Value of current chemotherapy and surgery in advanced and metastatic bladder cancer

Identification of novel lncRNA prognostic biomarkers and their associated ceRNAs in bladder urothelial carcinoma

Bladder urothelial carcinoma (BUCA) is a common malignant tumor with a high rate of metastasis and recurrence. The lack of specific and sensitive biomarkers for the prognostic assessment makes it important to seek alternatives. Recent studies have demonstrated that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) function as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) and play an important role in BUCA prognosis. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a prognosis-related lncRNAs-microRNAs (miRNAs)-messenger RNA (mRNA) (pceRNA) network and identify novel prognostic biomarkers. Integrated weighted coexpression analysis, functional clustering, and ceRNA network were used for the prognostic assessment of BUCA. The transcriptome sequencing datasets of lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA from The Cancer Genome Atlas database were used for the identification of key lncRNAs and construction of the lncRNAs expression signature for prognostic prediction of BUCA patients. Then, 14 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE-lncRNAs) were identified as candidate prognostic RNAs based on the ceRNAs network and functional clustering. In the Cox regression analysis, two (AC008676.1 and ADAMTS9-AS1) of all DE-lncRNAs were significantly associated with overall survival (OS) of BUCA patients. This two DE-lncRNA signature was significantly correlated with OS and was an independent prognostic factor, which was confirmed in an independent dataset of GSE216037. Moreover, we constructed the pceRNA network that includes 2 DE-lncRNAs, 9 DE-miRNAs, and 10 DE-mRNAs. Pathway enrichment analysis showed that AC008676.1 and ADAMTS9-AS1 are involved in several cancer-related pathways such as proteoglycans in cancer and TGF-beta signaling pathway. The novel-identified DE-lncRNA prognostic signature and the pceRNA network in this study will be valuable risk predictors and diagnostic markers for BUCA.

MiR-3960 inhibits bladder cancer progression via targeting of DEXI

PURPOSE

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are dominant cargo in exosomes and act as master regulators of cell function, inhibiting mRNA translation and affecting gene silencing. Some aspects of tissue-specific miRNA transport in bladder cancer (BC) and its role in cancer progression are not fully understood.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A microarray was used to identify miRNAs in mouse bladder carcinoma cell line MB49 exosomes. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to examine the expression of miRNAs in BC and healthy donor serum. Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining were used to examine the expression of dexamethasone-induced protein (DEXI) in patients with BC. CRISPR-Cas 9 was used to knock out Dexi in MB49, and flow cytometry was performed to test cell proliferation ability and apoptosis under chemotherapy. Human BC organoid culture, miR-3960 transfection, and 293T-exosome-loaded miR-3960 delivery were used to analyze the effect of miR-3960 on BC progression.

RESULTS

The results showed that miR-3960 levels in BC tissue were positively correlated with patient survival time. Dexi was a major target of miR-3960. Dexi knockout inhibited MB49 cell proliferation and promoted cisplatin- and gemcitabine-induced apoptosis. Transfection of miR-3960 mimic inhibited DEXI expression and organoid growth. In parallel, 293T-exosome-loaded miR-3960 delivery and Dexi knockout significantly inhibited subcutaneous growth of MB49 cells in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrate the potential role of miR-3960-mediated inhibition of DEXI as a therapeutic strategy against BC.

Racial disparities in conditional survival of patients with bladder cancer: a population-based study

BACKGROUND

Traditional estimates can only provide static predictions of cancer outcomes and cannot assess the evolving effect of race on patient survival. This study aims to reveal the dynamic survival of patients with bladder cancer and to explore the evolving effect of race on patient prognosis.

METHODS

Using data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registry, 99,590 white, 6,036 African American, and 4,685 Asian/Pacific Islander (API) patients with bladder cancer were identified. Conditional cancer-specific survival (CSS) rates, which could reflect the dynamic survival prediction of cancer patients, represented the primary outcomes, and were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier algorithm. The evolving effect of race on patient survival was evaluated by multivariable Cox regression in combination with conditional survival (CS) estimates.

RESULTS

The 5-year CSS for African American patients who had survived 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 years after definitive therapy improved from the baseline calculation by + 5.8 (84.4%), + 9.5 (87.4%), + 12.8 (90.0%), + 14.4 (91.3%), and + 14.7% (91.5%), respectively. The increasing trend also held for overall white and API patients, and for all patient subsets when CS was calculated according to different levels of sex, age, and disease stage. African Americans, despite having the worst survival at baseline, could have CSS comparable to their white and API counterparts after 4 years of survivorship. In addition, the risk of death for African Americans tended to decrease with increasing survival, and the risk was no longer significantly different from that of whites after 4 years of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

While having the worst initial predicted outcomes, African Americans may eventually achieve comparable survival to white and API patients given several years of survivorship. As patient survival increases, African American race may lose its role as an indicator of poorer prognosis.

Ligustilide induces apoptosis and reduces proliferation in human bladder cancer cells by NFκB1 and mitochondria pathway

Ligustilide (LIG), the bioactive constituent of Angelica sinensis, may exert potential benefits in cancer treatment. However, the potential mechanism of LIG in the suppression of bladder cancer (BC) has not been reported yet. This study uncovered the inhibitory effect of LIG on the proliferation and cell cycle arrest of BC cells (T24 and EJ-1) along with unveiling the underlying molecular mechanism. The IC₅₀ values of LIG-treated T24 for 24 and 48 h are 39.91 μg/mL (209.8 μM) and 40.94 μg/mL (215.2 μM) separately. The same conditions, the IC₅₀ values of EJ-1 are 45.73 μg/mL (240.4 μM) and 43.81 μg/mL (230.3 μM), separately. Additionally, LIG induced apoptosis and cycle arrest of T24 and EJ-1 cells in sub-G1 phase. Further studies showed that LIG induced apoptosis of BC cells by upregulating Caspase-8, truncated BID (tBID) and BAX proteins, and downregulating NFκB1 (p50) protein. In conclusion, LIG significantly inhibits the growth of BC cells in vitro and in vivo by inducing apoptosis and is inexpensive, making it a promising candidate for novel anti-BC drugs.

Novel lncRNA LINC01614 Facilitates Bladder Cancer Proliferation, Migration and Invasion Through the miR-217/RUNX2/Wnt/β-Catenin Axis

Background

LncRNA plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and development. This study aimed to explore the novel lncRNA affecting bladder cancer progression.

Methods

The open-access data of bladder cancer patients, including transcriptome profiles and corresponding clinical information were all obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. All the statistical analysis were performed using R software, SPSS and GraphPad Prism 8. CCK8, colony formation, apoptosis detection and tumorigenicity assay were used to assess cell proliferation ability. Transwell assay and wound-healing assay were used to evaluate cell metastasis potential.

Results

Our result showed that the lncRNA LINC01614 was highly expressed in bladder cancer tissue and cell lines. Meanwhile, patients with high LINC01614 expression level tend to have poor clinical features and shorter survival time. Further experiments demonstrated that the inhibition of LINC01614 could significantly hamper the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells. Then, we found that the LINC01614 could regulate RUNX2 expression through miR-137. GSEA analysis indicated that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway might be the downstream pathway of LINC01614. Further experiments showed that the LINC01614 act as an oncogene in bladder cancer partly depending on the RUNX2/Wnt/β-catenin axis, making it an underlying therapeutic target.

Conclusion

In all, LINC01614 facilitates bladder cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion through the miR-217/RUNX2/Wnt/β-catenin axis.

Attenuation of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine on the invasive potential of bladder cancer through targeting matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression

Bladder cancer (BC), one of the most common urological neoplastic disorders in men, has an extremely low survival rate because of its tendency to metastasize. The anticancer drugs chloroquine (CQ) and hydroxy CQ (HCQ) might inhibit tumor progression and invasiveness. However, the mechanism by which CQ and HCQ influence BC is undetermined. In this study, CQ and HCQ treatments inhibited the migration and invasion of two BC cell types (5637 and T24) through expression modulation of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), which belongs to the matrix MMP family and is a key mediator of cancer progression. Moreover, additional data revealed that the migrative and invasive effects of BC cells treated with CQ or HCQ were abolished after treatment with rapamycin, which induces autophagy, demonstrating that CQ and HCQ functions in BC are based on autophagy inhibition. In conclusion, our research demonstrated that CQ and HCQ regulated cell motility in BC through MMP-2 downregulation by targeting autophagy functions, providing a novel therapeutic strategy for BC treatment.

CircCA12 Promotes Malignant Process via Sponging miR-1184 and Upregulating RAS Family in Bladder Cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a panel of non-coding RNAs that mediate the regulation of gene expression, as well as pathological responses. Nonetheless, the function and expression pattern of circRNAs in urinary bladder cancer (UBC) remain unclear. Herein, we examined the function of circCA12 in UBC development. qRT-PCR results demonstrated remarkable circCA12 upregulation in UBC cell lines, as well as tissues. CCK-8, colony formation, and xenograft assays were employed to determine the effect of circCA12 on UBC. Our data illustrated silencing circCA12 repressed the proliferation along with the colony-formation capability of UBC cells. The migration and metastasis potential of UBC cells were remarkably abated in vivo, as well as in vitro after transfection with si-cirCA12 or sh-circCA12. Moreover, luciferase reporter and RIP assays indicated that circCA12 binds to miRNA-1184 through sponging miRNA, thereby up-regulating the expression of RAS family genes (NRAS, KRAS, and HRAS). In conclusion, the circCA12/miRNA-1184/RAS family was identified as a regulatory axis in UBC progression.

MicroRNA‑16‑5p/BIMP1/NF‑κB axis regulates autophagy to exert a tumor‑suppressive effect on bladder cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is the second most common urological disease worldwide. Previous studies have reported that microRNA (miR)-16-5p is associated with the development of BC, but whether miR-16-5p regulates BC cell autophagy remains unknown. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate this issue. miR-16-5p expression in BC cells was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Cell viability and apoptosis were detected via Cell Counting Kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively. For cell autophagy detection, autophagic flux was detected using a mCherry-green fluorescent protein-microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3) puncta formation assay, followed by determination of autophagy-related protein markers. The targeting relationship between miR-16-5p and caspase recruitment domain family member 10 (BIMP1) was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, followed by detection of the BIMP1/NF-κB signaling pathway. The results showed that miR-16-5p overexpression inhibited cell viability, whereas miR-16-5p knockdown promoted cell viability in BC. Furthermore, miR-16-5p overexpression induced autophagy, which was accompanied by increased autophagic flux and expression of the autophagy-related proteins LC3-II and beclin 1, as well as decreased p62 expression, whereas miR-16-5p silencing led to an inhibition of autophagy in BC cells. Moreover, autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine treatment inhibited cell autophagy and apoptosis in miR-16-5p-overexpressing cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that miR-16-5p could inhibit the BIMP1/NF-κB signaling pathway and this inhibition was achieved by directly targeting BIMP1. Furthermore, it was found that blockade of the BIMP1/NF-κB signaling pathway inversed the inhibitory effects of miR-16-5p knockdown on autophagy in BC cells. In vivo experiments further verified the tumor-suppressive effect on BC of the miR-16-5p/BIMP1/NF-κB axis. Therefore, the results of the present study indicated that miR-16-5p promotes autophagy of BC cells via the BIMP1/NF-κB signaling pathway, and an improved understanding of miR-16-5p function may provide therapeutic targets for clinical intervention in this disease.

C19orf10 promotes malignant behaviors of human bladder carcinoma cells via regulating the PI3K/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways

Background: Chromosome 19 open reading frame 10 (C19orf10) is a myocardial repair mediator overexpressed in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its function and clinical value in bladder cancer (BC) have not been reported. This study aimed to investigate the role of C19orf10 in BC progression and explore underlying mechanisms.

Methods: C19orf10 expression in BC tissues and human BC cell lines was assessed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis. The correlation between the C19orf10 protein levels determined by immunohistochemical staining and the clinicopathological characteristics of 192 BC patients was evaluated. BC cell lines SW780, J82 and UMUC-3 were transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting C19orf10 or plasmids overexpressing C19orf10. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion were measured by Cell Counting Kit-8, Colony formation, EdU incorporation and Transwell assays. The effect of small hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated stable C19orf10 knockdown on tumor formation was assessed in a xenograft mouse model. The expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, PI3K/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways-related molecules were determined by western blot assay.

Results: C19orf10 was significantly upregulated in the BC tissues and a panel of human BC cell lines. High expression of C19orf10 was positively associated with malignant behaviors in BC. C19orf10 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in SW780 and J82 cells, while C19orf10 overexpression in UMUC-3 cells resulted in opposite effects. In addition, C19orf10 silence in SW780 cells suppressed tumor growth in xenograft mice. Moreover, C19orf10 promotes the malignant behaviors and EMT of human bladder carcinoma cells via regulating the PI3K/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways.

Conclusion: C19orf10 is overexpressed in BC and functions as an oncogenic driver that promotes cell proliferation and metastasis, and induces EMT of BC cells via mechanisms involving activation of the PI3K/AKT and Wnt/β-catenin pathways. This study provides valuable insight on targeting C19orf10 for BC treatment.

TRIB3 Promotes the Malignant Progression of Bladder Cancer: An Integrated Analysis of Bioinformatics and in vitro Experiments

Background

Bladder cancer is a common malignant tumor characterized by high mortality and high management costs; however, it lacks useful molecular prognostic markers. Tribbles pseudokinase 3 (TRIB3) is a pseudokinase that participates in cell tumor progression and metabolism and whose function in bladder cancer is not precisely known.

Main Methods

We downloaded transcriptome data and clinical data of bladder cancer from associated databases and extracted the expression matrix of TRIB3 for multiple bioinformatics analysis. RT-PCR detected the expression of TRIB3 in bladder cancer cells. After knockdown of TRIB3 with siRNA, we investigated TRIB3 function using CCK8, Cell Cycle and Transwell assays.

Key Findings

Kaplan–Meier analysis of TRIB3 in the four cohorts showed that high expression of TRIB3 correlated with poor outcome. Expression of TRIB3 positively correlated with stage and grade and down-regulation of TRIB3 expression significantly inhibited proliferation, migration and cell cycle of bladder cancer cells.

Significance

TRIB3 is a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic target. It can be used to individualize the treatment of bladder cancer.

Comprehensive analysis of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network for bladder cancer

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are essential regulators for various human cancers. However, these lncRNAs need to be further classified for cancer. In the present study, we identified novel competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network for bladder cancer (BC) and explored the gene functions of the ceRNA regulatory network.

Methods

Differential gene expression analysis were performed on The Cancer Genome Atlas Urothelial Bladder Carcinoma (TCGA-BLCA) datasets to identify differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs), lncRNAs, and microRNAs (miRNAs). Based on the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis, a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed using the StarBase database and visualization by Cytoscape software. Functional enrichment analyses of Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway were performed via R package ClusterProfiler. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING database and visualization by Cytoscape. Finally, we used CIBERSORT and the TIMER database to analyze the immune infiltrations for BC.

Results

The regulatory network was constructed via TCGA BLCA cohort. The differential expressions of lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA were 186, 200, and 2,661, respectively. There were 106 lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA included in the ceRNA network. In this network, Calcium Voltage-gated Channel Auxiliary Subunit Alpha2delta1 (CACNA2D1, P<0.001), domain containing engulfment adaptor1 (GULP1, P=0.001), latent transforming growth factor beta binding protein 1 (LTBP1, P=0.006), myosin light chain kinase (MYLK, P=0.001), serpin family E member 2 (SERPINE2, P=0.002), spectrin beta non-erythrocytic 2 (SPTBN2, P=0.047), and hsa-miR-590-3p (P<0.001) significantly affected the prognosis of BC patients. Functional enrichment analyses showed that the biological functions included negative regulation of protein phosphorylation, cell morphogenesis, and sensory organ morphogenesis. Important cancer pathways of KEGG included parathyroid hormone synthesis secretion action, the notch signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, the Rap1 signaling pathway, signaling pathways regulating the pluripotency of stem cells, and the transforming growth factor-β signaling pathway. Our findings demonstrated that the ceRNA network has important biological functions and a significant influence on the prognosis of BC.

Conclusions

The lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network constructed in the present study could provide useful insight into the underlying tumorigenesis of BC, and can determine new molecular biomarkers for the diagnosis and therapeutical treatment of BC.

circ_100984-miR-432-3p axis regulated c-Jun/YBX-1/β-catenin feedback loop promotes bladder cancer progression

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers globally. Recently, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been revealed to participate in BC progression with diverse mechanisms. However, mechanisms of circ_100984 in BC have not been determined. Here, we found that circ_100984 and YBX‐1 were high presented, while miR‐432‐3p was low presented in BC. Silencing of circ_100984 and YBX‐1 repressed BC tumor growth, migration, and invasion in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we revealed that circ_100984 served as a competing endogenous RNA that sponged miR‐432‐3p to indirectly regulate YBX‐1 and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT)‐related molecules. Moreover, we confirmed that YBX‐1 or c‐Jun acted as a transcription regulatory factor for β‐catenin or YBX‐1, respectively, in BC cells. Knockdown of YBX‐1 inhibited the expression of β‐catenin and c‐Jun, whereas downregulated c‐Jun inversely repressed the expression of YBX‐1 and β‐catenin. Our results suggested that circ_100984‐miR‐432‐3p axis regulated c‐Jun/YBX‐1/β‐catenin feedback loop promotes BC progression, providing a potential therapeutic axis for BC progression.

Identification of a potentially functional circRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network in bladder cancer by analysis of microarray data

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have received increasing attention in cancer development. However, a substantial number of circRNAs still require characterization. The purpose of this study is to uncover novel circRNAs and their molecular mechanism in bladder cancer (BCa).

Methods

A combinative strategy of extensive data mining and computational biology was employed to identify BCa-related circRNAs and explore their potential mechanisms of action.

Results

Three differentially expressed circRNAs (has_circ_0023642, has_circ_0047322, has_circ_0041151) were obtained from the microarray dataset (GSE92675). Four miRNAs (miR-616, miR-515-5p, miR-647, miR-1178) with potential binding sites with these three circRNAs were identified. Pathway analysis demonstrated that all four miRNAs were closely associated with some cancer-related pathways. Survival analysis indicated that these miRNAs might potentially play a role in tumor-suppressive functions in BCa. Subsequently, 181 overlapping genes were identified from 472 up-regulated genes in BCa (TCGA database), and 10,017 predicted target genes of the four miRNAs obtained. A circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network was constructed on the identified three circRNAs, four miRNAs, and 181 overlapping genes. Besides, six hub genes (CENPA, HIST1H2BJ, HIST1H2BO, HIST1H3H, HIST1H3B, HIST1H3F) were identified from establishing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network on the same overlapping genes. Furthermore, a circRNA-miRNA-hub gene sub-network was built to delineate the links among the differential circRNAs, miRNA, and hub genes.

Conclusions

Our study provided significant insights into the molecular mechanisms that regulate the progression of BCa from the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network view.

Synthetic Artificial Long Non-coding RNA Shows Higher Efficiency in Specific Malignant Phenotype Inhibition Compared to the CRISPR/Cas Systems

Objective: Both oncogenic transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important regulator in human cancer by transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation, respectively. These phenomena raise questions about the ability of artificial device to regulate miRNAs and TFs simultaneously. In this study, we aimed to construct an artificial long non-coding RNA, “alncRNA,” which imitated CRISPR/Cas systems and to illuminate its therapeutic effects in bladder cancer cell lines. At the same time, we also compared the efficiency of alncRNA and CRISPR/Cas systems in regulating gene expression.

Study Design and Methods: Based on engineering principles of synthetic biology, we combined tandem arrayed cDNA sequences of aptamer for TFs with tandem arrayed cDNA copies of binding sites for the miRNAs to construct alncRNA. In order to prove the utility of this platform, we chose β -catenin, NF-κB, miR-940, and miR-495 as the functional targets and used the bladder cancer cell lines 5637 and T24 as the test models. Real-time Quantitative PCR (qPCR), dual-luciferase assay and relative phenotypic experiments were applied to severally test the expression of relative gene and therapeutic effects of our devices.

Result: Dual-luciferase assay indicated alncRNA could inhibit transcriptional activity of TFs. What’s more, the result of qPCR showed that expression levels of the relative TFs target genes and miRNAs were reduced by corresponding alncRNA and the inhibitory effect was better than CRIPSR dCas9-KRAB. By functional experiments, decreased cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and motility inhibition were observed in alncRNA-infected bladder cells.

Conclusion: In summary, our synthetic devices indeed function as anti-tumor regulator, which synchronously accomplish transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation in bladder cancer cell and show higher efficiency in specific malignant phenotype inhibition compared to the CRISPR/Cas systems. Most importantly, Anti-cancer effects were induced by the synthetic alncRNA in the bladder cancer lines. Our devices, therefore, provides a novel strategy for cancer therapy and could be a useful “weapon” for cancer cell.

CRISPR-Cas13a Targeting the Enhancer RNA-SMAD7e Inhibits Bladder Cancer Development Both in vitro and in vivo

Enhancers are cis-acting elements that can promote the expression of target genes and respond to estrogen to induce the transcription of eRNAs, which are closely associated with cancer development. Further study on eRNAs may lead to a better understanding of the significance of transcriptional regulation and the progression of malignant tumors. SMAD7 enhancer RNA (SMAD7e) is an estrogen-responsive eRNA. However, the relationship between SMAD7e and bladder cancer remains unclear. SMAD7e was significantly upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and estrogen-stimulated cells. Knockdown of SMAD7e by CRISPR-Cas13a suppressed cell proliferation and migration, and induced cell apoptosis and inhibited cell invasion. Estrogen caused overexpression of SMAD7e and played a facilitating role in bladder cancer cells. Furthermore, knockdown of SMAD7e by CRISPR-Cas13a prevented the cancer-promoting effects of estrogen on bladder cancer both in vitro and in vivo. The present study suggested the crucial role of SMAD7e in bladder cancer. Estrogen might promote the development of bladder cancer by inducing SMAD7e production. These findings may provide a potential target for CRISPR-mediated gene therapy for bladder cancer in the future.

Novel circRNA_0071196/miRNA‑19b‑3p/CIT axis is associated with proliferation and migration of bladder cancer

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that are connected at the 3′ and 5′ ends by an exon or intron. Studies increasingly show that circRNAs play an important role in tumorigenesis by acting as a 'sponge' for microRNAs (miRNAs), which abrogates the latter's effect on their target mRNAs. To identify a possible circRNA/miRNA/mRNA network in bladder cancer (BCa), we analyzed the circRNA and mRNA expression profiles of BCa and adjacent normal bladder tissues. A total of 127 circRNAs and 1,612 mRNAs were differentially expressed in the tumor tissues, and were primarily associated with cancer-related pathways. A competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) network was then constructed which predicted a regulatory axis of circRNA_0071196, miRNA-19b-3p and its target gene citron Rho-interacting serine/threonine kinase (CIT). Luciferase reporter assay validated the relationship between circRNA_0071196 and miRNA-19b-3p and of the latter with CIT. Furthermore, CIT was overexpressed in the BCa tissues, and was found to be correlated with metastasis and tumor histological grade. Knockdown of CIT in the human bladder cancer cell line 5367 significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration and colony formation capacity of the cells, and also upregulated the mediators of the p53 and RhoA-ROCK signaling cascades that regulate cell cycle and migration. Taken together, our findings indicate that circRNA-0071196 upregulates CIT levels in BCa by sponging off miRNA-19b-3p, and the circRNA_0071196/miRNA-19b-3p/CIT axis is a potential therapeutic target in BCa.

Gambogenic acid suppresses bladder cancer cells growth and metastasis by regulating NF-κB signaling

BACKGROUND

Gambogenic acid (GNA) is one of the main active components of Gamboge, and its anticancer role has been reported in some cancers. The study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of GNA on the proliferation and metastasis of bladder cancer (BC) cells and its potential regulatory mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BC cell lines (BIU-87 cells, T24 cells, and J82 cells) were treated with different doses of GNA for different time, and then the effects of GNA on BC cell were examined in vitro using CCK-8 assay, apoptosis assays, and Transwell tests. NF-κB signaling activity was detected by the NF-κB p65 luciferase reporter assay. Western blot was used to detect the expressions of cIAP2, XIAP, Survivin, and p65.

RESULTS

GNA inhibited the viability of BC cells in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner and facilitated apoptosis of BC cells. Moreover, GNA could remarkably impede the migration and invasion abilities of BC cells. In terms of mechanism, GNA administration reduced the activity of NF-κB signaling and down-regulated the expressions of p65, survivin, XIAP, and cIAP2.

CONCLUSION

GNA blocks the growth and metastasis of BC cells via inhibiting the NF-κB signal transduction pathway.

Efficacy and Safety of Chemotherapy Regimens in Advanced or Metastatic Bladder and Urothelial Carcinomas: An Updated Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GC) and methotrexate, vinblastine, adriamycin, and cisplatin (MVAC) have been the first-line treatments for advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma (AMUC). However, their effects are unsatisfactory, and more drugs and regimens still need to be explored.

Objective: We aimed to comprehensively compare all possible regimens with GC or MVAC in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) by network meta-analysis.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for RCTs that evaluated regimens compared to GC or MVAC on AMUC patients. The major outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and objective response rate (ORR). A network meta-analysis was used to assess the effectiveness and safety of the included treatment regimens, and the regimens were then clustered by the average linkage method.

Results: A total of 19 trials that assessed 3,363 AMUC patients were included. For PFS, paclitaxel plus GC (PGC) was significantly superior to GC (log hazard ratio (HR): −0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.32, 0.00) with a moderate level of reliability. However, there was no significant difference between PGC and MVAC (log HR: −0.03; 95% CI: −0.27, 0.20). For OS, PGC was significantly superior to GC (log HR:−0.17; 95% CI: −0.33, −0.00) with a moderate reliability level but not significantly different from MVAC (log HR: −0.10; 95% CI: −0.35, 0.15). Analysis of ORR showed that PGC was superior to MVAC (log odds ratio (OR): 0.59; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.16) with a low reliability level and GC (log OR: 0.41; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.71) with a moderate reliability level. In the cluster results, PGC and sorafenib plus GC (GCS) exhibited relative advantages in efficiency, followed by MVAC and apatorsen plus GC (GCA); however, PGC, gemcitabine plus carboplatin (GP), and MVAC had more serious side effects.

Conclusions: In our analysis, PGC was superior to MVAC and GC in only the ORR results and superior to GC in the OS and PFS results but was not significantly different from MVAC. More individualized therapies with targeted drugs need to be studied.

Biological and Clinical Significance of GATA3 Detected from TCGA Database and FFPE Sample in Bladder Cancer Patients

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the biological and clinical significance of GATA binding protein 3 (GATA3) in bladder cancer patients.

Patients and Methods

For the detection of the correlation between GATA3 expression and bladder cancer, we downloaded the mRNA expression data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and conducted immunohistochemistry staining on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample tissues. Then, bladder cancer cell lines were utilized to investigate the potential functions of GATA3 by cell apoptosis, proliferation and cycle assays.

Results

The mRNA data from TCGA database and bladder cancer cell lines suggested that GATA3 mRNA expression was significantly higher compared with normal tissues and cells. Conversely, the Western blot assay revealed that the expression of GATA3 was significantly lower in bladder cancer than normal urothelial cell line. Additionally, we found that over-expression of GATA3 was significantly associated with tumor subtype (P = 0.001 in TCGA; P = 0.004 in FFPE tissues), earlier clinical stage (P < 0.001 in TCGA; P < 0.001 in FFPE) and lower grade tumor (P = 0.057 in TCGA; P = 0.002 in FFPE). Kaplan-Meier analysis and multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that age (P < 0.001 in both cohort), clinical stage (P = 0.028 in TCGA; P = 0.011 in FFPE), recurrence (P < 0.001) and low GATA3 in TCGA cohort (P = 0.035) but high GATA3 in FFPE cohort (P = 0.033) were independent risk factors for overall survival in patients. The assay to detect potential functions of GATA3 indicated that this biomarker could arrest the cell cycle of G2/M and S phase in T24 cells, and inhibit bladder cancer cells proliferation.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings identified that GATA3 served as an important prognosis biomarker for bladder cancer patients. However, the mechanism of GATA3 in bladder cancer deserves further studies.

Identification of a potentially functional circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network for investigating pathogenesis and providing possible biomarkers of bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have received considerable attention in human cancer research. However, many circRNAs remain to be detected. In our study, we determined novel circRNAs and investigated their effects on bladder cancer (BCa).

METHODS

Microarray dataset GSE92675 was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Then, we combined computational biology with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) to select related circRNAs in BCa. The selected circRNA-microRNA (miRNA)-messenger RNA (mRNA) regulatory subnetwork was determined by Gene Oncology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses.

RESULTS

The regulatory network constructed from the microarray dataset (GSE92675) contained 49 differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs). GO and KEGG analyses showed that the MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways were statistically significant. On the basis of qRT-PCR and the degree value calculated by the cytoHubba plugin of Cytoscape, hsa_circ_0011385 was finally confirmed. The subnetwork around hsa_circ_0011385 was constructed. In addition, we created a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network composed of 67 nodes and 274 edges after removing independent nodes. GO and KEGG analyses showed that hubgenes were involved in cell cycle activities. Moreover, they could be regulated by miRNAs and play an eventful role in BCa pathogenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

We proposed a novel circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network related to BCa pathogenesis. This network might be a new molecular biomarker and could be used to develop potential treatment strategies for BCa.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 promotes bladder progression through regulating miR-410 mediated HMGB1

LncRNA NEAT1 is reported as a crucial oncogene in multiple cancers. But, its biological role in bladder cancer is barely understood. Therefore, we concentrated on the function and role of NEAT1 in bladder cancer. Firstly, NEAT1 expression in bladder cancer cells was determined and it was displayed NEAT1 was significant elevated. NEAT1 was knockdown and overexpressed in T24 and J82 cells. Then it was indicated that NEAT1 silence greatly inhibited bladder cancer cell proliferation with an increased ratio of apoptotic cells and severe cell cycle arrest. Overexpression of NEAT1 exhibited a reversed process in bladder cancer cells. Additionally, in vivo experiments were employed using establishment of nude mice models. NEAT1 knockdown inhibited bladder cancer growth while increase of NEAT1 promoted bladder cancer development in vivo. By employing the bioinformatics analysis, we speculated that miR-410 was as a downstream target of NEAT1. Then, the targeting association between them was proved in our research and we implicated miR-410 was dramatically restrained in bladder cancer cells. Meanwhile, it was exhibited that miR-410 was negatively regulated by NEAT1. Apart from these, HMGB1 was speculated as a downstream target of miR-410. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to prove the correlation between miR-410 and HMGB1. Up-regulation of miR-410 restrained HMGB1 levels and NEAT1 can regulate HMGB1 level via sponging miR-410. To sum up, we implied NEAT1/miR-410/HMGB1 axis participated in bladder cancer.

Functional genetic variant of WW domain containing oxidoreductase gene associated with urothelial cell carcinoma clinicopathologic characteristics and long-term survival

OBJECTIVES

In Taiwan, urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) is a common malignancy of urinary tract that is associated with genetic and environmental carcinogens. WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) has been identified as a tumor suppressor gene that associated with several cancers development and progression. The study aimed to explore the impact of WWOX gene polymorphisms on the clinicopathological status and prognosis of patients with UCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 1,293 participants, including 431 patients with UCC and 862 healthy controls, were recruited for this study. Five polymorphisms of the WWOX gene were examined by a real-time PCR assay.

RESULTS

We found that individuals carrying TT polymorphism at rs11545028 and at least 1 G allele at rs3764340 associated with more susceptible to UCC. At least 1 A allele at rs12918952 associated with more advance disease and high grade tumor. Patients with T allele at rs11545028 associated with worse relapse free survival in all patients and worse disease specific survival (DSS) in male. Patients with A allele at rs12918952 associated with worse DSS in all patients and worse relapse free survival, DSS and overall survival in male.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first reported correlation between WWOX polymorphisms and UCC risk and clinicopathologic feature. Genetic variants of WWOX contribute to the pathologic staging, grading, and prognosis. The findings regarding these biomarkers provided a potential prediction of UCC progression.

Downregulated Long Noncoding RNA PART1 Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis in Bladder Cancer

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we aimed to clarify the effects of long noncoding ribonucleic acid prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 on bladder cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis.

METHODS

Microarrays were implemented to investigate the long noncoding ribonucleic acid expression profiles in bladder cancer tissue (N = 9) and in noncancer bladder tissue (N = 5). Relative prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 expression levels in tissue samples or cell lines were detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 expression was enhanced by the transfection of pcDNA3.1-prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 and downregulated by the infection with pcMV-sh prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1. Additionally, cell proliferation and apoptosis were measured by the cell counting kit-8 assay and flow cytometry, respectively. Cell invasion was determined by a Transwell assay.

RESULTS

Prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 expression was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues compared to adjacent nontumor tissues. Furthermore, prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 levels were successfully upregulated by pcDNA3.1-prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 and depleted by pCMV-sh prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 in bladder cancer cell lines (5637, T24). Enhanced prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 expression promoted cell proliferation and invasion and inhibited cell apoptosis. However, knockdown of prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 expression inhibited cell proliferation and invasion and induced cell apoptosis.

CONCLUSION

In summary, these data suggest that the knockdown of prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 represents a tumor suppressor player in bladder cancer and contributes to the inhibition of tumor proliferation, the promotion of cell apoptosis, and the suppression of cell invasion. Prostrate androgen-regulated transcript-1 may function as a new prognostic biomarker and as a feasible therapeutic target for patients with bladder cancer.

Scutellarin inhibits hypoxia-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer cells

Scutellarin, an active component of flavonoid, displays a variety of physiological actions and has been applied for the treatment of diverse diseases including hypertension and cerebral infarction as well as cerebral thrombosis. In recent time, Scutellarin has been demonstrated to possess the anticancer activity. But the biological significance of Scutellarin in bladder cancer (BC) remains to be elucidated. In the current study, we explored the specific effect of Scutellarin on BC progression. We found that Scutellarin inhibited hypoxia-induced BC cell migration and invasion in vitro as well as suppressed hypoxia-induced BC metastasis in vivo. Moreover, Scutellarin significantly reversed hypoxia-promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in BC cells and the PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways were implicated in the suppressive effect. Taken together, we suggested the potential value of Scutellarin as a novel anticancer agent for BC treatment.

EZH2 inhibition suppresses bladder cancer cell growth and metastasis via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway

The aim of the current study was to investigate the role of enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2) in the progression of bladder cancer. Human bladder cancer tissue samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry, and the association between the clinicopathological parameters and EZH2 expression was analyzed. The proliferation, apoptosis and migration ability of the human bladder cancer cell lines E-J and 5637 with or without the EZH2 inhibitor UNC1999 was investigated. The effect of UNC1999 was further explored in a xenograft model of nude mice. The in vivo and in vitro expression levels of EZH2, janus kinase 2, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and their phosphorylated forms were examined by western blotting. The expression levels of EZH2, JAK2 and STAT3 were increased in bladder cancer tissue compared with normal adjacent tissue. Furthermore, the expression of EZH2 was increased in tumors with a higher TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors stage and histological grade compared with tumors with a lower stage and grade. The human bladder cancer cell lines E-J and 5637 treated with UNC1999 demonstrated reduced cell proliferation, apoptosis and migration compared with cells treated without UNC1999. Additionally, EZH2 may promote the proliferation and migration of bladder cancer via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway. EZH2 may serve an important role in the proliferation and migration of human bladder cancer cells, and may aid in the development of novel treatment strategies for bladder cancer.

Characterization of mRNA Expression and Endogenous RNA Profiles in Bladder Cancer Based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Database

Background

Bladder cancer is a multifactorial disease with increasing incidence and mortality. Genetic alterations and altered expressions of mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and miRNAs have been shown to play important roles in the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer. However, the functions of key RNAs and their regulatory network in bladder cancer are still to be elucidated.

Material/Methods

RNA profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in bladder cancer were acquired through analyses of data from 414 bladder cancer tissues and 19 normal bladder tissues. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis was performed by using “DAVID6.8” and the R package “ClusterProfile”. Protein–protein interaction and competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks were constructed by using “STRING” database and Cytoscape 3.6.2. Based on the clinical data and Cox regression, a prognosis model was established, and survival analysis was performed.

Results

A total of 1819 mRNAs, 659 lncRNAs, and 160 miRNAs were identified as significantly differentially expressed in bladder cancer of which 52 mRNAs, 58 lncRNAs, and 22 miRNAs were incorporated in the ceRNA network. CFL2 and TPM2 were found to be downregulated and showed significant correlation to each other in bladder cancer. HOXB5 and 6 lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS1, AC112721.1, LINC00460, AC110491.1, LINC00163, and HCG22) were strongly associated with high-grade, disease stages, and overall survival.

Conclusions

In this study, we have identified differentially expressed mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs in bladder cancer which were strongly associated with oncogenesis and prognosis. Further experimental studies are necessary to validate these results.

The landscape of chimeric RNAs in bladder urothelial carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Gene fusions and products have been identified as oncogenic drivers in many cancers, making them attractive diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. However, the landscape of fusion transcripts in bladder cancer has not been fully characterized.

METHODS

To identify fusion transcripts with potential therapeutic or diagnostic values, TCGA bladder urothelial carcinoma RNA-sequencing dataset was used. In order to avoid false positives, we applied multiple criteria including filtering out fusions detected in normal samples from GTEx dataset. We validated a subset of candidate fusions with a collection of bladder cancer and adjacent normal samples.

RESULT

We identified 19,547 high confidence fusion genes from 414 bladder cancer samples. After filtering off M/M fusions, fusions in GTEx normal samples, and occurrence frequency <5, we obtained a list of 271 gene fusions, 13 of which were novel and specific to cancer samples. Six of those fusions were validated using cell lines and clinical samples. We discovered that two chimeric RNAs, BCL2L2-PABPN1 and CHFR-GOLGA3, were detected to be expressed significantly higher in bladder cancer samples compared to adjacent normal samples. Impressively, the wild-type of the parental genes were not differentially expressed. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that these two fusions are generated by cis-splicing between adjacent genes. These two fusions were detected mainly in the fraction of cell nucleus, suggesting a potential long noncoding RNA role.

CONCLUSION

Our findings provide a panoramic view of the landscape of chimeric RNAs in bladder cancer. Some frequent chimeric RNAs are generated by intergenic splicing, and represent a new repertoire for potential biomarkers.

Zinc finger antisense 1: A long noncoding RNA with complex roles in human cancers

Zinc finger antisense 1 (ZFAS1), a newly identified long non-coding RNA, is a transcript antisense to the 5' end of the protein-coding gene zinc finger NFX1-type containing 1 which hosts three C/D-box small nucleolar RNAs (SNORDs) within sequential introns: Snord12, Snord12b, and Snord12c. ZFAS1 is dysregulated and acts as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in different human malignancies. ZFAS1 has been implicated in many aspects of carcinogenesis, including proliferation, invasion, metastasis, apoptosis, cell cycle, and drug resistance. The mechanisms underlying the effects of ZFAS1 are complex and involve multiple signaling pathways. In this review, the multiple pathological functions of ZFAS1 in diverse malignancies are systematically reviewed to elucidate the molecular basis of its biological roles and to provide new directions for future research.

Knockdown of lncRNA SNHG7 inhibited cell proliferation and migration in bladder cancer through activating Wnt/β-catenin pathway

It is identified that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in tumorigenesis. LncRNA SNHG7 has been found to be an oncogene in varieties of tumors including bladder cancer. However, its potential regulatory mechanism in bladder cancer still remains unknown. In this study, we discovered that the expression levels of SNHG7 were significantly increased in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines. Patients with high expression level of SNHG7 suffered from poor prognosis. Additionally, knockdown of SNHG7 induced declined cell viability, proliferation as well as G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. Furthermore, we found that cell migratory ability was markedly reduced after silencing SNHG7. Next, we verified that knockdown of SNHG7 reduced the protein level of β-catenin and thus decreased the level of its downstream targets including c-myc, cyclin D1 and E-cadherin, implying that SNHG7 might impact bladder cancer via Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Subsequently, the rescue assays performed in SNHG7 silenced T24 cells by using activator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling elucidated that re-activation of this pathway partly restored the inhibitory effects of SNHG7 suppression on biological behaviors of T24 cells. Collectively, SNHG7 elicited carcinogenic functions in bladder cancer partially via activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, suggesting a potential target for the treatment and prognosis of bladder cancer.

Circ-BPTF promotes bladder cancer progression and recurrence through the miR-31-5p/RAB27A axis

Circ-BPTF (hsa_circ_0000799) is a novel circular RNA derived from BPTF exons. Although BPTF is a well-studied predecessor gene, the characteristics and functions of circ-BPTF have not yet been reported. Here, we show that expression of circ-BPTF is increased in bladder cancer (BCa) tissues and cell lines compared with noncancerous tissues and cell lines. Consistently, BCa patients with higher expression levels of circ-BPTF were found to have higher tumor grades and poorer prognosis. Functionally, knockdown of circ-BPTF inhibited tumor progression in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, a target microRNA of circ-BPTF was confirmed to be miR-31-5p, and miR-31-5p mimics partially reversed the effect of circ-BPTF. Furthermore, RAB27A was predicted and shown to be a target of miR-31-5p, and circ-BPTF attenuated the anti-oncogenic effect of miR-31-5p and consequently enhanced RAB27A expression. In summary, our findings reveal that circ-BPTF promotes BCa progression through the miR-31-5p/RAB27A axis, suggesting that circ-BPTF may be a potential target for BCa treatment.

Downregulation of circular RNA hsa_circ_0000144 inhibits bladder cancer progression via stimulating miR-217 and suppressing RUNX2 expression

Although increasing aberrantly expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been identified among many human cancer tissues, their roles in tumor progression still remain largely unknown. In bladder cancer, the function of hsa_circ_0000144 has not been reported. In our study, we found hsa_circ_0000144 as a novel oncogene in bladder cancer by bioinformatics analysis. We found that hsa_circ_0000144 expression was significantly upregulated in bladder cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissues, and its high expression was related with poor prognosis. Additionally, knockdown of hsa_circ_0000144 remarkably suppressed the proliferation and invasion of bladder cancer cells in vitro. Hsa_circ_0000144 silence also led to reduced tumor volumes in vivo. In mechanism, we found that hsa_circ_0000144 was a sponge of miR-217 while miR-217 targeted RUNX2. Our results indicated that the expression of miR-217 was inversely correlated with that of both hsa_circ_0000144 and RUNX2 in bladder cancer tissues. Rescue assays showed that either inhibition of miR-217 or restoration of RUNX2 reversed the suppressive effects of hsa_circ_0000144 knockdown on bladder cancer cell proliferation and invasion. Taken together, these findings demonstrated that hsa_circ_0000144 exerts oncogenic roles in bladder cancer via repressing miR-217 to facilitate RUNX2 expression.

Enhancer RNA - P2RY2e induced by estrogen promotes malignant behaviors of bladder cancer

Enhancers are transcriptional regulatory elements that increase target gene expression. It has reported that enhancers could universally transcribe into enhancer RNAs (eRNAs) with stimulation. Increasing evidence showed eRNAs participated in various disease processes including malignant tumors. P2RY2 enhancer RNA (P2RY2e) is an estrogen-responsive eRNA and involved in the development of breast cancer. However, the relationship between P2RY2e and bladder cancer (BCa) is unclear. In the study, we discovered that P2RY2e was upregulated in BCa tissues and estrogen-treated cells. Estrogen promoted the malignant abilities of BCa cells. P2RY2e knockdown by CRISPR-Cas13a inhibit the cell multiplication, invasion and migration. Additionally, the cell apoptosis was facilitated. What's more, downregulation of P2RY2e could weaken the cancer-promoting effects of estrogen on BCa. Our study revealed that P2RY2e played a carcinogenic role in BCa and estrogen might promote the initiation of BCa by inducing P2RY2e. We provide a potential therapeutic target for BCa and a new perspective for the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer.

A tetracycline-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system, targeting two long non-coding RNAs, suppresses the malignant behavior of bladder cancer cells

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology has been applied in varied biological studies, including cancer studies. However, stable mRNA expression of Cas9 has potential risks in future gene therapy. Therefore, in the present study, a tetracycline-inducible switch was used to control the mRNA expression of Cas9. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) may be important functional regulators in tumor development, including in bladder cancer. RNA was designed to simultaneously target two lncRNAs, PVT1 and ANRIL, which are considered to be bladder cancer oncogenes. The mRNA expression of Cas9 was controlled by doxycycline. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that the expression of PVT1 and ANRIL was significantly inhibited by the tetracycline-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system. Functional assays demonstrated that this system could inhibit proliferation, induce apoptosis and suppress cell migration. Therefore, the tetracycline-inducible CRISPR/Cas9 system was demonstrated to repress the malignant behavior of bladder cancer cells by controlling the expression of Cas9 and simultaneously targeting two oncogenic lncRNAs.

Decreased expression of SRY-box containing gene 30 is related to malignant phenotypes of human bladder cancer and correlates with poor prognosis

Background

In human pulmonary malignancies, the SRY-box containing gene 30 (SOX30) is a known cancer-suppressing gene. Nevertheless, its molecular role and clinical effects remains unknown in bladder cancer.

Methods

SOX30 mRNA expression was quantified in bladder cancer tissue, paired adjacent normal tissue, and cell lines with qRT-PCR. SOX30 protein expression in BC tissue and cell lines was evaluated via western blotting and immunohistochemistry. In addition, the clinical and prognostic significance of SOX30 in BC were assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Furthermore, we measured cell migration and invasion, cell proliferation and cell apoptosis by means of a Transwell assay, cell counting kit-8 along with flow cytometry, respectively.

Results

Expression levels of SOX30 were markedly lower in BC cells and tumor tissues than in adjacent noncancerous tissues. Moreover, clinicopathological analyses showed that low SOX30 expression was positively related to an advanced tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) stage. Furthermore, low SOX30 expression conferred reduced survival rates (P < 0.05). Functional analyses revealed that SOX30 overexpression attenuated cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, while promoting apoptosis in BC cells.

Conclusions

SOX30 displays tumor suppressive behavior, warranting future investigations into its therapeutic potential in the treatment of BC.

Synthetic artificial "long non-coding RNAs" targeting oncogenic microRNAs and transcriptional factors inhibit malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells

Both oncogenic transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in human cancers, acting as transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulators, respectively. These phenomena raise questions about the ability of an artificial device to simultaneously regulate miRNAs and TFs. In this study, we aimed to construct artificial long non-coding RNAs, "alncRNAs", and to investigate their therapeutic effects on bladder cancer cell lines. Based on engineering principles of synthetic biology, we combined tandem arrayed aptamer cDNA sequences for TFs with tandem arrayed cDNA copies of binding sites for the miRNAs to construct alncRNAs. In order to prove the utility of this platform, we chose β-catenin and the miR-183-182-96 cluster as the functional targets and used the bladder cancer cell lines 5637 and SW780 as the test models. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and related phenotypic experiments were used to test the expression of related genes and the therapeutic effects of our devices. The result of dual-luciferase reporter assay and qRT-PCR showed that alncRNAs could inhibit transcriptional activity of TFs and expression of corresponding microRNAs. Using functional experiments, we observed decreased cell proliferation, increased apoptosis, and motility inhibition in alncRNA-infected bladder cancer cells. What's more, follow-up mechanism experiments further confirmed the anti-tumor effect of our devices. In summary, our synthetic devices indeed function as anti-tumor regulators, which synchronously accomplish transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation in bladder cancer cells. Most importantly, anti-cancer effects were induced by the synthetic alncRNAs in the bladder cancer lines. Our devices, all in all, provided a novel strategy and methodology for cancer studies, and might show a great potential for cancer therapy if the challenges of in vivo DNA delivery are overcome.

Increased expression of ZEB1-AS1 correlates with higher histopathological grade and promotes tumorigenesis in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common urinary cancers worldwide. Emerging studies indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play crucial roles in cancer biology. In this study, we found that a novel lncRNA Zinc finger E-box-binding homeebox1 (ZEB1) antisense RNA (ZEB1-AS1) was overexpressed in bladder cancer tissues compared to paired noncancerous tissues. Moreover, the expression of ZEB1-AS1 was positive correlated with higher histological grade and TNM stage in bladder cancer. Furthermore, Loss-of-function experiments showed that down-regulation of ZEB1-AS1 not only can suppress cell growth but also can inhibit migration and induce apoptosis in bladder cancer cell lines 5637 and SW780. In conclusion, these findings indicated that ZEB1-AS1 plays regulatory roles in bladder cancer and it may become a novel molecular biomarker of prognosis and therapy in bladder cancer.

A potential prognostic lncRNA signature for predicting survival in patients with bladder urothelial carcinoma

Increasing evidence has highlighted the critical roles of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in cancer development and progression. However, the prognostic power of expression-based lncRNA signature for predicting overall survival in patients with Bladder Urothelial Carcinoma (BLCA) has not been investigated. Here, we performed a comprehensive analysis for lncRNA expression profiles and corresponding clinical information of 234 BLCA patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We established a set of four-lncRNAs that were significantly associated with BLCA patients’ survival. Using the prognostic four-lncRNA signature, we successfully classified the BLCA patients into high-risk and low-risk groups, and the prognostic power of the four-lncRNA signature was further validated in the testing dataset and entire dataset. Multivariate Cox regression and stratified analyses demonstrated that the prognostic power of the four-lncRNA signature was independent of other clinical variables. Functional enrichment analyses suggested the four prognostic lncRNAs may be involved in known BLCA-related biological processes and pathways. Our results demonstrated that the four-lncRNA signature could be novel independent biomarkers for predicting survival in patients with BLCA.

Circular RNA circ-ITCH inhibits bladder cancer progression by sponging miR-17/miR-224 and regulating p21, PTEN expression

BACKGROUND

Circ-ITCH is a circRNA generated from several exons of itchy E3 ubiquitin protein ligase (ITCH) and tumor suppressor served as a sponge for certain miRNAs targeting their parental transcripts of ITCH. However, the role of circ-ITCH in bladder cancer (BCa) was not reported. In the present study, we investigated the role of circ-ITCH in BCa.

METHODS

Quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of circ-ITCH and survival analysis was adopted to explore the association between circ-ITCH expression and the prognosis of BCa. BCa cells were stably transfected with lentivirus approach and cell proliferation, migration, invasion, cell cycle and cell apoptosis, as well as tumorigenesis in nude mice were performed to assess the effect of circ-ITCH in BCa. Biotin-coupled probe pull down assay, Biotin-coupled miRNA capture, Fluorescence in situ hybridization and Luciferase reporter assay were conducted to confirm the relationship between the circ-ITCH and the microRNA.

RESULTS

In the present study, we found that circ-ITCH, is down-regulated in BCa tissues and cell lines. BCa patients with low circ-ITCH expression had shortened survival. Enforced- expression of circ-ITCH inhibited cells proliferation, migration, invasion and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that circ-ITCH up-regulates the expression of miR-17 and miR-224 target gene p21 and PTEN through 'sponging' miR-17 and miR-224, which suppressed the aggressive biological behaviors of BCa.

CONCLUSIONS

circ-ITCH acts as a tumor suppressor by a novel circ-ITCH/miR-17, miR-224/p21, PTEN axis, which may provide a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for the management of BCa.

High expression of TMEM40 is associated with the malignant behavior and tumorigenesis in bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Bladder cancer (BCa) is one of the most common cancers in the urinary system among the world. Previous studies suggested that TMEM40 expression level was significantly associated with clinicopathological parameters including histological grade, clinical stage and pT status of bladder cancer. However, the molecular mechanism of TMEM40 in BCa remains poorly understood.

METHODS

Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) were used to examine the expression levels of TMEM40 in BCa tissues, paired non-cancer tissues and cell lines. A series of experiments, including CCK-8, wound healing, flow cytometry, transwell and EdU assays were performed to assess the effects of TMEM40 on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis, migration and invasion. In addition, tumor growth was evaluated in vivo using a xenogenous subcutaneously implant model. All statistical analyses were executed by using the SPSS 20.0 software. All experimental data from three independent experiments were analyzed by Student's t test and results were expressed as mean ± standard deviation.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified the role of TMEM40 in the tumorigenesis of bladder cancer and found that it was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines, compared with their normal counterparts. The results demonstrated that effective silence of TMEM40 expression suppressed cell proliferation, blocked G1-to-S cell cycle transition, and inhibited cell migration and invasion in human bladder 5637 and EJ cell lines. Consistently, in vivo data showed that TMEM40 silencing could dramatically decreased tumor growth. Further study revealed that TMEM40 knockdown resulted in accumulation of p53 and p21 protein and decrease of c-MYC and cyclin D1 protein.

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that TMEM40 represents a potential oncogene, which exert a crucial role in the proliferation and apoptosis via the p53 signaling pathway in BCa, thus probably serve as a novel candidate biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for patients with BCa.

Synthetic regulatory RNAs selectively suppress the progression of bladder cancer

The traditional treatment for cancer is lack of specificity and efficacy. Modular synthetic regulatory RNAs, such as inhibitive RNA (iRNA) and active RNA (aRNA), may overcome these limitations. Here, we synthesize a new iRNA to bind the upstream activating sequence (UAS) of a minimal promoter that drives expression of artificial miRNAs (amiRNAs) targeting MYC, which represses the binding interaction between UAS and GAL4 fusion protein (GAL4-VP64) in GAL4/UAS system. The aRNA driven by a tumor-specific mutant human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoter is created to interact with iRNA to expose UAS again in bladder cancer. Without the aRNA, mRNA and protein levels of MYC, cell growth, cell apoptosis and cell migration were no significance in two bladder cancer cell lines, T24 and 5637, and human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) cells. The aRNA significantly inhibited the expression of MYC in mRNA and protein levels, as well as the proliferation and migration of the cancer cells, but not in HFF cells. These results indicated that regulatory RNAs selectively controlled the expression of amiRNAs and ultimately suppress the progression of bladder cancer cells without affecting normal cells. Synthetic regulatory RNAs might be a selective therapeutic approach for bladder cancer.

Long non-coding RNA XIST promotes cell growth and metastasis through regulating miR-139-5p mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is one of the most common urological malignancy all over the world. Recently, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) XIST has been identified as an oncogenic gene in several type of cancers. However, the expression level and functional role of XIST in bladder cancer remain largely unknown. In the present study, we found that XIST was significantly up-regulated in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines, and was correlated with poor prognosis of bladder cancer patients. Furthermore, XIST knockdown significantly inhibited bladder cancer cell growth and metastasis in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. We also demonstrated that XIST acted as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-139-5p and repression of miR-139-5p could restore the inhibitory effects on bladder cancer cells induced by XIST shRNA. In addition, we identified that Wnt1 was a direct target of miR-139-5p, and XIST played the oncogenic role in bladder cancer by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Taken together, our study suggested that lncRNA XIST may serve as a prognostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for bladder cancer.

An enhanced hTERT promoter-driven CRISPR/Cas9 system selectively inhibits the progression of bladder cancer cells

The current therapies for treating tumors are lacking in efficacy and specificity. Synthetic biology principles may bring some new possible methods for curing cancer. Here we present a synthetic logic circuit based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The CRISPR/Cas9 technology has been applied in many biological fields, including cancer research. In this study, the expression of Cas9 nuclease was controlled indirectly by an enhanced hTERT promoter using the GAL4/upstream activating sequence (UAS) binding system. Cas9 was driven by 5XUAS, single guide RNA (sgRNA) was used to target mutant or wild-type HRAS, and the fusion gene GAL4-P65 was driven by the enhanced hTERT promoter. The system was tested in bladder cancer cells (T24 and 5637) and the results showed that the enhanced hTERT promoter could drive the expression of GAL4-P65 in these bladder cancer cell lines. Then all these devices were packed into lentivirus and the results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that the mRNA expression level of HRAS was selectively inhibited in the T24 and 5637 cells. The results of functional experiments suggested that the proliferation, cell migration and invasion were selectively suppressed, and that the apoptosis rate was increased in bladder cancer cells but not in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF). In conclusion, we successfully constructed an enhanced hTERT promoter-driven CRISPR/Cas9 system and data showed that it could selectively suppress the progression of bladder cancer cells.