Long non-coding RNA NHEG1/hsa-miR-665/HMGB1 axis is involved in the regulation of neuroblastoma progression

Long Non-Coding RNAs in Neuroblastoma: Pathogenesis, Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets

Neuroblastoma is the most common malignant extracranial solid tumor of childhood. Recent studies involving the application of advanced high-throughput "omics" techniques have revealed numerous genomic alterations, including aberrant coding-gene transcript levels and dysfunctional pathways, that drive the onset, growth, progression, and treatment resistance of neuroblastoma. Research conducted in the past decade has shown that long non-coding RNAs, once thought to be transcriptomic noise, play key roles in cancer development. With the recent and continuing increase in the amount of evidence for the underlying roles of long non-coding RNAs in neuroblastoma, the potential clinical implications of these RNAs cannot be ignored. In this review, we discuss their biological mechanisms of action in the context of the central driving mechanisms of neuroblastoma, focusing on potential contributions to the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of this disease. We also aim to provide a clear, integrated picture of future research opportunities.

Hsa-miR-665 Is a Promising Biomarker in Cancer Prognosis

Biomarkers are biomolecules used to identify or predict the presence of a specific disease or condition. They play an important role in early diagnosis and may be crucial for treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a group of small non-coding RNAs, are more and more regarded as promising biomarkers for several reasons. Dysregulation of miRNAs has been linked with development of several diseases, including many different types of cancer, and abnormal levels can be present in early stages of tumor development. Because miRNAs are stable molecules secreted and freely circulating in blood and urine, they can be sampled with little or no invasion. Here, we present an overview of the current literature, focusing on the types of cancers for which dysregulation of miR-665 has been associated with disease progression, recurrence, and/or prognosis. It needs to be emphasized that the role of miR-665 sometimes seems ambiguous, in the sense that it can be upregulated in one cancer type and downregulated in another and can even change during the progression of the same cancer. Caution is thus needed before using miR-665 as a biomarker, and extrapolation between different cancer types is not advisable. Moreover, more detailed understanding of the different roles of miR-665 will help in determining its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker.

MicroRNAs and Gene Regulatory Networks Related to Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft lip and palate is one of the most common congenital birth defects and has a complex etiology. Either genetic or environmental factors, or both, are involved at various degrees, and the type and severity of clefts vary. One of the longstanding questions is how environmental factors lead to craniofacial developmental anomalies. Recent studies highlight non-coding RNAs as potential epigenetic regulators in cleft lip and palate. In this review, we will discuss microRNAs, a type of small non-coding RNAs that can simultaneously regulate expression of many downstream target genes, as a causative mechanism of cleft lip and palate in humans and mice.

MicroRNAs as prospective biomarkers, therapeutic targets and pharmaceuticals in neuroblastoma

Neuroblastomas, the most prevalent malignant solid neoplasms of childhood, originate from progenitor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Their genetic causation is diverse and involves multiple molecular mechanisms. This review highlights multiple roles of microRNA in neuroblastoma pathogenesis and discusses the prospects of harnessing these important natural regulator molecules as biomarkers, therapeutic targets and pharmaceuticals in neuroblastoma.

Roles of lncRNAs in childhood cancer: Current landscape and future perspectives

According to World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the leading cause of death for children and adolescents. Leukemias, brain cancers, lymphomas and solid tumors, such as neuroblastoma, ostesarcoma and Wilms tumors are the most common types of childhood cancers. Approximately 400,000 children and adolescents between the ages of 0 and 19 are diagnosed with cancer each year worldwide. The cancer incidence rates have been rising for the past few decades. Generally, the prognosis of childhood cancers is favorable, but the survival rate for many unresectable or recurring cancers is substantially worse. Although random genetic mutations, persistent infections, and environmental factors may serve as contributing factors for many pediatric malignancies, the underlying mechanisms are yet unknown. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a group of transcripts with longer than 200 nucleotides that lack the coding capacity. However, increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs play vital regulatory roles in cancer initiation and development in both adults and children. In particular, many lncRNAs are stable in cancer patients' body fluids such as blood and urine, suggesting that they could be used as novel biomarkers. In support of this notion, lncRNAs have been identified in liquid biopsy samples from pediatric cancer patients. In this review, we look at the regulatory functions and underlying processes of lncRNAs in the initiation and progression of children cancer and discuss the potential of lncRNAs as biomarkers for early detection. We hope that this article will help researchers explore lncRNA functions and clinical applications in pediatric cancers.

Vanguard is a Glucose Deprivation-Responsive Long Non-Coding RNA Essential for Chromatin Remodeling-Reliant DNA Repair

Glucose metabolism contributes to DNA damage response pathways by regulating chromatin remodeling, double-strand break (DSB) repair, and redox homeostasis, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully established. Here, a previously uncharacterized long non-coding RNA is revealed that is call Vanguard which acts to promote HMGB1-dependent DNA repair in association with changes in global chromatin accessibility. Vanguard expression is maintained in cancer cells by SP1-dependent transcription according to glucose availability and cellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. Vanguard promotes complex formation between HMGB1 and HDAC1, with the resulting deacetylation of HMGB1 serving to maintain its nuclear localization and DSB repair function. However, Vanguard downregulation under glucose limiting conditions promotes HMGB1 translocation from the nucleus, increasing DNA damage, and compromising cancer cell growth and viability. Moreover, Vanguard silencing increases the effectiveness of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors against breast cancer cells with wild-type breast cancer gene-1 status, suggesting Vanguard as a potential therapeutic target.

Upregulation of long noncoding RNA linc02544 and its association with overall survival rate and the influence on cell proliferation and migration in lung squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) exert crucial biological functions by regulating miRNAs, which are implicated in cancer progression and tumorigenesis. A previous study has indicated that lncRNA linc02544 expression is upregulated in lung adenocarcinoma, whereas, the role of linc02544 in LUSC is elusive.

METHODS

The differential linc02544 expression in LUSC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues were evaluated with RT-qPCR. Kaplan-Meier curve was conducted to evaluate the clinical prognostic significance of linc02544. Then cellular experiments were performed to assess the influence of linc02544 in LUSC proliferation, invasion, and migration, and a western blot assay was used to measure the metastasis-related protein levels. The downstream miRNAs were verified using the LncBase Experimental v.2 database and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

Linc02544 was overexpressed in LUSC tissues from positive lymph node metastasis-positive and TNM high-stage patients. Low linc02544 expression was associated with a longer survival rate. Downregulation of linc02544 by si-linc02544 restrained cell growth capacities, migration, and invasion abilities. Expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, and vimentin was decreased while E-cadherin was increased in si-linc02544 cells compared with that in untreated cells. Mechanistically, we identified that linc02544 acted as a sponge of miR-138-5p, which expression had a negative correlation. E2F3 was a potential target of miR-138-5p, CONCLUSIONS: Notably, high linc02544 expression was associated with severe clinical parameters and was a putative prognostic predictor for patients with LUSC. Downregulation of linc02544 may weaken the LUSC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating miR-138-5p/E2F3, which maybe serve as a biomarker for the prognosis and target treatment of LUSC.

Silencing of long chain noncoding RNA paternally expressed gene (PEG10) inhibits the progression of neuroblastoma by regulating microRNA-449a (miR-449a)/ribosomal protein S2 (RPS2) axis

To investigate the mechanism of paternally expressed gene (PEG10) in regulating neuroblastoma (NB) progression. PEG10 expression was detected using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The interaction of miR-449a and PEG10 or ribosomal protein S2 (RPS2) was employed by starBase, and then proved through RIP and dual-luciferase reporter assays. The NB cell viability, proliferation, invasion, and migration were evaluated by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, and Transwell assay. The mRNA and protein levels were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The levels of PEG10 and RPS2 were remarkably increased in NB tissues and cells, nevertheless the expression of miR-449a was conspicuously declined in NB tissues and cells. Silencing of PEG10 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion in SK-N-BE (2) cells, while overexpression of PEG10 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in SH-SY5Y cells. We affirmed that PEG10 interacted with miR-449a, and miR-449a could target the 3'UTR of RPS2 and negatively regulate its expression in NB cells. The upregulation of miR-449a inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion in SK-N-BE (2) cells, while downregulation of miR-449a promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion in SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, miR-449a overexpression weaken the function of PEG10-mediated on promoting proliferation, migration, and invasion in SH-SY5Y cells, while RPS2 overexpression rescued the effects of miR-449a-mediated on inhibiting those behaviors of SH-SY5Y cells. In conclusion, Silencing of PEG10 could inhibit proliferation, migration, and invasion via the miR-449a/RPS2 axis in NB cells.

High expression of small nucleolar RNA host gene 3 predicts poor prognosis and promotes bone metastasis in prostate cancer by activating transforming growth factor-beta signaling

Bone metastasis is closely related to tumor death in prostate cancer (PC). Long noncoding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 3 (SNHG3) has been implicated in the initiation and progression of multiple human cancers. Nevertheless, the biological function of SNHG3 in PC has not been elucidated. Our results indicated that SNHG3 was upregulated in bone metastasis-positive PC tissues compared to bone metastasis-negative PC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. High expression of SNHG3 indicates advanced clinicopathological features and predicts poor prognosis in patients with PC. Meanwhile, SNHG3 knockdown suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities of PC cells and inhibited PC cell metastasis to the bone. Mechanistically, SNHG3 enhanced the expression of transforming growth factor beta receptor 1 (TGFBR1) and activated transforming growth factor-Beta (TGF-β) signaling by targeting miR-214-3p. Our study demonstrated the novel role of the SNHG3/miR-214-3p/TGF-β axis in tumor growth and bone metastasis in PC, indicating that SNHG3 may act as a biomarker and promising therapeutic target against PC.