Exosomal microRNAs as a promising theragnostic tool for essential hypertension

Exosomal microRNAs Targeting TP53 Gene as Promising Prognostic Markers for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Statement of Problem  MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs that regulate an array of functions by targeting crucial genes. A significant dysregulation in the TP53 profile has been observed in the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Hence, the present in silico study was designed to identify those microRNAs which target TP53 gene and demonstrate their differential expression in HNSCC cases. Materials and Methods  The study was extended further to explore their exosomal location using database such as EVmiRNA and ExoCarta. The study follows an observational in silico design. Computational tool miRDB was used identify the microRNA targets of TP53 gene. The UALCAN server was used to ascertain the expression of microRNA in HNSCC cases derived from the Cancer Gene Atlas dataset. The survival of HNSCC patients based on the differential expression microRNA markers were recorded. Further, each of the microRNA was queried for their exosomal presence using EVmiRNA. Results  About 102 microRNA targets of TP53 gene with a target score in the range of 95-50 were identified. The differential expression data for 52 microRNAs was retrieved from the UALCAN database. The microRNAs hsa-miR-421, hsa-miR-548f-5p, and hsa-let-7c-5p were found to be differentially expressed with marked influence over the survival of HNSCC patients. Furthermore, hsa-miR-421 and hsa-let-7c-5p were found to have an exosomal origin especially in body fluids such as blood and saliva. Conclusion  The results accumulated from the present study identified three microRNAs which can affect the functions of TP53 gene and bring about serious outcomes in HNSCC patients. The microRNAs of exosomal origin targeting TP53 gene in HNSCC patients can be a promising prognostic marker, which can be further used as a therapeutic lead by designing inhibitors.

A Computational Data Mining Strategy to Identify the Common Genetic Markers of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders and Osteoarthritis

Statement of Problem  Prosthodontic planning in patients with temporomandibular joint disorders (TMDs) is a challenge for the clinicians.

Purpose  A differential biomarker identification could aid in developing methods for early detection and confirmation of TMD from other related conditions.

Materials and Methods  The present study identified candidate genes with possible association with TMDs. The observational study delineates genes from three datasets retrieved from DisGeNET database. The convergence of datasets identifies potential genes related to TMDs with associated complication such as osteoarthritis. Gene ontology analysis was also performed to identify the potential pathways associated with the genes belonging to each of the datasets.

Results  The preliminary analysis revealed vascular endothelial growth factor A ( VEGFA ), interleukin 1 β ( IL1B , and estrogen receptor 1 ( ESR1 ) as the common genes associated with all three phenotypes assessed. The gene ontology analysis revealed functional pathways in which the genes of each dataset were clustered. The chemokine and cytokine signaling pathway, gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor pathway, cholecystokinin receptors (CCKR) signaling, and tumor growth factor (TGF)-β signaling pathway were the pathways most commonly associated with the phenotypes. The genes CCL2, IL6 , and IL1B were found to be the common genes across temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and TMJ + osteoarthritis (TMJ-OA) datasets.

Conclusion  Analysis through computational approach has revealed IL1B as the crucial candidate gene which could have a strong association with bone disorders. Nevertheless, several immunological pathways have also identified numerous genes showing putative association with TMJ and other related diseases. These genes have to be further validated using experimental approaches to acquire clarity on the mechanisms related to the pathogenesis.

Roles and mechanisms of exosomal non-coding RNAs in human health and diseases

Exosomes play a role as mediators of cell-to-cell communication, thus exhibiting pleiotropic activities to homeostasis regulation. Exosomal non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), mainly microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are closely related to a variety of biological and functional aspects of human health. When the exosomal ncRNAs undergo tissue-specific changes due to diverse internal or external disorders, they can cause tissue dysfunction, aging, and diseases. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the underlying regulatory mechanisms of exosomes in human diseases. In addition, we explore the current knowledge on the roles of exosomal miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs in human health and diseases, including cancers, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, and infectious diseases, to determine their potential implication in biomarker identification and therapeutic exploration.

Expression and Change of miRs 145, 221 and 222 in Hypertensive Subjects Treated with Enalapril, Losartan or Olmesartan

miR profile could be associated to CV risk, and also to prognosis/outcome in response to therapeutic approach. We aimed to evaluate if anti-hypertensive drugs enalapril, losartan or olmesartan have effects on monocyte miR profile in essential hypertensives without target organ involvement. For this purpose, 82 hypertensives and 49 controls were included; we evaluated SBP/DBP, lipid profile, glucose, CRP, fibrinogen, arterial stiffness indices (PWV; AIx), and cIMT at baseline (T0) and after 24 weeks of treatment (T1). Subjects with LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL, TG ≥ 200 mg/dL, BMI ≥ 30, and other additional CV risk factors were excluded. Patients who were prescribed to receive once-a-day enalapril 20 mg, losartan 100 mg or olmesartan 20 mg were eligible for the study. At T1, we found a significant improvement of SBP (-18.5%), DBP (-18%), HDL-C and LDL-C (+3% and -5.42%), glucose (-2.15%), BMI (-3.23%), fibrinogen (-11%), CRP (-17.5%,), AIx (-49.1%) PWV (-32.2%), and monocyte miR expression (miR-221: -28.4%; miR-222: -36%; miR-145: +41.7%) with respect to baseline. miR profile was compared to control subjects at baseline and at T1. We found some little difference in the behaviour of the three treatments on some variables: olmesartan was the most effective in reducing fibrinogen, DBP, CRP, and AIx (-13.1%, -19.3%, -21.4%, and -56.8%, respectively). Enalapril was the drug more significantly increasing the expression of miR-145. In conclusion, enalapril, losartan and olmesartan are effective in improving mechanical and humoral factors associated to AS and atherogenesis. These drugs appear to be able to modify miRs 221/222 and miR-145 expression in drug-naïve hypertensives, making it closer to that of control subjects; additionally, this provides a good blood pressure compensation, contributing to slow the progression of vascular damage.

Circulating exosomal MicroRNAs: New non-invasive biomarkers of non-communicable disease

Exosomes are vesicles, ranging of 30-150 nm in diameter, which are released by different cell types into the extracellular space. Exosomes are capable of transporting several biomolecules such as proteins, lipids, DNA, mRNA, and non-coding RNA, including microRNAs (miRs). miRs signatures have been linked to the development of non-communicable diseases and their classification into various subtypes and/or stages. Interestingly, the miRs contained in exosomes (exomiRs) are suitable candidates as non-invasive biomarkers due to their stability in body fluids and harsh conditions, as well as they are considered critical players involved in intercellular communication; so that they can be a promising diagnostic tool for several diseases. Besides, exomiRs allow discrimination between different stages of the disease and could be a valuable strategy for the early detection of several pathologies in a non-invasive approach. This review aims to describe exomiRs present in biologic fluids that can be used as a tool for the diagnosis and prognosis of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular, kidney, and neurodegenerative disease.

Extracellular Vesicle-Mediated Vascular Cell Communications in Hypertension: Mechanism Insights and Therapeutic Potential of ncRNAs

Hypertension, a chronic and progressive disease, is an outstanding public health issue that affects nearly 40% of the adults worldwide. The increasing prevalence of hypertension is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Despite of the available treatment medications, an increasing number of hypertensive individuals continues to have uncontrolled blood pressure. In the vasculature, endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), and adventitial fibroblasts play a fundamental role in vascular homeostasis. The aberrant interactions between vascular cells might lead to hypertension and vascular remodeling. Identification of the precise mechanisms of vascular remodeling may be highly required to develop effective therapeutic approaches for hypertension. Recently, extracellular vesicle-mediated transfer of proteins or noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) between vascular cells holds promise for the treatment of hypertension. Especially, extracellular vesicle-packaging ncRNAs have gained enormous attention of basic and clinical scientists because of their tremendous potential to act as novel clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets of hypertension. Here we will discuss the current findings focusing on the emerging roles of extracellular vesicle-carrying ncRNAs in the pathologies of hypertension and its associated vascular remodeling. Furthermore, we will highlight the potential of extracellular vesicles and ncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for hypertension. The future research directions on the challenges and perspectives of extracellular vesicles and ncRNAs in hypertensive vascular remodeling are also proposed.