The clinical value of miRNA-21 in cervical cancer: A comprehensive investigation based on microarray datasets

Enzyme-free sensitive SERS biosensor for the detection of thalassemia-associated microRNA-210 using a cascade dual-signal amplification strategy

BACKGROUND

β-thalassemia is a blood disorder caused by autosomal mutations. Gene modulation therapy to activate the γ-globin gene to induce fetal hemoglobin (HbF) synthesis has become a new option for the treatment of β-thalassemia. MicroRNA-210 (miR-210) contributes to studying the mechanism regulating γ-globin gene expression and is a potential biomarker for rapid β-thalassemia screening. Traditional miRNA detection methods perform well but necessitate complex and time-consuming miRNA sample processing. Therefore, the development of a sensitive, accurate, and simple miRNA level monitoring method is essential.

RESULTS

We have developed a non-enzymatic surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) biosensor utilizing a signal cascade amplification of catalytic hairpin assembly reaction (CHA) and proximity hybridization-induced hybridization chain reaction (HCR). Au@Ag NPs were used as the SERS substrate, and methylene blue (MB)- modified DNA hairpins were used as the SERS tags. The SERS assay involved two stages: implementing the CHA-HCR cascade signal amplification strategy and conducting SERS measurements on the resulting product. The HCR was started by the products of target-triggered CHA, which formed lengthy nicked double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) on the Au@Ag NPs surface to which numerous SERS tags were attached, leading to a significant increase in the SERS signal intensity. High specificity and sensitivity for miR-210 detection was achieved by monitoring MB SERS intensity changes. The suggested SERS biosensor has a low detection limit of 5.13 fM and is capable of detecting miR-210 at concentration between 10 fM and 1.0 nM.

SIGNIFICANCE

The biosensor can detect miR-210 levels in the erythrocytes of β-thalassemia patients, enabling rapid screening for β-thalassemia and suggesting a novel approach for investigating the regulation mechanism of miR-210 on γ-globin gene expression. In the meantime, this innovative technique has the potential to detect additional miRNAs and to become an important tool for the early diagnosis of diseases and for biomedical research.

NOVAprep-miR-Cervix: New Method for Evaluation of Cervical Dysplasia Severity Based on Analysis of Six miRNAs

Cervical cancer is one of the most common gynecological malignancies and it is preventable through the yearly diagnosis and management of pre-cancerous cervical disease. The profile of miRNA expression in cervical epithelium cells is altered with cervical dysplasia development and further progression. The NOVAprep-miR-CERVIX is a new approach for the assessment of cervical dysplasia through the analysis of six marker miRNAs. This study aims to evaluate theperformance and diagnostic potency of the new method. Cytological smears from 226 women (NILM, n.114; HSIL, n.112) were included in the study. A VPH test was performed with RealBest DNAHPV HR screen Kit, six marker miRNAs (miR-21, -29b, -145, -451a, -1246, -1290) were assayed using NOVAprep-miR-CERVIX kit. Obtained data were analyzed using the Delta Ct method and random forest machine learning algorithm. The results of the quantitative analysis of six microRNAs were expressed as a miR-CERVIX parameter, which ranged from 0 to 1, where "0" corresponded to the healthy cervical epithelium, while "1" corresponded to high-grade squamous intraepithelial dysplasia. The average value of miR-CERVIX differed in groups of NILM and HSIL samples (0.34 vs. 0.72; p < 0.000005). An estimation of miR-CERVIX allowed for the differentiation between healthy and pre-cancerous samples with sensitivity of 0.79 and specificity of 0.79, as well as to confirm HSIL with specificity of 0.98. Interestingly, the HSIL group included HPV(+) and HPV(-) samples, which were statistically significantly different in terms of miR-CERVIX value. Analysis of CC-associated miRNAs in material of cervical smear might serve as an additional method for the evaluation of cervical dysplasia severity.

miRNAs role in cervical cancer pathogenesis and targeted therapy: Signaling pathways interplay

Cervical cancer (CC) is the primary cause of cancer deaths in underdeveloped countries. The persistence of infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is a significant contributor to the development of CC. However, few women with morphologic HPV infection develop invasive illnesses, suggesting other mechanisms contribute to cervical carcinogenesis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are small chain nucleic acids that can regulate wide networks of cellular events. They can inhibit or degrade their target protein-encoding genes. They had the power to regulate CC's invasion, pathophysiology, angiogenesis, apoptosis, proliferation, and cell cycle phases. Further research is required, even though novel methods have been developed for employing miRNAs in the diagnosis, and treatment of CC. We'll go through some of the new findings about miRNAs and their function in CC below. The function of miRNAs in the development of CC and its treatment is one of these. Clinical uses of miRNAs in the analysis, prediction, and management of CC are also covered.

Emerging Roles and Potential Applications of Non-Coding RNAs in Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer (CC) is a preventable disease using proven interventions, specifically prophylactic vaccination, pervasive disease screening, and treatment, but it is still the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Patients with advanced or metastatic CC have a very dismal prognosis and current therapeutic options are very limited. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of metastasis and discovering new therapeutic targets are crucial. New sequencing tools have given a full visualization of the human transcriptome's composition. Non-coding RNAs (NcRNAs) perform various functions in transcriptional, translational, and post-translational processes through their interactions with proteins, RNA, and even DNA. It has been suggested that ncRNAs act as key regulators of a variety of biological processes, with their expression being tightly controlled under physiological settings. In recent years, and notably in the past decade, significant effort has been made to examine the role of ncRNAs in a variety of human diseases, including cancer. Therefore, shedding light on the functions of ncRNA will aid in our better understanding of CC. In this review, we summarize the emerging roles of ncRNAs in progression, metastasis, therapeutics, chemo-resistance, human papillomavirus (HPV) regulation, metabolic reprogramming, diagnosis, and as a prognostic biomarker of CC. We also discussed the role of ncRNA in the tumor microenvironment and tumor immunology, including cancer stem cells (CSCs) in CC. We also address contemporary technologies such as antisense oligonucleotides, CRISPR-Cas9, and exosomes, as well as their potential applications in targeting ncRNAs to manage CC.