MicroRNAs and Their Targetomes in Tumor-Immune Communication

Integrative analysis of negatively regulated miRNA-mRNA axes for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs regulating mRNA expression by targeting at mRNAs is known constructive in tumor occurrence, immune escape, and metastasis.

OBJECTIVE

This research aims at finding negatively regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

METHODS

GENE expression data of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and GEO database were employed in differently expressed RNA and miRNA (DE-miRNAs/DE-mRNAs) screening. Function analysis was conducted with DAVID-mirPath. MiRNA-mRNA axes were identified by MiRTarBase and TarBase and verified in esophageal specimen by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curve and Decision Curve Analysis (DCA) were applied in miRNA-mRNA pairs predictive value estimation. Interactions between miRNA-mRNA regulatory pairs and immune features were analyzed using CIBERSORT.

RESULTS

Combining TCGA database, 4 miRNA and 10 mRNA GEO datasets, totally 26 DE-miRNAs (13 up and 13 down) and 114 DE-mRNAs (64 up and 50 down) were considered significant. MiRTarBase and TarBase identified 37 reverse regulation miRNA-mRNA pairs, 14 of which had been observed in esophageal tissue or cell line. Through analysis of RT-qPCR outcome, miR-106b-5p/KIAA0232 signature was chosen as characteristic pair of ESCC. ROC and DCA verified the predictive value of model containing miRNA-mRNA axis in ESCC. Via affecting mast cells, miR-106b-5p/KIAA0232 may contribute to tumor microenvironment.

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic model of miRNA-mRNA pair in ESCC was established. Their complex role in ESCC pathogenesis especially tumor immunity was partly disclosed.

Exosomes: A potential tool for immunotherapy of ovarian cancer

Ovarian cancer is a malignant tumor of the female reproductive system, with a very poor prognosis and high mortality rates. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are the most common treatments for ovarian cancer, with unsatisfactory results. Exosomes are a subpopulation of extracellular vesicles, which have a diameter of approximately 30-100 nm and are secreted by many different types of cells in various body fluids. Exosomes are highly stable and are effective carriers of immunotherapeutic drugs. Recent studies have shown that exosomes are involved in various cellular responses in the tumor microenvironment, influencing the development and therapeutic efficacy of ovarian cancer, and exhibiting dual roles in inhibiting and promoting tumor development. Exosomes also contain a variety of genes related to ovarian cancer immunotherapy that could be potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Undoubtedly, exosomes have great therapeutic potential in the field of ovarian cancer immunotherapy. However, translation of this idea to the clinic has not occurred. Therefore, it is important to understand how exosomes could be used in ovarian cancer immunotherapy to regulate tumor progression. In this review, we summarize the biomarkers of exosomes in different body fluids related to immunotherapy in ovarian cancer and the potential mechanisms by which exosomes influence immunotherapeutic response. We also discuss the prospects for clinical application of exosome-based immunotherapy in ovarian cancer.

miR-aculous new avenues for cancer immunotherapy

The rising toll of cancer globally necessitates ingenuity in early detection and therapy. In the last decade, the utilization of immune signatures and immune-based therapies has made significant progress in the clinic; however, clinical standards leave many current and future patients without options. Non-coding RNAs, specifically microRNAs, have been explored in pre-clinical contexts with tremendous success. MicroRNAs play indispensable roles in programming the interactions between immune and cancer cells, many of which are current or potential immunotherapy targets. MicroRNAs mechanistically control a network of target genes that can alter immune and cancer cell biology. These insights provide us with opportunities and tools that may complement and improve immunotherapies. In this review, we discuss immune and cancer cell-derived miRNAs that regulate cancer immunity and examine miRNAs as an integral part of cancer diagnosis, classification, and therapy.

A review on the role of epidermal growth factor signaling in the development, progression and treatment of cervical cancer

The sub-committee constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for the management of cervical cancer (CC) detailed in the consensus document (2016) reported CC as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in women. The incidence of an increase in CC and associated mortality in women is a major cause of cancer. To date, human papilloma viral (HPV) infection accounts for more than 99% of CC. However, there are individuals infected with HPV do not develop CC. There is a greater correlation between HPV infection and upregulation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling cascade during the initiation, sustenance, and progression of CC. Therefore, EGFR is often targeted to treat CC using tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies (mAB). The current review analyzed the existing clinical/pre-clinical studies and the significance of EGFR abundance using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival plot analysis for disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). We performed a series of bioinformatics analyses to screen the crucial role of the EGFR gene in CC. Further, different transcription factors that are dysregulated due to EGFR abundance and their relevance were determined using computational tools in this review. Endogenous microRNAs (miRNA) that undergo changes due to alterations in EGFR during CC were identified using computational database and consolidated the information obtained with the published in the area of miRNA and EGFR with special reference to the initiation, sustenance and progression of CC. The current review aims to consolidate contemporary approaches for targeting CC using EGFR and highlight the current role of miRNA and genes that are differently regulated during CC involving EGFR mutations. Potential resistance to the available EGFR therapies such as TKIs and mABs and the need for better therapies are also extensively reviewed for the development of newer therapeutic molecules with better efficacy.

Interaction of Gut Microbiome and Host microRNAs with the Occurrence of Colorectal and Breast Cancer and Their Impact on Patient Immunity

Breast and colorectal cancers are two primary malignancies on which most of the research done worldwide investigates the potential genetic and environmental risk factors and thereby tries to develop therapeutic methods to improve prognosis. Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer type in women, while colorectal cancer is diagnosed in males as the third most and females as the second most cancer type. Though these two cancer types are predominantly seen in adult patients worldwide, in the current context, these malignancies are diagnosed at a younger age with a significant rate of incidents than previous. Such early-onset cancers are generally present at an advanced stage of the most aggressive type with a poor prognosis. In the past, the focus of the research was mainly on studying possible candidate genes to understand the onset. However, it is now recognized that genetics, epigenetics, and other environmental factors play a pivotal role in cancer susceptibility. Thus, most studies were diversified to study the behavior of host microRNAs, and the involvement of gut microbiota and good communication between them surfaced in the occurrence and state of the disease. It is understood that the impact of these factors affects the outcome of the disease. Out of the adverse outcomes identified relating to the disease, immunosuppression is one of the most concerning outcomes in the current world, where such individuals remain vulnerable to infections. Recent studies revealed that microbiome and microRNA could create a considerable impact on immunosuppression. This review focused on the behavior of host microRNAs and gut microbiome for the onset of the disease and progression, thereby influencing an individual's immunosuppression. Understanding the interactions among microRNA, microbiome, presentation of the disease, and impact on the immune system will be immensely useful for developing future therapeutic strategies based on targeting host microRNA and the patient's gut microbiome. Therapies such as inhibitory-miRNA therapies, miRNA mimic-based therapeutics, immune checkpoint blockade therapies, and bacteria-assisted tumor-targeted therapies help modulate cancer. At the same time, it paid equal attention to potential noninvasive biomarkers in diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutics in both cancers.

A Prognostic Role for Circulating microRNAs Involved in Macrophage Polarization in Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of the crosstalk between tumor cells and immune response. In the present study, miRNAs (let-7c, miR-26a, miR-30d, miR-98, miR-195, miR-202) reported to be involved in the polarization of macrophages were examined for associations with the outcomes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients (N = 125) treated with first-line platinum-based chemotherapy. RT-qPCR was used to analyze miRNA expression levels in the plasma of patients prior to treatment. In our results, disease progression was correlated with high miR-202 expression (HR: 2.335; p = 0.040). Additionally, high miR-202 expression was characterized as an independent prognostic factor for shorter progression-free survival (PFS, HR: 1.564; p = 0.021) and overall survival (OS, HR: 1.558; p = 0.024). Moreover, high miR-202 independently predicted shorter OS (HR: 1.989; p = 0.008) in the non-squamous (non-SqCC) subgroup, and high miR-26a was correlated with shorter OS in the squamous (SqCC) subgroup (10.07 vs. 13.53 months, p = 0.033). The results of the present study propose that the expression levels of circulating miRNAs involved in macrophage polarization are correlated with survival measures in NSCLC patients, and their role as potential biomarkers merits further investigation.

miRNAs; a novel strategy for the treatment of COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is the seventh member of the bat severe acute respiratory syndrome family. COVID‐19 can fuse their envelopes with the host cell membranes and deliver their genetic material. COVID‐19 attacks the respiratory system and stimulates the host inflammatory responses, enhances the recruitment of immune cells, and promotes angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2 activities. Patients with confirmed COVID‐19 may have experienced fever, dry cough, headache, dyspnea, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and acute heart injury. Several strategies such as oxygen therapy, ventilation, antibiotic or antiviral therapy, and renal replacement therapy are commonly used to decrease COVID‐19‐associated mortality. However, these approaches may not be good treatment options. Therefore, the search for an alternative‐novel therapy is urgently important to prevent the disease progression. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a promising strategy for COVID‐19. The design of oligonucleotide against the genetic material of COVID‐19 might suppress virus RNA translation. Several previous studies have shown that host miRNAs play an antiviral role and improve the treatment of patients with COVID‐19. miRNAs by binding to the 3′‐untranslated region (UTR) or 5′‐UTR of viral RNA play an important role in COVID‐19‐host interplay and viral replication. miRNAs interact with multiple pathways and reduce inflammatory biomarkers, thrombi formation, and tissue damage to accelerate the patient outcome. The information in this review provides a summary of the current clinical application of miRNAs for the treatments of patients with COVID‐19.