Downregulation of serum RAB27B confers improved prognosis and is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma progression through PI3K-AKT-P21 signaling

MiR-186-5p suppresses cell migration, invasion, and epithelial mesenchymal transition in bladder cancer by targeting RAB27A/B

Bladder cancer (BCa) is a common malignancy in the urinary system. Ras-related protein Rab-27A (RAB27A) and Ras-related protein Rab-27B (RAB27B) have been verified to be closely related to the development of many tumors. Since the role of both RAB27A and RAB27B in BCa have not been reported, we intended to explore the function and mechanism of RAB27A and RAB27B in BCa development. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed that RAB27A/B showed high expression in BCa tissues and cells. Cell counting kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays as well as western blot analyses revealed that silencing RAB27A/B suppressed BCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. Based on bioinformatics analysis and our experiments, microRNA-186-5p (miR-186-5p) was found to be the upstream miRNA of RAB27A/B in BCa. MiR-186-5p expression was significantly downregulated in BCa cells and tissues. MiR-186-5p directly targeted the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of RAB27A/B and downregulated both mRNA and protein levels of RAB27A/B in BCa cells. MiR-186-5p overexpression suppressed BCa cell proliferation, migration and invasion as well as the EMT process in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Overexpressing RAB27A/B rescued the inhibitory effect of miR-186-5p on malignant phenotypes of BCa cells. Furthermore, miR-186-5p inactivated the phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase (PI3K)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway by downregulating the expression of RAB27A/B, as shown in western blot analysis. Overall, miR-186-5p suppressed BCa cell proliferation, migration, invasion and EMT process and inhibited xenograft tumor growth by targeting RAB27A/B to inactivate the PI3K/MAPK signaling.

LINC00152 Knock-down Suppresses Esophageal Cancer by EGFR Signaling Pathway

Aim

This study aims to explain the role and mechanism of lncRNA LINC00152 in esophageal cancer.

Methods

The 30 pairs of esophageal cancer and adjacent normal tissues were collected and measuring the lncRNA LINC00152 expression by ISH and RT-qPCR assay. In the next cell experiment, Eca 109 and Kyse 150 cells were divided into 3 groups: NC group were treated with non-treatment; BL group were transfected with empty vector and lncRNA group were transfected with lncRNA LINC00152. The cells proliferation were measured by MTT assay; the cells apoptosis and cell cycle were evaluated by flow cytometry. The relative proteins expressions were measured by WB assay.

Results

Compared with NC groups, the cell proliferation rate of lncRNA groups were significantly suppressed (P<0.05, respectively); the cell apoptosis and G1 phase rates were significantly enhanced in the lncRNA groups (P<0.05, respectively). In the proteins expressions, the EGFR, PI3K and AKT proteins expressions of lncRNA group were significantly inhibited and the P21 proteins expressions were significantly stimulated in the lncRNA groups compared with those of NC groups in Eca 109 and Kyse 150 cells.

Conclusion

The lncRNA LINC00152 had anti-tumor effects on esophageal cancer in the Eca 109 and Kyse 150 cells, the mechanisms were relative with EGFR pathway.

Effects of miR‑340 overexpression and knockdown on the proliferation and metastasis of NSCLC cell lines

The present study aimed to investigate the potential biological functions of microRNA‑340 (miR‑340) in non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) beyond its role as a critical regulator of tumorigenesis and tumor progression. The expression levels of miR‑340 and RAB27B were analyzed by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, the protein expression levels of RAB27A, RAB27B, RAB9A, RAB11A and BRAB21 were determined by western blot analysis. The expression levels of the aforementioned proteins in NSCLC tissues were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. RAB27B, as a potential target of miR‑340 was investigated via a dual‑luciferase reporter assay. The proliferative ability of PC9, A549 and BEAS‑2B cells was detected with a Cell Counting kit‑8 assay, while the migration and invasion of the NSCLC cells were analyzed using a Transwell assay. The results revealed that the expression levels of miR‑340 in the NSCLC cells were significantly decreased compared with those in normal cells (BEAS‑2B cells). RAB27B was proposed as a potential target gene of miR‑340, and its expression was notably increased in the NSCLC cells. miR‑340 overexpression inhibited the migration and invasion of the NSCLC cells by targeting RAB27B, while the knockdown of miR‑340 exerted opposite effects. On the whole, these findings indicate that the miR‑340/RAB27B axis may be actively involved in the occurrence of NSCLC. Thus, miR‑340 and RAB27B may be novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of NSCLC.

Rab27b Is a Potential Indicator for Lymph Node Metastasis and Unfavorable Prognosis in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Rab27b is reported to associate with the development and progression of several types of human cancers. However, the relationship between Rab27b expression and the clinical characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is rarely explored. In this present study, the TCGA database was consulted, followed by one-step quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analyses in LUAD cell lines and tissue samples. Rab27b expression levels were statistically higher in LUAD cell lines and tissue samples compared with a noncancerous cell line and tissue samples (p < 0.05). Rab27b expression was statistically correlated with lymph node metastasis (p = 0.016) and TNM stage (p = 0.019). Survival analysis and Kaplan-Meier curve revealed that Rab27b expression (p = 0.006) and TNM stage (p = 0.027) were independently associated with the unfavorable overall survival of patients with LUAD. These results indicate that high expression of Rab27b correlates with malignant attributes of LUAD and Rab27b may be identified as a potential indicator of metastasis and prognosis for LUAD.

Knockdown of Ubiquitin Associated Protein 2-Like (UBAP2L) Inhibits Growth and Metastasis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to explore the influence of ubiquitin associated protein 2-like (UBAP2L) on the growth and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and its potential underlying mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS UBAP2L gene was knocked down in SMMC-7721 by RNA interference and cell function experiments were performed. A subcutaneous xenograft tumor model was constructed to examine the effect of UBAP2L silence on HCC growth. Finally, the whole genomic microarrays were used to screen the potential mechanism of UBAP2L in regulating the biological function of HCC. RESULTS Compared with those in the control group, the cell proliferation and clone formation were significantly reduced, cell cycle was arrested in G2/M phase, the number of apoptotic cells was remarkably increased, and the abilities of vascular formation and cell migration and metastasis were dramatically weakened in the shUBAP2L group (All P<0.05). UBAP2L knockdown significantly suppressed the tumor growth of HCC in vivo. Moreover, a total of 320 genes changed significantly after UBAP2L knockdown, among which, 159 genes were upregulated and 161 genes were downregulated. Then, gene enrichment analysis revealed that PI3K/AKT and P53 signal pathway were the most significant in the top 10 enrichments. Finally, Western blot analysis verified that UBAP2L knockdown caused the increase of P21 and PTEN and decrease of CDK1, CCNB1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT. CONCLUSIONS UBAP2L plays an oncogenic role in HCC, and knockdown of its expression significantly inhibits HCC growth and metastasis, which may be related to the regulation of PI3K/AKT and P53 signaling pathways by UBAP2L.

PI3K expression predicts overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) is considered a hallmark in tumor initiation and progression, but its prognostic value in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains controversial.

METHODS

In the present study, we included 118 NSCLC tissue samples and 13 adjacent normal lung tissue specimens. Immunohistochemical staining was applied to test PI3K/p-PI3K expression. Pearson Chi-squared test and Kaplan-Meier curve were conducted to analyze its correlation with both clinicopathological features and prognosis in NSCLC patients.

RESULTS

PI3K/p-PI3K expression in lung cancer tissue differed significantly from that of normal lung tissue (P < 0.001). M stage was significantly correlated to PI3K expression (P = 0.037), but no significant association was found between p-PI3K expression and clinical characteristics. Neither PI3K nor p-PI3K were correlated to overall survival of NSCLC patients (P = 0.105 and P = 0.190, respectively). However, it was found in subgroup analysis that lung adenocarcinoma patients with positive PI3K expression had a favorable survival (P = 0.043). Notably, this correlation was determined invalid in subsequent multivariate analysis (P = 0.052).

CONCLUSIONS

PI3K could predict the overall survival of lung adenocarcinoma patients, but failed to be an independent prognostic predictor.

Oncogene Delta/Notch-Like EGF-Related Receptor Promotes Cell Proliferation, Invasion, and Migration in Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Predicts a Poor Prognosis

PURPOSE

To determine the expression and function of Delta/Notch-like EGF-related receptor (DNER) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

The expression of DNER in 84 HCC tissue samples and matched adjacent noncancerous specimens, as well as HCC cells, were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting. Survival analysis was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method. For experiments in vitro, cell viability was measured by Cell Counting Kit-8 Assay and Colony Formation Assay. Furthermore, cell invasion and migration assays were performed with Transwell Assay.

RESULTS

The results showed that DNER was overexpressed in the tissues and cell lines of HCC (all, p < 0.05), and the upregulated expression of DNER was significantly correlated with advanced pathologic stage (p = 0.013) and pathologic-M1 (p = 0.012) in HCC patients. Survival analysis revealed that patients with high DNER levels had worse overall survival (OS) than those with low DNER levels (p = 0.004). More importantly, DNER could be an independent predictor of prognosis for OS (HR = 2.582, 95% CI 1.239-5.380, p = 0.011). In vitro, knockdown of DNER significantly suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, cell invasion, and cell migration in HepG2 cells. Moreover, inhibition of DNER inactivated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway by downregulating the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT, and p-70s6k.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, DNER could promote proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells by regulating the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, and it might act as a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC.

MicroRNA-599 suppresses glioma progression by targeting RAB27B

MicroRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) serve tumor promoting or suppressive roles in different human cancer types, including glioma; however, the regulatory underlying mechanism by which miR-599 affects glioma progression remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of miR-599 in glioma, as well as the underlying regulatory mechanism. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to examine mRNA and protein expression, respectively. MTT, wound healing and transwell assays were conducted to study cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. A dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm the targeting association between miR-599 and Ras-related protein Rab-27B (hereafter RAB27B). In the present study, miR-599 expression was observed to be significantly downregulated in human glioma tissues and cell lines, when compared with normal brain tissues and normal human astrocyte cells, respectively. Low miR-599 expression was significantly associated with glioma progression. Ectopic expression of miR-599 caused a significant reduction in the proliferation, migration and invasion of U-87MG Uppsala and U251 cells. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay data identified that RAB27B was a direct target gene of miR-599. The mRNA and protein expression of RAB27B was significantly downregulated following miR-599 overexpression in U-87MG Uppsala and U251 cells. Rescue experiments demonstrated that RAB27B rescued the miR-599-induced inhibition of glioma cell growth, migration and invasion. In addition, RAB27B expression was significantly upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines, and the expression levels of RAB27B were inversely correlated with miR-599 levels in glioma tissues; therefore, the present study demonstrated that miR-599 exerts a tumor-suppressive role in glioma progression by targeting RAB27B, indicating that miR-599 may be used as a potential candidate for glioma treatment.

Long Noncoding RNA FGFR3-AS1 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Carcinogenesis via Modulating the PI3K/AKT Pathway

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as one of the most refractory cancers leads to high mortality worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs have been widely acknowledged as important biomarkers and therapeutic targets in HCC. In this study, we investigated the effects of long noncoding RNA FGFR3-AS1 on tumor growth and metastasis in HCC. First, we found that the expression of FGFR3-AS1 was upregulated about threefold in HCC samples and cell lines. We knocked down FGFR3-AS1 in Huh7 and Hep3B cells and found that FGFR3-AS1 knockdown significantly inhibited cell proliferation but induced apoptosis. Moreover, FGFR3-AS1 knockdown led to more HCC cells arrested in the G₀ stage. FGFR3-AS1 knockdown significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion. Additionally, we found that FGFR3-AS1 silencing dramatically delayed tumor growth in vivo. We found that, mechanistically, FGFR3-AS1 silencing decreased the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Taken together, our data demonstrated the pro-oncogenic role of FGFR3-AS1 in HCC and suggested that FGFR3-AS1 may serve as a novel biomarker for the diagnosis and therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Novel prognostic marker PRMT1 regulates cell growth via downregulation of CDKN1A in HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major type of liver cancer caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses, alcohol and exposure to aflatoxin. For HCC treatment, anticancer drugs have been widely used, but drug resistance in advanced HCC is an important problem, resulting in a continuous need for novel therapeutic targets. Therefore, in this study, we established a screening pipeline based on RNA-seq to screen novel therapeutic/prognostic targets in HCC and identified PRMT1 (Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 1). In the prognostic analysis, the overexpression of PRMT1 was clearly associated with poor prognosis in a number of HCC patient cohorts. Moreover, after PRMT1 knockdown, HCC cell lines exhibited cell growth and spheroid formation suppression, an increase in Sub-G1 cells by FACS analysis, and enrichment of the cell cycle pathway via functional enrichment analysis. With these results, we demonstrated that PRMT1 could be a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for HCC therapy.