Functional lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA Networks in Response to Baicalein Treatment in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Upregulated expression of miR-4443 and miR-4488 in drug resistant melanomas promotes migratory and invasive phenotypes through downregulation of intermediate filament nestin

BACKGROUND

BRAF-mutant melanoma patients benefit from the combinatorial treatments with BRAF and MEK inhibitors. However, acquired drug resistance strongly limits the efficacy of these targeted therapies in time. Recently, many findings have underscored the involvement of microRNAs as main drivers of drug resistance. In this context, we previously identified a subset of oncomiRs strongly up-regulated in drug-resistant melanomas. In this work, we shed light on the molecular role of two as yet poorly characterized oncomiRs, miR-4443 and miR-4488.

METHODS

Invasion and migration have been determined by wound healing, transwell migration/invasion assays and Real Time Cell Analysis (RTCA) technology. miR-4488 and miR-4443 have been measured by qRT-PCR. Nestin levels have been tested by western blot, confocal immunofluorescence, immunohistochemical and flow cytometry analyses.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that the two oncomiRs are responsible for the enhanced migratory and invasive phenotypes, that are a hallmark of drug resistant melanoma cells. Moreover, miR-4443 and miR-4488 promote an aberrant cytoskeletal reorganization witnessed by the increased number of stress fibers and cellular protrusions-like cancer cell invadopodia. Mechanistically, we identified the intermediate filament nestin as a molecular target of both oncomiRs. Finally, we have shown that nestin levels are able to predict response to treatments in melanoma patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Altogether these findings have profound translational implications in the attempt i) to develop miRNA-targeting therapies to mitigate the metastatic phenotypes of BRAF-mutant melanomas and ii) to identify novel biomarkers able to guide clinical decisions.

Baicalein improves the chemoresistance of ovarian cancer through regulation of CirSLC7A6

PURPOSE

The present study aimed to investigate whether baicalein improves the sensitivity of resistant ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin.

METHODS

Transcriptomic sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were used to screen differentially expressed CirSLC7A6 in A2780 and A2780/CDDP cells. RT-qPCR was performed to examine the expression levels of CirSLC7A6, miR-2682-5p, and SLC7A6. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined using a Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry, and cell migration and invasion were analyzed using wound healing and Transwell assays. Cell suspensions were inoculated into the subcutaneous tissues of the bilateral interscapular region of nude mice. Saline, cisplatin, baicalein and cisplatin plus baicalein were intraperitoneally injected to observe the effects on tumor growth. Toxicity analyses in the liver and kidney were performed using H&E staining. RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry were used to detect the expression of CirSLC7A6, miR-2682-5p, and SLC7A6 in tumor tissues, and western blot analysis was carried out to measure protein expression levels.

RESULTS

CirSLC7A6 was markedly upregulated in A2780/CDDP cells compared with the A2780 cells. CirSLC7A6 knockdown notably increased the expression of miR-2682-5p and decreased SLC7A6 expression. The rates of inhibition and apoptosis in the group treated with a combination of cisplatin and baicalein were significantly higher than those of the cisplatin and baicalein groups of A2780/CDDP shCirSLC7A6 cells. In A2780/CDDP shCirSLC7A6 cells, migration and invasion were significantly higher in the cisplatin and baicalein groups, compared with the combined treatment group. In the A2780/CDDP shCirSLC7A6 cell xenograft, the tumor weight of the combined treatment group was significantly lower than that of the cisplatin and baicalein groups. In addition, the combination of cisplatin and baicalein did not induce higher levels of toxicity in the liver or kidney. Baicalein alone and in combination with cisplatin notably reduced the expression of CirSLC7A6 and SLC7A6, and increased the expression of miR-2682-5p in the A2780/CDDP shCirSLC7A6 cell xenograft. In A2780/CDDP shCirSLC7A6 cells, the expression levels of P-Akt, P-mTOR, P-Erk, Bcl-2 and MMP2 were lower in the combined treatment group than in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with baicalein improved the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to cisplatin and inhibited cell proliferation, metastasis and tumor growth.

Roles of conventional and complementary therapies in recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. HCC has a reported recurrence rate of 70%-80% after 5 years of follow-up. Controlling tumor recurrence is the most critical factor associated with HCC mortality. Conventional salvage therapies for recurrent HCC include re-hepatectomy or liver transplantation, transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, Y-90, target therapy, and immunotherapy; however, these conventional treatment modalities have yet to achieve consistently favorable outcomes. Meanwhile, previous studies have demonstrated that conventional therapies in combination with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), acupuncture, moxibustion or dietary supplements could notably benefit patients with HCC recurrence by strengthening and augmenting the overall management strategy. However, systemic reviews related to the interactions between complementary therapies and conventional therapy in recurrent HCC are limited. In this review, we discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the functions of complementary therapies for recurrent HCC, which include augmenting the local control to improve the congestion status of primary tumors and reducing multicentric tumor occurrence via inducing autophagy, apoptosis or cell cycle arrest. TCM and its derivatives may play important roles in helping to control HCC recurrence by inhibiting epithelial-mesenchymal transition, migration, invasion, and metastasis, inhibiting cancer stem cells, and ameliorating drug resistance.

Long non-coding RNA FEZF1-AS1 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma via targeting miR-107/Wnt/β-catenin axis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a public health problem around the world, with the molecular mechanisms being still incompletely clear. This study was carried out to explore the role and mechanism of long-noncoding RNA (lncRNA) FEZF1-AS1 in HCC progression. RNA sequencing and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT- PCR) were applied to identify differently expressed lncRNAs in HCC tissues and adjacent normal tissues. CCK8 assay was adopted to test cell proliferation and flow cytometry was taken to detect cell apoptosis. Wound healing assay and transwell experiment were performed to determine cell migration and invasion. To validate the function of lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 in vivo, tumor-burdened models were established. The results showed that lncRNA FEZF1-AS1 level was prominently enhanced in HCC tumor specimens and overexpression of FEZF1-AS1 promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. In mechanism, overexpression of FEZF1-AS1 reduced the expression of miR-107 which inhibited the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Overexpression of β-catenin promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion which were inhibited by FEZF1-AS1 downregulation. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that FEZF1-AS1 promoted HCC progression through activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling by targeting miR-107, which provided a novel target for the therapy of HCC.