Regulatory RNAs, microRNA, long-non coding RNA and circular RNA roles in colorectal cancer stem cells

Roles of circRNAs in the progression of colorectal cancer: novel strategies for detection and therapy

Endogenous noncoding RNAs with a covalently closed loop are known as circular RNAs (circRNAs). Recently, published works have revealed that circRNAs, which act as microRNA sponges, are critical for the biological behavior of several kinds of malignancies, including tumor cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and metastasis. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between circRNAs and tumor resistance, stage, prognosis, and size. At present, colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most serious malignant tumors for human health. CircRNAs could represent potential targets to use in the prevention, diagnosis, and therapy of CRC, according to many studies. To fully comprehend the role of circRNAs in the incidence and progression of CRC, this review outlines the regulatory role and mechanisms of circRNAs in CRC and assesses their potential relevance as diagnostic and treatment possibilities for CRC. Our goal is to offer meaningful biological information for clinical evaluation and decision-making process for CRC treatment.

Recent Updates on Epigenetic-Based Pharmacotherapy for Atherosclerosis

Atherosclerosis is one of the most dominant pathological processes responsible in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) caused by cholesterol accumulation accompanied by inflammation in the arteries which will subsequently lead to further complications, including myocardial infarction and stroke. Although the incidence of atherosclerosis is decreasing in some countries, it is still considered the leading cause of death worldwide. Atherosclerosis is a vascular pathological process that is chronically inflammatory and is characterized by the invasion of inflammatory cells and cytokines. Many reports have unraveled the pivotal roles of epigenetics such as DNA methylation, post-translational histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in atherogenesis, which regulate the expression of numerous genes related to various responsible pathways. Many studies have been conducted to develop new therapeutical approaches based on epigenetic changes for combating atherosclerosis. This review elaborates on recent updates on the development of new atherosclerosis drugs whose mechanism of action is associated with the modulation of DNA methylation, posttranslational histone modifications, and ncRNA-based gene regulation.

Role of protein degradation systems in colorectal cancer

Protein degradation is essential for maintaining protein homeostasis. The ubiquitin‒proteasome system (UPS) and autophagy-lysosome system are the two primary pathways responsible for protein degradation and directly related to cell survival. In malignant tumors, the UPS plays a critical role in managing the excessive protein load caused by cancer cells hyperproliferation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the dual roles played by the UPS and autolysosome system in colorectal cancer (CRC), elucidating their impact on the initiation and progression of this disease while also highlighting their compensatory relationship. Simultaneously targeting both protein degradation pathways offers new promise for enhancing treatment efficacy against CRC. Additionally, apoptosis is closely linked to ubiquitination and autophagy, and caspases degrade proteins. A thorough comprehension of the interplay between various protein degradation pathways is highly important for clarifying the mechanism underlying the onset and progression of CRC.

Signaling pathways governing the behaviors of leukemia stem cells

Leukemia is a malignancy in the blood that develops from the lymphatic system and bone marrow. Although various treatment options have been used for different types of leukemia, understanding the molecular pathways involved in the development and progression of leukemia is necessary. Recent studies showed that leukemia stem cells (LSCs) play essential roles in the pathogenesis of leukemia by targeting several signaling pathways, including Notch, Wnt, Hedgehog, and STAT3. LSCs are highly proliferative cells that stimulate tumor initiation, migration, EMT, and drug resistance. This review summarizes cellular pathways that stimulate and prevent LSCs' self-renewal, metastasis, and tumorigenesis.

Deciphering the functional landscape and therapeutic implications of noncoding RNAs in the TGF-β signaling pathway in colorectal cancer: A comprehensive review

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains a major global health concern, necessitating an in-depth exploration of the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying its progression and potential therapeutic interventions. Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β) signaling, a pivotal pathway implicated in CRC plays a dual role as a tumor suppressor in the early stages and a promoter of tumor progression in later stages. Recent research has shed light on the critical involvement of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in modulating the TGF-β signaling pathway, introducing a new layer of complexity to our understanding of CRC pathogenesis. This comprehensive review synthesizes the current state of knowledge regarding the function and therapeutic potential of various classes of ncRNAs, including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs), in the context of TGF-β signaling in CRC. The intricate interplay between these ncRNAs and key components of the TGF-β pathway is dissected, revealing regulatory networks that contribute to the dynamic balance between tumor suppression and promotion. Emphasis is placed on how dysregulation of specific ncRNAs can disrupt this delicate equilibrium, fostering CRC initiation, progression, and metastasis. Moreover, the review provides a critical appraisal of the emerging therapeutic strategies targeting ncRNAs associated with TGF-β signaling in CRC. The potential of these ncRNAs as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is discussed, highlighting their clinical relevance. Additionally, the challenges and prospects of developing RNA-based therapeutics, such as RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas-based approaches, are explored in the context of modulating TGF-β signaling for CRC treatment. In conclusion, this review offers a comprehensive overview of the intricate interplay between ncRNAs and the TGF-β signaling pathway in CRC. By unraveling the functional significance of these regulatory elements, we gain valuable insights into the molecular landscape of CRC, paving the way for the development of novel and targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at modulating the TGF-β signaling cascade through the manipulation of ncRNAs.

SP1-activated USP27X-AS1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression via USP7-mediated AKT stabilisation

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to pose a significant threat to patient survival. Emerging evidence underscores the pivotal involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the cancer process. Nevertheless, our understanding of the roles and processes of lncRNAs in HCC remains limited.

METHODS

The expression level of USP27X-AS1 was assessed in an HCC patient cohort through a combination of bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR. Subsequent biological experiments were conducted to delve into the functional aspects of USP27X-AS1. Additional molecular biology techniques, including RNA pulldown and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP), were employed to elucidate the potential mechanisms involving USP27X-AS1 in HCC. Finally, CUT-RUN assay and other investigations were carried out to determine the factors contributing to the heightened expression of USP27X-AS1 in HCC.

RESULTS

High expression of the novel oncogene USP27X-AS1 predicted poor prognosis in HCC patients. Further investigation confirmed that USP27X-AS1 promoted the proliferation and metastasis of HCC by enabling USP7 to interact with AKT, which reduced level of AKT poly-ubiquitylation and enhanced AKT protein stability, which improves protein stabilisation of AKT and promotes the progression of HCC. Moreover, we also revealed that SP1 binds to USP27X-AS1 promoter to activate its transcription.

CONCLUSIONS

Novel oncogenic lncRNA USP27X-AS1 promoted HCC progression via recruiting USP7 to deubiquitinate AKT. SP1 transcriptionally activated USP27X-AS1 expression. These findings shed light on HCC and pointed to USP27X-AS1 as a potential predictive biomarker and treatment target for the malignancy.

The role of microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: Therapeutic targeting of tumor suppressor and oncogenic genes

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a severe malignant liver cancer with a poor prognosis and a high mortality rate. This carcinoma is a multistage process that begins with chronic hepatitis and progresses to cirrhosis, dysplastic nodules, and eventually HCC. However, the exact molecular etiology remains unclear. MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that modulate the expression of numerous genes. These molecules have become significant participants in several functions, including cell proliferation, differentiation, development, and tumorrelated properties. They have a pivotal role in carcinogenesis as oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes. Furthermore, some investigations have shown that particular miRs might be used as predictive or diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in HCC therapy. This review study summarizes the current level of knowledge on the role of miRs in the initiation and progression of HCC.

WASF3 overexpression affects the expression of circular RNA hsa-circ-0100153, which promotes breast cancer progression by sponging hsa-miR-31, hsa-miR-767-3p, and hsa-miR-935

Background

The WASF3 gene has been linked to promoting metastasis in breast cancer (BC) cells, and low expression reduces invasion potential. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) function as microRNA (miRNA) modulators and are involved in cancer progression, but the relationship between these factors remains unclear.

Methods

This study used bioinformatics methods and a computational approach to investigate the role of circRNAs and miRNAs in the context of WASF3 overexpression. Differentially expressed mRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs were identified using Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. A competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network was constructed based on circRNA-miRNA pairs and miRNA-mRNA pairs. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses were predicted using a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network.

Results

RNA expression patterns were significantly different between normal and tumor samples. A total of 190 circRNAs, 76 miRNAs, and 678 mRNAs were differentially expressed. The analysis of the circRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network revealed interactions between hsa-circ-0100153, hsa-miR-31, hsa-miR-767-3p, and hsa-miR-935 with WASF3 in cancer. These interactions primarily function in DNA replication and the cell cycle.

Conclusions

This study reveals a mechanism by which WASF3 overexpression affects the expression of circRNAs hsa-circ-0100153, promoting BC progression by sponging hsa-miR-31/hsa-miR-767-3p /hsa-miR-935. This mechanism may increase the invasive potential of cancers, in addition to other reported molecular mechanisms involving the WASF3 gene.

HOTAIR in colorectal cancer: structure, function, and therapeutic potential

lncRNAs play a vital part in cancer development by regulating gene expression. Among these, the lncRNA HOTAIR has gained considerable attention due to its entanglement in multiple cellular processes, including chromatin remodeling and gene regulation. HOTAIR has a complex structure consisting of multiple domains that interact with various protein complexes and RNA molecules. In colorectal cancer (CRC), HOTAIR expression is upregulated, and its overexpression has been correlated with poor patient prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy. HOTAIR has been found to regulate gene expression and promote cancer growth by interacting with specific miRNAs. In addition, HOTAIR has been implicated in the development of treatment resistance in colorectal cancer. To develop effective treatments, it's important to understand how HOTAIR regulates gene expression. This article discusses HOTAIR's structure, functions, and mechanisms in CRC and its potential as a target for therapy. The author also suggests future research directions to better understand HOTAIR's role in CRC progression and drug resistance.

Non-coding RNAs in the epigenetic landscape of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a type of cancer that affects skin, and is characterized by abnormal T-cells in the skin. Epigenetic changes have been found to play a significant role in the development and progression of CTCL. Recently, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), such as microRNAs and long non-coding RNAs, have been identified as key players in the regulation of gene expression in CTCL. These ncRNAs can alter the expression of genes involved in cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis, leading to the development and progression of CTCL. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the role of ncRNAs in CTCL, including their involvement in DNA methylation, and other biological processes. We also discuss the types of ncRNAs, their role as oncogenic or tumor suppressive, and their putative use as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, based on the emerging evidence from laboratory-based as well as patients-based studies. Moreover, we also present the potential targets and pathways affected by ncRNAs. A better understanding of the complex epigenetic landscape of CTCL, including the role of ncRNAs, has the potential to lead to the development of novel targeted therapies for this disease.

ELFN1-AS1 promotes GDF15-mediated immune escape of colorectal cancer from NK cells by facilitating GCN5 and SND1 association

The ability of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells to escape from natural killer (NK) cell immune surveillance leads to anti-tumor treatment failure. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) ELFN1-AS1 is aberrantly expressed in multiple tumors suggesting a role as an oncogene in cancer development. However, whether ELFN1-AS1 regulates immune surveillance in CRC is unclear. Here, we determined that ELFN1-AS1 enhanced the ability of CRC cells to escape from NK cell surveillance in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we confirmed that ELFN1-AS1 in CRC cells attenuated the activity of NK cell by down-regulating NKG2D and GZMB via the GDF15/JNK pathway. Furthermore, mechanistic investigations demonstrated that ELFN1-AS1 enhanced the interaction between the GCN5 and SND1 protein and this influenced H3k9ac enrichment at the GDF15 promotor to stimulate GDF15 production in CRC cells. Taken together, our findings indicate that ELFN1-AS1 in CRC cells suppresses NK cell cytotoxicity and ELFN1-AS1 is a potential therapeutic target for CRC.

Epigenetic programing of cancer stemness by transcription factors-non-coding RNAs interactions

Cancer 'stemness' is fundamental to cancer existence. It defines the ability of cancer cells to indefinitely perpetuate as well as differentiate. Cancer stem cell populations within a growing tumor also help evade the inhibitory effects of chemo- as well as radiation-therapies, in addition to playing an important role in cancer metastases. NF-κB and STAT-3 are representative transcription factors (TFs) that have long been associated with cancer stemness, thus presenting as attractive targets for cancer therapy. The growing interest in non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the recent years has provided further insight into the mechanisms by which TFs influence cancer stem cell characteristics. There is evidence for a direct regulation of TFs by ncRNAs, such as, microRNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as well as circular RNAs (circRNAs), and vice versa. Additionally, the TF-ncRNAs regulations are often indirect, involving ncRNA-target genes or the sponging of other ncRNA species by individual ncRNAs. The information is rapidly evolving and this review provides a comprehensive review of TF-ncRNAs interactions with implications on cancer stemness and in response to therapies. Such knowledge will help uncover the many levels of tight regulations that control cancer stemness, providing novel opportunities and targets for therapy in the process.

CircRNAs: emerging factors for regulating glucose metabolism in colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer is a malignant disease with a high incidence and low survival rate, and the effectiveness of traditional treatments, such as surgery and radiotherapy, is very limited. CircRNAs, a kind of stable endogenous circular RNA, generally function by sponging miRNAs and binding or translating proteins. CircRNAs have been identified to play an important role in regulating the proliferation and metabolism of CRC. In recent years, many reports have indicated that by regulating the expression of glycolysis-related proteins, such as GLUT1 and HK2, or directly translating proteins, circRNAs can promote the Warburg effect in cancer cells, thereby driving CRC metabolism. Moreover, the Warburg effect increases lactate production in cancer cells and promotes acidification of the TME, which further drives cancer progression. In this review, we summarized the remarkable role of circRNAs in regulating glucose metabolism in CRC in recent years, which might be useful for finding new targets for the clinical treatment of CRC.

Construction of a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature for predicting prognosis and immune landscape in osteosarcoma patients

BACKGROUND

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) influence the onset of osteosarcoma. Cuproptosis is a novel cell death mechanism. We attempted to identify a cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature to predict the prognosis and immune landscape in osteosarcoma patients.

METHODS

Transcriptional and clinical data of 85 osteosarcoma patients were derived from the TARGET database and randomly categorized into the training and validation cohorts. We implemented the univariate and multivariate Cox regression, along with LASSO regression analyses for developing a cuproptosis-related lncRNA risk model. Kaplan-Meier curves, C-index, ROC curves, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and nomogram were used to assess the capacity of this risk model to predict the osteosarcoma prognosis. Gene ontology, KEGG, and Gene Set Enrichment (GSEA) analyses were conducted for determining the potential functional differences existing between the high-risk and low-risk patients. We further conducted the ESTIMATE, single-smaple GSEA, and CIBERSORT analyses for identifying the different immune microenvironments and immune cells infiltrating both the risk groups.

RESULTS

We screened out four cuproptosis-related lncRNAs (AL033384.2, AL031775.1, AC110995.1, and LINC00565) to construct the risk model in the training cohort. This risk model displayed a good performance to predict the overall survival of osteosarcoma patients, which was confirmed by using the validation and the entire cohort. Further analyses showed that the low-risk patients have more immune activation and immune cells infiltrating as well as a good response to immunotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a novel cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature with high reliability and accuracy for predicting outcome and immunotherapy response in osteosarcoma patients, which provides new insights into the personalized treatment of osteosarcoma.

Regulation of transforming growth factor-β signaling as a therapeutic approach to treating colorectal cancer

According to data from 2020, Slovakia has long been among the top five countries with the highest incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, and the rate is continuing to rise every year. In approximately 80% of CRC cases, allelic loss (loss of heterozygosity, LOH) occurs in the long arm of chromosome 18q. The most important genes that can be silenced by 18q LOH or mutations are small mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) 2 and SMAD4, which are intracellular mediators of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily signals. TGF-β plays an important role in the pro-oncogenic processes, including such properties as invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (commonly known as EMT), promotion of angiogenesis, and immunomodulatory effects. Several recent studies have reported that activation of TGF-β signaling is related to drug resistance in CRC. Because the mechanisms of drug resistance are different between patients in different stages of CRC, personalized treatment is more effective. Therefore, knowledge of the activation and inhibition of factors that affect the TGF-β signaling pathway is very important.

Regulation of transforming growth factor-β signaling as a therapeutic approach to treating colorectal cancer

According to data from 2020, Slovakia has long been among the top five countries with the highest incidence rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) worldwide, and the rate is continuing to rise every year. In approximately 80% of CRC cases, allelic loss (loss of heterozygosity, LOH) occurs in the long arm of chromosome 18q. The most important genes that can be silenced by 18q LOH or mutations are small mothers against decapentaplegic homolog (SMAD) 2 and SMAD4, which are intracellular mediators of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β superfamily signals. TGF-β plays an important role in the pro-oncogenic processes, including such properties as invasion, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (commonly known as EMT), promotion of angiogenesis, and immunomodulatory effects. Several recent studies have reported that activation of TGF-β signaling is related to drug resistance in CRC. Because the mechanisms of drug resistance are different between patients in different stages of CRC, personalized treatment is more effective. Therefore, knowledge of the activation and inhibition of factors that affect the TGF-β signaling pathway is very important.