The VIM-AS1/miR-655/ZEB1 axis modulates bladder cancer cell metastasis by regulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Biological roles of SLC16A1-AS1 lncRNA and its clinical impacts in tumors

Recent studies have increasingly highlighted the aberrant expression of SLC16A1-AS1 in a variety of tumor types, where it functions as either an oncogene or a tumor suppressor in the pathogenesis of different cancers. The expression levels of SLC16A1-AS1 have been found to significantly correlate with clinical features and the prognosis of cancer patients. Furthermore, SLC16A1-AS1 modulates a range of cellular functions, including proliferation, migration, and invasion, through its interactions with diverse molecules and signaling pathways. This review examines the latest evidence regarding the role of SLC16A1-AS1 in the progression of various tumors and explores its potential clinical applications as a novel prognostic and diagnostic biomarker. Our comprehensive review aims to deepen the understanding of SLC16A1-AS1's multifaceted role in oncology, underscoring its potential as a significant biomarker and therapeutic target.

miRNA/epithelial-mesenchymal axis (EMT) axis as a key player in cancer progression and metastasis: A focus on gastric and bladder cancers

The metastasis a major hallmark of tumors that its significant is not only related to the basic research, but clinical investigations have revealed that majority of cancer deaths are due to the metastasis. The metastasis of tumor cells is significantly increased due to EMT mechanism and therefore, inhibition of EMT can reduce biological behaviors of tumor cells and improve the survival rate of patients. One of the gaps related to cancer metastasis is lack of specific focus on the EMT regulation in certain types of tumor cells. The gastric and bladder cancers are considered as two main reasons of death among patients in clinical level. Herein, the role of EMT in regulation of their progression is evaluated with a focus on the function of miRNAs. The inhibition/induction of EMT in these cancers and their ability in modulation of EMT-related factors including ZEB1/2 proteins, TGF-β, Snail and cadherin proteins are discussed. Moreover, lncRNAs and circRNAs in crosstalk of miRNA/EMT regulation in these tumors are discussed and final impact on cancer metastasis and response of tumor cells to the chemotherapy is evaluated. Moreover, the impact of miRNAs transferred by exosomes in regulation of EMT in these cancers are discussed.

Bladder Cancer Progression Is Suppressed Through the Heart and Neural Crest Derivatives Expressed 2-Antisense RNA 1/microRNA-93-5p/Defective in Cullin Neddylation 1 Domain Containing 3 Axis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are critical in progression of bladder cancer (BCa). miRNA-93-5p is increased in cancers and is positively correlated with an unfavorable prognosis. But its effects on BCa remain rarely understood. This investigation aimed to dig out miRNA-93-5p affecting biological behaviors of BCa. In this research, mRNA and protein expression in cancer cells were assessed via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), colony formation, scratch healing, and transwell assays were utilized to analyze cancer cell viability, colony-forming, migration, and invasion, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis predicted upstream regulatory genes and downstream target genes of miRNA-93-5p, with the targeting relationship being verified through a dual-luciferase assay. The BCa xenograft model in nude mice further investigated the effect of miRNA-93-5p and AND2-AS1 on tumor size and quality, and validated the relationship between HAND2-AS1/miRNA-93-5p/DCUN1D3. Our results displayed that miRNA-93-5p was increased in BCa cell lines. Knockdown miRNA-93-5p constrained BCa cell malignant phenotypes. HAND2-AS1 targeted miRNA-93-5p, thus restraining malignant progression of BCa cells. DCUN1D3 was found downstream of miRNA-93-5p. miRNA-93-5p modulated proliferation, migration, and invasion of BCa cells by targeting DCUN1D3. In vivo experiments disclosed that forced expression of lncRNA HAND2-AS1, and inhibited miRNA-93-5p regressed tumor growth. Meanwhile, the same as the results of cell experiments, the expression of miRNA-93-5p was downregulated, and DCUN1D3 expression was advanced in tumor tissues. To conclude, lncRNA HAND2-AS1 exerted anti-tumor effects and regulated BCa cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by targeting miRNA-93-5p/DCUN1D3.

lncRNA VIM-AS1 acts as a prognostic biomarker and promotes apoptosis in lung adenocarcinoma

Background: Long non-coding RNA VIM-antisense 1 (VIM-AS1) has been reported that it is involved in the progression of several cancers. However, the aberrant expression profile, clinical significance, and biological function of VIM-AS1in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) have not been fully described. We tend to perform a comprehensive analysis to identify the clinical prognostic value of VIM-AS1 for LUAD patients and explore its potential molecular mechanisms in LUAD development. Methods: The expression features of VIM-AS1 in LUAD were identified based on Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) and genotypic tissue expression (GTEx). The LUAD patients' lung tissues were collected to testify above expression features. Survival analysis and COX regression analysis were performed to evaluate the prognostic value of VIM-AS1 in LUAD patients. Then Correlation analysis was performed to filter VIM-AS1 co-expression genes, and their molecular functions were constructed. Furtherly, we constructed the lung carcinoma A549 cell line with VIM-AS1 overexpression to test its effect on cell function. Results: VIM-AS1 expression levels were significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues. VIM-AS1 with low expression is significantly associated with short overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), progress free interval (PFI), late T pathological stage, and lymph node metastasis for LUAD patients. The low expression level of VIM-AS1 was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis for LUAD patients. The biological functions of co-expressed genes indicated that VIM-AS1 regulating the apoptosis process may be the potential mechanism for LUAD. Specifically, we testified VIM-AS1 can promote apoptosis in A549 cells. Conclusion: VIM-AS1 was significantly downregulated in LUAD tissues, and it can be a promising prognostic index for LUAD development. VIM-AS1 regulating apoptotic effects may play important roles in LUAD progression.

lncRNA-mediated ceRNA network in bladder cancer

Bladder cancer is a common disease associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Although immunotherapy approaches such as adoptive T-cell therapy and immune checkpoint blockade have been investigated for the treatment of bladder cancer, their off-target effects and ability to affect only single targets have led to clinical outcomes that are far from satisfactory. Therefore, it is important to identify novel targets that can effectively control tumor growth and metastasis. It is well known that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are powerful regulators of gene expression. Increasing evidence has shown that dysregulated lncRNAs in bladder cancer are involved in cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In this review, we focus on the roles and underlying mechanisms of lncRNA-mediated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks in the regulation of bladder cancer progression. In addition, we discuss the potential of targeting lncRNA-mediated ceRNA networks to overcome cancer treatment resistance and its association with clinicopathological features and outcomes in bladder cancer patients. We hope this review will stimulate research to develop more effective therapeutic approaches for bladder cancer treatment.

Construction of five cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis and immune activity in skin cutaneous melanoma

Cuproptosis is a newly discovered new mechanism of programmed cell death, and its unique pathway to regulate cell death is thought to have a unique role in understanding cancer progression and guiding cancer therapy. However, this regulation has not been studied in SKCM at present. In this study, data on Skin Cutaneous Melanoma (SKCM) patients were downloaded from the TCGA database. We screened the genes related to cuproptosis from the published papers and confirmed the lncRNAs related to them. We applied Univariate/multivariate and LASSO Cox regression algorithms, and finally identified 5 cuproptosis-related lncRNAs for constructing prognosis prediction models (VIM-AS1, AC012443.2, MALINC1, AL354696.2, HSD11B1-AS1). The reliability and validity test of the model indicated that the model could well distinguish the prognosis and survival of SKCM patients. Next, immune microenvironment, immunotherapy analysis, and functional enrichment analysis were also performed. In conclusion, this study is the first analysis based on cuproptosis-related lncRNAs in SKCM and aims to open up new directions for SKCM therapy.

Necroptosis-related lncRNA signatures determine prognosis in breast cancer patients

Necroptosis is a genetically regulated form of necrotic cell death that has emerged as an important pathway in cancers. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators of breast cancer development. Nevertheless, few studies are reporting the effect of lncRNAs in necroptosis processes and the role of necroptosis-related lncRNAs (NRLs). The present study aimed to construct a prognostic model based on NRLs in breast cancer. NRLs were identified by combining expression profiling data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with necroptosis-related genes. The non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) clustering analysis was conducted to identify molecular subtypes of BC, and the clinical outcome and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs) in the different molecular subtypes were analyzed. Four molecular subtypes based on NRLs were identified, and these four molecular subtypes could predict clinical features, prognosis, and tumor-infiltrating immune cells (TIICs). A 4-NRLs signature and nomogram were established and validated its predictive capability of overall survival (OS) in breast cancer patients. Analyses of clinicopathological features, prognosis, TIICs, tumor microenvironment (TME), somatic mutations, and drug response revealed significant differences between the two risk groups. In addition, we found that low-risk patients exhibited higher levels of immune checkpoints and showed higher immunogenicity in immunophenoscore (IPS) analysis. In conclusion, we constructed a prognostic model based on the expression profile of NRLs, which may facilitate the assessment of patient prognosis, immunotherapeutic responses, and maybe a promising therapeutic target in clinical practice.

The Prognostic Value of the Circulating Tumor Cell-Based Four mRNA Scoring System: A New Non-Invasive Setting for the Management of Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer (BC) is one of the most expensive lifetime cancers to treat because of the high recurrence rate, repeated surgeries, and long-term cystoscopy monitoring and treatment. The lack of an accurate classification system predicting the risk of recurrence or progression leads to the search for new biomarkers and strategies. Our pilot study aimed to identify a prognostic gene signature in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) isolated by ScreenCell devices from muscle invasive and non-muscle invasive BC patients. Through the PubMed database and Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, a panel of 15 genes modulated in BC with respect to normal tissues was selected. Their expression was evaluated in CTCs and thanks to the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis, EGFR, TRPM4, TWIST1, and ZEB1 were recognized as prognostic biomarkers. Thereafter, by using the risk score model, we demonstrated that this 4-gene signature significantly grouped patients into high- and low-risk in terms of recurrence free survival (HR = 2.704, 95% CI = 1.010−7.313, Log-rank p < 0.050). Overall, we identified a new prognostic signature that directly impacted the prediction of recurrence, improving the choice of the best treatment for BC patients.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition based diagnostic and prognostic signature markers in non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive bladder cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Diagnostic and prognostic significance of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated biomarkers are evaluated in a cohort of NMIBC (non-muscle invasive bladder cancer) and MIBC (muscle invasive bladder cancer) patients.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were carried out in 100 tumor specimens (59 NMIBC and 41 MIBC). The expressions of the epithelial marker, mesenchymal markers and EMT-activating transcription factors (EMT-ATFs) were determined at transcriptome and protein level followed by their statistical associations with clinicohistopathological variables of the patients. Transcriptomic expression analysis showed statistical relevance of tumor stage with increased Twist and Zeb-1; tumor type with reduced E-cadherin and increased Snail; and smoking/tobacco chewing status (S/TC) of patients with increased N-cadherin and Snail in NMIBC patients. Tumor grade with reduced message E-cadherin, gain of N-cadherin, Snail, Twist and Zeb-1; patients' age with reduced E-cadherin and Twist gain; and tumor type with increased message N-cadherin exhibited associations in MIBC patients. Protein expression analysis identified statistical relevance of tumor grade with nuclear gain of Snail and Twist; and nuclear gain of Slug with S/TC status of NMIBC patients. Novel gain of membranous Vimentin deduced association with patients' age in MIBC patients. Survival analysis identified novel Vimentin as the positive predictor of short progression free survival (PFS) and short overall survival (OS) in MIBC patients. Study established altered EMT profile as the independent negative predictor of short recurrence free survival (RFS) in NMIBC patients and positive predictor of short PFS and OS in MIBC patients.

CONCLUSIONS

EMT associated biomarkers could provide diagnostic and prognostic risk stratification and hence could be of importance in the clinical management of bladder cancer patients.

CRTAC1 (Cartilage acidic protein 1) inhibits cell proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in bladder cancer by downregulating Yin Yang 1 (YY1) to inactivate the TGF-β pathway

Cartilage acidic protein 1 (CRTAC1) is predicted to be aberrantly expressed in bladder cancer based on bioinformatics analysis. However, its functions and molecular mechanism in bladder cancer remain elusive. This study aimed to explore the role of CRTAC1 in bladder cancer. The mRNA and protein levels of CRTAC1 and Yin Yang 1 (YY1) were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. We found that CRTAC1 was downregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells. Cell Counting Kit-8 assays, colony formation assays, wound healing assays and Transwell assays and western blotting revealed that CRTAC1 overexpression inhibited cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in bladder cancer, while CRTAC1 knockdown exerted opposite effects on these malignant behaviors. Mechanistically, CRTAC1 targeted YY1 in bladder cancer cells. YY1 was upregulated in bladder cancer tissues and cells. CRTAC1 negatively modulated the mRNA and protein expression of YY1 in bladder cancer cells. Co-localization of CRTAC1 and YY1 expression was assessed using immunofluorescence staining and Co-Immunoprecipitation assays. The interaction between CRTAC1 and YY1 was explored by Chromatin immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays. Moreover, CRTAC1 inactivated the TGF-β pathway by downregulating YY1 expression. Protein levels of factors associated with the TGF-β pathway were examined by western blotting. Rescue assays indicated that CRTAC1 inhibited malignant behaviors of bladder cancer cells by targeting YY1. Overall, CRTAC1 inhibited malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells by targeting YY1 to inactivate the TGF-β pathway.