Epidemiological evidence for associations between variants in microRNA and cancer risk

Novel polymorphism rs12402181 in the mature sequence of hsa-miR-3117-3p has a protective effect against breast cancer development by affecting miRNA processing and function

The current study aimed to investigate how the rs12402181 variant in the miR-3117-3p seed region affects miRNA processing and binding ability to the target sequences and breast cancer susceptibility. To study the role of rs12402181 polymorphism in breast cancer, blood samples were examined to investigate the possible association between the genetic variant in the miR-3117 and breast cancer susceptibility. The miR-3117 gene variant was genotyped using PCR-RFLP. The pre-miR-3117 and parts of the flanking region with GG or AA genotype were inserted into a pEGFPN1 expression vector and followed by qPCR to evaluate the effect of SNP on miR-3117-3p expression levels and function. Cell proliferation and migration properties investigated by MTT and wound healing assay. Web server databases were used for further investigation of potential changes in miRNA function. Genotype frequency study in breast cancer patients and healthy controls showed that rs12402181 polymorphism (G > A) is inversely associated with susceptibility to breast cancer (P = 0.03, OR 0.551). The variant allele led to increased production of mature miR-3117 and reduced cell proliferation and migration in MCF7 and T47D cells. These findings suggest that A allele in miR-3117-3p affects the processing of miRNA, causing an increase in the miRNA mature form which can negatively regulate tumor development and migration.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03765-y.

NF1-Related MicroRNA Gene Polymorphisms and the Susceptibility to Soft Tissue Sarcomas: A Case-Control Study

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are rare malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin, which are easy to metastasize and relapse and are a great threat to human health. In our previous study, the abnormal expression of neurofibromin 1 (NF1) is observed in tumor tissue of STS, and the NF1 gene is regulated by miRNAs. The study aimed to assess the association between NF1-related miRNA gene polymorphisms and the risk of STS. In this case-control study, the information and peripheral blood were collected from 169 patients with STS and 170 healthy controls. Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms of the NF1-related miRNAs were investigated and genotyped using a Sequenom MassARRAY® matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry platform. The association between the polymorphisms and the risk of STS was estimated using unconditional logistic regression analysis. There was a significant statistical difference on genotype distribution of miR-199a2 rs12139213 between the case group and the control group (p = 0.026). Comparing with individuals with wild-type AA, individuals with the AT/TT genotype had a 1.753-fold (odds ratio [OR] = 1.753, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.090-2.819, p = 0.021) increased risk of STS and 1.907-fold (OR = 1.907, 95% CI = 1.173-3.102, p = 0.009) increased risk of STS adjusted for age and smoking status. Individuals with the AG/GG genotype for miR24-3p rs4743988 displayed a significantly reduced risk of STS compared with individuals with homozygous mutations AA (OR = 0.605, 95% CI = 0.376-0.973, p = 0.038). Individuals carrying the AT/TT genotype for miR-199a2 rs12139213 or the AA genotype for miR24-3p rs4743988 may be susceptible to STS, which could be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of STS.

Nanomaterials in Animal Husbandry: Research and Prospects

Anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-cancer treatments are potential applications of nanomaterials in biology. To explore the latest discoveries in nanotechnology, we reviewed the published literature, focusing on co-assembled nanoparticles for anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties, and their applications in animal husbandry. The results show that nanoparticles have significant anti-inflammation and anti-tumor effects, demonstrating broad application prospects in animal breeding. Furthermore, pooled evidence suggests that the mechanism is to have a positive impact on inflammation and tumors through the specific drug loading by indirectly or directly targeting the disease sites. Because the precise regulatory mechanism remains unclear, most studies have focused on regulating particular sites or even specific genes in the nucleus by targeting functional co-assembled nanoparticles. Hence, despite the intriguing scenarios for nanotechnology in farmed animals, most results cannot yet be translated into field applications. Overall, nanomaterials outperformed similar materials in terms of anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor. Nanotechnology also has promising applications in animal husbandry and veterinary care, and its application and development in animal husbandry remain an exciting area of research.