The function and clinical relevance of lncRNA UBE2CP3-001 in human gliomas

Increased IL-1α expression is correlated with bladder cancer malignant progression

INTRODUCTION

To explore the function of interleukin 1α (IL-1α) in bladder cancer (BCa).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to test the protein expression of IL-1α in BCa tissues. The relationship between IL-1α and clinical characteristics was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier curve method. The gene and protein expression was tested by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-q-PCR) and western blot, respectively. Colony formation and MTT assays were used to detect the potential of proliferation in vitro, and scratch and transwell chamber assays were used to detect the potential of invasion in vitro. Markers of proliferation such as Ki-67 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and markers of invasion such as MMP-2 and MMP-9 were detected by western blot. Xenograft study was used for the in vivo experiment.

RESULTS

We found that IL-1α was highly expressed in BCa patients while highly expressed IL-1α was significantly related to short overall survival and progression-free survival in BCa as well. Moreover, knockdown of IL-1α might inhibit the ability of cancer cells to proliferate and invade or migrate both in vitro and in vivo.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that IL-1α might be a therapy target for BCa malignant progression.

LncRNAs and the Angiogenic Switch in Cancer: Clinical Significance and Therapeutic Opportunities

Angiogenesis is one of the hallmarks of cancer, and the establishment of new blood vessels is vital to allow for a tumour to grow beyond 1-2 mm in size. The angiogenic switch is the term given to the point where the number or activity of the pro-angiogenic factors exceeds that of the anti-angiogenic factors, resulting in the angiogenic process proceeding, giving rise to new blood vessels accompanied by increased tumour growth, metastasis, and potential drug resistance. Long noncoding ribonucleic acids (lncRNAs) have been found to play a role in the angiogenic switch by regulating gene expression, transcription, translation, and post translation modification. In this regard they play both anti-angiogenic and pro-angiogenic roles. The expression levels of the pro-angiogenic lncRNAs have been found to correlate with patient survival. These lncRNAs are also potential drug targets for the development of therapies that will inhibit or modify tumour angiogenesis. Here we review the roles of lncRNAs in regulating the angiogenic switch. We cover specific examples of both pro and anti-angiogenic lncRNAs and discuss their potential use as both prognostic biomarkers and targets for the development of future therapies.

CTHRC1 facilitates bladder cancer cell proliferation and invasion through regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

INTRODUCTION

Emerging evidence has illustrated that Collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1) is crucial for tumorigenesis and development. However, the effects of CTHRC1 on bladder cancer progression remain largely unclear. Here, we aim to investigate the function and mechanism of CTHRC1 in behaviors of bladder cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Interference assays were applied to determine the biological functions of CTHRC1. The expression of CTHRC1 was examined by quantitative real time-PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis. Effects of CTHRC1 on proliferation, migration and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8, colony formation, flow cytometry, EdU staining, wound healing, transwell and western blot assays. Bladder cancer cells transfected with sh-CTHRC1 were injected into nude mice to explore the effect of CTHRC1 on tumorigenesis in vivo.

RESULTS

CTHRC1 expression was increased in bladder cancer tissues and cell lines compared with normal controls, and associated with advanced clinical stage and lymph node metastasis. Also, patients with high levels of CTHRC1 expression were found to have a poor prognosis. Knockdown of CTHRC1 alleviated bladder cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro and impeded tumorigenesis in vivo. Moreover, mechanistic investigation indicated that CTHRC1 could regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that CTHRC1 played an oncogenic role in bladder cancer by modulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, which sheds novel light on diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer.

Rs1894720 polymorphism is associated with the risk of age-related cataract by regulating the proliferation of epithelial cells in the lens via the signalling pathway of MIAT/miR-26b/BCL2L2

INTRODUCTION

Cataracts caused by old age are one of the most frequent causes for blindness and poor vision worldwide. In this study, we aimed to clarify the possible role of rs1894720 polymorphism in the pathogenesis of age-related cataract.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Rs1894720 polymorphism genotype was detected by TaqMan. Bioinformatics analysis, luciferase assay, real-time PCR, western blot, and protein density analysis were conducted to establish the correlations between MIAT and miR-26b as well as between BCL2L2 and miR-26b. Flow cytometry and MTT assay were also performed to observe the effect of MIAT/miR-26b/BCL2L2 signalling pathway on the status of cell apoptosis and viability.

RESULTS

MIAT functioned as an endogenous competing RNA to sponge miR-26b. In addition, BCL2L2 was identified as a target of miR-26b. Therefore, the expression of miR-26b was obviously suppressed by MIAT or anti-miR-26b, while the mRNA and protein expression of BCL2L2 was up-regulated in the presence of MIAT or anti-miR-26b. Moreover, the positive effect of MIAT on BCL2L2 expression was exerted via inhibition of the expression of miR-26b. In addition, the cells transfected with MIAT or anti-miR-26b showed suppressed expression of caspase-3 and reduced apoptosis index but higher cell viability, indicating that MIAT could suppress cell apoptosis via inhibition of miR-26b expression. Furthermore, the subjects carrying the GT and TT genotypes of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs1894720 were associated with a higher risk of age-related cataracts, as indicated by their odds ratio (OR) and p-values.

CONCLUSIONS

Rs1894720 SNP could down-regulate the expression of MIAT, thus leading to reduced BCL2L2 expression and enhanced epithelial cell apoptosis in the lens, eventually increasing the incidence of age-related cataract.

Runx1 promotes the development of glioma cells by regulating JAK-STAT signalling pathway

INTRODUCTION

Human glioma is known as the most frequent and primary malignant tumour of the central nervous system with high aggression and poor prognosis. Runx1 is essential for haematopoiesis and is associated with tumour progression in several types of cancers. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect and the possible regulatory mechanisms of Runx1 in glioma.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The expression of Runx1 in human glioma tissues was determined by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Subsequently, the effect of Runx1 on the glioma cell viability, migration, invasion and the protein level of p21, cyclin D1, MMP2, and MMP4 were detected by MTT, wound healing, transwell assays, and western blot, respectively, in U-138MG and U-251MG cell lines. We then explored the role of Runx1 in vivo by establishing a tumour-bearing mouse model.

RESULTS

The expression of Runx1 was significantly up-regulated in human glioma tissues and closely associated with tumour grade. Glioma patients with high Runx1 expression had decreased survival rate compared to those with low Runx1 level. Runx1 knockdown inhibited glioma cell viability, migration, invasion, and clone formation, while STAT3 suppressed these inhibitions. Moreover, Runx1 inhibited the activation of SOCS3/SOCS4 promoter, which in turn activated JAK/STAT3 signalling pathway. The tumour volume and weight of the siRunx1 group were lower than in the control group and the tumour mass grow more slowly as well.

CONCLUSIONS

Runx1 promotes the development of glioma cells via JAK/STAT signalling pathway by inhibiting the activation of SOCS3/SOCS4 promoter.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG20 promotes prostate cancer progression via upregulating DDX17

INTRODUCTION

Accumulating evidence has revealed the critical roles of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in various cancers. LncRNA SNHG20 has been shown to be a cancer-associated lncRNA in several cancers with diverse mechanisms. However, the clinical references, biological roles, and mechanisms of action of SNHG20 in prostate cancer (PCa) are still unclear.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The expression of SNHG20 in PCa tissues and cell lines was detected by RT-qPCR. The correlations between SNHG20 expression and clinicopathological features were analyzed by χ² test. The roles of SNHG20 in PCa cell proliferation and migration were detected by CCK-8, EdU incorporation, and transwell assays. The regulatory mechanisms of SNHG20 on DDX17 were detected by dual luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, and western blot.

RESULTS

SNHG20 is highly expressed in PCa tissues and cell lines. High expression of SNHG20 is positively correlated with high Gleason score and advanced tumor stage. Functional experiments revealed that overexpression of SNHG20 promotes PCa cell proliferation and migration. SNHG20 knockdown represses PCa cell proliferation and migration. Mechanistically, SNHG20 was verified to act as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to upregulate DDX17. DDX17 is also highly expressed and has oncogenic roles in PCa. Furthermore, the expression of DDX17 is significantly positively correlated with that of SNHG20 in PCa tissues. Depletion of DDX17 reverses the oncogenic roles of SNHG20 in PCa.

CONCLUSIONS

These data showed that SNHG20 promotes PCa cell proliferation and migration via acting as a ceRNA to upregulate DDX17. This study also suggested that SNHG20 may be a potential novel therapeutic target for PCa.

Long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 00475 silencing acts as a tumor suppressor in glioma under hypoxic condition by impairing microRNA-449b-5p-dependent AGAP2 up-regulation

Objective

Long non-coding RNAs have been demonstrated to be involved in the progression of a variety of cancers, including glioma. Through microarray analyses, long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 00475 (LINC00475) was identified in the glioma development. However, its potential role remains incompletely understood. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of LINC00475 on the development of glioma under hypoxic conditions.

Methods

Glioma cells underwent hypoxic treatment and were collected. The functional role of LINC00475 and AGAP2 in glioma was determined using ectopic expression, depletion, and reporter assay experiments. Then, the expression of LINC00475, microRNA (miR)-449b-5p, AGAP2, FAK, and HIF-1α was determined. In addition, cell migration and invasion were examined. Finally, a tumor xenograft was carried out in nude mice to explore the role of LINC00475 on oxidation in vivo.

Results

LINC00475 was identified to be overexpressed in hypoxic glioma samples, which was further observed to bind to and down-regulate miR-449b-5p, and negatively targeted AGAP2. Moreover, we also revealed a positive correlation between LINC00475 and AGAP2 expression in glioma. In addition, silencing of LINC00475 decreased the extent of FAK phosphorylation and reduced the expression of HIF-1α and AGAP2. It was also observed that LINC00475 silencing suppressed glioma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis. Moreover, oxidation of nude mice was promoted by LINC00475 silencing.

Conclusion

Taken together, LINC00475 silencing exerted an inhibitory effect on glioma under hypoxic conditions by down-regulating AGAP2 via up-regulation of miR-449b-5p.

Downregulated expression of lncRNA TUBA4B predicts unfavorable prognosis and suppresses glioma progression by sponging miR-183 to regulate SMAD4 expression

Introduction

Accumulating evidence has proved that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in progression of glioma. Nevertheless, the role of TUBA4B in glioma remains unclear.

Material and methods

The expression of the target gene was measured by quantitative RT-PCR. The prognostic role of TUBA4B was analyzed by Meier survival analysis. Cell proliferation, colony formation, apoptosis, cell cycle, migration and invasion were detected by MTS, soft agar colony forming assay, flow cytometry, and transwell assay. The target interaction of the target gene was validated by the luciferase reporter assay, biotin pull-down assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation.

Results

We found that the expression of TUBA4B was lower in glioma tissues and cells. Moreover, patients with a low TUBA4B expression level exhibited poorer prognosis than those with high TUBA4B expression. Meanwhile, ROC analysis revealed that TUBA4B had diagnostic value to distinguish tumor patients from the healthy population. Overexpression of TUBA4B prohibited the malignancy of glioma, such as inhibition of proliferation, decrease of colony formation, arrest of the cell cycle, decline of migration and invasion, and promotion of cell apoptosis. In addition, we found that TUBA4B directly interacted with miR-183 and negatively regulated the expression of miR-183. We also observed that SMAD4 was a downriver target of miR-183 and TUBA4B subsequently exerted its tumor-suppressive effects by coordinating the expression of SMAD4 in glioma.

Conclusions

This study revealed for the first time that TUBA4B could be a tumor suppressor gene in glioma by adjustment of the TUBA4B/miR-183/SMAD4 axis, which may provide a useful prognostic biomarker and promising therapeutic target for glioma treatment.

Suppression of KIF22 Inhibits Cell Proliferation and Xenograft Tumor Growth in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background

Oral carcinoma is the sixth most common cancer and is a serious public health problem, and tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is the most common type of oral carcinoma. Kinesin family member 22 (KIF22), also called as kinesin-like DNA binding protein (KID), is a microtubule-based motor protein and binds to both microtubules and chromosomes, transporting organelles, protein, and mRNA. This research aimed at investigating the prognostic significance of KIF22 in TSCC. Patients and Methods. This retrospective research collected 82 paired tissues with TSCC. KIF22 protein expression level was detected by immunohistochemical staining. Suppression of KIF22 with shRNA in CAL-27 and SCC-15 cells was to observe cell proliferation in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo.

Results

In TSCC tissues, the protein expression level of KIF22 was increased and correlated with tumor stage, clinical stage, and lymphatic metastasis (P=0.013, P=0.013, P=0.013,

Conclusion

KIF22 might play an important role in the progression of TSCC and could serve as a therapeutic target for TSCC.

MiR-345-5p inhibits tumorigenesis of papillary thyroid carcinoma by targeting SETD7

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to explore the effects of miR-345-5p on papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and uncover the possible mechanisms.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

MiR-345-5p and SETD7 mRNA levels were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR and SETD7 protein level was measured by Western blot. The viability, colony formation ability and apoptosis of PTC cells were measured with CCK-8, soft agar colony formation and flow cytometry assay, respectively. Luciferase reporter assay was used to identify miR-345-5p's target.

RESULTS

Compared to neighboring normal tissues, there was lower miR-345-5p expression and higher SETD7 expression in PTC tissues. Moreover, Spearman's correlation analysis indicated that there was a negative correlation between miR-345-5p and SETD7 expression in PTC tissues. MiR-345-5p mimics inhibited the viability and colony formation of TPC1 and B-CPAP cells and promoted apoptosis, whereas anti-miR-345-5p promoted PTC cell proliferation and inhibited apoptosis. SETD7 was confirmed to be a direct target of miR-345-5p through target scan analysis and luciferase reporter assay. Additionally, overexpression of SETD7 promoted the viability and colony formation of TPC1 and B-CPAP cells and inhibited apoptosis, whereas downregulation of SETD7 by shRNAs had opposite effects on PTC cells. Furthermore, overexpression of SETD7 attenuated the miR-345-5p induced anti-tumor effects on PTC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-345-5p exhibited suppressive effects on PTC via targeting SETD7.

miR-133a-3p promotes apoptosis and induces cell cycle arrest by targeting CREB1 in retinoblastoma

INTRODUCTION

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a malignant tumor that is derived from photoreceptors. It is common in children under 3 years old with a family genetic predisposition. MicroRNA-133a-3p (miR-133a-3p) is one of the tumor-related miRNAs that interprets a critical function in the genesis and development of various tumors. This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of miR-133a-3p in RB.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis was used to assess the miR-133a-3p expression in RB tissues and a cell model. MTT assay, western blot, flow cytometry and luciferase reporter assay were performed to evaluate the effect of miR-133a-3p on cell viability, apoptosis and the cell cycle. An RB xenograft model was established to assess the in vivo influence of miR-133a-3p on RB growth.

RESULTS

MiR-133a-3p level was reduced in RB tissues and the cell model (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001). Addition of miR-133a-3p reduced cell viability, and increased apoptosis and cell cycle arrest (p < 0.001). Additionally, CREB1 was identified to be the target of miR-133a-3p in RB cell lines (p < 0.001). Cell viability reduction, apoptosis and cell cycle arrest increases mediated by miR-133a-3p were attenuated by CREB1 overexpression (p < 0.001). MiR-133a-3p inhibited tumor growth of RB in vivo (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results reveal that miR-133a-3p exhibits anti-cancer effects by targeting CREB1 in RB. This study provides a new direction for effective targeted treatment of this disease.

Long non-coding RNA GHET1 contributes to chemotherapeutic resistance to Gemcitabine in bladder cancer

PURPOSE

Bladder cancer (BC) ranks first in the incidence of urogenital tumors in China and second only to prostate cancer in the West. This study will clarify the roles and mechanism of lncRNA GHET1 in chemotherapeutic resistance of BC to Gemcitabine.

METHODS

The expression of GHET1 was examined using real-time quantitative PCR. Cell Counting Kit-8 assay was applied to analyze cell proliferation and Gemcitabine sensitivity. Cell apoptosis was detected using Annexin V-FITC/PI double-stained flow cytometry. The expression of ABCC1 protein was examined using Western blotting.

RESULTS

Firstly, the expression of GHET1 was up-regulated in BC, its high expression was relevant to high grade and muscle invasion of BC patients. Secondly, high expression of GHET1 was related to low Gemcitabine sensitivity of BC patients, and GHET1 was highly expressed in Gemcitabine-resistant BC cell lines. Thirdly, knockdown of GHET1 decreased the IC50 of Gemcitabine in Gemcitabine-resistant BC cell lines and advanced the Gemcitabine-induced cytotoxicity; GHET1 promoted Gemcitabine resistance in BC. Finally, knockdown of GHET1 also inhibited the expression of ABCC1 protein in Gemcitabine-resistant BC cells.

CONCLUSIONS

High expression of GHET1 was related with the low sensitivity to Gemcitabine of BC; GHET1 contributed to chemotherapeutic resistance to Gemcitabine in BC through up-regulating ABCC1 expression. Our findings are helpful to expound the molecular mechanism of chemotherapeutic resistance in BC.