LncRNA MNX1-AS1 drives aggressive laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma progression and serves as a ceRNA to target FoxM1 by sponging microRNA-370

Competing endogenous RNAs in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: a review

Our understanding of RNA biology has evolved with recent advances in research from it being a non-functional product to molecules of the genome with specific regulatory functions. Competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA), which has gained prominence over time as an essential part of post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism, is one such example. The ceRNA biology hypothesis states that coding RNA and non-coding RNA co-regulate each other using microRNA (miRNA) response elements. The ceRNA components include long non-coding RNAs, pseudogene and circular RNAs that exert their effect by interacting with miRNA and regulate the expression level of its target genes. Emerging evidence has revealed that the dysregulation of the ceRNA network is attributed to the pathogenesis of various cancers, including the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This is the most prevalent cancer developed from the mucosal epithelium in the lip, oral cavity, larynx and pharynx. Although many efforts have been made to comprehend the cause and subsequent treatment of HNSCC, the morbidity and mortality rate remains high. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the holistic progression of HNSCC, mediated by ceRNA, that can have immense relevance in identifying novel biomarkers with a defined therapeutic intervention. In this review, we have made an effort to highlight the ceRNA biology hypothesis with a focus on its involvement in the progression of HNSCC. For the identification of such ceRNAs, we have additionally highlighted a number of databases and tools.

Construction of a potential long noncoding RNA prognostic model involved competitive endogenous RNA for patients with gastric cancer

Increasing evidence has underscored the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) make up the major proportion of the competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network and can regulate gene expression by competitively binding to miRNAs in the development and progression of tumors. Nevertheless, the role of lncRNA-mediated ceRNAs in gastric cancer (GC) and their regulatory mechanisms have not been elucidated to some extent. This study is aimed at constructing a prognostic risk model for GC based on lncRNAs. A TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) dataset was analyzed using edgeR to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) in GC tissues vs normal tissues. Subsequently, DElncRNAs that could predict GC prognosis were determined using a training set. A prognostic risk model based on the DElncRNAs was then constructed. The performance of the model was tested using a test set. The functions of these lncRNAs in GC were investigated using a lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network. Analysis of lncRNA expression in 407 TCGA GC cases identified 3 lncRNAs that significantly correlated with prognosis. GC cases with high-risk scores showed markedly poor prognosis relative to those with low-risk scores in both the training and test sets. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis of the relationship between various clinical features and prognosis found that these lncRNAs and stage significantly correlated with GC prognosis. A lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA network based on 3 lncRNAs and functional enrichment analysis of interacting mRNA indicated that these genes are enriched in various intracellular receptor signaling pathways, including regulation of muscle system process, and protein deubiquitylation. The current study provides novel insights into the lncRNA-related ceRNA network in GC and sheds lights on underlying 3 lncRNA biomarkers may be independent prognostic signatures in predicting the survival of GC patients.

Expression of lncRNA LINC00943 in lung squamous cell carcinoma and its relationship with tumor progression

BACKGROUND

Molecular biology has been applied to the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of various diseases, and long noncoding RNA LINC00943 (lncRNA LINC00943; LINC00943) plays an important role in a variety of cancers. Therefore, this study explored the prognostic role of LINC00943 in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and understood its impact on the development of LUSC.

METHODS

There are 89 LUSC patients were involved in current assay. By detecting the expression of LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p in tissues and cells, LINC00943 and its correlation with the characteristics of clinical data were analyzed. The biological function of LINC00943 was studied by Transwell migration and invasion assays. In addition, Pearson correlation coefficient and luciferase activity experiments were chosen to characterize the relationship between LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p and explore the mechanism of LINC00943.

RESULTS

Compared with normal controls, LINC00943 expression in LUSC tissues and cells was significantly reduced, miR-196b-5p was markedly increased, there was a negative correlation between LINC00943 and miR-196b-5p. According to the in vitro cell experiments, migration and invasion of LUSC cells were suppressed by overexpression of LINC00943. Besides, LINC00943 was demonstrated to have prognostic power and targeting miR-196b-5p was involved in the progression of LUSC.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of LINC00943 was molecular sponge for miR-196b-5p that controlled the deterioration of LUSC, which had great potential as a prognostic biomarker for LUSC.

LncRNA-CCAT5-mediated crosstalk between Wnt/β-Catenin and STAT3 signaling suggests novel therapeutic approaches for metastatic gastric cancer with high Wnt activity

BACKGROUND

Although the constitutively activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays vital roles in gastric cancer (GC) progression, few Wnt inhibitors are approved for clinical use. Additionally, the clinical significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in GC intraperitoneal dissemination (IPD) remains elusive. Here, we investigated the function and therapeutic potential of Wnt-transactivated lncRNA, colon cancer-associated transcript 5 (CCAT5), in GC metastasis.

METHODS

LncRNA-sequencing assay was performed to document abundance changes of lncRNAs induced by Wnt family member 3A (Wnt3a) and degradation-resistant β-catenin (S33Y mutated) in ascites-derived GC cells with low Wnt activity. Luciferase reporter, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-re-ChIP assays were performed to determine how CCAT5 was transcribed. The clinical significance of CCAT5 was examined in 2 cohorts of GC patients. The biological function of CCAT5 was investigated through gain- and loss-of-function studies. The molecular mechanism was explored through RNA-sequencing, mass spectrometry, and CRISPR/Cas9-knocknout system. The therapeutic potential of CCAT5 was examined through RNAi-based cell xenograft model and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model of IPD.

RESULTS

We identified a novel Wnt-regulated lncRNA, CCAT5, which was transactivated by the β-catenin/transcription factor 3 (TCF3) complex. CCAT5 was significantly upregulated in GC and predicted poor prognosis. Functional studies confirmed the promotive role of CCAT5 in GC growth and metastasis. Mechanistically, CCAT5 bound to the C-end domain of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and blocks Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1)-mediated STAT3Y705 dephosphorylation, leading to STAT3 nuclear entry and transactivation, thus accelerating GC progression. Furthermore, we demonstrated that both Wnt3a and β-catenin acted as activator of STAT3 signaling pathway, and the interplay between CCAT5 and STAT3 was functionally essential for Wnt-drived STAT3 signaling and tumor evolution. Finally, we revealed in vivo si-CCAT5 selectively attenuated growth and metastasis of Wnthigh GC, but not Wntlow GC. The combination of si-CCAT5 and oxaliplatin displayed obvious synergistic therapeutic effects on Wnthigh PDX mice.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified a novel Wnt-transactivated lncRNA, CCAT5. Our study revealed a mechanism of STAT3 signaling regulation via canonical Wnt signaling and the functional significance of CCAT5 as critical mediator. We provided conceptual advance that lncRNAs serve as therapeutic targets reversing GC progression.

LINC00662 promotes melanoma progression by competitively binding miR-107 and activating the β-catenin signaling pathway

Melanoma is a highly malignant tumor in the body. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been reported to be involved in the development of various tumors. Emerging evidence demonstrates the critical role of lncRNAs in melanoma development. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression, biological function and regulatory mechanism of LINC00662 in melanomas. First, we found that LINC00662 was up-regulated in melanoma tissues and cell lines. High expression of LINC00662 in melanomas was associated with a poor patient prognosis. Silencing of LINC00662 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of melanoma cells in vitro and in vivo, while overexpression of LINC00662 promoted melanoma cell proliferation in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase assay, and RIP assay confirmed that LINC00662 competitively regulated miR-107. Silencing of LINC00662 upregulated miR-107 expression in a melanoma cell line. Inhibition of miR-107 significantly reversed the inhibitory effect of LINC00662 silencing on cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, POU3F2 was validated as a downstream target of LINC00662/miR107 and was downregulated when LINC00662 was silenced. Overexpressing POU3F2 attenuated the effect of si-LINC00662 on cellular functions. In addition, the results also showed that the β-catenin pathway was involved in a si-LINC00662-induced function in melanoma. Overall, our results confirmed that LINC00662 promoted melanoma progression by sponging miR107 and inducing POU3F2, highlighting the mechanism of the LINC00662/miR-107/POU3F2 axis in melanoma cell proliferation and invasion.

NAT10 promotes the tumorigenesis and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma through ac4C modification of FOXM1 mRNA

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC), is a prevalent malignant tumor, belongs to the category of head and neck tumors. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) can alter mRNA stability through N4- acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification. This study aimed to make an investigation into the role of NAT10-mediated ac4C modification in the malignant processes of LSCC cells. The NAT10 expression in LSCC tissues and cells was detected RT-qPCR and western blot. The ac4C dot blot was performed to detect ac4C level. Besides, the cell viability, migration, and invasion abilities were detected by CCK-8 and transwell assays. AcRIP-qPCR was performed to measure the abundance of ac4C on FOXM1 mRNA. RIP and Luciferase reporter assays were performed to demonstrate the interaction between NAT10 and FOXM1. Finally, the xenograft model was established to explore the role of NAT10 in vivo. NAT1 levels were significantly increased in the LSCC tissues and cells. Knockdown of NAT10 could significantly suppress the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCC cells. Additionally, NAT10 recognized the ac4C-modified sites in the 3'-untranslated regions (3' UTR) of forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) to enhance the ability of FOXM1 mRNA. Furthermore, FOXM1 overexpression reversed the suppressing effects of NAT10 knockdown on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of LSCC cells, according to the results of rescue assays. Finally, results of animal experiments showed that NAT10 promoted in vivo tumorigenesis of LSCC cells through upregulating FOXM1. Our current study demonstrated that NAT10-mediated ac4C modification of FOXM1 mRNA promoted the malignant processes of LSCC cells.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of microRNAs in Patients with Laryngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review

Laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck region, with a poor survival rate (5-year overall survival 50-80%) as a consequence of an advanced-stage diagnosis and high recurrence rate. Tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse are the main risk factors of LSCC development. An early diagnosis of LSCC, a prompt detection of recurrence and a more precise monitoring of the efficacy of different treatment modalities are currently needed to reduce the mortality. Therefore, the identification of effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for LSCC is crucial to guide disease management and improve clinical outcomes. In the past years, a dysregulated expression of small non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has been reported in many human cancers, including LSCC, and many miRNAs have been explored for their diagnostic and prognostic potential and proposed as biomarkers. We searched electronic databases for original papers that were focused on miRNAs and LSCC, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. According to the outcome, 566 articles were initially screened, of which 177 studies were selected and included in the analysis. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the current literature on the function and the potential diagnostic and prognostic role of tissue and circulating miRNAs in LSCC.

LINC00536 Promotes Breast Cancer Progression by Regulating ROCK1 via Sponging of miR-214-5p

Accumulating evidence has shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a significant role in regulating gene expression and participating in the progression of various malignancies. In our study, by analyzing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), LINC00536 was found to be highly expressed in breast cancer (BC) tissues, but its function and clinical significance in BC are still unknown. Therefore, we aimed to explore the role and molecular mechanism of LINC00536 in BC. We collected human BC tissue specimens and validated that LINC00536 was overexpressed in BC tissues. Increased LINC00536 expression was associated with advanced TNM stage, larger tumor diameter, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with BC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that high LINC00536 expression was an independent prognostic risk factor for overall survival in BC patients. Furthermore, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that LINC00536 was upregulated in BC cell lines. Then, we confirmed that LINC00536 silencing-inhibited BC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and led to cell cycle arrest in vitro. Animal experiments showed that knockdown of LINC00536 expression suppressed tumorigenesis in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC00536 serves as a ceRNA for miR-214-5p, increasing the expression of ROCK1, which acts as a tumor promoter in BC. Rescue assays revealed that miR-214-5p inhibition or ROCK1 overexpression could neutralize the suppressive effects of LINC00536 knockdown on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Our data indicated that LINC00536 accelerates BC progression by regulating the miR-214-5p/ROCK1 pathway, which might provide a new perspective to investigate the development process of BC.

Identification of Ferroptosis-Related lncRNA Pairs for Predicting the Prognosis of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Ferrogenesis was strongly associated with tumorigenesis and development, and activating the ferrogenic process was a novel regimen in treating cancer, especially conventional treatment-resistant cancers. The purpose of the article was to construct a ferroptosis-related long noncoding RNAs (FRlncRNAs) signature, regardless of expression levels to effectively predict prognosis and immunotherapeutic response for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods

The RNA-seq data for HNSCC and corresponding clinical information were obtained in the TCGA database, and ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) were extracted in the ferroptosis database. On this basis, differentially expressed FRlncRNAs (DEFRlncRNAs) pairs were identified through coexpression analysis, differential expression analysis, and a fresh pairing algorithm. Then, a risk assessment model was established with univariate Cox, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Finally, we evaluated the model from various aspects, including survival status, clinicopathological characteristics, infiltration status of immune cells, immune functions, chemotherapeutic sensitivity, immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)-related molecules, and N6-methyladenosine (m⁶A) mRNA status.

Result

We established a signature of 11-DEFRlncRNA pairs related to the prognosis of HNSCC that had AUC values above 0.75 in the one-, three-, and five-year ROC curves, underscoring the high susceptibility and specifiability of predicting HNSCC prognosis. Survival rates were remarkably higher for the low-risk patients than for the high-risk patients, and the signature was significantly correlated with survival, clinical, T, and N stages. Finally, immune cell infiltration status, immune functions, chemotherapeutic sensitivity, and expression levels of ICIs-related and m⁶A-related molecules were statistically different among different groups.

Conclusion

Our study established a novel lncRNA signature, which is independent of specific expression levels, could predict patient prognosis, and might have promising clinical applications in HNCSS.

LncRNA ENSMUST_147219 mediates the progression of ischemic acute kidney injury by targeting the miR-221-5p/IRF6 axis

Although previous studies have revealed that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate the progression of ischemic acute kidney injury (AKI), the exact role and mechanism of lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 in ischemic AKI are not clear. In the present study, lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 was induced by ischemic injury in vitro and in vivo. Functionally, lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 mediated apoptosis in mouse proximal tubule‐derived cell line (BUMPT). Mechanistically, lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 sponged the microRNA (miR)-221-5p to upregulate the expression of interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) to drive apoptosis. Finally, knockdown of lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 markedly attenuated the ischemic AKI by targeting the miR-221-5p/IRF6 axis. Collectively, our data demonstrated that lncRNA ENSMUST_147219 promoted the development of ischemic AKI by regulating the miR-221-5p/IRF6 pathway, which could be considered a new therapeutic target for ischemic AKI.

LncRNA MNX1-AS1: A novel oncogenic propellant in cancers

To date, recent studies have shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key players in gene regulation processes involved in cancer pathogenesis. In general, Motor neuron and pancreas homeobox 1-antisense RNA1 (MNX1-AS1) is highly expressed in all cancers as reported so far and exerts oncogenic effects through different mechanisms. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the detailed mechanisms of potential functions of MNX1-AS1 in different cancer types as well as the latest knowledge highlighting the potential of MNX1-AS1 as a therapeutic target for cancer. Aberrant expression of MNX1-AS1 closely correlates with clinicopathological parameters. such as lymphatic metastasis, tumor size, tumor stage, OS and DFS. Thus, MNX1-AS1 can be used as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker or even a therapeutic prognostic target. This article reviews its function, molecular mechanism and clinical prognosis in various malignancies.

Long non-coding RNA HOXA11 antisense RNA upregulates spermatogenesis-associated serine-rich 2-like to enhance cisplatin resistance in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by suppressing microRNA-518a

Long noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) are closely associated with the chemoresistance of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). Previous studies indicated that HOXA11-AS could function as a vital regulator in human cancers. However, the regulatory mechanisms of HOXA11-AS in the chemoresistance of LSCC remain unclear. In this study, it was found that HOXA11-AS expression was upregulated in cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant LSCC tissues and cells. Loss-of-function assays revealed that HOXA11-AS knockdown inhibited the viability, migration, and invasion, but promoted the apoptosis of CDDP-resistant LSCC cells. Meanwhile, we identified miR-518a as a downstream gene of HOXA11-AS in LSCC, and miR-518a silencing reversed the promotive effect of HOXA11-AS knockdown on CDDP sensitivity of LSCC cells. In addition, miR-518a could inhibit spermatogenesis-associated serine-rich 2-like (SPATS2L) expression by direct interaction, and upregulation of SPATS2L abrogated the inhibitory effect of HOXA11-AS silencing or miR-518a overexpression on CDDP resistance of CDDP-resistant LSCC cells. In sum, our results demonstrated that HOXA11-AS enhanced CDDP resistance of LSCC via miR-518a/SPATS2L axis, which might offer novel therapeutic strategies for CDDP-resistant LSCC.