Upregulation of Long Noncoding RNA_GAS5 Suppresses Cell Proliferation and Metastasis in Laryngeal Cancer via Regulating PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling Pathway

Integrating GEO, network pharmacology, and in vitro assays to explore the pharmacological mechanism of Bruceae Fructus against laryngeal cancer

The goal of this study is to look into the pharmacological mechanism of Bruceae Fructus in conjunction with GEO, network pharmacology, and in vitro assays for the treatment of laryngeal cancer to provide theoretical support for its therapeutic use. The active components and matching targets of Bruceae Fructus were retrieved from the TCMSP database, while genes linked with laryngeal cancer were obtained from the GEO, GeneCards, DisGeNET, and DrugBank databases. Besides, the components and targets were supplemented by literatures in PubMed database. Cytoscape software was used to create the active ingredients-target network diagram. The String database was used to build the PPI network. Following that, the core targets were subjected to GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis using the DAVID database. Finally, AutoDock was used to perform molecular docking between the core components and the core targets. To investigate the biological effects of beta-sitosterol, the viability of laryngeal cancer cells was assessed after beta-sitosterol therapy using the MTS technique. Following that, how beta-sitosterol affected colony formation after 14 days of culture of treated cells was researched. Flow cytometry was utilized to detect apoptosis to examine the influence of beta-sitosterol on laryngeal cancer cell apoptosis, and then detected mRNA and protein expression levels of 10 key genes by RT-qPCR and Western Blot assay. There were 1258 laryngeal cancer-related genes and 15 Bruceae Fructus components, with beta-sitosterol and luteolin serving as key components. Bruceae Fructus' primary targets against laryngeal cancer were IL6, JUN, TNF, IL2, IL4, IFNG, RELA, TP53, CDKN1A, and AKT1. GO enrichment yielded 41 CC, 78 MF, and 383 BP. Platinum drug resistance, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the p53 signaling pathway, apoptosis, the HIF-1 signaling pathway, and 147 additional pathways have been added to KEGG. The results of molecular docking revealed that the core components had a high affinity for the core target. The results of the cell experiment indicate that beta-sitosterol suppressed Hep-2 cell activity in a concentration-dependent manner. Besides, beta-sitosterol has powerful antiproliferative properties in Hep-2 cells. Flow cytometry results showed that beta-sitosterol promoted laryngeal cancer cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. The results of RT-qPCR and Western Blot assay showed that the mRNA and protein expression levels of TP53, JUN, TNF-α, CDKN1A, and IL-2 were significantly up-regulated after beta-sitosterol treatment, while the mRNA and protein expression levels of RELA, AKT1, IL-6, IFNG, and IL-4 were significantly down-regulated. This study integrating GEO, network pharmacology, and in vitro assays investigated the probable mechanism of Bruceae Fructus' anti-laryngeal cancer activity, which can give a theoretical foundation for additional future animal experiments.

Exploring GAS5's impact on prostate cancer: Recent discoveries and emerging paradigms

Novel treatment targets must be discovered to improve the results for patients with prostate cancer, which continues to be a significant worldwide health problem. Growth Arrest-Specific 5 (GAS5) is a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that has emerged as a promising target. GAS5 is a non-coding RNA that is a tumour suppressor in many different cancers by reducing cell proliferation and increasing apoptosis. GAS5 influences cell cycle control and apoptosis via interactions with important signalling pathways and microRNAs, as has been shown by recent studies. Furthermore, GAS5 has attracted interest for its diagnostic and prognostic potential in prostate cancer. GAS5 expression is a promising biomarker for disease classification and individualized treatment approaches because of its association with clinicopathological characteristics such as tumour stage, Gleason score, and metastatic potential. Preclinical models have revealed encouraging anticancer benefits from experimental techniques employing GAS5 overexpression or synthetic analogues, indicating the possibility of translational treatments. Whether GAS5 can be used as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target might lead to more effective and individualized ways to fight prostate cancer, improving patient outcomes and quality of life. To utilize its potential for therapy and establish it as a useful addition to the clinical arsenal against this pervasive malignancy, more investigation into the complex molecular pathways of GAS5 in prostate cancer is essential. This review highlights the recent advancements and insights into the role of GAS5 in prostate cancer pathogenesis and progression.

PI3K/Akt signalling pathway-associated long noncoding RNA signature predicts the prognosis of laryngeal cancer patients

The PI3K/Akt signalling pathway is associated with the occurrence and development of tumours and significantly affects the prognosis of patients. We established a predictive signature based on the PI3K/Akt pathway to predict the prognosis of patients. The RNA-seq and clinical data of laryngeal cancer patients were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Three lncRNAs (MNX1-AS1, LINC00330, LSAMP-AS1) were selected through univariate, multivariate Cox and log-rank test analysis to establish a prognostic signature. The patients were then divided into high-risk and low-risk groups based on their risk score. In the TCGA training set, the survival time of the high-risk group was shorter than that of the low-risk group (P < 0.01). Follicular helper T cells were lower in the high-risk group (P = 0.022), and CCR, inflammation promotion, parainflammation, and type I IFN immune function were suppressed. The results of the drug sensitivity analysis suggest that the high-risk group is sensitive to AKT inhibitors. The establishment of the signature was also verified based on the clinical data. Three lncRNAs can facilitate the migration, invasion, and vitality of cancer cells in vitro, and vice versa. Moreover, p-AKT (Ser473) and p-PI3K were highly activated in the cells overexpressing the abovementioned three lncRNAs. The PI3K/Akt signalling pathway-associated prognosis signature has a good predictive effect.

Reduction of GAS5 and FOXD3-AS1 long non-coding RNAs in patients with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) patients suffer from severe disability and premature death because of failure in prognosis, diagnosis, and treatment. Although neural mechanisms of bipolar have not been fully discovered, studies have shown long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can play an important role in signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT pathway. There has been little study on deregulated lncRNAs and the lncRNAs' mode of action in the BD. Hence, we aimed to investigate the expression of PI3K/AKT pathway-related lncRNAs named TUG1, GAS5, and FOXD3-AS1 lncRNAs in the PMBC in 50 bipolar patients and 50 healthy controls. Our results showed that FOXD3-AS1 and GAS5 under-expressed significantly in bipolar patients compared to healthy controls (P = 0.0028 and P < 0.0001 respectively). Moreover, after adjustment, all P values remained significant (q value < 0.0001). According to the ROC curve, AUC (area under the curve), specificity, and sensitivity of these lncRNAs, GAS5 and FOXD3-AS1 might work as BD candidate diagnostic biomarkers. Taken together, the current results highlight that the dysregulation of FOXD3-AS1 and GAS5 may be associated with an increased risk of BD.

LncRNAs and related molecular basis in malignant pleural mesothelioma: challenges and potential

Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but invasive cancer, which mainly arises from mesothelial tissues of pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. Despite significant advances in treatments, the prognosis of MPM patients remains poor, and the 5-year survival rate is less than 10%. Therefore, it is urgent to explore novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of MPM. Growing evidence has indicated that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) potentially could be promising therapeutic targets for numerous cancers. In this regard, lncRNAs might also potentially therapeutic targets for MPM. Recent advances have been made to investigate the molecular basis of MPM. This review first provides a comprehensive overview of roles of lncRNAs in MPM and then discusses the relationship between molecular basis of MPM and MPM-related lncRNAs to implement them as promising therapeutic targets for MPM.

Modulating epigenetic modifications for cancer therapy (Review)

Cancer is a global public health concern. Alterations in epigenetic processes are among the earliest genomic aberrations occurring during cancer development and are closely related to progression. Unlike genetic mutations, aberrations in epigenetic processes are reversible, which opens the possibility for novel pharmacological treatments. Non‑coding RNAs (ncRNAs) represent an essential epigenetic mechanism, and emerging evidence links ncRNAs to carcinogenesis. Epigenetic drugs (epidrugs) are a group of promising target therapies for cancer treatment acting as coadjuvants to reverse drug resistance in cancer. The present review describes central epigenetic aberrations during malignant transformation and explains how epidrugs target DNA methylation, histone modifications and ncRNAs. Furthermore, clinical trials focused on evaluating the effect of these epidrugs alone or in combination with other anticancer therapies and other ncRNA‑based therapies are discussed. The use of epidrugs promises to be an effective tool for reversing drug resistance in some patients with cancer.

Salt-like transcription factor 4 promotes laryngeal cancer progression through transcriptional activation of ubiquitin-specific protease 21 to stabilize Yin Yang 1

Laryngeal cancer (LC) is a rare and challenging clinical problem. Our aim was to investigate the mechanism of salt-like transcription factor 4 (SALL4) in LC. LC tissue and paracancerous tissue were collected. Relative mRNA or protein levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or Western blot. MTT, wound healing, and transwell assay were performed to evaluate cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The binding relationship between SALL4 and USP21 promoter was verified by dual-luciferase assay and ChIP. Co-IP and glutathione-S-transferase (GST)-pull down were performed to measure the protein interaction between USP21 and YY1. Additionally, YY1 ubiquitination level was analyzed. It was found that SALL4 mRNA and SALL4 protein levels were elevated in LC clinical tissues and various LC cells. Knockdown of SALL4 inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of LC cells. USP21 was transcriptionally activated by SALL4. Co-IP and GST-pull down confirmed USP21 interacted with YY1. USP21 protected YY1 from degradation through deubiquitination. Furthermore, overexpression of USP21 reversed the effect of knockdown of SALL4 on YY1 and EMT in LC cells. In general, SALL4 facilitated EMT of LC cells through modulating USP21/YY1 axis.

Non-coding RNAs in immunoregulation and autoimmunity: Technological advances and critical limitations

Immune cell function is critically dependent on precise control over transcriptional output from the genome. In this respect, integration of environmental signals that regulate gene expression, specifically by transcription factors, enhancer DNA elements, genome topography and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), are key components. The first three have been extensively investigated. Even though non-coding RNAs represent the vast majority of cellular RNA species, this class of RNA remains historically understudied. This is partly because of a lag in technological and bioinformatic innovations specifically capable of identifying and accurately measuring their expression. Nevertheless, recent progress in this domain has enabled a profusion of publications identifying novel sub-types of ncRNAs and studies directly addressing the function of ncRNAs in human health and disease. Many ncRNAs, including circular and enhancer RNAs, have now been demonstrated to play key functions in the regulation of immune cells and to show associations with immune-mediated diseases. Some ncRNAs may function as biomarkers of disease, aiding in diagnostics and in estimating response to treatment, while others may play a direct role in the pathogenesis of disease. Importantly, some are relatively stable and are amenable to therapeutic targeting, for example through gene therapy. Here, we provide an overview of ncRNAs and review technological advances that enable their study and hold substantial promise for the future. We provide context-specific examples by examining the associations of ncRNAs with four prototypical human autoimmune diseases, specifically rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis. We anticipate that the utility and mechanistic roles of these ncRNAs in autoimmunity will be further elucidated in the near future.

Inhibition of ITGB1-DT expression delays the growth and migration of stomach adenocarcinoma and improves the prognosis of cancer patients using the bioinformatics and cell model analysis

BACKGROUND

The long non-coding RNA, integrin subunit beta 1 (ITGB1) divergent transcript (ITGB1-DT), is known to be involved in cancer progression and associated with the poor prognosis of cancer patients. At present, the role of ITGB1-DT in stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) has not been reported.

METHODS

The expression level of ITGB1-DT was detected in normal gastric and STAD tissues from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the role of ITGB1-DT in diagnosing STAD. The relationship between ITGB1-DT overexpression and clinicopathological features, prognosis, and immune-infiltrated cells in STAD were explored using correlation, survival, and Cox regression analyses. A cell model of ITGB1-DT interference was constructed to explore the roles of ITGB1-DT on STAD cell proliferation and migration, and the signaling mechanism was investigated using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA).

RESULTS

ITGB1-DT was expressed up-regulated in STAD tissues. ITGB1-DT overexpression was associated with the T stage, therapeutic effect, overall survival, progression-free interval status, and poor prognosis in STAD patients. ITGB1-DT overexpression was valuable in diagnosing STAD and a negative factor affecting the prognosis of STAD patients. Interference with ITGB1-DT expression inhibited STAD cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. GSEA results showed that ITGB1-DT may be involved in STAD progression through the insulin, p53, mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase (MTOR), and other signaling pathways. Overexpression of ITGB1-DT was significantly correlated with the levels of STAD B cells, T cells, T helper cells, CD8 T cells, cytotoxic cells, and other immune cells.

CONCLUSIONS

ITGB1-DT was overexpressed and associated with poor prognosis in STAD. Interference with ITGB1-DT expression may delay the progression of STAD to improve the prognosis of STAD patients.

Prediction of lncRNA-Disease Associations via Closest Node Weight Graphs of the Spatial Neighborhood Based on the Edge Attention Graph Convolutional Network

Accumulated evidence of biological clinical trials has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to the occurrence and development of various complex human diseases. Research works on lncRNA–disease relations will benefit to further understand the pathogenesis of human complex diseases at the molecular level, but only a small proportion of lncRNA–disease associations has been confirmed. Considering the high cost of biological experiments, exploring potential lncRNA–disease associations with computational approaches has become very urgent. In this study, a model based on closest node weight graph of the spatial neighborhood (CNWGSN) and edge attention graph convolutional network (EAGCN), LDA-EAGCN, was developed to uncover potential lncRNA–disease associations by integrating disease semantic similarity, lncRNA functional similarity, and known lncRNA–disease associations. Inspired by the great success of the EAGCN method on the chemical molecule property recognition problem, the prediction of lncRNA–disease associations could be regarded as a component recognition problem of lncRNA–disease characteristic graphs. The CNWGSN features of lncRNA–disease associations combined with known lncRNA–disease associations were introduced to train EAGCN, and correlation scores of input data were predicted with EAGCN for judging whether the input lncRNAs would be associated with the input diseases. LDA-EAGCN achieved a reliable AUC value of 0.9853 in the ten-fold cross-over experiments, which was the highest among five state-of-the-art models. Furthermore, case studies of renal cancer, laryngeal carcinoma, and liver cancer were implemented, and most of the top-ranking lncRNA–disease associations have been proven by recently published experimental literature works. It can be seen that LDA-EAGCN is an effective model for predicting potential lncRNA–disease associations. Its source code and experimental data are available at https://github.com/HGDKMF/LDA-EAGCN.

Long non‑coding RNA HCG18 facilitates the progression of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma by upregulating FGFR1 via miR‑133b

It has been reported that long non-coding RNA HLA complex group 18 (HCG18) is involved in the progression of cancer, acting as an oncogenic gene. The aim of the present study was to investigate the mechanism underlying the action of HCG18 in laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LHSCC). The expression levels of HCG18, microRNA (miR)-133b and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) in LHSCC tissues and transfected LHSCC cells were evaluated by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR or immunohistochemistry. The viability, migration and invasion of transfected LHSCC cells were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays, respectively. The targeting relationships of HCG18, miR-133b and FGFR1 were predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Moreover, the expression levels of FGFR1, phosphorylated (p)-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT, AKT, p53, Bax and Bcl-2 in transfected LHSCC cells were measured by western blotting. It was found that the expression levels of HCG18 and FGFR1 were upregulated, but those of miR-133b were downregulated in LHSCC tissues. Short hairpin RNA (sh) HCG18 and miR-133b mimic inhibited LHSCC cell viability, while enhancing miR-133b expression. HCG18 could competitively bind with miR-133b. Moreover, the miR-133b inhibitor promoted cell viability, migration, invasion and the expression levels of Bcl-2, p-PI3K and p-AKT, but inhibited the expression levels of p53 and Bax, which were abrogated by shHCG18. miR-133b could competitively bind with FGFR1, and the miR-133b mimic decreased the expression level of FGFR1 in transfected LHSCC cells. shFGFR1 promoted the expression levels of p53 and Bax, while inhibiting viability, migration, invasion and Bcl-2, p-PI3K and p-AKT expression in LHSCC cells. In conclusion, the current results indicated that HCG18 facilitated the progression of LHSCC by upregulating FGFR1 via miR-133b. The present study evaluated the mechanism with regards to the action of HCG18 in LHSCC, and these experimental results may provide novel evidence for targeted therapy of LHSCC.

The role of ceRNA-mediated diagnosis and therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide due to its high degree of malignancy, high incidence, and low survival rate. However, the underlying mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis remain unclear. Long non coding RNA (lncRNA) has been shown as a novel type of RNA. lncRNA by acting as ceRNA can participate in various biological processes of HCC cells, such as tumor cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis and drug resistance by regulating downstream target gene expression and cancer-related signaling pathways. Meanwhile, lncRNA can predict the efficacy of treatment strategies for HCC and serve as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of HCC. Therefore, lncRNA serving as ceRNA may become a vital candidate biomarker for clinical diagnosis and treatment. In this review, the epidemiology of HCC, including morbidity, mortality, regional distribution, risk factors, and current treatment advances, was briefly discussed, and some biological functions of lncRNA in HCC were summarized with emphasis on the molecular mechanism and clinical application of lncRNA-mediated ceRNA regulatory network in HCC. This paper can contribute to the better understanding of the mechanism of the influence of lncRNA-mediated ceRNA networks (ceRNETs) on HCC and provide directions and strategies for future studies.