MicroRNA-203 restrains epithelial-mesenchymal transition, invasion and migration of papillary thyroid cancer by downregulating AKT3

Association of miR-203 Expression with Prognostic Value in Patients with Esophageal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate the association between miR-203 expression and the prognostic value in patients with esophageal cancer by the method of systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library to collect studies on the relationship between miR-203 expression and the prognostic value of esophageal cancer up to July 2023. Stata 15.0 statistical software was used for data analysis. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were used as effect sizes.

RESULTS

A total of 6 studies were included in this review, including 476 patients with esophageal cancer. The results showed that miR-203 low expression was associated with worse overall survival (OS) in patients with esophageal cancer compared with miR-203 high expression (HR = 2.80, 95%CI: 1.99 ∼ 3.93, p < 0.001). The results of Egger's (p = 0.154) and Begg's Tests (p = 0.221) indicated no obvious publication bias. Sensitivity analysis verified the robustness of the results obtained in this study.

CONCLUSION

The expression of miR-203 is significantly correlated with the prognostic value in patients with esophageal cancer. Esophageal cancer patients with high expression of miR-203 had better prognosis than those with low expression of miR-203. Due to the limited studies included in this meta-analysis, more trials are needed to confirm the conclusions of this study in the future.

The role of miR-139-5p in radioiodine-resistant thyroid cancer

PURPOSE

Radioiodine I-131 (RAI) is the therapy of choice for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Between 5% and 15% of DTC patients become RAI refractory, due to the loss of expression/function of iodide metabolism components, especially the Na/I symporter (NIS). We searched for a miRNA profile associated with RAI-refractory DTC to identify novel biomarkers that could be potential targets for redifferentiation therapy.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression of 754 miRNAs in 26 DTC tissues: 12 responsive (R) and 14 non-responsive (NR) to RAI therapy. We identified 15 dysregulated miRNAs: 14 were upregulated, while only one (miR-139-5p) was downregulated in NR vs. R tumors. We investigated the role of miR-139-5p in iodine uptake metabolism. We overexpressed miR-139-5p in two primary and five immortalized thyroid cancer cell lines, and we analyzed the transcript and protein levels of NIS and its activation through iodine uptake assay and subcellular protein localization.

RESULTS

The finding of higher intracellular iodine levels and increased cell membrane protein localization in miR-139-5p overexpressing cells supports the role of this miRNA in the regulation of NIS function.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides evidence of miR-139-5p involvement in iodine uptake metabolism and suggests its possible role as a therapeutic target in restoring iodine uptake in RAI-refractory DTC.

The Role of MMP-9 and MMP-9 Inhibition in Different Types of Thyroid Carcinoma

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), one of the most investigated and studied biomarkers of the MMPs family, is a zinc-dependent proteolytic metalloenzyme whose primary function is degrading the extracellular matrix (ECM). It has been proved that MMP-9 expression elevates in multiple pathological conditions, including thyroid carcinoma. MMP-9 has a detectable higher level in malignant or metastatic thyroid tumor tissues than in normal or benign tissues and acts as an additional marker to distinguish different tumor stages because of its close correlations with clinical features, such as lymph node metastasis, TNM stage, tumor size and so on. Natural and non-natural MMP-9 inhibitors suppress its expression, block the progression of diseases, and play a role in therapy consequently. MMP-9 inhibitory molecules also assist in treating thyroid tumors by suppressing the proliferation, invasion, migration, metastasis, viability, adhesion, motility, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and other risk factors of different thyroid cancer cells. In a word, discovering and designing MMP-9 inhibitors provide great therapeutic effects and promising clinical values in various types of thyroid carcinoma.

Differential microRNA expression for diagnosis and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer

Papillary thyroid cancer accounts for 85% of thyroid cancer. The diagnosis is based on ultrasound methods and tumor biopsies (FNA). In recent years, research has revealed the importance of miRNAs, non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression and are involved in many diseases. The present mini review describes upregulated and downregulated miRNAs expression in papillary thyroid cancer patient samples (tissue, serum, plasma) and the genes regulated by these non-coding molecules. In addition, a bibliographic search was performed to identify the expression of miRNAs that are common in tumor tissue and blood. The miRNAs miR-146b, miR-221-3p, miRNA 222, miR-21, miR-296-5p, and miR-145 are common in both tissue and bloodstream of PTC patient samples. Furthermore, these miRNAs regulate genes involved in biological processes such as cell differentiation, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis. In conclusion, miRNAs could potentially become valuable biomarkers, which could help in the early diagnosis and prognosis of papillary thyroid cancer.

MiR-203a-3p, miR-204-3p, miR-222-3p as useful diagnostic and prognostic tool for thyroid neoplasia spectrum

PURPOSE

The challenge in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid carcinoma is to correctly classify neoplasias with overlapping features and to identify the high-risk patients among those with a less aggressive form, in order to personalize the treatment of thyroid carcinoma patients accordingly.

METHODS

MiR-203a-3p, miR-204-3p, and miR-222-3p levels were determined in 99 cases of thyroid neoplasias (77 papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) of diverse variants, 12 follicular thyroid adenomas (FTA) and 10 nodular goiters (NG)) along with 99 adjacent non-malignant thyroid tissues using quantitative RT-PCR. The results were evaluated in comparison with the clinicopathological features of the patients and available TCGA data.

RESULTS

Down-regulated miR-203a-3p indicates the presence of thyroid tumor (PTC or FTA) with high sensitivity (75%) and specificity (73%), while its up-regulation indicates NG. If miR-203a-3p is down-regulated, up-regulated miR-204-3p with high sensitivity (83.3%) and specificity (74.4%) indicates FTA presence, while up-regulated miR-222-3p, with high sensitivity (76.6%) and specificity (75.0%), points to PTC. The expression of miR-204-3p and miR-222-3p depends on the PTC subtype (P < 0.05). While the deregulated expression of tested miRs is associated with a long-range of unfavorable clinicopathological parameters of PTC, only abundant expression of miR-222-3p may be used as an independent predictive factor for the presence of extrathyroid invasion and advanced pTNM stage of PTC (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Successive evaluation of miR-203a-3p, miR-204-3p, and miR-222-3p expression can help in the differential diagnosis of thyroid neoplasias. A high relative value of miR-222-3p expression is an independent predictive factor for the presence of extrathyroid invasion and advanced pTNM stage of PTC. The panel consisting of miR-203a-3p, miR-204-3p, and miR-222-3p could be used as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for personalizing the treatment of thyroid cancer patients.

Hsa_circ_0000520 Promotes Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression through the miR-1258/AKT3 Axis

Background

There are several previous studies suggesting that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nevertheless, the role of circRNA_0000520 (circ_0000520) in this disease has not yet been studied.

Methods

circ_0000520, microRNA (miR)-1258, and AKT serine/threonine kinase 3 (AKT3) mRNA expression levels were detected by qPCR. CCK-8, EdU, and Transwell assays were utilized to detect NSCLC cells' malignant biological behaviors. The targeted relationship between miR-1258 and AKT3 3'-UTR or circ_0000520 was verified through the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Western blotting was utilized to measure the AKT3 expression after circ_0000520 and miR-1258 were selectively regulated.

Results

circ_0000520 was upregulated in NSCLC. Highly expressed circ_0000520 is linked to the NSCLC patient's advanced TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. circ_0000520 overexpression facilitated NSCLC cell growth, migration, and invasion. miR-1258 was identified as the downstream target of circ_0000520. miR-1258 overexpression weakened the effect of circ_0000520 overexpression on NSCLC cells. miR-1258 targeted and inhibited AKT3. circ_0000520 positively regulated the AKT3 expression in NSCLC cells by sponging miR-1258.

Conclusion

circ_0000520 upregulates AKT3 by competitively binding with miR-1258 to facilitate NSCLC progression.

MicroRNAs as the critical regulators of cell migration and invasion in thyroid cancer

Thyroid cancer (TC) is one of the most frequent endocrine malignancies that is more common among females. Tumor recurrence is one of the most important clinical manifestations in differentiated TC which is associated with different factors including age, tumor size, and histological features. Various molecular processes such as genetic or epigenetic modifications and non-coding RNAs are also involved in TC progression and metastasis. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important biological process during tumor invasion and migration that affects the initiation and transformation of early-stage tumors into invasive malignancies. A combination of transcription factors, growth factors, signaling pathways, and epigenetic regulations affect the thyroid cell migration and EMT process. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important molecular factors involved in tumor metastasis by regulation of EMT-activating signaling pathways. Various miRNAs are involved in the signaling pathways associated with TC metastasis which can be used as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers. Since, the miRNAs are sensitive, specific, and non-invasive, they can be suggested as efficient and optimal biomarkers of tumor invasion and metastasis. In the present review, we have summarized all of the miRNAs which have been significantly involved in thyroid tumor cells migration and invasion. We also categorized all of the reported miRNAs based on their cellular processes to clarify the molecular role of miRNAs during thyroid tumor cell migration and invasion. This review paves the way of introducing a non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic panel of miRNAs in aggressive and metastatic TC patients.

MicroRNA-203a-3p may prevent the development of thyroid papillary carcinoma via repressing MAP3K1 and activating autophagy

Background

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) grows slowly but has a great risk of metastasis. MicroRNAs are well known as vital tumor‐related gene regulators. In PTC, the role of miR‐203a‐3p and the underlying mechanisms remain not completely understood.

Methods

We conducted CCK8 assay, wound healing assay, transwell experiment and flow cytometry analyses to investigate the function of miRNA‐203a‐3p. The interaction of miRNA‐203a‐3p with its gene MAP3K1 was characterized by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting and luciferase assay.

Results

We found that the levels of miRNA‐203a‐3p were statistically decreased in PTC tissues. When mimics were delivered to TPC‐1 and KTC‐1 cells to upregulate miR‐203a‐3p, it was observed that cell proliferation, metastatic abilities and cell cycle process were prevented but cell apoptosis was enhanced. Furthermore, we proved the interaction between MAP3K1 and miR‐203a‐3p. Intriguingly, similar to miR‐203a‐3p mimics, siMAP3K1 showed a tumor‐suppressive effect, and this effect could be reversed when miR‐203a‐3p was simultaneously inhibited. Finally, selected autophagy‐linked proteins such as LC3 Beclin‐1 were detected and found to be increased when miR‐203a‐3p was upregulated or MAP3K1 was inhibited.

Conclusion

Overall, miR‐203a‐3p inhibits the oncogenic characteristics of TPC‐1 and KTC‐1 cells via suppressing MAP3K1 and activating autophagy. Our findings might enrich the understanding and the therapeutic strategies of PTC.

LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) transcriptionally activated by SRY-related high-mobility-group box 4 (SOX4) accelerates the progression of colon cancer by upregulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway

Colon cancer is a highly malignant tumor in the digestive system. LEM domain containing 1 (LEMD1) is supposed to be a survival marker of poor prognosis in colon cancer. We aimed to explore the role and mechanism of LEMD1 in colon cancer progression. GEPIA database analyzed LEMD1 expression in colon cancer tissues and prognosis of colon cancer patients. LEMD1 expression in tumor cells was tested by RT-qPCR and western blotting. Proliferation of colon cancer cells was estimated by CCK-8 and colony formation assays. Transwell and wound healing assays were used to appraise the cell invasion and migration. Meanwhile, tube formation assays were used to evaluate angiogenesis. The possible binding sites between SRY-related high-mobility-group box 4 (SOX4) and LEMD1 were predicted by JASPAR database. Besides, SOX4 expression in colon cancer tissues and the correlation between SOX4 and LEMD1 were examined using the GEPIA database. Luciferase reporter and ChIP assays were used to verify the interaction between SOX4 and LEMD1. The expression of proteins in PI3K/Akt signaling was evaluated by western blotting. LEMD1 was overexpressed in colon cancer tissues and cells and associated with poor prognosis. Functionally, LEMD1 deficiency impeded the proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis of colon cancer cells. Additionally, SOX4 had a positive correlation with LEMD1 and could bind to LEMD1 promoter. Rescue assays validated that SOX4 elevation reversed the suppressive role of LEMD1 deletion in the development of colon cancer and the expression of p-PI3K and p-AKT. Collectively, LEMD1 induced by SOX4 drove the progression of colon cancer by activating PI3K/Akt signaling.

E-cadherin on epithelial-mesenchymal transition in thyroid cancer

Thyroid carcinoma is a common malignant tumor of endocrine system and head and neck. Recurrence, metastasis and high malignant expression after routine treatment are serious clinical problems, so it is of great significance to explore its mechanism and find action targets. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with tumor malignancy and invasion. One key change in tumour EMT is low expression of E-cadherin. Therefore, this article reviews the expression of E-cadherin in thyroid cancers (TC), discuss the potential mechanisms involved, and outline opportunities to exploit E-cadherin on regulating the occurrence of EMT as a critical factor in cancer therapeutics.

NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 Induces the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transformation Process in Gastric Cancer by Promoting Phosphorylation of AKT3

The median survival time of patients with advanced gastric cancer (GC) who received radiotherapy and chemotherapy was <1 year. Epithelial–mesenchymal transformation (EMT) gives GC cells the ability to invade, which is an essential biological mechanism in the progression of GC. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-based competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) system has been shown to play a key role in the GC-related EMT process. Although the AKT pathway is essential for EMT in GC, the relationship between AKT3 subtypes and EMT in GC is unclear. Here, we evaluated the underlying mechanism of ceRNA involving NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 in inducing EMT by promoting the expression and phosphorylation of AKT3. The results of bioinformatics analysis showed that the expression of NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 in GC was positively associated with the pathological features, staging, poor prognosis, and EMT process. We performed cell transfection, qRT-PCR, western blot, cell viability assay, TUNEL assay, Transwell assay, cell morphology observation, and double luciferase assay to confirm the regulation of NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 and its effect on EMT transformation. Finally, GSEA and GO/KEGG enrichment analysis identified that PI3K/AKT pathway was positively correlated to NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 expression. AKT3 knockout cells were co-transfected with PHLDB2-OE, and the findings revealed that AKT3 expression and phosphorylation were essential for the PHLDB2-mediated EMT process. Thus, our results showed that NR2F1-AS1/miR-190a/PHLDB2 promoted the phosphorylation of AKT3 to induce EMT in GC cells. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanism involved in the EMT process as well as the identification of new EMT markers.

Oxygen-Independent Photocleavage of Radical Nanogenerator for Near-IR-Gated and H2 O-Mediated Free-Radical Nanotherapy

The oxygen-dependent nature and limited penetration capacity of visible light render the low efficiency of photodynamic therapy in hypoxic and deep-seated tumors. Therefore, the development of oxygen-free photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species by near-IR (NIR) light-cleavable photocages is in high demand. Here, an oxygen-irrelevant PACT strategy based on NIR light-triggered hydroxyl radicals (•OH) generation is developed for free-radical nanotherapy. Blebbistatin-loaded upconversion of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (UCSNs-B) is established to facilitate the high loading efficiency of blebbistatin and implement the efficient transformation of NIR light into blue light for unprecedented direct photorelease of oxygen-independent •OH. Under NIR laser irradiation, UCSNs-B converted NIR light into blue light, thus enabling the photocleavage of blebbistatin to induce the burst of •OH. The •OH burst under NIR laser irradiation further induces cancer cell apoptosis and significant suppression of hypoxic tumors. In addition, the gadolinium ion (Gd³⁺ )-doped UCSNs-B are used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging to facilitate real-time monitoring of the therapeutic processes. This study effectively demonstrates that the UCSNs-B act as NIR light-triggered photocages to facilitate oxygen-irrelevant •OH bursts, thus providing insights into the development of efficient PACT nanoagents for cancer treatment.

Sorafenib derivatives-functionalized gold nanoparticles confer protection against tumor angiogenesis and proliferation via suppression of EGFR and VEGFR-2

Sorafenib is a multi-kinase inhibitor that has been highlighted as a tumor suppressor due to its anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties, whereas the clinical application of Sorafenib is restricted by the side effects it may cause. The past decade has witnessed the development of a series of sorafenib derivatives to improve the clinical performance of sorafenib. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been widely utilized in drug delivery systems due to their unique properties, including biocompatible nature, simple preparation, and easy surface modification. Herein, this study is aimed to investigate the anti-tumor effects of new sorafenib derivatives-capped gold nanoparticles (AuNPs-New Sor) in tumor formation and metastasis as well as the underlying mechanisms. Initially, new sorafenib derivatives were constructed and combined with AuNPs to form AuNPs-New Sor, and the properties of synthesized AuNPs-New Sor were identified in a mouse model of tumorigenesis. The effect of AuNPs-New Sor on tumor vascular normalization was investigated by assessing vascular permeability and perfusion rate. Next, we evaluated the effect of AuNPs-New Sor on migration and viability of tumor cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) as well as on HUVEC angiogenesis in vitro. A melanoma mouse model was further established for in vivo substantiation of the anti-tumor effect of AuNPs-New Sor. According to the results, AuNPs could deliver new sorafenib derivatives into tumor tissues and downregulate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), thereby suppressing tumor migration, EMT, and angiogenesis in vitro. In addition, AuNPs-New Sor displayed competitive anti-tumor activities in vivo. Taken together, AuNPs-New Sor may attenuate tumor development and angiogenesis through downregulation of EGFR and VEGFR-2.

Epigenetic signature associated with thyroid cancer progression and metastasis

Thyroid cancer is not among the top cancers in terms of diagnosis or mortality but it still ranks fifth among the cancers diagnosed in women. Infact, women are more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer than the males. The burden of thyroid cancer has dramatically increased in last two decades in China and, in the United States, it is the most diagnosed cancer in young adults under the age of twenty-nine. All these factors make it worthwhile to fully understand the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. Towards this end, microRNAs (miRNAs) have constantly emerged as the non-coding RNAs of interest in various thyroid cancer subtypes on which there have been numerous investigations over the last decade and half. This comprehensive review takes a look at the current knowledge on the topic with cataloging of miRNAs known so far, particularly related to their utility as epigenetic signatures of thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. Such information could be of immense use for the eventual development of miRNAs as therapeutic targets or even therapeutic agents for thyroid cancer therapy.

MicroRNA in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Systematic Review from 2018 to June 2020

Simple Summary

The most common form of endocrine cancer - papillary thyroid carcinoma, has an increasing incidence. Although this disease usually has an indolent behavior, there are cases when it can evolve more aggressively. It has been known for some time that it is possible to use microRNAs for the diagnosis, prognosis and even treatment monitoring of papillary thyroid cancer. The purpose of this study is to summarize the latest information provided by publications regarding the involvement of microRNAs in papillary thyroid cancer, underling the new clinical perspectives offered by these publications.

Abstract

The involvement of micro-ribonucleic acid (microRNAs) in metabolic pathways such as regulation, signal transduction, cell maintenance, and differentiation make them possible biomarkers and therapeutic targets. The purpose of this review is to summarize the information published in the last two and a half years about the involvement of microRNAs in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Another goal is to understand the perspective offered by the new findings. Main microRNA features such as origin, regulation, targeted genes, and metabolic pathways will be presented in this paper. We interrogated the PubMed database using several keywords: “microRNA” + “thyroid” + “papillary” + “carcinoma”. After applying search filters and inclusion criteria, a selection of 137 articles published between January 2018–June 2020 was made. Data regarding microRNA, metabolic pathways, gene/protein, and study utility were selected and included in the table and later discussed regarding the matter at hand. We found that most microRNAs regularly expressed in the normal thyroid gland are downregulated in PTC, indicating an important tumor-suppressor action by those microRNAs. Moreover, we showed that one gene can be targeted by several microRNAs and have nominally described these interactions. We have revealed which microRNAs can target several genes at once.

Biomarker exploration of microRNA-203 as a promising substrate for predicting poor survival outcome in colorectal cancer

Background

Increasing studies indicated that microRNA-203 (miR-203) may play an important part in the prognosis of CRC. Nevertheless, the prognostic and influential mechanism of miR-203 expression in CRC remains to be inconclusive. Accordingly, we conducted the current study to investigate the biomarker performance of miR-203 in CRC.

Methods

In the present study, we conducted an evidence synthesis of the published literatures to identify the prognostic roles of miR-203 in patients with CRC. Moreover, several bioinformatics methods were applied for exploring the biomarker roles of miR-203.

Results

It was demonstrated that elevated miR-203 expression was clearly related to worse overall survival (HR: 1.55, 95% CI: 1.07–2.24, P = 0.021) for CRC. The gene Ontology (GO) analysis indicated that miR-203 targets were primarily involved in a series of GO items closely associated with the molecular pathogenesis of CRC. The pathway analysis exhibited the potential signal pathways of miR-203 involved in CRC including pathways in cancer, wnt pathway, prolactin signaling pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, FoxO pathway, focal adhesion and Ras pathway. By constructing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the targets of miR-203, ten crucial proteins and a significant network module were retrieved and found to serve important roles in the molecular pathogenesis of CRC.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that miR-203 may function as a promising biomarker to monitor CRC survival outcomes and progression. Notably, large-scale prospective cohort studies and biological experiments are required to confirm our conclusions.