Circular RNA circTUBGCP3 Is Up-Regulated and Promotes Cell Proliferation, Migration and Survivability via Sponge mir-30b in Osteosarcoma

Targeting vimentin: a multifaceted approach to combatting cancer metastasis and drug resistance

This comprehensive review explores vimentin as a pivotal therapeutic target in cancer treatment, with a primary focus on mitigating metastasis and overcoming drug resistance. Vimentin, a key player in cancer progression, is intricately involved in processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and resistance mechanisms to standard cancer therapies. The review delves into diverse vimentin inhibition strategies. Precision tools, including antibodies and nanobodies, selectively neutralize vimentin's pro-tumorigenic effects. DNA and RNA aptamers disrupt vimentin-associated signaling pathways through their adaptable binding properties. Innovative approaches, such as vimentin-targeted vaccines and microRNAs (miRNAs), harness the immune system and post-transcriptional regulation to combat vimentin-expressing cancer cells. By dissecting vimentin inhibition strategies across these categories, this review provides a comprehensive overview of anti-vimentin therapeutics in cancer treatment. It underscores the growing recognition of vimentin as a pivotal therapeutic target in cancer and presents a diverse array of inhibitors, including antibodies, nanobodies, DNA and RNA aptamers, vaccines, and miRNAs. These multifaceted approaches hold substantial promise for tackling metastasis and overcoming drug resistance, collectively presenting new avenues for enhanced cancer therapy.

CircTUBGCP3 Contributes to the Malignant Progression of Rectal Cancer

BACKGROUND

Circular RNA (circRNA) tubulin gamma complex associated protein 3 (circTUBGCP3) has been reported to play an oncogenic role in colorectal cancer and osteosarcoma.

AIMS

We further assessed the role and working mechanism of circTUBGCP3 in rectal cancer progression.

METHODS

Colony formation assay and transwell assays were performed to analyze cell colony formation ability and motility. Flow cytometry was utilized to assess cell cycle progression and cell apoptosis. The production of lactate and the consumption of glucose were evaluated by fluorescence-based glucose/lactate assay kit to analyze cell glycolysis. The intermolecular interaction was verified by dual-luciferase reporter assay. In vivo experiments were carried out to analyze the role of circTUBGCP3 in tumor growth using xenograft tumor model.

RESULTS

CircTUBGCP3 was significantly up-regulated in rectal cancer tissues and cell lines. CircTUBGCP3 interference inhibited the colony formation ability, migration, invasion, cell cycle progression, and glycolysis and promoted the apoptosis in rectal cancer cells. CircTUBGCP3 negative regulated microRNA-375 (miR-375) expression through interacting with it and circTUBGCP3 silencing-mediated effects in rectal cancer cells were largely based on the up-regulation of miR-375. Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1) was a target of miR-375, and ROCK1 was regulated by circTUBGCP3/miR-375 axis in rectal cancer cells. MiR-375 overexpression suppressed the malignant behaviors of rectal cancer cells partly through down-regulating ROCK1. CircTUBGCP3 interference restrained rectal cancer progression in vivo.

CONCLUSION

CircTUBGCP3 acted as an oncogene to promote the malignant phenotypes of rectal cancer cells by modulating miR-375/ROCK1 axis.

Blocking circ-CNST suppresses malignant behaviors of osteosarcoma cells and inhibits glycolysis through circ-CNST-miR-578-LDHA/PDK1 ceRNA networks

Background

CircRNA CNST (circ-CNST) is a newly identified biomarker for prognosis of osteosarcoma (OS). However, its role in OS progression remains to be well documented.

Methods

Expression of circ-CNST, microRNA (miR)-578, lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1 (PDK1) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting. The physical interaction was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Cell behaviors and glycolysis were measured by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, transwell assays, xenograft experiment, and commercial kits.

Results

Circ-CNST was upregulated in human OS tissues and cells, accompanied with downregulation of miR-578 and upregulation of LDHA and PDK1. There were negative correlations between miR-578 expression and circ-CNST or LDHA/PDK1 in OS tissues. Moreover, high circ-CNST/LDHA/PDK1 or low miR-578 might predict shorter overall survival, advanced TNM stages, and lymph node metastasis. Physically, miR-578 was targeted by circ-CNST, and miR-578 could target LDHA/PDK1. Functionally, blocking circ-CNST and restoring miR-578 enhanced apoptosis rate and suppressed cell proliferation, colony formation, migration, and invasion in 143B and U2OS cells, accompanied with decreased glucose consumption, lactate production, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)/adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ratio. Furthermore, in vivo growth of U2OS cells was retarded by silencing circ-CNST. Depletion of miR-578 could counteract the suppressive role of circ-CNST deficiency in 143B and U2OS cells, and restoring LDHA or PDK1 partially reversed the role of miR-578 inhibition as well.

Conclusion

Circ-CNST knockdown could antagonize malignant behaviors and glycolysis of OS cells by regulating miR-578-LDHA/PDK1 axes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-021-02427-0.

Circ_0000527 promotes osteosarcoma cell progression through modulating miR-646/ARL2 axis

Accumulating evidence shows that circRNAs play critical roles in the development of human tumors. We observed that circ_0000527 was overexpressed in osteosarcoma cells (SAOS-2, HOS, MG-63 and U2OS) compared in hFOB1.19 cells. We demonstrated that the circ_0000527 level was higher in osteosarcoma specimens than in non-tumor specimens. The ectopic expression of circ_0000527 was shown to induce cell growth, cell cycle progression and the secretion of inflammatory mediators, including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α. We demonstrated that circ_0000527 sponges miR-646 in osteosarcoma cells and that ARL2 is a target gene of miR-646. MiR-646 expression was decreased and ARL2 was overexpressed in osteosarcoma cells (SAOS-2, HOS, MG-63 and U2OS) compared to hFOB1.19 cells. Overexpression of circ_0000527 was demonstrated to induce ARL2 expression in MG-63 cells. We showed that miR-646 was downregulated in osteosarcoma specimens compared to that of non-tumor specimens and that the level of circ_0000527 was negatively correlated with miR-646 expression in osteosarcoma specimens. The elevated expression of circ_0000527 was shown to promote cell growth and cell cycle progression by modulating miR-646 expression. The ectopic expression of circ_0000527 was shown to promote cell growth, cell cycle progression and the secretion of inflammatory mediators by modulating ARL2. The present study suggested that the circ_0000527/miR-646/ARL2 axis may be a potential treatment target for osteosarcoma.

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) MRPL23-AS1 promotes tumor progression and carcinogenesis in osteosarcoma by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling via inhibiting microRNA miR-30b and upregulating myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9)

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) contributes to the occurrence and development of osteosarcoma (OS), although the underlying mechanism is not clear. In the present study, we showed that lncRNA MRPL23-AS1 was remarkably increased in OS tissues and cell lines. Stable knockdown of MRPL23-AS1 evidently attenuated cell viability and invasive ability, meanwhile inhibited in vivo tumor growth and dissemination. In terms of mechanism, luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays showed that MRPL23-AS1 competitively interacted with miR-30b, increasing myosin heavy chain 9 (MYH9) expression, a trans- activator of β-catenin, resulting in the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway, thereby promoting OS tumorigenesis and metastasis. Importantly, high MRPL23-AS1 was positively correlated with MYH9, while conversely correlated with miR-30b, suggesting that the regulatory axis of MRPL23-AS1/miR-30b/MYH9 does exist in OS. Clinically, OS patients with high MRPL23-AS1 had larger tumor size, higher stage and easier metastasis than those with low MRPL23-AS1, moreover, MRPL23-AS1 was identified as an adverse prognostic factor for OS survival. In conclusion, our results show that MRPL23-AS1 is a key oncogenic lncRNA in OS, targeting of MRPL23-AS1 may be a promising treatment for OS patients.