MicroRNA-22 targets FMNL2 to inhibit melanoma progression via the regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Aloe-emodin inhibits the proliferation, migration, and invasion of melanoma cells via inactivation of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Aloe-emodin is reported as a potential cancer therapeutic agent due to its inhibition of the proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells. This study aimed to confirm the effects of aloe-emodin on the progression of melanoma and identify the underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

The effects of aloe-emodin treatment (concentrations ranging from 0 to 25 µg, 48 h) on proliferation, apoptosis, distribution of cell cycle, migration, and invasion were detected by performing Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry, wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion experiments. Rescue experiments were carried out by overexpression of β-catenin to verify the role of β-catenin in the inhibition of melanoma by aloe-emodin. The analysis was carried out at the animal level by constructing tumor-bearing nude mice model.

RESULTS

The results showed that aloe-emodin prominently reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of melanoma cells. Additionally, it was found that aloe-emodin significantly enhanced the cell apoptosis and induced G2 phase arrest of melanoma cells via enhancing the expressions of cleaved-caspase3, bax, and reducing cyclinD1, c-myc, and bcl-2. In addition, aloe-emodin could also inhibit Wnt3a levels, and promote GSK3-beta and beta-catenin phosphorylation. In vivo experiments also showed that overexpression of beta-catenin reversed the effects of aloe-emodin on tumor growth.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, our findings indicated that aloe-emodin might prominently inhibit the tumor growth and metastasis of melanoma via the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway in vitro. Therefore, aloe-emodin may serve as a potential drug for the clinical treatment of melanoma.

MiR-466 Inhibits the Progression of Severe Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Regulating FMNL2-Mediated Activation of NF-κB and Wnt/β-Catenin Pathways

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has threatened the health of humans, and some evidence has indicated that miR-466 involves the progressions of some cancers. This study focused on the role of miR-466 in the formation and development of HCC. The expression levels of miR-466 in the tissues of patients and HCC cell lines were measured by qRT-PCR, and CCK-8, transwell assay, and flow cytometry assay were used to observe the functions of miR-466 on the HCC cells. Moreover, the miRNA databases, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and Western blot were used for the investigation of the regulation mechanism of miR-466 on HCC cells. The results showed that miR-466 was significantly downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and inhibited proliferation, invasion, and high apoptosis were found in HCC cells when miR-466 was overexpressed. The results confirmed that FMNL2 was a target of miR-466, and increased FMNL2 could reverse the effects of miR-466 on the phenotype of HCC cells. Besides, it was also found that miR-466 was involved in the regulation of NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways in HCC cells via targeting FMNL2. In conclusion, the results of this study suggest that miR-466 regulates the activities of NF-κB and Wnt/β-catenin pathways to inhibit the progression of HCC cells via targeting FMNL2.

MicroRNA Signature in Melanoma: Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets

Melanoma is the utmost fatal kind of skin neoplasms. Molecular changes occurring during the pathogenic processes of initiation and progression of melanoma are diverse and include activating mutations in BRAF and NRAS genes, hyper-activation of PI3K/AKT pathway, inactivation of p53 and alterations in CDK4/CDKN2A axis. Moreover, several miRNAs have been identified to be implicated in the biology of melanoma through modulation of expression of genes being involved in these pathways. In the current review, we provide a summary of the bulk of information about the role of miRNAs in the pathobiology of melanoma, their possible application as biomarkers and their emerging role as therapeutic targets for this kind of skin cancer.

MicroRNAs target the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway to regulate epithelial‑mesenchymal transition in cancer (Review)

Epithelial‑mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which cancer cells lose the epithelial phenotype and gain the mesenchymal phenotype, has been verified to result in tumor migration and invasion. Numerous studies have shown that dysregulation of the Wnt/β‑catenin signaling pathway gives rise to EMT, which is characterized by nuclear translocation of β‑catenin and E‑cadherin suppression. Wnt/β‑catenin signaling was confirmed to be affected by microRNAs (miRNAs), several of which are down‑ or upregulated in metastatic cancer cells, indicating their complex roles in Wnt/β‑catenin signaling. In this review, we demonstrated the targets of various miRNAs in altering Wnt/β‑catenin signaling to promote or inhibit EMT, which may elucidate the underlying mechanism of EMT regulation by miRNAs and provide evidence for potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of invasive tumors.

Innate and Adaptive Immunity Linked to Recognition of Antigens Shared by Neural Crest-Derived Tumors

In the adult, many embryologic processes can be co-opted by during cancer progression. The mechanisms of divisions, migration, and the ability to escape immunity recognition linked to specific embryo antigens are also expressed by malignant cells. In particular, cells derived from neural crests (NC) contribute to the development of multiple cell types including melanocytes, craniofacial cartilage, glia, neurons, peripheral and enteric nervous systems, and the adrenal medulla. This plastic performance is due to an accurate program of gene expression orchestrated with cellular/extracellular signals finalized to regulate long-distance migration, proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and survival. During neurulation, prior to initiating their migration, NC cells must undergo an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in which they alter their actin cytoskeleton, lose their cell–cell junctions, apicobasal polarity, and acquire a motile phenotype. Similarly, during the development of the tumors derived from neural crests, comprising a heterogeneous group of neoplasms (Neural crest-derived tumors (NCDTs)), a group of genes responsible for the EMT pathway is activated. Here, retracing the molecular pathways performed by pluripotent cells at the boundary between neural and non-neural ectoderm in relation to the natural history of NCDT, points of contact or interposition are highlighted to better explain the intricate interplay between cancer cells and the innate and adaptive immune response.