Identification of deregulated miRNAs and their targets in hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

MicroRNA-433-3p enhances chemosensitivity of glioma to cisplatin by downregulating NR5A2

OBJECTIVE

We attempted to investigate influence of microRNA-433-3p on malignant progression of glioma and identify its molecular mechanism, thus laying groundwork for glioma management.

METHODS

Expression data along with clinical data of glioma were accessed from the TCGA database for differential and survival analyses to look for the target differentially expressed genes. Quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot were utilized to assess NR5A2 mRNA and protein expression in different glioma cell lines, respectively. MTT, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry were carried out to assay the impact of NR5A2 on behaviors of glioma cells in vitro. Bioinformatics analysis was used to identify the upstream microRNA of NR5A2 in glioma, while dual-luciferase and western blot assays were used to detect binding of microRNA and NR5A2. Chemosensitivity of glioma cells was evaluated by cisplatin cytotoxicity test.

RESULTS

NR5A2 was upregulated in both glioma tissues and cell lines. Dual-luciferase assay result showed binding site of microRNA-433-3p on NR5A2 mRNA 3'UTR, and microRNA-433-3p reduced NR5A2 expression. Cell assays revealed that silencing NR5A2 could hamper proliferation, invasion, and migration and enhance chemosensitivity to cisplatin while promoting glioma cell apoptosis and blocking glioma cells in G0/G1 phase. Rescue experiments also indicated that microRNA-433-3p suppressed glioma malignant progression via inhibiting NR5A2.

CONCLUSION

MicroRNA-433-3p which is significantly poorly expressed in glioma targets NR5A2 to suppress glioma malignant progression and enhance chemosensitivity to cisplatin.

Genistein Restricts the Epithelial Mesenchymal Transformation (EMT) and Stemness of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Upregulating miR-1275 to Inhibit the EIF5A2/PI3K/Akt Pathway

Simple Summary

Genistein is a natural phytoestrogen with various antitumor effects. Our study focused on exploring the mechanisms of microRNAs and genistein to inhibit the epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We found that miR-1275 was more highly expressed in HCC cells treated with genistein compared with the control. Then, we performed series functional experiments to explore the relationship between genistein and miR-1275 in HCC. The inhibition of genistein on HCC cells was enhanced by the increase in treatment time and dose, and miR-1275 can be raised by genistein. The overall survival and recurrence-free survival of HCC patients with low expressed miR-1275 were lower than those of those with high expression levels. The experimental results exhibited that genistein and miR-1275 can both significantly suppress the proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, EMT and stemness of HCC. Moreover, the inhibition can be further enhanced with the co-existence of miR-1275 mimic and genistein. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-1275 can inhibit the EMT and stemness of HCC via inhibiting the EIF5A2/PI3K/Akt pathway. Our findings proved that genistein can inhibit the EIF5A2/PI3K/Akt pathway by upregulating miR-1275 so as to attenuate the EMT and stemness of HCC cells to restrict their progression and metastasis.

Abstract

Purpose: Genistein is a natural phytoestrogen with various antitumor effects. In recent years, some microRNAs (miRNA) in cancer cells have been reported to be regulated by genistein. Our study focused on exploring the mechanisms of miRNA upregulation to inhibit the epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients and Methods: MiR-1275 was discovered by the transcriptome sequencing of miRNA expression profiles in HepG2 cells treated with genistein or DMSO as a control. Then, we performed series functional experiments in vitro and vivo to explore the relationship between genistein and miR-1275 in HCC. The target gene (Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A2, EIF5A2) of miR-1275 was predicted by databases and finally determined by a dual luciferase reporter assay. The downstream signaling pathway of EIF5A2 was assessed by bioinformatics analysis and Western blot. Results: the inhibition of genistein on the viability of HCC cells was enhanced by the increase in treatment time and dose, but it had no obvious inhibitory effect on normal hepatocytes (QSG-7701). Through qRT-PCR and transcriptome sequencing, we discovered that miR-1275 was lowly expressed in HCC, and it can be raised by genistein. The overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) of HCC patients with lowly expressed miR-1275 were lower than those of those with high expression levels. In vitro and vivo experiments exhibited that genistein and the overexpression of miR-1275 can both significantly suppress the proliferation, migration, invasion, metastasis, EMT and stemness of HCC. Moreover, the inhibition can be further enhanced when miR-1275 mimic and genistein exist together. Finally, we demonstrated that miR-1275 can inhibit the epithelial mesenchymal transformation (EMT) and stemness of HCC via inhibiting the EIF5A2/PI3K/Akt pathway. Conclusion: Our findings proved that genistein can inhibit the EIF5A2/PI3K/Akt pathway by upregulating miR-1275 so as to attenuate the EMT and stemness of HCC cells to restrict their progression and metastasis.

Exosomal MicroRNA Analyses in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines

Exosomal miRNAs have been studied in various cancers as minimally invasive biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate the potential of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Exosomes were isolated from cultures of esophageal epithelial cell and ESCC cell lines using ExoDisc, and exosomal miRNAs were detected via miRNA sequencing. Of the differentially expressed 14 miRNAs, the top 2 up-regulated miRNAs (miR-205-5p and miR-429) and top 2 down-regulated miRNAs (miR-375-3p and miR-483-3p) were selected as ESCC target miRNAs. Four selected exosomal miRNAs were validated in the plasma of 20 healthy controls (HCs) and 40 ESCC patients via quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The expression of plasma exosomal miR-205-5p and miR-429 significantly increased, while that of plasma exosomal miR-375-3p was significantly reduced in ESCC patients compared to that in HCs. At cut-off values of 5.04, 2.564, and 0.136, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of ESCC were 72.5% and 70.0% for miR-205-5p, 60.0% and 60.0% for miR-429, and 65.0% and 65.0% for miR-375-3p, respectively. Based on the exosomal miRNAs identified in ESCC cell lines, our study demonstrated that plasma exosomal miR-205-5p, miR-429, and miR-375-3p could serve as potential biomarkers for ESCC diagnosis.

The miR-216/miR-217 Cluster Regulates Lipid Metabolism in Laying Hens With Fatty Liver Syndrome via PPAR/SREBP Signaling Pathway

Fatty liver syndrome (FLS), a common metabolic disease in laying hens, caused by excessive hepatic fat deposition is a bottleneck in the poultry industry. However, no specific therapeutic methods have been developed. Evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are essential for liver lipid metabolism and homeostasis, providing strong evidence for targeting miRNAs as a potential treatment option for liver diseases. However, the roles of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of FLS remain unclear. In present study, RNA-sequencing was performed to discern the expression patterns of miRNAs in normal and fatty livers of laying hens. In total, 12 dysregulated miRNAs (2 down-regulated and 10 up-regulated) were detected between the normal and fatty livers. Functional enrichment analysis showed the potential impacts of the dysregulated miRNAs on lipid metabolism. Notably, miR-216a/b and miR-217-5p, which belong to the miR-216/miR-217 cluster, were up-regulated in the sera and livers of FLS chickens, as well as free fatty acid (FFA)-induced LMH cells. Oil-red O staining revealed that up-regulation of the miR-216/miR-217 cluster induced lipid accumulation in FFA-induced LMH cells. Furthermore, the dual luciferase gene reporter assay and RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydratase 2, F-box protein 8, and transmembrane 9 superfamily member 3 (TM9SF3) were directly targeted by miR-216a/b and miR-217-5p, respectively, and suppressed in the fatty livers of laying hens. Moreover, overexpression of the miR-216/miR-217 cluster or reduction in TM9SF3 levels led to activation of the proliferator-activated receptor/sterol regulatory-element binding protein (PPAR/SREBP) pathway. Overall, these results demonstrate that the miR-216/miR-217 cluster regulates lipid metabolism in laying hens with FLS, which should prove helpful in the development of new interventional strategies.

Elevated LINC01232 is associated with poor prognosis and HBV infection in hepatocellular carcinoma patients and contributes to tumor progression in vitro

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had high prevalence and poor prognosis, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of long intergenic noncoding RNA 01232 (LINC01232) in the prognosis and progression of HCC, and explore the relationship between LINC01232 and HBV infection.

METHODS

LINC01232 expression and its prognostic value were firstly analyzed using TCGA database. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to evaluate the expression of LINC01232 in HCC patients and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze the relationship between LINC01232 expression and HCC overall survival prognosis. Function-loss in vitro experiments were performed to demonstrate the role of LINC01232 in HCC progression. A luciferase reporter assay and Pearson correlation were used to confirm the relationship between LINC01232 and microRNA (miR)-708-5p in HCC.

RESULTS

The expression of LINC01232 was upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and high LINC01232 was associated with worse overall survival in HCC. LINC01232 reduction inhibited HCC cells proliferation, migration and invasion. LINC01232 expression was significantly correlated with HBV infection and liver cirrhosis, and showed potential to distinguish HBV-infected HCC patients. miR-708-5p, as a HBV-related miRNA, was a potential target of LINC01232, and was negatively correlated with LINC01232 in HCC.

CONCLUSION

Our findings found that highly expressed LINC01232 may be a biomarker to indicate survival prognosis in HCC patients, especially in HBV-infected cases. In addition, LINC01232 plays as an oncogene in HCC progression, and its function may exert by sponging miR-708-5p.

Unveiling the tumour-regulatory roles of miR-1275 in cancer

The rapid development of small RNA and molecular biology research in the past 20 years has enabled scientists to discover many new miRNAs that are proven to play essential roles in regulating the development of different cancer types. Among these miRNAs, miR-1275 is one of the well-studied miRNAs that has been described to act as a tumour-promoting or tumour-suppressing miRNA in various cancer types. Even though miR-1275 has been widely reported in different original research articles on its roles in modulating the progression of different cancer types, however, there is scarce an in-depth review that could constructively summarize the findings from different studies on the regulatory roles of miR-1275 in different cancer types. To fill up this literature gap, therefore, this review was aimed to provide an overview and summary of the roles of miR-1275 in modulating the development of different cancers and to unravel the mechanism of how miR-1275 regulates cancer progression. Based on the findings summarized from various sources, it was found that miR-1275 plays a vital role in regulating various cellular signaling pathways like the PI3K/AKT, ERK/JNK, MAPK, and Wnt signaling pathways, and the dysregulation of this miRNA has been shown to contribute to the development of multiple cancer types such as cancers of the liver, breast, lung, gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary tract. Therefore, miR-1275 has great potential to be employed as a biomarker to diagnose cancer and to predict the prognosis of cancer patients. In addition, by inhibiting the expression of its unique downstream targets that are involved in regulating the mentioned cellular pathways, this miRNA could also be utilized as a novel therapeutic agent to halt cancer development.

Genome-Wide Scanning of Potential Hotspots for Adenosine Methylation: A Potential Path to Neuronal Development

Methylation of adenosines at N6 position (m6A) is the most frequent internal modification in mRNAs of the human genome and attributable to diverse roles in physiological development, and pathophysiological processes. However, studies on the role of m6A in neuronal development are sparse and not well-documented. The m6A detection remains challenging due to its inconsistent pattern and less sensitivity by the current detection techniques. Therefore, we applied a sliding window technique to identify the consensus site (5′-GGACT-3′) n ≥ 2 and annotated all m6A hotspots in the human genome. Over 6.78 × 10⁷ hotspots were identified and 96.4% were found to be located in the non-coding regions, suggesting that methylation occurs before splicing. Several genes, RPS6K, NRP1, NRXN, EGFR, YTHDF2, have been involved in various stages of neuron development and their functioning. However, the contribution of m6A in these genes needs further validation in the experimental model. Thus, the present study elaborates the location of m6A in the human genome and its function in neuron physiology.

Comparative serum microRNA array analysis of the spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome in different diseases: Chronic hepatitis B and chronic gastritis

Spleen-stomach dampness-heat syndrome (SSDHS) is the common Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) syndrome observed in both chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and chronic gastritis (CG). The specialized TCM prescription for CHB and CG patients with SSDHS is same, but there is limited information about the biological characteristics of this TCM syndrome. This study aimed to identify the serum miRNAs profile for the SSDHS in two different diseases in order to evaluate the miRNA-mediated biological characteristics of this TCM syndrome. We performed comparative microarray analysis of serum miRNA expression profiles in 10 CHB patients with SSDHS (SSDHS-CHB), 10 CG patients with SSDHS (SSDHS-CG), and 10 healthy controls (HC). The selected miRNAs were further validated by qRT-PCR in 13 SSDHS-CHB patients, 13 SSDHS-CG patients, and 13 HC. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis (GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses) was applied to identify the involved target genes and pathways for these selected miRNAs. Nine significantly differentially expressed (SDE)-miRNAs in the SSDHS-CHB group and 24 SDE-miRNAs in the SSDHS-CG group were identified, compared with the HC group (fold change >2.0 and p < .05). Among these, upregulated hsa-miR-483-3p and downregulated hsa-miR-223-3p were identified as the common SDE-miRNAs for both SSDHS-CHB and SSDHS-CG groups. Bioinformatics analysis of the common SDE-miRNA's target genes showed their involvement in the regulation of inflammation, immune response, and tumorigenesis. SSDHS-specific hsa-miR-483-3p and hsa-miR-223-3p identified in this study indicated a relevance to the underlying biological basis of SSDHS, and may provide scientific basis for the application of same TCM prescription in CHB and CG.

Analysis of Circulating miRNA Profile in Plasma Samples of Glioblastoma Patients

(1) Background: Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is among the most aggressive cancers with a poor prognosis. Treatment options are limited, clinicians lack efficient prognostic and predictive markers. Circulating miRNAs—besides being important regulators of cancer development—may have potential as diagnostic biomarkers of GBM. (2) Methods: In this study, profiling of 798 human miRNAs was performed on blood plasma samples from 6 healthy individuals and 6 patients with GBM, using a NanoString nCounter Analysis System. To validate our results, five miRNAs (hsa-miR-433-3p, hsa-miR-362-3p, hsa-miR-195-5p, hsa-miR-133a-3p, and hsa-miR-29a-3p) were randomly chosen for RT-qPCR detection. (3) Results: In all, 53 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in plasma samples of GBM patients when data were filtered for FC 1 and FDR 0.1. Target genes of the top 39 differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, and we carried out functional annotation and pathway enrichment analysis of target genes via GO and KEGG-based tools. General and cortex-specific protein–protein interaction networks were constructed from the target genes of top miRNAs to assess their functional connections. (4) Conclusions: We demonstrated that plasma microRNA profiles are promising diagnostic and prognostic molecular biomarkers that may find an actual application in the clinical practice of GBM, although more studies are needed to validate our results.

The Epigenetic Modulation of Cancer and Immune Pathways in Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Influence of HBx and miRNA Dysregulation

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) pathogenesis is fueled by persistent HBV infection that stealthily maintains a delicate balance between viral replication and evasion of the host immune system. HBV is remarkably adept at using a combination of both its own, as well as host machinery to ensure its own replication and survival. A key tool in its arsenal, is the HBx protein which can manipulate the epigenetic landscape to decrease its own viral load and enhance persistence, as well as manage host genome epigenetic responses to the presence of viral infection. The HBx protein can initiate epigenetic modifications to dysregulate miRNA expression which, in turn, can regulate downstream epigenetic changes in HBV-HCC pathogenesis. We attempt to link the HBx and miRNA induced epigenetic modulations that influence both the HBV and host genome expression in HBV-HCC pathogenesis. In particular, the review investigates the interplay between CHB infection, the silencing role of miRNA, epigenetic change, immune system expression and HBV-HCC pathogenesis. The review demonstrates exactly how HBx-dysregulated miRNA in HBV-HCC pathogenesis influence and are influenced by epigenetic changes to modulate both viral and host genome expression. In particular, the review identifies a specific subset of HBx induced epigenetic miRNA pathways in HBV-HCC pathogenesis demonstrating the complex interplay between HBV infection, epigenetic change, disease and immune response. The wide-ranging influence of epigenetic change and miRNA modulation offers considerable potential as a therapeutic option in HBV-HCC.

Targeting of ΔNp63α by miR-522 promotes the migration of breast epithelial cells

The TP63 gene, which encodes the p63 protein, is involved in multiple biological processes, including embryonic development and tumorigenesis. ΔNp63α, the predominant isoform of p63 in epithelial cells, acts as an oncogene in early-stage tumors, but paradoxically acts as a potent antimetastatic factor in advanced cancers. Here, we report that ΔNp63α is a direct target of hsa-miR-522 (miR-522). Induced expression of miR-522 reduced the levels of ΔNp63α, predisposing breast epithelial cells to a loss of epithelial and acquisition of mesenchymal morphology, resulting in accelerated collective and single-cell migration. Restoration of ΔNp63α repressed miR-522-induced migration. Interestingly, overexpression of miR-522 did not affect breast epithelial cell proliferation, suggesting that miR-522 acts specifically through ΔNp63α in this context. Furthermore, expression of miR-522-3p and p63 was negatively correlated in human cancer samples. Thus, miR-522 might be a causative factor for breast tumorigenesis and cancer metastasis. In summary, our results reveal a novel miR-522/p63 axis in cell migration and thus suggest a potential strategy for therapeutic treatment of cancer metastasis.

LncRNA HOTAIRM1, miR-433-5p and PIK3CD function as a ceRNA network to exacerbate the development of PCOS

Background

Currently, several non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) were distinguished in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This present study aims to explore the potential function of lncRNA HOTAIRM1/miR-433-5p/PIK3CD in ovarian granulosa cells.

Methods

We analyzed the expression profiles of HOTAIRM1, miR-433-5p and PIK3CD in PCOS samples by enquiring GEO database. GSEA was applied to enrich the pathways related to PCOS. The target association between HOTAIRM1 and miR-433-5p or the binding association between miR-433-5p and PIK3CD were assessed by online prediction tools and a dual luciferase reporter assay. qPCR and western blotting assays were used to detect PIK3CD expression after HOTAIRM1 and miR-433-5p treatment. The proliferation and apoptosis of ovarian granulosa cells were estimated by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry assays, respectively.

Results

The expression profiles of HOTAIRM1 and PIK3CD were increased, whereas miR-433-5p was decreased in PCOS tissues. PIK3CD expression was positively regulated by HOTAIRM1 and negatively modulated by miR-433-5p. Overexpression of HOTAIRM1 reduced the proliferative ability and increased the apoptotic ability of granulosa cells, whereas upregulation of miR-433-5p or downregulation of PIK3CD reversed the effects of HOTAIRM1 on granulosa cells. Moreover, overexpression of miR-433-5 displayed a results with increasing proliferative ability and decreasing apoptotic ability, but upregulation of PIK3CD eliminated the function of miR-433-5p on granulosa cells.

Conclusions

Our findings illustrated that HOTAIRM1 could sponge miR-433-5p to promote PIK3CD expression, thereby regulating the growth and apoptosis of granulose cells in PCOS.

A Novel Prognostic Model of Endometrial Carcinoma Based on Clinical Variables and Oncogenomic Gene Signature

Due to the difficulty in predicting the prognosis of endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients by clinical variables alone, this study aims to build a new EC prognosis model integrating clinical and molecular information, so as to improve the accuracy of predicting the prognosis of EC. The clinical and gene expression data of 496 EC patients in the TCGA database were used to establish and validate this model. General Cox regression was applied to analyze clinical variables and RNAs. Elastic net-penalized Cox proportional hazard regression was employed to select the best EC prognosis-related RNAs, and ridge regression was used to construct the EC prognostic model. The predictive ability of the prognostic model was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). A clinical-RNA prognostic model integrating two clinical variables and 28 RNAs was established. The 5-year AUC of the clinical-RNA prognostic model was 0.932, which is higher than that of the clinical-alone (0.897) or RNA-alone prognostic model (0.836). This clinical-RNA prognostic model can better classify the prognosis risk of EC patients. In the training group (396 patients), the overall survival of EC patients was lower in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group [HR = 32.263, (95% CI, 7.707-135.058), P = 8e-14]. The same comparison result was also observed for the validation group. A novel EC prognosis model integrating clinical variables and RNAs was established, which can better predict the prognosis and help to improve the clinical management of EC patients.

MicroRNA-138 Regulates T-Cell Function by Targeting PD-1 in Patients with Hepatitis B Virus-Related Liver Diseases

OBJECTIVE

T-cell exhaustion in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which results from upregulation of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1), leads to persistent HBV infection and related disease progression. Therefore, agents targeting PD-1 may prove beneficial in the treatment of this condition. MicroRNA-138 (miR-138) possesses an anti-tumor ability in that it targets immune checkpoints, including PD-1. However, the function and underlying mechanisms of miR-138 in patients with HBV infection remains unclear.

METHODS

Specimens were collected from healthy volunteers (n = 43) and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB; n = 52), liver cirrhosis (LC; n = 26), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; n = 31); carriers of HBV who were asymptomatic (n = 51); and patients with CHB receiving antivirus treatment (n = 11). These specimens were then used to study the expression and relationship among miR-138, PD-1, and HBV DNA viral load. To investigate the role of miR-138 in regulating PD-1 expression and determine the effect of miR-138 in regulating T-cell function, a luciferase assay and a transfection assay were each performed with primary CD3+ T cells.

RESULTS

We found that PD-1 was upregulated and miR-138 was downregulated in patients with CHB, LC, and HCC. Correlations analysis revealed that PD-1 expression was positively correlated with HBV DNA viral load whereas miR-138 was negatively correlated. Luciferase assay results showed that miR-138 directly inhibited PD-1 expression by interacting with the 3'-untranslated region of PD-1. As a result of miR-138 overexpression in primary T cells, PD-1 in these T cells was downregulated and antivirus cytokines secreted by T cells were significantly upregulated. In addition, the expression levels of PD-1 and miR-138 were reversed in patients with CHB who received antivirus treatments.

CONCLUSION

Results showed that miR-138 can promote T-cell responses within patients with HBV infection by inducing a PD-1 blockade. Such an effect suggests that miR-138 may serve as a new therapeutic target for the treatment of HBV infection.

Circ-ATP5H Induces Hepatitis B Virus Replication and Expression by Regulating miR-138-5p/TNFAIP3 Axis

Background

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play an important regulatory role in various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aimed to investigate the function of hsa_circ_0006942 (circ-ATP5H) in hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated HCC and its underlying mechanism.

Methods

The levels of circ-ATP5H, miR-138-5p and tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced protein 3 (TNFAIP3) were determined using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) or Western blot assay. The copies of HBV DNA were examined using qRT-PCR. The levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Dual-luciferase reporter assay was used to analyze the interactions among circ-ATP5H, miR-138-5p and TNFAIP3.

Results

Circ-ATP5H and TNFAIP3 levels were increased, while miR-138-5p level was reduced in HBV-positive HCC tissues and cells. Knockdown of circ-ATP5H hindered HBV DNA replication and decreased HBsAg and HBeAg levels in HBV-infected cells. Circ-ATP5H silencing suppressed HBV replication and expression by regulating miR-138-5p. Moreover, miR-138-5p blocked HBV replication and expression via targeting TNFAIP3. Furthermore, circ-ATP5H up-regulated TNFAIP3 via absorbing miR-138-5p.

Conclusion

Circ-ATP5H promoted HBV replication and expression through modulating miR-138-5p/TNFAIP3 axis, suggesting a new biomarker for HBV-related HCC treatment.

Construction of an 11-microRNA-based signature and a prognostic nomogram to predict the overall survival of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a fatal malignancy owing to the lack of effective tools to predict overall survival (OS). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in HNSCC occurrence, development, invasion and metastasis, significantly affecting the OS of patients. Thus, the construction of miRNA-based risk signatures and nomograms is desirable to predict the OS of patients with HNSCC. Accordingly, in the present study, miRNA sequencing data of 71 HNSCC and 13 normal samples downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were screened to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) between HNSCC patients and normal controls. Based on the exclusion criteria, the clinical information and miRNA sequencing data of 67 HNSCC samples were selected and used to establish a miRNA-based signature and a prognostic nomogram. Forty-three HNSCC samples were assigned to an internal validation cohort for verifying the credibility and accuracy of the primary cohort. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to explore the functions of 11 miRNA target genes.

Results

In total, 11 DEMs were successfully identified. An 11-miRNA risk signature and a prognostic nomogram were constructed based on the expression levels of these 11 DEMs and clinical information. The signature and nomogram were further validated by calculating the C-index, area under the curve (AUC) in receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, and calibration curves, which revealed their promising performance. The results of the internal validation cohort shown the reliable predictive accuracy both of the miRNA-based signature and the prognostic nomogram. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that a mass of signal pathways participated in HNSCC proliferation and metastasis.

Conclusion

Overall, we constructed an 11-miRNA-based signature and a prognostic nomogram with excellent accuracy for predicting the OS of patients with HNSCC.

The Multiple Roles of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein (HBx) Dysregulated MicroRNA in Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) and Immune Pathways

Currently, the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [HBV-HCC] relies on blunt tools that are unable to offer effective therapy for later stage pathogenesis. The potential of miRNA to treat HBV-HCC offer a more targeted approach to managing this lethal carcinoma; however, the complexity of miRNA as an ancillary regulator of the immune system remains poorly understood. This review examines the overlapping roles of HBx-dysregulated miRNA in HBV-HCC and immune pathways and seeks to demonstrate that specific miRNA response in immune cells is not independent of their expression in hepatocytes. This interplay between the two pathways may provide us with the possibility of using candidate miRNA to manipulate this interaction as a potential therapeutic option.

Hypoxia-Induced Placenta-Specific microRNA (miR-512-3p) Promotes Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression by Targeting Large Tumor Suppressor Kinase 2

Background

Sustained proliferation and active metastasis are hallmarks of cancer, and they pose major challenges to the development of treatments and a cure for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Thus, the mechanisms of proliferation, migration, and invasion of cancer cells need to be investigated. Many studies indicate that dysregulation of microRNA plays important roles in the progression of HCC, but the role of placenta-specific microRNA (miR-512-3p) in HCC has not been systematically investigated.

Purpose

In the current study, the expression, biological function, and mechanisms of miR-512-3p involvement in HCC were investigated.

Methods

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction assays were conducted to determine miR-512-3p levels in HCC tissues and cell lines. The StarBase V3.0 online platform was used to compare miR-512-3p levels in HCC tissues with TCGA data and to identify potential miR-512-3p target genes. Associations between miR-512-3p and clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed statistically. MTT, ethynyl deoxyuridine, and transwell assays were performed to assess cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to verify target genes. Recuse assays were performed to confirm whether large tumor suppressor kinase 2 (LATS2) participated in the regulatory effects of miR-512-3p on HCC cell proliferation and motility, and whether miR-512-3p mediated the tumor-promoting effects of hypoxia.

Results

miR-512-3p was upregulated in HCC and it was associated with worse survival and unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. Functional assays indicated that miR-512-3p contributed to HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Mechanistically, LATS2—a downstream target of miR-512-3p—mediated the tumor-promoting effects of miR-512-3p in HCC. Hypoxia could elevate miR-512-3p levels in HCC cells, and miR-512-3p partially mediated the tumor-promoting effects of hypoxia.

Conclusion

Hypoxia-induced miR-512-3p contributes to HCC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting LATS2 and inhibiting the Hippo/yes-associated protein 1 pathways.

Interaction analysis of miR-1275/IGF2BP1/IGF2BP3 with the susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of miR-1275 rs16759, IGF2BP1 rs11079850 and IGF2BP3 rs34414305 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. Materials & methods: Genotyping of the rs16759 and rs11079850 was performed using a Taqman assay and genotyping of the rs34414305 was performed using PCR. Relative expression of miR-1275, IGF2BP1 and IGF2BP3 was examined using quantitative PCR. Results: Comparison of the rs16759GG, CG/GG and CC genotype showed an increased risk of HCC. When comparing G with C allele, a significantly increased risk of HCC was also found. The rs16759, rs11079850 and rs34414305 had combined the interactive effects on the carcinogenesis of HCC. Moreover, the rs34414305 Del/ATT-Del/Del carriers displayed lower levels of IGF2BP3. Conclusion: The rs16759, rs11079850 and rs34414305 may singly and interactively contribute to carcinogenesis of HCC.

A novel miR-0308-3p revealed by miRNA-seq of HBV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma suppresses cell proliferation and promotes G1/S arrest by targeting double CDK6/Cyclin D1 genes

Background

Persistent infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) accounts for the majority of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but the molecular mechanisms underlying liver carcinogenesis are still not completely understood. Increasing evidence demonstrates that microRNAs (miRNAs) play significant functional roles in virus–host interactions. The aim of this study was to explore differentially expressed miRNA profiles and investigate the molecular mechanism of miR-0308-3p in HBV-positive HCC carcinogenesis.

Methods

High-throughput sequencing was used to detect novel miRNAs in three samples of HBV-positive HCC tissue compared to matched HBV-negative HCC tissue. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to mine miRNAs related to HBV-positive HCC. Bioinformatics analyses were conducted to predict the miRNAs’ possible biological and pathway regulatory functions. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was then applied to evaluate the expression levels of randomly selected miRNAs. CCK-8 was used to measure cell proliferation and cell cycles were analyzed using flow cytometry. A dual luciferase reporter gene assay was used to confirm the downstream targets of miR-0308-3p.

Results

In total, there were 34 overlapping miRNAs in both our miRNA-seq data and the TCGA database. We found two overlapping miRNAs in both the HBV-positive HCC samples and the TCGA database, and 205 novel pre-miRNA sequences were predicted. miR-522 and miR-523 were markedly overexpressed in HBV-positive HCC and were associated with a significantly poorer long-term prognosis (miR-522, HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.33–3.6, p = 0.0015; miR-523HR 1.5, 95% CI 1–2.44, p = 0.0047). Of note, we found that the novel miR-0308-3p was markedly downregulated in HBV-positive HCC samples and HCC cancer cell lines compared with HBV-negative HCC samples and adjacent normal hepatic tissue. Moreover, elevated expression of miR-0308-3p was found to inhibit proliferation of cancer cells by promoting G1/S cell cycle arrest but did not influence the apoptosis of cancer cells. A dual luciferase reporter activity assay identified that miR-0308-3p acted directly on the target sequence of the CDK6 and Cyclin D1 mRNA 3ʹUTR to suppress CDK6 and Cyclin D1 expression.

Conclusions

MiR-0308-3p upregulation dramatically suppressed HCC cell proliferation and induced G1/S cell cycle arrest by directly targeting CDK6/Cyclin D1. These findings reveal a novel molecular mechanism for activation of G1/S arrest in HCC and may prove clinically useful for developing new therapeutic targets.

Biological Differentiation of Dampness-Heat Syndromes in Chronic Hepatitis B: From Comparative MicroRNA Microarray Profiling to Biomarker Identification

Increasing interest is aroused by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) based on specific TCM syndrome. As the most common CHB syndromes, spleen-stomach dampness-heat (SSDH) syndrome and liver-gallbladder dampness-heat (LGDH) syndrome are still apt to be confused in TCM diagnosis, greatly hindering the stable exertion of TCM effectiveness. It is urgently needed to provide objective and biological evidences for differentiation and identification of the two significant syndromes. In this study, microRNA (miRNA) microarray analyses coupled with bioinformatics were employed for comparative miRNA profiling of SSDH and LGDH patients. It was found that the two syndromes had both the same and different significantly differentially expressed miRNAs (SDE-miRNAs). Commonness and specificity were also both found between their SDE-miRNA-based bioinformatics analyses, including Hierarchical Clustering, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, and miRNA-GO/pathway networks. Furthermore, syndrome-specific SDE-miRNAs were identified as the potential biomarkers, including hsa-miR-1273g-3p and hsa-miR-4419b for SSDH as well as hsa-miR-129-1-3p and hsa-miR-129-2-3p for LGDH. All these laid biological and clinical bases for classification and diagnosis of the two significant CHB dampness-heat syndromes including SSDH and LGDH, providing more opportunities for better application of TCM efficacy and superiority in CHB treatment.

The Regulatory Role of MicroRNA in Hepatitis-B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) Pathogenesis

The incidence and mortality of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is an intractable public health problem in developing countries that is compounded by limited early detection and therapeutic options. Despite the early promise of utilizing the regulatory role of miRNA in liver cancer, this field remains largely in the work-in-progress phase. This exploratory review paper adopts a broad focus in order to collate evidence of the regulatory role of miRNA in each stage of the HBV-HCC continuum. This includes the regulatory role of miRNA in early HBV infection, chronic inflammation, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and the onset of HCC. The paper specifically investigates HBV dysregulated miRNA that influence the expression of the host/HBV genome in HBV-HCC pathogenesis and fully acknowledges that this does not cover the full spectrum of dysregulated miRNA. The sheer number of dysregulated miRNA in each phase support a hypothesis that future therapeutic interventions will need to consider incorporating multiple miRNA panels.

MicroRNA-802 induces hepatitis B virus replication and replication through regulating SMARCE1 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

Growing evidences have indicated that microRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate hepatitis B virus (HBV) expression and replication, playing crucial roles in the development of HBV infection. Until now, the functional role and mechanism of miR-802 in HBV replication and expression remain unknown. We indicated that miR-802 expression was upregulated in the HBV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues compared with the adjacent noncancerous samples. In addition, we showed that the SMARCE1 expression level was downregulated in the HBV-associated HCC tissues compared with the adjacent noncancerous samples. miR-802 expression was negatively related with MARCE1 expression in HBV-associated HCC tissues. Moreover, miR-802 expression was upregulated, and SMARCE1 expression was downregulated in the HBV-infected HepG2.2.15 cells. Ectopic expression of miR-802 significantly enhanced HBV DNA replication, while knockdown of miR-802 significantly decreased HBV DNA replication. We showed that overexpression of miR-802 promoted HbsAg and HbeAg expression, while inhibition of miR-802 decreased HbsAg and HbeAg expression. Furthermore, we indicated that ectopic expression of SMARCE1 suppressed HBV DNA replication and decreased the expression level of HbsAg and HbeAg. Finally, we showed that overexpression of miR-802 promoted HBV DNA replication through regulating SMARCE1 expression. These results suggested the important roles of miR-802 on HBV expression and replication, which may shed new light on the development of treatment for HBV.

Relevance function of microRNA-708 in the pathogenesis of cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally responsible for regulating >70% of human genes. MicroRNA-708 (miR-708) is encoded in the intron 1 of the Odd Oz/ten-m homolog 4 (ODZ4) gene. Numerous researches have confirmed that the abnormal expressed miR-708 is involved in the regulation of multiple types of cancer. Notably, the expression level of miR-708 was higher in lung cancer, bladder cancer (BC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines while lower in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), prostate cancer (PC), gastric cancer (GC) and so on. This review provides a current view on the association between miR-708 and several cancers and focuses on the recent studies of miR-708 regulation, discussing its potential as an epigenetic biomarker and therapeutic target for these cancers. In particular, the regulated mechanisms and clinical application of miR-708 in these cancers are also discussed.

MicroRNA-122 in patients with hepatitis B and hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is known as a serious problem in the domain of public health and approximately 350 million people across the world are affected with this infectious disease. As well, microRNAs are recognized as a type of small non-coding RNAs that can be widely used as a diagnostic biomarker and prognosis method of special diseases. In this respect, microRNA-122 or miR-122 can play a significant role in the pathogenesis of several hepatic diseases. Given the importance of microRNA-122 in the liver as well as its pathology, this study focused on the potential functions of microRNA-122 in pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of HBV infection. In this regard, the findings of previous studies had indicated that expression of microRNA-122 in patients with HBV infection could be significantly deregulated. The results of this study were consistent with the idea that diagnosis and treatment of this infectious disease using microRNA-122 could be an efficient method.

MiR-483-3p regulates oxaliplatin resistance by targeting FAM171B in human colorectal cancer cells

Oxaliplatin resistance limits the efficiency of treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC). Studies have shown that abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) were associated with tumorigenesis, cancer development and chemoresistance. The purpose of this study was to identify potential miRNAs related to oxaliplatin resistance in CRC cells. In this work, using small RNA sequencing (small RNA-Seq) and transcriptome sequencing (RNA-Seq), we found that down-regulated miR-483-3p was concurrent with up-regulated FAM171B in oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer cell line HCT116/L as compared with its parental cell line HCT116. Transient transfection of miR-483-3p mimics markedly decreased the levels of FAM171B and restored oxaliplatin responsiveness of HCT116/L cells, and this alteration enhanced cell apoptosis and weakened cell migration. Whereas miR-483-3p inhibitor dramatically promoted the expression of FAM171B and enhanced oxaliplatin resistance of HCT116 cells by repressing cell apoptosis. Furthermore, knockdown of FAM171B in HCT116/L cells could also sensitize its reaction of the treatment with oxaliplatin, which was verified by the reduced cell migration. These findings demonstrate that FAM171B is a functional target of miR-483-3p in the regulation of oxaliplatin resistance in human CRC cells.

Identification of miRNA and mRNA expression profiles by PCR microarray in hepatitis B virus‑associated hepatocellular carcinoma

The present study aimed to identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in hepatitis B virus‑associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of five HCC tissues and paired adjacent non‑tumor tissues were screened to identify the differentially expressed miRNAs and target mRNAs using polymerase chain reaction microarrays. The interaction between differential miRNA and mRNA expression was concurrently analyzed using bioinformatics methods. A total of 32 differentially expressed miRNAs (four upregulated miRNAs and 28 downregulated miRNAs) and 16 differentially expressed mRNAs (11 upregulated mRNAs and five downregulated mRNAs) were identified. Among these, upregulated hsa‑miRNA (miR)‑96‑5p and hsa‑miR‑18b‑5p suppressed their target mRNAs forkhead box O1 and MET transcriptional regulator MACC1 (MACC1). Downregulation of hsa‑miR‑199a‑5p led to upregulation of its target mRNAs, cyclin dependent kinase 4 and insulin like growth factor 2 (IGF2). The high‑level expression of IGF2 mRNA and cyclin E1 mRNA was due to the low‑level expression of hsa‑miR‑145‑5p, hsa‑miR‑181a‑5p, hsa‑miR‑199a‑5p and hsa‑miR‑223a‑3p, and hsa‑miR‑26a‑5p and hsa‑miR‑26b‑5p, respectively. The low‑level expression of coronin 1A mRNA and MACC1 mRNA was due to overexpression of hsa‑miR‑517a‑3p and hsa‑miR‑18a‑5p, and hsa‑miR‑18b‑5p, respectively. Numerous gene ontology terms were associated with oncogenesis. The most enriched pathways targeted by the dysregulated miRNAs and mRNAs were associated with cancer and oncogenesis pathways. The present data suggested that differential miRNA and mRNA expression is present in HCC. Thus, interactions between certain miRNAs and mRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of HCC.

The Glucose-Regulated MiR-483-3p Influences Key Signaling Pathways in Cancer

The hsa-mir-483 gene, located within the IGF2 locus, transcribes for two mature microRNAs, miR-483-5p and miR-483-3p. This gene, whose regulation is mediated by the the CTNNB1/USF1 complex, shows an independent expression from its host gene IGF2. The miR-483-3p affects the Wnt/β-catenin, the TGF-β, and the TP53 signaling pathways by targeting several genes as CTNNB1, SMAD4, IGF1, and BBC3. Accordingly, miR-483-3p is associated with various tissues specific physiological properties as insulin and melanin production, as well as with cellular physiological functions such as wounding, differentiation, proliferation, and survival. Deregulation of miR-483-3p is observed in different types of cancer, and its overexpression can inhibit the pro-apoptotic pathway induced by the TP53 target effectors. As a result, the oncogenic characteristics of miR-483-3p are linked to the effect of some of the most relevant cancer-related genes, TP53 and CTNNB1, as well as to one of the most important cancer hallmark: the aberrant glucose metabolism of tumor cells. In this review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the miR-483-3p, to elucidate its functional role in physiological and pathological contexts, focusing overall on its involvement in cancer and in the TP53 pathway.

Large-scale screening of circulating microRNAs in individuals with HIV-1 mono-infections reveals specific liver damage signatures

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-induced inflammation and/or long-term antiretroviral drug toxicity may contribute to the evolution of liver disease. We investigated circulating plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers of liver injury in patients mono-infected with HIV-1. We performed large-scale deep sequencing analyses of small RNA level on plasma samples from patients with HIV-1 mono-infection that had elevated or normal levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). Hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infected patients were also studied. Compared to healthy donors, patients with HIV-1 or HCV mono-infections showed significantly altered (fold change >2, adjusted p < 0.05) level of 25 and 70 miRNAs, respectively. Of the 25 altered miRNAs found in patients with HIV-1, 19 were also found in patients mono-infected with HCV. Moreover, 13 of the 14 most up-regulated miRNAs (range: 9.3-3.4-fold increase) in patients with HCV mono-infections were also up-regulated in patients with HIV-1 mono-infections. Importantly, most of these miRNAs significantly and positively correlated with ALT and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, and liver fibrosis stage (p < 0.05). MiR-122-3p and miR-193b-5p were highly up-regulated HIV-1 mono-infected patients with elevated ALT or FNH, but not in HIV-1 patients with normal levels of ALT. These results reveal that HIV-1 infections impacted liver-related miRNA levels in the absence of an HCV co-infection, which highlights the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for the progression of liver injury in HIV-1 infected patients.

Reduced miR-433 expression is associated with advanced stages and early relapse of colorectal cancer and restored miR-433 expression suppresses the migration, invasion and proliferation of tumor cells in vitro and in nude mice

The expression of microRNA (miR-433) is altered in various types of human cancer. The present study analyzed the prognostic and biological value of miR-433 expression in colorectal cancer using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 125 colorectal tissue specimens (including a test cohort of 40 cases of paired colorectal cancer and adjacent normal mucosae and a confirmation cohort of 85 cases of stage I–III colorectal cancer). In vitro and nude mouse xenograft experiments were subsequently used to assess the effects of miR-433 expression on the regulation of colorectal cancer cell proliferation, adhesion, migration, and invasion. The data indicated that miR-433 expression was significantly downregulated in colorectal cancer tissues in the test and confirmation patient cohorts and that low miR-433 expression was associated with advanced tumor stage and early relapse. Furthermore, the restoration of miR-433 expression was able to significantly inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells by inducing G1-S cell cycle arrest, suppressing cyclinD1 and CDK4 expression, and markedly inhibited the migratory and invasive capacities of tumor cells in vitro. The restoration of miR-433 expression or liposome-based delivery of miR-433 mimics suppressed the growth of colorectal cancer cell xenografts in nude mice. In conclusion, miR-433 may be a putative tumor suppressor in colorectal cancer, and the detection of low miR-433 expression will be investigated in further studies as a putative biomarker for the detection of early relapse in patients with colorectal cancer.

Epigenetic silencing of miR-483-3p promotes acquired gefitinib resistance and EMT in EGFR-mutant NSCLC by targeting integrin β3

All lung cancers patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation inevitably develop acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). In up to 30% of cases, the mechanism underlying acquired resistance remains unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) is a group of small non-coding RNAs commonly dysregulated in human cancers and have been implicated in therapy resistance. The aim of this study was to understand the roles of novel miRNAs in acquired EGFR TKI resistance in EGFR-mutant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we reported the evidence of miR-483-3p silencing and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype in both in vitro and in vivo EGFR-mutant NSCLC models with acquired resistance to gefitinib. In those tumor models, forced expression of miR-483-3p efficiently increased sensitivity of gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells to gefitinib by inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis. Moreover, miR-483-3p reversed EMT and inhibited migration, invasion, and metastasis of gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-483-3p directly targeted integrin β3, and thus repressed downstream FAK/Erk signaling pathway. Furthermore, the silencing of miR-483-3p in gefitinib-resistant lung cancer cells was due to hypermethylation of its own promoter. Taken together, our data identify miR-483-3p as a promising target for combination therapy to overcome acquired EGFR TKI resistance in EGFR-mutant NSCLC.

MiR-433-3p suppresses cell growth and enhances chemosensitivity by targeting CREB in human glioma

Previous studies reported that miR-433 exerts function widely in human tumorigenesis and development. Here, we further investigate the potential role of miR-433 in glioma. Quantitative real-time PCR demonstrated that miR-433-3p and miR-433-5p were low expressed in glioma tissues and cell lines. Functional studies suggested that the overexpression of miR-433-3p suppressed proliferation, induced apoptosis and inhibited invasion and migration of human glioma cells. But the growth and metastasis of glioma cells were not significantly influenced by overexpression of miR-433-5p. In a xenograft model, we also showed that miR-433-3p had an inhibitory effect on the growth of glioma. Bioinformatics coupled with luciferase and western blot assays revealed that CREB is a direct target of miR-433-3p, and the overexpression of CREB can rescue the phenotype changes induced by miR-433-3p overexpression. Besides, miR-433-3p could increase chemosensitivity of glioma to temozolomide by targeting CREB in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, these results suggest that miR-433-3p may function as a potential marker in diagnostic and therapeutic target for glioma.

miR-522-3p Promotes Tumorigenesis in Human Colorectal Cancer via Targeting Bloom Syndrome Protein

miR-522-3p is known to degrade bloom syndrome protein (BLM) and enhance expression of other proto-oncogenes, leading to tumorigenesis. This study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanisms of miR-522-3p in human colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Expressions of miR-522-3p in CRC and adjacent tissues, as well as in normal human colon epithelial cell line (FHC) and five CRC cell lines, were detected. Human CRC cell lines, HCT-116 and HT29, were transfected with miR-522-3p mimic, inhibitor, or scrambled controls. Then cell viability, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and the expressions of c-myc, cyclin E, CDK2, and BLM were assessed. It was found that miR-522-3p was highly expressed in CRC tissues when compared to adjacent nontumor tissues and was highly expressed in CRC cell lines when compared to FHC cells. miR-522-3p overexpression promoted cell viability, reduced apoptotic cell rate, arrested more cells in the S phase, and upregulated c-myc, cyclin E, and CDK2 expression. BLM was a target gene of miR-522-3p, and miR-522-3p suppression did not exert antiproliferative and proapoptotic activities when BLM was silenced. These findings demonstrate that miR-522-3p upregulation negatively regulates the expression of BLM, with upregulation of c-myc, CDK2, and cyclin E, and thereby promoting the proliferation of human CRC cells.

miR-592/WSB1/HIF-1α axis inhibits glycolytic metabolism to decrease hepatocellular carcinoma growth

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells rapidly switch their energy source from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolytic metabolism in order to efficiently proliferate. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this switch remain unclear. In this study, we found that miR-592 was frequently downregulated in human HCC tissues and cell lines, and its downregulation was closely correlated with aggressive clinicopathological features and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Overexpression of miR-592 inhibited aerobic glycolysis and proliferation in HCC cells in vitro. Conversely, knockdown of miR-592 promoted HCC growth in both subcutaneous injection and orthotopic liver tumor implantation models in vivo. Mechanistically, miR-592 downregulation in human HCCs was correlated with an upregulation of WD repeat and SOCS box containing 1 (WSB1). We further showed that miR-592 directly binds to the 3'-UTR of the WSB1 gene, thus disrupting hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) protein stabilization. In turn, overexpression of WSB1 in HCC cells rescued decreased HIF-1α expression, glucose uptake, and HCC growth induced by miR-592. Collectively, our clinical data and functional studies suggest that miR-592 is a new robust inhibitor of the Warburg effect and a promising therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Role of miR-483 in digestive tract cancers: from basic research to clinical value

Digestive tract cancers (DTCs) is the most common malignant tumors in the world. Despite surgery and medical technology have witnessed the increasing development and sharp advancement in the past decade, DTCs remain a critical concern with high morbidity and mortality. Since a class of small noncoding RNAs termed miRNAs were identified several years ago, increasing studies have attempted to illustrate the relationship between the specific miRNAs dysregulated expression levels and the diseases phenotypic changes. For example, microRNA-483 (miR-483) aberrant expression plays a pivotal part in tumor biology in a variety of human cancer, including DTCs. In this review, we focus on the present key findings from recent profiling studies, discuss the use of miR-483 as a novel biomarker for DTCs. At the same time, we emphasize the significant diversities and technical difficulties must be overcome before clinically relevant signatures arose. It is believed that this might provide researchers an insight into the molecular targeting cancer treatment.

miR-708-5p: a microRNA with emerging roles in cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally. They are crucial for normal development and maintaining homeostasis. Researchers have discovered that dysregulated miRNA expression contributes to many pathological conditions, including cancer. miRNAs can augment or suppress tumorigenesis based on their expression and transcribed targetome in various cell types. In recent years, researchers have begun to identify miRNAs commonly dysregulated in cancer. One recently identified miRNA, miR-708-5p, has been shown to have profound roles in promoting or suppressing oncogenesis in a myriad of solid and hematological tumors. This review highlights the diverse, sometimes controversial findings reported for miR-708-5p in cancer, and the importance of further exploring this exciting miRNA.

Small Non-coding RNA Abundance in Adrenocortical Carcinoma: A Footprint of a Rare Cancer

BACKGROUND: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a relatively rare, but aggressive type of cancer, which affects both children and adults. OBJECTIVE: Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) play important roles and may serve as biomarkers for disease diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. METHODS: In our study, we sought to identify sncRNAs associated with malignant adrenal tumors. We obtained publicly available, small RNA sequencing data derived from 45 ACC and 30 benign tumors arising from the cortex of the adrenal gland, adrenocortical adenomas (ACA), and compared their sncRNA expression profiles. RESULTS: First, we remapped small RNA-seq to miRBase version 21 to check expression of miRNAs and found 147 miRNAs were aberrantly expressed (p<0.05) in ACC samples compared to ACA samples. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed miRNAs revealed p53 signaling pathways to be profoundly affected in ACC samples. Further examination for other types of small RNAs revealed 16 piRNAs, 48 lncRNAs and 19 sn/snoRNAs identified in ACC samples. Conclusions: Our data analysis suggests that publically available resources can be mined for biomarker development and improvements in-patient care; however, further research must be performed to correlate tumor grade with gene expression.

miR-217 targeting DKK1 promotes cancer stem cell properties via activation of the Wnt signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and exhibits heterogeneity in terms of clinical outcomes and biological activities. Emerging evidence has demonstrated that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play important roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the stemness maintenance of CSCs remain largely unknown. In the present study, through real-time PCR, western blotting, luciferase assays, RNA immunoprecipitation, and in vitro and in vivo assays, we demonstrated that miR-217 expression was markedly increased in HCC tissues and cells. Overexpression of miR-217 promoted, while silencing miR-217 suppressed, the fraction of the side population and the expression of cancer stem cell factors in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo in HCC cells. Our findings further demonstrated that miR-217 promoted the CSC-like phenotype via dickkopf-1 (DKK1) targeting, resulting in constitutive activation of Wnt signaling. Moreover, the stimulatory effects of miR-217 on stem cell properties and Wnt signaling were antagonized by the upregulation of DKK1 in miR-217-overexpressing cells. Conversely, the inhibitory effects of silencing miR-217 on stem cell properties and Wnt signaling were reversed by the downregulation of DKK1 in miR-217-downregulated cells. Therefore, our results indicate that miR-217 plays a vital role in the CSC-like phenotypes of HCC cells and may be used as a potential therapeutic target against HCC.

miR-511 promotes the proliferation of human hepatoma cells by targeting the 3'UTR of B cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1) mRNA

Aberrant expression of miR-511 is involved in the development of cancer, but the role of miR-511 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is not well documented. In this study, we explored the molecular mechanisms of miR-511 in hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results of bioinformatics analysis suggested that B cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1), a member of anti-proliferative gene family, was one of the putative targets of miR-511. The expression levels of miR-511 were significantly higher in 30 clinical HCC tissues than in corresponding peritumor tissues, and were negatively correlated with those of BTG1 in the HCC tissues (r=-0.6105, P<0.01). In human hepatoma cell lines HepG2 and H7402, overexpression of miR-511 dose-dependently inhibited the expression of BTG1, whereas knockdown of miR-511 dose-dependently increased the expression of BTG1. Luciferase reporter gene assays verified that miR-511 targeted the 3'UTR of BTG1 mRNA. In the hepatoma cells, overexpression of miR-511 significantly decreased BTG1-induced G₁ phase arrest, which was rescued by overexpression of BTG1. Furthermore, overexpression of miR-511 promoted the proliferation of the hepatoma cells, which was rescued by overexpression of BTG1. Conversely, knockdown of miR-511 inhibited cell proliferation, which was reversed by knockdown of BTG1. In conclusion, miR-511 promotes the proliferation of human hepatoma cells in vitro by targeting the 3'UTR of BTG1 mRNA.

Downregulation of miR-199a-5p promotes prostate adeno-carcinoma progression through loss of its inhibition of HIF-1α

Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) plays key roles in cell survival under both hypoxia and normoxia conditions. Regulation of HIF-1α is complex and involves numerous molecules and pathways, including post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs (miRNAs). Although upregulation of HIF-1α has been shown to promote prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) progression, the mechanism by which miRNAs modulate HIF-1α in prostate cancer has not been clarified. Here, we show that miR-199a-5p is underexpressed in prostate adenocarcinoma. Artificial overexpression of miR-199a-5p decreased cell proliferation, motility, and tumor angiogenesis and increased apoptosis in PCa cell liness PC-3 and DU145 by directly targeting the 3’-untranslated region (UTR) of HIF-1α mRNA, which reduced HIF-1α levels as well as downstream genes transactivated by HIF-1α (such as VEGF, CXCR4, BNIP3 and BCL-xL). Abnormalities of miR-199a-HIF regulation may contribute significantly to PCa pathogenesis and progression.

Hepatitis B virus X protein-mediated non-coding RNA aberrations in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has an important role in the development of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Accumulated evidence has shown that HBV-encoded X protein (HBx) can induce both genetic alterations in tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes, as well as epigenetic aberrations in HCC pathogens. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) mainly include microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Although ncRNAs cannot code proteins, growing evidence has shown that they have various important biological functions in cell proliferation, cell cycle control, anti-apoptosis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, tumor invasion and metastasis. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the mechanisms and emerging roles of ncRNAs in the pathogenesis of HBV-related HCC. Accumulated data have shown that ncRNAs regulated by HBx have a crucial role in HBV-associated hepatocarcinogenesis. The findings of these studies will contribute to more clinical applications of HBV-related ncRNAs as potential diagnostic markers or as molecular therapeutic targets to prevent and treat HBV-related HCC.

Evaluating normalization approaches for the better identification of aberrant microRNAs associated with hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM

Dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but only a small proportion have been confirmed. An appropriate normalizer is crucial to determining the accuracy and reliability of data from miRNA studies.

METHODS

Different normalization strategies were used to validate genome-wide miRNA profiles in HCC tumor and non-tumor tissues, and to determine the consistency and discrepancy of data on dysregulated miRNAs.

RESULTS

Two sets of stable miRNAs (miR-30c/miR-30b and miR-30c/miR-126) were identified in HCC tissues by geNorm and NormFinder tools, respectively. The mean of global miRNAs also showed good stability for ranking the top 1-2 miRNAs, but the stabilities of the manufacturer-recommended ncRNAs controls were poor. Four panels of miRNAs were significantly associated with HCC by separately using various normalizers, and 14 miRNAs were consistently identified by three normalization strategies. Although fewer miRNAs (17-26) were dysregulated in HCC using the global mean or the 2 stable miRNAs as normalizers, perfect clustering of tissues was also obtained with only 1 to 2 misclassifications, suggesting the efficiency of the miRNA panels. Using global mean as the normalizer, the authors identified 7 miRNAs, including 2 novel (miR-324-5p and miR-550) significantly upregulated in HCC that were omitted when using 3 endogenous controls as the normalizer.

CONCLUSION

An optimal normalization strategy to identify biologically important miRNAs in HCC tissue studies of miRNA may be the combination of global mean and 2 stable miRNAs. Selection of appropriate normalization strategies to adjust miRNAs levels is particularly important for epidemiological studies dealing with large data sets and covering multiple experimental batches.

Hepatocellular carcinoma associated microRNA expression signature: integrated bioinformatics analysis, experimental validation and clinical significance

microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles varied greatly among current studies due to different technological platforms and small sample size. Systematic and integrative analysis of published datesets that compared the miRNA expression profiles between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and paired adjacent noncancerous liver tissue was performed to determine candidate HCC associated miRNAs. Moreover, we further validated the confirmed miRNAs in a clinical setting using qRT-PCR and Tumor Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset. A miRNA integrated-signature of 5 upregulated and 8 downregulated miRNAs was identified from 26 published datesets in HCC using robust rank aggregation method. qRT-PCR demonstrated that miR-93-5p, miR-224-5p, miR-221-3p and miR-21-5p was increased, whereas the expression of miR-214-3p, miR-199a-3p, miR-195-5p, miR-150-5p and miR-145-5p was decreased in the HCC tissues, which was also validated on TCGA dataset. A miRNA based score using LASSO regression model provided a high accuracy for identifying HCC tissue (AUC = 0.982): HCC risk score = 0.180E_miR-221 + 0.0262E_miR-21 - 0.007E_miR-223 - 0.185E_miR-130a. E_miR-n = Log 2 (expression of microRNA n). Furthermore, expression of 5 miRNAs (miR-222, miR-221, miR-21 miR-214 and miR-130a) correlated with pathological tumor grade. Cox regression analysis showed that miR-21 was related with 3-year survival (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.509, 95%CI: 1.079-2.112, P = 0.016) and 5-year survival (HR: 1.416, 95%CI: 1.057-1.897, P = 0.020). However, none of the deregulated miRNAs was related with microscopic vascular invasion. This study provides a basis for further clinical application of miRNAs in HCC.

[Epigenetic factors in atherogenesis: microRNA]

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (~22 nucleotides in length) noncoding RNA sequences regulating gene expression at posttranscriptional level. MicroRNAs bind complementarily to certain mRNA and cause gene silencing. The involvement of miRNAs in the regulation of lipid metabolism, inflammatory response, cell cycle progression and proliferation, oxidative stress, platelet activation, endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) function, angiogenesis and plaque formation and rapture indicates important roles in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. The key role of microRNAs in pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), including atherosclerosis, was demonstrated in recent studies. Creating antisense oligonucleotides is a novel technique for selective changes in gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. In this review, we draw attention to the role of miRNAs in atherosclerosis progression, using miRNA as the potential biomarkers and targets in the CVDs, as well as possible application of antisense oligonucleotides.

MicroRNA profiles in various hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Although surgery is considered the most effective treatment for patients with HCC, its indication is restricted by limited criteria and a high relapse rate following surgery; therefore, systemic chemotherapy is required for patients with advanced-stage HCC to prolong their survival. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous non-coding RNAs of 18-22 nucleotides in length. It has been reported that aberrant expression of miRNAs is a feature shared by various types of human cancer. Previous studies have indicated that the modulation of non-coding RNAs, particularly miRNAs, may be a valuable therapeutic target for HCC. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the miRNA profiles associated with differentiation and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection observed in HCC cell lines. The human Alex, Hep3B, HepG2, HuH1, HuH7, JHH1, JHH2, JHH5, JHH6, HLE, HLF and Li-7 HCC cell lines were used for an miRNA array. Replicate data were analyzed following their classification into: i) Poorly- and well-differentiated human HCC cells and ii) HBV-positive and -negative human HCC cells. Out of the 1,719 miRNAs, 4 were found to be significantly upregulated and 52 significantly downregulated in the poorly-differentiated cells, as compared with the well-differentiated cells. Conversely, in the HBV-positive cells 125 miRNAs were found to be upregulated and 2 downregulated, as compared with the HBV-negative cells. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering analysis with Pearson's correlation revealed that the miRNA expression levels were clustered both together and separately in each group. In conclusion, miRNA profile characterization based on various parameters may be a novel approach to determine the etiology of HCC.

DDX3 Represses Stemness by Epigenetically Modulating Tumor-suppressive miRNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Studies indicate that the presence of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is responsible for poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. In this study, the functional role of DDX3 in regulation of hepatic CSCs was investigated. Our results demonstrated that reduced DDX3 expression was not only inversely associated with tumor grade, but also predicted poor prognosis of HCC patients. Knockdown of DDX3 in HCC cell line HepG2 induced stemness gene signature followed by occurrence of self-renewal, chemoreisistance, EMT, migration as well as CSC expansion, and most importantly, DDX3 knockdown promotes tumorigenesis. Moreover, we found positive correlations between DDX3 level and expressions of tumor-suppressive miR-200b, miR-200c, miR-122 and miR-145, but not miR-10b and miR-519a, implying their involvement in DDX3 knockdown-induced CSC phenotypes. In addition, DDX3 reduction promoted up-regulation of DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A), while neither DNMT3B nor DNMT1 expression was affected. Enriched DNMT3A binding along with hypermethylation on promoters of these tumor-suppressive miRNAs reflected their transcriptional repressions in DDX3-knockdown cells. Furthermore, individual restoration of these tumor-suppressive miRNAs represses DDX3 knockdown-induced CSC phenotypes. In conclusion, our study suggested that DDX3 prevents generation of CSCs through epigenetically regulating a subset of tumor-suppressive miRNAs expressions, which strengthens tumor suppressor role of DDX3 in HCC.

miR-522 contributes to cell proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting DKK1 and SFRP2

The morbidity and mortality of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is very high, finding new therapeutic targets are critical for HCC treatment. miR-522 has been demonstrated to be upregulated in HCC tissues, but its role in HCC progression remains to be elucidated. In this report, we found miR-522 was upregulated in HCC cells and tissues, miR-522 overexpression promoted cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell cycle progression, whereas knockdown of miR-522 reduced these effects. We also analyzed the expression of several key cell cycle regulatory proteins and found overexpression of miR-522-inhibited cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27 expression and enhanced cyclin D1 expression and the level of Rb phosphorylation, vice versa. These suggested miR-522-accelerated G1/S transition. DKK1 (dickkopf-1) and SFRP2 (secreted frizzled-related protein 2) were the targets of miR-522, their expression was inversely with miR-522 in HCC tissues. DKK1 and SFRP2 the antagonists of Wnt signaling, suggesting miR-522-promoted HCC progression through activating Wnt signaling. miR-522 might be a valuable target for HCC therapy.