Roles of DANCR/microRNA-518a-3p/MDMA ceRNA network in the growth and malignant behaviors of colon cancer cells

New evidence for a role of DANCR in cancers: a comprehensive review

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality and poses a substantial threat to public health. Studies have revealed that Long noncoding RNA DANCR is a cytoplasmic lncRNA whose aberrant expression plays a pivotal role in various cancer types. Within tumour biology, DANCR exerts regulatory control over crucial processes such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, inflammatory responses, cellular energy metabolism reprogramming, and apoptosis. By acting as a competitive endogenous RNA for miRNAs and by interacting with proteins and mRNAs at the molecular level, DANCR contributes significantly to cancer progression. Elevated DANCR levels have also been linked to heightened resistance to anticancer drugs. Moreover, the detection of circulating DANCR holds promise as a valuable biomarker for aiding in the clinical differentiation of different cancer types. This article offers a comprehensive review and elucidation of the primary functions and molecular mechanisms through which DANCR influences tumours.

The Role of Long Noncoding RNAs in Intestinal Health and Diseases: A Focus on the Intestinal Barrier

The gut is the body's largest immune organ, and the intestinal barrier prevents harmful substances such as bacteria and toxins from passing through the gastrointestinal mucosa. Intestinal barrier dysfunction is closely associated with various diseases. However, there are currently no FDA-approved therapies targeting the intestinal epithelial barriers. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of RNA transcripts with a length of more than 200 nucleotides and no coding capacity, are essential for the development and regulation of a variety of biological processes and diseases. lncRNAs are involved in the intestinal barrier function and homeostasis maintenance. This article reviews the emerging role of lncRNAs in the intestinal barrier and highlights the potential applications of lncRNAs in the treatment of various intestinal diseases by reviewing the literature on cells, animal models, and clinical patients. The aim is to explore potential lncRNAs involved in the intestinal barrier and provide new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of intestinal barrier damage-associated diseases in the clinical setting.

Construction of Immune Infiltration-Related LncRNA Signatures Based on Machine Learning for the Prognosis in Colon Cancer

Colon cancer is one of the malignant tumors with high morbidity, lethality, and prevalence across global human health. Molecular biomarkers play key roles in its prognosis. In particular, immune-related lncRNAs (IRL) have attracted enormous interest in diagnosis and treatment, but less is known about their potential functions. We aimed to investigate dysfunctional IRL and construct a risk model for improving the outcomes of patients. Nineteen immune cell types were collected for identifying house-keeping lncRNAs (HKLncRNA). GSE39582 and TCGA-COAD were treated as the discovery and validation datasets, respectively. Four machine learning algorithms (LASSO, Random Forest, Boruta, and Xgboost) and a Gaussian mixture model were utilized to mine the optimal combination of lncRNAs. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression was utilized to construct the risk score model. We distinguished the functional difference in an immune perspective between low- and high-risk cohorts calculated by this scoring system. Finally, we provided a nomogram. By leveraging the microarray, sequencing, and clinical data for immune cells and colon cancer patients, we identified the 221 HKLncRNAs with a low cell type-specificity index. Eighty-seven lncRNAs were up-regulated in the immune compared to cancer cells. Twelve lncRNAs were beneficial in improving performance. A risk score model with three lncRNAs (CYB561D2, LINC00638, and DANCR) was proposed with robust ROC performance on an independent dataset. According to immune-related analysis, the risk score is strongly associated with the tumor immune microenvironment. Our results emphasized IRL has the potential to be a powerful and effective therapy for enhancing the prognostic of colon cancer.

Non-coding RNA mediates endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis in heart disease

Apoptosis is a complex and highly self-regulating form of cell death, which is an important cause of the continuous decline in ventricular function and is widely involved in the occurrence and development of heart failure, myocardial infarction, and myocarditis. Endoplasmic reticulum stress plays a crucial role in apoptosis-inducing. Accumulation of misfolded or unfolded proteins causes cells to undergo a stress response called unfolded protein response (UPR). UPR initially has a cardioprotective effect. Nevertheless, prolonged and severe ER stress will lead up to apoptosis of stressed cells. Non-coding RNA is a type of RNA that does not code proteins. An ever-increasing number of studies have shown that non-coding RNAs are involved in regulating endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced cardiomyocyte injury and apoptosis. In this study, the effects of miRNA and LncRNA on endoplasmic reticulum stress in various heart diseases were mainly discussed to clarify their protective effects and potential therapeutic strategies for apoptosis.

Development of a novel hypoxia-immune–related LncRNA risk signature for predicting the prognosis and immunotherapy response of colorectal cancer

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common digestive system tumors worldwide. Hypoxia and immunity are closely related in CRC; however, the role of hypoxia-immune–related lncRNAs in CRC prognosis is unknown.

Methods

Data used in the current study were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) databases. CRC patients were divided into low- and high-hypoxia groups using the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm and into low- and high-immune groups using the Estimation of STromal and Immune cells in MAlignant Tumours using Expression data (ESTIMATE) algorithm. Differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) between low- and high-hypoxia groups, low- and high-immune groups, and tumor and control samples were identified using the limma package. Hypoxia-immune–related lncRNAs were obtained by intersecting these DElncRNAs. A hypoxia-immune–related lncRNA risk signature was developed using univariate Cox regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analyses. The tumor microenvironments in the low- and high-risk groups were evaluated using ssGSEA, ESTIMATE, and the expression of immune checkpoints. The therapeutic response in the two groups was assessed using TIDE, IPS, and IC50. A ceRNA network based on signature lncRNAs was constructed. Finally, we used RT-qPCR to verify the expression of hypoxia-immune–related lncRNA signatures in normal and cancer tissues.

Results

Using differential expression analysis, and univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses, ZNF667-AS1, LINC01354, LINC00996, DANCR, CECR7, and LINC01116 were selected to construct a hypoxia-immune–related lncRNA signature. The performance of the risk signature in predicting CRC prognosis was validated in internal and external datasets, as evidenced by receiver operating characteristic curves. In addition, we observed significant differences in the tumor microenvironment and immunotherapy response between low- and high-risk groups and constructed a CECR7–miRNA–mRNA regulatory network in CRC. Furthermore, RT-qPCR results confirmed that the expression patterns of the six lncRNA signatures were consistent with those in TCGA-CRC cohort.

Conclusion

Our study identified six hypoxia-immune–related lncRNAs for predicting CRC survival and sensitivity to immunotherapy. These findings may enrich our understanding of CRC and help improve CRC treatment. However, large-scale long-term follow-up studies are required for verification.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00511 facilitates colon cancer development through regulating microRNA-625-5p to target WEE1

The altered part of long non-coding RNA LINC00511 (LINC00511) is extensively discussed in malignancies. Finitely, the mechanism of LINC00511 in colon cancer (CC) development lacks thorough explorations. Hence, this work is started from the LINC00511-mediated microRNA (miR)-625-5p/WEE1 axis in the CC process. LINC00511, miR-625-5p, and WEE1 levels were tested in CC tissues and cells. Subcellular localization of LINC00511 was clarified. CC cells were transfected with oligonucleotides that altered LINC00511, and miR-625-5p expression to define their performance in CC cell progression. The tumorigenic ability of cells was verified in xenografted tumors. CC tissues and cells highly expressed LINC00511 and WEE1 and lowly expressed miR-625-5p. LINC00511 was mainly localized in the cytoplasm. Deleted LINC00511 or restored miR-625-5p delayed cellular growth in CC. LINC00511 sponged miR-625-5p to target WEE1. Silenced miR-625-5p mitigated the role of depleted LINC00511, while inhibited WEE1 rescued the effect of silenced miR-625-5p on the biological functions of CC cells. It is summarized that down-regulated LINC00511 obstructs tumorigenesis of CC through restoring miR-625-5p and silencing WEE1, consolidating a basal reference for CC-oriented therapy.

MicroRNA-363-3p, negatively regulated by long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 5, inhibits tumor progression by targeting Aurora kinase A in colorectal cancer

MicroRNA-363-3p (miR-363-3p), reportedly, exhibits a tumor-suppressive role in human malignancies. Herein, our research was designed to further explain the functions and molecular mechanisms of miR-363-3p in the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). With in vitro models, this study found that miR-363-3p was markedly under-expressed in CRC tissues and cells, and its overexpression suppressed the viability, migration, and invasion of CRC cells, and promoted cell apoptosis, whereas inhibiting miR-363-3p expression exhibited an opposite role. Additionally, aurora kinase A (AURKA), capable of counteracting the impacts of miR-363-3p on malignant biological behaviors of CRC cells, was identified as a direct target of miR-363-3p. Besides, miR-363-3p was sponged by long non-coding RNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5), which suppressed miR-363-3p expression. This research shows that SNHG5/miR-363-3p/AURKA axis partakes in CRC progression.

Long non-coding RNA HOXA11 antisense RNA upregulates spermatogenesis-associated serine-rich 2-like to enhance cisplatin resistance in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by suppressing microRNA-518a

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are closely associated with the chemoresistance of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Previous studies indicated that HOXA11-AS could function as a vital regulator in human cancers. However, the regulatory mechanisms of HOXA11-AS in the chemoresistance of LSCC remain unclear. In this study, it was found that HOXA11-AS expression was upregulated in cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant LSCC tissues and cells. Loss-of-function assays revealed that HOXA11-AS knockdown inhibited the viability, migration, and invasion, but promoted the apoptosis of CDDP-resistant LSCC cells. Meanwhile, we identified miR-518a as a downstream gene of HOXA11-AS in LSCC, and miR-518a silencing reversed the promotive effect of HOXA11-AS knockdown on CDDP sensitivity of LSCC cells. In addition, miR-518a could inhibit spermatogenesis-associated serine-rich 2-like (SPATS2L) expression by direct interaction, and upregulation of SPATS2L abrogated the inhibitory effect of HOXA11-AS silencing or miR-518a overexpression on CDDP resistance of CDDP-resistant LSCC cells. In sum, our results demonstrated that HOXA11-AS enhanced CDDP resistance of LSCC via miR-518a/SPATS2L axis, which might offer novel therapeutic strategies for CDDP-resistant LSCC.

Identification of Potential Novel Prognosis-Related Genes Through Transcriptome Sequencing, Bioinformatics Analysis, and Clinical Validation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Background: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a complex and heterogeneous hematologic malignancy. However, the function of prognosis-related signature genes in AML remains unclear. Methods: In the current study, transcriptome sequencing was performed on 15 clinical samples, differentially expressed RNAs were identified using R software. The potential interactions network was constructed by using the common genes between target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs with transcriptome sequencing results. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis was performed to identify candidate gene-mediated aberrant signaling pathways. Hub genes were identified by the cytohubba plugin in Cytoscape software, which then expanded the potential interactions regulatory module for hub genes. TCGA-LAML clinical data were used for the prognostic analysis of the hub genes in the regulatory network, and GVSA analysis was used to identify the immune signature of prognosis-related hub genes. qRT-PCR was used to verify the expression of hub genes in independent clinical samples. Results: We obtained 1,610 differentially expressed lncRNAs, 233 differentially expressed miRNAs, and 2,217 differentially expressed mRNAs from transcriptome sequencing. The potential interactions network is constructed by 12 lncRNAs, 25 miRNAs, and 692 mRNAs. Subsequently, a sub-network including 15 miRNAs as well as 12 lncRNAs was created based on the expanded regulatory modules of 25 key genes. The prognostic analysis results show that CCL5 and lncRNA UCA1 was a significant impact on the prognosis of AML. Besides, we found three potential interactions networks such as lncRNA UCA1/hsa-miR-16-5p/COL4A5, lncRNA UCA1/hsa-miR-16-5p/SPARC, and lncRNA SNORA27/hsa-miR-17-5p/CCL5 may play an important role in AML. Furthermore, the evaluation of the immune infiltration shows that CCL5 is positively correlated with various immune signatures, and lncRNA UCA1 is negatively correlated with the immune signatures. Finally, the result of qRT-PCR showed that CCL5 is down-regulated and lncRNA UCA1 is up-regulated in AML samples separately. Conclusions: In conclusion, we propose that CCL5 and lncRNA UCA1 could be recognized biomarkers for predicting survival prognosis based on constructing competing endogenous RNAs in AML, which will provide us novel insight into developing novel prognostic, diagnostic, and therapeutic for AML.

Long Non-coding RNA DANCR in Cancer: Roles, Mechanisms, and Implications

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DANCR (also known as ANCR)—differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA, was first reported in 2012 to suppress differentiation of epithelial cells. Emerging evidence demonstrates that DANCR is a cancer-associated lncRNA abnormally expressed in many cancers (e.g., lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma). Increasing studies suggest that the dysregulation of DANCR plays critical roles in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic analyses show that DANCR can serve as miRNA sponges, stabilize mRNAs, and interact with proteins. Recent research reveals that DANCR can be detected in many body fluids such as serum, plasma, and exosomes, providing a quick and convenient method for cancer monitor. Thus DANCR can be used as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for various types of cancer. This review focuses on the role and mechanism of DANCR in cancer progression with an emphasis on the clinical significance of DANCR in human cancers.

RETRACTED: MicroRNA-498 disturbs the occurrence and aggression of colon cancer through targeting MDM2 to mediate PPARγ ubiquitination

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief. Concern was raised about the reliability of this article that shares several characteristics with other articles in the eyebrow family of publications, tabulated here (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/149EjFXVxpwkBXYJOnOHb6RhAqT4a2llhj9LM60MBffM/edit#gid=0). In addition, Fig. 5A appears to show a digital composition of xenografted tumors. The journal requested the corresponding author comment on these concerns and provide the raw data. However the authors were not able to satisfactorily fulfil this request and therefore the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract the article.

miR-518a-3p Suppresses Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Invasion and Migration Through Regulation of TMEM2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as critical mediators in tumors, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The role of miR-518a-3p in TNBC was investigated to identify potential therapeutic target. Data from KM Plotter database (www.kmplot.com) showed that high miR-518a-3p expression was significantly associated with overall survival of patients with TNBC (p = 0.04). The expression of miR-518a-3p was dysregulated in TNBC cells. Functional assays revealed that over-expression of miR-518a-3p inhibited cell invasion and migration of TNBC. Additionally, miR-518a-3p could target TMEM2 (transmembrane protein 2), and decreased protein and mRNA expression of TMEM2 in TNBC cells. Knockdown of TMEM2 suppressed cell invasion and migration through inhibiting phospho (p)-JAK1 (Janus kinase 1) and p-STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription protein) 1/2. Moreover, over-expression of TMEM2 counteracted the suppressive effect of miR-518a-3p on TNBC invasion and migration through promoting the levels of p-JAK1 and p-STAT1/2. In conclusion, miR-518a-3p negatively regulates the JAK/STAT pathway via targeting TMEM2 and suppresses invasion and migration in TNBC, suggesting that miR-518a-3p may be a potential therapeutic target in TNBC.