Long Noncoding RNA EZR-AS1 Regulates the Proliferation, Migration, and Apoptosis of Human Venous Endothelial Cells via SMYD3

LncRNA-mediated Modulation of Endothelial Cells: Novel Progress in the Pathogenesis of Coronary Atherosclerotic Disease

Coronary atherosclerotic disease (CAD) is a common cardiovascular disease and an important cause of death. Moreover, endothelial cells (ECs) injury is an early pathophysiological feature of CAD, and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can modulate gene expression. Recent studies have shown that lncRNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of CAD, especially by regulating ECs. In this review, we summarize the novel progress of lncRNA-modulated ECs in the pathogenesis of CAD, including ECs proliferation, migration, adhesion, angiogenesis, inflammation, apoptosis, autophagy, and pyroptosis. Thus, as lncRNAs regulate ECs in CAD, lncRNAs will provide ideal and novel targets for the diagnosis and drug therapy of CAD.

Role of LncRNAs in the Pathogenesis of Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD), caused by coronary artery occlusion, is a common cardiovascular disease worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the regulation of endothelial cell injury, angiogenesis, plaque formation, and other pathological mechanisms in CAD by acting on different cell types. Some lncRNAs are significantly upregulated in CAD patients; however, other lncRNAs are significantly downregulated. Differential expression of lncRNAs in CAD patients enables them to be exploited as potential biomarkers to evaluate disease progression and diagnosis/prognosis in CAD patients. In this study, we reviewed the role of lncRNAs in the development of different clinical subtypes of CAD.

Ezrin expression in female reproductive tissues: A review of regulation and pathophysiological implications

Ezrin, a plasma membrane-microfilament linker, is a cytoskeletal organizer involved in many cellular activities by binding to the membrane protein-ezrin-cytoskeletal protein complex and regulating downstream signal transduction. Increasing evidence demonstrates that ezrin plays an important role in regulating cell polarity, proliferation and invasion. In this study, we analyzed the effects of ezrin on oocytes, follicle development, embryo development and embryo implantation. We reviewed the recent studies on the modalities of ezrin regulation and its involvement in the biological processes of female reproductive physiology and summarized the current research advances in ezrin inhibitors. These studies will provide new strategies and insights for the treatment of diseases.

New developments in non-exosomal and exosomal ncRNAs in coronary artery disease

Aim & methods: Non-exosomal and exosomal ncRNAs have been reported to be involved in the regulation of coronary artery disease (CAD). Therefore, to explore the biological effects of non-exosomal/exosomal ncRNAs in CAD, the authors searched for studies published in the last 3 years on these ncRNAs in CAD and summarized their functions and mechanisms. Results: The authors summarized 120 non-exosomal ncRNAs capable of regulating CAD progression. In clinical studies, 47 non-exosomal and nine exosomal ncRNAs were able to serve as biomarkers for the diagnosis of CAD. Conclusion: Non-exosomal/exosomal ncRNAs are not only able to serve as biomarkers for CAD diagnosis but can also regulate CAD progression through ceRNA mechanisms and are a potential target for early clinical intervention in CAD.

Noncoding RNAs: emerging players in skin cancers pathogenesis

Skin malignancies form in tissues of the skin and are the most frequent cancers in the world, with an increasing incidence and a steady fatality rate. They are classified as melanoma or nonmelanoma cancers, which include basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Noncoding RNA transcripts have received increased attention after the thorough analysis of the human genome revealed that most of the genomic components are not encoded to protein. MicroRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs are some of the well-studied types of these noncoding regions. The alteration in any of these members' expression is associated intrinsically with human cancers, including skin malignancies, due to their critical functions in cell processes for normal development. As a result, investigating the noncoding component of the transcriptome opens up the possibility of discovering new therapeutic and diagnostic targets. This review discusses current studies on the involvement of microRNAs, long noncoding RNAs, and circular RNAs in the pathogenesis of human skin cancers.

lncRNA EZR‑AS1 knockdown represses proliferation, migration and invasion of cSCC via the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Although long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been implicated in various human cancer types, the role of lncRNA ezrin antisense RNA 1 (EZR-AS1) in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of lncRNAEZR-AS1 on cSCC and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms. EZR-AS1 expression was measured in cSCC tissue and cells detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Gain-of-function assays were performed in A431 cells, which have a relatively low expression of EZR-AS1, while loss-of-function assays were performed in SCC13 and SCL-1 colon cancer cells, which have a relatively high expression of EZR-AS1. Cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis were assessed using MTT, plate cloning, wound healing, Transwell and flow cytometry assays, respectively. EZR-AS1 mRNA expression levels were significantly upregulated in cSCC tissues and cells compared with adjacent healthy tissues and HaCaT cells, respectively. Compared with the small interfering RNA (si)-negative control (NC) group, si-EZR-AS1 significantly inhibited SCC13 and SCL-1 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but promoted cell apoptosis. By contrast, compared with the pc-NC group, EZR-AS1 overexpression significantly enhanced A431 cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but inhibited cell apoptosis. Moreover, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) was identified as a target of EZR-AS1, and EZR-AS1 knockdown significantly decreased FAK expression compared with the si-NC group. Moreover, EZR-AS1 knockdown significantly downregulated the protein expression levels of phosphorylated (p)-PI3K/PI3K and p-AKT/AKT in cSCC cells compared with the si-NC group. The PI3K agonist 740Y-P significantly reversed si-EZR-AS1-mediated effects on SCC13 and SCL-1 cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that si-EZR-AS1 inhibited cSCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis, potentially via regulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Therefore, the present study provided novel insights into the diagnosis and treatment of cSCC.