microRNA-186 inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting SKP2

SKping cell cycle regulation: role of ubiquitin ligase SKP2 in hematological malignancies

SKP2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2) is a member of the F-box family of substrate-recognition subunits in the SCF ubiquitin-protein ligase complexes. It is associated with ubiquitin-mediated degradation in the mammalian cell cycle components and other target proteins involved in cell cycle progression, signal transduction, and transcription. Being an oncogene in solid tumors and hematological malignancies, it is frequently associated with drug resistance and poor disease outcomes. In the current review, we discussed the novel role of SKP2 in different hematological malignancies. Further, we performed a limited in-silico analysis to establish the involvement of SKP2 in a few publicly available cancer datasets. Interestingly, our study identified Skp2 expression to be altered in a cancer-specific manner. While it was found to be overexpressed in several cancer types, few cancer showed a down-regulation in SKP2. Our review provides evidence for developing novel SKP2 inhibitors in hematological malignancies. We also investigated the effect of SKP2 status on survival and disease progression. In addition, the role of miRNA and its associated families in regulating Skp2 expression was explored. Subsequently, we predicted common miRNAs against Skp2 genes by using miRNA-predication tools. Finally, we discussed current approaches and future prospective approaches to target the Skp2 gene by using different drugs and miRNA-based therapeutics applications in translational research.

Role of F-box proteins in human upper gastrointestinal tumors

Protein ubiquitination and degradation is an essential physiological process in almost all organisms. As the key participants in this process, the E3 ubiquitin ligases have been widely studied and recognized. F-box proteins, a crucial component of E3 ubiquitin ligases that regulates diverse biological functions, including cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis by facilitating the degradation of substrate proteins. Currently, there is an increasing focus on studying the role of F-box proteins in cancer. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the significant contributions of F-box proteins to the development of upper gastrointestinal tumors, highlighting their dual roles as both carcinogens and tumor suppressors. We delve into the molecular mechanisms underlying the involvement of F-box proteins in upper gastrointestinal tumors, exploring their interactions with specific substrates and their cross-talks with other key signaling pathways. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of F-box proteins in radiotherapy resistance in the upper gastrointestinal tract, emphasizing their potential as clinical therapeutic and prognostic targets. Overall, this review provides an up-to-date understanding of the intricate involvement of F-box proteins in human upper gastrointestinal tumors, offering valuable insights for the identification of prognostic markers and the development of targeted therapeutic strategies.

Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Promote the Regeneration of Corneal Endothelium Through Ameliorating Senescence

Purpose

Human corneal endothelial cells (hCECs) have been considered unable to regenerate in vivo, resulting in corneal decompensation after significant loss of hCECs. adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ASC)-derived exosomes can regenerate tissues and organs. In this study, we investigated whether ASC-derived exosomes could protect and regenerate CECs.

Methods

We performed cell viability and cell-cycle analyses to evaluate the effect of ASC-derived exosomes on the regeneration capacity of cultured hCECs. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were used to induce biological stress in CECs. The effect of ASC-derived exosomes on CECs was investigated in vivo. ASC-derived exosomes were introduced into rat CECs using electroporation, and rat corneas were injured using cryoinjury. Next-generation sequencing analysis was performed to compare the differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) between ASC-derived and hCEC-derived exosomes.

Results

ASC-derived exosomes induced CEC proliferation and suppressed TGF-β- or H2O2-induced oxidative stress and senescence. ASC-derived exosomes protect hCECs against TGF-β- or H2O2-induced endothelial-mesenchymal transition and mitophagy. In an in vivo study, ASC-derived exosomes promoted wound healing of rat CECs and protected the corneal endothelium against cryoinjury-induced corneal endothelium damage. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed differentially expressed miRNAs for ASC-derived and hCEC-derived exosomes. They are involved in lysine degradation, adherens junction, the TGF-β signaling pathway, the p53 signaling pathway, the Hippo signaling pathway, the forkhead box O (FoxO) signaling pathway, regulation of actin cytoskeleton, and RNA degradation based on Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis.

Conclusions

ASC-derived exosomes promoted wound healing and regeneration of endothelial cells by inducing a shift in the cell cycle and suppressing senescence and autophagy.

The role of microRNA-induced apoptosis in diverse radioresistant cancers

Resistance to cancer radiotherapy is one of the biggest concerns for success in treating and preventing recurrent disease. Malignant tumors may develop when they block genetic mutations associated with apoptosis or abnormal expression of apoptosis; Tumor treatment may induce the expression of apoptosis-related genes to promote tumor cell apoptosis. MicroRNAs have been shown to contribute to forecasting prognosis, distinguishing between cancer subtypes, and affecting treatment outcomes in cancer. Constraining these miRNAs may be an attractive treatment strategy to help overcome radiation resistance. The delivery of these future treatments is still challenging due to the excess downstream targets that each miRNA can control. Understanding the role of miRNAs brings us one step closer to attaining patient treatment and improving patient outcomes. This review summarized the current information on the role of microRNA-induced apoptosis in determining the radiosensitivity of various cancers.

Silencing the ADAM9 Gene through CRISPR/Cas9 Protects Mice from Alcohol-Induced Acute Liver Injury

Alcoholic liver injury is a major global public health concern at present. The ADAM9 gene plays a crucial role in the occurrence and development of various liver diseases, but its role in acute alcoholic liver injury remains ambiguous. In this study, a chimeric single-guide RNA targeting the genomic regions of mouse ADAM9 was designed using the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology. Next, the role of ADAM9 in acute alcoholic liver injury in vitro in cultured mouse cells and in vivo in a hydrodynamic injection-based alcoholic liver injury mouse model was documented. The findings of this study suggest that ADAM9 induces by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and stress metabolism in mice. Thus, inhibiting the expression of ADAM9 gene using CRISPR/Cas9 can attenuate alcohol-induced acute liver injury in mice.

miR-186-3p attenuates the tumorigenesis of cervical cancer via targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 to suppress PI3K-Akt signaling pathway

miR-186-3p acts as a tumor suppressor in various cancers. This study aimed to explore the expression levels of miR-186-3p and its role in cervical cancer. We analyzed the effects of miR-186-3p and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) on the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of cervical cancer cells in vitro by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In cervical cancer tissues and cells, miR-186-3p was downregulated, and IGF1 was upregulated. In addition, miR-186-3p inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and enhanced apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. Moreover, our results showed that miR-186-3p inversely regulated the mRNA expression of IGF1 through direct contact. Knockdown of IGF1 reversed the results of miR-186-3p inhibitor in cervical cancer cells. In addition, the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was activated by the miR-186-3p inhibitor, although partially arrested by IGF1 knockdown. The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway inhibitor suppressed miR-186-3p inhibitor-stimulated cell proliferation in cervical cancer. In conclusion, miR-186-3p inhibits tumorigenesis of cervical cancer by repressing IGF1, which inactivates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, implicating miR-186-3p as a potential new target for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Network analysis of miRNA targeting m6A-related genes in patients with esophageal cancer

Background

We investigated the miRNA-m6A related gene network and identified a miRNA-based prognostic signature in patients with esophageal cancer using integrated genomic analysis.

Methods

We obtained expression data for m6A-related genes and miRNAs from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. Survival analysis was conducted to identify potential prognostic biomarkers. LASSO Cox regression was performed to construct the overall survival (OS) associated prediction signature. We used the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) curve and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to explore the signature's efficiency and accuracy. Interactions between the m6A-related genes and miRNAs were identified in starBase3.0 and used to construct the miRNA-m6A related gene network.

Results

We found that HNRNPC, YTHDF, ZC3H13, YTHDC2, and METTL14 were dysregulated in esophageal cancer tissues. Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that HNRNPC may be an independent risk factor for OS. Five hundred twenty-two potential upstream miRNAs were obtained from starBase3.0. Four miRNAs (miR-186, miR-320c, miR-320d, and miR-320b) were used to construct a prognostic signature, which could serve as a prognostic predictor independent from routine clinicopathological features. Finally, we constructed a key miRNA-m6A related gene network and used one m6A-related gene and four miRNAs associated with the prognosis. The results of our bioinformatics analysis were successfully validated in the human esophageal carcinoma cell lines KYSE30 and TE-1.

Conclusion

Our study identified a 4-miRNA prognostic signature and established a key miRNA-m6A related gene network. These tools may reliably assist with esophageal cancer patient prognosis.

FOXD1, negatively regulated by miR-186, promotes the proliferation, metastasis and radioresistance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Foxhead box D1 (FOXD1) is validated to be over-expressed in a variety of human malignancies and promotes cancer progression. Nevertheless, the role of FOXD1 and the associated mechanism in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain largely unknown.

METHODS

A total of seventy-five cases of NPC tissue samples were collected. FOXD1 expression in NPC tissues and cells (SUNE1, CNE1, CNE2, and HONE1) was detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blot, respectively. The relationship between FOXD1 expression and clinicopathological parameters of NPC patients was analyzed. FOXD1 mRNA and miR-186 expression in NPC tissues and cells was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The cell viability of NPC cells was detected using CCK-8 assay. Colony survival of NPC cells exposed to different doses of radiation was detected using colony formation assay. Transwell assay was used to evaluate the migration and invasion of NPC cells. The dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was employed to verify the targeting relationship between miR-186 and FOXD1.

RESULTS

FOXD1 was over-expressed in NPC tissues (average fold change on mRNA level = 4.72), and its high expression was correlated to NPC positive lymph node metastasis and tissue differentiation. The over-expression of FOXD1 promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion and radio-resistance of NPC cells. On the contrary, the knock-down of FOXD1 inhibited the malignant phenotypes of the above cells. It was verified that FOXD1 was one of the downstream targets of miR-186 and was negatively regulated by it.

CONCLUSION

FOXD1, which is negatively regulated by miR-186, acts as a novel oncogene in NPC and serves as potential biomarker and therapeutic target for NPC. The research will provide great theoretical basis for further clinical diagnosis and therapy.

MiR-506 exerts antineoplastic effects on osteosarcoma cells via inhibition of the Skp2 oncoprotein

S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 (Skp2) performs oncogenic functions in cancers; however, how Skp2 is regulated post-transcriptionally is elusive in osteosarcoma. Therefore, we determined whether miR-506 could directly target Skp2 in osteosarcoma to perform its tumor suppressive functions. Here, we found that miR-506 mimics suppressed cell viability, induced apoptosis, and attenuated migration and invasion in osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, upregulation of Skp2 accelerated cell viability and motility and rescued the tumor suppressive effect of miR-506 in osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, downregulation of Skp2 inhibited cell viability and decreased cell motility, which enhanced the antitumor activity induced by miR-506 mimic transfection in osteosarcoma cells. Our western blotting results implied that miR-506 inhibited Skp2 expression and subsequently upregulated Foxo1 and p57 in OS cells. In summary, miR-506 performs an anticancer activity via directly targeting Skp2 in osteosarcoma cells, indicating that inactivation of Skp2 by miR-506 might be an alternative strategy for treating osteosarcoma.

Radiation Can Regulate the Expression of miRNAs Associated with Osteogenesis and Oxidation in Exosomes from Peripheral Blood Plasma

Objectives

Radiotherapy is a common therapy in head and neck tumors, which may cause a side effect radiation bone injury (RBI). Furthermore, it has been investigated that microRNA (miRNA) expression levels were altered after radiotherapy. Exosomes play a role in bone formation as miRNA containers, while radiation affects exosomes composition, secretion, and function. So, our objective is to explore changes in miRNA levels during bone formation after radiotherapy and identify the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRs) in plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis related to irradiation.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we analyzed nine samples from three rabbits exposed twice to radiation (15 Gy each) and detected DE-miRs from irradiated plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis by RNA sequencing. Further, we identified DE-miRs with significant differences and predicted their target genes via the bioinformatics analysis tools Targetscan v7.2 and miRPathDB v2.0. Finally, we identified radiation-responsive miRNAs and predicted their target genes during osteogenesis.

Results

Taken together, we have identified some DE-miRs in irradiated plasma exosomes, which were involved in several vital signaling pathways related to bone physiology, such as the Wnt pathway, MAPK cascade, and calcium modulating pathway.

Conclusions

We have found that plasma exosomes are one of the ways by which radiation can affect bone metabolism and regeneration. However, the specific mechanisms of how these plasma exosomal miRNAs mediate the osteogenesis pathways must be further investigated. Clinical Relevance. Radiotherapy may cause radiation bone injury, and miRNA expression levels in rabbit plasma exosomes are altered after radiotherapy. High-throughput RNA sequencing can identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in irradiated plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis. These findings make sense to develop novel therapeutic strategies for treating radiation-induced bone injury disorders.

Nei Endonuclease VIII-like 2 Gene rs8191670 Polymorphism affects the Sensitivity of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer to Cisplatin by binding with MiR-548a

Background: Nei endonuclease VIII-like 2 (NEIL2) is a gene encoding DNA repair enzyme, which is involved in the base excision repair (BER) pathway in mammalian cells. Cisplatin is a common cytotoxic anti-tumor agent in clinic by destroying normal structure of DNA and inducing cell apoptosis. However, how NEIL2 affects the sensitivity of NSCLC to cisplatin is still unclear. Methods: The clinical data from 206 patients diagnosed pathologically were collected. The DNA sequencing of NEIL2 gene 3'UTR and the PFS curve of NSCLC patients receiving cisplatin-based chemotherapy were performed. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were used to detect NEIL2 protein expression. Human NSCLC cell lines A549 and H1299 were cultured and evaluated for cell viability. RT-PCR was performed for quantitative detection of miR-548a. 3'UTR reporter plasmid was constructed and luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the target gene regulated by miR-548a. Results: In this study, we found that the Neil2 gene had the polymorphism (T/C) in rs8191670 and it is associated with the PFS of advanced NSCLC patients. MiR-548a targets NEIL2 3'UTR to suppress its expression. Upregulation of NEIL2 expression or downregulation of miR-548a could reduce the sensitivity of NSCLC cells to cisplatin. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that NEIL2 gene rs8191670 polymorphism affects the PFS of advanced NSCLC patients, and the underlying molecular mechanisms may be that miR-548a can regulate NEIL2 expression by binding to its 3'UTR seed region containing rs8191670.

The Dual Role of miR-186 in Cancers: Oncomir Battling With Tumor Suppressor miRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs which regulate gene expression at post-transcriptional level. Alterations of miR-186 expression were demonstrated in numerous cancers, shown to play a vital role in oncogenesis, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, and drug resistance. MiR-186 was documented as a tumor suppressor miRNA in the majority of studies, while conflicting reports verified miR-186 as an oncomir. The contradictory role in cancers may impede the application of miR-186, as well as other dual-functional miRNAs, as a diagnostic and therapeutic target. This review emphasizes the alterations and functions of miR-186 in cancers and discusses the mechanisms behind the contradictory findings. Among these, target abundance and dose-dependent effects of miR-186 are highlighted. The paper aims to review the challenges involved in developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment based on dual-functional miRNAs.

microRNA-144 inhibits cell proliferation and invasion by directly targeting TIGAR in esophageal carcinoma

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified to play vital roles in the development and progression of numerous different types of human malignancy, including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). In the present study, the biological function of microRNA-144 (miR-144) was investigated, as well as its underlying molecular mechanism in ESCC. The results revealed that miR-144 expression was significantly decreased, whereas the expression of TP53-inducible glycolysis and apoptosis regulator (TIGAR) was significantly increased in human ESCC tissues when compared with adjacent non-tumor tissues. An increase in TIGAR was significantly associated with tumor size and Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging in patients. Functional analysis revealed that the overexpression of miR-144 using lentivirus particles significantly inhibited cell proliferation and tumor colony formation, and induced cell apoptosis in EC9706 and EC109 cells. The autophagy activity was also enhanced by miR-144 activity. In addition, overexpression of miR-144 significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. In the present study, TIGAR was confirmed to be the downstream target of miR-144 in ESCC. siRNA-mediated downregulation of TIGAR inversely regulated the inhibition effect of miR-144 on ESCC cells. To conclude, the present study demonstrated that miR-144 inhibits proliferation and invasion in esophageal cancer by directly targeting TIGAR.

Clinical Value of Serum and Exhaled Breath Condensate miR-186 and IL-1β Levels in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

OBJECTIVE

Our study aimed to investigate the expression level and clinical significance of serum and exhaled breath condensate miR-186 and IL-1β in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

METHODS

The serum and exhaled breath condensate specimens of 62 non-small cell lung cancer patients and 60 healthy controls were collected to detect miR-186 expression levels by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay was applied to examine IL-1β concentration. Statistical analyses were used to evaluate the correlation between miR-186 and IL-1β in serum and clinicopathological features, traditional serum tumor markers, and inflammatory markers. The diagnostic efficacy of miR-186 and IL-1β for non-small cell lung cancer was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The correlation between miR-186 and IL-1β was determined.

RESULTS

① The relative expression level of miR-186 was greatly reduced in the serum and EBC of patients with non-small cell lung cancer, and the miR-186 expression level was reduced in different TNM stages of non-small cell lung cancer, from the early to later stages. ② The IL-1β concentration in serum and exhaled breath condensate of patients with non-small cell lung cancer was increased. ③ Serum miR-186 and IL-1β levels were closely related to lymph node metastasis, and the low expression of serum miR-186 and the high concentration of IL-1β were associated with higher serum carcinoembryonic antigen, C-reactive protein, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate levels. ④ ROC curve analysis showed that exhaled breath condensate miR-186 had higher area under the curve than serum miR-186, and the combined detection showed higher diagnostic efficacy than the separate detection. In addition, the combined detection of IL-1β and miR-186 has a larger AUC than the separate detection of both. ⑤ The correlation between serum miR-186 and IL-1β was negative.

CONCLUSION

miR-186 and IL-1β are expected to be potential diagnostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer.

Functions and mechanisms of miR-186 in human cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Mounting evidence suggests the involvement of miRNAs in carcinogenesis and the development of human cancer. Among the miRNAs, miR-186 has been extensively studied in various cancers. The expression of miR-186 in tissues varies depending on the type of cancer and miR-186 in tissues and body fluids may serve as a marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of cancers. Various biological processes in human cancer are affected by miR-186. Additionally, miR-186 itself is regulated by several factors. Thus, this evidence highlights the potential value of miR-186 in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of human cancer.

LncRNA SNHG16 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Proliferation, Migration and Invasion by Regulating miR-186 Expression

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and microRNA (miRNA) play an important role in genesis and progression of tumors. The aim of this study was to explore the expression, biological function and molecular mechanism of small nucleolar RNA host gene 16 (SNHG16) in HCC. RT-qPCR was conducted to evaluate the expression level of SNHG16 in HCC tissues and cell lines. Our findings showed for the first time that SNHG16 was up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. The expression of SNHG16 in cancer tissues was highly correlated with tumor size, TNM stage, ALT expression level and HBV DNA level. Moreover, cell proliferation, migration and invasion were detected by CCK-8 assay, transwell migration assay and transwell invasion assay, respectively. Xenograft tumor experiment was used to determine the biological function of SNHG16 in vivo. As revealed by our data, SNHG16 accelerated the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cell. SNHG16 facilitated tumor formation in vivo. Next, the relationship between SNHG16, miR-186 and ROCK1 were analyzed using bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, luciferase reporter assay and western blot. Further molecular mechanism studies reported that the expression of SNHG16 was negatively correlated with the level of miR-186 and SNHG16 directly bound to miR-186. SNHG16 and miR-186 repressed each other. Notably, rescue experiments were conducted and showed that miR-186 reversed the effect of SNHG16 on cell. Taken together, SNHG16 promoted HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion by functioning as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to negatively regulate miR-186 expression. Our data suggested that SNHG16 might be a potential biomarker and a new therapeutic target for HCC.

miR-186 modulates hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and mobility via targeting MCRS1-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Previous studies have revealed that miR-186 is involved in the pathogenesis of many malignancies. However, the role of miR-186 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carcinogenesis and its detailed mechanism are poorly understood. This study was to investigate the function of miR-186 in modulating HCC cell proliferation, cell cycle, migration, and invasion. We found that miR-186 was decreased in HCC tissues and cell lines. Loss-of-function experiments showed that reduction of miR-186 dramatically enhanced tumor cell proliferation and metastasis. Besides, miR-186 also participated in the modulation of the cell cycle. In addition, luciferase reporter assays and Western blot analysis showed that MCRS1 was a novel target of miR-186 in HCC cells. Notably, upregulation of miR-186 suppressed the nuclear β-catenin accumulation and blocked the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HCC cells. Forced MCRS1 expression abrogated the inhibitory effect of miR-186 on cell growth, metastasis and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in HCC cells. Our findings may provide new insight into the pathogenesis of HCC and miR-186/ MCRS1 might function as new therapeutic targets for HCC.

Natural Killer-Derived Exosomal miR-186 Inhibits Neuroblastoma Growth and Immune Escape Mechanisms

In neuroblastoma, the interplay between immune cells of the tumor microenvironment and cancer cells contributes to immune escape mechanisms and drug resistance. In this study, we show that natural killer (NK) cell-derived exosomes carrying the tumor suppressor microRNA (miR)-186 exhibit cytotoxicity against MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines. The cytotoxic potential of these exosomes was partly dependent upon expression of miR-186. miR-186 was downregulated in high-risk neuroblastoma patients, and its low expression represented a poor prognostic factor that directly correlated with NK activation markers (i.e., NKG2D and DNAM-1). Expression of MYCN, AURKA, TGFBR1, and TGFBR2 was directly inhibited by miR-186. Targeted delivery of miR-186 to MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma or NK cells resulted in inhibition of neuroblastoma tumorigenic potential and prevented the TGFβ1-dependent inhibition of NK cells. Altogether, these data support the investigation of a miR-186-containing nanoparticle formulation to prevent tumor growth and TGFβ1-dependent immune escape in high-risk neuroblastoma patients as well as the inclusion of ex vivo-derived NK exosomes as a potential therapeutic option alongside NK cell-based immunotherapy.Significance: These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of NK cell-derived exosomes containing the tumor suppressor miR-186 that inhibits growth, spreading, and TGFβ-dependent immune escape mechanisms in neuroblastoma.

miR-186-5p Promotes Apoptosis by Targeting IGF-1 in SH-SY5Y OGD/R Model

In recent years, accumulating evidence has revealed that microRNAs play critical roles in ischemia stroke. This study was designed to investigate the expression level and effects of microRNA (miR)-186-5p on ischemia stroke, and its underlying molecular mechanism. Firstly, we demonstrated that miR-186-5p were significantly up-regulated and induced apoptosis in oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model. Moreover, we found that miR-186-5p reduced the expression of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1, an essential factor for the development of the nervous system. Meanwhile, miR-186-5p inhibitor enhanced cell viability and IGF-1 expression. Furthermore, IGF-1 was confirmed as a direct target gene of miR-186-5p by luciferase activity assay. In addition, miR-186-5p was upregulated in ischemia stroke patients' serum compared with healthy donors. These data demonstrated that miR-186-5p was an adverse factor by inducing neuron apoptosis and suppressing IGF-1 in ischemia stroke model, and suggested that miR-186-5p may be a diagnostic marker and potential therapeutic target for ischemia stroke patients.

miR-186 reverses cisplatin resistance and inhibits the formation of the glioblastoma-initiating cell phenotype by degrading Yin Yang 1 in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is among the most devastating types of cancer, with a median survival of <1 year. Despite the development of new surgical and radiation techniques, and the use of multiple anti‑neoplastic drugs, effective treatment strategies for malignant gliomas have not yet been developed. The limited efficacy of current treatments reflects the resistance of glioblastoma cells to cytotoxic agents. In this study, using western blot analysis, we found that Yin Yang 1 (YY1) expression was increased in cisplatin‑resistant glioblastoma U87MG cells (U87MG‑CR). We observed that the silencing of YY1 sensitized the U87MG‑CR cells to cisplatin and that the overexpression of YY1 promoted the resistance of LN‑229 glioblastoma cells to cisplatin, as shown by MTT assay. Using sphere formation assay, we also found that the silencing of YY1 inhibited the formation of the glioblastoma‑initiating cell (GIC) phenotype in the U87MG‑CR cells. In addition, the results of RT‑qPCR revealed that miR‑186 expression was decreased in U87MG‑CR cells. Using RT‑PCR and western blot analysis, we observed that overexpression of miR‑186 inhibited YY1 expression in U87MG‑CR cells. The overexpression of miR‑186 also reversed cisplatin resistance and the formation of the GIC phenotype in glioblastoma cells. On the whole, the findings of this study demonstrate that miR‑186 reverses cisplatin resistance and inhibits the formation of the GIC phenotype by degrading YY1 in glioblastoma.

Antrodia cinnamomea extract inhibits the proliferation of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer cells through apoptosis and skp2/microRNAs pathway

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and affects 1.38 million women worldwide per year. Antiestrogens such as tamoxifen, a selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator, are widely used in clinics to treat ER-positive breast tumors. However, remissions of breast cancer are often followed by resistance to tamoxifen and disease relapse. Despite the increasing understanding of the resistance mechanisms, effective regimens for treating tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer are limited. Antrodia cinnamomea is a traditional medicinal mushroom native only to Taiwan. In this study, we aimed to examine in vitro effect of antrodia cinnamomea in the tamoxifen-resistant cancer.

METHODS

Antrodia cinnamomea was studied for its biological activity against proliferation of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer by XTT assay. Next, the underlying mechanism was studied by flow cytometry, qPCR and Western's blotting assay.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that the ethanol extract of antrodia cinnamomea (AC) can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells, including MCF-7 cell and tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cell lines. Combination treatment with AC and 10- 6 M tamoxifen have the better inhibitory effect on the proliferation of tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells than only AC did. AC can induce apoptosis in these breast cancer cells. Moreover, it can suppress the mRNA expression of skp2 (S-phase kinase-associated protein 2) by increasing the expressions of miR-21-5p, miR-26-5p, and miR-30-5p in MCF-7 and tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggest that the ethanol extract of antrodia cinnamomea could be a novel anticancer agent in the armamentarium of tamoxifen-resistant breast cancer management. Moreover, we hope to identify additional pure compounds that could serve as promising anti-breast cancer candidates for further clinical trials.

Micro-RNA-186-5p inhibition attenuates proliferation, anchorage independent growth and invasion in metastatic prostate cancer cells

Background

Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with hallmarks of aggressive tumor phenotypes, e.g., enhanced cell growth, proliferation, invasion, and anchorage independent growth in prostate cancer (PCa).

Methods

Serum-based miRNA profiling involved 15 men diagnosed with non-metastatic (stage I, III) and metastatic (stage IV) PCa and five age-matched disease-free men using miRNA arrays with select targets confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). The effect of miR-186-5p inhibition or ectopic expression on cellular behavior of PCa cells (i.e., PC-3, MDA-PCa-2b, and LNCaP) involved the use bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation, invasion, and colony formation assays. Assessment of the impact of miR-186-5p inhibition or overexpression on selected targets entailed microarray analysis, qRT-PCR, and/or western blots. Statistical evaluation used the modified t-test and ANOVA analysis.

Results

MiR-186-5p was upregulated in serum from PCa patients and metastatic PCa cell lines (i.e., PC-3, MDA-PCa-2b, LNCaP) compared to serum from disease-free individuals or a normal prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE1), respectively. Inhibition of miR-186-5p reduced cell proliferation, invasion, and anchorage-independent growth of PC-3 and/or MDA-PCa-2b PCa cells. AKAP12, a tumor suppressor target of miR-186-5p, was upregulated in PC-3 and MDA-PCa-2b cells transfected with a miR-186-5p inhibitor. Conversely, ectopic miR-186-5p expression in HEK 293 T cells decreased AKAP12 expression by 30%. Both pAKT and β-catenin levels were down-regulated in miR-186-5p inhibited PCa cells.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest miR-186-5p plays an oncogenic role in PCa. Inhibition of miR-186-5p reduced PCa cell proliferation and invasion as well as increased AKAP12 expression. Future studies should explore whether miR-186-5p may serve as a candidate prognostic indicator and a therapeutic target for the treatment of aggressive prostate cancer.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-018-4258-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Construction of differential mRNA-lncRNA crosstalk networks based on ceRNA hypothesis uncover key roles of lncRNAs implicated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Increasing evidence has indicated that lncRNAs acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis, metastasis and diagnosis of cancer. However, the function of lncRNAs as ceRNAs involved in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is still largely unknown. In this study, clinical implications of two intrinsic subtypes of ESCC were identified based on expression profiles of lncRNA and mRNA. ESCC subtype-specific differential co-expression networks between mRNAs and lncRNAs were constructed to reveal dynamic changes of their crosstalks mediated by miRNAs during tumorigenesis. Several well-known cancer-associated lncRNAs as the hubs of the two networks were firstly proposed in ESCC. Based on the ceRNA mechanism, we illustrated that the"loss" of miR-186-mediated PVT1-mRNA and miR-26b-mediated LINC00240-mRNA crosstalks were related to the two ESCC subtypes respectively. In addition, crosstalks between LINC00152 and EGFR, LINC00240 and LOX gene family were identified, which were associated with the function of "response to wounding" and "extracellular matrix-receptor interaction". Furthermore, functional cooperation of multiple lncRNAs was discovered in the two differential mRNA-lncRNA crosstalk networks. These together systematically uncovered the roles of lncRNAs as ceRNAs implicated in ESCC.

Inhibition of miR-186-5p contributes to high glucose-induced injury in AC16 cardiomyocytes

A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRs) have pivotal roles in the pathophysiological development mechanisms of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM). Previous studies have demonstrated that miR-186-5p was significantly decreased in DCM. In addition, it has recently been reported that an imbalance of miR-186 is associated with a variety of physiological and pathological processes. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the role of miR-186-5p in high glucose (HG)-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in AC16 cardiomyocytes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to demonstrate the significant decrease in the level of miR-186-5p in HG-treated AC16 cells (P<0.05). Subsequently, it was clarified that pre-transfection with miR-186-5p mimic significantly ameliorated the effects of high glucose, which induced a significant decrease in the viability of AC16 cells (P<0.05) and increases in apoptosis, as evidenced by the appearance of apoptotic nucleus and the significant upregulation of apoptosis rate in AC16 cells (P<0.05). In addition, the significantly increased expression of caspase-3 induced by HG (P<0.01) was also reversed by miR-186-5p mimic (P<0.01). Conversely, transfection with miR-186-5p inhibitor significantly reduced the viability of AC16 cells (P<0.05) and promoted apoptosis (P<0.05) as well as the expression of caspase-3 in AC16 cells (P<0.01), indicating the beneficial role of miR-186-5p in the physiological process of HG-induced damage. In conclusion, these results suggest that the distribution of miR-186-5p contributes to HG-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis in AC16 cardiomyocytes.

Dual Functional MicroRNA-186-5p Targets both FGF2 and RelA to Suppress Tumorigenesis of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the most malignant cancers. MicroRNAs (miRs) were reported to play important roles in GBM recently. However, the role of a novel miR-186-5p in GBM tumorigenesis is still elusive. Using bioinformatics, miR-186-5p was identified as potential regulators of both fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and NF-κB subunit RelA. Luciferase reporter assay was used to confirm the direct recognition FGF2 and RelA mRNAs by miR-186-5p. Invasion and migration assays were employed to study the effect of miR-186-5p on GBM cell growth in vitro. Xenograft tumor animal model was established to elucidate the in vivo function of miR-186-5p. MiR-186-5p directly targeted mRNAs of both FGF2 and RelA, and repressed their expressions. Invasive and migratory abilities of GBM cells and growth of xenograft tumors were significantly inhibited by miR-186-5p, which can be restored by re-introduction of FGF2 and RelA expressions. MiR-186-5p is a novel tumor suppressor miR that functions to inhibit tumorigenesis of GBM both in vitro and in vivo, by targeting both FGF2 and RelA. MiR-186-5p/FGF2/RelA pathway may be potentially used as molecular targets of in the clinical treatment of GBM.

Downregulation of miR-186 is associated with metastatic recurrence of gastrointestinal stromal tumors

Although dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) is a common feature of human malignancies, its involvement in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) is not fully understood. The present study aimed to identify the miRNAs that perform a role in GIST metastasis. miRNA expression profiles from a series of 32 primary GISTs were analyzed using microarrays, and miR-186 was observed to be downregulated in tumors exhibiting metastatic recurrence. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of an independent cohort of 100 primary GISTs revealed that low miR-186 expression is associated with metastatic recurrence and a poor prognosis. Inhibition of miR-186 in GIST-T1 cells promoted cell migration. Gene expression microarray analysis demonstrated that miR-186 inhibition upregulated a set of genes implicated in cancer metastasis, including insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 3, AKT serine/threonine kinase 2, hepatocyte growth factor receptor, CXC chemokine receptor 4 and epidermal growth factor-containing fibulin-like extracellular matrix protein 1. These results suggest that the downregulation of miR-186 is involved in the metastatic recurrence of GISTs, and that miR-186 levels could potentially be a predictive biomarker for clinical outcome.

Laboratory Investigation web focus on China

The vast growth of China's publishing output is a reflection of the increasing strength of Chinese science. The editors of Laboratory Investigation (LI) present a collection of papers that showcases research by authors from institutions across China, highlighting the significant contributions of Chinese scientists to the journal.