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La Ferlita A, Alaimo S, Nigita G, Distefano R, Beane JD, Tsichlis PN, Ferro A, Croce CM, Pulvirenti A. tRFUniverse: A comprehensive resource for the interactive analyses of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in human cancer. iScience 2024; 27:108810. [PMID: 38303722 PMCID: PMC10831894 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
tRNA-derived ncRNAs are a heterogeneous class of non-coding RNAs recently proposed to be active regulators of gene expression and be involved in many diseases, including cancer. Consequently, several online resources on tRNA-derived ncRNAs have been released. Although interesting, such resources present only basic features and do not adequately exploit the wealth of knowledge available about tRNA-derived ncRNAs. Therefore, we introduce tRFUniverse, a novel online resource for the analysis of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in human cancer. tRFUniverse presents an extensive collection of classes of tRNA-derived ncRNAs analyzed across all the TCGA and TARGET tumor cohorts, NCI-60 cell lines, and biological fluids. Moreover, public AGO CLASH/CLIP-Seq data were analyzed to identify the molecular interactions between tRNA-derived ncRNAs and other transcripts. Importantly, tRFUniverse combines in a single resource a comprehensive set of features that we believe may be helpful to investigate the involvement of tRNA-derived ncRNAs in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro La Ferlita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Salvatore Alaimo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rosario Distefano
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Joal D. Beane
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Philip N. Tsichlis
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alfredo Ferro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Carlo M. Croce
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Alfredo Pulvirenti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Knowmics Lab, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Lombardo C, Broggi G, Vitale E, Ledda C, Loreto C, Matera S, Hagnas M, Caltabiano R, Filetti V. Expression of stathmin in asbestos-like fibers-induced mesothelioma: A preliminary report. Histol Histopathol 2023; 38:1249-1256. [PMID: 37466108 DOI: 10.14670/hh-18-649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mesothelioma is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers, however, recent studies have also linked exposure to "naturally occurring asbestos" fibers with this disease. Fluoro-edenite, a silicate mineral found in the southeast of Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy), has been identified as a potential risk factor for mesothelioma. Unfortunately, this cancer often has a poor prognosis, and current diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers are inadequate. Histological subtype, gender, and age at diagnosis are the most significant parameters for mesothelioma. Stathmin, a cytosolic protein that regulates cell growth and migration and is overexpressed in many human malignancies, has not yet been linked to mesothelioma survival or clinical-pathological variables. AIM The aim of this study was to investigate the immunohistochemical expression of stathmin in ten mesothelioma tissue samples with available clinical and follow-up data. MATERIAL AND METHODS Paraffin-embedded tissue samples from ten mesothelioma patients were processed for immunohistochemical analyses to evaluate stathmin expression. RESULTS Our findings suggest that stathmin overexpression is associated with shorter overall survival in patients with mesothelioma. Furthermore, stathmin expression was significantly correlated with the survival time of mesothelioma patients. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that stathmin expression may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for mesothelioma. This biomarker could be used to promptly identify patients with poor prognosis and to guide clinicians in the selection of treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Lombardo
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Histology and Sciences of Movement, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Broggi
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia", Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Ermanno Vitale
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
| | - Caterina Ledda
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Carla Loreto
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Histology and Sciences of Movement, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Serena Matera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Hagnas
- Rovaniemi Health Center, Rovaniemi, Finland
- Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Rosario Caltabiano
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, "G.F. Ingrassia", Anatomic Pathology, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Veronica Filetti
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnology Sciences, Section of Human Anatomy, Histology and Sciences of Movement, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Occupational Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
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Yehuda H, Madrer N, Goldberg D, Soreq H, Meerson A. Inversely Regulated Inflammation-Related Processes Mediate Anxiety-Obesity Links in Zebrafish Larvae and Adults. Cells 2023; 12:1794. [PMID: 37443828 PMCID: PMC10341043 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Anxiety and metabolic impairments are often inter-related, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. To seek RNAs involved in the anxiety disorder-metabolic disorder link, we subjected zebrafish larvae to caffeine-induced anxiety or high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity followed by RNA sequencing and analyses. Notably, differentially expressed (DE) transcripts in these larval models and an adult zebrafish caffeine-induced anxiety model, as well as the transcript profiles of inherently anxious versus less anxious zebrafish strains and high-fat diet-fed versus standard diet-fed adult zebrafish, revealed inversely regulated DE transcripts. In both larval anxiety and obesity models, these included long noncoding RNAs and transfer RNA fragments, with the overrepresented immune system and inflammation pathways, e.g., the "interleukin signaling pathway" and "inflammation mediated by chemokine and cytokine signaling pathway". In adulthood, overrepresented immune system processes included "T cell activation", "leukocyte cell-cell adhesion", and "antigen processing and presentation". Furthermore, unlike adult zebrafish, obesity in larvae was not accompanied by anxiety-like behavior. Together, these results may reflect an antagonistic pleiotropic phenomenon involving a re-adjusted modulation of the anxiety-metabolic links with an occurrence of the acquired immune system. Furthermore, the HFD potential to normalize anxiety-upregulated immune-related genes may reflect the high-fat diet protection of anxiety and neurodegeneration reported by others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hila Yehuda
- MIGAL—Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (H.Y.); (N.M.)
| | - Nimrod Madrer
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (H.Y.); (N.M.)
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Doron Goldberg
- MIGAL—Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
- Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel;
| | - Hermona Soreq
- The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel; (H.Y.); (N.M.)
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ari Meerson
- MIGAL—Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona 11016, Israel
- Tel-Hai College, Upper Galilee 1220800, Israel;
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La Ferlita A, Sp N, Goryunova M, Nigita G, Pollock RE, Croce CM, Beane JD. Small Non-Coding RNAs in Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: State of the Art and Future Directions. Mol Cancer Res 2023; 21:511-524. [PMID: 37052491 PMCID: PMC10238653 DOI: 10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-22-1008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Soft-tissue sarcomas (STS) are a rare and heterogeneous group of tumors that arise from connective tissue and can occur anywhere in the body. Among the plethora of over 50 different STS types, liposarcoma (LPS) is one of the most common. The subtypes of STS are characterized by distinct differences in tumor biology that drive responses to pharmacologic therapy and disparate oncologic outcomes. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNA) are a heterogeneous class of regulatory RNAs involved in the regulation of gene expression by targeting mRNAs. Among the several types of sncRNAs, miRNAs and tRNA-derived ncRNAs are the most studied in the context of tumor biology, and we are learning more about the role of these molecules as important regulators of STS tumorigenesis and differentiation. However, challenges remain in translating these findings and no biomarkers or therapeutic approaches targeting sncRNAs have been developed for clinical use. In this review, we summarize the current landscape of sncRNAs in the context of STS with an emphasis on LPS, including the role of sncRNAs in the tumorigenesis and differentiation of these rare malignancies and their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Finally, we provide an appraisal of published studies and outline future directions to study sncRNAs in STS, including tRNA-derived ncRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro La Ferlita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Nipin Sp
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Marina Goryunova
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Giovanni Nigita
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Raphael E. Pollock
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Carlo M. Croce
- Department of Cancer Biology and Genetics, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Joal D. Beane
- Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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Filetti V, Lombardo C, Loreto C, Dounias G, Bracci M, Matera S, Rapisarda L, Rapisarda V, Ledda C, Vitale E. Small RNA-Seq Transcriptome Profiling of Mesothelial and Mesothelioma Cell Lines Revealed microRNA Dysregulation after Exposure to Asbestos-like Fibers. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020538. [PMID: 36831074 PMCID: PMC9953340 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposure to fibers of respirable size has been identified as a risk for public health. Experimental evidence has revealed that a variety of fibers, including fluoro-edenite, can develop chronic respiratory diseases and elicit carcinogenic effects in humans. Fluoro-edenite (FE) is a silicate mineral first found in Biancavilla (Sicily, Italy) in 1997. Environmental exposure to its fibers has been correlated with a cluster of malignant pleural mesotheliomas. This neoplasm represents a public health problem due to its long latency and to its aggression not alerted by specific symptoms. Having several biomarkers providing us with data on the health state of those exposed to FE fibers or allowing an early diagnosis on malignant pleural mesothelioma, still asymptomatic patients, would be a remarkable goal. To these purposes, we reported the miRNA transcriptome in human normal mesothelial cell line (MeT-5A) and in the human malignant mesothelioma cell line (JU77) exposed and not exposed to FE fibers. The results showed a difference in the number of deregulated miRNAs between tumor and nontumor samples both exposed and not exposed to FE fibers. As a matter of fact, the effect of exposure to FE fibers is more evident in the expression of miRNA in the tumor samples than in the nontumor samples. In the present paper, several pathways involved in the pathogenesis of malignant pleural mesothelioma have been analyzed. We especially noticed the involvement of pathways that have important functions in inflammatory processes, angiogenesis, apoptosis, and necrosis. Besides this amount of data, further studies will be designed for the selection of the most significant miRNAs to test and validate their diagnostic potential, alone or in combination with other protein biomarkers, in high-risk individuals' liquid biopsy to have a noninvasive tool of diagnosis for this neoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Filetti
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Claudia Lombardo
- Human Anatomy, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Advanced Technologies, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Carla Loreto
- Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - George Dounias
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of West Attica, 10563 Athens, Greece
| | - Massimo Bracci
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Molecular Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60126 Ancona, Italy
| | - Serena Matera
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Lucia Rapisarda
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Venerando Rapisarda
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Caterina Ledda
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Ermanno Vitale
- Occupational Medicine, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy
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