, we predicted downstream target genes of hsa-miR-195–5p with TargetScan, miRDB, and mirtarbase and overlapped them with differentially expressed mRNAs to obtain 21 target genes. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to predict the biological and functional roles of these target genes. Finally, with Pearson correlation and prognostic value analysis, a survival-related hsa_circ_0017264-hsa-miR-195-5p-CHEK1/CDC25A/FOXK1 axis was established. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to determine the function of CHEK1/CDC25A/FOXK1 in the ceRNA network. Moreover, immune infiltration analysis revealed that the ceRNA network was markedly associated with the levels of multiple immune cell infiltrates, immune cell biomarkers and immune checkpoints. Overall, the hsa_circ_0017264-hsa-miR-195-5p-CHEK1/CDC25A/FOXK1 network might provide novel insights into the potential mechanisms underlying LIHC onset and progression.

Characterization of diagnostic and prognostic significance of cell cycle-linked genes in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The high degree of heterogeneity of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) imposes a significant challenge to predict the prognosis. Currently, increasing evidence has indicated that cell cycle-linked genes are strongly linked to occurrence and progress of HCC. Herein, we purposed to create a prediction model on the basis of cell cycle-linked genes.

Methods

The transcriptome along with clinicopathological data abstracted from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were used as a training cohort. Lasso regression analysis was employed to create a prediction model in TCGA cohort. The data of samples obtained from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) data resource were applied in the verification of the model. A series of bioinformatics analyzed the relationship of the risk signature with overall survival (OS), biological function, and clinicopathological features.

Results

Six cell cycle-linked genes (PLK1, CDC20, HSP90AA1, CHEK1, HDAC1, and NDC80) were chosen to create the prognostic model, demonstrating a good prognostic capacity. Further analyses indicated that the model could independently assess the OS of HCC patients. A single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) indicated that the risk signature was remarkably linked to immune status. Additionally, there was a remarkable association of the risk signature with TP53 mutation frequency, as well as immune checkpoint molecule expression levels.

Conclusions

We created a prediction model using six cell cycle-linked genes to predict HCC prognosis. The six genes are expected to be novel markers for HCC diagnosis, as well as treatment.

Structures and biological functions of zinc finger proteins and their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma

Zinc finger proteins are transcription factors with the finger domain, which plays a significant role in gene regulation. As the largest family of transcription factors in the human genome, zinc finger (ZNF) proteins are characterized by their different DNA binding motifs, such as C2H2 and Gag knuckle. Different kinds of zinc finger motifs exhibit a wide variety of biological functions. Zinc finger proteins have been reported in various diseases, especially in several cancers. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated death worldwide, especially in China. Most of HCC patients have suffered from hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) injection for a long time. Although the surgical operation of HCC has been extremely developed, the prognosis of HCC is still very poor, and the underlying mechanisms in HCC tumorigenesis are still not completely understood. Here, we summarize multiple functions and recent research of zinc finger proteins in HCC tumorigenesis and progression. We also discuss the significance of zinc finger proteins in HCC diagnosis and prognostic evaluation.

Identification and Validation of a Prognostic Prediction Model of m6A Regulator-Related LncRNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly invasive malignancy prone to recurrence, and patients with HCC have a low 5-year survival rate. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a vital role in the occurrence and development of HCC. N6-methyladenosine methylation (m6A) is the most common modification influencing cancer development. Here, we used the transcriptome of m6A regulators and lncRNAs, along with the complete corresponding clinical HCC patient information obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), to explore the role of m6A regulator-related lncRNA (m6ARlnc) as a prognostic biomarker in patients with HCC. The prognostic m6ARlnc was selected using Pearson correlation and univariate Cox regression analyses. Moreover, three clusters were obtained via consensus clustering analysis and further investigated for differences in immune infiltration, immune microenvironment, and prognosis. Subsequently, nine m6ARlncs were identified with Lasso-Cox regression analysis to construct the prognostic signature m6A-9LPS for patients with HCC in the training cohort (n = 226). Based on m6A-9LPS, the risk score for each case was calculated. Patients were then divided into high- and low-risk subgroups based on the cutoff value set by the X-tile software. m6A-9LPS showed a strong prognosis prediction ability in the validation cohort (n = 116), the whole cohort (n = 342), and even clinicopathological stratified survival analysis. Combining the risk score and clinical characteristics, we established a nomogram for predicting the overall survival (OS) of patients. To further understand the mechanism underlying the m6A-9LPS-based classification of prognosis differences, KEGG and GO enrichment analyses, competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, chemotherapeutic agent sensibility, and immune checkpoint expression level were assessed. Taken together, m6A-9LPS could be used as a precise prediction model for the prognosis of patients with HCC, which will help in individualized treatment of HCC.

Dysregulated expression and functions of microRNA-330 in cancers: A potential therapeutic target

As small non-coding RNAs, MicroRNAs (miRNAs) bind to the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of mRNA targets to control gene transcription and translation. The gene of miR-330 has two miRNA products, including miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p, which exhibit anti-tumorigenesis and/or pro-tumorigenesis effects in many kinds of malignancies. In cancers, miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p aberrant expression can influence many malignancy-related processes such as cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition, as well as angiogenesis and responsiveness to treatment. In many cancer types (such as lung, prostate, gastric, breast, bladder, ovarian, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer, and osteosarcoma), miR-330-5p acts as an anti-tumor agent. These cancers have low levels of miR-330-5p that leads to the upregulation of the tumor promotor target genes leading to tumor progression. Here, overexpression of miR-330-5p using miRNA inducers can prevent tumor development. Dual roles of miR-330-5p have been also indicated in the thyroid, liver and cervical cancers. Moreover, miR-330-3p exhibits pro-tumorigenesis effects in lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, osteosarcoma, bladder cancer, and cervical cancer. Here, downregulation of miR-330-3p using miRNA inhibitors can prevent tumor development. Demonstrated in breast and liver cancers, miR-330-3p also has dual roles. Importantly, the activities of miR-330-3p and/or miR-330-5p are regulated by upstream regulators long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), including circular and linear lncRNAs. This review comprehensively explained miR-330-3p and miR-330-5p role in development of cancers, while highlighting their downstream target genes and upstream regulators as well as possible therapeutic strategies.

Computational Identification of Immune- and Ferroptosis-Related LncRNA Signature for Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), which were implicated in many pathophysiological processes including cancer, were frequently dysregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Studies have demonstrated that ferroptosis and immunity can regulate the biological behaviors of tumors. Therefore, biomarkers that combined ferroptosis, immunity, and lncRNA can be a promising candidate bioindicator in clinical therapy of cancers. Many bioinformatics methods, including Pearson correlation analysis, univariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were applied to develop a prognostic risk signature of immune- and ferroptosis-related lncRNA (IFLSig). Finally, eight immune- and ferroptosis-related lncRNAs (IFLncRNA) were identified to develop and IFLSig of HCC patients. We found the prognosis of patients with high IFLSig will be worse, while the prognosis of patients with low IFLSig will be better. The results provide an efficient method of uniting critical clinical information with immunological characteristics, enabling estimation of the overall survival (OS). Such an integrative prognostic model with high predictive power would have a notable impact and utility in prognosis prediction and individualized treatment strategies.

Development of a novel five-lncRNA prognostic signature for predicting overall survival in elderly patients with breast cancer

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is an age‐related disease. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proven to be crucial contributors in tumorigenesis. This study aims to develop a novel lncRNA‐based signature to predict elderly BC patients’ prognosis.

Methods

The RNA expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of 182 elderly BC patients were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between BC and adjacent normal samples were used to construct the signature in the training set through univariate Cox regression analysis, LASSO regression analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Kaplan–Meier analysis and time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were used to evaluate the predictive performance. Besides, we developed the nomogram. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms.

Results

We constructed the five‐lncRNA signature (including LEF1‐AS1, MEF2C‐AS1, ST8SIA6‐AS1, LINC01224, and LINC02408) in the training set, which successfully divided the patients into low‐ and high‐risk groups with significantly different prognosis (p = 0.000049), and the AUC at 3 and 5 years of the signature was 0.779 and 0.788, respectively. The predictive performance of this signature was validated in the test and entire set. The 5‐lncRNA signature was an independent prognostic factor of OS (p = 0.007) and the nomogram constructed by independent prognostic factors was an accurate predictor of predicting overall survival probability. Besides, several pathways associated with tumorigenesis have been identified by GSEA.

Conclusions

The 5‐lncRNA signature and nomogram are reliable in predicting elderly BC patients’ prognosis and provide clues for clinical decision‐making.

Recent advances of fluorescent biosensors based on cyclic signal amplification technology in biomedical detection

The cyclic signal amplification technology has been widely applied for the ultrasensitive detection of many important biomolecules, such as nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), metal ions, exosome, etc. Due to their low content in the complex biological samples, traditional detection methods are insufficient to satisfy the requirements for monitoring those biomolecules. Therefore, effective and sensitive biosensors based on cyclic signal amplification technology are of great significance for the quick and simple diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Fluorescent biosensor based on cyclic signal amplification technology has become a research hotspot due to its simple operation, low cost, short time, high sensitivity and high specificity. This paper introduces several cyclic amplification methods, such as rolling circle amplification (RCA), strand displacement reactions (SDR) and enzyme-assisted amplification (EAA), and summarizes the research progress of using this technology in the detection of different biomolecules in recent years, in order to provide help for the research of more efficient and sensitive detection methods.

Use of 6 m6A-relevant lncRNA genes as prognostic markers of primary liver hepatocellular carcinoma based on TCGA database

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is diagnosed at the middle and advanced stages, negating radical treatment. Identifying specific and effective prognostic HCC biomarkers is important and can facilitate the discovery of potential therapeutic targets. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with the development of multiple tumors. The role of m6A-relevant lncRNAs in the initiation and progression of HCC is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of m6A-relevant lncRNAs in HCC and to identify new prognostic markers of the disease.

METHODS

Gene expression and clinical data were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. m6A-relevant lncRNAs were identified by co-expression analysis and were screened by univariate Cox regression analysis. Different HCC patient clusters were established via consensus clustering. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to determine the cluster enrichment pathways. A risk score model was constructed, and Kaplan-Meier analysis of the overall survival (OS) between cluster 1 (high risk) and cluster 2 (low risk) was performed. Relationships between the clusters, risk scores, and clinicopathological characteristics were clarified.

RESULTS

Of the 1,852 m6A-relevant lncRNAs identified, 68 had prognostic relevance. The pathological grade, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage, and T stage of cluster 1 were significantly more advanced than those of cluster 2. Based on GSEA, mitotic spindle, G2M_CHECKPOINT, glycolysis, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) protein kinase B (AKT) mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and DNA repair were more enriched in cluster 1. Six key m6A-relevant lncRNAs were selected to build a risk score model predicting the prognosis of HCC. The OS of patients in the high-risk group was shorter than that of patients in the low-risk group. Risk score was an independent prognostic factor of HCC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicated that m6A-relevant lncRNAs may be important in the progression of HCC. The risk score model based on the 6 key m6A-relevant lncRNAs can accurately predict the prognosis of patients with HCC.

LINC01224 facilitates the proliferation and inhibits the radiosensitivity of melanoma cells through the miR-193a-5p/NR1D2 axis

Melanoma is a skin cancer characterized by early metastasis and high mortality. Radiotherapy is a common treatment for melanoma in patients. Long noncoding RNAs play pivotal roles in regulating the radiosensitivity of many tumors, including melanomas. In this study, the role of LINC01224 in the radiosensitivity of melanoma cells was explored. The expression of LINC01224 in melanoma was examined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and the results showed that LINC01224 was upregulated in melanoma tissues and cells. The effects of LINC01224 on cell proliferation and apoptosis in melanoma were assessed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT), colony formation, and flow cytometry assays. The effects of LINC01224 on the radiosensitivity of melanoma were analyzed by colony formation assay. The results implied that LINC01224 knockdown inhibited cell viability and proliferation but enhanced cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity. Luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were performed to evaluate the relationships between LINC01224 and miR-193a-5p or miR-193a-5p and nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D member 2 (NR1D2). We found that LINC01224 binds to miR-193a-5p, which directly targets NR1D2. In addition, we discovered that LINC01224 upregulated NR1D2 expression by sponging miR-193a-5p in melanoma cells. Overall, the data collected in this study suggest that LINC01224 exerts oncogenic effects in melanoma via the miR-193a-5p/NR1D2 axis.

Silencing of Long Non-coding RNA TTN-AS1 Inhibits Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by the MicroRNA-134/ITGB1 Axis

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) causes considerable mortality worldwide. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) TTN-AS1 has been recently identified as an oncogene in several cancers, but its role in HCC and the molecules remain largely unknown.

AIMS

The study aims to probe the function of lncRNA TTN-AS1 in HCC progression and the molecules involved.

METHODS

Differentially expressed lncRNAs between HCC and the adjacent normal tissues were analyzed using a microarray. TTN-AS1 expression in HCC and normal tissues and cells was determined. Targeting relationships between TTN-AS1 and miR-134 and between miR-134 and ITGB1 were validated. Artificial up-regulation or down-regulation of TTN-AS1, miR-134 and ITGB1 was introduced in HCC cells to probe their effects on the biological behaviors of HCC cells. Xenograft tumors were induced in nude mice for in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

TTN-AS1 and ITGB1 were highly expressed, while miR-134 was poorly expressed in HCC tissues. TTN-AS1 enforced ITGB1 expression through sequestering miR-134. Silencing of TTN-AS1 or over-expression of miR-134 inhibited proliferation, invasion, migration, and resistance to death of Huh7 cells. Following miR-134 silencing, further down-regulation of ITGB1 suppressed the malignant behaviors of HUH7 cells. The similar results were reproduced in vivo.

CONCLUSION

The current study provided evidence that TTN-AS1 might promote HCC progression through sponging miR-134 and the following ITGB1 up-regulation. TTN-AS1 may serve as a potential target for HCC treatment.

Cell-free DNA 5-hydroxymethylcytosine profiles of long non-coding RNA genes enable early detection and progression monitoring of human cancers

BACKGROUND

5-Hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) is a significant DNA epigenetic modification. However, the 5hmC modification alterations in genomic regions encoding long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and their clinical significance remain poorly characterized.

RESULTS

A three-phase discovery-modeling-validation study was conducted to explore the potential of the plasma-derived 5hmC modification level in genomic regions encoding lncRNAs as a superior alternative biomarker for cancer diagnosis and surveillance. Genome-wide 5hmC profiles in the plasma circulating cell-free DNA of 1632 cancer and 1379 non-cancerous control samples from different cancer types and multiple centers were repurposed and characterized. A large number of altered 5hmC modifications were distributed at genomic regions encoding lncRNAs in cancerous compared with healthy subjects. Furthermore, most 5hmC-modified lncRNA genes were cancer-specific, with only a relatively small number of 5hmC-modified lncRNA genes shared by various cancer types. A 5hmC-LncRNA diagnostic score (5hLD-score) comprising 39 tissue-shared 5hmC-modified lncRNA gene markers was developed using elastic net regularization. The 5hLD-score was able to accurately distinguish tumors from healthy controls with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.963 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.940-0.985] and 0.912 (95% CI 0.837-0.987) in the training and internal validation cohorts, respectively. Results from three independent validations confirmed the robustness and stability of the 5hLD-score with an AUC of 0.851 (95% CI 0.786-0.916) in Zhang's non-small cell lung cancer cohort, AUC of 0.887 (95% CI 0.852-0.922) in Tian's esophageal cancer cohort, and AUC of 0.768 (95% CI 0.746-0.790) in Cai's hepatocellular carcinoma cohort. In addition, a significant association was identified between the 5hLD-score and the progression from hepatitis to liver cancer. Finally, lncRNA genes modified by tissue-specific 5hmC alteration were again found to be capable of identifying the origin and location of tumors.

CONCLUSION

The present study will contribute to the ongoing effort to understand the transcriptional programs of lncRNA genes, as well as facilitate the development of novel invasive genomic tools for early cancer detection and surveillance.

Construction and Validation of a Ferroptosis-Related Prognostic Model for Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most common female reproductive system tumors, with close to 200,000 new cases each year. It accounts for approximately 7% of the total number of female cancers, but until now the cause of EC has remained unclear. Ferroptosis is regulated cell death that distinguishes apoptosis and caused by oxidative damage. The process has unique biological effects on metabolism and redox biology. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between EC and ferroptosis. According to the different expression levels of related genes, we first divided 544 EC samples into four clusters and found that most of the infiltrating immune cells were significantly different among the four groups. A differential gene expression analysis between Fe.cluster groups was performed, and the samples were again divided into three Fe.gene.cluster groups. The molecular characteristics and clinical characteristics of the groups were significantly different. Finally, 13 characteristic genes were selected as ferroptosis gene signatures, and the Fe.score was obtained by calculation. The Fe.score is closely related to the clinical and molecular characteristics of EC, and a low Fe.score has a significant survival advantage. The GDSC predicts that the IC50 of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs is also significantly different between the two groups. In conclusion, our research has explored the relationship between EC and ferroptosis in detail, provides comprehensive insights for ferroptosis-mediated EC mechanism research, and emphasizes the clinical application potential of Fe.score-based immunotherapy strategies.

Long non-coding RNA SNHG22 facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis and angiogenesis via DNA methylation of microRNA miR-16-5p

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is considered as a common malignancy worldwide. Considerable evidence has illustrated that abnormally expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are in a close correlation with the initiation and progression of various tumors, including HCC. LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 22 (SNHG22) has been reported to play important roles in tumor initiation, but its role and mechanism are little known in HCC. In our report, we discovered the high level of SNHG22 in HCC tissues and cells, and the high expression of SNHG22 was correlated with unfavorable clinical outcome in HCC patients. Functional assays implied that SNHG22 deficiency suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis in vitro. Additionally, it was also confirmed that silenced SNHG22 suppressed tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo. Mechanistic exploration revealed that SNHG22 recruited DNMT1 to miR-16-5p DNA promoter through EZH2 and inhibited miR-16-5p transcription via DNA methylation. Finally, we verified that the suppression of miR-16-5p countervailed the suppressive effect of SNHG22 deficiency on HCC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Conclusively, this study clarified the SNHG22/EZH2/DNMT1/miR-16-5p axis and revealed that SNHG22 could be an underlying biomarker for HCC.

Construction of a Ferroptosis-Related Nine-lncRNA Signature for Predicting Prognosis and Immune Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent cell death process that plays important regulatory roles in the occurrence and development of cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Moreover, the molecular events surrounding aberrantly expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that drive HCC initiation and progression have attracted increasing attention. However, research on ferroptosis-related lncRNA prognostic signature in patients with HCC is still lacking. In this study, the association between differentially expressed lncRNAs and ferroptosis-related genes, in 374 HCC and 50 normal hepatic samples obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), was evaluated using Pearson's test, thereby identifying 24 ferroptosis-related differentially expressed lncRNAs. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm and Cox regression model were used to construct and validate a prognostic risk score model from both TCGA training dataset and GEO testing dataset (GSE40144). A nine-lncRNA-based signature (CTD-2033A16.3, CTD-2116N20.1, CTD-2510F5.4, DDX11-AS1, LINC00942, LINC01224, LINC01231, LINC01508, and ZFPM2-AS1) was identified as the ferroptosis-related prognostic model for HCC, independent of multiple clinicopathological parameters. In addition, the HCC patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups according to the nine-lncRNA prognostic signature. The gene set enrichment analysis enrichment analysis revealed that the lncRNA-based signature might regulate the HCC immune microenvironment by interfering with tumor necrosis factor α/nuclear factor kappa-B, interleukin 2/signal transducers and activators of transcription 5, and cytokine/cytokine receptor signaling pathways. The infiltrating immune cell subtypes, such as resting memory CD4(+) T cells, follicular helper T cells, regulatory T cells, and M0 macrophages, were all significantly different between the high-risk group and the low-risk group as indicated in Spearman's correlation analysis. Moreover, a substantial increase in the expression of B7H3 immune checkpoint molecule was found in the high-risk group. Our findings provided a promising insight into ferroptosis-related lncRNAs in HCC and a personalized prediction tool for prognosis and immune responses in patients.

MiR-192-5p inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells by regulation of SH3RF3

Background: The decreased level of miR-192-5p has been reported in several kinds of cancers, including bladder, colon, ovarian, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, the expression and function of miR-192-5p in papillary thyroid carcinoma/cancer (PTC) remains unknown.

Objective: The present study aimed to explore the function and underlying mechanism of miR-192-5p in PTC development.

Methods: PTC tissues and relative normal controls from PTC patients were collected. qRT-PCR analysis was performed to measure miR-192-5p and SH3RF3 mRNA level in PTC tissues and cell lines. CCK-8 method and FCM assay were used to test cell proliferation and apoptosis in TPC-1 cells, respectively. The abilities of cell migration and invasion were detected by wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. The protein expression was evaluated by Western blot. The interaction between miR-192-5p and Src homology 3 (SH3) domain containing ring finger 3 (SH3RF3) were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results: MiR-192-5p level was obviously decreased in PTC tissues and cell lines. Overexpression of miR-192-5p suppressed proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT process, while induced apoptosis in TPC-1 cells. In addition, miR-192-5p negatively modulated SH3RF3 expression by binding to its 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR). Silencing SH3RF3 inhibited the migration, invasion, and EMT of TPC-1 cells. In the meantime, matrine, an alkaloid extracted from herb, exerted its anti-cancer effects in PTC cells dependent on increase in miR-192-5p expression and decrease in SH3RF3 expression.

Conclusion: We firstly declared that miR-192-5p played a tumor suppressive role in PTC via targeting SH3RF3. Moreover, matrine exerted its anti-cancer effects in PTC via regulating miR-192-5p/SH3RF3 pathway.

The Role of Long Non-Coding RNA and microRNA Networks in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Its Tumor Microenvironment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common liver malignancy with high morbidity and poor prognosis. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in crucial biological processes of tumorigenesis and progression, and play four major regulatory roles, namely signal, decoy, guide, and scaffold, to regulate gene expression. Through these processes, lncRNAs can target microRNAs (miRNAs) to form lncRNA and miRNA networks, which regulate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, and the tumor microenvironment. Here, we summarize the multifaceted functions of lncRNA and miRNA networks in the pathogenesis of HCC, the potential use of diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers, and novel therapeutic targets in HCC. This review also highlights the regulatory effects of lncRNA and miRNA networks in the tumor microenvironment of HCC.

LINC01224 promotes colorectal cancer progression through targeting miR-485-5p/MYO6 axis

Background

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are related to colorectal cancer (CRC) development. However, the role and mechanism of lncRNA LINC01224 in CRC development are largely unknown.

Methods

LINC01224, Yin Yang 1 (YY1), microRNA (miR)-485-5p, and myosins of class VI (MYO6) levels were examined using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Functional analyses were processed through CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, transwell, and xenograft analyses. Dual-luciferase reporter, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), RNA immunoprecipitation, and pull-down assays were conducted to analyze the binding interaction.

Results

LINC01224 abundance was elevated in CRC tissue samples and cell lines. Elevated LINC01224 might indicate the lower 5-year overall survival in 52 CRC patients. LINC01224 was upregulated via the transcription factor YY1. LINC01224 knockdown restrained CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and increased apoptosis. MiR-485-5p was sponged by LINC01224, and miR-485-5p downregulation relieved the influence of LINC01224 interference on CRC progression. MYO6 was targeted via miR-485-5p and regulated via LINC01224/miR-485-5p axis. MiR-485-5p overexpression suppressed CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and facilitated apoptosis. MYO6 upregulation mitigated the role of miR-485-5p. LINC01224 knockdown decreased xenograft tumor growth.

Conclusion

YY1-induced LINC01224 regulates CRC development via modulating miR-485-5p/MYO6 axis.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12957-021-02389-x.

LINC00238 inhibits hepatic carcinoma progression by activating TMEM106C‑mediated apoptosis pathway

The present study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding (LINC)00238 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). LINC00238 expression in HCC tissues and cell lines was measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. LncTar was used to predict the binding sites between LINC00238 and transmembrane protein 106C (TMEM106C). Survival analysis of LINC00238, TMEM106C and activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) in patients with HCC was performed based on TCGA data. The proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of HCC cells were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium assay, flow cytometer, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. LINC00238 promoted apoptosis and inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. LINC00238 was downregulated in HCC. TMEM106C was a target of LINC00238 and TMEM106C expression was negatively regulated by LINC00238. TMEM106C suppressed the apoptosis pathway and decreased the expression of caspase-7, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2, programmed cell death 4 and ATF3. Notably, ATF3 was the upstream promoter of LINC00238 and positively regulated LINC00238 expression. In conclusion, LINC00238 inhibited HCC progression by inhibiting TMEM106 expression and activating the TMEM106C-mediated apoptosis pathway.

Long non-coding RNA LINC01224 promotes progression and cisplatin resistance in non-small lung cancer by sponging miR-2467

Copious evidence reveals that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert great regulatory functions in various human cancers. LINC01224 is a novel lncRNA, identified as a cancer regulator of HCC. However, the underlying mechanisms and clinical significance of LINC01224 in other types of cancers need further researches to explore. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the biological role of LINC01224 in NSCLC progression. Presently, LINNC01224 expression was elevated and miR-2467 expression was down-regulated in NSCLC, compared with standard control. Then we described the reciprocal correlation between LINC01224 and miR 2467. Afterward, the dual-luciferase reporter assay, RIP assay and RNA pull-down assay validated the base-pair interaction between LINC01224 and miR-2467. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that the silence of LINC01224 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion in NSCLC and enhanced cisplatin (CDDP) sensitivity in vitro. Besides, rescue assays verified that miR-2467 inhibitor could reverse the effects on cell biological activities and CDDP resistance caused by knockdown of LINC01224. Finally, in vivo experiments implicated that knockdown of LINC01224 could inhibit NSCLC tumor growth. To sum up, LINC01224 can promote tumor progression and CDDP resistance in NSCLC via sponging miR-2467, suggesting a promising therapeutic target for better diagnosis and prognosis of NSCLC patients.

Long non‑coding RNA LINC01224 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis by regulating AKT3 expression via targeting miR‑485‑5p in endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is the most common cancer in women worldwide, yet little is known about the underlying molecular basis of EC development. LINC01224, a novel long non-coding (lnc)RNA, was recently identified as an oncogene in various types of cancer. However, the function and underlying mechanism of LINC01224 in EC is still unclear. A total of 50 pairs of tumor and adjacent normal tissue from patients with EC, three EC cell lines and one human normal endometrial stromal cell (ESC) line were subjected to reverse transcription-quantitative PCR assay to evaluate the expression levels of LINC01224. Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to assess cell proliferation and apoptosis. Western blotting was used to measure expression levels of apoptosis- and proliferation-associated proteins and AKT3 protein. A xenograft model of HEC1A cells was established to validate the in vivo function of LINC01224 in EC tumor growth. Starbase 3.0 database prediction and luciferase reporter and RNA pull-down assays were performed to verify the binding sites between LINC01224 and microRNA (miR)-485-5p and miR-485-5p and AKT3. LINC01224 expression was significantly upregulated in both EC tumor tissue and cell lines. The upregulation of LINC01224 was negatively associated with survival of patients with EC. Functionally, LINC01224 promoted proliferation and inhibited apoptosis of EC cells; LINC01224 directly bound to and downregulated miR-485-5p to elevate the expression levels of AKT3, thereby promoting EC progression. LINC01224 depletion in EC cells hindered tumor growth in a xenograft model. The tumor suppressing effect of LINC01224-knockdown on EC progression was partly rescued by treatment with miR-485-5p inhibitor. The present data demonstrated the expression levels, clinical relevance and functional mechanism of LINC01224 in EC. LINC01224 promoted EC development via sponging miR-485-5p to elevate AKT3 expression levels; this may provide a promising therapeutic target pathway for EC treatment.

LINC01224/ZNF91 Promote Stem Cell-Like Properties and Drive Radioresistance in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Background

Radioresistance is the main reason for the failure of radiotherapy in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the molecular mechanism of radioresistance is still unclear.

Methods

An RNA-Seq assay was used to screen differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and genes in irradiation-resistant NSCLC cells. RT-PCR and Western blotting assays were performed to analyze the expressions of lncRNAs and genes. The chromosome conformation capture (3C) assay was performed to measure chromatin interactions. Cell cytotoxicity, cell apoptosis, sphere formation and Transwell assays were performed to assess cellular function.

Results

In this study, it was found that LINC01224 increased during the induction of radioresistance in NSCLC cells. LINC01224 was located within the enhancer of ZNF91, and LINC01224 could affect the transcription of ZNF91 by regulating the long-range interactions between the ZNF91 enhancer and promoter. Moreover, upregulation of LINC01224 and ZNF91 could promote irradiation resistance by regulating the stem cell-like properties of NSCLC cells. In addition, high expression levels of LINC01224 and ZNF91 in tissue samples were associated with radioresistance in NSCLC patients.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated that LINC01224/ZNF91 drove radioresistance regulation by promoting the stem cell-like properties in NSCLC.

AURKB, CHEK1 and NEK2 as the Potential Target Proteins of Scutellaria barbata on Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Objective

We aim to explore the potential anti-HCC mechanism of Scutellaria barbata through integrated bioinformatics analysis.

Methods

We searched active ingredients and related targets of Scutellaria barbata via TCMSP database, PubChem and SwissTargetPrediction database. Then, we identified HCC disease targets from GEO dataset by WGCNA. Next, the intersected targets of disease targets and drug targets were input into STRING database to construct PPI networking in order to obtain potential therapeutic targets of Scutellaria barbata. Cytoscape software was used to carry out network topology analysis of potential targets. We used the R package for GO analysis and KEGG analysis. Finally, we used AutoDock vina and PyMOL software for molecular docking.

Results

Sixteen active components from Scutellaria barbata were lastly selected for further investigation. A total of 442 component targets were identified from 16 active ingredients of Scutellaria barbata after the removal of duplicate targets. GSE45436 was selected for construction of WGCNA and screening of differentially expressed genes. A total of 354 genes were up-regulated in HCC samples and 100 were down-regulated in HCC patients. Twenty-one common genes were obtained by intersection and 10 critical targets were filtered for further investigation. The enrichment analysis showed that cell cycle, DNA replication, p53 signaling pathway were mainly involved. The molecular docking results showed that 4 potential combinations were with the best binding energy and molecular interactions.

Conclusion

AURKB, CHEK1 and NEK2 could be the potential target proteins of Scutellaria barbata in treating HCC. Cell cycle, DNA replication, p53 signaling pathway consist of the fundamental regulation cores in this mechanism.

Hsa-miR-330-5p Aggravates Thyroid Carcinoma via Targeting FOXE1

Background

Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is one of the frequent endocrine malignancies, and growing evidence suggests that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression contributes to TC development and progression. Nevertheless, the function of miR-330-5p in the progression of TC remains unknown.

Methods

The expression levels of miR-330-5 in patients with thyroid carcinoma and healthy controls were detected, and their potential diagnostic and prognostic values were analyzed.

Results

In this study, we firstly found that miR-330-5p expression was markedly upregulated in TC tissue and cell lines. Functionally, the downregulation of miR-330-5p suppressed TC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Further studies revealed that miR-330-5p negatively regulated the expression of forkhead box E1 (FOXE1). More importantly, the results of rescue experiments suggested that FOXE1 overexpression reduced the positive effects of miR-330-5p overexpression in TPC-1 and K-1 cells.

Conclusions

This work revealed that miR-330-5p facilitated the TC progression through targeting FOXE1, which may offer novel therapeutic options for TC.

Bioinformatic Analyses Identify a Prognostic Autophagy-Related Long Non-coding RNA Signature Associated With Immune Microenvironment in Diffuse Gliomas

Background

Autophagy and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) play a critical role in tumor progression and microenvironment. However, the role of autophagy-related lncRNAs (ARLs) in glioma microenvironment remains unclear.

Methods

A total of 988 diffuse glioma samples were extracted from TCGA and CGGA databases. Consensus clustering was applied to reveal different subgroups of diffuse gliomas. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to evaluate survival differences between groups. The infiltration of immune cells was estimated by ssGSEA, TIMER, and CIBERSORT algorithms. The construction of ARL signature was conducted using principal component analysis.

Results

Consensus clustering revealed two clusters of diffuse gliomas, in which cluster 1 was associated with poor prognosis and enriched with malignant subtypes of gliomas. Moreover, cluster 1 exhibited high apoptotic and immune characteristics, and it had a low purity and high infiltration of several immune cells. The constructed ARL signature showed a promising accuracy in predicting the prognosis of glioma patients. ARL score was significantly elevated in the malignant subtype of glioma and the high ARL score indicated a poor prognosis. Besides, the high ARL score notably indicated low tumor purity and high infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils.

Conclusion

Our study developed and validated a novel ARL signature for the classification of diffuse glioma, which was closely associated with glioma immune microenvironment and could serve as a promising prognostic biomarker for glioma patients.

Current Implications of microRNAs in Genome Stability and Stress Responses of Ovarian Cancer

Genomic alterations and aberrant DNA damage signaling are hallmarks of ovarian cancer (OC), the leading cause of mortality among gynecological cancers worldwide. Owing to the lack of specific symptoms and late-stage diagnosis, survival chances of patients are significantly reduced. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and replication stress response inhibitors present attractive therapeutic strategies for OC. Recent research has focused on ovarian cancer-associated microRNAs (miRNAs) that play significant regulatory roles in various cellular processes. While miRNAs have been shown to participate in regulation of tumorigenesis and drug responses through modulating the DNA damage response (DDR), little is known about their potential influence on sensitivity to chemotherapy. The main objective of this review is to summarize recent findings on the utility of miRNAs as cancer biomarkers, in particular, ovarian cancer, and their regulation of DDR or modified replication stress response proteins. We further discuss the suppressive and promotional effects of various miRNAs on ovarian cancer and their participation in cell cycle disturbance, response to DNA damage, and therapeutic functions in multiple cancer types, with particular focus on ovarian cancer. Improved understanding of the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate drug resistance should facilitate the development of effective combination therapies for ovarian cancer.

MicroRNA-361-5p induces hepatocellular carcinoma cell apoptosis and enhances drug sensitivity by targeting MAP3K9

MicroRNAs (miRs) participate in the development of several cancers. miR-361-5p suppresses the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. However, its function and potential underlying mechanism of action in the chemoresistance of HCC remains unknown. Therefore, cisplatin (DDP)-resistant HCC cells were used to study the role and potential mechanism of action of miR-361-5p in HCC resistance to chemotherapy. TargetScan software and dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to determine whether MAPK kinase kinase 9 (MAP3K9) is a target gene of miR-361-5p. Subsequently, reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blot analyses demonstrated that miR-361-5p mimic decreased MAP3K9 expression levels in Huh7 cells and this change was reversed by transfection with the MAP3K9-plasmid. In addition, compared with THLE-2 cells, miR-361-5p was downregulated, while MAP3K9 was upregulated in Huh7 cells. MAP3K9 also reversed the miR-361-5p-induced HCC cell apoptosis. A DDP-resistant cell line, Huh7/DDP, was established and MTT analysis revealed that the IC₅₀ value of DDP treatment in Huh7/DDP cells was higher compared with that in Huh7 cells. miR-361-5p expression was lower in Huh7/DDP cells compared with that in Huh7 cells. Similarly, miR-361-5p downregulated the expression levels of MAP3K9 in Huh7/DDP cells. Furthermore, MAP3K9 reversed miR-361-5p-induced sensitivity of Huh7/DDP cells to DDP and miR-361-5p induced Huh7/DDP cell apoptosis. Therefore, the findings of the present study demonstrated that the miR-361-5p/MAP3K9 axis may serve as a new potential biomarker and therapeutic target for DDP-resistant HCC.

A Risk Signature with Nine Stemness Index-Associated Genes for Predicting Survival of Patients with Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma

Purpose

To identify mRNA expression-based stemness index- (mRNAsi-) related genes and build an mRNAsi-related risk signature for endometrial cancer.

Methods

We collected mRNAsi data of endometrial cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and analyzed their relationship with the main clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of endometrial cancer patients. We screened the top 50% of the genes in TCGA for weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) to explore mRNAsi-related gene sets. Among these mRNAsi-related genes, we further screened for those related to the prognosis of endometrial cancer patients via univariate Cox regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis. Using stepwise multivariate Cox regression analysis, a stemness index-related risk signature was constructed. Finally, we identified potential prognostic biomarkers for endometrial cancer by combining the GEO database and immunohistochemical staining.

Results

The mRNAsi of endometrial cancer samples was significantly higher than that of normal samples and was related to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, pathological grade, postoperative tumor status, and overall survival of endometrial cancer patients. We identified 21 mRNAsi-related gene modules, and 1,324 genes were obtained from the most relevant module. TCGA samples were divided into training and validation cohorts, and the training cohort was used to construct a nine-mRNAsi-related gene signature (B3GAT2, CD3EAP, DMC1, FRMPD3, LINC01224, LINC02068, LY6H, NR6A1, and TLE2). High-risk and low-risk patients had significant prognostic differences, and the risk signature could accurately predict their 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival. The nomogram composed of risk score and multiple clinicopathological features could accurately predict 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival. Finally, CD3EAP was found to be a novel prognostic biomarker for endometrial cancer.

Conclusion

Endometrial cancer cell stemness is related to patient prognosis. The nine-gene risk signature is an independent prognostic factor and can accurately predict endometrial cancer patient prognosis.

Long non-coding RNA-based signature for predicting prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), as one common type of non-coding RNAs, play a critical role in the tumorigenesis and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the current study, we aimed to assess the correlation between lncRNAs expression levels and prognosis of HCC patients. A lncRNA-based signature was also developed to predict the prognosis of HCC in this work. The lncRNAs expression profiles in tissues of tumor and para-carcinoma were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The lncRNA-based prognostic model was established by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). The multivariate Cox-regression analysis was applied to identify the independent risk factors and subsequently developed a prognostic nomogram. Based on the co-expression analyses, we identified the lncRNA-related mRNAs and performed the biological function analysis. Between HCC and para-carcinoma tissues, 220 differentially expressed lncRNAs were filtered. Among these lncRNAs, 19 lncRNAs were identified as prognostic factors and were used to build a prognostic signature of overall survival (OS). Furthermore, a nomogram with high performance for predicting the OS of HCC patients (C-index: 0.779) by combining the 19-lncRNA signature (P < 0.001) and clinicopathologic factors including HBV (P = 0.005) and stage (P =0.017) was established. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that 19 lncRNAs had potential effects on tumor cell proliferation in HCC. In summary, we established a 19-lncRNA signature to predict the prognosis of HCC patients, which may perform a crucial role in guiding the management of HCC.

LINC01224 accelerates malignant transformation via MiR-193a-5p/CDK8 axis in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignant tumor with a significantly high mortality rate, yet, its pathogenesis is not fully understood. Bioinformatics predicted that LINC01224 is highly expressed in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD), and showed that LINC01224 adsorbed miR-193a-5p to target CDK8. Therefore, this study intended to verify the effect of the LINC01224/miR-193a-5p/CDK8 axis on the biological behavior of gastric cancer.

METHODS

Expressions of LINC01224, miR-193a-5p, CDK8, apoptosis-, and EMT-related genes were analyzed using the GEPIA website, RT-qPCR, in situ hybridization, and Western blot as needed. Bioinformatics and dual luciferase assay were used to evaluate the relationship between LINC01224, miR-193a-5p, and CDK8. Functional experiments and rescue experiments (MTT assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, and Transwell) were conducted to detect the effects of the above genes on the biological characteristics of GC cells. Tumorigenesis assay was used to verify the results of in vitro experiments.

RESULTS

LINC01224 adsorbed miR-193a-5p to target and upregulate CDK8. The expressions of LINC01224 and CDK8 were increased, while the expression of miR-193a-5p was decreased in GC. Overexpressed LINC01224 promoted cell viability, migration and invasion, accelerated tumor formation, attenuated apoptosis, inhibited the expressions of apoptosis-related proteins, and promoted the expressions of EMT-related proteins, whereas silenced LINC01224 led to the opposite effect. MiR-193a-5p inhibitor partially offset the effect of silenced LINC01224; interestingly, siCDK8 significantly reversed the effect of miR-193a-5p inhibitor on GC cells.

CONCLUSION

LINC01224 affects the biological behavior of gastric cancer by mediating miR-193a-5p to regulate CDK8.

LINC01224 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression by Sponging miR-2467

Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common human cancers and a leading cause of cancer-related death. Accumulating evidence has confirmed that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays crucial roles in CRC development.

Methods

qRT-PCR was performed to examine the expressions of LINC01224 and miR-2467. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay and transwell invasion assay were used to examine the progression of breast cancer cells. Luciferase and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were applied to verify the binding site. Correlation analysis of miR-2467 and LINC01224 expression in lung cancer tissues was shown. Pancreatic cancer cells growth in vivo was evaluated using xenograft tumor assay.

Results

LINC01224 expression was observed to be up-regulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Functional studies suggested that LINC01224 silence inhibited CRC cells proliferation and invasion of CRC cells, while co-transfection with a miR-2467 inhibitor reversed these biological effects. Luciferase reporter assays illustrated that LINC01224 regulated miR-2467 directly, and RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) further confirmed that the suppression of LINC01224 by miR-2467 was in an RISC-dependent manner. Finally, LINC01224 silence inhibited the growth CRC cells in vivo.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our findings showed that LINC01224 promoted CRC progression through sponging miR-2467. LINC01224 may serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC patients.

LncRNA influence sequential steps of hepatocellular carcinoma metastasis

As a class of new and crucial molecules involved in the regulation of biological function, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) have obtained widespread attention in recent days. While it was thought that lncRNA would be redundant in the past, it is proved that lncRNA identify a class of molecular that regulate the homeostasis including hepatocellular carcinoma in the present. All kinds of lncRNA have been implicated in a various of diseases, particularly in tumorigenesis and metastasis. But the mechanisms how they act is still not entirely clear. Metastasis is a major factor affecting long-term survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. Recently, growing numbers of experiments demonstrate that there is close connection between lncRNA and HCC metastasis. Here, we will briefly introduce a series of steps (primary tumor growth, angiogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, invasion, intravasation, survival in circulatory system, extravasation, dormancy and subsequent secondary tumor growth) of tumor metastasis, its classical but promising theories, the role of lncRNA in metastasis and the possible mechanisms involved. LncRNA, as potentially new and important tumor diagnostic and therapeutic molecules, has attracted much attention in recent years.

Effects of lncRNA LINC01224/miR-513b-5p on proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer SW1116 cells

BACKGROUND

The incidence and mortality of colon cancer in China are increasing year by year. At present, the pathogenesis of colon cancer has not been elucidated. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important regulatory role in the occurrence of colon cancer and other tumors mainly by competitively binding microRNAs. It is known that the lncRNA LINC01224 may play an oncogenic role in tumors, but the mechanism of LINC01224 in the development and progression of colon cancer has not been elucidated.

AIM

To explore the effects of lncRNA LINC01224/miR-513b-5p on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer SW1116 cells and the possible mechanism involved.

METHODS

qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LINC01224 and miR-513b-5p in colon cancer and tumor adjacent tissues. si-NC, si-LINC01224, and si-LINC01224, as well as anti-miR-NC, si-LINC01224, and anti-miR-513b-5p were transfected into human colon cancer SW1116 cells. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of LINC01224 and miR-513b-5p in SW1116 cells. MTT assay was used to detect the cell survival rate. Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle. Transwell assay was used to detect cell migration and invasion. The dual luciferase reporter assay was used to detect the targeting relationship between LINC01224 and miR-513b-5p. Western blot method was used to detect the expression of E-cadherin and N-cadherin proteins.

RESULTS

Compared with adjacent tissues, the expression level of LINC01224 in colon cancer tissues was increased (P < 0.05), and the expression level of miR-513b-5p was decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the si-NC group, the survival rate of cells in the si-LINC01224 group was reduced (P < 0.05), the proportion of cells in the G0-G1 phase was increased (P < 0.05), the proportion of cells in the S phase was reduced (P < 0.05), the numbers of migrating and invasive cells were decreased (P < 0.05), the protein level of E-cadherin was increased (P < 0.05), and the protein level of N-cadherin was decreased (P < 0.05). The dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that LINC01224 could target miR-513b-5p. Compared with the si-LINC01224 + anti-miR-NC group, the cell survival rate of cells in the si-LINC01224 + anti-miR-513b-5p group was increased (P < 0.05), the proportion of cells in the G0-G1 phase was decreased (P < 0.05), the proportion of cells was increased (P < 0.05), the numbers of migrating and invasive cells were increased (P < 0.05), the protein level of E-cadherin was decreased (P < 0.05), and the protein level of N-cadherin was increased (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Interfering with the expression of LINC01224 reduces the proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells by up-regulating miR-513b-5p, and induces cell cycle arrest in G0-G1 phase.

Hepigenetics: A Review of Epigenetic Modulators and Potential Therapies in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the second most lethal, following lung cancer. Currently applied therapeutic practices rely on surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy, or a combination thereof. These treatment options are associated with extreme adversities, and risk/benefit ratios do not always work in patients' favor. Anomalies of the epigenome lie at the epicenter of aberrant molecular mechanisms by which the disease develops and progresses. Modulation of these anomalous events poses a promising prospect for alternative treatment options, with an abundance of felicitous results reported in recent years. Herein, the most recent epigenetic modulators in hepatocellular carcinoma are recapitulated on.