CircRNA RNA hsa_circ_0008234 Promotes Colon Cancer Progression by Regulating the miR-338-3p/ETS1 Axis and PI3K/AKT/mTOR Signaling

circRNA-0015004 act as a ceRNA to promote RCC2 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Although circular RNAs (circRNA) have been demonstrated to modulate tumor initiation and progression, their roles in the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still poorly understood. Based on the analysis of GEO data (GSE12174), hsa-circRNA-0015004 (circ-0015004) was screened and validated in 80 sets of HCC specimens. Subcellular fractionation analysis was designed to determine the cellular location of circ-0015004. Colony formation and cell counting kit-8 were performed to investigate the role of circ-0015004 in HCC. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays, RNA immunoprecipitation and chromatin immunoprecipitation were employed to verify the interaction among circ-0015004, miR-330-3p and regulator of chromatin condensation 2 (RCC2). The expression level of circ-0015004 was significantly upregulated in HCC cell lines and HCC tissues. HCC patients with higher circ-0015004 levels displayed shorter overall survival, and higher tumor size and TNM stage. Moreover, knockdown of circ-0015004 significantly reduced HCC cell proliferation in vitro and inhibited the growth of HCC in nude mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that circ-0015004 could upregulate the expression of RCC2 by sponging miR-330-3p, thereby promoting HCC cell proliferation. Furthermore, we identified that Ying Yang 1 (YY1) could function as an important regulator of circ-0015004 transcription. This study systematically demonstrated the novel regulatory signaling of circ-0015004/miR-330-3p/RCC2 axis in promoting HCC progression, providing insight into HCC diagnosis and treatment from bench to clinic.

Roles of circRNAs in the progression of colorectal cancer: novel strategies for detection and therapy

Endogenous noncoding RNAs with a covalently closed loop are known as circular RNAs (circRNAs). Recently, published works have revealed that circRNAs, which act as microRNA sponges, are critical for the biological behavior of several kinds of malignancies, including tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between circRNAs and tumor resistance, stage, prognosis, and size. At present, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most serious malignant tumors for human health. CircRNAs could represent potential targets to use in the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of CRC, according to many studies. To fully comprehend the role of circRNAs in the incidence and progression of CRC, this review outlines the regulatory role and mechanisms of circRNAs in CRC and assesses their potential relevance as diagnostic and treatment possibilities for CRC. Our goal is to offer meaningful biological information for clinical evaluation and decision-making process for CRC treatment.

Circular RNAs in Cell Cycle Regulation of Cancers

Cancer has been one of the most problematic health issues globally. Typically, all cancers share a common characteristic or cancer hallmark, such as sustaining cell proliferation, evading growth suppressors, and enabling replicative immortality. Indeed, cell cycle regulation in cancer is often found to be dysregulated, leading to an increase in aggressiveness. These dysregulations are partly due to the aberrant cellular signaling pathway. In recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been widely studied and classified as one of the regulators in various cancers. Numerous studies have reported that circRNAs antagonize or promote cancer progression through the modulation of cell cycle regulators or their associated signaling pathways, directly or indirectly. Mostly, circRNAs are known to act as microRNA (miRNA) sponges. However, they also hold additional mechanisms for regulating cellular activity, including protein binding, RNA-binding protein (RBP) recruitment, and protein translation. This review will discuss the current knowledge of how circRNAs regulate cell cycle-related proteins through the abovementioned mechanisms in different cancers.

The potential role of circular RNAs -regulated PI3K signaling in non-small cell lung cancer: Molecular insights and clinical perspective

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), accounting for more than 80% of all cases, is the predominant form of lung cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Significant progress has been made in diagnostic techniques, surgical interventions, chemotherapy protocols, and targeted therapies at the molecular level, leading to enhanced treatment outcomes in patients with NSCLC. Extensive evidence supports the use of circular RNAs (circRNAs), a specific category of naturally occurring non-coding small RNAs (ncRNAs), for the diagnosis, monitoring of treatment efficacy, and assessment of survival in NSCLC. CircRNAs have been identified to play significant roles in various aspects of cancer formation, either as tumor suppressors or tumor promoters, contributing to cancer development through several signaling pathways, including the phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3Ks) pathway. This pathway is well-established because of its regulatory role in essential cellular processes. CircRNAs regulate the PI3K/AKT pathway by targeting diverse cellular elements. This review aims to provide insight into the involvement of several circRNAs linked to the PI3K/AKT pathway in NSCLC.

A therapeutical insight into the correlation between circRNAs and signaling pathways involved in cancer pathogenesis

Pre-messenger RNA molecules are back-spliced to create circular RNAs, which are non-coding RNA molecules. After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that these circRNAs have critical biological roles. CircRNAs have a variety of biological functions, including their ability to operate as microRNA sponges, interact with proteins to alter their stabilities and activities, and provide templates for the translation of proteins. Evidence supports a link between the emergence of numerous diseases, including various cancer types, and dysregulated circRNA expression. It is commonly known that a significant contributing element to cancer development is the disruption of numerous molecular pathways essential for preserving cellular and tissue homeostasis. The dysregulation of multiple biological processes is one of the hallmarks of cancer, and the molecular pathways linked to these processes are thought to be promising targets for therapeutic intervention. The biological and carcinogenic effects of circRNAs in the context of cancer are thoroughly reviewed in this article. Specifically, we highlight circRNAs' involvement in signal transduction pathways and their possible use as novel biomarkers for the early identification and prognosis of human cancer.

Exploring the dual role of circRNA and PI3K/AKT pathway in tumors of the digestive system

The interactions among circRNAs, the PI3K/AKT pathway, and their downstream effectors are intricately linked to their functional roles in tumorigenesis. Furthermore, the circRNAs/PI3K/AKT axis has been significantly implicated in the context of digestive system tumors. This axis is frequently abnormally activated in digestive cancers, including gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, and others. Moreover, the overactivation of the circRNAs/PI3K/AKT axis promotes tumor cell proliferation, suppresses apoptosis, enhances invasive and metastatic capabilities, and contributes to drug resistance. In this regard, gaining crucial insights into the complex interaction between circRNAs and the PI3K/AKT pathway holds great potential for elucidating disease mechanisms, identifying diagnostic biomarkers, and designing targeted therapeutic interventions.

AL360181.1 promotes proliferation and invasion in colon cancer and is one of ten m6A-related lncRNAs that predict overall survival

Background

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) exerted a pivotal role in colon cancer. Nevertheless, the long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with this process have yet to be elucidated.

Methods

The open-access data used for analysis was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database for analysis, employing the R software for computational evaluations. The RNA level of specific molecules was assessed using the quantitative real-time PCR. CCK8, colony formation and transwell assay were used to evaluate the proliferation, invasion and migration ability of colon cancer cells.

Results

Here, we identified the m6A regulators from TCGA data and subsequently pinpointed lncRNAs with a -Cor- > 0.3 and P < 0.05, categorizing them as m6A-associated lncRNAs. Moreover, we formulated a prognosis signature rooted in ten m6A-related lncRNAs, consisting of AL360181.1, PCAT6, SNHG26, AC016876.1, AC104667.2, AL114730.3, LINC02257, AC147067.1, AP006621.3 and AC009237.14. This signature exhibited notable predictive accuracy in gauging patient survival. Immune-related evaluations revealed varied immune cell infiltration patterns across different risk groups, with our findings suggesting superior immunotherapy response in low-risk patients. Biological enrichment analysis indicated that the high-risk patients had a higher activity of multiple carcinogenic pathways, including glycolysis. The previously unreported lncRNA, AL360181.1, displayed a connection to glycolytic activity and diminished survival rates, warranting further investigation. The result indicated that AL360181.1 was correlated with more aggressive clinical characteristics. Immune infiltration assessments found AL360181.1 to have a positive correlation with Tcm infiltration, but an inverse relationship with entities like Th2 cells, T cells, neutrophils and macrophages. Biological enrichment analysis indicated that the pathways of WNT/β-catenin, pancreas beta cells, hedgehog signaling and some metabolism pathways were upregulated in high AL360181.1 patients. In vitro experiments showed that AL360181.1 was upregulated in the colon cancer cells. Moreover, AL360181.1 significantly promotes the proliferation, invasion and migration of colon cancer cells.

Conclusions

Our results can provide direction for future studies on m6A-related lncRNA in colon cancer.

Circular RNA CCT3 is a unique molecular marker in bladder cancer

This study surveyed circular RNA CCT3 in bladder cancer (BCa). We recruited 85 BCa patients and 40 normal controls (Normal) and collected clinical specimens for analysis. circRNA CCT3 expression was analyzed by RT-qPCR, diagnostic accuracy was calculated by ROC curves, and survival outcomes were evaluated by survival curves. CircRNA CCT3 was overexpressed or knocked down in cells, thereafter to observe the changes in cell malignant phenotypes. The downstream molecules of circRNA CCT3 were detected. Our data suggest that circRNA CCT3 was upregulated in human BCa and was associated with poor survival outcomes of BCa patients. In cell experiments, overexpressing circRNA CCT3 promoted BCa cell malignancy, whereas silencing circRNA CCT3 did the opposite. In addition, circRNA CCT3 modulated PP2A expression by miR-135a-5p. This study demonstrates that circRNA CCT3 is a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in BCa patients and is a tumor promoter in BCa.