Elevated expression of miR-494-3p is associated with resistance to osimertinib in EGFR T790M-positive non-small cell lung cancer

Exploring miRNA therapies and gut microbiome-enhanced CAR-T cells: advancing frontiers in glioblastoma stem cell targeting

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) presents a formidable challenge in oncology due to its aggressive nature and resistance to conventional treatments. Recent advancements propose a novel therapeutic strategy combining microRNA-based therapies, chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells, and gut microbiome modulation to target GBM stem cells and transform cancer treatment. MicroRNA therapies show promise in regulating key signalling pathways implicated in GBM progression, offering the potential to disrupt GBM stem cell renewal. CAR-T cell therapy, initially successful in blood cancers, is being adapted to target GBM by genetically engineering T cells to recognise and eliminate GBM stem cell-specific antigens. Despite early successes, challenges like the immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment persist. Additionally, recent research has uncovered a link between the gut microbiome and GBM, suggesting that gut dysbiosis can influence systemic inflammation and immune responses. Novel strategies to modulate the gut microbiome are emerging, enhancing the efficacy of microRNA therapies and CAR-T cell treatments. This combined approach highlights the synergistic potential of these innovative therapies in GBM treatment, aiming to eradicate primary tumours and prevent recurrence, thereby improving patient prognosis and quality of life. Ongoing research and clinical trials are crucial to fully exploit this promising frontier in GBM therapy, offering hope to patients grappling with this devastating disease.

circ_SMA4 promotes gastrointestinal stromal tumors malignant progression by sponging miR-494-3p/KIT axis and activating JAK/STAT pathway

Recent evidence has demonstrated that abnormal expression and regulation of circular RNA (circRNAs) are implicated in the development and progression of various tumors. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of circ_SMA4 in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs) malignant progression. Human circRNAs microarray analysis was conducted to identify differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs in GISTs. The effect of circ_SMA4 on cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and apoptosis was assessed in both in vitro and in vivo settings. Dual-luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, Western-blot, and rescue assay were employed to confirm the interaction between circ_SMA4/miR-494-3p/ KIT axis. The results revealed that circ_SMA4 was significantly upregulated in GISTs, and exhibited high diagnostic efficiency with an AUC of 0.9824 (P < 0.01). circ_SMA4 promoted cell proliferation, invasion, migration, while inhibiting apoptosis in GISTs cells, both in vitro and in vivo. Silencing circ_SMA4 partially inhibited GISTs malignant progression. Additionally, circ_SMA4 acted as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) by targeting miR-494-3p, and KIT was identified as a functional gene for miR-494-3p in GISTs. Furthermore, the results confirmed that circ_SMA4/miR-494-3p/ KIT axis plays a role in activating the JAK/STAT signaling pathway in GISTs. Therefore, for the first time, we have identified and emphasized that circ_SMA4 is significantly upregulated and plays an oncogenic role in GISTs by sponging miR-494-3p to activate the KIT/JAK/STAT pathway. These findings underscore circ_SMA4 may serve as a novel diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for GISTs.

Targeting non-coding RNAs to overcome osimertinib resistance in EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer

Osimertinib, a third-generation inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase, exhibits remarkable efficacy in prolonging the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carrying EGFR mutations, surpassing the efficacy of first- and second-generation EGFR tyrosine kinases. Nevertheless, the emergence of osimertinib resistance is inevitable, necessitating an investigation into the underlying mechanisms. Increasing evidence has revealed that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs, long ncRNAs, and circular RNAs, play a significant role in the development and progression of lung cancer. These ncRNAs regulate essential signaling pathways, offering a novel avenue for understanding the fundamental mechanisms of osimertinib resistance. Recent studies have reported the significant impact of ncRNAs on osimertinib resistance, achieved through various mechanisms that modulate treatment sensitivity. We provide a concise overview of the functions and underlying mechanisms of extensively researched ncRNAs in the development of osimertinib resistance and emphasize their potential clinical application in EGFR-mutated NSCLC resistant to osimertinib. Finally, we discuss the obstacles that must be addressed to effectively translate ncRNA-based approaches into clinical practice.

Suppression of gastric cancer cell proliferation by miR-494-3p inhibitor-loaded engineered exosomes

Background

Gastric cancer necessitates novel treatments, and exosomes are promising therapeutic carriers. We created miR-494-3p inhibitor exosomes to assess their effects on gastric cancer cells.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the expression of the oncogenic miR-494-3p in gastric cancer tissues from patients. Subsequently, we engineered miR-494-3p inhibitor-loaded exosomes and characterized their morphology and size through transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis. We next determined the encapsulation efficiency of the miR-494-3p inhibitor within these exosomes and evaluated the exosomes' structural integrity by quantifying the presence of exosomal markers. Following these validations, we co-cultured miR-494-3p inhibitor exosomes with cancer cells and employed PKH26 staining to visualize the efficient endocytosis of engineered exosomes by gastric cancer cells and assess the impact of these modified exosomes on gastric cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion.

Results

Increased expression of miR-494-3p was observed in gastric cancer tissues as compared to controls. Significant low miR-494-3p levels were found within miR-494-3p inhibitor exosomes, signifying effective encapsulation. The incorporation of miR-494-3p inhibitor into engineered exosomes did not alter exosome morphology or size. Finally, PKH26-stained exosomes clearly demonstrated efficient endocytosis by gastric cancer cells, leading to reduced proliferation, migration, invasion, and increased apoptosis.

Conclusion

Our study identifies elevated miR-494-3p in gastric cancer tissues prompting the development of miR-494-3p inhibitor-loaded exosomes with efficient encapsulation. These engineered exosomes demonstrate successful endocytosis by cancer cells. This highlights their potential for therapeutic use in gastric cancer treatment by suppressing proliferation, migration, and invasion while enhancing apoptosis.

The novel miR-873-5p-YWHAE-PI3K/AKT axis is involved in non-small cell lung cancer progression and chemoresistance by mediating autophagy

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) encompasses approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and is the foremost cancer type worldwide; it is prevalent in both sexes and known for its high fatality rate. Expanding scientific inquiry underscores the indispensability of microRNAs in NSCLC. Here, we probed the impact of miR-873-5p on NSCLC development and chemoresistance. qRT‒PCR was used to measure the miR-873-5p level in NSCLC cells with or without chemoresistance. A model of miR-873-5p overexpression was constructed. The proliferation and viability of NSCLC cells were evaluated through CCK8 and colony formation experiments. Cell migration and invasion were monitored via Transwell assays. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of YWHAE, PI3K, AKT, EMT, apoptosis, and autophagy-related proteins. The sensitivity of NSCLC cells to the chemotherapeutic agent gefitinib was assessed. Additionally, the correlation of YWHAE with miR-873-5p was validated via a dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Overexpressed miR-873-5p suppressed migration, proliferation, invasion, and EMT while concurrently stimulating apoptotic processes. miR-873-5p was downregulated in NSCLC cells resistant to gefitinib. Upregulating miR-873-5p reversed gefitinib resistance by inducing autophagy. YWHAE was confirmed to be a downstream target of miR-873-5p. YWHAE overexpression promoted the malignant behaviors of NSCLC cells and boosted tumor growth, while these effects were reversed following miR-873-5p overexpression. Subsequent investigations revealed that overexpressing YWHAE promoted PI3K/AKT pathway activation, with miR-873-5p displaying inhibitory effects on the YWHAE-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling cascade. miR-873-5p affects proliferation, invasion, migration, EMT, autophagy, and chemoresistance in NSCLC by controlling the YWHAE/PI3K/AKT axis.

Recent advances on high-efficiency of microRNAs in different types of lung cancer: a comprehensive review

Carcinoma of the lung is among the most common types of cancer globally. Concerning its histology, it is categorized as a non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) and a small cell cancer (SCLC) subtype. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a member of non-coding RNA whose nucleotides range from 19 to 25. They are known to be critical regulators of cancer via epigenetic control of oncogenes expression and by regulating tumor suppressor genes. miRNAs have an essential function in a tumorous microenvironment via modulating cancer cell growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, metabolism, and apoptosis. Moreover, a wide range of information produced via several investigations indicates their tumor-suppressing, oncogenic, diagnostic assessment, and predictive marker functions in different types of lung malignancy. miRNA mimics or anti-miRNAs can be transferred into a lung cancer cell, with possible curative implications. As a result, miRNAs hold promise as targets for lung cancer treatment and detection. In this study, we investigate the different functions of various miRNAs in different types of lung malignancy, which have been achieved in recent years that show the lung cancer-associated regulation of miRNAs expression, concerning their function in lung cancer beginning, development, and resistance to chemotherapy, also the probability to utilize miRNAs as predictive biomarkers for therapy reaction.

Extracellular Vesicles and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Activation: Interplay of Drivers in Cancer Progression

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are of great interest to study the cellular mechanisms of cancer development and to diagnose and monitor cancer progression. EVs are a highly heterogeneous population of cell derived particles, which include microvesicles (MVs) and exosomes (EXOs). EVs deliver intercellular messages transferring proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolites with implications for tumour progression, invasiveness, and metastasis. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) is a major driver of cancer. Tumour cells with activated EGFR could produce EVs disseminating EGFR itself or its ligands. This review provides an overview of EVs (mainly EXOs and MVs) and their cargo, with a subsequent focus on their production and effects related to EGFR activation. In particular, in vitro studies performed in EGFR-dependent solid tumours and/or cell cultures will be explored, thus shedding light on the interplay between EGFR and EVs production in promoting cancer progression, metastases, and resistance to therapies. Finally, an overview of liquid biopsy approaches involving EGFR and EVs in the blood/plasma of EGFR-dependent tumour patients will also be discussed to evaluate their possible application as candidate biomarkers.

Analyses of single extracellular vesicles from non-small lung cancer cells to reveal effects of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor treatments

Precision cancer medicine has changed the treatment landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as illustrated by the introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) towards mutated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). However, as responses to EGFR-TKIs are heterogenous among NSCLC patients, there is a need for ways to early monitor changes in treatment response in a non-invasive way e.g., in patient's blood samples. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have been identified as a source of tumor biomarkers which could improve on non-invasive liquid biopsy-based diagnosis of cancer. However, the heterogeneity in EVs is high. Putative biomarker candidates may be hidden in the differential expression of membrane proteins in a subset of EVs hard to identify using bulk techniques. Using a fluorescence-based approach, we demonstrate that a single-EV technique can detect alterations in EV surface protein profiles. We analyzed EVs isolated from an EGFR-mutant NSCLC cell line, which is refractory to EGFR-TKIs erlotinib and responsive to osimertinib, before and after treatment with these drugs and after cisplatin chemotherapy. We studied expression level of five proteins; two tetraspanins (CD9, CD81), and three markers of interest in lung cancer (EGFR, programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)). The data reveal alterations induced by the osimertinib treatment compared to the other two treatments. These include the growth of the PD-L1/HER2-positive EV population, with the largest increase in vesicles exclusively expressing one of the two proteins. The expression level per EV decreased for these markers. On the other hand, both the TKIs had a similar effect on the EGFR-positive EV population.

The role of selected non-coding RNAs in the biology of non-small cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) represents 85% of all cases. Accumulating evidence highlights the outstanding role of non-coding RNA (ncRNA) in regulating the tumorigenesis process by modulating crucial signaling pathways. Micro RNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and circular RNA (circRNA) are either up- or downregulated in lung cancer patients and can promote or suppress the progression of the disease. These molecules interact with messenger RNA (mRNA) and with each other to regulate gene expression and stimulate proto-oncogenes or silence tumor suppressors. NcRNAs provide a new strategy to diagnose or treat lung cancer patients and multiple molecules have already been identified as potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets. The aim of this review is to summarize the current evidence on the roles of miRNA, lncRNA and circRNA in NSCLC biology and present their clinical potential.

Exosomal microRNA Therapy for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

With the progress of molecular diagnosis research on non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, four identified categories of microRNAs have been found to be related to disease diagnosis, diagnosis of treatment resistance, prediction of prognosis, and drugs for treatment. To date, nine target mRNA/signal pathways have been confirmed for microRNA drug therapy both in vitro and in vivo. When microRNA drugs enter blood vessels, they target the tumor site and play a similar role to that of targeted drugs. However, whether they will produce serious off-target effects remains unknown, and further clinical research is needed. This review provides the first summary of microRNA therapy for NSCLC.

Molecular Biomarkers in Cancer

Molecular cancer biomarkers are any measurable molecular indicator of risk of cancer, occurrence of cancer, or patient outcome. They may include germline or somatic genetic variants, epigenetic signatures, transcriptional changes, and proteomic signatures. These indicators are based on biomolecules, such as nucleic acids and proteins, that can be detected in samples obtained from tissues through tumor biopsy or, more easily and non-invasively, from blood (or serum or plasma), saliva, buccal swabs, stool, urine, etc. Detection technologies have advanced tremendously over the last decades, including techniques such as next-generation sequencing, nanotechnology, or methods to study circulating tumor DNA/RNA or exosomes. Clinical applications of biomarkers are extensive. They can be used as tools for cancer risk assessment, screening and early detection of cancer, accurate diagnosis, patient prognosis, prediction of response to therapy, and cancer surveillance and monitoring response. Therefore, they can help to optimize making decisions in clinical practice. Moreover, precision oncology is needed for newly developed targeted therapies, as they are functional only in patients with specific cancer genetic mutations, and biomarkers are the tools used for the identification of these subsets of patients. Improvement in the field of cancer biomarkers is, however, needed to overcome the scientific challenge of developing new biomarkers with greater sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value.