miR-181a Targets RGS16 to Promote Chondrosarcoma Growth, Angiogenesis, and Metastasis

Rs12039395 Variant Influences the Expression of hsa-miR-181a-5p and PTEN Toward Colorectal Cancer Risk

BACKGROUND

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in microRNA (miRNA) genes could alter miRNA expression levels or processing and, thus, may contribute to colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Therefore, this study aimed to examine whether the MIR181A1 genomic sequence possesses SNPs that can affect the expression of hsa-miR-181a-5p and, subsequently, impact its targets and associate with CRC risk.

METHODS

The NCBI dbSNP database was searched for possible SNPs associated with MIR181A1. One SNP with a minor allele frequency > 5%, rs12039395 G > T was identified. In silico analyses determined the effect of the SNP on the secondary structure of the miRNA and predicted the hsa-miR-181a-5p target genes. The SNP was genotyped using allelic discrimination assay, the relative hsa-miR-181a-5p expression level was determined using quantitative real-time PCR, and immunohistochemical staining was used to detect target genes in 192 paraffin-embedded specimens collected from 160 CRC patients and 32 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

The rs6505162 SNP conferred protection against CRC, and the G-allele presence provides may provide accessibility for the transcriptional machinery. Hsa-miR-181a-5p was significantly over-expressed in the CRC group compared to controls and in samples carrying the G-allele compared to those with T-allele. PTEN, identified as the only hsa-miR-181a-5p target implicated in CRC, was significantly diminished in the CRC group compared to controls and showed an inverse relationship with hsa-miR-181a-5p expression level as well as negatively associated with the G-allele presence in CRC.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights that rs12039395 G > T may protect against CRC by influencing the expression of hsa-mir-181a-5p and its target gene, PTEN.

Regulation of Cancer-Associated miRNAs Expression under Hypoxic Conditions

Solid tumors frequently experience hypoxia or low O2 levels. In these conditions, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) is activated and acts as a transcription factor that regulates cancer cell adaptation to O2 and nutrient deprivation. HIF-1α controls gene expression associated with various signaling pathways that promote cancer cell proliferation and survival. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 22-nucleotide noncoding RNAs that play a role in various biological processes essential for cancer progression. This review presents an overview of how hypoxia regulates the expression of multiple miRNAs in the progression of cancer cells.

Status and trends of RGS16 based on data visualization analysis: A review

G-protein signaling regulator 16 (RGS16) has been confirmed that RGS16 is associated with cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, many studies have shown that RGS16 can be used as a biomarker for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. We used CiteSpace and VOS viewer software to perform a bibliometric analysis of 290 publications in the core collection of Web of Science. All the articles come from 399 institutions, including 618 authors, 179 journals, 40 countries, 115 keywords, 1 language, two types of papers, and reviews. The United States has the largest number of publications. The Research Center of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) publishes the most papers, Emory University is the most recent of all institutions with the most recent results in the RGS16 study. Cell biology is the most studied discipline, and the most studied topic is migration. Drury published RGS16-related articles with the most citations (n = 15), and Berman published articles with the most citations (n = 106). The biological applications of RGS16 are currently a hot area of RGS16 research, including inflammation, cancer, ulcerative colitis, metabolic acidosis, platelet activation, and thrombosis. The current scientometrics study provides an overview of RGS16 research from 1995 to 2022. This study provides an overview of current and potential future research hotspots in the field of RGS16 and can be used as a resource for interested researchers.

Function and regulation of RGS family members in solid tumours: a comprehensive review

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) play a key role in regulating the homeostasis of the internal environment and are closely associated with tumour progression as major mediators of cellular signalling. As a diverse and multifunctional group of proteins, the G protein signalling regulator (RGS) family was proven to be involved in the cellular transduction of GPCRs. Growing evidence has revealed dysregulation of RGS proteins as a common phenomenon and highlighted the key roles of these proteins in human cancers. Furthermore, their differential expression may be a potential biomarker for tumour diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Most importantly, there are few systematic reviews on the functional/mechanistic characteristics and clinical application of RGS family members at present. In this review, we focus on the G-protein signalling regulator (RGS) family, which includes more than 20 family members. We analysed the classification, basic structure, and major functions of the RGS family members. Moreover, we summarize the expression changes of each RGS family member in various human cancers and their important roles in regulating cancer cell proliferation, stem cell maintenance, tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. On this basis, we outline the molecular signalling pathways in which some RGS family members are involved in tumour progression. Finally, their potential application in the precise diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of different types of cancers and the main possible problems for clinical application at present are discussed. Our review provides a comprehensive understanding of the role and potential mechanisms of RGS in regulating tumour progression. Video Abstract.

Role of miR‑181a‑5p in cancer (Review)

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non‑coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that can post‑transcriptionally suppress targeted genes. Dysregulated miRNAs are associated with a variety of diseases. MiR‑181a‑5p is a conserved miRNA with the ability to regulate pathological processes, such as angiogenesis, inflammatory response and obesity. Numerous studies have demonstrated that miR‑181a‑5p exerts regulatory influence on cancer development and progression, acting as an oncomiR or tumor inhibitor in various cancer types by impacting multiple hallmarks of tumor. Generally, miR‑181a‑5p binds to target RNA sequences with partial complementarity, resulting in suppression of the targeted genes of miR‑181a‑5p. However, the precise role of miR‑181a‑5p in cancer remains incompletely understood. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of recent research on miR‑181a‑5p, focusing on its involvement in different types of cancer and its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker, as well as its function in chemoresistance.

RGS16 regulates Hippo-YAP activity to promote esophageal cancer cell proliferation and migration

Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignant tumor of digestive tract, accounting for 90% of all pathological types of esophageal cancer. Despite the rapid development of multi-disciplinary treatment such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy, the prognosis of patients with ESCC is still poor. Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGSs) are involved in the processes of various cancers. The expression levels of its family member RGS16 are abnormally elevated in a variety of tumors, but its role in ESCC is still unclear. We found that RGS16 expression is aberrantly increased in ESCC tissues and correlated with poor prognosis of ESCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and our collected ESCC tissues. Moreover, knockdown of RGS16 in two ESCC cells could indeed inhibit their proliferation and migration. We further explored the molecular mechanism of RGS16 in ESCC, and the correlation analysis from TCGA database showed that the mRNA levels of RGS16 was positively correlated with that of CTGF and CYR61, two target genes of Hippo-YAP signaling. Consistently, RGS16- knockdown significantly inhibited the expression of CTGF and CYR61 in ESCC cells. We found that the phosphorylation levels of LATS1 and YAP were significantly increased and YAP translocated into the cytoplasm after depletion of RGS16 in ESCC cells. Also, RGS16-knockdown promoted the interaction between LATS1 and upstream kinase MST1. In addition, reintroduction of a constitutive active YAP5A mutant significantly rescued CTGF expression and cell proliferation in RGS16-knockdown cells. Together, our work revealed that RGS16 promoted YAP activity through disrupting the interaction between LATS1 and MST1, thus promoting the proliferation and migration of ESCC cells.

The role of microRNAs in pathophysiology and diagnostics of metabolic complications in obstructive sleep apnea patients

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is one of the most common sleep disorders, which is characterized by recurrent apneas and/or hypopneas occurring during sleep due to upper airway obstruction. Among a variety of health consequences, OSA patients are particularly susceptible to developing metabolic complications, such as metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus type 2. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as epigenetic modulators are promising particles in both understanding the pathophysiology of OSA and the prediction of OSA complications. This review describes the role of miRNAs in the development of OSA-associated metabolic complications. Moreover, it summarizes the usefulness of miRNAs as biomarkers in predicting the aforementioned OSA complications.

Multimodal AI for prediction of distant metastasis in carcinoma patients

Metastasis of cancer is directly related to death in almost all cases, however a lot is yet to be understood about this process. Despite advancements in the available radiological investigation techniques, not all cases of Distant Metastasis (DM) are diagnosed at initial clinical presentation. Also, there are currently no standard biomarkers of metastasis. Early, accurate diagnosis of DM is however crucial for clinical decision making, and planning of appropriate management strategies. Previous works have achieved little success in attempts to predict DM from either clinical, genomic, radiology, or histopathology data. In this work we attempt a multimodal approach to predict the presence of DM in cancer patients by combining gene expression data, clinical data and histopathology images. We tested a novel combination of Random Forest (RF) algorithm with an optimization technique for gene selection, and investigated if gene expression pattern in the primary tissues of three cancer types (Bladder Carcinoma, Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma, and Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma) with DM are similar or different. Gene expression biomarkers of DM identified by our proposed method outperformed Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs) identified by the DESeq2 software package in the task of predicting presence or absence of DM. Genes involved in DM tend to be more cancer type specific rather than general across all cancers. Our results also indicate that multimodal data is more predictive of metastasis than either of the three unimodal data tested, and genomic data provides the highest contribution by a wide margin. The results re-emphasize the importance for availability of sufficient image data when a weakly supervised training technique is used. Code is made available at: https://github.com/rit-cui-lab/Multimodal-AI-for-Prediction-of-Distant-Metastasis-in-Carcinoma-Patients.

RGS proteins and their roles in cancer: friend or foe?

As negative modulators of G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) signaling, regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins facilitate various downstream cellular signalings through regulating kinds of heterotrimeric G proteins by stimulating the guanosine triphosphatase (GTPase) activity of G-protein α (Gα) subunits. The expression of RGS proteins is dynamically and precisely mediated by several different mechanisms including epigenetic regulation, transcriptional regulation -and post-translational regulation. Emerging evidence has shown that RGS proteins act as important mediators in controlling essential cellular processes including cell proliferation, survival -and death via regulating downstream cellular signaling activities, indicating that RGS proteins are fundamentally involved in sustaining normal physiological functions and dysregulation of RGS proteins (such as aberrant expression of RGS proteins) is closely associated with pathologies of many diseases such as cancer. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms governing the expression of RGS proteins, and further discuss the relationship of RGS proteins and cancer.

Non-coding RNAs in metabolic reprogramming of bone and soft tissue sarcoma: Fundamental mechanism and clinical implication

Sarcomas, comprising approximately 1% of human malignancies, show a poor response to treatment and easy recurrence. Metabolic reprogramming play an important role in tumor development in sarcomas. Accumulating evidence shows that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) participate in regulating the cellular metabolism of sarcomas, which improves the understanding of the development of therapy-resistant tumors. This review addresses the regulatory roles of metabolism-related ncRNAs and their implications for sarcoma initiation and progression. Dysregulation of metabolism-related ncRNAs is common in sarcomas and is associated with poor survival. Emerging studies show that abnormal expression of metabolism-related ncRNAs affects cellular metabolism, including glucose, lipid, and mitochondrial metabolism, and leads to the development of aggressive sarcomas. This review summarizes recent advances in the roles of dysregulated metabolism-related ncRNAs in sarcoma development and stemness and describes their potential to serve as biological biomarkers for disease diagnosis and prognosis prediction, as well as therapeutic targets for treating refractory sarcomas.

Epigenetic Abnormalities in Chondrosarcoma

In recent years, our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in tumor pathology has improved greatly. DNA and histone modifications, such as methylation, demethylation, acetylation, and deacetylation, can lead to the up-regulation of oncogenic genes, as well as the suppression of tumor suppressor genes. Gene expression can also be modified on a post-transcriptional level by microRNAs that contribute to carcinogenesis. The role of these modifications has been already described in many tumors, e.g., colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. These mechanisms have also begun to be investigated in less common tumors, such as sarcomas. Chondrosarcoma (CS) is a rare type of tumor that belongs to sarcomas and is the second most common malignant bone tumor after osteosarcoma. Due to unknown pathogenesis and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapies of these tumors, there is a need to develop new potential therapies against CS. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the influence of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of CS by discussing potential candidates for future therapies. We also emphasize ongoing clinical trials that use drugs targeting epigenetic modifications in CS treatment.

RGS16 regulated by let-7c-5p promotes glioma progression by activating PI3K-AKT pathway

Gliomas are the most common central nervous system tumours; they are highly aggressive and have a poor prognosis. RGS16 belongs to the regulator of G-protein signalling (RGS) protein family, which plays an important role in promoting various cancers, such as breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colorectal cancer. Moreover, previous studies confirmed that let-7c-5p, a well-known microRNA, can act as a tumour suppressor to regulate the progression of various tumours by inhibiting the expression of its target genes. However, whether RGS16 can promote the progression of glioma and whether it is regulated by miR let-7c-5p are still unknown. Here, we confirmed that RGS16 is upregulated in glioma tissues and that high expression of RGS16 is associated with poor survival. Ectopic deletion of RGS16 significantly suppressed glioma cell proliferation and migration both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, RGS16 was validated as a direct target gene of miR let-7c-5p. The overexpression of miR let-7c-5p obviously downregulated the expression of RGS16, and knocking down miR let-7c-5p had the opposite effect. Thus, we suggest that the suppression of RGS16 by miR let-7c-5p can promote glioma progression and may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in glioma.

Functions of regulators of G protein signaling 16 in immunity, inflammation, and other diseases

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) act as guanosine triphosphatase activating proteins to accelerate guanosine triphosphate hydrolysis of the G protein α subunit, leading to the termination of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) downstream signaling pathway. RGS16, which is expressed in a number of cells and tissues, belongs to one of the small B/R4 subfamilies of RGS proteins and consists of a conserved RGS structural domain with short, disordered amino- and carboxy-terminal extensions and an α-helix that classically binds and de-activates heterotrimeric G proteins. However, with the deepening of research, it has been revealed that RGS16 protein not only regulates the classical GPCR pathway, but also affects immune, inflammatory, tumor and metabolic processes through other signaling pathways including the mitogen-activated protein kinase, phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B, Ras homolog family member A and stromal cell-derived factor 1/C-X-C motif chemokine receptor 4 pathways. Additionally, the RGS16 protein may be involved in the Hepatitis B Virus -induced inflammatory response. Therefore, given the continuous expansion of knowledge regarding its role and mechanism, the structure, characteristics, regulatory mechanisms and known functions of the small RGS proteinRGS16 are reviewed in this paper to prepare for diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of different diseases such as inflammation, tumor, and metabolic disorders and to better study its function in other diseases.

Mitochondrial miRNAs (MitomiRs): Their potential roles in breast and other cancers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that are involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. Although miRNAs mainly act in the cytoplasm, they can be found in the mitochondrial compartment of the cell. These miRNAs called "MitomiR", they can change mitochondrial functions by regulating proteins at the mitochondrial level and cause cancer. In this review, we have aimed to explain miRNA biogenesis, transport pathways to mitochondria, and summarize mitomiRs that have been shown to play an important role in mitochondrial function, especially in the initiation and progression of breast cancer.

RGS6 suppresses TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancers via a novel mechanism dependent on its interaction with SMAD4

Regulator of G-protein signaling 6 (RGS6) is a newly discovered tumor suppressor that has been shown to be protective in development of various cancers such as breast cancer and bladder cancer. But the mechanisms underlying these tumor-suppressing functions of RGS6 are not fully understood. Here, we discover a novel function of RGS6 in suppressing TGF-β-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells and in vivo NSCLC metastasis. Using both bioinformatics and experimental tools, we showed that RGS6 was downregulated in lung cancer tissues compared to noncancerous counterparts, and low expression of RGS6 was associated with poor survival of lung cancer patients. Overexpression of RGS6 suppressed TGF-β-induced EMT in vitro and TGF-β-promoted metastasis in vivo, by impairing gene expression of downstream effectors induced by the canonical TGF-β-SMAD signaling. The ability of RGS6 to suppress TGF-β-SMAD-mediated gene expression relied on its binding to SMAD4 to prevent complex formation between SMAD4 and SMAD2/3, but independent of its regulation of the G-protein signaling. Interaction between RGS6 and SMAD4 caused less nuclear entry of p-SMAD3 and SMAD4, resulting in inefficient SMAD3-mediated gene expression. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel and noncanonical role of RGS6 in regulation of TGF-β-induced EMT and metastasis of NSCLC and identify RGS6 as a prognostic marker and a potential novel target for NSCLC therapy.

The Role of MiR-181 Family Members in Endothelial Cell Dysfunction and Tumor Angiogenesis

Endothelial dysfunction plays a critical role in many human angiogenesis-related diseases, including cancer and retinopathies. Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) repress gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. They are critical for endothelial cell gene expression and function and are involved in many pathophysiological processes. The miR-181 family is one of the essential angiogenic regulators. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge of the role of miR-181 family members in endothelial cell dysfunction, with emphasis on their pathophysiological roles in aberrant angiogenesis. The actions of miR-181 members are summarized concerning their targets and associated major angiogenic signaling pathways in a cancer-specific context. Elucidating the underlying functional mechanisms of miR-181 family members that are dysregulated in endothelial cells or cancer cells is invaluable for developing miRNA-based therapeutics for angiogenesis-related diseases such as retinopathies, angiogenic tumors, and cancer. Finally, potential clinical applications of miR-181 family members in anti-angiogenic tumor therapy are discussed.

The Biological Function of MicroRNAs in Bone Tumors

Micro ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small endogenous noncoding RNAs molecules that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. A single miRNA is able to target hundreds of specific messenger RNA (mRNAs) by binding to the 3′-untranslated regions. miRNAs regulate different biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Altered miRNA expression is certainly related to the development of the most common human diseases, including tumors. Osteosarcoma (OS), Ewing’s Sarcoma (ES), and Chondrosarcoma (CS) are the most common primary bone tumors which affect mainly children and adolescents. A significant dysregulation of miRNA expression, in particular of mir-34, mir-21, mir-106, mir-143, and miR-100, has been revealed in OS, ES and CS. In this context, miRNAs can act as either tumor suppressor genes or oncogenes, contributing to the initiation and progression of bone tumors. The in-depth study of these small molecules can thus help to better understand their biological functions in bone tumors. Therefore, this review aims to examine the potential role of miRNAs in bone tumors, especially OS, ES and CS, and to suggest their possible use as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of bone tumors and as biomarkers for early diagnosis.

High Matrix Metalloproteinase 28 Expression is Associated with Poor Prognosis in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Purpose

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a devastating disease with high mortality and morbidity. Matrix metalloproteinase 28 (MMP28) has been associated with carcinogenesis of many human cancers. However, little is known about the potential prognostic value and underlying regulatory mechanisms of MMP28 in PAAD.

Methods

The relationship between MMP28 expression level and various clinicopathological parameters was analyzed in TCGA-PAAD cohorts. MMP28-correlated genes in the TCGA-PAAD cohort were identified and enrichment analysis according to the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes was conducted using LinkedOmics. Protein–protein interaction and transcription factors-miRNA co-regulatory networks were constructed with the use of NetworkAnalyst. Then, the distribution of immune cells related to MMP28 expression in blood was analyzed using the Human Protein Atlas, and the tumor microenvironment of PAAD was analyzed by the TIMER 2.0 database. To investigate the biological function of MMP28 in PAAD, siRNA was constructed to knock down the MMP28 gene in vitro.

Results

High MMP28 expression is associated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival in PAAD patients. The expression of MMP28 in PAAD is most significantly correlated with KRT19, IL1RN, and ANXA2 genes. Network analysis revealed that MIR-181 family, TAFs, and CDC6 are potential regulators of MMP28. Furthermore, naive CD4⁺ T cell, naive CD8⁺ T cell, and mucosal-associated invariant T cell enrichment in blood were correlated with MMP28 expression. Furthermore, high MMP28 expression was correlated with a decrease in B cell, naive CD4⁺ T cell, naive CD8⁺ T cell, and endothelial cell presence in the tumor microenvironment in PAAD. Finally, genetic knockdown of MMP28 could restrain the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PAAD cells.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate that high MMP28 expression in PAAD is associated with cancer progression, invasion, and metastasis. Hence, MMP28 might serve as an independent prognostic biomarker and a prospective therapeutic target for PAAD.

Molecular mechanisms underpinning sarcomas and implications for current and future therapy

Sarcomas are complex mesenchymal neoplasms with a poor prognosis. Their clinical management is highly challenging due to their heterogeneity and insensitivity to current treatments. Although there have been advances in understanding specific genomic alterations and genetic mutations driving sarcomagenesis, the underlying molecular mechanisms, which are likely to be unique for each sarcoma subtype, are not fully understood. This is in part due to a lack of consensus on the cells of origin, but there is now mounting evidence that they originate from mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs). To identify novel treatment strategies for sarcomas, research in recent years has adopted a mechanism-based search for molecular markers for targeted therapy which has included recapitulating sarcomagenesis using in vitro and in vivo MSC models. This review provides a comprehensive up to date overview of the molecular mechanisms that underpin sarcomagenesis, the contribution of MSCs to modelling sarcomagenesis in vivo, as well as novel topics such as the role of epithelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EMT)/mesenchymal-to-epithelial-transition (MET) plasticity, exosomes, and microRNAs in sarcomagenesis. It also reviews current therapeutic options including ongoing pre-clinical and clinical studies for targeted sarcoma therapy and discusses new therapeutic avenues such as targeting recently identified molecular pathways and key transcription factors.

miR-181a, delivered by hypoxic PTC-secreted exosomes, inhibits DACT2 by downregulating MLL3, leading to YAP-VEGF-mediated angiogenesis

Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer, and angiogenesis plays critical roles in its recurrence and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the effects of hypoxia-induced exosomal microRNA-181 (miR-181a) from PTC on tumor growth and angiogenesis. Thyroid-cancer-related differentially expressed miR-181a was identified by microarray-based analysis in the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. We validated that miR-181a was highly expressed in PTC cells and even more so in cells cultured under hypoxic conditions, which also augmented exosome secretion from PTC cells. Exosomes extracted from PTC cells with manipulated miR-181a and mixed-lineage leukemia 3 (MLL3) were subjected to normoxic or hypoxic conditions. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were transfected with miR-181a inhibitor/mimic or small interfering RNA (siRNA)-MLL3 or treated with exosomes from hypoxic PTC cells. Hypoxic exosomal miR-181a delivery promoted proliferation and capillary-like network formation in HUVECs. Mechanistically, miR-181a targeted and inhibited MLL3. Furthermore, miR-181a downregulated DACT2 and upregulated YAP and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Further, hypoxic exosomal miR-181a induced angiogenesis and tumor growth in vivo, which was reversed by hypoxic exosomal miR-181a inhibitor. In conclusion, exosomal miR-181a from hypoxic PTC cells promotes tumor angiogenesis and growth through MLL3 and DACT2 downregulation, as well as VEGF upregulation.

MicroRNAs and angiogenesis: a new era for the management of colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small noncoding RNA molecules containing only 20–22 nucleotides. MiRNAs play a role in gene silencing and translation suppression by targeting and binding to mRNA. Proper control of miRNA expression is very important for maintaining a normal physiological environment because miRNAs can affect most cellular pathways, including cell cycle checkpoint, cell proliferation, and apoptosis pathways, and have a wide range of target genes. With these properties, miRNAs can modulate multiple signalling pathways involved in cancer development, such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and migration pathways. MiRNAs that activate or inhibit the molecular pathway related to tumour angiogenesis are common topics of research. Angiogenesis promotes tumorigenesis and metastasis by providing oxygen and diffusible nutrients and releasing proangiogenic factors and is one of the hallmarks of tumour progression. CRC is one of the most common tumours, and metastasis has always been a difficult issue in its treatment. Although comprehensive treatments, such as surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy, have prolonged the survival of CRC patients, the overall response is not optimistic. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find new therapeutic targets to improve CRC treatment. In a series of recent reports, miRNAs have been shown to bidirectionally regulate angiogenesis in colorectal cancer. Many miRNAs can directly act on VEGF or inhibit angiogenesis through other pathways (HIF-1a, PI3K/AKT, etc.), while some miRNAs, specifically many exosomal miRNAs, are capable of promoting CRC angiogenesis. Understanding the mechanism of action of miRNAs in angiogenesis is of great significance for finding new targets for the treatment of tumour angiogenesis. Deciphering the exact role of specific miRNAs in angiogenesis is a challenge due to the high complexity of their actions. Here, we describe the latest advances in the understanding of miRNAs and their corresponding targets that play a role in CRC angiogenesis and discuss possible miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.

microRNA Sequencing of CD34+ Sorted Adipose Stem Cells Undergoing Endotheliogenesis

While several microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate the endotheliogenesis and further promote angiogenesis have been identified in various cancers, the identification of miRNAs that can drive the differentiation of adipose derived stromal/stem cells (ASCs) into the endothelial lineage has been largely unexplored. In this study, CD34+ ASCs sorted using magnetic bead separation were induced to differentiate along the endothelial pathway. miRNA sequencing of ASCs at day 3, 9, and 14 of endothelial differentiation was performed on Ion Proton sequencing system. The data obtained by this high-throughput method were aligned to the human genome HG38, and the differentially expressed miRNAs during endothelial differentiation at various time points (day 3, 9, and 14) were identified. The gene targets of the identified miRNAs were obtained through miRWalk database. The network-pathway analysis of miRNAs and their targets was performed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) bioinformatic tools to determine the potential candidate miRNAs that promote endothelial differentiation. Based on these analyses, six upregulated miRNAs (miR-181a-5p, miR-330-5p, miR-335-3p, miR-15b-5p, miR-99a-5p, and miR-199a-5p) and six downregulated miRNAs (miR-145-5p, miR-155-5p, miR-193a-3p, miR-125a-5p, miR-221-5p, and miR-222-3p) were chosen for further studies. In vitro evaluation of these miRNAs to induce endothelial differentiation when transfected into CD34+ sorted ASCs was studied using Von Willebrand Factor (VWF) staining and quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our results suggest that miRNAs: 335-5p, 330-5p, 181a-5p and anti-miRNAs: 125a-5p, 145-5p can likely induce endothelial differentiation in CD34+ sorted ASCs. Further studies are clearly required to elucidate the specific mechanisms on how miRNAs or anti-miRNAs identified through bioinformatics approach can induce the endotheliogenesis in ASCs.

Clinical efficiency of epigenetic drugs therapy in bone malignancies

A great interest in the scientific community is focused on the improvement of the cure rate in patients with bone malignancies that have a poor response to the first line of therapies. Novel treatments currently include epigenetic compounds or molecules targeting epigenetic-sensitive pathways. Here, we offer an exhaustive review of such agents in these clinical settings. Carefully designed preclinical studies selected several epigenetic drugs, including inhibitors of DNA methyltransferase (DNMTIs), such as Decitabine, histone deacetylase classes I-II (HDACIs), as Entinostat, Belinostat, lysine-specific histone demethylase (LSD1), as INCB059872 or FT-2102 (Olutasidenib), inhibitors of isocitrate dehydrogenases, and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), such as EPZ6438 (Tazemetostat) To enhance the therapeutic effect, the prevalent approach in phase II trial is the association of these epigenetic drug inhibitors, with targeted therapy or immune checkpoint blockade. Optimization of drug dosing and regimens of Phase II trials may improve the clinical efficiency of such novel therapeutic approaches against these devastating cancers.

The Effect of Hypoxia on the Expression of CXC Chemokines and CXC Chemokine Receptors-A Review of Literature

Hypoxia is an integral component of the tumor microenvironment. Either as chronic or cycling hypoxia, it exerts a similar effect on cancer processes by activating hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and nuclear factor (NF-κB), with cycling hypoxia showing a stronger proinflammatory influence. One of the systems affected by hypoxia is the CXC chemokine system. This paper reviews all available information on hypoxia-induced changes in the expression of all CXC chemokines (CXCL1, CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL4, CXCL5, CXCL6, CXCL7, CXCL8 (IL-8), CXCL9, CXCL10, CXCL11, CXCL12 (SDF-1), CXCL13, CXCL14, CXCL15, CXCL16, CXCL17) as well as CXC chemokine receptors—CXCR1, CXCR2, CXCR3, CXCR4, CXCR5, CXCR6, CXCR7 and CXCR8. First, we present basic information on the effect of these chemoattractant cytokines on cancer processes. We then discuss the effect of hypoxia-induced changes on CXC chemokine expression on the angiogenesis, lymphangiogenesis and recruitment of various cells to the tumor niche, including myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), tumor-associated neutrophils (TANs), regulatory T cells (T_regs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Finally, the review summarizes data on the use of drugs targeting the CXC chemokine system in cancer therapies.

Unique Interplay Between Molecular miR-181b/d Biomarkers and Health Related Quality of Life Score in the Predictive Glioma Models

In the last decade, an increasing amount of research has been conducted analyzing microRNA expression changes in glioma tissue and its expressed exosomes, but there is still sparse information on microRNAs or other biomarkers and their association with patients’ functional/psychological outcomes. In this study, we performed a combinational analysis measuring miR-181b and miR-181d expression levels by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), evaluating isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and O-6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status in 92 post-surgical glioma samples and 64 serum exosomes, including patients’ quality of life evaluation applying European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire for cancer patients (QLQ-30), EORTC the Brain Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-BN20), and the Karnofsky performance status (KPS). The tumoral expression of miR-181b was lower in grade III and glioblastoma, compared to grade II glioma patients (p < 0.05). Additionally, for the first time, we demonstrated the association between miR-181 expression levels and patients’ quality of life. A positive correlation was observed between tumoral miR-181d levels and glioma patients’ functional parameters (p < 0.05), whereas increased exosomal miR-181b levels indicated a worse functional outcome (p < 0.05). Moreover, elevated miR-181b exosomal expression can indicate a significantly shorter post-surgical survival time for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients. In addition, both tumoral and exosomal miR-181 expression levels were related to patients’ functioning and tumor-related symptoms. Our study adds to previous findings by demonstrating the unique interplay between molecular miR-181b/d biomarkers and health related quality of life (HRQOL) score as both variables remained significant in the predictive glioma models.

The new horizon of liquid biopsy in sarcoma: the potential utility of circulating tumor nucleic acids

The diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of sarcoma are mainly dependent on tissue biopsy, which is limited in its ability to provide a panoramic view into the dynamics of tumor progression. In addition, effective biomarkers to monitor the progression and therapeutic response of sarcoma are lacking. Liquid biopsy, a recent technological breakthrough, has gained great attention in the last few decades. Nucleic acids (such as DNA, mRNAs, microRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs) that are released from tumors circulate in the blood of cancer patients and can be evaluated through liquid biopsy. Circulating tumor nucleic acids reflect the intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity, and thus liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive strategy to examine these molecules compared with traditional tissue biopsy. Over the past decade, a great deal of information on the potential utilization of circulating tumor nucleic acids in sarcoma screening, prognosis and therapy efficacy monitoring has emerged. Several specific gene mutations in sarcoma can be detected in peripheral blood samples from patients and can be found in circulating tumor DNA to monitor sarcoma. In addition, circulating tumor non-coding RNA may also be a promising biomarker in sarcoma. In this review, we discuss the clinical application of circulating tumor nucleic acids as blood-borne biomarkers in sarcoma.

The miR-143/145 Cluster, a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker in Chondrosarcoma, Acts as a Tumor Suppressor and Directly Inhibits Fascin-1

Chondrosarcoma is the second most frequent bone sarcoma. Due to the inherent chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance and absence of known therapeutic targets, clinical management is limited to surgical resection. Consequently, patients with advanced disease face a poor prognosis. Hence, elucidating regulatory networks governing chondrosarcoma pathogenesis is vital for development of effective therapeutic strategies. Here, miRNA and mRNA next generation sequencing of different subtypes of human chondrogenic tumors in combination with in silico bioinformatics tools were performed with the aim to identify key molecular factors. We identified miR-143/145 cluster levels to inversely correlate with tumor grade. This deregulation was echoed in the miRNA plasma levels of patients and we provided the first evidence that circulating miR-145 is a potential noninvasive diagnostic biomarker and can be valuable as an indicator to improve the currently challenging diagnosis of cartilaginous bone tumors. Additionally, artificial upregulation of both miRNAs impelled a potent tumor suppressor effect in vitro and in vivo in an orthotopic xenograft mouse model. A combined in silico/sequencing approach revealed FSCN1 as a direct target of miR-143/145, and its depletion phenotypically resembled miR-143/145 upregulation in vitro. Last, FSCN1 is a malignancy-promoting factor associated with aggressive chondrosarcoma progression. Our findings underscore miR-143/145/FSCN1 as important players in chondrosarcoma and may potentially open new avenues for specific therapeutic intervention options. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

MicroRNA-4316 inhibits gastric cancer proliferation and migration via directly targeting VEGF-A

Background and aims

microRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate proliferation and migration by down-regulating the expression of target genes. The aims of this study were to investigate whether miR-4316 inhibited proliferation and migration by downregulating vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and its clinical significance in gastric cancer (GC).

Methods

The clinical tissues of the GC patients for miR-4316 and VEGF-A were detected by qRT-PCR. The protein levels of VEGF-A and c-Met were determined by western blotting. Cell Proliferation, migration, and colony forming assays were conducted to show whether miR-4316 affects proliferation by CCK-8, migration by transwell, wound healing and colony formation assays. The bioinformatic methods and luciferase reporter assay were applied to detect the relationship between miRNA and VEGF-A on its targeting 3-untranslated regions (3-UTRs). CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, and transwell assay were performed to explore the function of miR-4316.

Results

The results of qRT-PCR indicated that miR-4316 expression level was significantly downregulated in human GC tissues and GC cell lines compared with their control. miR-4316 inhibited proliferation, migration and colony formation in GC cell lines by reducing VEGF-A. And western blot results indicated that miR-4316 significantly inhibited GC through repressing VEGF-A and c-Met. The investigation of Luciferase assay indicated that VEGF-A is a direct target gene of miR-4316.

Conclusions

miR-4316 suppressed proliferation and migration of GC through the VEGF-A gene. MiR-4316 acts as a tumor suppressor by targeting VEGF-A and this indicated that MiR-4316 might be a potential therapeutic target for GC.

Exosomes in Bone Sarcomas: Key Players in Metastasis

Bone sarcomas are rare cancers which often present with metastatic disease and are still associated with poor survival rates. Studies in the last decade have identified that exosomes, a type of extracellular vesicle released by cells, play an important role in tumour progression and dissemination. Through the transfer of their cargo (RNAs, proteins, and lipids) across cells, they are involved in cellular cross-talk and can induce changes in cellular behaviour. Exosomes have been shown to be important in metastasis organotropism, induction of angiogenesis and vascular permeability, the education of cells towards a pro-metastatic phenotype or the interaction between stromal and tumour cells. Due to the importance exosomes have in disease progression and the high incidence of metastasis in bone sarcomas, recent studies have evaluated the implications of these extracellular vesicles in bone sarcomas. In this review, we discuss the studies that evaluate the role of exosomes in osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and preliminary data on chondrosarcoma.

Angioregulatory microRNAs in Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality. Angiogenesis is a rate-determining step in CRC development and metastasis. The balance of angiogenic and antiangiogenic factors is crucial in this process. Angiogenesis-related genes can be regulated post-transcriptionally by microRNAs (miRNAs) and some miRNAs have been shown to shuttle between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). MiRNAs have context-dependent actions and can promote or suppress angiogenesis dependent on the type of cancer. On the one hand, miRNAs downregulate anti-angiogenic targets and lead to angiogenesis induction. Tumor suppressor miRNAs, on the other hand, enhance anti-angiogenic response by targeting pro-angiogenic factors. Understanding the interaction between these miRNAs and their target mRNAs will help to unravel molecular mechanisms involved in CRC progression. The aim of this article is to review the current literature on angioregulatory miRNAs in CRC.

Altered expression of miR-181 affects cell fate and targets drug resistance-related mechanisms

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding transcripts which regulate genetic and epigenetic events by interfering with mRNA translation. miRNAs are involved in regulation of cell fate due to their ability of interfering with physiological or pathological processes. In this review paper, we evaluate the role of miR-181 family members as prognostic or diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets in malignant pathologies in connection with the main hallmarks of cancer that are modulated by the family. Also, we take over the dual role of this family in dependency with the tumour suppressor and oncogenic features presented in cell and cancer type specific manner. Restoration of the altered expression levels contributes to the activation of cell death pathways or to a reduction in the invasion and migration mechanism; moreover, the mechanism of drug resistance is also modulated by miR-181 sequences with important applications in therapeutic strategies for malignant cells sensitisation. Overall, the main miR-181 family regulatory mechanisms are presented in a cancer specific context, emphasizing the possible clinical application of this family in terms of novel diagnosis and therapy approaches.

Anti-miRNA Oligonucleotide Therapy for Chondrosarcoma

Chondrosarcoma is a highly aggressive primary malignant bone tumor mostly occurring in adults. There are no effective systemic treatments, and patients with this disease have poor survival. miR-181a is an oncomiR that is overexpressed in high-grade chondrosarcoma and promotes tumor progression. Regulator of G-protein signaling 16 (RGS16) is a target of miR-181a. Inhibition of RGS16 expression by miR-181a enhances CXC chemokine receptor 4 signaling, which in turn increases MMP1 and VEGF expression, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Here, we report the results of systemic treatment with anti-miRNA oligonucleotides (AMO) directed against miR-181a utilizing a nanopiece delivery platform (NPs). NPs were combined with a molecular beacon or anti-miR-181a oligonucleotides and are shown to transfect chondrosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo Intratumoral injection and systemic delivery had similar effects on miR-181a expression in nude mice bearing chondrosarcoma xenografts. Systemic delivery of NPs carrying anti-miR-181a also restored RGS16 expression, decreased expression of VEGF and MMP1, MMP activity, and tumor volume by 32% at day 38, and prolonged survival from 23% to 45%. In conclusion, these data support that systemic delivery of AMO shows promise for chondrosarcoma treatment.

miR-134 inhibits osteosarcoma cell invasion and metastasis through targeting MMP1 and MMP3 in vitro and in vivo

miR-134 has been shown to be associated with angiogenesis and the progression of osteosarcoma. This study further assessed the effects of miR-134 expression on osteosarcoma cell migration, invasion, and metastasis in vitro and in a nude mouse xenograft model, exploring the underlying molecular events. Luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-134 directly targets the 3'-UTRs of MMP1 and MMP3 to reduce their expression in osteosarcoma cells. In conclusion, overexpression of miR-134 suppresses osteosarcoma cell invasion and metastasis through the inhibition of MMP1 and MMP3 expression. We propose miR-134 as an attractive novel therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

Effects of miR-181a-5p abnormal expression on zebrafish (Danio rerio) vascular development following triclosan exposure

Triclosan (TCS), one of the important bactericides, is widely used in personal care products, and its chronic exposure leads to severe toxic effects on the growth and development of blood vessels in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Herein, we screened out three differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-181a-5p, miR-132-3p and miR-128-3p) by sequencing and qRT-PCR analyses of 4-96-hpf TCS-exposed zebrafish, among which miR-181a-5p was found to regulate many signaling pathways involved in fatty acid biosynthesis and phosphatidylimositol signaling systems. By O-dianisidine staining, TCS-exposure resulted in decreased distribution of red blood cells and induced blood hypercoagulable state and thrombotic effects. Defective subintestinal veins (SIVs), and decreased branching and curvature of blood vessels were observed with increasing TCS-exposure concentrations. After microinjection of miR-181a-5p mimic and inhibitor, zebrafish malformation type and percentage were prominently increased such as distorted SIV vessels along with reduced venation and abnormal branches by ALP staining. Overexpressed miR-181a-5p had a greater effect on development and branching patterns of arteries and veins than its knockdown. By laser confocal microscopy observation, the 72-hpf Tg (flk1: mCherry) zebrafish obviously displayed vascular proliferation and ablation in the miR-181a-5p mimic group. Microinjection of miR-181a-5p mimics and inhibitors led to abnormal expressions (20-50%) of two key target genes (pax2a and vash2) by WISH, and increased malformation percentages (18-45%) by IOD analysis. Overexpression of vash2 led to the inhibitory or promoting effects on the expression of PI3K signaling pathway-related genes, proving that the effect of vash2 on development of blood vessels could be realized by inhibiting PI3K signaling pathway. These observations lay theoretical foundation for deep insight into the molecular mechanisms on TCS-induced cardiovascular diseases.

An Insight into the Roles of MicroRNAs and Exosomes in Sarcoma

Sarcomas are rare solid tumors, but at least one-third of patients with sarcoma die from tumor-related disease. MicroRNA (miRNA) is a noncoding RNA that regulates gene expression in all cells and plays a key role in the progression of cancers. Recently, it was identified that miRNAs are transferred between cells by enclosure in extracellular vesicles, especially exosomes. The exosome is a 100 nm-sized membraned vesicle that is secreted by many kinds of cells and contains miRNA, mRNA, DNA, and proteins. Cancer uses exosomes to influence not only the tumor microenvironment but also the distant organ to create a premetastatic niche. The progression of sarcoma is also regulated by miRNAs and exosomes. These miRNAs and exosomes can be targeted as biomarkers and treatments. In this review, we summarize the studies of miRNA and exosomes in sarcoma.

miR-140-5p alleviates the aggressive progression of Wilms' tumor through directly targeting TGFBR1 gene

Background and objective

Although many miRNAs are identified to be deregulated and play vital roles in the progression of Wilms’ tumor (WT), there are still a large number of miRNAs are waiting for us to explore. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the different expressing profiles of miRNAs in WT tissues and the adjacent normal tissues, and probe the effects and mechanism of a certain miRNA among the different expressing miRNAs.

Methods

miRNA microarray was recruited to assess the differently expressed miRNAs in WT tissues and normal tissues, which was further verified by RT-PCR. Receiver operating characteristic curves were performed to calculate the specificity and sensitivity of miRNAs in the diagnose of WT. CCK-8, flow cytometry, wound healing, transwell chamber and tumor-burdened assays were used to assess cell growth, apoptosis, migration, invasion and tumorigenesis. Luciferase report assay was used to evaluate the interaction between miR-140-5p and TGFBR1.

Results

A total of 34 miRNAs were abnormally expressed in the WT tissues, among which, miR-140-5p was identified to be obviously down-regulated in WT tissues, and the AUC of it was 0.961. Besides, we found that patients with miR-140-5p low expression always had a shorter overall survival and more aggressive clinical features, such as bigger tumor size (P=0.002), higher pathological stage (P=0.003) and higher occurrence rate of lymph node metastasis (P=0.009) than those in patients with miR-140-5p high expression. Moreover, luciferase reporter assay showed that TGFBR1 was the direct target of miR-140-5p, which was negatively regulated by miR-140-5p and was highly expressed in WT tissues. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-140-5p obviously enhanced the proliferation and tumorigenesis and repressed the apoptosis of G401 cells, and these effects were all abolished when TGFBR1 was down-regulated.

Conclusion

The present study illustrates that miR-140-5p functions as a tumor suppressor in the occurrence and development of WT via targeting TGFBR1, which provides theoretical foundation for serving miR-140-5p as a new diagnosis marker even a therapeutic target for WT.

Micrornas at the Interface between Osteogenesis and Angiogenesis as Targets for Bone Regeneration

Bone formation and regeneration is a multistep complex process crucially determined by the formation of blood vessels in the growth plate region. This is preceded by the expression of growth factors, notably the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), secreted by osteogenic cells, as well as the corresponding response of endothelial cells, although the exact mechanisms remain to be clarified. Thereby, coordinated coupling between osteogenesis and angiogenesis is initiated and sustained. The precise interplay of these two fundamental processes is crucial during times of rapid bone growth or fracture repair in adults. Deviations in this balance might lead to pathologic conditions such as osteoarthritis and ectopic bone formation. Besides VEGF, the recently discovered important regulatory and modifying functions of microRNAs also support this key mechanism. These comprise two principal categories of microRNAs that were identified with specific functions in bone formation (osteomiRs) and/or angiogenesis (angiomiRs). However, as hypoxia is a major driving force behind bone angiogenesis, a third group involved in this process is represented by hypoxia-inducible microRNAs (hypoxamiRs). This review was focused on the identification of microRNAs that were found to have an active role in osteogenesis as well as angiogenesis to date that were termed "CouplingmiRs (CPLGmiRs)". Outlined representatives therefore represent microRNAs that already have been associated with an active role in osteogenic-angiogenic coupling or are presumed to have its potential. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms governing bone angiogenesis are of great relevance for improving therapeutic options in bone regeneration, tissue-engineering, and the treatment of bone-related diseases.

MicroRNA-525 enhances chondrosarcoma malignancy by targeting F-spondin 1

Increasing evidence has suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs; miRs) are extensively involved in the progression of chondrosarcoma (CHS). However, few studies have investigated the functional role of miR-525 in CHS tissues and cells. In the present study, it was discovered that miR-525 levels were decreased in CHS tissues and cells. Dual luciferase assays indicated that F-spondin 1 (SPON1) is a target gene of microRNA (miR)-525. In addition, miR-525 overexpression suppressed SW1353 cell migration and invasion and enhanced SW1353 cell apoptosis. Increased SPON1 expression levels were identified in CHS tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, miR-525 overexpression significantly suppressed the activation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/Src/phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling in CHS cells; this suppression led to SPON1 silencing. In comparison, the SPON1 knockdown-mediated inactivation of FAK/Src/PI3K/Akt signaling was inhibited by inhibiting miR-525. In summary, the present study revealed that decreased miR-525 levels could enhance CHS malignancy as decreased miR-525 binding to the 3' untranslated region of SPON1 activates FAK/Src/PI3K/Akt signaling.

AMD3100 inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell invasion, and metastasis in the liver and the lung through blocking the SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling pathway in prostate cancer

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) and CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) have been found to be tightly correlated with the progression of prostate cancer (PC). In this study, we investigated the effects of an SDF-1α/CXCR4 inhibitor, AMD3100, on cell progression and metastasis potential of human PC cells. Human PC cell lines (LNCaP, PC3, and DU145) were cultured to detect SDF-1α/CXCR4, which showed higher SDF-1α and CXCR4 expression than the normal human prostate epithelial cell line, RWPE-1. AMD3100 was confirmed to be an inhibitor of SDF-1α, and to detect the effect of SDF-1α/CXCR4 inhibition on PC, PC cells were treated with AMD3100 or/and CXCR4 siRNA. The results suggested that inhibition of the SDF-1α/CXCR4 pathway could promote the E-cadherin level but inhibit the levels of invasion and migration of vimentin, N-cadherin and α5β1 integrin. Finally, tumor formation in nude mice was conducted, and the cell experiment results were verfied. These data show that AMD3100 suppresses epithelial-mesenchymal transition and migration of PC cells by inhibiting the SDF-1α/CXCR4 signaling pathway, which provides a clinical target in the treatment of PC.

Chondrosarcoma: biology, genetics, and epigenetics

Chondrosarcomas constitute a heterogeneous group of primary bone cancers characterized by hyaline cartilaginous neoplastic tissue. They are the second most common primary bone malignancy. The vast majority of chondrosarcomas are conventional chondrosarcomas, and most conventional chondrosarcomas are low- to intermediate-grade tumors (grade 1 or 2) which have indolent clinical behavior and low metastatic potential. Recurrence augurs a poor prognosis, as conventional chondrosarcomas are both radiation and chemotherapy resistant. Recent discoveries in the biology, genetics, and epigenetics of conventional chondrosarcomas have significantly advanced our understanding of the pathobiology of these tumors and offer insight into potential therapeutic targets.

MiRNA Dysregulation in Childhood Hematological Cancer

For decades, cancer biology focused largely on the protein-encoding genes that have clear roles in tumor development or progression: cell-cycle control, apoptotic evasion, genome instability, drug resistance, or signaling pathways that stimulate growth, angiogenesis, or metastasis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), however, represent one of the more abundant classes of cell modulators in multicellular organisms and largely contribute to regulating gene expression. Many of the ~2500 miRNAs discovered to date in humans regulate vital biological processes, and their aberrant expression results in pathological and malignant outcomes. In this review, we highlight what has been learned about the roles of miRNAs in some of the most common human pediatric leukemias and lymphomas, along with their value as diagnostic/prognostic factors.

microRNA-181a inhibits ocular neovascularization by interfering with vascular endothelial growth factor expression

AIM

Excess angiogenesis or neovascularization plays a key role in the pathophysiology of several ocular diseases such as retinopathy of prematurity, diabetic retinopathy, and exudative age-related macular degeneration. microRNA-181a (miR-181a) was found highly expressed in retina and choroidal tissues. This study intends to investigate the role of miR-181a in the regulation of ocular neovascularization in different pathophysiological conditions.

METHOD

We performed the RNA sequence to identify the microRNAs components of anti-angiogenic lymphocyte-derived microparticles (LMPs). The effect of miR-181a on human retinal endothelial cells proliferation was assessed in vitro. The impact of miR-181a on angiogenesis was confirmed using in vitro angiogenesis assay, ex vivo choroidal explant, and in vivo retinal neovascularization. The expression of major angiogenic factors was assessed by real-time qPCR.

RESULTS

RNA sequence revealed that miR-181a is selectively enriched in LMPs. Importantly, the inhibition of miR-181a significantly abrogated the effect of LMPs on endothelial viability, but overexpression of miR-181a reduced endothelial cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. miR-181a strongly inhibited in vitro angiogenesis and ex vivo choroidal neovascularization. The strong anti-angiogenic effect of miR-181a was also displayed on the retinal neovascularization of the in vivo mouse model of oxygen-induced retinopathy. In keeping with its effect, several angiogenesis-related genes were dysregulated in the miR-181a overexpressed endothelial cells.

CONCLUSION

These data may open unexpected avenues for the development of miR-181a as a novel therapeutic strategy that would be particularly useful and relevant for the treatment of neovascular diseases.

MicroRNA-181a promotes angiogenesis in colorectal cancer by targeting SRCIN1 to promote the SRC/VEGF signaling pathway

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a very common metastatic tumor with active angiogenesis that requires active angiogenesis. Recently, increased microRNA-181a-5p (miR-181a) expression was found to be significantly associated with liver metastasis and poor outcome in CRC patients. In this study, the role of miR-181a in tumor angiogenesis was further investigated. Capillary tube formation assays were used to demonstrate the ability of miR-181a to promote tumor angiogenesis. Bioinformatics analyses identified SRC kinase signaling inhibitor 1 (SRCIN1) as a potential target of miR-181a. Next, two CRC cell lines (HT29 and SW480) were used to clarify the function of miR-181a through SRCIN1 targeting. In addition, the biological effects of SRCIN1 inhibition by miR-181a were examined in vitro by quantitative RT-PCR, western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and in vivo by Matrigel plug angiogenesis assays and immunohistochemical staining. In clinical samples, Fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunofluorescence were performed to detect the relation between miR-181a and SRCIN1. In addition, SRCIN1 protein and miR-181a expression levels in CRC tissues were also measured by western blot and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. MiR-181a markedly augmented the capability of CRC cells to advance tube formation in endothelial cells in vitro. The Matrigel plug assay showed that miR-181a promoted angiogenesis in vivo. In conclusion, miR-181a inhibited SRCIN1, which caused SRC to transform from an inactive status to an active conformation and to trigger vascular endothelial growth factor secretion, leading to increased angiogenesis. MiR-181a dysregulation contributes to angiogenesis in CRC, and downregulation of miR-181a represents a promising, novel strategy to achieve an efficient antiangiogenic response in anti-CRC therapy.

Small animal models for the study of bone sarcoma pathogenesis:characteristics, therapeutic interests and limitations

Osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma and chondrosarcoma are the three main entities of bone sarcoma which collectively encompass more than 50 heterogeneous entities of rare malignancies. In contrast to osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma which mainly affect adolescents and young adults and exhibit a high propensity to metastasise to the lungs, chondrosarcoma is more frequently observed after 40 years of age and is characterised by a high frequency of local recurrence. The combination of chemotherapy, surgical resection and radiotherapy has contributed to an improved outcome for these patients. However, a large number of patients still suffer significant therapy related toxicities or die of refractory and metastatic disease. To better delineate the pathogenesis of bone sarcomas and to identify and test new therapeutic options, major efforts have been invested over the past decades in the development of relevant pre-clinical animal models. Nowadays, in vivo models aspire to mimic all the steps and the clinical features of the human disease as accurately as possible and should ideally be manipulable. Considering these features and given their small size, their conduciveness to experiments, their affordability as well as their human-like bone-microenvironment and immunity, murine pre-clinical models are interesting in the context of these pathologies. This chapter will provide an overview of the murine models of bone sarcomas, paying specific attention for the models induced by inoculation of tumour cells. The genetically-engineered mouse models of bone sarcoma will also be summarized.

MicroRNAs in cancer metastasis and angiogenesis

Cancer metastasis is a malignant process by which tumor cells migrate from their primary site of origin to other organs. It is the main cause of poor prognosis in cancer patients. Angiogenesis is the process of generating new blood capillaries from pre-existing vasculature. It plays a vital role in primary tumor growth and distant metastasis. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNAs involved in regulating normal physiological processes as well as cancer pathogenesis. They suppress gene expression by specifically binding to the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of their target genes. They can thus act as oncogenes or tumor suppressors depending on the function of their target genes. MicroRNAs have shown great promise for use in anti-metastatic cancer therapy. In this article, we review the roles of various miRNAs in cancer angiogenesis and metastasis and highlight their potential for use in future therapies against metastatic cancer.

Regulating the regulators: Epigenetic, transcriptional, and post-translational regulation of RGS proteins

Regulators of G protein signaling (RGS) are a family of proteins classically known to accelerate the intrinsic GTPase activity of G proteins, which results in accelerated inactivation of heterotrimeric G proteins and inhibition of G protein coupled receptor signaling. RGS proteins play major roles in essential cellular processes, and dysregulation of RGS protein expression is implicated in multiple diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. The expression of RGS proteins is highly dynamic and is regulated by epigenetic, transcriptional and post-translational mechanisms. This review summarizes studies that report dysregulation of RGS protein expression in disease states, and presents examples of drugs that regulate RGS protein expression. Additionally, this review discusses, in detail, the transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms regulating RGS protein expression, and further assesses the therapeutic potential of targeting these mechanisms. Understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling the expression of RGS proteins is essential for the development of therapeutics that indirectly modulate G protein signaling by regulating expression of RGS proteins.

MicroRNA-140-5p inhibits invasion and angiogenesis through targeting VEGF-A in breast cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to be involved in cell metastasis and angiogenesis by interaction with the target mRNAs. Evidence has been confirmed that miR-140-5p is a tumor suppressor in human cancers such as breast cancer. However, the potential molecular mechanism of miR-140-5p in breast cancer invasion and angiogenesis is still poorly understood. According to our study, we reported that miR-140-5p inhibited the tumor invasion and angiogenesis of breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo by targeting VEGF-A. The mRNA amount of miR-140-5p was decreased in the breast cancer clinical samples and breast cancer with metastasis compared with the corresponding adjacent normal tissues and cancer without metastasis. MiR-140-5p mimics and a negative control were transfected into human MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Transwell chambers were used to detect the invasive ability of the cells, and the angiogenic ability was assessed by tube-formation assay. The markers of invasion and angiogenesis, VEGF-A, CD31 and MMP-9, were detected by using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis in vivo. VEGF-A was verified as a possible target gene of miR-140-5p, and corroborated by dual-luciferase reporter and ELISA. Taken together, the study elucidates the molecular mechanisms by which miR-140-5p inhibits breast cancer metastasis and angiogenesis, and provides a potent evidence for the development of a novel microRNA-targeting anticancer strategy for breast cancer patients.

Genetic aberrations and molecular biology of skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma

Chordomas and chondrosarcomas are two major malignant bone neoplasms located at the skull base. These tumors are rarely metastatic, but can be locally invasive and resistant to conventional chemotherapies and radiotherapies. Accordingly, therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these tumors can be difficult. Additionally, their location at the skull base makes them problematic. Although accurate diagnosis of these tumors is important because of their distinct prognoses, distinguishing between these tumor types is difficult due to overlapping radiological and histopathological findings. However, recent accumulation of molecular and genetic studies, including extracranial location analysis, has provided us clues for accurate diagnosis. In this report, we review the genetic aberrations and molecular biology of these two tumor types. Among the abundant genetic features of these tumors, brachyury immunohistochemistry and direct sequencing of IDH1/2 are simple and useful techniques that can be used to distinguish between these tumors. Although it is still unclear why these tumors, which have such distinct genetic backgrounds, show similar histopathological findings, comparison of their genetic backgrounds could provide essential information.