Correlation among genetic variations of c-MET in Chinese patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Non-coding RNAs and exosomal non-coding RNAs in pituitary adenoma

Pituitary adenoma (PA) is the third most common primary intracranial tumor in terms of overall disease incidence. Although they are benign tumors, they can have a variety of clinical symptoms, but are mostly asymptomatic, which often leads to diagnosis at an advanced stage when surgical intervention is ineffective. Earlier identification of PA could reduce morbidity and allow better clinical management of the affected patients. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) do not generally code for proteins, but can modulate biological processes at the post-transcriptional level through a variety of molecular mechanisms. An increased number of ncRNA expression profiles have been found in PAs. Therefore, understanding the expression patterns of different ncRNAs could be a promising method for developing non-invasive biomarkers. This review summarizes the expression patterns of dysregulated ncRNAs (microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and circular RNAs) involved in PA, which could one day serve as innovative biomarkers or therapeutic targets for the treatment of this neoplasia. We also discuss the potential molecular pathways by which the dysregulated ncRNAs could cause PA and affect its progression.

The role of noncoding RNAs in pituitary adenoma

Pituitary adenomas (PAs) are common cranial tumors that affect the quality of life in patients. Early detection of PA is beneficial for avoiding clinical complications of this disease and increasing the quality of life. Noncoding RNAs, including long noncoding RNA, miRNA and circRNA, regulate protein expression, mostly by inhibiting the translation process. Studies have shown that dysregulation of noncoding RNAs is associated with PA. Hence understanding the expression pattern of noncoding RNAs can be considered a promising method for developing biomarkers. This article reviews data on the expression pattern of dysregulated noncoding RNAs involved in PA. Possible molecular mechanisms by which the dysregulated noncoding RNA could possibly induce PA are also described.

Discovery of novel pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives bearing 4-oxoquinoline moiety as potential antitumor inhibitor

A series of pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives bearing 4-oxoquinoline moiety were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the anti-proliferative on three cancer cell lines (A549, HepG2 and MCF-7) in vitro. Most of the compounds showed moderate to high potency. Some excellent compounds were tested for the inhibitory activity of c-Met kinase. Compound 34 (c-Met IC₅₀ = 17 nM) was investigated the selectivity against Flt-3, c-Kit, VEGFR-2, ALK, PDGFR-β and RON. Structure-activity relationship studies indicated that hydrogen, fluorine atom, and mono-electron-withdrawing groups (mono-EWGs, such as R² = F) on R, R¹ and R², respectively, were beneficial for the anti-proliferative activities of the target compounds. Besides, we have took further study on the combined mode between compound 34 and c-Met kinase through molecular docking.

Reduction of miR-212 contributes to pituitary adenoma cell invasion via targeting c-Met

The current study aimed to evaluate the expression and role of miR-212 in the progression of pituitary adenoma (PA), thereby providing a theoretical basis and potential therapy methods for PA patients. Our data showed that miR-212 levels were significantly reduced in PA tissues than normal pituitary tissues. However, no significant difference was identified in the serum of PA patients and healthy control. In addition, the expression of miR-212 in invasive PA was significantly lower than that in noninvasive and normal pituitary tissues. Moreover, the level of miR-212 was decreased with the increase of tumor invasion. Meanwhile, the expression of miR-212 in giant adenomas was significantly lower than that in macroadenomas and microadenomas. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-212 significantly enhanced the proliferation and invasive capacity of GH3 cells. Dual luciferase reporter assay and western blot analysis confirmed that c-Met was a target gene of miR-212. More importantly, upregulation of c-Met significantly prompted PA cell proliferation mainly as a result of the enhanced level of phosphorylation of AKT. This effect could be abolished when c-Met was silenced in GH3 cells. In summary, reduced miR-212 expression in PA contributed to abnormal cancer cell proliferation and invasion mainly by targeting c-Met.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00339 facilitates the tumorigenesis of non-small cell lung cancer by sponging miR-145 through targeting FOXM1

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) has been identified to modulate the tumorigenesis of NSCLC. However, the precise molecular mechanism of lncRNAs in the course is still unclear. Results showed that LINC00339 was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC tissue and cells, which indicated the poor prognosis of NSCLC patients. Loss-of-function experiments showed that LINC00339 silencing inhibited the proliferation and invasion, accelerated the apoptosis, and suppressed the tumor growth of NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) revealed that LINC00339 promoted the NSCLC progression via FOXM1 via targeting miR-145. In conclusion, our results identify the important role of the LINC00339/miR-145/FOXM1 axis in the NSCLC tumorigenesis, providing neoteric mechanism for the NSCLC tumorigenesis.

Prognostic value of MET copy number gain in non-small-cell lung cancer: an updated meta-analysis

The alterations of MET have been detected in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the prognostic impact of MET gene copy number gain (CNG) has not been consistent among studies. We performed this meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic value of high MET CNG in patients with NSCLC. A systematic computerized search of the electronic databases including PubMed, EMBASE, Google scholar, and Cochrane Library (up to November 2017) was carried out. From twenty-one studies, 7,647 patients were included in the pooled analysis of hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for disease-free survival or overall survival. Compared with patients with NSCLC showing low MET CNG, those with tumors harboring high MET CNG showed significantly worse survival (HR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.16-1.80, p = 0.001). Subgroup analyses showed that high MET CNG significantly correlated with a poor prognosis especially in patients with adenocarcinoma (HR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.11-1.79, p = 0.005) and Asian populations (HR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.32-1.88, p < 0.00001).

In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicates that high MET CNG is an adverse prognostic factor in patients with NSCLC. Subgroup analyses suggest that high MET CNG is associated with a worse prognosis, especially in patients with adenocarcinoma and Asian populations. However, large prospective studies using standardized methods based on the homogeneous populations are warranted to validate the prognostic value of MET amplification in patients with NSCLC.