A novel long noncoding RNA PILRLS promote proliferation through TCL1A by activing MDM2 in Retroperitoneal liposarcoma

The Role of lncRNAs in Rare Tumors with a Focus on HOX Transcript Antisense RNA (HOTAIR)

Rare cancers are identified as those with an annual incidence of fewer than 6 per 100,000 persons and includes both epithelial and stromal tumors from different anatomical areas. The advancement of analytical methods has produced an accurate molecular characterization of most human cancers, suggesting a “molecular classification” that has allowed the establishment of increasingly personalized therapeutic strategies. However, the limited availability of rare cancer samples has resulted in very few therapeutic options for these tumors, often leading to poor prognosis. Long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs mostly involved in tumor progression and drug response. In particular, the lncRNA HOX transcript antisense RNA (HOTAIR) represents an emergent diagnostic, prognostic and predictive biomarker in many human cancers. The aim of this review is to highlight the role of HOTAIR in rare cancers, proposing it as a new biomarker usable in the management of these tumors.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma: An Insight on Biomarkers at Molecular, Metabolic and Cellular Level

Simple Summary

Soft tissue sarcoma is a rare mesenchymal malignancy. Despite the advancements in the fields of radiology, pathology and surgery, these tumors often recur locally and/or with metastatic disease. STS is considered to be a diagnostic challenge due to the large variety of histological subtypes with clinical and histopathological characteristics which are not always distinct. One of the important clinical problems is a lack of useful biomarkers. Therefore, the discovery of biomarkers that can be used to detect tumors or predict tumor response to chemotherapy or radiotherapy could help clinicians provide more effective clinical management.

Abstract

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors. Although constituting only 1% of all human malignancies, STSs represent the second most common type of solid tumors in children and adolescents and comprise an important group of secondary malignancies. Over 100 histologic subtypes have been characterized to date (occurring predominantly in the trunk, extremity, and retroperitoneum), and many more are being discovered due to molecular profiling. STS mortality remains high, despite adjuvant chemotherapy. New prognostic stratification markers are needed to help identify patients at risk of recurrence and possibly apply more intensive or novel treatments. Recent scientific advancements have enabled a more precise molecular characterization of sarcoma subtypes and revealed novel therapeutic targets and prognostic/predictive biomarkers. This review aims at providing a comprehensive overview of the most relevant cellular, molecular and metabolic biomarkers for STS, and highlight advances in STS-related biomarker research.

Linc00423 as a tumor suppressor in retroperitoneal liposarcoma via activing MAPK signaling pathway through destabilizing of NFATC3

Unraveling the noncoding RNA expression networks governing cancer initiation and development is essential while remains largely uncompleted in retroperitoneal liposarcoma (RLS). Through RNA-seq technologies and computational biology, deregulated long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being identified and reveal that lncRNAs are implicated in serial steps of RLS development. High-throughput sequencing with computational methods for assembling the transcriptome of five paired RLS patient’s tissues. We found that long intergenic noncoding RNA 423 (linc00423) was downregulated in RLS tissues. Gain-of-function assays revealed that overexpressed linc00423 obviously inhibited RLS cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, RNA sequence, RNA-pulldown and RIP assays evidenced that linc00423 involved in MAPK signaling pathway via destabilizing of nuclear factor of activated T-cells 3 (NFATC3). Summing up, our findings demonstrated that linc00423 acted as the tumor suppressor in RLS cells through regulating the protein level of NFATC3 at a post-transcriptional level and negatively regulated the MAPK signaling pathway at a transcriptional level. Linc00423 might serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker and a target for novel therapies of RLS patients.

Accuracy of the urine UCA1 for diagnosis of bladder cancer: a meta-analysis

Urine UCA1 has been reported as a potential novel diagnostic biomarker for bladder cancer in several studies, but their results are inconsistent. As a result of this, a diagnostic meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic performance of urine UCA1 in detecting bladder cancer was conducted. A systematic electronic and manual search was performed for relevant literatures through PubMed, Cochrane library, Chinese Wan Fang and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases up to December 30, 2016. The quality of the studies included in this meta-analysis was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) tool. All analyses were conducted using stata12.0 software. Six studies collectively included 578 bladder cancer patients and 562 controls met the eligible criteria. The overall diagnostic accuracy was measured by the following: sensitivity 0.81 (95% CI = 0.75-0.86), specificity 0.86 (95% CI = 0.73-0.93), positive likelihood ratio 5.85 (95% CI = 2.72-12.57), negative likelihood 0.22 (95% CI = 0.15-0.32), diagnostic odds ratio 27.01 (95% CI = 8.69-83.97), and area under the curve 0.88 (95% CI = 0.85-0.91). Meta-regression analysis suggested that ethnicity significantly accounted for the heterogeneity of sensitivity. Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test (P = 0.33) suggested no potential publication bias. According to our results, urine UCA1 has greater diagnostic value in diagnosing bladder cancer, however further research studies with more well-designed and large sample sizes are required to confirm our findings.

Potentials of Long Noncoding RNAs (LncRNAs) in Sarcoma: From Biomarkers to Therapeutic Targets

Sarcoma includes some of the most heterogeneous tumors, which make the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of these rare yet diverse neoplasms especially challenging. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of cancer initiation and progression, which implies their potential as neoteric prognostic and diagnostic markers in cancer, including sarcoma. A relationship between lncRNAs and sarcoma pathogenesis and progression is emerging. Recent studies demonstrate that lncRNAs influence sarcoma cell proliferation, metastasis, and drug resistance. Additionally, lncRNA expression profiles are predictive of sarcoma prognosis. In this review, we summarize contemporary advances in the research of lncRNA biogenesis and functions in sarcoma. We also highlight the potential for lncRNAs to become innovative diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets in sarcoma.