MicroRNAs as potential target in human bone and soft tissue sarcoma therapeutics

lncRNA GMDS‑AS1 upregulates IL‑6, TNF‑α and IL‑1β, and induces apoptosis in human monocytic THP‑1 cells via miR‑96‑5p/caspase 2 signaling

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is considered a crucial modulator of the initiation and progression of several diseases. However, the roles of lncRNA in sepsis have yet to be fully elucidated. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the lncRNA GDP-mannose 4,6-dehydratase antisense 1 (GMDS-AS1) and its target in order to understand its role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. An in vitro sepsis model was established by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induction. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was applied to detect the expression of inflammatory cytokines and the levels of GMDS-AS1, microRNA (miR)-96-5p and caspase-2 (CASP2). Flow cytometry was used to quantify the rate of apoptosis. In addition, the interaction between miR-96-5p and CASP2 was verified using a luciferase reporter assay. Western blot analysis was performed to assess the protein levels of CASP2 following alterations in GMDS-AS1 and miR-96-5p expression using transfection. The levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β were increased by LPS treatment in THP-1 cells, whereas miR-96-5p expression was downregulated. miR-96-5p overexpression inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory responses and apoptosis. In addition, GMDS-AS1 expression increased, and upregulation of GMDS-AS1 inhibited, the expression of miR-96-5p in the in vitro sepsis model. Moreover, CASP2 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-96-5p. Therefore, the lncRNA GMDS-AS1 regulated inflammatory responses and apoptosis by modulating CASP2 and sponging miR-96-5p in LPS-induced THP-1 cells. In summary, the findings of the present study demonstrated that lncRNA GMDS-AS1 could promote the development of sepsis by targeting miR-96-5p/CASP2, indicating that the GMDS-AS1/miR-96-5p/CASP2 axis may be a new therapeutic target and potential research direction for sepsis therapy.

Osteosarcoma and Metastasis

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone malignancy in adolescents. Its high propensity to metastasize is the leading cause for treatment failure and poor prognosis. Although the research of osteosarcoma has greatly expanded in the past decades, the knowledge and new therapy strategies targeting metastatic progression remain sparse. The prognosis of patients with metastasis is still unsatisfactory. There is resonating urgency for a thorough and deeper understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying osteosarcoma to develop innovative therapies targeting metastasis. Toward the goal of elaborating the characteristics and biological behavior of metastatic osteosarcoma, it is essential to combine the diverse investigations that are performed at molecular, cellular, and animal levels from basic research to clinical translation spanning chemical, physical sciences, and biology. This review focuses on the metastatic process, regulatory networks involving key molecules and signaling pathways, the role of microenvironment, osteoclast, angiogenesis, metabolism, immunity, and noncoding RNAs in osteosarcoma metastasis. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of current research advances, with the hope to discovery druggable targets and promising therapy strategies for osteosarcoma metastasis and thus to overcome this clinical impasse.

Molecular mechanism of microRNA-26a regulation of phosphatase and tensin homolog gene in condyloma acuminatum and penile squamous cell carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the expression levels and mechanisms of microRNA (miRNA) 26a (miR-26a) and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in patients with human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced condyloma acuminatum (CA) and penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC).

METHODS

Thirty-one patients with HPV-positive CA and 28 with HPV-positive PSCC were included in this retrospective, cross-sectional study. PTEN mRNA and miR-26a levels in lesion tissues, blood, and urine were analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and PTEN protein was detected by western blot and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cell proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. The interaction between miR-26a and PTEN was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by dual luciferase reporter assay.

RESULTS

PTEN mRNA and protein levels were significantly lower and miR-26a levels were significantly higher in all samples from patients with PSCC compared with the CA group. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay confirmed PTEN as a target gene of miR-26a. Up-regulation of miR-26a significantly increased the proliferation of Penl1 PSCC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

PTEN expression is down-regulated and miR-26a levels are up-regulated in PSCC compared with CA. PTEN is a direct target gene of miR-26a. These results suggest that miR-26a might regulate HPV-positive progression from CA to PSCC through modulating PTEN.

Circulating miR-26a as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Pediatric Rhabdomyosarcoma

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) arises from myogenic precursors that fail to complete muscle differentiation and represents the most frequent soft tissue sarcoma in children. Two major histological subtypes are recognized: alveolar RMS, characterized by a more aggressive behavior and a greater proneness to metastasis, and embryonal RMS which accounts for the 80% of cases and carries a better prognosis. Despite the survival of patients with localized tumors has progressively improved, RMS remains a challenging disease especially for metastatic patients and in case of progressive or recurrent disease after front-line therapy. MicroRNAs, a class of small non-coding RNA, have emerged as crucial players in cancer development and progression, and their detection in plasma (circulating miRNAs) represents a promising minimally invasive approach that deserve to be exploited in clinical practice. We evaluated the utility of circulating miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in children with RMS profiling miRNAs from plasma of a small cohort of RMS patients and healthy donors (HD) using a qPCR Cancer Panel. An assessment of hemolysis status of plasma using miR-451/miR-23a ratio was performed as pre-analytical analysis. Statistical analysis revealed that miRNAs expression pattern clearly distinguished RMS patients from HD (p < 0.05). Interestingly, plasma levels of muscle-specific miR-206 were found to be significantly increased in RMS patients compared to HD, whereas levels of three potential tumor-suppressor miRNAs, miR-26a and miR-30b/30c, were found lower. Reduced levels of circulating miR-26a and miR-30b/c were further measured in an independent larger cohort of patients (validation set) by digital droplet PCR. In particular, we evidenced that miR-26a absolute plasma levels were associated with fusion status and adverse outcome (p < 0.05). Taken together, these findings demonstrate the potential of circulating miRNA as diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in children affected by this malignancy and enforced the key role of miR-26a in pediatric rhabdomyosarcoma.

Molecular mechanisms underlying the enhancement of carbon ion beam radiosensitivity of osteosarcoma cells by miR-29b

Carbon ion radiotherapy (CIRT) is more effective than conventional photon beam radiotherapy in treating osteosarcoma (OSA); however, the outcomes of CIRT alone are still unsatisfactory. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether miR-29b acts as a radiosensitizer for CIRT. The OSA cell lines U2OS and KHOS were treated with carbon ion beam alone, γ-ray irradiation alone, or in combination with an miR-29b mimic. OSA cell death as well as invasive and migratory abilities were analyzed through viability, colony formation, Transwell, and apoptosis assays. miR-29 expression was downregulated in OSA tissues compared to that in normal tissues and was associated with metastasis and relapse in patients with OSA. Further, miR-29b was found to directly target the transcription factor Sp1 and suppress the activation of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)-AKT pathway. Conversely, Sp1 was found to attenuate the inhibitory effects of miR-29b in OSA cells. When used in combination with miR-29b mimic, carbon ion beam markedly inhibited invasion, migration, and proliferation of OSA cells and promoted apoptosis by inhibiting AKT phosphorylation in a Sp1/PTEN-mediated manner. Taken together, miR-29b mimic improved the radiosensitivity of OSA cells via the PTEN-AKT-Sp1 signaling pathway, presenting a novel strategy for the development of carbon ion beam combination therapy.

miRNA-216 knockdown has effects to suppress osteosarcoma via stimulating PTEN

The aim of this study is to explain the effects and mechanism of miRNA-216 in osteosarcoma. We firstly evaluated the PTEN expression in 30 pairs of tumor and adjacent tissues which were from the 30 osteosarcoma patients. In the following cell experiments, we measured the cell proliferation, cell cycle, cell invasion, and migration abilities of NC (normal control) group, BL (blank) group, siRNA (miRNA-216 inhibitor) group, and siRNA+PTEN inhibitor group. Furthermore, we measured the relative protein expression of difference groups by WB to explain the mechanism of miRNA-216 in osteosarcoma. The PTEN was confirmed the target gene of miRNA-216 by double luciferase target test. In conclusion, miRNA-216 was an oncogene in osteosarcoma. miRNA-216 knockdown had effects to suppress cancer cell proliferation, invasion and migration and improve cell apoptosis by keeping in G1 phase via PTEN.

The new horizon of liquid biopsy in sarcoma: the potential utility of circulating tumor nucleic acids

The diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of sarcoma are mainly dependent on tissue biopsy, which is limited in its ability to provide a panoramic view into the dynamics of tumor progression. In addition, effective biomarkers to monitor the progression and therapeutic response of sarcoma are lacking. Liquid biopsy, a recent technological breakthrough, has gained great attention in the last few decades. Nucleic acids (such as DNA, mRNAs, microRNAs, and long non-coding RNAs) that are released from tumors circulate in the blood of cancer patients and can be evaluated through liquid biopsy. Circulating tumor nucleic acids reflect the intertumoral and intratumoral heterogeneity, and thus liquid biopsy provides a noninvasive strategy to examine these molecules compared with traditional tissue biopsy. Over the past decade, a great deal of information on the potential utilization of circulating tumor nucleic acids in sarcoma screening, prognosis and therapy efficacy monitoring has emerged. Several specific gene mutations in sarcoma can be detected in peripheral blood samples from patients and can be found in circulating tumor DNA to monitor sarcoma. In addition, circulating tumor non-coding RNA may also be a promising biomarker in sarcoma. In this review, we discuss the clinical application of circulating tumor nucleic acids as blood-borne biomarkers in sarcoma.

MicroRNA-30b participates in the pathological process of hyperuricemia by regulating interleukin-6 receptor

The present study aimed to examine the expression of hyperuricemia (HUA)-related factors in the body fluids of HUA patients and in renal tissues and body fluids of HUA mice to elucidate the underlying mechanism of HUA and provide theoretical basis for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of this disease. A total of 51 HUA patients (HUA group), and 36 healthy subjects (control group) were included in the present study. The peripheral blood and urine were collected from all patients and healthy subjects. A total of 20 male Kunming mice were used to construct HUA model, and another 20 mice were used as controls. The kidney tissues, peripheral blood and urine were collected from all mice. ELISA was performed to determine the levels of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) proteins in the serum and urine of human or mice, while western blotting was employed to determine the protein expression in the kidney tissues of mice. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to measure the expression of mRNA and miR-30b in all sample types. Dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to identify the direct interaction between 3'-untranslated region of IL-6R mRNA and miR-30b. The expression of IL-6R mRNA and protein was increased in serum and urine of HUA patients, while the expression of miR-30b was reduced in HUA patients when compared with healthy subjects. The contents of uric acid, urea nitrogen and creatinine in the blood of HUA mice model were significantly elevated. Similarly, the expression of IL-6R mRNA and protein was increased in kidney, serum and urine of HUA mice model, while the expression of miR-30b was reduced in kidney tissues, serum and urine of HUA mice model. Dual luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-30b was able to bind with 3'-UTR seed region of IL-6R mRNA to regulate its expression. These findings demonstrated that the expression of IL-6R in patients and mouse with HUA is elevated, which is related with the down-regulation of miR-30b. Therefore, miR-30b might participate in the pathological process of HUA by regulating IL-6R.

Restoration of microRNA-197 expression suppresses oncogenicity in fibrosarcoma through negative regulation of RAN

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as crucial regulators of biological pathways/processes by reinforcing transcriptional programs and moderating transcripts. Emerging evidences have shown the involvement of dysregulated miRNAs in pathophysiology of human diseases including several cancer types. Recently, miR-197-3p has been reported to play different roles in different cancers; however, its role in fibrosarcoma, a highly aggressive and malignant soft tissue sarcoma originated from the mesenchymal tissues, has not yet been studied. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the possible regulatory roles of miR-197-3p in the oncogenicity of fibrosarcoma. For this, we initially performed qRT-PCR of miR-197-3p, which we found to be downregulated in HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells compared with IMR90-tert normal fibroblast cells. Subsequently, we performed gain-of-function study by employing several methods such as MTT assay, clonogenic assay, wound healing, flow cytometry cell cycle analysis, and acridine orange staining after transfecting HT1080 cells with miR-197-3p mimic. From these assays, we observed that miR-197-3p significantly inhibits viability, colony forming, and migration ability as well as triggers G2/M phase cell cycle arrest and autophagy in fibrosarcoma cells. To understand the mechanism through which miRNA performs these functions, we predicted its targets using TargetScan and performed pathway enrichment analysis after screening them by their expression in fibrosarcoma. Among the enriched targets, we found RAN (ras-related nuclear protein) to be a crucial target through which miR-197-3p represses tumorigenesis by binding to its 3´ UTR, validated by luciferase reporter assay. The tumor suppressive role of the miRNA was further confirmed by transfecting its mimic in RAN-overexpressed cells which showed significant attenuation in tumorigenic effect of RAN in fibrosarcoma as seen in different assays. Taken together, our study unveiled that miR-197-3p acts as an oncosuppressor in fibrosarcoma through G2/M phase arrest and induction of autophagy, and raises the possibility to act as a novel therapeutic intervention for the malignancy.

MicroRNA-506 Is Involved in Regulation of the Occurrence of Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-Induced Pulpitis by Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1)

Background

Toothache often occurs with pulpitis. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is produced by gram-negative bacteria, and its accumulation is related to clinical symptoms of pain. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) display anti-inflammatory potential due to their direct regulation of cellular protein expression, which can promote inflammatory changes in dental pulp tissues. However, the mechanism of LPS-induced pulpitis is still unclear.

Material/Methods

In this study, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were separated and cultured from rat dental pulp tissues; then, LPS was administered to induce inflammation and activate the TLR4 pathway.

Results

It was found that miR-506 was upregulated following LPS treatment in DPSCs. The inhibition of miR-506 in LPS-treated DPSCs led to attenuated inflammation and deactivation of the TLR4 pathway. Furthermore, the bioinformatic analysis and dual-luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that miR-506 could target the 3′-UTR of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1). Additionally, SIRT1 decreased in LPS-treated DPSCs, and miR-506 transfection resulted in SIRT1 upregulation. SIRT1 overexpression showed a similar inhibitory effect as that of miR-506 downregulation on inflammation and TLR4 activation in DPSCs.

Conclusions

In brief, miR-506 can protect dental pulp in LPS-induced inflammation by inhibiting the SIRT1-mediated TLR4 pathway.

An update on emerging drugs in osteosarcoma: towards tailored therapies?

Introduction: Current treatment of conventional and non-conventional high-grade osteosarcoma (HGOS) is based on the surgical removal of primary tumor and, when possible, of metastases and local reccurrence, together with systemic pre- and post-operative chemotherapy with drugs that have been used since decades. Areas covered: This review is intended to summarize the new agents and therapeutic strategies that are under clinical evaluation in HGOS, with the aim to increase the cure probability of this highly malignant bone tumor, which has not significantly improved during the last 30-40 years. The list of drugs, compounds and treatment modalities presented and discussed here has been generated by considering only those that are included in presently ongoing and recruiting clinical trials, or which have been completed in the last 2 years with reported results, on the basis of the information obtained from different and continuously updated databases. Expert opinion: Despite HGOS is a rare tumor, several clinical trials are presently evaluating different treatment strategies, which may hopefully positively impact on the outcome of patients who experience unfavorable prognosis when treated with conventional therapies.

MicroRNAs in Bone Metastasis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This review provides an update on the recent literature describing the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer formation and bone metastasis. We confined our focus on osteosarcoma, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.

RECENT FINDINGS

In all areas covered, major discoveries on the role of miRNAs in tumorigenesis and metastasis have been made. Novel signaling networks were identified with miRNAs having a central function. Potential improvements in the diagnosis of malignant diseases and the long-term follow-up might become possible by the use of miRNAs. Furthermore, miRNAs also have disease-modifying properties and might emerge as a new class of therapeutic molecules. MiRNAs are novel and important regulators of multiple cellular and molecular events. Due to their functions, miRNAs might become useful to improve the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of cancer, and metastases. Thus, miRNAs are molecules of great interest in translational medicine.

MicroRNA-146a regulates the transformation from liver fibrosis to cirrhosis in patients with hepatitis B via interleukin-6

The aim of the present study was to measure the expression of microRNA (miR)-146a in liver tissues, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PMBC) and serum from patients with Hepatitis B and either liver fibrosis or cirrhosis, as well as to determine the regulatory mechanism of miR-146a. A total of 36 patients with Hepatitis B and liver fibrosis and 25 patients with hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis admitted to Linyi People's Hospital (Shandong, China) between June 2012 and February 2016 were included in the present study. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to determine the expression of miR-146a and interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA in the liver tissue, PBMCs and serum. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of IL-6 in liver tissues and PBMCs. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was conducted to measure IL-6 levels in serum. To identify the direct interaction between IL-6 and miR-146a, a dual luciferase reporter assay was performed. IL-6 mRNA expression in liver tissues, PBMCs and serum from patients with liver cirrhosis was significantly higher than that from patients with liver fibrosis (P<0.05). Furthermore, IL-6 expression in liver tissues and PBMCs from patients with liver cirrhosis was enhanced and levels of IL-6 protein in the serum of patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly elevated compared with patients with liver fibrosis (P<0.05). By contrast, levels of miR-146a in liver tissues, PBMCs and serum from patients with liver cirrhosis were significantly downregulated (P<0.05) compared with patients with liver fibrosis. miR-146a regulated the expression of IL-6 by binding to its 3'-untranslated region. Thus, in the transformation from liver fibrosis to cirrhosis, the upregulation of IL-6 in liver tissues, PBMCs and serum may be associated with the downregulation of miR-146a. miR-146a directly targets IL-6, which may regulate the occurrence and immune responses of Hepatitis B.

Decreased expression of microRNA-30b promotes the development of pulpitis by upregulating the expression of interleukin-6 receptor

The present study aimed to examine the expression of interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R) mRNA and protein in pulp tissues, blood and saliva from patients with pulpitis. It also investigated the association between IL-6R and microRNA (miR)-30b, as well as their effects on pulpitis. A total of 28 patients with pulpitis were recruited into the experimental group and 16 subjects with no pulpitis who also underwent tooth extraction were recruited into the control group. Pulp tissues, plasma and saliva were collected from all participants. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression of IL-6R mRNA and miR-30b in all sample types. Western blot analysis was performed to examine the protein expression of IL-6R in pulp tissues, while ELISA was used to determine the contents of IL-6R protein in the plasma and saliva samples. A dual luciferase reporter assay was performed to verify the interactions between IL-6R and miR-30b. The expression of IL-6R mRNA in the pulp tissues, plasma and saliva was significantly increased in patients with pulpitis compared with the control group. Similarly, the IL-6R protein expression in the samples from patients with pulpitis were also significantly increased compared with the control group. Conversely, the expression of miR-30b was significantly reduced in the samples from patients with pulpitis compared with the control group. The dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-30b may bind with the 3'-untranslated seed region of IL-6R mRNA to regulate its expression. The present study demonstrated that the upregulated expression of IL-6R in pulp tissues, plasma and saliva from patients with pulpitis was associated with the downregulation of miR-30b expression. In addition, miR-30b may affect the progression of pulpitis via IL-6R and may be a potential genetic marker for the diagnosis of pulpitis.

microRNA-758 inhibits the malignant phenotype of osteosarcoma cells by directly targeting HMGA1 and deactivating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

microRNAs (miRNAs) are frequently aberrantly expressed in osteosarcoma (OS) and are implicated in its development. Dysregulation of miR-758 has been reported in various human malignancies. However, whether miR-758 is involved in the oncogenesis and progression of OS remains unclear. In this study, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect miR-758 expression in OS tissues and cell lines. A series of functional experiments were employed to explore the regulatory effects of miR-758 on the malignant behaviors of OS cells both in vitro and in vivo. The molecular mechanisms underlying the activity of miR-758 in OS cells were also investigated. miR-758 was significantly downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines, and a low miR-758 level was correlated with tumor size, clinical stage, and distant metastasis of patients with OS. OS patients with low miR-758 level exhibited poorer overall survival and worse disease-free survival rates compared to patients with high miR-758 level. In addition, functional assays revealed that miR-758 overexpression led to a significant decrease in OS cell growth and metastasis in vitro, whereas miR-758 inhibition had the opposite effect on OS cells. miR-758 reduced the tumorous growth of OS cells in vivo. Furthermore, high mobility group AT-hook 1 (HMGA1) was identified as a direct target of miR-758 in OS cells. HMGA1 was highly expressed in OS tissues, and its expression was inversely correlated with miR-758 expression. HMGA1 silencing exerted an effect similar to that induced by miR-758 upregulation in OS cells. Restored HMGA1 expression abolished the effects of miR-758 on the malignant phenotypes of OS cells. Moreover, miR-758 regulated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in OS cells in vitro and in vivo. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that miR-758 may inhibit the aggressive behavior of OS cells in vitro and in vivo by directly targeting HMGA1 and regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These results will aid in elucidating the roles of miR-758 and suggest that the miR-758/HMGA1/Wnt/β-catenin pathway represents a potential therapeutic target in OS.

Low HIF-1α and low EGFR mRNA Expression Significantly Associate with Poor Survival in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Patients; the Proteins React Differently

In various tumors, the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) and the epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR) have an impact on survival. Nevertheless, the prognostic impact of both markers for soft tissue sarcoma (STS) is not well studied. We examined 114 frozen tumor samples from adult soft tissue sarcoma patients and 19 frozen normal tissue samples. The mRNA levels of HIF-1α, EGFR, and the reference gene hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) were quantified using a multiplex qPCR technique. In addition, levels of EGFR or HIF-1α protein were determined from 74 corresponding protein samples using ELISA techniques. Our analysis showed that a low level of HIF-1α or EGFR mRNA (respectively, relative risk (RR) = 2.8; p = 0.001 and RR = 1.9; p = 0.04; multivariate Cox´s regression analysis) is significantly associated with a poor prognosis in STS patients. The combination of both mRNAs in a multivariate Cox’s regression analysis resulted in an increased risk of early tumor-specific death of patients (RR = 3.1, p = 0.003) when both mRNA levels in the tumors were low. The EGFR protein level had no association with the survival of the patient’s cohort studied, and a higher level of HIF-1α protein associated only with a trend to significance (multivariate Cox’s regression analysis) to a poor prognosis in STS patients (RR = 1.9, p = 0.09). However, patients with low levels of HIF-1α protein and a high content of EGFR protein in the tumor had a three-fold better survival compared to patients without such constellation regarding the protein level of HIF-1α and EGFR. In a bivariate two-sided Spearman’s rank correlation, a significant correlation between the expression of HIF-1α mRNA and expression of EGFR mRNA (p < 0.001) or EGFR protein (p = 0.001) was found, additionally, EGFR mRNA correlated with EGFR protein level (p < 0.001). Our results show that low levels of HIF-1α mRNA or EGFR mRNA are negative independent prognostic markers for STS patients, especially after combination of both parameters. The protein levels showed a different effect on the prognosis. In addition, our analysis suggests a possible association between HIF-1α and EGFR expression in STS.

Genetic testing for high-grade osteosarcoma: a guide for future tailored treatments?

INTRODUCTION

Genetic characterization of osteosarcoma has evolved during the last decade, thanks to the integrated application of conventional and new candidate-driven and genome-wide technologies. Areas covered: This review provides an overview of the state of art in genetic testing applied to osteosarcoma, with particular regard to novel candidate genetic biomarkers that can be analyzed in tumor tissue and blood samples, which might be used to predict toxicity and prognosis, detect disease relapse, and improve patients' selection criteria for tailoring treatment. Expert commentary: Genetic testing based on modern technologies is expected to indicate new osteosarcoma-related prognostic markers and driver genes, which may highlight novel therapeutic targets and patients stratification biomarkers. The definition of tailored or targeted treatment approaches may improve outcome of patients with localized tumors and, even more, of those with metastatic disease, for whom progress in cure probability is highly warranted.

Regulatory role of miRNA-26a in neonatal sepsis

The present study aimed to investigate the expression of microRNA (miRNA) 26a in blood mononuclear cells and serum in neonatal sepsis, as well as its role in the disease pathogenesis. In total 28 cases of neonatal sepsis were included in the study. The mRNA expression levels of miRNA-26a and interleukin (IL)-6 in the blood mononuclear cells and serum samples were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The protein expression of IL-6 was detected by western blot analysis and ELISA. The in vitro septic environment was simulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in THP-1 cells, and the expression of miRNA-26a and IL-6 were determined. Interaction between miRNA-26a and IL-6 was confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Compared with the control group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of IL-6 in the blood mononuclear cells and serum samples from the neonates with sepsis were significantly elevated, while the expression of miRNA-26a was significantly decreased. In addition, similar results were observed in the LPS-induced septic models in THP-1 cells. Furthermore, the results of the dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that IL-6 was the direct target of miRNA-26a. The expression of IL-6 was significantly upregulated in the blood mononuclear cells and serum in neonatal sepsis, which may be associated with the downregulation of miRNA-26a. miRNA-26a may regulate the disease pathogenesis and immune responses.

MicroRNA-365 regulates the occurrence and immune response of sepsis following multiple trauma via interleukin-6

In the present study, the expression of microRNA (miR)-365 and interleukin (IL)-6 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum from patients with sepsis following multiple trauma has been investigated. A total of 26 patients with sepsis following multiple trauma were included as the experimental group, whereas 21 contemporaneous patients without sepsis following multiple trauma were included as the negative control group. The expression of IL-6 mRNA and miR-365 was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis was used to measure IL-6 protein expression. ELISA was performed to determine the secretion of IL-6 protein. Following stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 24 h, THP-1 cells were used to examine the expression of miR-365 and the levels of IL-6 protein and mRNA in cells simulating sepsis. A dual luciferase reporter assay revealed that IL-6 mRNA was a direct target of miR-365. Patients with sepsis following multiple trauma exhibited significantly higher IL-6 mRNA and protein levels than patients without sepsis (P<0.05). In addition, miR-365 expression in patients with sepsis following trauma was significantly lower than in patients without sepsis (P<0.05). Similar effects were observed in THP-1 cells treated with LPS. The present study demonstrated that increased expression of IL-6 in patients with sepsis following multiple trauma is associated with decreased expression of miR-365. miR-365 may regulate the occurrence and immune response of sepsis following multiple trauma via IL-6. These results may elucidate agents for clinical diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning results in increased interleukin-6 and decreased microRNA-146a levels

The aim of the present study was to investigate the expression of microRNA (miR)-146a in the pulmonary macrophages, peripheral blood mononuclear cells and serum of patients with lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning, as well as the underlying mechanism of its regulation in the disease. A total of 26 patients with lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning were included in the present study. In addition, 33 healthy subjects were included as the control group. The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA and miR-146a was determined by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Western blotting was used to measure IL-6 protein expression, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was also performed to determine the secretion of IL-6 protein. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to examine whether IL-6 mRNA is a direct target of miR-146a. Patients with lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning exhibited higher IL-6 mRNA and protein levels as compared with those in healthy subjects. In addition, miR-146a expression in patients with paraquat poisoning-induced lung injury was significantly reduced in comparison with that in healthy subjects. Notably, the overexpression of miR-146a by mimic transfection downregulated the expression of IL-6 in pulmonary macrophages. The results of dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that IL-6 mRNA was a direct target of miR-146a. Therefore, the present study demonstrated that increased expression of IL-6 in patients with lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning is associated with decreased expression of miR-146a. Furthermore, miR-146a may regulate the occurrence and immune response of lung injury caused by paraquat poisoning and this process is possibly achieved via IL-6, an important cytokine that mediates inflammation.

MicroRNA-192 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of osteosarcoma cells and promotes apoptosis by targeting matrix metalloproteinase-11

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression during stem cell growth, proliferation and differentiation. miRNAs are also involved in the development and progression of a number of cancer types, including osteosarcoma (OS). miR-192 is significantly downregulated in various tumors, including lung, bladder and rectal cancer. miR-192 expression is associated with the migration and invasion of OS cells. However, the expression of miR-192 and its effects on the development of OS have not been reported. In the present study, the involvement of miR-192 and its molecular mechanisms in the development of OS was investigated. The results indicate that miR-192 expression was significantly downregulated in OS tissues compared with non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). Next, a miR-192 agomir was transfected into the OS cell line MG-63 to upregulate miR-192. The effects of miR-192 overexpression were then investigated by examining cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-11 belongs to a family of nine or more highly homologous Zn²⁺-endopeptidases. It was demonstrated that the mRNA and protein expression of MMP-11 were upregulated in OS tissues compared with non-tumor tissues (P<0.05). MMP-11 was predicted by TargetScan and miRanda as a miR-192 target, which was confirmed by western blotting and dual-luciferase assays. Finally, it was demonstrated that the overexpression of miR-192 was able to downregulate MMP-11 expression and reduce proliferation, migration and invasion, and promote apoptosis in OS cells. Together, these data indicate that miR-192 may be a tumor suppressor that inhibits the progression and invasion of OS by targeting MMP-11. Therefore, miR-192 may be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of OS.

The regulatory role of IL-6R in hepatitis B-associated fibrosis and cirrhosis

This study investigated the expression and regulation of IL-6R in hepatitis B-associated moderate hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Liver tissues, peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) and serum were collected from 26 hepatitis B patients with liver fibrosis and 35 hepatitis B patients with liver cirrhosis. The levels of Il-6r mRNA expression in these samples were examined by quantitative real-time PCR and IL-6R protein levels were analyzed by western blot and ELISA. MiRNAs that regulate IL-6R expression were predicted by bioinformatics analysis, and validated by dual luciferase reporter assay. Compared with the hepatic fibrosis group, IL-6R was significantly upregulated at both mRNA and protein levels in liver tissues, PBMs and serum samples from the hepatic cirrhosis group (P<0.05). The 3'UTR of Il-6r mRNA was predicted to contain a miR-30b binding site and IL-6R was identified as a possible target of miR-30b. MiR-30b expression was significantly downregulated in samples from hepatic cirrhosis patients compared with hepatic fibrosis patients (P<0.05). In conclusion, IL-6R was upregulated while miR-30b was decreased in patients with liver cirrhosis. The miR-30 can directly regulate the expression of IL-6R.

Pulmonary tumor embolism secondary to soft tissue and bone sarcomas: a case report and literature review

Background

Tumor embolisms (TE) are an underappreciated source of pulmonary embolisms in sarcoma. Most evidence in the literature is limited to case reports and none have described the presence of TE secondary to myxofibrosarcoma. We report the first case of myxofibrosarcoma TE and perform a review of the literature for TE secondary to bone and soft tissue sarcomas (STS).

Case presentation

A 36-year-old female presented with debilitating pain of the right upper extremity secondary to a recurrent soft tissue sarcoma. She had distant metastasis to the lung. An MRI revealed a 25-cm shoulder mass involving the proximal arm muscles with encasement of the axillary artery, vein, and brachial plexus. A palliative forequarter amputation was performed and tumor thrombus was evident within the axillary artery and vein. Postoperatively, she developed an acute onset of dyspnea and hypoxia. A computed tomography scan revealed a pulmonary saddle embolism. A bilateral lower extremity venous duplex was negative. She became hemodynamically unstable despite resuscitation and was placed on vasopressor support. A transthoracic echocardiogram revealed elevated pulmonary artery pressure, tricuspid regurgitation, right heart dilation, and reduced right heart systolic function consistent with acute cor pulmonale. The patient did not want to pursue a median sternotomy with pulmonary artery embolectomy and expired from cardiopulmonary arrest within 24 h of the operation. The final pathology revealed a 25 × 16 × 13 cm high-grade myxofibrosarcoma with invasion into the bone, skin, and neurovascular bundle as well as evidence of tumor thrombus.

Conclusion

TE is a rare but deadly cause of pulmonary embolism in sarcoma. A high index of suspicion is necessary in individuals who present with respiratory-related symptoms, especially dyspnea. Diagnostic confirmation with a computed tomography scan of the chest and echocardiogram should be rapid. Unlike venous thromboembolism, pulmonary embolectomy remains the preferred therapeutic approach.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12957-017-1223-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

MicroRNA-17 downregulates expression of the PTEN gene to promote the occurrence and development of adenomyosis

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-17 in the endometrial tissues of patients with adenomyosis (AM) and determine its biological function in the occurrence and development of the disease. A total of 45 fresh endometrial tissues of AM patients and 32 normal endometrial tissues were collected from healthy controls. The expression of miR-17 was evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The miR-17-targeting gene phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) was predicted using bioinformatics and its expression was evaluated with RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. Endometrial cells were isolated from patients with AM and healthy controls. They were cultured in vitro and transfected with antagomiR-17 to downregulate miR-17 expression, subsequently cell viability and apoptosis were measured using MTT and flow cytometry. The expression of PTEN and cell cycle- and apoptosis-related proteins were evaluated using western blot analysis. Endometrial cells that stably overexpressed PTEN were screened in vitro by co-culture with G418. A dual-luciferase reporter assay was conducted to verify whether miR-17 was directly bound to PTEN mRNA. The results demonstrated that expression of miR-17 was significantly increased in the endometrial tissues of patients with AM compared with control patients (P<0.05). PTEN mRNA and protein expression were significantly lower in the AM group compared with the control group (P<0.05). When the expression of miR-17 in the cells was downregulated, the expression of PTEN was significantly increased (P<0.05). In addition, expression of Bcl-2 protein was significantly decreased and that of Bax protein significantly increased compared with the negative control (both P<0.05). The expression of cyclins E1 and D1 were also significantly downregulated (P<0.05). When PTEN was overexpressed or miR-17 was downregulated, the viability of endometrial cells significantly decreased and cell apoptosis significantly increased (all P<0.05). A dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that miR-17 could directly bind to the PTEN mRNA 3'-untranslated region to regulate its expression. Thus the current study indicates that expression of miR-17 was increased in the endometrial tissues of patients with AM and may influence cell apoptosis and cyclin expression through the targeted regulation of PTEN. These results suggest that miR-17 promotes the occurrence and development of AM.

MicroRNA-29 Family Suppresses the Invasion of HT1080 Human Fibrosarcoma Cells by Regulating Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Expression

Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) is a potent protumorigenic, proangiogenic, and prometastatic enzyme that is overexpressed in metastatic cancer. Although there have been various studies on the MMP2 gene, further studies of regulatory factors are required to achieve inhibition of MMP2 enzyme activities. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play key roles in tumor metastasis. However, the specific functions of miRNAs in metastasis are unclear. In this study, we assessed the function of the microRNA-29 family (miR-29s) in HT1080 human fibrosarcoma cells and examined the regulatory mechanisms of these miRNAs on MMP2 activation. Using miRanda, TargetScan, and PicTar databases, miR-29s were identified as candidate miRNAs targeting MMP2. Gain-of-function studies showed that overexpression of miR-29s could inhibit the invasion of HT1080 cells, suggesting their tumor-suppressive roles in HT1080 cells. In addition, dual luciferase reporter assays indicated that miR-29s could inhibit the expression of the luciferase gene containing the 3'-untranslated region of MMP2 mRNA. Ectopic expression of miR-29s down-regulated the expression of MMP2. Moreover, ectopic expression of miR-29s reduced MMP2 enzyme activity. These results suggested that miR-29s could decrease the invasiveness of HT1080 cells by modulating MMP2 signaling. Taken together, our results demonstrated that miR-29s may serve as therapeutic targets to control tumor metastasis.

miR-429 inhibits metastasis by targeting KIAA0101 in Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are a heterogeneous group of rare tumors with high metastatic potential. There being only a handful of publication on metastasis of STS, we investigated the miRNA mediated target gene regulations in modulating the metastatic processes in this cancer. In this study, we amalgamated gene and miRNA expression profiles of high-grade STS samples with miRNA target predictions and identified miR-429 targeting KIAA0101 as a novel pair, which remain unexplored in STS metastasis. We validated their expression in metastatic fibrosarcoma cell line, HT1080 and performed several functional assays using miRNA mimics and KIAA0101 over-expression vector to confirm their role in metastasis. We observed miR-429 is downregulated in HT1080 cells and acting as an anti-metastatic miRNA that inhibited proliferation, migration, anchorage independent growth and invasion by de-repressing KIAA0101. Moreover, the renilla luciferase reporter assay confirmed that miR-429 targets KIAA0101 by binding to its 3^/UTR and influence its expression. Taken together, our work demonstrated miR-429 mediates deregulation of KIAA0101 by acting as an anti-metastatic miRNA that targets KIAA0101 pro-metastatic gene during metastasis of STS.

Overexpression of miR-422a inhibits cell proliferation and invasion, and enhances chemosensitivity in osteosarcoma cells

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive malignant tumor that is mesenchymal in origin with a very low 5-year survival rate, particularly in the patients with locally advanced or metastatic tumors and recurrent disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in essential biological processes as cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis in normal or cancer cells, including OS cells. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the role of miR-422a in OS. We demonstrated that miR-422a expression was significantly downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines compared with the normal controls. In addition, overexpression of miR-422a was able to inhibit cell proliferation and the ability of invasion, and enhance paclitaxel and cisplatin-mediated apoptosis in OS cells. Inversely, downregulation of miR-422a exhibited an opposite role. We further demonstrated that miR-422a directly targeted TGFβ2 and regulated its expression and the activation of downstream molecules, smad2 and smad3 in OS cells. Thus, miR-422a/TGFβ2/smad axis may be a potential target for OS treatment.

Understanding the Osteosarcoma Pathobiology: A Comparative Oncology Approach

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive primary bone tumor in humans and is among the most common cancer afflicting dogs. Despite surgical advancements and intensification of chemo- and targeted therapies, the survival outcome for osteosarcoma patients is, as of yet, suboptimal. The presence of metastatic disease at diagnosis or its recurrence after initial therapy is a major factor for the poor outcomes. It is thought that most human and canine patients have at least microscopic metastatic lesions at diagnosis. Osteosarcoma in dogs occurs naturally with greater frequency and shares many biological and clinical similarities with osteosarcoma in humans. From a genetic perspective, osteosarcoma in both humans and dogs is characterized by complex karyotypes with highly variable structural and numerical chromosomal aberrations. Similar molecular abnormalities have been observed in human and canine osteosarcoma. For instance, loss of TP53 and RB regulated pathways are common. While there are several oncogenes that are commonly amplified in both humans and dogs, such as MYC and RAS, no commonly activated proto-oncogene has been identified that could form the basis for targeted therapies. It remains possible that recurrent aberrant gene expression changes due to gene amplification or epigenetic alterations could be uncovered and these could be used for developing new, targeted therapies. However, the remarkably high genomic complexity of osteosarcoma has precluded their definitive identification. Several advantageous murine models of osteosarcoma have been generated. These include spontaneous and genetically engineered mouse models, including a model based on forward genetics and transposon mutagenesis allowing new genes and genetic pathways to be implicated in osteosarcoma development. The proposition of this review is that careful comparative genomic studies between human, canine and mouse models of osteosarcoma may help identify commonly affected and targetable pathways for alternative therapies for osteosarcoma patients. Translational research may be found through a path that begins in mouse models, and then moves through canine patients, and then human patients.

MicroRNA-150 functions as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma by targeting IGF2BP1

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common primary malignant bone tumor with high morbidity in young adults and adolescents. Increasing evidence has demonstrated that aberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression is involved in OS occurrence and development. miR-150 has been recently widely studied in many cancers, but not including OS. This study is aimed to investigate the expression and biological role of miR-150 in OS. Here, we found that miR-150 expression was consistently downregulated in OS tissues and cell lines compared with the matched adjacent normal tissues and human normal osteoblast cells (NHOst), and its expression was significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. Functional study showed that restoration of miR-150 expression in OS cells could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and induced apoptosis in vitro as well as suppressed tumor growth of OS in vivo. Mechanistically, IGF2 mRNA-binding protein 1(IGF2BP1) was confirmed to act as a direct target of miR-150, and the IGF2BP1 mRNA expression was inversely correlated with the level of miR-150 in OS tissues. In addition, downregulation of endogenous IGF2BP1 exhibited similar effects of overexpression of miR-150. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-150 functions as a tumor suppressor in OS partially by targeting IGF2BP1.

Expression and functional perspectives of miR-184 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive malignant tumors, with its 5-year survival rate lower than 5%. MicroRNAs (miR) have been known as important regulators for the tumorigenesis, progression, invasion and metastasis of various cancers. MiR-184 was found to be abnormally expressed in various cancers including glioma and oral carcinoma. The expression and functional role of miR-184 in PDAC, however, remains unclear. PDAC cell line PANC-1 was transfected with miR-184 inhibitor. Real-time PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-184 in untreated PANC-1, miR-184 inhibitor transfected PANC-1 and controlled normal pancreatic ductal epithelial cell line HPDE6c7. MTT assay was used to detect the effect of miR-184 on the proliferation of PANC-1 cells, while invasion assay and Western blotting were employed to describe the effect on cell invasion ability and expression of caspase-3, respectively. In PANC-1 cells, miR-184 was abundantly expressed. The transfection of inhibitor effectively suppressed the expression of miR-184, and further inhibited both cell proliferation and invasion abilities, in addition to the up-regulation of pro-apoptotic protein caspase 3 expression. The up-regulation of miR-184 in PDAC may facilitate the proliferation and invasion ability, and inhibit apoptosis of tumor cells, thus potentiating the occurrence and development of PDAC. MiR-184, therefore, is a potential molecular target for therapy.