The clinical significance of serum miRNA-224 expression in hepatocellular carcinoma

MicroRNAs: circulating biomarkers for the early detection of imperceptible cancers via biosensor and machine-learning advances

This review explores the topic of microRNAs (miRNAs) for improved early detection of imperceptible cancers, with potential to advance precision medicine and improve patient outcomes. Historical research exploring miRNA's role in cancer detection collectively revealed initial hurdles in identifying specific miRNA signatures for early-stage and difficult-to-detect cancers. Early studies faced challenges in establishing robust biomarker panels and overcoming the heterogeneity of cancer types. Despite this, recent developments have supported the potential of miRNAs as sensitive and specific biomarkers for early cancer detection as well as having demonstrated remarkable potential as diagnostic tools for imperceptible cancers, such as those with elusive symptoms or challenging diagnostic criteria. This review discusses the advent of high-throughput technologies that have enabled comprehensive detection and profiling of unique miRNA signatures associated with early-stage cancers. Furthermore, advancements in bioinformatics and machine-learning techniques are considered, exploring the integration of multi-omics data which have potential to enhance both the accuracy and reliability of miRNA-based cancer detection assays. Finally, perspectives on the continuing development on technologies as well as discussion around challenges that remain, such as the need for standardised protocols and addressing the complex interplay of miRNAs in cancer biology are conferred.

Diagnostic performance of RASSF1A and CDKN2A gene methylation versus α-fetoprotein in hepatocellular carcinoma

Aim of the study

This study aimed to evaluate the methylation status of two genes in the peripheral blood as possible non-invasive biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development in Egyptian patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver cirrhosis, compare them with α-fetoprotein (AFP), and assess their relationship with the clinicopathological characteristics of the tumor.

Material and methods

Thirty healthy volunteers, forty patients with HCC on top of HCV-associated liver cirrhosis, and forty patients with HCV-associated liver cirrhosis participated in this study. Using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP), the methylation status of RASSF1A and CDKN2A was assessed.

Results

The tumor group was significantly more methylated in both genes than the cirrhosis and the control groups. The RASSF1A gene was highly methylated in advanced tumor characteristics. There was no association between AFP levels in the blood and the methylation state of both genes. The combined diagnostic performance of the methylation status of both genes in predicting HCC in cirrhotic patients was high but not to the degree of that of AFP.

Conclusions

Methylated RASSF1A and CDKN2A levels in the blood may be employed as a non-invasive biomarker for the detection of HCC, especially in high-risk individuals.

NIR-to-Vis Handheld Platforms for Detecting miRNA Level and Mutation Based on Sub-10 nm Sulfide Nanodots and HCR Amplification

Sub-10 nm monodisperse alkaline-earth sulfide nanodots (ASNDs) with bright near-infrared (NIR)-excitation fluorescence and adjustable emission wavelength were prepared by a thermal decomposition method for the first time. The ASNDs exhibited high NIR-to-vis conversion efficiency and served as multicolor fluorescent labels in the proposed miR-224 assay. Targeted detection of the miR-224 level and single-nucleotide variation in miR-224 was carried out on a smartphone-based platform using a hybridization chain reaction (HCR) amplification strategy. In the presence of miR-224, the ASND-labeled HCR probes self-assembled on the surface of the diagnosis kits, generating strong fluorescent signals linearly proportional to miR-224 contents in the range of 10-2000 fM. Significantly, mutations in miR-224 led to the variation in the fluorescence intensity ratio in RGB channels. Simultaneously, evident changes of fluorescent brightness and color were easily visualized by the naked eye, which enabled on-site discrimination of miR-224 with different mutant loci. This work provides a novel preparation approach for ultrasmall NIR excitation sulfide nanodots and reveals the potential of the as-synthesized ASNDs in point-of-care (POC) nucleic acid testing. Further, it may provide a handheld platform for miRNA single-nucleotide polymorphism analysis.

Non-coding RNAs as biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma-A systematic review

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common malignancy in the world and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death, and its incidence is increasing globally. Despite significant advances in treatment strategies for HCC, the prognosis is still poor due to its high recurrence rate. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis of HCC and further develop new therapies to improve the prognosis and quality of life of HCC patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are small non-coding RNAs involved in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression that is abnormally expressed in cancer-associated genomic regions or vulnerable sites. More and more findings have shown that miRNAs are important regulatory factors of mRNA expression in HCC, and they are receiving more and more attention as a possible key biomarker of HCC. This review mainly summarizes the potential applied value on miRNAs as diagnostic, drug resistant, prognostic, and therapeutic biomarkers in the diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis of HCC. Also, we summarize the research value of long non-coding RNA (lncRNAs), circular RNAs (circRNAs), and miRNAs network in HCC as novel biomarkers, aiming at providing some references for the therapy of HCC.

The Relevance of MicroRNAs in the Pathogenesis and Prognosis of HCV-Disease: The Emergent Role of miR-17-92 in Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health problem. HCV is a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus that leads to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and lymphoproliferative disorders such as cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The molecular mechanisms by which HCV induces these diseases are not fully understood. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding molecules that negatively regulate post-transcriptional gene expression by decreasing their target gene expression. We will attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the role of miRNAs in the HCV life cycle, HCV-related HCC, and lymphoproliferative disorders, focusing on both the functional effects of their deregulation as well as on their putative role as biomarkers, based on association analyses. We will also provide original new data regarding the miR 17-92 cluster in chronically infected HCV patients with and without lymphoproliferative disorders who underwent antiviral therapy. All of the cluster members were significantly upregulated in CV patients compared to patients without CV and significantly decreased in those who achieved vasculitis clinical remission after viral eradication. To conclude, miRNAs play an important role in HCV infection and related oncogenic processes, but their molecular pathways are not completely clear. In some cases, they may be potential therapeutic targets or non-invasive biomarkers of tumor progression.

miR-1184 regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of colon cancer cells via targeting CSNK2A1

MicroRNA (miRNA) exerts an important part in colon cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. Meanwhile, the dysregulation of some miRNAs is detected in colon cancer cells. However, it remains unclear about the underlying mechanism of their effects on tumor pathogenesis. The current work aimed to examine the miR-1184 effect on colon cancer cells. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs), including miR-9-3p, miR-1184, miR-492, miR-92a-1-5p and miR-20a-3p, were obtained from the GSE115108 and GSE132619 data sets using the 'GEO2R' online tool. Based on the findings, miR-1184 was significantly down-regulated within colon cancer cells and tissues. Moreover, the experimental results of CCK8, flow cytometry, colony formation and Western blotting assays showed that, miR-1184 over-expression suppressed colon cancer cell proliferation through inhibiting Ki67 expression and promoted their apoptosis through up-regulating cleaved caspase-3 and down-regulating Bcl-2 expression. By contrast, miR-1184 inhibition exerted the opposite effects. A total of 110 target genes of miR-1184 were predicted using the TargetScan and miRTarBase databases, which were then used to construct the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network based on the DAVID and STRING websites and to perform GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. The MCODE plug-in of cytoscape was utilized to verify that CSNK2A1 was the target gene and key gene in significant modules. MiR-1184 directly targets CSNK2A1 via using RNA immunoprecipitation assay and luciferase reporter gene assay. According to the results, CSNK2A1 over-expression reversed the functions of miR-1184 over-expression in suppressing colon cancer cell proliferation and enhancing their apoptosis. In conclusion, over-expression of miR-1184 inhibits colon cancer cell proliferation but promotes their apoptosis through down-regulating CSNK2A1 expression.