miR-144-3p, a tumor suppressive microRNA targeting ETS-1 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

A Critical Review on microRNAs as Prognostic Biomarkers in Laryngeal Carcinoma

During the past decade, a vast number of studies were dedicated to unravelling the obscurities of non-coding RNAs in all fields of the medical sciences. A great amount of data has been accumulated, and consequently a natural need for organization and classification in all subfields arises. The aim of this review is to summarize all reports on microRNAs that were delineated as prognostic biomarkers in laryngeal carcinoma. Additionally, we attempt to allocate and organize these molecules according to their association with key pathways and oncogenes affected in laryngeal carcinoma. Finally, we critically analyze the common shortcomings and biases of the methodologies in some of the published papers in this area of research. A literature search was performed using the PubMed and MEDLINE databases with the keywords "laryngeal carcinoma" OR "laryngeal cancer" AND "microRNA" OR "miRNA" AND "prognostic marker" OR "prognosis". Only research articles written in English were included, without any specific restrictions on study type. We have found 43 articles that report 39 microRNAs with prognostic value associated with laryngeal carcinoma, and all of them are summarized along with the major characteristics and methodology of the respective studies. A second layer of the review is structural analysis of the outlined microRNAs and their association with oncogenes and pathways connected with the cell cycle (p53, CCND1, CDKN2A/p16, E2F1), RTK/RAS/PI3K cascades (EGFR, PI3K, PTEN), cell differentiation (NOTCH, p63, FAT1), and cell death (FADD, TRAF3). Finally, we critically review common shortcomings in the methodology of the papers and their possible effect on their results.

Transcriptional subtypes of glottic cancer characterized by differential activation of canonical oncogenic programming

BACKGROUND

There is a paucity of data concerning molecular heterogeneity among glottic squamous cell carcinoma, and the clinical implications thereof.

METHODS

Data corresponding to glottic squamous cell carcinoma were derived from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The Onco-GPS computational methodology was levied to derive four patterns of transcriptional activity and three functional subtypes of glottic cancer.

RESULTS

Thirty glottic cancer samples stratified to three distinct oncogenic states (S0-S2) based on a Onco-GPS model containing four transcriptional components (F0-F3). Membership in S2 and association with transcriptional component F0 conveyed an invasive phenotype, with transcriptional activity strongly reflecting EMT programming (including TGF-B and NF-KB signaling). S2 membership also correlated with inferior disease-specific survival (HR 9.027, 95% CI 1.021-79.767), and higher incidences of extracapsular spread and perineural invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

We present a functional taxonomy of glottic cancer, with subtypes demonstrating differential upregulation of canonical oncogenic networks and survival implications.

Global microRNA expression profile in laryngeal carcinoma unveils new prognostic biomarkers and novel insights into field cancerization

Laryngeal carcinoma is still a worldwide burden that has shown no significant improvement during the last few decades regarding definitive treatment strategies. The lack of suitable biomarkers for personalized treatment protocols and delineating field cancerization prevents further progress in clinical outcomes. In the light of this perspective, MicroRNAs could be promising biomarkers both in terms of diagnostic and prognostic value. The aim of this prospective study is to find strong prognostic microRNA biomarkers for advanced laryngeal carcinoma and molecular signatures of field cancerization. Sixty patients were enrolled and four samples were collected from each patient: tumor surface and depth, peritumor normal mucosa, and control distant laryngeal mucosa. Initially, a global microRNA profile was conducted in twelve patients from the whole cohort and subsequently, we validated a selected group of 12 microRNAs with RT-qPCR. The follow-up period was 24 months (SD ± 13 months). Microarray expression profile revealed 59 dysregulated microRNAs. The validated expression levels of miR-93-5p (χ²(2) = 4.68, log-rank p = 0.03), miR-144-3p (χ²(2) = 4.53, log-rank p = 0.03) and miR-210-3p (χ²(2) = 4.53, log-rank p = 0.03) in tumor samples exhibited strong association with recurrence-free survival as higher expression levels of these genes predict worse outcome. Tumor suppressor genes miR-144-3p (mean rank 1.58 vs 2.14 vs 2.29, p = 0.000) and miR-145-5p (mean rank 1.57 vs 2.15 vs 2.28, p = 0.000) were significantly dysregulated in peritumor mucosa with a pattern of expression consistent with paired tumor samples thus revealing a signature of field cancerization in laryngeal carcinoma. Additionally, miR-1260b, miR-21-3p, miR-31-3p and miR-31-5p were strongly associated with tumor grade. Our study reports the first global microRNA profile specifically in advanced laryngeal carcinoma that includes survival analysis and investigates the molecular signature of field cancerization. We report two strong biomarkers of field cancerization and three predictors for recurrence in advance stage laryngeal cancer.

Differential expression of aqueous humor microRNAs in central retinal vein occlusion and its association with matrix metalloproteinases: a pilot study

The aim of this study is to investigate the differential expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the aqueous humor (AH) of patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), and their association with AH matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity. Eighteen subjects, including 10 treatment naïve patients with CRVO and 8 control subjects, scheduled for intravitreal injection and cataract surgery, respectively, were included. AH samples were collected at the beginning of the procedure. A microarray composed of 84 miRNAs was performed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs in CRVO AH, which were further analyzed using bioinformatic tools to identify directly related cytokines/proteins. Eight miRNAs (hsa-mir-16-5p, hsa-mir-142-3p, hsa-mir-19a-3p, hsa-mir-144-3p, hsa-mir-195-5p, hsa-mir-17-5p, hsa-mir-93-5p, and hsa-mir-20a-5p) were significantly downregulated in the CRVO group. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a direct relationship among downregulated miRNAs, CRVO, and the following proteins: MMP-2, MMP-9, tumor necrosis factor, transforming growth factor beta-1, caspase-3, interleukin-6, interferon gamma, and interleukin-1-beta. Activities of MMP-2 and -9 in AH were detected using gelatin zymography, showing significant increase in the CRVO group compared to the control group (p < 0.01). This pilot study first revealed that MMP-2 and -9 were directly related to downregulated miRNAs and showed significant increase in activity in AH of patients with CRVO. Therefore, the relevant miRNAs and MMPs in AH could serve as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CRVO.

Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Metastasis: Focus on Laryngeal Carcinoma

In epithelial neoplasms, such as laryngeal carcinoma, the survival indexes deteriorate abruptly when the tumor becomes metastatic. A molecular phenomenon that normally appears during embryogenesis, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), is reactivated at the initial stage of metastasis when tumor cells invade the adjacent stroma. The hallmarks of this phenomenon are the abolishment of the epithelial and acquisition of mesenchymal traits by tumor cells which enhance their migratory capacity. EMT signaling is mediated by complex molecular pathways that regulate the expression of crucial molecules contributing to the tumor’s metastatic potential. Effectors of EMT include loss of adhesion, cytoskeleton remodeling, evasion of apoptosis and immune surveillance, upregulation of metalloproteinases, neovascularization, acquisition of stem-cell properties, and the activation of tumor stroma. However, the current approach to EMT involves a holistic model that incorporates the acquisition of potentials beyond mesenchymal transition. As EMT is inevitably associated with a reverse mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET), a model of partial EMT is currently accepted, signifying the cell plasticity associated with invasion and metastasis. In this review, we identify the cumulative evidence which suggests that various aspects of EMT theory apply to laryngeal carcinoma, a tumor of significant morbidity and mortality, introducing novel molecular targets with prognostic and therapeutic potential.

[WITHDRAWN] miR-144-3p Functions as a Tumor Suppressor in Endometrial Cancer by Targeting PRR11

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Interaction of microRNAs with sphingosine kinases, sphingosine-1 phosphate, and sphingosine-1 phosphate receptors in cancer

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), a pleiotropic lipid mediator, participates in various cellular processes during tumorigenesis, including cell proliferation, survival, drug resistance, metastasis, and angiogenesis. S1P is formed by two sphingosine kinases (SphKs), SphK1 and SphK2. The intracellularly produced S1P is delivered to the extracellular space by ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters and spinster homolog 2 (SPNS2), where it binds to five transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors to mediate its oncogenic functions (S1PR1-S1PR5). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, 21-25 nucleotides in length, that play numerous crucial roles in cancer, such as tumor initiation, progression, apoptosis, metastasis, and angiogenesis via binding to the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the target mRNA. There is growing evidence that various miRNAs modulate tumorigenesis by regulating the expression of SphKs, and S1P receptors. We have reviewed various roles of miRNAs, SphKs, S1P, and S1P receptors (S1PRs) in malignancies and how notable miRNAs like miR-101, miR-125b, miR-128, and miR-506, miR-1246, miR-21, miR-126, miR499a, miR20a-5p, miR-140-5p, miR-224, miR-137, miR-183-5p, miR-194, miR181b, miR136, and miR-675-3p, modulate S1P signaling. These tumorigenesis modulating miRNAs are involved in different cancers including breast, gastric, hepatocellular carcinoma, prostate, colorectal, cervical, ovarian, and lung cancer via cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, apoptosis, metastasis, immune evasion, chemoresistance, and chemosensitivity. Therefore, understanding the interaction of SphKs, S1P, and S1P receptors with miRNAs in human malignancies will lead to better insights for miRNA-based cancer therapy.

Upregulation of miR-144-3p expression attenuates glioma cell viability and invasion by targeting BCL6

Glioma remains to be an aggressive type of cancer with poor prognosis irrespective of the type of standard treatment applied. Therefore, identification of accurate early diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies for glioma is imperative for the treatment of this disease. The expression of a number of miRNAs in glioma have been reported to be associated with the regulation of tumorigenic progression, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis and drug resistance. The aim of the present study was to assess the function of the microRNA (miR/miRNA)-144-3p/BCL6 axis in glioma. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to measure miR-144-3p and BCL6 expression. Western blotting was used for measuring BCL6 expression. Luciferase reporter assay was used to assess the association between miR-144-3p and BCL6 and a tumor xenograft model was established for assess tumor growth. The data demonstrated that miR-144-3p was decreased whereas BCL6 expression was increased in glioma tissues compared with those in healthy human brain tissues, where miR-144-3p suppressed BCL6 expression by targeting the 3'-UTR sequence of BCL6. miR-144-3p overexpression alleviated proliferation and invasion in U251 cells whereas transfection with the BCL6-overexpressing plasmid rescued the suppressive effects of miR-144-3p upregulation on the proliferation and invasion of U251 cells. In addition, miR-144-3p overexpression and BCL6 downregulation inhibited tumor progression in a mouse tumor xenograft model. The present findings suggest that miR-144-3p and BCL6 may serve to be indicator of proliferation and invasion for patients with glioma. Furthermore, BCL6 may serve an important role in the miR-144-3p-mediated regulation of proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, where the miR-144-3p/BCL6 axis can be used to target patients with glioma therapeutically.

Potency of miR-144-3p in promoting abdominal aortic aneurysm progression in mice correlates with apoptosis of smooth muscle cells

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a life-threatening disease, is commonly diagnosed among people with risk factors, including increasing age, male gender, and smoking. The apoptosis of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) has been reported to disrupt the vascular structural integrity, which causes AAA. Thus, we sought to characterize the potential role of microRNA (miR)-144-3p in SMC apoptosis, and to outline the molecular mechanisms involved in this pathway. We collected pathological abdominal aortic tissues and adjacent normal aortic biopsy specimens from 18 patients undergoing AAA repair surgery. The relationship between miR-144-3p expression and SMC proliferation was assessed by transfecting mimic/inhibitor of miR-144-3p in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). Anti-growth effect of miR-144-3p and related genes was evaluated in a murine AAA model. Dual luciferase reporter gene assay was adopted to validate the targeting relationship between miR-144-3p and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), and the enrichment of EZH2 in the p21 promoter region was determined by chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. MiR-144-3p was highly expressed in AAA tissues. Enhanced miR-144-3p diminished SMC proliferation by binding to the EZH2 3'-untranslated region and thereby inhibiting EZH2 expression. In addition, EZH2 was highly enriched in the promoter region of p21, and knockdown of p21 expression could rescue the effect of miR-144-3p on SMC proliferation and apoptosis. miR-144-3p serves as a promoter for the apoptosis of SMCs, which contributes to the occurrence and progression of AAA. This observation will serve as the basis for further investigations into potential p21-based therapies for AAA treatment.

A Comprehensive Evaluation of miR-144-3p Expression and Its Targets in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is an aggressive type of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with a relatively high rate of morbidity and mortality. An altered miR-144-3p level in LSCC with a small number of patients has been previously reported. However, the clinical implication of miR-144-3p and its involved mechanism underlying this disease is not clearly elucidated. In this work, we aimed to confirm the expression of miR-144-3p with larger samples and also to identify target genes for the investigation of the underlying mechanism of miR-144-3p in LSCC. The levels of miR-144-3p were downregulated in 155 samples of LSCC tissues as compared to 26 non-LSCC samples (SMD: -0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI): -1.23, -0.32). The AUC of 0.90 in the summarized ROC curve also indicated a potential ability to differentiate LSCC from non-LSCC tissues, with a sensitivity of 0.78 and a specificity of 0.88. With respect to the molecular mechanism, we predicted the potential targets from online-based prediction, peer-reviewed publications, and RNA-seq and microarray data. In particular, the genes influenced by transfection with miR-144-3p in the LSCC FaDu cell line were collected from the microarray GSE56243. Lastly, 12 novel targets for miR-144-3p in LSCC were obtained by different algorithms. In conclusion, our study confirmed the loss or downregulation of miR-144-3p in LSCC, which might contribute to the LSCC tumorigenesis and progression via regulation of the 12 novel targets, such as IL24, ITGA6, and CEP55. In the future, further investigations are required to validate the present results.

Overexpression of rhophilin 2 promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer and is the seventh leading cause of global cancer deaths. In recent years, targeted therapy has been used for pancreatic cancer; however, the drugs available for use in targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer are still very limited. Hence, identification of novel targeted molecules for PDAC is required. Rhophilin 2 (RHPN2) was proven to be a driver gene in glioblastoma. However, the function of RHPN2 in PDAC remains unknown. In the present study, the function of RHPN2 was investigated. The RHPN2 levels were overexpressed by pcDNA3.1-RHPN2 and downregulated by si-RHPN2. Cell proliferation was assessed using the MTT assay and apoptosis was assessed using flow cytometry. The results revealed that high RHPN2 levels in PDAC tissue were correlated with a low overall survival rate of patients with PDAC. Inhibition of RHPN2 reduced SW1990 and PANC1 proliferation and increased the rate of apoptosis. Network analysis demonstrated that centrosomal protein 78 expression was negatively correlated with RHPN2 expression. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that RHPN2 may promote PDAC making it a potential candidate for targeted therapy.

Peripheral circulation miRNA expression of pediatric brain tumors and its relation to tumor miRNA expression levels

OBJECTIVE

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) in peripheral biofluids (e.g., blood, saliva, urine) have been investigated as potential sources of diagnostic and prognostic information for a variety of tumor types, including pediatric brain tumors. While significant predictive associations have been identified between unique serum miRNA concentrations and some pediatric brain tumors, it is unclear whether serum miRNA abnormalities in pediatric brain tumor patients are representative of miRNA alterations in the tumor tissue compartment or whether they represent host tissue reactions to the presence of a brain tumor. The authors sought to identify whether serum miRNA changes in pediatric brain tumor patient sera could be explained by miRNA alterations within their tumors.

METHODS

Matched serum and tissue samples were taken from a cohort of pediatric brain tumor patients (juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma [JPA] = 3, medulloblastoma = 4, ependymoma = 3), and unmatched control samples (n = 5) were acquired from control pediatric patients without oncological diagnoses. Extracted RNAs were tested within an array of 84 miRNAs previously noted to be relevant in a variety of brain tumors.

RESULTS

miR-26a-5p correlated strongly in JPA patients within both the serum and tumor tissue samples (R2 = 0.951, p = 0.046), and serum levels were highly predictive of JPA (area under the curve = 0.751, p = 0.027). No other miRNAs that were significantly correlated between biological compartments were significantly associated with brain tumor type. In total, 15 of 84 tested miRNAs in JPA patients, 14 of 84 tested miRNAs in ependymoma patients, and 4 of 84 tested miRNAs in medulloblastoma patients were significantly, positively correlated between serum and tumor tissue compartments (R2 > 0.950, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of miRNA changes in pediatric brain tumor patient sera that are significantly associated with the presence of a brain tumor do not correlate with brain tumor miRNA expression levels. This suggests that peripheral miRNA changes within pediatric brain tumor patients likely derive from tissues other than the tumors themselves.

MicroRNA-144-3p suppressed TGF-β1-induced lung cancer cell invasion and adhesion by regulating the Src-Akt-Erk pathway

Lung cancer remains a leading cause to cancer-related death worldwide. The anti-cancer ability of microRNA-144-3p has been reported in many cancer types. This study focused on the mechanisms underlying miR-144-3p in inhibiting lung cancer. The expression levels of miR-144-3p and steroid receptor coactivator (Src) in different lung cancer cell lines and those in bronchial epithelial cells (16HBE) were compared. miR-144-3p mimic and siSrc were transfected into A549 cells. Under the conditions of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Small interfering transfection or TGF-β1 treatment, cell invasive and adhesive abilities were analyzed by Transwell and cell adhesion assays. miR-144-3p inhibitor and siSrc were co-transfected into A549 cells and the changes in cell invasion and adhesion were detected. The activation of Src-protein kinase B-extracellular-regulated protein kinases (Src-Akt-Erk) pathway was determined using Western blot. The downregulated miR-144-3p and upregulated Src were generally detected in lung cancer cell lines and were the most significant genes in A549 cells. Both miR-144-3p overexpression and Src inhibition could obviously inhibit the invasion and adhesion abilities of A549 cells in the presence or absence of the effects of TGF-β1. The inhibition of Src could block the promotive effects of miR-144-3p inhibitor and TGF-β1 on cell invasion and adhesion. Furthermore, we found that miR-144-3p could negatively regulate the phosphorylation levels of Akt and Erk. Our data indicated the essential role of Src in the mechanisms underlying TGF-β1-induced cell invasion and adhesion of lung cancer, and that miR-144-3p could effectively suppress TGF-β1-induced aggressive lung cancer cells by regulating Src expression.

lncRNA XIST promotes the progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR‑144 to regulate IRS1 expression

The initiation and development of several types of cancer have been linked to long non‑coding RNA (lncRNA) X inactive‑specific transcript (XIST). Yet, the pattern of expression, function, as well as the molecular mechanism underlying XIST in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) lack characterization. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the function and putative mechanism of XIST in the development of LSCC. It was revealed that the level of XIST was significantly higher in LSCC tissues that were associated with advanced Tumor‑Node‑Metastasis (TNM) stage and the presence of lymph node metastasis. Furthermore, the ability of human LSCC TU212 cells to proliferate, form colonies, migrate and invade was significantly suppressed, while cell apoptosis was significantly increased following knockdown of XIST. Further investigation revealed that XIST knockdown increased the expression of microRNA‑144 (miR‑144) by acting as an endogenous sponge of miR‑144. Inhibition of miR‑144 caused a partial reversal of the inhibitory effects mediated following depletion of XIST in LSCC cells. Moreover, an miR‑144 target called insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) was significantly decreased by XIST depletion in LSCC cells. IRS1 expression was positively correlated with XIST expression in LSCC tissues. In addition, knockdown of XIST impaired tumor growth in vivo by regulating the miR‑144/IRS1 axis. The present study demonstrated that the progression of LSCC is promoted by XIST sponging miR‑144 to regulate IRS1 expression, suggesting that XIST can serve as a putative target in the therapy of LSCC.

MicroRNA-144 relieves chronic constriction injury-induced neuropathic pain via targeting RASA1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to participate in development of neuropathic pain. However, the role of microRNA-144 (miR-144) in neuropathic pain remains unclear. In the present study, we established a neuropathic pain mouse model via chronic constriction injury (CCI)-induction. The successful establishment of this model was confirmed via evaluation of paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latency (PWL). By using this model, we found that miR-144 was significantly downregulated in CCI-induced neuropathic pain mice. In addition, intrathecal injection of miR-144 agomiR alleviated mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain mice as shown by the increased of PWT and PWL. Moreover, miR-144 negatively regulated neuroinflammation by decreasing the expression of proinflammatory mediators, including TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), IL (interleukin)-1β, and IL-6, thus facilitating the inhibition of neuropathic pain development. Mechanistically, RASA1 (RAS P21 Protein Activator 1) was downregulated following the injection of agomiR-144, and was verified to be a target of miR-144. Furthermore, overexpression of RASA1 reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-144 on neuropathic pain. Therefore, the present study suggested that miR-144 has the potential to be explored as therapeutic target for treatment of neuropathic pain.

MiRNA-483-5p is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis by promoting osteoclast differentiation

AIMS

The study aimed to investigate the roles of miR-483-5p and IGF2 in osteoclast formation.

METHODS

Blood and bone tissues were collected from osteoporosis and non-osteoporosis patients with hip fractures for gene expression analysis. CD14 + peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated for differentiating osteoclasts. MiR-483-5p mimic and inhibitor was transfected into CD14 + PBMCs, respectively. Predicted by TargetScan and verified by Dual-luciferase reporter assay system, insulin-like growth factor-2 (IGF2) could be targeted by miR-483-5p. IGF2 expression vector was co-transfected with miR-483-5p mimic to study the role of IGF2 in miR-483-5p affecting osteoclast differentiation. Flow cytometry was performed for cell apoptosis analysis.

RESULTS

High-expressed miR-483-5p and low-expressed IGF2 were frequently found in the serums and bone tissues derived from osteoporotic patients. We found that up-regulation of miR-483-5p in CD14 + PBMCs notably increased the number of TRAP-positive cells, at the same time, the expression levels of TRAP, nuclear factor of activated T-cells (NFATc1), cytoplasmic 1 (NFAT2) and Cathepsin K (CTSK) were also up-regulated. However, overexpressed IGF2 effectively reversed such effects produced by up-regulation of miR-483-5p on osteoclastogenesis-related factors in CD14 + PBMCs. Moreover, forced expression of IGF2 could also enhance apoptosis of osteoclasts reduced by miR-483-5p.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that miRNA-483-5p is involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis by promoting osteoclast differentiation.

EV-associated miRNAs from pleural lavage as potential diagnostic biomarkers in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among men and women in the world, accounting for the 25% of cancer mortality. Early diagnosis is an unmet clinical issue. In this work, we focused to develop a novel approach to identify highly sensitive and specific biomarkers by investigating the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) isolated from the pleural lavage, a proximal fluid in lung cancer patients, as a source of potential biomarkers. We isolated EVs by ultracentrifuge method from 25 control pleural fluids and 21 pleural lavages from lung cancer patients. Analysis of the expression of EV-associated miRNAs was performed using Taqman OpenArray technology through which we could detect 288 out of the 754 miRNAs that were contained in the OpenArray. The differential expression analysis yielded a list of 14 miRNAs that were significantly dysregulated (adj. p-value < 0.05 and logFC lower or higher than 3). Using Machine Learning approach we discovered the lung cancer diagnostic biomarkers; miRNA-1-3p, miRNA-144-5p and miRNA-150-5p were found to be the best by accuracy. Accordance with our finding, these miRNAs have been related to cancer processes in previous studies. This results opens the avenue to the use of EV-associated miRNA of pleural fluids and lavages as an untapped source of biomarkers, and specifically, identifies miRNA-1-3p, miRNA-144-5p and miRNA 150-5p as promising biomarkers of lung cancer diagnosis.

Long noncoding RNA MALAT1 promotes cardiomyocyte apoptosis after myocardial infarction via targeting miR-144-3p

Our study aims to excavate the role of metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) in myocardial infarction (MI), especially in an ischemia/reperfusion injury model and the underlying mechanism involving the MALAT1-miR144 axis. Our results demonstrated that the expression of MALAT1 has a higher level, while miR-144 expression significantly reduced in myocardial tissue after MI and also in left anterior descending (LAD)-ligation mice. This result was confirmed in vitro studies in HL-1 cardiomyocytes followed with hypoxia/reoxygenation. In addition, overexpression of MALAT1 by MALAT1-pcDNA injection into the mice with LAD increased myocardial apoptosis in vivo, while this effect was attenuated by miR-144 mimic. Bioinformatics analysis exhibits that 3′-UTR of MALAT1 is targeted to the miR-144-3p. Up-regulation miR-144 blunted the hypoxia- or MALAT1-induced cell apoptosis. In conclusion, the expression of MALAT1 was increased, whereas miR-144 expression was down-regulated in the myocardium after AMI. MALAT1 up-regulation plays a critical role in promoting cardiomyocytes apoptosis via targeting miR-144.

Regulatory effect of miR-144-3p on the function of human trabecular meshwork cells and fibronectin-1

Role of microRNA (miR)-144-3p in regulating the function of human trabecular meshwork cells (HTMCs) and fibronectin-1 (FN-1) was investigated. HTM cell lines were divided into five groups, of which four groups established oxidative stress HTMC models and one served as a control group. The four model groups were transfected with miR-144-3p independent sequence, inhibitory sequence, over-expression sequence, and the blank group received no transfection. In addition, 40 primary open angle glaucoma patients treated in Xuzhou No. 1 People's Hospital were included in the observation group, and 40 healthy individuals were enrolled as a normal group. RT-qPCR was used for the detection of miR-144-3p expression in serum and cells of patients and healthy people in each group, western blot analysis for FN-1 expression in cells, CCK-8 kit for cell proliferation, and Transwell for cell invasion. The expression of serum miR-144-3p in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the normal group (P<0.05). The cell optical density value in the over-expression group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05), and in the inhibition group was significantly lower than that in the other groups (P<0.05). The number of cell-penetration in the over-expression group was significantly higher than that in the other groups (P<0.05). The expression of FN-1 protein in the over-expression group was significantly lower than that in the other four groups (P<0.05), and the expression in the inhibition group was significantly higher than that in the other four groups (P<0.05). The over-expression of miR-144-3p promotes proliferation and invasion of HTMCs by inhibiting the expression of FN-1 in inoxidative stress HTMCs, and is a potential target for glaucoma treatment.

MicroRNA expression profiling of lung adenocarcinoma in Xuanwei, China: A preliminary study

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been proved to be related to the development and progression of lung cancer. However, the expression signatures of miRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma in Xuanwei are not yet clear. The current study aimed to identify the potential miRNA profiles in lung adenocarcinoma in Xuanwei by microarray.The miRNA profiles in 24 lung adenocarcinoma and paired non-tumor tissues in Xuanwei were ascertained by using the Exiqon miRCURY LNA microRNA Array (v.18.0). The results of the microarrays were further verified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) detection. Bioinformatics analysis was used to carry out the functional annotations of differentially expressed miRNAs.One hundred fifty five differentially expressed (≥2-fold change) miRNAs were identified (65 upregulated and 90 downregulated). QRT-PCR was used to validate the top 4 most upregulated and downregulated miRNAs, and the results were generally consisted with microarray. Furthermore, the differentially expressed miRNAs were significantly enriched in numerous common pathways that were bound up with cancer. The pathways included focal adhesion and signaling pathways, such as cyclic guanosine monophosphate -protein kinase G (cGMP-PKG) signaling pathways, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and Hippo signaling pathway, etc.Our study identified the potential miRNA profiles in lung adenocarcinoma in Xuanwei by microarray. These miRNAs might be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and/or prognosis for lung cancer in Xuanwei and therefore warrant further investigation. Further study is needed to reveal the potential role of these miRNAs in the carcinogenesis of XuanWei Lung Cancer (XWLC).

Down-regulation of microRNA-144-3p and its clinical value in non-small cell lung cancer: a comprehensive analysis based on microarray, miRNA-sequencing, and quantitative real-time PCR data

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown that miR-144-3p might be a potential biomarker in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Nevertheless, the comprehensive mechanism behind the effects of miR-144-3p on the origin, differentiation, and apoptosis of NSCLC, as well as the relationship between miR-144-3p and clinical parameters, has been rarely reported.

METHODS

We investigated the correlations between miR-144-3p expression and clinical characteristics through data collected from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) microarrays, the relevant literature, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and real-time quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses to determine the clinical role of miR-144-3p in NSCLC. Furthermore, we investigated the biological function of miR-144-3p by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was created to identify the hub genes.

RESULTS

From the comprehensive meta-analysis, the combined SMD of miR-144-3p was - 0.95 with 95% CI of (- 1.37, - 0.52), indicating that less miR-144-3p was expressed in the NSCLC tissue than in the normal tissue. MiR-144-3p expression was significantly correlated with stage, lymph node metastasis and vascular invasion (all P <  0.05). As for the bioinformatics analyses, a total of 37 genes were chosen as the potential targets of miR-144-3p in NSCLC. These promising target genes were highly enriched in various key pathways such as the protein digestion and absorption and the thyroid hormone signaling pathways. Additionally, PPI revealed five genes-C12orf5, CEP55, E2F8, STIL, and TOP2A-as hub genes with the threshold value of 6.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study validated that miR-144-3p was lowly expressed in NSCLC. More importantly, miR-144-3p might function as a latent tumor biomarker in the prognosis prediction for NSCLC. The results of bioinformatics analyses may present a new method for investigating the pathogenesis of NSCLC.

miRNAs 144-3p, 34a-5p, and 206 are a useful signature for distinguishing uterine leiomyosarcoma from other smooth muscle tumors

Background

Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) is a rare uterine neoplasm that has a high mortality rate and no specific treatment. The origin of LMS remains unknown; although, it is hypothesized that LMS arises from the malignant transformation of a degenerated uterine leiomyoma (LM). LMs are the most common benign tumors diagnosed and rare variants of LM (unconventional LM) morphologically resemble LMS, thereby making an early and precise diagnosis of LMS difficult. Various molecular features may influence the malignancy risk of LMS tumors, including microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the role of miRNAs in uterine mesenchymal tumors remains poorly understood. Here, our aim was to assess the miRNA expression profiles of LMS, LM, and LM variants (ULM) to identify a specific signature that may facilitate differentiation among these tumor types. Possible associations between these profiles and patients’ clinical and pathological features were also analyzed.

Methods

Total RNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples of uterine LMS (n = 37), LM (n = 3), ULM (n = 8), and myometrium (MM) (n = 2) to perform real-time PCR analyses and detect expression levels of a panel of 84 miRNA sequences related to cancer.

Results

Between the LMS and LM samples, 16 miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed, with miR-372 and miR-34a-5p exhibiting the highest and lowest levels of expression, respectively. When LMS and ULM were compared, 5 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, with miR-34a-5p downregulated and miR-144-3p upregulated. Between ULM and LM, all of the differentially expressed miRNAs were upregulated, and miR122-5p exhibited 10-fold higher expression. In addition, significant correlations were found between various miRNAs and tumor relapse (miR-148a-3p), metastasis (miR-27b-3p), and patient death (miR-124-3p and miR-183-5p). Downregulation of miR135b-5p was associated with disease-free survival.

Conclusion

Expression profiling of miRNAs 144-3p, 34a-5p, and 206 may be useful in characterizing uterine LMS and distinguishing it from benign tumors. Furthermore, deregulation of miRNAs 148a-3p, 27b-3p, 124-3p, 183-5p, and 135b-5p appear to indicate a poor prognosis for LMS patients.

Involvement of dual-strand of the miR-144 duplex and their targets in the pathogenesis of lung squamous cell carcinoma

The prognosis of patients with advanced-stage lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSQ) is poor, and effective treatment protocols are limited. Our continuous analyses of antitumor microRNAs (miRNAs) and their oncogenic targets have revealed novel oncogenic pathways in LUSQ. Analyses of our original miRNA expression signatures indicated that both strands of miR-144 (miR-144-5p, the passenger strand; miR-144-3p, the guide strand) showed decreased expression in cancer tissues. Additionally, low expression of miR-144-5p significantly predicted a poor prognosis in patients with LUSQ by The Cancer Genome Atlas database analyses (overall survival, P = 0.026; disease-free survival, P = 0.023). Functional assays revealed that ectopic expression of miR-144-5p and miR-144-3p significantly blocked the malignant abilities of LUSQ cells, eg, cancer cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In LUSQ cells, 13 and 15 genes were identified as possible oncogenic targets that might be regulated by miR-144-5p and miR-144-3p, respectively. Among these targets, we identified 3 genes (SLC44A5, MARCKS, and NCS1) that might be regulated by both strands of miR-144. Interestingly, high expression of NCS1 predicted a significantly poorer prognosis in patients with LUSQ (overall survival, P = 0.013; disease-free survival, P = 0.048). By multivariate analysis, NCS1 expression was found to be an independent prognostic factor for patients with LUSQ patients. Overexpression of NCS1 was detected in LUSQ clinical specimens, and its aberrant expression enhanced malignant transformation of LUSQ cells. Our approach, involving identification of antitumor miRNAs and their targets, will contribute to improving our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of LUSQ.

MicroRNA‑143‑3p suppresses cell growth and invasion in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma via targeting the k‑Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) have been identified as an important regulator in carcinogenesis and other pathological processes. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the function of miRNAs in the progression and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the miRNA expression pattern in LSCC tissues was profiled using miRNA microarray analysis. It was found that a large set of miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in LSCC tissues and that miR‑143‑3p was the most markedly downregulated compared with normal tissues. The low expression of miR‑143‑3p was associated with poor prognosis in LSCC. The overexpression of miR‑143‑3p repressed cellular proliferation and induced apoptosis in vitro, and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. The upregulation of miR‑143‑3p suppressed cell migration and invasion through inhibiting the epithelial‑mesenchymal transition cascade. In addition, it was verified that the oncogene k‑Ras is a target of miR‑143‑3p in LSCC cells, and the suppressive effects of miR‑143‑3p on LSCC cells were abrogated by the overexpression of k‑Ras. It was also revealed that miR‑143‑3p may inhibit cell growth and metastasis through targeting the k‑Ras/Raf/mitogen‑activated protein kinase kinase (MEK)/extracellular signal‑regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway. Taken together, the data indicated that the miR‑143‑3p/k‑Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK axis serves a key regulator in the development and progression of LSCC, suggesting that miR‑143‑3p may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in the treatment of LSCC.

Effect of targeted regulation of ABCG2 signaling pathway by miR-144-3p on invasion and migration of gastric cancer cells

AIM

To investigate the effect of targeted regulation of ATP-binding transporter G family member 2 (ABCG2) signaling pathway by miR-144-3p on the invasion and migration of gastric cancer (GC) cells HGC-27, and to explore the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

The expression of miR-144-3p and ABCG2 in human GC cell line HGC-27 and human gastric mucosal epithelial cell line GES-1 was detected by qRT-PCR. The target gene prediction software was used to predict whether miR-144-3p binds to ABCG2, and the binding site was used to detect whether miR-144-3p targets ABCG2 by dual luciferase reporter gene assay. The expression of miR-144-3p and ABCG2 was detected by qRT-PCR after transfection of miR-144-3p mimic or miR-144-3p inhibitor into GC cells. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in GC cells transfected with ABCG2 siRNA was detected by gelatin zymography assay. Transwell invasion and migration assays were employed to detect the effect of miR-144-3p mimic, miR-144-3p inhibitor, and ABCG2 siRNA on the invasion and migration of GC cells.

RESULTS

Compared with GES-1 cells, the expression of miR-144-3p in HGC-27 cells was significantly decreased and the expression of ABCG2 was significantly increased (P < 0.05). The target gene prediction software predicted the binding site of miR-144-3p in the ABCG2 3'UTR, and the dual luciferase reporter gene experiment confirmed the targeted binding relationship of miR-144-3p and ABCG2. Compared with the control group, the expression of miR-144-3p was significantly increased, the expression of ABCG2 was significantly decreased, and the cell invasion and migration ability were significantly decreased in the miR-144-3p mimic transfected group (P < 0.05), while transfection with miR-144-3p inhibitor showed the opposite effect. Gelatin zymography assay showed that ABCG2 siRNA transfection significantly inhibited the activity of MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins in GC cells and suppressed the invasion and migration of GC cells (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

MiR-144-3p can inhibit the invasion and migration of GC cells possibly via mechanisms related to targeted regulation of the ABCG2-MMP-2/9 signaling pathway.

Regulation of antitumor miR-144-5p targets oncogenes: Direct regulation of syndecan-3 and its clinical significance

In the human genome, miR-451a, miR-144-5p (passenger strand), and miR-144-3p (guide strand) reside in clustered microRNA (miRNA) sequences located within the 17q11.2 region. Low expression of these miRNAs is significantly associated with poor prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) (miR-451a: P = .00305; miR-144-5p: P = .00128; miR-144-3p: P = 9.45 × 10-5 ). We previously reported that miR-451a acted as an antitumor miRNA in RCC cells. Involvement of the passenger strand of the miR-144 duplex in the pathogenesis of RCC is not well understood. Functional assays showed that miR-144-5p and miR-144-3p significantly reduced cancer cell migration and invasive abilities, suggesting these miRNAs acted as antitumor miRNAs in RCC cells. Analyses of miR-144-5p targets identified a total of 65 putative oncogenic targets in RCC cells. Among them, high expression levels of 9 genes (FAM64A, F2, TRIP13, ANKRD36, CENPF, NCAPG, CLEC2D, SDC3, and SEMA4B) were significantly associated with poor prognosis (P < .001). Among these targets, expression of SDC3 was directly controlled by miR-144-5p, and its expression enhanced cancer cell aggressiveness. We identified genes downstream by SDC3 regulation. Data showed that expression of 10 of the downstream genes (IL18RAP, SDC3, SH2D1A, GZMH, KIF21B, TMC8, GAB3, HLA-DPB2, PLEK, and C1QB) significantly predicted poor prognosis of the patients (P = .0064). These data indicated that the antitumor miR-144-5p/oncogenic SDC3 axis was deeply involved in RCC pathogenesis. Clustered miRNAs (miR-451a, miR-144-5p, and miR-144-3p) acted as antitumor miRNAs, and their targets were intimately involved in RCC pathogenesis.

MicroRNA-144-3p inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in prostate cancer by targeting CEP55

Previous research reported that miR-144-3p functions as tumor suppressor in several tumors, including glioblastoma and hepatocelluar carcinoma, but the role of miR-144-3p in prostate cancer (PCa) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to analyze the role of miR-144-3p in PCa. By RT-qPCR, we found that expression of miR-144-3p was markedly down-regulated in PCa tissues and cell lines compared with that in paired adjacent normal tissues and normal cell lines. Moreover, miR-144-3p overexpression in PC-3 and DU145 cells by transfection with miR-144-3p mimics significantly inhibited cell proliferation and in vitro by MTT, colony formation assays and suppressed tumor growth in vivo by nude mice model. Flow cytometry analysis further demonstrated that forced expression of miR-144-3p induced cell cycle G1/S phase arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, centrosomal protein of 55 (CEP55) was confirmed as a direct target of miR-144-3p by bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays. Overexpression of miR-144-3p decreased the CEP5 mRNA and protein levels in PC-3 and DU145 cells. Using Oncomine database analysis, we further found the expression of CEP55 was significantly upregulated in PCa tissues. In addition, knockdown of CEP55 elicited similar effects with miR-144-3p overexpression in PCa cells. Taken together, our results demonstrate that miR-144-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in PCa by downregulating CEP55, supporting the targeting miR-144-3p might be a potentially effective therapeutic approach for PCa.

Prognostic significance of low miR-144 expression in gastric cancer

BACKGROUND

An overwhelming amount of evidence has emerged suggesting that dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) play crucial roles in tumorigenesis.

OBJECTIVE

The study was to analyze tissue/serum miR-144 expression in gastric cancer and then evaluate their potential to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer.

METHODS

We examined miR-144 levels in tissues and peripheral blood samples from 96 gastric cancer patients using real-time PCR. Then the association between tissue/serum miR-144 levels and clinicopathological parameters was determined.

RESULTS

The expression levels of miR-144 were significantly down-regulated in the cancerous tissue and serum samples from gastric cancer patients. Serum miR-144 was able to differentiate the gastric cancer patients from healthy controls with high accuracy. In addition, tissue and serum miR-144 levels were both associated with clinical stage and lymph node metastasis. Moreover, patients with lower tissue or serum miR-144 suffered worse 5 year overall survival and disease free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, our data support the potential clinical value of tissue and serum miR-144 as prognostic biomarkers in gastric cancer.

MiR-144-3p promotes the tumor growth and metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma by targeting paired box gene 8

Background

Paired box gene 8 (PAX8) is expressed in and indispensable to thyroid development. MiR-144-3p is found dys-regulated in cancers, and it can block the expression of target gens. This study sought to understand the effect of MiR-144-3p in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) as well as the associated mechanisms.

Materials and methods

Real-time PCR, immunohistochemical and Western blot assays were performed to examine the expression of target miRNA and/or genes. CCK-8 and flow cytometry analysis was used to respectively test cell growth, cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Luciferase reporter assay was performed to find out whether miR-144-3p could bind to the 3′ untranslated region of PAX8 or not.

Results

We found that PAX8 decreased in PTC, while miR-144-3p increased in PTC. Over-expression of miR-144-3p promoted the cell viability and cell cycle progression. The expressions of cell-cycle-related genes, cyclin D1, cyclin-dependent kinase 2 and CDC25A were modulated by miR-144-3p. Meanwhile, the presence or absence of miR-144-3p both affected epithelial-mesenchymal transition of PTC by regulating the expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin and vimentin. Moreover, PAX8 may be a potential direct target of miR-144-3p. Mechanically, the activation of extracellular signal–regulated kinases 1/2, Akt and c-Jun N-terminal kinases may be associated with the tumor-promoting effect of miR-144-3p. In addition, the blockage of miR-144-3p forced the anti-tumor effect delivered by X-ray exposure or paclitaxel.

Conclusion

MiR-144-3p promoted the growth of tumor and the metastasis of PTC by targeting PAX 8. The study provided promising prognosis markers and valuable treatment strategy for PTC.

Post-Transcriptional Control of Tropoelastin in Aortic Smooth Muscle Cells Affects Aortic Dissection Onset

Aortic dissection (AD) is a catastrophic disease with high mortality and morbidity, characterized with fragmentation of elastin and loss of smooth muscle cells. Although AD has been largely attributable to polymorphisms defect in the elastin-coding gene, tropoelastin (TE), other undermined factors also appear to play roles in AD onset. Here, we investigated the effects of post-transcriptional control of TE by microRNAs (miRNAs) on elastin levels in aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC). We found that miR-144-3p is a miRNA that targets TE mRNA in both human and mouse. Bioinformatics analyses and dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-144-3p inhibited protein translation of TE, through binding to the 3'-UTR of the TE mRNA. Interestingly, higher miR-144-3p levels and lower TE were detected in the ASMC obtained from AD patients, compared to those from non-AD controls. In a mouse model for human AD, infusion of adeno-associated viruses (serotype 6) carrying antisense for miR-144-3p (as-miR-144-3p) under CAG promoter significantly reduced the incidence and severity of AD, seemingly through enhancement of TE levels in ASMC. Thus, our data suggest an essential role of miR-144-3p on the pathogenesis of AD.

Long non-coding RNA CASC2 improved acute lung injury by regulating miR-144-3p/AQP1 axis to reduce lung epithelial cell apoptosis

Background and objective

Apoptosis of lung epithelial cell is implicated in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI). To study the protective effect and mechanism of cancer susceptibility candidate 2 (CASC2) on reducing lung epithelial cell apoptosis after LPS inducing acute lung injury in mice.

Methods and results

The ALI mice model was performed by intratracheally instilling with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The CASC2 expression detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was significantly decreased in LPS-induced A549 cell and ALI mice model. LPS induced A549 cell apoptosis, while transfection with pcDNA-CASC2 reversed the increased cell apoptosis, suggesting overexpression of CASC2 inhibited LPS-induced A549 cell apoptosis. In addition, we found that miR-144-3p expression were opposite to CASC2, while Aquaporin-1 (AQP1) expression was opposite to miR-144-3p in LPS-induced A549 cell and ALI mice model. The RNA immunoprecipitation and RNA pull-down assay demonstrated that CASC2 could function as a miR-144-3p decoy. The luciferase reporter assay revealed that AQP1 was a target of miR-144-3p in A549 cell. And then, further in vitro studied showed that CASC2 controlled AQP1 expression by regulating miR-144-3p, and LPS induced A549 cell apoptosis by regulating CASC2/miR-144-3p/AQP1 axis. At last, after injection with lentivirus-expressing CASC2 or control lentivirus, the mice were intratracheally instilled with LPS. Comparing to the mice injected with pcDNA, the mice injected with pcDNA-CASC2 had a significantly reduced lung wet–dry weight ratio.

Conclusions

Long non-coding RNA CASC2 improved acute lung injury by regulating miR-144-3p/AQP1 axis to reduce lung epithelial cell apoptosis.

MicroRNA-144 inhibits proliferation by targeting WW domain-containing transcription regulator protein 1 in papillary thyroid cancer

Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), the most common histological subtype of thyroid cancer, accounts for between 80 and 90% of all thyroid cancer cases. Previous studies have suggested that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are involved in the development of PTC. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether miR-144 inhibits cellular proliferation in PTC. The expression of miR-144 was detected in PTC and corresponding adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and in the PTC cell line IHH4, using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Associations between miR-144 expression levels and the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to assess the diagnostic value of miR-144 expression, and the potential function of miR-144 was investigated in IHH4 cells using a Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assays. Western blotting was applied to analyze the expression level of WW domain-containing transcription regulator 1 (WWTR1) in PTC tissues. miR-144 was significantly downregulated in PTC tissues and the PTC cell line. Low expression of miR-144 was associated with larger tumor sizes (P<0.001). The ROC curves demonstrated that miR-144 may be a potential biomarker for identifying PTC and non-cancerous diseases (sensitivity, 58.7%; specificity, 87.3%) as well as to differentiate PTC with tumor sizes ≥2 cm (sensitivity, 79.2%; specificity, 69.2%). Upregulation of miR-144 significantly suppressed proliferation in IHH4 cells. WWTR1 was overexpressed in PTC tissues compared with in adjacent non-cancerous tissues, and the ectopic expression of miR-144 downregulated WWTR1 in IHH4 cells. Co-transfection with pcDNA-WWTR1 and miR-144 ‘rescued’ the proliferation inhibition. The results of the present study collectively demonstrated that miR-144 is downregulated in PTC, that low expression levels of miR-144 are associated with larger tumor sizes and that miR-144 inhibits cellular proliferation in PTC by targeting WWTR1.

miR-144 inhibits growth and metastasis of cervical cancer cells by targeting VEGFA and VEGFC

MicroRNAs (miRs) are aberrantly expressed in various cancer types and have critical roles in their genesis and progression. miR-144 has been identified to be involved in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and rectal cancer. However, the roles of miR-144 in cervical cancer and the underlying molecular mechanisms have remained elusive. The present study identified that miR-144 was significantly decreased in cervical cancer tissues compared with that in matched normal cervical tissues as well as in metastatic vs. non-metastatic cervical cancer tissues. miR-144 downregulation was significantly associated with the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and lymph node metastasis. In a gain-of function study, miR-144 mimics were transfected into the Hela and C33A cervical cancer cell lines, which led to suppression of cell growth. In addition, overexpression of miR-144 inhibited the migration and invasion of Hela and C33A cells. Furthermore, a bioinformatics analysis identified vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) VEGFC as two novel target genes of miR-144. Of note, a dual luciferase reporter assay, reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis and western blot analysis demonstrated that miR-144 repressed the expression of VEGFA and VEGFC by directly targeting to their 3'-untranslated region. Taken together, the results suggested that miR-144 acts as a tumor suppressor in the proliferation and metastasis of cervical cancer cells by directly targeting VEGFA and VEGFC, suggesting that miR-144 may be a novel promising diagnostic and therapeutic biomarker for cervical cancer.

Artemin promotes proliferation and metastasis in human laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is the main type of human laryngeal cancer which is one of the most common malignant head and neck tumors and the outcomes of LSCC patients are always poor. The intrinsic molecular mechanisms in initiation, development, growth and metastasis of LSCC remain unclear. Further researches are necessary and urgent. In this article, we examined artemin (ARTN) promoted both cell proliferation and metastasis of human LSCC cells Hep-2 by siRNA mediated ARTN knocking down using MTT assay, cell migration assay and cell invasion assay. Moreover, we examined the expression level of ARTN in LSCC tissues was much higher than that in benign laryngeal polyp tissues. In addition, ARTN was identified as a direct target of miR-223 and miR-223 suppressed the expression of ARTN in LSCC cells. Supplement to our former study, we demonstrated ARTN was oncogenic both in vitro and in clinical tissues. As a result, ARTN could be used as a potential therapeutic target for human LSCC.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 for promoting metastasis and proliferation by acting as a ceRNA of miR-144-3p in osteosarcoma cells

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in various biological processes and diseases including osteosarcoma. Long non-coding RNA metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) is overly expressed in osteosarcoma. But the function and mechanism it works on in osteosarcoma proliferation and metastasis mediated by Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) and Rho associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 2 (ROCK2) remain unclear. In the present study, an elevated MALAT1 was found in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines, and the elevated MALAT1 was correlated with a poor prognosis in osteosarcoma patients. The functional experiments show that a decreased MALAT1 could remarkably inhibit osteosarcoma cell metastasis and proliferation but induce cell cycle arrest, indicating that MALAT1 functioned as an oncogene in osteosarcoma. Furthermore, we confirmed that MALAT1 and ROCK1/ROCK2 which were targeted by microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) shared the same miR-144-3p combining site. Furthermore, the constructed luciferase assay verified that MALAT1 was a target of miR-144-3p. Additionally, the results of a qRT-PCR demonstrated that MALAT1 and miR-144-3p repressed each other's expression in a reciprocal manner. Finally, we affirmed that an overexpression of MALAT1 inhibited ROCK1/ROCK2 expression and its mediated metastasis and proliferation by working as a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) via miR-144-3p.

In summary, the findings of this study based on the ceRNA theory, combining the research foundation of miR-144-3p, ROCK1 and ROCK2, taking MALAT1 as a new point of study, provided new insights into molecular level proliferation reversal and metastasis of osteosarcoma.

MicroRNA-144-3p inhibits autophagy activation and enhances Bacillus Calmette-Guérin infection by targeting ATG4a in RAW264.7 macrophage cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding nucleotides that play major roles in the response of host immune cells. Autophagy plays a key role in activating the antimicrobial host defense against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis). Whether miRNAs specifically influence the activation of macrophage autophagy during M. tuberculosis infection is largely unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection of macrophages leads to increased expression of miR-144-3p, which targets autophagy-related gene 4a (ATG4a), to inhibit autophagy activation and antimicrobial responses to BCG. Overexpression of miR-144-3p significantly decreased both mRNA and protein levels of ATG4a, inhibited the formation of autophagosomes in RAW264.7 cells and increased intracellular survival of BCG. However, transfection with miR-144-3p inhibitor led to an increase in ATG4a levels, accelerated the autophagic response in macrophages, and decreased BCG survival in macrophages. The experimental results of this study reveal a novel role of miR-144-3p in inhibiting autophagy activation by targeting ATG4a and enhancing BCG infection, and provide potential targets for developing improved treatment.

MiR-144-3p inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in multiple myeloma by targeting c-Met

MicroRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) has been implicated in the development of many types of cancer. However, its role in multiple myeloma (MM) remains largely unknown. In this study, we found that miR-144-3p was downregulated in both MM cell lines and plasma from patients with MM. In vitro studies further showed that transfection of an miR-144-3p mimic into MM cells inhibited their proliferation and colony formation, and promoted cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase and apoptosis. In addition, we found that miR-144-3p could directly target the 3'-untranslated region of cellular-mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor (c-MET) and suppress c-MET expression and its downstream signaling pathway (PI3K/AKT). Rescue experiments revealed that overexpression of c-MET partially reversed the inhibition effect of miR-144-3p in MM cells. In vivo studies confirmed that restoration of miR-144-3p suppressed tumor growth in xenograft nude mice by repressing c-MET. Overall, these findings demonstrate that miR-144-3p functions as a tumor suppressor in MM by targeting c-MET, suggesting that miR-144-3p might serve as a potential therapeutic target in MM.

Roles of microRNAs in cancer associated fibroblasts of gastric cancer

Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). They play critical roles in the occurrence and development of gastric cancer (GC) through controlling various cytokines secretion and direct cell-to-cell interaction. However, the underlying mechanism of CAFs in tumor progression has not been entirely elucidated. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) as important factors have a central role in the interplay between tumor cell and TME. Recent studies also highlight that the aberrant expression of miRNAs in CAFs is involved in multiple functions in tumorigenesis and malignant process of GC. In this article, we shortly introduce the miRNAs biogenesis and provide an overview of the mechanisms and emerging roles of CAFs-related miRNAs. Focusing on these miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets may bring better treatment effect on GC and other diseases.

miR-144-3p serves as a tumor suppressor for renal cell carcinoma and inhibits its invasion and metastasis by targeting MAP3K8

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators involved in various cancers, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The role of the miRNAs involved in RCC progress and metastasis is largely unknown. Here, miRNA microarray analysis was performed to screen the significant miRNAs involved in RCC progress, and miR-144-3p was chosen for further study. We found that the expression of miR-144-3p was significantly lower in RCC specimens and cell lines. In addition, low expression level of miR-144-3p is correlated with tumor progression and poor survival in RCC patients. Based on in vitro assays, we found that miR-144-3p significantly inhibit cancer cell proliferation and progression. Furthermore, function studies revealed that miR-144-3p was significantly correlated with the metastasis potential by affecting the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, Mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAP3K8) is direct target of miR-144-3p, while the expression levels of MAP3K8 were inversely correlated with the expression levels of miR-144-3p in RCC tissues. Overall, our findings demonstrate that miR-144-3p targeted the MAP3K8 pathway to reduce tumor cells proliferation and metastasis in RCC, suggesting that this axis may provide a novel therapeutic target for RCC therapy.

A genetic view of laryngeal cancer heterogeneity

During the recent decades significant improvements in the understanding of laryngeal molecular biology allowed a better characterization of the tumor. However, despite increased molecular knowledge and clinical efforts, survival of patients with laryngeal cancer remains the same as 30 years ago. Although this result may not make major conclusions as preservation approaches were not broadly used until the time of database collection, it seems to be clear that there is still window for improvement. Although the cornerstone for laryngeal cancer eradication is to implement smoking cessation programs, survival progresses will be hopefully seen in the future. Introducing molecular biomarkers as predictive factors to determine which patients will benefit of preservation treatments may become one of the next steps to improve survival. Furthermore, the development of new therapeutic modalities joint to biomarkers to selectively apply such new therapy in these patients may help to define new modalities with improved survival. New inhibitors against Notch pathway, EGFR, VRK1 or DNA damage repair may become gold standard if we are able to identify patients that may benefit from them, either on survival or functional larynx preservation. It is the moment for an inflexion point on the way laryngeal cancer is clinically managed.