Extracellular MicroRNAs as Intercellular Mediators and Noninvasive Biomarkers of Cancer

MicroRNAs in Lung Cancer Brain Metastasis

Brain metastasis is a significant clinical challenge for patients with advanced lung cancer, occurring in about 20-40% of cases. Brain metastasis causes severe neurological symptoms, leading to a poor prognosis and contributing significantly to lung cancer-related mortality. However, the underlying molecular mechanism behind brain metastasis remains largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, non-coding RNAs linked to several aspects of cancer progression, including metastasis. In the context of lung cancer, significant research has shown the involvement of miRNAs in regulating critical pathways related to metastatic spread to the brain. This review summarizes the scientific evidence regarding the regulatory roles of intra- and extracellular miRNAs, which specifically drive the spread of lung cancer cells to the brain. It also revises the known molecular mechanisms of brain metastasis, focusing on those from lung cancer as the primary tumor to better understand the complex mechanisms underlying this regulation. Understanding these complex regulatory mechanisms holds promise for developing novel diagnostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic strategies in brain metastasis.

Understanding the role of miRNAs in cervical cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic responses

Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common cancer in women and poses a serious threat to health. Despite familiarity with the factors affecting its etiology, initiation, progression, treatment strategies, and even resistance to therapy, it is considered a significant problem for women. However, several factors have greatly affected the previous aspects of CC progression and treatment in recent decades. miRNAs are short non-coding RNA sequences that regulate gene expression by inhibiting translation of the target mRNA. miRNAs play a crucial role in CC pathogenesis by promoting cancer stem cell (CSC) proliferation, postponing apoptosis, continuing the cell cycle, and promoting invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Similarly, miRNAs influence important CC-related molecular pathways, such as the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, Wnt/β-catenin system, JAK/STAT signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. Moreover, miRNAs affect the response of CC patients to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Consequently, this review aims to provide an acquainted summary of onco miRNAs and tumor suppressor (TS) miRNAs and their potential role in CC pathogenesis and therapy responses by focusing on the molecular pathways that drive them.

Downregulation of miR-29a as a possible diagnostic biomarker for schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic factors regulating many genes involved in brain development. Dysregulation of miRNA could result in dysregulation of genes which may contribute to diseases affecting the brain and behavior (e.g., schizophrenia). miR-29 family is a miRNA family contributing to brain maturation. miR-29 knockout in animal studies is reported to correlate with psychiatric disorders very similar to those seen in schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the miR-29a level in patients with schizophrenia and its potential value in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The serum sample of 42 patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy subjects were obtained from the Azeri Recent onset/Acute phase psychosis Survey (ARAS) Cohort study. After preparations, the expression level of miR-29a was investigated by real-time PCR. The SPSS and GraphPad prism software were used to analyze the relation between miR-29a level and clinical parameters and its potential as a biomarker for the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

RESULTS

Our study showed a significantly lower miR-29a level in patients compared to healthy controls (p = 0.0012). Furthermore, miR-29a level was significantly lower in some types of schizophrenia (p = 0.024). miR-29a level was not related to sex, age, or heredity (p > 0.05). miR-29a also showed 80% specificity and 71.43% sensitivity in the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION

Downregulation of miR-29a in schizophrenia is significantly related to the development of this illness. It might have the potential as a biomarker for schizophrenia.

Integrated analysis of diverse cancer types reveals a breast cancer-specific serum miRNA biomarker through relative expression orderings analysis

PURPOSE

Serum microRNA (miRNA) holds great potential as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosing breast cancer (BrC). However, most diagnostic models rely on the absolute expression levels of miRNAs, which are susceptible to batch effects and challenging for clinical transformation. Furthermore, current studies on liquid biopsy diagnostic biomarkers for BrC mainly focus on distinguishing BrC patients from healthy controls, needing more specificity assessment.

METHODS

We collected a large number of miRNA expression data involving 8465 samples from GEO, including 13 different cancer types and non-cancer controls. Based on the relative expression orderings (REOs) of miRNAs within each sample, we applied the greedy, LASSO multiple linear regression, and random forest algorithms to identify a qualitative biomarker specific to BrC by comparing BrC samples to samples of other cancers as controls.

RESULTS

We developed a BrC-specific biomarker called 7-miRPairs, consisting of seven miRNA pairs. It demonstrated comparable classification performance in our analyzed machine learning algorithms while requiring fewer miRNA pairs, accurately distinguishing BrC from 12 other cancer types. The diagnostic performance of 7-miRPairs was favorable in the training set (accuracy = 98.47%, specificity = 98.14%, sensitivity = 99.25%), and similar results were obtained in the test set (accuracy = 97.22%, specificity = 96.87%, sensitivity = 98.02%). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the 11 miRNAs within the 7-miRPairs revealed significant enrichment of target mRNAs in pathways associated with BrC.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides evidence that utilizing serum miRNA pairs can offer significant advantages for BrC-specific diagnosis in clinical practice by directly comparing serum samples with BrC to other cancer types.

Phosphorylation of AGO2 by TBK1 Promotes the Formation of Oncogenic miRISC in NSCLC

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a highly lethal tumor that often develops resistance to targeted therapy. It is shown that Tank-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) phosphorylates AGO2 at S417 (pS417-AGO2), which promotes NSCLC progression by increasing the formation of microRNA-induced silencing complex (miRISC). High levels of pS417-AGO2 in clinical NSCLC specimens are positively associated with poor prognosis. Interestingly, the treatment with EGFR inhibitor Gefitinib can significantly induce pS417-AGO2, thereby increasing the formation and activity of oncogenic miRISC, which may contribute to NSCLC resistance to Gefitinib. Based on these, two therapeutic strategies is developed. One is jointly to antagonize multiple oncogenic miRNAs highly expressed in NSCLC and use TBK1 inhibitor Amlexanox reducing the formation of oncogenic miRISC. Another approach is to combine Gefitinib with Amlexanox to inhibit the progression of Gefitinib-resistant NSCLC. This findings reveal a novel mechanism of oncogenic miRISC regulation by TBK1-mediated pS417-AGO2 and suggest potential therapeutic approaches for NSCLC.

A novel saliva-based miRNA profile to diagnose and predict oral cancer

Oral cancer (OC) is the most common form of head and neck cancer. Despite the high incidence and unfavourable patient outcomes, currently, there are no biomarkers for the early detection of OC. This study aims to discover, develop, and validate a novel saliva-based microRNA signature for early diagnosis and prediction of OC risk in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD). The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) miRNA sequencing data and small RNA sequencing data of saliva samples were used to discover differentially expressed miRNAs. Identified miRNAs were validated in saliva samples of OC (n = 50), OPMD (n = 52), and controls (n = 60) using quantitative real-time PCR. Eight differentially expressed miRNAs (miR-7-5p, miR-10b-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-215-5p, miR-431-5p, miR-486-3p, miR-3614-5p, and miR-4707-3p) were identified in the discovery phase and were validated. The efficiency of our eight-miRNA signature to discriminate OC and controls was: area under curve (AUC): 0.954, sensitivity: 86%, specificity: 90%, positive predictive value (PPV): 87.8% and negative predictive value (NPV): 88.5% whereas between OC and OPMD was: AUC: 0.911, sensitivity: 90%, specificity: 82.7%, PPV: 74.2% and NPV: 89.6%. We have developed a risk probability score to predict the presence or risk of OC in OPMD patients. We established a salivary miRNA signature that can aid in diagnosing and predicting OC, revolutionising the management of patients with OPMD. Together, our results shed new light on the management of OC by salivary miRNAs to the clinical utility of using miRNAs derived from saliva samples.

The knowns and unknowns of helminth-host miRNA cross-kingdom communication

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that oversee gene modulation. They are integral to cellular functions and can migrate between species, leading to cross-kingdom gene suppression. Recent breakthroughs in helminth genome studies have sparked curiosity about helminth RNA regulators and their ability to regulate genes across species. Growing data indicate that helminth miRNAs have a significant impact on the host's immune system. Specific miRNAs from helminth parasites can merge with the host's miRNA system, implying that parasites could exploit their host's regulatory machinery and function. This review highlights the role of cross-kingdom helminth-derived miRNAs in the interplay between host and parasite, exploring potential routes for their uptake, processing, and consequences in host interaction.

The Role of Exosome-Derived microRNA on Lung Cancer Metastasis Progression

The high mortality from lung cancer is mainly attributed to the presence of metastases at the time of diagnosis. Despite being the leading cause of lung cancer death, the underlying molecular mechanisms driving metastasis progression are still not fully understood. Recent studies suggest that tumor cell exosomes play a significant role in tumor progression through intercellular communication between tumor cells, the microenvironment, and distant organs. Furthermore, evidence shows that exosomes release biologically active components to distant sites and organs, which direct metastasis by preparing metastatic pre-niche and stimulating tumorigenesis. As a result, identifying the active components of exosome cargo has become a critical area of research in recent years. Among these components are microRNAs, which are associated with tumor progression and metastasis in lung cancer. Although research into exosome-derived microRNA (exosomal miRNAs) is still in its early stages, it holds promise as a potential target for lung cancer therapy. Understanding how exosomal microRNAs promote metastasis will provide evidence for developing new targeted treatments. This review summarizes current research on exosomal miRNAs' role in metastasis progression mechanisms, focusing on lung cancer.

The Role of MicroRNAs in Breast Cancer and the Challenges of Their Clinical Application

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) constitute a subclass of non-coding RNAs that exert substantial influence on gene-expression regulation. Their tightly controlled expression plays a pivotal role in various cellular processes, while their dysregulation has been implicated in numerous pathological conditions, including cancer. Among cancers affecting women, breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent malignant tumor. Extensive investigations have demonstrated distinct expression patterns of miRNAs in normal and malignant breast cells. Consequently, these findings have prompted research efforts towards leveraging miRNAs as diagnostic tools and the development of therapeutic strategies. The aim of this review is to describe the role of miRNAs in BC. We discuss the identification of oncogenic, tumor suppressor and metastatic miRNAs among BC cells, and their impact on tumor progression. We describe the potential of miRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for BC, as well as their role as promising therapeutic targets. Finally, we evaluate the current use of artificial intelligence tools for miRNA analysis and the challenges faced by these new biomedical approaches in its clinical application. The insights presented in this review underscore the promising prospects of utilizing miRNAs as innovative diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools for the management of BC.

MiR-662 is associated with metastatic relapse in early-stage breast cancer and promotes metastasis by stimulating cancer cell stemness

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) metastasis, which often occurs in bone, contributes substantially to mortality. MicroRNAs play a fundamental role in BC metastasis, although microRNA-regulated mechanisms driving metastasis progression remain poorly understood.

METHODS

MiRome analysis in serum from BC patients was performed by TaqMan™ low-density array. MiR-662 was overexpressed following MIMIC-transfection or lentivirus transduction. Animal models were used to investigate the role of miR-662 in BC (bone) metastasis. The effect of miR-662-overexpressing BC cell conditioned medium on osteoclastogenesis was investigated. ALDEFLUOR assays were performed to study BC stemness. RNA-sequencing transcriptomic analysis of miR-662-overexpressing BC cells was performed to evaluate gene expression changes.

RESULTS

High levels of hsa-miR-662 (miR-662) in serum from BC patients, at baseline (time of surgery), were associated with future recurrence in bone. At an early-stage of the metastatic disease, miR-662 could mask the presence of BC metastases in bone by inhibiting the differentiation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Nonetheless, metastatic miR-662-overexpressing BC cells then progressed as overt osteolytic metastases thanks to increased stem cell-like traits.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-662 is involved in BC metastasis progression, suggesting it may be used as a prognostic marker to identify BC patients at high risk of metastasis.

Thyroid Cancer Persistence in Patients with Unreliable Thyroglobulin Measurement: Circulating microRNA as Candidate Alternative Biomarkers

BACKGROUND

We aimed to evaluate the role of circulating miRNAs as a biomarker of the persistence of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) in patients with an "uninformative" thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement.

METHODS

We prospectively enrolled 49 consecutive PTC patients with Tg-positive antibodies (TgAb) who had undergone a (near)-total thyroidectomy and ¹³¹I therapy (RIT). The serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Tg, and TgAb levels were measured before and at 6 and 12 months after RIT, respectively. The serum miRNA (221, 222, 375, 155, and 146b) levels were measured simultaneously.

RESULTS

The response to the initial therapy was assessed according to the 2015 ATA criteria. A decrease in 50% or more of serum miRNA over time was observed in 41/49 PTC patients, who showed an excellent response (ER), but six and two patients were classified to have an indeterminate/incomplete biochemical or incomplete structural response to initial therapy.

CONCLUSION

Serum miRNA kinetics emerge as a promising biomarker for the early detection of a persistent disease in PTC patients with uninformative Tg results.

Possible Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Hepatotoxicity of Acetaminophen

We examined proteomic profiles of rat liver extracellular vesicles (EVs) shed following treatment with a sub-toxic dose (500 mg/kg) of the pain reliever drug, acetaminophen (APAP). EVs representing the entire complement of hepatic cells were isolated after perfusion of the intact liver and analyzed with LC-MS/MS. The investigation was focused on revealing the function and cellular origin of identified EVs proteins shed by different parenchymal and non-parenchymal liver cells and their possible role in an early response of this organ to a toxic environment. Comparison of EV proteomic profiles from control and APAP-treated animals revealed significant differences. Alpha-1-macroglobulin and members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily were highly abundant proteins in EVs shed by the normal liver. In contrast, proteins like aminopeptidase N, metalloreductase STEAP4, different surface antigens like CD14 and CD45, and most members of the annexin family were detected only in EVs that were shed by livers of APAP-treated animals. In EVs from treated livers, there was almost a complete disappearance of members of the cytochrome P450 superfamily and a major decrease in other enzymes involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics. Additionally, there were proteins that predominated in non-parenchymal liver cells and in the extracellular matrix, like fibronectin, receptor-type tyrosine-protein phosphatase C, and endothelial type gp91. These differences indicate that even treatment with a sub-toxic concentration of APAP initiates dramatic perturbation in the function of this vital organ.

Predict ovarian cancer by pairing serum miRNAs: Construct of single sample classifiers

Objective

The accuracy of CA125 or clinical examination in ovarian cancer (OVC) screening is still facing challenges. Serum miRNAs have been considered as promising biomarkers for clinical applications. Here, we propose a single sample classifier (SSC) method based on within-sample relative expression orderings (REOs) of serum miRNAs for OVC diagnosis.

Methods

Based on the stable REOs within 4,965 non-cancer serum samples, we developed the SSC for OVC in the training cohort (GSE106817: OVC = 200, non-cancer = 2,000) by focusing on highly reversed REOs within OVC. The best diagnosis is achieved using a combination of reversed miRNA pairs, considering the largest evaluation index and the lowest number of miRNA pairs possessed according to the voting rule. The SSC was then validated in internal data (GSE106817: OVC = 120, non-cancer = 759) and external data (GSE113486: OVC = 40, non-cancer = 100).

Results

The obtained 13-miRPairs classifier showed high diagnostic accuracy on distinguishing OVC from non-cancer controls in the training set (sensitivity = 98.00%, specificity = 99.60%), which was reproducible in internal data (sensitivity = 98.33%, specificity = 99.21%) and external data (sensitivity = 97.50%, specificity = 100%). Compared with the published models, it stood out in terms of correct positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) (PPV = 96.08% and NPV=95.16% in training set, and both above 99% in validation set). In addition, 13-miRPairs demonstrated a classification accuracy of over 97.5% for stage I OVC samples. By integrating other non-OVC serum samples as a control, the obtained 17-miRPairs classifier could distinguish OVC from other cancers (AUC>92% in training and validation set).

Conclusion

The REO-based SSCs performed well in predicting OVC (including early samples) and distinguishing OVC from other cancer types, proving that REOs of serum miRNAs represent a robust and non-invasive biomarker.

Computational method using heterogeneous graph convolutional network model combined with reinforcement layer for MiRNA-disease association prediction

BACKGROUND

A large number of evidences from biological experiments have confirmed that miRNAs play an important role in the progression and development of various human complex diseases. However, the traditional experiment methods are expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, it is a challenging task that how to develop more accurate and efficient methods for predicting potential associations between miRNA and disease.

RESULTS

In the study, we developed a computational model that combined heterogeneous graph convolutional network with enhanced layer for miRNA-disease association prediction (HGCNELMDA). The major improvement of our method lies in through restarting the random walk optimized the original features of nodes and adding a reinforcement layer to the hidden layer of graph convolutional network retained similar information between nodes in the feature space. In addition, the proposed approach recalculated the influence of neighborhood nodes on target nodes by introducing the attention mechanism. The reliable performance of the HGCNELMDA was certified by the AUC of 93.47% in global leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV), and the average AUCs of 93.01% in fivefold cross-validation. Meanwhile, we compared the HGCNELMDA with the state‑of‑the‑art methods. Comparative results indicated that o the HGCNELMDA is very promising and may provide a cost‑effective alternative for miRNA-disease association prediction. Moreover, we applied HGCNELMDA to 3 different case studies to predict potential miRNAs related to lung cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer. Results showed that 48, 50, and 50 of the top 50 predicted miRNAs were supported by experimental association evidence. Therefore, the HGCNELMDA is a reliable method for predicting disease-related miRNAs.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the HGCNELMDA method in the LOOCV (leave-one-out cross validation, LOOCV) and 5-cross validations were 93.47% and 93.01%, respectively. Compared with other typical methods, the performance of HGCNELMDA is higher. Three cases of lung cancer, prostate cancer, and pancreatic cancer were studied. Among the predicted top 50 candidate miRNAs, 48, 50, and 50 were verified in the biological database HDMMV2.0. Therefore; this further confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of our method. Therefore, this further confirms the feasibility and effectiveness of our method. To facilitate extensive studies for future disease-related miRNAs research, we developed a freely available web server called HGCNELMDA is available at http://124.221.62.44:8080/HGCNELMDA.jsp .

MicroRNA Signatures in the Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Scenario: Ready for the Game Changer?

Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) represents a minor subgroup of malignancies arising in the urothelium of the renal pelvis or ureter. The estimated annual incidence is around 2 cases per 100,000 people, with a mean age at diagnosis of 73 years. UTUC is more frequently diagnosed in an invasive or metastatic stage. However, even though the incidence of UTUC is not high, UTUC tends to be aggressive and rapidly progressing with a poor prognosis in some patients. A significant challenge in UTUC is ensuring accurate and timely diagnosis, which is complicated by the non-specific nature of symptoms seen at the onset of disease. Moreover, there is a lack of biomarkers capable of identifying the early presence of the malignancy and guide-tailored medical treatment. However, the growing understanding of the molecular biology underlying UTUC has led to the discovery of promising new biomarkers. Among these biomarkers, there is a class of small non-coding RNA biomarkers known as microRNAs (miRNAs) that are particularly promising. In this review, we will analyze the main characteristics of UTUC and focus on microRNAs as possible novel tools that could enter clinical practice in order to optimize the current diagnostic and prognostic algorithm.

Biomarker Value of miR-221 and miR-222 as Potential Substrates in the Differential Diagnosis of Papillary Thyroid Cancer Based on Data Synthesis and Bioinformatics Approach

Background

MicroRNA (miRNA) has been reported to play a critical regulatory role in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC). However, the role of miR-221/222 in PTC remains unclear. Here, we performed this study to explore the diagnostic potentials and mechanisms of miR-221/222 in PTC.

Methods

First, we systematically analyzed the diagnostic value of miR-221/222 in the diagnosis PTC by pooling the published studies. Afterwards, we performed comprehensive bioinformatics analysis including gene ontology analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction analysis to explore the potential mechanisms of miR-221/222 involved in PTC.

Results

The overall sensitivity and specificity of miR-221/222 for PTC were 0.75 (95% CI: 0.70-0.80) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.76-0.84) respectively with the AUC of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81-0.88). The diagnostic performance varied among different subgroups including geographical locations, sample sources and sample sizes. Meanwhile, we found that a combination of miR-221/222 and other miRNAs when used in a diagnostic panel could improve the diagnostic accuracy than individual miR-221/222. Moreover, through the bioinformatics analysis, we confirmed that miR-221/222 targets were highly related to the molecular pathogenesis of PTC. The results revealed that miR-221/222 may exert important functions in PTC through thyroid hormone signaling pathway and some other key pathways by regulating some key genes.

Conclusion

These findings indicated that miR-221/222 have the potential to serve as auxiliary tools for diagnosing PTC. Further prospective clinical trials should be performed to assess the accuracy of these findings in a larger cohort and determine the clinical uses.

Exosomes and Micro-RNAs in Aging Process

Exosomes are the main actors of intercellular communications and have gained great interest in the new cell-free regenerative medicine. These nanoparticles are secreted by almost all cell types and contain lipids, cytokines, growth factors, messenger RNA, and different non-coding RNA, especially micro-RNAs (mi-RNAs). Exosomes' cargo is released in the neighboring microenvironment but is also expected to act on distant tissues or organs. Different biological processes such as cell development, growth and repair, senescence, migration, immunomodulation, and aging, among others, are mediated by exosomes and principally exosome-derived mi-RNAs. Moreover, their therapeutic potential has been proved and reinforced by their use as biomarkers for disease diagnostics and progression. Evidence has increasingly shown that exosome-derived mi-RNAs are key regulators of age-related diseases, and their involvement in longevity is becoming a promising issue. For instance, mi-RNAs such as mi-RNA-21, mi-RNA-29, and mi-RNA-34 modulate tissue functionality and regeneration by targeting different tissues and involving different pathways but might also interfere with long life expectancy. Human mi-RNAs profiling is effectively related to the biological fluids that are reported differently between young and old individuals. However, their underlying mechanisms modulating cell senescence and aging are still not fully understood, and little was reported on the involvement of mi-RNAs in cell or tissue longevity. In this review, we summarize exosome biogenesis and mi-RNA synthesis and loading mechanism into exosomes' cargo. Additionally, we highlight the molecular mechanisms of exosomes and exosome-derived mi-RNA regulation in the different aging processes.

MicroRNA-1: Diverse role of a small player in multiple cancers

The process of cancer initiation and development is a dynamic and complex mechanism involving multiple genetic and non-genetic variations. With the development of high throughput techniques like next-generation sequencing, the field of cancer biology extended beyond the protein-coding genes. It brought the functional role of noncoding RNAs into cancer-associated pathways. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one such class of noncoding RNAs regulating different cancer development aspects, including progression and metastasis. MicroRNA-1 (miR-1) is a highly conserved miRNA with a functional role in developing skeletal muscle precursor cells and cardiomyocytes and acts as a consistent tumor suppressor gene. In humans, two discrete genes, MIR-1-1 located on 20q13.333 and MIR-1-2 located on 18q11.2 loci encode for a single mature miR-1. Downregulation of miR-1 has been demonstrated in multiple cancers, including lung, breast, liver, prostate, colorectal, pancreatic, medulloblastoma, and gastric cancer. A vast number of studies have shown that miR-1 affects the hallmarks of cancer like proliferation, invasion and metastasis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, chemosensitization, and immune modulation. The potential therapeutic applications of miR-1 in multiple cancer pathways provide a novel platform for developing anticancer therapies. This review focuses on the different antitumorigenic and therapeutic aspects of miR-1, including how it regulates tumor development and associated immunomodulatory functions.

RNA-based therapies: A cog in the wheel of lung cancer defense

Lung cancer (LC) is a heterogeneous disease consisting mainly of two subtypes, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and remains the leading cause of death worldwide. Despite recent advances in therapies, the overall 5-year survival rate of LC remains less than 20%. The efficacy of current therapeutic approaches is compromised by inherent or acquired drug-resistance and severe off-target effects. Therefore, the identification and development of innovative and effective therapeutic approaches are critically desired for LC. The development of RNA-mediated gene inhibition technologies was a turning point in the field of RNA biology. The critical regulatory role of different RNAs in multiple cancer pathways makes them a rich source of targets and innovative tools for developing anticancer therapies. The identification of antisense sequences, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs), anti-miRs, and mRNA-based platforms holds great promise in preclinical and early clinical evaluation against LC. In the last decade, RNA-based therapies have substantially expanded and tested in clinical trials for multiple malignancies, including LC. This article describes the current understanding of various aspects of RNA-based therapeutics, including modern platforms, modifications, and combinations with chemo-/immunotherapies that have translational potential for LC therapies.

Circulating MicroRNAs in Blood and Other Body Fluids as Biomarkers for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Therapy Response in Lung Cancer

The identification of circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in peripheral blood and other body fluids has led to considerable research interest in investigating their potential clinical application as non-invasive biomarkers of cancer, including lung cancer, the deadliest malignancy worldwide. Several studies have found that alterations in the levels of miRNAs in circulation are able to discriminate lung cancer patients from healthy individuals (diagnosis) and are associated with patient outcome (prognosis) and treatment response (prediction). Increasing evidence indicates that circulating miRNAs may function as mediators of cell-to-cell communication, affecting biological processes associated with tumor initiation and progression. This review is focused on the most recent studies that provide evidence of the potential value of circulating miRNAs in blood and other body fluids as non-invasive biomarkers of lung cancer in terms of diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment. The status of their potential clinical application in lung cancer is also discussed, and relevant clinical trials were sought and are described. Because of the relevance of their biological characteristics and potential value as biomarkers, this review provides an overview of the canonical biogenesis, release mechanisms, and biological role of miRNAs in lung cancer.

MicroRNA-1301-3p promotes the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by targeting Thy-1 and predicts poor prognosis of patients

The role of microRNA (miR)-1301-3p has been investigated in breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Dysregulation of miR-1301-3p expression in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is speculated to be associated with tumor progression, which was systemically investigated in the present study. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis was performed to detect miR-1301-3p expression in 124 paired tissue samples and cultured cell lines. The results demonstrated that miR-1301-3p expression was regulated by transfection with miR-1301-3p mimic or inhibitor, and the proliferation, migration and invasion of the transfected cells were assessed via the Cell Counting Kit-8 and Transwell assays. In addition, miR-1301-3p expression was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cells compared with normal tissues and normal cells, respectively. Notably, upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC tissues was significantly associated with the TNM stage, lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis of patients with NSCLC. Furthermore, upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC cells promoted cell proliferation, migration and invasion, the effects of which were reversed following miR-1301-3p knockdown. Thy-1 was identified as a direct target of miR-1301-3p, which serves as a tumor promoter in the progression of NSCLC. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that upregulated miR-1301-3p expression in NSCLC acts as an independent prognostic factor and a tumor promoter by targeting thy-1, thus provides a potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs): What we know of the mesmerizing roles of these tiny vesicles in hematological malignancies?

Cancer is a complex disease in which a bidirectional collaboration between malignant cells and surrounding microenvironment creates an appropriate platform which ultimately facilitates the progression of the disease. The discovery of extracellular vesicles (EVs) was a turning point in the modern era of cancer biology, as their importance in human malignancies has set the stage to widen research interest in the field of cell-to-cell communication. The implication in short- and long-distance interaction via horizontally transfer of cellular components, ranging from non-coding RNAs to functional proteins, as well as stimulating target cells receptors by the means of ligands anchored on their membrane endows these "tiny vesicles with giant impacts" with incredible potential to re-educate normal tissues, and thus, to re-shape the surrounding niche. In this review, we highlight the pathogenic roles of EVs in human cancers, with an extensive focus on the recent advances in hematological malignancies.

Inhibition of microRNA-17 enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis of human tongue squamous carcinoma cell

MicroRNA-17 (miR-17) was reported to promote cell proliferation and migration of various types of cancers. However, the mechanism remains unclear. This present study was designed to explore the potential mechanism. Downregulation of miR-17 in CAL-27 cells was performed by transfecting anti-miR-27 plasmids. Xenograft tumor model was carried out to detect the effect of inhibition of microRNA-17 on tongue squamous carcinoma growth. MiR-17 inhibition promotes cisplatin-induced apoptosis via regulating the expression of apoptotic molecules. MiR-17 inhibition promotes cisplatin-induced autophagy of CAL-27 cells. Mechanically, miR-17 inhibition promotes apoptosis and autophagy through STAT3 signaling pathway. Xenograft tumor model showed that miR-17 inhibition attenuates tongue squamous carcinoma growth and promotes tongue squamous carcinoma cell apoptosis in vivo. MiR-17 inhibition enhances cisplatin-induced apoptosis of human tongue squamous carcinoma cell. Our study supplies the evidence that miR-17 may serve as the potential target for human tongue squamous carcinoma treatment.