Human Papillomavirus E6/E7 and Long Noncoding RNA TMPOP2 Mutually Upregulated Gene Expression in Cervical Cancer Cells

The Role of Biomarkers in HPV-Positive Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Towards Precision Medicine

Head and neck cancer (HNC) represents a significant global health challenge, with squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) accounting for approximately 90% of all HNC cases. These malignancies, collectively referred to as head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), originate from the mucosal epithelium lining the larynx, pharynx, and oral cavity. The primary risk factors associated with HNSCC in economically disadvantaged nations have been chronic alcohol consumption and tobacco use. However, in more affluent countries, the landscape of HNSCC has shifted with the identification of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, particularly HPV-16, as a major risk factor, especially among nonsmokers. Understanding the evolving risk factors and the distinct biological behaviors of HPV-positive and HPV-negative HNSCC is critical for developing targeted treatment strategies and improving patient outcomes in this complex and diverse group of cancers. Accurate diagnosis of HPV-positive HNSCC is essential for developing a comprehensive model that integrates the molecular characteristics, immune microenvironment, and clinical outcomes. The aim of this comprehensive review was to summarize the current knowledge and advances in the identification of DNA, RNA, and protein biomarkers in bodily fluids and tissues that have introduced new possibilities for minimally or non-invasive cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and assessment of therapeutic responses.

Expression profile of long noncoding RNAs and comprehensive analysis of lncRNA-cisTF-DGE regulation in condyloma acuminatum

OBJECTIVE

To identify differentially expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in condyloma acuminatum (CA) and to explore their probable regulatory mechanisms by establishing coexpression networks.

METHODS

High-throughput RNA sequencing was performed to assess genome-wide lncRNA expression in CA and paired adjacent mucosal tissue. The expression of candidate lncRNAs and their target genes in larger CA specimens was validated using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‒qPCR). Furthermore, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used for the functional enrichment analysis of these candidate lncRNAs and differential mRNAs. The coexpressed mRNAs of the candidate lncRNAs, calculated by Pearson's correlation coefficient, were also analysed using GO and KEGG analysis. In addition, the interactions among differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs)-cis-regulatory transcription factors (cisTFs)-differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analysed and their network was constructed.

RESULTS

A total of 546 lncRNAs and 2553 mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in CA compared to the paired control. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs coexpressed with DElncRNAs were enriched in the terms of cell adhesion and keratinocyte differentiation, and the pathways of ECM-receptor interaction, local adhesion, PI3K/AKT and TGF-ß signaling. We further constructed the network among DElncRNAs-cisTFs-DEGs and found that these 95 DEGs were mainly enriched in GO terms of epithelial development, regulation of transcription or gene expression. Furthermore, the expression of 3 pairs of DElncRNAs and cisTFs, EVX1-AS and HOXA13, HOXA11-AS and EVX1, and DLX6-AS and DLX5, was validated with a larger number of specimens using RT‒qPCR.

CONCLUSION

CA has a specific lncRNA profile, and the differentially expressed lncRNAs play regulatory roles in mRNA expression through cis-acting TFs, which provides insight into their regulatory networks. It will be useful to understand the pathogenesis of CA to provide new directions for the prevention, clinical treatment and efficacy evaluation of CA.

Understanding the HPV associated cancers: A comprehensive review

Human papillomavirus (HPV), a common cause of sexually transmitted diseases, may cause warts and lead to various types of cancers, which makes it important to understand the risk factors associated with it. HPV is the leading risk factor and plays a crucial role in the progression of cervical cancer. Viral oncoproteins E6 and E7 play a pivotal role in this process. Beyond cervical cancer, HPV-associated cancers of the mouth and throat are also increasing. HPV can also contribute to other malignancies like penile, vulvar, and vaginal cancers. Emerging evidence links HPV to these cancers. Research on the oncogenic effect of HPV is still ongoing and explorations of screening techniques, vaccination, immunotherapy and targeted therapeutics are all in progress. The present review offers valuable insight into the current understanding of the role of HPV in cancer and its potential implications for treatment and prevention in the future.

Emerging biomarkers and molecular targets for precision medicine in cervical cancer

Cervical cancer remains a significant global health burden, necessitating innovative approaches for improved diagnostics and personalized treatment strategies. Precision medicine has emerged as a promising paradigm, leveraging biomarkers and molecular targets to tailor therapy to individual patients. This review explores the landscape of emerging biomarkers and molecular targets in cervical cancer, highlighting their potential implications for precision medicine. By integrating these biomarkers into comprehensive diagnostic algorithms, clinicians can identify high-risk patients at an earlier stage, enabling timely intervention and improved patient outcomes. Furthermore, the identification of specific molecular targets has paved the way for the development of targeted therapies aimed at disrupting key pathways implicated in cervical carcinogenesis. In conclusion, the evolving landscape of biomarkers and molecular targets presents exciting opportunities for advancing precision medicine in cervical cancer. By harnessing these insights, clinicians can optimize treatment selection, enhance patient outcomes, and ultimately transform the management of this devastating disease.

Defining new biomarkers for overcoming therapeutical resistance in cervical cancer using lncRNA

Despite improvements in cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment, the prognosis for cervical cancer patients remains dismal due to the development of drug resistance, metastasis, and invasion resulting leading to treatment failure. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA transcripts have been reported in mediating carcinogenesis as well as drug, and radio-resistance in tumor cells. These lncRNAs regulate various cancer hallmarks and contribute to the development of therapeutic resistance. They regulates multiple signalling pathways, recruits polycomb group, function as miRNA sponge and scaffolds. Additionally, lncRNAs can act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in cervical cancer. This comprehensive review outlines the biogenesis of lncRNA and its role in cancer development. It delves into the mechanisms through which various lncRNAs mediate chemoresistance and radioresistance in cervical cancer. By shedding into the light of mechanism, this review will also aids researchers in understanding lncRNAs as biomarkers and latest advancements in clinically targeting them with the help of Artificial Intelligence for overcoming chemoresistance and radioresistance, thereby improving cervical cancer treatment.

Multidimensional outlook on the pathophysiology of cervical cancer invasion and metastasis

Cervical cancer being one of the primary causes of high mortality rates among women is an area of concern, especially with ineffective treatment strategies. Extensive studies are carried out to understand various aspects of cervical cancer initiation, development and progression; however, invasive cervical squamous cell carcinoma has poor outcomes. Moreover, the advanced stages of cervical cancer may involve lymphatic circulation with a high risk of tumor recurrence at distant metastatic sites. Dysregulation of the cervical microbiome by human papillomavirus (HPV) together with immune response modulation and the occurrence of novel mutations that trigger genomic instability causes malignant transformation at the cervix. In this review, we focus on the major risk factors as well as the functionally altered signaling pathways promoting the transformation of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia into invasive squamous cell carcinoma. We further elucidate genetic and epigenetic variations to highlight the complexity of causal factors of cervical cancer as well as the metastatic potential due to the changes in immune response, epigenetic regulation, DNA repair capacity, and cell cycle progression. Our bioinformatics analysis on metastatic and non-metastatic cervical cancer datasets identified various significantly and differentially expressed genes as well as the downregulation of potential tumor suppressor microRNA miR-28-5p. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of the genomic landscape in invasive and metastatic cervical cancer will help in stratifying the patient groups and designing potential therapeutic strategies.

Long noncoding RNA NAV2-AS5 relieves chondrocyte inflammation by targeting miR-8082/TNIP2 in osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic and frequently occurring orthopedic disease in the middle-aged and elderly individuals. Numerous studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play major roles in various diseases. However, the potential molecular mechanism of action of NAV2-AS5 in OA remains unclear. The present study was designed to explore the influence of NAV2-AS5 on the progression of chondrocyte inflammation and its underlying molecular mechanisms. To simulate the inflammatory environment in OA, the human chondrocyte cell line was treated with LPS. Cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis were assessed using Cell Counting Kit-8, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine analysis, and flow cytometry. Proliferation- and cycle-related proteins and the release of inflammatory factors were examined by western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The downstream targets of NAV2-AS5 were determined using bioinformatics and confirmed by a luciferase reporter assay. In our study, patients with OA showed downregulation of NAV2-AS5, upregulation of miR-8082, and downregulation of TNFAIP3 interacting protein 2 (TNIP2). Moreover, we found that both overexpression of NAV2-AS5 and miR-8082 inhibitor promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and released inflammatory cytokines in LPS-treated chondrocytes. MiR-8082 was predicted to be a target of both NAV2-AS5 and TNIP2. In addition, rescue experiments showed that silencing of TNIP2 reversed the effects of the miR-8082 inhibitor on proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, and inflammatory factors in sh-NAV2-AS5-treated chondrocytes. In conclusion, these findings indicate that NAV2-AS5 relieves chondrocyte inflammation by targeting miR-8082/TNIP2 in OA, which provides a new theoretical basis for OA therapy.

CRISPR Technology in Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: Opportunities and Challenges

A novel gene editing tool, the Cas system, associated with the CRISPR system, is emerging as a potential method for genome modification. This simple method, based on the adaptive immune defense system of prokaryotes, has been developed and used in human cancer research. These technologies have tremendous therapeutic potential, especially in gene therapy, where a patient-specific mutation is genetically corrected to cure diseases that cannot be cured with conventional treatments. However, translating CRISPR/Cas9 into the clinic will be challenging, as we still need to improve the efficiency, specificity, and application of the technology. In this review, we will explain how CRISPR-Cas9 technology can treat cancer at the molecular level, focusing on ordination and the epigenome. We will also focus on the promise and shortcomings of this system to ensure its application in the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in HIV-mediated carcinogenesis: Role in cell homeostasis, cell survival processes and drug resistance

There is accruing data implicating long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the development and progression of non-communicable diseases such as cancer. These lncRNAs have been implicated in many diverse HIV-host interactions, some of which are beneficial to HIV propagation. The virus-host interactions induce the expression of HIV-regulated long non-coding RNAs, which are implicated in the carcinogenesis process, therefore, it is critical to understand the molecular mechanisms that underpin these HIV-regulated lncRNAs, especially in cancer formation. Herein, we summarize the role of HIV-regulated lncRNAs targeting cancer development-related processes including apoptosis, cell cycle, cell survival signalling, angiogenesis and drug resistance. It is unclear how lncRNAs regulate cancer development, this review also discuss recent discoveries regarding the functions of lncRNAs in cancer biology. Innovative research in this field will be beneficial for the future development of therapeutic strategies targeting long non-coding RNAs that are regulated by HIV, especially in HIV associated cancers.

Long noncoding RNA MIR210HG is induced by hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and promotes cervical cancer progression

Increasing evidence has indicated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles in various types of cancer, especially the ability of tumor cells to adapt to hypoxia conditions. However, only a few of them have been experimentally validated in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). In the current study, we identified a hypoxia-induced lncRNA MIR210HG was excessively expressed in CSCC tissues and regulated by human papillomavirus (HPV) type 16 E6 and E7 via hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α). Functional assays revealed the role of MIR210HG in promoting proliferation, migration and invasion of CSCC cells in vitro under normoxia as well as hypoxia conditions. Meanwhile, stable MIR210HG silencing dramatically repressed tumor growth and pulmonary metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, the depletion of MIR210HG or HIF-1α decreased each other's expression level, while silencing MIR210HG or HIF-1α respectively downregulated the expression levels of phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1), one of key metabolic enzymes in the glycolysis pathway. Furthermore, decreased expression of PGK1 by HIF-1α knockdown was reversed through the overexpression of MIR210HG. Also, we demonstrated HIF-1α can activate the transcription of MIR210HG via binding its promoter. Taken together, these results expand our understanding of the cancer-associated functions of hypoxia-induced lncRNAs, and highlight MIR210HG forms a feedback loop with HIF-1α contributing to cervical carcinogenesis, with potential implications for therapeutic targeting.

Epigenetic and Transcriptomic Regulation Landscape in HPV+ Cancers: Biological and Clinical Implications

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is an oncogenic virus that causes the highest number of viral-associated cancer cases and deaths worldwide, with more than 690,000 new cases per year and 342,000 deaths only for cervical cancer (CC). Although the incidence and mortality rates for CC are declining in countries where screening and vaccination programs have been implemented, other types of cancer in which HPV is involved, such as oropharyngeal cancer, are increasing, particularly in men. Mutational and transcriptional profiles of various HPV-associated neoplasms have been described, and accumulated evidence has shown the oncogenic capacity of E6, E7, and E5 genes of high-risk HPV. Interestingly, transcriptomic analysis has revealed that although a vast majority of the human genome is transcribed into RNAs, only 2% of transcripts are translated into proteins. The remaining transcripts lacking protein-coding potential are called non-coding RNAs. In addition to the transfer and ribosomal RNAs, there are regulatory non-coding RNAs classified according to size and structure in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and small RNAs; such as microRNAs (miRNAs), piwi-associated RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) and endogenous short-interfering RNAs. Recent evidence has shown that lncRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs are aberrantly expressed under pathological conditions such as cancer. In addition, those transcripts are dysregulated in HPV-related neoplasms, and their expression correlates with tumor progression, metastasis, poor prognosis, and recurrence. Nuclear lncRNAs are epigenetic regulators involved in controlling gene expression at the transcriptional level through chromatin modification and remodeling. Moreover, disruption of the expression profiles of those lncRNAs affects multiple biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration. This review highlights the epigenetic alterations induced by HPV, from infection to neoplastic transformation. We condense the epigenetic role of non-coding RNA alterations and their potential as biomarkers in transformation’s early stages and clinical applications. We also summarize the molecular mechanisms of action of nuclear lncRNAs to understand better their role in the epigenetic control of gene expression and how they can drive the malignant phenotype of HPV-related neoplasia. Finally, we review several chemical and epigenetic therapy options to prevent and treat HPV-associated neoplasms.

Long non-coding RNAs in virus-related cancers

Some viral infections lead to tumourigenesis explained by a variety of underlying molecular mechanisms. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have the potential to be added to this list due to their diverse mechanisms in biological functions and disease processes via gene alternation, transcriptional regulation, protein modification, microRNA sponging and interaction with RNA/DNA/proteins. In this review, we summarise the dysregulation and mechanism of lncRNAs in virus-related cancers focussing on Hepatitis B virus, Epstein-Barr virus, Human Papillomavirus. We will also discuss the potential implications of lncRNAs in COVID-19.

Molecular Mechanisms of HIV Protease Inhibitors Against HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer: Restoration of TP53 Tumour Suppressor Activities

Cervical cancer is a Human Papilloma virus-related disease, which is on the rise in a number of countries, globally. Two essential oncogenes, E6 and E7, drive cell transformation and cancer development. These two oncoproteins target two of the most important tumour suppressors, p53 and pRB, for degradation through the ubiquitin ligase pathway, thus, blocking apoptosis activation and deregulation of cell cycle. This pathway can be exploited for anticancer therapeutic interventions, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Protease Inhibitors (HIV-PIs) have attracted a lot of attention for this anticancer drug development. HIV-PIs have proven effective in treating HPV-positive cervical cancers and shown to restore impaired or deregulated p53 in HPV-associated cervical cancers by inhibiting the 26S proteasome. This review will evaluate the role players, such as HPV oncoproteins involved cervical cancer development and how they are targeted in HIV protease inhibitors-induced p53 restoration in cervical cancer. This review also covers the therapeutic potential of HIV protease inhibitors and molecular mechanisms behind the HIV protease inhibitors-induced p53-dependent anticancer activities against cervical cancer.

Bioinformatics Screening of Potential Biomarkers from mRNA Expression Profiles to Discover Drug Targets and Agents for Cervical Cancer

Bioinformatics analysis has been playing a vital role in identifying potential genomic biomarkers more accurately from an enormous number of candidates by reducing time and cost compared to the wet-lab-based experimental procedures for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and therapies. Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most malignant diseases seen in women worldwide. This study aimed at identifying potential key genes (KGs), highlighting their functions, signaling pathways, and candidate drugs for CC diagnosis and targeting therapies. Four publicly available microarray datasets of CC were analyzed for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by the LIMMA approach through GEO2R online tool. We identified 116 common DEGs (cDEGs) that were utilized to identify seven KGs (AURKA, BRCA1, CCNB1, CDK1, MCM2, NCAPG2, and TOP2A) by the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. The GO functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of KGs revealed some important functions and signaling pathways that were significantly associated with CC infections. The interaction network analysis identified four TFs proteins and two miRNAs as the key transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators of KGs. Considering seven KGs-based proteins, four key TFs proteins, and already published top-ranked seven KGs-based proteins (where five KGs were common with our proposed seven KGs) as drug target receptors, we performed their docking analysis with the 80 meta-drug agents that were already published by different reputed journals as CC drugs. We found Paclitaxel, Vinorelbine, Vincristine, Docetaxel, Everolimus, Temsirolimus, and Cabazitaxel as the top-ranked seven candidate drugs. Finally, we investigated the binding stability of the top-ranked three drugs (Paclitaxel, Vincristine, Vinorelbine) by using 100 ns MD-based MM-PBSA simulations with the three top-ranked proposed receptors (AURKA, CDK1, TOP2A) and observed their stable performance. Therefore, the proposed drugs might play a vital role in the treatment against CC.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG3 promotes malignant phenotypes in cervical cancer cells via association with YAP1

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) Small Nucleolar RNA Host Gene 3 (SNHG3) is involved in the occurrence and development of various cancers. However, the exact function and mechanism of SNHG3 in cervical cancer (CC) are still unclear. In this context, we identified a significant increase of SNHG3 expression in CC tissues. Upregulation of SNHG3 expression was associated with advanced FIGO stage and metastasis, and indicated poor overall survival of the CC patients. Functionally, SNHG3 enhanced the proliferation, migration and invasion of CC cells in vitro, and facilitated CC growth in vivo. Further investigation uncovered that SNHG3 interacted with oncoprotein YAP1, thus suppressing its degradation. Additionally, SNHG3 modulated the transcription of several target genes of YAP1. The oncogenic role of SNHG3 was partially attributable to YAP1. Taken together, our research revealed the prognostic and functional roles for SNHG3 in CC, suggesting that SNHG3 could serve as a biomarker for prognosis and a therapeutic target for CC.

Epigenetic approaches for cervical neoplasia screening (Review)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer. The Papanicolaou cytology test is the usually employed type of screening for this infection; however, its sensibility is limited. Only a small percentage of women infected with high-risk HPV develop cervical cancer with an array of genetic and epigenetic modifications. Thus, it is necessary to develop rapid, reproducible and minimally invasive technologies for screening. DNA methylation has gained attention as an alternative method for molecular diagnosis and prognosis in HPV infection. The aim of the present review was to highlight the potential of DNA methylation in cervical neoplasia screening for clinical applications. It was observed that the methylation human and viral genes was correlated with high-grade lesions and cancer. Methylation biomarkers have shown a good capacity to discriminate between high-grade lesions with a transformative potential and cervical cancer, being able to detect these modifications at an early stage. With further research, the epigenetic profiles and subtypes of the tumors could be elaborated, which would aid in therapy selection by opening avenues in personalized precision medicine. Response to therapy could also be evaluated through such methods and the accessibility of liquid biopsies would allow a constant monitoring of the patient's status without invasive sampling techniques.

Crosstalk between Environmental Inflammatory Stimuli and Non-Coding RNA in Cancer Occurrence and Development

Simple Summary

Increasing evidence has indicated that chronic inflammatory processes have an influence on tumor occurrence and all stages of tumor development. A dramatic increase of studies into non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) biology has shown that ncRNAs act as oncogenic drivers and tumor suppressors in various inflammation-induced cancers. Thus, this complex network of inflammation-associated cancers and ncRNAs offers targets for prevention from the malignant transformation from inflammation and treatment of malignant diseases.

Abstract

There is a clear relationship between inflammatory response and different stages of tumor development. Common inflammation-related carcinogens include viruses, bacteria, and environmental mutagens, such as air pollutants, toxic metals, and ultraviolet light. The expression pattern of ncRNA changes in a variety of disease conditions, including inflammation and cancer. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have a causative role in enhancing inflammatory stimulation and evading immune responses, which are particularly important in persistent pathogen infection and inflammation-to-cancer transformation. In this review, we investigated the mechanism of ncRNA expression imbalance in inflammation-related cancers. A better understanding of the function of inflammation-associated ncRNAs may help to reveal the potential of ncRNAs as a new therapeutic strategy.

The Biological Significance of Long noncoding RNAs Dysregulation and their Mechanism of Regulating Signaling Pathways in Cervical Cancer

Despite the remarkable decrease in cervical cancer incidence due to the availability of the HPV vaccine and implementation of screening programs for early detection in developed countries, this cancer remains a major health problem globally, especially in developing countries where most of the cases and mortality occur. Therefore, more understanding of molecular mechanisms of cervical cancer development might lead to the discovery of more effective diagnosis and treatment options. Research on long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) demonstrates the important roles of these molecules in many physiological processes and diseases, especially cancer. In the present review, we discussed the significance of lncRNAs altered expression in cervical cancer, highlighting their roles in regulating highly conserved signaling pathways, such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathways and their association with the progression of cervical cancer in order to bring more insight and understanding of this disease and their potential implications in cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Role of Virus-Induced Host Cell Epigenetic Changes in Cancer

The tumor viruses human T-lymphotropic virus 1 (HTLV-1), hepatitis C virus (HCV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) account for approximately 15% of all human cancers. Although the oncoproteins of these tumor viruses display no sequence similarity to one another, they use the same mechanisms to convey cancer hallmarks on the infected cell. Perturbed gene expression is one of the underlying mechanisms to induce cancer hallmarks. Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, histone modification and chromatin remodeling, microRNA, long noncoding RNA, and circular RNA affect gene expression without introducing changes in the DNA sequence. Increasing evidence demonstrates that oncoviruses cause epigenetic modifications, which play a pivotal role in carcinogenesis. In this review, recent advances in the role of host cell epigenetic changes in virus-induced cancers are summarized.

LncRNA HOTAIR promotes proliferation and inhibits apoptosis by sponging miR-214-3p in HPV16 positive cervical cancer cells

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most common gynaecological malignancies all around the world. The mechanisms of cervical carcinoma formation remain under close scrutiny. The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in controlling gene expression and promoting the development and progression of cervical cancer by acting as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA). However, the roles of lncRNA associated with ceRNAs in cervical carcinogenesis remains unknown. In this study, the expression of long non-coding RNA HOTAIR was investigated in HPV16 positive cervical cancer cells, the candidate miRNAs and target genes were identified to clarify putative ceRNAs of HOTAIR/miRNA in cervical cancer cells.

Methods

The proliferation ability of cells was measured by CCK8 and EdU incorporation assays and cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. The expression of HOTAIR, miR-214-3p, HPV16 E7 mRNA were detected by qRT-PCR. As for searching for the interaction between miR-214-3p and HOTAIR, the binding sites for miR-214-3p on HOTAIR was predicted by starbase v2.0 database, then dual-luciferase assay was used to verify the binding sites. In addition, Gene Ontology (GO) and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of target genes of miR-214-3p were performed with bioinformatics analysis. The potential signal pathway regulated by HOTAIR/miR-214-3p was predicted by KEGG enrichment analysis and confirmed by qPCR and WB analysis in cervical cancer cells.

Results

Our results showed that expression of HOTAIR was up-regulated, while that of miR-214-3p was down-regulated in HPV16-positive cervical cancer cells. The expression status of HPV16 E7 played an important role in regulating expression of HOTAIR or miR-214-3p in cervical cancer cells. HOTAIR knockdown could significantly inhibited cell proliferate ability and promote cellular apoptosis, whereas the inhibition of miR-214-3p expression partially reversed such results. Bioinformatics analysis identified 1451 genes as target genes of miR-214-3p. The Gene ontology (GO) and KEGG Pathway enrichment analysis showed that these target genes were mainly related to regulation of cell communication, protein binding, enzyme binding and transferase activity, and Wnt ligand biogenesis. Pathway enrichment analysis results showed that the predicted target genes were significantly enriched in Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Finally, our results confirmed that miR-214-3p could significantly inhibit β-catenin expression in HPV16 positive cancer cells by qPCR and WB analysis.

Conclusion

HOTAIR could act as a ceRNA through binding to miR-214-3p, promote cell proliferation and inhibit the apoptosis of HPV16 positive cervical cancer. HOTAIR/miR-214-3p/Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway might played important regulated roles in HPV16 positive cervical cancer. Our results provided new insight into defining novel biomarkers for cervical cancer.

Factors Associated with Willingness to Choose the Way for Old-Age Care: A Population-Based Cross-sectional Study in Chongqing, China

The objective of this study is to investigate the factors associated with the willingness for old-aged care and the demands for health care among elders, which might provide a reference for the establishment of health care strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted via questionnaires among 1553 randomly selected residents aged 65 or older from Chongqing, China during 2016. Data of demographics, and demands for old-age care and health care services were collected. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the characteristics of the respondents. A chi-squared test and multiple logistic regression were performed to explore the relevant factors associated with the preference of old-age care among older people in Chongqing. We found that 85.4% of the respondents were willing to select home-based care: family old age care (55.9%), and its combination form for old-age care: family old age care plus community old age care (29.5%) old age care. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that willingness to choose family old age care for old-age care was associated with lower monthly income, more children, worse commercial insurance, better health status, and shorter distance to their children. Most older adults had the demands for health-related services, including regular check-up, regular health seminars, establishment of health files. Hospital was the most acceptable provider for care services, and there was a preference for long-term care and emergency call among the elders. The majority of older Chinese prefer the family old age care and its combination form with community old age care for old-age care, and demand for a variety of health-related services. Home- and community-based care with sound and perfect medical and health mechanism should be the main pattern of old-age care system in China.

The role of HPV-induced epigenetic changes in cervical carcinogenesis (Review)

Cervical cancer is associated with infection by certain types of human papillomaviruses (HPVs), and this affects women worldwide. Despite the improvements in prevention and cure of HPV-induced cervical cancer, it remains the second most common type of cancer in women in the least developed regions of the world. Epigenetic modifications are stable long-term changes that occur in the DNA, and are part of a natural evolutionary process of necessary adaptations to the environment. They do not result in changes in the DNA sequence, but do affect gene expression and genomic stability. Epigenetic changes are important in several biological processes. The effects of the environment on gene expression can contribute to the development of numerous diseases. Epigenetic modifications may serve a critical role in cancer cells, by silencing tumor suppressor genes, activating oncogenes, and exacerbating defects in DNA repair mechanisms. Although cervical cancer is directly related to a persistent high-risk HPV infection, several epigenetic changes have been identified in both the viral DNA and the genome of the infected cells: DNA methylation, histone modification and gene silencing by non-coding RNAs, which initiate and sustain epigenetic changes. In the present review, recent advances in the role of epigenetic changes in cervical cancer are summarized.

Oncogenic HPV promotes the expression of the long noncoding RNA lnc-FANCI-2 through E7 and YY1

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play diverse roles in biological processes, but their expression profiles and functions in cervical carcinogenesis remain unknown. By RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of 18 clinical specimens and selective validation by RT-qPCR analyses of 72 clinical samples, we provide evidence that, relative to normal cervical tissues, 194 lncRNAs are differentially regulated in high-risk (HR)-HPV infection along with cervical lesion progression. One such lncRNA, lnc-FANCI-2, is extensively characterized because it is expressed from a genomic locus adjacent to the FANCI gene encoding an important DNA repair factor. Both genes are up-regulated in HPV lesions and in in vitro model systems of HR-HPV18 infection. We observe a moderate reciprocal regulation of lnc-FANCI-2 and FANCI in cervical cancer CaSki cells. In these cells, lnc-FANCI-2 is transcribed from two alternative promoters, alternatively spliced, and polyadenylated at one of two alternative poly(A) sites. About 10 copies of lnc-FANCI-2 per cell are detected preferentially in the cytoplasm. Mechanistically, HR-HPVs, but not low-risk (LR)-HPV oncogenes induce lnc-FANCI-2 in primary and immortalized human keratinocytes. The induction is mediated primarily by E7, and to a lesser extent by E6, mostly independent of p53/E6AP and pRb/E2F. We show that YY1 interacts with an E7 CR3 core motif and transactivates the promoter of lnc-FANCI-2 by binding to two critical YY1-binding motifs. Moreover, HPV18 increases YY1 expression by reducing miR-29a, which targets the 3' untranslated region of YY1 mRNA. These data have provided insights into the mechanisms of how HR-HPV infections contribute to cervical carcinogenesis.

Long non-coding RNAs regulate the hallmarks of cancer in HPV-induced malignancies

High-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most frequent sexually transmitted agent worldwide and is responsible for approximately 5% of human cancers. Identifying novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for these malignancies requires a deeper understanding of the mechanisms involved in the progression of HPV-induced cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are crucial in the regulation of biological processes. Importantly, these molecules are key players in the progression of multiple malignancies and are able to regulate the development of the different hallmarks of cancer. This review highlights the action of lncRNAs in the regulation of cellular processes leading to the typical hallmarks of cancer. The regulation of lncRNAs by HPV oncogenes, their targets and also their mechanisms of action are also discussed, in the context of HPV-induced malignancies. Overall, accumulating data indicates that lncRNAs may have a significant potential to become useful tools for clinical practice as disease biomarkers or therapy targets.

The human papillomavirus oncoproteins: a review of the host pathways targeted on the road to transformation

Persistent infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs) is the causal factor in over 99 % of cervical cancer cases, and a significant proportion of oropharyngeal and anogenital cancers. The key drivers of HPV-mediated transformation are the oncoproteins E5, E6 and E7. Together, they act to prolong cell-cycle progression, delay differentiation and inhibit apoptosis in the host keratinocyte cell in order to generate an environment permissive for viral replication. The oncoproteins also have key roles in mediating evasion of the host immune response, enabling infection to persist. Moreover, prolonged infection within the cellular environment established by the HR-HPV oncoproteins can lead to the acquisition of host genetic mutations, eventually culminating in transformation to malignancy. In this review, we outline the many ways in which the HR-HPV oncoproteins manipulate the host cellular environment, focusing on how these activities can contribute to carcinogenesis.

A novel prognostic prediction model based on seven immune-related RNAs for predicting overall survival of patients in early cervical squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

In this study, we aimed to mine immune-related RNAs expressed in early cervical squamous cell carcinoma to construct prognostic prediction models.

METHODS

The RNA sequencing data of 309 cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC) cases, including data of individuals with available clinical information, were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. We included 181 early-stage CSCC tumor samples with clinical survival and prognosis information (training dataset). Then, we downloaded the GSE44001 gene expression profile data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information Gene Expression Omnibus (validation dataset). Gene ontology annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were used to analyze the biological functions of differentially expressed immune-related genes (DEIRGs). We established protein-protein interactions and competing endogenous RNA networks using Cytoscape. Using the Kaplan-Meier method, we evaluated the association between the high- and low-risk groups and the actual survival and prognosis information. Our univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses screened for independent prognostic factors.

RESULTS

We identified seven prognosis-related signature genes (RBAKDN, CXCL2, ZAP70, CLEC2D, CD27, KLRB1, VCAM1), the expression of which was markedly associated with overall survival (OS) in CSCC patients. Also, the risk score of the seven-gene signature discripted superior ability to categorize CSCC patients into high-risk and low-risk groups, with a observablydifferent OS in the training and validation datasets. We screened two independent prognostic factors (Pathologic N and prognostic score model status) that correlated significantly by univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses in the TCGA dataset. To further explore the potential mechanism of immune-related genes, we observed associated essential high-risk genes with a cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction.

CONCLUSIONS

This study established an immune-related RNA signature, which provided a reliable prognostic tool and may be of great significance for determining immune-related biomarkers in CSCC.

MicroRNA-Based Fingerprinting of Cervical Lesions and Cancer

The regulatory functions of microRNA (miRNA) are involved in all processes contributing to carcinogenesis and response to viral infections. Cervical cancer in most cases is caused by the persistence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. While oncogenic human papillomaviruses induce aberrant expression of many cellular miRNAs, this dysregulation could be harnessed as a marker in early diagnosis of HR-HPV infection, cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions, and cancer. In recent years, growing data indicate that miRNAs show specific patterns at various stages of cervical pathology. The aim of this review is to systematize current reports on miRNA capacity that can be utilized in personalized diagnostics of cervical precancerous and cancerous lesions. The analysis of the resources available in online databases (National Center for Biotechnology Information—NCBI, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus) was performed. To date, no standardized diagnostic algorithm using the miRNA pattern in cervical pathology has been defined. However, the high sensitivity and specificity of the reported assays gives hope for the development of non-invasive diagnostic tests that take into account the heterogeneity of tumor-related changes. Due to this variability resulting in difficult to predict clinical outcomes, precise molecular tools are needed to improve the diagnostic and therapeutic process.

microRNA-375 released from extracellular vesicles of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exerts anti-oncogenic effects against cervical cancer

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the most prevalent gynecological malignancies accompanied by high mortality, where finding a more effective therapeutic option for cervical cancer is necessary. The inhibitory role of microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from the extracellular vesicles (EVs) of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) was analyzed in cervical cancer.

METHODS

Expression of miR-375 was examined by RT-qPCR in cervical cancer cell lines. The targeting relation between miR-375 and maternal embryonic leucine zipper kinase (MELK) was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and verified by dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. Isolated BMSCs were transfected with lentivirus-mediated vectors, followed by EV extraction. The morphology of EVs was then identified using a NanoSight particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The biological properties of cervical cancer cells were evaluated using Transwell, EdU, and TUNEL assays, respectively. Xenograft tumors in nude mice were observed to assess cervical tumorigenesis in vivo.

RESULTS

Low expression of miR-375 and high expression of MELK were detected in cervical cancer samples. MELK was identified as the target gene of miR-375, which was negatively correlated with miR-375 levels. Overexpression of miR-375 suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of cervical cancer cells, but enhanced cell apoptosis by cooperating with downregulated MELK expression. miR-375 transferred from BMSC-derived EVs exerted the same effects on cell biological activities. Xenograft assays in vivo proved that miR-375 from BMSC-derived EVs inhibited tumor growth.

CONCLUSION

The present study highlighted the role of miR-375 from BMSC-derived EVs in suppressing the progression of cervical cancer, which may contribute to the discovery of novel potential biomarkers for cervical cancer therapy.

Rhopaladins' analogue (E)-2-aroyl-4-(4-fluorobenzylidene)-5-oxopyrrolidines inhibit proliferation, promote apoptosis and down-regulation of E6/E7 mRNA in cervical cancer

The occurrence and development of cervical cancer threaten women's life and health, HPV-induced cervical cancer is a major health issue among women. We synthesized three Rhopaladins' analogue (E)-2-aroyl-4-(4-fluorobenzylidene)-5-oxopyrrolidines via a tandem Ugi 4CC/S_N cyclization with pyrrolidone as a core structure. In addition, the cytotoxicity of these new compounds in the cervical cancer cell line CaSki was studied by MTT assay. And then we chose one to research the apoptosis and the expression of E6/E7 mRNA in CaSki cells. The results indicated that the new compound can not only inhibited the proliferation of CaSki in dose-dependent and time-dependent manners but also induced the apoptosis, which may be related to the down-regulation of E6/E7 mRNA expression.

HPV16 E6 oncoprotein-induced upregulation of lncRNA GABPB1-AS1 facilitates cervical cancer progression by regulating miR-519e-5p/Notch2 axis

Human papillomaviruses 16 (HPV16) is the primary causative agent of cervical cancer (CC). E6 oncoprotein plays a crucial role in cervical carcinogenesis and commonly cause the dysregulation of the long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression. However, the biological function of lncRNAs in HPV16-related CC remains largely unexplored. In the present study HPV16 E6-induced differential expression of lncRNAs, miRNA, and mRNA were identified using microarray-based analysis and verified in tumor r cell lines and tumor tissues, and the function of lncRNA in CC was investigated in vitro and in vivo. We found that an lncRNA, named GABPB1-AS1, was significantly upregulated in HPV16-positive CC tissues and cell lines. GABPB1-AS1 expression in HPV16-positive CC tissues was positively associated with tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and FIGO stage. High expression of GABPB1-AS1 was correlated with a poor prognosis for HPV16-positive CC patients. Functionally, E6-induced GABPB1-AS1 overexpression facilitated CC cells proliferation and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, GABPB1-AS1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by sponging miR-519e-5p, resulting in the de-repression of its target gene Notch2 which is well known as an oncogene. Therefore, GABPB1-AS1 functioned as a tumor activator in CC pathogenesis by binding to miR-519e-5p and destroying its tumor suppressive function. Collectively, current results demonstrate that GABPB1-AS1 is associated with CC progression, and may be a promising biomarker or target for the clinical management of CC.

Bioinformatics analysis shows that TOP2A functions as a key candidate gene in the progression of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the most prevalent types of cancer affecting females worldwide. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and progression of CC remains to be elucidated. Taking the high incidence and mortality rates amongst women into consideration, the identification of novel biomarkers to prevent CC is of great significance and required to improve diagnosis. Using three raw microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, 188 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Gene Ontology and pathway analyses were performed on the DEGs. Through protein-protein interaction network construction and module analysis, eight hub genes [cell division cycle 6, cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), cell division control protein 45, budding uninhibited by benzimidazoles 1 (BUB1), DNA topoisomerase II α (TOP2A) and minichromosome maintenance complex component 4, CCNB2 and CCNB1] were identified, but only TOP2A was considered a prognostic factor in survival analysis. There were strong positive correlations between TOP2A and BUB1 (P<0.0001, rs=0.635), CDK1 (P<0.0001, rs=0.511), centromere protein F (CENPF) (P<0.0001, rs=0.677), Rac GTPase activating protein 1 (RACGAP1) (P<0.0001, rs=0.612), F-box protein 5 (FBXO5) (P<0.0001, rs=0.585) and BUB1 mitotic checkpoint serine/threonine kinase B (BUB1B) (P<0.0001, rs=0.584). Additionally, BUB1, CDK1, CENPF, RACGAP1, FBXO5 and BUB1B are all potentially suitable candidate targets for the diagnosis and treatment of CC. In conclusion, the present study identified TOP2A as a potential tumor oncogene and a biomarker for the prognosis of CC.

KDM6A-Mediated Expression of the Long Noncoding RNA DINO Causes TP53 Tumor Suppressor Stabilization in Human Papillomavirus 16 E7-Expressing Cells

Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) E7 has long been known to stabilize the tumor suppressor TP53. However, the molecular mechanism of TP53 stabilization by HPV16 E7 has remained obscure, and this stabilization can occur independently of the E2F-regulated MDM2 inhibitor p14^ARF Here, we report that the damage-induced noncoding (DINO) lncRNA (DINOL) is the "missing link" between HPV16 E7 and increased TP53 levels. DINO levels are decreased in cells where TP53 is inactivated, either by HPV16 E6, by expression of a dominant negative TP53 minigene, or by TP53 depletion. DINO levels are increased in HPV16 E7-expressing cells. HPV16 E7 causes increased DINO expression independently of RB1 degradation and E2F1 activation. Similar to what is seen with the adjacent CDKN1A locus, DINO expression is regulated by the histone demethylase KDM6A. DINO stabilizes TP53 in HPV16 E7-expressing cells, and as it is a TP53 transcriptional target, DINO levels further increase. As with expression of other oncogenes, such as adenovirus E1A or MYC, HPV16 E7-expressing cells are sensitized to cell death under conditions of metabolic stress, which in the case of E7 has been linked to TP53 activation. Consistent with earlier studies, we show that HPV16 E7-expressing keratinocytes are highly sensitive to metabolic stress induced by starvation or the antidiabetic drug metformin. Sensitivity of HPV16 E7-expressing cells to metabolic stress is rescued by DINO depletion. Moreover, DINO depletion decreases sensitivity to the DNA damage-inducing chemotherapy agent doxorubicin. This work identifies DINO as a critical mediator of TP53 stabilization and activation in HPV16 E7-expressing cells.IMPORTANCE Viral oncoproteins, including HPV16 E6 and E7, have been instrumental in elucidating the activities of cellular signaling networks, including those governed by the TP53 tumor suppressor. Our study demonstrates that the long noncoding RNA DINO is the long-sought missing link between HPV16 E7 and elevated TP53 levels. Importantly, the TP53-stabilizing DINO plays a critical role in the cell death response of HPV16 E7-expressing cells to metabolic stress or DNA damage.

Long non-coding RNA in cervical cancer: From biology to therapeutic opportunity

Genome regions that do not for code for proteins are generally transcribed into long non-coding RNAs. Growing evidence reveals that lncRNAs, defined as transcripts longer than 200 nucleotides, are commonly deregulated in cervical malignancies. New sequencing technologies have revealed a complete picture of the composition of the human transcriptome. LncRNAs perform diverse functions at transcriptional, translation, and post-translational levels through interactions with proteins, RNA and DNA. In the past decade, studies have shown that lncRNAs participate in the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cervical cancer. Hence, illuminating the roles of lncRNA will improve our understanding of cervical cancer. In this work, we summarize the current knowledge on lncRNAs in cervical cancer. We describe the emerging roles of lncRNAs in cervical cancer, particularly in cancer progression, metastasis, treatment resistance, HPV regulation, and metabolic reprogramming. The great promises of lncRNAs as potential biomarkers for cervical cancer diagnosis and prognosis are also discussed. We discuss current technologies used to target lncRNAs and thus control cancers, such as antisense oligonucleotides, CRISPR-Cas9, and exosomes. Overall, we show that lncRNAs hold great potentials as therapeutic agents and innovative biomarkers. Finally, further clinical research is necessary to advance our understanding of the therapeutic value of lncRNAs in cervical cancer.

Beyond MicroRNAs: Emerging Role of Other Non-Coding RNAs in HPV-Driven Cancers

Persistent infection with high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) leads to the development of several tumors, including cervical, oropharyngeal, and anogenital squamous cell carcinoma. In the last years, the use of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revealed a number of non-coding RNA (ncRNAs), distinct from micro RNAs (miRNAs), that are deregulated in HPV-driven cancers, thus suggesting that HPV infection may affect their expression. However, since the knowledge of ncRNAs is still limited, a better understanding of ncRNAs biology, biogenesis, and function may be challenging for improving the diagnosis of HPV infection or progression, and for monitoring the response to therapy of patients affected by HPV-driven tumors. In addition, to establish a ncRNAs expression profile may be instrumental for developing more effective therapeutic strategies for the treatment of HPV-associated lesions and cancers. Therefore, this review will address novel classes of ncRNAs that have recently started to draw increasing attention in HPV-driven tumors, with a particular focus on ncRNAs that have been identified as a direct target of HPV oncoproteins.

contamDE-lm: linear model-based differential gene expression analysis using next-generation RNA-seq data from contaminated tumor samples

MOTIVATION

Tumor and adjacent normal RNA samples are commonly used to screen differentially expressed genes between normal and tumor samples or among tumor subtypes. Such paired-sample design could avoid numerous confounders in differential expression (DE) analysis, but the cellular contamination of tumor samples can be an important noise and confounding factor, which can both inflate false-positive rate and deflate true-positive rate. The existing DE tools that use next-generation RNA-seq data either do not account for cellular contamination or are computationally extensive with increasingly large sample size.

RESULTS

A novel linear model was proposed to avoid the problem that could arise from tumor-normal correlation for paired samples. A statistically robust and computationally very fast DE analysis procedure, contamDE-lm, was developed based on the novel model to account for cellular contamination, boosting DE analysis power through the reduction in individual residual variances using gene-wise information. The desired advantages of contamDE-lm over some state-of-the-art methods (limma and DESeq2) were evaluated through the applications to simulated data, TCGA database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The proposed method contamDE-lm was implemented in an updated R package contamDE (version 2.0), which is freely available at https://github.com/zhanghfd/contamDE.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

The Role of Long Noncoding RNAs in Human Papillomavirus-associated Pathogenesis

Infections with high-risk human papillomaviruses cause ~5% of all human cancers. E6 and E7 are the only viral genes that are consistently expressed in cancers, and they are necessary for tumor initiation, progression, and maintenance. E6 and E7 encode small proteins that lack intrinsic enzymatic activities and they function by binding to cellular regulatory molecules, thereby subverting normal cellular homeostasis. Much effort has focused on identifying protein targets of the E6 and E7 proteins, but it has been estimated that ~98% of the human transcriptome does not encode proteins. There is a growing interest in studying noncoding RNAs as biochemical targets and biological mediators of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 oncogenic activities. This review focuses on HPV E6/E7 targeting cellular long noncoding RNAs, a class of biologically versatile molecules that regulate almost every known biological process and how this may contribute to viral oncogenesis.

Integrated analysis of key microRNAs /TFs /mRNAs/ in HPV-positive cervical cancer based on microRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis

BACKGROUND

Cervical squamous cell carcinoma (CESC) is one of the most common malignancies associated with mortality in females. Its onset and prognosis are primarily concerned with persistent infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). However, the molecular mechanisms of HPV-positive CESC remain unclear.

METHODS

In this study, we conducted a high-throughput sequencing to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Besides, three series were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Then the miRNA-TF-gene regulatory network was constructed using bioinformatic methods. Genes in the network were performed functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. Ultimately, the expression levels of six key miRNAs, TFs, and mRNAs were validated by 20 HPV-positive CESC tissues and 15 normal cervical samples.

RESULTS

A total of 52 DEMs and 300 DEGs differed between the HPV-positive CESC and normal cervical samples. Then the miRNA-TF-gene regulatory network was constructed consisting of 22 miRNAs, 6 TFs, and 76 corresponding genes, among which miR-149-5p, miRNA-1248 and E2F4 acted as key regulators. PPI network analysis showed that ten genes including TOP2A, AURKA, CHEK1, KIF11, MCM4, MKI67, DTL, FOXM1, SMC4, and FBXO5 were recognized as hub genes with the highest connectivity degrees. Besides, five key molecules miRNA-149-5p, E2F4, KIF11, DTL, and SMC4 were suggested to play crucial roles in the development of HPV-positive CESC.

CONCLUSION

These results present a unique insight into the pathological mechanisms of HPV-positive CESC and possibly provides potential therapeutic targets.

The Role of microRNAs, Long Non-coding RNAs, and Circular RNAs in Cervical Cancer

Prolonged infection of uterine cervix epithelium with human papillomavirus (HPV) and constitutive expression of viral oncogenes have been recognized as the main cause of the complex molecular changes leading to transformation of cervical epithelial cells. Deregulated expression of microRNAs (miRNA), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA), and circular RNAs (circRNA) is involved in the initiation and promotion processes of cervical cancer development. Expression profiling of small RNAs in cervical neoplasia revealed up-regulated “oncogenic” miRNAs, such as miR-10a, miR-21, miR-19, and miR-146a, and down regulated “tumor suppressive” miRNAs, including miR-29a, miR-372, miR-214, and miR-218, associated with cell growth, malignant transformation, cell migration, and invasion. Also several lncRNAs, comprising among others HOTAIR, MALAT1, GAS5, and MEG3, have shown to be associated with various pathogenic processes such as tumor progression, invasion as well as therapeutic resistance and emerged as new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cervical cancer. Moreover, human genes encoded circular RNAs, such as has_circ-0018289, have shown to sponge specific miRNAs and to concur to the deregulation of target genes. Viral encoded circE7 has also demonstrated to overexpress E7 oncoprotein thus contributing to cell transformation. In this review, we summarize current literature on the complex interplay between miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs and their role in cervical neoplasia.