miR-325-3p Overexpression Inhibits Proliferation and Metastasis of Bladder Cancer Cells by Regulating MT3

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.

The role of tumour microenvironment-driven miRNAs in the chemoresistance of muscle-invasive bladder cancer-a review

Successful treatment for muscle-invasive bladder cancer is challenged by the ability of cancer cells to resist chemotherapy. While enormous progress has been made toward understanding the divergent molecular mechanisms underlying chemoresistance, the heterogenous interplay between the bladder tumour and its microenvironment presents significant challenges in comprehending the occurrence of chemoresistance. The last decade has seen exponential interest in the exploration of microRNA (miRNA) as a tool in the management of chemoresistance. In this review, we highlight the miRNAs involved in the tumour microenvironment crosstalk that contributes to the chemoresistance in bladder cancer. Decrypting the role of miRNAs in the interplay beholds scope for future clinical translational application in managing the long-standing concerns of chemoresistance in muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Spatial Transcriptomics analysis of uterine gene expression in enhancer of Zeste homolog 2 (Ezh2) conditional knockout mice

Histone proteins undergo various modifications that alter chromatin structure, including addition of methyl groups. Enhancer of homolog 2 (EZH2), is a histone methyltransferase that methylates lysine residue 27, and thereby, suppresses gene expression. EZH2 plays integral role in the uterus and other reproductive organs. We have previously shown that conditional deletion of uterine EZH2 results in increased proliferation of luminal and glandular epithelial cells, and RNAseq analyses reveal several uterine transcriptomic changes in Ezh2 conditional (c) knockout (KO) mice that can affect estrogen signaling pathways. To pinpoint the origin of such gene expression changes, we used the recently developed spatial transcriptomics (ST) method with the hypotheses that Ezh2cKO mice would predominantly demonstrate changes in epithelial cells and/or ablation of this gene would disrupt normal epithelial/stromal gene expression patterns. Uteri were collected from ovariectomized adult WT and Ezh2cKO mice and analyzed by ST. Asb4, Cxcl14, Dio2, and Igfbp5 were increased, Sult1d1, Mt3, and Lcn2 were reduced in Ezh2cKO uterine epithelium vs. WT epithelium. For Ezh2cKO uterine stroma, differentially expressed key hub genes included Cald1, Fbln1, Myh11, Acta2, and Tagln. Conditional loss of uterine Ezh2 also appears to shift the balance of gene expression profiles in epithelial vs. stromal tissue toward uterine epithelial cell and gland development and proliferation, consistent with uterine gland hyperplasia in these mice. Current findings provide further insight into how EZH2 may selectively affect uterine epithelial and stromal compartments. Additionally, these transcriptome data might provide the mechanistic understanding and valuable biomarkers for human endometrial disorders with epigenetic underpinnings.

LncRNA MSC-AS1 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression by Regulating miR-325/TRIM14 Axis

Background

LncRNA MSC-AS1 has been reported to be a tumor promoter in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the function of MSC-AS1 in colorectal cancer (CRC) has not been elucidated. It is designed to study the expression level of MSC-AS1 and investigate its biological effect on the progression of CRC.

Methods

The expression patterns of MSC-AS1, miR-325, and TRIM14 were explored by RT-qPCR in CRC tissues and cells. The protein expression of TRIM14 was tested by Western blot assay. The association between MSC-AS1 expression and clinicopathological data was analyzed by chi-squared test. CCK-8 assay, colony formation, and Transwell assay were used to investigate the effect of MSC-AS1 on cell growth, invasion, and migration in CRC cells. The correlations among MSC-AS1, miR-325, and TRIM14 were analyzed by Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis.

Results

We found that MSC-AS1 and TRIM14 were upregulated in CRC tissues, while miR-325 was downregulated in CRC tissues. Functional experiments demonstrated that MSC-AS1 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities in CRC cells. Additionally, miR-325 was proved to be a target miRNA of MSC-AS1, and TRIM14 might be a downstream gene of miR-325. Besides that, MSC-AS1 counteracted the inhibitory effect of miR-325 on the cell progression and TRIM14 expression.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that MSC-AS1 facilitated CRC progression by sponging miR-325 to upregulate TRIM14 expression. We suggested that MSC-AS1 might be a potential lncRNA-target for CRC therapy.