MicroRNA-377 suppresses cell proliferation and invasion by inhibiting TIAM1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

MicroRNA as Key Players in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Insights into Their Role in Metastasis

Liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common cancer in global epidemiology. Both the frequency and fatality of this malignancy have shown an upward trend over recent decades. Liver cancer is a significant concern due to its propensity for both intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis. Liver cancer metastasis is a multifaceted process characterized by cell detachment from the bulk tumor, modulation of cellular motility and invasiveness, enhanced proliferation, avoidance of the immune system, and spread either via lymphatic or blood vessels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) playing a crucial function in the intricate mechanisms of tumor metastasis. A number of miRNAs can either increase or reduce metastasis via several mechanisms, such as control of motility, proliferation, attack by the immune system, cancer stem cell properties, altering the microenvironment, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Besides, two other types of non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) can competitively bind to endogenous miRNAs. This competition results in the impaired ability of the miRNAs to inhibit the expression of the specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are targeted. Increasing evidence has shown that the regulatory axis comprising circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA is correlated with the regulation of HCC metastasis. This review seeks to present a thorough summary of recent research on miRNAs in HCC, and their roles in the cellular processes of EMT, invasion and migration, as well as the metastasis of malignant cells. Finally, we discuss the function of the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network as a crucial modulator of carcinogenesis and the regulation of signaling pathways or genes that are relevant to the metastasis of HCC. These findings have the potential to offer valuable insight into the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches for management of liver cancer metastasis.

circ-CFH promotes the development of HCC by regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and glycolysis through the miR-377-3p/RNF38 axis

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have previously been confirmed to function as vital regulators in multiple human cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to clarify the role and underlying molecular mechanisms of circ-CFH in HCC. circ-CFH was overexpressed in HCC tissues and cells, and the downregulation of circ-CFH inhibited the development of HCC by repressing cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and glycolysis while enhancing apoptosis in vitro, as well as inhibited tumor growth in vivo. miR-377-3p was negatively regulated by circ-CFH, and silencing of miR-377-3p abolished circ-CFH knockdown-mediated effects on HCC cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-377-3p could impede the HCC process by targeting RNF38. Mechanistically, the circ-CFH/miR-377-3p/RNF38 axis regulated the progression of HCC cells, which might provide new diagnostic markers for HCC.

Circulating expression levels of CircHIPK3 and CDR1as circular-RNAs in type 2 diabetes patients

BACKGROUND

Recent investigations suggested that deregulated levels of Circular RNAs (circRNAs) could be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) pathogenesis. Accordingly, this study aimed to determine the expression levels of circulating CircHIPK3, CDR1as and their correlation with biochemical parameters in patients with T2DM, pre-diabetes and control subjects.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The expression of circRNAs in peripheral blood was determined using QRT-PCR in 70 patients with T2DM, 60 pre-diabetes and in 69 age and sex matched healthy controls. Moreover, bioinformatics tools were applied to explore and predict the potential interactions between circRNAs and other non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Our analysis revealed that the expression level of CircHIPK3 was significantly elevated in T2DM patients compared to healthy participants (P < 0.001) and pre-diabetes subjects (P = 0.018). In addition, ROC analysis suggested that at the cutoff value of 0.24 and the sensitivity and specificity of 50% and 88.4%, respectively, CircHIPK3 could distinguish between T2DM patients and control subjects. Furthermore, it was observed that the expression level of CDR1as is higher in pre-diabetic individuals than healthy individuals (P = 0.004). Finally, Spearman correlation analysis showed that there was a significant correlation between CircHIPK3 and CDR1as expression levels and clinical and anthropometrical parameters such as BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c and fasting blood glucose (P < 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

The data of this study provided evidence that the expression levels of CircHIPK3, CDR1as increased in T2DM and pre-diabetes subjects, respectively.

The role of miRNA-377 as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer by negative regulation of genes belonging to ErbB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

The ErbB signaling pathway plays important role in the pathogenesis of lung cancer. We explored the role of miRNA-377 as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC through silencing of some genes in the ErbB pathway.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The targeting effect of miRNA-377 on EGFR, MAPK1, ABL2, and PAK2 was evaluated. The expression levels of these genes and miRNA-377 were surveyed in NSCLC and normal human tissues, Calu-6, and A549 cells. Real-time PCR was used to figure out whether miRNA-377 could decrease the target genes mRNAs in transfected lung cancer cell lines. The effects of miRNA-377 on apoptosis cell and proliferation were analyzed. We showed that miRNA-377 targets EGFR, MAPK1, and PAK2 mRNAs in in-silico and luciferase reporter assay. The expression of miRNA-377 was significantly downregulated in human NSCLC tissues, Calu-6 and A549 cells compared to their controls. We observed a negative correlation between EGFR, MAPK1, PAK2, and miRNA-377 expression in human NSCLC tissues. A significant reduction in EGFR, MAPK1, and PAK2 mRNA levels was detected, following miRNA-377 transfection in Calu-6 and A549 cells. The higher levels of miRNA-377 in Calu-6, and A549 cells induced apoptosis and reduced proliferation, significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

All these data reveal that miRNA-377 functions as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

miR-377-3p-Mediated EGR1 Downregulation Promotes B[a]P-Induced Lung Tumorigenesis by Wnt/Beta-Catenin Transduction

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), particularly benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), found in cigarette smoke and air pollution, is an important carcinogen. Nevertheless, early molecular events and related regulatory effects of B[a]P-mediated cell transformation and tumor initiation remain unclear. This study found that EGR1 was significantly downregulated during human bronchial epithelial cell transformation and mice lung carcinogenesis upon exposure to B[a]P and its active form BPDE, respectively. In contrast, overexpression of EGR1 inhibited the BPDE-induced cell malignant transformation. Moreover, miR-377-3p was strongly enhanced by BPDE/B[a]P exposure and crucial for the inhibition of EGR1 expression by targeting the 3'UTR of EGR1. MiR-377-3p antagomir reversed the effect of EGR1 downregulation in cell malignant transformation and tumor initiation models. Furthermore, the B[a]P-induced molecular changes were evaluated by IHC in clinical lung cancer tissues and examined with a clinic database. Mechanistically, EGR1 inhibition was also involved in the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin transduction, promoting lung tumorigenesis following B[a]P/BPDE exposure. Taken together, the results demonstrated that bBenzo[a]pyrene exposure might induce lung tumorigenesis through miR-377-3p-mediated reduction of EGR1 expression, suggesting an important role of EGR1 in PAHs-induced lung carcinogenesis.

MiR-224-5p Targeting OCLN Promotes the Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Cells

A number of studies reported that miR-224-5p is involved in a variety of cancer-related cellular processes, yet its physiological role in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) remains unclear. In order to clarify the function of miR-224-5p in ccRCC, real-time quantitative-PCR was conducted to compare the expression of miR-224-5p in human normal renal tubular epithelial cell lines and ccRCC cell lines first, and a strikingly upregulated expression was observed in ccRCC cell lines. Inhibition of miR-224-5p expression by microRNA inhibitors could inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ccRCC cells. Besides, it was validated by dual-luciferase assay in which miR-224-5p directly targeted OCLN gene. The expression of OCLN was downregulated in ccRCC cells, and overexpression of miR-224-5p could inhibit the mRNA and protein expression levels of OCLN. Overexpression of OCLN could reduce the proliferation, migration, and invasion of ccRCC cells, while overexpressed miR-224-5p could partially reverse that inhibitory effect. Therefore, the promotive effect of miR-224-5p on the proliferation, invasion, and migration of ccRCC cell lines was at least partly due to the inhibition of OCLN expression. These findings highlighted the important function of miR-224-5p, which was promoting cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by downregulating OCLN, in the pathogenesis of ccRCC, and provided a potential treatment strategy.

MicroRNA-377-3p targeting MMP-16 inhibits ovarian cancer cell growth, invasion, and interstitial transition

Background

To evaluate role of microRNA (miRNA)-377-3p on the remission of ovarian cancer (OC) cell proliferation, invasion, and interstitial transition in vivo and vitro.

Methods

SKOV3 cells were used as the object of in vitro research and four-week-old immunodeficient BABL/c female nude mice were used to form the xenograft model. Cell models were constructed by transfecting NC mimics, miR-377 mimic, plasmid cloning DNA (pcDNA), pc-matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-16, or co-transfecting miR-377 mimic and pc-MMP-16. TargetScan software was used to predict the targeting relationship between miRNA-377-3p and MMP-16 in OC cells. The combination of miRNA-377-3p and MMP-16 was detected by dual luciferase report experiment. miRNA expression levels of miRNA-377-3p and MMP-16 in each transfection group cells were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The proliferation of SKOV3 cells were assessed by 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) staining and microtubule formation, while the invasion ability of SKOV3 cells was detected by Transwell assay. Protein expression levels of MMP-16, survivin, Ki67, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), E-cadherin, and N-cadherin were detected by Western blot (WB), and the positive cells of Ki67 and VEGF were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Results

MMP-16 overexpression markedly increased the EDU-positive cell percentage, upregulated survivin and Ki67 levels, increased the number of invasive cells per field, and enhanced VEGF and N-cadherin expression. Importantly, co-transfection of miRNA-377-3p and MMP-16 reversed these abnormal phenomena. Xenotransplantation mouse models were formed by injecting SKOV-3 cells subcutaneously. Tumor size, tumor volume, and tumor weight were all reduced in the miR-377-3p mimic–transfected group. The results of IHC indicated that Ki67 and VEGF expression were decreased in the miR-377-3p mimic–transfected group.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that miR-377-3p could be a promising therapeutic agent for OC cell growth, invasion, and interstitial transition with MMP-16 being its likely target.

Mechanisms and consequences of dysregulation of the Tiam family of Rac activators in disease

The Tiam family proteins - Tiam1 and Tiam2/STEF - are Rac1-specific Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors (GEFs) with important functions in epithelial, neuronal, immune and other cell types. Tiam GEFs regulate cellular migration, proliferation and survival, mainly through activating and directing Rac1 signalling. Dysregulation of the Tiam GEFs is significantly associated with human diseases including cancer, immunological and neurological disorders. Uncovering the mechanisms and consequences of dysregulation is therefore imperative to improving the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Here we compare and contrast the subcellular localisation and function of Tiam1 and Tiam2/STEF, and review the evidence for their dysregulation in disease.

CircPVT1 Regulates Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis and Glycolysis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma via miR-377/TRIM23 Axis

Background

Recent studies reported that circular RNAs (circRNAs) exert essential functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. However, the expression profile and function of circular RNA PVT1 (circPVT1) in HCC are not fully addressed. Thus, we aimed to probe into the function of circPVT1 in HCC development.

Methods

The levels of circPVT1, microRNA-377 (miR-377) and transcripts encoding tripartite motif containing 23 (TRIM23) were determined by qRT-PCR. The stability and localization of circPVT1 were examined by RNase R digestion assay and subcellular fraction assay, respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. The relationship between miR-377 and circPVT1 or TRIM23 was determined by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). The protein expression of TRIM23 was measured by Western blot. The glycolysis level was assessed by specific kits and Seahorse Extracellular Flux Analyzer XF96. The function of circPVT1 in vivo was investigated in a murine xenograft model.

Results

CircPVT1 and TRIM23 levels were elevated, while miR-377 was decreased in HCC. CircPVT1 knockdown restrained proliferation and glycolysis, but enhanced apoptosis in HCC cells. CircPVT1 could bind to miR-377 and inhibition of miR-377 restored circPVT1 knockdown-mediated effect on HCC cells. TRIM23 was certified as a target of miR-377, and TRIM23 upregulation overturned the influence of miR-377 upregulation or circPVT1 silence on HCC progression. Moreover, circPVT1 knockdown restrained tumor growth in HCC in vivo.

Conclusion

CircPVT1 aggravated the progression of HCC by upregulating TRIM23 via sponging miR-377.

MicroRNA-377 Counteracts With Cancer Stem Cell Phenotypes and Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation by Targeting ZEB2 in Colon Cancer

Dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in the pathogenic processes of colon cancer. Epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) promotes metastatic progression and cancer stem cells are closely involved in colon cancer proliferation and metastasis. Functional effects of miR-377 on colon cancer stem cell phenotypes and EMT were then determined in the present study. Firstly, reduced miR-377 was found in colon cancer tissues and cell lines. Results from flow cytometry, sphere formation and western blot assays showed that miR-377 knockdown increased number of ALDH+ cells and promoted sphere formation ability. Moreover, cell migration/invasion and EMT of colon cancer cells were suppressed by miR-377 over-expression. On the contrary, miR-377 mimics caused the reversed results. ZEB2 (zinc finger E box-binding homeobox 2) was then validated as a binding target of miR-377. ZEB2 over-expression reversed the inhibitory abilities of miR-377 on cancer stem cell phenotypes, EMT, migration and invasion. In conclusion, miR-377 regulates cancer stem cell phenotypes and EMT in colon cancer cells via regulation of ZEB2, suggesting a new therapeutic strategy for colon cancer treatment.

LncRNA HULC shRNA disinhibits miR-377-5p to suppress the growth and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma in vitro and hepatocarcinogenesis in vivo

Background

Aberrant expression of up-regulated long non-coding RNA [LncRNA highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC)] has been observed to play an important regulatory role in the development of multiple human diseases. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the role of HULC and miR-377-5p in HCC needs to be urgently explored.

Methods

The mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line HB611, HepG2 and H22, respectively. HULC-shRNA was transfected into HepG-2 cells, which were randomly divided into the control, shRNA-NC, and sh-HULC groups. The correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was analyzed by performing a luciferase reporter assay. The targeting relationship between miR-377-5p and hypoxia-inhibitory factor-1α (HIF-1α) was also investigated using a luciferase reporter assay. Sh-HULC and miR-377-5p inhibitors were transfected either alone or together into HepG2 cells, and which were divided into the control group, the sh-HULC group, the miR-377-5p inhibitor, and the sh-HULC + inhibitor group for subsequent experiments. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were measured by 5-Ethynyl-2-Deoxyuridine (EdU) staining and Transwell invasion assay, respectively. Western plot was carried out to detect the protein expression levels of Ki67, PCNA, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Tumor xenograft mouse models were established to confirm the effect of HULC down-regulation on the development of HCC in vivo.

Results

The mRNA and protein expression levels of HULC were markedly increased, whereas the mRNA expression levels of miR-377-5p were decreased in HCC cell lines. HepG2 cell proliferation and invasion were suppressed in the Sh-HULC group, while miR-377-5p showed the opposite. Further experiments exhibited that miR-377-5p was targeted by HULC, and an negative correlation between HULC and miR-377-5p was observed. Importantly, the in vivo experiments indicated that down-regulation of HULC could inhibit tumor growth. Taken together, our research demonstrated that down-regulation of HULC plays an anti-cancer role through restrainingHepG2 cell proliferation and invasion.

Conclusions

In summary, our in vitro and in vivo findings confirmed HULC to play a role in the progression of HCC, with the underlying mechanism possibly involving the miR-377-5p/HIF-1α pathway.

MicroRNA-377-3p released by mesenchymal stem cell exosomes ameliorates lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by targeting RPTOR to induce autophagy

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) are the severe lung damage and respiratory failure without effective therapy. However, there was a lack of understanding of the mechanism by which exosomes regulate autophagy during ALI/ARDS. Here, we found lipopolysaccharide (LPS) significantly increased inflammatory factors, administration of exosomes released by human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) successfully improved lung morphometry. Further studies showed that miR-377-3p in the exosomes played a pivotal role in regulating autophagy, leading to protect LPS induced ALI. Compared to exosomes released by human fetal lung fibroblast cells (HFL-1), hucMSCs-exosomes overexpressing miR-377-3p more effectively suppressed the bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) and inflammatory factors and induced autophagy, causing recoveration of ALI. Administration of miR-377-3p expressing hucMSCs-exosomes or its target regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (RPTOR) knockdown significantly reduced ALI. In summary, miR-377-3p released by hucMSCs-exosomes ameliorated Lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury by targeting RPTOR to induce autophagy in vivo and in vitro.

microRNA-377 acts as a suppressor in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma through CBX3-dependent P53/P21 pathway

Stem cells play pivotal roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) recurrence and metastasis. The self-renewal ability of stem cells was associated with specific microRNAs (miRs). Herein, we identified the effects of miR-377 on ESCC stem cell activities. First, the expression of miR-377 in ESCC and adjacent normal tissues was determined. The relationship between miR-377 and chromobox protein homolog 3 (CBX3) was assessed by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. miR-377 was overexpressed or inhibited in ESCC stem cells to explore its role in ESCC. To further investigate the mechanism of miR-377 in ESCC, cells were introduced with short hairpin RNA against CBX3 or pifithrin-α (inhibitor of P53 pathway). Besides, the expression of P21, P53, CD133, CD13, Nanog, sex determining region Y-Box 2 (Sox2), and octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), cell sphere formation, colony formation, and proliferation were evaluated respectively. Finally, limiting dilution assay in vivo and tumor xenograft in nude mice were conducted to confirm the roles of miR-377 in vivo. miR-377 was poorly expressed in ESCC. Overexpression of miR-377 could suppress the stem-like trait of ESCC as well as the tumor growth in vivo. miR-377 targeted CBX3 to activate the P53/P21 pathway. Besides, the expression of stem-like markers including CD133, CD13, Oct4, Sox2, and Nanog was decreased, and the abilities of cell sphere formation, colony formation, proliferation, and tumorigenicity were significantly reduced by overexpressing miR-377 or silencing CBX3. The results were reversed after inactivating the P53/P21 pathway. In summary, upregulation of miR-377 inhibits the self-renewal of ESCC stem cells by inhibiting CBX3 expression and promoting activation of the P53/P21 pathway.

MicroRNA Regulation of the Small Rho GTPase Regulators-Complexities and Opportunities in Targeting Cancer Metastasis

The small Rho GTPases regulate important cellular processes that affect cancer metastasis, such as cell survival and proliferation, actin dynamics, adhesion, migration, invasion and transcriptional activation. The Rho GTPases function as molecular switches cycling between an active GTP-bound and inactive guanosine diphosphate (GDP)-bound conformation. It is known that Rho GTPase activities are mainly regulated by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs), GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs), GDP dissociation inhibitors (RhoGDIs) and guanine nucleotide exchange modifiers (GEMs). These Rho GTPase regulators are often dysregulated in cancer; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a large family of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate protein-coding gene expression, have been shown to play important roles in cancer metastasis. Recent studies showed that miRNAs are capable of directly targeting RhoGAPs, RhoGEFs, and RhoGDIs, and regulate the activities of Rho GTPases. This not only provides new evidence for the critical role of miRNA dysregulation in cancer metastasis, it also reveals novel mechanisms for Rho GTPase regulation. This review summarizes recent exciting findings showing that miRNAs play important roles in regulating Rho GTPase regulators (RhoGEFs, RhoGAPs, RhoGDIs), thus affecting Rho GTPase activities and cancer metastasis. The potential opportunities and challenges for targeting miRNAs and Rho GTPase regulators in treating cancer metastasis are also discussed. A comprehensive list of the currently validated miRNA-targeting of small Rho GTPase regulators is presented as a reference resource.

The mechanistic, diagnostic and therapeutic novel nucleic acids for hepatocellular carcinoma emerging in past score years

Despite The Central Dogma states the destiny of gene as 'DNA makes RNA and RNA makes protein', the nucleic acids not only store and transmit genetic information but also, surprisingly, join in intracellular vital movement as a regulator of gene expression. Bioinformatics has contributed to knowledge for a series of emerging novel nucleic acids molecules. For typical cases, microRNA (miRNA), long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) exert crucial role in regulating vital biological processes, especially in malignant diseases. Due to extraordinarily heterogeneity among all malignancies, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has emerged enormous limitation in diagnosis and therapy. Mechanistic, diagnostic and therapeutic nucleic acids for HCC emerging in past score years have been systematically reviewed. Particularly, we have organized recent advances on nucleic acids of HCC into three facets: (i) summarizing diverse nucleic acids and their modification (miRNA, lncRNA, circRNA, circulating tumor DNA and DNA methylation) acting as potential biomarkers in HCC diagnosis; (ii) concluding different patterns of three key noncoding RNAs (miRNA, lncRNA and circRNA) in gene regulation and (iii) outlining the progress of these novel nucleic acids for HCC diagnosis and therapy in clinical trials, and discuss their possibility for clinical applications. All in all, this review takes a detailed look at the advances of novel nucleic acids from potential of biomarkers and elaboration of mechanism to early clinical application in past 20 years.

Epigenetic regulation of AURKA by miR-4715-3p in upper gastrointestinal cancers

Aurora kinase A (AURKA) is frequently overexpressed in several cancers. miRNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicated significant downregulation of miR-4715-3p. We found that miR-4715-3p has putative binding sites on the 3UTR region of AURKA. Upper gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma (UGC) tissue samples and cell models demonstrated significant overexpression of AURKA with downregulation of miR-4715-3p. Luciferase reporter assays confirmed binding of miR-4715-3p on the 3UTR region of AURKA. miR-4715-3p mediated a reduction in AURKA levels leading to G2/M delay, chromosomal polyploidy, and cell death. We also detected a remarkable decrease in GPX4, an inhibitor of ferroptosis, with an increase in cleaved PARP and caspase-3. Inhibition of AURKA using siRNA produced similar results, suggesting a possible link between AURKA and GPX4. Analysis of UGC samples and cell models demonstrated increased methylation levels of several CpG nucleotides upstream of miR-4715-3p. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine induced demethylation of several CpG nucleotides, restoring miR-4715-3p expression, leading to downregulation of AURKA. In conclusion, our data identified a novel epigenetic mechanism mediating silencing of miR-4715-3p and induction of AURKA in UGCs. Inhibition of AURKA or reconstitution of miR-4715-3p inhibited GPX4 and induced cell death, suggesting a link between AURKA and ferroptosis.

Tiam1 high expression is associated with poor prognosis in solid cancers: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

A number of studies have attempted to determine the prognostic value of T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis-inducing factor 1 (Tiam1) in patients with solid cancers, but the reported results were of inconsistency. Thus, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to exhaustively evaluate the prognostic role of Tiam1 expression in patients with solid cancers.

METHODS

We retrieved literature published in between 1994 and April 22th, 2019 through searching PubMed, Web of Science and China national knowledge infrastructure (CNKI). Hazard ratios (HRs) coupled with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the relationship of Tiam1 expression and overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

A total of 2647 patients with solid cancers in 20 studies were enrolled in our meta-analysis eventually. The pooled results showed that Tiam1 high expression was closely correlated with poor OS (HR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.80-2.61, P = .000) and DFS (pooled HR = 1.95, 95% CI = 1.58-2.40, P = .000). Moreover, our subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis demonstrated the reliability and stability of our pooled results.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this meta-analysis confirmed that Tiam1 higher expression positively correlated with OS and DFS, suggesting that Tiam1 may act as a valuable prognostic predictor and therapeutic target for patients with solid cancers. Nevertheless, in future more homogeneous and prospective studies should be performed to further support our findings.

High Tiam1 expression predicts positive lymphatic metastasis and worse survival in patients with malignant solid tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Many studies have explored the prognostic value of T-cell lymphoma invasion and metastasis inducing factor 1 (Tiam1) and its association with lymphatic metastasis in malignant solid tumors, but the conclusions remain controversial. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to systematically assess the prognostic value of Tiam1 expression and its association with lymphatic metastasis in malignant solid tumors.

Methods

We searched eligible studies in PubMed, Web of Science and EMBASE databases (from inception up to October 2018). The combined HR with 95% CI was used to estimate the prognostic value of Tiam1 expression. The correlation between Tiam1 expression and lymphatic metastasis was assessed using the combined odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI.

Results

A total of 17 studies with 2,228 patients with solid tumors were included in this meta-analysis. The overall estimated results showed that high Tiam1 expression was significantly associated with shorter overall survival (HR= 2.08, 95% CI: 1.62-2.68, P<0.01), and disease-free survival (HR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.49-2.32, P<0.01). Besides, we also found that there was a close relationship between high Tiam1 expression and positive lymphatic metastasis (OR=2.63; 95% CI: 1.79-3.84, P<0.01).

Conclusion

High Tiam1 expression was significantly associated with shorter survival and positive lymphatic metastasis in patients with malignant solid tumors. Therefore, Tiam1 may be a promising prognostic biomarker and an effective therapeutic target for malignant solid tumors.

The prognostic value of Tiam1 correlates with its roles in epithelial-mesenchymal transition progression and angiogenesis in lung adenocarcinoma

Background

Tiam1 has been identified as an oncogene and acts as an activator of GTPase Rac. Tiam1 was reported to be a promoter of cancer progression in various cancer types, while in lung adenocarcinoma, its mechanism of action is poorly understood.

Materials and Methods

Immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot assay were used to determine Tiam1 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues, and its association with prognosis was determined by statistical analysis. We depleted Tiam1 in both A549 and H1975 cancer cell lines. Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester staining and colony formation assays were used to evaluate its impact on cell proliferation ability after depletion. Transwell migration assay and wound healing assays were performed to determine its impact on migration ability of both cell lines. Western blot assay and immunofluorescence staining were used to analyze the association between Tiam1 and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) progression. Tube formation assay and vasculogenic mimicry assay were used to show the impact of Tiam1 depletion on cancer angiogenesis.

Results

In this study, we demonstrated that Tiam1 overexpression in lung adenocarcinoma was significantly associated with advanced tumor grade and poor prognosis. In vitro assays indicated that Tiam1 depletion significantly inhibited cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration capacities in A549 and H1975 cells. Further investigations revealed that Tiam1 plays an important role in EMT program enhancement, angiogenesis, and accelerated tumor progression. Notably, Tiam1 depletion in cancer cells strongly inhibited human umbilical vein endothelial cell angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry capacities of both cancer cell lines.

Conclusion

Tiam1 overexpression is associated with lung adenocarcinoma progression and may indicate poor prognosis. Tiam1 accelerated tumor progression due to EMT and angiogenesis enhancement. Our data may provide a novel therapeutic target for lung adenocarcinoma.

miR-625-3p promotes migration and invasion and reduces apoptosis of clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignancy, yet, the mechanisms underlying tumorigenesis remain unclear. Several miRNAs have been implicated in the development of RCC previously via regulation of target gene expression. As miR-625-3p has recently been identified to play a role in development of other malignancies and is reportedly upregulated in ccRCC, we sought to investigate the role of this miRNA in the progression of ccRCC. Analysis of 30 paired fresh ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal renal tissues revealed that the expression of miR-625-3p was increased in ccRCC tissues compared to normal tissues. Subsequently, in 136 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded ccRCC tissues, the increased miR-625-3p expression was correlated with poor prognosis for ccRCC patients. The diagnostic value of miR-625-3p was identified in 50 ccRCC patients and 74 healthy controls by ROC curve. miR-625-3p was decreased in serum of ccRCC patients compared to healthy individuals. miR-625-3p could serve as a promising serum biomarker for yielding an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.792 with 70.3% sensitivity and 80.0% specificity in discriminating ccRCC from healthy individuals. Using in vitro functional assays, we found that overexpression of miR-625-3p promoted migration and invasion of ccRCC cells but reduced ccRCC cell apoptosis. Inhibition of miR-625-3p, on the other hand, exerted the opposite effects. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that predicted gene targets of miR-625-3p are correlated with lower overall survival of ccRCC patients. Together, these findings demonstrate that miR-625-3p promotes ccRCC migration and invasion and reduces apoptosis, providing a prognostic marker for survival and a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target against ccRCC.

microRNAs: Key players in virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known as one of the major health problems worldwide. Pathological analysis indicated that a variety of risk factors including genetical (i.e., alteration of tumor suppressors and oncogenes) and environmental factors (i.e., viruses) are involved in beginning and development of HCC. The understanding of these risk factors could guide scientists and clinicians to design effective therapeutic options in HCC treatment. Various viruses such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) via targeting several cellular and molecular pathways involved in HCC pathogenesis. Among various cellular and molecular targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) have appeared as key players in HCC progression. miRNAs are short noncoding RNAs which could play important roles as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in several malignancies such as HCC. Deregulation of many miRNAs (i.e., miR-222, miR-25, miR-92a, miR-1, let-7f, and miR-21) could be associated with different stages of HCC. Besides miRNAs, exosomes are other particles which are involved in HCC pathogenesis via targeting different cargos, such as DNAs, RNAs, miRNAs, and proteins. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of miRNAs and exosomes as important players in HCC pathogenesis. Moreover, we highlighted HCV- and HBV-related miRNAs which led to HCC progression.

MicroRNA-23a promotes colorectal cancer cell survival by targeting PDK4

MicroRNA (miR) is important regulators of gene expression, and aberrant miR expression has been linked to oncogenesis; however, little is understood about their contribution to colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, we determined that miR-23a is overexpressed in human colorectal cancer cell lines and tissues compared with that of normal cells. The stable over-expression of miR-23a in CRC cells was sufficient to promote cell proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Further studies showed that miR-23a can directly bind to the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of PDK4 mRNA and subsequently repress both the mRNA and protein expressions of PDK4. PDK4 negatively regulate CRC proliferation via suppressing PDH activity. Ectopic expression of PDK4 by transiently transfected with PDK4 vector encoding the entire coding sequence could reverse the effects of miR-23a on CRC proliferation. By this way, miR-23a promotes PDH activation and oxidative phosphorylation to generate sufficient ATP for cell proliferation. Our results illustrated that the up-regulation of miR-23a played an important role in CRC cell proliferation through direct repressing PDK4, suggesting a potential application of miR-23a in prognosis prediction and therapeutic application in CRC.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 regulates E2F3 expression by competitively binding to miR-377 in non-small cell lung cancer

It has previously been demonstrated that the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) nuclear enriched abundant transcript (NEAT)-1 is increased in multiple cancers and may be associated with cancer development. However, the function and mechanism of NEAT1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not yet been fully elucidated. In the present study, the expression of NEAT1 in NSCLC was detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and association with survival was estimated. The effect of NEAT1 on proliferation was detected by growth curve and cell cycle analysis. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify miRNAs that interact with NEAT1. Following this, a series of molecular biological techniques were used to verify the mechanism of NEAT1. The results indicated that NEAT1 was highly expressed in NSCLC, and high NEAT1 expression was associated with a shorter overall survival. NEAT1 promoted NSCLC cell growth and affected the cell cycle process in vitro. Furthermore, NEAT1 was observed to bind hsa-miR-377-3p, functioning as a competing endogenous RNA, which resulted in de-repression of its target gene E2F transcription factor 3 (E2F3). E2F3, as an oncogene, may promote NSCLC progression. These results suggested that NEAT1 may promote the development of NSCLC through the miR-377-3p-E2F3 pathway.

TEAD1/4 exerts oncogenic role and is negatively regulated by miR-4269 in gastric tumorigenesis

TEA domain (TEAD) transcription factors are key components of the Hippo–YAP1 signaling pathway, but their functional role and regulatory mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to comprehensively explore the expression pattern and functional role of TEAD family in gastric carcinogenesis and investigate its regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs). The mRNA and protein expression of TEAD family were examined by quantitative reverse transcription–PCR (qRT–PCR) and western blot. Their functional roles were determined by in vitro and in vivo studies. The clinicopathological association of TEAD4 in gastric cancer (GC) was studied using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray. The prediction of miRNAs, which potentially target TEAD1/4, was performed by TargetScan and miRDB. The regulation of TEAD1/4 by miRNAs was confirmed by qRT–PCR, western blot and luciferase assays. TEAD1/4 were overexpressed in GC cell lines and primary GC tissues. Knockdown of TEAD1/4 induced a significant anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo. TEAD1 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-377-3p and miR-4269, while TEAD4 was negatively regulated by miR-1343-3p and miR-4269. Among them, miR-4269 was the most effective inhibitor of TEAD1/4. Ectopic expression of these miRNAs substantiated their tumor-suppressive effects. In primary GC tumors, downregulation of miR-4269 was associated with poor disease-specific survival and showed a negative correlation with TEAD4. TEAD1 and TEAD4 are oncogenic factors, whose aberrant activation are, in part, mediated by the silence of miR-377-3p, miR-1343-3p and miR-4269. For the first time, the nuclear accumulated TEAD4 and downregulated miR-4269 are proposed to serve as novel prognostic biomarkers in GC.

miRNA-708 functions as a tumour suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting SMAD3

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent subtype of primary liver cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Previous studies have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) serve key roles in the carcinogenesis and progression of HCC by regulating gene expression. The present study investigated the expression patterns, biological roles and underlying mechanisms of miRNA-708 (miR-708) in HCC. The expression levels of miR-708 in HCC tissue samples and cell lines were examined. Cell proliferation, migration and invasion assays were used to evaluate the effect of miR-708 on HCC cells. In addition, bioinformatic and western blotting analyses, and dual luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate the direct gene target of miR-708. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-708 expression was significantly decreased in HCC tissue samples and cell lines. In addition, the expression level of miR-708 was associated with increased HCC tumour stage. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-708 suppressed HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. The results of the present study also indicated that miR-708 targets SMAD family member 3 directly in vitro. The results of the present study indicated that miR-708 may be a novel target for future HCC therapy.

MiRNA expression profiles reveal the involvement of miR-26a, miR-548l and miR-34a in hepatocellular carcinoma progression through regulation of ST3GAL5

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have key roles in comprehensive physiological and pathological processes by targeting specific genes through translational repression. Identification of miRNAs related to metastasis enables us to obtain better insight into cancer development. In the current study, we investigated the miRNA expressional profiles in the highly invasive human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line MHCC97-H and MHCC97-L with lower metastatic potential using miRNA microarrays. By quantitative real-time PCR, we confirmed the results of miRNA experiments. Thirteen differentially expressed miRNAs were identified between MHCC97-H and MHCC97-L cells; and the same results were found in clinical samples. Using bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay, we found that ST3GAL5, a sialyltransferase gene, was the direct target of miR-26a, miR-548l and miR-34a. Engineered expression of miR-26a, miR-548l or miR-34a in MHCC97-H or MHCC97-L cells could significantly change their malignant behaviors and oncogenicity in in vitro and in vivo assays. Manipulated expression of ST3GAL5 also led to the alteration of the metastatic potential of MHCC97-H and MHCC97-L cells, in agreement with the effects of above three miRNAs. Altogether, our data indicate that the levels of these miRNAs may be used as biological markers for evaluating hepatocellular carcinoma progression. miR-26a, miR-548l and miR-34a, acting as tumor suppressors, may exert their effects by regulating ST3GAL5.

miR-377 induces senescence in human skin fibroblasts by targeting DNA methyltransferase 1

Skin aging is a complicated physiological process and epigenetic feature, including microRNA-mediated regulation and DNA methylation, have been shown to contribute to this process. DNA methylation is regulated by DNA methyltransferase, of which DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) is the most abundantly known. But evidence supporting its role in skin aging remains scarce, and no report regards its specifical upstream-regulating molecules in the process of skin aging so far. Here, we found that DNMT1 expression was markedly higher in young human skin fibroblasts (HSFs) than that in passage-aged HSFs, and DNMT1 knockdown significantly induced the senescence phenotype in young HSFs. We predicted the upstream miRNAs which could regulate DNMT1 with miRNA databases and found miR-377 had high homology with a sequence in the 3′-UTR of human DNMT1 mRNA. We confirmed that miR-377 was a potential regulator of DNMT1 by luciferase reporter assays. miR-377 expression in passage-aged HSFs was markedly higher than that in the young HSFs. miR-377 overexpression promoted senescence in young HSFs, and inhibition of miR-377 reduced senescence in passage-aged HSFs. Moreover, these functions were mediated by targeting DNMT1. Microfluidic PCR and next-generation bisulfite sequencing of 24 senescent-associated genes' promoters revealed alterations of the promoter methylation levels of FoxD3,p53, and UTF1 in HSFs treated with miR-377 mimics or inhibitors. We also verified that the miR-377-mediated changes in p53 expression could be reversed by regulation of DNMT1 in HSFs. Similarly, there was a negative correlation between miR-377 and DNMT1 expression in young and photoaged HSFs, HSFs, or skin tissues from UV-unexposed areas of different aged donors. Our results highlight a novel role for miR-377-DNMT1-p53 axis in HSF senescence. These findings shed new light on the mechanisms of skin aging and identify future opportunities for its therapeutic prevention.

Downregulation of miR-377 Promotes Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Growth and Migration by Targeting HDAC9

microRNAs are the post-transcriptional regulators implicated in the initiation and progression of various cancer types, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Here, we investigated the role of miR-377 in OSCC tumorigenesis. miR-377 expression was reduced in OSCC samples and cell line (UPCI-SCC-116), and was associated with patient survival. In vitro restoration of miR-377 repressed cell growth, induced apoptosis, and reduced cell migration. We identified HDAC9 as a target of miR-377 and found miR-377 to regulate HDAC9 and its pro-apoptotic target, NR4A1/Nur77. Our findings show that miR-377 targets HDAC9 pathway in OSCC, suggesting that miR-377-HDAC9 axis may provide a novel therapeutic target for OSCC therapy.

Hepatoepigenetic Alterations in Viral and Nonviral-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of tumour-related deaths worldwide. Extensive evidence endorses that HCC is a multifactorial disease characterised by hepatic cirrhosis mostly associated with chronic inflammation and hepatitis B/C viral infections. Interaction of viral products with the host cell machinery may lead to increased frequency of genetic and epigenetic aberrations that cause harmful alterations in gene transcription. This may provide a progressive selective advantage for neoplastic transformation of hepatocytes associated with phenotypic heterogeneity of intratumour HCC cells, thus posing even more challenges in HCC treatment development. Epigenetic aberrations involving DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding miRNA dysregulation have been shown to be intimately linked with and play a critical role in tumour initiation, progression, and metastases. The current review focuses on the aberrant hepatoepigenetics events that play important roles in hepatocarcinogenesis and their utilities in the development of HCC therapy.

MiR-377 inhibits the proliferation of pancreatic cancer by targeting Pim-3

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in the regulation of various tumor biological processes including proliferation and apoptosis. MiR-377 has been implicated in many types of cancer, whereas its expressional feature and potential biological function in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear. In this study, we scanned the global miRNA expression profiles in PDAC from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and found miR-377 was down-regulated significantly in PDAC. Then, its expression was measured in both pancreatic cancer tissues and cells; the data showed that miR-377 was de-regulated and inversely correlated with pathologic parameters of tumor growth or metastasis. We generated PDAC cell lines with stable overexpression or inhibition of miR-377, and our results indicated that miR-377 up-regulation significantly promoted cell viability, proliferation, and migration in PDAC cells, and also induced cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest simultaneously. Binding-site predictions by bioinformatics showed that Pim-3 might be a potential target of miR-377. Luciferase reporter assay ulteriorly identified that miR-377 suppressed Pim-3 expression by binding the 3'-UTR. In tumor tissues, we also showed that the Pim-3 expression was inversely correlated with that of miR-377. Furthermore, stable ectopic miR-377 expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines suppressed Pim-3 expression, leading to the attenuation of Bad phosphorylation level at its Ser112 and promoting cell apoptosis. Overall, these results reveal that miR-377 may have tumor growth suppression function by down-regulating Pim-3 kinase expression to inhibit both pancreatic tumor growth and migration, and induce cell apoptosis. Hence, miR-377 may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target.

microRNA-622 acts as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma

microRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of tumor development and progression. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression and role of miR-622 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that miR-622 was significantly downregulated in human HCC specimens compared to adjacent noncancerous liver tissues. miR-622 downregulation was significantly associated with aggressive parameters and poor prognosis in HCC. Enforced expression of miR-622 significantly decreased the proliferation and colony formation and induced apoptosis of HCC cells. In vivo studies demonstrated that miR-622 overexpression retarded the growth of HCC xenograft tumors. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-622 directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of mitogen-activated protein 4 kinase 4 (MAP4K4) mRNA. Ectopic expression of miR-622 led to a significant reduction of MAP4K4 expression in HCC cells and xenograft tumors. Overexpression of MAP4K4 partially restored cell proliferation and colony formation and reversed the induction of apoptosis in miR-622-overexpressing HCC cells. Inhibition of JNK and NF-κB signaling phenocopied the anticancer effects of miR-622 on HCC cells. Taken together, miR-622 acts as a tumor suppressor in HCC and restoration of miR-622 may provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of HCC.

Long non-coding RNA NEAT1 promotes non-small cell lung cancer progression through regulation of miR-377-3p-E2F3 pathway

Recently, the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) NEAT1 has been identified as an oncogenic gene in multiple cancer types and elevated expression of NEAT1 was tightly linked to tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, the molecular basis for this observation has not been characterized in progression of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In our studies, we identified NEAT1 was highly expressed in patients with NSCLC and was a novel regulator of NSCLC progression. Patients whose tumors had high NEAT1 expression had a shorter overall survival than patients whose tumors had low NEAT1 expression. Further, NEAT1 significantly accelerates NSCLC cell growth and metastasis in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. Additionally, by using bioinformatics study and RNA pull down combined with luciferase reporter assays, we demonstrated that NEAT1 functioned as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) for hsa-miR-377-3p, antagonized its functions and led to the de-repression of its endogenous targets E2F3, which was a core oncogene in promoting NSCLC progression. Taken together, these observations imply that the NEAT1 modulated the expression of E2F3 gene by acting as a ceRNA, which may build up the missing link between the regulatory miRNA network and NSCLC progression.

Expression and clinical significance of Tiam1 gene in esophageal carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between Tiam1 gene expression and the invasion and metastasis of esophageal cancer.

METHODS

By RT-PCR technique, Tiam1 mRNA expression levels in 49 cases of esophageal cancer tissues and normal esophageal tissues were detected.

RESULTS

Average Tiam1 mRNA expression level in 49 cases of esophageal cancer tissues (1.83 ± 0.73) was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal tissues (0.87 ± 0.45) (P < 0.01); High Tiam1 mRNA expression rate in esophageal cancer tissues was positively correlated with clinical stage and T stage; Tiam1 mRNA expression rate was 59.38% (19/32) in patients with lymph node metastasis, and in patients without lymph node metastasis it was 23.53% (4/17), with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Tiam1 gene expression in esophageal cancer tissues was significantly higher than that in normal esophageal tissues, and its overexpression was positively correlated with invasion and metastasis of esophageal cancer.

MicroRNA-377 inhibits non-small-cell lung cancer through targeting AEG-1

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis. However, the underlying mechanisms of microRNA-377 (miR-377) in NSCLC remain unknown. Hence, in the present study, we aimed to explore the role of miR-377 in the development of NSCLC, with identifying its target genes. The results showed that miR-377 expression was significantly decreased in NSCLC tissues as well as in NSCLC cell lines. Moreover, high expression of miR-377 could markedly inhibit the viability, proliferation, migration and invasion of NSCLC cells. The bioinformatics analysis results showed that astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), an oncogene as previously reported, was a potential target gene of miR-377, which was further validated by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Besides, the expression of AEG-1 in protein level was decreased by miR-377 overexpression, but not in mRNA level. In addition, AEG-1 overexpression could reverse the inhibitory effects on NSCLC cells caused by miR-377 transfection. In conclusion, our results suggested that miR-377 played an important role in the development of NSCLC by regulating AEG-1 and may be a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.