miR-203 enhances let-7 biogenesis by targeting LIN28B to suppress tumor growth in lung cancer

Interplay between LncRNA/miRNA and TGF-β Signaling in the Tumorigenesis of Gynecological Cancer

Gynecologic cancers are among the most common malignancies with aggressive features and poor prognosis. Tumorigenesis in gynecologic cancers is a complicated process that is influenced by multiple factors, including genetic mutations that activate various oncogenic signaling pathways, including the TGF-β pathway. Aberrant activation of TGF-β signaling is correlated with tumor recurrence and metastasis. It has been shown that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have crucial effects on cancer cell proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Upregulation of various ncRNAs, including long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs), has been reported in several tumors, like cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, but their cellular mechanisms remain to be investigated. Thus, recognizing the role of ncRNAs in regulating the TGF-β pathway may provide novel strategies for better treatment of cancer patients. The present study summarizes recent findings on the role of ncRNAs in regulating the TGF-β signaling involved in tumor progression and metastasis in gynecologic cancers.

Association of LIN28B Gene Polymorphisms (rs221634, rs221635, rs314276, rs9404590, and rs12194974) with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Susceptibility and Clinical/Pathological Features

BACKGROUND AND AIM

Lymphoma is a common hematopoietic cancer.  It has been proposed that LIN28B gene and its variations may have function in cancer progression and metastasis. Therefore, the purpose of this investigation has been to examine the correlation among LIN28B gene polymorphisms (such as rs221634 A>T, rs221635 T> C, rs314276 C>A, rs9404590 T>G, and rs12194974 G>A) as well as the risk of NHL in an Iranian sample.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In the current case-control research, 175 individuals with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma along with 175 normal controls participated; polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology has been utilized to the genotype samples.

RESULTS

Our data demonstrated that rs12194974 and the rs221635 variants have been correlated with higher NHL risk, while rs221634 and rs314276 variants were correlated with lower risk of NHL (P≤0.05). In addition, we detected an association between rs221634 and treatment with R-CHOP. No substantial correlation has discovered among rs9404590 polymorphism and NHL in any inheritance models (P≥0.05).

CONCLUSION

This was the first investigation evaluating the correlation among LIN28B gene polymorphisms as well as the occurrence of NLH. Further studies in different ethnic populations and large-scale sample size are needed to support results.

LIN28B and Let-7 in Diffuse Midline Glioma: A Review

Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is the most lethal of all childhood cancers. DMGs are driven by histone-tail-mutation-mediated epigenetic dysregulation and partner mutations in genes controlling proliferation and migration. One result of this epigenetic and genetic landscape is the overexpression of LIN28B RNA binding protein. In other systems, LIN28B has been shown to prevent let-7 microRNA biogenesis; however, let-7, when available, faithfully suppresses tumorigenic pathways and induces cellular maturation by preventing the translation of numerous oncogenes. Here, we review the current literature on LIN28A/B and the let-7 family and describe their role in gliomagenesis. Future research is then recommended, with a focus on the mechanisms of LIN28B overexpression and localization in DMG.

The role of LIN28B in tumor progression and metastasis in solid tumor entities

LIN28B is an RNA-binding protein that targets a broad range of microRNAs and modulates their maturation and activity. Under normal conditions, LIN28B is exclusively expressed in embryogenic stem cells, blocking differentiation and promoting proliferation. In addition, it can play a role in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition by repressing the biogenesis of let-7 microRNAs. In malignancies, LIN28B is frequently overexpressed, which is associated with increased tumor aggressiveness and metastatic properties. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms of LIN28B in promoting tumor progression and metastasis in solid tumor entities and its potential use as a clinical therapeutic target and biomarker.

Activation of PPARγ in bladder cancer via introduction of the long arm of human chromosome 9

Bladder cancer is divided into two molecular subtypes, luminal and basal, which form papillary and nodular tumors, respectively, and are identifiable by gene expression profiling. Although loss of heterozygosity (LOH) of the long arm of human chromosome 9 (9q) has been observed in the early development of both types of bladder cancer, the functional significance of LOH remains to be clarified. The present study introduced human chromosome 9q into basal bladder cancer cell line, SCaBER, using microcell-mediated chromosome transfer to investigate the effect of LOH of 9q on molecular bladder cancer subtypes. These cells demonstrated decreased proliferation and migration capacity compared with parental and control cells. Conversely, transfer of human chromosome 4 did not change the cell phenotype. Expression level of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ, a marker of luminal type, increased 3.0-4.4 fold in SCaBER cells altered with 9q compared with parental SCaBER cells. Furthermore, the expression levels of tumor suppressor PTEN, which regulates PPARγ, also increased in 9q-altered cells. These results suggested that human chromosome 9q may carry regulatory genes for PPARγ that are involved in the progression of neoplastic transformation of bladder cancer.

Predicting miRNA-disease associations based on graph random propagation network and attention network

Numerous experiments have demonstrated that abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in organisms is often accompanied by the emergence of specific diseases. The research of miRNAs can promote the prevention and drug research of specific diseases. However, there are still many undiscovered links between miRNAs and diseases, which greatly limits the research of miRNAs. Therefore, for exploring the unknown miRNA-disease associations, we combine the graph random propagation network based on DropFeature with attention network to propose a novel deep learning model to predict the miRNA-disease associations (GRPAMDA). Specifically, we firstly construct the miRNA-disease heterogeneous graph based on miRNA-disease association information. Secondly, we adopt DropFeature to randomly delete the features of nodes in the graph and then perform propagation operations to enhance the features of miRNA and disease nodes. Thirdly, we employ the attention mechanism to fuse the features of random propagation by aggregating the enhanced neighbor features of miRNA and disease nodes. Finally, miRNA-disease association scores are generated by a fully connected layer. The average area under the curve of GRPAMDA model based on 5-fold cross-validation is 93.46% on HMDD v2.0. Case studies of esophageal tumors, lymphomas and prostate tumors show that 48, 47 and 46 of the top 50 miRNAs associated with these diseases are confirmed by dbDEMC and miR2Disease database, respectively. In short, the GRPAMDA model can be used as a valuable method to study miRNA-disease associations.

microRNA Prognostic Signature for Postoperative Success of Metastatic Orthopedic Cancers: Implications for Precision Microsurgery

The importance of miRNA prognostic signature in cancer, particular cancer metastasis is increasingly being realized. Bone metastasis from several primary human cancers can be managed in clinics by surgical intervention but the prognostic impact of miRNA signature on post-surgery outcome of patients is unknown. This study evaluated a miRNA signature for post-operative outcome of patients with bone metastatic disease. First, the miRNAs, miR-135, miR-203, miR-10b, miR-194, miR-886, and miR-124 were evaluated in bone metastatic tissues, relative to adjacent control tissue. The cohorts of samples (n = 44) consisted of bone metastatic cancer patients with primary lung (n = 18) or breast cancer (n = 26). miR-203 was significantly down-regulated while miR-10b was significantly up-regulated in bone metastasis. Additionally, miR-135 was significantly differentially expressed in the primary lung cancer patients while miR-194 in primary breast cancer patients. The low miR-203- high miR-10b expression was designated high risk group and, compared to the low risk group (high miR-203-low miR-10b expression). Patients with the signature high risk fared significantly better with surgical intervention, in terms of survival at 12 months time point (40% survival with surgery vs. 10% survival without surgery), as revealed by retrospective analysis of patient data. This work reveals potential utilization of miRNA expression levels in not only the general prognosis of cancer metastasis but also the prognosis of surgical intervention with implication for better stratification of patients.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer: Implications for Diagnosis and Therapy

Lung cancer is the first cause of cancer death in the world due to its high prevalence, aggressiveness, late diagnosis, lack of effective treatment and poor prognosis. It also shows high rate of recurrence, metastasis and drug resistance. All these problems highlight the urgent needs for developing new strategies using noninvasive biomarkers for early detection, metastasis and recurrence of disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. These molecules found to be abnormally expressed in increasing number of human disease conditions including cancer. miRNAs could be detected in body fluids such as blood, serum, urine and sputum, which leads us towards the idea of using them as non-invasive biomarker for cancer detection and monitoring cancer treatment and recurrence. miRNAs are found to be deregulated in lung cancer initiation and progression and could regulate lung cancer cell proliferation and invasion. In this review, we summarized recent progress and discoveries in microRNAs regulatory role in lung cancer initiation and progression. In addition, the role of microRNAs in EGFR signaling pathway regulation is discussed briefly.

Radiation Can Regulate the Expression of miRNAs Associated with Osteogenesis and Oxidation in Exosomes from Peripheral Blood Plasma

Objectives

Radiotherapy is a common therapy in head and neck tumors, which may cause a side effect radiation bone injury (RBI). Furthermore, it has been investigated that microRNA (miRNA) expression levels were altered after radiotherapy. Exosomes play a role in bone formation as miRNA containers, while radiation affects exosomes composition, secretion, and function. So, our objective is to explore changes in miRNA levels during bone formation after radiotherapy and identify the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRs) in plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis related to irradiation.

Materials and Methods

In this study, we analyzed nine samples from three rabbits exposed twice to radiation (15 Gy each) and detected DE-miRs from irradiated plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis by RNA sequencing. Further, we identified DE-miRs with significant differences and predicted their target genes via the bioinformatics analysis tools Targetscan v7.2 and miRPathDB v2.0. Finally, we identified radiation-responsive miRNAs and predicted their target genes during osteogenesis.

Results

Taken together, we have identified some DE-miRs in irradiated plasma exosomes, which were involved in several vital signaling pathways related to bone physiology, such as the Wnt pathway, MAPK cascade, and calcium modulating pathway.

Conclusions

We have found that plasma exosomes are one of the ways by which radiation can affect bone metabolism and regeneration. However, the specific mechanisms of how these plasma exosomal miRNAs mediate the osteogenesis pathways must be further investigated. Clinical Relevance. Radiotherapy may cause radiation bone injury, and miRNA expression levels in rabbit plasma exosomes are altered after radiotherapy. High-throughput RNA sequencing can identify the differentially expressed miRNAs in irradiated plasma exosomes during the process of osteogenesis. These findings make sense to develop novel therapeutic strategies for treating radiation-induced bone injury disorders.

Human umbilical vein endothelial cells-derived microRNA-203-containing extracellular vesicles alleviate non-small-cell lung cancer progression through modulating the DTL/p21 axis

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer, and is characterized by extensive metastasis and poor prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from endothelial cells carrying microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) have diagnostic and therapeutic potential for NSCLC. We herein investigate the potential of EVs derived from human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) to transfer miR-203 to affect the progression of NSCLC. miR-203 and p21 were poorly expressed while DTL was highly expressed both in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. We employed CCK-8 proliferation, colony formation, and Transwell migration and invasion assays to evaluate the effects of miR-203 on NSCLC cell behaviors using loss- and gain-function approaches. EVs were isolated from HUVECs and then co-cultured with the A549 cells transfected with mimic-NC or miR-203 inhibitor. miR-203 targeted DTL and downregulated its expression, subsequently leading to increased stability of p21 which is a tumor suppressor. EV-enriched miR-203 from HUVECs suppressed malignant phenotypes of NSCLC cells and delayed tumor growth. In conclusion, miR-203 from HUVEC-derived EVs exerts inhibitory effects on the progression of NSCLC by targeting DTL and promoting p21 protein stability.

Participation of MicroRNAs in the Treatment of Cancer with Phytochemicals

Cancer is a global health concern and one of the main causes of disease-related death. Even with considerable progress in investigations on cancer therapy, effective anti-cancer agents and regimens have thus far been insufficient. There has been compelling evidence that natural phytochemicals and their derivatives have potent anti-cancer activities. Plant-based anti-cancer agents, such as etoposide, irinotecan, paclitaxel, and vincristine, are currently being applied in medical treatments for patients with cancer. Further, the efficacy of plenty of phytochemicals has been evaluated to discover a promising candidate for cancer therapy. For developing more effective cancer therapy, it is required to apprehend the molecular mechanism deployed by natural compounds. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been realized to play a pivotal role in regulating cellular signaling pathways, affecting the efficacy of therapeutic agents in cancer. This review presents a feature of phytochemicals with anti-cancer activity, focusing mainly on the relationship between phytochemicals and miRNAs, with insights into the role of miRNAs as the mediators and the regulators of anti-cancer effects of phytochemicals.

Dynamic changes in DICER levels in adipose tissue control metabolic adaptations to exercise

DICER is a key enzyme in microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis. Here we show that aerobic exercise training up-regulates DICER in adipose tissue of mice and humans. This can be mimicked by infusion of serum from exercised mice into sedentary mice and depends on AMPK-mediated signaling in both muscle and adipocytes. Adipocyte DICER is required for whole-body metabolic adaptations to aerobic exercise training, in part, by allowing controlled substrate utilization in adipose tissue, which, in turn, supports skeletal muscle function. Exercise training increases overall miRNA expression in adipose tissue, and up-regulation of miR-203-3p limits glycolysis in adipose under conditions of metabolic stress. We propose that exercise training-induced DICER-miR-203-3p up-regulation in adipocytes is a key adaptive response that coordinates signals from working muscle to promote whole-body metabolic adaptations.

XB130, regulated by miR-203, miR-219, and miR-4782-3p, mediates the proliferation and metastasis of non-small-cell lung cancer cells

XB130 is a novel adapter protein that behaves as a tumor promoter or suppressor mediating cell proliferation and metastasis in the development of different human tumors. Altered expression of XB130 has been verified in human non-small cell-lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the exact effect of XB130 on NSCLC is not well-understood. In this study, we investigated the biological function and posttranscriptional regulation of XB130 in NSCLC. First, the effects of XB130 silence on NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were examined. Then the targeting relationship between XB130 and miR-203, miR-219, or miR-4782-3p was demonstrated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the effects of miR-203, miR-219, and miR-4782-3p on NSCLC cell function were studied, respectively. We found that XB130 silence significantly inhibited cell growth, migration and invasion, and reversed EMT. Furthermore, XB130 was posttranscriptionally regulated by miR-203, miR-219, and miR-4782-3p. Overexpression of miR-203, miR-219, or miR-4782-3p inhibited cell growth, migration and invasion, and reversed EMT, just like the role of XB130 in NSCLC cells, whereas the suppressive effects of microRNA (miRNA) overexpression were weakened by miRNA inhibitors or ectopic expression of XB130 in NSCLC cells. These data demonstrate that XB130 is posttranscriptionally regulated by miR-203, miR-219, and miR-4782-3p and mediates the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cells.

Up-regulation of MicroRNAs-21 and -223 in a Sprague-Dawley Rat Model of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

In this experimental animal study, we examined alterations in the degree of transcription of two microRNAs (miRs)—miR-21 and -223—in a Sprague-Dawley (SD) rat model of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI). Depending on the volume of the balloon catheter (V), a total of 75 male SD rats were divided into the three experimental groups: the sham group (n = 25; V = 0 μL), the mild group (n = 25; V = 20 μL), and the severe group (n = 25; V = 50 μL). Successful induction of TSCI was confirmed on both locomotor rating scale at 4 h and 1, 3 and 7 days post-lesion and histopathologic examinations. Then, RNA isolation and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were performed. No differences in the level of miR-21 expression were found at the first time point studied (4 h post-lesion) between the three experimental groups, whereas such differences were significant at all the other time points (p < 0.05). Moreover, there were significant alterations in the level of miR-223 expression at all time points studied through all the experimental groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, locomotor rating scale scores had a linear relationship with the level of miR-21 expression (R² = 0.4363, Y = 1.661X + 3.096) and that of miR-223 one (R² = 0.9104, Y = 0.8385X + 2.328). Taken together, we conclude that up-regulation of miR-21 and -223 might be closely associated with progression and the early course of TSCI, respectively.

Clinical value of exhaled breath condensate let-7 in non-small cell lung cancer

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common causes of tumor-associated mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis is the key focus for improving prognosis. In the present study, the association between exhaled breath condensate (EBC) let-7 and NSCLC diagnosis and clinicopathologic characteristics was investigated in order to explore non-invasive simple technological therapeutic methods. The expression levels of let-7 from 180 samples were analyzed using the reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), consisting of 30 patients with NSCLC (lung cancer and para-carcinoma tissues, serum and EBC) and 30 healthy volunteers (serum and EBC). The results revealed that the let-7 levels in tumor tissues, serum, and EBC in NSCLC were significantly decreased compared with the control group (all, P<0.001). The let-7 expression in lung cancer tissue, serum, and EBC in NSCLC decreased alongside the progression of disease (tumor-node-metastasis stage and lymph node metastasis; all P<0.05). No significant association between let-7 expression and other clinicopathologic characteristics (age, sex, smoking status and histopathologic classification) was identified. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to present data and the area under the curve (AUC) of lung cancer tissue let-7 was 0.894, and the specificity and sensitivity were 90% and 93.3%, respectively. The AUC of serum let-7 in NSCLC diagnosis was 0.771, and the specificity and sensitivity were 86.7% and 60%, respectively. The AUC of let-7 in EBC was 0.750, and the specificity and sensitivity were 76.7% and 66.7%, respectively. In addition, the let-7 expression in EBC was positively correlated with that in lung cancer tissue (r=0.6048, P<0.001) and positively correlated with that in serum (r=0.6454, P<0.001). Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that detection of let-7 was feasible in EBC and with the advantages associated with EBC, and let-7 in EBC may be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and evaluation of NSCLC.

The genetic script of metastasis

Metastasis is a pivotal event that changes the course of cancers from benign and treatable to malignant and difficult to treat, resulting in the demise of patients. Understanding the genetic control of metastasis is thus crucial to develop efficient and sustainable targeted therapies. Here we discuss the alterations in epigenetic mechanisms, transcription, chromosomal instability, chromosome imprinting, non-coding RNAs, coding RNAs, mutant RNAs, enhancers, G-quadruplexes, and copy number variation to dissect the genetic control of metastasis. We conclude that the genetic control of metastasis is predominantly executed through epithelial to mesenchymal transition and evasion of cell death. We discuss how genetic regulatory mechanisms can be harnessed for therapeutic purposes to achieve sustainable control over cancer metastasis.

Mechanism of epithelial‑mesenchymal transition inhibited by miR‑203 in non‑small cell lung cancer

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether miR-203 can inhibit transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the migration and invasion ability of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by targeting SMAD3. In the present study, the expression levels of miR-203, SMAD3 mRNA and protein in NSCLC tissues were examined, as well as their corresponding paracancerous samples. The miR-203 mimics and miR-203 inhibitor were transfected into the H226 cell line. RT-qPCR was used to assess the expression levels of E-cadherin, Snail, N-cadherin and vimentin mRNA, and western blotting was performed to detect the expression levels of p-SMAD2, SMAD2, p-SMAD3, SMAD3 and SMAD4. The cell migration and invasion abilities were detected by Transwell assays. The target site of SMAD3 was predicted by the combined action between miR-203 and dual luciferase. The results revealed that the RNA levels of miR-203, compared with paracancerous tissues, were decreased in NSCLC tissues, while SMAD3 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated, and miR-203 inhibited SMAD3 expression. Induction of TGF-β led to decreased E-cadherin mRNA levels, upregulation of Snail, N-cadherin and vimentin mRNA levels (P<0.05), and significant increase in cell migration and invasion, whereas transfection of miR-203 mimics reversed the aforementioned results (P<0.05). Conversely, miR-203 inhibitor could further aggravate the aforementioned results (P<0.05). Western blot results revealed that transfection of miR-203 mimics significantly reduced the protein expression of SMAD3 and p-SMAD3 (P<0.05). Furthermore, the results of the Dual-Luciferase assay revealed that miR-203 inhibited SMAD3 expression by interacting with specific regions of its 3′-UTR. Overall, a novel mechanism is revealed, in which, miR-203 can inhibit SMAD3 by interacting with specific regions of the 3′-UTR of SMAD3, thereby restraining TGF-β-induced EMT progression and migration and invasion of NSCLC cells.

Exploring the Potential of MicroRNA Let-7c as a Therapeutic for Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and often presents with aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression. Identifying and understanding the unique expression profiles could aid in the detection and treatment of this disease. This review aims to identify miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for PCa. Three bio-informatic searches were conducted to identify miRNAs that are reportedly implicated in the pathogenesis of PCa. Only hsa-Lethal-7 (let-7c), recognized for its role in PCa pathogenesis, was common to all three databases. Three further database searches were conducted to identify known targets of hsa-let-7c. Four targets were identified, HMGA2, c-Myc (MYC), TRAIL, and CASP3. An extensive review of the literature was undertaken to assess the role of hsa-let-7c in the progression of other malignancies and to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic target for PCa. The heterogeneous nature of cancer makes it logical to develop mechanisms by which the treatment of malignancies is tailored to an individual, harnessing specific knowledge of the underlying biology of the disease. Resetting cellular miRNA levels is an exciting prospect that will allow this ambition to be realized.

Analysis of differential expression profile of miRNA in peripheral blood of patients with lung cancer

PURPOSE

To identify potential molecular targets for lung cancer intervention and diagnosis, we analyzed the differential miRNA expression of peripheral blood between lung cancer patients and healthy controls.

METHODS

Three pairs of cases' and controls' peripheral blood samples were evaluated for miRNA expression by microarray. 12 miRNAs were selected for RT-PCR validation and target genes prediction. In addition, 4 miRNAs were selected for future validation by RT-PCR in a large sample of 145 cases and 55 frequency-matched healthy controls.

RESULTS

A total of 338 differentially expressed miRNAs were screened and identified by microarray. According to the fold changes, the top ten upregulated miRNAs were hsa-miR-124-3p, hsa-miR-379-5p, hsa-miR-3655, hsa-miR-450b-5p, hsa-miR-29a-5p, hsa-miR-200a-3p, hsa-miR-542-3p, hsa-miR-138-5p, hsa-miR-219a-2-3p, and hsa-miR-4701-3p, and the top ten downregulated miRNAs were hsa-miR-34c-5p, hsa-miR-135a-5p, hsa-miR-132-3p, hsa-miR-3178, hsa-miR-4449, hsa-miR-4999-3p, hsa-miR-1246, hsa-miR-4424, hsa-miR-1252-5p, and hsa-miR-24-2-5p. RT-PCR verification of the 12 miRNAs revealed that 5 of 8 upregulated miRNAs, 2 of 4 downregulated miRNAs showed a significant difference between the cases and controls (P < .05). A large number of target genes and their functional set showed overlapping among the 453 predicted target genes of the 12 miRNAs (P < .01). RT-PCR in the large sample confirmed the significant differential expression level of hsa-miR-29a-5p, hsa-miR-135a-5p, hsa-miR-542-3p, and hsa-miR-4491 between cases and controls (P < .05), and three of these microRNA, except hsa-miR-29a-5p, were significant after Bonferroni correction for adjustment of multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSION

There was a significant difference in miRNAs expression in the peripheral blood between lung cancer patients and healthy controls, and 4 miRNAs were validated by a large-size sample.

Clinical significance of serum MicroRNA-203 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

This study aimed to detect serum miR-203 expression levels in AML and explore its potential clinical significance. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the serum miR-203 levels in 134 patients with AML and 70 healthy controls. The results demonstrated that serum miR-203 expression was significantly reduced in AML patients compared with healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed miR-203 could distinguish AML cases from normal controls. Low serum miR-203 levels were associated with worse clinical features, as well as poorer overall survival and relapse free survival of AML patients. Moreover, multivariate analysis confirmed low serum miR-203 expression to be an independent unfavorable prognostic predictor for AML. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the downstream genes and pathways of miR-203 was closely associated with tumorigenesis. Downregulation of miR-203 in AML cell lines upregulated the expression levels of oncogenic promoters such as CREB1, SRC and HDAC1. Thus, these findings demonstrated that serum miR-203 might be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of AML.

Electrochemical-based biosensors for microRNA detection: Nanotechnology comes into view

Nanotechnology plays an undeniable significant role in medical sciences, particularly in the field of biomedicine. Development of several diagnostic procedures in medicine has been possible through the beneficial application of nano-materials, among which electrochemical nano-biosensors can be mentioned. They can be employed to quantify various clinical biomarkers in detection, evaluation, and follow up stages of the illnesses. MicroRNAs, a group of regulatory short RNA fragments, added a new dimension to the management and diagnosis of several diseases. Mature miRNAs are single-stranded RNA molecules approximately 22 nucleotides in length, which regulate a vast range of biological functions from cellular proliferation and death to cancer development and progression. Recently, diagnostic value of miRNAs in various diseases has been demonstrated. There are many traditional methods for detection of miRNAs including northern blotting, quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), microarray technology, nanotechnology-based approaches, and molecular biology tools including miRNA biosensors. In comparison with other techniques, electrochemical nucleic acid biosensor methods exhibit many interesting features, and could play an important role in the future nucleic acid analysis. This review paper provides an overview of some different types of nanotechnology-based biosensors for detection of miRNAs.

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum miR-203 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

MicroRNAs play important roles in the initiation and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This study aimed to detect serum miR-203 expression levels in AML and explore its potential clinical significance. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the serum miR-203 levels in 134 patients with AML and 70 healthy controls. The results demonstrated that serum miR-203 expression was significantly reduced in AML patients compared with healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis revealed miR-203 could distinguish AML cases from normal controls. Low serum miR-203 levels were associated with worse clinical features, as well as poorer overall survival and relapse free survival of AML patients. Moreover, multivariate analysis confirmed low serum miR-203 expression to be an independent unfavorable prognostic predictor for AML. The bioinformatics analysis showed that the downstream genes and pathways of miR-203 was closely associated with tumorigenesis. Downregulation of miR-203 in AML cell lines upregulated the expression levels of oncogenic promoters such as CREB1, SRC and HDAC1. Thus, these findings demonstrated that serum miR-203 might be a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of AML.

MicroRNA-203 impacts on the growth, aggressiveness and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting MAT2A and MAT2B genes

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by the down-regulation of the liver-specific methyladenosyltransferase 1A (MAT1A) gene, encoding the S-adenosylmethionine synthesizing isozymes MATI/III, and the up-regulation of the widely expressed methyladenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A), encoding MATII isozyme, and methyladenosyltransferase 2B (MAT2B), encoding a β-subunit without catalytic action that regulates MATII enzymatic activity. Different observations showed hepatocarcinogenesis inhibition by miR-203. We found that miR-203 expression in HCCs is inversely correlated with HCC proliferation and aggressiveness markers, and with MAT2A and MAT2B levels. MiR-203 transfection in HepG2 and Huh7 liver cancer cells targeted the 3'-UTR of MAT2A and MAT2B, inhibiting MAT2A and MAT2B mRNA levels and MATα2 and MATβ2 protein expression. These molecular events were paralleled by an increase in SAM content and were associated with growth restraint and apoptosis, inhibition of cell migration and invasiveness, and suppression of the expression of CD133 and LIN28B stemness markers. In contrast, MAT2B transfection in the same cell lines led to a rise of both MATβ2 and MATα2 expression, associated with increases in cell growth, migration, invasion and overexpression of stemness markers and p-AKT. Altogether, our results indicate that the miR-203 oncosuppressor activity may at least partially depend on its inhibition of MAT2A and MAT2B and show, for the first time, an oncogenic activity of MAT2B linked to AKT activation.

miR-181a and miR-203 inhibit migration and invasion of laryngeal carcinoma cells by interacting with ATF2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been recognized to modulate the progression of tumorigenesis by serving as oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Despite the involvement of miR-181a and miR-203 in several cancers as has been substantiated, their roles in laryngeal carcinoma (LC) remain unclear. In this study, the abundances of miR-181a, miR-203 and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) mRNA in LC cell lines were detected by RT-qPCR. Western blot was performed to detect the protein levels of N-cadherin, E-cadherin and ATF2. Cell migration and invasion ability were assessed by Trans-well assay. The putative binding sites between miR-181a or miR-203 and ATF2 were predicted using Bioinformatics software and further validated by Dual-Luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Results showed reduced abundances of miR-181a and miR-203 in LC cell lines. Introduction of miR-181a or miR-203 reduced cell migration and invasion, which was further confirmed by the reduction of N-cadherin and increase of E-cadherin in LC cells. ATF2 was identified to be a potential target of miR-181a and miR-203. Absence of ATF2 overturned the stimulatory effects of anti-miR-181a and anti-miR-203 on cell migration and invasion in LC cells. Our findings suggested that miR-181a and miR-203 attenuated cell migration and invasion ability by directly targeting ATF2 in LC, providing novel insight into the regulatory mechanisms of miR-181a and miR-203 in LC.

miR-203 inhibits ovarian tumor metastasis by targeting BIRC5 and attenuating the TGFβ pathway

BACKGROUND

We previously reported that miR-203 functions as a tumor suppressor in ovarian cancer cells by directly targeting transcription factor Snai2 and inhibiting epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), whereas BIRC5/survivin promotes EMT. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that miR-203 inhibits ovarian tumor metastasis by suppressing EMT through targeting BIRC5, using an orthotopic ovarian cancer mouse model.

METHODS

We overexpressed miR-203 in ovarian cancer SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells using a lentiviral vector and examined cell migration and invasion using transwell plates. The small molecule inhibitor, YM155, was used to inhibit survivin expression. miR-203-expressing and control SKOV3 cells were intrabursally injected into immunocompromised NSG female mice. Primary tumors in ovaries and metastatic tumors were collected to determine the expression of survivin and EMT markers using Western blot and immunostaining.

RESULTS

Overexpression of miR-203 inhibits EMT by targeting BIRC5 in ovarian cancer SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells. miR-203 expression enhances the ability of the survivin inhibitor YM155 to reduce tumor cell migration and invasion in vitro. We further showed that miR-203 expression attenuated the TGFβ pathway in both SKOV3 and OVCAR3 cells. miR-203 expression also inhibited primary tumor growth in ovaries and metastatic tumors in multiple peritoneal organs including liver and spleen.

CONCLUSION

miR-203 inhibits ovarian tumor metastasis by targeting BIRC5/survivin and attenuating the TGFβ pathway.

LncRNA H19-elevated LIN28B promotes lung cancer progression through sequestering miR-196b

LncRNA H19 is involved in the development of multiple cancers. Here, we firstly provide new evidence that H19 can induce LIN28B, a conserved RNA binding protein, to accelerate lung cancer growth through sponging miR-196b. Abundance in LIN28B was observed in clinical lung cancer samples. A positive link was observed between H19 and LIN28B in clinical lung cancer samples. In lung cancer cells, H19 was capable of increasing LIN28B expression. Mechanistically, miR-196b directly targeted LIN28B to inhibit LIN28B expression. H19 was capable of promoting LIN28B expression through sequestering miR-196b. Functionally, H19-increased LIN28B conferred the cell proliferation of lung cancer. Our finding indicates that H19 depresses miR-196b to elevate LIN28B, resulting in accelerating cell proliferation in lung cancer.

LIN28B promotes the progression of colon cancer by increasing B-cell lymphoma 2 expression

RNA-binding protein LIN28B is frequently overexpressed in human colon cancer and is associated with the tumor progression and poor prognosis. The potential molecular mechanisms underlying the role of LIN28B in colon cancer remain unclear. The present study aimed to explore the role of B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) in promoting colon cancer development associated with LIN28B. The expression pattern of LIN28B in colon cancer tissues and cell lines was detected by RT-PCR, Western blotting analysis, and immunohistochemical staining. A log rank test was carried out to compare the survival times of patients with high/low levels of LIN28B. The effects of LIN28B on cell clonal formation, growth, and apoptosis were detected by clone formation, MTT and flow cytometry assays, respectively. BCL-2 expression and protein stability after LIN28B up-regulation were assessed by Western blotting. The effects of LIN28B and BCL-2 on tumorigenesis were evaluated by an in vivo xenograft assay. The results showed that LIN28B was highly expressed in colon cancer tissues and cell lines, which could promote cell clonal formation and growth and inhibit cell apoptosis. Up-regulation of LIN28B increased BCL-2 expression, enhanced its stability, and reduced its ubiquitination. Overexpression of LIN28B promoted cell tumorigenesis, whereas this effect was repressed by knockdown of BCL-2. This study suggests that overexpression of LIN28B promotes colon cancer development by increasing BCL-2 expression, potentially opening up new avenues for therapeutic approaches to colon cancer treatment.

Epigenome-Based Precision Medicine in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Despite significant advances in the early detection and treatment of the disease, the prognosis remains poor, with an overall 5-year survival rate ranging from 15% to 20%. This poor prognosis results largely from early micrometastatic spread of cancer cells to nearby lymph nodes or tissues and partially from early recurrence after curative surgical resection. Recently, precision medicines that target potential oncogenic driver mutations have been approved to treat lung cancer. However, some lung cancer patients do not have targetable mutations, and many patients develop resistance to targeted therapy. Tumor heterogeneity and mutational density are also challenges in treating lung cancer, which underscores the need for developing alternative therapeutic strategies for treating lung cancer. Epigenetic therapy may circumvent the problems of tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance by affecting the expression of several hundred target genes. This review highlights precision medicine using an innovative approach of epigenetic priming prior to conventional standard therapy or targeted cancer therapy in lung cancer.

Increased miR-21a provides metabolic advantages through suppression of FBP1 expression in non-small cell lung cancer cells

Lung cancer is the most common solid tumor and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. miR-21 is one of the most commonly observed aberrant miRNAs in human cancers. However, the biological roles of miR-21 in glucose metabolism of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells remain unknown. In the present study, our findings demonstrated that miR-21 promoted glucose uptake and increased TXNIP expression. miR-21 increased lactate generation and decreased oxygen consumption in NSCLC cells. Moreover, we found that miR-21 promoted glycolysis and decreased OXPHOS. Mechanistically, fructose-1,6-biphosphatase (FBP1) was a direct target of miR-21 and observed a negative correlation between miR-21 and FBP1 in NSCLC samples. Restoring FBP1 expression reversed the effects induced by miR-21 overexpression in NSCLC cells. Together, our findings suggest the critical role of miR-21 in glucose metabolism through suppression of FBP1 in NSCLC cells. miR-21 may be a potential target of NSCLC treatment.

miR-203 inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and migration of non-small-cell lung cancer by downregulating RGS17

Involvement of the RGS17 oncogene in the promotion of non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been reported, but the regulation mechanism in NSCLC remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) negatively regulate gene expression, and their dysregulation has been implicated in tumorigenesis. To understand the role of miRNAs in Regulator of G Protein Signaling 17 (RGS17)‐induced NSCLC, we showed that miR‐203 was downregulated during tumorigenesis, and inhibited the proliferation and invasion of lung cancer cells. We then determined whether miR‐203 regulated NSCLC by targeting RGS17. To characterize the regulatory effect of miR‐203 on RGS17, we used lung cancer cell lines, A549 and Calu‐1, and the constructed miR‐203 and RGS17 overexpression vectors. The CCK8 kit was used to determine cell proliferation, and the Transwell® assay was used to measure cell invasion and migration. RT‐PCR, western blots, and immunofluorescence were used to analyze expression of miR‐203 and RGS17, and the luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the interaction between miR‐203 and RGS17. Nude mice were used to characterize in vivo tumor growth regulation. Expression of miR‐203 inhibited proliferation, invasion, and migration of lung cancer cell lines A549 and Calu‐1 by targeting RGS17. The regulatory effect of miR‐203 was inhibited after overexpression of RGS17. The luciferase reporter assay showed that miR‐203 downregulated RGS17 by direct integration into the 3′‐UTR of RGS17 mRNA. In vivo studies showed that expression of miR‐203 significantly inhibited growth of tumors. Taken together, the results suggested that expression of miR‐203 inhibited tumor growth and metastasis by targeting RGS17.

MiR-203a-3p suppresses cell proliferation and metastasis through inhibiting LASP1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

BACKGROUND

miR-203a-3p was reported as a tumor suppressor and disregulated in many malignancies including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, its function in tumor growth and metastasis in NPC has rarely been reported.

METHODS

The expression level of miR-203a-3p in human NPC tissues and cell lines was detected via real-time PCR (RT-PCR). Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were assessed in vitro by MTT, colony formation and transwell assay, respectively. The function of miR-203a-3p in vivo was detected through NPC xenograft tumor growth and lung metastatic mice model. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to identify the direct target of miR-203a-3p.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-203a-3p was decreased in NPC tissues and cell lines in comparison with normal nasopharyngeal tissues and cell line. Ectopic expression of miR-203a-3p inhibited while inhibiting miR-203a-3p expression increased NPC cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. MR-203a-3p overexpression suppressed xenograft tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. LASP1 was identified as a direct target of miR-203a-3p, which was confirmed by real-time PCR and western blotting assay. Ectopic expression of LASP1 partially reversed miR-203a-3p-mediated inhibition on proliferation, migration and invasion in NPC cells.

CONCLUSION

Collectively, miR-203a-3p suppresses tumor growth and metastasis through targeting LASP1 in NPC. The newly identified miR-203a-3p/LASP1 pathway provides further insights into the initiation and progression of NPC, which may represent a novel therapeutic target for NPC.

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Potential of MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of deaths resulting from cancer owing to late diagnosis and limited treatment intervention. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally by translational repression or target messenger RNA degradation. Accumulating evidence suggests various roles for microRNAs, including development and progression of lung cancers. Because microRNAs are degraded to a much lesser extent in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens and are present not only in tumor tissues but also in body fluids, there is an increased potential in microRNA analyses for cancer research. In this review, recent studies of microRNA are introduced and briefly summarized, with a focus on the association of microRNAs with histological subtypes, genetic driver alterations, therapeutically-targeted molecules, and carcinogens. The reported circulating microRNA signature for the early detection of lung cancer and the implications of microRNAs as the modulators of tumor immune response are also introduced.

Major Tumor Suppressor and Oncogenic Non-Coding RNAs: Clinical Relevance in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide, yet there remains a lack of specific and sensitive tools for early diagnosis and targeted therapies. High-throughput sequencing techniques revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), e.g., microRNAs and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), represent more than 80% of the transcribed human genome. Emerging evidence suggests that microRNAs and lncRNAs regulate target genes and play an important role in biological processes and signaling pathways in malignancies, including lung cancer. In lung cancer, several tumor suppressor/oncogenic microRNAs and lncRNAs function as biomarkers for metastasis and prognosis, and thus may serve as therapeutic tools. In this review, recent work on microRNAs and lncRNAs is introduced and briefly summarized with a focus on potential biological and therapeutic applications.