MiR-122 inhibits cell proliferation and tumorigenesis of breast cancer by targeting IGF1R. PLoS One. 2012;7:e47053. [PMID: 23056576 PMCID: PMC3466252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047053]

Impact of microRNA variants on PI3K/AKT signaling in triple-negative breast cancer: comprehensive review

Breast cancer (BC) is a significant cause of cancer-related mortality, and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive subtype associated with high mortality rates, especially among younger females. TNBC poses a considerable clinical challenge due to its aggressive tumor behavior and limited therapeutic options. Aberrations within the PI3K/AKT pathway are prevalent in TNBC and correlate with increased therapeutic intervention resistance and poor outcomes. MicroRNAs (miRs) have emerged as crucial PI3K/AKT pathway regulators influencing various cellular processes involved in TNBC pathogenesis. The levels of miRs, including miR-193, miR-4649-5p, and miR-449a, undergo notable changes in TNBC tumor tissues, emphasizing their significance in cancer biology. This review explored the intricate interplay between miR variants and PI3K/AKT signaling in TNBC. The review focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying miR-mediated dysregulation of this pathway and highlighted specific miRs and their targets. In addition, we explore the clinical implications of miR dysregulation in TNBC, particularly its correlation with TNBC prognosis and therapeutic resistance. Elucidating the roles of miRs in modulating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway will enhance our understanding of TNBC biology and unveil potential therapeutic targets. This comprehensive review aims to discuss current knowledge and open promising avenues for future research, ultimately facilitating the development of precise and effective treatments for patients with TNBC.

Dysregulation of miR-122, miR-574 and miR-375 in Egyptian patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The early detection of breast cancer (BC) is receiving global attention, creating an urgent need for more sensitive and comprehensive strategies for preventive intervention, therapy assessment, and prognosis prediction. Aberrant expression of miRNAs has been observed in various malignancies and may be potential targets for therapy. Our study aims to examine the expression profiles of miR-375, miR-574-3p, and miR-122 in the sera of Egyptian women with BC, benign breast lesions, and a control group. We hope to determine if these miRNAs can serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for BC.

METHODS

This is a case-control study in which 77 patients with newly diagnosed BC, 20 patients with benign breast tumors, and 30 normal healthy subjects as controls were recruited from the outpatient clinic of the National Cancer Institute. The assessment of miRNAs was conducted using RT-PCR (Applied Biosystems).

RESULTS

The expression level of miRNA-122 was significantly upregulated in the BC group, while the expression levels of miRNA-574 and miRNA-375 showed significant downregulation in BC patients. Serum miR-122 and miRNA-375 were able to distinguish breast cancer from the benign and control groups in ROC curve analysis, with AUCs of 0.786 and 0.796, respectively. Our results also showed that serum miR-122 and miR-574 are significant predictor variables in the multivariate analysis, after adjusting for age.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that miR-122 may act as an onco-microRNA, while miR-574 and miR-375 may have a main tumour suppressor role. The studied miRNAs may serve as minimally invasive biomarkers for cases of breast cancer and as promising potential therapeutic targets for breast cancer.

microRNAs and their therapeutic strategy in phase I and phase II clinical trials

miRNAs play a crucial therapeutic role in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and viral infections, with around 1900 identified in the human genome. Some have progressed to clinical trials, and miRNA mimics and miRNA inhibitors are pivotal therapeutic molecules undergoing evaluation. The review delves into various miRNA-associated clinical trials, emphasizing their precision in targeting specific genes, modulating disease pathways and diagnostic potential. This underscores the importance of miRNA therapy, foreseeing innovations in precision medicine techniques for diverse diseases. The future envisions improved delivery systems addressing challenges like immunogenicity and digestion, while a comprehensive miRNA-based omics database could guide the development of tailored antisense miRNAs, further advancing precision medicine strategies.

The crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways in human cancers: Potential therapeutic implications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized as central players in the regulation of eukaryotic physiological processes. These small double stranded RNA molecules have emerged as pivotal regulators in the intricate network of cellular signaling pathways, playing significant roles in the development and progression of human cancers. The central theme in miRNA-mediated regulation of signaling pathways involves their ability to target and modulate the expression of pathway components. Aberrant expression of miRNAs can either promote or suppress key signaling events, influencing critical cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. For example, oncogenic miRNAs often promote cancer progression by targeting tumor suppressors or negative regulators of signaling pathways, thereby enhancing pathway activity. Conversely, tumor-suppressive miRNAs frequently inhibit oncogenic signaling by targeting key components within these pathways. This complex regulatory crosstalk underscores the significance of miRNAs as central players in shaping the signaling landscape of cancer cells. Furthermore, the therapeutic implications of targeting miRNAs in cancer are substantial. miRNAs can be manipulated to restore normal signaling pathway activity, offering a potential avenue for precision medicine. The development of miRNA-based therapeutics, including synthetic miRNA mimics and miRNA inhibitors, has shown promise in preclinical and clinical studies. These strategies aim to either enhance the activity of tumor-suppressive miRNAs or inhibit the function of oncogenic miRNAs, thereby restoring balanced signaling and impeding cancer progression. In conclusion, the crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways in human cancers is a dynamic and influential aspect of cancer biology. Understanding this interplay provides valuable insights into cancer development and progression. Harnessing the therapeutic potential of miRNAs as regulators of signaling pathways opens up exciting opportunities for the development of innovative cancer treatments with the potential to improve patient outcomes. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the crosstalk between miRNAs and signaling pathways in the context of cancer and highlight the potential therapeutic implications of targeting this regulatory interplay.

The Impact of miR-122 on Cancer

MiRNAs are confirmed to be a kind of short and eminently conserved noncoding RNAs, which regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level via binding to the 3'- untranslated region (3'-UTR) of targeting multiple target messenger RNAs. Recently, growing evidence stresses the point that they play a crucial role in a variety of pathological processes, including human cancers. Dysregulated miRNAs act as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes in many cancer types. Among them, we noticed that miR-122 has been widely reported to significantly influence carcinogenicity in a variety of tumors by regulating target genes and signaling pathways. Here, we focused on the expression of miR-122 in regulatory mechanisms and tumor biological processes. We also discussed the effects of miR-122 dysregulation in various types of human malignancies and the potential to develop new molecular miR-122-targeted therapies. The present review suggests that miR-122 may be a potentially useful cancer diagnosis and treatment biomarker. More clinical diagnoses need to be further launched in the future. A promising direction to improve the outcomes for cancer patients will likely combine miR-122 with other traditional tumor biomarkers.

Organotypic 3D Cell-Architecture Impacts the Expression Pattern of miRNAs-mRNAs Network in Breast Cancer SKBR3 Cells

BACKGROUND

Currently, most of the research on breast cancer has been carried out in conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures due to its practical benefits, however, the three-dimensional (3D) cell culture is becoming the model of choice in cancer research because it allows cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, mimicking the native microenvironment of tumors in vivo.

METHODS

In this work, we evaluated the effect of 3D cell organization on the expression pattern of miRNAs (by Small-RNAseq) and mRNAs (by microarrays) in the breast cancer SKBR3 cell line and analyzed the biological processes and signaling pathways regulated by the differentially expressed protein-coding genes (DE-mRNAs) and miRNAs (DE-microRNAs) found in the organoids.

RESULTS

We obtained well-defined cell-aggregated organoids with a grape cluster-like morphology with a size up to 9.2 × 105 μm3. The transcriptomic assays showed that cell growth in organoids significantly affected (all p < 0.01) the gene expression patterns of both miRNAs, and mRNAs, finding 20 upregulated and 19 downregulated DE-microRNAs, as well as 49 upregulated and 123 downregulated DE-mRNAs. In silico analysis showed that a subset of 11 upregulated DE-microRNAs target 70 downregulated DE-mRNAs. These genes are involved in 150 gene ontology (GO) biological processes such as regulation of cell morphogenesis, regulation of cell shape, regulation of canonical Wnt signaling pathway, morphogenesis of epithelium, regulation of cytoskeleton organization, as well as in the MAPK and AGE-RAGE signaling KEGG-pathways. Interestingly, hsa-mir-122-5p (Fold Change (FC) = 15.4), hsa-mir-369-3p (FC = 11.4), and hsa-mir-10b-5p (FC = 20.1) regulated up to 81% of the 70 downregulated DE-mRNAs.

CONCLUSION

The organotypic 3D cell-organization architecture of breast cancer SKBR3 cells impacts the expression pattern of the miRNAs-mRNAs network mainly through overexpression of hsa-mir-122-5p, hsa-mir-369-3p, and hsa-mir-10b-5p. All these findings suggest that the interaction between cell-cell and cell-ECM as well as the change in the culture architecture impacts gene expression, and, therefore, support the pertinence of migrating breast cancer research from conventional cultures to 3D models.

The role and mechanism of action of microRNA-122 in cancer: Focusing on the liver

microRNA-122 (miR-122) is a highly conserved microRNA that is predominantly expressed in the liver and plays a critical role in the regulation of liver metabolism. Recent studies have shown that miR-122 is involved in the pathogenesis of various types of cancer, particularly liver cancer. In this sense, The current findings highlighted the potential role of miR-122 in regulating many vital processes in cancer pathophysiology, including apoptosis, signaling pathway, cell metabolism, immune system response, migration, and invasion. These results imply that miR-122, which has been extensively studied for its biological functions and potential therapeutic applications, acts as a tumor suppressor or oncogene in cancer development. We first provide an overview and summary of the physiological function and mode of action of miR-122 in liver cancer. We will examine the various signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms through which miR-122 exerts its effects on cancer cells, including the regulation of oncogenic and tumor suppressor genes, the modulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis, and the regulation of metastasis. Most importantly, we will also discuss the potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications of miR-122 in cancer, including the development of miRNA-based biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, and the potential use of miR-122 as a therapeutic target for cancer treatment.

Fusobacterium nucleatum promotes colorectal cancer metastasis by excretion of miR-122-5p from cells via exosomes

Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) infection and microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) development, but the mechanism by which Fn regulates tumor-suppressive miRNAs via exosomes and facilitates CRC metastasis remains unclear. Here, we identified that Fn infection significantly increased exosomal miR-122-5p levels in the serum of CRC patients and CRC cell culture supernatants through two miRNA panels of high-throughput sequencing and RT-qPCR analysis. In Fn-infected patients, the serum exosomal levels of miR-122-5p were negatively associated with their expression levels of tissues. Downregulated miR-122-5p was demonstrated to enhance the migration, invasion, and metastasis abilities of CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. Secretion of miR-122-5p into exosomes is mediated by hnRNPA2B1. Mechanistically, Fn activated the TGF-β1/Smads signaling pathway to promote EMT by regulation of the miR-122-5p/FUT8 axis. In conclusion, Fn infection may stimulate CRC cells to excrete exosome-wrapped miR-122-5p, and activate the FUT8/TGF-β1/Smads axis to promote metastasis.

Cancer-cell-secreted extracellular vesicles target p53 to impair mitochondrial function in muscle

Skeletal muscle loss and weakness are associated with bad prognosis and poorer quality of life in cancer patients. Tumor-derived factors have been implicated in muscle dysregulation by inducing cachexia and apoptosis. Here, we show that extracellular vesicles secreted by breast cancer cells impair mitochondrial homeostasis and function in skeletal muscle, leading to decreased mitochondrial content and energy production and increased oxidative stress. Mechanistically, miR-122-5p in cancer-cell-secreted EVs is transferred to myocytes, where it targets the tumor suppressor TP53 to decrease the expression of TP53 target genes involved in mitochondrial regulation, including Tfam, Pgc-1α, Sco2, and 16S rRNA. Restoration of Tp53 in muscle abolishes mitochondrial myopathology in mice carrying breast tumors and partially rescues their impaired running capacity without significantly affecting muscle mass. We conclude that extracellular vesicles from breast cancer cells mediate skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction in cancer and may contribute to muscle weakness in some cancer patients.

Estrogen receptor alpha mutations regulate gene expression and cell growth in breast cancer through microRNAs

Estrogen receptor α (ER) mutations occur in up to 30% of metastatic ER-positive breast cancers. Recent data has shown that ER mutations impact the expression of thousands of genes not typically regulated by wildtype ER. While the majority of these altered genes can be explained by constant activity of mutant ER or genomic changes such as altered ER binding and chromatin accessibility, as much as 33% remain unexplained, indicating the potential for post-transcriptional effects. Here, we explored the role of microRNAs in mutant ER-driven gene regulation and identified several microRNAs that are dysregulated in ER mutant cells. These differentially regulated microRNAs target a significant portion of mutant-specific genes involved in key cellular processes. When the activity of microRNAs is altered using mimics or inhibitors, significant changes are observed in gene expression and cellular proliferation related to mutant ER. An in-depth evaluation of miR-301b led us to discover an important role for PRKD3 in the proliferation of ER mutant cells. Our findings show that microRNAs contribute to mutant ER gene regulation and cellular effects in breast cancer cells.

Expression of genes related to iron homeostasis in breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The dysfunctions in the metabolism of iron have an important role in many pathological conditions, ranging from disease with iron deposition to cancer. Studies on malignant diseases of the breast reported irregular expression in genes associated with iron metabolism. The variations are related to findings that have prognostic significance. This study evaluated the relationship of the expression levels of transferrin receptor 1 (TFRC), iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1), hepcidin (HAMP), ferroportin 1 (FPN1), hemojuvelin (HFE2), matriptase 2 (TMPRSS6), and miR-122 genes in the normal and malignant tissues of breast cancer patients.

METHODS & RESULTS

The normal and malignant tissues from 75 women with breast malignancies were used in this study. The patients did not receive any treatment previously. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used in figuring the levels of gene expression associated with iron metabolism. When the malignant and normal tissues gene expression levels were analyzed, expression of TFRC increased (1.586-fold); IRP1 (0.594 fold) and miR-122 (0.320 fold) expression decreased; HAMP, FPN1, HFE2, and TMPRSS6 expressions did not change. FPN1 and IRP1 had a positive association, and this association was statistically significant (r = 0.266; p = 0.022). IRP1 and miR-122 had a positive association, and this association had statistical significance (r = 0.231; p = 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study portrayed the important association between genes involved in iron hemostasis and breast malignancy. The results could be used to establish new diagnostic techniques in the management of breast malignancies. The alterations in the metabolism of malignant breast cells with normal breast cells could be utilized to achieve advantages in treatment.

Crocin suppresses breast cancer cell proliferation by down-regulating tumor promoter miR-122-5p and up-regulating tumor suppressors FOXP2 and SPRY2

Crocin has been reported to have antitumor activity in several tumors including breast cancer. Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of crocin on breast cancer remains unclear. The cytotoxicity of crocin was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Cell proliferation was assessed using EdU incorporation assay and western blot analysis. Breast cancer-related genes were extracted from GEPIA. miR-122-5p targets were predicted using Targetscan, starbase, and miRDB softwares. Luciferase reporter assay was employed to confirm whether miR-122-5p targeted sprouty2 (SPRY2) and forkhead box P2 (FOXP2). Results showed that crocin exhibited cytotoxicity and suppressed the proliferation in breast cancer cells. miR-122-5p was upregulated in breast cancer tissues and cells. Crocin suppressed miR-122-5p to block the proliferation of breast cancer cells. Seven targets of miR-122-5p were identified in breast cancer. SPRY2 and FOXP2 were selected for further experiments due to their involvement in breast cancer. miR-122-5p targeted SPRY2 and FOXP2 to inhibit their expression. miR-122-5p knockdown restrained breast cancer cell proliferation by targeting SPRY2 and FOXP2. Additionally, crocin increased SPRY2 and FOXP2 expression by inhibiting miR-122-5p expression. Together, our results suggested that crocin inhibited proliferation of breast cancer cells through decreasing miR-122-5p expression and the subsequent increase of SPRY2 and FOXP2 expression.

NCMD: Node2vec-Based Neural Collaborative Filtering for Predicting MiRNA-Disease Association

Numerous studies have reported that micro RNAs (miRNAs) play pivotal roles in disease pathogenesis based on the deregulation of the expressions of target messenger RNAs. Therefore, the identification of disease-related miRNAs is of great significance in understanding human complex diseases, which can also provide insight into the design of novel prognostic markers and disease therapies. Considering the time and cost involved in wet experiments, most recent works have focused on the effective and feasible modeling of computational frameworks to uncover miRNA-disease associations. In this study, we propose a novel framework called node2vec-based neural collaborative filtering for predicting miRNA-disease association (NCMD) based on deep neural networks. Initially, NCMD exploits Node2vec to learn low-dimensional vector representations of miRNAs and diseases. Next, it utilizes a deep learning framework that combines the linear ability of generalized matrix factorization and nonlinear ability of a multilayer perceptron. Experimental results clearly demonstrate the comparable performance of NCMD relative to the state-of-the-art methods according to statistical measures. In addition, case studies on breast cancer, lung cancer and pancreatic cancer validate the effectiveness of NCMD. Extensive experiments demonstrate the benefits of modeling a neural collaborative-filtering-based approach for discovering novel miRNA-disease associations.

Method development and validation for quantification of six bioactive compounds (andrographolide, columbin, piperine, gallic, paracoumaric and oleanolic acids) by HPTLC

OBJECTIVES

During the spread of pandemic diseases, immunity boosting herbal drugs are taken as a preventive medicine. Kapacurak Kuṭinīr Cūraṇam is a Siddha drug used for flu like viral infections, cold and fever. Developing an analytical method to estimate the content of active phytoconstituents in such antiviral immune boosting drug will be useful in the phyto pharmaceutical industry.

METHODS

A precise, reliable and sensitive ordinary phase high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method has been developed and validated for identification and simultaneous estimation of six bioactive components namely like andrographolide, columbin, gallic acid, ρ-coumaric acid, piperine and oleanolic acid from any Indian traditional medicine, medicinal plant, drugs and food materials etc. The separation was achieved on silica gel 60F₂₅₄ TLC plates using toluene: ethyl acetate: formic acid (7:3:0.5, v/v) as mobile phase. The gallic acid, ρ-coumaric acid, piperine markers were estimated using the densitometric scanning in absorption mode at 254 nm. The densitometric scanning was done after derivatization (vanillin-sulphuric acid reagent) at λ=520 nm for andrographolide, columbin and oleanolic acid.

RESULTS

The linear regression analysis data for the calibration plots showed a correlation coefficient in the concentration range 1-5 μg per band for the bioactive markers with respect to area. The method was validated for accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and quantitation of limit (LOQ).

CONCLUSIONS

Developed method was accurate, precise and fast to ensure the quality of Kapacurak Kuṭinīr Cūraṇam.

MicroRNA-122 in human cancers: from mechanistic to clinical perspectives

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous short non-coding RNAs that can regulate the expression of target genes post-transcriptionally and interact with mRNA-coding genes. MiRNAs play vital roles in many biological functions, and abnormal miRNA expression has been linked to various illnesses, including cancer. Among the miRNAs, miR-122, miR-206, miR-21, miR-210, miR-223, and miR-424 have been extensively studied in various cancers. Although research in miRNAs has grown considerably over the last decade, much is yet to be discovered, especially regarding their role in cancer therapies. Several kinds of cancer have been linked to dysregulation and abnormal expression of miR-122, indicating that miR-122 may serve as a diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarker for human cancer. Consequently, in this review literature, miR-122 has been analyzed in numerous cancer types to sort out the function of cancer cells miR-122 and enhance patient response to standard therapy.

Exosomes in chronic liver disease

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is the major cause of mortality and morbidity, particularly in developing countries. Although there has been a significant advancement in the identification and treatment of liver diseases over time, clinical results are not satisfactory in advanced liver disease. Thus, it is crucial to develop certain technology for early detection, and curative therapies and to investigate the molecular mechanisms behind CLD's pathogenesis. The study of exosomes in CLD is a rapidly developing field. They are structurally membrane-derived nano vesicles released by various cells. In CLD, exosomes released from injured hepatic cells affect intercellular communication, creating a microenvironment conducive to the illness's development. They also carry liver cell-specific proteins and miRNAs, which can be used as diagnostic biomarkers and treatment targets for various liver diseases. End-stage liver disease can only be treated by a liver transplant, however, the low availability of compatible organs, high expenses of treatment, and surgical complications significantly lower patient survival rates. Early diagnosis and therapeutic intervention of CLD positively affect the likelihood of curative treatment and high patient survival rates. Considering the possibility that exosomes could be employed as tools for disease diagnostics and clinical intervention, The current study briefly summarizes the roles of exosomes and their cargo in diagnosing and treating liver diseases.

Transcriptomic profiles-based approach to decode the role of miR-122 in triple negative breast cancer

miR-122 has been considered both as tumor suppressor miRNA and oncomiR in breast tumor phenotypes. However, the role of miR-122 in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is still unknown. In this study, the clinical value of miR-122 was used to describe the transcriptomic landscape of TNBC tumors obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Low expression levels of miR-122 were associated with poor overall survival (OS) of TNBC patients than those with higher expression levels of miR-122. We identified gene expression profiles in TNBC tumors expressed lower or higher miR-122. Gene coexpression networks analysis revealed gene modules and hub genes specific to TNBC tumors with low or high miR-122 levels. Gene ontology and KEGG pathways analysis revealed that gene modules in TNBC with gain of miR-122 were related to cell cycle and DNA repair, while in TNBC with loss of miR-122 were enriched in cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis and activation of cell migration and invasion. The expression of hub genes distinguished TNBC tumors with gain or loss of miR-122 from normal breast tissues. Furthermore, high levels of hub genes were associated with better OS in TNBC patients. Interestingly, the gene coexpression network related to loss of miR-122 were enriched with target genes of miR-122, but this did not observed in those with gain of miR-122. Target genes of miR-122 are oncogenes mainly associated with cell differentiation-related processes. Finally, 75 genes were identified exclusively associated to loss of miR-122, which are also implicated in cell differentiation. In conclusion, miR-122 could act as tumor suppressor by controlling oncogenes in TNBC.

miRNA-874-3p inhibits the migration, invasion and proliferation of breast cancer cells by targeting VDAC1

Breast cancer is an important cause of crisis for women's life and health. Voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1) is mainly localized in the outer mitochondrial membrane of all eukaryotes, and it plays a crucial role in the cell as the main interface between mitochondria and cellular metabolism. Through bioinformatics, we found that VDAC1 is abnormally highly expressed in breast cancer, and the prognosis of breast cancer patients with high VDAC1 expression is poor. Through in vivo and in vitro experiments, we found that VDAC1 can promote the proliferation, migration and invasion of breast cancer cells. Further research we found that VDAC1 can activate the wnt signaling pathway. Through analysis, we found that miR-874-3p can regulate the expression of VDAC1, and the expression of miR-874-3p is decreased in breast cancer, resulting in the increase of VDAC1 expression. Our findings will provide new targets and ideas for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.

Evaluation of Cellular miR-122 Expression in Association with the Presence of Varicella-Zoster Virus among Central Nervous System Tumors

Background: Brain tumors are all primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors with unclear etiologies and viral infections, especially human herpesviruses, which have emerged as a hot topic for comprehensive research. Objectives: The present study aimed at assessing the molecular epidemiology of varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and its association with microRNA 122 (miR-122) expression in CNS tumor samples. Methods: Fresh frozen tissue samples were collected from 60 CNS tumor patients and 45 healthy controls. A nested PCR assay was performed to detect the VZV-DNA. Subsequently, the expression level of miR-122 was evaluated in the CNS tumor tissue samples of patients and the brain tissue samples were obtained from healthy controls, using a real-time PCR assay. Results: Of 60 patients with CNS tumors, 29 were men and 31 were women. VZV-DNA was detected in 13.3% of the CNS tumor tissue specimens. There was no statistically significant association between the presence of VZV-DNA and different types of CNS tumors (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the expression level of miR-122 was significantly downregulated in the CNS tumor tissue samples obtained from the patients compared with those of the healthy controls (P < 0.05). Additionally, the expression level of miR-122 was significantly lower in the VZV-positive tumor samples as compared with those of the VZV-negative tumor samples and the healthy controls. Conclusions: Although VZV plays no direct role in the development of CNS tumors, the virus may affect the biology of CNS tumors by decreasing the expression levels of miR-122, which consequently leads to an increased risk of malignancy. However, the experimental data are not conclusive enough; so, further investigations are needed.

Weight loss reduces circulating micro-RNA related to obesity and breast cancer in postmenopausal women

Postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity have an increased risk of developing breast cancer but many of the mechanisms underlying this association remain to be elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), short non-coding single-stranded RNAs, regulate many physiological processes by controlling post-transcriptional regulation of mRNA. We measured circulating miRNA from 192 overweight/obese postmenopausal women (50-75 years) who were part of a randomized controlled trial, comparing independent and combined effects of a 12-month reduced-calorie weight-loss diet and exercise programme, versus control. RNA was extracted from stored plasma samples, and 23 a priori selected miRNA targets related to aetiology of breast cancer or obesity were measured using NanoString nCounter miRNA Expression assays. Changes from baseline to 12-months between controls and women in the diet/exercise weight loss arms were analysed using generalized estimating equations modification of linear regression, adjusted for confounders. We next examined changes in levels of circulating miRNA by amount of weight loss (0-10% versus ≥10%). Participants randomized to weight-loss interventions had statistically significantly greater reductions in miR-122 (-7.25%), compared to controls (+ 33.5%, P = 0.009), and miR-122 levels were statistically significantly correlated with weight loss (rho = 0.24; P = 0.001) Increasing weight loss was associated with greater reductions in miR-122 vs. controls (-11.7% (≥10% weight loss); +2.0% (0-10% weight loss) +33.5% (controls); Ptrend = 0.006), though this was not significant after correction for multiple testing (P = 0.05/23) Our study supports the effect of weight loss on regulation of miRNA.

MicroRNA-122 targets δ-catenin to suppress the tumorigenic potential of prostate cancer cells

δ-Catenin is expressed abundantly in various human cancers, including prostate, brain, breast, and lung carcinomas, and is recognized as an oncogene that promotes cancer cell growth and tumorigenesis. Although several transcriptional and post-translational pathways for δ-catenin regulation have been identified in cancer cells, the potential effects of microRNA-mediated regulation remain elusive. Here, we used a δ-catenin 3'-UTR luciferase reporter assay to identify regulatory microRNAs. Subsequent bioinformatics analyses and molecular studies revealed that overexpression of miR-122 downregulated δ-catenin expression significantly via targeted binding to a seed sequence in the 3'-UTR region of δ-catenin, and suppressed the invasion, migration, and proliferation of prostate cancer cells in vitro. In a TRAMP-C2 mouse syngeneic prostate tumor model, stable expression of miR-122 decreased both δ-catenin expression and tumor growth. Mechanistically, overexpression of miR-122 inhibited the expression of δ-catenin-mediated downstream factors significantly in prostate cancer cells, including c-myc and cyclin D1. In cells overexpressing miR-122, there was no additive or synergistic effect of siRNA-mediated knockdown of δ-catenin on cell invasiveness, and overexpression of miR-122 alone had a more pronounced suppressive effect on cell invasion than knockdown of δ-catenin alone. These results suggest that miR-122 acts as tumor suppressor in prostate cancer, mainly by downregulating δ-catenin expression, but also by targeting other factors. Indeed, subsequent experiments showed that overexpression of miR-122 reduced the levels of the mRNAs encoding myc, snail, and VEGF in prostate cancer cells. Overall, our findings demonstrate that targeting of δ-catenin by miR-122 represses the motility and tumorigenesis of prostate cancer cells, indicating a tumor suppressive effect of this miRNA in prostate cancer.

Metabolic Pathways in Breast Cancer Reprograming: An Insight to Non-Coding RNAs

Cancer cells reprogram their metabolisms to achieve high energetic requirements and produce precursors that facilitate uncontrolled cell proliferation. Metabolic reprograming involves not only the dysregulation in glucose-metabolizing regulatory enzymes, but also the enzymes engaging in the lipid and amino acid metabolisms. Nevertheless, the underlying regulatory mechanisms of reprograming are not fully understood. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) as functional RNA molecules cannot translate into proteins, but they do play a regulatory role in gene expression. Moreover, ncRNAs have been demonstrated to be implicated in the metabolic modulations in breast cancer (BC) by regulating the metabolic-related enzymes. Here, we will focus on the regulatory involvement of ncRNAs (microRNA, circular RNA and long ncRNA) in BC metabolism, including glucose, lipid and glutamine metabolism. Investigation of this aspect may not only alter the approaches of BC diagnosis and prognosis, but may also open a new avenue in using ncRNA-based therapeutics for BC treatment by targeting different metabolic pathways.

Prenatal Exposure to Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Alters the Expression of miR-122-5p and Its Target Igf1r in the Adult Rat Ovary

As cannabis use during pregnancy increases, it is important to understand its effects on the developing fetus. Particularly, the long-term effects of its psychoactive component, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on the offspring’s reproductive health are not fully understood. This study examined the impact of gestational THC exposure on the miRNA profile in adult rat ovaries and the possible consequences on ovarian health. Prenatal THC exposure resulted in the differential expression of 12 out of 420 evaluated miRNAs. From the differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-122-5p, which is highly conserved among species, was the only upregulated target and had the greatest fold change. The upregulation of miR-122-5p and the downregulation of its target insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (Igf1r) were confirmed by RT-qPCR. Prenatally THC-exposed ovaries had decreased IGF-1R-positive follicular cells and increased follicular apoptosis. Furthermore, THC decreased Igf1r expression in ovarian explants and granulosa cells after 48 h. As decreased IGF-1R has been associated with diminished ovarian health and fertility, we propose that these THC-induced changes may partially explain the altered ovarian follicle dynamics observed in THC-exposed offspring. Taken together, our data suggests that prenatal THC exposure may impact key pathways in the developing ovary, which could lead to subfertility or premature reproductive senescence.

Molecular Targets and Signaling Pathways of microRNA-122 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading global causes of cancer mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small interfering RNAs that alleviate the levels of protein expression by suppressing translation, inducing mRNA cleavage, and promoting mRNA degradation. miR-122 is the most abundant miRNA in the liver and is responsible for several liver-specific functions, including metabolism, cellular growth and differentiation, and hepatitis virus replication. Recent studies have shown that aberrant regulation of miR-122 is a key factor contributing to the development of HCC. In this review, the signaling pathways and the molecular targets of miR-122 involved in the progression of HCC have been summarized, and the importance of miR-122 in therapy has been discussed.

Implication of miR-122, miR-483, and miR-335 Expression Levels as Potential Signatures in HCV-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) in Egyptian Patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection as a major risk factor of HCC. Circulating microRNAs are deregulated in HCC and are candidate biomarkers. The aim of this study was to explore the expression profile of miRNA-122, miR-483, and miR-335 in the serum of HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 90 HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, 90 non-malignant HCV patients, and 60 healthy controls were included. Serum microRNAs were measured by a qRT-PCR custom array. The expression levels of miR-122 and miR-483 were upregulated in HCC patients, while the miR-335 expression level was downregulated versus controls and HCV groups. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was created to examine miRNAs. miR-483 presented the best diagnostic potential because it showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for distinguishing HCV-related HCC patients from controls (AUC = 0.98) with 100% sensitivity. Moreover, there was obvious prognostic power in distinguishing HCV from HCC (AUC = 0.95) with 88% sensitivity. In conclusion, studied microRNAs (miR-122, miR-483, and miR-335) could serve as potential non-invasive early diagnostic biomarkers for HCC, and we identified a panel of three serum microRNAs with high accuracy in HCC diagnosis. Additional studies are required to confirm this panel and test its prognostic significance.

Radiation therapy for triple-negative breast cancer: emerging role of microRNAs as biomarkers and radiosensitivity modifiers. A systematic review

PURPOSE

Radiation therapy (RT) for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment is currently delivered in the adjuvant setting and is under investigation as a booster of neoadjuvant treatments. However, TNBC radioresistance remains an obstacle, so new biomarkers are needed to select patients for any integration of RT in the TNBC therapy sequence. MicroRNAs (miRs) are important regulators of gene expression, involved in cancer response to ionizing radiation (IR) and assessable by tumor tissue or liquid biopsy. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the relationships between miRs and response to radiation in TNBC, as well as their potential predictive and prognostic values.

METHODS

A thorough review of studies related to miRs and RT in TNBC was performed on PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. We searched for original English articles that involved dysregulation of miRs in response to IR on TNBC-related preclinical and clinical studies. After a rigorous selection, 44 studies were chosen for further analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-five miRs were identified to be TNBC related, out of which 21 were downregulated, 13 upregulated, and 2 had a double-side expression in this cancer. Expression modulation of many of these miRs is radiosensitizing, among which miR-7, -27a, -34a, -122, and let-7 are most studied, still only in experimental models. The miRs reported as most influencing/reflecting TNBC response to IR are miR-7, -27a, -155, -205, -211, and -221, whereas miR-21, -33a, -139-5p, and -210 are associated with TNBC patient outcome after RT.

CONCLUSION

miRs are emerging biomarkers and radiosensitizers in TNBC, worth further investigation. Dynamic assessment of circulating miRs could improve monitoring and TNBC RT efficacy, which are of particular interest in the neoadjuvant and the high-risk patients' settings.

Decoding Insulin-Like Growth Factor Signaling Pathway From a Non-coding RNAs Perspective: A Step Towards Precision Oncology in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly complex and heterogenous disease. Several oncogenic signaling pathways drive BC oncogenic activity, thus hindering scientists to unravel the exact molecular pathogenesis of such multifaceted disease. This highlights the urgent need to find a key regulator that tunes up such intertwined oncogenic drivers to trim the malignant transformation process within the breast tissue. The Insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathway is a tenacious axis that is heavily intertwined with BC where it modulates the amplitude and activity of vital downstream oncogenic signaling pathways. Yet, the complexity of the pathway and the interactions driven by its different members seem to aggravate its oncogenicity and hinder its target-ability. In this review, the authors shed the light on the stubbornness of the IGF signaling pathway and its potential regulation by non-coding RNAs in different BC subtypes. Nonetheless, this review also spots light on the possible transport systems available for efficient delivery of non-coding RNAs to their respective targets to reach a personalized treatment code for BC patients.

Natural Products Targeting Cancer Stem Cells for Augmenting Cancer Therapeutics

Cancer stem cells (CSC) have been identified in several types of solid tumors. In some cases, CSC may be the source of all the tumor cells, the cause of the tumor's resistance to chemotherapeutic agents, and the source of metastatic cells. Thus, a combination therapy targeting non-CSC tumor cells as well as specifically targeting CSCs holds the potential to be highly effective. Natural products (NPs) have been a historically rich source of biologically active compounds and are known for their ability to influence multiple signaling pathways simultaneously with negligible side effects. In this review, we discuss the potential of NPs in targeting multiple signaling pathways in CSC and their potential to augment the efficacy of standard cancer therapy. Specifically, we focus on the anti-CSC activities of flavonoids, FDA-approved drugs originating from natural sources. Additionally, we emphasize the potential of NPs in targeting microRNA-mediated signaling, given the roles of microRNA in the maintenance of the CSC phenotype.

Overexpression of miR-122 promotes apoptosis of dermal papilla cells by directly targeting IGF1R in androgenetic alopecia

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common pattern of hair loss resulting from the effects of androgen on hair follicle. MicroRNAs (miRs) serve imperative roles in the regulation of many biological processes of hair follicle. However, the exact molecular mechanism of AGA remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we found miR-122, which is mainly recognized as a tumor suppressor, was highly overexpressed in the bulb of balding HFs in comparison with non-balding ones in AGA. Moreover, miR-122 induces apoptosis of human dermal papilla cells (hDPCs) with miR-122 mimics in vitro, and the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) in hDPCs was reduced following upregulation of miR-122. Mechanistically, dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-122 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region of IGF1R.These findings suggested that upregulation of miR-122 induces apoptosis, potentially via the repression of IGF1R in hDPCs of AGA, providing a novel insight into the potential pathological mechanism of miR-122 in AGA DPCs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

LncRNA TMPO-AS1 serves as a sponge for miR-4731-5p modulating breast cancer progression through FOXM1

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the function of IncRNA-TMPO-AS1 in breast cancer (BC) and to further explore its molecular mechanism.

METHODS

TMPO-AS1, miR-4731-5p and FOXM1 were quantitatively determined using qRT-PCR. CCK-8 assays, plate cloning experiments, wound healing and Transwell assays, and flow cytometry were used to assess the biological behaviors of BC cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were used to assess the interactions between TMPO-AS1 and its downstream targets. The apoptosis and cell cycle-related proteins were quantitatively determined using Western blot.

RESULTS

In the BC tissues and cells, TMPO-AS1 was significantly increased (P<0.05). Functional studies suggest that the knockdown of TMPO-AS1 tremendously restrains tumor cell growth and migration (P<0.05). Mechanically, TMPO-AS1 negatively regulates miR-4731-5p and influences the progression of BC through the miR-4731-5p/FOXM1 axis.

CONCLUSION

LncRNA TMPO-AS1spongess miR-4731-5p to modulate BC progression through FOXM1.

Retinoic Acid-Inducible Gene I-Like Receptors Activate Snail To Limit RNA Viral Infections

Retinoic acid-inducible gene I-like receptors (RLRs) are important cytosolic pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) that sense viral RNA before mounting a response leading to the activation of type I IFNs. Several viral infections induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), even as its significance remains unclear. Here, we show that EMT or an EMT-like process is a general response to viral infections. Our studies identify a previously unknown mechanism of regulation of an important EMT-transcription factor (EMT-TF) Snail during RNA viral infections and describe its possible implication. RNA viral infections, poly(I·C) transfection, and ectopic expression of RLR components induced Snail levels, indicating that RLR pathway could regulate its expression. Detailed examination using mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein knockout (MAVS-KO) cells established that MAVS is essential in this regulation. We identified two interferon-stimulated response elements (ISREs) in the SNAI1 promoter region and demonstrated that they are important in its transcriptional activation by phosphorylated IRF3. Increasing the levels of Snail activated RLR pathway and dramatically limited replication of the RNA viruses dengue virus, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and vesicular stomatitis virus, pointing to their antiviral functions. Knockdown of Snail resulted in a considerable increase in the JEV titer, validating its antiviral functions. Finally, transforming growth factor β-mediated IFNB activation was dependent on Snail levels, confirming its important role in type I IFN activation. Thus, EMT-TF Snail is transcriptionally coregulated with type I IFN by RLRs and, in turn, promotes the RLR pathway, further strengthening the antiviral state in the cell. Our work identified an interesting mechanism of regulation of Snail that demonstrates potential coregulation of multiple innate antiviral pathways triggered by RLRs. Identification of antiviral functions of Snail also provides an opportunity to expand the sphere of RLR signaling. IMPORTANCE RLRs sense viral genomic RNA or the double-stranded RNA intermediates and trigger the activation of type I IFNs. Snail transcription factor, commonly associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), has been reported to facilitate EMT in several viral infections. Many of these reports are based on oncoviruses, leading to the speculation that EMT induced during infection is an important factor in the oncogenesis triggered by these infections. However, our studies reveal that EMT or EMT-like processes during viral infections have important functions in antiviral response. We have characterized a new mechanism of transcriptional regulation of Snail by IRF3 through interferon-stimulated response elements in their promoters, and this finding could have importance in nonviral contexts as well. We also identify that EMT-TF Snail promotes antiviral status of the infected cells through the RLR pathway. This study characterizes a new regulatory mechanism of activation of Snail and establishes its unidentified function in antiviral response.

The regulatory role of pivotal microRNAs in the AKT signaling pathway in breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer among women, and it remains the main challenge despite improved treatments. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a small non-coding family of RNAs that play an indispensable role in regulating major physiological processes, including differentiation, proliferation, invasion, migration, cell cycle regulation, stem cell maintenance, apoptosis, and organ development. The dysregulation of these tiny molecules is associated with various human malignancies. More than 50% of these non-coding RNA sequences estimated have been placed on genomic regions or fragile sites linked to cancer. Following the discovery of the first signatures of specific miRNA in breast cancer, numerous researches focused on involving these tiny RNAs in breast cancer physiopathology as a new therapeutic approach or as reliable prognostic biomarkers. In the current review, we focus on recent findings related to the involvement of miRNAs in breast cancer via the AKT signaling pathway and the related clinical implications.

Circular RNA Pleiotrophin promotes carcinogenesis in glioma via regulation of microRNA-122/SRY-box transcription factor 6 axis

BACKGROUND

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are recently identified as gene regulators in mammals and play important roles in carcinogenesis of cancer. For example, circRNA_PTN has been recognized as a biomarker of human cancer and is overexpressed in glioma. The molecular function of circRNA_PTN and its downstream targets in glioma, however, remains elusive.

METHODS

Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was used to measure the expression of circular RNA pleiotrophin (circ_PTN) and miR-122. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide, propidium iodide and Annexin-V/propidium iodide assay were performed to determine cell proliferation and apoptosis of glioma cells. Circular RNA Interactome and TargetScan were used to predict the potential microRNA targeting of circ_PTN and the potential targets of miR-122, respectively. Luciferase activity assay was used to validate these interactions. Downstream molecular mechanisms, including SRY-box transcription factor 6 (SOX6), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK), Cyclin D1, B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL-2) and BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator (BAX), were determined by western blot.

RESULTS

Circ_PTN was overexpressed in glioma cells, and its knockdown induced cell proliferation inhibition, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in glioma cells. The target microRNA of circ_PTN was predicted to be miR-122, the expression of which was negatively correlated with circ_PTN in glioma cells. Moreover, SOX6 was predicted as a potential target of miR-122, and miR-122 overexpression decreased SOX6 expression. MiR-122 inhibitor reversed the tumor-suppressing effects of circ_PTN knockdown, while overexpression of SOX6 impaired the miR-122 overexpression-induced cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. In addition, mitogen activated kinase-like protein (MAPK)/ERK pathway was involved in circ_PTN/miR-122/SOX6 axis.

CONCLUSIONS

Circ_PTN acted as a sponge of miR-122 and upregulated miR-122 target SOX6, thus promoting carcinogenesis of glioma cells.

KIF22 promotes progress of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma cells and is negatively regulated by miR-122

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) increases at fast rate of all cancer types in China, which urges the investigations of its potential mechanism. In this research, a highly expressed kinesin superfamily protein 22 (KIF22) was founded both in ESCC tissues and cancer cell lines. The following experiments pointed out that down-regulation of KIF22 remarkably restrained the malignant progression of ESCC cells. Besides, KIF22 knockdown promoted ESCC cells apoptosis and arrested cells in G0/G1 phase, while KIF22 also regulated the expression of cell cycle- and EMT-related proteins. Previous research revealed that the aberrant expressions of microRNAs (miRNAs) are related to tumors development. Based on the predict result, KIF22 was considered as the target of miR-122, which was demonstrated by luciferase reporter assay. miR-122 inhibitor could significantly reverse the function of KIF22 knockdown, including cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Furthermore, down-expressed miR-122 altered the function of KIF22 knockdown on cell cycle- and EMT-related proteins. In a word, this work illustrated the regulatory function of KIF22/miR-122 axis in ESSC and provided potential targets for potential targets for ESSC treatment.

Regulatory MicroRNAs in T2DM and Breast Cancer

MicroRNAs orchestrate the tight regulation of numerous cellular processes and the deregulation in their activities has been implicated in many diseases, including diabetes and cancer. There is an increasing amount of epidemiological evidence associating diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus, to an elevated risk of various cancer types, including breast cancer. However, little is yet known about the underlying molecular mechanisms and even less about the role miRNAs play in driving the tumorigenic potential of the cell signaling underlying diabetes pathogenesis. This article reviews the role of miRNA in bridging the diabetes–breast cancer association by discussing specific miRNAs that are implicated in diabetes and breast cancer and highlighting the overlap between the disease-specific regulatory miRNA networks to identify a 20-miRNA signature that is common to both diseases. Potential therapeutic targeting of these molecular players may help to alleviate the socioeconomic burden on public health that is imposed by the type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)–breast cancer association.

MACE-Seq-based coding RNA and TrueQuant-based small RNA profile in breast cancer: tumor-suppressive miRNA-1275 identified as a novel marker

Introduction

Disruption of cellular processes in the breast by abnormally expressed miRNA is characterized to develop cancer. We aimed to identify the differential expression of small RNAs (sRNAs) and mRNAs in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue of the breast cancer (BC) and normal adjacent tissue (NAT). Another aim is to determine the differential expression of miR-1275 as a novel biomarker for BC and also identify its target genes.

Methods

TrueQuant method for analysis of sRNA expression and MACE-sequencing method for analysis of gene expression were used analyzing. The RT-qPCR technique was used to confirm miR-1275 down expression. Target genes of miR-1275 were computationally identified using target prediction sites and also the expression level of them was experimentally determined among the expressed genes.

Results

TrueQuant findings showed that 1400 sRNAs were differentially expressed in the FFPE tissue of two Kurdish cases with BC, as compared to NAT. Among the sRNAs, 29 small RNAs were shown to be significantly downregulated in BC cells. The RT-qPCR results confirmed that miR-1275 was significantly down-expressed in 20 Kurdish cases with BC compared to NAT. However, Overall survival (OS) analysis revealed that the correlation between the expression level of miR-1275 and clinical significance was highly corrected in cases with BC (OS rate: P = 0.0401). The MACE-seq results revealed that 26,843 genes were differentially expressed in the BC tissue compared to NAT, but 7041 genes were displayed in a scatter plot. Furthermore, putative target genes (DVL3, PPP2R2D, THSD4, CREB1, SYT7, and PRKACA) were computationally identified as direct targets of miR-1275 in several target predicted sites. The MACE-seq results revealed that the expression level of these targets was increased in BC tissue compared to NAT. The level of these targets was negatively associated with miR-1275 expression. Finally, the role of down-regulated miR-1275 on its targets in biological mechanisms of BC cells was identified; including cell growth, proliferation, movement, invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis.

Conclusion

Down-expressed miR-1275, a tumor suppressor, is a novel biomarker for early detection of BC. DVL3, PPP2R2D, THSD4, CREB1, SYT7, and PRKACA are newly identified to be targeted by miR-1275.

Construction and Comparison of ceRNA Regulatory Network for Different Age Female Breast Cancer

Studies have shown the difference appearing among the prognosis of patients in different age groups. However, the molecular mechanism implicated in this disparity have not been elaborated. In this study, expression profiles of female breast cancer (BRCA) associated mRNAs, lncRNAs and miRNAs were downloaded from the TCGA database. The sample were manually classified into three groups according to their age at initial pathological diagnosis: young (age ≤ 39 years), elderly (age ≥ 65 years), and intermediate (age 40-64 years). lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was respectively constructed for different age BRCA. Then, the biological functions of differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in ceRNA network were further investigated by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Finally, survival analysis was used to identify prognostic biomarkers for different age BRCA patients. We identified 13 RNAs, 38 RNAs and 40 RNAs specific to patients aged ≤ 39 years, aged 40-64 years, and aged ≥ 65 years, respectively. Furthermore, the unique pathways were mainly enriched in cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction in patients aged 40-64 years, and were mainly enriched in TGF-beta signaling pathway in patients aged ≥ 65 years. According to the survival analysis, AGAP11, has-mir-301b, and OSR1 were respectively functioned as prognostic biomarkers in young, intermediate, and elderly group. In summary, our study identified the differences in the ceRNA regulatory networks and provides an effective bioinformatics basis for further understanding of the pathogenesis and predicting outcomes for different age BRCA.

The Roles of Epinephelus coioides miR-122 in SGIV Infection and Replication

In mammals, mature miR-122 is 22 nucleotides long and can be involved in regulating a variety of physiological and biological pathways. In this study, the expression profile and effects of grouper Epinephelus coioides miR-122 response to Singapore grouper iridovirus (SGIV) infection were investigated. The sequences of mature microRNAs (miRNAs) from different organisms are highly conserved, and miR-122 from E. coioides exhibits high similarity to that from mammals and other fish. The expression of miR-122 was up-regulated during SGIV infection. Up-regulation of miR-122 could significantly enhance the cytopathic effects (CPE) induced by SGIV, the transcription levels of viral genes (MCP, VP19, LITAF and ICP18), and viral replication; reduce the expression of inflammatory factors (TNF-a, IL-6, and IL-8), and the activity of AP-1 and NF-κB, and miR-122 can bind the target gene p38α MAPK to regulate the SGIV-induced cell apoptosis and the protease activity of caspase-3. The results indicated that SGIV infection can up-regulate the expression of E. coioides miR-122, and up-regulation of miR-122 can affect the activation of inflammatory factors, the activity of AP-1 and NF-κB, and cell apoptosis to regulate viral replication and proliferation.

Altered expressions of circulating microRNAs 122 and 192 during antitubercular drug induced liver injury indicating their role as potential biomarkers

Drug induced liver toxicity is a serious health complication leading to high mortality rates and post marketing withdrawal of drugs. Although considered to be the gold standard biomarkers; aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase have been found to have specificities beyond liver, therefore more specific and predictive markers for the detection of antitubercular drug mediated liver damage are required. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of currently used first line antitubercular drugs namely isoniazid, rifampicin, pyrazinamide is often accompanied with liver injury, impeding the cure of patients. Keeping in view, the prognostic and diagnostic applications of microRNAs in various diseases, we tried to assess the importance of microRNAs 122 and 192 in antitubercular drug associated liver injuries. The study included subjects having tuberculosis of any type with antitubercular drug induced liver injury; naïve or newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients, tuberculosis patients on drugs not having toxicity and healthy controls. Observations from this study revealed that expression levels of miR-122 and miR-192 were significantly decreased in the serum of antitubercular drug induced liver injury patients only. Therefore, these microRNAs or the pathways associated with them can be used as a tool to predict or cure antitubercular drug associated liver injury in future.

Explore the Effect and Target of Liraglutide on Islet Function in Type 2 Diabetic Rats by miRNA Omics Technology

PURPOSE

To analyze the effect and potential therapeutic targets of liraglutide in type 2 diabetes through miRNA expression profiling.

METHODS

Ten of 30 SPF Wistar rats, males at 4 weeks old, were randomly selected as the control group and given conventional feed, the other rats adopted high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with an intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin to establish a T2DM model. One unsuccessful rat was excluded, and the remaining rats were randomized to the model and the liraglutide group. Liraglutide group was subcutaneously injected with liraglutide 0.11 mg/kg for 8 weeks. The biochemical indicators and staining HE were detected. The expression of miRNA in pancreatic tissue was detected by miRNA sequencing. The intersection of miRNA difference was used to predict the target gene, then functional enrichment was performed to identify its possible biological functions and signal transduction paths. Finally, qRT-PCR was used to verify the results.

RESULTS

Compared to the model group, the level of fasting blood glucose (FBG), glucagon and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) in the liraglutide group were significantly decreased, fasting insulin (FINS) and insulin sensitivity index (ISI) were increased. Nine differential miRNAs (miR-135a-5p, miR-144-5p, miR-21-3p, miR-215, miR-451-5p, miR-486, miR-122-5p, miR-181d-5p and miR-345-5p) were identified at the intersection through two miRNA sequencing. A total of 3359 related target gene predictions were obtained. GO and pathway analyses demonstrated that differentially expressed genes were closely related to cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and proteolysis. Significant signaling pathways included PI signaling system, autophagy, FoxO and HIF-1 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Liraglutide could improve islet function by regulating nine miRNAs, and the related signaling pathways included PI signaling system, autophagy, FoxO and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Our study provided the basis and direction for further exploring the molecular mechanism of liraglutide on T2DM.

As Evidence-Based Tumorigenic Role of Epstein-Barr Virus miR-BART1-3p in Neurological Tumors

INTRODUCTION

Central nervous system tumors are a diverse group of tumors that account for 2% of all adult cancers and 17% of childhood malignancies. Several internal and external risk factors are involved in the development of this cancer such as viral infections. The aim of this study was to the determination of the EBV infection frequency and the expression level of miR-122 and miR-BART in CNS tumors samples.

METHODS

One hundred and thirty-eight  fresh tissue sample (106 case and 32 control) was collected from CNS specimens. The presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA was examined by PCR assay and the expression level of miR-122 and miR-BART were evaluated by using real-time PCR assay in CNS tissue samples.

RESULTS

EBV DNA was detected in 17% (18 of 106) of tumors tissue samples and 6.4% (2 of 32) of control samples. according to results, there was a significant relationship between the presence of EBV-DNA with CNS tumors. Additionally, the expression level of miR-122 was significantly downregulated in the EBV-positive sample compared to that of the EBV-negative sample. Also, the level of EBV-BART1-3p expression was significantly higher in EBV-positive tumors samples than EBV-positive normal samples.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that the EBV could change the condition of cancer cells by altering the expression of miR-122 and EBV-BART1-3p and maybe contribute to the development of cancer cells. However, the role of viral infections in CNS cancer requires further studies. <br />.

Over-expression of MiR-122 promotes apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma via targeting TLR4

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

MiR-122 has been regarded as a tumor suppressor. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been found to be closely related to metastasis and immune escape of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the study, we sought to investigate the effect of miR-122 on HCC and the expression of TLR4.

PATIENTS OR MATERIALS AND METHODS

Real-time PCR and Western blot were performed to detect the expressions of target factors. CCK-8 and flow cytometry analysis were employed to evaluate cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to determine whether miR-122 could directly regulate the expression of TLR4. Enzyme-linked Immuno Sorbent Assay was adopted to detect the secretion of inflammatory cytokines.

RESULTS

Both down-regulation of miR-122 and up-regulation of TLR4 were found to be correlated with low overall survival rate of HCC patients. TLR4 may be a direct target gene of miR-122. Over-expression of miR-122 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell viability of HCC by down-regulating TLR4, enhanced the expression of pro-apoptotic genes and suppressed the expression of anti-apoptotic genes. MiR-122 inhibited expressions and activities of inflammatory cytokines, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin 6 (IL-6), cyclooxygenase-2 (Cox-2) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and also reduced the expression of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9). Furthermore, activities of phosphatidylinositide 3-kinases (PI3K), Akt and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were suppressed by miR-122.

CONCLUSIONS

Down-regulation of miR-122 facilitated the immune escape of HCC by targeting TLR4, which was related to PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathways. Our study may provide a possible strategy for the treatment of HCC.

miR-122 promotes diabetic retinopathy through targeting TIMP3

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a primary complication of diabetes mellitus. DR can cause severe vision loss for patients. miR-122 is elevated in DR patients, while its role in DR is unclear. Hence, the purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of miR-122 on the function of high glucose-induced REC cells and the underlying molecular mechanisms. In this study, our results revealed that miR-122 was up-regulated in high glucose-induced human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). High glucose decreased the cell viability of ARPE-19 cells, which was then restored by miR-122 knockdown. In addition, miR-122 knockdown suppressed apoptosis of high glucose-induced ARPE-19 cells. High glucose also inhibited B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) level and increased cleaved caspase-3 level in ARPE-19 cells, which were reversed by miR-122 knockdown. Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-3 (TIMP3) was a direct target of miR-122. TIMP3 was decreased in high glucose-induced ARPE-19 cells, and the decrease was abrogated by miR-122 knockdown. In addition, the effects of miR-122 overexpression in cell viability and apoptosis of high glucose-induced ARPE-19 were abolished by overexpression of TIMP3. In conclusion, the effect and mechanism of miR-122 on high glucose-induced ARPE-19 cells were demonstrated for the first time. miR-122 promoted diabetic retinopathy through targeting TIMP3, making miR-122 a promising target for diabetic retinopathy therapy.

Brain Ischemia Significantly Alters microRNA Expression in Human Peripheral Blood Natural Killer Cells

Brain ischemia induces systemic immunosuppression and increases a host's susceptibility to infection. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are molecular switches in immune cells, but the alterations of miRNAs in human immune cells in response to brain ischemia and their impact on immune defense remain elusive. Natural killer (NK) cells are critical for early host defenses against pathogens. In this study, we identified reduced counts, cytokine production, and cytotoxicity in human peripheral blood NK cells obtained from patients with acute ischemic stroke. The extent of NK cell loss of number and activity was associated with infarct volume. MicroRNA sequencing analysis revealed that brain ischemia significantly altered miRNA expression profiles in circulating NK cells, in which miRNA-451a and miRNA-122-5p were dramatically upregulated. Importantly, inhibition of miR-451a or miR-122-5p augmented the expression of activation-associated receptors in NK cells. These results provide the first evidence that brain ischemia alters miRNA signatures in human NK cells.

BHCMDA: A New Biased Heat Conduction Based Method for Potential MiRNA-Disease Association Prediction

Recent studies have indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are closely related to sundry human sophisticated diseases. According to the surmise that functionally similar miRNAs are more likely associated with phenotypically similar diseases, researchers have proposed a variety of valid computational models through integrating known miRNA-disease associations, disease semantic similarity, miRNA functional similarity, and Gaussian interaction profile kernel similarity to discover the potential miRNA-disease relationships in biomedical researches. Taking account of the limitations of previous computational models, a new computational model based on biased heat conduction for MiRNA-Disease Association prediction (BHCMDA) was proposed in this paper, which can achieve the AUC of 0.8890 in LOOCV (Leave-One-Out Cross Validation) and the mean AUC of 0.9060, 0.8931 under the framework of twofold cross validation, fivefold cross validation, respectively. In addition, BHCMDA was further implemented to the case studies of three vital human cancers, and simulation results illustrated that there were 88% (Esophageal Neoplasms), 92% (Colonic Neoplasms) and 92% (Lymphoma) out of top 50 predicted miRNAs having been confirmed by experimental literatures, separately, which demonstrated the good performance of BHCMDA as well. Thence, BHCMDA would be a useful calculative resource for potential miRNA-disease association prediction.

MicroRNAs as Emerging Regulators of Signaling in the Tumor Microenvironment

A myriad of signaling molecules in a heuristic network of the tumor microenvironment (TME) pose a challenge and an opportunity for novel therapeutic target identification in human cancers. MicroRNAs (miRs), due to their ability to affect signaling pathways at various levels, take a prominent space in the quest of novel cancer therapeutics. The role of miRs in cancer initiation, progression, as well as in chemoresistance, is being increasingly investigated. The canonical function of miRs is to target mRNAs for post-transcriptional gene silencing, which has a great implication in first-order regulation of signaling pathways. However, several reports suggest that miRs also perform non-canonical functions, partly due to their characteristic non-coding small RNA nature. Examples emerge when they act as ligands for toll-like receptors or perform second-order functions, e.g., to regulate protein translation and interactions. This review is a compendium of recent advancements in understanding the role of miRs in cancer signaling and focuses on the role of miRs as novel regulators of the signaling pathway in the TME.

Improved Prediction of miRNA-Disease Associations Based on Matrix Completion with Network Regularization

The identification of potential microRNA (miRNA)-disease associations enables the elucidation of the pathogenesis of complex human diseases owing to the crucial role of miRNAs in various biologic processes and it yields insights into novel prognostic markers. In the consideration of the time and costs involved in wet experiments, computational models for finding novel miRNA-disease associations would be a great alternative. However, computational models, to date, are biased towards known miRNA-disease associations; this is not suitable for rare miRNAs (i.e., miRNAs with a few known disease associations) and uncommon diseases (i.e., diseases with a few known miRNA associations). This leads to poor prediction accuracies. The most straightforward way of improving the performance is by increasing the number of known miRNA-disease associations. However, due to lack of information, increasing attention has been paid to developing computational models that can handle insufficient data via a technical approach. In this paper, we present a general framework—improved prediction of miRNA-disease associations (IMDN)—based on matrix completion with network regularization to discover potential disease-related miRNAs. The success of adopting matrix factorization is demonstrated by its excellent performance in recommender systems. This approach considers a miRNA network as additional implicit feedback and makes predictions for disease associations relevant to a given miRNA based on its direct neighbors. Our experimental results demonstrate that IMDN achieved excellent performance with reliable area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.9162 and 0.8965 in the frameworks of global and local leave-one-out cross-validations (LOOCV), respectively. Further, case studies demonstrated that our method can not only validate true miRNA-disease associations but also suggest novel disease-related miRNA candidates.

Physical and chemical template-blocking strategies in the exponential amplification reaction of circulating microRNAs

The detection of circulating miRNA through isothermal amplification wields many attractive advantages over traditional methods, such as reverse transcription RT-qPCR. However, it is challenging to control the background signal produced in the absence of target, which severely hampers applications of such methods for detecting low abundance targets in complex biological samples. In the present work, we employed both the cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanoflakes and the chemical modification of hexanediol to block non-specific template elongation in exponential amplification reaction (EXPAR). Adsorption by the CoOOH nanoflakes and the hexanediol modification at the 3' end effectively prevented no-target polymerization on the template itself and thus greatly improved the performance of EXPAR, detecting as low as 10 aM of several miRNA targets, including miR-16, miR-21, and miR-122, with the fluorescent DNA staining dye of SYBR Gold™. Little to no cross-reactivity was observed from the interfering strands present in 10-fold excess. Besides contributing to background reduction, the CoOOH nanoflakes strongly adsorbed nucleic acids and isolated them from a complex sample matrix, thus permitting successful detection of the target miRNA in the serum. We expect that simple but sensitive template-blocking EXPAR could be a valuable tool to help with the discovery and validation of miRNA markers in biospecimens. Graphical abstract.

Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs on normal cell, fatty liver cell and processed cell by monoammonium glycyrrhizinate from cattle (Bos indicus) by deep sequencing approach

Cattle fatty liver has caused mass damage in milk production during the past few years. In our study, to identify different miRNAs involved in cell physiological regulation in fatty liver, we performed miRNA deep sequencing on a normal liver cell (S01), fatty liver cell (S02) and processed cell by monoammonium glycyrrhizinate (S03). As a result, a total of 15,277,462, 14,190,360 and 13,771,060 raw reads representing 13,904,074, 12,784,128 and 11,017,604 clean reads per library were obtained separately. Through bioinformatics analysis, a total of 511 known miRNAs were identified when they were aligned with the known animal miRNAs, and 197 novel miRNAs were predicted using mirDeep2 software. A total of 511 miRNAs including 101 known and 51 novel miRNAs were expressed significantly different. Additionally, expression levels of eight randomly selected miRNAs were confirmed using the stem-loop qPCR, and their expression profiles were consistent with the deep sequencing results. For better understanding the functions of miRNAs, a total of 14,231 targets were predicted. These predicted target genes were further analyzed by function annotation and enrichment pathways, the results showed that these targets of the identified miRNAs are involved in a broad range of physiological functions.