Chemically modified MIR143-3p exhibited anti-cancer effects by impairing the KRAS network in colorectal cancer cells

Circulating extracellular vesicles and small non-coding RNAs cargo in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies reveal differences across myositis subsets

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the epigenetic footprint of idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) through characterization of circulating extracellular vesicles (EVs) and the expression of EV-derived small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs).

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, EVs were isolated by size-exclusion chromatography from plasma of patients with IIM and age- and sex-matched healthy donors (HD). EV-derived sncRNAs were sequenced and quantified using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Following quality control and normalization, filtered count reads were used for differential microRNA (miRNA) and piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA) expression analyses. Putative gene targets enriched for pathways implicated in IIM were analyzed. Patients' clinical and laboratory characteristics at the time of sampling were recorded.

RESULTS

Forty-seven IIM patients and 45 HD were enrolled. MiR-486-5p (p < 0.01), miR-122-5p, miR-192-5p, and miR-32-5p were significantly upregulated (p < 0.05 for all), while miR-142-3p (p < 0.001), miR-141-3p (p < 0.01), let-7a-5p (p < 0.05) and miR-3613-5p (p < 0.05) downregulated in EVs from IIM patients versus HD. MiR-486-5p was associated with raised muscle enzymes levels. Several target genes of up/downregulated miRNAs in IIM participate in inflammation, necroptosis, interferon and immune signaling. Six piRNAs were significantly dysregulated in IIM EVs versus HD (p < 0.05). Within IIM, miR-335-5p was selectively upregulated and miR-27a-5p downregulated in dermatomyositis (n = 21, p < 0.01). Finally, plasma EV levels were significantly increased in cancer-associated myositis (CAM, n = 12) versus non-CAM IIM (n = 35, p = 0.02) and HD (p < 0.01). EVs cargo in CAM was significantly enriched of let-7f-5p and depleted of miR-143-3p.

CONCLUSION

Through an unbiased screening of EV-derived sncRNAs, we characterize miRNAs and piRNAs in the EVs cargo as potential biomarkers and modifiers of diverse IIM phenotypes.

Exploring 2-methyl-substituted vitamin K3 derivatives with potent inhibitory activity against the 3CL protease of SARS-CoV-2

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, various anti-SARS-CoV-2 drugs have been developed. In particular, 3CL protease (3C-like protease, 3CLpro) is an attractive drug target because it is an essential enzyme for viral multiplication and is present only in viruses, not in humans. To date, 3CLpro inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 such as nirmatrelvir and ensitrelvir have been launched as oral drugs in Japan, but there is still no potent drug against SARS-CoV-2, due to issues of in vivo absorption and stability. Recently, vitamin K3 was reported to show inhibitory activity against 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2, and the mechanism of action was predicted to be the formation of a covalent bond between the thiol group of cysteine 145, the active center of 3CLpro, and the C-3 position of vitamin K3. Therefore, we synthesized derivatives in which the 2-methyl group of the vitamin K3 was systematically converted to other substituents and examined their inhibitory activity against 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that the compounds with the sulfide structure showed an approximately 4-fold increase in activity over vitamin K3. These results indicated the possibility of creating new inhibitors based on vitamin K3 and its derivatives.

Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors: Signaling Pathways and Epigenetic Regulation

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

Antitumor effects of chemically modified miR-143 lipoplexes in a mouse model of pelvic colorectal cancer via myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase substrate downregulation

Replenishing tumor-suppressor miRNAs (TS-miRNAs) is a potential next-generation nucleic acid-based therapeutic approach. Establishing an effective miRNA delivery system is essential to successful TS-miRNA therapy. To overcome vulnerability to RNA nucleases, we previously developed a chemically modified miRNA143-3p (CM-miR-143). In clinical practice, colorectal cancer (CRC) pelvic recurrence is an occasional challenge following curative resection, requiring a novel therapy because reoperative surgery poses a significant burden to the patient. Hence, we considered the use of CM-miR-143 as an alternative treatment. In this study, we used a mouse model bearing pelvic CRC adjacent to the rectum and investigated the anticancer effects of CM-miR-143 lipoplexes formulated from miRNA and a cationic liposome. Compared with commercial synthetic miR-143, CM-miR-143 lipoplexes accumulated heavily in regions of the pelvic CRC tumor where the blood flow was high. As a result, systemic administration of CM-miR-143 lipoplexes improved animal survival by significantly suppressing pelvic CRC tumors and relieving a lethal bowel obstruction caused by rectal compression. Detailed protein analysis revealed that the myristoylated alanine-rich C kinase is a novel target for CM-miR-143 lipoplexes. Our results suggest that CM-miR-143 is a potential next-generation drug candidate in the treatment of CRC pelvic recurrence.

Comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the expression and prognostic significance of TSC22D domain family genes in adult acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

TSC22D domain family genes, including TSC22D1-4, play a principal role in cancer progression. However, their expression profiles and prognostic significance in adult acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remain unknown.

METHODS

The online databases, including HPA, CCLE, EMBL-EBI, GEPIA2, BloodSpot, GENT2, UCSCXenaShiny, GSCALite, cBioportal, and GenomicScape, utilized the data of TCGA and GEO to investigate gene expression, mutation, copy number variation (CNV), and prognostic significance of the TSC22D domain family in adult AML. Computational analysis of resistance (CARE) was used to explore the effect of TSC22D3 expression on drug response. Functional enrichment analysis of TSC22D3 was performed in the TRRUST Version 2 database. The STRING, Pathway Commons, and AnimalTFDB3.0 databases were used to investigate the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of TSC22D3. Harmonizome was used to predict target genes and kinases regulated by TSC22D3. The StarBase v2.0 and CancermiRNome databases were used to predict miRNAs regulated by TSC22D3. UCSCXenaShiny was used to investigate the correlation between TSC22D3 expression and immune infiltration.

RESULTS

Compared with normal adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the expression of TSC22D3 and TSC22D4 in adult AML tissues was markedly up-regulated, whereas TSC22D1 expression was markedly down-regulated. The expression of TSC22D1 and TSC22D3 was significantly increased in adult AML tissues compared to normal adult tissues. High TSC22D3 expression was significantly associated with poor overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) in adult AML patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis showed that overexpression of TSC22D3 was independently associated with adverse OS of adult AML patients. High TSC22D3 expression had a adverse impact on OS and EFS of adult AML patients in the chemotherapy group. TSC22D3 expression correlated with drug resistance to BCL2 inhibitors. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that TSC22D3 might promote AML progression. MIR143-3p sponging TSC22D3 might have anti-leukemia effect in adult AML.

CONCLUSIONS

A significant increase in TSC22D3 expression was observed in adult AML tissues compared to normal adult HSCs and tissues. The prognosis of adult AML patients with high TSC22D3 expression was unfavorable, which could severe as a new prognostic biomarker and potential target for adult AML.