LINC01535 Attenuates ccRCC Progression through Regulation of the miR-146b-5p/TRIM2 Axis and Inactivation of the PI3K/Akt Pathway

CircORC2 promoted proliferation and inhibited the sensitivity of osteosarcoma cell lines to cisplatin by regulating the miR-485-3p/TRIM2 axis

Resistance to chemotherapy leads to poor prognosis for osteosarcoma (OS) patients. However, due to the high metastasis of tumor and the decrease in sensitivity of tumor cells to cisplatin (DDP), the 5-year survival rate of OS patients is still unsatisfactory. This study explored a mechanism for improving the sensitivity of OS cells to DDP. A DDP-resistant OS cell model was established, and we have found that circORC2 and TRIM2 were upregulated in DDP-resistant OS cells, but miR-485-3p was downregulated. The cell viability and proliferation of the OS cells decreased gradually with the increase of DDP dose, but a gradual increase in apoptosis was noted. CircORC2 promoted OS cell proliferation and DDP resistance and upregulated TRIM2 expression by targeting miR-485-3p. Functionally, circORC2 downregulated miR-485-3p to promote OS cell proliferation and inhibit DDP sensitivity. Additionally, it promoted cell proliferation and inhibited the sensitivity of DDP by regulating the miR-485-3p/TRIM2 axis. In conclusion, circORC2 promoted cell proliferation and inhibited the DDP sensitivity in OS cells via the miR-485-3p/TRIM2 axis. These findings indicated the role of circORC2 in regulating the sensitivity of OS cells to DDP.

CVD phenotyping in oncologic disorders: cardio-miRNAs as a potential target to improve individual outcomes in revers cardio-oncology

With the increase of aging population and prevalence of obesity, the incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer has also presented an increasing tendency. These two different diseases, which share some common risk factors. Relevant studies in the field of reversing Cardio-Oncology have shown that the phenotype of CVD has a significant adverse effect on tumor prognosis, which is mainly manifested by a positive correlation between CVD and malignant progression of concomitant tumors. This distal crosstalk and the link between different diseases makes us aware of the importance of diagnosis, prediction, management and personalized treatment of systemic diseases. The circulatory system bridges the interaction between CVD and cancer, which suggests that we need to fully consider the systemic and holistic characteristics of these two diseases in the process of clinical treatment. The circulating exosome-miRNAs has been intrinsically associated with CVD -related regulation, which has become one of the focuses on clinical and basic research (as biomarker). The changes in the expression profiles of cardiovascular disease-associated miRNAs (Cardio-miRNAs) may adversely affect concomitant tumors. In this article, we sorted and screened CVD and tumor-related miRNA data based on literature, then summarized their commonalities and characteristics (several important pathways), and further discussed the conclusions of Cardio-Oncology related experimental studies. We take a holistic approach to considering CVD as a risk factor for tumor malignancy, which provides an in-depth analysis of the various regulatory mechanisms or pathways involved in the dual attribute miRNAs (Cardio-/Onco-miRNAs). These mechanisms will be key to revealing the systemic effects of CVD on tumors and highlight the holistic nature of different diseases. Therefore, the Cardio-miRNAs should be given great attention from researchers in the field of CVD and tumors, which might become new targets for tumor treatment. Meanwhile, based on the principles of precision medicine (such as the predictive preventive personalized medicine, 3PM) and reverse Cardio-oncology to better improve individual outcomes, we should consider developing personalized medicine and systemic therapy for cancer from the perspective of protecting cardiovascular function.

MiR-146b-5p enriched bioinspired exosomes derived from fucoidan-directed induction mesenchymal stem cells protect chondrocytes in osteoarthritis by targeting TRAF6

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative joint disease characterized by progressive cartilage degradation and inflammation. In recent years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived exosomes (MSCs-Exo) have attracted widespread attention for their potential role in modulating OA pathology. However, the unpredictable therapeutic effects of exosomes have been a significant barrier to their extensive clinical application. In this study, we investigated whether fucoidan-pretreated MSC-derived exosomes (F-MSCs-Exo) could better protect chondrocytes in osteoarthritic joints and elucidate its underlying mechanisms. In order to evaluate the role of F-MSCs-Exo in osteoarthritis, both in vitro and in vivo studies were conducted. MiRNA sequencing was employed to analyze MSCs-Exo and F-MSCs-Exo, enabling the identification of differentially expressed genes and the exploration of the underlying mechanisms behind the protective effects of F-MSCs-Exo in osteoarthritis. Compared to MSCs-Exo, F-MSCs-Exo demonstrated superior effectiveness in inhibiting inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation in rat chondrocytes. Moreover, F-MSCs-Exo exhibited enhanced activation of autophagy in chondrocytes. MiRNA sequencing of both MSCs-Exo and F-MSCs-Exo revealed that miR-146b-5p emerged as a promising candidate mediator for the chondroprotective function of F-MSCs-Exo, with TRAF6 identified as its downstream target. In conclusion, our research results demonstrate that miR-146b-5p encapsulated in F-MSCs-Exo effectively inhibits TRAF6 activation, thereby suppressing inflammatory responses and extracellular matrix degradation, while promoting chondrocyte autophagy for the protection of osteoarthritic cartilage cells. Consequently, the development of a therapeutic approach combining fucoidan with MSC-derived exosomes provides a promising strategy for the clinical treatment of osteoarthritis.

MAPK8 and CAPN1 as potential biomarkers of intervertebral disc degeneration overlapping immune infiltration, autophagy, and ceRNA

Background

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is one of the most common health problems in the elderly and a major causative factor in low back pain (LBP). An increasing number of studies have shown that IDD is closely associated with autophagy and immune dysregulation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify autophagy-related biomarkers and gene regulatory networks in IDD and potential therapeutic targets.

Methods

We obtained the gene expression profiles of IDD by downloading the datasets GSE176205 and GSE167931 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) public database. Subsequently, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, gene ontology (GO), and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to explore the biological functions of DEGs. Differentially expressed autophagy-related genes (DE-ARGs) were then crossed with the autophagy gene database. The hub genes were screened using the DE-ARGs protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The correlation between the hub genes and immune infiltration and the construction of the gene regulatory network of the hub genes were confirmed. Finally, quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to validate the correlation of hub genes in a rat IDD model.

Results

We obtained 636 DEGs enriched in the autophagy pathway. Our analysis revealed 30 DE-ARGs, of which six hub genes (MAPK8, CTSB, PRKCD, SNCA, CAPN1, and EGFR) were identified using the MCODE plugin. Immune cell infiltration analysis revealed that there was an increased proportion of CD8+ T cells and M0 macrophages in IDD, whereas CD4+ memory T cells, neutrophils, resting dendritic cells, follicular helper T cells, and monocytes were much less abundant. Subsequently, the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed using 15 long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and 21 microRNAs (miRNAs). In quantitative PCR (qPCR) validation, two hub genes, MAPK8 and CAPN1, were shown to be consistent with the bioinformatic analysis results.

Conclusion

Our study identified MAPK8 and CAPN1 as key biomarkers of IDD. These key hub genes may be potential therapeutic targets for IDD.

MiR-146b-5p/SEMA3G regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The primary purpose was to unveil how the miR-146b-5p/SEMA3G axis works in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

METHODS

ccRCC dataset was acquired from TCGA database, and target miRNA to be studied was further analyzed using survival analysis. We performed miRNA target gene prediction through the database, and those predicted miRNAs were intersected with differential mRNAs. After calculating the correlation between miRNAs and mRNAs, we completed the GSEA pathway enrichment analysis on mRNAs. MiRNA and mRNA expression was examined by qRT-PCR. Western blot was introduced to detect SEMA3G, MMP2, MMP9 expression, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker proteins, and Notch/TGF-β signaling pathway-related proteins. Targeted relationship between miRNA and mRNA was validated using a dual-luciferase test. Transwell assay was employed to assess cell migration and invasion. Wound healing assay was adopted for evaluation of migration ability. The effect of different treatments on cell morphology was observed by a microscope.

RESULTS

In ccRCC cells, miR-146b-5p was remarkably overexpressed, yet SEMA3G was markedly less expressed. MiR-146b-5p was capable of stimulating ccRCC cell invasion, migration and EMT, and promoting the transformation of ccRCC cell morphology to mesenchymal state. SEMA3G was targeted and inhibited via miR-146b-5p. MiR-146b-5p facilitated ccRCC cell migration, invasion, morphology transforming to mesenchymal state and EMT process by targeting SEMA3G and regulating Notch and TGF-β signaling pathways.

CONCLUSION

MiR-146b-5p regulated Notch and TGF-β signaling pathway by suppressing SEMA3G expression, thus promoting the growth of ccRCC cells, which provides a possible target for ccRCC therapy and prognosis prediction.

Cuproptosis-Associated lncRNA Establishes New Prognostic Profile and Predicts Immunotherapy Response in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma

Background: Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) accounts for 80% of all kidney cancers and has a poor prognosis. Recent studies have shown that copper-dependent, regulated cell death differs from previously known death mechanisms (apoptosis, ferroptosis, and necroptosis) and is dependent on mitochondrial respiration (Tsvetkov et al., Science, 2022, 375 (6586), 1254–1261). Studies also suggested that targeting cuproptosis may be a novel therapeutic strategy for cancer therapy. In ccRCC, both cuproptosis and lncRNA were critical, but the mechanisms were not fully understood. The aim of our study was to construct a prognostic profile based on cuproptosis-associated lncRNAs to predict the prognosis of ccRCC and to study the immune profile of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods: We downloaded the transcriptional profile and clinical information of ccRCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Co-expression network analysis, Cox regression method, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method were used to identify cuproptosis-associated lncRNAs and to construct a risk prognostic model. In addition, the predictive performance of the model was validated and recognized by an integrated approach. We then also constructed a nomogram to predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients. Differences in biological function were investigated by GO, KEGG, and immunoassay. Immunotherapy response was measured using tumor mutational burden (TMB) and tumor immune dysfunction and rejection (TIDE) scores.

Results: We constructed a panel of 10 cuproptosis-associated lncRNAs (HHLA3, H1-10-AS1, PICSAR, LINC02027, SNHG15, SNHG8, LINC00471, EIF1B-AS1, LINC02154, and MINCR) to construct a prognostic prediction model. The Kaplan–Meier and ROC curves showed that the feature had acceptable predictive validity in the TCGA training, test, and complete groups. The cuproptosis-associated lncRNA model had higher diagnostic efficiency compared to other clinical features. The analysis of Immune cell infiltration and ssGSEA further confirmed that predictive features were significantly associated with the immune status of ccRCC patients. Notably, the superimposed effect of patients in the high-risk group and high TMB resulted in shorter survival. In addition, the higher TIDE scores in the high-risk group suggested a poorer outcome for immune checkpoint blockade response in these patients.

Conclusion: The ten cuproptosis-related risk profiles for lncRNA may help assess the prognosis and molecular profile of ccRCC patients and improve treatment options, which can be further applied in the clinic.