miR-19a Is Involved In Progression And Malignancy Of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Cells

The clinical prognostic significance of miR-140-5p expression in patients with cancer: A Meta and Bioinformatic analysis

The prognostic value of microRNA-140-5p (miR-140-5p) expression in cancer patients has been investigated, but with inconsistent results. This meta-analysis aims to determine the prognostic significance of miR-140-5p expression in patients with various malignancies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, Cochrane, and Google Scholar to identify relevant studies published before June 2023. Pooled hazard ratios (HR) and odds ratios (OR) with 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to assess the prognostic importance and clinicopathological features of miR-140-5p in overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of cancer patients, respectively. The CancerMIRNome database and other OS analysis webservers were utilized to explore the prognostic value and expression profile of miR-140-5p. A total of 17 studies were included in the final analysis. The results demonstrated that decreased miR-140-5p expression was significantly associated with inferior OS (pooled HR 0.63; 95 % CI, 0.51-0.79; p < 0.001) and DFS (pooled HR 0.40; 95 % CI, 0.25-0.64; p < 0.001). Pooled ORs indicated a significant correlation between reduced miR-140-5p expression and positive lymph node metastasis (LNM; OR = 3.42; 95 % CI, 2.36-4.94; p < 0.001), advanced tumor stage (OR = 2.80; 95 % CI, 2.07-3.78; p < 0.001), and positive distant metastasis (DM; OR = 10.81; 95 % CI, 3.31-35.30; p < 0.001). No significant associations were observed between miR-140-5p expression and gender (OR = 0.94; 95 % CI, 0.70-1.28; p = 0.70), age (OR = 1.31; 95 % CI, 0.99-1.74; p = 0.06), tumor size (OR = 1.55; 95 % CI, 0.77-3.10; p = 0.22), and histological grade (OR = 1.20; 95 % CI, 0.46-3.10; p = 0.71). Subgroup analyses revealed that decreased miR-140-5p expression was associated with shorter OS in subgroups based on sample size (<100 or >100), tumor origin (GI or non-GI), and cancer type (GC/CRC). Bioinformatic analysis supported the finding that miR-140-5p was downregulated in most tumor tissues, and its reduced expression was linked to poor prognosis in patients with multiple malignancies. The prognostic significance of miR-140-5p in predicting reduced OS and DFS suggests that measuring miR-140-5p expression levels before treatment could serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying cancer patients with an unfavorable prognosis and improving clinical management.

Decoding the interaction between miR-19a and CBX7 focusing on the implications for tumor suppression in cancer therapy

Cancer is a complex and multifaceted disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth, genetic alterations, and disruption of normal cellular processes, leading to the formation of malignant tumors with potentially devastating consequences for patients. Molecular research is important in the diagnosis and treatment, one of the molecular mechanisms involved in various cancers is the fluctuation of gene expression. Non-coding RNAs, especially microRNAs, are involved in different stages of cancer. MicroRNAs are small RNA molecules that are naturally produced within cells and bind to the 3'-UTR of target mRNA, repressing gene expression by regulating translation. Overexpression of miR-19a has been reported in human malignancies. Upregulation of miR-19a as a member of the miR-17-92 cluster is key to tumor formation, cell proliferation, survival, invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance. Furthermore. bioinformatics and in vitro data reveal that the miR-19a-3p isoform binds to the 3'UTR of CBX7 and was identified as the miR-19a-3p target gene. CBX7 is known as a tumor suppressor. This review initially describes the regulation of mir-19a in multiple cancers. Accordingly, the roles of miR-19 in affecting its target gene expression CBX7 in carcinoma also be discussed.

Biological Response Evaluation of Human Fetal Osteoblast Cells and Bacterial Cells on Fractal Silver Dendrites for Bone Tissue Engineering

Prosthetic joint replacement is the most widely used surgical approach to repair large bone defects, although it is often associated with prosthetic joint infection (PJI), caused by biofilm formation. To solve the PJI problem, various approaches have been proposed, including the coating of implantable devices with nanomaterials that exhibit antibacterial activity. Among these, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are the most used for biomedical applications, even though their use has been limited by their cytotoxicity. Therefore, several studies have been performed to evaluate the most appropriate AgNPs concentration, size, and shape to avoid cytotoxic effects. Great attention has been focused on Ag nanodendrites, due to their interesting chemical, optical, and biological properties. In this study, we evaluated the biological response of human fetal osteoblastic cells (hFOB) and P. aeruginosa and S. aureus bacteria on fractal silver dendrite substrates produced by silicon-based technology (Si_Ag). In vitro results indicated that hFOB cells cultured for 72 h on the Si_Ag surface display a good cytocompatibility. Investigations using both Gram-positive (S. aureus) and Gram-negative (P. aeruginosa) bacterial strains incubated on Si_Ag for 24 h show a significant decrease in pathogen viability, more evident for P. aeruginosa than for S. aureus. These findings taken together suggest that fractal silver dendrite could represent an eligible nanomaterial for the coating of implantable medical devices.

microRNA as a therapeutic for ischemic stroke

microRNA (miRNA) are important regulators of gene expression. miRNA have the potential as a treatment to modulate genes, pathways and cells involved in ischemic stroke. In this review, we specifically present miRNA in stroke as a treatment to decrease thrombosis, reduce blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption and hemorrhagic transformation (HT), modulate inflammation, and modify angiogenesis. miRNA as a treatment for stroke is an emerging area with evidence from animal studies demonstrating its potential. While no miRNA is currently approved for human use, several have shown promise in clinical trials to treat medical conditions, such as miR-122 for hepatitis C. The role of miRNA as a treatment for specific applications in ischemic stroke is presented including a discussion of the benefits and barriers of miRNA as a treatment, and directions for future advancement.

Using CRISPR/Cas9 to Edit a Thyroid Cancer Cell Line

Thyroid cancer is the most prevalent endocrine malignancy, comprising multiple types of cancer, with distinct clinical-pathological characteristics. The oncogenesis of thyroid cancer is related to genetic alterations in MAPK signaling that induce proliferation and modulate noncoding genes, such as microRNAs and long noncoding RNAs. In this context, CRISPR/Cas9 emerges as a potential tool to modify gene sequence and modulate gene expression in thyroid cancer cell lines. In this chapter, we explore some of the current studies in which researchers have applied CRISPR/Cas9 in vitro to investigate thyroid cancer biology (Fig. 5.1).

The Interaction Between Non-Coding RNAs and Calcium Binding Proteins

Calcium binding proteins (CBP) are a group of proteins mediating the effects of calcium on cellular functions. These proteins can regulate calcium levels inside the cells and contribute in several cellular functions through transporting this ion across cell membranes or decoding related signals. Recent studies have shown that several non-coding RNAs interact with CBPs to affect their expression or activity. The interactions between these transcripts and CBPs have implications in the pathoetiology of human disorders, including both neoplastic and non-neoplastic conditions. In the current review, we describe the interactions between three classes of non-coding RNAs (long non-coding RNAs, circular RNAs, and microRNAs) and a number of CBPs, particularly CAB39, S100A1, S100A4, S100A7 and S100P. This kind of interaction has been verified in different pathological contexts such as drug-induced cardiotoxicity, osteoblasts cytotoxicity, acute lung injury, myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury, proliferative diabetic retinopathy, glomerulonephritis, as well as a wide array of neoplastic conditions.

Hypoxia Enhances Activity and Malignant Behaviors of Colorectal Cancer Cells through the STAT3/MicroRNA-19a/PTEN/PI3K/AKT Axis

Hypoxia is a typical microenvironment feature in almost all solid tumors and is frequently associated with growth of cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). This study focuses on the influence of hypoxic microenvironment on the activity of CRC cells and the molecules involved. CRC cells were cultured under hypoxic conditions for 48 h, after which the proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition activities of cells were increased. MicroRNA- (miR-) 19a was significantly upregulated in cells after hypoxia exposure according to a microarray analysis. STAT3 was confirmed as an upstream regulator of miR-19a which bound to the promoter region of miR-19a at the 96 bp/78 bp sites, and miR-19a bound to the PTEN mRNA to activate the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Hypoxia exposure induced STAT3 phosphorylation and PTEN knockdown in CRC cells. Silencing of STAT3 reduced the hypoxia-induced activity of CRC cells, whereas the malignant behaviors of cells were restored after miR-19a upregulation but blocked after PTEN overexpression. Similar results were reproduced in vivo where downregulation of STAT3 or overexpression of PTEN suppressed tumor growth and metastasis in nude mice. This study demonstrated that hypoxia augments activity and malignant behaviors of colorectal cancer cells through the STAT3/miR-19a/PTEN/PI3K/AKT axis.

Poorly Differentiated and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer: Insights into Genomics, Microenvironment and New Drugs

Simple Summary

In the last decades, many researchers produced promising data concerning genetics and tumor microenvironment of poorly differentiated thyroid cancer (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). They are trying to tear the veil covering these orphan cancers, suggesting new therapeutic weapons as single or combined therapies.

Abstract

PDTC and ATC present median overall survival of 6 years and 6 months, respectively. In spite of their rarity, patients with PDTC and ATC represent a significant clinical problem, because of their poor survival and the substantial inefficacy of classical therapies. We reviewed the newest findings about genetic features of PDTC and ATC, from mutations occurring in DNA to alterations in RNA. Therefore, we describe their tumor microenvironments (both immune and not-immune) and the interactions between tumor and neighboring cells. Finally, we recapitulate how this upcoming evidence are changing the treatment of PDTC and ATC.

Role of miRNA-19a in Cancer Diagnosis and Poor Prognosis

Cancer is a multifactorial disease that affects millions of people every year and is one of the most common causes of death in the world. The high mortality rate is very often linked to late diagnosis; in fact, nowadays there are a lack of efficient and specific markers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. In recent years, the discovery of new diagnostic markers, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has been an important turning point for cancer research. miRNAs are small, endogenous, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. Compelling evidence has showed that many miRNAs are aberrantly expressed in human carcinomas and can act with either tumor-promoting or tumor-suppressing functions. miR-19a is one of the most investigated miRNAs, whose dysregulated expression is involved in different types of tumors and has been potentially associated with the prognosis of cancer patients. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of miR-19a in cancer, highlighting its involvement in cell proliferation, cell growth, cell death, tissue invasion and migration, as well as in angiogenesis. On these bases, miR-19a could prove to be truly useful as a potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic marker.

Epigenetic signature associated with thyroid cancer progression and metastasis

Thyroid cancer is not among the top cancers in terms of diagnosis or mortality but it still ranks fifth among the cancers diagnosed in women. Infact, women are more likely to be diagnosed with thyroid cancer than the males. The burden of thyroid cancer has dramatically increased in last two decades in China and, in the United States, it is the most diagnosed cancer in young adults under the age of twenty-nine. All these factors make it worthwhile to fully understand the pathogenesis of thyroid cancer. Towards this end, microRNAs (miRNAs) have constantly emerged as the non-coding RNAs of interest in various thyroid cancer subtypes on which there have been numerous investigations over the last decade and half. This comprehensive review takes a look at the current knowledge on the topic with cataloging of miRNAs known so far, particularly related to their utility as epigenetic signatures of thyroid cancer progression and metastasis. Such information could be of immense use for the eventual development of miRNAs as therapeutic targets or even therapeutic agents for thyroid cancer therapy.

Beneficial Effect of Tempol, a Membrane-Permeable Radical Scavenger, on Inflammation and Osteoarthritis in In Vitro Models

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common and widespread diseases which is highly disabling for humans. This makes OA a chronic disease for which it is urgent to find new therapeutic strategies. The inflammatory state in OA contributes to its progression through multiple mechanisms involving the recruitment of phagocytes and leukocytes, inflammatory response, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl) is classifiable as a piperidine nitroxide, with excellent antioxidant effects, while its anti-inflammatory role is not yet clear. On this basis, we explored its promising biological properties in two in vitro model:, macrophage (J774) and chondrocyte (CC) cell lines. With this aim in mind, we induced inflammation in J774 and CC using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Interleukin1β (IL-1β), and after 24, 72 and 168 h of tempol treatment analyzed their effects on cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory activity. Our data suggested that tempol treatment is able to reduce inflammation and nitrite production in LPS-induced J774 as well as reducing the production of proinflammatory mediators including cytokines, enzymes, and metalloproteases (MMPs) in IL-1β-stimulated CC. Thus, since inflammation and oxidative stress have a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of OA, tempol could be considered as a new therapeutic approach for this pathology.

MicroRNAs Regulating Cytoskeleton Dynamics, Endocytosis, and Cell Motility-A Link Between Neurodegeneration and Cancer?

The cytoskeleton is one of the most mobile and complex cell structures. It is involved in cellular transport, cell division, cell shape formation and adaptation in response to extra- and intracellular stimuli, endo- and exocytosis, migration, and invasion. These processes are crucial for normal cellular physiology and are affected in several pathological processes, including neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Some proteins, participating in clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME), play an important role in actin cytoskeleton reorganization, and formation of invadopodia in cancer cells and are also deregulated in neurodegenerative disorders. However, there is still limited information about the factors contributing to the regulation of their expression. MicroRNAs are potent negative regulators of gene expression mediating crosstalk between different cellular pathways in cellular homeostasis and stress responses. These molecules regulate numerous genes involved in neuronal differentiation, plasticity, and degeneration. Growing evidence suggests the role of microRNAs in the regulation of endocytosis, cell motility, and invasiveness. By modulating the levels of such microRNAs, it may be possible to interfere with CME or other processes to normalize their function. In malignancy, the role of microRNAs is undoubtful, and therefore changing their levels can attenuate the carcinogenic process. Here we review the current advances in our understanding of microRNAs regulating actin cytoskeleton dynamics, CME and cell motility with a special focus on neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. We investigate whether current literature provides an evidence that microRNA-mediated regulation of essential cellular processes, such as CME and cell motility, is conserved in neurons, and cancer cells. We argue that more research effort should be addressed to study the neuron-specific functions on microRNAs. Disease-associated microRNAs affecting essential cellular processes deserve special attention both from the view of fundamental science and as future neurorestorative or anti-cancer therapies.

Roles of Non-Coding RNAs on Anaplastic Thyroid Carcinomas

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) remains as one of the most aggressive human carcinomas with poor survival rates in patients with the cancer despite therapeutic interventions. Novel targeted and personalized therapies could solve the puzzle of poor survival rates of patients with ATC. In this review, we discuss the role of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of gene expression in ATC as well as how the changes in their expression could potentially reshape the characteristics of ATCs. A broad range of miRNA, such as miR-205, miR-19a, miR-17-3p and miR-17-5p, miR-618, miR-20a, miR-155, etc., have abnormal expressions in ATC tissues and cells when compared to those of non-neoplastic thyroid tissues and cells. Moreover, lncRNAs, such as H19, Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex P5 (HCP5), Urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1), Nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1), etc., participate in transcription and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression in ATC cells. Dysregulations of these non-coding RNAs were associated with development and progression of ATC by modulating the functions of oncogenes during tumour progression. Thus, restoration of the abnormal expression of these miRNAs and lncRNAs may serve as promising ways to treat the patients with ATC. In addition, siRNA mediated inhibition of several oncogenes may act as a potential option against ATC. Thus, non-coding RNAs can be useful as prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for the better management of patients with ATC.

Molecular Markers Guiding Thyroid Cancer Management

The incidence of thyroid cancer is rapidly increasing, mostly due to the overdiagnosis and overtreatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (TC). The increasing use of potent preclinical models, high throughput molecular technologies, and gene expression microarrays have provided a deeper understanding of molecular characteristics in cancer. Hence, molecular markers have become a potent tool also in TC management to distinguish benign from malignant lesions, predict aggressive biology, prognosis, recurrence, as well as for identification of novel therapeutic targets. In differentiated TC, molecular markers are mainly used as an adjunct to guide management of indeterminate nodules on fine needle aspiration biopsies. In contrast, in advanced thyroid cancer, molecular markers enable targeted treatments of affected signalling pathways. Identification of the driver mutation of targetable kinases in advanced TC can select treatment with mutation targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) to slow growth and reverse adverse effects of the mutations, when traditional treatments fail. This review will outline the molecular landscape and discuss the impact of molecular markers on diagnosis, surveillance and treatment of differentiated, poorly differentiated and anaplastic follicular TC.

Knockdown of lncRNA NEAT1 suppresses hypoxia-induced migration, invasion and glycolysis in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells through regulation of miR-206 and miR-599

BACKGROUND

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most aggressive and lethal malignancies. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are being found to play crucial roles in ATC progression. Herein, we focused on the role of nuclear paraspeckle assembly transcript 1 (NEAT1) on ATC progression under hypoxia and underlying mechanisms governing it.

METHODS

The expression levels of NEAT1, miR-206 and miR-599 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell migration and invasion abilities were detected using transwell assays. Glucose consumption and lactate production were determined using a corresponding commercial assay kit. Western blot was performed to evaluate the level of hexokinase 2 (HK2). The targeted interplays between NEAT1 and miR-206 or miR-599 were confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Xenograft model was established to observe the effect of NEAT1 on tumor growth in vivo.

RESULTS

Our data indicated that NEAT1 was highly expressed in ATC tissues and cells, and hypoxia induced NEAT1 expression in ATC cells. NEAT1 depletion repressed ATC cell migration, invasion and glycolysis under hypoxia. Mechanistically, NEAT1 acted as a molecular sponge of miR-206 and miR-599. Moreover, the repressive effects of NEAT1 knockdown on ATC cell migration, invasion and glycolysis under hypoxia were mediated by miR-206 or miR-599. Additionally, NEAT1 knockdown weakened tumor growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, our study suggested that a low NEAT1 expression suppressed the migration, invasion, and glycolysis in ATC cells under hypoxia at least partially through modulating miR-206 and miR-599, providing new therapeutic strategies for ATC treatment.