Long noncoding RNA HEIH depletion depresses esophageal carcinoma cell progression by upregulating microRNA-185 and downregulating KLK5

The landscape of programmed cell death-related lncRNAs in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

This study delivers a thorough analysis of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating programmed cell death (PCD), vital for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). We propose a new framework PCDLnc, and identified 20 significant lncRNAs, including HEIH, SNHG15, and SNHG5, associated with PCD gene sets, which were known for roles in proliferation and apoptosis in neurodegenerative diseases. By using GREAT software, we identified regulatory functions of top lncRNAs in different neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, lncRNAs cis-regulated mRNAs linked to neurodegeneration, including JAK2, AKT1, EGFR, CDC42, SNCA, and ADIPOQ, highlighting their therapeutic potential in neurodegenerative diseases. A further exploration into the differential expression of mRNA identified by PCDLnc revealed a role in apoptosis, ferroptosis and autophagy. Additionally, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis exposed abnormal interactions among key genes, despite their consistent expression levels between disease and normal samples. The randomforest model effectively distinguished between disease samples, indicating a high level of accuracy. Shared gene subsets in AD and PD might serve as potential biomarkers, along with disease-specific gene sets. Besides, we also found the strong relationship between AD and immune infiltration. This research highlights the role of lncRNAs and their associated genes in PCD in neurodegenerative diseases, offering potential therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers for future study and clinical application.

The research progress on radiation resistance of cervical cancer

Cervical carcinoma is the most prevalent gynecology malignant tumor and ranks as the fourth most common cancer worldwide, thus posing a significant threat to the lives and health of women. Advanced and early-stage cervical carcinoma patients with high-risk factors require adjuvant treatment following surgery, with radiotherapy being the primary approach. However, the tolerance of cervical cancer to radiotherapy has become a major obstacle in its treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated that radiation resistance in cervical cancer is closely associated with DNA damage repair pathways, the tumor microenvironment, tumor stem cells, hypoxia, cell cycle arrest, and epigenetic mechanisms, among other factors. The development of tumor radiation resistance involves complex interactions between multiple genes, pathways, and mechanisms, wherein each factor interacts through one or more signaling pathways. This paper provides an overview of research progress on an understanding of the mechanism underlying radiation resistance in cervical cancer.

Harnessing the supremacy of MEG3 LncRNA to defeat gastrointestinal malignancies

Evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a pivotal role in the carcinogenesis and progression of various human malignancies including gastrointestinal malignancies. This comprehensive review reports the functions and mechanisms of the lncRNA maternally expressed gene 3 (MEG3) involved in gastrointestinal malignancies. It summarizes its roles in mediating the regulation of cellular proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasiveness, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and drug resistance in several gastrointestinal cancers such as colorectal cancer, gall bladder cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors and most importantly, hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, the authors briefly highlight its implicated mechanistic role and interactions with different non-coding RNAs and oncogenic signaling cascades. This review presents the rationale for developing non coding RNA-based anticancer therapy via harnessing the power of MEG3 in gastrointestinal malignancies.

MiR-107-3p Knockdown Alleviates Endothelial Injury in Sepsis via Kallikrein-Related Peptidase 5

INTRODUCTION

Endothelial injury is a major characteristic of sepsis and contributes to sepsis-induced multiple-organ dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the role of miR-107-3p in sepsis-induced endothelial injury.

METHODS

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were exposed to 20 μg/mL of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 6-48 h. The levels of miR-107-3p and kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5) were examined. HUVECs were treated with LPS for 12 h and subsequently transfected with miR-107-3p inhibitor, KLK5 siRNA, or cotransfected with KLK5 siRNA and miR-107-3p inhibitor/negative control inhibitor. Cell survival, apoptosis, invasion, cell permeability, inflammatory response, and the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor κB signaling were evaluated. In addition, the relationship between miR-107-3p and KLK5 expression was predicted and verified.

RESULTS

LPS significantly elevated miR-107-3p levels, which peaked at 12 h. Conversely, the KLK5 level was lower in the LPS group than in the control group and was lowest at 12 h. MiR-107-3p knockdown significantly attenuated reductions in cell survival and invasion, apoptosis promotion, hyperpermeability and inflammation induction, and activation of the NF-κB signaling caused by LPS. KLK5 knockdown had the opposite effect. Additionally, KLK5 was demonstrated as a target of miR-107-3p. MiR-107-3p knockdown partially reversed the effects of KLK5 depletion in LPS-activated HUVECs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate that miR-107-3p knockdown may protect against sepsis-induced endothelial cell injury by targeting KLK5. This study identified a novel therapeutic target for sepsis-induced endothelial injury.

Long noncoding RNA LINC01088 inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by targeting the NPM1-HDM2-p53 axis

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is characterized by extensive metastasis and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play important roles in ESCC. However, the specific roles of lncRNAs in ESCC tumorigenesis and metastasis remain largely unknown. Here, we investigate LINC01088 in ESCC. Differentially expressed LINC01088 levels are screened from the GEO database. We find that LINC01088 is expressed at low level in collected clinical samples and is correlated with vascular tumor emboli and poor overall survival time of patients after surgery. LINC01088 inhibits not only ESCC cell migration and invasion in vitro, but also tumorigenesis and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC01088 directly interacts with nucleophosmin (NPM1) and increases the expression of NPM1 in the nucleoplasm compared to that in the nucleolar region. LINC01088 decreases mutant p53 (mut-p53) expression and rescues the transcriptional activity of p53 by targeting the NPM1-HDM2-p53 axis. LINC01088 may also interfere with the DNA repair function of NPM1 by affecting its translocation. Our results highlight the potential of LINC01088 as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target of ESCC.

IGF2BP3 promotes progression of gallbladder carcinoma by stabilizing KLK5 mRNA in N6-methyladenosine-dependent binding

Background

Recent studies have reported that IGF2BP3 is linked to the pathogenesis of various malignancies. Since IGF2BP3 is associated with poor outcomes of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC), we aimed to explore the association between its N⁶-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation and GBC progression.

Methods

Bioinformatic analysis of GSE136982, GSE104165, and RNA-seq was performed. In vitro and in vivo gain- and loss-of-function assays were done. qPCR, Western blotting, and IHC were conducted in cells or in collected clinical tissue samples. RNA immunoprecipitation, RNA stability measurement, methylated RNA immunoprecipitation, and dual-luciferase reporter assays were performed in this study.

Results

The expression of IGF2BP3 was higher in GBC tissues than in peritumoral tissues. Functions such as cell proliferation and migration, both in vitro and in vivo, were inhibited by downregulation of IGF2BP3. The analysis of RNA-seq indicated that KLK5 was a downstream target of IGF2BP3. The expression of KLK5 was measured in GBC cells and tumor samples. It was found to be positively correlated with IGF2BP3 level. Upon IGF2BP3 depletion, ectopic expression of KLK5 could rescue cell function in part. Mechanistically, we found that IGF2BP3 directly binds to KLK5 mRNA and regulates its stability in an m6A-dependent manner. As a result, inhibition of KLK5 decreased the expression of PAR2, and deregulated phospho-Akt. Using bioinformatic prediction combined with miRNA microarray analysis, we identified that let-7g-5p is an inhibitor of IGF2BP3, and let-7g-5p expression was negatively correlated with IGF2BP3. Overexpression of let-7g-5p affected the aggressive phenotype of GBC cells by deregulating IGF2BP3, and inhibiting the KLK5/PAR2/AKT axis.

Conclusions

Our data showed that IGF2BP3 is associated with the aggressive phenotype of GBC. Mechanistically, IGF2BP3 activated the PAR2/AKT axis by stabilizing KLK5 mRNA in an m6A-dependent manner. The loss of let-7g-5p enhanced the expression of IGF2BP3 and improved GBC progression. Thus, IGF2BP3 plays a crucial role in GBC, and the let-7g-5p/IGF2BP3/KLK5/PAR2 axis may be a therapeutic target for GBC.

Peroxidase is a novel potential marker in glioblastoma through bioinformatics method and experimental validation

Peroxidase (PXDN), a specific extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated protein, has been determined as a tumor indicator and therapeutic target in various tumors. However, the effects of PXDN in prognostic performance and clinical implications in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains unknown. Here, we assessed PXDN expression pattern and its performance on prognosis among GBM cases from TCGA and CGGA databases. PXDN was up-regulated within GBM samples in comparison with normal control. High PXDN expression was a dismal prognostic indicator in GBM. Single cell RNA analysis was conducted to detect the cell localization of PXDN. We also set up a PPI network to explore the interacting protein associated with PXDN, including TSKU, COL4A1 and COL5A1. Consistently, functional enrichment analysis revealed that several cancer hallmarks were enriched in the GBM cases with high PXDN expression, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), fatty acid metabolism, glycolysis, hypoxia, inflammatory response, and Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway. Next, this study analyzed the association of PXDN expression and immunocyte infiltration. PXDN expression was in direct proportion to the infiltrating degrees of NK cells resting, T cells regulatory, M0 macrophage, monocytes and eosinophils. The roles of PXDN on immunity were further estimated by PXDN-associated immunomodulators. In addition, four prognosis-related lncRNAs co-expressed with PXDN were identified. Finally, we observed that PXDN depletion inhibits GBM cell proliferation and migration by in vitro experiments. Our data suggested that PXDN has the potential to be a powerful prognostic biomarker, which might offer a basis for developing therapeutic targets for GBM.

KLK5 is associated with the radioresistance, aggression, and progression of cervical cancer

OBJECTIVE

The role of kallikrein-related peptidase 5 (KLK5) has been studied in several diseases, including skin and ovarian cancers. However, its role in cervical cancer remains unclear, particularly in regulating the radiation resistance and growth of cervical cancer cells. Radiation resistance of cervical cancer is associated with local recurrence, distant metastasis, and reduced survival.

METHODS

We first analyzed radiotherapy-naive samples and relevant clinical data from patients with cervical cancer who received radiotherapy without surgery or other antitumor treatment from 2014 to 2016. Subsequently, biopsied tissues, in vitro cells, and transplanted tumors in nude mice were investigated.

RESULTS

Gene sequencing and clinical data analysis showed that KLK5 overexpression was associated with a poor prognosis post-radiotherapy. In in vitro cell and tumor transplantation experiments, KLK5 overexpression significantly increased radiation resistance. However, downregulating KLK5 expression increased radiosensitivity.

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm that KLK5 is vital to the radioresistance of cervical cancer, and provide a new target and marker for the treatment of radioresistance in cervical cancer.

SPINKs in Tumors: Potential Therapeutic Targets

The serine protease inhibitor Kazal type (SPINK) family includes SPINK1-14 and is the largest branch in the serine protease inhibitor family. SPINKs play an important role in pancreatic physiology and disease, sperm maturation and capacitation, Nager syndrome, inflammation and the skin barrier. Evidence shows that the unregulated expression of SPINK1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 13 is closely related to human tumors. Different SPINKs exhibit various regulatory modes in different tumors and can be used as tumor prognostic markers. This article reviews the role of SPINK1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 13 in different human cancer processes and helps to identify new cancer treatment targets.

Long non-coding RNA HEIH: a novel tumor activator in multiple cancers

The last decade has witnessed the altered expression levels of long non-coding RNA HEIH in different types of cancer. More than half of the HEIH studies in cancer have been published within the last two years. To our knowledge, this is the first review to discuss very recent developments and insights into HEIH contribution to carcinogenesis. The functional role, molecular mechanism, and clinical significance of HEIH in human cancers are described in detail. The expression of HEIH is elevated in a broad spectrum of cancers, and its disorder contributes to cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistance of cancer cells through different underlying mechanisms. In addition, the high expression of HEIH is significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, tumor size and decreased overall survival, suggesting HEIH may function as a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target for human cancers.

Clinical significance of kallikrein 5 as a novel prognostic biomarker in gastric adenocarcinoma

Backgrounds

Gastric cancer is one of the most common cancers with unsatisfied prognosis. It is challenging to predict gastric cancer prognosis due to its highly heterogeneous nature. Kallikrein 5 (KLK5) belongs to the family of kallikreins, which plays a crucial role in serine proteolysis and exerts diverse physiological functions. The role of KLK5 in human gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) has not been elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to examine the expression level of KLK5 and dissect whether the KLK5 expression was associated with GAC prognosis.

Patients and methods

Clinicopathological analyses were performed in a retrospective GAC patient cohort (n = 138). The expression of KLK5 was tested by quantitative RT‐PCR and immunohistochemistry staining. The prognostic role of KLK5 in GAC was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. The effects of KLK5 on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were examined through cellular experiments.

Results

The data showed that KLK5 expression was elevated in GAC tissues compared with normal stomach tissues. Protein expression of KLK5 was positively correlated with tumor invasion depth and lymph node metastasis. Patients with higher KLK5 expression had poorer overall survival. KLK5 was identified to be an independent risk factor according to multivariate analysis. Using human GAC cell lines, we found that KLK5 can promote tumor cell migration and invasion.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that higher expression of KLK5 was significantly correlated with a poorer prognosis of GAC patients, implying the potential of KLK5 as a novel prognostic biomarker in GAC.