LncRNA MIR200CHG inhibits EMT in gastric cancer by stabilizing miR-200c from target-directed miRNA degradation

NRAV promoted the malignant progression of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer (GC) has been ranked as the third incidence tumors globally. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NRAV has been reported as a tumor-enhancer in the development of human cancers, whereas the function of NRAV in GC remains to be elucidated. The aim of this research was to explore the underlying function of NRAV in GC. Through comprehensive bioinformatics analysis, a significantly elevation of NRAV was found in both human GC tissues and cell lines, which indicated the poor prognosis of GC patients. Then, we conducted a series of functional experiments to illustrate the role of NRAV in GC. The results showed that the down-regulation of NRAV exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on GC cell proliferation and migration, while NRAV overexpression promoted GC cell proliferation and migration. Through xenograft mouse tumor model, the suppression of NRAV led to a reduction in the growth of tumor mice, whereas overexpression of NRAV notably enhanced tumor growth. Finally, EFHC1 was revealed as the potential target gene of NRAV. Overall, our findings indicated the promising application of NRAV as a therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker for GC.

Solamargine inhibits gastric cancer progression via inactivation of STAT3/PD‑L1 signaling

Gastric cancer (GC) is characterized by a high mortality rate (70%) worldwide. Programmed cell death‑1 and its ligand, programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD‑L1), are vital immune checkpoints, which serve a notable role in GC. Solamargine, an extract from traditional Chinese medicine Long Kui, exerts suppressive effects on several types of cancer including cervical, lung and prostate cancer. However, the association between solamargine and PD‑L1 in GC remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of solamargine on GC. Specifically, 5‑ethynyl‑2'‑deoxyuridine and Transwell assays were performed to assess GC cell proliferation, invasion and migration. Additionally, GC cells (HGC‑827 and NCI‑N87) were stimulated with 20 ng/ml recombinant human IL‑6 for 24 h, before the protein expression levels of PD‑L1 were measured using western blot analysis. Furthermore, T cell function was evaluated through incubation of Jurkat T cells with solamargine. The results demonstrated that solamargine could markedly inhibit GC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, by inhibiting STAT3 signaling. In addition, GC cell treatment with solamargine downregulated the expression of PD‑L1. Furthermore, solamargine reversed the IL‑6‑induced PD‑L1 upregulation in GC cells by downregulating STAT3 activity. Additionally, the results demonstrated that solamargine inhibited IL‑6‑induced PD‑L1 upregulation of GC cells. This suggests that solamargine exerted an immunostimulatory activity in GC. In conclusion, the present study indicated that solamargine may inhibit the progression of GC by suppressing STAT3/PD‑L1 signaling. Therefore, treatment with solamargine may serve as novel strategy for the treatment of GC.

Chitosan and hyaluronic acid in colorectal cancer therapy: A review on EMT regulation, metastasis, and overcoming drug resistance

Up to 90% of cancer-related fatalities could be attributed to metastasis. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms that facilitate tumor cell metastasis is beneficial for improving patient survival and results. EMT is considered the main process involved in the invasion and spread of CRC. Essential molecular components like Wnt, TGF-β, and PI3K/Akt play a role in controlling EMT in CRC, frequently triggered by various factors such as Snail, Twist, and ZEB1. These factors affect not only the spread of CRC but also determine the reaction to chemotherapy. The influence of non-coding RNAs, especially miRNAs and lncRNAs, on the regulation of EMT is clear in CRC. Exosomes, involved in cell-to-cell communication, can affect the TME and metastasis of CRC. Pharmacological substances and nanoparticles demonstrate promise as efficient modulators of EMT in CRC. Chitosan and HA are two major carbohydrate polymers with considerable potential in inhibiting CRC. Chitosan and HA can be employed to modify nanoparticles to enhance cargo transport for reducing CRC. Additionally, chitosan and HA-modified nanocarriers, which can be utilized as potential approaches in suppressing EMT and reversing drug resistance in CRC, can inhibit EMT and chemoresistance, crucial components in tumorigenesis.

Exercise-regulated lipolysis: Its role and mechanism in health and diseases

Exercise has received considerable attention because of its importance not just in regulating physiological function, but also in ameliorating multiple pathological processes. Among these processes, lipolysis may play an important role in exercise-induced benefits. It is generally accepted that active lipolysis contributes to breakdown of fats, leading to the release of free fatty acids (FFAs) that serve as an energy source for muscles and other tissues during exercise. However, the significance of lipolysis in the context of exercise has not been fully understood. This review comprehensively outlines the potential regulatory mechanisms by which exercise stimulates lipolysis. The potential roles of exercise-mediated lipolysis in various physiological and pathological processes are also summarized. Additionally, we also discussed the potential non-classical effects of key lipolytic effectors induced by exercise. This will enhance our understanding of how exercise improves lipolytic function to bring about beneficial effects, offering new insights into potential therapeutic avenues for promoting health and alleviating diseases.

Expression of the lncRNA TPT1-AS1 in lung squamous cell carcinoma and its prognostic value

OBJECTIVE

Lung squamous cell carcinoma is typically associated with a poor prognosis, highlighting the need for a reliable prognostic marker. Given that the long noncoding RNA TPT1-AS1 has demonstrated aberrant expression in numerous cancers, the prognostic significance of TPT1-AS1 in LUSC was examined.

METHODS

The present study included 115 patients diagnosed with LUSC. The expression levels of TPT1-AS1 and miR-4726-5p in tissues and cells were assessed using RT-qPCR, while the correlation between TPT1-AS1 expression and clinicopathological features was analyzed through the chi-square test. Binding sites between TPT1-AS1 and miR-4726-5p were predicted using a database and confirmed via a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationship between TPT1-AS1 and miR-4726-5p in tumor tissues. The impacts of TPT1-AS1 and miR-4726-5p on cells were evaluated through CCK-8 and Transwell assays.

RESULTS

TPT1-AS1 expression was found to be reduced, while miR-4726-5p expression was upregulated in LUSC tissues. Patients exhibiting low TPT1-AS1 expression experienced shorter overall survival. Moreover, TPT1-AS1 was identified as an independent prognostic factor. A dual luciferase reporter assay validated that TPT1-AS1-WT targeted and bound to miR-4726-5p. Additionally, an inverse correlation was observed between miR-4726-5p and TPT1-AS1 in tumors. Cell experiments indicated that the overexpression of TPT1-AS1 led to a decrease in miR-4726-5p expression, consequently inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.

CONCLUSION

TPT1-AS1 targets miR-4726-5p, and overexpression of TPT1-AS1 has the potential to serve as a prognostic marker for LUSC and can significantly influence LUSC progression.

LncRNA-HMG incites colorectal cancer cells to chemoresistance via repressing p53-mediated ferroptosis

Upon chemotherapy, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) often lead to the production of massive lipid peroxides in cancer cells and induce cell death, namely ferroptosis. The elimination of ROS is pivotal for tumor cells to escape from ferroptosis and acquire drug resistance. Nevertheless, the precise functions of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ROS metabolism and tumor drug-resistance remain elusive. In this study, we identify LncRNA-HMG as a chemoresistance-related lncRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) by high-throughput screening. Abnormally high expression of LncRNA-HMG predicts poorer prognosis in CRC patients. Concurrently, we found that LncRNA-HMG protects CRC cells from ferroptosis upon chemotherapy, thus enhancing drug resistance of CRC cells. LncRNA-HMG binds to p53 and facilitates MDM2-mediated degradation of p53. Decreased p53 induces upregulation of SLC7A11 and VKORC1L1, which contribute to increase the supply of reducing agents and eliminate excessive ROS. Consequently, CRC cells escape from ferroptosis and acquire chemoresistance. Importantly, inhibition of LncRNA-HMG by anti-sense oligo (ASO) dramatically sensitizes CRC cells to chemotherapy in patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. LncRNA-HMG is also a transcriptional target of β-catenin/TCF and activated Wnt signals trigger the marked upregulation of LncRNA-HMG. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that LncRNA-HMG promotes CRC chemoresistance and might be a prognostic or therapeutic target for CRC.

Unlocking the Potential of Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers in Glioblastoma

Using microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential circulating biomarkers in diagnosing and treating glioblastoma (GBM) has garnered a lot of scientific and clinical impetus in the past decade. As an aggressive primary brain tumor, GBM poses challenges in early detection and effective treatment with significant current diagnostic constraints and limited therapeutic strategies. MiRNA dysregulation is present in GBM. The intricate involvement of miRNAs in altering cell proliferation, invasion, and immune escape makes them prospective candidates for identifying and monitoring GBM diagnosis and response to treatment. These miRNAs could play a dual role, acting as both potential diagnostic markers and targets for therapy. By modulating the activity of various oncogenic and tumor-suppressive proteins, miRNAs create opportunities for precision medicine and targeted therapies in GBM. This review centers on the critical role and function of circulating miRNA biomarkers in GBM diagnosis and treatment. It highlights their significance in providing insights into disease progression, aiding in early diagnosis, and potential use as targets for novel therapeutic interventions. Ultimately, the study of miRNA would contribute to improving patient outcomes in the challenging landscape of GBM management.

Role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in gastric cancer metastasis: A comprehensive review

One of the greatest frequent types of malignancy is gastric cancer (GC). Metastasis, an essential feature of stomach cancer, results in a high rate of mortality and a poor prognosis. However, metastasis biological procedures are not well recognized. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have a role in numerous gene regulation pathways via epigenetic modification as well as transcriptional and post-transcriptional control. LncRNAs have a role in a variety of disorders, such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's, and cancer. LncRNAs are substantially related to GC incidence, progression, metastasis and drug resistance. Several research released information on the molecular processes of lncRNAs in GC pathogenesis. By interacting with a gene's promoter or enhancer region to influence gene expression, lncRNAs can operate as an oncogene or a tumor suppressor. This review includes the lncRNAs associated with metastasis of GC, which may give insights into the processes as well as potential clues for GC predicting and tracking.

ATP11A Promotes Epithelial-mesenchymal Transition in Gastric Cancer Cells via the Hippo Pathway

Background: ATP11A, a P-type ATPase, functions as flippases at the plasma membrane to maintain cellular function and vitality in several cancers. However, the role of ATP11A in gastric cancer remains unknown. This study aimed to identify ATP11A related to the biological behavior of gastric cancer, and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Methods: The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases were used to analyze the expression and prognosis of ATP11A. The biofunctions of ATP11A were explored through Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). The expression of ATP11A were validated by immunohistochemistry (IHC), qRT-PCR and Western blotting. Transwell, wound healing, CCK8 and colony-formation were to detected the migration, invasion and proliferation of gastric cancer cells. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Hippo pathway markers were examined by Western blotting. Results: The expression of ATP11A was higher in gastric cancer tissues than in normal tissues, and high ATP11A levels were related to worse prognosis of gastric cancer patients. Additionally, we proved that ATP11A promoted the migration, invasion and proliferation in gastric cancer cells. Furthermore, ATP11A was found to promote EMT by devitalizing the Hippo pathway. Conclusion: ATP11A promoted migration, invasion, proliferation and EMT via Hippo signaling devitalization in gastric cancer cells.

GRASLND regulates melanoma cell progression by targeting the miR-218-5p/STAM2 axis

BACKGROUND

Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important regulatory roles in biological processes and are dysregulated in numerous tumors. The lncRNA GRASLND functions as an oncogene in many cancers, but its role in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) requires further investigation.

METHODS

SiRNA transfection, wound - healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate the effect of GRASLND on cellular function.

RESULTS

The present study demonstrated that GRASLND expression is increased in SKCM tissues and cell lines. The high expression of GRASLND was correlated with poor prognosis and immunotherapy outcomes. Knockdown of GRASLND significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion. In addition, we found that miR-218-5p directly binds to its binding site on GRASLND, and GRASLND and miR-218-5p demonstrate mutual inhibition. Furthermore, the miR-218-5p inhibitor partially eliminated the knockdown of GRASLND and inhibited its expression. We also demonstrated that GRASLND acts as a miR-218-5p sponge that positively regulates STAM2 expression in SKCM cells.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these data suggest that GRASLND functions by regulating miR-218-5p/STAM2 expression, suggesting an important role for the lncRNA‒miRNA-mRNA functional network and a new potential therapeutic target for SKCM.

Critical role of the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in radiotherapy (RT)-resistance of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer: Is there a way to defeat this resistance?

Radiotherapy (RT) is a frequently used treatment for cervical cancer, effectively decreasing the likelihood of the disease returning in the same area and extending the lifespan of individuals with cervical cancer. Nevertheless, the primary reason for treatment failure in cancer patients is the cancer cells' resistance to radiation therapy (RT). Long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs) are a subset of RNA molecules that do not code for proteins and are longer than 200 nucleotides. They have a significant impact on the regulation of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers biological processes. Recent research has shown that lncRNAs have a significant impact in controlling the responsiveness of GI cancer to radiation. This review provides a concise overview of the composition and operation of lncRNAs as well as the intricate molecular process behind radiosensitivity in GI cancer. Additionally, it compiles a comprehensive list of lncRNAs that are linked to radiosensitivity in such cancers. Furthermore, it delves into the potential practical implementation of these lncRNAs in modulating radiosensitivity in GI cancer.

msBERT-Promoter: a multi-scale ensemble predictor based on BERT pre-trained model for the two-stage prediction of DNA promoters and their strengths

BACKGROUND

A promoter is a specific sequence in DNA that has transcriptional regulatory functions, playing a role in initiating gene expression. Identifying promoters and their strengths can provide valuable information related to human diseases. In recent years, computational methods have gained prominence as an effective means for identifying promoter, offering a more efficient alternative to labor-intensive biological approaches.

RESULTS

In this study, a two-stage integrated predictor called "msBERT-Promoter" is proposed for identifying promoters and predicting their strengths. The model incorporates multi-scale sequence information through a tokenization strategy and fine-tunes the DNABERT model. Soft voting is then used to fuse the multi-scale information, effectively addressing the issue of insufficient DNA sequence information extraction in traditional models. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an integrated approach has been used in the DNABERT model for promoter identification and strength prediction. Our model achieves accuracy rates of 96.2% for promoter identification and 79.8% for promoter strength prediction, significantly outperforming existing methods. Furthermore, through attention mechanism analysis, we demonstrate that our model can effectively combine local and global sequence information, enhancing its interpretability.

CONCLUSIONS

msBERT-Promoter provides an effective tool that successfully captures sequence-related attributes of DNA promoters and can accurately identify promoters and predict their strengths. This work paves a new path for the application of artificial intelligence in traditional biology.

Proteome Analysis Related to Unsaturated Fatty Acid Synthesis by Interfering with Bovine Adipocyte ACSL1 Gene

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in beef play a vital role in promoting human health. Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA synthase 1 (ACSL1) is a crucial gene for UFA synthesis in bovine adipocytes. To investigate the protein expression profile during UFA synthesis, we performed a proteomic analysis of bovine adipocytes by RNA interference and non-interference with ACSL1 using label-free techniques. A total of 3558 proteins were identified in both the NC and si-treated groups, of which 1428 were differentially expressed proteins (DEPs; fold change ≥ 1.2 or ≤ 0.83 and p-value < 0.05). The enrichment analysis of the DEPs revealed signaling pathways related to UFA synthesis or metabolism, including cAMP, oxytocin, fatty acid degradation, glycerol metabolism, insulin, and the regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes (p-value < 0.05). Furthermore, based on the enrichment analysis of the DEPs, we screened 50 DEPs that potentially influence the synthesis of UFAs and constructed an interaction network. Moreover, by integrating our previously published transcriptome data, this study established a regulatory network involving differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs), highlighting 21 DEPs and 13 DELs as key genes involved in UFA synthesis. These findings present potential candidate genes for further investigation into the molecular mechanisms underlying UFA synthesis in bovines, thereby offering insights to enhance the quality of beef and contribute to consumer health in future studies.

LncRNA Peg13 Alleviates Myocardial Infarction/Reperfusion Injury through Regulating MiR-34a/Sirt1-Mediated Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

Myocardial infarction/reperfusion (I/R) injury significantly impacts the health of older individuals. We confirmed that the level of lncRNA Peg13 was downregulated in I/R injury. However, the detailed function of Peg13 in myocardial I/R injury has not yet been explored.To detect the function of Peg13, in vivo model of I/R injury was constructed. RT-qPCR was employed to investigate RNA levels, and Western blotting was performed to assess levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis-associated proteins. EdU staining was confirmed to assess the cell proliferation.I/R therapy dramatically produced myocardial injury, increased the infarct area, and decreased the amount of Peg13 in myocardial tissues of mice. In addition, hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) notably induced the apoptosis and promoted the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress of HL-1 cells, while overexpression of Peg13 reversed these phenomena. Additionally, Peg13 may increase the level of Sirt1 through binding to miR-34a. Upregulation of Peg13 reversed H/R-induced ER stress via regulation of miR-34a/Sirt1 axis.LncRNA Peg13 reduces ER stress in myocardial infarction/reperfusion injury through mediation of miR-34a/Sirt1 axis. Hence, our research might shed new lights on developing new strategies for the treatment of myocardial I/R injury.

LncRNA MIR200CHG inhibits EMT in gastric cancer by stabilizing miR-200c from target-directed miRNA degradation

Gastric cancer (GC) is a heterogeneous disease, threatening millions of lives worldwide, yet the functional roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in different GC subtypes remain poorly characterized. Microsatellite stable (MSS)/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) GC is the most aggressive subtype associated with a poor prognosis. Here, we apply integrated network analysis to uncover lncRNA heterogeneity between GC subtypes, and identify MIR200CHG as a master regulator mediating EMT specifically in MSS/EMT GC. The expression of MIR200CHG is silenced in MSS/EMT GC by promoter hypermethylation, associated with poor prognosis. MIR200CHG reverses the mesenchymal identity of GC cells in vitro and inhibits metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, MIR200CHG not only facilitates the biogenesis of its intronic miRNAs miR-200c and miR-141, but also protects miR-200c from target-directed miRNA degradation (TDMD) through direct binding to miR-200c. Our studies reveal a landscape of a subtype-specific lncRNA regulatory network, providing clinically relevant biological insights towards MSS/EMT GC.