Comparison of miRNA and gene expression profiles between metastatic and primary prostate cancer

Discovery of extracellular vesicles derived miR-181a-5p in patient's serum as an indicator for bone-metastatic prostate cancer

Purpose: To identify extracellular vesicle (EV)-delivered microRNAs in the patient's serum as indicators for bone-metastatic prostate cancer.

Methods: First, the profiling change of serum EV-delivered miRNAs in patients with either benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), non-bone metastatic prostate cancer or bone-metastatic prostate cancer was detected by microRNA deep sequencing assay and microRNA-chip array assay, respectively. Second, the candidates were further confirmed using TaqMan microRNA assay in two independent validation cohorts of total 176 patients with either BPH, non-bone metastatic prostate cancer or bone metastatic prostate cancer to seek the most valuable microRNA(s).

Results: Through microRNA deep sequencing and microRNA-chip array, we found 4 prospective EV-delivered miRNAs including miR-181a-5p with significantly upregulated expression in bone metastatic groups than in non-bone metastatic prostate cancer groups (p < 0.05). In the validation cohorts, logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic association of candidates with bone metastasis, which indicated that miR-181a-5p was significantly associated with bone metastatic prostate cancer. Furthermore, accuracy estimate of each candidate for the diagnosis of bone metastatic prostate cancer was quantified using the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), which identified miR-181a-5p as the best biomarker with the AUCs of 85.6% for diagnosis of prostate cancer and 73.8% for diagnosis of bone metastatic prostate cancer.

Conclusion: EV-delivered miR-181a-5p from patient's serum is a promising diagnostic biomarker for bone metastatic prostate cancer.

Analysis of Differential Expression of microRNAs and Their Target Genes in Prostate Cancer: A Bioinformatics Study on Microarray Gene Expression Data

Early diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) as the second most common cancer in men is not associated with precise and specific results. Thus, alternate methods with high specificity and sensitivity are needed for accurate and timely detection of PCa. MicroRNAs regulate the molecular pathways involved in cancer by targeting multiple genes. The aberrant expression of the microRNAs has been reported in different cancer types including PCa. In this bioinformatics study, we studied differential expression profiles of microRNAs and their target genes in four PCa gene expression omnibus (GEO) databases. PCa diagnostic biomarker candidates were investigated using bioinformatics tools for analysis of gene expression data, microRNA target prediction, pathway and GO annotation, as well as ROC curves. The results of this study revealed significant changes in the expression of 14 microRNAs and 40 relevant target genes, which ultimately composed four combination panels (miR- 375+96+663/ miR- 133b+143- 3p + 205/ C2ORF72 + ENTPD5 + GLYAT11/LAMB3 + NTNG2+TSLP) as candidate biomarkers capable to distinguish between PCa tumor samples and normal prostate tissue samples. These biomarkers may be suggested for a more accurate early diagnosis of PCa patients along with current diagnostic tests.

A Novel Predictor Tool of Biochemical Recurrence after Radical Prostatectomy Based on a Five-MicroRNA Tissue Signature

Within five to ten years after radical prostatectomy (RP), approximately 15–34% of prostate cancer (PCa) patients experience biochemical recurrence (BCR), which is defined as recurrence of serum levels of prostate-specific antigen >0.2 µg/L, indicating probable cancer recurrence. Models using clinicopathological variables for predicting this risk for patients lack accuracy. There is hope that new molecular biomarkers, like microRNAs (miRNAs), could be potential candidates to improve risk prediction. Therefore, we evaluated the BCR prognostic capability of 20 miRNAs, which were selected by a systematic literature review. MiRNA expressions were measured in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue RP samples of 206 PCa patients by RT-qPCR. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed, to assess the independent prognostic potential of miRNAs. Internal validation was performed, using bootstrapping and the split-sample method. Five miRNAs (miR-30c-5p/31-5p/141-3p/148a-3p/miR-221-3p) were finally validated as independent prognostic biomarkers. Their prognostic ability and accuracy were evaluated using C-statistics of the obtained prognostic indices in the Cox regression, time-dependent receiver-operating characteristics, and decision curve analyses. Models of miRNAs, combined with relevant clinicopathological factors, were built. The five-miRNA-panel outperformed clinically established BCR scoring systems, while their combination significantly improved predictive power, based on clinicopathological factors alone. We conclude that this miRNA-based-predictor panel will be worth to be including in future studies.

Circulating microRNAs in plasma among men with low-grade and high-grade prostate cancer at prostate biopsy

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miR-) have been linked to factors associated with aggressive prostate cancer such as biochemical recurrence and metastasis. We investigated whether circulating miRNAs in plasma could be used as diagnostic biomarkers for more aggressive prostate cancer at prostate biopsy.

METHODS

Men, aged 40 years and above, newly diagnosed with prostate cancer were categorized into two risk groups, low-grade (Gleason score, 6 or 7 [3 + 4] and serum prostate-specific antigen [PSA], <20 ng/mL) and high-grade (Gleason score, ≥7 (4 + 3) and serum PSA, ≥20 ng/mL) prostate cancers. The limma R package was used to compare the expression of miRNAs in plasma between the two risk groups, adjusting for age.

RESULTS

There were 66 men, aged 46-86 years, included: 40 men with low-grade and 26 men with high-grade prostate cancers. There were lower expressions of miR-28, miR-100, miR-942, and miR-28-3p, and higher expressions of miR-708, miR-1298, miR-886-3p, miR-374, miR-376c, miR-202, miR-128a, and miR-185 in high-grade compared to low-grade prostate cancer cases at biopsy, after adjusting for age (P < 0.05). These differences were no longer statistically significant after adjusting the P values for multiple comparisons.

CONCLUSION

There was no circulating miRNA associated with high-grade prostate cancer at biopsy after adjusting for age and multiple comparisons. Nevertheless, relationships between these circulating miRNAs and high-grade prostate cancer were observed, which suggest them as promising prostate cancer biomarkers. Further investigation in a larger cohort may provide insight into their diagnostic potential for aggressive prostate cancer.

Exploring Small Extracellular Vesicles for Precision Medicine in Prostate Cancer

Tumor microenvironment constitutes a complex network in which tumor cells communicate among them and with stromal and immune cells. It has been shown that cancer cells are able to exchange genetic materials through small extracellular vesicles (EVs), a heterogeneous group of vesicles with different size and shape, cargo content, and function. The importance to investigate populations of circulating EVs would be of great importance as prostate cancer (PCa) biomarkers. In several neoplasms as well as in PCa, nanometer-sized EVs of endosomal origin are implicated in supporting tumor growth and metastatic spread by both altering local stroma cells and creating a protumor environment that favors the formation of pre-metastatic niches. Several techniques are applicable for the isolation and analysis of PCa-derived small EVs and are illustrated in this article. Due to the high sensitivity and specificity of these techniques, small EVs have become ideal candidates for early diagnosis. Moreover, we discuss the role of small EVs during PCa carcinogenesis, as well as in modulating the development of drug resistance to hormonal therapy and chemotherapy, thus underlining the potential of EV-tailored strategies in PCa patients.

miR-210 promotes human osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion by targeting FGFRL1

Osteosarcoma is a common bone tumor and a frequently occuring cancer-associated threat to children. Notably, the prognosis of osteosarcoma is very poor when it is diagnosed with metastasis. A growing number of studies have indicated that various microRNAs (miRs) serve important regulatory roles in the pathogeny of different types of cancer. However, the functions of miR-210 in osteosarcoma need to be elucidated comprehensively. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential roles of miR-210 in osteosarcoma by targeting fibroblast growth factor receptor-like 1 (FGFRL1). Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction results revealed that the expression of miR-210 was highly elevated while FGFRL1 expression was reduced inversely in osteosarcoma tissues compared with matched normal tissues. The results of Transwell assays showed that miR-210 promoted osteosarcoma cell migration and invasion. Furthermore, the luciferase reporter assay results suggested that miR-210 could directly bind to FGFRL1 in osteosarcoma cells. In addition, the present findings demonstrated that miR-210 could negatively regulate FGFRL1 expression by targeting the 3′untranslated region. In conclusion, the findings of the present study suggested that miR-210 exerted tumor carcinogenic functions in osteosarcoma by targeting FGFRL1. The findings of this study demonstrated that FGFRL1 was a direct target of miR-210 in osteosarcoma involved in the promoting functions mediated by miR-210 in the invasion and migration of osteosarcoma, suggesting that miR-210/FGFRL1 may be promising for discovering diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for the therapies of osteosarcoma.