Long non-coding RNA AC026166.2-001 inhibits cell proliferation and migration in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by regulating the miR-24-3p/p27 axis

MMP-9 and CCR7 as Possible Predictors of Lymph Node Metastasis in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background & Objective

The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and chemokine receptor 7 (CCR7) is significantly associated with tumor invasion and metastasis. Little is known regarding the potential of these markers in predicting cancer metastasis in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC). Therefore, this study aimed to dissect the potential of these markers in predicting the lymph node metastasis in LSCC patients.

Methods

Sixty tissue samples were obtained from the patients diagnosed pathologically with LSCC who underwent partial or total laryngectomy. The expression of MMP-9 and CCR7 was measured using the immunohistochemistry staining in the tissue samples of LSCC patients. The ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve was used to determine the most significant cut-off points of expression according to the highest sensitivity and specificity of both the markers to predict the lymph node metastasis in LSCC. Then, the relationship between the clinicopathology features and the expression of MMP-9 and CCR7 was evaluated.

Results

The expression of both MMP-9 and CCR7 was significantly correlated with the lymph node metastasis in LSCC (P<0.001). Furthermore, CCR7 expression exhibited the highest prediction accuracy (AUC 95.7%) and sensitivity (100%) in predicting the lymph node metastasis in LSCC compared to that of MMP-9 (AUC 92.9%, sensitivity 90%). We also found that patients with larger tumor size (> 4 cm) had significantly higher expression of MMP-9 and CCR7 (P<0.002 and P<0.001, respectively). The Elevated expression level of CCR7 statistically correlated with higher MMP-9 expression (P<0.001).

Conclusion

MMP-9 and CCR7 might be beneficial as predictors of lymph node metastasis in LSCC patients.

An Unanticipated Modulation of Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors: The Role of Long Non-Coding RNAs

It is now definitively established that a large part of the human genome is transcribed. However, only a scarce percentage of the transcriptome (about 1.2%) consists of RNAs that are translated into proteins, while the large majority of transcripts include a variety of RNA families with different dimensions and functions. Within this heterogeneous RNA world, a significant fraction consists of sequences with a length of more than 200 bases that form the so-called long non-coding RNA family. The functions of long non-coding RNAs range from the regulation of gene transcription to the changes in DNA topology and nucleosome modification and structural organization, to paraspeckle formation and cellular organelles maturation. This review is focused on the role of long non-coding RNAs as regulators of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors’ (CDKIs) levels and activities. Cyclin-dependent kinases are enzymes necessary for the tuned progression of the cell division cycle. The control of their activity takes place at various levels. Among these, interaction with CDKIs is a vital mechanism. Through CDKI modulation, long non-coding RNAs implement control over cellular physiology and are associated with numerous pathologies. However, although there are robust data in the literature, the role of long non-coding RNAs in the modulation of CDKIs appears to still be underestimated, as well as their importance in cell proliferation control.

The role of long non-coding RNAs in the pathogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head and neck cancers are a heterogeneous collection of malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract, salivary glands, and thyroid. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenesis of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) remain poorly understood. Over the past decades, overwhelming evidence has demonstrated the regulatory roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumorigenesis, including HNSCC. Notably, these lncRNAs have vital roles in gene regulation and affect various aspects of cellular homeostasis, including proliferation, survival, and metastasis. They exert regulating functions by interacting with nucleic acids or proteins and affecting cancer cell signaling. LncRNAs represent a burgeoning field of cancer research, and we are only beginning to understand the importance and complicity of lncRNAs in HNSCC. In this review, we summarize the deregulation and function of lncRNAs in human HNSCC. We also review the working mechanism of lncRNAs in HNSCC pathogenesis and discuss the potential application of lncRNAs as diagnostic/prognostic tools and therapeutic targets in human HNSCC.

tRNAIni CAT inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells

BACKGROUND

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) brings a heavy blow to the patient's voice. Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a common RNA, the roles of tRNAs in LSCC are largely unknown.

METHODS

The tRNA expression profile in LSCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues was measured by a tRNA qRT-PCR array. The expression level of tRNAIni CAT in LSCC tissues and plasmas was detected by qRT-PCR. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was established. tRNAIni CAT was upregulated by a lentivirus vector in the LSCC cell line. Moreover, tRNAIni CAT was upregulated in LSCC xenograft nude mouse model and the xenografts were used for pathological analysis and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation.

RESULTS

The top 10 upregulated tRNAs were tRNALys CTT -1, tRNALeu TAA , tRNAPhe GAA , tRNALeu CAG , tRNATyr ATA , tRNAMet CAT , tRNATyr GTA -1, tRNAThr CGT , tRNATyr GTA -2, tRNAAla AGC ; and the top 10 downregulated tRNAs were tRNAIni CAT , mt-tRNAGlu TTC , tRNAVal CAC -3, mt-tRNATrp TCA , mt-tRNATyr GTA , mt-tRNALys TTT , mt-tRNAThr TGT , mt-tRNAAsp GTC , mt-tRNAAsn GTT , mt-tRNAPro TGG . tRNAIni CAT was downregulated in LSCC tissues and plasma. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) in LSCC tissues and the plasma of patients with LSCC was 0.717 and 0.808, respectively. tRNAIni CAT inhibited LSCC cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. The in vivo results showed that tRNAIni CAT inhibited the growth of the xenografts and promoted apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to provide tRNA expression profiles for LSCC tissues. tRNAIni CAT may be used as a new biomarker for the early diagnosis of LSCC. tRNAIni CAT inhibits cell proliferation and promotes apoptosis in vitro and in vivo.

Long non-coding RNA MIAT promotes the proliferation and invasion of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cells by sponging microRNA-613

Accumulating evidence indicates that the long non-coding RNA myocardial infarction associated transcript (lncRNA MIAT) serves an important role in the progression of a number of cancer types. However, the precise molecular mechanism of MIAT in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) progression remain elusive. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects and to clarify the molecular mechanism of MIAT on the proliferation and invasion of LSCC cells. The expression of MIAT was detected in LSCC tissues and cells using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. MTT and colony formation assays were performed to examine the effects of MIAT on the proliferation of LSCC cells. Additionally, wound healing and Transwell experiments were employed to examine cellular migration and invasion. Luciferase reporter gene assay was also used to confirm the direct binding between MIAT and microRNA (miR)-613 in LSCC cells. An RNA immunoprecipitation assay was performed to verify the interaction between MIAT and miR-613. In the present study, it was found that the expression of MIAT in LSCC tissues was markedly higher compared with that in adjacent non-tumor tissues. In addition, MIAT expression was also increased in the human LSCC cell lines TU686, TU-177 and AMC-HN-8 compared with that in normal human keratinocytes (HaCaT). Knocking down MIAT expression significantly reduced LSCC cell proliferation and inhibited colony formation, a shown by MTT and colony formation assays, respectively. MIAT knockdown also substantially inhibited the migratory and invasive abilities of LSCC cells, as shown by wound healing and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. Subsequently, luciferase reporter assays verified that MIAT could bind to miR-613, where a negative correlation was observed between the expression of MIAT and miR-613 in LSCC tissues. Suppression of miR-613 partially reversed the inhibitory effects of MIAT knockdown on the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells. Taken together, the present study identified that MIAT may function as an oncogenic lncRNA to promote LSCC progression, which provides a potential therapeutic target or as a novel diagnostic biomarker for LSCC.

Aberrant methylation‑mediated decrease of lncRNA HNF1A‑AS1 contributes to malignant progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma via EMT

Aberrant methylation is one of the most frequent epigenetic alterations that regulate the expression levels of genes, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), in tumors. However, to the best of our knowledge, the expression and function of hepatic nuclear factor 1α antisense RNA 1 (HNF1A-AS1) and its methylation condition have not yet been reported in the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). In the present study, the expression and methylation of HNF1A-AS1 were first examined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR, bisulfite genomic sequencing and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in samples from patients with LSCC, which were based on the in silico analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas data, and were then further verified in LSCC cell lines with and without 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC) treatment. Subsequently, proliferation, cell cycle distribution, migration and invasion of LSCC cells following either knockdown or overexpression of HNF1A-AS1 were determined in vitro. Furthermore, the characteristic of HNF1A-AS1 on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) changes was investigated in vitro and in vivo. The associations between the expression levels of HNF1A-AS1 and tumorigenicity and cervical lymph node metastasis were assessed in a xenograft model in nude mice. In the present study, downregulation and hypermethylation in CpG sites of HNF1A-AS1 were detected in LSCC tissues as well as metastatic cervical lymph nodes samples when compared with those in the adjacent non-tumor tissues. Additionally, HNF1A-AS1 inhibited proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells in vitro by regulating the process of EMT. Furthermore, HNF1A-AS1 inhibited tumor growth and metastasis by regulating EMT in vivo. Additionally, the migration and invasion abilities, and the expression levels of HNF1A-AS1 and EMT markers in LSCC cells were significantly reversed by treatment with 5-Aza-dC. In summary, HNF1A-AS1 was downregulated by hypermethylation in LSCC and laryngeal cancer cells. These findings suggested that HNF1A-AS1 could serve as a tumor suppressor lncRNA in LSCC by regulating the EMT process, leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and strategies for the treatment of patients with LSCC.

MicroRNA-24 in Cancer: A Double Side Medal With Opposite Properties

MicroRNA-24 (miR-24) has been widely studied in a variety of human cancers, which plays different roles in specific type of cancers. In the present review, we summarized the recent surveys regarding the role of miR-24 in different human cancers. On the one hand, miR-24 was reported to be down-regulated in some types of cancer, indicating its role as a tumor suppressor. On the other hand, it has shown that miR-24 was up-regulated in some other types of cancer, even in the same type of cancer, suggesting the role of miR-24 being as an oncogene. Firstly, miR-24 was dysregualted in human cancers, which is related to the clinical performance of cancer patients. Thus miR-24 could be used as a potential non-invasive diagnostic marker in human cancers. Secondly, miR-24 was associated with the tumor initiation and progression, being as a promoter or inhibitor. Therefore, miR-24 might be an effective prognostic biomarker in different type of cancers. Lastly, the abnormal expression of miR-24 was involved in the chemo- and radio- therapies of cancer patients, indicating the role of miR-24 being as a predictive biomarker to cancer treatment. Totally, miR-24 contributes to tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and tumor therapy, which closely related to clinic. The present review shows that miR-24 plays a double role in human cancers and provides plenty of evidences to apply miR-24 as a potential novel therapeutic target in treating human cancers.

Regulatory Mechanisms of lncRNAs and Their Target Gene Signaling Pathways in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a common malignant tumor that occurs in the head and neck. People living in areas with serious air pollution and those who smoke and drink for a long time belong to high-risk groups. Although great progress has been made in chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and molecular targeted therapy in recent years, the prognosis of patients is still not good. The proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of LSCC are controlled by many factors, which are the key factors influencing the prognosis of patients. Previous researches have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can be used as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in the occurrence and development of cancer and regulate cancer through various ways including epigenetic regulation and post-transcriptional regulation. The characteristics and roles of lncRNAs in LSCC, however, are not clear. In this review, we will discuss the role and function of lncRNAs in the proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of LSCC and analyze the relationship between lncRNAs and lncRNA-regulated signaling pathways in LSCC pathological process. The difficulties faced by the related research of LSCC are discussed. It provides reference ideas for the molecular mechanism research of LSCC targeting lncRNA and its signaling pathways, the development of clinical prevention and therapeutic drug and individualized treatment, thereby improving the quality of life of patients.

Long non-coding RNA AC023794.4-201 exerts a tumor-suppressive function in laryngeal squamous cell cancer and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker

After the expression level of lncRNA AC023794.4-201 was upregulated in 2 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) cell lines (AMC-HN-8 and TU-212) and LSCC xenografts, the biological function of lncRNA AC023794.4-201 in LSCC was further investigated using in vitro and in vivo experiments, such as cell function experiments and nude mice transplantation. In our previous study, it was demonstrated that the expression level of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AC023794.4-201 were decreased in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, particularly in cases of LSCC with lymphatic metastasis. Moreover, low expression levels of AC023794.4-201 were revealed to be an adverse prognostic factor for patients with LSCC. In the present study, lentiviruses were used to overexpress AC023794.4-201 before a series of cell function assays were performed and a xenograft nude mouse model was constructed, in order to further investigate the functions of AC023794.4-201 in LSCC. AC023794.4-201 inhibited the proliferation and the cloning capacity of LSCC cells compared with the negative control group as indicated by real-time cell analysis and the plate colony formation assay. Flow cytometry and transwell migration assays demonstrated that AC023794.4-201 inhibited the migration, induced cell cycle arrest and increased the apoptotic rate of LSCC cells. The results of the in vivo studies demonstrated that AC023794.4-201 significantly inhibited the growth of LSCC xenografts, and promoted apoptosis. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that AC023794.4-201 may exert tumor-suppressive functions in the progression of LSCC and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for LSCC.

Cyclin D1 Expression in Patients with Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background & Objective

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is considered to be one of the most common cancers of the head and neck, accounting for roughly 90% of all malignant tumors of the larynx. To have a timely diagnosis for a better and practical therapy, molecular markers have to be investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the expression of Cyclin D1 (CD1) in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

In this study the demographic data of 82 patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma, including age, gender and geographical region history of smoking and drug abuse, paraclinical findings, surgical description, and pathologic reports were extracted from their medical records. The stage and grade of the disease and tumor location were determined using their medical records. An appropriate tissue sample was selected. Then, the selected cancerous tissue samples stored as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue then were (Immunohistochemistry) IHC stained and analyzed in terms of the expression of CD1.

Results & Conclusion

According to the results, 75 out of 82 (91.5%) investigated samples were positive for CD1 expression. There was a significant relationship between stage of the disease (P=0.041) and CD1 expression in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. There was no significant relationship between gender (P=0.055), age (P=0.256), history of smoking and drug abuse (P=0.192), location of the tumor (P=0.90), grade of the disease (P=0.515) and geographical region (P=0.466) and CD1 expression in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. The results of the present study showed that CD1 expression was higher (91.5%) in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma in comparison to the other studies. According to the results we can conclude that stage of the disease can significantly affect CD1 expression in patients with squamous cell carcinoma.

FADS1 promotes the progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma through activating AKT/mTOR signaling

Metabolic abnormality is the major feature of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), however, the underlying mechanism remain largely elusive. Fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1), as the key rate-limiting enzyme of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), catalyzes dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (DGLA) to arachidonic acid (AA). In this study, we reported that the expression of FADS1 was upregulated in LSCC, high FADS1 expression was closely associated with the advanced clinical features and poor prognosis of the recurrent LSCC patients after chemotherapy. Liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis revealed that FADS1 overexpression induced greater conversion of DGLA to AA, suggesting an increased activity of FADS1. Similarly, the level of prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂), a downstream metabolite of AA, was also elevated in cancerous laryngeal tissues. Functional assays showed that FADS1 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of LSCC cells, while FADS1 overexpression had the opposite effects. Bioinformatic analysis based on microarray data found that FADS1 could activate AKT/mTOR signaling. This hypothesis was further validated by both in vivo and in vitro assays. Hence, our data has supported the viewpoint that FADS1 is a potential promoter in LSCC progression, and has laid the foundation for further functional research on the PUFA dietary supplementation interventions targeting FADS1/AKT/mTOR pathway for LSCC prevention and treatment.

lncRNA XIST promotes the progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR‑144 to regulate IRS1 expression

The initiation and development of several types of cancer have been linked to long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive‑specific transcript (XIST). Yet, the pattern of expression, function, as well as the molecular mechanism underlying XIST in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) lack characterization. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the function and putative mechanism of XIST in the development of LSCC. It was revealed that the level of XIST was significantly higher in LSCC tissues that were associated with advanced Tumor‑Node‑Metastasis (TNM) stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, the ability of human LSCC TU212 cells to proliferate, form colonies, migrate and invade was significantly suppressed, while cell apoptosis was significantly increased following knockdown of XIST. Further investigation revealed that XIST knockdown increased the expression of microRNA‑144 (miR‑144) by acting as an endogenous sponge of miR‑144. Inhibition of miR‑144 caused a partial reversal of the inhibitory effects mediated following depletion of XIST in LSCC cells. Moreover, an miR‑144 target called insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) was significantly decreased by XIST depletion in LSCC cells. IRS1 expression was positively correlated with XIST expression in LSCC tissues. In addition, knockdown of XIST impaired tumor growth in vivo by regulating the miR‑144/IRS1 axis. The present study demonstrated that the progression of LSCC is promoted by XIST sponging miR‑144 to regulate IRS1 expression, suggesting that XIST can serve as a putative target in the therapy of LSCC.

LncRNA DLX6-AS1 promotes laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma growth and invasion through regulating miR-376c

Accumulating evidence showed that lncRNAs play important roles in tumour development. Recently, a novel lncRNA DLX6-AS1 was found to be overexpressed in some tumors such as lung adenocarcinoma, renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the functional roles of DLX6-AS1 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) are still unclear. In the study, we showed that the expression level of DLX6-AS1 was upregulated in the LSCC samples compared to the noncancerous tissues. By using CCK-8 analysis, we demonstrated that knockdown expression of DLX6-AS1 suppressed the Hep2 cell growth. DLX6-AS1 knockdown inhibited the Hep2 cell cycle and invasion. MiR-376c was identified to have the complementary binding sites with the DLX6-AS1. By luciferase reporter assay, we indicated that overexpression of miR-376c inhibited the luciferase activity of wild-type DLX6-AS1, but it failed to suppress luciferase activity of mutated one. DLX6-AS1 knockdown enhanced the expression of miR-376c in the Hep2 cell. Moreover, we showed that the expression level of miR-376c was lower in the LSCC samples than in the noncancerous tissues and the expression of miR-376c was negatively correlated with expression of DLX6-AS1 in LSCC tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-376c suppressed cell proliferation, cycle and invasion of LSCC cell. DLX6-AS1 knockdown suppressed cell proliferation, cycle and invasion via regulating miR-376c expression. These data proved that lncRNA DLX6-AS1 might play as an oncogene in LSCC development and tumorigenesis.

Epigenetic Modifications in Head and Neck Cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common human malignancy in the world, with high mortality and poor prognosis for patients. Among the risk factors are tobacco and alcohol intake, human papilloma virus, and also genetic and epigenetic modifications. Many studies show that epigenetic events play an important role in HNSCC development and progression, including DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling, histone posttranslational covalent modifications, and effects of non-coding RNA. Epigenetic modifications may influence silencing of tumor suppressor genes by promoter hypermethylation, regulate transcription by microRNAs and changes in chromatin structure, or induce genome instability through hypomethylation. Moreover, getting to better understand aberrant patterns of methylation may provide biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis, while knowledge about target genes of microRNAs may improve the therapy of HNSCC and extend overall survival. The aim of this review is to present recent studies which demonstrate the role of epigenetic regulation in the development of HNSCC.

Evaluation of circulating serum 3 types of microRNA as biomarkers of oral squamous cell carcinoma; A pilot study

INTRODUCTION

The microRNAs are molecules which have important biologic role and play key point in cancers. The aim of present study was to determine the miR-21, miR-24, and miR-29a expression in serum of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Blood samples were obtained from 40 patients (20 in cases and 20 in control group) to determine the miR-21, miR-24, and miR-29a expressions by using real-time PCR and ΔCT.

RESULTS

Mean miR-29a was -2.28 ± 2.15 and 5.61 ± 2.38 in case and control groups, respectively. The miR-21 was 6.90 ± 3.86 and -0.88 ± 2.31 in case and control groups, respectively. According to the results, miR-24 was 2.13 ± 2.89 and -0.35 ± 2.44 in case and control, respectively. A significant difference was observed on miR-21, miR-24, and miR-29a between two groups (P < .05). The results obtained by t test showed miR-21 and miR-24 were higher and miR-29a was lower in plasma of oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and this differences were significant (P < .05).

CONCLUSION

These results suggested miR-21, miR-24, and miR-29a in serum of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma comparing with normal group can be used as potent markers for carcinoma detection and also may be a potentially therapeutic approach in the future. More longitudinal studies with larger samples are necessary to confirm these findings.

Expression of the long noncoding RNA RP11-169D4.1-001 in Hypopharyngeal Squamous cell carcinoma tissue and its clinical significance

Background

Increased research efforts have demonstrated that lncRNAs are associated with multiple head and neck tumors and play important roles in cancer. We previously found that RP11‐169D4.1‐001 plays a tumor‐suppressive role in laryngeal cancer, but its function in human hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) remains unknown. Thus, this research aimed to analyze the relationship between RP11‐169D4.1‐001 expression and HSCC clinicopathological features.

Methods

Real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to detect the expression of RP11‐169D4.1‐001 in 70 pairs of HSCC and adjacent normal tissues.

Results

The expression level of RP11‐169D4.1‐001 in HSCC tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent normal tissues (P = .001). The expression of RP11‐169D4.1‐001 had no significant relationship with tumor differentiation, stage, smoking, drinking, age, tumor location, or treatment. RP11‐169D4.1‐001 expression was associated with T category (P = .008) and lymph node metastasis (P = .001). Survival data were assessed by Kaplan‐Meier curves. Patients with high RP11‐169D4.1‐001 expression were found to have a shorter overall survival than patients with low RP11‐169D4.1‐001 expression. Multivariate analysis also indicated that target RNA was an independent factor for prognosis. The ROC curve was constructed to clarify the diagnostic value of RP11‐169D4.1‐001.

Conclusions

RP11‐169D4.1‐001 may serve as a new biomarker and potential drug target and can be used as a new biomarker and a potential drug target for the detection and treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer, respectively. Furthermore, RP11‐169D4.1‐001 expression may be an independent prognostic factor affecting the survival of hypopharyngeal cancer patients.

lncRNA TMEM51-AS1 and RUSC1-AS1 function as ceRNAs for induction of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and prediction of prognosis

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to interact with miRNAs to regulate target genes and promote cancer initiation and progression. The expression of lncRNAs and miRNAs can be epigenetically regulated. The goal of this study was to construct an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and reveal their methylation patterns, which was not investigated previously.

METHODS

Microarray datasets available from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), miRNAs (DEMs), and genes (DEGs) between LSCC and controls, which were then overlapped with differentially methylated regions (DMRs). The ceRNA network was established by screening the interaction relationships between miRNAs and lncRNAs/mRNAs by corresponding databases. TCGA database was used to identify prognostic biomarkers.

RESULTS

Five DELs (downregulated: TMEM51-AS1, SND1-IT1; upregulated: HCP5, RUSC1-AS1, LINC00324) and no DEMs were overlapped with the DMRs, but only a negative relationship occurred in the expression and methylation level of TMEM51-AS1. Five DELs could interact with 11 DEMs to regulate 242 DEGs, which was used to construct the ceRNA network, including TMEM51-AS1-miR-106b-SNX21/ TRAPPC10, LINC00324/RUSC1-AS1-miR-16-SPRY4/MICAL2/ SLC39A14, RUSC1-AS1-miR-10-SCG5 and RUSC1-AS1-miR-7-ZFP1 ceRNAs axes. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed RUSC1-AS1 and SNX21 were associated with overall survival (OS); LINC00324, miR-7 and ZFP1 correlated with recurrence-free survival (RFS); miR-16, miR-10, SCG5, SPRY4, MICAL2 and SLC39A14 were both OS and RFS-related. Furthermore, TRAPPC10 and SLC39A14 were identified as independent OS prognostic factors by multivariate Cox regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

DNA methylation-mediated TMEM51-AS1 and non-methylation-mediated RUSC1-AS1 may function as ceRNAs for induction of LSCC. They and their ceRNA axis genes (particularly TMEM51-AS1-miR-106b-TRAPPC10; RUSC1-AS1-miR-16-SLC39A14) may be potentially important prognostic biomarkers for LSCC.

Overexpression of TRMT12 may independently predict poor overall survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Purpose

The TRMT12 is a novel oncogene involved in breast cancer. However, the association between TRMT12 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear.

Materials and methods

The levels of TRMT12 mRNA in HNSCC and normal tissues were analyzed using data from the Cancer Genome Atlas-HNSC. The expression of TRMT12 was also determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 165 paired HNSCC and adjacent normal tissues, which were used as the validation cohort.

Results

TRMT12 expression was significantly increased in HNSCC tissues versus normal tissues. High TRMT12 expression was significantly associated with human papillomavirus infection, perineural invasion, tumor invasion, lymphatic metastasis, and clinical stage. Moreover, elevated TRMT12 expression was correlated with unfavorable overall survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.711, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.141-2.567, P=0.009) and recurrence-free survival (HR: 1.648, 95% CI: 1.060-2.563, P=0.027) in HNSCC patients.

Conclusion

TRMT12 was significantly upregulated in HNSCC tissues, which may be attributed to both genetic and epigenetic alterations. Increased TRMT12 expression may be involved in the progression and metastasis of HNSCC, and serve as an independent biomarker of poor prognosis in HNSCC with respect to overall survival and recurrence-free survival.

Long noncoding RNA LINC00339 promotes laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell proliferation and invasion via sponging miR-145

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a very common neoplasm of the head and neck in the world. Long noncoding RNAs play key roles in cell infiltration, fate, apoptosis, and invasion. However, the functional role and expression of LINC00339 remains unclear in LSCC. In this study, we showed that the expression level of LINC00339 was upregulated in LSCC tissues and cell lines. LINC00339 silencing suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression of LSCC cells. In addition, we showed that LINC00339 acted as a sponge of miR-145, and LINC00339 silencing promoted the expression of miR-145 in Hep2 cell. Furthermore, the expression of miR-145 was lower in LSCC tissues than in their paired normal samples and the miR-145 expression level was negatively correlated with LINC00339 expression in LSCC tissues. The knockdown of miR-145 promoted the proliferation, invasion, and EMT progression of LSCC cells. Finally, we indicated that LINC00339 silencing inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and EMT progression of LSCC cells by suppressing the miR-145 expression. These data suggested that LINC00339 acted as an oncogene in the development of LSCC, partly by regulating the miR-145 expression.

Identification of Long Noncoding RNA MIR22HG as a Novel Biomarker in Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer (TC) is the one of the most common endocrine malignancy. However, currently there are no specific and sensitive biomarkers for predicting the prognosis for TC. In this study, we for the first time showed MIR22HG was down-regulated in thyroid cancer by analyzing public datasets, including TCGA, GSE29265, GSE33630, and GSE55091. Furthermore, we observed the lower expression levels of MIR22HG were significantly related to higher age, lymph node metastasis status, residual tumor status, N stage, Grade, and T stage in TC. We also observed higher MIR22HG expression was associated with longer overall and disease-free survival time in TC. In order to explore the potential mechanisms of MIR22HG regulating TC progression, 4 hub gene networks regulated by MIR22HG were constructed in the present study. Bioinformatics analysis showed MIR22HG was associated with apoptotic process, regulation of transcription, mRNA splicing, regulation of cell cycle, and Hippo signaling pathway in TC. These results suggested MIR22HG could serve as a novel biomarker for thyroid cancer.

Long noncoding RNA PVT1 promotes laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma development by acting as a molecular sponge to regulate miR-519d-3p

OBJECTIVE

This study was designed to investigate the effects and mechanism of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) PVT1 on cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

METHODS

We screened lncRNAs expression profiles in four pair LSCC and matched noncancerous tissues by microarray assay. The messenger RNA levels of PVT1 in tissues and cells were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. StarBase website was used to predict the target miRNAs for PVT1. And the interaction between PVT1 and target miRNA-519d-3p in LSCC cells was analyzed using dual-luciferase reporter assay. MTT assay was used to investigate the cell viability. Cell counting assay was used to explore the cell proliferation. Annexin-V propidium iodide flow cytometry was used to examine the cell apoptosis, and transwell assay was used to investigate the effects of lncRNA PVT1 on cell migration.

RESULTS

PVT1 was significantly overexpressed in human LSCC tissues and several LSCC cell lines. Upregulation of lncRNA PVT1 markedly facilitated proliferation suppressed apoptosis and promoted cell migration in LSCC cells. We further demonstrated that silencing PVT1 strikingly suppressed proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and reduced migration in LSCC cells. Further bioinformatic analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that PVT1 could function as an oncogenic transcript partly through sponging miR-519d-3p. Besides, mechanistic investigations indicated that PVT1 could promote cell and migration through interacting with miR-519d-3p.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA PVT1 is consistently overexpressed in human LSCC, and overexpression of lncRNA PVT1 contributes to the proliferation and migration of LSCC through inhibiting miR-519d-3p expression.

Multiple functions of p27 in cell cycle, apoptosis, epigenetic modification and transcriptional regulation for the control of cell growth: A double-edged sword protein

The cell cycle is controlled by precise mechanisms to prevent malignancies such as cancer, and the cell needs these tight and advanced controls. Cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p27 (also known as KIP₁) is a factor that inhibits the progression of the cell cycle by using specific molecular mechanisms. The inhibitory effect of p27 on the cell cycle is mediated by CDKs inhibition. Other important functions of p27 include cell proliferation, cell differentiation and apoptosis. Post- translational modification of p27 by phosphorylation and ubiquitination respectively regulates interaction between p27 and cyclin/CDK complex and degradation of p27. In this review, we focus on the multiple function of p27 in cell cycle regulation, apoptosis, epigenetic modifications and post- translational modification, and briefly discuss the mechanisms and factors that have important roles in p27 functions.

Retracted Article: PVT1 depletion protects cartilage ATDC5 cells against LPS-induced inflammatory injury by regulating the miR-24/ADAMTS5 axis

Osteoarthritis is a common chronic arthritis among adults and cartilage dysfunction is largely responsible for osteoarthritis development.