Current State and Progress of Research on the Role of lncRNA in HBV-Related Liver Cancer

Non-coding RNAs as therapeutic targets in cancer and its clinical application

Cancer genomics has led to the discovery of numerous oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes that play critical roles in cancer development and progression. Oncogenes promote cell growth and proliferation, whereas tumor suppressor genes inhibit cell growth and division. The dysregulation of these genes can lead to the development of cancer. Recent studies have focused on non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including circular RNA (circRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and microRNA (miRNA), as therapeutic targets for cancer. In this article, we discuss the oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes of ncRNAs associated with different types of cancer and their potential as therapeutic targets. Here, we highlight the mechanisms of action of these genes and their clinical applications in cancer treatment. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying cancer development and identifying specific therapeutic targets are essential steps towards the development of effective cancer treatments.

Development of a novel lncRNA-derived immune gene score using machine learning-based ensembles for predicting the survival of HCC

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are implicated in the tumor immunology of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS

HCC mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles were used to extract immune-related genes with the ImmPort database, and immune-related lncRNAs with the ImmLnc algorithm. The MOVICS package was used to cluster immune-related mRNA, immune-related lncRNA, gene mutation and methylation data on HCC from the TCGA. GEO and ICGC datasets were used to validate the model. Data from single-cell sequencing was used to determine the expression of genes from the model in various immune cell types.

RESULTS

With this model, the area under the curve (AUC) for 1-, 3- and 5-year survival of HCC patients was 0.862, 0.869 and 0.912, respectively. Single-cell sequencing showed EREG was significantly expressed in a variety of immune cell types. Knockdown of the EREG target gene resulted in significant anti-apoptosis, pro-proliferation and pro-migration effects in HepG2 and HUH7 cells. Moreover, serum and liver tissue EREG levels in HCC patients were significantly higher than those of healthy control patients.

CONCLUSION

We built a prognostic model with good accuracy for predicting HCC patient survival. EREG is a potential immunotherapeutic target and a promising prognostic biomarker.

The regulatory effect of lncRNA LINC00943 on the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma and its relationship with clinicopathological features

BACKGROUND

The risk factors for the pathogenesis of HCC are highly variable, and the prognosis of patients is very unsatisfactory. In this study, we investigated the regulatory effect of LINC00943 on HCC progression and its relationship with clinicopathological features.

METHODS

LINC00943 level in HCC tissues and cell specimens was verified by RT-qPCR. The pathologic significance of LINC00943 in the prognosis of HCC was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses. The behavioral function of LINC00943 in HCC cells was evaluated via CCK-8 and Transwell assays. The specific targeting relationship between LINC00943 and miR-195-5p was investigated by luciferase activity assay.

RESULTS

LINC00943 was highly expressed in HCC tissues and cell specimens. Clinical data analysis showed that elevated LINC00943 indicated poor prognosis in patients with HCC and was related to TNM stage and lymph node metastasis. Cell experiments demonstrated that silencing LINC00943 sponge miR-195-5p suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Mechanistically, miR-195-5p inhibitor remedied the suppressive effect of silencing LINC00943 on the biological functions of HCC cells.

CONCLUSION

LINC00943 may be an independent prognostic factor of HCC, which provides new thinking for the prognosis and treatment of HCC patients.

Long non-coding RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) refer to a class of RNAs greater than 200 nucleotides in length, most of which are considered unable to encode proteins, thus deemed to be junk genes formerly. But with emerging studies about lncRNAs coming out in recent years, it is much more clearly depicted that they can regulate gene expression at different levels, with various mechanisms, thus participating in diverse biological or pathological processes, including complicated tumor-associated pathways. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer, the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, which has been found to tightly associate with aberrant expression of a variety of lncRNAs regulating tumor proliferation, invasion, drug resistance, and so on, making it a potential novel tumor marker and therapeutic target. In this review, we highlight a few lncRNAs that are closely related to the occurrence and progression of HCC and try to cover their multifarious roles from different layers.

The roles of lncRNA functions and regulatory mechanisms in the diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most frequent and deadly type of liver cancer. While the underlying molecular mechanisms are poorly understood, it is documented that lncRNAs may play key roles. Many HCC-associated lncRNAs have been linked to HBV and HCV infection, mediating gene expression, cell growth, development, and death. Studying the regulatory mechanisms and biological functions of HCC-related lncRNAs will assist our understanding of HCC pathogenesis as well as its diagnosis and management. Here, we address the potential of dysregulated lncRNAs in HCC as diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers, and we evaluate the oncogenic or tumor-suppressive properties of these lncRNAs.

A new acidic microenvironment related lncRNA signature predicts the prognosis of liver cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The acidic microenvironment (AME), like hypoxia, inflammation, or immunoreaction, is a hallmark of the tumor microenvironment (TME). This work aimed to develop a prediction signature dependent on AME-associated lncRNAs in order to predict the prognosis of LC individuals.

METHODS

We downloaded RNA-seq information and the corresponding clinical and predictive data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and conducted univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses to identify AME-associated lncRNAs for the construction of a prediction signature The Kaplan-Meier technique was utilized to determine the overall survival (OS) rate of the high (H)-risk and low (L)-risk groups. Using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) the functional variations between the H- and L-risk groups were investigated. The association between the prediction signature and immunological state was investigated using single-sample GSEA (ssGSEA). Additionally, the association between the predicted signature and the therapeutic response of LC individuals was evaluated. Lastly, quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to verify the risk model.

RESULTS

We generated a signature comprised of seven AME-associated lncRNAs (LINC01116, AC002511.2, LINC00426, ARHGAP31-AS1, LINC01060, TMCC1-AS1, AC012065.1). The H-risk group had a worse prognosis than the L- risk group. The AME-associated lncRNA signature might determine the prognosis of individuals with LC independently. The AME-related lncRNA signature shows a greater predictive effectiveness than clinic-pathological factors, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.806%. When participants were categorized based on several clinico-pathological characteristics, the OS of high-risk individuals was shorter compared to low-risk patients. GSEA demonstrated that the metabolism of different acids and the PPAR signaling pathway are closely associated with low-risk individuals. The prognostic signature was substantially associated with the immunological status of LC individuals, as determined by ssGSEA. High risk individuals were more sensitive to some immunotherapies (including anti-TNFSF4 anti-SIRPA, anti-CD276 and anti-TNFSF15) and some conventional chemotherapy drugs (including lapatinib and paclitaxel). Finally, the expression levels of the seven lncRNAs comprising the signature were tested by qRT-PCR.

CONCLUSIONS

A basis for the mechanism of AME-associated lncRNAs in LC is provided by the prediction signature, which also offers clinical therapeutic recommendations for LC individuals.

Exosomes From Cancer-Associated Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transmit TMBIM6 to Promote the Malignant Behavior of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Activating PI3K/AKT Pathway

Objective

Cancer-associated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) regulate the progression of cancers through exosome-delivered components, while few studies are conducted on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of exosomes from HCC-associated MSCs (HCC-MSCs) on HCC cellular functions and the potential regulatory mechanism.

Methods

HCC cells (Huh7 and PLC) were cultured normally or co-cultured with HCC-MSCs, HCC-MSCs plus GW4869, or HCC-MSC-derived exosomes; then mRNA sequencing and RT-qPCR validation were conducted. Subsequently, candidate genes were sorted out and modified in HCC cells. Next, TMBIM6-modified HCC-MSCs were used to treat HCC cells.

Results

Both HCC-MSCs and their derived exosomes promoted proliferation, invasion, sphere formation ability but suppressed apoptosis in HCC cells (all p < 0.05); however, the effect of HCC-MSCs on these cellular functions was repressed by exosome inhibitor (GW4869). Subsequently, TMBIM6, EEF2, and PRDX1 were sorted out by mRNA sequencing and RT-qPCR validation as candidate genes implicated in the regulation of HCC cellular functions by HCC-MSC-derived exosomes. Among them, TMBIM6 had a potent effect (all p < 0.05), while EEF2 and PRDX1 had less effect on regulating HCC cell viability and invasion. Next, direct silencing TMBIM6 repressed viability, sphere formation, invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and PI3K/AKT pathway but promoted apoptosis in HCC cells; however, overexpressing TMBIM6 showed the opposite effect. Furthermore, incubating with exosomes from TMBIM6-modified HCC-MSCs presented a similar effect as direct TMBIM6 modification in HCC cells.

Conclusion

HCC-MSC-derived exosomes transmit TMBIM6 to promote malignant behavior via PI3K/AKT pathway in HCC.