MiR-223-3p targeting SEPT6 promotes the biological behavior of prostate cancer. Sci Rep. 2014;4:7546. [PMID: 25519054 PMCID: PMC4269886 DOI: 10.1038/srep07546]

The miR-1290/OGN axis in ovarian cancer-associated fibroblasts modulates cancer cell proliferation and invasion

Despite receiving first-line treatment, ovarian cancer patients continue to experience a high rate of recurrence; nearly all women with ovarian cancer develop chemoresistance and succumb to the disease. In this study, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and normal fibroblasts (NFs) were isolated from tumor-containing and normal omenta, respectively, and the downregulation of osteoglycin (OGN) in CAFs was observed. OGN overexpression in CAFs significantly inhibited ovarian cancer cell viability, DNA synthesis, and cell invasion. OGN overexpression also changed epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and promoted mTOR and Akt phosphorylation in ovarian cancer cells. miR-1290 targeted OGN and inhibited OGN expression. miR-1290 overexpression in CAFs significantly promoted ovarian cancer cell viability, DNA synthesis, and cell invasion. Moreover, miR-1290 overexpression in CAFs also changed EMT markers and promoted mTOR and Akt phosphorylation within ovarian carcinoma cells. Finally, when ovarian cancer cells in a conditioned medium derived from CAFs co-transduced with miR-1290 mimics and OGN-OE were cultured, the effects of miR-1290 overexpression were partially reversed by OGN overexpression. In nude mouse xenograft tumor models, OGN overexpression in CAFs suppressed tumor growth, whereas miR-1290 overexpression in CAFs increased tumor growth. In conclusion, a miRNA/mRNA axis in ovarian cancer CAFs modulating the proliferative and invasive abilities of ovarian cancer cells, possibly via the Akt/mTOR pathway, was demonstrated.

GABA induced by sleep deprivation promotes the proliferation and migration of colon tumors through miR-223-3p endogenous pathway and exosome pathway

BACKGROUND

Research has indicated that long-term sleep deprivation can lead to immune dysfunction and participate in the occurance and progression of tumors. However, the relationship between sleep deprivation and colon cancer remains unclear. This study explored the specific mechanism through which sleep deprivation promotes the proliferation and migration of colon cancer, with a focus on the neurotransmitter GABA.

METHODS

Chronic sleep deprivation mice model were used to investigate the effect of sleep disorder on tumors. We detected neurotransmitter levels in the peripheral blood of mice using ELISA. CCK-8 assay, colony formation assay, wound healing assay, and transwell assay were performed to investigate the effect of GABA on colon cancer cells, while immunofluorescence showed the distribution of macrophages in lung metastatic tissues. We isolated exosomes from a GABA-induced culture medium to explore the effects of GABA-induced colon cancer cells on macrophages. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments, luciferase report analysis, immunohistochemistry, and cytokine detection were performed to reveal the crosstalk between colon cancer cells and macrophages.

RESULTS

Sleep deprivation promote peripheral blood GABA level and colon cancer cell proliferation and migration. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed that GABA-induced colon cancer metastasis is associated with enhanced recruitment of macrophages in the lungs. The co-culture results showed that GABA intensified M2 polarization of macrophage induced by colon cancer cells. This effect is due to the activation of the macrophage MAPK pathway by tumor-derived exosomal miR-223-3p. Furthermore, M2-like macrophages promote tumor proliferation and migration by secreting IL-17. We also identified an endogenous miR-223-3p downregulation of the E3 ligase CBLB, which enhances the stability of cMYC protein and augments colon cancer cells proliferation and migration ability. Notably, cMYC acts as a transcription factor and can also regulate the expression of miR-223-3p.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that sleep deprivation can promote the expression of miR-223-3p in colon cancer cells through GABA, leading to downregulation of the E3 ligase CBLB and inhibition of cMYC ubiquitination. Simultaneously, extracellular miR-223-3p promotes M2-like macrophage polarization, which leads to the secretion of IL-17, further enhancing the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells.

Circulating miRNA Expression Is Inversely Correlated with Tumor Tissue or Sentinel Lymph Nodes in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Early Breast Cancer Patients

The deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) is associated with the various steps of the metastatic process. In addition, circulating miRNAs are remarkably stable in peripheral blood, making them ideal noninvasive biomarkers for disease diagnosis. Here, we performed a proof-of-principle study to determine whether tumor-tissue-derived miRNAs are traceable to plasma in ER-positive early breast cancer patients. We performed RNA-sequencing on 30 patients for whom plasma, sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) and tumor tissue were available. We carried out differential expression, gene ontology and enrichment analyses. Our results show that circulating miRNAs are inversely expressed compared with tumor tissue or SLNs obtained from the same patients. Our differential expression analysis shows the overall downregulation of circulating miRNAs. However, the expression of miR-643a-3p and miR-223 was up-regulated in patients with positive SLNs. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis showed the significant enrichment of biological processes associated with the regulation of epithelial cell proliferation and transcriptional regulation commonly involved in the promotion of metastases. Our results suggest the potential role of several circulating miRNAs as surrogate markers of lymph node metastases in early breast cancer patients. Further preclinical and clinical studies are required to understand the biological significance of the most significant miRNAs and to validate our results in a larger cohort of patients.

Clinical profile in KMT2A-SEPT6-positive acute myeloid leukemia: Does it often co-occur with NRAS mutations?

Background

The KMT2A-SEPT6 fusion gene is a relatively rare genetic event in leukemia. Its clinical characteristics and prognosis, especially the profile of co-occurring gene mutations remain unclear.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the characteristics of four cases carrying KMT2A-SEPT6 in our hospital, and provided a literature review.

Results

All the four patients were diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and harbored X chromosome and 11 chromosome rearrangements, they all manifested high levels of D-dimer. Three of four patients had NRAS mutations while one patient with congenital AML did not. Of the four cases, one developed drug resistance, one suffered relapse after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and two died. Combined with other cases reported in the literature, we found that of all patients diagnosed with AML, 90.9% were children (≤9 years old). Patients with white blood cells ≥20.0 × 10⁹/L or diagnosed with M4 had a shorter overall survival (P < 0.05). Age, whether to receive BMT, and the chromosome rearrangement patterns had no significant effect on overall survival (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

KMT2A-SEPT6 was more commonly observed in pediatric AML patients, some of which may co-occur with NRAS mutations. The prognosis was related to the white blood cell levels and the leukemia subtype, but was not related to age or BMT. More cases need to be accumulated to better understand the profile in KMT2A-SEPT6-positive AML.

lncRNA GAS5 promotes pyroptosis in COPD by functioning as a ceRNA to regulate the miR‑223‑3p/NLRP3 axis

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by irreversible and progressive airflow limitation and encompasses a spectrum of diseases, including chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema. Pyroptosis is a unique form of inflammatory cell death mediated by the activation of caspase-1 and inflammasomes. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) is a well-documented tumor suppressor, which is associated with cell proliferation and death in various diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether lncRNA GAS5 is associated with the pyroptosis in COPD. To create a COPD cell model, MRC-5 cells were treated with 10 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 48 h. Then the level of pro-caspase 1, caspase 1, IL-1β, IL-18, NLRP3 and cleaved gasdermin D (GSDMD) was examined by western blotting. GAS5 mRNA level was detected by qualitative PCR following LPS treatment in MRC-5 cells. Subsequently, IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α in MRC-5 cells was measured by ELISA. Then the proliferation ability of MRC-5 cells was detected by CCK-8. Cell death was detected by TUNEL assay. LDH release was measured using an LDH Cytotoxicity Assay kit. The Magna RIP kit was used to validate the interaction between GAS5 and miR-223-3p. The present study revealed that increased expression levels of caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18 and cleaved GSDMD were observed in LPS-treated MRC-5 cells, indicating that pyroptosis is involved in COPD progression. Additionally, LPS induced the increase in GAS5 mRNA expression levels and the release of inflammatory factors (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α), suggesting that GAS5 is implicated in pyroptosis in COPD. Furthermore, upregulation of GAS5 promoted cell death and inhibited proliferation in the MRC-5 cell line. Additionally, increased GAS5 expression significantly promoted the production of caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, cleaved GSDMD and NLR pyrin domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3). A dual-luciferase assay demonstrated that GAS5 could directly bind to microRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p), and NLRP3 is a direct target of miR-223-3p. Furthermore, GAS5 reduced the expression levels of miR-223-3p, while it increased the expression levels of NLRP3. The present study concluded that lncRNA GAS5 promoted pyroptosis in COPD by targeting the miR-223-3p/NLRP3 axis, implying that GAS5 could be a potential target for COPD.

miR-223-3p carried by cancer-associated fibroblast microvesicles targets SORBS1 to modulate the progression of gastric cancer

Background

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) aggravate gastric cancer (GC) development.

Methods

Combined with bioinformatics analysis and literature review, miR-223-3p had high expression in microvesicles (MVs) derived from GC CAFs, and it could modulate SORBS1. miR-223-3p and SORBS1 mRNA levels were assessed by qRT-PCR. The levels of CAFs markers, MVs markers, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated proteins, and SORBS1 protein were assessed by western blot. MVs isolated from fibroblasts were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Combined with immunofluorescence and co-culture experiments, GC cells were determined to absorb MVs carrying miR-223-3p. Cell functions were measured using CCK-8, transwell, flow cytometry and colony formation assays. The binding of miR-223-3p and SORBS1 was determined by dual-luciferase assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. The cancer-promoting effect of MVs carrying miR-223-3p on experimental animals was verified in vivo by tumor-bearing experiment in nude mice.

Results

miR-223-3p was upregulated in the MVs secreted by GC CAFs and could be transmitted to GC cells through MVs, to boost the malignant progression of tumor cells. Additionally, it was also revealed that miR-223-3p targeted SORBS1 and accelerated progression along with EMT in GC.

Conclusions

CAFs-derived MVs could carry miR-223-3p to GC cells to target SORBS1, thereby promoting the malignant progression of GC.

Relevance of miR-223 as Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers in Cancer

In 1993, the discovery of microRNAs in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) altered the paradigmatic view of RNA biology and post-transcriptional gene regulation. Further study revealed the role of microRNAs in disease development and progression. In particular, this review highlights microRNA-223 (miR-223 or miRNA-223) expression in malignant neoplastic disorders. miR-223 expression controls aspects of hematopoiesis and apoptosis, and cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. miR-223 regulates a number of gene targets, including cytoplasmic activation/proliferation-associated protein-1 (Caprin-1), insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R), and other cell proliferation- and cell cycle-associated genes. Several studies have proposed miR-223 as a novel biomarker for early cancer diagnosis. Here, we emphasize miR-223′s role in the development and progression of cancer.

Exploration of Extracellular Vesicle miRNAs, Targeted mRNAs and Pathways in Prostate Cancer: Relation to Disease Status and Progression

Simple Summary

Prostate cancer lacks non-invasive specific biomarkers for aggressive disease. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEV) could provide such markers; however, due to technical challenges, little is known regarding the pathogenesis pathways reflected in uEV. We performed a miRNA, target mRNA and pathway study focused on uEV, exploring the differences between cancer (1) status groups (Gleason score) and (2) progression groups. The uEV provided a surprisingly comprehensive presentation of differentially expressed miRNAs, target mRNAs and pathogenesis pathways. The miRNAs associated with prostate cancer status or progression were mostly unique, but still targeted overlapping sets of signalling, resistance, hormonal and immune pathways. Interestingly, mRNA targets of the key miRNAs (miR-892a, miR-223-3p, miR-146a-5p) were widely expressed in both uEV and plasma EV from PCa patients. The study thus suggests that uEV carry a vast presentation of PCa status and progression-linked RNAs that are worth further exploration in large personalized medicine trials.

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) lacks non-invasive specific biomarkers for aggressive disease. We studied the potential of urinary extracellular vesicles (uEV) as a liquid PCa biopsy by focusing on the micro RNA (miRNA) cargo, target messenger RNA (mRNA) and pathway analysis. Methods: We subjected uEV samples from 31 PCa patients (pre-prostatectomy) to miRNA sequencing and matched uEV and plasma EV (pEV) from three PCa patients to mRNA sequencing. EV quality control was performed by electron microscopy, Western blotting and particle and RNA analysis. We compared miRNA expression based on PCa status (Gleason Score) and progression (post-prostatectomy follow-up) and confirmed selected miRNAs by quantitative PCR. Expression of target mRNAs was mapped in matched EV. Results: Quality control showed typical small uEV, pEV, RNA and EV-protein marker enriched samples. Comparisons between PCa groups revealed mostly unique differentially expressed miRNAs. However, they targeted comprehensive and largely overlapping sets of cancer and progression-associated signalling, resistance, hormonal and immune pathways. Quantitative PCR confirmed changes in miR-892a (Gleason Score 7 vs. ≥8), miR-223-3p (progression vs. no progression) and miR-146a-5p (both comparisons). Their target mRNAs were expressed widely in PCa EV. Conclusions: PCa status and progression-linked RNAs in uEV are worth exploration in large personalized medicine trials.

UBC Mediated by SEPT6 Inhibited the Progression of Prostate Cancer

Background

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignancies in men. Protein ubiquitination is an important mechanism for regulating protein activity and level in vivo. We aimed to study the mechanism of SEPT6 and UBC action in prostate cancer to identify new targets.

Methods

The ubiquitin-protein and the ubiquitin coding gene UBA52, UBA80, UBB, and UBC expressions were detected in clinical tissues and cells. Overexpression and knockdown of UBC were performed in prostate cancer DU145 cells. Cell Counting Kit 8 (CCK-8) assay was performed to detect cell proliferation. Cell cycle at 24 h was detected by flow cytometry. Clonal formation assay was used to measure cell clone number. Immunofluorescence (IF) was performed to detect the colocalization of SEPT6 and UBC in prostate cancer cells. Next, we overexpressed or knocked down SEPT6 expression in DU145 cells. Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to analyze the relationship between SEPT6 and UBC in prostate cancer tissue. oe-SEPT6+oe-UBC coexpressing cells were constructed to detect the upstream and downstream relationship between SEPT6 and UBC on prostate cancer cells. The tumor formation experiment was performed to explore SEPT6/UBC effect on prostate cancer.

Results

UBC was upregulated in prostate cancer tissues and cells. Overexpression of UBC promoted cell survival and proliferation. IF revealed the colocalization of SEPT6 and UBC in prostate cancer cells. UBC expression decreased after oe-SEPT6, while increased after sh-SEPT6, indicating that UBC was downstream of SEPT6. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that SEPT6 was negatively correlated with UBC in prostate cancer tissues. SEPT6 as an upstream gene of UBC regulated prostate cancer cell behavior through UBC. The tumor formation experiment showed that SEPT6 could inhibit tumor growth.

Conclusion

In general, SEPT6 inhibited UBC expression, thereby reducing the overall ubiquitination level, affecting the expression level of downstream cell proliferation-related genes, and then affecting the progression of prostate cancer.

Investigation of VHL gene associated with miR-223 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Clear cell type renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is the most common renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In this study, we examined the expressions of VHL and miR-223 in ccRCC patients׳ tissues to investigate the possible role in the development of ccRCC.

METHODS AND RESULTS

This study collected five expression profiles (GSE36139, GSE3, GSE73731, GSE40435, and GSE26032) from Gene Omnibus Data. Expressions of VHL and miR-223 in paraffinized tumor and normal tissues of 100 Turkish patients' ccRCC tissues were determined by bioinformatic data mining and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The VHL gene was subjected to mutational analysis by DNA sequencing, and pVHL was analyzed using western blotting. Our study's t-test and Pearson correlation analysis showed that VHL gene expression in tumoral tissues with a - 0.39-fold decrease was not significantly lower than normal tissues (p = 0.441), and a 0.97-fold increase miR-223 (p = 0.045) was determined by real-time PCR. Also, as a result of DNA sequence analysis performed in the VHL gene, it was found that 26% of the patients have mutations. The mutations for (VHL):c.60C>A (p.Val20=) and (VHL):c.467delA (p.Tyr156Leu) was detected for the first time in Turkish patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrated that the differences in the expression levels of miR-223 have the potential to be biomarkers to determine the poor prognosis in ccRCC.

Anti-apoptotic Effect of MiR-223-3p Suppressing PIK3C2A in Cardiomyocytes from Myocardial Infarction Rat Through Regulating PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway

We aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of the axis of miR-223-3p-PIK3C2A-PI3K/Akt on cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rats with myocardial infarction. Thirty 8-week-old healthy male SD rats were used for establishing the sham group and the model group, with HE staining, TUNEL staining, and TTC staining performed. After the identification of the targeting relationship between PIK3C2A and miR-223-3p, experimental rats were randomly divided into seven groups by plasmid transfection, including the Blank group, negative control (NC) group, miR-223-3p mimic group, miR-223-3p inhibitor group, siRNA-PIK3C2A group, oe-PIK3C2A group, and miR-223-3p inhibitor + oe-PIK3C2A group. Four weeks after transfection, the expression levels of miR-223-3p and PIK3C2A in tissues as well as PI3K, Akt, Bax, and bcl-2 mRNA in cells were detected by qRT-PCR and western blot, in combination with the detection of apoptosis rate by flow cytometry. Compared with the sham group, the model group showed typical myocardial injury and abnormal staining, higher apoptotic index, and larger myocardial infarction area (all P < 0.05). PIK3C2A was the target gene of miR-223-3p. The expression level of miR-223-3p in model group was significantly lower than that in sham group, while the mRNA and protein expression levels of PIK3C2A increased significantly (all P < 0.05). In cell tests, the expression level of miR-223-3p increased significantly in miR-223-3p mimic group (P < 0.05), which, however, showed no significant change in siRNA-PIK3C2A group (P > 0.05). MiR-223-3p inhibitor group and siRNA-PIK3C2A group had obviously increased PI3K, Akt, mTOR and Bcl-2 mRNA, and protein expression, while decreased mRNA and protein expression of PIK3C2A and Bax (all P < 0.05); miR-223-3p mimic groups had the opposite trends (all P < 0.05). siRNA-PIK3C2A + miR-223-3p mimic showed no obvious change relative to the control groups (all P > 0.05). Low expression of miR-223-3p may downregulate PIK3C2A expression, resulting in the inhibition of myocardial cell apoptosis in rats with myocardial infarction via the activation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Circulating microRNAs from the Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Biomarkers: A Focus on the Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as relevant molecules in cancer development and progression. MiRNAs add a post-transcriptional level of control to the regulation of gene expression. The deregulation of miRNA expression results in changing the molecular circuitry in which miRNAs are involved, leading to alterations of cell fate determination. In this review, we describe the miRNAs that are emerging as innovative molecular biomarkers from liquid biopsies, not only for diagnosis, but also for post-surgery management in cancer. We focus our attention on renal cell carcinoma, in particular highlighting the crucial role of circulating miRNAs in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) management. In addition, the functional deregulation of miRNA expression in ccRCC is also discussed, to underline the contribution of miRNAs to ccRCC development and progression, which may be relevant for the identification and design of innovative clinical strategies against this tumor.

MiR-223-3p targets FOXO3a to inhibit radiosensitivity in prostate cancer by activating glycolysis

AIMS

The incidence and detection rate of prostate cancer in China have been increasing in recent years. Radiotherapy is the ideal treatment for non-metastatic prostate cancer (PCa), but the effectiveness of radiotherapy is greatly discounted due to radio resistance. Therefore, relieving the radiotherapy resistance of PCa is key to improve the clinical efficacy of PCA.

MAIN METHODS

Cell proliferation was estimated using the MTT and clone formation assays. Cell apoptosis was estimated using the Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) staining assay. Glucose uptake and lactose and ATP production were used to detect glycolysis.

KEY FINDINGS

miR-223-3p was significantly upregulated in clinically collected urine samples and PCa cells with low radiosensitivity. Enhancing miR-223-3p reduced radiosensitivity further, while inhibiting miR-223-3p improved the radiosensitivity of PC3 and LNCaP cells. Importantly, miR-223-3p regulated radiosensitivity by enhancing cell glycolysis. FOXO3a was a key target of miRNA-223-3p regulating glycolysis and radiosensitivity. Overexpression of FOXO3a abated the glycolysis level and alleviated the radioresistance caused by enhancing miR-223-3p to a certain extent.

SIGNIFICANCE

This is novel research on the role of miR-223-3p in promoting radiotherapy resistance of PCa cells by activating glycolysis. This approach provides a new perspective and ideas for alleviating radiotherapy resistance of PCa cells.

Regulatory effect of microRNA-223-3p on breast cancer cell processes via the Hippo/Yap signaling pathway

According to the 2018 global cancer statistics, the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer are increasing gradually, which seriously threatens the health of women. MicroRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) can promote the proliferation and invasion of breast cancer cells. Hippo/Yes-related protein (Yap) signaling pathway activation has been found in a variety of tumors. The present study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of miR-223-3p in breast cancer. The Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was used to detect cell viability and flow cytometry was used to detect apoptosis. The abilities of cell migration and invasion were detected using scratch and Transwell assays, as well as reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting to detect gene and protein expression, respectively. The current results demonstrated that miR-223-3p transcription levels were increased in breast cancer cells, and inhibition of miR-223-3p gene expression decreased cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Additionally, inhibition of miR-223-3p expression inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in breast cancer cells. miR-223-3p promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT, and the western blotting results demonstrated that miR-223-3p inhibition increased the phosphorylation of Yap1 and the protein expression levels of large tumor suppressor kinase 1. In conclusion, results from the present results suggested that miR-223-3p may promote cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT through the Hippo/Yap signaling pathway. Therefore, miR-223-3p may be a potential biomarker for breast cancer.

SEPT6 drives hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion via the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway

Septin 6 (SEPT6) is a member of the GTP-binding protein family that is highly conserved in eukaryotes and regulates various biological functions, including filament dynamics, cytokinesis and cell migration. However, the functional importance of SEPT6 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not completely understood. The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels and roles of SEPT6 in HCC, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The reverse transcription quantitative PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry staining results demonstrated that SEPT6 expression was significantly elevated in HCC tissues compared with corresponding adjacent non-tumor tissues, which indicated that SEPT6 expression may serve as a marker of poor prognosis for HCC. By performing plasmid transfection and G418 treatment, stable SEPT6-knockdown and SEPT6-overexpression cell lines were established. The Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry and Transwell assay results demonstrated that SEPT6 overexpression significantly increased HCC cell proliferation, cell cycle transition, migration and invasion compared with the Vector group, whereas SEPT6 knockdown displayed significant suppressive effects on HCC cell lines in vitro compared with the control group. Mechanistically, SEPT6 might facilitate F-actin formation, which induced large tumor suppressor kinase 1 dephosphorylation, inhibited Hippo signaling, upregulated yes-associated protein (YAP) expression and nuclear translocation, and upregulated cyclin D1 and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) expression. Furthermore, YAP overexpression significantly reversed SEPT6 knockdown-induced inhibitory effects on HCC, whereas YAP knockdown significantly inhibited the oncogenic effect of SEPT6 overexpression on HCC. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that SEPT6 may promote HCC progression by enhancing YAP activation, suggesting that targeting SEPT6 may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for HCC.

The miR-223-3p/MAP1B axis aggravates TGF-β-induced proliferation and migration of BPH-1 cells

Uncontrolled proliferation and migration of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) epithelial cells play a critical role in the pathogenesis of BPH. The regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in multiple human diseases have been observed. This study was dedicated to investigating the regulatory effects of the miR-223-3p on the proliferation and migration of BPH progress. In the present study, the aberrant upregulation of miR-223-3p in BPH samples and BPH-1 cells was determined. TGF-β stimulation induced miR-223-3p expression, promoted BPH-1 cell viability and DNA synthesis, inhibited BPH-1 cell apoptosis, and decreased pro-apoptotic Bax/caspase 3. These changes induced by TGF-β stimulation were further enhanced the overexpression of miR-223-3p and attenuated via the inhibition of miR-223-3p. Under TGF-β stimulation, the overexpression of miR-223-3p enhanced, whereas the inhibition of miR-223-3p inhibited the EMT and MAPK signaling pathways. By targeting the MAP1B 3'UTR, miR-223-3p repressed MAP1B expression. In contrast to miR-223-3p overexpression, MAP1B overexpression attenuated TGF-β-induced changes in BPH-1 cell phenotypes, pro-apoptotic Bax/caspase 3, and the EMT and MAPK signaling pathways; more importantly, MAP1B overexpression significantly attenuated the roles of miR-223-3p overexpression in BPH-1 cell phenotypes, pro-apoptotic Bax/caspase 3, and the EMT and MAPK signaling pathways under TGF-β stimulation. In conclusion, miR-223-3p aggravates the uncontrolled proliferation and migration of BPH-1 cells through targeting MAP1B. The EMT and MAPK signaling pathways might be involved.

Circular RNA circRNA_0000094 sponges microRNA-223-3p and up-regulate F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 to restrain T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia progression

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert crucial regulatory effects in the pathogenesis of multiple tumors. This work aimed to probe into the role of circ_0000094 in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). In this work, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was applied to quantify circ_0000094, miR-223-3p, and F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 (FBW7) mRNA expressions in lymph node samples from T-ALL patients; Western blot was adopted to examine FBW7 protein expression in T-ALL cells; cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) experiment; apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry; Transwell experiments were applied to assess T-ALL cell migration and invasion; the interactions among circ_0000094 and miR-223-3p, and miR-223-3p and FBW7 were validated by bioinformatics prediction, dual-luciferase reporter gene assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation experiment. We reported that, circ_0000094 expression was markedly reduced in T-ALL and circ_0000094 was predominantly located in the cytoplasm; gain-of-function and loss-of-function assays verified that circ_0000094 overexpression remarkably suppressed T-ALL cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and enhanced apoptosis while knocking down circ_0000094 enhanced the malignant phenotypes of T-ALL cells; "rescue experiments" implied that miR-223-3p mimics partly reversed the inhibitory effects on the malignant phenotype of T-ALL cells due to the circ_0000094 up-regulation; circ_0000094 was proved to be a molecular sponge for miR-223-3p, and it could up-regulate the expression of FBW7 via repressing miR-223-3p expression. Taken together, it was concluded that circ_0000094 impedes T-ALL progression by modulating the miR-223-3p/FBW7 axis.

MiR-223-3p inhibits rTp17-induced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis by targeting NLRP3

The incidence of syphilis caused by Treponema pallidum subsp pallidum (T pallidum) infection is accompanied by inflammatory injuries of vascular endothelial cells. Studies have revealed that T pallidum infection could induce inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in macrophages. MicroRNA‐223‐3p (miR‐223‐3p) was reported to be a negative regulator in inflammatory diseases. The present study aimed to explore whether miR‐223‐3p regulates T pallidum‐induced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in vascular endothelial cells, and determine the mechanisms which underlie this process. MiR‐223‐3p levels in syphilis and control samples were determined. The biological function of miR‐223‐3p in the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis was evaluated in T pallidum‐infected human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). We observed a dramatic decrease in miR‐223‐3p levels in syphilis patients (n = 20) when compared to healthy controls (n = 20). Moreover, miR‐223‐3p showed a notable inhibitory effect on recombinant Tp17 (rTP17)‐induced caspase‐1 activation, resulting in decrease in IL‐1β production and pyroptosis, which was accompanied by the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in HUVECs. Additionally, the dual‐luciferase assay confirmed that NLRP3 is a direct target of miR‐223‐3p. Moreover, NLRP3 overexpression or knockdown largely blocked the effects of miR‐223‐3p on T pallidum‐induced inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in HUVECs. Most importantly, a notable negative correlation was observed between miR‐223‐3p and NLRP3, caspase‐1, and IL‐1β, respectively, in the serum of syphilis patients and healthy controls. Taken together, our results reveal that miR‐223‐3p targets NLRP3 to suppress inflammasome activation and pyroptosis in T pallidum‐infected endothelial cells, implying that miR‐223‐3p could be a potential target for syphilis patients.

miR-223-5p targeting ERG inhibits prostate cancer cell proliferation and migration

Ectopic expression of miR-223-5p, the lagging strand of miR-223 duplex, has been reported acting as anti-tumor miRNA in many cancers. How miR-223-5p influencing prostate cancer (PCa) remains obscure and worth of experimental investigation. In this study, the expressions of miR-223-5p and ERG in common PCa cell lines were detected and compared to RWPE-1, respectively. Then luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify whether miR-223-5p could specifically target and regulate ERG. Further discovery ERG's role in the PCa oncogenesis was also conducted by up or down regulating miR-223-3p expression. We found miR-223-5p was significantly down-regulated in DU145, while it was only up-regulated in LNCaP. Similarly, ERG expression remarkably decreased in both PC-3 and DU145 than that in RWPE-1, but significantly increasing in LNCaP. Luciferase assay demonstrated slightly decreased ERG expression after miR-223-5p-mimics but significantly increased ERG expression after miR-223-5p-inhibtor. Using gene interference, we further confirmed that both ERG mRNA and protein expressions were decreased in all PCa lines transfected ERG siRNA, but increasing in both DU145 and LNCaP cells with miR-223-5p antisense oligonucleotides. MTT assay, Transwell invasion and migration assay supported the function of ERG in PCa oncogenesis. We revealed tumor suppressive abilities of miR-223-5p in PCa by negatively targeting ERG gene. It could serve as a fundamental supplement and extension of our previous study about miR-223-3p in PCa, revealing the coordinative regulation between miR-223-5p and miR-223-3p in PCa cell biological behaviors. Exploration of miR-233-duplex orientated pathway networks may help us develop novel potential therapeutic options for PCa.

Seminal plasma microRNAs improve diagnosis/prognosis of prostate cancer in men with moderately altered prostate-specific antigen

There is an urgent need for accurate non-invasive biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis and disease risk stratification. Previous data suggests that total seminal plasma (SP) represents a source of miRNAs for screening. We have evaluated a panel of eight PCa-associated miRNAs for their potential use as PCa biomarkers in SP by analyzing their levels using RT-qPCR. Multivariate logistic regression modelling and clinical risk assessment were performed for those SP miRNAs statistically altered between PCa and non-PCa (HCt and/or BPH) groups. Our results provide evidence that altered miRNA expression in PCa tissue can also be detected in total SP. We obtained a clinically useful SP miRNA-based combined model (PSA+miR-142-3p+miR-223-3p+miR-93-5p), which improves PCa specificity of the PSA test, for, firstly, predicting the presence of malignant tumors in a sample from the total population and secondly, and more interestingly for clinicians, for predicting PCa in samples from the positive PSA screening test (PSA>4 ng/ml). Additionally, [PSA+miR-30d-5p+miR-93-5p] and [PSA+miR-30d-5p] models have been shown to be useful for predicting the disease aggressiveness with diagnostic accuracy. In conclusion, our results provide evidence that miRNAs in total SP represent a useful target for evaluation for PCa, which technically simplifies the future use of semen miRNA-based models as non-invasive biomarkers to increase the efficiency of PCa diagnosis and prognosis.

MiR-223-3p promotes cell proliferation and metastasis by downregulating SLC4A4 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known to affect the occurrence and progression of cancer. We therefore evaluated the involvement of miR-223-3p in renal cell cancer. MiR-223-3p was highly expressed in clear cell renal cell cancer tissues. Clear cell renal cell cancer patients with higher miR-223-3p expression had higher tumor stages and grades and poorer prognoses. In renal cancer cells, overexpression of miR-223-3p enhanced cell proliferation and metastasis, while inhibition of miR-223-3p reduced the malignant capacity of the cells. MiR-223-3p was found to bind directly to solute carrier family 4, member 4 (SLC4A4) mRNA, thereby reducing SLC4A4 mRNA and protein expression. SLC4A4 overexpression restrained cell proliferation and metastasis by suppressing Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (KRAS) expression in renal cancer cells. SLC4A4 expression correlated negatively with miR-223-3p expression in patient samples. Given that miR-223-3p suppressed the SLC4A4/KRAS axis, miR-223-3p gene therapy could be an effective treatment for renal cancer.

Semen miRNAs Contained in Exosomes as Non-Invasive Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Although it is specific for prostatic tissue, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening has resulted in an over-diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) and many unnecessary biopsies of benign disease due to a well-documented low cancer specificity, thus improvement is required. We profiled the expression level of miRNAs contained in semen exosomes from men with moderately increased PSA levels to assess their usefulness, either alone or in addition to PSA marker, as non-invasive biomarkers, for the early efficient diagnosis and prognosis of PCa. An altered miRNA expression pattern was found by a high throughput profiling analysis in PCa when compared with healthy individuals (HCt) exosomal semen samples. The presence of vasectomy was taken into account for the interpretation of results. Fourteen miRNAs were selected for miRNA validation as PCa biomarkers in a subsequent set of semen samples. In this explorative study, we describe miRNA-based models, which included miRNA expression values together with PSA levels, that increased the classification function of the PSA screening test with diagnostic and/or prognostic potential: [PSA + miR-142-3p + miR-142-5p + miR-223-3p] model (AUC:0,821) to discriminate PCa from BPH (Sn:91,7% Sp:42,9% vs Sn:100% Sp:14,3%); and [PSA + miR-342-3p + miR-374b-5p] model (AUC: 0,891) to discriminate between GS ≥ 7 tumours and men presenting PSA ≥ 4 ng/ml with no cancer or GS6 tumours (Sn:81,8% Sp:95% vs Sn:54,5% Sp:90%). The pathway analysis of predicted miRNA target genes supports a role for these miRNAs in PCa aetiology and/or progression. Our study shows semen exosome miRNA-based models as molecular biomarkers with the potential to improve PCa diagnosis/prognosis efficiency. As the next step, further prospective studies on larger cohorts of patients are required to validate the diagnostic and/or prognostic role of the miRNA panel before it could be adopted into clinical practice.

Serum miR-223: A Validated Biomarker for Detection of Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

The published circulating miRNA signatures proposed for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) detection are inconsistent and difficult to replicate. Reproducibility and validation of an miRNA simple signature of NSCLC are prerequisites for translation to clinical application.

METHODS

The serum level of miR-223 and miR-29c, emerging from published studies, respectively, as a highly sensitive and a highly specific biomarker of early-stage NSCLC, was measured with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) technique in an Italian cohort of 75 patients with stage I-II NSCLC and 111 tumor-free controls. By ROC curve analysis we evaluated the miR-223 and miR-29c performance in discerning NSCLC cases from healthy controls.

RESULTS

Reproducibility and robust measurability of the two miRNAs using ddPCR were documented. In a training set (40 stage I-II NSCLCs and 56 controls), miR-223 and miR-29c, respectively, showed an AUC of 0.753 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.655-0.836] and 0.632 (95% CI, 0.527-0.729) in identifying NSCLC. Combination of miR-223 with miR-29c yielded an AUC of 0.750, not improved over that of miR-223 alone. Furthermore, in an independent blind set (35 stage I-II NSCLCs and 55 controls), we validated serum miR-223 as an effective biomarker of stage I-II NSCLC (AUC = 0.808; 95% CI, 0.712-0.884), confirming the miR-223 diagnostic performance reported by others in Chinese cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

Using ddPCR technology, miR-223 was externally validated as a reproducible, effective serum biomarker of early-stage NSCLC in ethnically different subjects. Combination with miR-29c did not improve the miR-223 diagnostic performance.

IMPACT

Serum miR-223 determination may be proposed as a tool for refining NSCLC risk stratification, independent of smoking habit and age.

Identification of a six-miRNA panel in serum benefiting pancreatic cancer diagnosis

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has posed a great health threat to a growing number of people all over the world. Detection of serum miRNAs, being sensitive, noninvasive, and easy to obtain, has a great potential of being a novel screening method for PC patients. In this study, we investigated miRNA expression levels in serum by qRT-PCR. The study was divided into four phases: the screening, training, testing, and external validation stage. We firstly chose candidate miRNAs using Exiqon panels in the screening phase. Then, a total of 129 PC serum samples and 107 normal controls (NCs) were further analyzed in the following training and testing phases to identify differently expressed miRNAs. A cohort of 30 PC serum samples vs 30 NCs was used to confirm the diagnostic value of the identified miRNAs in the external validation phase. Moreover, miRNA expressions in additional 44 PC tumor tissue samples and the matched adjacent normal tissue samples as well as 32 pairs of serum-derived exosomes samples were also further explored. As a result, we identified six significantly upregulated miRNAs in the serum of PC: let-7b-5p, miR-192-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-223-3p, and miR-25-3p. A six-miRNA panel in serum was then established. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) for the panel was 0.910 for the combined training and testing phases, which showed higher diagnostic value than the individual miRNA. Prognostic value prediction using Cox's proportional hazards model and Kaplan-Meier curves showed that increased serum miR-19a-3p was closely related to worse overall survival (OS). In addition, significant upregulation of miR-192-5p, miR-19a-3p, and miR-19b-3p was observed in both PC tissue and serum-derived exosomes samples. In conclusion, we identified a six-miRNA (let-7b-5p, miR-192-5p, miR-19a-3p, miR-19b-3p, miR-223-3p, and miR-25-3p) panel in the serum for PC early and noninvasive diagnosis.

The effect of fludrocortisone on the uterine receptivity partially mediated by ERK1/2-mTOR pathway

Implantation of embryos needs endometrial receptivity. Mineralocorticoids is one of the causes influencing the implantation window. This study targeted to evaluation fludrocortisone different properties on endometrial receptivity. The objective of this study was to assess whether treatment with fludrocortisone could impact the expression of diverse genes and proteins that are involved in uterine receptivity in mice. In this study, 40 female adult BALB/c mice were used. The samples were allocated to four groups of ten. Control group (C) received: vehicle; fludrocortisone group (FCA): received 1.5 mg/kg fludrocortisone; PP242 group (PP242): received 30 mg/kg PP242; fludrocortisone+PP242 group (FCA+PP242): received fludrocortisone and PP242. Mice were killed on window implantation day after mating and confirmed pregnancy. The endometrial epithelium of mouse was collected to assess mRNA expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), mucin-1 (MUC1), heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), (Msx.1), miRNA Let-7a, and miRNA 223-3p as well as protein expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) in the uterine using real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. In comparison with the control group, fludrocortisone administration upregulated the expression of LIF, HB-EGF, Msx.1, miRNA Let-7a, ERK1/2, and mTOR in the epithelial endometrium. The PP242-treated group demonstrated a significant rise in the expression of MUC1, miRNA 223-3p and a remarkable decline in ERK1/2 and p-4E-BP1 levels in comparison with the control group. Combination therapy of (FCA+PP242) resulted in a remarkable rise in LIF, Msx-1, HB-EGF, ERK1/2, and mTOR levels, in comparison with the PP242 group. Furthermore, combination therapy of (FCA+PP242) downregulated the expression of MUC1 in comparison with the PP242-treated group. According to the results, fludrocortisone affected uterine receptivity possibly by means of modulating the expression of genes involved in the uterine receptivity and activation of the ERK1/2-mTOR pathway.

miRNA-223 at the crossroads of inflammation and cancer

miR-223 is an evolutionarily conserved anti-inflammatory microRNA primarily expressed in myeloid cells. miR-223 post-transcriptionally regulates many genes essential in inflammation, cell proliferation, and invasion. Recent studies show that miR-223 is either endogenously expressed or transferred in exosomes or extracellular vesicles to non-phagocytic cells including cancer cells, where it exerts biological functions. In cancerous cells, miR-223 acts either as an oncomiR promoting tumors or as a tumor suppressor in a context-dependent manner. Taken together, miR-223 can regulate tumorigenesis at multiple levels, including by suppressing the inflammatory tumor microenvironment and modulating malignancy of cancer cells.

Effect of SEPT6 on the biological behavior of hepatic stellate cells and liver fibrosis in rats and its mechanism

Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are key effectors during the development of liver fibrosis. Septin 6 (SEPT6) is a highly evolutionarily conserved GTP-binding protein that regulates various cell biological behaviors. The expression and function of SEPT6 in HSCs remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that SEPT6 expression is significantly elevated following the activation of primary rat HSCs, the human hepatic stellate cell line LX-2 and the rat hepatic stellate cell line HSC-T6, as well as in both human and rat fibrotic liver tissue. In vitro, the overexpression of SEPT6 promoted HSCs activation, proliferation, cell cycle progression and migration and inhibited HSCs apoptosis. In contrast, knockdown of SEPT6 exerted the opposite effects on HSCs. Mechanistically, SEPT6 exerted its pro-fibrogenic effect by promoting the expression of TGF-β1 and the phosphorylation of Smad2, Smad3, extracellular-signal-regulated kinase, c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase, stress-activated protein kinase-2, and protein kinase B. However, in HSC-T6 cells, blockade of the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway by SB431542 significantly decreased the expression of α-smooth muscle actin, cyclin D1, BCL2, and matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, which had been enhanced by SEPT6 overexpression. In vivo, adenovirus-mediated SEPT6 inhibition attenuated thioacetamide (TAA)-induced liver fibrosis in rats by decreasing the deposition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). SEPT6 inhibition decreased the proliferation capacity of HSCs and induced apoptosis of HSCs. Collectively, our results reveal that SEPT6 regulates various biological behaviors in HSCs through TGF-β1/Smad, mitogen-activated protein kinases and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways, thus promoting liver fibrosis.

MiR-99a-5p inhibits bladder cancer cell proliferation by directly targeting mammalian target of rapamycin and predicts patient survival

Bladder cancer is a common malignancy and miR-99a-5p has been reported to be downregulated in bladder cancer, but its function and the underlying mechanism in bladder cancer development remains largely unclear. Here, we report that miR-99a-5p expression was decreased in bladder cancer compared with the adjacent normal tissues. Receiver operating characteristic curve revealed that miR-99a-5p expression signature had area under curve value of 0.7989 in differing bladder cancer from the adjacent normal tissues. Bladder cancer patients with low expression of miR-99a-5p had a poor survival rate. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function approaches demonstrated that miR-99a-5p inhibited bladder cell proliferation and cell cycle. Furthermore, we identified that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) was a direct target of miR-99a-5p and mTOR restore could rescue the proliferative ability of bladder cancer cells. Moreover, miR-99a-5p/mTOR axis regulated S6K1 phosphorylation. These suggested that miR-99a-5p/mTOR axis might be a therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

miRNA-21 and miRNA-223 expression signature as a predictor for lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and survival in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Purpose: The aim of this study was to generate a novel miRNA expression signature to effectively assess nodal metastasis, distant metastasis and predict prognosis for patients with kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) and explore its potential mechanism of affecting the prognosis. Method: Using expression profiles downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas database, we identified multiple miRNAs with differential expression between KIRC and paired normal tissues. The diagnostic values of the differentially expressed miRNAs for nodal metastasis and distant metastasis were evaluated by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Then, we evaluated the impact of miRNAs on overall survival (OS) by univariate and multivariate COX regression analyzes. This analysis was ultimately used to construct a miRNA signature that effectively assessed nodal metastasis, distant metastasis and predicted prognosis. The functional enrichment analysis of the miRNAs included in the signatures was used to explore its potential molecular mechanism in KIRC. Results: Based on our cutoff criteria (P < 0.05 and |log2FC| > 1.0), we identified 104 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), including 43 that were up-regulated in KIRC tissues and 61 that were down-regulated. We found 12 miRNAs were potentially diagnostic biomarkers of nodal metastasis and distant metastasis by ROC curve analysis. Two miRNAs (miRNA-21 and miRNA-223) were significant miRNAs independently associated with OS based on Cox univariate and multivariate analysis. We generated a signature index based on expression of these two miRNAs, and the two-miRNA signature is promising as a biomarker for diagnosing nodal metastasis, distant metastasis and predicting 5-year survival rate of KIRC with areas under the curve (AUC)=0.738, 0.659 and 0.731, respectively. Patients were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups, according to median of the signature prognosis indexes. Patients in the high-risk group had significantly shorter survival times than those in the low-risk group (P = 0.000). The functional enrichment analysis suggested that the target genes of two miRNAs may be involved in various pathways related to cancer, p53 signaling pathway, apoptosis, and MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusion: The two-miRNA signature could assess nodal metastasis, distant metastasis and predict survival of KIRC. As a promising prediction tool, the mechanism of the two miRNAs in KIRC deserves further study.

MiR-223 inhibits the proliferation, invasion and EMT of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by targeting SSRP1

The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been found in various types of cancer and is associated with tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the expression and function of miR-223 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain unclear. The present study demonstrated that miR-223 was downregulated in NPC cell lines. The ectopic expression of miR-223 dramatically suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, a luciferase reporter assay identified the structure-specific recognition protein (SSRP1) as a novel direct target of miR-223. SSRP1 expression was upregulated in NPC cell lines and the overexpression of miR-233 markedly reduced the expression of SSRP1. Furthermore, SSRP1 was involved in miR-223-regulated NPC cell proliferation, invasion, and EMT. Taken together, these results indicate that miR-223 functions as a tumor suppressor miRNA in NPC and that its suppressive effects are primarily mediated by repressing SSRP1 expression and inhibiting EMT.

GAS5 functions as a ceRNA to regulate hZIP1 expression by sponging miR-223 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Several studies have shown that low expression of hZIP1 is closely associated with many human cancers, including clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). In this study, we aimed to explore the potential mechanism responsible for hZIP1 silencing and revealed a novel regulatory pathway in the pathogenesis of ccRCC. Here, miR-223 was predicted and experimentally validated to be a regulator of hZIP1, and its expression was negatively correlated with the mRNA levels of hZIP1 in primary tumors. Upregulation of hZIP1 inhibited cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and invasion and induced apoptosis, while inhibition of miR-223 showed the opposite effect on cellular processes. Moreover, GAS5 interacted with miR-223 and was markedly downregulated in tumors. Knockdown of GAS5 partially reversed the effect of the miR-223 inhibitor on cell proliferation, cell cycle distribution, apoptosis and invasion. In addition, GAS5 acted as a molecular sponge to positively regulate the mRNA and protein levels of hZIP1 via regulating miR-223. The tumorigenicity of ccRCC cells was enhanced by silencing GAS5 but diminished by overexpression of hZIP1 in vivo. Clinically, the low expression of hZIP1 was significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage and Fuhrman stage. Downregulation of GAS5 indicated tumor progression and recurrence and was independently associated with disease-free survival of patients. Taken together, our results suggest that GAS5 may act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to regulate hZIP1 by sponging miR-223 in the progression of ccRCC and that targeting the GAS5/miR-223/hZIP1 axis may serve as a therapeutic strategy for patients.

MicroRNA miR-223 as regulator of innate immunity

MicroRNAs were discovered more than 2 decades ago and have profound impact on diverse biological processes. Specific microRNAs have important roles in modulating the innate immune response and their dysregulation has been demonstrated to contribute to inflammatory diseases. MiR-223 in particular, is very highly expressed and tightly regulated in hematopoietic cells. It functions as key modulator for the differentiation and activation of myeloid cells. The central role of miR-223 in myeloid cells, especially neutrophil and macrophage differentiation and activation has been studied extensively. MiR-223 contributes to myeloid differentiation by enhancing granulopoiesis while inhibiting macrophage differentiation. Uncontrolled myeloid activation has detrimental consequences in inflammatory disease. MiR-223 serves as a negative feedback mechanism controlling excessive innate immune responses in the maintenance of myeloid cell homeostasis. This review summarizes several topics covering the function of miR-223 in myeloid differentiation, neutrophil and macrophage functions, as well as in inflammatory diseases including acute respiratory distress syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, nonmyeloid functions of miR-223 are also discussed in this review. Therapeutic enhancement of miR-223 to dampen inflammatory targets is also highlighted as potential treatment to control excessive innate immune responses during mucosal inflammation.

miR-222 promotes invasion and migration of ovarian carcinoma by targeting PTEN

Ovarian carcinoma is the most lethal of the gynecologic malignancies worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests dysfunction of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays an important role in human cancers. The function of miR-222 was detected in ovarian carcinoma to verify the regulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) by miR-222. miR-222 expression in ovarian carcinoma tissues and cell lines were examined using RT-qPCR. Transwell assay was used to detect miR-222 effects on ovarian carcinoma cell migration and invasion. Western blot analysis and luciferase assays were performed to validate PTEN as miR-222 targets. miR-222 expression was upregulated in ovarian carcinoma tissues and three cell lines (A2780, SKOV-3 and OVCAR-3). Ectopic overexpression of miR-222 in ovarian carcinoma cells was sufficient to promote invasion and migration. PTEN acted as a direct target of miR-222. Overexpression of PTEN inhibited human ovarian carcinoma cell migration and invasion. In summary, our findings suggest that miR-222 plays an important role in promoting ovarian carcinoma cell invasion and migration and miR-222/PTEN may be a novel therapeutic target of miRNA-mediated promotion of cell invasion and migration in ovarian carcinoma.

miR-223-5p Suppresses Tumor Growth and Metastasis in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Targeting E2F8

miR-223-5p has been demonstrated to regulate the development and progression of various cancers, such as hepatocellular carcinoma, breast cancer, and gastric carcinoma. However, the role of miR-223-5p in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) requires further investigation. In this study, we found that the expression of miR-223-5p was significantly downregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the expression level of miR-223-5p is negatively correlated with the malignance of NSCLC. We found that overexpression of miR-223-5p remarkably suppressed the proliferation of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. miR-223-5p overexpression also led to reduced migration and invasion in NSCLC cells. Mechanistically, we found that E2F8, a key transcription factor involved in many kinds of biological processes, was a direct target gene of miR-223-5p. Overexpression of miR-223-5p significantly decreased the mRNA and protein levels of E2F8 in NSCLC cells. We also showed that restoration of E2F8 rescued the proliferation, migration, and invasion of miR-223-5p-overexpressing NSCLC cells. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that miR-223-5p suppressed NSCLC progression through targeting E2F8.

MiR-223-5p works as an oncomiR in vulvar carcinoma by TP63 suppression

MiR-223-5p has been previously mentioned to be associated with tumor metastasis in HPV negative vulvar carcinomas, such as in several other tumor types. In the present study, we hypothesized that this microRNA would be important in vulvar cancer carcinogenesis and progression. To investigate this, we artificially mimicked miR-223-5p expression in a cell line derived from lymph node metastasis of vulvar carcinoma (SW962) and performed in vitro assays. As results, lower cell proliferation (p < 0.01) and migration (p < 0.001) were observed when miR-223-5p was overexpressed. In contrast, increased invasive potential of these cells was verified (p < 0.004). In silico search indicated that miR-223-5p targets TP63, member of the TP53 family of proteins, largely described with importance in vulvar cancer. We experimentally demonstrated that this microRNA is capable to decrease levels of p63 at both mRNA and protein levels (p < 0.001, and p < 0.0001; respectively). Also, a significant inverse correlation was observed between miR-223-5p and p63 expressions in tumors from patients (p = 0.0365). Furthermore, low p63 protein expression was correlated with deeper tumor invasion (p = 0.0491) and lower patient overall survival (p = 0.0494). Our study points out miR-223-5p overexpression as a putative pathological mechanism of tumor invasion and a promising therapeutic target and highlights the importance of both miR-223-5p and p63 as prognostic factors in vulvar cancer. Also, it is plausible that the evaluation of p63 expression in vulvar cancer at the biopsy level may bring important contribution on prognostic establishment and in elaborating better surgical approaches for vulvar cancer patients.

NF-κB/miR-223-3p/ARID1A axis is involved in Helicobacter pylori CagA-induced gastric carcinogenesis and progression

Infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the resulting gastric inflammation is regarded as the strongest risk factor for gastric carcinogenesis and progression. NF-κB plays an important role in linking H. pylori-mediated inflammation to cancer. However, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In this study, we find that H. pylori infection induces miR-223-3p expression in H. pylori CagA-dependent manner. NF-κB stimulates miR-223-3p expression via directly binding to the promoter of miR-223-3p and is required for H. pylori CagA-mediated upregulation of miR-223-3p. miR-223-3p promotes the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by directly targeting ARID1A and decreasing its expression. Furthermore, miR-223-3p/ARID1A axis is involved in CagA-induced cell proliferation and migration. In the clinical setting, the level of miR-223-3p is upregulated, while ARID1A is downregulated significantly in human gastric cancer tissues compared with the corresponding noncancerous tissues. The expression level of miR-223-3p is significantly higher in H. pylori-positive gastric cancer tissues than that in H. pylori-negative tissues. Moreover, a negative correlation between miR-223-3p and ARID1A expression is found in the gastric cancer tissues. Taken together, our findings suggested NF-κB/miR-223-3p/ARID1A axis may link the process of H. pylori-induced chronic inflammation to gastric cancer, thereby providing a new insight into the mechanism underlying H. pylori-associated gastric diseases.

Prostate-specific PTen deletion in mice activates inflammatory microRNA expression pathways in the epithelium early in hyperplasia development

PTen loss is one of the most frequent events in prostate cancer both at the initiation stage and during late stage metastatic development. The mouse model of prostate-specific probasin-mediated Pten deletion leads to prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) leading to adenocarcinoma. Using this model, we analysed the miR and mRNA transcriptome profile of Pten^−/− PIN versus wild type age-matched prostate tissues and analysed the effects of Pten loss on miR expression in the early neoplastic process. At the PIN stage, Pten loss significantly changed the expression of over 20 miRNAs and over 4000 genes. The observed miR expression indicated a strong immunological cohort, which is seen in many human and mouse cancers and is thought to derive from infiltrating B and T immune cells. However, upon in situ hybridisation, these immunologically related miRs did not correlate with immune cell location, and emanated from the prostate epithelium itself and not from the associated immune cells present. Growing Pten^−/− prostate cells in culture showed that the overexpressed miRNAs seen in Pten^−/− were directly in response to the overactive PI3 kinase pathway and were in part responsible in reducing target gene expression levels. Inhibition of PI3 kinase downstream regulators, or re-introducing wild type Pten^cDNA reduced miR overexpression resulting in increased miR target gene expression. MiR inhibitors also showed this pattern, and synergised with an mTORC1 inhibitor. Overall, Pten deletion in the prostate epithelium activated a cohort of inflammation-related miRs usually associated with immune responses from B and T cells. These oncomiRs may then accelerate carcinogenesis.

The potential of microRNAs as human prostate cancer biomarkers: A meta-analysis of related studies

Prostate cancer (PC) is a very important kind of male malignancies. When PC evolves into a stage of hormone resistance or metastasis, the fatality rate is very high. Currently, discoveries and advances in miRNAs as biomarkers have opened the potential for the diagnosis of PC, especially early diagnosis. miRNAs not only can noninvasively or minimally invasively identify PC, but also can provide the data for optimization and personalization of therapy. Moreover, miRNAs have been shown to play an important role to predict prognosis of PC. The purpose of this meta‐analysis is to integrate the currently published expression profile data of miRNAs in PC, and evaluate the value of miRNAs as biomarkers for PC. All of relevant records were selected via electronic databases: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane, and CNKI based on the assessment of title, abstract, and full text. we extracted mean ± SD or fold change of miRNAs expression levels in PC versus BPH or normal controls. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS), were also calculated to detect the relationship between high miRNAs expression and PC prognosis. Selected 104 articles were published in 2007‐2017. According to the inclusion criteria, 104 records were included for this meta‐analysis. The pooled or stratified analyze showed 10 up‐regulated miRNAs (miR‐18a, miR‐34a, miR‐106b, miR‐141, miR‐182, miR‐183, miR‐200a/b, miR‐301a, and miR‐375) and 14 down‐regulated miRNAs (miR‐1, miR‐23b/27b, miR‐30c, miR‐99b, miR‐139‐5p, miR‐152, miR‐187, miR‐204, miR‐205, miR‐224, miR‐452, miR‐505, and let‐7c) had relatively good diagnostic and predictive potential to discriminate PC from BPH/normal controls. Furthermore, high expression of miR‐32 and low expression of let‐7c could be used to differentiate metastatic PC from local/primary PC. Additional interesting findings were that the expression profiles of five miRNAs (miR‐21, miR‐30c, miR‐129, miR‐145, and let‐7c) could predict poor RFS of PC, while the evaluation of miR‐375 was associated with worse OS. miRNAs are important regulators in PC progression. Our results indicate that miRNAs are suitable for predicting the different stages of PC. The detection of miRNAs is an effective way to control patient's prognosis and evaluate therapeutic efficacy. However, large‐scale detections based on common clinical guidelines are still necessary to further validate our conclusions, due to the bias induced by molecular heterogeneity and differences in study design and detection methods.

miRNA profiling identifies deregulated miRNAs associated with osteosarcoma development and time to metastasis in two large cohorts

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive bone tumor primarily affecting children and adolescents. The etiology of OS is not fully understood. Thus, there is a great need to obtain a better understanding of OS development and progression. Alterations in miRNA expression contribute to the required molecular alterations for neoplastic initiation and progression. This study is the first to investigate miRNA expression in OS in a large discovery and validation cohort comprising a total of 101 OS samples. We established the signature of altered miRNA expression in OS by profiling the expression level of 752 miRNAs in 23 OS samples using sensitive LNA-enhanced qPCR assays. The identified miRNA expression changes were correlated with gene expression in the same samples. Furthermore, miRNA expression changes were validated in a second independent cohort consisting of 78 OS samples. Analysis of 752 miRNAs in the discovery cohort led to the identification of 33 deregulated miRNAs in OS. Twenty-nine miRNAs were validated with statistical significance in the second cohort comprising 78 OS samples. miRNA/mRNA targets were determined, and 361 genes with an inverse expression of the target miRNA were identified. Both the miRNAs and the identified target genes were associated with multiple pathways related to cancer as well as bone cell biology, thereby correlating the deregulated miRNAs with OS tumorigenesis. An analysis of the prognostic value of the 29 miRNAs identified miR-221/miR-222 to be significantly associated with time to metastasis in both cohorts. This study contributes to a more profound understanding of OS tumorigenesis, by substantiating the importance of miRNA deregulation. We have identified and validated 29 deregulated miRNAs in the - to our knowledge - largest discovery and validation cohorts used so far for miRNA analyses in OS. Two of the miRNAs showed a promising potential as prognostic biomarkers for the aggressiveness of OS.

Potential role of microRNA‑223‑3p in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma: A comprehensive study based on data mining and bioinformatics

The aims of the present study were to examine the potential role of microRNA‑233‑3p (miR)‑223‑3p in the tumorigenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to investigate its diagnostic accuracy and potential molecular mechanisms. The expression data of miR‑223‑3p in HCC were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Data for the precursor miR‑223 were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The diagnostic role of miR‑223‑3p was identified by the receiver operating curve (ROC), and the diagnostic value of miR‑223‑3p in HCC was calculated from qualified reports in the literature. In addition, associated data from the GEO, TCGA and qualified experiments were pooled for comprehensive meta‑analysis. Genes, which intersected between online prediction databases, natural language processing and differentially expressed genes from TCGA were regarded as potential targets of miR‑223‑3p in HCC. The Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of potential targets were performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. The protein‑protein interactions were mapped using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes. Among 15 qualified microarray data sets from GEO, seven showed that a significantly lower level of miR‑223‑3p was present in the HCC tissues, compared with that in non‑cancerous tissues (P<0.05). In addition, five GEO data sets revealed diagnostic values of miR‑223‑3p, with an area under the curve (AUC) of >0.80 (P<0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of the precursor miR‑223 in TCGA was also calculated (AUC=0.78, P<0.05). Similarly, the precursor miR‑223 showed a higher level of downregulation in HCC tissues, compared with that in healthy controls in TCGA (P<0.001). A summary ROC was also calculated as 0.89 (95% CI, 0.85‑0.91) in the meta‑analysis. A total of 72 potential targets were extracted, mainly involved in the terms 'microRNAs in cancer', 'ATP binding' and 'prostate cancer'. Five potential target genes were considered the hub genes of miR‑223‑3p in HCC, including checkpoint kinase 1, DNA methyltransferase 1, baculoviral IAP repeat containing 5, kinesin family member 23, and collagen, type I, α1. Based on TCGA, the hub genes were significantly upregulated in HCC (P<0.05). Collectively, these results showed that miR‑223‑3p may be crucial in HCC carcinogenesis showing high diagnostic accuracy, and may be mediated by several hub genes.

Detection of circulating miRNAs: comparative analysis of extracellular vesicle-incorporated miRNAs and cell-free miRNAs in whole plasma of prostate cancer patients

Background

Circulating cell-free miRNAs have emerged as promising minimally-invasive biomarkers for early detection, prognosis and monitoring of cancer. They can exist in the bloodstream incorporated into extracellular vesicles (EVs) and ribonucleoprotein complexes. However, it is still debated if EVs contain biologically meaningful amounts of miRNAs and may provide a better source of miRNA biomarkers than whole plasma. The aim of this study was to systematically compare the diagnostic potential of prostate cancer-associated miRNAs in whole plasma and in plasma EVs.

Methods

RNA was isolated from whole plasma and plasma EV samples from a well characterised cohort of 50 patient with prostate cancer (PC) and 22 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Nine miRNAs known to have a diagnostic potential for PC in cell-free blood were quantified by RT-qPCR and the relative quantities were compared between patients with PC and BPH and between PC patients with Gleason score ≥ 8 and ≤6.

Results

Only a small fraction of the total cell-free miRNA was recovered from the plasma EVs, however the EV-incorporated and whole plasma cell-free miRNA profiles were clearly different. Four of the miRNAs analysed showed a diagnostic potential in our patient cohort. MiR-375 could differentiate between PC and BPH patients when analysed in the whole plasma, while miR-200c-3p and miR-21-5p performed better when analysed in plasma EVs. EV-incorporated but not whole plasma Let-7a-5p level could distinguish PC patients with Gleason score ≥ 8 vs ≤6.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that for some miRNA biomarkers EVs provide a more consistent source of RNA than whole plasma, while other miRNAs show better diagnostic performance when tested in the whole plasma.

Upregulation of miR-223 in the rat liver inhibits proliferation of hepatocytes under simulated microgravity

Long-term spaceflight affects numerous organ systems in the body, including metabolic dysfunction. Recently, ample evidence has demonstrated that the liver is a vulnerable organ during spaceflight. However, the changes in hepatocyte proliferation and cell cycle control under microgravity remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we first confirmed that the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase, biochemical markers of liver function, were altered in rats under tail suspension (TS) conditions to simulate microgravity, as shown in previous reports. Next, we demonstrated that the cell proliferation activity, determined by Ki67, PCNA and PH3, was significantly decreased at the different TS time points (TS for 14, 28 and 42 days) compared with that in the control group. Consistently, the positive cell cycle regulators Ccna2, Ccnd1, Cdk1, Cdk2 and cyclin D3 were also significantly decreased in the TS groups as shown by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting analysis. Subsequent analysis revealed that the aberrant hepatocyte proliferation inhibition under simulated microgravity was associated with the upregulation of miR-223 in the liver. We further found that miR-223 inhibited the proliferation of Hepa1-6 cells and identified CDK2 and CUL1 as its direct targets. In addition, the decreased expression of CDK2 and CUL1 was negatively correlated with the level of p27 in vitro and in vivo, which may have been responsible for retarding hepatocyte proliferation. Collectively, these data indicate that upregulation of miR-223 was associated with the inhibition of liver cell growth and reveal the role of miR-223 in rat hepatocyte proliferation disorders and the pathophysiological process under simulated microgravity.

MicroRNA-223-3p Regulates Ovarian Cancer Cell Proliferation and Invasion by Targeting SOX11 Expression

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) often display different expression in many cancers and other diseases in current research studies. miR-223 expression is upregulated in rheumatoid arthritis. Also, miR-223 expression has been demonstrated to be highly expressed in pancreatic cancer and gastric cancer in comparison with normal tissue. However, whether miR-223 displays different expression in ovarian cancer and what its underlying functions are in ovarian cancer have remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-223-3p was upregulated in ovarian cancer tissue. Next, we explored the functional role of miR-223-3p in ovarian cancer using SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cell lines. Our results suggested that miR-223-3p mimic promoted ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. However, miR-223-3p inhibitor displayed the opposite effects. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-223-3p mimic promoted tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, we found SOX11 (sex determining region Y-box 11) was inversely expressed with miR-223-3p in ovarian cancer (OC) cell lines and tissue specimens. miR-223-3p mimic decreased SOX11 expression. Overexpressing SOX11 inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation and invasion, which indicated that miR-223-3p regulated OC cell proliferation and invasion through targeting SOX11 expression. In conclusion, the findings of the present study demonstrated that miR-223-3p could be a potential therapeutic for ovarian cancer.

Expression of urinary miRNAs targeting NLRs inflammasomes in bladder cancer

AIM OF THE STUDY

Inflammasome, a large complex of NOD-like receptors (NLRs), drives tumor growth and progression. The present study aimed at exploring the alteration in expression of urinary inflammasome-related microRNAs (miRNAs) in bladder cancer (BC). Our previous report demonstrated the up-regulation of NLRs genes (NLRP3, NLRP4, NLRP9 and NAIP) in urine sediments of patients harboring BC. The expression levels of miRNAs targeting these NLRs (miR-146a-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-17-5p, miR-223-3p, miR-141-3p, miR-19a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-185-5p) were assayed in the same patient cohort.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-six subjects affected by BC, 28 healthy controls (CTR0) and 31 subjects with histologically confirmed bladder inflammation (CTR1) were recruited. Total RNA was extracted from urine sediment and resulting cDNA was used for amplification by real-time polymerase chain reaction. MiRNA expression levels were evaluated and compared among selected groups. Patients were further stratified according to tumor stage, grade and risk of recurrence and progression. Moreover, non-muscle invasive low-grade and high-grade (HG) BC patients were compared.

RESULTS

MiR 141-3p and miR-19a-3p expression decreased in CTR1 with respect to both BC and CTR0. In contrast, miR-146a-5p was up-regulated in BC compared with CTR0. MiR106a-5p, miR17-5p and miR19a-5p were significantly up-regulated in HG, high-risk (HR) and non-muscle invasive HG BC patients, while miR-185-5p was significantly higher in muscle invasive tumors, according to T stage stratification.

CONCLUSION

The increased expression of miRNAs targeting NLRs in HG and HR BC patients is in accordance with the decrease in NLR mRNAs observed in our previous report. These data corroborate the direct role of NLR genes and respective regulatory miRNAs in BC making these inflammasome-related molecules a reliable non-invasive tool for BC diagnosis.

The role of miRNA-223 in cancer: Function, diagnosis and therapy

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a large family of small, non-coding RNAs with the capacity to regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. miRNAs appear to hold promise of mechanistic explanations for various physiological and pathological processes. miRNA-223 is highly conserved and preferentially expressed in the hematopoietic system in regulation of myeloid differentiation. Recently, increasing evidence suggests that miRNA-223 may also play an essential part in both hematological malignancies and solid tumors. miRNA-223 can function as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor gene, which is achieved by targeting a wide range of genes and regulating downstream signal transduction. As yet, the function of miR-223 in cancer has not been fully characterized and understood. To make it more clear, this review firstly summarizes the present understanding of the regulation of miR-223 at the molecular level, its crucial role in oncogenesis, development, and metastasis, its function as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and finally, its potential applications in monitoring and therapy of diverse types of malignancies.

MicroRNA-223-3p inhibits human bladder cancer cell migration and invasion

The regulation of initiation and progression during carcinogenesis of bladder carcinoma is not completely elucidated. Dysregulation of microRNAs has been detected to play critical roles in the development of various cancers, including bladder carcinoma, whereas the involvement of miR-223-3p in the tumorigenesis of bladder carcinoma has not been studied. Here, we show that significantly higher levels of nuclear receptor coactivator 1 and significantly lower levels of miR-223-3p were detected in bladder carcinoma tissue, compared to the adjacent non-tumor tissue. In addition, the levels of nuclear receptor coactivator 1 and miR-223-3p were inversely correlated. Moreover, low miR-223-3p levels in bladder carcinoma specimens were associated with poor prognosis. In vitro, depletion of miR-223-3p increased bladder carcinoma cell invasion, which was abolished by overexpression of nuclear receptor coactivator 1. Bioinformatics studies demonstrate that miR-223-3p may bind to the 3'-UTR of nuclear receptor coactivator 1 messenger RNA to inhibit its protein translation in bladder carcinoma cells. Together, our study highlights miR-223-3p as a previously unrecognized microRNA that inhibits bladder carcinoma invasiveness via nuclear receptor coactivator 1, and this finding may be important for developing innovative therapeutic targets in treating bladder carcinoma.

Noncoding RNA for personalized prostate cancer treatment: utilizing the 'dark matters' of the genome

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in western countries, with significant health impact. Clinically, it is complicated with the lack of biomarkers and effective treatments for aggressive disease, particularly castration-resistant prostate cancer. Although we have gained much insight into the biology of prostate cancer through studying protein-coding genes, they represent only a small fraction of our genome. Therefore, it is essential for us to investigate noncoding RNAs, which comprise the majority of our transcriptome, in order to achieve a better understanding of prostate cancer and move toward personalized medicine. In this article, we will address recent advancements in our knowledge of noncoding RNAs, and discuss the clinical potentials and challenges of different types of noncoding RNAs in prostate cancer.

Altered miR-223 Expression in Sputum for Diagnosis of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND

Diagnosis of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) at an early stage is a daunting challenge due to the deficiency of specific noninvasive markers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the initiation and progression of NSCLC. Measuring miRNA expression levels could provide a potential approach for the diagnosis of NSCLC. Our goals were to examine miR-223, miR-212, miR-192, miR-3074, SNORD33 and SNORD37 expression levels in tissue and sputum of NSCLC patients and cancer free subjects for molecular diagnosis of NSCLC.

METHODS

Relative expressions of miR-223, miR-212, miR-192, miR-3074, SNORD33 and SNORD37 were examined with quantitative real-time RT-PCR assay in tissue and sputum obtained from 17 NSCLC patients and 17 controls.

RESULTS

miR-3074 was upregulated in tissue samples of NSCLC patients compared with control group. miR-223 was upregulated, miR-212 and SNORD37 were downergulated in sputum samples of patients compared with controls. miR-223 quantification produced 82% sensitivity and 95% specificity with areas under the ROC curve at 0.90 in detection of NSCLC.

CONCLUSION

miR-223 clearly discriminated cancer patients from cancer-free subjects and our results suggest that miR-223 could be a diagnostic useful biomarker. The measurement of altered miRNA expression in sputum samples manifested the potential noninvasive approach for detection of lung cancer.

miR-223 decreases cell proliferation and enhances cell apoptosis in acute myeloid leukemia via targeting FBXW7

The expression of microRNA-223 (miR-233) has been investigated in various types of cancer. However, to the best of our knowledge, the expression and function of miR-223 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains to be elucidated. The expression of miR-223 was measured by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Following transfection with miR-223, cell viability assays, cell apoptosis assays, western blot analysis and luciferase assays were conducted in AML cell lines. In the present study, it was initially observed that miR-223 was downregulated in AML patients compared with healthy subjects. It was also demonstrated that miR-223 inhibited cell proliferation and enhanced cell apoptosis in AML cell lines. Additionally, the present study provided evidence that miR-223 may directly target F-box and WD repeat domain containing 7 in AML. The identification of candidate target genes of miR-223 may provide an understanding of the potential mechanisms underlying the development of AML. In conclusion, the results of the present study have therapeutic implications and may be exploited for further treatment of AML.