MiR-144 suppresses cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting SMAD4

The Role of TGF-β/SMAD Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: from Mechanism to Therapy and Prognosis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide, with high incidence and mortality, accounting for approximately 90% of liver cancer. The development of HCC is a complex process involving the abnormal activation or inactivation of multiple signaling pathways. Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)/Small mothers against decapentaplegic (SMAD) signaling pathway regulates the development of HCC. TGF-β activates intracellular SMADs protein through membrane receptors, resulting in a series of biological cascades. Accumulating studies have demonstrated that TGF-β/SMAD signaling plays multiple regulatory functions in HCC. However, there is still controversy about the role of TGF-β/SMAD in HCC. Because it involves different pathogenic factors, disease stages, and cell microenvironment, as well as upstream and downstream relationships with other signaling pathways. This review will summary the regulatory mechanism of the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in HCC, involving the regulation of different pathogenic factors, different disease stages, different cell populations, microenvironments, and the interaction with microRNAs. In addition, we also introduced small molecule inhibitors, therapeutic vaccines, and traditional Chinese medicine extracts based on targeting the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway, which will provide future research direction for HCC therapy targeting the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway.

Multi-View Enhanced Tensor Nuclear Norm and Local Constraint Model for Cancer Clustering and Feature Gene Selection

The analysis of cancer data from multi-omics can effectively promote cancer research. The main focus of this article is to cluster cancer samples and identify feature genes to reveal the correlation between cancers and genes, with the primary approach being the analysis of multi-view cancer omics data. Our proposed solution, the Multi-View Enhanced Tensor Nuclear Norm and Local Constraint (MVET-LC) model, aims to utilize the consistency and complementarity of omics data to support biological research. The model is designed to maximize the utilization of multi-view data and incorporates a nuclear norm and local constraint to achieve this goal. The first step involves introducing the concept of enhanced partial sum of tensor nuclear norm, which significantly enhances the flexibility of the tensor nuclear norm. After that, we incorporate total variation regularization into the MVET-LC model to further augment its performance. It enables MVET-LC to make use of the relationship between tensor data structures and sparse data while paying attention to the feature details of the tensor data. To tackle the iterative optimization problem of MVET-LC, the alternating direction method of multipliers is utilized. Through experimental validation, it is demonstrated that our proposed model outperforms other comparison models.

miRNAs inspirations in hepatocellular carcinoma: Detrimental and favorable aspects of key performers

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. HCC initiation, progression, and therapy failure are all influenced by various variables, including microRNAs (miRNAs). miRNAs are short non-coding RNA sequences that modulate target mRNA expression by deteriorating or repressing translation. miRNAs play an imperative role in HCC pathogenesis by triggering the induction of cancer stem cells (CSCs) and their proliferation, while also delaying apoptosis, sustaining the cell cycle, and inspiring angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, miRNAs modulate crucial HCC-related molecular pathways such as the p53 pathway, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, VEGFR2, and PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway. Consequently, the goal of this review was to give an up-to-date overview of oncogenic and tumor suppressor (TS) miRNAs, as well as their potential significance in HCC pathogenesis and treatment responses, highlighting their underpinning molecular pathways in HCC initiation and progression. Similarly, the biological importance and clinical application of miRNAs in HCC are summarized.

Prognostic prediction and gene regulation network of EIF2S2 in hepatocellular carcinoma based on data mining

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor with a high fatality rate, predicting poor prognosis and therapeutic effect. Screening potential prognostic genes in HCC could be a creative way to advance clinical treatment. Eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2 subunit beta (EIF2S2) has reportedly been linked to several tumors, including liver cancer, but the prognostic predictions remain unknown. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the prognostic role and interaction network of EIF2S2 in HCC using bioinformatics data.

METHODS

We screened EIF2S2 using the Oncomine, Ualcan, and TCGA databases. R software was used to analyze the mRNA level and clinicopathological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma. Evaluation of the correlations between EIF2S2 and patients' survival was made using the Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression model. Then, the influence of EIF2S2 gene mutations on the prognosis of patients was explored by cBioPortal. The protein-protein interaction network of 50 similar genes related to EIF2S2 was implemented by GEPIA2 and Metascape. The LinkedOmics database allowed us to carry out Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. Finally, we constructed the EIF2S2 kinase, miRNA, and transcription factor target networks using GeneMANIA.

RESULTS

EIF2S2 mRNA was overexpressed in HCC and was closely associated with clinicopathological features, including gender, age, race, tumor grade, and stage. There was no correlation between EIF2S2 genetic mutations and prognostic survival. Combining Cox proportional hazards regression model analyses, high-expressed EIF2S2 predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Additionally, we screened the top three EIF2S2-related genes (PFDN4, HM13, and SNRPD1), the 50 similar genes, and then constructed a 50-similar-gene protein-protein interaction network identified by the Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways using Metascape. EIF2S2 target networks in HCC were identified in kinase, miRNA, and transcription factor networks, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), miRNAs (Mir-144), and transcription factors (GGAANCGGAANY_UNKNOWN) using GeneMANIA.

CONCLUSIONS

EIF2S2 plays a crucial role in the gene-regulating network of HCC and may be a potential prognostic marker or therapeutic target for HCC patients.

MiR-144-3p inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocargen cancer cells by targeting COL11A1

This study aimed to investigate the regulatory relationship between miR-144-3p and COL11A1, and to explore its effect on the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) cells. A series of methods and experiments were applied. miR-144-3p was downregulated in LUAD tissue and cells, whereas COL11A1 was highly expressed. Overexpressing miR-144-3p inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells, which could be reversed by overexpression of COL11A1. Overexpressing miR-144-3p inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of LUAD cells by silencing COL11A1.

MicroRNA-362 negatively and positively regulates SMAD4 expression in TGF-β/SMAD signaling to suppress cell migration and invasion

Cell migration and invasion are modulated by epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the reverse MET process. Despite the detection of microRNA-362 (miR-362, both the miR-362-5p and -3p species) in cancers, none of the identified miR-362 targets is a mesenchymal or epithelial factor to link miR-362 with EMT/MET and metastasis. Focusing on the TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway in this work, luciferase assays and western blot data showed that miR-362 targeted and negatively regulated expression of SMAD4 and E-cadherin, but not SNAI1, which is regulated by SMAD4. However, miR-362 knockdown also down-regulated SMAD4 and SNAI1, but up-regulated E-cadherin expression. Wound-healing and transwell assays further showed that miR-362 knockdown suppressed cell migration and invasion, effects which were reversed by over-expressing SMAD4 or SNAI1, or by knocking down E-cadherin in the miR-362 knockdown cells. In orthotopic mice, miR-362 knockdown inhibited metastasis, and displayed the same SMAD4 and E-cadherin expression profiles in the tumors as in the in vitro studies. A scheme is proposed to integrate miR-362 negative regulation via SMAD4, and to explain miR-362 positive regulation of SMAD4 via miR-362 targeting of known SMAD4 suppressors, BRK and DACH1, which would have resulted in SMAD4 depletion and annulment of subsequent involvement in TGF-β signaling actions. Hence, miR-362 both negatively and positively regulates SMAD4 expression in TGF-β/SMAD signaling pathway to suppress cell motility and invasiveness and metastasis, and may explain the reported clinical association of anti-miR-362 with suppressed metastasis in various cancers. MiR-362 knockdown in miR-362-positive cancer cells may be used as a therapeutic strategy to suppress metastasis.

MicroRNA-144: A novel biological marker and potential therapeutic target in human solid cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. It has been reported that microRNA-144 (miR-144) is highly conserved and can combine complementarily with the 3'-UTRs of target gene mRNAs to inhibit mRNA translation or promote targeted mRNA degradation. MiR-144 is abnormally expressed and has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many types of solid tumors. Increasing evidence supports a crucial role for miR-144 in modulating physiopathologic processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and angiogenesis in different tumor cells. Apart from these functions, miR-144 can also affect drug sensitivity, cancer treatment and patient prognosis. In this review, we summarize the biological functions of miR-144, its direct targets and the important signal pathways through which it acts in relation to various tumors. We also discuss the role of miR-144 in tumor biology and its clinical significance in detail and offer novel insights into molecular targeting therapy for human cancers.

The combination of coffee compounds attenuates early fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis in mice: involvement of miRNA profile modulation

Aberrant microRNA expression implicates on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. Conversely, coffee consumption reduces by ~40% the risk for fibrosis/cirrhosis and HCC, while decaffeinated coffee does not. It is currently unknown whether these protective effects are related to caffeine (CAF), or to its combination with other common and/or highly bioavailable coffee compounds, such as trigonelline (TRI) and chlorogenic acid (CGA). We evaluated whether CAF individually or combined with TRI and/or CGA alleviates fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis, examining the involvement of miRNA profile modulation. Then, male C3H/HeJ mice were submitted to a diethylnitrosamine/carbon tetrachloride-induced model. Animals received CAF (50 mg/kg), CAF+TRI (50 and 25 mg/kg), CAF+CGA (50 and 25 mg/kg) or CAF+TRI+CGA (50, 25 and 25 mg/kg), intragastrically, 5×/week, for 10 weeks. Only CAF+TRI+CGA combination reduced the incidence, number and proliferation (Ki-67) of hepatocellular preneoplastic foci while enhanced apoptosis (cleaved caspase-3) in adjacent parenchyma. CAF+TRI+CGA treatment also decreased hepatic oxidative stress and enhanced the antioxidant Nrf2 axis. CAF+TRI+CGA had the most pronounced effects on decreasing hepatic pro-inflammatory IL-17 and NFκB, contributing to reduce CD68-positive macrophage number, stellate cell activation, and collagen deposition. In agreement, CAF+TRI+CGA upregulated tumor suppressors miR-144-3p, miR-376a-3p and antifibrotic miR-15b-5p, frequently deregulated in human HCC. CAF+TRI+CGA reduced the hepatic protein levels of pro-proliferative EGFR (miR-144-3p target), antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family members (miR-15b-5p targets), and the number of PCNA (miR-376a-3p target) positive hepatocytes in preneoplastic foci. Our results suggest that the combination of most common and highly bioavailable coffee compounds, rather than CAF individually, attenuates fibrosis-associated hepatocarcinogenesis by modulating miRNA expression profile.

miR‑144‑3p inhibits tumor cell growth and invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma through the downregulation of the oncogenic gene, EZH2

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play important roles in the development and progression of human malignancies, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); however, the unique roles of miRNAs are not yet fully understood in OSCC. The present study aimed to identify novel miRNAs associated with OSCC and to elucidate their functions. Based on a micro-array analysis, miR-144-3p was found to be one of the most significantly downregulated miRNAs in OSCC tissues. Its low expression was closely associated with tumor size, differentiation and lymph node metastasis. Functionally, miR-144-3p overexpression suppressed proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and suppressed the invasion and migration of OSCC cells. In addition, enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a well-known oncogene, was proven to be a direct target of miR-144-3p, and its protein expression was negatively regulated by miR-144-3p. Moreover, EZH2 expression was increased, and inversely correlated with the miR-144-3p level in OSCC tissues. Notably, EZH2 knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, promoted cell apoptosis, and suppressed the invasion and migration of OSCC cells, whereas EZH2 overexpression partially reversed the anticancer effects mediated by miR-144-3p overexpression. On the whole, the findings of the present study suggest that miR-144-3p functions as a tumor suppressor by targeting the EZH2 oncogene, and may thus be considered as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for OSCC.

Potential Onco-Suppressive Role of miR122 and miR144 in Uveal Melanoma through ADAM10 and C-Met Inhibition

Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare tumor of the eye that leads to deadly metastases in about half of the patients. ADAM10 correlates with c-Met expression in UM and high levels of both molecules are related to the development of metastases. MiR122 and miR144 modulate ADAM10 and c-Met expression in different settings. We hypothesized a potential onco-suppressive role for miR122 and miR144 through modulation of ADAM10 and c-Met in UM. We analyzed the UM Cancer Genome Atlas data portal (TCGA) dataset, two other cohorts of primary tumors and five human UM cell lines for miR122 and miR144 expression by miR microarray, RT-qPCR, Western blotting, miR transfection and luciferase reporter assay. Our results indicate that miR122 and miR144 are expressed at low levels in the UM cell lines and in the TCGA UM dataset and were down-modulated in a cohort of seven UM samples, compared to normal choroid. Both miR122 and miR144 directly targeted ADAM10 and c-Met. Overexpression of miR122 and miR144 led to reduced expression of ADAM10 and c-Met in the UM cell lines and impaired cell proliferation, migration, cell cycle and shedding of c-Met ecto-domain. Our results show that miR122 and miR144 display an onco-suppressive role in UM through ADAM10 and c-Met modulation.

The Underlying Mechanisms of Noncoding RNAs in the Chemoresistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most lethal human malignancies. Chemotherapeutic agents, such as sorafenib and lenvatinib, can improve the outcomes of HCC patients. Nevertheless, chemoresistance has become a major hurdle in the effective treatment of HCC. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including mircoRNAs (miRNAs), long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), have been demonstrated to participate in the onset and progression of HCC. Moreover, multiple lines of evidence have indicated that ncRNAs also play a pivotal role in HCC drug resistance. ncRNAs can regulate drug efflux and metabolism, glucose metabolism, cellular death pathways, and malignant characteristics in HCC. A deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for ncRNA-mediated drug resistance in HCC will provide new opportunities for improving the treatment of HCC. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the molecular mechanisms by which ncRNAs regulate HCC chemoresistance, as well as their potential clinical implications in overcoming HCC chemoresistance.

MiR-144: A New Possible Therapeutic Target and Diagnostic/Prognostic Tool in Cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small and non-coding RNAs that display aberrant expression in the tissue and plasma of cancer patients when tested in comparison to healthy individuals. In past decades, research data proposed that miRNAs could be diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cancer patients. It has been confirmed that miRNAs can act either as oncogenes by silencing tumor inhibitors or as tumor suppressors by targeting oncoproteins. MiR-144s are located in the chromosomal region 17q11.2, which is subject to significant damage in many types of cancers. In this review, we assess the involvement of miR-144s in several cancer types by illustrating the possible target genes that are related to each cancer, and we also briefly describe the clinical applications of miR-144s as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in cancers.

MicroRNA-144-3p Inhibits Tumorigenesis of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma by downregulating ERO1L

An increasing number of studies indicate that miR-144-3p is dysregulated in numerous cancers, but its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains largely unknown. Herein we demonstrated that miR-144-3p expression was significantly downregulated in OSCC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the low level of miR-144-3p expression was associated with the clinical characteristics of OSCC patients. Furthermore, ectopic expression of miR-144-3p inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells in vitro, and blunted the tumorigenic ability of OSCC cells in vivo. Additionally, the levels of miR-144-3p were negatively correlated with the expression status of endoplasmic reticulum oxidoreduction-1-like (ERO1L) in OSCC cell lines. Subsequently, we identified that ERO1L was a direct target of miR-144-3p. Intriguingly, we found that miR-144-3p downregulation of ERO1L inhibited the activity of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in OSCC cells. Therefore, miR-144-3p suppresses tumorigenesis by targeting ERO1L/STAT3 signaling pathway in OSCC. miR-144-3p may a candidate target for OSCC treatment.

MicroRNAs in Animal Models of HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Molecular heterogeneity and absence of biomarkers for patient allocation to the best therapeutic option contribute to poor prognosis of advanced stages. Aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is associated with HCC development and progression and influences drug resistance. Therefore, miRNAs have been assayed as putative biomarkers and therapeutic targets. miRNA-based therapeutic approaches demonstrated safety profiles and antitumor efficacy in HCC animal models; nevertheless, caution should be used when transferring preclinical findings to the clinics, due to possible molecular inconsistency between animal models and the heterogeneous pattern of the human disease. In this context, models with defined genetic and molecular backgrounds might help to identify novel therapeutic options for specific HCC subgroups. In this review, we describe rodent models of HCC, emphasizing their representativeness with the human pathology and their usefulness as preclinical tools for assessing miRNA-based therapeutic strategies.

Identifying miRNA-mRNA Pairs and Novel miRNAs from Hepatocelluar Carcinoma miRNomes and TCGA Database

Increasing evidence shows microRNAs (miRNAs) are engaged in hepatocelluar carcinoma (HCC). To identify novel feasible miRNA/mRNA pairs involved in hepatocarcinogenesis, an in-depth analysis of miRNomes in human non-tumor liver and HCC samples was carried out in this study. Firstly, differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained from deep sequencing of 15 liver samples, and verified in an independent data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Then, differentially expressed mRNA targets were selected from TCGA, and the differential miRNA/mRNA pairs with negative correlations were screened out. Finally, functional enrichment analysis was used to predict the functions of miRNA/mRNA pairs in HCC. In our study, 81 miRNA/mRNA pairs and 7 novel miRNAs were found. We constructed a hub interaction model with 9 miRNA/mRNA pairs to further investigate molecular mechanism of HCC. Survival analysis identified nine genes (hsa-miR-137, hsa-miR-490, BIRC5, TOP2A, CDC25C, IGF2BP1, IQGAP3, NCAPG and VIPR1) with significant influence on prognosis of HCC patients. In conclusion, the miRNA/mRNA pairs identified in our study may have some potential values to be further studied in progression, diagnosis and prognosis of HCC.

MicroRNA-144 inhibits cell proliferation, migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting CCNB1

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies with a high morbidity and mortality worldwide. MicroRNAs are key regulators of HCC genesis. However, the regulatory role and underlying mechanisms of microRNA in HCC is still limited.

Methods

Cyclin B1 (CCNB1) mRNA levels were examined in non-tumor and liver cancer of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) cohort. CCNB1 was knockdown to evaluate the HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. MicroRNA-144 targeting CCNB1 was identified with TargetScan analysis and confirmed with reporter assay. Overexpression of MicroRNA-144 was achieved using microRNA mimics and function of microRNA-144 was tested in vitro HCC cell line proliferation and in vivo tumor formation experiments.

Results

Here, we found that the high level expression of CCNB1 was closely associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. Knockdown of CCNB1 by RNA interference significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC. Furthermore, we found that miR-144 directly targeted CCNB1 and inhibited CCNB1 expression. Moreover, in vivo experiments of subcutaneous tumor formation further demonstrated that miR-144 delayed tumor formation by negative regulation of CCNB1.

Conclusion

Therefore, we conclude that microRNA-144/CCNB1 axis plays an important role in human HCC. Therapies targeting microRNA-144 could potentially improve HCC treatment.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12935-019-0729-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Loss of miR-144 signaling interrupts extracellular matrix remodeling after myocardial infarction leading to worsened cardiac function

We have previously shown that MicroRNA (miR) -144 is a key modulator of the acute cardioprotection associated with remote ischemic preconditioning and post myocardial infarction (MI) remodeling. In this study we examine the biology of the remodeling response after permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery in male miR-144 KO mice, and wild-type littermates (WT). Collagen content and cross linking were determined by hydroxyproline and pyridinoline assays, MI size and scar thickness were measured post PicoSirius Red staining, and cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography. miR-144 KO mice developed normally with normal cardiac function, however after MI, infarction size was greater and scar thickness was reduced in miR-144 KO mice compared with WT littermates. miR-144 KO mice had a lower incidence of acute cardiac rupture compared with WT littermates early after MI but there was impaired late remodeling, reflected by increased total cardiac collagen content and collagen cross-linkage associated with changes in Zeb1/LOX1 axis, and decreased left ventricular ejection fraction. We conclude that miR-144 is involved in extracellular matrix remodeling post MI and its loss leads to increased myocardial fibrosis and impaired functional recovery.

MicroRNA-18a promotes hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting Bcl2L10

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known to feature several microRNA dysregulations. This study aimed to determine and investigate the prognostic value of microRNA (miRNA/miR)-18a and its role in regulating the progression of HCC.

METHODS

miR-18a expressions in human HCC tissues, pair-matched adjacent normal liver tissues as well as in HCC cell lines were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The prognostic value of miR-18a was determined using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox regression assay. The ability of miR-18a in promoting HCC progression was verified in vitro.

RESULTS

miR-18a expressions in HCC tissues and cells were more than twice those of the normal control group (P<0.05). miR-18a expression was associated with the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, TNM stage, tumor size, and intrahepatic vascular invasion (P<0.05). Kaplan- Meier survival analysis revealed that HCC patients with high expression of miR-18a possessed a more unfavorable prognosis (log-rank P<0.001). Overexpression of miR-18a promoted cell apoptosis and proliferation, induced S phase transition, as well as enhanced the migration and invasion ability of HCC cells. miR-18a was found to directly target the downstream molecule Bcl2L10. Furthermore, overexpressing Bcl2L10 was able to partly reverse the promoting effects of miR-18a on HCC cell progression.

CONCLUSION

miR-18a may serve as a prognostic biomarker of HCC as it is demonstrated to carry out a decisive role in HCC progression by promoting HCC cell invasion, migration, and proliferation through targeting Bcl2L10.

Extracellular Vesicle-Associated mir-21 and mir-144 Are Markedly Elevated in Serum of Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Aim: The aim of this study was to observe the possible change of microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum extracellular vesicles (EVs) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.

Methods: The serum EVs were purified from 17 healthy donors, 16 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients and 24 HCC patients. The sequenced microRNAs in the purified EVs were analyzed to obtain highly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Finally, the expression pattern of DEGs was validated using qRT-PCR.

Results: We found that the expression of hsa-miR-21-5p and hsa-miR-144-3p were significantly higher in EVs and liver cancer tissues compared with serum and the distal liver tissues in HCC patients. The ratio of hsa-miR-144-3p/hsa-miR-21-5p was significantly decreased in the patients with CHB but significantly increased in patients with HCC developed from CHB (P < 0.05). Hsa-144-3p/hsa-miR-21-5p exhibited greater performance than alpha-fetoprotein (AUC 0.780, 95% CI 0.601–0.960, versus AUC 0.626, 95% CI 0.410–0.843) in ROC curve analysis.

Conclusion: Extracellular vesicle-associated hsa-miR-21-5p and hsa-miR-144-3p are markedly elevated in serum of patients with HCC. The potential role of these microRNAs in the pathogenesis of HCC is worth of further study.

Effects of miR-144 on the sensitivity of human anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells to cisplatin by autophagy regulation

BACKGROUND

We investigated the influence of miR-144 on the cisplatin-sensitivity of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) cells and explored the internal molecular mechanism of miR-144.

METHODS

Thyroid cancer cells ARO, TPC1 and normal thyroid cells HT-ori3 were used in this research. Expressions of miR-144 and TGF-α were uncovered by western blot and qRT-PCR. Expressions of autophagy-related protein LC3 II and apoptosis-related protein Caspase-3 and PARP were explored by western blot and immunofluorescence. Cell viability was detected by MTT assay and apoptosis condition was revealed by flow cytometric analysis and TUNEL staining. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was employed to verify the target relationship. Tissue sections were detected by IHC. Xenograft assay was conducted to further verify conclusions in vivo.

RESULTS

MiR-144, which was low expressed in ATC cells and tissues, could inhibit autophagy activation induced by cisplatin, enhancing the sensitivity of ATC cells to cisplatin, and promoting cell apoptosis. TGF-α was the target of miR-144 and was negatively regulated by it. MiR-144 could improve the sensitivity of ATC cells to cisplatin and inhibit tumor growth by suppressing TGF-α both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSION

MiR-144 could inhibit autophagy of ATC cells by down-regulating TGF-α, enhancing the cisplatin-sensitivity of ATC cells.

miR144-3p inhibits PMVECs excessive proliferation in angiogenesis of hepatopulmonary syndrome via Tie2

BACKGROUND/AIM

Increasing evidence show microRNAs (miRNAs) are associated with hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS). The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-144 in the angiogenesis of HPS, as well as to identify its underlying mechanism.

METHODS

The expression levels of miR-144-3p were assessed in pulmonary micro-vascular endothelial cells (PMVECs), as well as in lung tissues from rats with HPS. We predicted the potential target of miR-144-3p. Tyrosine kinase 2(Tie2) was identified as a target gene of miR144-3p, which has an essential role in the angiogenesis of lung vessel. In addition, the effects of miR-144-3p regulated on Tie2 was examined. The upregulation and down-regulation of miR-144-3p can affect the proliferation of PMVECs.

RESULTS

We found that the levels of miR-144-3p were frequently downregulated in HPS tissues and cell lines, and overexpression of miR-144-3p dramatically inhibited PMVECs proliferation and cell cycle. We further verified the Tie2 as a novel and direct target of miR-144-3p in HPS.

CONCLUSION

miR-144-3p can negatively regulate PMVECs proliferation by Tie2 expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-144-3p may prove beneficial as a therapeutic strategy for HPS treatment.

Over-expression of Thrombospondin 4 correlates with loss of miR-142 and contributes to migration and vascular invasion of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy found worldwide and is associated with a high incidence of metastasis and vascular invasion. Elucidating the molecular mechanisms that underlie HCC tumorigenesis and progression is necessary for the development of novel therapeutics. By analyzing the Cancer Genome Atlas Network (TCGA) dataset, we identified Thrombospondin 4 (THBS4) is significantly overexpressed in HCC samples and is correlated with prognosis. Overexpression of THBS4 was also highly correlated with vascular invasion of advanced HCC. While THBS4 is often overexpressed in HCC it has also been shown to inhibit tumor growth by mediating cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions. Here, we identified that knockdown of THBS4 inhibits migration and invasion of HCC cells and inhibits HCC induced angiogenesis. MiRNAs are crucial regulators of multiple cellular processes, and aberrant expression of miRNAs has been observed to effect cancer development and progression. We further found that miR-142 is an upstream regulator of THBS4 in HCC cells. Moreover, miR-142 was significantly down-regulated in HCC tissue samples and correlated with overexpression of THBS4. Overexpression of miR-142 inhibited invasion and angiogenesis of HCC cells and re-expression of THBS4 overcame these effects of miR-142 expression. Stable over-expression of miR-142 significantly inhibited tumour growth in a xenograft tumour model through inhibiting THBS4 expression and tumor angiogenesis. In conclusion, our findings indicate that loss of miR-142 results in the over-expression of THBS4, which enhances HCC migration and vascular invasion. Thus, targeting THBS4 or miR-142 may provide a promising therapeutic strategy for treatment of advanced HCC.

MiR-34a-3p alters proliferation and apoptosis of meningioma cells in vitro and is directly targeting SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2

Micro (mi)RNAs are short, noncoding RNAs and deregulation of miRNAs and their targets are implicated in tumor generation and progression in many cancers. Meningiomas are mostly benign, slow growing tumors of the central nervous system with a small percentage showing a malignant phenotype.

Following in silico prediction of potential targets of miR-34a-3p, SMAD4, FRAT1, and BCL2 have been confirmed as targets by dual luciferase assays with co-expression of miR-34a-3p and reporter gene constructs containing the respective 3'UTRs. Disruption of the miR-34a-3p binding sites in the 3'UTRs resulted in loss of responsiveness to miR-34a-3p overexpression. In meningioma cells, overexpression of miR-34a-3p resulted in decreased protein levels of SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2, while inhibition of miR-34a-3p led to increased levels of these proteins as confirmed by Western blotting. Furthermore, deregulation of miR-34a-3p altered cell proliferation and apoptosis of meningioma cells in vitro.

We show that SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2 are direct targets of miR-34a-3p and that deregulation of miR-34a-3p alters proliferation and apoptosis of meningioma cells in vitro. As part of their respective signaling pathways, which are known to play a role in meningioma genesis and progression, deregulation of SMAD4, FRAT1 and BCL2 might contribute to the aberrant activation of these signaling pathways leading to increased proliferation and inhibition of apoptosis in meningiomas.

Intravenous miR-144 inhibits tumor growth in diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in mice

Previous in vitro studies have demonstrated that miR-144 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. We have shown that miR-144, injected intravenously, is taken up by the liver and induces endogenous hepatic synthesis of miR-144. We hypothesized that administered miR-144 has tumor-suppressive effects on liver tumor development in vivo. The effects of miR-144 on tumorigenesis and tumor growth were tested in a diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma mouse model. MiR-144 injection had no effect on body weight but significantly reduced diethylnitrosamine-induced liver enlargement compared with scrambled microRNA. MiR-144 had no effect on diethylnitrosamine-induced liver tumor number but reduced the tumor size above 50%, as evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (scrambled microRNA 23.07 ± 5.67 vs miR-144 10.38 ± 2.62, p < 0.05) and histological analysis (scrambled microRNA 30.75 ± 5.41 vs miR-144 15.20 ± 3.41, p < 0.05). The levels of miR-144 was suppressed in tumor tissue compared with non-tumor tissue in all treatment groups (diethylnitrosamine-phosphate-buffered saline non-tumor 1.05 ± 0.09 vs tumor 0.54 ± 0.08, p < 0.01; diethylnitrosamine-scrambled microRNA non-tumor 1.23 ± 0.33 vs tumor 0.44 ± 0.10, p < 0.05; diethylnitrosamine-miR-144 non-tumor 54.72 ± 11.80 vs tumor 11.66 ± 2.75, p < 0.01), but injection of miR-144 greatly increased miR-144 levels both in tumor and non-tumor tissues. Mechanistic studies showed that miR-144 targets epidermal growth factor receptor and inhibits the downstream Src/AKT signaling pathway which has previously been implicated in hepatocellular carcinoma tumorigenesis. Exogenously delivered miR-144 may be a therapeutic strategy to suppress tumor growth in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Targeting epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity in cancer: clinical and preclinical advances in therapy and monitoring

The concept of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP), which describes the dynamic flux within the spectrum of phenotypic states that invasive carcinoma cells may reside, is being increasingly recognised for its role in cancer progression and therapy resistance. The myriad of events that are able to induce EMP, as well as the more recently characterised control loops, results in dynamic transitions of cancerous epithelial cells to more mesenchymal-like phenotypes through an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), as well as the reverse transition from mesenchymal phenotypes to an epithelial one. The significance of EMP, in its ability to drive local invasion, generate cancer stem cells and facilitate metastasis by the dissemination of circulating tumour cells (CTCs), highlights its importance as a targetable programme to combat cancer morbidity and mortality. The focus of this review is to consolidate the existing knowledge on the strategies currently in development to combat cancer progression via inhibition of specific facets of EMP. The prevalence of relapse due to therapy resistance and metastatic propensity that EMP endows should be considered when designing therapy regimes, and such therapies should synergise with existing chemotherapeutics to benefit efficacy. To further improve upon EMP-targeted therapies, it is imperative to devise monitoring strategies to assess the impact of such treatments on EMP-related phenomenon such as CTC burden, chemosensitivity/-resistance and micrometastasis in patients.

miRNAs in nutrition, obesity, and cancer: The biology of miRNAs in metabolic disorders and its relationship with cancer development

SCOPE

The scope of this review is to explain how metabolic disorders originated by a deficient nutrition can develop into a neoplastic process by the alteration of epigenetic mechanisms like miRNAs. Obesity is a proinflammatory state with a wide impact on health around the world that is associated with neoplastic diseases. Epigenetic mechanisms have a central role in the obesogenic environment, which participates on the development of comorbidities such as cancer.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We made an exhaustive review of the most recent reports about metabolic disorders with nutrition and their relationship with miRNAs, and their risk of developing into oncogenic processes. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as one of the major epigenetic mechanisms that can affect the metabolic reprogramming of cellular metabolism that plays an important role in the oncogenic process. There is evidence that some foods may contribute to diminishing the risk of cancer as well as epidemiological studies that support the notion that diets high in animal protein and fat promote cancer risk. Therefore, diets high in fruit and vegetables reduce the risk of cancer. One of the principal explanations is that these foods contain bioactive compounds that increase the efficacy of epigenetic mechanisms, which in turn decrease the risk of obesity and its comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

In this review, we show how miRNAs are implicated in several signaling pathways as well as illustrating some bioactive compounds that impact inflammation and cancer development.

A comprehensive insight into the clinicopathologic significance of miR-144-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Studies which focused on the character of miR-144-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are limited. This study aimed to explore the expression, clinical significance and the potential targets of miR-144-3p in HCC.

METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and a cohort of 95 cases of HCC were applied to investigate aberrant miR-144-3p expression in HCC. A meta-analysis was performed to accumulate data on miR-144-3p expression in HCC based on TCGA, quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Additionally, the potential regulatory mechanisms of miR-144-3p in HCC were explored by bioinformatics.

RESULTS

MiR-144-3p expression was downregulated distinctly in HCC compared to para-HCC tissue both in TCGA data (8.9139±1.5986 vs 10.7721±0.9156, P<0.001) and in our qRT-PCR validation (1.3208±0.7594 vs 2.6200±0.9263, P<0.001). The meta-analysis based on TCGA, qRT-PCR and GEO data confirmed a consistent result (standard mean difference =-0.854, 95% CI: -1.224 to -0.484, P<0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve of miR-144-3p gained a significant diagnostic value both in TCGA data (area under the curve [AUC] =0.852, 95% CI: 0.810 to 0.894, P<0.001) and in qRT-PCR validation (AUC =0.867, 95% CI: 0.817 to 0.916, P<0.001), especially in alpha-fetoprotein-negative HCC patients (AUC =0.900, 95% CI: 0.839 to 0.960, P<0.001). Furthermore, we identified 119 potential targets of miR-144-3p in HCC by bioinformatics. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses revealed that several significant biologic functions and pathways correlated with the pathogenesis of HCC, including the p53 signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

MiR-144-3p may function as a cancer suppressor microRNA, which is essential for HCC progression through the regulation of various signaling pathways. Thus, interactions with miR-144-3p may provide a novel treatment strategy for HCC in the future.