Long Noncoding RNA LINC01134 Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Metastasis via Activating AKT1S1 and NF-κB Signaling

LINC01134: a pivotal oncogene with promising predictive maker and therapeutic target in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) represents a leading and fatal malignancy within the gastrointestinal tract. Recent advancements highlight the pivotal role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in diverse biological pathways and pathologies, particularly in tumorigenesis. LINC01134, a particular lncRNA, has attracted considerable attention due to its oncogenic potential in hepatoma. Current research underscores LINC01134's potential in augmenting the onset and progression of HCC, with notable implications in drug resistance. This review comprehensively explores the molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of LINC01134 in HCC, offering a fresh perspective for therapeutic interventions. By delving into LINC01134's multifaceted roles, we aim to foster novel strategies in HCC management.

Extracellular vesicle small RNA cargo discriminates non-cancer donors from pediatric B-lymphoblastic leukemia patients

Pediatric B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is a disease of abnormally growing B lymphoblasts. Here we hypothesized that extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are nanosized particles released by all cells (including cancer cells), could be used to monitor B-ALL severity and progression by sampling plasma instead of bone marrow. EVs are especially attractive as they are present throughout the circulation regardless of the location of the originating cell. First, we used nanoparticle tracking analysis to compare EVs between non-cancer donor (NCD) and B-ALL blood plasma; we found that B-ALL plasma contains more EVs than NCD plasma. We then isolated EVs from NCD and pediatric B-ALL peripheral blood plasma using a synthetic peptide-based isolation technique (Vn96), which is clinically amenable and isolates a broad spectrum of EVs. RNA-seq analysis of small RNAs contained within the isolated EVs revealed a signature of differentially packaged and exclusively packaged RNAs that distinguish NCD from B-ALL. The plasma EVs contain a heterogenous mixture of miRNAs and fragments of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA). Transcripts packaged in B-ALL EVs include those involved in negative cell cycle regulation, potentially suggesting that B-ALL cells may use EVs to discard gene sequences that control growth. In contrast, NCD EVs carry sequences representative of multiple organs, including brain, muscle, and epithelial cells. This signature could potentially be used to monitor B-ALL disease burden in pediatric B-ALL patients via blood draws instead of invasive bone marrow aspirates.

FTO-mediated LINC01134 stabilization to promote chemoresistance through miR-140-3p/WNT5A/WNT pathway in PDAC

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive cancer most frequently detected at an advanced stage that limits treatment options to systemic chemotherapy, which has provided only marginal positive clinical outcomes. Currently, the first-line chemotherapeutic agent for PDAC is gemcitabine (GEM). However, the chemotherapy resistance to GEM is often overlooked in the clinical treatment of PDAC due to the lack of effective biological markers. Therefore, it is crucial to find new prognostic markers and therapeutic targets for patients with PDAC. In this study, we identified a novel regulatory mechanism in the development of resistance to GEM in PDAC. Here, we report that LINC01134 was significantly upregulated in primary tumors from PDAC patients. In vitro and in vivo functional studies revealed that LINC01134 promotes PDAC resistance to GEM through facilitating stem cell features and modulating the cell cycle. Mechanistically, LINC01134 interactes with tumor suppressor miR-497-5p in PDAC cells. Increased LINC01134 downregulates miR-140-3p to promotes the oncogenic WNT5A expression. Moreover, m6A demethylase FTO participated in the upregulation of LINC01134 by maintaining LINC01134 mRNA stability through YTHDF2. Taken together, the present study suggested FTO-mediated LINC01134 stabilization to promote chemotherapy resistance to GEM through miR-140-3p/WNT5A/WNT pathway in PDAC. Our study identified new prognostic markers and new therapeutic targets for patients with PDAC.

Differentially expressed non-coding RNAs and their regulatory networks in liver cancer

The vast majority of human transcriptome is represented by various types of small RNAs with little or no protein-coding capability referred to as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). Functional ncRNAs include microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are expressed at very low, but stable and reproducible levels in a variety of cell types. ncRNAs regulate gene expression due to miRNA capability of complementary base pairing with mRNAs, whereas lncRNAs and circRNAs can sponge miRNAs off their target mRNAs to act as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). Each miRNA can target multiple mRNAs and a single mRNA can interact with several miRNAs, thereby creating miRNA-mRNA, lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA, and circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks. Over the past few years, a variety of differentially expressed miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs (DEMs, DELs, and DECs, respectively) have been linked to cancer pathogenesis. They can exert both oncogenic and tumor suppressor roles. In this review, we discuss the recent advancements in uncovering the roles of DEMs, DELs, and DECs and their networks in aberrant cell signaling, cell cycle, transcription, angiogenesis, and apoptosis, as well as tumor microenvironment remodeling and metabolic reprogramming during hepatocarcinogenesis. We highlight the potential and challenges in the use of differentially expressed ncRNAs as biomarkers for liver cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Multifaceted role of NF-κB in hepatocellular carcinoma therapy: Molecular landscape, therapeutic compounds and nanomaterial approaches

The predominant kind of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that its treatment have been troublesome difficulties for physicians due to aggressive behavior of tumor cells in proliferation and metastasis. Moreover, stemness of HCC cells can result in tumor recurrence and angiogenesis occurs. Another problem is development of resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy in HCC cells. Genomic mutations participate in malignant behavior of HCC and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) has been one of the oncogenic factors in different human cancers that after nuclear translocation, it binds to promoter of genes in regulating their expression. Overexpression of NF-κB has been well-documented in increasing proliferation and invasion of tumor cells and notably, when its expression enhances, it induces chemoresistance and radio-resistance. Highlighting function of NF-κB in HCC can shed some light on the pathways regulating progression of tumor cells. The first aspect is proliferation acceleration and apoptosis inhibition in HCC cells mediated by enhancement in expression level of NF-κB. Moreover, NF-κB is able to enhance invasion of HCC cells via upregulation of MMPs and EMT, and it triggers angiogenesis as another step for increasing spread of tumor cells in tissues and organs. When NF-κB expression enhances, it stimulates chemoresistance and radio-resistance in HCC cells and by increasing stemness and population of cancer-stem cells, it can provide the way for recurrence of tumor. Overexpression of NF-κB mediates therapy resistance in HCC cells and it can be regulated by non-coding RNAs in HCC. Moreover, inhibition of NF-κB by anti-cancer and epigenetic drugs suppresses HCC tumorigenesis. More importantly, nanoparticles are considered for suppressing NF-κB axis in cancer and their prospectives and results can also be utilized for treatment of HCC. Nanomaterials are promising factors in treatment of HCC and by delivery of genes and drugs, they suppress HCC progression. Furthermore, nanomaterials provide phototherapy in HCC ablation.

Therapeutic Potential of 5'-Methylschweinfurthin G in Merkel Cell Polyomavirus-Positive Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive form of skin cancer predominantly caused by the human Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV). Treatment for MCC includes excision and radiotherapy of local disease, and chemotherapy or immunotherapy for metastatic disease. The schweinfurthin family of natural compounds previously displayed potent and selective growth inhibitory activity against the NCI-60 panel of human-derived cancer cell lines. Here, we investigated the impact of schweinfurthin on human MCC cell lines. Treatment with the schweinfurthin analog, 5'-methylschweinfurth G (MeSG also known as TTI-3114), impaired metabolic activity through induction of an apoptotic pathway. MeSG also selectively inhibited PI3K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways in the MCPyV-positive MCC cell line, MS-1. Interestingly, expression of the MCPyV small T (sT) oncogene selectively sensitizes mouse embryonic fibroblasts to MeSG. These results suggest that the schweinfurthin family of compounds display promising potential as a novel therapeutic option for virus-induced MCCs.

Silenced LINC01134 Enhances Oxaliplatin Sensitivity by Facilitating Ferroptosis Through GPX4 in Hepatocarcinoma

Purpose

Recently, long noncoding RNA LINC01134 has been shown to reduce cell viability and apoptosis via the antioxidant stress pathway, thereby enhancing OXA resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the association of LINC01134 with ferroptosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was employed to screen lncRNAs positively correlated with GPX4 and poor clinical prognosis. And Western blot and RT-PCR analysis in HCC cells confirmed the effect of LINC01134 on GPX4 expression. In addition, LINC01134 siRNA was transfected in HCC cells to detect the changes in cell viability, ROS, lipid peroxidation, MDA levels and GSH/GSSG levels. CCK-8, colony formation and apoptosis assays were performed to determine the effect of LINC01134 on cell death. The effect of LINC01134 and OXA on Nrf2 transcriptional binding to GPX4 was analyzed using dual luciferase reporter assay and CHIP. The expression of GPX4 and Nrf2 in HCC tissues was detected by FISH and IHC.

Results

LINC01134 is a novel lncRNA positively correlated with GPx4 and associated with poor clinical prognosis. Silenced LINC01134 conferred OXA sensitivity by enhancing total ROS, lipid ROS, MDA levels and decreasing GSH/GSSG ratio. Mechanistically, LINC01134 and OXA could promote Nrf2 recruitment to the GPX4 promoter region to exert transcriptional regulation of GPX4. Clinically, LINC01134 was positively correlated with GPX4 or Nrf2, demonstrating the clinical significance of LINC01134, Nrf2 and GPX4 in OXA resistance of HCC.

Conclusions

We identified LINC01134/Nrf2/GPX4 as a novel and critical axis to regulate HCC growth and progression. Targeting GPX4, knocking down LINC01134 or Nrf2 could be a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC.

Establishment of a lncRNA-Based Prognostic Gene Signature Associated With Altered Immune Responses in HCC

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with higher mortality, and means are urgently needed to improve the prognosis. T cell exclusion (TCE) plays a pivotal role in immune evasion, and lncRNAs represent a large group of tumor development and progression modulators. Using the TCGA HCC dataset (n=374), we identified 2752 differentially expressed and 702 TCE-associated lncRNAs, of which 336 were in both groups. As identified using the univariate Cox regression analysis, those associated with overall survival (OS) were subjected to the LASSO-COX regression analysis to develop a prognosis signature. The model, which consisted of 11 lncRNAs and was named 11LNCPS for 11-lncRNA prognosis signature, was validated and performed better than two previous models. In addition to OS and TCE, higher 11LNCPS scores had a significant correlation with reduced infiltrations of CD8+ T cells and dendritic cells (DCs) and decreased infiltrations of Th1, Th2, and pro B cells. As expected, these infiltration alterations were significantly associated with worse OS in HCC. Analysis of published data indicates that HCCs with higher 11LNCPS scores were transcriptomically similar to those that responded better to PDL1 inhibitor. Of the 11LNCPS lncRNAs, LINC01134 and AC116025.2 seem more crucial, as their upregulations affected more immune cell types' infiltrations and were significantly associated with TCE, worse OS, and compromised immune responses in HCC. LncRNAs in the 11LNCPS impacted many cancer-associated biological processes and signaling pathways, particularly those involved in immune function and metabolism. The 11LNCPS should be useful for predicting prognosis and immune responses in HCC.

Long noncoding RNA TLNC1 promotes the growth and metastasis of liver cancer via inhibition of p53 signaling

Background

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play vital roles in cancer development and progression. However, their biological roles and function mechanisms in liver cancer remain largely unknown.

Methods

RNA-seq was performed with clinical hepatoma tissues and paired adjacent normal liver tissues to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs. qPCR was utilized to examine the expression levels of lncRNAs. We studied the function of TLNC1 in cell growth and metastasis of hepatoma with both cell and mouse models. RNA-seq, RNA pull-down coupled with mass spectrometry, RNA immunoprecipitation, dual luciferase reporter assay, and surface plasmon resonance analysis were used to analyze the functional mechanism of TLNC1.

Results

Based on the intersection of our own RNA-seq, TCGA RNA-seq, and TCGA survival analysis data, TLNC1 was identified as a potential tumorigenic lncRNA of liver cancer. TLNC1 significantly enhanced the growth and metastasis of hepatoma cells both in vitro and in vivo. TLNC1 exerted its tumorigenic function through interaction with TPR and inducing the TPR-mediated transportation of p53 from nucleus to cytoplasm, thus repressing the transcription of p53 target genes and finally contributing to the progression of liver cancer.

Conclusions

TLNC1 is a promising prognostic factor of liver cancer, and the TLNC1-TPR-p53 axis can serve as a potential therapeutic target for hepatoma treatment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12943-022-01578-w.

Identification and validation of a cigarette smoke-related five-gene signature as a prognostic biomarker in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Cigarette smoking greatly promotes the progression of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC), however, the underlying molecular events has not been fully established. In this study, RCC cells were exposed to the tobacco specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK, nicotine-derived nitrosamine) for 120 days (40 passages), and then the soft agar colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays were used to explore characteristics of RCC cells. RNA-seq was used to explore differentially expressed genes. We found that NNK promoted RCC cell growth and migration in a dose-dependent manner, and RNA-seq explored 14 differentially expressed genes. In TCGA-KIRC cohort, Lasso regression and multivariate COX regression models screened and constructed a five-gene signature containing ANKRD1, CYB5A, ECHDC3, MT1E, and AKT1S1. This novel gene signature significantly associated with TNM stage, invasion depth, metastasis, and tumor grade. Moreover, when compared with individual genes, the gene signature contained a higher hazard ratio and therefore had a more powerful value for the prognosis of KIRC. A nomogram was also developed based on clinical features and the gene signature, which showed good application. Finally, AKT1S1, the most crucial component of the gene signature, was significantly induced after NNK exposure and its related AKT/mTOR signaling pathway was dramatically activated. Our findings supported that NNK exposure would promote the KIRC progression, and the novel cigarette smoke-related five-gene signature might serve as a highly efficient biomarker to identify progression of KIRC patients, AKT1S1 might play an important role in cigarette smoke exposure-induced KIRC progression.

Knockdown of long non-coding RNA LINC01006 represses the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by modulating the miR-194-5p/CADM1 axis

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have great potential as therapeutic targets in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we aimed to uncover the function and molecular mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1006 (LINC01006) in HCC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Mice were injected with HCC cells in order to establish the HCC model. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression levels of LINC01006, cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1), and microRNA (miR)-194-5p in HCC tissues and cells. The cell proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities were assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide, transwell, and wound healing assays. The interrelation between LINC01006, miR-194-5p, and CADM1 was confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Western blotting was employed to assess the relative protein expression level of CADM1.

RESULTS

LINC01006 and CADM1 displayed upregulation, but miR-194-5p exhibited downregulation in HCC cells and tissues. Short hairpin (sh)-LINC01006 and miR-194-5p mimics repressed the proliferative, migratory, and invasive capacities of HCC cells, and injection of sh-LINC01006 restrained the growth of HCC tumours in mice. LINC01006 served as a competing endogenous RNA of miR-194-5p and was inversely correlated with miR-194-5p. CADM1 was targeted by miR-194-5p, inversely correlated with miR-194-5p, and positively associated with LINC01006. Furthermore, transfection of pcDNA-CADM1 or the miR-194-5p inhibitor reversed the suppressive effects of sh-LINC01006 on the proliferation, invasion, and migration abilities of HCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Downregulation of LINC01006 repressed the development of HCC by sponging miR-194-5p to modulate the expression of CADM1, implying its potential as a therapeutic target for HCC.

LSD1-Demethylated LINC01134 Confers Oxaliplatin Resistance Through SP1-Induced p62 Transcription in HCC

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Oxaliplatin (OXA) is one of the most common chemotherapeutics in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the resistance of which poses a big challenge. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play vital roles in chemoresistance. Therefore, elucidating the underlying mechanisms and identifying predictive lncRNAs for OXA resistance is needed urgently.

METHODS

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) were used to investigate the OXA-resistant (OXA-R) lncRNAs. Survival analysis was performed to determine the clinical significance of homo sapiens long intergenic non-protein-coding RNA 1134 (LINC01134) and p62 expression. Luciferase, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and chromatin isolation by RNA purification (ChIRP) assays were used to explore the mechanisms by which LINC01134 regulates p62 expression. The effects of LINC01134/SP1/p62 axis on OXA resistance were evaluated using cell viability, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function and morphology analysis. Xenografts were used to estimate the in vivo regulation of OXA resistance by LINC01134/SP1/p62 axis. ChIP, cell viability, and xenograft assays were used to identify the demethylase for LINC01134 up-regulation in OXA resistance.

RESULTS

LINC01134 was identified as one of the most up-regulated lncRNAs in OXA-R cells. Higher LINC01134 expression predicted poorer OXA therapeutic efficacy. LINC01134 activates anti-oxidative pathway through p62 by recruiting transcription factor SP1 to the p62 promoter. The LINC01134/SP1/p62 axis regulates OXA resistance by altering cell viability, apoptosis, and mitochondrial homeostasis both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the demethylase, lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) was responsible for LINC01134 up-regulation in OXA-R cells. In patients with HCC, LINC01134 expression was positively correlated with p62 and LSD1 expressions, whereas SP1 expression positively correlated with p62 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

LSD1/LINC01134/SP1/p62 axis is critical for OXA resistance in HCC. Evaluating LINC01134 expression in HCC will be effective in predicting OXA efficacy. In treatment-naive patients, targeting the LINC01134/SP1/p62 axis may be a promising strategy to overcome OXA chemoresistance.

Keep your eyes peeled for long noncoding RNAs: Explaining their boundless role in cancer metastasis, drug resistance, and clinical application

Cancer metastasis and drug resistance are two major obstacles in the treatment of cancer and therefore, the leading cause of cancer-associated mortalities worldwide. Hence, an in-depth understanding of these processes and identification of the underlying key players could help design a better therapeutic regimen to treat cancer. Earlier thought to be merely transcriptional junk and having passive or secondary function, recent advances in the genomic research have unravelled that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play pivotal roles in diverse physiological as well as pathological processes including cancer metastasis and drug resistance. LncRNAs can regulate various steps of the complex metastatic cascade such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), invasion, migration and metastatic colonization, and also affect the sensitivity of cancer cells to various chemotherapeutic drugs. A substantial body of literature for more than a decade of research evince that lncRNAs can regulate gene expression at different levels such as epigenetic, transcriptional, posttranscriptional, translational and posttranslational levels, depending on their subcellular localization and through their ability to interact with DNA, RNA and proteins. In this review, we mainly focus on how lncRNAs affect cancer metastasis by modulating expression of key metastasis-associated genes at various levels of gene regulation. We also discuss how lncRNAs confer cancer cells either sensitivity or resistance to various chemo-therapeutic drugs via different mechanisms. Finally, we highlight the immense potential of lncRNAs as prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers as well as therapeutic targets in cancer.

Genome-Wide Screening Identifies Prognostic Long Noncoding RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy with a poor prognosis. Therefore, there is an urgent call for the investigation of novel biomarkers in HCC. In the present study, we identified 6 upregulated lncRNAs in HCC, including LINC01134, RHPN1-AS1, NRAV, CMB9-22P13.1, MKLN1-AS, and MAPKAPK5-AS1. Higher expression of these lncRNAs was correlated to a more advanced cancer stage and a poorer prognosis in HCC patients. Enrichment analysis revealed that these lncRNAs played a crucial role in HCC progression, possibly through a series of cancer-related biological processes, such as cell cycle, DNA replication, histone acetyltransferase complex, fatty acid oxidation, and lipid modification. Moreover, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network analysis revealed that these lncRNAs could bind to certain miRNAs to promote HCC progression. Loss-of-function assays indicated that silencing of RHPN1-AS1 significantly suppressed HCC proliferation and migration. Though further validations are still needed, these identified lncRNAs could serve as valuable potential biomarkers for HCC prognosis.

Long non-coding RNA TP73-AS1 promotes pancreatic cancer growth and metastasis through miRNA-128-3p/GOLM1 axis

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have suggested that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) TP73-AS1 is significantly upregulated in several cancers. However, the biological role and clinical significance of TP73-AS1 in pancreatic cancer (PC) remain unclear.

AIM

To investigate the role of TP73-AS1 in the growth and metastasis of PC.

METHODS

The expression of lncRNA TP73-AS1, miR-128-3p, and GOLM1 in PC tissues and cells was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The bioinformatics prediction software ENCORI was used to predict the putative binding sites of miR-128-3p. The regulatory roles of TP73-AS1 and miR-128-3p in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion abilities were verified by Cell Counting Kit-8, wound-healing, and transwell assays, as well as flow cytometry and Western blot analysis. The interactions among TP73-AS1, miR-128-3p, and GOLM1 were explored by bioinformatics prediction, luciferase assay, and Western blot.

RESULTS

The expression of TP73-AS1 and miRNA-128-3p was dysregulated in PC tissues and cells. High TP73-AS1 expression was correlated with a poor prognosis. TP73-AS1 silencing inhibited PC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro as well as suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, TP73-AS1 was validated to promote PC progression through GOLM1 upregulation by competitively binding to miR-128-3p.

CONCLUSION

Our results demonstrated that TP73-AS1 promotes PC progression by regulating the miR-128-3p/GOLM1 axis, which might provide a potential treatment strategy for patients with PC.

LncRNA HIF1A-AS2 accelerates malignant phenotypes of renal carcinoma by modulating miR-30a-5p/SOX4 axis as a ceRNA

OBJECTIVE

Several reports have proposed that lncRNAs, as potential biomarkers, participate in the progression and growth of malignant tumors. HIF1A-AS2 is a novel lncRNA and potential biomarker, involved in the genesis and development of carcinomas. However, the molecular mechanism of HIF1A-AS2 in renal carcinoma is unclear.

METHODS

The relative expression levels of HIF1A-AS2 and miR-30a-5p were detected using RT-qPCR in renal carcinoma tissues and cell lines. Using loss-of-function and overexpression, the biological effects of HIF1A-AS2 and miR-30a-5p in kidney carcinoma progression were characterized. Dual luciferase reporter gene analysis and Western blot were used to detect the potential mechanism of HIF1A-AS2 in renal carcinomas.

RESULTS

HIF1A-AS2 was upregulated in kidney carcinoma tissues when compared with para-carcinoma tissues (P < 0.05). In addition, tumor size, tumor node mestastasis stage and differentiation were identified as being closely associated with HIF1A-AS2 expression (P < 0.05). Knockdown or overexpression of HIF1A-AS2 either restrained or promoted the malignant phenotype and WNT/β-catenin signaling in renal carcinoma cells (P < 0.05). MiR-30a-5p was downregulated in renal cancers and partially reversed HIF1A-AS2 functions in malignant renal tumor cells. HIF1A-AS2 acted as a microRNA sponge that actively regulated the relative expression of SOX4 in sponging miR-30a-5p and subsequently increased the malignant phenotypes of renal carcinomas. HIF1A-AS2 showed a carcinogenic effect and miR-30a-5p acted as an antagonist of the anti-oncogene effects in the pathogenesis of renal carcinomas.

CONCLUSIONS

The HIF1A-AS2-miR-30a-5p-SOX4 axis was associated with the malignant progression and development of renal carcinoma. The relative expression of HIF1A-AS2 was negatively correlated with the expression of miR-30a-5p, and was closely correlated with SOX4 mRNA levels in renal cancers.

Long Non-Coding RNA TRIM52-AS1 Promotes Growth and Metastasis via miR-218-5p/ROBO1 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant disease with a high mortality among primary HCC patients worldwide. Lots of studies have shown that lncRNAs are known as the biomarkers in diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Therefore, clarifying the detailed function and mechanism of the lncRNA in the HCC progressing seems particularly important.

Methods

The TCGA and GEO database and RT-qPCR were used to analyse the expression of TRIM52-AS1 in HCC tissues and cell lines. Clinical data were collected to further analyze the correlation between indicators of clinical samples and the expression of TRIM52-AS1. CCK-8, plate clone and transwell assays were employed to evaluate the role of TRIM52-AS1 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion. Then, bioinformatics prediction, luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), and RT-qPCR were employed to analyze the direct interaction among TRIM52-AS1, miR-218-5p and ROBO1. Additionally, the rescue function assays were used to verify that miR-218-5p/ROBO1 was the function downstream of TRIM52-AS1.

Results

TRIM52-AS1 was overexpressed in HCC according to the TCGA database and RT-qPCR assay. The expression of TRIM52-AS1 was higher in the metastatic foci compared with primary tumor according to the GEO database. Additionally, TRIM52-AS1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells. TRIM52-AS1 could act as competitive endogenous RNA to regulate ROBO1 through miR-218-5p, then promoted the HCC cell progression.

Conclusion

TRIM52-AS1 is overexpressed in HCC and can promote the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells through miR-218-5p/ROBO1 axis, then drives the HCC cell progression.

LncRNA PVT1 accelerates malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells by modulating miR-194-5p/BCLAF1 axis as a ceRNA

Background: Numerous studies proved that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is involved in the progression of multifarious diseases, especially in some carcinomas. As a potential tumor biomarker, plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 gene (PVT1) is involved in the development and progression of multifarious cancers. Nevertheless, the intrinsic and concrete molecular mechanism of PVT1 in bladder cancer still remained unclear, which is also the dilemma faced in many non-coding RNA studies.

Results: Our research revealed that PVT1 was significantly higher expression in bladder carcinoma specimens and cell lines. Further experiments indicated that knockdown or overexpression of PVT1 restrained or promoted the malignant phenotype and WNT/β-catenin signaling in bladder cancer cells. Meanwhile miR-194-5p was in contrast and miR-194-5p could partially reverse the function of PVT1 in malignant bladder tumor cells. As a microRNA sponge, PVT1 actively promotes the expression of b-cells lymphoma-2-associated transcription factor 1 (BCLAF1) to sponge miR-194-5p and subsequently increases malignant phenotypes of bladder cancer cells. Therefore, it performs a carcinogenic effect and miR-194-5p as the opposite function, and serves as an antioncogene in the bladder carcinomas pathogenesis.

Conclusion: PVT1-miR-194-5p-BCLAF1 axis is involved in the malignant progression and development of bladder carcinomas. Experiments revealed that PVT1 has a significant regulatory effect on bladder cancer (BC) and can be used as a clinical diagnostic marker and a therapeutic molecular marker for patients suffering from BC.

Methods: In urothelial bladder carcinoma specimens and cell lines, the relative expression levels of PVT1 and miR-194-5p were detected by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Through experiments such as loss-function and over-expression, the biological effects of PVT1 and miR-194-5p on the proliferation, migration, apoptosis and tumorigenicity were explored in bladder cancer cells. Co-immunoprecipitation, proteomics experiments, dual luciferase reporter gene analysis, western blot and other methods were adopted to investigate the PVT1 potential mechanism in bladder carcinomas.