MiR-196a promotes pancreatic cancer progression by targeting nuclear factor kappa-B-inhibitor alpha

miR-196a in the carcinogenesis and other disorders with an especial focus on its biomarker capacity

miR-196a has important roles in the pathoetiology of different disorders ranging from non-malignant to malignant ones. This miRNA is transcribed from two genomic loci, namely HOXC and HOXB on human chromosomes 12 and 17, respectively. The current study aims to summarize the role of miR-196a in different disorders. In the most conducted studies in the framework of cancer, miR-196a has been identified as an oncogene. However, few studies are not conformed to this concept. In head and neck, lung, oral and pancreatic cancers, miR-196a is a possible diagnostic marker. In addition, it has a possible role in the pathoetiology of diabetic nephropathy, Huntington's disease, idiopathic male infertility, keloid, chronic kidney disease and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy; and is regarded as a biomarker for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and chronic kidney disease. We aim to recapitulate the role of miR-196a in different malignant and non-malignant disorders.

Non-coding RNA transcripts, incredible modulators of cisplatin chemo-resistance in bladder cancer through operating a broad spectrum of cellular processes and signaling mechanism

Bladder cancer (BC) is a highly frequent neoplasm in correlation with significant rate of morbidity, mortality, and cost. The onset of BC is predominantly triggered by environmental and/or occupational exposures to carcinogens, such as tobacco. There are two distinct pathways by which BC can be developed, including non-muscle-invasive papillary tumors (NMIBC) and non-papillary (or solid) muscle-invasive tumors (MIBC). The Cancer Genome Atlas project has further recognized key genetic drivers of MIBC along with its subtypes with particular properties and therapeutic responses; nonetheless, NMIBC is the predominant BC presentation among the suffering individuals. Radical cystoprostatectomy, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have been verified to be the common therapeutic interventions in metastatic tumors, among which chemotherapeutics are more conventionally utilized. Although multiple chemo drugs have been broadly administered for BC treatment, cisplatin is reportedly the most effective chemo drug against the corresponding malignancy. Notwithstanding, tumor recurrence is usually occurred following the consumption of cisplatin regimens, particularly due to the progression of chemo-resistant trait. In this framework, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), as abundant RNA transcripts arise from the human genome, are introduced to serve as crucial contributors to tumor expansion and cisplatin chemo-resistance in bladder neoplasm. In the current review, we first investigated the best-known ncRNAs, i.e. microRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), correlated with cisplatin chemo-resistance in BC cells and tissues. We noticed that these ncRNAs could mediate the BC-related cisplatin-resistant phenotype through diverse cellular processes and signaling mechanisms, reviewed here. Eventually, diagnostic and prognostic potential of ncRNAs, as well as their therapeutic capabilities were highlighted in regard to BC management.

Expression of Selected miRNAs in Undifferentiated Carcinoma with Osteoclast-like Giant Cells (UCOGC) of the Pancreas: Comparison with Poorly Differentiated Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) of the pancreas represents a rare subtype of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Despite a distinct morphology and specific clinical behavior, UCOGCs exhibit unexpected similarities in regard to DNA mutational profiles with conventional PDAC. Treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is particularly challenging, with limited prospects for cure. As with many other malignant neoplasms, the exploration of microRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) in regulating the biological characteristics of pancreatic cancer is undergoing extensive investigation to enhance tumor diagnostics and unveil the therapeutic possibilities. Herein, we evaluated the expression of miR-21, -96, -148a, -155, -196a, -210, and -217 in UCOGCs and poorly differentiated (grade 3, G3) PDACs. The expression of miR-21, miR-155, and miR-210 in both UCOGCs and G3 PDACs was significantly upregulated compared to the levels in normal tissue, while the levels of miR-148a and miR-217 were downregulated. We did not find any significant differences between cancerous and normal tissues for the expression of miR-96 and miR-196a in G3 PDACs, whereas miR-196a was slightly, but significantly, downregulated in UCOGCs. On the other hand, we have not observed significant differences in the expression of the majority of miRNAs between UCOGC and G3 PDAC, with the exception of miR-155. UCOGC samples demonstrated lower mean levels of miR-155 in comparison with those in G3 PDACs.

HOXA9 Regulome and Pharmacological Interventions in Leukemia

HOXA9, an important transcription factor (TF) in hematopoiesis, is aberrantly expressed in numerous cases of both acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and is a strong indicator of poor prognosis in patients. HOXA9 is a proto-oncogene which is both sufficient and necessary for leukemia transformation. HOXA9 expression in leukemia correlates with patient survival outcomes and response to therapy. Chromosomal transformations (such as NUP98-HOXA9), mutations, epigenetic dysregulation (e.g., MLL- MENIN -LEDGF complex or DOT1L/KMT4), transcription factors (such as USF1/USF2), and noncoding RNA (such as HOTTIP and HOTAIR) regulate HOXA9 mRNA and protein during leukemia. HOXA9 regulates survival, self-renewal, and progenitor cell cycle through several of its downstream target TFs including LMO2, antiapoptotic BCL2, SOX4, and receptor tyrosine kinase FLT3 and STAT5. This dynamic and multilayered HOXA9 regulome provides new therapeutic opportunities, including inhibitors targeting DOT1L/KMT4, MENIN, NPM1, and ENL proteins. Recent findings also suggest that HOXA9 maintains leukemia by actively repressing myeloid differentiation genes. This chapter summarizes the recent advances understanding biochemical mechanisms underlying HOXA9-mediated leukemogenesis, the clinical significance of its abnormal expression, and pharmacological approaches to treat HOXA9-driven leukemia.

Functional and Potential Therapeutic Implication of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer

The alarmingly low five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer presents a global health challenge, contributing to about 7% of all cancer-related deaths. Late-stage diagnosis and high heterogeneity are the biggest hurdles in treating pancreatic cancer. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel biomarkers that could help in early detection as well as improve therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNA, have emerged as promising candidates with regard to both diagnostics and therapeutics. Dysregulated miRNAs play pivotal roles in accelerating tumor growth and metastasis, orchestrating tumor microenvironment, and conferring chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. The differential expression profiles of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer could be utilized to explore novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we also covered studies on recent advancements in various miRNA-based therapeutics such as restoring miRNAs with a tumor-suppressive function, suppressing miRNA with an oncogenic function, and combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Despite several challenges in terms of specificity and targeted delivery, miRNA-based therapies hold the potential to revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer by simultaneously targeting multiple signaling pathways.

Microbiome and MicroRNA or Long Non-Coding RNA-Two Modern Approaches to Understanding Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of humans' most common and fatal neoplasms. Nowadays, a number of PDAC studies are being conducted in two different fields: non-coding RNA (especially microRNA and long non-coding RNA) and microbiota. It has been recently discovered that not only does miRNA affect particular bacteria in the gut microbiome that can promote carcinogenesis in the pancreas, but the microbiome also has a visible impact on the miRNA. This suggests that it is possible to use the combined impact of the microbiome and noncoding RNA to suppress the development of PDAC. Nevertheless, insufficient research has focused on bounding both approaches to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In this article, we summarize the recent literature on the molecular basis of carcinogenesis in the pancreas, the two-sided impact of particular types of non-coding RNA and the pancreatic cancer microbiome, and possible medical implications of the discovered phenomenon.

A review on the role of cyclin dependent kinases in cancers

The Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) class of serine/threonine kinases has crucial roles in the regulation of cell cycle transition and is mainly involved in the pathogenesis of cancers. The expression of CDKs is controlled by a complex regulatory network comprised of genetic and epigenetic mechanisms, which are dysregulated during the progression of cancer. The abnormal activation of CDKs results in uncontrolled cancer cell proliferation and the induction of cancer stem cell characteristics. The levels of CDKs can be utilized to predict the prognosis and treatment response of cancer patients, and further understanding of the function and underlying mechanisms of CDKs in human tumors would pave the way for future cancer therapies that effectively target CDKs. Defects in the regulation of cell cycle and mutations in the genes coding cell-cycle regulatory proteins lead to unrestrained proliferation of cells leading to formation of tumors. A number of treatment modalities have been designed to combat dysregulation of cell cycle through affecting expression or activity of CDKs. However, effective application of these methods in the clinical settings requires recognition of the role of CDKs in the progression of each type of cancer, their partners, their interactions with signaling pathways and the effects of suppression of these kinases on malignant features. Thus, we designed this literature search to summarize these findings at cellular level, as well as in vivo and clinical levels.

Multi-Level Computational Modeling of Anti-Cancer Dendritic Cell Vaccination Utilized to Select Molecular Targets for Therapy Optimization

Dendritic cells (DCs) can be used for therapeutic vaccination against cancer. The success of this therapy depends on efficient tumor-antigen presentation to cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and the induction of durable CTL responses by the DCs. Therefore, simulation of such a biological system by computational modeling is appealing because it can improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying CTL induction by DCs and help identify new strategies to improve therapeutic DC vaccination for cancer. Here, we developed a multi-level model accounting for the life cycle of DCs during anti-cancer immunotherapy. Specifically, the model is composed of three parts representing different stages of DC immunotherapy – the spreading and bio-distribution of intravenously injected DCs in human organs, the biochemical reactions regulating the DCs’ maturation and activation, and DC-mediated activation of CTLs. We calibrated the model using quantitative experimental data that account for the activation of key molecular circuits within DCs, the bio-distribution of DCs in the body, and the interaction between DCs and T cells. We showed how such a data-driven model can be exploited in combination with sensitivity analysis and model simulations to identify targets for enhancing anti-cancer DC vaccination. Since other previous works show how modeling improves therapy schedules and DC dosage, we here focused on the molecular optimization of the therapy. In line with this, we simulated the effect in DC vaccination of the concerted modulation of combined intracellular regulatory processes and proposed several possibilities that can enhance DC-mediated immunogenicity. Taken together, we present a comprehensive time-resolved multi-level model for studying DC vaccination in melanoma. Although the model is not intended for personalized patient therapy, it could be used as a tool for identifying molecular targets for optimizing DC-based therapy for cancer, which ultimately should be tested in in vitro and in vivo experiments.

MiR-196a promotes the proliferation and migration of esophageal cancer via the UHRF2/TET2 axis

The aim of this study was to investigate the functions and molecular mechanism of miR-196a in esophageal cancer (EC). miR-196a as well as UHRF2 and TET2 mRNA and protein levels in EC tissues and cells were detected using quantitative real-time PCR or western blot, respectively. Cell proliferation was evaluated via MTT assay. Transwell assays were used to detect cell migration. In addition, the targeted relationship between miR-196a and UHRF2 was assessed through a dual luciferase reporter assay. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to detect the levels of the cytosine intermediates 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). We found increased miR-196a expression in EC tissues and cells but decreased UHRF2 and TET2 expression. Next, functional experiments showed that knockdown of miR-196a or UHRF2 overexpression suppress EC cell proliferation and migration. miR-196a negatively regulates TET2 expression by directly targeting UHRF2. UHRF2 overexpression decreased 5mC levels but increased 5hmC levels. Furthermore, TET2 downregulation reversed the functions of miR-196a inhibition on EC cell proliferation and migration. Collectively, our study suggested that miR-196a was closely related to the progression of EC possibly by regulating the UHRF2/TET2 axis. Thus, miR-196a represents a potential new EC therapeutic target.

MicroRNA-196a promotes renal cancer cell migration and invasion by targeting BRAM1 to regulate SMAD and MAPK signaling pathways

Rationale: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous ~22nt RNAs that play critical regulatory roles in various biological and pathological processes, including various cancers. Their function in renal cancer has not been fully elucidated. It has been reported that miR-196a can act as oncogenes or as tumor suppressors depending on their target genes. However, the molecular target for miR-196a and the underlying mechanism in miR-196a promoted cell migration and invasion in renal cancer is still not clear.

Methods: The expression, survival and correlation between miR-196a and BRAM1 were investigated using TCGA analysis and validated by RT-PCR and western blot. To visualize the effect of Bram1 on tumor metastasis in vivo, NOD-SCID gamma (NSG) mice were intravenously injected with RCC4 cells (10⁶ cells/mouse) or RCC4 overexpressing Bram1. In addition, cell proliferation assays, migration and invasion assays were performed to examine the role of miR-196a in renal cells in vitro. Furthermore, immunoprecipitation was done to explore the binding targets of Bram1.

Results: TCGA gene expression data from renal clear cell carcinoma patients showed a lower level of Bram1 expression in patients' specimens compared to adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, Kaplan‑Meier survival data clearly show that high expression of Bram1correlates to poor prognosis in renal carcinoma patients. Our mouse metastasis model confirmed that Bram1 overexpression resulted in an inhibition in tumor metastasis. Target-prediction analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that Bram1 is a direct target of miR-196a in renal cells. Further, our in vitro functional assays revealed that miR-196a promotes renal cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Rescue of Bram1 expression reversed miR-196a-induced cell migration. MiR-196a promotes renal cancer cell migration by directly targeting Bram1 and inhibits Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and MAPK pathways through BMPR1A and EGFR.

Conclusions: Our findings thus provide a new mechanism on the oncogenic role of miR-196a and the tumor-suppressive role of Bram1 in renal cancer cells. Dysregulated miR-196a and Bram1 represent potential prognostic biomarkers and may have therapeutic applications in renal cancer.

The Modulating Mechanisms of miRNA-196 in Malignancies and Its Prognostic Value: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Accumulating studies have revealed that up- or downregulated miRNA-196 expression correlates with the prognostic value in various malignancies; however, existing single studies lack robust evidence to elucidate the role of miRNA-196 in malignancy. The pooled results showed that the upregulation of miRNA-196 expression was significantly correlated with unfavorable OS [HR 2.14; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.78-2.57; p < 0.001)] and worse PFS (HR 2.84; 95% CI, 1.29-6.23, P = 0.01) in various malignancies. According to the regulatory mechanisms, studies shown that multiple tumors associated with transcription processes could be modulated by the miRNA-196 family; correspondingly, the miRNA-196 family exerted biological functions that could be regulated by various molecules. The upregulation of miRNA-196a, miRNA-196b and miRNA-196 expression is correlated with significantly unfavorable OS in multiple malignancies; similarly, miRNA-196 overexpression predicts poor PFS in multiple malignancies. Taken together, these findings indicate that miRNA-196a and miRNA-196b may serve as oncogenic molecules and may be potential prognostic biomarkers in multiple malignancies.

Study on the effect and mechanism of NFKBIA on cervical cancer progress in vitro and in vivo

AIM

NFKBIA is frequently encountered. However, its expression and relevance of the proliferation, invasion, and migration in human cervical cancer (CC) remain unclear. The role and novel mechanism of NFKBIA in CC progression were investigated in this study.

METHODS

We analyzed the expression of NFKBIA in CC and adjacent normal tissues and explored the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HeLa cells by treating with either wild-type NFKBIA plasmid or NFKBIA siRNA. Effect of NFKBIA on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the β-catenin-mediated transcription of target genes were evaluated subsequently.

RESULTS

NFKBIA expression was lower in CC tissues than that of adjacent tissues. An obvious dysregulation of NFKBIA overexpression was revealed in CC cell proliferation, invasion, and migration, which differed from the effect of knockdown NFKBIA. NFKBIA overexpression facilitated the expression of both phosphorylated β-catenin and E-cadherin protein. It inhibited the expression of vimentin, TWIST, as well as downstream targets of β-catenin including c-MYC, TCF-4 and MMP14. Conversely, NFKBIA silencing elevated the expression of c-MYC, TCF-4, and MMP14, and promoted the EMT in HeLa cells. Both endogenous and exogenous NFKBIA interacted with β-catenin. Moreover, β-catenin overexpression stemmed effects of NFKBIA on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HeLa cells. By overexpressing NFKBIA in vivo, the volume and size of tumors were notably decreased, while no obvious alteration was found in mice body weight.

CONCLUSION

By inhibiting β-catenin-mediated transcription, NFKBIA functioning as a tumor suppressor might be introduced as a novel anti-metastatic agent for the treatment of targeted CC.

Inhibitory feedback control of NF-κB signalling in health and disease

Cells must adapt to changes in their environment to maintain cell, tissue and organismal integrity in the face of mechanical, chemical or microbiological stress. Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) is one of the most important transcription factors that controls inducible gene expression as cells attempt to restore homeostasis. It plays critical roles in the immune system, from acute inflammation to the development of secondary lymphoid organs, and also has roles in cell survival, proliferation and differentiation. Given its role in such critical processes, NF-κB signalling must be subject to strict spatiotemporal control to ensure measured and context-specific cellular responses. Indeed, deregulation of NF-κB signalling can result in debilitating and even lethal inflammation and also underpins some forms of cancer. In this review, we describe the homeostatic feedback mechanisms that limit and ‘re-set’ inducible activation of NF-κB. We first describe the key components of the signalling pathways leading to activation of NF-κB, including the prominent role of protein phosphorylation and protein ubiquitylation, before briefly introducing the key features of feedback control mechanisms. We then describe the array of negative feedback loops targeting different components of the NF-κB signalling cascade including controls at the receptor level, post-receptor signalosome complexes, direct regulation of the critical ‘inhibitor of κB kinases’ (IKKs) and inhibitory feedforward regulation of NF-κB-dependent transcriptional responses. We also review post-transcriptional feedback controls affecting RNA stability and translation. Finally, we describe the deregulation of these feedback controls in human disease and consider how feedback may be a challenge to the efficacy of inhibitors.

MiR-373 Inhibits the Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Prostatic Cancer via Targeting Runt-Related Transcription Factor 2

Prostatic cancer (PCa) is a prevalent form of malignancy based on its high associated levels of mortality and morbidity across the world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are significant in the advancement of prostatic cancer. The current study is aimed at exploring the potential roles of miR-373 in PCa. In turn, the study conducted a qRT-PCR test to determine the levels of mRNA. A western blot test was also executed in determining the protein level. The processes of transwell assay and wound healing were integrated in the detection of the potential for PCa cells to invade and migrate. The integration of dual luciferase reporter assay is critical in determining the levels of luciferase activity among prostatic cancer cells. Then, the results showed a net decrease of miR-373 within prostatic cancer cells and tissues. Upregulated miR-373 reduced the invasion and migration potential of PCa cells. Moreover, overexpressed miR-373 increased the levels of E-cadherin and FSP1 as epithelial cell markers. Similarly, the overregulation of miR-373 brought about the upregulation of mesenchymal markers (N-cadherin, Snail, and vimentin). The study predicted runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) to be a target of miR-373. The luciferase activity of PCa cells was decreased after the cotransfection with miR-373 mimics and RUNX2 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) wild type (WT). Moreover, RUNX2 became upregulated in PCa cells and tissues. The upregulation of miR-373 decreased the mRNA and protein level of RUNX2. However, overexpressed RUNX2 abated the roles of miR-373 in the intrusion and migration of PCa cells and in regulating the expression of epithelial cell markers and mesenchymal markers. In short, miR-373 may regulate the EMT of PCa cells via targeting RUNX2. The miR-373/RUNX2 axis provides a therapeutic target for PCa.

MiRNA Expression in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Frequent Localizations

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are infrequent malignant tumors of a neuroendocrine nature that arise in various organs. They occur most frequently in the lungs, intestines, stomach and pancreas. Molecular diagnostics and prognosis of NEN development are highly relevant. The role of clinical biomarkers can be played by microRNAs (miRNAs). This work is devoted to the analysis of data on miRNA expression in NENs. For the first time, a search for specificity or a community of their functional characteristics in different types of NEN was carried out. Their properties as biomarkers were also analyzed. To date, more than 100 miRNAs have been characterized as differentially expressed and significant for the development of NEN tumors. Only about 10% of the studied miRNAs are expressed in several types of NEN; differential expression of the remaining 90% was found only in tumors of specific localizations. A significant number of miRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers. However, only a few miRNAs have values that characterized their quality as markers. The analysis demonstrates the predominant specific expression of miRNA in each studied type of NEN. This indicates that miRNA’s functional features are predominantly influenced by the tissue in which they are formed.

Mechanistic Modeling of Gene Regulation and Metabolism Identifies Potential Targets for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the predominant form of liver cancer and has long been among the top three cancers that cause the most deaths worldwide. Therapeutic options for HCC are limited due to the pronounced tumor heterogeneity. Thus, there is a critical need to study HCC from a systems point of view to discover effective therapeutic targets, such as through the systematic study of disease perturbation in both regulation and metabolism using a unified model. Such integration makes sense for cancers as it links one of the dominant physiological features of cancers (growth, which is driven by metabolic networks) with the primary available omics data source, transcriptomics (which is systematically integrated with metabolism through the regulatory-metabolic network model). Here, we developed an integrated transcriptional regulatory-metabolic model for HCC molecular stratification and the prediction of potential therapeutic targets. To predict transcription factors (TFs) and target genes affecting tumorigenesis, we used two algorithms to reconstruct the genome-scale transcriptional regulatory networks for HCC and normal liver tissue. which were then integrated with corresponding constraint-based metabolic models. Five key TFs affecting cancer cell growth were identified. They included the regulator CREB3L3, which has been associated with poor prognosis. Comprehensive personalized metabolic analysis based on models generated from data of liver HCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas revealed 18 genes essential for tumorigenesis in all three subtypes of patients stratified based on the non-negative matrix factorization method and two other genes (ACADSB and CMPK1) that have been strongly correlated with lower overall survival subtype. Among these 20 genes, 11 are targeted by approved drugs for cancers or cancer-related diseases, and six other genes have corresponding drugs being evaluated experimentally or investigationally. The remaining three genes represent potential targets. We also validated the stratification and prognosis results by an independent dataset of HCC cohort samples (LIRI-JP) from the International Cancer Genome Consortium database. In addition, microRNAs targeting key TFs and genes were also involved in established cancer-related pathways. Taken together, the multi-scale regulatory-metabolic model provided a new approach to assess key mechanisms of HCC cell proliferation in the context of systems and suggested potential targets.

MiR-196: emerging of a new potential therapeutic target and biomarker in colorectal cancer

Deregulation of microRNAs, as key elements in colorectal cancer (CRC) pathogenesis, is correlated with various stages of this cancer. miR-196 is involved in the initiation and progression of a verity of malignances, especially CRC. miR-196 in CRC cells could target different types of genes with oncogenic and/or tumor suppressor function such as HOX genes, GATA6, SOCS1, SOCS3, ANXA1, DFFA, PDCD4, ZG16 and ING5. Therefore, these genes could be up or down-regulated in cells and subsequently change the capacity of CRC cells in terms of tumor development, progression and, response to therapy. Comprehension of miR-196-associated aberrations underlying the CRC pathogenesis might introduce promising targets for therapy. Additionally, it seems that miR-196 expression profiling, especially circulatory exosomal miR-196, might be useful for diagnosis and prognosis determination of the CRC patients. In this review, at first, we summarize the roles of miR-196 in different types of cancers. After that, a detailed discussion about this miRNA and also their targets in CRC pathogenesis, progression, and response to treatment are represented. Moreover, we highlight the potential utilization of miR-196 and its targets as therapeutic targets and novel biomarkers in early detection and prediction of prognosis in CRC patients.

MiR-196-5p involvement in selenium deficiency-induced immune damage via targeting of NFκBIA in the chicken trachea

Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency can induce multifarious immune injury in tissues, accompanied by inflammation and a decreased expression of selenoproteins. The results of previous studies indicated that these issues are associated with Se-mediated microRNAs involved in immune regulation, although the specific mechanisms associated with these interactions have not been reported in the trachea of chickens. To explore the effects of Se deficiency in the trachea of chickens and the role of miR-196-5p, we established correlational models of tracheal injury in chickens. One hundred broilers were divided into four groups, including a control group (C group), a Se deficient group (L group), a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced control group (C + LPS group) and a LPS-induced Se deficient group (L + LPS group). Light microscopy observations indicated that the infiltration of inflammatory cells was the major histopathological change caused by Se deficiency. Furthermore, ultrastructural observation of the tracheal epithelium and ciliary showed typical inflammatory signs owing to Se deficiency. We determined the targeting relationship between miR-196-5p and NFκBIA by bioinformatics analysis. In the case of Se deficiency, the changes were detected as follows: 19 selenoproteins showed different degrees of decrease (p < 0.05). Significant inhibition of both antimicrobial peptides and immunoglobulin production were observed (p < 0.05). IκB-α (NFκBIA) expression degraded with the increasing miR-196-5p (p < 0.05), and the NF-κB pathway was activated. Thereafter, we can see a significant increase in the mRNA levels of inflammatory cytokines-related genes (tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, prostaglandin E (PTGE), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6) and protein expression of NF-κB/iNOS pathway-related genes (NF-κB, iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2) (p < 0.05). The release of IL-2, interferon (IFN)-γ inhibited (p < 0.05) and the secretion of IL-4, IL-6 increased, suggesting the imbalance of Th1/Th2 (Th, helper T cell) cytokines. Compared to the control, the mRNA and protein expression levels of the anti-inflammatory system components with antioxidant activity (PPAR-γ/HO-1) were in an inhibitory state (p < 0.05). Antioxidases (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) activities were suppressed. The activities of the peroxide markers (MDA, H₂O₂) were enhanced (p < 0.05). In addition, Se deficiency had a positive effect on the pathological changes of inflammation and the exceptional immunity in LPS-treated groups (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the relationship between miR-196-5p and NFκBIA in chickens, revealing that Se deficiency causes respiratory mucosal immune dysfunction via the miR-196-5p-NFκBIA axis, oxidative stress and inflammation. Moreover, Se deficiency exacerbates the inflammatory damage stimulated by LPS. Our work provides a theoretical basis for the prevention of tracheal injury owing to Se deficiency and can be used as a reference for comparative medicine. Furthermore, the targeted regulation of miR-196-5p and NFκBIA may contribute to the protection of the tracheal mucosa in chickens.

Silencing of ATP2B1-AS1 contributes to protection against myocardial infarction in mouse via blocking NFKBIA-mediated NF-κB signalling pathway

Myocardial infarction (MI) is an acute coronary syndrome that refers to tissue infarction of the myocardium. This study aimed to investigate the effect of long intergenic non‐protein‐coding RNA (lincRNA) ATPase plasma membrane Ca²⁺ transporting 1 antisense RNA 1 (ATP2B1‐AS1) against MI by targeting nuclear factor‐kappa‐B inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA) and mediating the nuclear factor‐kappa‐B (NF‐κB) signalling pathway. An MI mouse model was established and idenepsied by cardiac function evaluation. It was determined that ATP2B1‐AS1 was highly expressed, while NFKBIA was poorly expressed and NF‐κB signalling pathway was activated in MI mice. Cardiomyocytes were extracted from mice and introduced with a series of mouse ATP2B1‐AS1 vector, NFKBIA vector, siRNA‐mouse ATP2B1‐AS1 and siRNA‐NFKBIA. The expression of NF‐κBp50, NF‐κBp65 and IKKβ was determined to idenepsy whether ATP2B1‐AS1 and NFKBIA affect the NF‐κB signalling pathway, the results of which suggested that ATP2B1‐AS1 down‐regulated the expression of NFKBIA and activated the NF‐κB signalling pathway in MI mice. Based on the data from assessment of cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis and levels of inflammatory cytokines, either silencing of mouse ATP2B1‐AS1 or overexpression of NFKBIA was suggested to result in reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and expression of inflammatory cytokines, as well as enhanced cardiomyocyte viability. Our study provided evidence that mouse ATP2B1‐AS1 silencing may have the potency to protect against MI in mice through inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation, highlighting a great promise as a novel therapeutic target for MI.

LncRNAs Predicted to Interfere With the Gene Regulation Activity of miR-637 and miR-196a-5p in GBM

Rigorous molecular characterization of biological systems has uncovered a variety of gene variations underlying normal and disease states and a remarkable complexity in the forms of RNA transcripts that exist. A recent concept, competitive endogenous RNA, suggests that some non-coding RNAs can bind to miRNAs to modulate their role in gene expression. Here, we used several platforms, integrating mRNA, non-coding RNAs and protein data to generate an RNA-protein network that may be dysregulated in human glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Publicly available microarray data for mRNA and miRNA were used to identify differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in GBM relative to non-neoplastic tissue samples. Target miRNAs were further selected based on their prognostic significance, and the intersection of their target gene set with the differentially expressed gene set in Venn diagrams. Two miRNAs, miR-637 and miR-196a-5p, were associated with poor and better prognosis, respectively, in GBM patients. Non-coding RNAs, ENSG00000203739/ENSG00000271646 and TPTEP1, were predicted to be miRNA target genes for miR-637 and miR-196a-5p and positively correlated with the selected mRNA, CYBRD1 and RUFY2. A local protein interaction network was constructed using these two mRNAs. Predictions based on the ENSG00000203739/ENSG00000271646-miR-637-CYBRD1 and TPTEP1-miR-196a-5p-RUFY2 regulation axes indicated that the two proteins may act as an oncogene and tumor suppressor, respectively, in the development of GBM. These results highlight competitive endogenous RNA networks as alternative molecular therapeutic targets in the treatment of the disease.

miR-601 inhibits proliferation, migration and invasion of prostate cancer stem cells by targeting KRT5 to inactivate the Wnt signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to verify the hypothesis that downregulation of miR-601 inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of prostate cancer stem cells (PCSCs) by the Wnt signaling pathway through targeting keratin 5 (KRT5).

METHODS

Bioinformatic tools were applied to predict miRNAs and genes potentially associated with prostate cancer, then miR-601 and KRT5 were selected. Subsequently, PCSCs were investigated with respect to miR-601 overexpression or inhibition, KRT5 overexpression, or treatment with a Wnt pathway inhibitor. A series of experiments including western blotting, RT-qPCR, wound healing experiment, transwell assay, MTT assay, annexin V-FITC/PI flow cytometric analysis, nude mice assay and immunohistochemistry were then carried out.

RESULTS

Compared with negative control group, migration, invasion, and proliferation of PCSCs and Wnt-1 expression were all enhanced, but apoptosis was attenuated in the miR-601 mimic group. Furthermore, results identified in the other groups (KRT5, miR-601 inhibitor, miR-601 inhibitor + KRT5, Wnt signaling pathway inhibitor, PRI-724/PRI-724 + KRT5) were opposite to those identified with the miR-601 mimic group (all P<0.05). Compared with the miR-601 inhibitor + KRT5 group, migration, invasion, and proliferation of PCSCs and Wnt-1 expression were all increased, whereas apoptosis was suppressed in KRT5 or miR-601 inhibitor groups (all P<0.05). Compared with the PRI-724 + KRT5 group, migration, invasion, and proliferation of PCSCs and Wnt-1 expression were also enhanced, whereas apoptosis was inhibited in PRI-724 or KRT5 groups (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Results obtained from the present study have demonstrated that downregulation of miR-601 is able to inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCSCs by activating KRT5, and subsequently inhibiting the Wnt pathway.

Micro-RNA 196a2 expression and miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism in T1DM: a pilot study

Background Recent emerging evidence supports the role of miR-196a2 in various human diseases. However, its role in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is still underestimated. We aimed, for the first time, to investigate the expression of miR-196a2 in T1DM and the association of miR-196a2 (rs11614913) polymorphism with susceptibility of T1DM in a sample of patients from Cairo, Egypt. Methods The study included 150 patients and 150 healthy subjects. Evaluation of rs11614913 genotypes and miR-196a2 expression was done using the allelic discrimination and quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, respectively. Results The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium of single nucleotide polymorphism(SNP) was detected among controls (p = 0.2). Our results revealed that the TT genotype was more frequent in patients (22.6%) than controls (10%) while the CC genotype was more frequent in controls (47.3%) than patients (39.3%) (p = 0.01). The frequency of the T allele was significantly higher in patients than in controls (41.7 vs. 31.3%), while the C allele was more frequent in controls (p = 0.008). After adjustment for traditional risk factors, the association of the TT genotype with T1DM remained significant (TT vs. CC, odds ration [OR] = 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4-7.4, p = 0.005). Power analysis of the data yielded a statistical power of 80% for the miR-196a2 rs11614913 with T1DM. Relative expression of miR-196a2 showed significant decrease in patients compared to controls (median = 0.09, 0.5, interquartile range [IQR] = 0.03-1.6, 0.1-2.1). However, miR-196a2 expression showed no significant difference between different rs11614913 genotypes (p = 0.5). Conclusions Our findings demonstrated that miR-196a rs11614913 is associated with T1DM and decreased expression of miR-196a2 may play a role in pathogenesis of T1DM.

Common features between neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions of the biliary tract and the pancreas

the bile duct system and pancreas show many similarities due to their anatomical proximity and common embryological origin. Consequently, preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the bile duct and pancreas share analogies in terms of molecular, histological and pathophysiological features. Intraepithelial neoplasms are reported in biliary tract, as biliary intraepithelial neoplasm (BilIN), and in pancreas, as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PanIN). Both can evolve to invasive carcinomas, respectively cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Intraductal papillary neoplasms arise in biliary tract and pancreas. Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the biliary tract (IPNB) share common histologic and phenotypic features such as pancreatobiliary, gastric, intestinal and oncocytic types, and biological behavior with the pancreatic counterpart, the intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas (IPMN). All these neoplastic lesions exhibit similar immunohistochemical phenotypes, suggesting a common carcinogenic process. Indeed, CCA and PDAC display similar clinic-pathological features as growth pattern, poor response to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy and, as a consequence, an unfavorable prognosis. The objective of this review is to discuss similarities and differences between the neoplastic lesions of the pancreas and biliary tract with potential implications on a common origin from similar stem/progenitor cells.

Upregulation of microRNA-196a improves cognitive impairment and alleviates neuronal damage in hippocampus tissues of Alzheimer's disease through downregulating LRIG3 expression

PURPOSE

This study is launched to uncover the inner function of microRNA-196a (miR-196a) on cognitive dysfunction and neuronal damage in Alzheimer's disease (AD) rats through regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

METHODS

The establishment of AD rat model was performed by a microinjection of Aβ_25-35 . miR-196a and LRIG3 expression was detected, and the putative binding site between them was also determined. The spatial learning and memory capability, the hippocampal neurons ultrastructure as well as the survival, and apoptosis of hippocampal neurons of rats were observed. The expression of apoptosis-associated protein, oxidative stress index, and inflammatory factors as well as the PI3K/Akt pathway-related factors was determined.

RESULTS

Initially, decreased miR-196a and increased LRIG3 were exhibited in hippocampus tissues of AD rats. In addition, restored miR-196a and deleted LRIG3 ameliorated spatial learning and memory capability, suppressed the pathological injury, induced the survival, and suppressed the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons, as well as inhibited oxidative stress injury together with inflammatory injury in AD rats. Furthermore, upregulation of miR-196a activated the PI3/Akt pathway in AD rats.

CONCLUSION

This current study suggests that upregulation of miR-196a and downregulation of LRIG3 improve cognitive impairment and alleviate neuronal damage in hippocampus tissues in AD rats via the modulation of the PI3K/Akt pathway.

Regulation of UGT2A1 by miR-196a-5p and miR-196b-5p

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2A1 is an important enzyme in the detoxification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons found in cigarette smoke. This enzyme is expressed in aerodigestive tract tissues including lung as both its wild-type and exon 4-deleted splice variant isoforms, with the latter acting as a negative regulator of wild-type UGT2A1 activity. UGT2A1 regulation may also be mediated by microRNA (miRNA). To identify miRNA important in the regulation of UGT2A1, expression analysis in tandem with in silico analysis suggested miR-196a-5p and miR-196b-5p as potential top candidates. Significant reductions in firefly luciferase activity were observed in human embryonic kidney cell line 293 cells cotransfected with the wild-type UGT2A1 3'-untranslated region (UTR)-containing luciferase plasmid and either miR-196a-5p (62%, P = 0.00080) or miR-196b-5p (60%, P = 0.00030) mimics. In pull-down assays, there was a 3.4- and 5.2-fold increase in miR-196a-5p (P = 0.054) and miR-196b-5p (P = 0.035), respectively, using the UGT2A1 3'-UTR biotinylated mRNA probe as compared with the β-actin coding region control mRNA probe. UGT2A1 mRNA was reduced by 25% (P = 0.058) and 35% (P = 0.023) in H146 and H1944 cells, respectively, after overexpression of the miR196a-5p mimic. A similar 32% (P = 0.030) and 41% (P = 0.016) reduction was observed after over-expression of the miR-196b-5p mimic. In H146 cells transfected with miRNA mimic together with a small interfering RNA (siRNA) specific for the UGT2A1 splice variant, a significant reduction in 3-hydroxy-benzo[a]pyrene-glucuronide formation was observed. The miR-196a-5p- and miR-196b-55p-treated cells exhibited reductions of 35% (P = 0.047) and 44% (P = 0.0063), respectively. These data suggest that miR-196a-5p and miR-196b-5p play an important role in UGT2A1 regulation within the lung and potentially other aerodigestive tract tissues.

MicroRNA profiling of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) reveals signature expression related to lymph node metastasis

Lymph node (LN) metastasis occurs frequently in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), representing an advanced disease stage and independently predicting patient survival. Current nodal staging is inadequate preoperatively and even less so postoperatively, and molecular biomarkers are needed to improve prognostication and selection of therapy. Recent data have suggested important roles of miRNAs in PDAC tumorigenesis and progression. The aim of the present study was to identify miRNA expression signature for nodal spread in PDAC patients. Using PDAC human tissue specimens, we identified 39 miRNAs which were differently expressed in LN positive compared to LN negative PDAC samples. Of them, six miRNAs have been reported to play a role in cancer invasion and metastasis. A high versus low six- miRNA signature score was predictive of LN metastasis in the PDAC validation cohort. We demonstrated a similar expression pattern of four out of the six miRNAs in the plasma of PDAC patients. The results of our in-vitro studies revealed that miR-141 and miR-720 are involved in the process of epithelial to mesenchymal-transition in PDAC. These miRNAs significantly inhibited in vitro proliferation, migration and invasion of PDAC cells as evidence by gain- and loss- of function studies, specifically, via ZEB-1 and TWIST1 transcription factors, as well as through the activation of the MAP4K4/JNK signaling pathway.

Gain of microRNA-103 triggers metastatic behavior by targeting ubiquitin specific peptidase 10 in pancreatic cancer

Emerging studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in regulating progression of pancreatic cancer (PaCa). miR-103 has been reported to serve as an oncomiR in hepatocellular carcinoma and colorectal cancer. However, litter is known regarding the function and molecular mechanism of miR-103 in PaCa. Here, we observed that miR-103 was markedly highly expressed in PaCa tissues and cell lines. Up-regulation of miR-103 expression was associated with advanced TNM stage, positive lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis. Furthermore, knock-down of miR-103 by its inhibitor resulted in inhibited cell invasion and migration. Using a dual-luciferase reporter assay, we identified that USP10 (Ubiquitin specific peptidase 10) was a directly target of miR-103. In addition, by using qRT-PCR assay and western blotting analysis, we found that miR-103 down-regulated the expression of USP10 in PaCa tissues and cell lines. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that up-regulation of miR-103 is associated with tumor metastasis and poor prognosis in PaCa patients. Our data further indicates that miR-103 is an upregulated oncomiR and promotes cell metastasis by targeting USP10, suggesting miR-103 may be a potential prognosis and treatment target for PaCa.

The relationship between microRNAs and Rab family GTPases in human cancers

microRNAs (miRNAs), as a group of noncoding RNAs, posttranscriptionally control gene expression by binding to 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Ras-associated binding (Rab) proteins function as molecular switches for regulating vesicular transport, which mainly have oncogenic roles in cancer development and preventing the efficacy of chemotherapies. Increased evidence supported that miRNAs/Rabs interaction have been determined as potential therapeutics for cancer therapy. Nevertheless, instability and cross-targeting of miRNAs are main limitations of using miRNA-based therapeutic. The mutual interplay between Rabs and miRNAs has been poorly understood. In the present review, we focused on the essence and activity of these molecules in cancer pathogenesis. Also, numerous hindrances and potential methods in the expansion of miRNA as an anticancer therapeutics are mentioned.

miR-196a Is Able to Restore the Aggressive Phenotype of Annexin A1 Knock-Out in Pancreatic Cancer Cells by CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing

Annexin A1 (ANXA1) is a Ca²⁺-binding protein that is involved in pancreatic cancer (PC) progression. It is able to mediate cytoskeletal organization maintaining a malignant phenotype. Our previous studies showed that ANXA1 Knock-Out (KO) MIA PaCa-2 cells partially lost their migratory and invasive capabilities and also the metastatization process appeared affected in vivo. Here, we investigated the microRNA (miRNA) profile in ANXA1 KO cells finding that the modification in miRNA expression suggests the significant involvement of ANXA1 in PC development. In this study, we focused on miR-196a which appeared down modulated in absence of ANXA1. This miRNA is a well known oncogenic factor in several tumour models and it is able to trigger the agents of the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), like ANXA1. Our results show that the reintroduction in ANXA1 KO cells of miR-196a through the mimic sequence restored the early aggressive phenotype of MIA PaCa-2. Then, ANXA1 seems to support the expression of miR-196a and its role. On the other hand, this miRNA is able to mediate cytoskeletal dynamics and other protein functions promoting PC cell migration and invasion. This work describes the correlation between ANXA1 and specific miRNA sequences, particularly miR-196a. These results could lead to further information on ANXA1 intracellular role in PC, explaining other aspects that are apart from its tumorigenic behaviour.

Loss of ZG16 is regulated by miR-196a and contributes to stemness and progression of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignant tumour and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Clarification of the mechanism that underlies CRC tumorigenesis and progression therefore is urgently needed ffor developing novel therapies. Through analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset, we identified an interesting gene, ZG16, which is significantly decreased in CRC samples compared to adjacent non-tumor tissues and associated with prognosis of patients. We found that the expression of ZG16 correlated with CRC related genes which were regulated by APC/CTNNB1 pathway. Interestingly, the expression of ZG16 was negatively correlated with CRC stem cell marker, LGR5. Overexpression of ZG16 significantly inhibits growth and sphere formation of stem-like CRC cells. Moreover, we also identified an upstream regulator of ZG16, miR-196a, which was significantly overexpressed in CRC and promotes cell growth and stemness. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that loss of ZG16 is regulated by miR-196a and contributes to stemness and progression of CRC, which may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for advanced CRCs.

Dysregulation of Mir-196b in Head and Neck Cancers Leads to Pleiotropic Effects in the Tumor Cells and Surrounding Stromal Fibroblasts

The miR-196 family members have been found dysregulated in different cancers. Therefore, they have been proposed as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This study is the first to investigate the role of miR-196b in the development and progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), and also the impact on the surrounding tumor microenvironment. Increased miR-196b levels were detected in 95% of primary tumors and precancerous lesions, although no significant differences were observed between non-progressing versus progressing dysplasias. Furthermore, increased levels of both miR-196a and miR-196b were successfully detected in saliva samples from HNSCC patients. The functional consequences of altered miR-196 expression were investigated in both HNSCC cell lines and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) by transfection with specific pre-miR precursors. Results showed that both miR-196a and miR-196b elicit cell-specific responses in target genes and downstream regulatory pathways, and have a distinctive impact on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. These data reveal the early occurrence and prevalence of miR-196b dysregulation in HNSCC tumorigenesis, suggesting its utility for early diagnosis and/or disease surveillance and also as a non-invasive biomarker in saliva. The pleiotropic effects of miR-196a/b in HNSCC cell subpopulations and surrounding CAFs may complicate a possible therapeutic application.

Application of non-invasive low strength pulsed electric field to EGCG treatment synergistically enhanced the inhibition effect on PANC-1 cells

Traditional therapies for pancreatic cancer are usually expensive and likely to cause side effects, and most patients have the risk of recurrence and suffering pain. Here, we investigated combination treatment of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and non-invasive low strength pulsed electric field (PEF) on the human pancreatic cell line PANC-1. Cells were cultured in various concentrations of EGCG and exposed to trains of PEF. The results showed that the low strength PEF alone or single treatment with low concentration of EGCG did not obviously affect the cell proliferation and migration in PANC-1. However, the EGCG-induced inhibitions of cell viability and migration ability in PANC-1 were dramatically enhanced by the further exposure of low strength PEF (60 V/cm). In particular, the same combination treatment caused less inhibition of cell viability in non-malignant HEK293 cells. We also found the combination treatment significantly decreased the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax protein and increased caspase activity in PANC-1 cells, resulting in the promotion of apoptotic responses, evidenced by chromatin condensation. The findings of the present study reveal the synergistic reactions in the combination treatment may severely disturb mitochondria, enhance the intrinsic pathway transduction, and effectively induce apoptosis; moreover, the migration and invasion of PANC-1 cancer cells were also significantly suppressed. Since normal cells are less sensitive to this combination treatment, and the non-invasive PEF could be modified to focus on a specific location, this treatment may serve as a promising method for anti-cancer therapy.

Negative regulation of lncRNA GAS5 by miR-196a inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma growth

MiR-196a could play important roles in carcinogenesis by targeting many protein coding genes. However, little is known about whether miR-196a can target any long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). In the present study, we screen lncRNAs which are regulated by miRNA-196a in human esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We found that miR-196a could suppress the expression of lncRNA growth arrest-specific 5(GAS5). GAS5 is frequently down-regulated in 86 paired human ESCC tissues. Importantly, there was lower GAS5 expression in the late stage of ESCC patients. The reduced expression of GAS5 in ESCC may not be related to DNA methylation but related to the high expression of miR-196a. In vitro and in vivo studies indicated that GAS5 could inhibit the growth of ESCC cells. Using Chromatin Isolation by RNA Purification-qPCR, we found that miR-196a could bind to GAS5. The Luciferase Reporter Assay indicated that miR-196a could bind to the seventh exon of GAS5. Additionally, both GAS5 and miR-196a could bind to Ago2 which is a key component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). Together, these results suggest that GAS5 functions as a tumor suppressor gene in ESCC and is regulated by miR-196a involved in RISC.

Evaluation of miRNA-196a2 and apoptosis-related target genes: ANXA1, DFFA and PDCD4 expression in gastrointestinal cancer patients: A pilot study

Previous reports have suggested the significant association of miRNAs aberrant expression with tumor initiation, progression and metastasis in cancer, including gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. The current preliminary study aimed to evaluate the relative expression levels of miR-196a2 and three of its selected apoptosis-related targets; ANXA1, DFFA and PDCD4 in a sample of GI cancer patients. Quantitative real-time PCR for miR-196a2 and its selected mRNA targets, as well as immunohistochemical assay for annexin A1 protein expression were detected in 58 tissues with different GI cancer samples. In addition, correlation with the clinicopathological features and in silico network analysis of the selected molecular markers were analyzed. Stratified analyses by cancer site revealed elevated levels of miR-196a2 and low expression of the selected target genes. Annexin protein expression was positively correlated with its gene expression profile. In colorectal cancer, miR-196a over-expression was negatively correlated with annexin A1 protein expression (r = -0.738, p < 0.001), and both were indicators of unfavorable prognosis in terms of poor differentiation, larger tumor size, and advanced clinical stage. Taken together, aberrant expression of miR-196a2 and the selected apoptosis-related biomarkers might be involved in GI cancer development and progression and could have potential diagnostic and prognostic roles in these types of cancer; particularly colorectal cancer, provided the results experimentally validated and confirmed in larger multi-center studies.

Plasma exosome miR-196a and miR-1246 are potential indicators of localized pancreatic cancer

Patients with localized pancreatic cancer (stage I and stage IIA) have a much higher survival rate than those presenting at later stages, yet early detection remains a challenge to this malignancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether exosome miRNA signatures are indicative of localized pancreatic cancer. Exosomes were collected from the conditioned media of pancreatic cancer cell lines and plasma samples of localized pancreatic cancer patients (Stage I-IIA, n=15), and healthy subjects (n=15). Cellular and exosome miRNAs from pancreatic cancer cell lines were profiled by next-generation small RNA sequencing. Plasma exosome miRNA expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR. We found that certain miRNAs, such as miR-196a and miR-1246, are highly enriched in pancreatic cancer exosomes. Consistently, plasma exosome miR-196a and miR-1246 levels were significantly elevated in pancreatic cancer patients as compared to healthy subjects. An analysis of the cancer subtypes indicated that plasma exosome miR-196a is a better indicator of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), whereas plasma exosome miR-1246 is significantly elevated in patients with intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN). In contrast, there were no differences in the plasma exosome miR-196a and miR-1246 levels between patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NET) and healthy subjects. In conclusion, we demonstrate that certain miRNA species, such as miR-196a and miR-1246, are highly enriched in pancreatic cancer exosomes and elevated in plasma exosomes of patients with localized pancreatic cancer.

Downregulation of microRNA-196a inhibits human liver cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting FOXO1

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults and effective therapy for human liver cancer remains a difficult clinical concern. Researchers have demonstrated that microRNAs play important roles in the tumorigenesis and tumor progression of human liver cancer; therefore, regulation of microRNAs may be a new strategy for HCC therapy. MicroRNA-196a (miR-196a) has been reported to be overexpressed in many types of cancers. However, the regulatory effects of miR-196a in human liver cancer are not fully understood. In the present study, we found that miR-196a was overexpressed in human liver cancer cells compared to that observed in normal liver cells. MTT and colony formation assays indicated that downregulation of miR-196a inhibited liver cancer cell proliferation which was due to the induction of cell apoptosis. A mouse model demonstrated that downregulation of miR-196a also inhibited human liver cancer cell migration and invasion in vivo. Further study indicated that FOXO1 is a direct target of miR-196a, and inhibition of FOXO1 promoted human liver cancer cell growth. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that the expression of miR-196a in human liver cancer cells was upregulated; downregulation of miR-196a regulated human liver cancer cell biological functions which could benefit the clinical therapy of human liver cancer in the future.

A comprehensive study of smoking-specific microRNA alterations in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

While tobacco smoking is a well-known risk factor for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the molecular mechanisms underlying tobacco-induced HNSCC remain unclear. This study sought to comprehensively identify microRNA (miRNA) alterations and evaluate their clinical relevance in smoking-induced HNSCC pathogenesis and progression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Using small RNA-sequencing data and clinical data from 145 HNSCC patients, we performed a series of differential expression and correlation analyses to identify a panel of tobacco-dysregulated miRNAs associated with key clinical characteristics in HNSCC. We then examined the expression patterns of these miRNAs in normal epithelial cell lines following exposure to cigarette smoke extract.

RESULTS

Our analyses revealed distinct panels of miRNAs to be dysregulated with smoking status and associated with additional clinical features, including tumor stage, metastasis, anatomic site, and patient survival. The differential expression of key miRNAs, including miR-101, miR-181b, miR-486, and miR-1301, was verified in cigarette-treated epithelial cell lines, suggesting their potential roles in the early development of smoking-related HNSCCs.

CONCLUSION

Specific alterations in miRNA expression may be traced to tobacco use and are associated with important HNSCC clinical characteristics. Future studies of these miRNAs may be valuable for furthering the understanding and targeted treatment of smoking-associated HNSCC.

Noncoding RNAs Regulating NF-κB Signaling

As transcription factors that regulate expression of a variety of genes essential for diverse physiological and pathological processes, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) family molecules play important roles in the development and progression of malignant tumor, and constitutive activation of NF-κB has been evidenced in various types of tumor tissues. Underlying its pathologic role, deregulated expression and/or transactivating activity of NF-κB usually involves multiple layers of molecular mechanisms. Noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), are known to modulate expression and biological functions of regulatory proteins in a variety of cancer contexts. In this chapter, the regulatory role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in NF-κB signaling in malignant diseases will be discussed.

Improving accuracy of RNA-based diagnosis and prognosis of oral cancer by using noninvasive methods

RNA-based diagnosis and prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma has been slow to come to the clinic. Improvements in RNA measurement, statistical evaluation, and sample preservation, along with increased sample numbers, have not made these methods reproducible enough to be used clinically. We propose that, in the case of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity, a chief source of variability is sample dissection, which leads to variable amounts of stroma mixed in with tumor epithelium. This heterogeneity of the samples, which requires great care to avoid, makes it difficult to see changes in RNA levels specific to tumor cells. An evaluation of the data suggests that, paradoxically, brush biopsy samples of oral lesions may provide a more reproducible method than surgical acquisition of samples for miRNA measurement. The evidence also indicates that body fluid samples can show similar changes in miRNAs with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) as those seen in tumor brush biopsy samples - suggesting much of the miRNA in these samples is coming from the same source: tumor epithelium. We conclude that brush biopsy or body fluid samples may be superior to surgical samples in allowing miRNA-based diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC in that they feature a rapid method to obtain homogeneous tumor cells and/or RNA.

Expression levels of microRNA‑455 and its potential functions by targeting IGF‑1R in melanoma

Melanoma has the highest fatality and malignancy of all skin cancers. In cancer, microRNAs (miRNAs) act as tumor suppressors or oncogenes, and inactivation of oncogenic miRNAs or restoration of tumor suppressor miRNAs has potential for cancer treatment. In the present study, miR‑455 expression levels were examined in melanoma tissues and cell lines, and miR‑455 was significantly downregulated in melanoma compared with matched normal tissues or normal epidermal melanocytes. In addition, increasing miR‑455 expression in melanoma cells reduced cell proliferation and invasion. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that insulin‑like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‑1R) was a putative target of miR‑455. Luciferase reporter assays, reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot confirmed that miR‑455 targeted the 3'‑untranslated region of IGF‑1R and thus regulated the biological processes of melanoma cells. IGF‑1R knockdown resulted in similar effects as miR‑455 overexpression in melanoma cells. In summary, these findings indicated that miR‑455 was downregulated in melanoma, and inhibited proliferation and invasion of melanoma cells through directly targeting IGF‑1R. This also suggested that the restoration of miR‑455 may be worth investigation as a therapeutic treatment for patients with melanoma.

Identification of candidate miRNA biomarkers for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by weighted gene co-expression network analysis

PURPOSE

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a dismal prognosis which is, among others, due to a lack of suitable biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Previously, basic gene expression analysis methods have been used for their identification, but recently new algorithms have been developed allowing more comprehensive data analyses. Among them, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) has already been applied to several cancer types with promising results.

METHODS

We applied WGCNA to miRNA expression data from PDAC patients. Specifically, we processed microarray-based expression data of 2555 miRNAs in serum from 100 PDAC patients and 150 healthy subjects. We identified network modules of co-expressed miRNAs in the healthy subject dataset and verified their preservation in the PDAC dataset. In the non-preserved modules, we selected key miRNAs and carried out functional enrichment analyses of their experimentally known target genes. Finally, we tested their prognostic significance using overall survival analyses.

RESULTS

Through WGCNA we identified several miRNAs that discriminate healthy subjects from PDAC patients and that, therefore, may play critical roles in PDAC development. At a functional level, we found that they regulate p53, FoxO and ErbB associated cellular signalling pathways, as well as cell cycle progression and various genes known to be involved in PDAC development. Some miRNAs were also found to serve as novel prognostic biomarkers, whereas others have previously already been proposed as such, thereby validating the WGCNA approach. In addition, we found that these novel data may explain at least some of our previous PDAC gene expression analysis results.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified several miRNAs critical for PDAC development using WGCNA. These miRNAs may serve as biomarkers for PDAC diagnosis/prognosis and patient stratification, and as putative novel therapeutic targets.

MiR-142 modulates human pancreatic cancer proliferation and invasion by targeting hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) in the tumor microenvironments

MicroRNAs regulate most protein-coding genes, including genes important in cancer and other diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of miR-142 could be significantly suppressed in pancreatic cancer specimens and cell lines compared to their adjacent tissues and normal pancreatic cells. Growth and invasion of PANC-1 and SW1990 cells were attenuated by overexpression of miR-142 in vitro. With the help of bioinformatics analysis, hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α) was identified to be a direct target of miR-142, and a luciferase reporter experiment confirmed this discovery. Overexpression of miR-142 decreases protein expression of HIF-1α. In the hypoxic microenvironment, HIF-1α was up-regulated while miR-142 was down-regulated. The invaded cells significantly increased in the hypoxic microenvironment compared to the normoxic microenvironment. The hypoxia treatment induced cells’ proliferation, and invasion could be inhibited by miR-142 overexpression or HIF-1α inhibition. Moreover, expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, Vimentin, VEGF-C and E-cad, was altered under hypoxia conditions and regulated by miR-142/HIF-1α. Above all, these findings provided insights on the functional mechanism of miR-142, suggesting that the miR-142/HIF-1α axis may interfere with the proliferative and invasive properties of pancreatic cancer cells, and indicated that miR-142 could be a potential therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer.

Summary: Our findings provide insights to the functional mechanism of miR-142, suggesting that the miR-142/HIF-1α axis may interfere with the proliferative and invasive property of pancreatic cancer cells.

The role of microRNA-196a in tumorigenesis, tumor progression, and prognosis

MicroRNAs are a large group of non-coding RNAs that have emerged as regulators of various biological processes, especially carcinogenesis and cancer progression. Recent evidence has shown that microRNA-196a (miR-196a) is upregulated in most types of tumors and involved in multiple biological processes via translational inhibition and mRNA cleavage, such as cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, mostly functioning as an oncogene. Dysregulation of miR-196a promotes oncogenesis and tumor progression. In this review, we summarize the upstream regulators, target genes, signaling pathways, and single nucleotide polymorphisms of miR-196a, which collectively affect cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, we review the clinical outcomes and significance of miR-196a. miR-196a may serve as a novel biomarker or target for diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy in several human cancers.

Expression and mechanism of action of miR-196a in epithelial ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE

To explore the expression, biological function and possible mechanism of action of microRNA molecular-196a (miR-196a) in epithelial ovarian cancer.

METHODS

RT-PCR was used to detect the expression quantities of epithelial ovarian tissue, benign ovarian tissue, normal ovary epithelial tissue, ovarian cancer cell lines and miR-196a in normal ovarian epithelial cells to analyze the relationship between the expression of miR-196a and the clinical pathologic parameters of ovarian cancer. Among those cell lines, the cell line of which miR-196a expressed the most or least was selected and transfected the ovarian cancer cell line by using negative control plasma and miR-196a inhibitor. After transfection, RT-PCR was used to test the expression quantity of miR-196a, Transwell chamber method was applied to determine the migration and invasion abilities of ovarian carcinoma cells and Western blot was employed to detect the expression of HOXA10 protein.

RESULTS

The relative expression quantities of miR-196a in ovarian cancer tissue and benign ovarian tissue were significantly higher than that in normal ovarian epithelial tissue, and the expression quantity of miR-196a in ovarian cancer tissue was distinctively higher than that in benign ovarian tissue (P < 0.05). Among 78 cases of epithelial ovarian cancer, the expression quantities of miR-196a in patients with low differentiation were all significantly higher than those in patients with high differentiation (P < 0.05). The expression of miR-196a showed no significant relation with age, clinical stage and whether CA125 was positive or not in patients (P > 0.05). Compared with normal ovarian epithelial cell line IOSE80, the expression quantities of miR-196a of all ovarian cancer cell lines increased obviously and differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among them, the expression of miR-196a of ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was the highest, while it decreased significantly (4.678 ± 0.785 vs. 2.131 ± 0.345, t = 2.938, P < 0.05) after the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 was transfected by miR-196a inhibitor. The results of Transwell chamber method showed that the migration and invasion abilities of ovarian cancer cells SKOV3 were declined significantly after the expression of miR-196a was down-regulated and the difference showed statistical significance (P < 0.05). The results of Western blot revealed that the relative expression of HOXA10 decreased distinctly after the expression of miR-196a was down-regulated and also the difference showed statistical significance (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The miR-196a might serve as a cancer-promoting gene to promote the migration and invasion of epithelial ovarian cancer by downstream target gene HOXA10.

MicroRNA Theranostics in Prostate Cancer Precision Medicine

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Theranostics, a combination of diagnostics and therapeutics, is an emerging concept in the field of precision medicine, and microRNAs (miRNAs) are predictive pioneers in this area.

CONTENT

miRNAs are small endogenous noncoding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression posttranscriptionally by targeting messenger RNAs. More than 60% of all protein coding genes are controlled by miRNAs, which makes them powerful regulators of the different cellular processes involved in the pathogenesis of various types of cancer, including prostate cancer. Growing evidence indicates the differential expression of miRNAs in tumor tissues. In addition, miRNAs in body fluids, known as circulating miRNAs, are present in remarkably stable forms and their alteration in prostate cancer has been well documented. Circulating miRNAs are known to originate from tumor tissues, thereby enabling intercellular communication via carriers to promote tumorigenesis and malignancy. In addition, fueled by recent advances, the use of miRNA-based anticancer therapies has been proposed with the onset of early phase clinical trials to assess the therapeutic efficacy of miRNAs.

SUMMARY

In this review, we summarize the theranostic utility of miRNAs and outline their diagnostic and prognostic potential in prostate cancer. In addition, we discuss the current detection methodologies and emerging innovative strategies for the detection of miRNAs in body fluids and tumor tissues in the clinical setting. We also provide insight into the current and future therapeutic potential of miRNAs in prostate cancer.