Histopathologic findings after selective ophthalmic arterial injection of melphalan for retinoblastoma

MicroRNA‑153‑3p suppresses retinoblastoma cell growth and invasion via targeting the IGF1R/Raf/MEK and IGF1R/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways

Mounting evidence has demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) play significant roles in various types of human tumors, including retinoblastoma (RB). However, the biological role and regulatory mechanisms of miRNAs in RB remain to be fully elucidated. The present study was designed to identify the regulatory effects of miRNAs in RB and the underlying mechanisms. Differentially expressed miRNAs in RB tissue were screened out based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) dataset, GSE7072, which revealed that miR-153 in particular, displayed the highest fold change in expression. It was identified that miR-153 was significantly downregulated in RB tissues, and its downregulation was closely associated with a larger tumor base and differentiation. Functional analysis revealed that the overexpression of miR-153 inhibited RB cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and promoted the apoptosis of WERI-RB-1 and Y79 cells. In addition, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was identified as a target of miR-153 in RB cells. More importantly, it was demonstrated that miR-153 upregulation inhibited the expression of its target gene, IGF1R, which inhibited the activation of the Raf/MEK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, the present study demonstrates for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that miR-153 functions as a tumor suppressor in RB by targeting the IGF1R/Raf/MEK and IGF1R/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Collectively, the findings presented herein demonstrate that miR-153 targets IGF1R and blocks the activation of the Raf/MEK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, thus preventing the progression of RB. Thus, this miRNA may serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for RB.

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

OBJECTIVES

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

METHODS

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

RESULTS

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

CONCLUSIONS

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