Up- regulation of miR-328-3p sensitizes non-small cell lung cancer to radiotherapy

Radiotherapy Metastatic Prostate Cancer Cell Lines Treated with Gold Nanorods Modulate miRNA Signatures

MicroRNA (miRNA) modulation has been identified as a promising strategy for improving the response of human prostate cancer (PCa) to radiotherapy (RT). Studies have shown that mimics or inhibitors of miRNAs could modulate the sensitivity of PCa cells to RT. In addition, pegylated gold nanoparticles have been studied as a therapeutic approach to treat PCa cells and/or vehicles for carrying miRNAs to the inside of cells. Therefore, we evaluated the capacity of hypofractionated RT and pegylated gold nanorods (AuNPr-PEG) to modulate the miRNA signature on PCa cells. Thus, RT-qPCR was used to analyze miRNA-95, miRNA-106-5p, miRNA-145-5p, and miRNA-541-3p on three human metastatic prostate cell lines (PC3, DU145, and LNCaP) and one human prostate epithelial cell line (HprEpiC, a non-tumor cell line) with and without treatment. Our results showed that miRNA expression levels depend on cell type and the treatment combination applied using RT and AuNPr-PEG. In addition, cells pre-treated with AuNPr-PEG and submitted to 2.5 Gy per day for 3 days decreased the expression levels of miRNA-95, miRNA-106, miRNA-145, and miRNA-541-3p. In conclusion, PCa patients submitted to hypofractionated RT could receive personalized treatment based on their metastatic cellular miRNA signature, and AuNPr-PEG could be used to increase metastatic cell radiosensitivity.

Diverse functions of miR-328 in the carcinogenesis

MicroRNA-328 (miR-328) is an RNA gene that is primarily associated with lung cancer, and its encoding gene is located on 16q22.1. Expression of miR-328 has been observed in lung and esophagus tissues based on RNAseq data. Although several studies have aimed at the detection of miR-328 levels in tumor tissues, there is an obvious discrepancy between the results of these studies. Even in a certain type of cancer, some studies have reported up-regulation of miR-328 in cancerous tissues versus control tissues, while others have reported its down-regulation. This discrepancy might be attributed to different stages/grades of tumor tissues or other clinical characteristics. This review article focuses on the available literature to explore the functions of miR-328 in the development of human carcinogenesis.

Haplotype-GGGT in long non-coding RNA MALAT1 inhibits brain metastatic lung cancer and lymph nodes of lung cancer via the MALAT1/miR-328/KATNB1

The up-regulation of Katanin P8 has been reported to be correlated with a larger tumor size and lymph node metastasis in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. And lncRNA MALAT1 was demonstrated to promote the proliferation of chronic myeloid leukemia cells via modulating miR-328. 135 lung cancer patients were divided into 6 groups according to their genotypes of MALAT1. The expression of KATNB1 was negatively correlated with the GGGT genotype of MALAT1. Decreased lymph node size and tumor size of brain metastatic lung were observed in patients with GGGT genotype of MALAT1. The luciferase activities of MALAT1 and KATNB1 were remarkably suppressed by miR-328 in A549 and H460. And the down-regulation of MALAT1 or up-regulation of miR-328 significantly repressed the KATNB1 expression in A549 and H460 cells. MALAT1 expression was reduced in patients carrying haplotype GGGT. A signaling pathway of MALAT1/miR-328/KATNB1 was established to explain the down-regulation of KATNB1 mRNA in patients carrying haplotype GGGT and reduced lymph node size in lung cancer and tumor size in brain metastatic lung cancer.

The diagnostic, prognostic role and molecular mechanism of miR-328 in human cancer

MicroRNA are non-coding small RNAs that bind to their target mRNA and cause mRNA degradation or translation inhibition. MiRNA dysregulation is linked to a variety of human cancers and has a role in the genesis and development of cancer pathology. MiR-328 has been reported to be involved in various human cancers. And miR-328 is considered a key regulator in human cancer. It participates in biological processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and EMT. The present review will combine the basic and clinical studies to find that miR-328 promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis in human cancer. And we will describe the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value of miR-328 in various human cancers.

miRNAs Participate in the Regulation of Oxidative Stress-Related Gene Expression in Endometrioid Endometrial Cancer

Reactive oxygen species are formed as by-products of normal cell metabolism. They are needed to maintain cell homeostasis and signaling, which is possible due to defense systems. Disruption of this balance leads to oxidative stress that can induce cancer. Redox regulation by miRNAs may be a potential therapeutic target. The aim of the study was to assess the activity of genes associated with oxidative stress in endometrial cancer and to determine their relationship with miRNAs. The study included 45 patients with endometrioid endometrial cancer and 45 without neoplastic changes. The expression profile of genes associated with oxidative stress was determined with mRNA microarrays, RT-qPCR and ELISA. The miRNA prediction was performed based on the miRNA microarray experiment and the mirDB tool. PRDX2 and AQP1 showed overexpression that was probably not related to miRNA activity. A high level of PKD2 may be the result of a decrease in the activity of miR-195-3p, miR-20a, miR-134. A SOD3 level reduction can be caused by miR-328, miR-363. In addition, miR-363 can also regulate KLF2 expression. In the course of endometrial cancer, the phenomenon of oxidative stress is observed, the regulation of which may be influenced by miRNAs.

Small Non-Coding RNAs in Human Cancer

Small non-coding RNAs are widespread in the biological world and have been extensively explored over the past decades. Their fundamental roles in human health and disease are increasingly appreciated. Furthermore, a growing number of studies have investigated the functions of small non-coding RNAs in cancer initiation and progression. In this review, we provide an overview of the biogenesis of small non-coding RNAs with a focus on microRNAs, PIWI-interacting RNAs, and a new class of tRNA-derived small RNAs. We discuss their biological functions in human cancer and highlight their clinical application as molecular biomarkers or therapeutic targets.

Current Landscape of Therapeutic Resistance in Lung Cancer and Promising Strategies to Overcome Resistance

Simple Summary

Despite an initial response to therapy, many lung cancer patients inevitably develop resistance to therapy leading to decreased duration of response and success of treatment. Recent research aims to elucidate mechanisms of resistance in order to improve drug response and treatment outcomes. By utilizing multidisciplinary approaches that target various resistance mechanism, it may be possible to delay development of treatment resistance or even resensitize cancers. This review aims to discuss novel approaches to improve clinical outcomes, delay the occurrence of resistance, and overcome resistance.

Abstract

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide with a 5-year survival rate of less than 18%. Current treatment modalities include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. Despite advances in therapeutic options, resistance to therapy remains a major obstacle to the effectiveness of long-term treatment, eventually leading to therapeutic insensitivity, poor progression-free survival, and disease relapse. Resistance mechanisms stem from genetic mutations and/or epigenetic changes, unregulated drug efflux, tumor hypoxia, alterations in the tumor microenvironment, and several other cellular and molecular alterations. A better understanding of these mechanisms is crucial for targeting factors involved in therapeutic resistance, establishing novel antitumor targets, and developing therapeutic strategies to resensitize cancer cells towards treatment. In this review, we summarize diverse mechanisms driving resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy, and promising strategies to help overcome this therapeutic resistance.

Integrative Analysis of Pyroptosis-Related Prognostic Signature and Immunological Infiltration in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Lung cancer is one of leading causes of human health threatening with approximately 2.09 million initially diagnosed cases and 1.76 million deaths worldwide annually. Pyroptosis is a programmed cell death mediated by Gasdermin family proteins. Pyroptosis could suppress the tumor oncogenesis and progression; nevertheless, pyroptosis could promote tumor growth by forming a suitable microenvironment.

Methods

LASSO Cox regression analysis was performed to construct prognostic pyroptosis-related gene (PRG) signature. A ceRNA was constructed to explore the potential lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory axis in LUSC.

Results

The expression of 26 PRGs were increased or decreased in LUSC. We also summarized simple nucleotide variation and copy number variation landscape of PRGs in LUSC. Prognosis analysis suggested a poor overall survival rate in LUSC patients with high expression of IL6, IL1B, ELANE, and CASP6. A pyroptosis-related prognostic signature was developed based on four prognostic PRGs. High-risk score LUSC patients had a poor overall survival rate versus low-risk score patients with an AUC of 0.565, 0.641, and 0.619 in 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year ROC curves, respectively. Moreover, the risk score was correlated with immune infiltration in LUSC. Further analysis revealed that pyroptosis-related prognostic signature was correlated with immune cell infiltration, tumor mutation burden, microsatellite instability, and drug sensitivity. We also constructed a ceRNA network and identified a lncRNA KCNQ1OT1/miR-328-3p/IL1B regulatory axis for LUSC.

Conclusion

A bioinformatics method was performed to develop a pyroptosis-related prognostic signature containing four genes (IL6, IL1B, ELANE, and CASP4) in LUSC. We also constructed a ceRNA network and identified a lncRNA KCNQ1OT1/miR-328-3p/IL1B regulatory axis for LUSC. Further in vivo and in vitro studies should be conducted to verify these results.

Circulating microRNAs in patients with aneurysmal dilatation of coronary arteries

To understand the mechanism underlying coronary artery abnormal dilatation (CAAD), the present study identified and compared the expression of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in three groups of patients. Group 1 included 20 patients with CAAD, Group 2 included 20 patients with angiographically confirmed coronary artery disease (CAD), and Group 3 included 20 patients with normal coronary arteries (control). miRNAs were isolated from plasma samples and were profiled using PCR arrays and miRCURY LNA Serum/Plasma Focus PCR Panels. The present study demonstrated that the plasma miRNA levels were significantly different in Group 1 compared with in Group 2 and Group 3 (fold change >2 and P<0.05). The comparison of Group 1 with Group 3 identified 21 significantly upregulated and two downregulated miRNAs in patients with CAAD compared with in the control group. Moreover, six upregulated and two downregulated miRNAs were identified in patients with CAD compared with in the controls. The third comparison revealed four upregulated and three downregulated miRNAs in Group 1, when compared with patients with CAD. In conclusion, the present study identified a specific signature of plasma miRNAs, which were upregulated and downregulated in patients with CAAD compared with in patients with CAD and control individuals.

Using biological information to analyze potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Background

Lung cancer is the most common malignant tumor, and it has a high mortality rate. However, the study of miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in the plasma of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is insufficient. Therefore, this study explored the differential expression of mRNA and miRNA in the plasma of NSCLC patients.

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to download microarray datasets, and the differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were analyzed. We predicted transcription factors and target genes of the DEMs by using FunRich software and the TargetScanHuman database, respectively. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) was used for GO annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis of downstream target genes. We constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) and DEM-hub gene networks using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. The GSE20189 dataset was used to screen out the key hub gene. Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and UALCAN databases to analyze the expression and prognosis of the key hub gene and DEMs. Then, GSE17681 and GSE137140 datasets were used to validate DEMs expression. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to verify the ability of the DEMs to distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy patients.

Results

Four upregulated candidate DEMs (hsa-miR199a-5p, hsa-miR-186-5p, hsa-miR-328-3p, and hsa-let-7d-3p) were screened from 3 databases, and 6 upstream transcription factors and 2253 downstream target genes were predicted. These genes were mainly enriched in cancer pathways and PI3k-Akt pathways. Among the top 30 hub genes, the expression of KLHL3 was consistent with the GSE20189 dataset. Except for let-7d-3p, the expression of other DEMs and KLHL3 in tissues were consistent with those in plasma. LUSC patients with high let-7d-3p expression had poor overall survival rates (OS). External validation demonstrated that the expression of hsa-miR-199a-5p and hsa-miR-186-5p in peripheral blood of NSCLC patients was higher than the healthy controls. The ROC curve confirmed that the DEMs could better distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy people.

Conclusion

The results showed that miR-199a-5p and miR-186-5p may be noninvasive diagnostic biomarkers for NSCLC patients. MiR-199a-5p-KLHL3 may be involved in the occurrence and development of NSCLC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09281-1.

miR-328-3p promotes migration and invasion by targeting H2AFX in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Migration and invasion are the initial step in the metastatic process, while metastasis is responsible for the poor prognosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Since miRNA has been found as an important regulator of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level in various diseases including carcinoma, exploring the role of miRNA in cancer metastasis will facilitate the target therapy of advanced HNSCC. MiR-328-3p has been reported to be an onco-miRNA or a tumor suppressor in several cancers. However, the role of miR-328-3p in HNSCC migration and invasion remains undefined. In this study, we first demonstrated that miR-328-3p enhanced migration and invasion of HNSCC in vitro, accompanying with a promotion of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mTOR activity. Meanwhile, we confirmed that miR-328-3p directly targeted the 3'UTR of H2A histone family, member X (H2AFX), which served as a tumor suppressor in migration and invasion of HNSCC. Moreover, H2AFX could partially reverse the migration and invasion of HNSCC caused by miR-328-3p. Overall, our results indicated that miR-328-3p enhanced migration and invasion of HNSCC through targeting H2AFX and activated the mTOR pathway.

Circ-RPPH1 knockdown retards breast cancer progression via miR-328-3p-mediated suppression of HMGA2

BACKGROUND

Circular RNA Ribonuclease P RNA Component H1 (circ-RPPH1) was confirmed to act as an oncogene in many cancers to promote cancer progression. However, the exact function and mechanism of circ-RPPH1 in breast cancer (BC) remain vague.

METHODS

The expression of circ-RPPH1, microRNA (miR)-328-3p and high-mobility group AT-hook 2 (HMGA2) was detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot. Cell viability, apoptosis, migration and invasion were determined using cell counting kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and transwell assay, respectively. Glucose metabolism was calculated by detecting glucose uptake and lactate production. The target correlations between miR-328-3p and circ-RPPH1 or HMGA2 were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The murine xenograft model was established to conduct in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

Circ-RPPH1 expression was elevated and miR-328-3p was decreased in BC tissues and cells. Circ-RPPH1 knockdown or miR-328-3p re-expression suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion and glycolysis but induced apoptosis in BC in vitro. Circ-RPPH1 was a sponge of miR-328-3p, and silencing of miR-328-3p reversed the inhibitory effects of circ-RPPH1 knockdown on BC cell malignant phenotypes and glycolysis. MiR-328-3p directly targeted HMGA2, and HMGA2 overexpression abolished the action of miR-328-3p in BC cells. Besides, circ-RPPH1 could regulate HMGA2 expression by miR-328-3p in BC cells. Moreover, murine xenograft model analysis suggested circ-RPPH1 knockdown inhibited tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Circ-RPPH1 knockdown retarded cell malignant phenotypes and glycolysis via miR-328-3p/HMGA2 axis in BC, providing a potential therapeutic target for BC treatment.

Narrative review: molecular and genetic profiling of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer

Objective

The objectives of this review are to discuss: the definition, clinical and biologic features of oligometastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as well as the concept of treating oligoprogression in oligometastatic NSCLC.

Background

A substantial proportion of patients diagnosed with lung cancer present with metastatic disease, and a large portion of patients who present with localized disease later develop metastases. Oligometastatic NSCLC is defined as an intermediate state between localized and widespread metastatic disease, where there may be a role for curative localized therapy approach by treating the primary tumor and all metastases with radiotherapy or surgery. Despite the increasing application of this approach in patients with lung cancer, the identification of patients who might benefit from this approach is yet to be well characterized.

Methods

After a systematic review of the literature, a PubMed search was performed using the English language and the key terms: oligometastatic, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), localized consolidative treatment (LCT), biomarkers, biologic features, clinical features. Over 500 articles were retrieved between 1889–2021. A total of 178 papers discussing the definition, clinical and biologic factors leading to oligometastatic NSCLC were reviewed and included in the discussion of this paper.

Conclusions

Oligometastatic NSCLC is a unique entity. Identifying patients who have oligometastatic NSCLC accurately using a combination of clinical and biologic features and treating them with localized consolidative approach appropriately results in improvement of outcome. Further understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving the formation of oligometastatic NSCLC is an important area of focus for future studies.

N6-methyladenosine-modified circIGF2BP3 inhibits CD8+ T-cell responses to facilitate tumor immune evasion by promoting the deubiquitination of PD-L1 in non-small cell lung cancer

Background

An in-depth understanding of immune evasion mechanisms in tumors is crucial to overcome resistance and enable innovative advances in immunotherapy. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in cancer progression. However, much remains unknown regarding whether circRNAs impact immune escape in non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).

Methods

We performed bioinformatics analysis to profile and identify the circRNAs mediating immune evasion in NSCLC. A luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), RNA pulldown assays and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed to identify the interactions among circIGF2BP3, miR-328-3p, miR-3173-5p and plakophilin 3 (PKP3). In vitro T cell-mediated killing assays and in vivo syngeneic mouse models were used to investigate the functional roles of circIGF2BP3 and its downstream target PKP3 in antitumor immunity in NSCLC. The molecular mechanism of PKP3-induced PD-L1 upregulation was explored by immunoprecipitation, RIP, and ubiquitination assays.

Results

We demonstrated that circIGF2BP3 (hsa_circ_0079587) expression was increased in NSCLC and negatively correlated with CD8⁺ T cell infiltration. Functionally, elevated circIGF2BP3 inactivated cocultured T cells in vitro and compromised antitumor immunity in an immunocompetent mouse model, and this effect was dependent on CD8⁺ T cells. Mechanistically, METTL3 mediates the N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification of circIGF2BP3 and promotes its circularization in a manner dependent on the m⁶A reader protein YTHDC1. circIGF2BP3 competitively upregulates PKP3 expression by sponging miR-328-3p and miR-3173-5p to compromise the cancer immune response. Furthermore, PKP3 engages with the RNA-binding protein FXR1 to stabilize OTUB1 mRNA, and OTUB1 elevates PD-L1 abundance by facilitating its deubiquitination. Tumor PD-L1 deletion completely blocked the impact of the circIGF2BP3/PKP3 axis on the CD8⁺ T cell response. The inhibition of circIGF2BP3/PKP3 enhanced the treatment efficacy of anti-PD-1 therapy in a Lewis lung carcinoma mouse model. Collectively, the PKP3/PD-L1 signature and the infiltrating CD8⁺ T cell status stratified NSCLC patients into different risk groups.

Conclusion

Our results reveal the function of circIGF2BP3 in causing immune escape from CD8⁺ T cell-mediated killing through a decrease in PD-L1 ubiquitination and subsequent proteasomal degradation by stabilizing OTUB1 mRNA in a PKP3-dependent manner. This work sheds light on a novel mechanism of PD-L1 regulation in NSCLC and provides a rationale to enhance the efficacy of anti-PD-1 treatment in NSCLC.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-021-01398-4.

KDM4C contributes to cytarabine resistance in acute myeloid leukemia via regulating the miR-328-3p/CCND2 axis through MALAT1

Aims

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive hematologic neoplasm, in which relapse due to drug resistance is the main cause for treatment failure and the disease progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of KDM4C-dependent MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 axis in cytarabine (Ara-C) resistance in the context of AML.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was performed to predict the targeting relationships among KDM4C, MALAT1, miR-328-3p, and CCND2 in AML, which were validated with chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was conducted to detect the methylation of MALAT1 promoter. After conducting gain- and loss-of-function assays, we investigated the effect of KDM4C on cell Ara-C resistance. A NOD/SCID mouse model was established to further investigate the roles of KDM4C/MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 in Ara-C resistant AML cells.

Results

KDM4C expression was upregulated in AML. KDM4C upregulation promoted the demethylation in the promoter region of MALAT1 to increase its expression, MALAT1 targeted and inhibited miR-328-3p expression, enhancing the Ara-C resistance of HL-60/A. miR-328-3p targeted and suppressed the expression of CCND2 in HL-60/A to inhibit the Ara-C resistance. Mechanistically, KDM4C regulated miR-328-3p/CCND2 through MALAT1, resulting in Ara-C resistance in AML. Findings in an in vivo xenograft NOD/SCID mouse model further confirmed the contribution of KDM4C/MALAT1/miR-328-3p/CCND2 in the Ara-C resistant AML.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that KDM4C may up-regulate MALAT1 expression, which decreases the expression of miR-328-3p. The downregulation of miR-328-3p increased the level of CCND2, which induced the Ara-C resistance in AML.

MiR-328-3p inhibits lung adenocarcinoma-genesis by downregulation PYCR1

BACKGROUND

A vast majority of patients with NSCLC (non-small cell lung cancer) have lung adenocarcinoma (LA), and the survival rate of LA varies from 5% to 75% depending on the severity of this adenocarcinoma. PYCR1 (abnormal pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase 1) gene and miR-328-3p have been found to be associated with cancer development. However, the underlying mechanism of interaction between miR-328-3p and PYCR1 in LA needs further investigation.

METHODS

The expressions of miR-328-3p and PYCR1 in samples with LA were identified by RT-qPCR. Next, we investigated the targeting relationship between these two biological factors using luciferase assay. CCK-8, BrdU, transwell-migration, and flow cytometry assays were performed to detect cell viability, cell proliferation, cell migration and cell apoptosis in LA cells.

RESULTS

We noticed that miR-328-3p expression was downregulated in LA samples. MiR-328-3p mimic restricted cell proliferation and cell migration, while it enhanced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the overexpression of PYCR1 promoted the proliferation and migration of LA cells, but it repressed cell apoptosis. Moreover, PYCR1 directly interacted with miR-328-3p in the LA cells, and miR-328-3p restrained the expression of PYCR1, thus suppressing LA tumorigenesis.

CONCLUSION

In summary, our study revealed that miR-328-3p targeting to PYCR1 suppressed the malignancy of LA cells by impeding cell proliferation and migration, while effectively promoting cell apoptosis.

Circ_0004104 knockdown alleviates oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced dysfunction in vascular endothelial cells through targeting miR-328-3p/TRIM14 axis in atherosclerosis

Background

Circular RNAs have shown important regulatory roles in cardiovascular diseases, containing atherosclerosis (AS). We intended to explore the role of circ_0004104 in AS using oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced vascular endothelial cells and its associated mechanism.

Methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot assay were conducted to analyze RNA levels and protein levels, respectively. Cell viability, apoptosis, angiogenic ability and inflammatory response were assessed by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT) assay, flow cytometry, capillary-like network formation assay and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. Cell oxidative stress was assessed using commercial kits. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA immunoprecipitation assay and RNA-pull down assay were performed to verify the intermolecular interaction.

Results

ox-LDL exposure up-regulated the level of circ_0004104 in HUVECs. ox-LDL exposure suppressed cell viability and angiogenic ability whereas promoted the apoptosis, inflammation and oxidative stress of HUVECs partly through up-regulating circ_0004104. MicroRNA-328-3p (miR-328-3p) was confirmed as a target of circ_0004104. MiR-328-3p interference largely reversed circ_0004104 silencing-mediated effects in HUVECs upon ox-LDL exposure. MiR-328-3p interacted with the 3′ untranslated region of tripartite motif 14, and circ_0004104 positively regulated TRIM14 expression by sponging miR-328-3p. TRIM14 overexpression largely overturned miR-328-3p accumulation-induced influences in HUVECs upon ox-LDL exposure.

Conclusion

Circ_0004104 knockdown attenuated ox-LDL-induced dysfunction in HUVECs via miR-328-3p-mediated regulation of TRIM14.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12872-021-02012-7.

An Analysis of Mechanisms for Cellular Uptake of miRNAs to Enhance Drug Delivery and Efficacy in Cancer Chemoresistance

Up until recently, it was believed that pharmaceutical drugs and their metabolites enter into the cell to gain access to their targets via simple diffusion across the hydrophobic lipid cellular membrane, at a rate which is based on their lipophilicity. An increasing amount of evidence indicates that the phospholipid bilayer-mediated drug diffusion is in fact negligible, and that drugs pass through cell membranes via proteinaceous membrane transporters or carriers which are normally used for the transportation of nutrients and intermediate metabolites. Drugs can be targeted to specific cells and tissues which express the relevant transporters, leading to the design of safe and efficacious treatments. Furthermore, transporter expression levels can be manipulated, systematically and in a high-throughput manner, allowing for considerable progress in determining which transporters are used by specific drugs. The ever-expanding field of miRNA therapeutics is not without its challenges, with the most notable one being the safe and effective delivery of the miRNA mimic/antagonist safely to the target cell cytoplasm for attaining the desired clinical outcome, particularly in miRNA-based cancer therapeutics, due to the poor efficiency of neo-vascular systems revolting around the tumour site, brought about by tumour-induced angiogenesis. This acquisition of resistance to several types of anticancer drugs can be as a result of an upregulation of efflux transporters expression, which eject drugs from cells, hence lowering drug efficacy, resulting in multidrug resistance. In this article, the latest available data on human microRNAs has been reviewed, together with the most recently described mechanisms for miRNA uptake in cells, for future therapeutic enhancements against cancer chemoresistance.

Knockdown of lncRNA X inactive specific transcript (XIST) radiosensitizes non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells through regulation of miR-16-5p/WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1) axis

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive specific transcript (XIST) is reported to play an oncogenic role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the role of XIST in regulating the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells remains unclear. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of XIST and miR-16-5p in NSCLC in tissues and cells, and Western blot was used to assess the expression of WEE1 G2 checkpoint kinase (WEE1). Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation and flow cytometry assays were used to determine cell viability and apoptosis after NSCLC cells were exposed to different doses of X-rays. The interaction between XIST and miR-16-5p was confirmed by StarBase database, qRT-PCR and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. TargetScan database was used to predict WEE1 as a target of miR-16-5p, and their targeting relationship was further validated by Western blot, qRT-PCR and dual-luciferase reporter gene assays. XIST was highly expressed in both NSCLC tissue and cell lines, and knockdown of XIST repressed NSCLC cell viability and cell survival, and facilitated apoptosis under the irradiation. MiR-16-5p was a target of XIST, and rescue experiments demonstrated that miR-16-5p inhibitors could reverse the role of XIST knockdown on radiosensitivity in NSCLC cells. WEE1 was validated as a target gene of miR-16-5p, and WEE1 could be negatively regulated by XIST. XIST promotes the radioresistance of NSCLC cells by regulating the expressions of miR-16-5p and WEE1, which can be a novel target for NSCLC therapy.

WITHDRAWN: Circ_0000517 contributes to hepatocellular carcinoma progression by upregulating ARID4B via sponging miR-328-3p

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Long Noncoding RNA PTPRG Antisense RNA 1 Reduces Radiosensitivity of Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Cells Via Regulating MiR-200c-3p/TCF4

Background:

PTPRG antisense RNA 1 has been well-documented to exert an oncogenic role in diverse neoplasms. However, the precise role of PTPRG antisense RNA 1 in regulating radiosensitivity of nonsmall cell lung cancer cells remains largely elusive.

Methods:

Expression levels of PTPRG antisense RNA 1 and miR-200c-3p in nonsmall cell lung cancer tissues and cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while transcription factor 4 expression was examined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. After nonsmall cell lung cancer cells were exposed to X-ray with different doses in vitro, Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and colony formation assay were conducted to determine the influence of PTPRG antisense RNA 1 on cell viability. Interaction between miR-200c-3p and PTPRG antisense RNA 1 as well as transcription factor 4 was investigated by dual luciferase reporter assay.

Result:

In nonsmall cell lung cancer tissues, the expressions of PTPRG antisense RNA 1 and transcription factor 4 were significantly upregulated, whereas the expression of miR-200c-3p was downregulated. It was also proved that PTPRG antisense RNA 1 and 3′-untranslated region of transcription factor 4 can bind to miR-200c-3p. Under X-ray irradiation, overexpressed PTPRG antisense RNA 1 could promote the viability and enhance the radioresistance of nonsmall cell lung cancer cells, and this effect was partially weakened by miR-200c-3p mimics. Transcription factor 4 was identified as a target gene of miR-200c-3p, which could be positively regulated by PTPRG antisense RNA 1.

Conclusion:

PTPRG antisense RNA 1 reduces the radiosensitivity of nonsmall cell lung cancer cells via modulating miR-200c-3p/TCF4 axis.

Puerarin Inhibits the Progression of Bladder Cancer by Regulating circ_0020394/miR-328-3p/NRBP1 Axis

Background: Previous studies have shown puerarin to be a potential therapeutic drug for treatment of bladder cancer. But the role and possible molecular mechanism of puerarin remain unknown. Methods: Cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Western blot was used to measure the levels of all protein. Glucose consumption and lactate production were detected using a glucose and lactate assay kit. Circular RNA_0020394 (circ_0020394), microRNA-328-3p (miR-328-3p), and nuclear receptor binding protein 1 (NRBP1) levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The interaction between miRNA and circRNA or mRNA was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter assay. In vivo experiments were performed to examine the effect of puerarin on tumor growth. Results: Puerarin suppressed cell viability, migration, invasion, and glycolysis, and induced apoptosis in bladder cancer. circ_0020394 was downregulated in puerarin-treated bladder cancer cells, and circ_0020394 overexpression attenuated the inhibitory effect of puerarin on cell progression. Moreover, circ_0020394 could bind to miR-328-3p, and miR-328-3p directly targeted NRBP1. Functionally, miR-328-3p could reverse the promotion effect of circ_0020394 overexpression on the progression of puerarin-treated cells, and silencing NRBP1 counteracted the effects of anti-miR-328-3p on puerarin-treated cells. Mechanically, circ_0020394 could increase NRBP1 expression by acting as miR-328-3p sponge in puerarin-treated bladder cancer cells. Besides, puerarin inhibited tumorigenesis in vivo by increasing miR-328-3p and decreasing the levels of circ_0020394 and NRBP1. Conclusions: Puerarin impedes cell viability, migration, invasion, and glycolysis, and promoted apoptosis in bladder cancer by regulating circ_0020394/miR-328-3p/NRBP1 axis.

miRNA-based biomarkers, therapies, and resistance in Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) of about 22 nucleotides in size, play important roles in gene regulation, and their dysregulation is implicated in human diseases including cancer. A variety of miRNAs could take roles in the cancer progression, participate in the process of tumor immune, and function with miRNA sponges. During the last two decades, the connection between miRNAs and various cancers has been widely researched. Based on evidence about miRNA, numerous potential cancer biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis have been put forward, providing a new perspective on cancer screening. Besides, there are several miRNA-based therapies among different cancers being conducted, advanced treatments such as the combination of synergistic strategies and the use of complementary miRNAs provide significant clinical benefits to cancer patients potentially. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that many miRNAs are engaged in the resistance of cancer therapies with their complex underlying regulatory mechanisms, whose comprehensive cognition can help clinicians and improve patient prognosis. With the belief that studies about miRNAs in human cancer would have great clinical implications, we attempt to summarize the current situation and potential development prospects in this review.

miR-328-3p overexpression attenuates the malignant proliferation and invasion of liver cancer via targeting Endoplasmic Reticulum Metallo Protease 1 to inhibit AKT phosphorylation

Background

Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide. microRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized as minimally invasive prognostic markers for distinct types of cancer. This study evaluates the mitigation role of miR-328-3p on liver cancer in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

Liver cancer cell line Huh-7 and HepG2 were used for in vitro experiments. Compared with the control group, miR-328-3p overexpression inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and promoted apoptosis of Huh-7 cells. miR-328-3p and endoplasmic reticulum metalloprotease 1 (ERMP1) had an excellent targeting relationship. Compared with the pcDNA-ERMP1 transfection group, the ratios of p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, and p-mTOR/mTOR in miR-328-3p mimic and pcDNA-ERMP1 co-transfection group were significantly decreased. Animal models were set up using four-week-old immunodeficient BABL/c female nude mice. Huh-7 cells transfected with lentivirus holding miR-328-3p or empty vector were injected into the right dorsal side of BABL/c nude mice, respectively. Tumor volume was measured every five days. After one month, animals were sacrificed, xenograft tumors were dissected and weighed for RT-PCR and immunohistochemical assays.

Results

Compared with control group, miR-328-3p overexpression significantly inhibited tumor weight (0.46±0.07 vs. 0.11±0.05 g, P<0.05) and tumor volume (1876±321 vs. 543±168 mm³, P<0.05) after thirty days. miR-328-3p overexpression significantly downregulated the percentage of Ki67 positive cells, N-cadherin positive cells and vimentin positive cells.

Conclusions

These findings suggested that miR-328-3p could be a new treatment or a novel marker for liver cancer prognosis.

Licochalcone A reverses NNK-induced ectopic miRNA expression to elicit in vitro and in vivo chemopreventive effects

BACKGROUND

Chemoprevention is the best cost-effective way regarding cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be differentially expressed during the development of lung cancer. However, if lung cancer prevention can be achieved through modulating miRNAs expression so far remains unknown.

PURPOSE

To discover ectopically expressed miRNAs in NNK-induced lung cancer and clarify whether Licochalcone A (lico A) can prevent NNK-induced lung cancer by modulating miRNA expression.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

A/J mice were used to construct a lung cancer model by intraperitoneal injection with physiological saline NNK (100 mg/kg). Chemopreventive effects of lico A against lung cancer at 2 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg doses were evaluated in vivo. MicroRNA array and RT-qPCR were used to assess the expression levels of miRNAs. MLE-12 cells were treated with 0.1 mg/ml NNK, stimulating the ectopic expression pattern of miR-144-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-29c-3p, let-7d-3p, and miR-328-3p. miR-144-3p mimics and inhibitors were used to manipulate miR-144-3p levels. The effects of lico A (10 μM) on cell cycle distribution, apoptosis, and the expression of CK19, RASA1, miR-144-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-29c-3p, let-7d-3p, and miR-328-3p in NNK-treated MLE-12 cells were studied.

RESULTS

The expression levels of miR-144-3p, miR-20a-5p, and miR-29c-3p increased, while those of let-7d-3p and miR-328-3p decreased in both NNK-induced A/J mice and MLE-12 cells. Lico A could reverse the NNK-induced ectopic miRNA (miR-144-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-29c-3p, let-7d-3p, and miR-328-3p) expression both in vivo and in vitro and elicit in vivo lung cancer chemopreventive effect against NNK. In MLE-12 cells, the overexpression of miR-144-3p elicited the same effect as NNK regarding the expression of lung cancer biomarker CK19; the silencing of miR-144-3p reversed the effect of NNK on cell cycle distribution and apoptosis. Lico A could reverse the effect of NNK on the expression of miR-144-3p, CK19, and RASA1 (predicted target of miR-144-3p).

CONCLUSION

The present study suggests that miR-144-3p, miR-20a-5p, miR-29c-3p, let-7d-3p, and miR-328-3p were involved in the in vivo pathogenesis of NNK-induced lung cancer, and lico A could reverse the effect of NNK both in vivo and in vitro to elicit lung cancer chemopreventive effects through, at least partially, these five ectopically expressed miRNAs, especially miR-144-3p.

MicroRNA-328-3p Protects Vascular Endothelial Cells Against Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein Induced Injury via Targeting Forkhead Box Protein O4 (FOXO4) in Atherosclerosis

Background

Endothelial cell (EC) injury is underlies for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis (AS). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been indicated play important role in modulating AS occurrence and development. However, how miR-328-3p modulates EC injury molecular level for AS remains unclear.

Material/Methods

MiR-328-3p and forkhead box protein O4 (FOXO4) expression were detected using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Cell viability was analyzed by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. Flow cytometry was utilized to analyze the apoptotic rate. The migration and invasion abilities were measured by Transwell assay. Western blot was applied to examine the expression of C-caspase 3, Beclin, LC3-I, and LC3-II. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay and western blot.

Results

MiR-328-3p expression was downregulated in oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Overexpressed miR-328-3p obviously alleviated ox-LDL induced inhibition on cell viability, migration and invasion, stimulation on apoptosis, autophagy as well as inflammation in HUVECs. FOXO4 was elevated in ox-LDL HUVECs, and functional assay indicated that FOXO4 aggravated ox-LDL induced HUVECs impairment. In addition, FOXO4 was a target of miR-328-3p in HUVECs; rescue experiments suggested miR-328-3p could protect HUVECs against ox-LDL induced injury via regulating FOXO4.

Conclusions

MiR-328-3p protected vascular endothelial cells against ox-LDL induced injury via targeting FOXO4, suggesting a novel insight for atherosclerosis treatment.

LINC00210 plays oncogenic roles in non-small cell lung cancer by sponging microRNA-328-5p

Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) has an important role in regulating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) progression. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of LINC00210 in NSCLC progression in order to provide a novel treatment target for patients with NSCLC. A total of 39 NSCLC patients were obtained and divided into LINC00210 high expression and low expression groups. Subsequently, the 5-year survival rate from this patient cohort was analyzed. The SK-MES-1 and A549 NSCLC and the human 16-HBE bronchial epithelial cell lines were utilized to investigate expression level of LIN00210. A549 cells were used to investigate cell proliferation, migration and invasive abilities using Cell Counting kit 8, Transwell and Matrigel assays, respectively. In addition, the luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to investigate the potential target of LINC00210. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to determine LINC00210 and microRNA (miR)-328-5p expression levels in NSCLC tissues and tumor cell lines (SK-MES-1 and A549). The results demonstrated that LINC00210 was upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines compared with that in normal tissues and 16-HBE cells, and that LINC00210 expression was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with NSCLC (P<0.05). Furthermore, A549 cell transfection with small interfering (si)LINC00210#1 and siLINC00210#2 induced a significant decrease in cell proliferation, and migratory and invasive abilities compared with that in the control groups (P<0.05). In addition, miR-328-5p overexpression was stimulated by knockdown of LINC00210. Furthermore, A549 cells transfected with siLINC00210#1 and miR-328-5p inhibitor exhibited a significant increase in cell proliferation, and migratory and invasive ability compared with that in A549 cells transfected with siLINC00210#1. These findings suggest that LINC00210 may serve as an oncogenic role in NSCLC by sponging miR-328-5p.

Upregulation of microRNA-328-3p by hepatitis B virus contributes to THLE-2 cell injury by downregulating FOXO4

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major cause of chronic hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, and miRNAs play important roles in HBV pathogenesis. Our previous study has shown that miR-328-3p is upregulated in HBV-infected patients and serves as a potent predictor for the prognosis of HBV-related liver failure.

Methods

Here, the role of miR-328-3p in modulating cell injury in HBV-infected liver cells THLE-2 was investigated in detail. MiR-328-3p expression was examined using qRT-PCR. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were measured using ELISA. HBV RNA and HBV DNA levels were quantified. The interactions between STAT3 and miR-328-3p promoter as well as miR-328-3p and FOXO4 were analyzed using chromatin immunoprecipitation (CHIP) assay and luciferase reporter assay, respectively. THLE-2 cell injury was evaluated by examining cell viability and apoptosis.

Results

HBV promoted expression of miR-328-3p through the STAT3 signal pathway and that increasingly expressed miR-328-3p downregulated its target FOXO4, leading to the promotion of cell injury in HBV-infected liver cells THLE-2.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that HBV-STAT3-miR-328-3p-FOXO4 regulation pathway may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HBV infection.

Circular RNA hsa_circRNA_002178 silencing retards breast cancer progression via microRNA-328-3p-mediated inhibition of COL1A1

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a group of non-coding RNAs implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer progression, which exert their functions via regulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) and genes. The present study uses gain- and loss-of-function approaches to evaluate the functions of hsa_circRNA_002178 in angiogenesis along with energy metabolism and underlying downstream signals. The expression pattern of hsa_circRNA_002178 in clinical breast cancer tissues and its association with prognosis were characterized at first. Next, the energy metabolism and angiogenesis as well as cell viability were evaluated when the expression of hsa_circRNA_002178 in breast cancer cells was knocked down by siRNA. The interaction between hsa_circRNA_002178 and its downstream miR-328-3p was identified, followed by the analysis of their functions in regulation of breast cancer cellular behaviours. The target gene of miR-328-3p was predicted and verified, followed by identifying its role in the breast cancer progression. Higher expression of hsa_circRNA_002178 shared an association with worse prognosis in breast cancer. The inhibition of hsa_circRNA_002178 resulted in reductions in cell viability, energy metabolism and tube formation ability. Hsa_circRNA_002178 could competitively bind to miR-328-3p and down-regulated its expression. Restoration of miR-328-3p eliminated the tumour-promoting effects of hsa_circRNA_002178. COL1A1, as a target of miR-328-3p, could be up-regulated by overexpression of hsa_circRNA_002178. In vivo experiments further confirmed the inhibition of tumour growth and inflammation by silencing hsa_circRNA_002178 or up-regulating miR-328-3p. Taken together, hsa_circRNA_002178 is highlighted as a promising target for breast cancer due to the anti-tumour effects achieved by silencing hsa_circRNA_002178.

Bioengineered miR-328-3p modulates GLUT1-mediated glucose uptake and metabolism to exert synergistic antiproliferative effects with chemotherapeutics

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small noncoding RNAs derived from genome to control target gene expression. Recently we have developed a novel platform permitting high-yield production of bioengineered miRNA agents (BERA). This study is to produce and utilize novel fully-humanized BERA/miR-328-3p molecule (hBERA/miR-328) to delineate the role of miR-328-3p in controlling nutrient uptake essential for cell metabolism. We first demonstrated successful high-level expression of hBERA/miR-328 in bacteria and purification to high degree of homogeneity (>98%). Biologic miR-328-3p prodrug was selectively processed to miR-328-3p to suppress the growth of highly-proliferative human osteosarcoma (OS) cells. Besides glucose transporter protein type 1, gene symbol solute carrier family 2 member 1 (GLUT1/SLC2A1), we identified and verified large neutral amino acid transporter 1, gene symbol solute carrier family 7 member 5 (LAT1/SLC7A5) as a direct target for miR-328-3p. While reduction of LAT1 protein levels by miR-328-3p did not alter homeostasis of amino acids within OS cells, suppression of GLUT1 led to a significantly lower glucose uptake and decline in intracellular levels of glucose and glycolytic metabolite lactate. Moreover, combination treatment with hBERA/miR-328 and cisplatin or doxorubicin exerted a strong synergism in the inhibition of OS cell proliferation. These findings support the utility of novel bioengineered RNA molecules and establish an important role of miR-328-3p in the control of nutrient transport and homeostasis behind cancer metabolism.

Circulating MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers for Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. To improve disease outcome, it is crucial to implement biomarkers into the clinics which assist physicians in their decisions regarding diagnosis, prognosis, as well as prediction of treatment response. Liquid biopsy offers an opportunity to obtain such biomarkers in a minimal invasive manner by retrieving tumor-derived material from body fluids of the patient. The abundance of circulating microRNAs is known to be altered in disease and has therefore been studied extensively as a cancer biomarker. Circulating microRNAs present a variety of favorable characteristics for application as liquid biopsy-based biomarkers, including their high stability, relatively high abundance, and presence is nearly all body fluids. Although the application of circulating microRNAs for the management of lung cancer has not entered the clinics yet, several studies showed their utility for diagnosis, prognosis, and efficacy prediction of various treatment strategies, including surgery, radio-/chemotherapy, as well as targeted therapy. To compensate for their limited tumor specificity, several microRNAs are frequently combined into microRNA panels. Moreover, the possibility to combine single microRNAs or microRNA panels with tumor imaging or other cancer-specific biomarkers has the potential to increase specificity and sensitivity and could lead to the clinical application of novel multi-marker combinations.

Advances in the discovery of microRNA-based anticancer therapeutics: latest tools and developments

Introduction: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous non-coding RNAs that repress the expression of their target genes by reducing mRNA stability and/or inhibiting translation. miRNAs are known to be aberrantly regulated in cancers. Modulators of miRNA (mimics and antagonists) have emerged as novel therapeutic tools for cancer treatment.Areas covered: This review summarizes the various strategies that have been applied to correct the dysregulated miRNA in cancer cells. The authors also discuss the recent advances in the technical development and preclinical/clinical evaluation of miRNA-based therapeutic agents.Expert opinion: Application of miRNA-based therapeutics for cancer treatment is appealing because they are able to modulate multiple dysregulated genes and/or signaling pathways in cancer cells. Major obstacles hindering their clinical development include drug delivery, off-target effects, efficacious dose determination, and safety. Tumor site-specific delivery of novel miRNA therapeutics may help to minimize off-target effects and toxicity. Combination of miRNA therapeutics with other anticancer treatment modalities could provide a synergistic effect, thus allowing the use of lower dose, minimizing off-target effects, and improving the overall safety profile in cancer patients. It is critical to identify individual miRNAs with cancer type-specific and context-specific regulation of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in order to facilitate the precise use of miRNA anticancer therapeutics.

Pan-cancer clinical and molecular analysis of racial disparities

BACKGROUND

Racial disparities in cancer outcomes are increasingly recognized, but comprehensive analyses, including molecular studies, are limited. The objective of the current study was to perform a pan-cancer clinical and epigenetic molecular analysis of outcomes in African American (AA) and European American (EA) patients.

METHODS

Cross-platform analyses using cancer databases (the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program database and the National Cancer Data Base) and a molecular database (The Cancer Genome Ancestry Atlas) were performed to evaluate clinical and epigenetic molecular differences between AA and EA patients based on genetic ancestry.

RESULTS

In the primary pan-cancer survival analysis using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database (2,045,839 patients; 87.5% EA and 12.5% AA), AA patients had higher mortality rates for 28 of 42 cancer types analyzed (hazard ratio, >1.0). AAs continued to have higher mortality in 13 cancer types after adjustment for socioeconomic variables using the National Cancer Database (5,150,023 patients; 11.6% AA and 88.4% EA). Then, molecular features of 5,283 tumors were analyzed in patients who had genetic ancestry data available (87.2% EA and 12.8% AA). Genes were identified with altered DNA methylation along with increased microRNA expression levels unique to AA patients that are associated with cancer drug resistance. Increased miRNAs (miR-15a, miR-17, miR-130-3p, miR-181a) were noted in common among AAs with breast, kidney, thyroid, or prostate carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

The current results identified epigenetic features in AA patients who have cancer that may contribute to higher mortality rates compared with EA patients who have cancer. Therefore, a focus on molecular signatures unique to AAs may identify actionable molecular abnormalities.

Extracellular Vesicles in Modifying the Effects of Ionizing Radiation

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-coated nanovesicles actively secreted by almost all cell types. EVs can travel long distances within the body, being finally taken up by the target cells, transferring information from one cell to another, thus influencing their behavior. The cargo of EVs comprises of nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins derived from the cell of origin, thereby it is cell-type specific; moreover, it differs between diseased and normal cells. Several studies have shown that EVs have a role in tumor formation and prognosis. It was also demonstrated that ionizing radiation can alter the cargo of EVs. EVs, in turn can modulate radiation responses and they play a role in radiation-induced bystander effects. Due to their biocompatibility and selective targeting, EVs are suitable nanocarrier candidates of drugs in various diseases, including cancer. Furthermore, the cargo of EVs can be engineered, and in this way they can be designed to carry certain genes or even drugs, similar to synthetic nanoparticles. In this review, we describe the biological characteristics of EVs, focusing on the recent efforts to use EVs as nanocarriers in oncology, the effects of EVs in radiation therapy, highlighting the possibilities to use EVs as nanocarriers to modulate radiation effects in clinical applications.

MicroRNAs Affect Complement Regulator Expression and Mitochondrial Activity to Modulate Cell Resistance to Complement-Dependent Cytotoxicity

MicroRNAs (miR) are small RNA molecules that shape the cell transcriptome and proteome through regulation of mRNA stability and translation. Here, we examined their function as determinants of cell resistance to complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC). To achieve this goal, we compared the expression of microRNAs between complement-resistant and -sensitive K562 leukemia, Raji lymphoma, and HCT-116 colorectal carcinoma cells. Global microRNA array analysis identified miR-150, miR-328, and miR-616 as regulators of CDC resistance. Inhibition of miR-150 reduced resistance, whereas inhibition of miR-328 or miR-616 enhanced cell resistance. Treatment of K562 cells with a sublytic dose of complement was shown to rapidly increase miR-150, miR-328, and miR-616 expression. Protein targets of these microRNAs were analyzed in K562 cells by mass spectrometry-based proteomics. Expression of the complement membrane regulatory proteins CD46 and CD59 was significantly enhanced after inhibition of miR-328 and miR-616. Enrichment of proteins of mitochondria, known target organelles in CDC, was observed after miR-150, miR-328, and miR-616 inhibition. In conclusion, miR-150, miR-328, and miR-616 regulate cell resistance to CDC by modifying the expression of the membrane complement regulators CD46 and CD59 and the response of the mitochondria to complement lytic attack. These microRNAs may be considered targets for intervention in complement-associated diseases and in anticancer, complement-based therapy.

Glutamate metabotropic receptor 4 (GRM4) inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion in breast cancer and is regulated by miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p

Background

Glutamate metabotropic receptors (GRM) play a variety of roles in neuronal cells. However, their clinical significance and biological functions in breast cancer remain unknown.

Methods

RNA sequencing data of breast cancer was obtained from the TCGA dataset (v2) and mined for the expression profiles of GRM family according to cancer subtypes. mRNA expression of GRM family in breast cancer tissues and para-cancerous tissue samples as well as breast cancer cell lines were measured by qPCR. The effects of over- and under-expression of GRM4 on cell capabilities to survive, migrate and invade were determined by colony formation, transwell migration and invasion assays. To explore the upstream regulation pattern of GRM4, miRNAs that target GRM4 were predicted and validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression of GRM4 regulated by these miRNAs were further measured by qPCR and western blot assay.

Results

GRM4 was the only GRM member that expressed in breast cancer tissues. Ectopic expression of GRM4 was correlated with better prognosis of breast cancer patients. Overexpression of GRM4 could significantly inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion capacity in MDA-MB-231, while knockdown of GRM4 could promote these processes. miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p were predicted to regulate the expression of GRM4 and dual luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p directly bound to the 3′ UTR of GRM4 and mutations on the binding regions on GRM4 significantly decreased the luciferase activity. qPCR demonstrated that expression of miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p was significantly decreased in breast cancer tissues and cells compared with that in control samples. However, there were no correlations between the expression of miR-328-3p and GRM4, as well as the expression of miR-370-3p and GRM4. Moreover, overexpression of miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p counteracted the inhibitory effect of GRM4-induced cell proliferation, migration and invasion.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that GRM4 might be a tumor suppressor gene in breast cancer under the direct regulation of miR-328-3p and miR-370-3p.

Tissue-specific and exosomal miRNAs in lung cancer radiotherapy: from regulatory mechanisms to clinical implications

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and deadly malignancy. Radiotherapy is a major treatment modality for lung cancer. Nevertheless, radioresistance poses a daunting challenge that largely limits the efficacy of radiotherapy. There is a pressing need for deciphering molecular mechanisms underlying radioresistance and elucidating novel therapeutic targets for individualized radiotherapy. MicroRNAs are categorized as small noncoding RNAs that modulate target-gene expression posttranscriptionally and are implicated in carcinogenesis and cancer resistance to treatment. Overwhelming evidence has unraveled that tissue-specific miRNAs are essential for regulation of the radiosensitivity in lung cancer cells through a complex interaction with multiple biological processes and radiation-induced pathways. Moreover, exosome-derived miRNAs are a novel horizon in lung cancer treatment in which exosomal miRNAs act as potential diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of radiotherapy. In the present review, we discuss the mediation of key biological processes and signaling pathways by tissue-specific miRNAs in lung cancer radiotherapy. Additionally, we provide new insight into the potential significance of exosomal miRNAs in radiation response. Lastly, we highlight miRNAs as promising predictors and therapeutic targets to tailor personalized lung cancer radiotherapy.

The Roles of MicroRNA in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the most devastating malignancy in the world. Beyond genetic research, epigenomic studies—especially investigations of microRNAs—have grown rapidly in quantity and quality in the past decade. This has enriched our understanding about basic cancer biology and lit up the opportunities for potential therapeutic development. In this review, we summarize the involvement of microRNAs in lung cancer carcinogenesis and behavior, by illustrating the relationship to each cancer hallmark capability, and in addition, we briefly describe the clinical applications of microRNAs in lung cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Finally, we discuss the potential therapeutic use of microRNAs in lung cancer.

MiR-365 enhances the radiosensitivity of non-small cell lung cancer cells through targeting CDC25A

Radioresistance is a major challenge in lung cancer radiotherapy (RT), and consequently, new radiosensitizers are urgently needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to participate in many important cellular processes including radiosensitization. MiR-365 is dysregulated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and is able to restrain the development of NSCLC. However, the relationship between miR-365 and radiosensitivities of NSCLC cells remains largely unknown. Here we reveal that overexpression of miR-365 is able to enhance the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells through targeting CDC25A. We found that the expression level of miR-365 was positively correlated with the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cell lines. Furthermore, our results showed that overexpression of miR-365 could sensitize A549 cells to the irradiation. However, knockdown of miR-365 in H460 cells could act the converse manner. Mechanically, miR-365 was able to directly target 3'UTR of cell division cycle 25A (CDC25A) mRNA and reduce the expression of CDC25A at the levels of mRNA and protein. And we confirmed that miR-365 could increase the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells by targeting CDC25A using in vitro and in vivo assays. Taken together, restoration of miR-365 expression enhances the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells by suppressing CDC25A, and miR-365 could be used as a radiosensitizer for NSCLC therapy.

MicroRNA in Lung Cancer Metastasis

Tumor metastasis is a hallmark of cancer, with distant metastasis frequently developing in lung cancer, even at initial diagnosis, resulting in poor prognosis and high mortality. However, available biomarkers cannot reliably predict cancer spreading sites. The metastatic cascade involves highly complicated processes including invasion, migration, angiogenesis, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition that are tightly controlled by various genetic expression modalities along with interaction between cancer cells and the extracellular matrix. In particular, microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of small non-coding RNAs, can influence the transcriptional and post-transcriptional processes, with dysregulation of miRNA expression contributing to the regulation of cancer metastasis. Nevertheless, although miRNA-targeted therapy is widely studied in vitro and in vivo, this strategy currently affords limited feasibility and a few miRNA-targeted therapies for lung cancer have entered into clinical trials to date. Advances in understanding the molecular mechanism of metastasis will thus provide additional potential targets for lung cancer treatment. This review discusses the current research related to the role of miRNAs in lung cancer invasion and metastasis, with a particular focus on the different metastatic lesions and potential miRNA-targeted treatments for lung cancer with the expectation that further exploration of miRNA-targeted therapy may establish a new spectrum of lung cancer treatments.

Investigation of Circulating Serum MicroRNA-328-3p and MicroRNA-3135a Expression as Promising Novel Biomarkers for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising diagnostic biomarkers for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but their usefulness for detecting ASD remains unclear. Nowadays, development of promising biomarkers for ASD remains a challenge. Recently, dysregulation of the miRNAs expression in postmortem brain tissue, serum and peripheral blood, have been associated with ASD. Circulating miRNAs are known to be secreted by a number of different cells and can interpose delivery of information into receiver cells, thus affecting their functions. Based on this fact, it is supposed that serum miRNAs could be a novel class of biomarkers for prognosis or diagnosis of pathological disorders including ASD. In the current research, we investigated whether the expression patterns of circulating miRNAs showed dysregulation in subjects diagnosed with ASD. Expression levels of serum miR-328-3p and miR-3135a were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method of subjects diagnosed with ASD in comparison with healthy control subjects. Our data showed that miR-328-3p and miR-3135a were substantially down-regulated in ASD patients than in those of healthy control subjects. Moreover, target gene analysis of altered serum miRNAs displayed that these molecules targeted 162 genes denoted as unique validated targets in the miRWalk database, 71 of which appear to participate in biological pathways involved in synaptic pathways and neurodegenerative condition such as Alzheimer, Huntington and Parkinson diseases. Finally, the results strongly suggested that dys-regulated serum miRNAs might be involved in molecular pathways associated with ASD and miR-328-3p and miR-3135a have the potential to be promising novel biomarkers for ASD.

The therapeutic role of inhibition of miR-328 on pulmonary carcinoma induced by chlamydia pneumoniae through targeting histone H2AX

Lung cancer represents a major healthy concern due to high incidence and morality. Increasing evidences showed critical regulatory role of microRNA (miR) in cell growth, differentiation and apoptosis. It has been indicated that the level of miR-328 is abnormally up regulated in lung cancer cell line, which is correlated with cell apoptosis. An in vitro lung cancer model was established through induction of chlamydia pneumonia. Western blot and real-time quantitative PCR were used to measure miR-328 level and its effects on histone H2AX expression. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter gene assay were to determine if H2AX was the direct target of miR-328. TUNEL assay, AV-PI staining and Caspase-3 activity assay measured the effect of the decrease of miR-328 on lung cancer cell apoptosis at both in vivo and in vitro level. Bioinformatics analysis predicted histone H2AX as the target of miR-328 during the regulation of lung cancer. Both in vivo and in vitro knockdown of miR-328 up-regulated H2AX expression and elevated TUNEL-positive cell number. In vivo down-regulation of miR-328 decreased incidence of lung cancer induced by chlamydia pneumoniae, suppressed tumor volume, increased caspase 3 activity, and facilitated tumor cell apoptosis. Histone protein H2AX serves as the target of miR-328 and participates in lung cancer regulation. Suppression of miR-328 level promotes lung cancer tissue apoptosis, which provides novel target for lung cancer therapy.

miRNA Mediated Noise Making of 3'UTR Mutations in Cancer

Somatic mutations in 3'-untranslated regions (3'UTR) do not alter amino acids and are considered to be silent in cancers. We found that such mutations can promote tumor progression by altering microRNA (miRNA) targeting efficiency and consequently affecting miRNA⁻mRNA interactions. We identified 67,159 somatic mutations located in the 3'UTRs of messenger RNAs (mRNAs) which can alter miRNA⁻mRNA interactions (functional somatic mutations, funcMutations), and 69.3% of these funcMutations (the degree of energy change > 12 kcal/mol) were identified to significantly promote loss of miRNA-mRNA binding. By integrating mRNA expression profiles of 21 cancer types, we found that the expression of target genes was positively correlated with the loss of absolute affinity level and negatively correlated with the gain of absolute affinity level. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that genes carrying funcMutations were significantly enriched in the MAPK and WNT signaling pathways, and analysis of regulatory modules identified eighteen miRNA modules involved with similar cellular functions. Our findings elucidate a complex relationship between miRNA, mRNA, and mutations, and suggest that 3'UTR mutations may play an important role in tumor development.

Predictive relevance of ncRNAs in non-small-cell lung cancer patients with radiotherapy: a review of the published data

Radiotherapy is one of the most commonly used methods to treat non-small-cell lung cancer. However, radiotherapy, especially thoracic radiotherapy, is always accompanied by radiation-induced complications or radioresistance. In this regard, ncRNAs, including miRNAs and lncRNAs, have received considerable interest for their predictive relevance. This review article illustrates the recent findings about the possible involvement of ncRNAs, mainly miRNAs and lncRNAs, in radioresistance and radiation-induced complications and their potential use for predicting radiation-induced complications and radiotherapy response.

MicroRNA-328 inhibits migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting CD44 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in various types of cancers, particularly in tumor development, migration, and progression. Dysregulation of miR-328 was reported to occur in some types of human malignancies, however, the role of miR-328 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and its potential involvement in metastasis remain undetermined.

Methods

The invasion capacity of NPC sphere-forming cells was evaluated by in vitro cell migration assays. Differential miRNAs expression was examined in NPC sphere-forming cells compared to parental monolayer cells using miRNA array analysis. The role of miR-328 in regulating NPC cells migratory properties was analyzed after miR-328 mimics transfection. The expression of E-cadherin and CD44 was analyzed by flow cytometry. CD44 was examined as a target of miR-328 through luciferase reporter assays and Western blotting.

Results

Here, we report that NPC TW01 and TW06 sphere-forming cells exhibited increased migratory ability in comparison with parental monolayer cells. Sphere-forming cells had significantly lower levels of miR-328, as observed using miRNA arrays and confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction. Overexpression of miR-328 induced by transfection with synthetic miR-328 mimics decreased the migration of NPC sphere-forming cells. The inhibitory effects were associated with increased expression of E-cadherin and the downregulated expression of mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin, Snail, and vimentin. Moreover, our results demonstrated that miR-328 suppressed NPC cell migration and inhibited the epithelial–mesenchymal transition process directly through a binding site on the CD44 3′ untranslated region.

Conclusion

miR-328, a previously unrecognized miRNA, may serve as a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target for NPC.

MicroRNAs associated with therapy of non-small cell lung cancer

Background & Objective: The incidence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been rising over the past several decades. Despite various therapeutic regimens and modern diagnostic techniques are developed, NSCLC still have an extremely poor prognosis due to drug resistance. Therefore, it is critical to find a novel precise diagnosis and effective treatment approach for NSCLC patients. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are a class of 18-25nt non-coding small RNAs, which have been shown to be involved profoundly in the pathogenesis such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, development, apoptosis and tumorigenesis in many human tumors including of NSCLC. We reviewed existing research literature regarding correlations between miRNAs and their target's response to anticancer treatment, and summarized the recent findings between miRNAs and therapy availability in NSCLC.

miR-139-5p Modulates Radiotherapy Resistance in Breast Cancer by Repressing Multiple Gene Networks of DNA Repair and ROS Defense

Radiotherapy is essential to the treatment of most solid tumors and acquired or innate resistance to this therapeutic modality is a major clinical problem. Here we show that miR-139-5p is a potent modulator of radiotherapy response in breast cancer via its regulation of genes involved in multiple DNA repair and reactive oxygen species defense pathways. Treatment of breast cancer cells with a miR-139-5p mimic strongly synergized with radiation both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in significantly increased oxidative stress, accumulation of unrepaired DNA damage, and induction of apoptosis. Several miR-139-5p target genes were also strongly predictive of outcome in radiotherapy-treated patients across multiple independent breast cancer cohorts. These prognostically relevant miR-139-5p target genes were used as companion biomarkers to identify radioresistant breast cancer xenografts highly amenable to sensitization by cotreatment with a miR-139-5p mimetic.Significance: The microRNA described in this study offers a potentially useful predictive biomarker of radiosensitivity in solid tumors and a generally applicable druggable target for tumor radiosensitization. Cancer Res; 78(2); 501-15. ©2017 AACR.