LncRNA DANCR-miR-758-3p-PAX6 Molecular Network Regulates Apoptosis and Autophagy of Breast Cancer Cells

New evidence for a role of DANCR in cancers: a comprehensive review

Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality and poses a substantial threat to public health. Studies have revealed that Long noncoding RNA DANCR is a cytoplasmic lncRNA whose aberrant expression plays a pivotal role in various cancer types. Within tumour biology, DANCR exerts regulatory control over crucial processes such as proliferation, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, inflammatory responses, cellular energy metabolism reprogramming, and apoptosis. By acting as a competitive endogenous RNA for miRNAs and by interacting with proteins and mRNAs at the molecular level, DANCR contributes significantly to cancer progression. Elevated DANCR levels have also been linked to heightened resistance to anticancer drugs. Moreover, the detection of circulating DANCR holds promise as a valuable biomarker for aiding in the clinical differentiation of different cancer types. This article offers a comprehensive review and elucidation of the primary functions and molecular mechanisms through which DANCR influences tumours.

HOXB2 promotes cisplatin resistance by upregulating lncRNA DANCR in ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer (OV) is a highly fatal malignant disease that commonly manifests at an advanced stage. Drug resistance, particularly platinum resistance, is a leading cause of treatment failure because first-line systemic chemotherapy primarily relies on platinum-based regimens. By analyzing the gene expression levels in the Cancer Genome Atlas database, Genotype-Tissue Expression database, and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, we discerned that HOXB2 was highly expressed in OV and was associated with poor prognosis and cisplatin resistance. Immunohistochemistry and loss-of-function experiments on HOXB2 were conducted to explore its role in OV. We observed that suppressing HOXB2 could impair the growth and cisplatin resistance of OV in vivo and in vitro. Mechanical investigation and experimental validation based on RNA-Seq revealed that HOXB2 regulated ATP-binding cassette transporter members and the ERK signaling pathway. We further demonstrated that HOXB2 modulated the expression of long non-coding RNA DANCR, a differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA, and thus influenced its downstream effectors ABCA1, ABCG1, and ERK signaling to boost drug resistance and cancer proliferation. These results verified that high expression of HOXB2 correlated with platinum resistance and poor prognosis of OV. Therefore, targeting HOXB2 may be a promising strategy for OV therapy.

Regulatory and therapeutic implications of competing endogenous RNA network in breast cancer progression and metastasis: A review

Breast cancer (BC) is a global health concern, and development of diagnostic tools and targeted treatments for BC remains challenging. Therapeutic approaches for BC often involve a combination of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and hormone therapy. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the role of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including long ncRNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs), in BC and their therapeutic implications. Various biological processes such as cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis rely on the activities of these ncRNAs, and their dysregulation has been implicated in BC progression. The regulatory function of the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, which comprises lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, has been the subject of extensive pathophysiological research. Most lncRNAs serve as molecular sponges for miRNAs and sequester their activities, thereby regulating the expression of target mRNAs and contributing to the promotion or inhibition of BC progression. This review summarizes recent findings on the role of ceRNA networks in BC progression, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance, and highlights the association of ceRNA networks with transcription factors and signaling pathways. Understanding the ceRNA network can lead to the discovery of biomarkers and targeted treatment methods to prevent the spread and metastasis of BC.

The interaction between lncRNAs and transcription factors regulating autophagy in human cancers: A comprehensive and therapeutical survey

Autophagy, as a highly conserved cellular process, participates in cellular homeostasis by degradation and recycling of damaged organelles and proteins. Besides, autophagy has been evidenced to play a dual role through cancer initiation and progression. In the early stage, it may have a tumor-suppressive function through inducing apoptosis and removing damaged cells and organelles. However, late stages promote tumor progression by maintaining stemness features and induction of chemoresistance. Therefore, identifying and targeting molecular mechanisms involved in autophagy is a potential therapeutic strategy for human cancers. Multiple transcription factors (TFs) are involved in the regulation of autophagy by modulating the expression of autophagy-related genes (ATGs). In addition, a wide array of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a group of regulatory ncRNAs, have been evidenced to regulate the function of these autophagy-related TFs through tumorigenesis. Subsequently, the lncRNAs/TFs/ATGs axis shows great potential as a therapeutic target for human cancers. Therefore, this review aimed to summarize new findings about the role of lncRNAs in regulating autophagy-related TFs with therapeutic perspectives.

Autophagy-related lncRNAs in tumor progression and drug resistance: A double-edged sword

The incidence and mortality rates of cancer are increasing every year worldwide but the survival rate of cancer patients is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is necessary to further elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in tumor development and drug resistance to improve cancer cure or survival rates. In recent years, autophagy has become a hot topic in the field of oncology research, which plays a double-edged role in tumorigenesis, progression, and drug resistance. Meanwhile, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) has also been shown to regulate autophagy, and the two-sided nature of autophagy determines the dual regulatory role of autophagy-related lncRNAs (ARlncRNAs). Therefore, ARlncRNAs can be effective therapeutic targets for various cancers. Furthermore, the high abundance and stability of ARlncRNAs in tumor tissues make them promising biomarkers. In this review, we summarized the roles and mechanisms of ARlncRNAs in tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, drug resistance, angiogenesis, radiation resistance, and immune regulation. In addition, we described the clinical significance of these ARlncRNAs, including as biomarkers/therapeutic targets and their association with clinical drugs.

Inhibition of lncRNA DANCR Prevents Heart Failure by Ameliorating Cardiac Hypertrophy and Fibrosis Via Regulation of the miR-758-3p/PRG4/Smad Axis

The current work was developed to explore the functions and possible mechanism of PRG4 in cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Ang II-stimulated H9c2 cells and AC16 cells were used as in vitro cell models. The binding relation between genes in cells was explored using luciferase reporter assays and RNA immunoprecipitation assay. The cardiac functions of rats received transverse-ascending aortic constriction (TAC) surgery and adeno-associated virus (AAV) injection were examined with echocardiography. The myocardial histological changes were observed using H&E, wheat germ agglutinin, and sirius red staining. It was discovered that PRG4 silencing attenuated cell hypertrophy and fibrosis and inactivated the Smad pathway under Ang II treatment. PRG4 was targeted by miR-758-3p, and miR-758-3p interacted with long noncoding RNA DANCR. DANCR silencing inhibited cardiac dysfunction, fibrosis, and TGFβ1/Smad pathway. In addition, DANCR was highly expressed in myocardial extracellular vesicles. Overall, DANCR depletion prevents heart failure by inhibiting cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis via the miR-758-3p/PRG4/Smad pathway.

Translation of paired box 6 (PAX6) mRNA is IRES-mediated and inhibited by cymarin in breast cancer cells

Paired box 6 (PAX6) is a member of the PAX family and plays an essential role in cancer cell cycle progression, colony formation, proliferation and invasion. Its expression is upregulated in many cancers including breast cancer, but the process of PAX6 mRNA translation has rarely been studied. We found that PAX6 translation level increased in MCF-7 breast cancer cells treated with the chemotherapeutic drug adriamycin (ADM), which might be attributable to internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-mediated translation. By modifying a bicistronic luciferase plasmid that is widely used to examine IRES activity, we found that the 469-base 5'-UTR of PAX6 mRNA contains an IRES element and that core IRES activity is located between nucleotides 159 and 333. Moreover, PAX6 IRES activity was induced during ADM treatment, which may be the main reason for the elevated level of PAX6 protein. We also found that cymarin, a cardiac glycoside, acts as an inhibitor of PAX6 protein expression by impairing its IRES-mediated translation. Furthermore, MCF-7 cell proliferation was suppressed during treatment with cymarin. These results provide novel insights into the translation mechanism of PAX6 in breast cancer cells and suggest that cymarin is a promising candidate for the treatment of breast cancer via targeting the expression of PAX6.

LncRNA DANCR restrained the survival of mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra by sponging miR-1301-3p/miR-5194

Tuberculosis is a worldwide contagion caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). MTB is characterized by intracellular parasitism and is semi-dormant inside host cells. The persistent inflammation caused by MTB can form a granuloma in lesion regions and intensify the latency of bacteria. In recent years, several studies have proven that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play critical roles in modulating autophagy. In our study, the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases were searched for lncRNAs that are associated with tuberculosis. We found that lncRNA differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA (DANCR) increased in the peripheral blood samples collected from 54 pulmonary tuberculosis patients compared to 23 healthy donors. By constructing DANCR overexpression cells, we analyzed the possible cellular function of DANCR. After analyzing our experiments, it was found that the data revealed that upregulation of DANCR facilitated the expression of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, autophagy-related 4D cysteine peptides, autophagy-related 5, Ras homolog enriched in the brain, and microtubule-associated protein 1A/1B light chain 3 (STAT3, ATG4D, ATG5, RHEB, and LC3, respectively) by sponging miR-1301-3p and miR-5194. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that DANCR played a positive role in both autophagosome formation and fusion of autolysosomes in macrophages. The colony-forming unit (CFU) assay data also showed that the cells overexpressing DANCR were more efficient in eliminating the intracellular H37Ra strain. Consequently, these data suggest that DANCR restrained intracellular survival of M. tuberculosis by promoting autophagy via miR-1301-3p and miR-5194.

Towards dual function of autophagy in breast cancer: A potent regulator of tumor progression and therapy response

As a devastating disease, breast cancer has been responsible for decrease in life expectancy of females and its morbidity and mortality are high. Breast cancer is the most common tumor in females and its treatment has been based on employment of surgical resection, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The changes in biological behavior of breast tumor relies on genomic and epigenetic mutations and depletions as well as dysregulation of molecular mechanisms that autophagy is among them. Autophagy function can be oncogenic in increasing tumorigenesis, and when it has pro-death function, it causes reduction in viability of tumor cells. The carcinogenic function of autophagy in breast tumor is an impediment towards effective therapy of patients, as it can cause drug resistance and radio-resistance. The important hallmarks of breast tumor such as glucose metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis can be regulated by autophagy. Oncogenic autophagy can inhibit apoptosis, while it promotes stemness of breast tumor. Moreover, autophagy demonstrates interaction with tumor microenvironment components such as macrophages and its level can be regulated by anti-tumor compounds in breast tumor therapy. The reasons of considering autophagy in breast cancer therapy is its pleiotropic function, dual role (pro-survival and pro-death) and crosstalk with important molecular mechanisms such as apoptosis. Moreover, current review provides a pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of autophagy in breast tumor.

Targeting Autophagy Using Long Non-Coding RNAs (LncRNAs): New Landscapes in the Arena of Cancer Therapeutics

Cancer has become a global health hazard accounting for 10 million deaths in the year 2020. Although different treatment approaches have increased patient overall survival, treatment for advanced stages still suffers from poor clinical outcomes. The ever-increasing prevalence of cancer has led to a reanalysis of cellular and molecular events in the hope to identify and develop a cure for this multigenic disease. Autophagy, an evolutionary conserved catabolic process, eliminates protein aggregates and damaged organelles to maintain cellular homeostasis. Accumulating evidence has implicated the deregulation of autophagic pathways to be associated with various hallmarks of cancer. Autophagy exhibits both tumor-promoting and suppressive effects based on the tumor stage and grades. Majorly, it maintains the cancer microenvironment homeostasis by promoting viability and nutrient recycling under hypoxic and nutrient-deprived conditions. Recent investigations have discovered long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as master regulators of autophagic gene expression. lncRNAs, by sequestering autophagy-related microRNAs, have been known to modulate various hallmarks of cancer, such as survival, proliferation, EMT, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. This review delineates the mechanistic role of various lncRNAs involved in modulating autophagy and their related proteins in different cancers.

Autophagy as a self-digestion signal in human cancers: Regulation by microRNAs in affecting carcinogenesis and therapy response

Autophagy is defined as a "self-digestion" signal, and it is a cell death mechanism its primary function is degrading toxic agents and aged organelles to ensure homeostasis in cells. The basic leve ls of autophagy are found in cells, and when its levels exceed to standard threshold, cell death induction is observed. Autophagy dysregulation in cancer has been well-documented, and regulation of this pathway by epigenetic factors, especially microRNAs (miRNAs), is interesting and noteworthy. miRNAs are considered short endogenous RNAs that do not encode functional proteins, and they are essential regulators of cell death pathways such as apoptosis, necroptosis, and autophagy. Accumulating data has revealed miRNA dysregulation (upregulation or downregulation) during tumor progression, and their therapeutic manipulation provides new insight into cancer therapy. miRNA/autophagy axis in human cancers has been investigated an exciting point is the dual function of both autophagy and miRNAs as oncogenic and onco-suppressor factors. The stimulation of pro-survival autophagy by miRNAs can increase the survival rate of tumor cells and mediates cancer metastasis via EMT inductionFurthermore, pro-death autophagy induction by miRNAs has a negative impact on the viability of tumor cells and decreases their survival rate. The miRNA/autophagy axis functions beyond regulating the growth and invasion of tumor cells, and they can also affect drug resistance and radio-resistance. These subjects are covered in the current review regarding the new updates provided by recent experiments.

The role of the miR-4306/PAK6 axis in degenerative nucleus pulposus cells in human intervertebral disc degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), characterized by degenerative changes that occur in intervertebral discs due to aging or structural injury, is thought to be the most common cause of lower back pain. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) have a critical role in the etiopathogenesis of IDD. In the current study, we aimed to determine the role of miRNAs in mediating the underlying mechanisms associated with IDD. First, differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) were identified using the GEO database, and subsequently confirmed by RT-qPCR and in situ hybridization. We found that miR-4306 expression was significantly decreased in human nucleus pulposus (NP) tissues compared with healthy controls, and was negatively correlated with the patients' Pfirrmann grade. To determine the mechanism by which miR-4306 was involved in IDD pathogenesis, we examined the effects of overexpressing or silencing miR-4306 on extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis/degradation, proliferation, autophagy and apoptosis of human degenerated NP cells isolated from IDD patients. Next, we used dual-luciferase reporter assays to demonstrate that miR-4306 interacted with the 3'-untranslated regions of p21-activated kinase 6 (PAK6) mRNA, resulting in significant suppression of PAK6 expression. This effect was abolished by miR-4306 binding site mutations. Using miR-4306/PAK6 gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies in human degenerated NP cells, we demonstrated that miR-4306 promoted NP cell proliferation, ECM synthesis and autophagy, while inhibiting apoptosis and ECM degradation via PAK6. Thus, our findings indicate that miR-4306, acting via PAK6, has an important role in IDD and can be used as a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of patients with IDD.

The Connection between High Myopia Patients and MiR-708a or MiR-148 Expression Levels in Aqueous Studies of Visual Acuity

Myopia goes far beyond the inconvenience it brings. It is a prevailing and vision-threatening eye disease, especially in Asia. Aberrantly expressed miR-708a and miR-148 are critical for accurate diagnosis, good prognosis, and precise response prediction of myopia. In this paper, we aim to examine the potential contributions of miR-708a, miR-148a, and PAX6 to high myopia (HM). First, aqueous samples were taken from 25 exclusively HM eyes and 25 exclusively cataract eyes. For next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, RNA from sample 30one was used. Twenty more samples were used for RT-qPCR. 341 miRNAs in total were found in HM eyes; 249 mature miRNAs and 17 new miRNAs showed differential expression. The expression of hsa-miR-127-3p, hsa-let-7i-5p, and hsa-miR-98-5p was identified using RT-qPCR. MiR-708a and miR-148, which may be linked to the development of myopia and serve as possible biomarkers, are notably highly expressed in atrial tissues of HM patients. Our findings may help deepen the understanding of the mechanisms behind the high expression of miR-708a and miR-148 in atrial tissues of patients with HM.

LncRNA-miRNA axis in tumor progression and therapy response: An emphasis on molecular interactions and therapeutic interventions

Epigenetic factors are critical regulators of biological and pathological mechanisms and they could interact with different molecular pathways. Targeting epigenetic factors has been an idea approach in disease therapy, especially cancer. Accumulating evidence has highlighted function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as epigenetic factors in cancer initiation and development and has focused on their association with downstream targets. microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most well-known targets of lncRNAs and present review focuses on lncRNA-miRNA axis in malignancy and therapy resistance of tumors. LncRNA-miRNA regulates cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy in cancers. This axis affects tumor metastasis via regulating EMT and MMPs. Besides, lncRNA-miRNA axis determines sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Based on the studies, lncRNAs can be affected by drugs and genetic tools in cancer therapy and this may affect expression level of miRNAs as their downstream targets, leading to cancer suppression/progression. LncRNAs have both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressor functions in cancer and this unique function of lncRNAs has complicated their implication in tumor therapy. LncRNA-miRNA axis can also affect other signaling networks in cancer such as PI3K/Akt, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and EZH2 among others. Notably, lncRNA/miRNA axis can be considered as a signature for diagnosis and prognosis in cancers.

Non-coding RNAs associated with autophagy and their regulatory role in cancer therapeutics

Cancer widely affects the world's health population and ranks second leading cause of death globally. Because of poor prognosis of various types of cancer such as sarcoma, lymphoma, adenomas etc., their high recurrence and metastasis rate and low early diagnosis rate have become concern lately. Role of autophagy in cancer progression is being studied since long. Autophagy is cell's self-degradative mechanism towards stress and has role in degradation of the cytoplasmic macromolecules which has potential to damage other cytosolic molecules. Autophagy can promote as well as inhibit tumorigenesis depending upon the associated protein combinations in cancer cells. Recent studies have shown that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) do not code for protein but play essential role in modulation of gene expression. At transcriptional level, different ncRNAs like lncRNAs, miRNAs and circRNAs directly or indirectly affect different stages of autophagy like autophagy-dependent and non-apoptotic cell death in cancer cells. This review focuses on the involvement of ncRNAs in autophagy and the modulation of several cancer signal transduction pathways in cancers such as lung, breast, prostate, pancreatic, thyroid, and kidney cancer.

LncRNA ENST869 Targeting Nestin Transcriptional Region to Affect the Pharmacological Effects of Chidamide in Breast Cancer Cells

Breast cancer is one of the leading threats to the health of women. It has the highest incidence and mortality in women worldwide. Although progress has been made in the development and application of anti-breast cancer drugs such as Chidamide and others, the occurrence of drug resistance limits the effective application of chemotherapies. The purpose of this study is to explore the role of LncRNA in the pharmacological effect of Chidamide in breast cancer therapy. The human breast cancer MCF-7 or MDA-MB-231 cells were used as the research cell models. The RNA library screening and high-throughput sequencing comparative analysis was conducted. The binding of LncRNA and its downstream target genes in RNA and protein levels was tested. The results showed that the expression of LncRNA ENST869 in cells treated with Chidamide increased significantly, as demonstrated by real-time PCR and cell viability assay. RNAplex analysis showed that LncRNA ENST869 and Nestin mRNA may interact. RNA interference and Western blot analysis indicated that LncRNA ENST869 could target and regulate the expression of Nestin. Luciferase assay and RNA-protein pulldown showed that LncRNA ENST869 affected Nestin transcription. There might be a highly active binding region of LncRNA ENST869 in regulating Nestin transcriptional activity within the site of 250 bp upstream of the transcription starting point of Nestin. In addition, LncRNA ENST869 did not directly interact with Nestin protein to affect its activity. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that LncRNA ENST869 could affect the function of Nestin in breast cancer cells treated with Chidamide. Nestin is a key player in influencing the pharmacological activity of Chidamide and an essential factor in drug resistance of breast cancer cells.

Circ_0008500 Knockdown Improves Radiosensitivity and Inhibits Tumorigenesis in Breast Cancer Through the miR-758-3p/PFN2 Axis

Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) were revealed to be implicated in the development of breast cancer. In this research, we aimed to investigate the role and underlying mechanism of circ_0008500 in the development and radiosensitivity of breast cancer. Using real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blot, we found that hsa_circ_0008500 (circ_0008500) and profilin 2 (PFN2) were increased, while microRNA-758-3p (miR-758-3p) was decreased in breast cancer tissues and cells. Cell viability, the number of colonies, proliferation and apoptosis were detected using CCK-8, colony formation, EdU assays and flow cytometry, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays were devoted to test the interaction between miR-758-3p and circ_0008500 or PFN2. The results showed that circ_0008500 knockdown inhibited cell growth, and facilitated cell apoptosis and radiosensitivity in breast cancer cells in vitro. Moreover, circ_0008500 regulated PFN2 expression by sponging miR-758-3p. Functionally, circ_0008500 knockdown regulated cell behaviors and radiosensitivity by targeting miR-758-3p to downregulate PFN2 expression in vitro. Additionally, in vivo tumor formation assay and immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay demonstrated that circ_0008500 knockdown enhanced the radiosensitivity and repressed tumor growth in vivo. In conclusion, circ_0008500 inhibition promoted the radiosensitivity and restrained the development of breast cancer by downregulating PFN2 expression via targeting miR-758-3p.

lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 promotes retinoblastoma progression by targeting microRNA miR-511-3p/paired box protein 6 (PAX6) axis

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been shown to play crucial roles in retinoblastoma progression. In this study, we aimed to investigate the mechanism of lncRNA ZFPM2-AS1 (ZFPM2-AS1) in retinoblastoma progression. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting assays were performed to determine the expression of lncRNA, microRNA (miRNA), mRNA, and protein. The changes in cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell migration were assessed by functional experiments. The interaction between ZFPM2-AS1, miR-511-3p, and paired box protein 6 (PAX6) was confirmed by a luciferase assay. Our study found that ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 were upregulated, whereas miR-511-3p was downregulated in retinoblastoma. ZFPM2-AS1 inhibition decreased the viability and migration of retinoblastoma cells. We also found that ZFPM2-AS1 targets miR-511-3p to upregulate PAX6 in Y79 and SO-RB50 cells. Moreover, we demonstrated that inhibiting miR-511-3p reversed the negative effects of silencing ZFPM2-AS1 and PAX6 on retinoblastoma cell viability and migration. In conclusion, retinoblastoma development is regulated by the ZFPM2-AS1/511-3p/PAX6 axis.

Crucial Roles of LncRNAs-Mediated Autophagy in Breast Cancer

Breast cancer remains a worldwide public health issue. LncRNA and autophagy respectively or simultaneously, get involved in cellular and molecular processes of many different cancers, including genesis, metastasis, and deterioration of breast cancer and other malignant tumors. In this review, relevant studies have been summarized, and we have found that lncRNA-mediated autophagy in luminal A breast cancer, luminal B breast cancer, HER-2 positive breast cancer, and basal-like breast cancer may play an important role in mediating drug resistance sensitivity. LncRNAs target genes and affect different signaling pathways to a complex network, which attenuates the occurrence and development of primary breast cancer by coordinating autophagy. Abnormal expression of LncRNA may lead to dysregulation of autophagy, resulting in tumor genesis, expansion, and resistance to anti-tumor therapy. Targeting specific lncRNAs for autophagy regulation may conduct as a bio-marker for reliable diagnosis and prognosis treatment of breast cancer or provide a promising therapeutic strategy.

The ncRNA-Mediated Overexpression of Ferroptosis-Related Gene EMC2 Correlates With Poor Prognosis and Tumor Immune Infiltration in Breast Cancer

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death process. Although ferroptosis inducers hold promising potential in the treatment of breast cancer, the specific role and mechanism of the ferroptosis-related gene EMC2 in breast cancer have not been entirely determined. The potential roles of EMC2 in different tumors were explored based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 (GEPIA2), Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER), Shiny Methylation Analysis Resource Tool (SMART), starBase, and cBioPortal for cancer genomics (cBioPortal) datasets. The expression difference, mutation, survival, pathological stage, DNA methylation, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), and immune cell infiltration related to EMC2 were analyzed. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to identify the differences in biological processes and functions among different related genes. The expression levels of core prognostic genes were then verified in breast invasive carcinoma samples using immunohistochemistry and breast invasive carcinoma cell lines using real-time polymerase chain reaction. High expression levels of EMC2 were observed in most cancer types. EMC2 expression in breast cancer tissue samples correlated with poor overall survival. EMC2 was mutated and methylated in a variety of tumors and affected survival. The LINC00665-miR-410-3p axis was identified as the most potential upstream ncRNA-related pathway of EMC2 in breast cancer. EMC2 levels were significantly positively correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoint expression. Our study offers a comprehensive understanding of the oncogenic roles of EMC2 across different tumors. The upregulation of EMC2 expression mediated by ncRNAs is related to poor prognosis and tumor immune infiltration in breast cancer.

Long Non-coding RNA DANCR in Cancer: Roles, Mechanisms, and Implications

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) DANCR (also known as ANCR)—differentiation antagonizing non-protein coding RNA, was first reported in 2012 to suppress differentiation of epithelial cells. Emerging evidence demonstrates that DANCR is a cancer-associated lncRNA abnormally expressed in many cancers (e.g., lung cancer, gastric cancer, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma). Increasing studies suggest that the dysregulation of DANCR plays critical roles in cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and chemoresistance in vitro and tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistic analyses show that DANCR can serve as miRNA sponges, stabilize mRNAs, and interact with proteins. Recent research reveals that DANCR can be detected in many body fluids such as serum, plasma, and exosomes, providing a quick and convenient method for cancer monitor. Thus DANCR can be used as a promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for various types of cancer. This review focuses on the role and mechanism of DANCR in cancer progression with an emphasis on the clinical significance of DANCR in human cancers.

Long Non-coding RNAs: Potential Players in Cardiotoxicity Induced by Chemotherapy Drugs

One of the most important side effects of chemotherapy is cardiovascular complications, such as cardiotoxicity. Many factors are involved in the pathogenesis of cardiotoxicity; one of the most important of which is long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). lncRNA has 200-1000 nucleotides. It is involved in important processes such as cell proliferation, regeneration and apoptosis; today it is used as a prognostic and diagnostic factor. A, various drugs by acting on lncRNAs can affect cells. Therefore, by accurately identifying IncRNAs function, we can play an effective role in preventing the development of cardiotoxicity-induced chemotherapy drugs, and use them as a therapeutic strategy to improve clinical symptoms and increase patient survival.

Breast Cancer and the Other Non-Coding RNAs

Breast cancer is very heterogenous and the most common gynaecological cancer, with various factors affecting its development. While its impact on human lives and national health budgets is still rising in almost all global areas, many molecular mechanisms affecting its onset and development remain unclear. Conventional treatments still prove inadequate in some aspects, and appropriate molecular therapeutic targets are required for improved outcomes. Recent scientific interest has therefore focused on the non-coding RNAs roles in tumour development and their potential as therapeutic targets. These RNAs comprise the majority of the human transcript and their broad action mechanisms range from gene silencing to chromatin remodelling. Many non-coding RNAs also have altered expression in breast cancer cell lines and tissues, and this is often connected with increased proliferation, a degraded extracellular environment, and higher endothelial to mesenchymal transition. Herein, we summarise the known abnormalities in the function and expression of long non-coding RNAs, Piwi interacting RNAs, small nucleolar RNAs and small nuclear RNAs in breast cancer, and how these abnormalities affect the development of this deadly disease. Finally, the use of RNA interference to suppress breast cancer growth is summarised.

Recent advances in the regulation of ABCA1 and ABCG1 by lncRNAs

Coronary heart disease (CHD) with atherosclerosis is the leading cause of death worldwide. ABCA1 and ABCG1 promote cholesterol efflux to suppress foam cell generation and reduce atherosclerosis development. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as a unique group of RNA transcripts that longer than 200 nucleotides and have no protein-coding potential. Many studies have found that lncRNAs regulate cholesterol efflux to influence atherosclerosis development. ABCA1 is regulated by different lncRNAs, including MeXis, GAS5, TUG1, MEG3, MALAT1, Lnc-HC, RP5-833A20.1, LOXL1-AS1, CHROME, DAPK1-IT1, SIRT1 AS lncRNA, DYNLRB2-2, DANCR, LeXis, LOC286367, and LncOR13C9. ABCG1 is also regulated by different lncRNAs, including TUG1, GAS5, RP5-833A20.1, DYNLRB2-2, ENST00000602558.1, and AC096664.3. Thus, various lncRNAs are associated with the roles of ABCA1 and ABCG1 on cholesterol efflux in atherosclerosis regulation. However, some lncRNAs play dual roles in ABCA1 expression and atherosclerosis, and the functions of some lncRNAs in atherosclerosis have not been investigated in vivo. In this article, we review the roles of lncRNAs in atherosclerosis and focus on new insights into lncRNAs associated with the roles of ABCA1 and ABCG1 on cholesterol efflux and the potential of these lncRNAs as novel therapeutic targets in atherosclerosis.

Hsa_circ_0002483 regulates miR-758-3p/MYC axis to promote acute myeloid leukemia progression

Circular RNAs are relevant to progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Nevertheless, how and whether hsa_circ_0002483 (circ_0002483) participates in AML progression are largely uncertain. The bone marrow samples were harvested from 31 AML patients or 31 normal subjects. Circ_0002483, microRNA (miR)-758-3p and myelocytomatosis oncogene (MYC) abundances were examined via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Cell proliferation, cycle process and apoptosis were analyzed via Cell Counting Kit-8, flow cytometry, caspase 3 activity and related protein levels. Target relationship was investigated by dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation. Circ_0002483 expression was elevated in AML patients and cells. Circ_0002483 silence constrained AML cell proliferation and facilitated cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. miR-758-3p was reduced in AML and decreased via circ_0002483. miR-758-3p down-regulation mitigated the inhibitive influence of circ_0002483 interference on AML progression. MYC was decreased by miR-758-3p, and circ_0002483 could regulate MYC expression by miR-758-3p. miR-758-3p overexpression restrained cell proliferation and promoted cycle arrest and apoptosis via decreasing MYC. Circ_0002483 knockdown repressed AML cell proliferation and promoted cycle arrest and apoptosis via controlling miR-758-3p/MYC axis.

H19 Knockdown Suppresses Proliferation and Induces Apoptosis by Regulating miR-130a-3p/SATB1 in Breast Cancer Cells

Purpose

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that lncRNAs play an important role in BC. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), H19/miRNA-130a-3P/special AT-rich sequence-binding protein-1 (SATB1) axis on BC progression.

Materials and Methods

Expression of lncRNA and RNA was quantified via RT-qPCR. CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing, transwell, and flow cytometric analyses were used to analyze the proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis of cells. A dual-luciferase reporter assay and a RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay were used to assess molecular binding. Protein levels were measured by Western blotting. The function of the lncRNA H19 (hereafter referred to as H19) was examined by xenotransplantation.

Results

We demonstrated that H19 expression was higher in cancer tissues and cancer cell lines than in adjacent non-tumor tissues and normal cell lines, respectively. H19 silencing inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of BC cells, and induced apoptosis. In addition, H19 directly bound to miR-130a-3p and downregulated its expression. We further demonstrated that H19 sponged miRNA-130a-3p, which resulted in SATB1 upregulation, thus promoting BC progression. Silencing of H19 substantially suppressed BC tumorigenesis in vivo.

Conclusion

Our data uncovered a novel mechanism of BC progression based on the H19-miR-130a-3p-SATB1 axis.

Hsa_circ_0006916 Knockdown Represses the Development of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Modulating miR-599/SRSF2 Axis

Background

The aberrantly expressed circular RNAs (circRNAs) are implicated in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CircRNA hsa_circ_0006916 (circ_0006916) is dysregulated in HCC, but the function and mechanism of this circRNA in HCC development remain uncertain.

Methods

Thirty paired HCC and normal tissues were collected. circ_0006916, microRNA (miR)-599 and serine/arginine rich splicing factor 2 (SRSF2) abundances were examined via quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction or Western blot. Cell viability, colony ability, migration, invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis were tested via cell counting kit-8, colony formation, wound healing analysis, transwell analysis, and flow cytometry. The interaction between miR-599 and circ_0006916 or SRSF2 was analyzed via dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation analyses. The function of circ_0006916 on cell growth in vivo was analyzed via xenograft model.

Results

circ_0006916 expression was increased in HCC tissues and cell lines. circ_0006916 knockdown reduced cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion and caused cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. miR-599 was targeted via circ_0006916, and miR-599 knockdown reversed the influence of circ_0006916 silence on HCC progression. SRSF2 was targeted via miR-599, and miR-599 overexpression suppressed cell viability, colony formation, migration and invasion and promoted cell cycle arrest and apoptosis via decreasing SRSF2. circ_0006916 could regulate SRSF2 expression via miR-599. circ_0006916 knockdown decreased HCC cell growth in the xenograft model.

Conclusion

circ_0006916 knockdown represses the progression of HCC via regulating miR-599 and SRSF2.