Focused ultrasound combined with miR-1208-equipped exosomes inhibits malignant progression of glioma

MiR-424-5p suppresses tumor growth and progression by directly targeting CHEK1 and activating cell cycle pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objectives

The aim of this study is to elucidate the functional mechanism of the miRNA-424-5p/CHEK1 pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), thereby offering novel insights for the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for HCC.

Methods

We employed a combination of bioinformatics analysis and data from the GEO to construct a regulatory network between miRNA and mRNA. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was utilized to assess the expression levels of miR-424-5p and CHEK1. Protein expression of CHEK1 was determined using Western blot analysis. The targeting relationship between miR-424-5p and CHEK1 was validated through a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Furthermore, the effects of miR-424-5p on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. Apoptosis of HCC cells was measured by flow cytometry.

Results

Bioinformatics analysis revealed that miR-424-5p was significantly downregulated, while CHEK1 was upregulated respectively in GEO dataset. Furthermore, this inverse expression pattern was observed in both HCC tissues and cell lines. Specifically, downregulation of miR-424-5p was found to promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells, while also inhibiting their apoptosis. The dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed a direct targeting relationship between miR-424-5p and CHEK1. Inhibition of miR-424-5p was shown to counteract the suppressive effects on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion that result from CHEK1 silencing. Additionally, experimental verification indicated that the activation of the cell cycle pathway is implicated in the oncogenic function of miR-424-5p/CHEK1 in HCC.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that miR-424-5p exerts a suppressive effect on HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by downregulating the expression of CHEK1. This finding may offer a theoretical foundation for improving the prognosis and developing novel therapeutic strategies for HCC patients.

Emerging Roles and Mechanisms of RNA Modifications in Neurodegenerative Diseases and Glioma

Despite a long history of research, neurodegenerative diseases and malignant brain tumor gliomas are both considered incurable, facing challenges in the development of treatments. Recent evidence suggests that RNA modifications, previously considered as static components of intracellular RNAs, are in fact dynamically regulated across various RNA species in cells and play a critical role in major biological processes in the nervous system. Innovations in next-generation sequencing have enabled the accurate detection of modifications on bases and sugars within various RNA molecules. These RNA modifications influence the stability and transportation of RNA, and crucially affect its translation. This review delves into existing knowledge on RNA modifications to offer a comprehensive inventory of these modifications across different RNA species. The detailed regulatory functions and roles of RNA modifications within the nervous system are discussed with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases and gliomas. This article presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamental mechanisms and emerging roles of RNA modifications in these diseases, which can facilitate the creation of innovative diagnostics and therapeutics for these conditions.

Exosomes in Glioma: Unraveling Their Roles in Progression, Diagnosis, and Therapy

Gliomas, the most prevalent primary malignant brain tumors, present a challenging prognosis even after undergoing surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Exosomes, nano-sized extracellular vesicles secreted by various cells, play a pivotal role in glioma progression and contribute to resistance against chemotherapy and radiotherapy by facilitating the transportation of biological molecules and promoting intercellular communication within the tumor microenvironment. Moreover, exosomes exhibit the remarkable ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier, positioning them as potent carriers for therapeutic delivery. These attributes hold promise for enhancing glioma diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. Recent years have witnessed significant advancements in exosome research within the realm of tumors. In this article, we primarily focus on elucidating the role of exosomes in glioma development, highlighting the latest breakthroughs in therapeutic and diagnostic approaches, and outlining prospective directions for future research.

Roles of extracellular vesicles in glioblastoma: foes, friends and informers

Glioblastoma (GB) tumors are one of the most insidious cancers which take over the brain and defy therapy. Over time and in response to treatment the tumor and the brain cells in the tumor microenvironment (TME) undergo many genetic/epigenetic driven changes in their phenotypes and this is reflected in the cellular contents within the extracellular vesicles (EVs) they produce. With the result that some EVs try to subdue the tumor (friends of the brain), while others participate in the glioblastoma takeover (foes of the brain) in a dynamic and ever changing process. Monitoring the contents of these EVs in biofluids can inform decisions based on GB status to guide therapeutic intervention. This review covers primarily recent research describing the different cell types in the brain, as well as the tumor cells, which participate in this EV deluge. This includes EVs produced by the tumor which manipulate the transcriptome of normal cells in their environment in support of tumor growth (foes), as well as responses of normal cells which try to restrict tumor growth and invasion, including traveling to cervical lymph nodes to present tumor neo-antigens to dendritic cells (DCs). In addition EVs released by tumors into biofluids can report on the status of living tumor cells via their cargo and thus serving as biomarkers. However, EVs released by tumor cells and their influence on normal cells in the tumor microenvironment is a major factor in immune suppression and coercion of normal brain cells to join the GB "band wagon". Efforts are being made to deploy EVs as therapeutic vehicles for drugs and small inhibitory RNAs. Increasing knowledge about EVs in the TME is being utilized to track tumor progression and response to therapy and even to weaponize EVs to fight the tumor.