miR-199a-3p targets ETNK1 to promote invasion and migration in gastric cancer cells and is associated with poor prognosis

Exosomal miR-199a-3p Secreted From Cancer-Associated Adipocytes Promotes Pancreatic Cancer Progression

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer. Recent studies indicated that cancer-associated adipocytes (CAAs) play crucial roles in tumor progression; however, the precise mechanism remains unknown. Here, we analyzed specific exosomal microRNAs (miRNA) signatures derived from pancreatic CAAs to investigate their role in cancer progression.

METHODS

CAAs were generated by co-culturing human adipocytes with human pancreatic cancer cells, and exosomes were isolated from the CAA-conditioned medium (CAA-CM). Small RNA-seq analysis was used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in these exosomes. The effects of miRNAs on cell proliferation, migration/invasion, and drug sensitivity were examined. Luciferase reporter assays, real-time polymerase chain reaction, and western blotting were performed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of the miRNAs. The clinical relevance of the miRNAs was investigated using publicly available data and our cohort of patients with PDAC.

RESULTS

miR-199a-3p expression was significantly increased in CAA-CM-derived exosomes. CAA-derived exosomes transferred miR-199a-3p to pancreatic cancer cells. Transfection with miR-199a-3p increased the proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance of pancreatic cancer cells by downregulating SOCS7, increasing STAT3 phosphorylation, and upregulating SAA1 expression. High tissue miR-199a-3p expression is correlated with poor prognosis in patients with PDAC. Liquid biopsies revealed that exosomal miR-199a-3p could accurately differentiate patients with PDAC from healthy controls. Multivariate survival analysis indicated that miR-199a is an independent prognostic factor for PDAC.

CONCLUSION

miR-199a-3p in CAA-derived exosomes contributes to the malignant transformation of pancreatic cancer via the SOCS7/STAT3/SAA1 pathway, suggesting its potential as a biomarker and therapeutic target for PDAC.

Customizing EV-CATCHER to Purify Placental Extracellular Vesicles from Maternal Plasma to Detect Placental Pathologies

Placenta Accreta Spectrum (PAS) is a life-threatening condition in which placental trophoblastic cells abnormally invade the uterus, often up to the uterine serosa and, in extreme cases, tissues beyond the uterine wall. Currently, there is no clinical assay for the non-invasive detection of PAS, and only ultrasound and MRI can be used for its diagnosis. Considering the subjectivity of visual assessment, the detection of PAS necessitates a high degree of expertise and, in some instances, can lead to its misdiagnosis. In clinical practice, up to 50% of pregnancies with PAS remain undiagnosed until delivery, and it is associated with increased risk of morbidity/mortality. Although many studies have evaluated the potential of fetal biomarkers circulating in maternal blood, very few studies have evaluated the potential of circulating placental extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their miRNA contents for molecular detection of PAS. Thus, to purify placental EVs from maternal blood, we customized our robust ultra-sensitive immuno-purification assay, termed EV-CATCHER, with a monoclonal antibody targeting the membrane Placental Alkaline Phosphatase (PLAP) protein, which is unique to the placenta and present on the surface of placental EVs. Then, as a pilot evaluation, we compared the miRNA expression profiles of placental EVs purified from the maternal plasma of women diagnosed with placenta previa (controls, n = 16); placenta lying low in uterus but not invasive) to those of placental EVs purified from the plasma of women with placenta percreta (cases, n = 16), PAS with the highest level of invasiveness. Our analyses reveal that miRNA profiling of PLAP+ EVs purified from maternal plasma identified 40 differentially expressed miRNAs when comparing these two placental pathologies. Preliminary miRNA pathway enrichment and gene ontology analysis of the top 14 upregulated and top nine downregulated miRNAs in PLAP+ EVs, purified from the plasma of women diagnosed with placenta percreta versus those diagnosed with placenta previa, suggests a potential role in control of cellular invasion and motility that will require further investigation.

miR-708-3p promotes gastric cancer progression through downregulating ETNK1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, evolutionarily conserved, non-coding RNAs playing a role in the proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, chemo-sensitivity, and chemo-resistance of gastric cancer, as well as the stemness of gastric cancer stem cells. miR-708-3p induces gastric cancer cell chemo-resistance, but its actual role in gastric cancer progression remains unclear. This paper shows that miR-708-3p is upregulated in gastric cancer samples and that a high miR-708-3p expression in gastric cancer patients is associated with poor overall survival. Our functional study results indicate that miR-708-3p overexpression promotes gastric cancer cell proliferation and migration, inhibits cell apoptosis, and facilitates the transition from the G0/G1 to the G2/M phase. Furthermore, reducing miR-708-3p levels yielded opposite effects. Next, our in vivo experiments revealed that miR-708-3p advanced gastric cancer cell growth in nude mice. The underlying mechanism was the regulation of ethanolamine kinase 1 (ETNK1) expression by miR-708-3p, which bound to the 3'UTR of the ETNK1 gene in gastric cancer cells. Finally, the recovery assay results showed that ETNK1 overexpression could slow miR-708-3p-induced gastric cancer progression. In conclusion, we identified a new miR-708-3p/ETNK1 pathway involved in gastric cancer progression. These results may offer new targets for gastric cancer therapy and markers for gastric cancer prognosis.

Comparison of Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressors, and MicroRNAs Between Schizophrenia and Glioma: The Balance of Power

The risk of cancer in schizophrenia has been controversial. Confounders of the issue are cigarette smoking in schizophrenia, and antiproliferative effects of antipsychotic medications. The author has previously suggested comparison of a specific cancer like glioma to schizophrenia might help determine a more accurate relationship between cancer and schizophrenia. To accomplish this goal, the author performed three comparisons of data; the first a comparison of conventional tumor suppressors and oncogenes between schizophrenia and cancer including glioma. This comparison determined schizophrenia has both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting characteristics. A second, larger comparison between brain-expressed microRNAs in schizophrenia with their expression in glioma was then performed. This identified a core carcinogenic group of miRNAs in schizophrenia offset by a larger group of tumor-suppressive miRNAs. This proposed "balance of power" between oncogenes and tumor suppressors could cause neuroinflammation. This was assessed by a third comparison between schizophrenia, glioma and inflammation in asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma (ALRCM). This revealed that schizophrenia shares more oncogenic similarity to ALRCM than glioma.

Biosynthesis and Significance of Fatty Acids, Glycerophospholipids, and Triacylglycerol in the Processes of Glioblastoma Tumorigenesis

One area of glioblastoma research is the metabolism of tumor cells and detecting differences between tumor and healthy brain tissue metabolism. Here, we review differences in fatty acid metabolism, with a particular focus on the biosynthesis of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) by fatty acid synthase (FASN), elongases, and desaturases. We also describe the significance of individual fatty acids in glioblastoma tumorigenesis, as well as the importance of glycerophospholipid and triacylglycerol synthesis in this process. Specifically, we show the significance and function of various isoforms of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferases (GPAT), 1-acylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferases (AGPAT), lipins, as well as enzymes involved in the synthesis of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI), and cardiolipin (CL). This review also highlights the involvement of diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase (DGAT) in triacylglycerol biosynthesis. Due to significant gaps in knowledge, the GEPIA database was utilized to demonstrate the significance of individual enzymes in glioblastoma tumorigenesis. Finally, we also describe the significance of lipid droplets in glioblastoma and the impact of fatty acid synthesis, particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), on cell membrane fluidity and signal transduction from the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

Evaluation of altered miRNA expression pattern to predict COVID-19 severity

Outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019 affected millions of people globally. After substantial research, several biomarkers for COVID-19 have been validated however no specific and reliable biomarker for the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 infection exists. Present study was designed to identify specific biomarkers to predict COVID-19 severity and tool for formulating treatment. A small cohort of subjects (n = 43) were enrolled and categorized in four study groups; Dead (n = 16), Severe (n = 10) and Moderate (n = 7) patients and healthy controls (n = 10). Small RNA sequencing was done on Illumina platform after isolation of microRNA from peripheral blood. Differential expression (DE) of miRNA (patients groups compared to control) revealed 118 down-regulated and 103 up-regulated known miRNAs with fold change (FC) expression ≥2 folds and p ≤ 0.05. DE miRNAs were then subjected to functional enrichment and network analysis. Bioinformatic analysis resulted in 31 miRNAs (24 Down-regulated; 7 up-regulated) significantly associated with COVID-19 having AUC>0.8 obtained from ROC curve. Seventeen out of 31 DE miRNAs have been linked to COVID-19 in previous studies. Three miRNAs, hsa-miR-147b-5p and hsa-miR-107 (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-1299 (up-regulated) showed significant unique DE in Dead patients. Another set of 4 miRNAs, hsa-miR-224-5p (down-regulated) and hsa-miR-4659b-3p, hsa-miR-495-3p and hsa-miR-335-3p were differentially up-regulated uniquely in Severe patients. Members of three miRNA families, hsa-miR-20, hsa-miR-32 and hsa-miR-548 were significantly down-regulated in all patients group in comparison to healthy controls. Thus a distinct miRNA expression profile was observed in Dead, Severe and Moderate COVID-19 patients. Present study suggests a panel of miRNAs which identified in COVID-19 patients and could be utilized as potential diagnostic biomarkers for predicting COVID-19 severity.

Bta-miR-199a-3p Inhibits LPS-Induced Inflammation in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells via the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB Signaling Pathway

Mastitis is characterized by inflammatory damage to mammary gland tissue, which could decline milk production and quality and significantly affect the economic benefits of ranching. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), such as miR-199a-3p, are novel therapeutic targets in inflammation, and their regulation is an effective strategy for inflammation control. Despite its importance in humans and animals, the molecular mechanism of bovine miR-199a-3p (bta-miR-199a-3p) in dairy cow mastitis and bovine mammary epithelial cell (bMEC) inflammation is unclear. In our study, a bovine mammary epithelial cell line (MAC-T) induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used as an inflammatory cell model to investigate the molecular mechanism of bta-miR-199a-3p in the MAC-T inflammatory response. bta-miR-199a-3p was up-regulated in the LPS-induced MAC-T cells, while CD2-associated protein (CD2AP) was revealed as its target gene in a double luciferase reporter gene experiment. In addition, the overexpression of bta-miR-199a-3p negatively regulated the expression of CD2AP and the activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. These subsequently inhibited the secretion of related inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and the expression of apoptotic genes (CASP3 and CASP9), thereby alleviating the LPS-challenged inflammatory response in the MAC-T cells. Silencing of bta-miR-199a-3p, however, reversed the above effects. Thus, bta-miR-199a-3p inhibits LPS-induced inflammation in bMECs by directly targeting CD2AP and regulating the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway. This study reveals the potential regulatory mechanism of bta-miR-199a-3p in bMEC inflammatory immune response and may serve as a useful target for the treatment of mastitis.

MiR-522-3p Targets Transcription Factor 4 to Overcome Cisplatin Resistance of Gastric Cells

Gastric cancer (GC) is a malignancy originating from gastric epithelial tissue. Chemoresistance to cisplatin (DDP) often leads to chemotherapy failure in GC. Previously, miR-522 was found to be associated with chemoresistance in GC cells. Thus, we attempted to clarify miR-522-3p's role underlying chemoresistance of GC cells. RT-qPCR measured the miR-522-3p levels in untreated and DDP-treated AGS cells. RT-qPCR and Western blotting detected transcription factor 4 (TCF4) mRNA and protein levels in GC cells. AGS and AGS/DDP cell proliferation were detected by the colony formation assay. Flow cytometry analysis detected AGS and AGS/DDP cell apoptosis. Bioinformatics and dual luciferase reporter assays predicted and verified the relationship between miR-522-3p and TCF4. Rescue experiments further clarified the regulatory patterns of miR-522-3p/TGF4 in GC cells. miR-522-3p presented a downregulation in GC cells and was positively affected by DDP. TCF4 presented elevation in GC cells and was negatively affected by DDP. Mechanistically, miR-522-3p targeted TCF4 to suppress TCF4 gene expression. miR-522-3p overexpression suppressed GC cell proliferation and resistance to DDP and GC cell apoptosis was facilitated. TCF4 overexpression facilitated GC cell proliferation and resistance to DDP while repressing GC cell apoptosis. TCF4 elevation rescued changes in GC cell proliferation, apoptosis, and chemoresistance due to miR-522-3p overexpression. To sum up, miR-522-3p suppresses GC cell malignancy and resistance to DDP via targeting TCF4. Our research may provide a new biomarker for GC diagnosis and a novel direction for GC chemotherapy.

RUNX3-mediated circDYRK1A inhibits glutamine metabolism in gastric cancer by up-regulating microRNA-889-3p-dependent FBXO4

BACKGROUND

Targeting glutamine metabolism is previously indicated as a potential and attractive strategy for gastric cancer (GC) therapy. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible for the modification of glutamine metabolism in GC cells have not been fully elucidated. Accordingly, the current study sought to investigate the physiological mechanisms of RUNX3-mediated circDYRK1A in glutamine metabolism of GC.

METHODS

Firstly, GC tissues and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 50 GC patients to determine circDYRK1A expression in GC tissues. Next, the binding affinity among RUNX3, circDYRK1A, miR-889-3p, and FBXO4 was detected to clarify the mechanistic basis. Moreover, GC cells were subjected to ectopic expression and knockdown manipulations of circDYRK1A, miR-889-3p, and/or FBXO4 to assay GC cell malignant phenotypes, levels of glutamine, glutamic acid, and α-KG in cell supernatant and glutamine metabolism-related proteins (GLS and GDH). Finally, nude mice were xenografted with GC cells to explore the in vivo effects of circDYRK1A on the tumorigenicity and apoptosis.

RESULTS

circDYRK1A was found to be poorly expressed in GC tissues. RUNX3 was validated to bind to the circDYRK1A promoter, and circDYRK1A functioned as a miR-889-3p sponge to up-regulate FBXO4 expression. Moreover, RUNX3-upregulated circDYRK1A reduced levels of glutamine, glutamic acid, and α-KG, and protein levels of GLS and GDH, and further diminished malignant phenotypes in vitro. Furthermore, in vivo experimentation substantiated that circDYRK1A inhibited the tumorigenicity and augmented the apoptosis in GC.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, these findings highlighted the significance and mechanism of RUNX3-mediated circDYRK1A in suppressing glutamine metabolism in GC via the miR-889-3p/FBXO4 axis.

Novel cancer subtyping method based on patient-specific gene regulatory network

The identification of cancer subtypes is important for the understanding of tumor heterogeneity. In recent years, numerous computational methods have been proposed for this problem based on the multi-omics data of patients. It is widely accepted that different cancer subtypes are induced by different molecular regulatory networks. However, only a few incorporate the differences between their molecular systems into the identification processes. In this study, we present a novel method to identify cancer subtypes based on patient-specific molecular systems. Our method realizes this by quantifying patient-specific gene networks, which are estimated from their transcriptome data, and by clustering their quantified networks. Comprehensive analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) datasets applied to our method confirmed that they were able to identify more clinically meaningful cancer subtypes than the existing subtypes and found that the identified subtypes comprised different molecular features. Our findings also show that the proposed method can identify the novel cancer subtypes even with single omics data, which cannot otherwise be captured by existing methods using multi-omics data.

Construction of miRNA-mRNA-TF Regulatory Network for Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer

Gastric cancer (GC), as an epidemic cancer worldwide, has more than 1 million new cases and an estimated 769,000 deaths worldwide in 2020, ranking fifth and fourth in global morbidity and mortality. In mammals, both miRNAs and transcription factors (TFs) play a partial role in gene expression regulation. The mRNA expression profile and miRNA expression profile of GEO database were screened by GEO2R for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Then, DAVID annotated the functions of DEGs to understand the functions played in biological processes. The prediction of potential target genes of miRNA and key TFs of mRNA was performed by mipathDB V2.0 and CHEA3, respectively, and the gene list comparison was performed to look for overlapping genes coregulated by key TFs and DEMs. Finally, the obtained miRNAs, TF, and overlapping genes were used to construct the miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network, which was verified by RT-qPCR. 76 upregulated DEGs, 199 downregulated DEGs, and 3 upregulated miRNAs (miR-199a-3p/miR-199b-3p, miR-125b-5p, and miR-199a-5p) were identified from the expression profiles of mRNA (GSE26899, GSE29998, GSE51575, and GSE13911) and miRNA (GSE93415), respectively. Through database prediction and gene list comparison, it was found that among the 199 downregulated DEGs, 61, 71, and 69 genes were the potential targets of miR-199a-3p/miR-199b-3p, miR-125b-5p, and miR-199a-5p, respectively. 199 downregulated DEGs were used as the gene list for the prediction of key TFs, and the results showed that RFX6 ranked the highest. The potential target overlap genes of miR-199a-3p/miR-199b-3p, miR-125b-5p, and miR-199a-5p were 4 genes (SH3GL2, ATP4B, CTSE, and SORBS2), 7 genes (SLC7A8, RNASE4, ESRRG, PGC, MUC6, Fam3B, and FMO5), and 6 genes (CHGA, PDK4, TMPRSS2, CLIC6, GPX3, and PSCA), respectively. Finally, we constructed a miRNA-mRNA-TF regulatory network based on the above 17 mRNAs, 3 miRNAs, and 1 TF and verified by RT-qPCR and western blot results that the expression of RFX6 was downregulated in GC tissues. These identified miRNAs, mRNAs, and TF have a certain reference value for further exploration of the regulatory mechanism of GC.

miR-199a-3p plays an anti-tumorigenic role in lung adenocarcinoma by suppressing anterior gradient 2

Previous studies have explored the association between protein-coding genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). However, the influence of the miR-199a-3p/anterior gradient 2 (AGR2) axis in LUAD has not yet been fully explored. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the underlying roles of AGR2 and miR-199a-3p in the development of LUAD. The expression levels of miR-199a-3p and AGR2 in LUAD tissues and cells were detected via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). A luciferase assay was also performed to identify the interaction between AGR2 and miR-199a-3p. Moreover, the cell counting kit 8 (CCK-8), 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU), and adhesion assays were used along with flow cytometry to verify the malignancy of LUAD in vitro, while a xenograft tumor assay was performed to confirm the tumor growth in vitro. The findings showed a decrease in the expression of miR-199a-3p in LUAD. Additionally, miR-199a-3p overexpression inhibited the growth of LUAD cells in vitro and in vivo, while elevating the apoptosis rate of the cells. AGR2 knockdown had the same effect in the cells as that of miR-199a-3p overexpression. It was also found that miR-199a-3p directly targeted AGR2 in LUAD cells to suppress tumorigenesis. In conclusion, this study suggests that miR-199a-3p plays an anti-tumorigenic role in LUAD by targeting AGR2. Moreover, our study provides insights into the development of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of LUAD.

Long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1/microRNA-199a-3p/runt-related transcription factor 1 gene axis regulates the progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has a high degree of malignancy, which affects the quality of life and prognosis of patients with OSCC. Our study aimed to reveal the function of long non-coding RNA TTN-AS1/microRNA-199a-3p (miR-199a-3p)/runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) axis in OSCC progression, thereby providing a novel OSCC effective strategy. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were performed to detect the expression of TTN-AS1, miR-199a-3p, and RUNX1 in OSCC. Several cell functional experiments, including Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, and cell adhesion assays, were used to assess cell proliferation, apoptosis, adhesion, and migration. A luciferase assay was performed to confirm the interaction between TTN-AS1, miR-199a-3p, and RUNX1. Our results revealed that TTN-AS1 and RUNX1 were upregulated in OSCC tissues and cells, whereas miR-199a-3p expression was downregulated. Knockdown of TTN-AS1 or RUNX1 suppressed cell proliferation, adhesion, and migration but induced apoptosis. Additionally, miR-199a-3p inhibitor partly relieved the effects of silencing TTN-AS1 and RUNX1 in OSCC cells due to their targeting relationship. In conclusion, TTN-AS1 and RUNX1 could promote OSCC progression and miR-199a-3p partly relieved the effects of TTN-AS1 and RUNX1.

Prognostic value of miR-892a in gastric cancer and its regulatory effect on tumor progression

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer is a prevalent malignant around the world. Aberrantly expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to the progression of tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and role of miR-892a in gastric cancer.

METHODS

A total of 119 gastric cancer patients were enrolled in this study. And the expression of miR-892a in gastric cancer tissues and cells was measured using RT-qPCR analysis. Kaplan-Meier plotter and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to explore the prognostic value of miR-892a in gastric cancer. The biological function of miR-892a in gastric cancer cells was evaluated using CCK-8 assays and Transwell assays.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-892a was high-expressed in gastric cancer tissues and cells. The miR-892a expression was associated with tumor size, differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and TNM stages. Gastric cancer patients with high miR-892a expression showed a short overall survival rate. Overexpression of miR-892a promoted cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of gastric cancer cells.

CONCLUSION

miR-892a was upregulated and predictor of poor prognosis in gastric cancer patients. The miR-892a in gastric cancer cells significantly promoted cell proliferative, migratory, and invasive properties. Furthermore, miR-892a may be served as a prognostic marker as well as a therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Extracellular miRNAs for the Management of Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: A Systematic Review

Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC), the major histologic type of esophageal cancer (EC) in Western countries, is a disease with a poor prognosis, primarily due to usual diagnosis at an advanced stage. The prevalence of EAC has increased in recent years, both in Western countries and in Asia. Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a precursor lesion of EAC. Therefore, early detection and proper management of BE and EAC is important to improve prognosis. Here, we systematically summarize current knowledge about the potential utility of extracellular microRNAs (miRNAs), which are thought to be non-invasive biomarkers for many diseases, for these purposes. A search of the PubMed and Embase databases identified 22 papers about extracellular miRNAs that have potential utility for management of EAC. Among them, 19 were EAC-related and ten were BE-related; some of these dealt with both conditions. The articles included studies reporting diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment responses. Multiple papers report dysregulation of miR-194-5p in BE and miR-21-5p, -25-3p, and -93-5p in EAC. Although it will take time to utilize these miRNAs in clinical practice, they are likely to be useful non-invasive markers in the future.

Upregulation of miR-1307-3p and its function in the clinical prognosis and progression of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. miR-1307-3p has been demonstrated to serve multiple roles in the development of various types of cancer. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression and functional role of miR-1307-3p in the progression of gastric cancer. The expression of miR-1307-3p in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by reverse transcription quantitative PCR. Furthermore, the correlation between miR-1307-3p expression and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients was evaluated. Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays were performed to analyze the effects of miR-1307-3p on the proliferation and the migratory and invasive abilities of gastric cancer cells, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to reveal the potential underlying mechanism of miR-1307-3p. In gastric cancer tissues and cells, miR-1307-3p expression was significantly upregulated compared with the normal tissues and cell lines. In addition, the expression of miR-1307-3p was associated with the Tumor-Node Metastasis stage of patients. The results from Cox regression analysis demonstrated that miR-1307-3p may serve as an independent predictor for the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. Furthermore, the upregulation of miR-1307-3p in gastric cancer cell lines significantly promoted the cell proliferation and migratory and invasive abilities by targeting DAB2 interacting protein. In conclusion, the findings from the present study suggested that miR-1307-3p may serve as a tumor promoter of gastric cancer and that miR-1307-3p expression in tumor tissues may be used as a prognostic indicator for patients with gastric cancer.

MicroRNA‑199a‑3p suppresses high glucose‑induced apoptosis and inflammation by regulating the IKKβ/NF‑κB signaling pathway in renal tubular epithelial cells

Renal tubular epithelial cells (RTEC) injury induced by hyperglycemia is considered a major contributor to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, few studies have focused on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) in RTEC injury. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the role and mechanisms of miRNAs in RTEC injury. In the study, miRNAs expression profiles were determined via microarray assay in the peripheral blood samples of patients with DN. High glucose (HG)-induced injury in HK-2 cells was used as a cell model to examine the potential role of miR-199a-3p in DN. The expression of miR-199a-3p was validated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The expressions of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, were detected via ELISA. The protein levels of apoptosis-related proteins were determined using western blotting. Cell apoptosis and caspase 3 activity were evaluated via flow cytometry analysis and caspase 3 activity assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the interaction between miR-199a-3p and IKKβ. miR-199a-3p was found to be significantly downregulated in the peripheral blood samples, and there was a negative correlation between miR-199a-3p expression and proteinuria in patients with DN. It was identified that miR-199a-3p expression was time-dependently decreased in the HG-induced cell damage model. Moreover, miR-199a-3p overexpression significantly improved HG-induced cell injury, as evidenced by the decrease in cell apoptosis and inflammation. Subsequent analyses demonstrated that miR-199a-3p directly targeted IKKβ, whose expression was increased, and negatively correlated with miR-199a-3p expression in patients with DN. The protective effects of miR-199a-3p overexpression on HG-treated HK-2 cells were partially reversed by IKKβ overexpression. In addition, activation of the NF-κB pathway by HG was blocked by miR-199a-3p mimics transfection in HK-2 cells. Collectively, the present findings indicated that miR-199a-3p protected HK-2 cells against HG-induced injury via inactivation of the IKKβ/NF-κB pathway, suggesting enhanced expression of miR-199a-3p as a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with DN.

MiR-663a, regulated by lncRNA GAS5, contributes to osteosarcoma development through targeting MYL9

Osteosarcoma is characterized by high malignancy and high metastasis rate, resulting in high mortality and disability. MiR-663a has been reported in a variety of tumors to promote tumorigenesis. However, miR-663a has not been reported in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. Bioinformatics analysis and experiments including real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), luciferase reporter, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, Western blot, RNA immunoprecipitation, and flow cytometry assay were applied to explore the function and mechanism of miR-663a in MG63, U2OS, Saos-2, SF-86, and hFOB1.19 cells. In this study, we found that miR-663a is highly expressed in osteosarcoma. At the same time, we discovered that miR-663a facilitates cell proliferation and migration, whereas suppresses cell apoptosis in osteosarcoma. Through a series of biological experiments, it was found that miR-663a regulates the cellular process in osteosarcoma by modulating the expression of MYL9. In addition, we also found that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) GAS5 serves as a molecular sponge for miR-663a and regulates the progression of osteosarcoma via the ceRNA mechanism. We uncover that miR-663a promotes osteosarcoma development through targeting MYL9, which was regulated by lncRNA GAS5.