MicroRNA-186-5p Inhibits Proliferation And Metastasis Of Esophageal Cancer By Mediating HOXA9

HOXA9 transcription factor is a double-edged sword: from development to cancer progression

The HOXA9 transcription factor serves as a molecular orchestrator in cancer stemness, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), metastasis, and generation of the tumor microenvironment in hematological and solid malignancies. However, the multiple modes of regulation, multifaceted functions, and context-dependent interactions responsible for the dual role of HOXA9 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in cancer remain obscure. Hence, unravelling its molecular complexities, binding partners, and interacting signaling molecules enables us to comprehend HOXA9-mediated transcriptional programs and molecular crosstalk. However, it is imperative to understand its central role in fundamental biological processes such as embryogenesis, foetus implantation, hematopoiesis, endothelial cell proliferation, and tissue homeostasis before designing targeted therapies. Indeed, it presents an enormous challenge for clinicians to selectively target its oncogenic functions or restore tumor-suppressive role without altering normal cellular functions. In addition to its implications in cancer, the present review also focuses on the clinical applications of HOXA9 in recurrence and drug resistance, which may provide a broader understanding beyond oncology, open new avenues for clinicians for accurate diagnoses, and develop personalized treatment strategies. Furthermore, we have also discussed the existing therapeutic options and accompanying challenges in HOXA9-targeted therapies in different cancer types.

METTL3 facilitates prostate cancer progression via inducing HOXC6 m6A modification and stabilizing its expression through IGF2BP2-dependent mechanisms

HOXC6 (Homeobox C6) and methyltransferase-like 3 (METTL3) have been shown to be involved in the progression of prostate cancer (PCa). However, whether HOXC6 performs oncogenic effects in PCa via METTL3-mediated N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification is not yet reported. The Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell, scratch, sphere formation assays were applied for cell growth, invasion, migration and stemness analyses. Glycolysis was evaluated by measuring glucose consumption, lactate generation and ATP/ADP ratio. The N6-methyladenine (m6A) modification profile was determined by RNA immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP) assay. The proteins that interact with PGK1 (phosphoglycerate kinase 1) were confirmed by Co-immunoprecipitation assay. Tumor formation experiments in mice were conducted for in vivo assay. PCa tissues and cells showed highly expressed HOXC6 and METTL3. Functionally, the silencing of HOXC6 or METTL3 suppresses PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness, and glycolysis. Moreover, METTL3-induced HOXC6 m6A modification to stabilize its expression. In addition, the m6A reader IGF2BP2 directly recognized and bound to HOXC6 mRNA, and maintained its stability, and was involved in the regulation of HOXC6 expression by METTL3. Furthermore, IGF2BP2 knockdown impaired PCa cell proliferation, invasion, migration, stemness, and glycolysis by regulating HOXC6. Besides that HOXC6 interacted with the glycoytic enzyme PGK1 in PCa cells. In vivo assays further showed that METTL3 silencing reduced the expression of HOXC6 and PGK1, and impeded PCa growth. METTL3 promoted PCa progression by maintaining HOXC6 expression in an m6A-IGF2BP2-dependent mechanism.

MicroRNAs: A novel signature in the metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a malignant epithelial tumor, characterized by squamous cell differentiation, it is the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. The increased mortality rate of ESCC patients is predominantly due to the advanced stage of the disease when discovered, coupled with higher risk of metastasis, which is an exceedingly malignant characteristic of cancer, frequently leading to a high mortality rate. Unfortunately, there is currently no specific and effective marker to predict and treat metastasis in ESCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, approximately 22 nucleotides in length. miRNAs are vital in modulating gene expression and serve pivotal regulatory roles in the occurrence, progression, and prognosis of cancer. Here, we have examined the literature to highlight the intimate correlations between miRNAs and ESCC metastasis, and show that ESCC metastasis is predominantly regulated or regulated by genetic and epigenetic factors. This review proposes a potential role for miRNAs as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers for metastasis in ESCC metastasis, with the ultimate aim of reducing the mortality rate among patients with ESCC.

Comprehensive landscape and future perspectives of non-coding RNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, a bibliometric analysis from 2008 to 2023

Objectives: Summarize the progress and hot topic evolution of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) research in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in recent years and predict future research directions. Methods: Relevant articles from the Web of Science until 31 October 2023 were obtained. Bibliometric analysis of included articles was performed using software (VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and Bibliometrix). The volume and citation of publications, as well as the country, institution, author, journal, keywords of the articles were used as variables to analyze the research trends and hot spot evolution. Results: 1,118 literature from 2008 to 2023 were retrieved from database, with 25 countries/regions, 793 institutions, 5,426 authors, 261 journals involved. Global cooperation was centered on China, Japan, and the United States. Zhengzhou University, an institution from China, had the highest publication. The most prolific author was Guo Wei, and the most prolific journal was Oncology Letters. Analysis of keywords revealed that the research in this field revolved around the role of ncRNAs in the occurrence, development, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of ESCC, mainly including micro RNAs, long non-coding RNAs, and then circular RNAs. Conclusion: Overall, research on ncRNAs in ESCC remains strong. Previous research has mainly focused on the basic research, with a focus on the mechanism of ncRNAs in the occurrence, development, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of ESCC. Combining current research with emerging disciplines to further explore its mechanisms of action or shifting the focus of research from preclinical research to clinical research based on diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis, will be the main breakthrough in this field in the future.

Genomic and transcriptional characterization of early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a highly heterogeneous cancer that lacks comprehensive understanding and effective treatment. Although multi-omics study has revealed features and underlying drivers of advanced ESCC, research on molecular characteristics of the early stage ESCC is quite limited.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We presented characteristics of genomics and transcriptomics in 10 matched pairs of tumor and normal tissues of early ESCC patients in the China region.

RESULTS

We identified the specific patterns of cancer gene mutations and copy number variations. We also found a dramatic change in the transcriptome, with more than 4,000 genes upregulated in cancer. Among them, more than one-third of HOX family genes were specifically and highly expressed in early ESCC samples of China and validated by RT-qPCR. Gene regulation network analysis indicated that alteration of Hox family genes promoted the proliferation and metabolism remodeling of early ESCC.

CONCLUSIONS

We characterized the genomic and transcriptomic landscape of 10 paired normal adjacent and early ESCC tissues in the China region, and provided a new perspective to understand the development of ESCC and insight into potential prevention and diagnostic targets for the management of early ESCC in China.

MiR-19b-3p promotes tumor progression of non-small cell lung cancer via downregulating HOXA9 and predicts poor prognosis in patients

MiR-19b-3p has been reported in several types of human cancer. Nevertheless, the expression profile and biological functions of miR-19b-3p remain unclear in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The expression level of miR-19b-3p was evaluated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines using qRT-PCR. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves, while the prognostic significance of miR-19b-3p was analyzed using Cox regression analysis in 80 NSCLC patients. The effects of miR-19b-3p on cell proliferation and invasion capacities were analyzed using CCK-8, crystal violet, and transwell assays. Target genes of miR-19b-3p were assessed using luciferase reporter assay, qRT-PCR, Western blot and rescue experiments. MiR-19b-3p was found to be upregulated in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The expression of miR-19b-3p was observed to be closely associated with TNM stage and metastasis. High expression of miR-19b-3p was found to be capable of predicting poor clinical prognosis in NSCLC patients. Whilst overexpression of miR-19b-3p was demonstrated to promote the proliferation and invasion of NSCLC cells, knockdown of miR-19b-3p showed an opposite inhibitory effect. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assays confirmed that HOXA9 is a direct target of miR-19b-3p. Functional assays demonstrated that NSCLC cell proliferation and invasion were promoted by miR-19b-3p via negative regulation of HOXA9. Finally, overexpression of HOXA9 was shown to partially reverse the tumor promoting effect of miR-19b-3p. This study indicates that miR-19b-3p is a crucial prognostic biomarker of NSCLC, and that targeting of the miR-19b-3p/HOXA9 axis may be a promising strategy in NSCLC therapy.

HOXC6 impacts epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the immune microenvironment through gene transcription in gliomas

BACKGROUND

Gliomas are the most common primary malignant tumours of the central nervous system (CNS). To improve the prognosis of glioma, it is necessary to identify molecular markers that may be useful for glioma therapy. HOXC6, an important transcription factor, is involved in multiple cancers. However, the role of HOXC6 in gliomas is not clear.

METHODS

Bioinformatic and IHC analyses of collected samples (n = 299) were performed to detect HOXC6 expression and the correlation between HOXC6 expression and clinicopathological features of gliomas. We collected clinical information from 177 to 299 patient samples and estimated the prognostic value of HOXC6. Moreover, cell proliferation assays were performed. We performed Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) based on ChIP-seq and public datasets to explore the biological characteristics of HOXC6 in gliomas. RNA-seq was conducted to verify the relationship between HOXC6 expression levels and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) biomarkers. Furthermore, the tumour purity, stromal and immune scores were evaluated. The relationship between HOXC6 expression and infiltrating immune cell populations and immune checkpoint proteins was also researched.

RESULTS

HOXC6 was overexpressed and related to the clinicopathological features of gliomas. In addition, knockdown of HOXC6 inhibited the proliferation of glioma cells. Furthermore, increased HOXC6 expression was associated with clinical progression. The biological role of HOXC6 in gliomas was primarily associated with EMT and the immune microenvironment in gliomas. High HOXC6 expression was related to high infiltration by immune cells, a low tumour purity score, a high stromal score, a high immune score and the expression of a variety of immune checkpoint genes, including PD-L1, B7-H3 and CLTA-4.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that HOXC6 might be a key factor in promoting tumorigenesis and glioma progression by regulating the EMT signalling pathway and might represent a novel immune therapeutic target in gliomas.

Potential of miRNAs in urinary extracellular vesicles for management of active surveillance in prostate cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Active surveillance is an alternative to radical treatment for patients with low-risk prostate cancer, which could also benefit some patients with intermediate risk. We have investigated the use of miRNA in urinary extracellular vesicles to stratify these patients.

METHODS

NGS was performed to profile the miRNAs from small urinary extracellular vesicles in a cohort of 70 patients with prostate cancer ISUP Grade 1, 2 or 3. The most promising candidates were then analysed by RT-qPCR in a new cohort of 60 patients.

RESULTS

NGS analysis identified nine miRNAs differentially expressed in at least one of the comparisons. The largest differences were found with miR-1290 (Grade 3 vs. 1), miR-320a-3p (Grade 3 vs. 2) and miR-155-5p (Grade 2 vs. 1). Combinations of 2-3 miRNAs were able to differentiate between two ISUP grades with an AUC 0.79-0.88. RT-qPCR analysis showed a similar trend for miR-186-5p and miR-30e-5p to separate Grade 3 from 2, and miR-320a-3p to separate Grade 2 from 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Using NGS, we have identified several miRNAs that discriminate between prostate cancer patients with ISUP Grades 1, 2 and 3. Moreover, miR-186-5p, miR-320a-3p and miR-30e-5p showed a similar behaviour in an independent cohort using an alternative analytical method. Our results show that miRNAs from urinary vesicles can be potentially useful as liquid biopsies for active surveillance.

Association of MALAT1 and PVT1 Variants, Expression Profiles and Target miRNA-101 and miRNA-186 with Colorectal Cancer: Correlation with Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition

The influence of PVT1 and MALAT1 variants on colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility and their impact on PVT1/miRNA-186/epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and MALAT1/miRNA-101/EMT axes in CRC are unknown. We investigated the influence of PVT1 rs13255292 and MALAT1 rs3200401 on the risk of CRC and adenomatous polyps (AP), their impact on the long noncoding RNAs PVT1 and MALAT1 expression and their target miRNA-186, miRNA-101/E-cadherin pathways, along with their potential as early CRC biomarkers. Overall, 280 individuals were recruited: 140 patients with CRC, 40 patients with AP, and 100 healthy volunteers. Genotyping and serum expression profiles were assessed using qPCR. The EMT biomarker, E-cadherin, was measured by ELISA. rs3200401 was associated with increased CRC risk, whereas rs13255292 was protective. Serum PVT1 and MALAT1 were upregulated in CRC and AP patients versus healthy controls, whereas, miRNA-186, miRNA-101 and E-cadherin were downregulated in CRC versus non-CRC groups. MALAT1 showed superior diagnostic potential for CRC and predicted CRC risk among non-CRC groups in the multivariate logistic analysis. PVT1, MALAT1, miRNA-186 and miRNA-101 levels were correlated with E-cadherin, tumor stage, lymph node and distant metastasis. E-cadherin was lost in metastatic vs. non-metastatic CRC. rs3200401CC genotype carriers showed higher E-cadherin levels than CC + CT carriers. rs3200401 was correlated with lymph node status. For the first time, rs13255292 and rs3200401 are potential genetic CRC predisposition markers, with rs3200401 possibly impacting the EMT process. Serum PVT1, MALAT1, miRNA-186 and miRNA-101 are novel non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers that could improve the clinical outcome of CRC.

Identification of KHSRP-Regulated RNAs in Esophageal Cancer by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis

Background: The objective of this study was to identify key molecules that included long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and mRNAs involved in esophageal cancer with KH-type splicing regulatory protein (KHSRP) knockdown. Materials and Methods: GSE99422 and GSE99423 from Gene Expression Omnibus database were extracted. After differentially expressed analysis of miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs, the lncRNAs-mRNAs interaction was obtained. Then the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and module analyses were performed for differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs). Combined with miRWalk tool and DIANA-LncBase tool, regulating relationship between differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and DEmRNAs/DElncRNAs were predicted. Finally, mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory network construction was established by Cytoscape software. Finally, the key genes were validated based on the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) database. Results: Totally, 2,027 DEmiRNAs, 3,480 DElncRNAs, and 18,293 DEmRNAs were screened. The PPI network included 399 nodes and 1671 interaction pairs, and two function models (Cluster 1 and Cluster 2) were separately identified. The PLK1 was a hub in the Cluster 1, which mainly enriched in the function of nuclear division. Then the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed with 20 miRNAs, 66 lncRNA, and 202 mRNA. Here, lncRNA RP11-159D12.2 might function as a ceRNA in regulating BIRC5 expression of esophagus cancer through competitively binding to hsa-miR-4430. BIRC5 was mainly enriched in the function of mitotic nuclear division. Besides, the expression of BIRC5 and PLK1 genes was upregulated in tumor tissues compared with normal controls. Also, the correlation analysis showed that the key genes (BIRC5 and PLK1) were validated to be positively correlated with KHSRP. Conclusions: PLK1, BIRC5, hsa-miR-4430, and lncRNA RP11-159D12.2 were likely to be associated with esophageal cancer development.

Hsa-miR-186-5p regulates TGFβ signaling pathway through expression suppression of SMAD6 and SMAD7 genes in colorectal cancer

TGFβ signaling is a known pathway to be involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and miRNAs play crucial roles by regulating different components of this pathway. Hence, finding the link between miRNAs and the pathway could be beneficial for CRC therapy. Array data indicated that miR-186-5p is a differentially expressed miRNA in colorectal Tumor/Normal tissues and bioinformatics tools predicted SMAD6/7 (inhibitory SMADs) as bona fide targets of this miRNA. Here, we intended to investigate the regulatory effect of the miR-186-5p expression on TGFβ signaling in CRC. Firstly, the miR-186-5p overexpression in HCT116 cells resulted in a significant reduction of SMAD6/7 expression, measured through RT-qPCR. Then, the direct interactions of miR-186-5p with SMAD6/7 3'UTRs were supported through dual luciferase assay. Furthermore, miR-186-5p overexpression suppressed proliferation, cell viability, and migration while, it increased apoptosis in CRC cells, assessed by cell cycle, MTT, scratch and Annexin V/PI apoptosis assays. Consistently, miR-186-5p overexpression resulted in reduced CyclinD1 protein using western blot, and also resulted in increased P21 and decreased c-Myc expression. Overall, these results introduced miR-186-5p as a cell cycle suppressor through downregulation of SMAD6/7 expression. Thus, miR-186-5p might be served as a novel tumor suppressive biomarker and therapeutic target in CRC treatment.

Circular RNA PRKCI silencing represses esophageal cancer progression and elevates cell radiosensitivity through regulating the miR-186-5p/PARP9 axis

AIMS

Circular RNA PRKCI (circPRKCI) and poly ADP-ribose polymerase 9 (PARP9) are related to the development of cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the regulatory mechanisms between circPRKCI and PARP9 in EC progression and radioresistance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The levels of circPRKCI, PARP9 mRNA, and miR-186-5p were assessed by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Western blot analysis was employed to examine the levels of several proteins. The viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis of EC cells were determined with CCK-8, colony formation, or flow cytometry assays. The relationship between circPRKCI or PARP9 and miR-186-5p was verified with the dual-luciferase reporter and RIP assays.

KEY FINDINGS

We observed that circPRKCI and PARP9 were upregulated while miR-186-5p was downregulated in EC tissues and cells. Furthermore, circPRKCI knockdown decreased tumor growth in vivo and constrained cell viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression, elevated cell radiosensitivity in EC cells in vitro. Importantly, circPRKCI modulated PARP9 expression through sponging miR-186-5p. Besides, PARP9 overexpression overturned circPRKCI silencing-mediated effects on the viability, colony formation, cell cycle progression, and radiosensitivity of EC cells.

SIGNIFICANCE

CircPRKCI regulated cell malignancy and radioresistance through modulating the miR-186-5p /PARP9 axis in EC, which provided a might target for EC treatment.

Broad-Spectrum Preclinical Antitumor Activity of Chrysin: Current Trends and Future Perspectives

Pharmacological profile of phytochemicals has attracted much attention to their use in disease therapy. Since cancer is a major problem for public health with high mortality and morbidity worldwide, experiments have focused on revealing the anti-tumor activity of natural products. Flavonoids comprise a large family of natural products with different categories. Chrysin is a hydroxylated flavonoid belonging to the flavone category. Chrysin has demonstrated great potential in treating different disorders, due to possessing biological and therapeutic activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, etc. Over recent years, the anti-tumor activity of chrysin has been investigated, and in the present review, we provide a mechanistic discussion of the inhibitory effect of chrysin on proliferation and invasion of different cancer cells. Molecular pathways, such as Notch1, microRNAs, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), PI3K/Akt, MAPK, etc., as targets of chrysin are discussed. The efficiency of chrysin in promoting anti-tumor activity of chemotherapeutic agents and suppressing drug resistance is described. Moreover, poor bioavailability, as one of the drawbacks of chrysin, is improved using various nanocarriers, such as micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, etc. This updated review will provide a direction for further studies in evaluating the anti-tumor activity of chrysin.

Role of non-coding RNAs in esophageal carcinoma

In recent years, the research on the role of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in tumors has received more and more attention. Although research on the role of ncRNAs in the early diagnosis, disease monitoring, treatment guidance, and prognosis prediction of esophageal carcinoma has been gradually carried out, there are still many problems that need to be addressed. In the current paper, I review the progress in the research of ncRNAs in esophageal carcinoma, with an aim to help provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of esophageal carcinoma.