MicroRNA-1915-3p inhibits cell migration and invasion by targeting SET in non-small-cell lung cancer

Overview of the interplay between m6A methylation modification and non-coding RNA and their impact on tumor cells

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most common internal modifications in eukaryotic RNA. The presence of m6A on transcripts can affect a series of fundamental cellular processes, including mRNA splicing, nuclear transportation, stability, and translation. The m6A modification is introduced by m6A methyltransferases (writers), removed by demethylases (erasers), and recognized by m6A-binding proteins (readers). Current research has demonstrated that m6A methylation is involved in the regulation of malignant phenotypes in tumors by controlling the expression of cancer-related genes. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a diverse group of RNA molecules that do not encode proteins and are widely present in the human genome. This group includes microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and PIWI interaction RNAs (piRNAs). They function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors through various mechanisms, regulating the initiation and progression of cancer. Previous studies on m6A primarily focused on coding RNAs, but recent discoveries have revealed the significant regulatory role of m6A in ncRNAs. Simultaneously, ncRNAs also exert their influence by modulating the stability, splicing, translation, and other biological processes of m6A-related enzymes. The interplay between m6A and ncRNAs collectively contributes to the occurrence and progression of malignant tumors in humans. This review provides an overview of the interactions between m6A regulatory factors and ncRNAs and their impact on tumors.

Association between methyltransferase-like 3 and non-small cell lung cancer: pathogenesis, therapeutic resistance, and clinical applications

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a malignant cancer that with high incidence, recurrence, and mortality rates in human beings, posing significant threats to human health. Moreover, effective early diagnosis of NSCLC remains limited primarily by the lack of accurate biomarkers. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the mechanisms underlying NSCLC pathogenesis and treatment failure. Methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) is a prototypical member of a family of which its members transfer methyl groups. It has been implicated in modulating the pathogenesis of NSCLC, as well as conferring resistance to NSCLC therapeutics. The targeting of METTL3 for NSCLC treatment has been reported. However, the relationship between METTL3 and NSCLC remains to be demonstrated. In this review, we discuss relevant interrelationships by summarising the studies on METTL3 in NSCLC pathogenesis, therapeutic resistance, and clinical applications. Current research suggests that the upregulation of METTL3 expression propels the tumorigenesis, progression, and treatment resistance of NSCLC. Therefore, we propose that METTL3 is an excellent candidate biomarker for NSCLC diagnosis and prognosis. Therapeutic targeting of METTL3 has significant potential for NSCLC treatment. This review provides a summary of the association between METTL3 and NSCLC, which would be a valuable reference for both basic and clinical research.

SET protein as an epigenetics target

The SET gene has four transcripts reported in NCBI, coding two isoforms of SET proteins. The most known function of SET protein is inhibiting protein phosphatase 2A, a tumor suppressor, which has been associated with different biological processes. In this review, our focus was on exploring the other SET functions related to epigenetic mechanisms, which impact cellular migration, cell cycle and apoptosis.

The METTL3/miR-196a Axis Predicts Poor Prognosis in Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Background: METTL3 accelerates m6A modification to influence cancer progression including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). To illustrate the role and underlying mechanism of METTL3 mediated miR-196a upregulation in NSCLC. Method: The global level of m6A modification was detected by qPCR, western blot and immumohistochemical staining. The TCGA, GEPIA, CPTAC and TIMER databases were used to explore the expression change of METTL3, miR-196a and GAS7 in NSCLC patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to analyze the prognostic value of miR-196a. NSCLC cells overexpressed or knockdown miR-196a were constructed and used for CCK8, colony formation assay, western blot and immunofluorescence in vitro. The effect of miR-196a on tumor growth was investigated in vivo. Result: We found that METTL3 mediated miR-196a were notably enhancive in NSCLC tissues and in NSCLC cells, which is markedly positively related with the serious TNM stage, the large tumor size, the distant metastasis, and the poor prognosis in patients of NSCLC. Further investigation showed that up-regulated miR-196a promoted cell viability and cell autophagy, while down-regulation of miR-196a revealed opposite results in H1299 and A549 cells. In terms of mechanism, we found that miR-196a interacted with GAS7. In addition, GAS7 expression in NSCLC patients may be positively related with the infiltration of immune cell subsets in tumor microenvironment (TME). Conclusion: The axis of METTL3-miR-196a-GAS7 might be a target for molecular targeted therapy, a potential and novel diagnostic marker for NSCLC patients.

Cancer metastasis under the magnifying glass of epigenetics and epitranscriptomics

Most of the cancer-associated mortality and morbidity can be attributed to metastasis. The role of epigenetic and epitranscriptomic alterations in cancer origin and progression has been extensively demonstrated during the last years. Both regulations share similar mechanisms driven by DNA or RNA modifiers, namely writers, readers, and erasers; enzymes responsible of respectively introducing, recognizing, or removing the epigenetic or epitranscriptomic modifications. Epigenetic regulation is achieved by DNA methylation, histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, chromatin accessibility, and enhancer reprogramming. In parallel, regulation at RNA level, named epitranscriptomic, is driven by a wide diversity of chemical modifications in mostly all RNA molecules. These two-layer regulatory mechanisms are finely controlled in normal tissue, and dysregulations are associated with every hallmark of human cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding epigenetic and epitranscriptomic alterations governing tumor metastasis, and compare pathways regulated at DNA or RNA levels to shed light on a possible epi-crosstalk in cancer metastasis. A deeper understanding on these mechanisms could have important clinical implications for the prevention of advanced malignancies and the management of the disseminated diseases. Additionally, as these epi-alterations can potentially be reversed by small molecules or inhibitors against epi-modifiers, novel therapeutic alternatives could be envisioned.

MicroRNA Landscape in Endometrial Carcinomas in an Asian population: Unraveling Subtype-Specific Signatures

MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are small, non-coding RNA molecules that function in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. We analyzed the differential expression of miRNAs in 119 endometrial carcinomas, measuring their expression in histological subtypes, molecular subtypes, and tumors with CTNNB1 mutations. Tumors were subdivided into histological and molecular subtypes as defined by The Cancer Genome Atlas. The expression levels of 352 miRNAs were quantified using the PanoramiR panel. Mir-449a, mir-449b-5p, and mir-449c-5p were the top three miRNAs showing increased expression in both endometrioid and de-differentiated carcinomas but were not significantly increased in serous and clear cell carcinomas. The miRNAs with the most increased expression in serous and clear cell carcinomas were miR-9-3p and miR-375, respectively. We also identified 62 differentially expressed miRNAs among different molecular subtypes. Using sequential forward selection, we built subtype classification models for some molecular subtypes of endometrial carcinoma, comprising 5 miRNAs for MMR-deficient tumors, 10 miRNAs for p53-mutated tumors, and 3 miRNAs for CTNNB1-mutated tumors, with areas under curves of 0.75, 0.85, and 0.78, respectively. Our findings confirm the differential expression of miRNAs between various endometrial carcinoma subtypes and may have implications for the development of diagnostic and prognostic tools.

miRNAs and exosomal miRNAs in lung cancer: New emerging players in tumor progression and therapy response

Non-coding RNAs have shown key roles in cancer and among them, short RNA molecules are known as microRNAs (miRNAs). These molecules have length less than 25 nucleotides and suppress translation and expression. The functional miRNAs are produced in cytoplasm. Lung cancer is a devastating disease that its mortality and morbidity have undergone an increase in recent years. Aggressive behavior leads to undesirable prognosis and tumors demonstrate abnormal proliferation and invasion. In the present review, miRNA functions in lung cancer is described. miRNAs reduce/increase proliferation and metastasis. They modulate cell death and proliferation. Overexpression of oncogenic miRNAs facilitates drug resistance and radio-resistance in lung cancer. Tumor microenvironment components including macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts demonstrate interactions with miRNAs in lung cancer. Other factors such as HIF-1α, lncRNAs and circRNAs modulate miRNA expression. miRNAs have also value in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Understanding such interactions can pave the way for developing novel therapeutics in near future for lung cancer patients.

Wilms' tumour gene 1 (WT1) enhances non-small cell lung cancer malignancy and is inhibited by microRNA-498-5p

BACKGROUND

Wilms' tumour gene 1 (WT1) is clearly recognized as a tumour promoter in diversiform of human malignancies. Nevertheless, knowledge of its expression, functions and potential molecular mechanisms in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains elusive.

METHODS

Differential expression of WT1 mRNA and protein between NSCLC and normal tissues were assessed by analyzing RNA-seq data from Oncomine and protein data from Human Protein Atlas, respectively. Subsequently, prognosis significance and immune cell infiltration were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plotter and CIBERSORT. 60 pairs of local NSCLC tissues were involved to validate WT1 expression by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blot. Moreover, Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, transwell, dual luciferase reporter assays and in vivo xenograft tumour growth experiments were conducted to explore the function and mechanism of WT1 in NSCLC.

RESULTS

Our solid data indicated that WT1 was increased in NSCLC tissues and cell lines in comparison with their matched controls. In particular, its upregulation correlated with worse prognosis and immune infiltration of the patients. Functional assays demonstrated that knockdown of WT1 inhibited NSCLC malignancy, including inhibiting cell proliferation, survival and invasion. Further exploration discovered that microRNA-498-5p (miR-498-5p) was the upstream suppressor of WT1 by directly targeting the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of WT1 mRNA. Moreover, expression of miR-498-5p was notably decreased and inversely correlated with WT1 in NSCLC tissues. Finally, we proved that miR-498-5p was a potent tumour suppressor in NSCLC by suppressing cell proliferation, survival and invasion, while WT1 restoration could in turn disrupt this suppression both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

The abnormal increase in WT1 contributes to the malignant properties of NSCLC cells, and miR-498-5p is a natural inhibitor of WT1. Our findings might facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies against NSCLC in the future.

Bioinformatics and Expression Analyses of miR-639, miR-641, miR-1915-3p and miR-3613-3p in Colorectal Cancer Pathogenesis

Objectives: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have important function in cancer development and progression. This study aims to determine the expression levels of miR-639, miR-641, miR-1915-3p, and miR-3613-3p in tissues of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and the role of these miRNAs in the CRC pathogenesis. Methods: Tumor and non-tumor tissues were collected from a total of 59 CRC patients. qRT-PCR was used to identify the expressions of miR-639, miR-641, miR-1915-3p and miR-3613-3p. Through bioinformatics analysis, the target genes of miRNAs were identified by using DIANA mirPath v.3. Signaling pathways were generated using KEGG pathway database. Biological pathway, cellular component analysis, and analysis of Protein-Protein Interactions (PPI) Networks were performed using FunRich and STRING database. Results: Our findings revealed that miR-639, miR-641 and miR-3613-3p were significantly downregulated, and miR-1915-3p was significantly upregulated in tumor tissues compared to non-tumor tissues (p˂0.05). Furthermore, MAPK signaling pathway was the most enriched KEGG pathway regulated by miR-639, miR-641, miR-1915-3p and miR-3613-p. According to the FunRich, it was demonstrated that the targeted genes by miRNAs related to the cellular component and biological pathways such as beta-catenin-TCF7L2, axin-APC-beta-catenin-GSK3B complexes, Arf6 signaling, Class I PI3K signaling, etc. And, by the PPI analysis, it was established that the target genes were clustered on CTNNB1 and KRAS. Conclusions: These outcomes imply that miR-639, miR-641 and miR-3613-3p have tumor suppressor roles, while miR-1915-3p has an oncogenic role in the pathogenesis of CRC. According to the results of the current study, dysregulated miR-639, miR-641, miR-1915-3p, and miR-3613-3p might contribute to the development of CRC.

The critical roles of m6A RNA methylation in lung cancer: from mechanism to prognosis and therapy

Lung cancer, a highly malignant disease, greatly affects patients' quality of life. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most common posttranscriptional modifications of various RNAs, including mRNAs and ncRNAs. Emerging studies have demonstrated that m6A participates in normal physiological processes and that its dysregulation is involved in many diseases, especially pulmonary tumorigenesis and progression. Among these, regulators including m6A writers, readers and erasers mediate m6A modification of lung cancer-related molecular RNAs to regulate their expression. Furthermore, the imbalance of this regulatory effect adversely affects signalling pathways related to lung cancer cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis and other biological behaviours. Based on the close association between m6A and lung cancer, various prognostic risk models have been established and novel drugs have been developed. Overall, this review comprehensively elaborates the mechanism of m6A regulation in the development of lung cancer, suggesting its potential for clinical application in the therapy and prognostic assessment of lung cancer.

Paeonol represses A549 cell glycolytic reprogramming and proliferation by decreasing m6A modification of Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase

Aberrant glycolytic reprogramming is involved in lung cancer progression by promoting the proliferation of non-small cell lung cancer cells. Paeonol, as a traditional Chinese medicine, plays a critical role in multiple cancer cell proliferation and inflammation. Acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACADM) is involved in the development of metabolic diseases. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is important for the regulation of messenger RNA stability, splicing, and translation. Here, we investigated whether paeonol regulates the proliferation and glycolytic reprogramming via ACADM with m6A modification in A549 cells (human non-small cell lung cancer cells). Cell counting kit 8, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyuridine, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation, flow cytometry analysis, western blotting and seahorse XFe24 extracellular flux analyzer assays showed that paeonol had a significant inhibitory effect against A549 cell proliferation and glycolysis. Mechanistically, ACADM was a functional target of paeonol. We also showed that the m6A reader YTH domain containing 1 plays an important role in m6A-modified ACADM expression, which is negatively regulated by paeonol, and is involved in A549 cell proliferation and glycolytic reprogramming. These results indicated the central function of paeonol in regulating A549 cell glycolytic reprogramming and proliferation via m6A modification of ACADM.

IGF2BP3 Worsens Lung Cancer through Modifying Long Non-coding RNA CERS6-AS1/microRNA-1202 Axis

BACKGROUND

Insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding protein 3 (IGF2BP3) can epigenetically regulate lung cancer progression, but its regulatory mechanism in the disease lacks sufficient exploration.

OBJECTIVE

The study was conducted to probe the regulatory function of IGF2BP3 in lung cancer via modulating the long non-coding RNA CERS6-AS1/microRNA-1202 (CERS6- AS1/miR-1202) axis.

METHODS

Clinical samples were collected to evaluate IGF2BP3, CERS6-AS1, miR-1202 and glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase domain containing 5 (GDPD5) levels. The interactions among IGF2BP3, CERS6-AS1, miR-1202 and GDPD5 were assessed. IGF2BP3-, CERS6-AS1-, and miR-1202-related constructs were transfected into lung cancer cells to determine cell biological functions. Cell tumor formation ability was further detected in vivo.

RESULTS

High expression of IGF2BP3, CERS6-AS1 and GDPD5, and low expression of miR-1202 levels were witnessed in lung cancer tissues. Suppression of IGF2BP3 restrained lung cancer progression. IGF2BP3 positively modulated CERS6-AS1 to regulate miR-1202-targeted GDPD5. Inhibition of CERS6-AS1 or promotion of miR-1202 depressed lung cancer aggravation. CERS6-AS1 silencing or miR-1202 overexpression reversed the impacts induced by IGF2BP3 on lung cancer.

CONCLUSION

IGF2BP3 facilitates the development of lung cancer cells via binding to the CERS6-AS1 promoter and down-regulating miR-1202, which may be related to GDPD5 upregulation.

Interaction between N6-methyladenosine and autophagy in the regulation of bone and tissue degeneration

Bone and tissue degeneration are the most common skeletal disorders that seriously affect people’s quality of life. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is one of the most common RNA modifications in eukaryotic cells, affecting the alternative splicing, translation, stability and degradation of mRNA. Interestingly, increasing number of evidences have indicated that m6A modification could modulate the expression of autophagy-related (ATG) genes and promote autophagy in the cells. Autophagy is an important process regulating intracellular turnover and is evolutionarily conserved in eukaryotes. Abnormal autophagy results in a variety of diseases, including cardiomyopathy, degenerative disorders, and inflammation. Thus, the interaction between m6A modification and autophagy plays a prominent role in the onset and progression of bone and tissue degeneration. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge related to the effect of m6A modification on autophagy, and introduce the role of the crosstalk between m6A modification and autophagy in bone and tissue degeneration. An in-depth knowledge of the above crosstalk may help to improve our understanding of their effects on bone and tissue degeneration and provide novel insights for the future therapeutics.

YT521-B homology domain family proteins as N6-methyladenosine readers in tumors

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most abundant internal chemical modification of eukaryotic mRNA and plays diverse roles in gene regulation. The m6A modification plays a significant role in numerous cancer types, including kidney, stomach, lung, bladder tumors, and melanoma, through varied mechanisms. As direct m6A readers, the YT521-B homology domain family proteins (YTHDFs) play a key role in tumor transcription, translation, protein synthesis, tumor stemness, epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), immune escape, and chemotherapy resistance. An in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of YTHDFs is expected to provide new strategies for tumor treatment. In this review, we provide a systematic description of YTHDF protein structure and its function in tumor progression.

The Role of m6A RNA Methylation in Cancer: Implication for Nature Products Anti-Cancer Research

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA methylation is identified as the most common, abundant and reversible RNA epigenetic modification in messenger RNA (mRNA) and non-coding RNA, especially within eukaryotic messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which post-transcriptionally directs many important processes of RNA. It has also been demonstrated that m6A modification plays a pivotal role in the occurrence and development of tumors by regulating RNA splicing, localization, translation, stabilization and decay. Growing number of studies have indicated that natural products have outstanding anti-cancer effects of their unique advantages of high efficiency and minimal side effects. However, at present, there are very few research articles to study and explore the relationship between natural products and m6A RNA modification in tumorigenesis. m6A is dynamically deposited, removed, and recognized by m6A methyltransferases (METTL3/14, METTL16, WTAP, RBM15/15B, VIRMA, CBLL1, and ZC3H13, called as “writers”), demethylases (FTO and ALKBH5, called as “erasers”), and m6A-specific binding proteins (YTHDF1/2/3, YTHDC1/2, IGH2BP1/2/3, hnRNPs, eIF3, and FMR1, called as “readers”), respectively. In this review, we summarize the biological function of m6A modification, the role of m6A and the related signaling pathway in cancer, such as AKT, NF-kB, MAPK, ERK, Wnt/β-catenin, STAT, p53, Notch signaling pathway, and so on. Furthermore, we reviewed the current research on nature products in anti-tumor, and further to get a better understanding of the anti-tumor mechanism, thus provide an implication for nature products with anti-cancer research by regulating m6A modification in the future.