LncRNA CTBP1-AS2 Facilitates Gastric Cancer Progression via Regulating the miR-139-3p/MMP11 Axis

Identify CTBP1-DT as an immunological biomarker that promotes lipid synthesis and apoptosis resistance in KIRC

Recently, mounting evidence has highlighted the essential function of the C-terminal binding protein-1 divergent transcript (CTBP1-DT) in malignancies. However, its role in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains largely unknown. Our study aimed to identify the potential function of CTBP1-DT in KIRC. RT-qPCR, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox regression analysis, and nomogram analysis were utilized to determine the expression and effects of CTBP1-DT on survival. The subcellular localization of CTBP1-DT was determined using RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). To investigate the functions of CTBP1-DT in regulating KIRC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, lipid synthesis, and apoptosis, we conducted CCK8, EdU, Transwell, and Oil Red O staining and cell apoptosis staining assays. The relationships between CTBP1-DT and the tumor microenvironment were investigated with multiple bioinformatics analysis algorithms and databases, including CYBERSORT, TIMER2, Spearman correlation test, tumor mutation burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), and immunophenoscore (IPS). According to our results, CTBP1-DT is a lncRNA located in the nucleus that is significantly upregulated in KIRC and is correlated with better clinical outcomes. Downregulating CTBP1-DT inhibited cell viability, migration, invasion, and lipid synthesis but triggered cell apoptosis. Additionally, we explored the potential effect of CTBP1-DT in regulating immune cell infiltration in KIRC and other malignancies. Furthermore, CTBP1-DT could be used to predict the effectiveness of targeted drugs and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In conclusion, we identified CTBP1-DT as a potential immunological biomarker and discovered the potential role of CTBP1-DT in regulating lipid synthesis and apoptosis resistance.

Baicalin Blocks Colon Cancer Cell Cycle and Inhibits Cell Proliferation through miR-139-3p Upregulation by Targeting CDK16

Baicalin was reported to facilitate the apoptosis of colon cells and inhibit tumor growth in vivo. This study aimed to explore the specific mechanism and function of baicalin on colon cells. Relative mRNA levels were tested via qPCR. Cell proliferation, viability, and cell cycle phases were evaluated using MTT, colony formation, and flow cytometry assays, respectively. The interaction between miR-139-3p and cyclin-dependent kinase 16 (CDK16) was measured via a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Immunohistochemistry was used to count the positivity cells in tumor tissues collected from treated xenografted tumor mice. The results showed that baicalin increased miR-139-3p expression while also decreasing CDK16 levels, blocking the cell cycle, and inhibiting cell proliferation in colon cancer cells. miR-139-3p silencing or CDK16 overexpression abolished the inhibitory effects of baicalin on colon cancer proliferation. miR-139-3p directly targeted and interacted with CDK16 at the cellular level. The protective functions of miR-139-3p knockdown on tumor cells were abrogated by silencing CDK16. The combination of baicalin treatment and CDK16 knockdown further inhibited tumor growth of xenografted tumor mice compared with the groups injected with only sh-CDK16 or baicalin in vivo. In conclusion, baicalin inhibited colon cancer growth by modulating the miR-139-3p/CDK16 axis.

The Intricate Interplay between the ZNF217 Oncogene and Epigenetic Processes Shapes Tumor Progression

The oncogenic transcription factor ZNF217 orchestrates several molecular signaling networks to reprogram integrated circuits governing hallmark capabilities within cancer cells. High levels of ZNF217 expression provide advantages to a specific subset of cancer cells to reprogram tumor progression, drug resistance and cancer cell plasticity. ZNF217 expression level, thus, provides a powerful biomarker of poor prognosis and a predictive biomarker for anticancer therapies. Cancer epigenetic mechanisms are well known to support the acquisition of hallmark characteristics during oncogenesis. However, the complex interactions between ZNF217 and epigenetic processes have been poorly appreciated. Deregulated DNA methylation status at ZNF217 locus or an intricate cross-talk between ZNF217 and noncoding RNA networks could explain aberrant ZNF217 expression levels in a cancer cell context. On the other hand, the ZNF217 protein controls gene expression signatures and molecular signaling for tumor progression by tuning DNA methylation status at key promoters by interfering with noncoding RNAs or by refining the epitranscriptome. Altogether, this review focuses on the recent advances in the understanding of ZNF217 collaboration with epigenetics processes to orchestrate oncogenesis. We also discuss the exciting burgeoning translational medicine and candidate therapeutic strategies emerging from those recent findings connecting ZNF217 to epigenetic deregulation in cancer.

Low expression of lncRNA APTR promotes gastric cancer progression

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APTR is actively expressed in gastric cancer cells.

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Low expression of APTR is associated with poor clinical characteristics in patients with gastric cancer.

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Silencing APTR promotes gastric cancer proliferation and invasiveness.

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APTR expression is negatively associated with inflammatory signaling in the gastric tumor microenvironment.

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LncRNA APRT is a potential biomarker for gastric cancer patients' diagnosis and prognosis, and could be a potential therapeutic target.

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and the majority of GC patients are diagnosed at advanced stages due to the lack of early detection biomarkers. LncRNAs have been shown to play important roles in various diseases and could be predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Our study demonstrated that low expression of lncRNA APTR could promote gastric cancer progression.

Methods

Differentiated expressed lncRNAs were identified through analyzing TCGA paired GC RNA sequencing data. LncRNA APTR's clinical relevance was analyzed using the TCGA dataset and GEO datasets. APTR expression in patient samples was detected through qPCR. The proliferation, colony formation, and migration of GC cells were tested. Bioinformatic analyses were performed to explore APTR-affected signaling pathways in GC.

Results

LncRNA APTR is lower expressed in gastric tumor samples and low expression of APTR predicts a poor diagnosis and outcome in GC patients. Silencing APTR promotes gastric cancer proliferation and invasiveness. APTR expression is negatively correlated with inflammatory signaling in the gastric tumor microenvironment.

Conclusion

Our study showed that low expression of lncRNA APTR in gastric cancer is correlated with tumorigenesis and poor diagnosis and prognosis, which is a potential biomarker for gastric cancer patients' diagnosis and treatment.

miR-139-3p/Kinesin family member 18B axis suppresses malignant progression of gastric cancer

miR-139-3p exerts tumor-suppressing functions in various cancers. We analyzed and identified that miR-139-3p expression was notably low in gastric cancer (GC) via edgeR differential analysis based on The Cancer Genome Atlas database and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay. The binding relationship between Kinesin Family Member 18B (KIF18B) and miR-139-3p was predicted by bioinformatics databases, and verified through dual-luciferase assay. Western blot and qRT-PCR results also indicated that miR-139-3p restrained KIF18 expression at mRNA and protein levels. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, wound healing, transwell, flow cytometry assays were introduced to evaluate cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle, respectively, where the results indicated that upregulating miR-139-3p inhibited proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of GC cells, while caused cell-cycle arrest. Moreover, the results of rescue experiments illustrated that miR-139-3p hampered the progression of GC cells by targeting and suppressing KIF18B. To sum up, we concluded that miR-139-3p suppressed GC progression by targeting KIF18B.

hsa_circ_0000218/hsa-miR-139-3p/SOX4 regulatory feedback circuit influences the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells

Previous studies have reported that circular (circ)RNAs serve an important role in cancer progression, but the effects of hsa_circRNA_0000218 (circ_0000218) and its potential underlying mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) are not completely understood. In the present study, dual luciferase reporter and RNA pull down assays were performed to detect the relationship between microRNA (miR)-139-3p and circ_0000218, and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect circ_0000218, miR-139-3p and SRY-box transcription factor 4 (SOX4) mRNA expression levels in GC and GES-1 cells. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. Western blotting was performed to assess cleaved-Caspase3 and Caspase3 expression levels in GC cells. circ_0000218 and SOX4 were highly expressed, whereas miR-139-3p was lowly expressed in GC cells. Moreover, circ_0000218 negatively regulated miR-139-3p in GC cells. circ_0000218 knockdown inhibited GC cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis and enhanced cleaved-Caspase3 expression in GC cells, whereas miR-139-3p knockdown reversed these effects. miR-139-3p overexpression inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in GC cells, but these effects were reversed by SOX4 overexpression. Collectively, the present study demonstrated that circ_0000218 upregulated SOX4 via downregulating miR-139-3p to promote GC progression.

Long non‑coding RNA CTBP1‑AS2 upregulates USP22 to promote pancreatic carcinoma progression by sponging miR‑141‑3p

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) feature prominently in pancreatic carcinoma progression. The present study aimed to clarify the biological functions, clinical significance and underlying mechanism of lncRNA CTBP1 antisense RNA 2 (CTBP1-AS2) in pancreatic carcinoma. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was performed to assess the expression levels of CTBP1-AS2, microRNA (miR)-141-3p and ubiquitin-specific protease 22 (USP22) mRNA in pancreatic carcinoma tissues and cell lines. Western blotting was used to examine USP22 protein expression in pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. Loss-of-function experiments were used to analyze the regulatory effects of CTBP1-AS2 on proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of pancreatic carcinoma cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to examine the binding relationship between CTBP1-AS2 and miR-141-3p, as well as between miR-141-3p and USP22. It was demonstrated that CTBP1-AS2 expression was markedly increased in pancreatic carcinoma tissues and cell lines. High CTBP1-AS2 expression was associated with advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastasis of patients. Functional experiments confirmed that knocking down CTBP1-AS2 significantly inhibited pancreatic carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. In terms of mechanism, it was found that CTBP1-AS2 adsorbed miR-141-3p as a molecular sponge to upregulate the expression level of USP22. In conclusion, lncRNA CTBP1-AS2 may be involved in pancreatic carcinoma progression by regulating miR-141-3p and USP22 expressions; in addition, CTBP1-AS2 may be a diagnostic biomarker and treatment target for pancreatic carcinoma.