miR-144-3p Targets FosB Proto-oncogene, AP-1 Transcription Factor Subunit (FOSB) to Suppress Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of PANC-1 Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Huc-MSC-derived exosomal miR-144 alleviates inflammation in LPS-induced preeclampsia-like pregnant rats via the FosB/Flt-1 pathway

Background

Preeclampsia (PE) is a common and severe hypertensive disorder in pregnancy. Mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (Exos-MSC) have been reported to mitigate the progression of inflammatory diseases. The study aimed to explore the effects of human umbilical cord-derived Exos-MSC (huc-Exos-MSC) on PE-like models.

Methods

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to construct in vitro and in vivo PE-like models. Exosomes were treated with LPS-induced PE-like cells and rats.

Results

PE-like inflammatory models of pregnant rats and cells were successfully constructed in vivo and in vitro. miR-144 was screened by bioinformatics analysis. Exosomes were successfully extracted. Silencing FosB, overexpressing miR-144 or treating with exosomes extracted from huc-MSC overexpressing miR-144 in (Exos-MSCmiR-144) reversed the LPS-induced decline in HTR-8/SVneo cell viability and migration. In addition, the above groups decreased LPS-induced increases in interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappaB (p-NF-κB)/NF-κB, soluble FMS-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1), and Flt-1 levels. Simultaneously, transfection of miR-144 mimics and overexpressing FosB reversed those changes in the miR-144 mimics group. miR-144 might alleviate LPS-induced HTR-8/SVneo cell inflammation by targeting FosB. Injection of Exos-MSCmiR-144 in PE-like pregnant rats reversed LPS-induced increases in FosB expression, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), as well as mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate, urine albumin/creatine ratio, inflammatory factors, p-NF-κB/NF-κB, and sFlt-1 levels. Furthermore, compared with the model group, the proportion of live births was significantly higher in the model + Exos-MSCmiR-144 group, while the apoptosis rate of fetal rat brain tissue was significantly lower.

Conclusions

We found that huc-Exos-MSC-derived miR-144 alleviated gestational hypertension and inflammation in PE-like pregnant rats by regulating the FosB/Flt-1 pathway. In addition, huc-Exos-MSC-derived miR-144 could partially reverse the LPS-induced adverse pregnancy outcome and brain injury in fetal rats, laying the foundation for developing new treatments for PE.

Highly expressed miR-144-3p promotes the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon carcinoma cells by activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway through targeting SFRP1

Background: To investigate the influence of miR-144-3p on the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon carcinoma by targeting secreted frizzled-related protein 1 (SFRP1) as well as of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Methods: Based on the TCGA database, the association between the expression of miR-144-3p and the clinical information and prognosis of patients with colon carcinoma was examined, and SFRP1 was selected as the target gene for further studies based on bioinformatics prediction tools. CCK8 assay, wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were employed to examine the impact of miR-144-3p on colon carcinoma cells. The regulation of SFRP1 by miR-144-3p was investigated using a dual-luciferase reporter system, and a rescue experiment was conducted to further elucidate whether miR-144-3p promotes the migration of colon carcinoma cells through targeting SFRP1 or not. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway-mediated effect of miR-144-3p in colon carcinoma was finally validated through the targeting of SFRP1. Results: The bioinformatics analysis showed that the miR-144 expression levels were substantially greater in colon carcinoma tissue than in para-carcinoma tissue and were closely with clinical stage and prognosis. The findings obtained from the trial indicated that miR-144-3p substantially expressed in colon carcinoma tissue sample and the colon carcinoma cells, and the overexpressed miR-144-3p boosted the colon carcinoma cells' proliferation, migration and invasion. The results of dual-luciferase reporter gene assay revealed that miR-144-3p targeted SFRP1, and rescue experiment was carried out and its results indicated that miR-144-3p increased colon carcinoma cells' migration through targeting SFRP1. In addition, the molecular axis of miR-144-3p/SFRP1 may over-activate the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Conclusions: The present study has identified a novel malignant biological behavior, namely the ability of miR-144-3p to enhance the proliferation, migration and invasion of colon carcinoma cells by targeting SFRP1 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Consequently, miR-144-3p emerges as a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for colon carcinoma.

To identify biomarkers associated with the transfer of diabetes combined with cancer in human genes using bioinformatics analysis

Currently, the incidence of diabetes mellitus is increasing rapidly, particularly in China, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. The goal of this study was to find meaningful biomarkers of metastasis in patients with diabetes and cancer using bioinformatic analysis in order to predict gene expression and prognostic importance for survival. We used the Differentially Expressed Gene, Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery, and Gene Set Enrichment Analyses databases, as well as several bioinformatics tools, to explore the key genes in diabetes. Based on the above database, we ended up with 10 hub genes (FOS, ATF3, JUN, EGR1, FOSB, JUNB, BTG2, EGR2, ZFP36, and NR4A2). A discussion of the 10 critical genes, with extensive literature mentioned to validate the association between the 10 key genes and patients with diabetes and cancer, to demonstrate the importance of gene expression and survival prognosis. This study identifies several biomarkers associated with diabetes and cancer development and metastasis that may provide novel therapeutic targets for diabetes combined with cancer patients.

A prospective prognostic signature for pancreatic adenocarcinoma based on ubiquitination-related mRNA-lncRNA with experimental validation in vitro and vivo

Ubiquitination-related genes (URGs) exerted a crucial part in a variety of human disease disorders; however, their association with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) had yet to be clearly described. We aimed to comprehensively characterize the contributions of URGs in PAAD through in silico analysis and experimental validation, and then identified a robust mRNA-lncRNA-based molecular prognostic panel for patients with PAAD using bulk RNA-sequencing and single-cell RNA-sequencing data. Initially, we collected the multi-omics data from TCGA platform to depict a comprehensive landscape of URGs in pan-cancer. Furthermore, we were accurate to PAAD for in-depth analysis. Significant differences of the activation of ubiquitination pathways and the expression of URGs were detected between normal and malignant cells. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering determined two PAAD subtypes with distinct clinical outcomes, ubiquitination pathway activities, immune microenvironment, and functional annotation characteristics. The expression profiles of ubiquitination-associated mRNAs and lncRNAs in the training and validation datasets were utilized to develop and verify a novel ubiquitination-related mRNA-lncRNA prognostic panel, which had a satisfied prediction efficiency. Our ubiquitination-associated model could function as an effective prognostic index and outperformed four other recognized panels in evaluating PAAD patients' survival status. Tumor immune microenvironment, mutation burden, and chemotherapy response were intensively explored to demonstrate the underlying mechanism of prognostic difference according to our panel. Our findings also revealed that FTI-277, a farnesyltransferase inhibitor, had a better curative effect in high-risk patients, while MK-2206, an Akt allosteric inhibitor, had a superior therapeutic effect in low-risk patients. The real-time PCR results uncovered the RNA expression of AC005062.1 in all the three PAAD cell lines was elevated several thousandfold. In conclusion, our URGs-based classification panel could be triumphantly served as a prediction tool for survival evaluation in patients with PAAD, and the genes in this panel could be developed as a potential target in PAAD therapy.

Expression and potential role of FOSB in glioma

Background

FOSB is reported to be an oncogene in a variety of tumors. However, the expression and role of FOSB in glioma remain obscure. In this study, we aimed to explore the expression of FOSB in glioma and its biological role in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Methods

Western blot, immunohistochemical staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) were used to detect the expression of FOSB in clinical samples. FOSB was knocked down in cells to determine the effects of FOSB on the phenotypic changes of tumors by plate cloning, CCK-8 assay, and Transwell assay. Finally, subcutaneous tumorigenesis in nude mice was used to observe the tumorigenesis of glioma cell lines after the knockdown of the FOSB gene.

Results

FOSB expression was higher in glioma compared with normal brain tissue. After the downregulation of FOSB, the expression of cleaved caspase-3 increased. Plate cloning and CCK-8 experiments showed that the proliferation of glioma cell lines decreased. The Transwell assay demonstrated that the glioblastoma cell lines had lower migration ability after the knockdown of FOSB. Finally, the tumor volume of U87 glioma cells in group sh-FOSB was smaller than that in the control group. The TUNEL staining in vitro showed that the apoptosis of sh-FOSB glioma cells increased.

Conclusion

FOSB was highly expressed in glioma tissues. The viability of glioma cells decreased, and the ability of glioma cells to proliferate and migrate was reduced when FOSB was downregulated. Hence, FOSB may promote the development and migration of gliomas.

Aberrant transcription factors in the cancers of the pancreas

Transcription factors (TFs) are essential for proper activation of gene set during the process of organogenesis, differentiation, lineage specificity. Reactivation or dysregulation of TFs regulatory networks could lead to deformation of organs, diseases including various malignancies. Currently, understanding the mechanism of oncogenesis became necessity for the development of targeted therapeutic strategy for different cancer types. It is evident that many TFs go awry in cancers of the pancreas such as pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (PanNENs). These mutated or dysregulated TFs abnormally controls various signaling pathways in PDAC and PanNENs including RTK, PI3K-PTEN-AKT-mTOR, JNK, TGF-β/SMAD, WNT/β-catenin, SHH, NOTCH and VEGF which in turn regulate different hallmarks of cancer. Aberrant regulation of such pathways have been linked to the initiation, progression, metastasis, and resistance in pancreatic cancer. As of today, a number of TFs has been identified as crucial regulators of pancreatic cancer and a handful of them shown to have potential as therapeutic targets in pre-clinical and clinical settings. In this review, we have summarized the current knowledge on the role and therapeutic usefulness of TFs in PDAC and PanNENs.

In Silico Prediction of the Bioactive Profile and Metabolites of Satureja nepeta in Diseases Related to the Excessive Production of Interleukin-6

Inflammatory bowel diseases are caused by an abnormal reaction of the immune system, which becomes hyperactive because the mechanisms responsible for regulating it get out of control. For an effective immune response, many proinflammatory cytokines are secreted, particularly interleukin-6 (IL-6) keystone cytokine inflammation. Many synthetic and natural compounds targeting IL-6 have been studied. The genus Satureja of the Lamiaceae family is generally known for its many virtues, in particular anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanism of action is unclear. This study aims to predict the impact of characterized bioactive molecules of Moroccan Satureja nepeta in the potential control of inflammatory response mediated by IL-6 cytokine. A list of 9 previously characterized natural compounds of S. nepeta was compiled, and a list of 6 potential protein targets involved in intestinal inflammation was made. The 2 lists of natural compound-target proteins were analyzed by the STITCH software (http://stitch.embl.de/) to develop protein-compound and protein-protein interaction networks (PPINs). An ontological enrichment (GO) analysis was performed by the Clue GO plugin to evaluate the PPIN generated by STITCH; finally, the molecular docking to predict the mode underlying the anti-inflammatory effects. STITCH results revealed direct and indirect interactions of S. nepeta chemical compounds with a key protein target IL-6. The array results by ClueGO showed that most compounds involved in the regulation of several biological processes related to IL-6 such as inflammation apoptosis, cell differentiation, and metabolic regulation. The targets directly related to IL-6 have been used for molecular docking. Quercetin, catechin, and gallic acid have a strong affinity with the IL-6 receptor (respectively −7.1; −6.1; −5.3). This study strongly suggests that the bioactive compounds of S. nepeta could constitute a new therapeutic alternative in the treatment of diseases related to IL-6. However, to validate the results obtained in this work, it is necessary to explore the mechanism of action of potential bioactive molecules by experimentation.

MiR-144-3p targets STC1 to activate PI3K/AKT pathway to induce cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in selenium deficiency broilers

Selenium (Se) is an indispensable trace element in vertebrate. Se deficiency can damage the immune system. Studies have shown that Se deficiency can cause immune organ damage by regulating the expression of microRNA. Bursa of Fabricius is a special immune organ in poultry. In order to explore the mechanism of bursa of Fabricius injury caused by Se deficiency and the role of miRNA in this process. Firstly, we established the Se deficient model of broilers in vivo and found that Se deficiency could induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of bursa of Fabricius cells through Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (AKT) pathway. Secondly, we inferred miRNA (miR-144-3p) and target gene Stanniocalcin 1 (STC1) that may regulate PI3K/AKT pathway through biological analysis system, and further predicted and determined the targeting relationship between them through dual luciferase, it was found that miR-144-3p was highly expressed in the process of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest induced by Se deficiency. Finally, in order to further understand whether miR-144-3p/STC1 axis is involved in the process, miR-144-3p knockdown and overexpression experiments were carried out, it was found that miR-144-3p inhibitor can reduce the occurrence of cell apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. In conclusion, Se deficiency can induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest of bursa of Fabricius in Broilers by up regulating miR-144-3p targeting STC1 and activating PI3K/AKT pathway, leading to injury of bursa of Fabricius in broilers.

Circ_0021087 acts as a miR-184 sponge and represses gastric cancer progression by adsorbing miR-184 and elevating FOSB expression

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) ranks third among the causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Circular RNA hsa_circ_0021087 (circ_0021087) plays a repressive role in GC. Nevertheless, the mechanism by which circ_0021087 constrains GC advancement is unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Expression patterns of circ_0021087, microRNA (miR)-184 and FBJ murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene homolog B (FOSB) mRNA were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Gain-of-function experiments were conducted to verify the biological function of circ_0021087 in vitro and in vivo, including cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), flow cytometry, transwell and xenograft assays. Protein levels were analysed by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The regulatory mechanism of circ_0021087 was analysed by bioinformatics analysis, dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

Circ_0021087 and FOSB were lowly expressed in GC, whereas miR-184 had an opposite result. Circ_0021087 overexpression repressed GC cell proliferation and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in xenograft models in vivo and induced GC cell apoptosis, repressed GC cell proliferation, EMT, migration and invasion in vitro. Circ_0021087 could elevate FOSB expression by adsorbing miR-184. MiR-184 mimic reversed the inhibitory influence of circ_0021087 overexpression on GC cell malignancy. Also, FOSB knockdown offset the suppressive impact of miR-184 silencing on GC cell malignancy. In conclusion, circ_0021087 played a repressive influence on GC progression by elevating FOSB expression by adsorbing miR-184, offering a new mechanism for circ_0021087 to inhibit the progression of GC.

Inhibition of miR-144-3p exacerbates non-small cell lung cancer progression by targeting CEP55

Increasing evidence has indicated that microRNA dysregulation is closely related to the occurrence and development of cancers. Herein, we investigated the relationship between miR-144-3p and CEP55 expression. We then evaluated the association between miR-144-3p and CEP55 expression and proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Real-time quantitative PCR results revealed that CEP55 was over-expressed whereas miR-144-3p was under-expressed in NSCLC tissues. CCK-8 assay, wound healing assay, and flow cytometry further revealed that overexpression of miR-144-3p significantly inhibited proliferation and migration, but promoted apoptosis of A549 cells. Conversely, inhibition of miR-144-3p promoted proliferation and migration but suppressed apoptosis of H460 cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that miR-144-3p modulated malignant properties of cancer cells by targeting CEP55. Overexpression of CEP55 partially blocked the inhibitory effect of miR-144-3p on proliferation and migration of A549 cells and induced apoptosis of A549 cells. CEP55 knockdown modulated the increase in proliferation and migration and the decrease in apoptosis of H460 cells following miR-144-3p inhibition. These findings demonstrated that miR-144-3p suppresses NSCLC development by inhibiting CEP55 expression.

Upregulation of miR-144-3p expression attenuates glioma cell viability and invasion by targeting BCL6

Glioma remains to be an aggressive type of cancer with poor prognosis irrespective of the type of standard treatment applied. Therefore, identification of accurate early diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies for glioma is imperative for the treatment of this disease. The expression of a number of miRNAs in glioma have been reported to be associated with the regulation of tumorigenic progression, cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, invasion, angiogenesis and drug resistance. The aim of the present study was to assess the function of the microRNA (miR/miRNA)-144-3p/BCL6 axis in glioma. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used to measure miR-144-3p and BCL6 expression. Western blotting was used for measuring BCL6 expression. Luciferase reporter assay was used to assess the association between miR-144-3p and BCL6 and a tumor xenograft model was established for assess tumor growth. The data demonstrated that miR-144-3p was decreased whereas BCL6 expression was increased in glioma tissues compared with those in healthy human brain tissues, where miR-144-3p suppressed BCL6 expression by targeting the 3'-UTR sequence of BCL6. miR-144-3p overexpression alleviated proliferation and invasion in U251 cells whereas transfection with the BCL6-overexpressing plasmid rescued the suppressive effects of miR-144-3p upregulation on the proliferation and invasion of U251 cells. In addition, miR-144-3p overexpression and BCL6 downregulation inhibited tumor progression in a mouse tumor xenograft model. The present findings suggest that miR-144-3p and BCL6 may serve to be indicator of proliferation and invasion for patients with glioma. Furthermore, BCL6 may serve an important role in the miR-144-3p-mediated regulation of proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, where the miR-144-3p/BCL6 axis can be used to target patients with glioma therapeutically.

Knockout of FosB gene changes drug sensitivity and invasion activity via the regulation of Bcl-2, E-cadherin, β-catenin, and vimentin expression

Our previous research suggested the presence of a novel SETDB1-mediated FosB pathway that could be responsible for the regulation of cell proliferation and invasiveness during anticancer treatments. In this study, we prepared FosB knock-out (FosB-KO) A549 human lung cancer cells using the CRISPR/Cas9 system and examined the physiological and molecular changes that caused. Annexin V and TUNEL assays showed that FosB-KO clones were less sensitive to doxorubicin treatment compared to the control A549 cells. Bcl2 expression and mitochondrial membrane potential were also both markedly increased in FosB-KO clones, which suggests the involvement of Bcl2 in the doxorubicin mediated increase in cell viability demonstrated the FosB-KO clones. Moreover, we identified changes in the migration and transforming activities of the FosB-KO clones that coincided with changes in the expression levels of E-cadherin, β-catenin, and Vimentin. RT-PCR and qPCR analysis showed that the expressions of Bcl2, E-cadherin, β-catenin, and Vimentin were regulated at the transcriptional level. Importantly, FosB overexpression in FosB-KO clones restored the expression of Bcl2, Akt, E-cad, β-catenin, and Vimentin, suggesting that those proteins were tightly regulated by FosB. These data suggest that the FosB gene critically regulates both drug sensitivity and invasion related genes, and does so in a manner coordinated with the function of SETDB1. Therefore, we propose that the FosB gene regulates both drug sensitivity and invasion activity related genes, and also shows coordinated function with SETDB1 for the regulation of target proteins.

The Emerging Role of miRNAs for the Radiation Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Simple Summary

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a high mortality rate. Radiotherapy is one treatment option within a multimodal therapy approach for patients with locally advanced, non-resectable pancreatic tumors. However, radiotherapy is only effective in about one-third of the patients. Therefore, biomarkers that can predict the response to radiotherapy are of utmost importance. Recently, microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression, have come into focus as there is growing evidence that microRNAs could serve as diagnostic, predictive and prognostic biomarkers in various cancer entities, including pancreatic cancer. Moreover, their high stability in body fluids such as serum and plasma render them attractive candidates for non-invasive biomarkers. This article describes the role of microRNAs as suitable blood biomarkers and outlines an overview of radiation-induced microRNAs changes and the association with radioresistance in pancreatic cancer.

Abstract

Today, pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with a five-year overall survival rate of less than 7%. Only 15–20% of patients are eligible for curative intent surgery at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, neoadjuvant treatment regimens have been introduced in order to downsize the tumor by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. To further increase the efficacy of radiotherapy, novel molecular biomarkers are urgently needed to define the subgroup of pancreatic cancer patients who would benefit most from radiotherapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could have the potential to serve as novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers in patients with pancreatic cancer. In the present article, the role of miRNAs as blood biomarkers, which are associated with either radioresistance or radiation-induced changes of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer, is discussed. Furthermore, the manuscript provides own data of miRNAs identified in a pancreatic cancer mouse model as well as radiation-induced miRNA changes in the plasma of tumor-bearing mice.

A Novel miRNA Restores the Chemosensitivity of AML Cells Through Targeting FosB

The heterogeneous nature of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its poor prognosis necessitate therapeutic improvement. Current advances in AML research yield important insights regarding both AML genetics and epigenetics. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival and may be useful for AML diagnosis and prognosis. In this study, a novel miRNA, hsa-miR-12462, was identified in bone marrow (BM) samples from AML patients at diagnosis by small RNA sequencing. A significant higher level of hsa-miR-12462 was found in patients who achieve complete remission (AML-CR) after induction therapy compared with those who suffer relapse/refractory (AML-RR). FosB was predicted to be the target of hsa-miR-12462 through RNA sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis and then verified by luciferase activity assay. T-5224, the inhibitor of FosB, was administered to AML cell lines, which could inhibit cell proliferation, promote apoptosis, and restore the sensitivity of AML cells to cytarabine (Ara-C). In summary, a higher level of hsa-miR-12462 in AML cells is associated with increased sensitivity to Ara-C via targeting FosB.

MicroRNA-144: A novel biological marker and potential therapeutic target in human solid cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. It has been reported that microRNA-144 (miR-144) is highly conserved and can combine complementarily with the 3'-UTRs of target gene mRNAs to inhibit mRNA translation or promote targeted mRNA degradation. MiR-144 is abnormally expressed and has been identified as a tumor suppressor in many types of solid tumors. Increasing evidence supports a crucial role for miR-144 in modulating physiopathologic processes, such as proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration and angiogenesis in different tumor cells. Apart from these functions, miR-144 can also affect drug sensitivity, cancer treatment and patient prognosis. In this review, we summarize the biological functions of miR-144, its direct targets and the important signal pathways through which it acts in relation to various tumors. We also discuss the role of miR-144 in tumor biology and its clinical significance in detail and offer novel insights into molecular targeting therapy for human cancers.

Characterization of lncRNA-Associated ceRNA Network to Reveal Potential Prognostic Biomarkers in Lung Adenocarcinoma

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most fatal malignant tumors harmful to human health. The complexity and behavior characteristics of long-non-coding RNA (lncRNA)-associated competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in LUAD patients are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the regulatory networks of dysregulated RNAs, view, and identify potential prognosis signatures involved in LUAD. The expression profiles of mRNAs, lncRNAs, and miRNAs were obtained from the TCGA database. In total, 2078 DEmRNAs, 257 DElncRNAs, and 101 DEmiRNAs were sorted out. A PPI network including 45 DEmRNAs was constructed. Ten hub genes in the PPI network associated with cell cycle-related pathways were identified and they played key roles in regulating cell proliferation. A total of three DEmiRNAs, seven DElncRNAs, and six DEmRNAs were enrolled in the ceRNA network. Except for certain genes without any published study reports, all the genes in the ceRNA network played an essential role in controlling tumor cell proliferation and were associated with prognosis in LUAD. Finally, based on step regression and Cox regression survival analysis, we identified four candidate biomarkers, including miR490, miR1293, LINC01740, and IGF2BP1, and established a risk model based on the four genes. Our study provided a global view and systematic dissection of the lncRNA-associated ceRNA network, and the identified four genes might be novel important prognostic factors involved in LUAD pathogenesis.

MiR-144: A New Possible Therapeutic Target and Diagnostic/Prognostic Tool in Cancers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small and non-coding RNAs that display aberrant expression in the tissue and plasma of cancer patients when tested in comparison to healthy individuals. In past decades, research data proposed that miRNAs could be diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cancer patients. It has been confirmed that miRNAs can act either as oncogenes by silencing tumor inhibitors or as tumor suppressors by targeting oncoproteins. MiR-144s are located in the chromosomal region 17q11.2, which is subject to significant damage in many types of cancers. In this review, we assess the involvement of miR-144s in several cancer types by illustrating the possible target genes that are related to each cancer, and we also briefly describe the clinical applications of miR-144s as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in cancers.

miR-144-3p inhibits cell proliferation of colorectal cancer cells by targeting BCL6 via inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Background

It has been shown that miR-144-3p regulates cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion in various cancers. However, the function and expression of miR-144-3p in colorectal cancer (CRC) remained obscure.

Methods

Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to investigate the protein expression of BCL6 in CRC tissues. The effect of BCL6 and miR-144-3p on CRC cells was explored through methylthiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, colony formation and cell cycle assays. Luciferase reporter assays, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot assay were carried out to determine that BCL6 is directly regulated by miR-144-3p.

Results

Our results showed that miR-144-3p is down-regulated in CRC and correlates with the tumor progression of CRC patients. miR-144-3p inhibits cell proliferation and delays G1/S phase transition of CRC cells. Moreover, we found that BCL6 is a new target of miR-144-3p. Furthermore, BCL6 is a mediator of miR-144-3p repression of cell proliferation and cell cycle arrest in CRC cells. miR-144-3p repression of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is mediated by BCL6 in CRC cells.

Conclusions

Overall, the effect of the miR-144-3p/BCL6 axis on regulating CRC carcinogenesis was demonstrated, and miR-144-3p was identified as a potential prognostic and therapeutic target in colorectal cancer.

CircZDHHC20 represses the proliferation, migration and invasion in trophoblast cells by miR-144/GRHL2 axis

Background

Preeclampsia (PE) is a prevalent pregnancy disorder that has been one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have recently considered as important regulators in PE pathogenesis. In the current study, we aimed to explore the impact and mechanisms of circRNA zinc finger DHHC-type palmitoyltransferase 20 (circZDHHC20) in PE pathogenesis.

Methods

RNase R assay and reverse transcription with Oligo(dT)₁₈ primers were performed to confirm that circZDHHC20 was indeed circular transcript. The expression of circZDHHC20, grainyhead-like 2 (GRHL2) and miR-144 were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Subcellular localization assay was used to determine whether circZDHHC20 was predominantly present in the cytoplasm. The target correlations between miR-144 and circZDHHC20 or GRHL2 were confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. Cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetr-azolium (MTS), wound healing and transwell assays, respectively. Western blot was used for the quantification of GRHL2 protein level.

Results

Our data indicated that circZDHHC20 was up-regulated and miR-144 was down-regulated in PE placenta. CircZDHHC20 sequestered miR-144 by acting as a miR-144 sponge. CircZDHHC20 overexpression repressed trophoblast cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while its knockdown exerted opposite effects. Moreover, miR-144 mediated the regulation of circZDHHC20 on trophoblast cell behaviors. GRHL2 was directly targeted and inhibited by miR-144. MiR-144 exerted regulatory effects on trophoblast cell proliferation, migration and invasion by GRHL2. Furthermore, circZDHHC20 modulated GRHL2 expression through sponging miR-144.

Conclusion

Our study suggested that a high level of circZDHHC20 inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion in trophoblast cells at least partially through sponging miR-144 and up-regulating GRHL2, providing a novel mechanism of PE pathogenesis.

microRNA-144 functions as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for retinoblastoma

OBJECTIVES

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a highly malignant eye tumor with a low survival rate and a high metastatic rate. The current work was designed to investigate the potential roles of microRNA-144 (miR-144) in the diagnosis and prognosis of RB.

METHODS

miR-144 expression levels in RB tissues and adjacent normal tissues, as well as serum samples from RB patients and healthy controls were measured. The association between miR-144 expression levels and clinical features were analyzed. Moreover, diagnostic and prognostic values of miR-144 in RB were verified by receiver operating characteristic analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival assays.

RESULTS

The expression level of miR-144 was markedly decreased in tumor tissues of RB patients, and the expression level of miR-144 was positively associated with tumor size and metastasis in RB patients. Moreover, miR-144 can distinguish tumor tissues from normal tissues with high specificity and sensitivity, and RB patients with lower miR-144 expression have shorter overall and disease-free survival rates than those with higher miR-144 expression. Alternatively, miR-144 also decreased in the serum of RB patients in comparison with healthy subjects, and miR-144 expression levels in the tissue samples and serum were positively correlated. Furthermore, miR-144 levels in the serum of RB patients sensitively distinguished RB patients from healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-144 expression was downregulated in serum and tissue samples of RB patients and may function as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for RB.

CeRNA Expression Profiling Identifies KIT-Related circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Networks in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumour

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) are the most common human sarcomas and are typically located in the stomach or small intestine. Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) reportedly play vital roles in tumour oncogenesis and progression, the molecular basis of the aggressive tumour biology of these circRNAs in GISTs remains unclear. In this study, we applied SBC ceRNA microarrays to screen for tumour-specific circRNA profiles in GISTs and identified that a total of 5,770 circRNAs and 1,815 mRNAs were differentially expressed in GISTs. Three significantly differential circRNAs (circ_0069765, circ_0084097, and circ_0079471) and their host genes (KIT, PLAT, and ETV1) were also verified in 68 pairs of GISTs and adjacent normal gastrointestinal tissues by qRT-PCR. A GIST-specific circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network analysis demonstrated that the specific KIT-related regulatory networks involved the three circRNAs, the circRNA host genes and three miRNAs (miR-142-5p, miR-144-3p and miR-485-3p), which may be key regulators of GISTs that could serve as molecular biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for this malignant disease.

Targeting acquired oncogenic burden in resilient pancreatic cancer: a novel benefit from marine polyphenols

The upsurge of marine-derived therapeutics for cancer treatment is evident, with many drugs in clinical use and in clinical trials. Seaweeds harbor large amounts of polyphenols and their anti-cancer benefit is linear to their anti-oxidant activity. Our studies identified three superlative anti-cancer seaweed polyphenol drug candidates (SW-PD). We investigated the acquisition of oncogenic burden in radiation-resilient pancreatic cancer (PC) that could drive tumor relapse, and elucidated the efficacy of SW-PD candidates as adjuvants in genetically diverse in vitro systems and a mouse model of radiation-residual disease. QPCR profiling of 88 oncogenes in therapy-resilient PC cells identified a 'shared' activation of 40 oncogenes. SW-PD pretreatment inflicted a significant mitigation of acquired (shared) oncogenic burden, in addition to drug- and cell-line-specific repression signatures. Tissue microarray with IHC of radiation-residual tumors in mice signified acquired cellular localization of key oncoproteins and other critical architects. Conversely, SW-PD treatment inhibited the acquisition of these critical drivers of tumor genesis, dissemination, and evolution. Heightened death of resilient PC cells with SW-PD treatment validated the translation aspects. The results defined the acquisition of oncogenic burden in resilient PC and demonstrated that the marine polyphenols effectively target the acquired oncogenic burden and could serve as adjuvant(s) for PC treatment.

miR-144-3p facilitates nasopharyngeal carcinoma via crosstalk with PTEN

AIMS

This study aims to investigate the role of miR-144-3p and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), along with their crosstalk with the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-protein kinase B (Akt) pathway.

METHODS

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blot were used to measure the gene expression at the transcriptional and translational levels. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and colony formation assay were used to examine cell proliferation via standard protocol. Transwell assay was conducted to examine cell invasiveness. A flow cytometer was used to determine cell apoptosis. Dual-Luciferase Reporter Gene Assay (SLDL-100) was used to confirm the target relationship between miR-144-3p and PTEN. Xenografts were used to detect the in vivo effects of the molecules of interest.

RESULTS

miR-144-3p was significantly overexpressed, whereas PTEN was more underexpressed in tumor tissues than in adjacent tissues. miR-144-3p promoted the proliferation and invasion of NPC cells and inhibited apoptosis by directly targeting PTEN, which improves PI3K-Akt signaling. miR-144-3p forced epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NPC.

CONCLUSION

miR-144-3p promotes the progression of NPC by directly targeting PTEN via crosstalk with PI3K-Akt signaling.

Expression of activator protein-1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma and its clinical significance

Background

The abnormal expression of activator protein-1(AP-1) has recently been investigated in a variety of tumors. While the relationship between AP-1 and thyroid cancer is poorly studied, our study was to evaluate the protein expression and clinical value of AP-1 in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).

Methods

The expression of AP-1 was examined by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded tissues obtained from PTC and correspondent paracancerous tissues of 82 patients.

Results

Compared with paracancerous tissues, AP-1 expression was significantly elevated in PTC tissues and the positive rate was 79.3% (65/82). Our study found a linear trend relationship between the expression of AP-1 and tumor size. However, the differences in AP-1 expression among gender, age, lymph node metastasis, number of lesions, location of the lesion, and extrathyroid invasion are not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The expression of AP-1 plays an important role in the proliferation process of PTC.

miR-144-5p Enhances the Radiosensitivity of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Cells via Targeting ATF2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level and are involved in many biological processes such as cell proliferation and migration, stem cell differentiation, inflammation, and apoptosis. In particular, miR-144-3p is downregulated in various cancers, and its overexpression inhibits the proliferation and metastasis of cancer cells. However, the role of miR-144-5p in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), especially radiosensitivity, is unknown. In this study, we found that miR-144-5p was downregulated in NSCLC clinical specimens as well as NSCLC cell lines exposed to radiation. Enhanced expression of miR-144-5p promoted the radiosensitivity of NSCLC cells in vitro and A549 cell mouse xenografts in vivo. Furthermore, we identified activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2) as the direct and functional target of miR-144-5p using integrated bioinformatics analysis and a luciferase reporter assay. In addition, restoration of ATF2 expression inhibited miR-144-5p-induced NSCLC cell sensitivity to radiation in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that deregulation of the miR-144-5p/ATF2 axis plays an important role in NSCLC cell radiosensitivity, thus representing a new potential therapeutic target for NSCLC.