RNAi-based therapeutics for lung cancer: biomarkers, microRNAs, and nanocarriers

Sevoflurane attenuates proliferative and migratory activity of lung cancer cells via mediating the microRNA-100-3p/sterol O-Acyltransferase 1 axis

Recently, evidence has shown that microRNA-100-3p (miR-100-3p) has been revealed as a tumor suppressor in diverse human diseases, while its capability in lung cancer warrants further validation. In this work, we aimed to discuss the impact of sevoflurane on biological functions of lung cancer cells by modulating the miR-100-3p/sterol O-acyltransferase 1 (SOAT1) axis. Lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H460) were treated with various concentrations of sevoflurane. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion were evaluated using MTT, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assays. Moreover, miR-100-3p and SOAT1 expressions were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in lung cancer cells. The target interaction between miR-100-3p and SOAT1 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by the dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The findings of our work demonstrated that sevoflurane impeded the abilities on viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of A549 and H460 cells. The expression of miR-100-3p was reduced, and SOAT1 expression was elevated in lung cancer cells. miR-100-3p targeted SOAT1. Besides, sevoflurane could lead to expressed improvement of miR-100-3p or limitation of SOAT1. Downregulation of miR-100-3p or upregulation of SOAT1 restored the suppression of sevoflurane on abilities of viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion in A549 and H460 cells. In the rescue experiment, downregulation of SOAT1 reversed the impacts of downregulation of miR-100-3p on sevoflurane on lung cancer cells. Collectively, our study provides evidence that sevoflurane restrained the proliferation and invasion in lung cancer cells by modulating the miR-100-3p/SOAT1 axis. This article provides a new idea for further study of the pathogenesis of lung cancer.

(Nano)platforms in breast cancer therapy: Drug/gene delivery, advanced nanocarriers and immunotherapy

Breast cancer is the most malignant tumor in women, and there is no absolute cure for it. Although treatment modalities including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy are utilized for breast cancer, it is still a life-threatening disease for humans. Nanomedicine has provided a new opportunity in breast cancer treatment, which is the focus of the current study. The nanocarriers deliver chemotherapeutic agents and natural products, both of which increase cytotoxicity against breast tumor cells and prevent the development of drug resistance. The efficacy of gene therapy is boosted by nanoparticles and the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9, Noncoding RNAs, and RNAi, promoting their potential for gene expression regulation. The drug and gene codelivery by nanoparticles can exert a synergistic impact on breast tumors and enhance cellular uptake via endocytosis. Nanostructures are able to induce photothermal and photodynamic therapy for breast tumor ablation via cell death induction. The nanoparticles can provide tumor microenvironment remodeling and repolarization of macrophages for antitumor immunity. The stimuli-responsive nanocarriers, including pH-, redox-, and light-sensitive, can mediate targeted suppression of breast tumors. Besides, nanoparticles can provide a diagnosis of breast cancer and detect biomarkers. Various kinds of nanoparticles have been employed for breast cancer therapy, including carbon-, lipid-, polymeric- and metal-based nanostructures, which are different in terms of biocompatibility and delivery efficiency.

Sex disparities in non-small cell lung cancer: mechanistic insights from a cRaf transgenic disease model

BACKGROUND

Women are at greater risk of developing non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet the underlying causes remain unclear.

METHODS

We performed whole genome scans in lung tumours of cRaf transgenic mice and identified miRNA, transcription factor and hormone receptor dependent gene regulations. We confirmed hormone receptors by immunohistochemistry and constructed regulatory gene networks by considering experimentally validated miRNA-gene and transcription factor-miRNA/gene targets. Bioinformatics, genomic foot-printing and gene enrichment analysis established sex-specific circuits of lung tumour growth. Translational research involved a large cohort of NSCLC patients. We evaluated commonalities in sex-specific NSCLC gene regulations between mice and humans and determined their prognostic value in Kaplan-Meier survival statistics and COX proportional hazard regression analysis.

FINDINGS

Overexpression of the cRaf kinase elicited an extraordinary 8-fold increase in tumour growth among females, and nearly 70% of the 112 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were female specific. We identified oncogenes, oncomirs, tumour suppressors, cell cycle regulators and MAPK/EGFR signalling molecules, which prompted sex-based differences in NSCLC, and we deciphered a regulatory gene-network, which protected males from accelerated tumour growth. Strikingly, 41% of DEGs are targets of hormone receptors, and the majority (85%) are oestrogen receptor (ER) dependent. We confirmed the role of ER in a large cohort of NSCLC patients and validated 40% of DEGs induced by cRaf in clinical tumour samples.

INTERPRETATION

We report the molecular wiring that prompted sex disparities in tumour growth. This allowed us to propose the development of molecular targeted therapies by jointly blocking ER, CDK1 and arginase 2 in NSCLC.

FUNDING

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture and Sciences and Volkswagen Foundation, Germany to JB (25A.5-7251-99-3/00) and of the Chinese Scholarship Council to SZ (202008080022). This publication is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as part of the "Open Access Publikationskosten" program.

Development and application of ribonucleic acid therapy strategies against COVID-19

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), remaining a global health crisis since its outbreak until now. Advanced biotechnology and research findings have revealed many suitable viral and host targets for a wide range of therapeutic strategies. The emerging ribonucleic acid therapy can modulate gene expression by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) based on Watson-Crick base pairing. RNA therapies, including antisense oligonucleotides (ASO), ribozymes, RNA interference (RNAi), aptamers, etc., were used to treat SARS-CoV whose genome is similar to SARV-CoV-2, and the past experience also applies for the treatment of COVID-19. Several studies against SARS-CoV-2 based on RNA therapeutic strategy have been reported, and a dozen of relevant preclinical or clinical trials are in process globally. RNA therapy has been a very active and important part of COVID-19 treatment. In this review, we focus on the progress of ribonucleic acid therapeutic strategies development and application, discuss corresponding problems and challenges, and suggest new strategies and solutions.

miRacle of microRNA-Driven Cancer Nanotherapeutics

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-protein-coding RNA molecules 20-25 nucleotides in length that can suppress the expression of genes involved in numerous physiological processes in cells. Accumulating evidence has shown that dysregulation of miRNA expression is related to the pathogenesis of various human diseases and cancers. Thus, stragegies involving either restoring the expression of tumor suppressor miRNAs or inhibiting overexpressed oncogenic miRNAs hold potential for targeted cancer therapies. However, delivery of miRNAs to tumor tissues is a challenging task. Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled successful tumor-targeted delivery of miRNA therapeutics through newly designed nanoparticle-based carrier systems. As a result, miRNA therapeutics have entered human clinical trials with promising results, and they are expected to accelerate the transition of miRNAs from the bench to the bedside in the next decade. Here, we present recent perspectives and the newest developments, describing several engineered natural and synthetic novel miRNA nanocarrier formulations and their key in vivo applications and clinical trials.

Sustained inhibition of ENaC in CF: Potential RNA-based therapies for mutation-agnostic treatment

Disruption of the equilibrium between ion secretion and absorption processes by the airway epithelium is central to many muco-obstructive lung diseases including cystic fibrosis (CF). Besides correction of defective folding and function of CFTR, inhibition of amiloride-sensitive epithelia sodium channels (ENaC) has emerged as a bona fide therapeutic strategy to improve mucociliary clearance in patients with CF. The short half-life of amiloride-based ENaC blockers and hyperosmotic therapies have led to the development of novel RNA-based interventions for targeted and sustained reduction of ENaC expression and function in preclinical models of CF. This review summarizes the recent advances in RNA therapeutics targeting ENaC for mutation-agnostic treatment of CF.

A novel autophagy-related lncRNA survival model for lung adenocarcinoma

Long non‐coding RNA (lncRNA) is an important regulatory factor in the development of lung adenocarcinoma, which is related to the control of autophagy. LncRNA can also be used as a biomarker of prognosis in patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Therefore, it is important to determine the prognostic value of autophagy‐related lncRNA in lung adenocarcinoma. In this study, autophagy‐related mRNAs‐lncRNAs were screened from lung adenocarcinoma and a co‐expression network of autophagy‐related mRNAs‐lncRNAs was constructed by using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to evaluate the prognostic value of the autophagy‐related lncRNAs and finally obtained a survival model composed of 11 autophagy‐related lncRNAs. Through Kaplan‐Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis and time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, it was further verified that the survival model was a new independent prognostic factor for patients with lung adenocarcinoma. In addition, based on the survival model, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to illustrate the function of genes in low‐risk and high‐risk groups. These 11 lncRNAs were GAS6‐AS1, AC106047.1, AC010980.2, AL034397.3, NKILA, AL606489.1, HLA‐DQB1‐AS1, LINC01116, LINC01806, FAM83A‐AS1 and AC090559.1. The hazard ratio (HR) of the risk score was 1.256 (1.196‐1.320) (P < .001) in univariate Cox regression analysis and 1.215 (1.149‐1.286) (P < .001) in multivariate Cox regression analysis. And the AUC value of the risk score was 0.809. The 11 autophagy‐related lncRNA survival models had important predictive value for the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma and may become clinical autophagy‐related therapeutic targets.

Insight Into the Prospects for RNAi Therapy of Cancer

RNA interference (RNAi), also known as gene silencing, is a biological process that prevents gene expression in certain diseases such as cancer. It can be used to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and stability of treatments, particularly genetic therapies. However, challenges such as delivery of oligonucleotide drug to less accessible parts of the body and the high incidence of toxic side effects are encountered. It is therefore imperative to improve their delivery to target sites and reduce their harmful effects on noncancerous cells to harness their full potential. In this study, the role of RNAi in the treatment of COVID-19, the novel coronavirus disease plaguing many countries, has been discussed. This review aims to ascertain the mechanism and application of RNAi and explore the current challenges of RNAi therapy by identifying some of the cancer delivery systems and providing drug information for their improvement. It is worth mentioning that delivery systems such as lipid-based delivery systems and exosomes have revolutionized RNAi therapy by reducing their immunogenicity and improving their cellular affinity. A deeper understanding of the mechanism and challenges associated with RNAi in cancer therapy can provide new insights into RNAi drug development.

miR-29b and retinoic acid co-delivery: a promising tool to induce a synergistic antitumoral effect in non-small cell lung cancer cells

The high incidence, late diagnosis, and aggressive profile of lung cancer limit the treatment options, causing a reduced survival rate. Consequently, RNAi-based therapy appears as a potential approach to treat non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This approach is based on the delivery of small RNAs, involved in the regulation of key cell pathways, to treat complex diseases among others. Concerning that, the aim of this work was focused on the co-delivery of miR-29b and retinoic acid (RA) into NSCLC cells by multifunctional micellar nanosystems (Pluronic® P123 or Pluronic® P103 linked to polyethyleneimine (PEI)). The developed P103-PEI-RA/miR-29b (10/1) presented better results and most attractive properties, promoting efficient delivery of miR-29b, as well as revealing a significant antitumoral activity promoted by a synergistic effect between miR-29b expression and RA deliver. Furthermore, the developed therapeutic approach was able to significantly decrease cell viability and migration, as well as induce cell cycle arrest and epigenetic regulation in NSCLC cells. Thus, this work outcome enables to discover a hopeful system to deliver therapeutic miRNAs, crafting a novel RNAi-based therapy combined with RA to treat NSCLC. Graphical abstract.

Integrated microRNA and mRNA analysis in the pathogenic filamentous fungus Trichophyton rubrum

BACKGROUND

Trichophyton rubrum (T. rubrum) is an important model organism of dermatophytes, which are the most common fungal pathogens worldwide. Despite the severity and prevalence of the infection caused by these pathogens, current therapies are not sufficient. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a class of small noncoding RNAs that are key factors in the regulation of gene expression. These miRNAs are reported to be highly conserved in different organisms and are involved in various essential cellular processes. In this study, we performed an integrated analysis of microRNA-like RNAs (milRNAs) and mRNAs between conidial and mycelial stages to investigate the roles of milRNAs in regulating the expression of target genes in T. rubrum.

RESULTS

A total of 158 conserved milRNAs and 12 novel milRNAs were identified in our study, corresponding to 5470 target genes, which were involved in various essential biological pathways. In addition, 137 target genes corresponding to 21 milRNAs were concurrent differentially expressed between the conidial and mycelial stages. Among these 137 target genes, 64 genes showed the opposite trend to their corresponding milRNAs in expression difference between the two stages, indicating possible negative regulation. Furthermore, 46% of differentially expressed target genes are involved in transcription, transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation. Our results indicate that milRNAs might associate with other regulatory elements to control gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional level.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first analysis of milRNA expression profile in T. rubrum as well as dermatophytes in general. The results revealed the roles of milRNAs in regulating gene expression between the two major growth stages of this fungus. Our study deepens our understanding of T. rubrum and will serve as a foundation for further investigations to combat this fungus.