lncRNA NEF inhibits glioma by downregulating TGF-β1

LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 silencing inhibits glioma via miR-376a-3p/YAP1 axis

The lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 has been shown to be dysregulated in gastric cancer, while the roles in glioma is unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles and potential mechanisms of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 in the proliferation and apoptosis of glioma cells. The StarBase software and dual luciferase reporter assay were used to identify the relationship between lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 and miR-376a-3p, and miR-376a-3p and YAP1. The expression of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1, miR-376a-3p, and YAP1 in human glioma cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. MTT and flow cytometry were used to detect the effects of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 or miR-376a-3p on the proliferation and apoptosis of U251 and A172 cells, respectively. In addition, changes of Bax and Bcl-2 expression in glioma cells were further verified by western blotting and qRT-PCR. The results showed that the expression of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 was elevated in glioma cell lines, while miR-376a-3p was decreased. LncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 was negatively correlated with miR-376a-3p. Silencing of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 enhanced the levels of miR-376a-3p, leading to reduced cell proliferation and increased apoptosis in glioma cells. YAP1 was a direct target of miR-376a-3p, and it was negatively regulated by miR-376a-3p in U251 and A172 cells. Further mechanistic studies suggested that miR-376a-3p reduced glioma cell proliferation and increased apoptosis by inhibiting YAP1 expression. In addition, lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 positively regulated of YAP1 expression in glioma cells. In conclusion, silencing of lncRNA NUTM2A-AS1 inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in human glioma cells via the miR-376a-3p/YAP1 axis.

The role and clinical relevance of long non-coding RNAs in glioma

Glioma represents a complex and heterogeneous disease, posing significant challenges to both clinicians and researchers. Despite notable advancements in glioma treatment, the overall survival rate for most glioma patients remains dishearteningly low. Hence, there is an urgent necessity to discover novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets specifically tailored for glioma. In recent years, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators of gene expression and have garnered attention for their involvement in the development and progression of various cancers, including glioma. The dysregulation of lncRNAs plays a critical role in glioma pathogenesis and influences clinical outcomes. Consequently, there is growing interest in exploring the potential of lncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, as well as therapeutic targets. By understanding the functions and dysregulation of lncRNAs in glioma, researchers aim to unlock new avenues for the development of innovative treatment strategies catered to glioma patients. The identification and thorough characterization of lncRNAs hold the promise of novel therapeutic approaches that could potentially improve patient outcomes and enhance the management of glioma, ultimately striving for better prospects and enhanced quality of life for those affected by this challenging disease. The primary objective of this paper is to comprehensively review the current state of knowledge regarding lncRNA biology and their intricate roles in glioma. It also delves into the potential of lncRNAs as valuable diagnostic and prognostic indicators and explores their feasibility as promising targets for therapeutic interventions.

A pyroptosis gene-based prognostic model for predicting survival in low-grade glioma

Background

Pyroptosis, a lytic form of programmed cell death initiated by inflammasomes, has been reported to be closely associated with tumor proliferation, invasion and metastasis. However, the roles of pyroptosis genes (PGs) in low-grade glioma (LGG) remain unclear.

Methods

We obtained information for 1,681 samples, including the mRNA expression profiles of LGGs and normal brain tissues and the relevant corresponding clinical information from two public datasets, TCGA and GTEx, and identified 45 differentially expressed pyroptosis genes (DEPGs). Among these DEPGs, nine hub pyroptosis genes (HPGs) were identified and used to construct a genetic risk scoring model. A total of 476 patients, selected as the training group, were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups according to the risk score. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves verified the accuracy of the model, and a nomogram combining the risk score and clinicopathological characteristics was used to predict the overall survival (OS) of LGG patients. In addition, a cohort from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was selected as a validation group to verify the stability of the model. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the gene expression levels of nine HPGs in paracancerous and tumor tissues from 10 LGG patients.

Results

Survival analysis showed that, compared with patients in the low-risk group, patients in the high-risk group had a poorer prognosis. A risk score model combining PG expression levels with clinical features was considered an independent risk factor. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses indicated that immune-related genes were enriched among the DEPGs and that immune activity was increased in the high-risk group.

Conclusion

In summary, we successfully constructed a model to predict the prognosis of LGG patients, which will help to promote individualized treatment and provide potential new targets for immunotherapy.

Oncogenic Dysregulation of Circulating Noncoding RNAs: Novel Challenges and Opportunities in Sarcoma Diagnosis and Treatment

Simple Summary

Body fluids contain different classes of RNA molecules such as protein-coding messenger RNAs (mRNA) and noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These circulating RNAs can travel naked or packed into extracellular vesicles and display valuable potential as non-invasive biomarkers of sarcoma malignancy. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the possible functions of these circulating RNAs and discuss their possible exploitation as novel markers to improve sarcoma diagnosis and prognosis. Despite the recent advance in technological tools have improved protocols for the extraction and detection of circulating RNA, many aspects related to the biology of these molecules remain to be elucidated. In particular, the lack of standardization in the assessment of these markers makes difficult their adoption into clinical practice.

Abstract

Sarcomas comprise a heterogeneous group of rare mesenchymal malignancies. Sarcomas can be grouped into two categories characterized by different prognosis and treatment approaches: soft tissue sarcoma and primary bone sarcoma. In the last years, research on novel diagnostic, prognostic or predictive biomarkers in sarcoma management has been focused on circulating tumor-derived molecules as valuable tools. Liquid biopsies that measure various tumor components, including circulating cell-free DNA and RNA, circulating tumor cells, tumor extracellular vesicles and exosomes, are gaining attention as methods for molecular screening and early diagnosis. Compared with traditional tissue biopsies, liquid biopsies are minimally invasive and blood samples can be collected serially over time to monitor cancer progression. This review will focus on circulating noncoding RNA molecules from liquid biopsies that are dysregulated in sarcoma malignancies and discuss advantages and current limitations of their employment as biomarkers in the management of sarcomas. It will also explore their utility in the evaluation of the clinical response to treatments and of disease relapse. Moreover, it will explore state-of-the-art techniques that allow for the early detection of these circulating biomarkers. Despite the huge potential, current reports highlight poor sensitivity, specificity, and survival benefit of these methods, that are therefore still insufficient for routine screening purposes.

Circulating Long Non-Coding RNAs as Novel Potential Biomarkers for Osteogenic Sarcoma

Circulating cell-free nucleic acids recently became attractive targets to develop non-invasive diagnostic tools for cancer detection. Along with DNA and mRNAs, transcripts lacking coding potential (non-coding RNAs, ncRNAs) directly involved in the process of tumor pathogenesis have been recently detected in liquid biopsies. Interestingly, circulating ncRNAs exhibit specific expression patterns associated with cancer and suggest their role as novel biomarkers. However, the potential of circulating long ncRNAs (c-lncRNAs) to be markers in osteosarcoma (OS) is still elusive. In this study we performed a systematic review to identify thirteen c-lncRNAs whose altered expression in blood associate with OS. We herein discuss the potential impact that these c-lncRNAs may have on clinical decision-making in the management of OS. Overall, we aimed to provide novel insights that can contribute to the development of future precision medicine in oncology.