Hsa-miR-202-3p, up-regulated in type 1 gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms, may target DUSP1

Upregulation of hsa-miR-141-3p promotes uterine cervical carcinoma progression via targeting dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1

We aimed to explore the aberrant expression status of hsa-miR-141-3p and dual-specificity protein phosphatase 1 (DUSP1) and their relative mechanisms in uterine cervical carcinoma (UCC).Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to detect the expression of hsa-miR-141-3p. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed to examine the expression of DUSP1 in UCC. Gene chips and RNA-seq datasets were also obtained to assess the expression level. Integrated standardized mean difference (SMD) was calculated to evaluate the expression status of hsa-miR-141-3p in UCC tissues comprehensively. DUSP1-overexpression and hsa-miR-141-3p-inhibition HeLa cells were established, and CCK-8, transwell, wound healing, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays were implemented. The targets of hsa-miR-141-3p were obtained with online tools, and the combination of hsa-miR-141-3p and DUSP1 was validated via dual-luciferase reporter assay. Single-cell RNA-seq data were analyzed to explore hsa-miR-141-3p and DUSP1 in different cells. An integrated SMD of 1.41 (95% CI[0.45, 2.38], p = 0.0041) with 558 samples revealed the overexpression of hsa-miR-141-3p in UCC tissues. And the pooled SMD of -1.06 (95% CI[-1.45, -0.66], p < 0.0001) with 1,268 samples indicated the downregulation of DUSP1. Inhibition of hsa-miR-141-3p could upregulate DUSP1 expression and suppress invasiveness and metastasis of HeLa cells. Overexpression of DUSP1 could hamper proliferation, invasion, and migration and boost apoptosis and distribution of G1 phase. The dual-luciferase reporter assay validated the combination of hsa-miR-141-3p and DUSP1. Moreover, the targets of hsa-miR-141-3p were mainly enriched in the MAPK signaling pathway and activated in fibroblasts and endothelial cells. The current study illustrated the upregulation of hsa-miR-141-3p and the downregulation of DUSP1 in UCC tissues. Hsa-miR-141-3p could promote UCC progression by targeting DUSP1.

Gastric immune homeostasis imbalance: An important factor in the development of gastric mucosal diseases

The gastric mucosal immune system is a unique immune organ independent of systemic immunity that not only maintains nutrient absorption but also plays a role in resisting the external environment. Gastric mucosal immune disorder leads to a series of gastric mucosal diseases, including autoimmune gastritis (AIG)-related diseases, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-induced diseases, and various types of gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, understanding the role of gastric mucosal immune homeostasis in gastric mucosal protection and the relationship between mucosal immunity and gastric mucosal diseases is very important. This review focuses on the protective effect of gastric mucosal immune homeostasis on the gastric mucosa, as well as multiple gastric mucosal diseases caused by gastric immune disorders. We hope to offer new prospects for the prevention and treatment of gastric mucosal diseases.

Exosomal miR-202 derived from leukorrhea as a potential biomarker for endometriosis

OBJECTIVE

Endometriosis (EMS) is a chronic gynecological disorder with an urgent need of a reliable non-invasive diagnostic strategy. Recently, there has been increasing interest in using the contents of exosomes, especially exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs), as potential biomarkers for various types of diseases. In this study, we assessed the differentially expressed miRNAs in exosomes derived from primary normal and ectopic endometrial cells.

METHODS

We used miRNA microarray analysis to identify differentially expressed exosomal miRNAs. Among the selected exosomal miRNAs, we focused on hsa-miR-202-3p and hsa-miR-202-5p and validated their expression levels using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis. We then further examined their expression in exosomes derived from vaginal discharge (leukorrhea) from patients with EMS and the negative control group.

RESULTS

The data show that hsa-miR-202-3p and hsa-miR-202-5p were expressed significantly higher in leukorrhea-derived exosomes from EMS patients compared with the negative controls.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, our results suggest that leukorrhea-derived exosomal hsa-miR-202 could serve as a potential useful biomarker for diagnosing EMS.

The microRNA-202 as a Diagnostic Biomarker and a Potential Tumor Suppressor

MicroRNA-202 (miR-202) is a member of the highly conserved let-7 family that was discovered in Caenorhabditis elegans and recently reported to be involved in cell differentiation and tumor biology. In humans, miR-202 was initially identified in the testis where it was suggested to play a role in spermatogenesis. Subsequent research showed that miR-202 is one of the micro-RNAs that are dysregulated in different types of cancer. During the last decade, a large number of investigations has fortified a role for miR-202 in cancer. However, its functions can be double-edged, depending on context they may be tumor suppressive or oncogenic. In this review, we highlight miR-202 as a potential diagnostic biomarker and as a suppressor of tumorigenesis and metastasis in several types of tumors. We link miR-202 expression levels in tumor types to its involved upstream and downstream signaling molecules and highlight its potential roles in carcinogenesis. Three well-known upstream long non-coding-RNAs (lncRNAs); MALAT1, NORAD, and NEAT1 target miR-202 and inhibit its tumor suppressive function thus fueling cancer progression. Studies on the downstream targets of miR-202 revealed PTEN, AKT, and various oncogenes such as metadherin (MTDH), MYCN, Forkhead box protein R2 (FOXR2) and Kirsten rat sarcoma virus (KRAS). Interestingly, an upregulated level of miR-202 was shown by most of the studies that estimated its expression level in blood or serum of cancer patients, especially in breast cancer. Reduced expression levels of miR-202 in tumor tissues were found to be associated with progression of different types of cancer. It seems likely that miR-202 is embedded in a complex regulatory network related to the nature and the sensitivity of the tumor type and therapeutic (pre)treatments. Its variable roles in tumorigenesis are mediated in part thought its oncogene effectors. However, the currently available data suggest that the involved signaling pathways determine the anti- or pro-tumorigenic outcomes of miR-202’s dysregulation and its value as a diagnostic biomarker.

Epi-miRNAs: Regulators of the Histone Modification Machinery in Human Cancer

Cancer is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Epigenetic deregulation is one of the most critical mechanisms in carcinogenesis and can be classified into effects on DNA methylation and histone modification. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNAs involved in fine-tuning their target genes after transcription. Various microRNAs control the expression of histone modifiers and are involved in a variety of cancers. Therefore, overexpression or downregulation of microRNAs can alter cell fate and cause malignancies. In this review, we discuss the role of microRNAs in regulating the histone modification machinery in various cancers, with a focus on the histone-modifying enzymes such as acetylases, deacetylases, methyltransferases, demethylases, kinases, phosphatases, desumoylases, ubiquitinases, and deubiquitinases. Understanding of microRNA-related aberrations underlying histone modifiers in pathogenesis of different cancers can help identify novel therapeutic targets or early detection approaches that allow better management of patients or monitoring of treatment response.

Identification of copper-related biomarkers and potential molecule mechanism in diabetic nephropathy

BACKGROUND

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a chronic microvascular complication in patients with diabetes mellitus, which is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. However, the role of copper-related genes (CRGs) in DN development remains unclear.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CRGs were acquired from the GeneCards and NCBI databases. Based on the GSE96804 and GSE111154 datasets from the GEO repository, we identified hub CRGs for DN progression by taking the intersection of differentially expressed CRGs (DECRGs) and genes in the key module from Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis. The Maximal Clique Centrality algorithm was used to identify the key CRGs from hub CRGs. Transcriptional factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) targeting hub CRGs were acquired from publicly available databases. The CIBERSORT algorithm was used to perform comparative immune cell infiltration analysis between normal and DN samples.

RESULTS

Eighty-two DECRGs were identified between normal and DN samples, as were 10 hub CRGs, namely PTGS2, DUSP1, JUN, FOS, S100A8, S100A12, NAIP, CLEC4E, CXCR1, and CXCR2. Thirty-nine TFs and 165 miRNAs potentially targeted these 10 hub CRGs. PTGS2 was identified as the key CRG and FOS as the most significant gene among all of DECRGs. RELA was identified as the hub TF interacting with PTGS2 by taking the intersection of potential TFs from the ChEA and JASPAR public databases. let-7b-5p was identified as the hub miRNA targeting PTGS2 by taking the intersection of miRNAs from the miRwalk, RNA22, RNAInter, TargetMiner, miRTarBase, and ENCORI databases. Similarly, CREB1, E2F1, and RELA were revealed as hub TFs for FOS, and miR-338-3p as the hub miRNA. Finally, compared with those in healthy samples, there are more infiltrating memory B cells, M1 macrophages, M2 macrophages, and resting mast cells and fewer infiltrating activated mast cells and neutrophils in DN samples (all p< 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The 10 identified hub copper-related genes provide insight into the mechanisms of DN development. It is beneficial to examine and understand the interaction between hub CRGs and potential regulatory molecules in DN. This knowledge may provide a novel theoretical foundation for the development of diagnostic biomarkers and copper-related therapy targets in DN.

A Prospective and Retrospective Clinical Controlled Observation of Chinese Herbal Decoction (SMLJ01) for Type 1 Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumors

INTRODUCTION

Type 1 gastric neuroendocrine tumors (g-NETs) have a good prognosis but a high recurrence rate.

AIM

To observe the clinical efficacy of the treatment of type 1 g-NETs with the Chinese herbal decoction SMLJ01.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prospective and retrospective, clinical, controlled observation was conducted in 4 Chinese centers from 2012 to 2019. Patients with type 1 g-NETs were nonrandomly divided into treatment and control groups after endoscopic treatment based on herbal treatment administered according to their wishes. The treatment group received oral SMLJ01, with follow-up every 6 to 12 months, while the control group received follow-up alone. Patient follow-up (via telephone) from 2012 to 2017 was mainly retrospective. All patients after 2017 were followed prospectively. The recurrence times and rates were compared after treatment for at least 6 months. Symptom improvements were evaluated in the treatment group. The follow-up ended on October 31, 2019.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 22 months (range: 2-86 months), the survival rate was 100%, and no metastases occurred. Twenty-one of the 82 treated patients (25.6%) had recurrence after a median of 22 months, and 22 of the 54 control patients (40.7%) had recurrence after a median of 8 months (P = .063). The Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that the patients in the treatment group had a significantly longer median recurrence-free survival (RFS) time than those in the control group (P = .001). The risk of recurrence in the treatment group was 0.38 relative to that in the control group (95% CI: 0.20-0.70). The symptom score of the patients after taking Chinese medicine was 19.5 (10.3, 28.0), which was significantly lower than before treatment (31.5 (19.3, 38.0)). The difference was statistically significant (P < .01).

CONCLUSION

SMLJ01, with the effects of soothing the liver, strengthening the spleen, increasing acid and harmonizing the stomach, may help reduce the recurrence rate, relieve symptoms and prolong the recurrence time in patients with type 1 g-NETs and is worthy of evaluation with further randomized research with large sample sizes and longer follow-up periods.

Effects of miR-202-5p silencing PIK3CA gene expression on proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer SiHa cells through inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway activation

To explore the mechanism of miR-202-5p targeting the expression of PIK3CA and mediating the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway on the proliferation, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cervical cancer. The objects of study were 105 cases of cervical cancer and their corresponding normal tissues. qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-202-5p and PIK3CA in adjacent normal tissue and cervical cancer tissue. Dual luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the targeting relationship between miR-202-5p and PIK3CA gene. Human cervical cancer cell lines HPV-16E6, SiHa, HeLa, and CaSki were purchased for our cell experiments. The expression levels of PIK3CA in the cells were detected by qRT-PCR. The cell line with higher expression levels was selected to complete the follow-up experiment. The cultured cells were transfected and divided into the miR-202-5p mimic NC group, miR-202-5p mimic group, miR-202-5p inhibitor NC group, miR-202-5p inhibitor group, siRNA-PIK3CA NC group, siRNA-PIK3CA group, miR-202-5p inhibitor NC + siRNA-PIK3CA NC group, miR-202-5p inhibitor + siRNA-PIK3CA NC group, and miR-202-5p inhibitor + siRNA-PIK3CA group. QRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miR-202-5p. Western blot and qRT-PCR were applied to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of related pathway proteins (PIK3CA, PI3K, PTEN, p-Akt1, and p-mTOR) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related factors (N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and vimentin). Cell proliferation was detected by plate colony formation assay. Transwell assay was used to detect the invasion ability of each group. When compared with the adjacent tissues, PIK3CA mRNA expression level was significantly increased and miR-202-5p expression level was significantly decreased in cervical cancer tissues (all P < 0.05). PIK3CA was a target gene of miR-202-5p. The mRNA expression level of PIK3CA in SiHa cervical cancer cells was significantly higher than that in CaSki, HeLa, and HPV-16E6 cells (all P < 0.05), and SiHa cervical cancer cells were selected to complete the follow-up experiments. When compared with the corresponding NC group, the expression of miR-202-5p in miR-202-5p mimic group was increased. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression levels of E-cadherin and PTEN in miR-202-5p mimic and siRNA-PIK3CA groups were increased, and the protein expression of p-Akt1 and p-mTOR was decreased, and also, the mRNA and protein expression levels of PIK3CA, PI3K, N-cadherin, and vimentin were decreased (all P < 0.05); in miR-202-5p inhibitor group, the expression levels of miR-202-5p, E-cadherin, and PTEN decreased, the protein expression of p-Akt1 and p-mTOR increased, and the mRNA and protein expression of PIK3CA, PI3K, N-cadherin, and vimentin increased in miR-202-5p inhibitor group (all P < 0.05); in miR-202-5p inhibitor + siRNA-PIK3CA group, the expression of miR-202-5p decreased (P < 0.05), but the mRNA and protein expression of PIK3CA, PI3K, p-Akt1, p-mTOR, N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and vimentin had no significant changes (all P > 0.05). When compared with the corresponding NC group, the number of cell clones in miR-202-5p mimic group and siRNA-PIK3CA group was decreased, and the invasion ability of miR-202-5p inhibitor group was increased, and the invasion ability was enhanced (all P < 0.05); miR-202-5p inhibitor + siRNA-PIK3CA group showed no significant change in the number of cell clones and the rate of invasion (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the overexpression of miR-202-5p can suppress PIK3CA gene expression and the activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway to suppress the proliferation, invasion, and EMT of cervical cancer.

MiRNA Expression in Neuroendocrine Neoplasms of Frequent Localizations

Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) are infrequent malignant tumors of a neuroendocrine nature that arise in various organs. They occur most frequently in the lungs, intestines, stomach and pancreas. Molecular diagnostics and prognosis of NEN development are highly relevant. The role of clinical biomarkers can be played by microRNAs (miRNAs). This work is devoted to the analysis of data on miRNA expression in NENs. For the first time, a search for specificity or a community of their functional characteristics in different types of NEN was carried out. Their properties as biomarkers were also analyzed. To date, more than 100 miRNAs have been characterized as differentially expressed and significant for the development of NEN tumors. Only about 10% of the studied miRNAs are expressed in several types of NEN; differential expression of the remaining 90% was found only in tumors of specific localizations. A significant number of miRNAs have been identified as potential biomarkers. However, only a few miRNAs have values that characterized their quality as markers. The analysis demonstrates the predominant specific expression of miRNA in each studied type of NEN. This indicates that miRNA’s functional features are predominantly influenced by the tissue in which they are formed.

Circulating miRNA-202-3p is a potential novel biomarker for diagnosis of type 1 gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms

Background

Currently, there are no circulating diagnostic biomarkers for gastric neuroendocrine neoplasms (g-NENs). In previous studies, we found that miRNA-202-3p is overexpressed in the tumour tissue of type 1 g-NEN. We speculated that miRNA-202-3p is also likely to be highly expressed in circulating blood.

Methods

A total of 27 patients with type 1 g-NEN and 27 age- and sex-matched control participants were enrolled in this study. The miRNA-202-3p levels in serum obtained from the participants were measured by qRT‐PCR. The expression level of miRNA-202-3p in the samples was calculated by comparison with a standard curve.

Results

The clinical characteristics of the patients were similar to those of the patient samples in previous reports. Expression of miRNA-202-3p was significantly higher in the patient group (3.84 × 10⁷ copies/nl) than in the control group (0.635 × 10⁷ copies/nl). The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.878 (95% CI: 0.788–0.968), and the optimal cut-off point was approximately 1.12 × 10⁷ copies/nl. The sensitivity and specificity were 88.9% and 77.8%, respectively.

Conclusion

This study suggests that miRNA-202-3p is potentially useful as a biomarker of type 1 g-NEN; further investigation and verification should be performed in future research.

Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1: The Potential Role of microRNAs in the Management of the Syndrome

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is a rare inherited tumor syndrome, characterized by the development of multiple neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) in a single patient. Major manifestations include primary hyperparathyroidism, gastro-entero-pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors, and pituitary adenomas. In addition to these main NETs, various combinations of more than 20 endocrine and non-endocrine tumors have been described in MEN1 patients. Despite advances in diagnostic techniques and treatment options, which are generally similar to those of sporadic tumors, patients with MEN1 have a poor life expectancy, and the need for targeted therapies is strongly felt. MEN1 is caused by germline heterozygous inactivating mutations of the MEN1 gene, which encodes menin, a tumor suppressor protein. The lack of a direct genotype–phenotype correlation does not permit the determination of the exact clinical course of the syndrome. One of the possible causes of this lack of association could be ascribed to epigenetic factors, including microRNAs (miRNAs), single-stranded non-coding small RNAs that negatively regulate post-transcriptional gene expression. Some miRNAs, and their deregulation, have been associated with MEN1 tumorigenesis. Recently, an extracellular class of miRNAs has also been identified (c-miRNAs); variations in their levels showed association with various human diseases, including tumors. The aim of this review is to provide a general overview on the involvement of miRNAs in MEN1 tumor development, to be used as possible targets for novel molecular therapies. The potential role of c-miRNAs as future non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of MEN1 will be discussed as well.

miR-202 Suppresses Hepatocellular Carcinoma Progression via Downregulating BCL2 Expression

miRNAs play an important role in progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this work, we assessed the function of miR-202 in human HCC and identified BCL2 as its target. We found miR-202 expression was found significantly downregulated, while BCL2 expression was markedly upregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines (HepG2, Hep3B, and HCCLM3). Both miR-202 and BCL2 were closely correlated with major vascular invasion and advanced TNM stage as well as overall survival of HCC patients. Overexpression of miR-202 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G₀/G₁ phase, and prevented tumor formation in a xenograft nude mouse model. Further, miR-202 dramatically inhibited migration, invasion, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. miR-202 bound to the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of BCL2 mRNA and downregulated the expression level of BCL2 protein. Exogenous BCL2 overexpression weakened the inhibitory effects of miR-202, while inhibition of BCL2 enhanced the inhibitory effects of miR-202. In conclusion, miR-202 serves as a tumor suppressor in HCC progression by downregulating BCL2 expression, indicating miR-202 might be a potential target for HCC.

MiR-202 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of colorectal cancer by targeting UHRF1

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of microRNA-202 (miR-202) and its role in colorectal cancer (CRC) in vivo and in vitro. We examined the expression of miR-202 in CRC tissues by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) assay. Lentiviral vectors were constructed to overexpress or inhibit the expression of miR-202 in the CRC cell lines HCT116 and SW480 to determine its effects on cell invasion and proliferation. We found that overexpression of miR-202 significantly inhibited the proliferation and invasion of HCT116 cells. MiRNA target gene prediction, dual luciferase assay, and western blot analysis demonstrated that miR-202 regulated ubiquitin-like with PHD and RING finger domain 1 (UHRF1) expression in both cell lines. The effect of miR-202 on cell proliferation and invasion was partially reversed by activating the expression of UHRF1. Furthermore, miR-202 induced tumor formation in HCT116 xenograft BALB/c nude mice. Mice vaccinated with miR-202-overexpressing cells had smaller tumors and lower UHRF1 expression than the control group. These results indicate the possibility that miR-202 is under-expressed in CRC tissues, and that miR-202 inhibits the proliferation and invasion of CRC via targeting UHRF1. MiR-202 is a potential therapeutic target for CRC.