miR-486 inhibited osteosarcoma cells invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting PIM1

Exosome‑delivered miR‑486‑3p inhibits the progression of osteosarcoma via sponging CircKEAP1/MARCH1 axis components

Accumulating evidence shows that the disruption of competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks plays a significant role in osteosarcoma (OS) initiation and progression. However, the specific roles and functions of the ceRNAs in OS remain unclear. First, differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs) were identified by mining the E-MTAB-1136 and GSE28423 datasets. MiRWalk website was used to predict the target gene of miRNA. OS-associated circular RNA (circRNA) expression profiles were downloaded from the published microarray databases. Gene expression levels were assessed through reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting. The biological effects of circKEAP1, microRNA (miR)-486-3p and membrane-associated RINGCH finger protein 1 (MARCH1) in OS cells were investigated using Cell Counting Kit-8, Transwell, colony formation and wound healing assays. miR-486-3p was aberrantly downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines and was packed with exosomes. miR-486-3p overexpression was shown to inhibit OS cell progression and promoted cell cycle arrest in vitro. In addition, MARCH1 was identified as a direct downstream molecule of miR-486-3p in OS cells. circKEAP1 was found to be upregulated in OS tissues and cells. circKEAP1 was found to have binding sites with miR-486-3p. Mechanistically, circKEAP1 positively regulated MARCH1 expression by sponging miR-486-3p. Exosomal miR-486-3p inhibited the progression of OS by sponging the circKEAP1/MARCH1 axis. These findings may provide a promising treatment approach for OS.

Targeting BET Proteins Downregulates miR-33a To Promote Synergy with PIM Inhibitors in CMML

PURPOSE

Preclinical studies in myeloid neoplasms have demonstrated efficacy of bromodomain and extra-terminal protein inhibitors (BETi). However, BETi demonstrates poor single-agent activity in clinical trials. Several studies suggest that combination with other anticancer inhibitors may enhance the efficacy of BETi.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

To nominate BETi combination therapies for myeloid neoplasms, we used a chemical screen with therapies currently in clinical cancer development and validated this screen using a panel of myeloid cell line, heterotopic cell line models, and patient-derived xenograft models of disease. We used standard protein and RNA assays to determine the mechanism responsible for synergy in our disease models.

RESULTS

We identified PIM inhibitors (PIMi) as therapeutically synergistic with BETi in myeloid leukemia models. Mechanistically, we show that PIM kinase is increased after BETi treatment, and that PIM kinase upregulation is sufficient to induce persistence to BETi and sensitize cells to PIMi. Furthermore, we demonstrate that miR-33a downregulation is the underlying mechanism driving PIM1 upregulation. We also show that GM-CSF hypersensitivity, a hallmark of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), represents a molecular signature for sensitivity to combination therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Inhibition of PIM kinases is a potential novel strategy for overcoming BETi persistence in myeloid neoplasms. Our data support further clinical investigation of this combination.

Regulation of the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Osteosarcoma

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that has been linked to the promotion of aggressive cellular features in many cancer types. It is characterized by the loss of the epithelial cell phenotype and a shift to a more mesenchymal phenotype and is accompanied by an associated change in cell markers. EMT is highly complex and regulated via multiple signaling pathways. While the importance of EMT is classically described for carcinomas-cancers of epithelial origin-it has also been clearly demonstrated in non-epithelial cancers, including osteosarcoma (OS), a primary bone cancer predominantly affecting children and young adults. Recent studies examining EMT in OS have highlighted regulatory roles for multiple proteins, non-coding nucleic acids, and components of the tumor micro-environment. This review serves to summarize these experimental findings, identify key families of regulatory molecules, and identify potential therapeutic targets specific to the EMT process in OS.

Circ_CSPP1 Regulates the Development of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer via the miR-486-3p/BRD9 Axis

In this study, we explored the role of circ_CSPP1 in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using NSCLC cell lines (A549 and H1299) and human bronchial epithelioid cells (16HBE). The differential expression of circ_CSPP1, miR-486-3p and BRD9 in NSCLC by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot in A549 cells, H1299 cells, 16HBE cells, NSCLC tissues and healthy lung tissues. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify the interaction between circ_CSPP1 and miR-486-3p or miR-486-3p and BRD9. The effect of circ_CSPP1/miR-486-3p/BRD9 axis on NSCLC cell proliferation was evaluated using cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine assay. Additionally, transwell assays were performed to evaluate the effect of circ_CSPP1/miR-486-3p/BRD9 axis on A549 and H1299 cell migration and invasion. The effect of circ_CSPP1 on tumor tumorigenesis of A549 cells in vivo was determined by xenograft tumor model and immunohistochemistry assay. Circ_CSPP1 and BRD9 expression were upregulated, while miR-486-3p expression was downregulated in tumor tissues of NSCCL patients and A549 and H1299 cells. Circ_CSPP1 specifically bound miR-486-3p, and miR-486-3p could target BRD9. Circ_CSPP1 upregulation promoted proliferation, invasion and migration of NSCLC cells, circ_CSPP1 knockdown or miR-486-3p upregulation had the opposite effects. Circ_CSPP1 knockdown-induced effects were reverted by miR-486-3p inhibition. Similarly, the effects of miR-486-3p upregulation on NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion and migration were reversed by BRD9 overexpression. In addition, circ_CSPP1 silencing inhibited tumor growth in nude mice. Circ_CSPP1 promoted A549 and H1299 cell malignancy by competitively inhibiting BRD9 and binding to miR-486-3p.

The Role of PIM Kinases in Pediatric Solid Tumors

PIM kinases have been identified as potential therapeutic targets in several malignancies. Here, we provide an in-depth review of PIM kinases, including their structure, expression, activity, regulation, and role in pediatric carcinogenesis. Also included is a brief summary of the currently available pharmaceutical agents targeting PIM kinases and existing clinical trials.

EBF1-mediated up-regulation of lncRNA FGD5-AS1 facilitates osteosarcoma progression by regulating miR-124-3p/G3BP2 axis as a ceRNA

Background

As a skeletal malignancy, osteosarcoma has high incidence among primary malignant bone tumors. With increasing researches on molecules which mediate cancer progression, molecular mechanism has gradually become the pivot of osteosarcoma research and treatment.

Aim

Our study aimed at investigating the function of G3BP stress granule assembly factor 2 (G3BP2), which is an oncogene for breast cancer (BC) and prostate cancer but remains unknown in osteosarcoma cells.

Methods

Related gene expression was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Functional assays including immunofluorescence (IF), colony formation, transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) as well as transwell assays were utilized to test the cell biological process caused by the genes. Meanwhile, RNA pull-down assay, along with luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays, was utilized to detect the interaction G3BP2, miR-124-3p and FGD5 antisense RNA 1 (FGD5-AS1) may exert on the regulation of osteosarcoma cells.

Results

G3BP2 was with high expression in osteosarcoma cells, and it aggravated the malignant cell behaviors in osteosarcoma. Additionally, miR-124-3p was verified to negatively regulate G3BP2 expression in osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, lncRNA FGD5-AS1 was predicted and testified to be the sponge of miR-124-3p and modulated G3BP2 expression positively. Subsequently, FGA5-AS1 accelerated osteosarcoma cell proliferation through up-regulating G3BP2. Furthermore, we identified EBF transcription factor 1 (EBF1) as the transcription factor for FGA5-AS1, and EBF1 served as a tumor facilitator in osteosarcoma cells.

Conclusion

EBF1 induced-FGA5-AS1 aggravated osteosarcoma cell malignancy by targeting miR-124-3p and G3BP2.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13018-022-03181-7.

miR-486-5p expression is regulated by DNA methylation in osteosarcoma

Background

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant tumour of bone occurring in children and young adolescents and is characterised by complex genetic and epigenetic changes. The miRNA miR-486-5p has been shown to be downregulated in osteosarcoma and in cancer in general.

Results

To investigate if the mir-486 locus is epigenetically regulated, we integrated DNA methylation and miR-486-5p expression data using cohorts of osteosarcoma cell lines and patient samples. A CpG island in the promoter of the ANK1 host gene of mir-486 was shown to be highly methylated in osteosarcoma cell lines as determined by methylation-specific PCR and direct bisulfite sequencing. High methylation levels were seen for osteosarcoma patient samples, xenografts and cell lines based on quantitative methylation-specific PCR. 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment of osteosarcoma cell lines caused induction of miR-486-5p and ANK1, indicating common epigenetic regulation in osteosarcoma cell lines. When overexpressed, miR-486-5p affected cell morphology.

Conclusions

miR-486-5p represents a highly cancer relevant, epigenetically regulated miRNA in osteosarcoma, and this knowledge contributes to the understanding of osteosarcoma biology.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12864-022-08346-6.

Advances in the Biological Functions and Mechanisms of miRNAs in the Development of Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most common primary malignant bone tumors, mainly occurring in children and adolescents, and is characterized by high morbidity and poor prognosis. MicroRNAs, a class of noncoding RNAs consisting of 19 to 25 nucleotides, are involved in cell proliferation, invasion, metastasis, and apoptosis to regulate the development and progression of osteosarcoma. Studies have found that microRNAs are closely related to the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of osteosarcoma patients and have an important role in improving drug resistance in osteosarcoma. This paper reviews the role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma and their clinical value, aiming to provide a new research direction for diagnosing and treating osteosarcoma and achieving a better prognosis.

Clinical Significance of Pim-1 in Human Cancers: A Meta-analysis of Association with Prognosis and Clinicopathological Characteristics

Background

Pim-1 is overexpressed in cancer tissues and plays a vital role in carcinogenesis. However, its clinical significance in cancers is not fully verified by meta-analysis, especially in relation to prognosis and clinicopathological features.

Methods

Four databases, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science, were searched. Literature screening and data extraction according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of the included literatures was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale and the data analysis was performed using STATA and Review Manager software.

Results

15 articles were finally included for meta-analysis, involving 1651 patients. Effect-size pooling analysis showed that high Pim-1 was related to poor overall survival (OS) (HR 1.68 [95% CI 1.17-2.40], P = .004) and disease-free survival (DFS) (HR 2.15 [95 %CI 1.15-4.01], P = .000). Subgroup analysis indicated that the detection techniques of Pim-1 were the main sources of heterogeneity, and 2 literatures using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for Pim-1mRNA had high homogeneity (I² = .0%, P = .321) in OS. Another 13 studies that applied immunohistochemistry (IHC) for Pim-1 protein had significant heterogeneity (I²=82.2%, P = .000; I²=92%, P = .000) in OS and DFS, respectively, and further analysis demonstrated that ethnicity, sample size, and histopathological origin were considered to be the main factors affecting their heterogeneity. In addition, high Pim-1 was associated with lymph node metastasis (OR 1.40 [95% CI 1.02-1.92], P = .04), distant metastasis (OR 2.69 [95%CI 1.67-4.35], P < .0001), and clinical stage III-IV (OR .7 [95% CI .50-.96, P = .03). Sensitivity analysis suggested that the pooled results of each effect-size were stable and reliable, and there was no significant publication bias (P = .138) in all included articles.

Conclusion

High Pim-1 can not only predict poor OS and DFS of cancer, but also help to infer the malignant clinical characteristics of tumor metastasis. Pim-1 may be a potential and promising biomarker for early diagnosis, prognostic analysis and targeted therapy of tumors.

Ventilagolin Suppresses Migration, Invasion and Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Downregulating Pim-1

Objective

Inhibition of tumor metastasis is a useful strategy to improve the efficacy of cancer therapy. Ventilagolin, a natural 1, 4-naphthoquinone derivative extracted from Ventilago leiocarpa Benth, has shown promising antitumor effects in previous studies. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of Ventilagolin against migration, invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. The present study has examined these effects and determined whether the proto-oncogene Pim-1 is involved.

Methods

The effects of Ventilagolin on migration, invasion, Pim-1 and EMT-related proteins (eg, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, Vimentin) expression were assessed by scratch wound healing, Transwell, qRT-PCR and Western blot assays, respectively. Pim-1 stably overexpressed HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells were generated to explore whether Ventilagolin inhibited migration, invasion and EMT of HCC cells via regulating Pim-1. Subcutaneous xenograft tumor model in nude mice was established. Histopathological changes of tumor tissues were examined by H&E staining and expressions of Pim-1 and EMT-related proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry.

Results

Ventilagolin significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the expression of Pim-1 levels in HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells. Compared with the control group, the migration and invasion abilities of Pim-1-overexpressing HepG2 and SMMC-7721 cells were significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) enhanced, the expression of E-cadherin was decreased (P < 0.01), and the levels of N-cadherin and Vimentin were upregulated (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Ventilagolin treatment effectively reversed these effects of Pim-1 overexpression. In vivo experiments showed that Ventilagolin could effectively suppress HCC tumor growth, downregulate Pim-1, N-cadherin and Vimentin expression, and upregulate E-cadherin expression.

Conclusion

Ventilagolin suppresses HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion and reverses EMT process by downregulating Pim-1, suggesting Ventilagolin is a potential therapeutic agent for treatment of HCC.

Role of FUS-CHOP in Myxoid Liposarcoma via miR-486/CDK4 Axis

This study aimed to explore the roles and relationship between FUsed in Sarcoma (FUS)-C/EBP HOmologous Protein (CHOP), microRNA (miR)-486 and cyclin dependent kinase 4 (CDK4) in myxoid liposarcoma, and determined whether FUS-CHOP can regulate proliferation and apoptosis of myxoid liposarcoma cells by regulating miR-486/CDK4 axis. The levels of miR-486, CDK4 and FUS-CHOP in myxoid liposarcoma samples/adjacent normal muscle tissues and myxoid liposarcoma/human adipose-derived stem cell line were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were performed using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide and flow cytometry, respectively. Furthermore, the apoptosis-related proteins were determined using Western blot assay. We found that miR-486 was down-regulated, FUS-CHOP and CDK4 were up-regulated in myxoid liposarcoma tissues and myxoid liposarcoma cell lines. Moreover, FUS-CHOP-siRNA distinctly suppressed FUS-CHOP level and increased miR-486 levels in 1955/91 cells. Our results demonstrated that knockdown of FUS-CHOP by siRNA inhibited 1955/91 growth, promoted cell apoptosis and enhanced cleaved Caspase3 protein expression. However, all these data were reversed by miR-486 inhibitor. Similarly, compared to mimic control, miR-486 mimic markedly reduced 1955/91 cells growth, induced cell apoptosis and fortified cleaved Caspase3 level, while these results were abolished by CDK4-plasmid. Collectively, our observations clearly suggested that FUS-CHOP regulated myxoid liposarcoma cell proliferation and apoptosis by the regulation of miR-486/CDK4 axis, indicating the potential use of FUS-CHOP-siRNA as a promising therapy for myxoid liposarcoma.

miRNA-221-3p derived from M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophage exosomes aggravates the growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma through SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 axis

Background: Enhanced infiltration of M2-polarized tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) is linked to osteosarcoma (OS) metastasis and growth. Here, we aim to explore a novel miR-221-3p shuttled by M2-TAM exosomes in the growth and metastasis of OS cells.

Methods: THP-1 monocytes-derived M2-TAMs were induced by PMA/interleukin (IL)-4/IL-13 and then co-cultured with OS 143B and Saos2 cells. Overexpression or downregulation models of miR-221-3p were conducted to probe the impacts of exosome-derived M2-TAMs in OS cells. OS cell proliferative ability, colony formation, invasion, migration and apoptotic level were measured by the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, colony formation, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. Moreover, the SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 axis in OS cells was testified by western blot, and a dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to confirm the link between miR-221-3p and SOCS3.

Results: OS cells enhanced M2 polarization of TAMs, which significantly promoted OS cells’ viability, colony formation, migration, invasion, and reduced apoptosis. Moreover, the exosomes enriched by miR-221-3p from M2-polarized TAMs (M2-TAMs) also aggravated the malignant behaviors of OS cells. However, down-regulation of miR-221-3p brought about contrary results. Further, in-vivo tests uncovered that overexpressing miR-221-3p enhanced OS cells’ growth. Mechanistically, SOCS3 was a downstream target of miR-221-3p, and up-regulation of miR-221-3p choked SOCS3 and activated JAK2/STAT3. However, the pharmacological intervention of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway obviously inhibited the malignant behaviors of OS cells, which were significantly reversed by miR-221-3p up-regulation.

Conclusion: The exosomal miR-221-3p derived from M2-TAMs aggravates OS progression via modulating the SOCS3/JAK2/STAT3 axis.

Unraveling the roles of miRNAs in regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most prevalent primary bone tumors with a high metastatic and recurrence rate with poor prognosis. MiRNAs are short and non-coding RNAs that could regulate various cellular activities and one of them is the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Osteosarcoma cells that have undergone EMT would lose their cellular polarity and acquire invasive and metastatic characteristics. Our literature search showed that many pre-clinical and clinical studies have reported the roles of miRNAs in modulating the EMT process in osteosarcoma and compared to other cancers like breast cancer, there is a lack of review article which effectively summarizes the various roles of EMT-regulating miRNAs in osteosarcoma. This review, therefore, was aimed to discuss and summarize the EMT-promoting and EMT-suppressing roles of different miRNAs in osteosarcoma. The review would begin with the discussion on the concepts and principles of EMT, followed by the exploration of the diverse roles of EMT-regulating miRNAs in osteosarcoma. Subsequently, the potential use of miRNAs as prognostic biomarkers in osteosarcoma to predict the likelihood of metastases and as therapeutic agents would be discussed.

Overexpression of microRNA‑486 affects the proliferation and chemosensitivity of mesothelioma cell lines by targeting PIM1

Dysregulated levels of microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), involved in oncogenic pathways, have been proposed to contribute to the aggressiveness of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM). Previous studies have highlighted the downregulation of miRNA miR-486-5p in patients with mesothelioma and the introduction of miRNA mimics to restore their reduced or absent functionality in cancer cells is considered an important therapeutic strategy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the mechanisms through which miRNAs may influence the functions, proliferation and sensitivity to cisplatin of MPM cells. In the present study, a miR-486-5p mimic was transfected into the H2052 and H28 MPM cell lines, and cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis and mitochondrial membrane potential were monitored. miR-486-5p overexpression led to a clear impairment of cell proliferation, targeting CDK4 and attenuating cell cycle progression. In addition, transfection with miR-486-5p mimic negatively regulated the release of inflammatory factors and the expression of Provirus integration site for Moloney murine leukaemia virus 1 (PIM1). The sensitivity of the cells to cisplatin was enhanced by enhancing the apoptotic effects of the drug and impairing mitochondrial function. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that miR-486-5p may play an important role in MPM treatment by targeting multiple pathways involved in tumour development and progression. These activities may be mostly related to the downregulation of PIM1, a crucial regulator of cell survival and proliferation. Furthermore, these results provide support for the combined use of miR-486-5p with chemotherapy as a therapeutic strategy for MPM.

LncRNA SNHG16 promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition by upregulating ITGA6 through miR-488 inhibition in osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND

Osteosarcoma is a primary cause of cancer-associated death in children and adolescents worldwide. Long non-coding RNAs SNHG16 (lncRNA SNHG16) and integrin subunit-a 6 (ITGA6) are recently reported to be involved in the tumorigenesis of osteosarcoma by multiple mechanisms. However, the correlation between SNHG16 and ITGA6 in osteosarcoma remains undetermined.

METHODS

Expression of miR-488, SNHG16 and ITGA6, as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated markers in osteosarcoma tissues and cell lines were examined by qRT-PCR or Western blotting. Effects of miR-488, SNHG16 and ITGA6 on cell migration, invasion were evaluated by wound-healing assay and transwell assay. Bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reported assays were applied to assess the interaction among miR-488, SNHG16 and ITGA6. RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) was also used to verify SNHG16 and miR-488 interaction. Finally, animal study was used to detect the effect of SNHG16 on osteosarcoma in vivo.

RESULTS

SNHG16 and ITGA6 were significantly increased while miR-488 was decreased in osteosarcoma. ITGA6 was screened as a target gene of miR-488, and SNHG16 was sponged by miR-488 in osteosarcoma cells. MiR-488 overexpression and SNHG16 knockdown suppressed migration, invasion and EMT of osteosarcoma cells. Moreover, rescue assays proved that the influences of SNHG16 on osteosarcoma cells migration, invasion and EMT were dependent on miR-488 and ITGA6. In addition, the promotive effects of SNHG16 on osteosarcoma tumor growth and metastasis were further supported by xenograft tumor growth assay.

CONCLUSION

SNHG16 promoted migration, invasion and EMT of osteosarcoma by sponging miR-488 to release ITGA6.

Design and synthesis of a novel mitochondria-targeted osteosarcoma theranostic agent based on a PIM1 kinase inhibitor

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignancy of the skeletal system, with a poor prognosis and high rate of recurrence. Adequate surgical margin and adjuvant chemotherapy improve the overall survival and limb salvage rate of osteosarcoma patients. Previous studies have showed that OS exhibits an increase in the expression of proviral integration site for Moloney murine leukemia virus 1 (PIM1) kinase, and high levels of PIM1 are also associated with poor OS prognosis and metastasis. We exploited the overexpression of proto-oncogenic PIM1 in OS towards the development of a novel near-infrared imaging and targeted therapeutic agent, namely QCAi-Cy7d by conjugating a PIM1 small molecule inhibitor and heptamethine cyanine dye, for simultaneous guiding surgery and chemotherapy. QCAi-Cy7d showed targeted imaging and anticancer activities against OS in vitro and vivo without any obvious toxicity, and its antitumoral activity was much greater than the parent PIMI inhibitor. These results demonstrated the potential of new conjugate of PIM1 inhibitor and near-infrared imaging, supporting structure-based design and development of theranostic agents for precise tumor imaging and targeted treatment.

miR-486 is involved in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia by regulating JAK-STAT signaling

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a widely prevalent disease worldwide and poses a large threat to public health. Previous studies have shown that AML is associated with cytogenetic heterogeneity, complex subtypes, and different therapeutic approaches. In this study, we found that miR-486 was upregulated in AML using both The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and patient tissues. After knockdown of miR-486 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA), we discovered that miR-486 was required for cell proliferation. Through miRNA profile analysis and a dual-luciferase reporter assay, suppressor of cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2) was identified as a direct target of miR-486. Therefore, by silencing SOCS2, a negative regulator of the Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway, miR-486 enhanced JAK-STAT3 activity and promoted cell proliferation. The miR-486-SOCS2-STAT3 proliferation axis is therefore involved in the pathogenesis of AML, providing a novel molecular mechanism and diagnostic and therapeutic clues for AML.

miR‑486 acts as an oncogene and potential prognostic biomarker in renal cell carcinoma

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are well established key players in tumorigenesis. Their emergence as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer has demonstrated the importance of miRNAs in cancer biology. Although miR‑486 is implicated in many types of cancer, its role in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) remains undetermined. In the present study, real‑time quantitative PCR (qPCR), wound scratch assay, cell proliferation assay, Transwell migration assay and flow cytometry were utilized to detect the miR‑486 transcript and its role in proliferation, migration and apoptosis in RCC. The relationship between miR‑486 expression and clinicopathological variables or overall survival was analyzed using 96 formalin‑fixed paraffin‑embedded (FFPE) RCC samples. The results of the present study revealed significant upregulation of miR‑486 in RCC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, ectopic expression of miR‑486 promoted cell proliferation, mobility and inhibited apoptosis in 786‑O and ACHN cell lines. In addition, the Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that patients with low expression of miR‑486 exhibited a markedly longer overall survival in the univariate and multivariate analyses. In conclusion, our findings indicate that miR‑486 may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker but may also be applied as a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of RCC.