Micro-ribonucleic acid expression profiling and bioinformatic target gene analyses in laryngeal carcinoma

Survival associated miRNA signature in patients with head and neck carcinomas

Head and neck carcinoma (HNSC) is often diagnosed at advanced stage, incurring poor patient outcome. Despite of advances in chemoradiation and surgery approaches, limited improvements in survival rates of HNSC have been observed over the last decade. Accumulating evidences have demonstrated the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in carcinogenesis. In this context, we sought to identify a miRNA signature associated with the survival time in patients with HNSC. This study proposed a survival estimation method called HNSC-Sig that identified a miRNA signature consists of 25 miRNAs associated with the survival in 133 patients with HNSC. HNSC-Sig achieved 10-fold cross validation a mean correlation coefficient and a mean absolute error of 0.85 ± 0.01 and 0.46 ± 0.02 years, respectively, between actual and estimated survival times. The survival analysis revealed that five miRNAs, hsa-miR-3605-3p, hsa-miR-629-3p, hsa-miR-3127-5p, hsa-miR-497-5p, and hsa-miR-374a-5p, were significantly associated with prognosis in patients with HNSC. Comparing the relative expression difference of top 10 prioritized miRNAs, eight miRNAs, hsa-miR-629-3p, hsa-miR-3127-5p, hsa-miR-221-3p, hsa-miR-501-5p, hsa-miR-491-5p, hsa-miR-149-3p, hsa-miR-3934-5p, and hsa-miR-3170, were significantly expressed between cancer and normal groups. In addition, biological relevance, disease association, and target interactions of the miRNA signature were discussed. Our results suggest that identified miRNA signature have potential to serve as biomarker for diagnosis and clinical practice in HNSC.

Diagnostic and Prognostic Value of microRNAs in Patients with Laryngeal Cancer: A Systematic Review

Laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the head and neck region, with a poor survival rate (5-year overall survival 50-80%) as a consequence of an advanced-stage diagnosis and high recurrence rate. Tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse are the main risk factors of LSCC development. An early diagnosis of LSCC, a prompt detection of recurrence and a more precise monitoring of the efficacy of different treatment modalities are currently needed to reduce the mortality. Therefore, the identification of effective diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for LSCC is crucial to guide disease management and improve clinical outcomes. In the past years, a dysregulated expression of small non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), has been reported in many human cancers, including LSCC, and many miRNAs have been explored for their diagnostic and prognostic potential and proposed as biomarkers. We searched electronic databases for original papers that were focused on miRNAs and LSCC, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. According to the outcome, 566 articles were initially screened, of which 177 studies were selected and included in the analysis. In this systematic review, we provide an overview of the current literature on the function and the potential diagnostic and prognostic role of tissue and circulating miRNAs in LSCC.

MicroRNA expression profiles of peripheral blood and mononuclear cells in myasthenia gravis: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Studies have described the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in thymic function, along with directly observing the altered expression of miRNAs in thymuses of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients; so, miRNAs became a core component in the pathophysiology of MG. However, because the miRNA analysis results are contradictory, the identification of MG-related miRNAs is daunting.

OBJECTIVE

We did a systematic review of studies analyzing the miRNA expression profile of peripheral blood and mononuclear cells for patients with MG.

METHODS

We ran a database search in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science on August 17, 2021. Original articles that analyzed miRNA profiles in peripheral blood (serum, plasma, and whole blood) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) for patients with MG in comparison with a non-MG or healthy control (HC) group were eligible. The quality of studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2).

RESULTS

26 studies were included. The quality of studies was fair (median score, 5). Among 226 different miRNAs that were deregulated in at least one study (range, 1-87), ten miRNAs were significantly deregulated in three or more studies. Five miRNAs (50%) showed the same deregulation: miR-106b-3p and miR-21-5p were consistently upregulated, and miR-20b, miR-15b, and miR-16 were consistently downregulated. Also, there were five miRNAs that were mostly upregulated, miR-150-5p, miR-146a, miR-30e-5p, and miR-338-3p, or downregulated, miR-324-3p, across studies.

CONCLUSION

These miRNAs contribute to different pathways, importantly neural apoptosis and autophagy, inflammation, T regulatory cell development, and T helper cell balance. Prior to being used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, it is required to pursue molecular mechanisms these consistently and mostly dysregulated miRNAs specifically use in the context of MG.

Role of Salivary MicroRNA and Cytokines in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent oral malignant tumor worldwide. An early diagnosis can have a major positive impact on its prognosis. Human saliva contains cytokines, DNA and RNA molecules, circulating cells, and derivatives of tissues and extracellular vesicles, among other factors that can serve as biomarkers. Hence, the analysis of saliva may provide useful information for the early diagnosis of OSCC for its prognosis. The objective of this review was to determine the potential usefulness of salivary biomarkers (cytokines and microRNA) to diagnose OSCC and improve its prognosis. A combination of salivary miRNA and proteomic data could allow a definitive and early diagnosis to be obtained. However, there remains a need to optimize and standardize the protocols used to quantify miRNAs.

Genetic Drivers of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Aberrant Splicing Events, Mutational Burden, HPV Infection and Future Targets

Head and neck cancers include cancers that originate from a variety of locations. These include the mouth, nasal cavity, throat, sinuses, and salivary glands. These cancers are the sixth most diagnosed cancers worldwide. Due to the tissues they arise from, they are collectively named head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC). The most important risk factors for head and neck cancers are infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), tobacco use and alcohol consumption. The genetic basis behind the development and progression of HNSCC includes aberrant non-coding RNA levels. However, one of the most important differences between healthy tissue and HNSCC tissue is changes in the alternative splicing of genes that play a vital role in processes that can be described as the hallmarks of cancer. These changes in the expression profile of alternately spliced mRNA give rise to various protein isoforms. These protein isoforms, alternate methylation of proteins, and changes in the transcription of non-coding RNAs (ncRNA) can be used as diagnostic or prognostic markers and as targets for the development of new therapeutic agents. This review aims to describe changes in alternative splicing and ncRNA patterns that contribute to the development and progression of HNSCC. It will also review the use of the changes in gene expression as biomarkers or as the basis for the development of new therapies.

The Target MicroRNAs and Potential Underlying Mechanisms of Yiqi-Bushen-Tiaozhi Recipe against-Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as potential therapeutic targets for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH). Traditional Chineses Medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the prevention or treatment of NAFLD/NASH. However, miRNA targets of TCM against NASH still remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that Yiqi-Bushen-Tiaozhi (YBT) recipe effectively attenuated diet-induced NASH in C57BL/6 mice. To identify the miRNA targets of YBT and understand the potential underlying mechanisms, we performed network pharmacology using miRNA and mRNA deep sequencing data combined with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). Mmu-let-7a-5p, mmu-let-7b-5p, mmu-let-7g-3p and mmu-miR-106b-3p were screened as the main targets of YBT. Our results suggested that YBT might alleviate NASH by regulating the expression of these miRNAs that potentially modulate inflammation/immunity and oxidative stress. This study provides useful information for guiding future studies on the mechanism of YBT against NASH by regulating miRNAs.

Expression levels and clinical significance of miR-203 and miR-133b in laryngeal carcinoma

The present study aimed to investigate the expression levels and clinical significance of microRNA (miR)-203 and miR-133b in laryngeal carcinoma. A total of 154 patients with laryngeal carcinoma (research group) along with 100 healthy individuals (control group) were enrolled in the study. The patients were admitted to Yidu Central Hospital of Weifang (Weifang, China) from February 2016 to October 2018. Fasting venous blood (5 ml) was extracted from all subjects to determine the expression levels of serum miR-203 and miR-133b by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and to compare them among patients with different pathological characteristics. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to analyze the diagnostic values of miR-203 and miR-133b for laryngeal carcinoma. The research group showed significantly lower expression levels of miR-203 and miR-133b than the control group (P<0.05). According to ROC curve analysis, when the cut-off value was 0.659, the sensitivity and specificity of miR-203 in diagnosing laryngeal carcinoma were 60.00 and 90.26%, respectively, whereas when the cut-off value was 1.398, the sensitivity and specificity of miR-133b were 55.00 and 87.66%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the joint detection were 70.00 and 83.77%, respectively, when the cut-off value was 0.416. In the research group, miR-203 was expressed significantly different in patients with different pathological stages and tumor types (P<0.050). The expression of miR-133b varied significantly in patients with different pathological stages, differentiation degrees and lymph node metastasis (P<0.050). In conclusion, miR-203 and miR-133b were expressed at low levels in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. The expression of miR-203 was related to tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and tumor type, whereas the expression of miR-133b was related to TNM stage, differentiation degree, as well as lymph node metastasis. Joint detection of miR-203 and miR-133b is expected to be an excellent marker for the diagnosis and treatment of laryngeal carcinoma.

miR-375-3p inhibits the progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting hepatocyte nuclear factor-1β

Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is one of the most frequently diagnosed head and neck cancers worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) regulate the progression of tumorigenesis and the malignant behaviors of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the function and underlying mechanism of miR-375-3p in LSCC. The expression of miR-375-3p in LSCC tissues and cells was detected using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. The effects of miR-375-3p on the malignant phenotype of LSCC cells was determined using the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and flow cytometry. The targets of miR-375-3p were predicted using the miRDB database and confirmed by the luciferase reporter assay. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-375-3p was downregulated in LSCC tissues and cell lines. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-375-3p significantly suppressed the proliferation and cell cycle progression of LSCC cells. Overexpression of miR-375-3p also increased LSCC cell apoptosis. Mechanistical analysis indicated that miR-375-3p bound the 3′-untranslated region of the hepatocyte nuclear factor 1β (HNF1β) and decreased its expression in LSCC cells. Consistent with the role of HNF1β in glucose metabolism, overexpression of miR-375-3p significantly inhibited glucose consumption and lactate production in LSCC cells. Transfection with HNF1β notably reversed the inhibitory effect of miR-375-3p on the proliferation of LSCC cells. Collectively, these results indicate the tumor suppressive role of miR-375-3p in LSCC via HNF1β, suggesting that miR-375-3p may serve as a potential target in the treatment of LSCC.

Colorectal cancer-derived exosomal miR-106b-3p promotes metastasis by down-regulating DLC-1 expression

Cancer-derived exosomal miRNAs play an important role in the development of metastasis, but the effects and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the miRNA expression profiles of 5 paired serum exosomal samples from metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and non-mCRC patients via RNA sequencing. After we evaluated the differentially expressed miRNAs in 80 CRC patients, miR-106b-3p was selected as a metastasis-associated miRNA of CRC. We showed that the expression level of serum exosomal miR-106b-3p was significantly higher in CRC patients with metastasis than those without metastasis. Additionally, high serum exosomal miR-106b-3p expression in patients was correlated with a poor prognosis. Coculture of low-metastatic CRC cells with high-metastatic CRC cell-derived exosomes promoted cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which was caused by the transport and transduction of miR-106b-3p in vitro. Moreover, exosomal miR-106b-3p promoted lung metastasis of CRC cells in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that miR-106b-3p regulated metastasis by targeting deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC-1). A negative correlation was also identified between miR-106b-3p and DLC-1 expression in human CRC tumour tissues and in mouse lung metastatic lesions. Collectively, our study indicated that metastasis-associated miR-106b-3p from serum exosomes could be used as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for CRC patients.

Tumor-suppressive miR-3650 inhibits tumor metastasis by directly targeting NFASC in hepatocellular carcinoma

In recent years, a growing body of evidence has provided support for the important role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the progression of human cancers. A recent study showed that a novel miRNA miR-3650 expression was significantly decreased in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the precise role of miR-3650 in HCC have remained poorly understood. In this study, we found that miR-3650 expression was frequently decreased in HCC tissues. Low expression of miR-3650 is positively associated with tumor metastasis and poor survival of HCC patients. Forced expression of miR-3650 significantly inhibited the migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCC cells. Through bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assays, we confirmed that neurofascin (NFASC) is a directly target mRNA of miR-3650. Rescue experiment demonstrated that NAFSC overexpression could partially counteracted the inhibitory effect of miR-3650 in HCC metastasis and EMT. In conclusion, our findings are the first time to demonstrate that reduced expression of miR-3650 in HCC was correlated with tumor metastasis and poor survival. MiR-3650 repressed HCC migration and EMT by directly targeting NFASC. Our findings suggested that miR-3650 may serve as a potential prognostic marker and promising application in HCC therapy.

LINC00355 Promotes Tumor Progression in HNSCC by Hindering MicroRNA-195-Mediated Suppression of HOXA10 Expression

Emerging evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in the progression of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, the specific role of LINC00355 in HNSCC remains elusive. Here, we identify the relationship between LINC00355 and the development of HNSCC through the interaction of LINC00355 with microRNA-195 (miR-195), which in turn targets homeoboxA10 (HOXA10). First, we identified differentially expressed lncRNAs and genes related to HNSCC. Next, the interaction among LINC00355, miR-195, and HOXA10 was identified. Subsequently, the expression of LINC00355 and miR-195 was altered to evaluate their effects on viability, invasion, migration, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), and apoptosis of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in HNSCC. Finally, we assessed the ability of LINC00355 to alter tumor growth after HNSCC CSCs were injected into nude mice. Our findings indicate that LINC00355 and HOXA10 were highly expressed in HNSCC, while miR-195 was poorly expressed. CSCs with upregulated aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH-1) were sorted. Silencing LINC00355 in these cells led to increased miR-195 expression and a reduction in HOXA10 expression, which inhibited viability, invasion, migration, and EMT and promoted apoptosis of CSCs. Silencing LINC00355 in vivo also led to decreased tumor growth. Our study provides evidence that LINC00355 acts as a miR-195 sponge to promote viability, invasion, migration, and EMT and inhibit apoptosis of CSCs by upregulating HOXA10, suggesting that LINC00355 represents a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of HNSCC.

lncRNA TMEM51-AS1 and RUSC1-AS1 function as ceRNAs for induction of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and prediction of prognosis

BACKGROUND

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can function as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to interact with miRNAs to regulate target genes and promote cancer initiation and progression. The expression of lncRNAs and miRNAs can be epigenetically regulated. The goal of this study was to construct an lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and reveal their methylation patterns, which was not investigated previously.

METHODS

Microarray datasets available from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs), miRNAs (DEMs), and genes (DEGs) between LSCC and controls, which were then overlapped with differentially methylated regions (DMRs). The ceRNA network was established by screening the interaction relationships between miRNAs and lncRNAs/mRNAs by corresponding databases. TCGA database was used to identify prognostic biomarkers.

RESULTS

Five DELs (downregulated: TMEM51-AS1, SND1-IT1; upregulated: HCP5, RUSC1-AS1, LINC00324) and no DEMs were overlapped with the DMRs, but only a negative relationship occurred in the expression and methylation level of TMEM51-AS1. Five DELs could interact with 11 DEMs to regulate 242 DEGs, which was used to construct the ceRNA network, including TMEM51-AS1-miR-106b-SNX21/ TRAPPC10, LINC00324/RUSC1-AS1-miR-16-SPRY4/MICAL2/ SLC39A14, RUSC1-AS1-miR-10-SCG5 and RUSC1-AS1-miR-7-ZFP1 ceRNAs axes. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed RUSC1-AS1 and SNX21 were associated with overall survival (OS); LINC00324, miR-7 and ZFP1 correlated with recurrence-free survival (RFS); miR-16, miR-10, SCG5, SPRY4, MICAL2 and SLC39A14 were both OS and RFS-related. Furthermore, TRAPPC10 and SLC39A14 were identified as independent OS prognostic factors by multivariate Cox regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

DNA methylation-mediated TMEM51-AS1 and non-methylation-mediated RUSC1-AS1 may function as ceRNAs for induction of LSCC. They and their ceRNA axis genes (particularly TMEM51-AS1-miR-106b-TRAPPC10; RUSC1-AS1-miR-16-SLC39A14) may be potentially important prognostic biomarkers for LSCC.

Expression of microRNA-3133 correlates with the prognosis in patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) represents a prevalent urological malignancy among men worldwide. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the progression of diverse human cancers. The aim of this study was to explore the expression profile and prognostic value of microRNA-3133 (miR-3133) in ccRCC.The expression of miR-3133 in ccRCC tissues and non-cancerous tissues was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Chi-square test was applied to evaluate the relationship between miR-3133 expression and clinical characteristics. Overall survival curve was constructed by Kaplan-Meier with log-rank test. The prognostic value of miR-3133 in ccRCC was estimated by Cox regression analysis.MiR-3133 was downregulated in ccRCC samples compared to the matched noncancerous samples (P <.01). Moreover, its expression level was correlated with T stage, vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis (all P <.05). Survival curves demonstrated that patients with low level of miR-3133 underwent lower overall survival than those with high level (log rank test, P = .002). MiR-3133 might be an independent prognostic biomarker in ccRCC patients (HR = 2.802, 95% CI = 1.391-5.646, P = .004).MiR-3133 is downregulated, and plays inhibitory roles in aggressive progression of ccRCC. MiR-3133 may be an independent prognostic biomarker for ccRCC.

MiR-154 inhibits the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting GALNT7

MicroRNAs are critical regulators of the development and progression of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). However, the role of microRNA-154 (miR-154) in the development and progression of LSCC has not been clarified. We found that down-regulated miR-154 expression in LSCC tissues was associated with poorer prognosis in LSCC patients. MiR-154 over-expression inhibited the proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration of LSCC cells and induced cell cycle arrest, which were reversed by miR-154 inhibition. MiR-154 targeted GALNT7 expression by reducing GALNT7-regulated luciferase activity in LSCC cells while up-regulating GALNT7 mRNA transcription in LSCC tissues and cells. GALNT7 silencing significantly attenuated the proliferation, clonogenicity, and migration of LSCC cells and induced cell cycle arrest. Finally, intravenous treatment with lentivirus for miR-154, but not scrambled control miRNA, significantly restrained the growth of implanted LSCC Hep-2 tumors and decreased the tumor mass by reducing GALNT7 expression in mice. Therefore, miR-154 may serve as a novel prognostic marker and therapeutic target for LSCC.

Integrative analysis of mRNA and microRNA expression profiles in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Larynx cancer is a therapeutically challenging disease. Rapidly evolving experimentally validated data have significantly improved our understanding of the complex role of numerous RNA, DNA, and proteins that play a role in the development and progression of cancer. Based on the insights from approximately two decades of research, it seems clear that microRNAs (miRNAs) have revolutionized our concepts related to the main role of noncoding RNAs in different cancers' progression, development, and metastasis. Mechanistically, miRNAs have been reported to regulate different RNAs and finally protein-coding genes. The expression profiling of miRNAs and messenger RNA (mRNAs) was conducted for a deeper analysis of the miRNAs and mRNAs which play an essential role in larynx cancer. Downregulation or upregulation over twofolds in the miRNAs was considered to be significant, and that of sixfolds or below was considered to be significant for the mRNAs. In accordance with this approach, the expression levels of 43 miRNAs were increased in this study, whereas the expression levels of 129 were decreased. Accordingly, all the genomic expression studies provided evidence of upregulation of 97 genes, whereas 128 genes were found to be downregulated. Among these miRNAs, hsa-miR-20a-3p and hsa-miR-1972 were noted to be important in the etiology of larynx cancer.

Upregulation of let-7f-5p promotes chemotherapeutic resistance in colorectal cancer by directly repressing several pro-apoptotic proteins

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most frequently occurring primary malignant tumors worldwide. Chemotherapeutic resistance is a major clinical problem in the treatment of CRC. Therefore, it is of great importance to investigate novel biomarkers that may predict chemoresistance and facilitate the development of individualized treatment for patients with CRC. The present study reported that let-7f-5p expression was elevated in chemotherapy-resistant CRC tissues compared with chemotherapy-sensitive tissues. Furthermore, upregulating let-7f-5p increased the expression levels of the anti-apoptotic proteins, B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL), and decreased the activity of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in CRC cells. By contrast, downregulating let-7f-5p yielded the opposite effect. Notably, the results indicated that let-7f-5p promoted chemotherapeutic resistance by directly repressing the expression of several pro-apoptotic proteins, including tumor protein p53, tumor protein p53-inducible nuclear protein 1, tumor protein p53-inducible nuclear protein 2 and caspase-3. Therefore, a novel mechanism by which let-7f-5p enhances the resistance of CRC cells to chemotherapeutics has been revealed, indicating that silencing let-7f-5p may become an effective therapeutic strategy against CRC.

miR-144-3p, a tumor suppressive microRNA targeting ETS-1 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Regional lymph node metastasis and distant metastasis are critical in the prognosis of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC). This study investigated the roles of miR-144-3p and E26 transformation specific-1 (ETS-1) in the invasion and migration of LSCC cells. The effects of miR-144-3p and ETS-1 on FaDu and Hep2 cell growth, migration and invasion were determined. Suppression of ETS-1 by miR-144-3p was confirmed using luciferase assays; the effects of ETS-1 silencing were determined using a xenograft tumor model. The expression of ETS-1 was analyzed in 71 paraffin-embedded tissue biopsies and eight fresh frozen biopsies obtained from LSCC patients. miR-144-3p inhibited the growth, invasion and migration of FaDu and Hep2 cells in part through suppression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition as determined by increased E-cadherin and α-catenin and reduced fibronectin and vimentin expression. Additionally, ETS-1 is a molecular target of miR-144-3p, and silencing ETS-1 expression inhibited FaDu and Hep2 cell invasion and migration as well as reduced Hep2 xenograft tumor volume. In LSCC, the expression of ETS-1 is upregulated with disease progression, and higher ETS-1 expression, which was negatively associated with miR-144-3p levels, adversely corresponded with prognoses. Thus, upregulated ETS-1 levels may promote LSCC metastasis, resulting in poor patient prognosis.

miR-125a suppresses viability and glycolysis and induces apoptosis by targeting Hexokinase 2 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Background

miR-125a usually functions as a tumor suppressor in cancers. However, the role of miR-125a in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) has not been determined.

Methods

qRT-PCR was applied to measure the expression of miR-125a and HK2 mRNA in LSCC tissues and cells. CCK-8 kit and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect cell viability and apoptosis. Luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) were conducted to confirm the relationship between miR-125a and HK2. Commercial test kits were used to determine the concentrations of glucose and l-lactate. Xenograft in mice was constructed to validate the function and mechanism of miR-125a in LSCC tumor growth.

Results

A negative correlation was found between miR-125a expression and the level of Hexokinase 2 (HK2) mRNA in LSCC tissues. Functional experiments found that miR-125a inhibited viability and glycolysis and induced apoptosis in LSCC cells. Similarly, HK2 downregulation led to viability and glycolysis inhibition and induction of apoptosis in LSCC cells in vitro. Moreover, miR-125a overexpression suppressed LSCC xenograft growth in vivo. Mechanically, HK2 was verified to be a target of miR-125a by luciferase reporter assays and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Furthermore, restored HK2 expression reversed miR-125a-mediated proliferation and glycolysis inhibition and induction of apoptosis in LSCC cells.

Conclusions

miR-125a suppressed LSCC progression by targeting HK2 in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that miR-125a may be a potential molecular target for LSCC treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13578-017-0178-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MicroRNA-195 inhibits growth and invasion of laryngeal carcinoma cells by directly targeting DCUN1D1

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression and are involved in cell biological processes. The aberrant expression of miR-195 has been found in various types of human cancer. However, the effect of miR-195 on the initiation and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) remains to be elucidated. Accordingly, in the present study, we detected the expression level of miR-195 in the LSCC and the normal tissues and found that miR-195 were significantly downregulated in the LSCC tissues. Gain-of-function or loss-of-function studies including cell proliferation, wound healing assay, Transwell assay, cell cycle and apoptosis assays were performed to investigate the biological function of miR-195. Luciferase reporter assay and the rescue study confirmed that DCUN1D1 was a target of miR-195. Furthermore, DCUN1D1 expression levels were found to be upregulated in laryngeal tissues and to have a negative correlation with miR-195. We also found that both miR-195 and DCUN1D1 siRNAs can inhibit cell invasion possibly through downregulating Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) at the post-transcriptional level, which can be attenuated by restoring the expression of DCUN1D1. In summary, these data suggest that low expression of miR-195 contributes to the poor prognosis of LSCC and miR-195 regulates the proliferation and invasion ability of LSCC cells in vitro. miR-195 may suppress growth and invasion of LSCC cells possibly through targeting DCUN1D1, which would provide a candidate target for cancer therapy.

Different miR-21-3p isoforms and their different features in colorectal cancer

MiR-21, the only microRNA (miRNA) found to be overexpressed in any type of solid tumor, its guide stand, miR-21-5p, has been studied a lot in colorectal cancer (CRC); however, few researchers focused on its passenger strand, miR-21-3p. In our study, based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, we found that there were more varieties and quantities of miR-21-3p isoforms in microsatellite instability (MSI)-type CRC. We further examined the role of miR-21-3p by in vitro and in vivo studies. MiR-21-3p may be an oncogene in CRC by promoting cellular mobility through epithelial-mesenchymal transition. However, different isoforms, especially miR-21-3p 0 | 2, may be a favorable prognostic marker for CRC survival, probably due to increased complementary effect of miR-21-5p and/or target genes. Further study investigating the underlying mechanism of miRNA isoforms is needed.

Comparison of the miRNA expression profiles in fresh frozen and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tonsillar tumors

MicroRNAs are considered as promising prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers of human cancer since their profiles differ between tumor types. Most of the tumor profiling studies were performed on rarely available fresh frozen (FF) samples. Alternatively, archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are also well applicable to larger-scale retrospective miRNA profiling studies. The aim of this study was to perform systematic comparison of the miRNA expression profiles between FF and macrodissected FFPE tonsillar tumors using the TaqMan Low Density Array system, with the data processed by different software programs and two types of normalization methods. We observed a marked correlation between the miRNA expression profiles of paired FF and FFPE samples; however, only 27-38% of the differentially deregulated miRNAs overlapped between the two source systems. The comparison of the results with regard to the distinct modes of data normalization revealed an overlap in 58-67% of differentially expressed miRNAs, with no influence of the choice of software platform. Our study highlights the fact that for an accurate comparison of the miRNA expression profiles from published studies, it is important to use the same type of clinical material and to test and select the best-performing normalization method for data analysis.

Serum microRNA profiling and bioinformatics analysis of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in a Chinese population

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by islet β-cell dysfunction and insulin resistance, which leads to an inability to maintain blood glucose homeostasis. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been suggested as novel biomarkers for T2DM prediction or disease progression. However, miRNAs and their roles in the pathogenesis of T2DM remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, the serum miRNA expression profiles of T2DM patients in Chinese cohorts were examined. Total RNA was extracted from serum samples of 10 patients with T2DM and five healthy controls, and these was used in reverse-transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis with the Exiqon PCR system of 384 serum/plasma miRNAs. A total of seven miRNAs were differentially expressed between the two groups (fold change >3 or <0.33; P<0.05). The serum expression levels of miR‑455‑5p, miR‑454‑3p, miR‑144‑3p and miR‑96‑5p were higher in patients with T2DM, compared with those of healthy subjects, however, the levels of miR‑409‑3p, miR‑665 and miR‑766‑3p were lower. Hierarchical cluster analysis indicated that it was possible to separate patients with T2DM and control individuals into their own similar categories by these differential miRNAs. Target prediction showed that 97 T2DM candidate genes were potentially modulated by these seven miRNAs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that 24 pathways were enriched for these genes, and the majority of these pathways were enriched for the targets of induced and repressed miRNAs, among which insulin, adipocytokine and T2DM pathways, and several cancer‑associated pathways have been previously associated with T2DM. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that serum miRNAs may be novel biomarkers for T2DM and provided novel insights into the pathogenesis of T2DM.

New miRNA expression abnormalities in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Although the development of novel diagnostic and treatment strategies concerning laryngeal cancer is highly intensive, the survival rate remains virtually unchanged. Small non-coding RNAs appear to be very promising biomarkers - and so remain the focus of extensive investigation in laryngeal cancer.

OBJECTIVE

We examined the expression of five miRNA and five genes related to cancer whether they could be potential laryngeal cancer biomarkers.

METHODS

We performed an analysis in 47 patients diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. The qPCR technique was used to investigate the expression profile.

RESULTS

While miR-21-3p and miR-525-5p were found to be significantly up-regulated, miR-139-3p and miR-885-5p expression is lower in laryngeal cancer. Moreover, PIK3R1 and HACE1 were found to be also down-regulated.

CONCLUSIONS

The change in miRNA expression is frequent than the expression of other tested genes. The expression of passenger strands such as miR-21-3p and miR-139-3p, which are rarely investigated, is also significantly affected in laryngeal cancer. While PIK3R1, HACE1, miR-139-3p, and miR-885-5p may act as tumor suppressor genes in the studied tumour type, miR-21-3p and miR-525-5p seem to have oncogenic properties. Our findings suggest that miR-885-5p and PIK3R1 are the best indicators for the classification of laryngeal cancer tissue and normal mucosa.

Novel hepatic microRNAs upregulated in human nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) control gene expression by reducing mRNA stability and translation. We aimed to identify alterations in human liver miRNA expression/function in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Subjects with the highest (median liver fat 30%, n = 15) and lowest (0%, n = 15) liver fat content were selected from >100 obese patients for miRNA profiling of liver biopsies on microarrays carrying probes for 1438 human miRNAs (a cross‐sectional study). Target mRNAs and pathways were predicted for the miRNAs most significantly upregulated in NAFLD, their cell‐type‐specific expression was investigated by quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the transcriptome of immortalized human hepatocytes (IHH) transfected with the miRNA with the highest number of predicted targets, miR‐576‐5p, was studied. The screen revealed 42 miRNAs up‐ and two downregulated in the NAFLD as compared to non‐NAFLD liver. The miRNAs differing most significantly between the groups, miR‐103a‐2*, miR‐106b, miR‐576‐5p, miRPlus‐I137*, miR‐892a, miR‐1282, miR‐3663‐5p, and miR‐3924, were all upregulated in NAFLD liver. Target pathways predicted for these miRNAs included ones involved in cancer, metabolic regulation, insulin signaling, and inflammation. Consistent transcriptome changes were observed in IHH transfected with miR‐576‐5p, and western analysis revealed a marked reduction of the RAC1 protein belonging to several miR‐576‐5p target pathways. To conclude, we identified 44 miRNAs differentially expressed in NAFLD versus non‐NAFLD liver, 42 of these being novel in the context of NAFLD. The study demonstrates that by applying a novel study set‐up and a broad‐coverage array platform one can reveal a wealth of previously undiscovered miRNA dysregulation in metabolic disease.

MicroRNAs in laryngeal cancer: implications for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy

Laryngeal cancer is the most common head and neck cancer (skin excluded) with the increasing rates of morbidity and mortality in the world. The emerging roles of microRNAs (miRs) in laryngeal cancer have been deeply investigated in recent years. Deregulated miRs are frequently detected in tissues and cells of laryngeal cancer, which work as oncogenes or tumor supressors to regulate cancer cell proliferation, metastasis and invasion, etc. Here we reviewed the recognized roles of miRs in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of laryngeal cancer. Although there are lots of challenges in miRs including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and safety, the growing improvements of miRs in laryngeal cancer remain encouraging and promising.

Correlation between miR-21 expression and laryngeal carcinoma risks: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the expression and clinical significance of miR-21 in the tissues of laryngeal carcinoma using meta-analysis.

METHODS

Literature databases including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and the British Library. Two reviewers independently identified the literature according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using Stata 12.0 and RevMan 5.0 software.

RESULTS

A total of four studies involving 160 cases were included. No significant heterogeneity was found between studies. The results of meta-analysis showed high miR-21 expression was found in Laryngeal cancer than non-neoplasm tissue (odds ratio = 4.47, 95%CI 2.59 to 7.73, P = 0.02). Only one study reported the expression of miR-21 between TMN (tumor, metastasis, node) I to II and TMN III to IV.

CONCLUSION

miR-21expression is notably correlated to laryngeal carcinoma and its clinically pathologic features. It suggests that higher miR-21 expression may be a risk factor of laryngeal carcinoma and a potential molecular biomarker. For the quantity and quality limitation of the included studies, the conclusion still needs to be further proved by performing more high-quality studies.

Similar Squamous Cell Carcinoma Epithelium microRNA Expression in Never Smokers and Ever Smokers

The incidence of oral tumors in patients who never used mutagenic agents such as tobacco is increasing. In an effort to better understand these tumors we studied microRNA (miRNA) expression in tumor epithelium of never tobacco users, tumor epithelium of ever tobacco users, and nonpathological control oral epithelium. A comparison of levels among 372 miRNAs in 12 never tobacco users with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) versus 10 healthy controls was made using the reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction. A similar analysis was done with 8 ever tobacco users with OSCC. These comparisons revealed miR-10b-5p, miR-196a-5p, and miR-31-5p as enriched in the tumor epithelium in OSCC of both never and ever tobacco users. Examination of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project miRNA data on 305 OSCCs and 30 controls revealed 100% of those miRNAs enriched in never smoker OSCCs in this patient group were also enriched in ever smoker OSCCs. Nonsupervised clustering of TCGA OSCCs was suggestive of two or four subgroups of tumors based on miRNA levels with limited evidence for differences in tobacco exposure among the groups. Results from both patient groups together stress the importance of miR196a-5p in OSCC malignancy in both never and ever smokers, and emphasize the overall similarity of miRNA expression in OSCCs in these two risk groups. It implies that there may be great similarity in etiology of OSCC in never and ever smokers and that classifying OSCC based on tobacco exposure may not be helpful in the clinic.

The role of microRNAs expression in laryngeal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRs, miRs) is a class of small non-coding RNAs, which posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression. Deregulated miRs are frequently obseved in patients with laryngeal cancer. In addition, numerous studies have showed miRs play significant roles in the pathogenesis of laryngeal cancer through regulating tumor cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion and apoptosis. miR can play either an oncogenic or tumor suppressive role in laryngeal cancer. In our review, we summarize the recent researches on laryngeal cancer-associated miRs, focusing on their role in the pathogenesis of laryngeal cancer. As changes in the levels of specific miRs in tissues or serum associate with diagnosis and prognosis of patients, we will also discuss the potential use of miRs in laryngeal cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Furthermore, supplementation of oncomiRs or inhibition of tumor suppressive miRs in vivo may be future therapeutic strategy for laryngeal cancer.