MiR-519d suppresses breast cancer tumorigenesis and metastasis via targeting MMP3

3D Bioprinted Tumor-Stroma Models of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells for Preclinical Targeted Therapy Evaluation

Breast cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a pivotal role in therapy resistance and tumor relapse, emphasizing the need for reliable in vitro models that recapitulate the complexity of the CSC tumor microenvironment to accelerate drug discovery. We present a bioprinted breast CSC tumor-stroma model incorporating triple-negative breast CSCs (TNB-CSCs) and stromal cells (human breast fibroblasts), within a breast-derived decellularized extracellular matrix bioink. Comparison of molecular signatures in this model with different clinical subtypes of bioprinted tumor-stroma models unveils a unique molecular profile for artificial CSC tumor models. We additionally demonstrate that the model can recapitulate the invasive potential of TNB-CSC. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering imaging allowed us to monitor the invasive potential of tumor cells in deep z-axis planes, thereby overcoming the depth-imaging limitations of confocal fluorescence microscopy. As a proof-of-concept application, we conducted high-throughput drug testing analysis to assess the efficacy of CSC-targeted therapy in combination with conventional chemotherapeutic compounds. The results highlight the usefulness of tumor-stroma models as a promising drug-screening platform, providing insights into therapeutic efficacy against CSC populations resistant to conventional therapies.

Decoding dynamic miRNA:ceRNA interactions unveils therapeutic insights and targets across predominant cancer landscapes

Competing endogenous RNAs play key roles in cellular molecular mechanisms through cross-talk in post-transcriptional interactions. Studies on ceRNA cross-talk, which is particularly dependent on the abundance of free transcripts, generally involve large- and small-scale studies involving the integration of transcriptomic data from tissues and correlation analyses. This abundance-dependent nature of ceRNA interactions suggests that tissue- and condition-specific ceRNA dynamics may fluctuate. However, there are no comprehensive studies investigating the ceRNA interactions in normal tissue, ceRNAs that are lost and/or appear in cancerous tissues or their interactions. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the tumor-specific ceRNA fluctuations observed in the three highest-incidence cancers, LUAD, PRAD, and BRCA, compared to healthy lung, prostate, and breast tissues, respectively. Our observations pertaining to tumor-specific competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) interactions revealed that, in the cases of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), prostate adenocarcinoma (PRAD), and breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA), 3,204, 1,233, and 406 ceRNAs, respectively, engage in post-transcriptional intercommunication within tumor tissues, in contrast to their absence in corresponding healthy samples. We also found that 90 ceRNAs are shared by the three cancer types and that these ceRNAs participate in ceRNA interactions in tumor tissues compared to those in normal tissues. Among the 90 ceRNAs that directly interact with miRNAs, we uncovered a core network of 165 miRNAs and 63 ceRNAs that should be considered in RNA-targeted and RNA-mediated approaches in future studies and could be used in these three aggressive cancer types. More specifically, in this core interaction network, ceRNAs such as GALNT7, KLF9, and DAB2 and miRNAs like miR-106a/b-5p, miR-20a-5p, and miR-519d-3p may have potential as common targets in the three critical cancers. In contrast to conventional methods that construct ceRNA networks using differentially expressed genes compared to normal tissues, our proposed approach identifies ceRNA players by considering their context within the ceRNA:miRNA interactions. Our results have the potential to reveal distinct and common ceRNA interactions in cancer types and to pinpoint critical RNAs, thereby paving the way for RNA-based strategies in the battle against cancer.

Cell Senescence-Related Genes as Biomarkers for Prognosis and Immunotherapeutic Response in Colon Cancer

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) stands out as the most prevalent malignancy diagnosed within the gastrointestinal tract, bearing substantial incidence and mortality rates. The processes of ageing and senescence intricately intertwine with tumorigenesis and immune regulation, concurrently exerting influence on the remodelling of the tumor microenvironment (TME). This phenomenon, in turn, significantly impacts the efficacy of immunotherapeutic interventions. Despite this awareness, the comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between cellular senescence and TME in the context of COAD remains elusive. Further inquiry is imperative to comprehensively gauge the relevance of cellular senescence-related genes (CSGs) in the realms of immune infiltration and the prognostication of COAD. Differentially expressed cell senescence-related genes (DE-CSGs) within COAD tumors and normal specimens were discerned through analysis of the TCGA-COAD dataset. Leveraging univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses, we formulated a prognostic risk signature. Subsequent validation utilised two independent GEO datasets. Furthermore, a nomogram was devised to gauge the prognostic significance of this signature. Additionally, the immune landscape of the Cell Senescence-related Signature (CSS) was characterised using CIBERSORT and TIMER algorithms. The expression levels of CSGs were quantified through RT-PCR in COAD specimens. Drawing upon mRNA expression profiles of 191 DE-CSGs, we successfully established a 9-gene CSS, demonstrating its autonomy as a prognostic determinant for COAD patients. Those assigned high-risk scores exhibited an immunosuppressive phenotype, marked by elevated proportions of resting CD4+memory T cells and macrophages M0, correlating with diminished overall survival. Subsequent analyses uncovered that the amalgamation of CSS with the expression profiles of immune checkpoint key genes effectively predicted patient prognosis. Furthermore, patients with low-risk scores demonstrated a potential association with more favourable therapeutic outcomes in the context of immunotherapy. This study has culminated in the development of a prognostic risk signature grounded in cell senescence-related genes for COAD. We posit that the CSS plays a regulatory role in immune infiltration, emerging as a robust biomarker for prognosis and a predictive indicator for immunotherapeutic responsiveness within the COAD landscape.

Network pharmacology-integrated molecular docking analysis of phytocompounds of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (peacock flower) as potential anti-metastatic agents

Caesalpinia pulcherrima, or peacock flower, has been a subject of cancer therapeutics research, showing promising anti-cancer and anti-metastatic properties. The present research aims to investigate the anti-metastatic potential of the flower, through bioinformatics approaches. Metastasis targets numbering 471 were identified through overlap analysis following NCBI gene, Gene Card and OMIM query. Phytocompounds of the flower were retrieved from PubChem and their protein interactions predicted using Super-PRED and TargetNet. The 28 targets that overlapped with the predicted proteins were used to generate STRING >0.7. Enrichment analysis revealed that C. pulcherrima may inhibit metastasis through angiogenesis-related and leukocyte migration-related pathways. HSP90AA1, ESR1, PIK3CA, ERBB2, KDR and MMP9 were identified as potential core targets while and 6 compounds (3-[(4-Hydroxyphenyl)methylidene]-7,8-dimethoxychromen-4-one (163076213), clotrimazole (2812), Isovouacapenol A (636673), [(4aR,5R,6aS,7R,11aS,11bR)-4a-hydroxy-4,4,7,11b-tetramethyl-9-oxo-1,2,3,5,6,6a,7,11a-octahydronaphtho[2,1-f][1]benzofuran-5-yl] benzoate (163104827), Stigmast-5-en-3beta-ol (86821) and 4,2'-dihydroxy-4'-methoxychalcone (592216)) were identified as potential core compounds. Molecular docking analysis and molecular dynamics simulations investigations revealed that ERBB2, HSP90AA1 and KDR, along with the newly discovered 163076213 compound to be the most significant metastasis targets and bioactive compound, respectively. These three core targets demonstrated interactions consistent with angiogenesis and leukocyte migration pathways. Furthermore, potentially novel interactions, such as KDR-MMP9, KDR-PIK3CA, ERBB2-HSP90AA1, ERBB2-ESR1, ERBB2-PIK3CA and ERBB2-MMP9 interactions were identified and may play a role in crosslinking the aforementioned metastatic pathways. Therefore, the present study revealed the main mechanisms behind the anti-metastatic effects of C. pulcherrima, paving the path for further research on these compounds and proteins to accelerate the research of cancer therapeutics and application of C. pulcherrima.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Cancer invasion and metastasis: Insights from murine pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis

Cancer invasion and metastasis accounts for the majority of cancer related mortality. A better understanding of the players that drive the aberrant invasion and migration of tumors cells will provide critical targets to inhibit metastasis. Postnatal pubertal mammary gland morphogenesis is characterized by highly proliferative, invasive, and migratory normal epithelial cells. Identifying the molecular regulators of pubertal gland development is a promising strategy since tumorigenesis and metastasis is postulated to be a consequence of aberrant reactivation of developmental stages. In this review, we summarize the pubertal morphogenesis regulators that are involved in cancer metastasis and revisit pubertal mammary gland transcriptome profiling to uncover both known and unknown metastasis genes. Our updated list of pubertal morphogenesis regulators shows that most are implicated in invasion and metastasis. This review highlights molecular linkages between development and metastasis and provides a guide for exploring novel metastatic drivers.

Comparison of Oncogenes, Tumor Suppressors, and MicroRNAs Between Schizophrenia and Glioma: The Balance of Power

The risk of cancer in schizophrenia has been controversial. Confounders of the issue are cigarette smoking in schizophrenia, and antiproliferative effects of antipsychotic medications. The author has previously suggested comparison of a specific cancer like glioma to schizophrenia might help determine a more accurate relationship between cancer and schizophrenia. To accomplish this goal, the author performed three comparisons of data; the first a comparison of conventional tumor suppressors and oncogenes between schizophrenia and cancer including glioma. This comparison determined schizophrenia has both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting characteristics. A second, larger comparison between brain-expressed microRNAs in schizophrenia with their expression in glioma was then performed. This identified a core carcinogenic group of miRNAs in schizophrenia offset by a larger group of tumor-suppressive miRNAs. This proposed "balance of power" between oncogenes and tumor suppressors could cause neuroinflammation. This was assessed by a third comparison between schizophrenia, glioma and inflammation in asbestos-related lung cancer and mesothelioma (ALRCM). This revealed that schizophrenia shares more oncogenic similarity to ALRCM than glioma.

MiRNAs Overexpression and Their Role in Breast Cancer: Implications for Cancer Therapeutics

MicroRNAs have a plethora of roles in various biological processes in the cells and most human cancers have been shown to be associated with dysregulation of the expression of miRNA genes. MiRNA biogenesis involves two alternative pathways, the canonical pathway which requires the successful cooperation of various proteins forming the miRNA-inducing silencing complex (miRISC), and the non-canonical pathway, such as the mirtrons, simtrons, or agotrons pathway, which bypasses and deviates from specific steps in the canonical pathway. Mature miRNAs are secreted from cells and circulated in the body bound to argonaute 2 (AGO2) and miRISC or transported in vesicles. These miRNAs may regulate their downstream target genes via positive or negative regulation through different molecular mechanisms. This review focuses on the role and mechanisms of miRNAs in different stages of breast cancer progression, including breast cancer stem cell formation, breast cancer initiation, invasion, and metastasis as well as angiogenesis. The design, chemical modifications, and therapeutic applications of synthetic anti-sense miRNA oligonucleotides and RNA mimics are also discussed in detail. The strategies for systemic delivery and local targeted delivery of the antisense miRNAs encompass the use of polymeric and liposomal nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, extracellular vesicles, as well as viral vectors and viruslike particles (VLPs). Although several miRNAs have been identified as good candidates for the design of antisense and other synthetic modified oligonucleotides in targeting breast cancer, further efforts are still needed to study the most optimal delivery method in order to drive the research beyond preclinical studies.

Down-Regulation of miR-93 Negatively Correlates with Overexpression of VEGFA and MMP3 in Endometriosis: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Endometriosis is identified as presence of the endometrium outside the uterine cavity. Retrograde menstruation contributes to the endometrial tissue implantation and the establishment of endometriotic lesions at ectopic sites. It has been suggested that the endometriotic lesions are rich in angiogenic growth factors, while they have an essential role in survival and invasion of these cells. We investigated regulation of microRNA-93 (miR-93) and its involvement with vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 3 expression in women with endometriosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study at Central Surgical Installation, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia, between October 2020 and November 2021. Eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues were collected from 30 subjects with laparoscopically-confirmed endometriotic women. Normal endometrial cells of non-endometriosis women served as controls. Total RNA was isolated from all samples and a quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyze the expression of miR-93, VEGFA and MMP.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the expression levels of VEGFA (2.14 ± 0.50, P=0.719) and MMP3 (2.99 ± 0.42, P=0.583) between endometriotic lesions of endometriosis women and the healthy endometrium. Expression of miR-93 was significantly lower in the eutopic endometrium (16.7 fold) and ectopic endometriotic lesion (20 fold) compared to the normal endometrium (P<0.001). Furthermore, we also observed a significant correlation between miR-93, VEGFA expression in eutopic endometrium obtained from women with endometriosis (r=-0.544, P=0.029). Expression of the miR-93 was also negatively correlated with MMP3 expression in both eutopic (r=-0.412, P=0.01) and ectopic (r=-0.539, P=0.03) endometrial cells of women with endometriosis.

CONCLUSION

VEGFA and MMP3 expression levels trended to be increased in both eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues of endometriosis women, while down-regulation of miR-93 might be involved in the alteration of VEGFA and MMP3 in endometriosis.

A novel prognostic model based on urea cycle-related gene signature for colorectal cancer

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. This study aimed to develop a urea cycle (UC)-related gene signature that provides a theoretical foundation for the prognosis and treatment of patients with CRC.

Methods

Differentially expressed UC-related genes in CRC were confirmed using differential analysis and Venn diagrams. Univariate Cox and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were performed to identify UC-related prognostic genes. A UC-related signature was created and confirmed using distinct datasets. Independent prognostic predictors were authenticated using Cox analysis. The Cell-type Identification by Estimating Relative Subsets of RNA Transcripts algorithm and Spearman method were applied to probe the linkage between UC-related prognostic genes and tumor immune-infiltrating cells. The Human Protein Atlas database was used to determine the protein expression levels of prognostic genes in CRC and normal tissues. Verification of the expression levels of UC-related prognostic genes in clinical tissue samples was performed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

Results

A total of 49 DEUCRGs in CRC were mined. Eight prognostic genes (TIMP1, FABP4, MMP3, MMP1, CD177, CA2, S100P, and SPP1) were identified to construct a UC-related gene signature. The signature was then affirmed using an external validation set. The risk score was demonstrated to be a credible independent prognostic predictor using Cox regression analysis. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, IL-17 signaling pathway, and nitrogen metabolism were associated with the UC-related gene signature. Immune infiltration and correlation analyses revealed a significant correlation between UC-related prognostic genes and differential immune cells between the two risk subgroups. Finally, the qPCR results of clinical samples further confirmed the results of the public database.

Conclusion

Taken together, this study authenticated UC-related prognostic genes and developed a gene signature for the prognosis of CRC, which will be of great significance in the identification of prognostic molecular biomarkers, clinical prognosis prediction, and development of treatment strategies for patients with CRC.

BC-miR: Monitoring Breast Cancer-Related miRNA Profile in Blood Sera—A Prosperous Approach for Tumor Detection

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer with a high fatality rate amongst women worldwide. Diagnosing at an early stage is challenging, and due to the limitations of the currently used techniques, including mammography and imaging diagnostics, it still remains unascertained. Serum biomarkers can be a solution for this as they can be isolated in a less painful, more cost-effective, and minimally invasive manner. In this study, we shed light on the relevant role of multiple microRNAs (miRNAs) as potential biomarkers in breast cancer diagnosis. We monitored the expressional changes of 15 pre-selected miRNAs in a large cohort, including 65 patients with breast cancer and 42 healthy individuals. We performed thorough statistical analyses on the cohort sample set and determined the diagnostic accuracy of individual and multiple miRNAs. Our study reveals a potential improvement in diagnostics by implicating the monitoring of miR-15a+miR-16+miR-221 expression in breast cancer management.

Expression levels of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d and their possible associations with inflammatory markers among patients with coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a leading cause of death around the world. Micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) can be involved in forming of atherosclerotic plaques, inflammation, cholesterol metabolism, and other mechanisms involved in CAD development. This study aimed to evaluate the expression level of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d and their possible association with inflammatory markers among patients with CAD.

METHODS

The expression level of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, miR-519d, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) was determined in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 46 patients with CAD and 39 healthy controls using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay.

RESULTS

53.8% (n = 21) and 52.2% (n = 24) of controls and cases were men, respectively; the mean age was 59.8 ± 7.4 and 57.0 ± 9.8 years, respectively. The miRNA expression pattern of each group showed significantly different expression profiles. In the CAD patients group, miR-22, miR-30c, and miR-145 were down-regulated compared to the control group. On the opposite, miR-519d was up-regulated in patients with CAD compared to the control group. Our results also showed that the expression levels of IL-6 and TGF-β were up-regulated among patients with CAD compared to the control group. In addition, the expression of miR-145 and miR-519d had a significantly negative and positive correlation with TGF-β and IL-6, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The change in expression levels of miR-22, miR-30c, miR-145, and miR-519d in PBMCs of patients with CAD could be considered as a potential biomarker for CAD.

Predicting lymph node metastasis and prognosis of individual cancer patients based on miRNA-mediated RNA interactions

Background

Lymph node metastasis is usually detected based on the images obtained from clinical examinations. Detecting lymph node metastasis from clinical examinations is a direct way of diagnosing metastasis, but the diagnosis is done after lymph node metastasis occurs.

Results

We developed a new method for predicting lymph node metastasis based on differential correlations of miRNA-mediated RNA interactions in cancer. The types of RNAs considered in this study include mRNAs, lncRNAs, miRNAs, and pseudogenes. We constructed cancer patient-specific networks of miRNA mediated RNA interactions and identified key miRNA–RNA pairs from the network. A prediction model using differential correlations of the miRNA–RNA pairs of a patient as features showed a much higher performance than other methods which use gene expression data. The key miRNA–RNA pairs were also powerful in predicting prognosis of an individual patient in several types of cancer.

Conclusions

Differential correlations of miRNA–RNA pairs identified from patient-specific networks of miRNA mediated RNA interactions are powerful in predicting lymph node metastasis in cancer patients. The key miRNA–RNA pairs were also powerful in predicting prognosis of an individual patient of solid cancer.

Downregulation of miR-519d-3p is Associated with Poor Outcomes and Facilitates Tumor Progression in Papillary Thyroid Cancer by Regulating FOXQ1

MicroRNA-519d-3p (miR-519d-3p) has emerged as a tumor suppressor in several human cancers. But whether miR-519d-3p is involved in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) remains elusive. In this study, we investigated the potential relevance of miR-miR-519d-3p in PTC. A retrospective study of 119 PTCs was carried out. The RT-qPCR analysis was used to measure the expression of miR-519d-3p and FOXQ1 in PTC tissues and cells. Chi-square test, Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the clinical and prognostic value of miR-519d-3p in PTC. Then cellular experiments were used to explore its biological effects on PTC cells. Finally, the Pearson correlation coefficient, dual-luciferase reporter assay, and rescue experiments were used to analyze the association between miR-519d-3p and FOXQ1. miR-519d-3p was significantly downregulated in PTC tissues and cell lines. The decreased expression of miR-519d-3p was associated with reduced overall survival and progression-free survival of patients. The proliferative, migratory, and invasive abilities of cells were blocked or elevated after upregulation or downregulation of miR-519d-3p, while FOXQ1 reversed these cellular behaviors caused after upregulation or knockdown of miR-519d-3p. In conclusion, miR-519d-3p was downregulated in PTC and associated with OS and PFS of patients. MiR-519d-3p may be a tumor-inhibiting miRNA in PTC, and that miR-519d-3p/FOXQ1 axis mediated PTC tumor progression from cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in PTC cells.

MiR-519d-5p modulates the sensitivity of breast cancer to chemotherapy by forming a negative feedback loop with RELA

Background

The chemoresistance of breast cancer (BC) has become the main cause of treatment failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in tumorigenesis, development, and chemoresistance, but the underlying mechanism of miR-519d in BC development and chemotherapy sensitivity remains to be elucidated.

Methods

The levels of miR-519d-5p in BC samples and cell lines were measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell viability was monitored by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The in vivo effect of miR-519d-5p on tumor formation and doxorubicin response were investigated in a xenograft study. Bioinformatic analysis, luciferase reporter assay, RT-qPCR, and western blotting were conducted to validate RELA as a target gene of miR-519d-5p. We performed RT-qPCR, western blotting, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and DNA pull down to verify miR-519d-5p as a transcriptional target of RELA.

Results

This study found that miR-519d-5p was expressed at lower levels in BC cells and tissues, and overexpression of miR-519d-5p sensitized BC to chemotherapy both in vitro and in vivo. Meanwhile, the expression of RELA was negatively correlated with miR-519d-5p. We then showed that RELA is one of the targets of miR-519d-5p: miR-519d-5p inhibited RELA expression by directly binding to its 3'-unstranslated region (3'-UTR). Conversely, it was verified that miR-519d-5p is one of the targets of transcription factor RELA, and RELA repressed miR-519d-5p by binding to the promoter region of miR-519d-5p, which forms a feedback loop.

Conclusions

Overall, the results provide a novel therapeutic strategy for the combinational use of miR-519d-5p and chemotherapeutic agents to overcome chemo-resistance by forming a negative feedback loop with RELA.

Metalloproteinases 1 and 3 as Potential Biomarkers in Breast Cancer Development

Breast cancer continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality globally and was the leading cause of cancer death in women in Spain in 2020. Early diagnosis is one of the most effective methods to lower the incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer. The human metalloproteinases (MMP) mainly function as proteolytic enzymes degrading the extracellular matrix and plays important roles in most steps of breast tumorigenesis. This retrospective cohort study shows the immunohistochemical expression levels of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 in 154 women with breast cancer and 42 women without tumor disease. The samples of breast tissue are assessed using several tissue matrices (TMA). The percentages of staining (≤50%–>50%) and intensity levels of staining (weak, moderate, or intense) are considered. The immunohistochemical expression of the MMP-1-intensity (p = 0.043) and MMP-3 percentage (p = 0.018) and intensity, (p = 0.025) present statistically significant associations with the variable group (control–case); therefore, expression in the tumor tissue samples of these MMPs may be related to the development of breast cancer. The relationships between these MMPs and some clinicopathological factors in breast cancer are also evaluated but no correlation is found. These results suggest the use of MMP-1 and MMP-3 as potential biomarkers of breast cancer diagnosis.

Matrix Metalloproteinase 3: A Promoting and Destabilizing Factor in the Pathogenesis of Disease and Cell Differentiation

Cells must alter their expression profiles and morphological characteristics but also reshape the extracellular matrix (ECM) to fulfill their functions throughout their lifespan. Matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) is a member of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family, which can degrade multiple ECM components. MMP-3 can activate multiple pro-MMPs and thus initiates the MMP-mediated degradation reactions. In this review, we summarized the function of MMP-3 and discussed its effects on biological activities. From this point of view, we emphasized the positive and negative roles of MMP-3 in the pathogenesis of disease and cell differentiation, highlighting that MMP-3 is especially closely involved in the occurrence and development of osteoarthritis. Then, we discussed some pathways that were shown to regulate MMP-3. By writing this review, we hope to provide new topics of interest for researchers and attract more researchers to investigate MMP-3.

In vivo Engineering of Chromosome 19 q-arm by Employing the CRISPR/AsCpf1 and ddAsCpf1 Systems in Human Malignant Gliomas (Hypothesis)

Deletions of the q13.3 region of chromosome 19 have been found commonly in all three main kinds of diffuse human malignant gliomas, powerfully demonstrating the existence of tumor suppressor genes in this region. Consistent with the previous studies, the most common deletion interval has been mapped to a roughly 4 Mb region of 19q13.3 between the APOC2 and HRC genes, between genetic markers D19S219 and D19S246. EML2 is a tumor suppressor gene that is located on 19q13.32 and is considerably methylated in high-grade gliomas. Notably, MIR330 gene that is situated within the non-coding intronic region of EML2 is also detected as an oncosuppressor-miR in a variety of cancers including gliomas. Additionally, glioma oncoprotein Bcl2L12 which is located on 19q13.33 is significantly overexpressed in glioblastoma multiform and has a pivotal role in cancer evolution and resistance to apoptosis. Other genes such as MIR519D and NOP53 are also discovered as tumor suppressor genes in gliomas which are located on 19q13.3 and 19q13.4, respectively. Therefore, we hypothesize that a CRISPR/AsCpf1-based genome engineering strategy might be utilized to attach these deleted sizeable chromosomal portions of genes coding tumor suppressors as vital parts of the chromosome 19 q-arm with the purpose of treatment of this chromosomal abnormality in gliomas. Also, we can concurrently employ the CRISPR-ddAsCpf1 strategy for the precise suppression of Bcl2L12 oncogene in glioma.

miRNAs: Critical mediators of breast cancer metastatic programming

MicroRNA mediated aberrant gene regulation has been implicated in several diseases including cancer. Recent research has highlighted the role of epigenetic modulation of the complex process of breast cancer metastasis by miRNAs. miRNAs play a crucial role in the process of metastatic evolution by facilitating alterations in the phenotype of tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment that promote this process. They act as critical determinants of the multi-step progression starting from carcinogenesis all the way to organotropism. In this review, we focus on the current understanding of the compelling role of miRNAs in breast cancer metastasis.

Glucocorticoid counteracts cellular mechanoresponses by LINC01569-dependent glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mRNA decay

Mechanical stimuli on cells and mechanotransduction are essential in many biological and pathological processes. Glucocorticoid is an important hormone, roles, and mechanisms of which in cellular mechanotransduction remain unknown. Here, we report that glucocorticoid counteracted cellular mechanoresponses dependently on a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), LINC01569 Further, LINC01569 mediated glucocorticoid effects on mechanotransduction by destabilizing messenger RNA (mRNA) of mechanosensors including early growth response protein 1 (EGR1), Cbp/P300-interacting transactivator 2 (CITED2), and bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7) in glucocorticoid receptor-mediated mRNA decay (GMD) manner. Mechanistically, LINC01569 directly bound to the GMD factor Y-box-binding protein 1 (YBX1). Then, the LINC01569-YBX1 complex was guided to the mRNAs of EGR1, CITED2, and BMP7 through specific LINC01569-mRNA interaction, thereby contributing to the successful assembly of GMD complex and triggering GMD. Our results uncovered roles of glucocorticoid in cellular mechanotransduction and novel lncRNA-dependent GMD machinery and provided potential strategy for early intervention in mechanical disorder-associated diseases.

MiR-519d and miR-328-3p Combinatorially Suppress Breast Cancer Progression

Background

MiR-519d and miR-328-3p had tumor-regulatory properties in different cancers, but their combinatorial effects and potential common target in breast cancer had not been fully reported. This research targeted to study the underlying mechanism of how miR-519d and miR-328-3p cooperatively suppressed breast cancer.

Methods

MiR-519d and miR-328-3p expressions in breast cancer tissues and cells were assessed and Ki-67 expression was also checked. DLR assay was executed to verify whether Ki-67 was a common target of miR-519d and miR-328-3p. Western blot, flow cytometry, colony formation, wound healing and transwell assays were applied to examine the inhibitory roles of these two miRNAs on the malignant behaviors of breast cancer cells and the potential molecular mechanism.

Results

Impeded miR-519d and miR-328-3p expressions and enhanced Ki-67 expression were detected in breast cancer tissues and cells. Ki-67 was confirmed as a target of these two miRNAs. MiR-519d and miR-328-3p hampered cell proliferation and blocked cell cycle via binding to Ki-67 and they also suppressed migration and invasion. The combinatorial effects of two miRNAs were much stronger than a single miRNA.

Conclusion

Our findings proved that miR-519d and miR-328-3p played combinatorial anti-cancer roles in breast cancer by directly targeting a common target Ki-67. Our study suggested that these two miRNAs might own the potential to become novel therapeutic biomarkers involved in the diagnosis and therapy of breast cancer.

Identification of miR-515-3p and its targets, vimentin and MMP3, as a key regulatory mechanism in esophageal cancer metastasis: functional and clinical significance

Metastasis is the main factor of treatment failure in cancer patients, but the underlying mechanism remains to be elucidated and effective new treatment strategies are urgently needed. This study aims to explore novel key metastasis-related microRNAs (miRNAs) in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). By comparing miRNA profiles of the highly metastatic ESCC cell sublines, we established through serial in vivo selection with the parental cells, we found that the expression level of miR-515-3p was lower in ESCC tumor tissues than adjacent normal tissues, further decreased in metastatic tumors, and moreover, markedly associated with advanced stage, metastasis and patient survival. The in vitro and in vivo assays suggested that miR-515-3p could increase the expression of the epithelial markers as well as decrease the expression of the mesenchymal markers, and more importantly, suppress invasion and metastasis of ESCC cells. Mechanistically, we revealed that miR-515-3p directly regulated vimentin and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP3) expression by binding to the coding sequence and 3'untranslated region, respectively. In addition, the data from whole-genome methylation sequencing and methylation-specific PCR indicated that the CpG island within miR-515-3p promoter was markedly hypermethylated in ESCC cell lines and ESCC tumor tissues, which may lead to deregulation of miR-515-3p expression in ESCC. Furthermore, our preclinical experiment provides solid evidence that systemic delivery of miR-515-3p oligonucleotide obviously suppressed the metastasis of ESCC cells in nude mice. Taken together, this study demonstrates that miR-515-3p suppresses tumor metastasis and thus represents a promising prognostic biomarker and therapeutic strategy in ESCC.

The Potential Anticancer Activity of Phytoconstituents against Gastric Cancer-A Review on In Vitro, In Vivo, and Clinical Studies

Gastric cancer belongs to the heterogeneous malignancies and, according to the World Health Organization, it is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in men. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the role of natural products of plant origin in the therapy of gastric cancer and to present the potentially active metabolites which can be used in the natural therapeutical strategies as the support to the conventional treatment. Many of the naturally spread secondary metabolites have been proved to exhibit chemopreventive properties when tested on the cell lines or in vivo. This manuscript aims to discuss the pharmacological significance of both the total extracts and the single isolated metabolites in the stomach cancer prevention and to focus on their mechanisms of action. A wide variety of plant-derived anticancer metabolites from different groups presented in the manuscript that include polyphenols, terpenes, alkaloids, or sulphur-containing compounds, underlines the multidirectional nature of natural products.

Potential miRNAs for miRNA-Based Therapeutics in Breast Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that can post-transcriptionally regulate the genes involved in critical cellular processes. The aberrant expressions of oncogenic or tumor suppressor miRNAs have been associated with cancer progression and malignancies. This resulted in the dysregulation of signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis and survival, metastasis, cancer recurrence and chemoresistance. In this review, we will first (i) provide an overview of the miRNA biogenesis pathways, and in vitro and in vivo models for research, (ii) summarize the most recent findings on the roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) that could potentially be used for miRNA-based therapy in the treatment of breast cancer and (iii) discuss the various therapeutic applications.

Berberine prevents primary peritoneal adhesion and adhesion reformation by directly inhibiting TIMP-1

Peritoneal adhesions are fibrous tissues that tether organs to one another or to the peritoneal wall and represent the major cause of postsurgical morbidity. Enterolysis at repeat surgeries induces adhesion reformation that is more difficult to prevent than primary adhesion. Here we studied the preventive effects of different approaches of berberine treatment for primary adhesion, and its effects on adhesion reformation compared to Interceed. We found the primary adhesion was remarkably prevented by berberine through intraperitoneal injection 30 min before abrasive surgery (pre-berberine) or direct addition into injured cecum immediately after the surgery (inter-berberine). Rats with adhesion reformation had a more deteriorative collagen accumulation and tissue injury in abrasive sites than rats with primary adhesion. The dysregulated TIMP-1/MMP balance was observed in patients after surgery, as well as adhesion tissues from primary adhesion or adhesion reformation rats. Inter-berberine treatment had a better effect for adhesion reformation prevention than Interceed. Berberine promoted the activation of MMP-3 and MMP-8 by directly blocking TIMP-1 activation core, which was reversed by TIMP-1 overexpression in fibroblasts. In conclusion, this study suggests berberine as a reasonable approach for preventing primary adhesion formation and adhesion reformation.

Prohibitin 2/PHB2 in Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy: A Potential Therapeutic Target for Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma

Background

Mitophagy, a selective autophagy process, plays various roles in tumors. Prohibitin 2 (PHB2) is an inner-mitochondrial membrane protein that participates in parkin-induced mitophagy. However, the role of PHB2 in non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) has not been previously reported.

Material/Methods

PHB2 protein or PHB2-mRNA in NSCLC and paired normal tissues was determined by Western blot, qRT-PCR, and immunohistochemical staining. Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay. Cell migration was evaluated by wound healing and transwell migration assays. A 3D live-cell confocal system was used to monitor autophagic flux. Mitochondrial autolysosomes were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Finally, we performed JC-1 assay to measure mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP).

Results

The level of PHB2 was significantly increased in human NSCLC specimens compared to paired adjacent specimens. Inhibition of PHB2 expression attenuated mitophagy in A549 and H1299 cells, as indicated by decreased levels of LC3 II/I and parkin markers and increased level of p62 protein. Furthermore, the inhibition caused reduction in mitochondrial autolysosomes and autophagic flux, as shown by TEM and live-cell imaging, respectively. In addition, PHB2 inhibition caused a remarkable increase in MMP and suppressed the proliferation and migration of A549 and H1299 cells.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that downregulation of PHB2 reduced parkin-mediated mitophagy, which suppressed proliferation and migration of A549 and H1299 cells.

MiR-519d targets HER3 and can be used as a potential serum biomarker for non-small cell lung cancer

Development of specific serum biomarkers is essential to improve diagnosis and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Here, we show that serum and tissue levels of miR-519d are significantly decreased in NSCLC patients. The low expression of miR-519d is associated with lymph node metastases, clinical stage, and a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. In addition, ROC analysis demonstrated that the serum miR-519d levels can distinguish NSCLC patients from healthy controls. MiR-519d inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion by lung cancer cells, indicating that it may function as a tumor suppressor in lung cancer. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that HER3 is a target gene of miR-519d in lung cancer cells, and show that by targeting HER3, miR-519d inhibits the PI3K/Akt pathway. These findings demonstrate that the miR-519d levels are decreased in serum and tumor tissues of NSCLC patients, and indicate that miR-519d regulates NSCLC progression by targeting HER3. MiR-519d could potentially serve as a novel serum biomarker for NSCLC.

Anti‑metastatic effects of arctigenin are regulated by MAPK/AP‑1 signaling in 4T‑1 mouse breast cancer cells

Arctigenin is a natural lignan that is found in burdock with anti‑viral, ‑oxidative, ‑inflammatory and anti‑tumor activities. In the current study, the effect of arctigenin on metastatic potential was examined in 4T‑1 mouse triple‑negative breast cancer cells. The results indicated that arctigenin inhibited cell motility and invasiveness, which was determined using wound healing and transwell invasion assays. Arctigenin suppressed matrix metalloprotease‑9 (MMP‑9) activity via gelatin zymography, and protein expression of cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2) and MMP‑3. Furthermore, arctigenin attenuated the mRNA expression of metastatic factors, including MMP‑9, MMP‑3 and COX‑2. Based on these results, the effect of arctigenin on the mitogen‑activated protein kinase (MAPK)/activating protein‑1 (AP‑1) signaling pathway was assessed in an attempt to identify the regulatory mechanism responsible for its anti‑metastatic effects. Arctigenin was demonstrated to inhibit the phosphorylation of extracellular signal‑regulated protein kinase (ERK) and c‑Jun N‑terminal kinase (JNK), and the nuclear translocations of the AP‑1 subunits, c‑Jun and c‑Fos. In summary, the present study demonstrated that in 4T‑1 mouse triple‑negative breast cancer cells the anti‑metastatic effect of arctigenin is mediated by the inhibition of MMP‑9 activity and by the inhibition of the metastasis‑enhancing factors MMP‑9, MMP‑3 and COX‑2, due to the suppression of the MAPK/AP‑1 signaling pathway. The results of the current study demonstrated that arctigenin exhibits a potential for preventing cell migration and invasion in triple negative breast cancer.

MicroRNA-519d-3p inhibits cell proliferation and cell cycle G1/S transition in glioma by targeting CCND1

Glioma is the most common highly malignant primary brain tumor. MicroRNA-519d-3p exerts important effects in several tumors, but its functional role in glioma remained poorly understood. In this study, we found miR-519d-3p expression was significantly decreased in glioma tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the in vitro experiments showed that overexpression of miR-519d-3p suppressed cell proliferation and induced cell cycle G0/G1 phase arrest using MTT and flow cytometry assays in glioma cell lines, U87 and U251. Mechanistically, Cyclin D1 (CCND1) was predicted and confirmed as the direct target genes of miR-519d-3p using luciferase report assay. In addition, knockdown of CCND1 imitated the suppressive effects of miR-519d-3p on cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Furthermore, restoration of CCND1 reversed the effects of miR-519d-3p overexpression in glioma cells. Taken together, these data demonstrate that suppression of CCND1 by miR-519d-3p might be a therapeutic target for glioma.Abbreviations miR-519d-3p: microRNA-519d-3p; CCND1: Cyclin D1; ATCC: American Type Culture Collection; MTT: 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide; PI: propidium iodide; WT: wild type; MUT: mutant type; SD: standard deviation.

MicroRNAs and Epigenetics Strategies to Reverse Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is a sporadic disease with genetic and epigenetic components. Genomic instability in breast cancer leads to mutations, copy number variations, and genetic rearrangements, while epigenetic remodeling involves alteration by DNA methylation, histone modification and microRNAs (miRNAs) of gene expression profiles. The accrued scientific findings strongly suggest epigenetic dysregulation in breast cancer pathogenesis though genomic instability is central to breast cancer hallmarks. Being reversible and plastic, epigenetic processes appear more amenable toward therapeutic intervention than the more unidirectional genetic alterations. In this review, we discuss the epigenetic reprogramming associated with breast cancer such as shuffling of DNA methylation, histone acetylation, histone methylation, and miRNAs expression profiles. As part of this, we illustrate how epigenetic instability orchestrates the attainment of cancer hallmarks which stimulate the neoplastic transformation-tumorigenesis-malignancy cascades. As reversibility of epigenetic controls is a promising feature to optimize for devising novel therapeutic approaches, we also focus on the strategies for restoring the epistate that favor improved disease outcome and therapeutic intervention.

Ginsenoside Rh1 inhibits colorectal cancer cell migration and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-associated mortality worldwide. Ginsenoside Rh1 (Rh1) is a traditional medicine monomer with antitumor activity; however, the effects of Rh1 in CRC remain to be determined. In the present study, SW620 cells were treated with different concentrations of Rh1. Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and Transwell assays were performed to measure cell viability and proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Subsequently, the mRNA expression levels of matrix metallopeptidase (MMP)1, MMP3 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 3 (TIMP3) were detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR analysis. In addition, the protein expression levels of MMP1, MMP3, TIMP3, and total or phosphorylated (p-)ERK1/2, P38, JNK were detected by western blotting. Furthermore, tumor growth was examined in a nude mouse xenograft model. The results of the present study indicated that Rh1 was not toxic to CRC cells at various concentrations (0, 50 or 100 µM) and treatment durations (24 or 48 h). However, cell proliferation was suppressed by Rh1 in a dose-dependent manner. Rh1 (100 µM) significantly inhibited cell migration and invasion in vitro. Additionally, Rh1 suppressed the mRNA and protein expression of MMP1 and MMP3, and promoted TIMP3 expression. Rh1 decreased the ratios of p-P38/P38, p-ERK1/2/ERK1-2 and p-JNK/JNK in vitro and in vivo, which suggested that Rh1 inactivated the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Notably, Rh1 markedly decreased tumor volume and weight in vivo. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that Rh1 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of CRC cells in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. This inhibition was at least partially due to the inhibition of MMP1 and MMP3 expression, the increase in TIMP3 expression level and the MAPK signaling pathway inactivation. Therefore, Rh1 may effectively inhibit the development of CRC as an anticancer drug, and may have a supporting effect during CRC treatment.

LINC00460 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma development through sponging miR-485-5p to up-regulate PAK1

LncRNAs can function as significant regulators of tumor development. However, their roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain poorly investigated. LINC00460 has been identified in several cancers, which can act as an oncogene. In this study, we observed that LINC00460 was significantly up-regulated in HCC cells, which implied that LINC00460 was involved in HCC development. Then, LINC00460 was silenced in Hep3B and Huh-7 cells and we found that knockdown of LINC00460 greatly inhibited HCC cell proliferation. In addition, HCC cell apoptosis was induced and meanwhile, cell cycle progression was blocked by down-regulation of LINC00460 in vitro. Furthermore, we proved that Hep3B and Huh-7 cell migration and invasion capacity was repressed by decrease of LINC00460. Recently, a growing number of studies have indicated the correlation between lncRNAs and microRNAs. Currently, we displayed that miR-485-5p was greatly decreased in HCC cells and LINC00460 could sponge miR-485-5p to regulate HCC progression. The binding association between LINC00460 and miR-485-5p was confirmed using dual-luciferase reporter assay, RNA pulled down and RIP assay in our research. Subsequently, PAK1 was predicted as a downstream target of miR-485-5p and we demonstrated that miR-485-5p suppressed PAK1 levels in vitro. Finally, in vivo experiments were conducted to validate that knockdown of LINC00460 repressed HCC development through modulating miR-485-5p to increase PAK1. Taken these together, we indicated that LINC00460 promoted HCC progression through sponging miR-485-5p and up-regulating PAK1.

An integrated bioinformatics analysis of potential therapeutic targets among matrix metalloproteinases in breast cancer

Breast cancer (BC) is one of the most aggressive malignancies worldwide among females. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), as the most abundant class of non-serine proteases present in invasive and metastatic tumors, can regulate a variety of alterations in the microenvironment during tumor progression. However, the differential expression of MMPs and its prognostic values in BC is yet to be elucidated. In this research, using the ONCOMINE dataset, The Cancer Genome Atlas, Breast Cancer Gene-Expression Miner v4.1 (Bc-GenExMiner), Kaplan-Meier Plotter and cBioPortal, the transcriptional MMPs and survival outcome data of patients with BC was compared. It was indicated that mRNA levels of MMP1/3/9/10/11/12/13 were increased compared with non-tumor tissues, whereas mRNA expression of MMP2/16/19/23B/28 was lower in BC tissues. Kaplan-Meier plots showed that high mRNA levels of MMP2/10/16/19/20/23B/27 in patients with BC were associated with better recurrence-free survival. In contrast, high MMP1/8/9/11/12 conferred worse RFS rate. Meanwhile, high transcription levels of MMP1/3/11/12/13 predicted shorter distant metastasis-free survival, while high levels of MMP1/12 demonstrated worse overall survival in patients with BC. From Bc-GenExMiner, it was indicated that high expression of MMP16/20 was correlated with better prognosis, while MMP1/9/11/12/13/14/15 exerted a negative effect on patient prognosis. The integrative bioinformatics analysis performed in the present study suggests that MMP1/9/12/16, compared with other MMPs, are potentially appropriate targets for targeted therapy in patients with BC.

SHCBP1 regulates apoptosis in lung cancer cells through phosphatase and tensin homolog

Src homologous and collagen (SHC) SH2-binding protein 1 (SHCBP1) is a member of the SHC family, and is overexpressed in numerous types of cancer. In addition, apoptosis serves an important role in the development of cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of SHCBP1 on apoptosis and its potential underlying mechanism in lung cancer cells. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry and caspase-3 activity analysis. The expression levels of SHCBP1 and phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) were detected by western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Cell viability was determined by MTT assay. The results indicated that SHCBP1 was increased in lung cancer cell lines and lung cancer tissues compared with in normal lung cell lines and tissues. The apoptosis of lung cancer cells was significantly increased by SHCBP1 small interfering RNA (siRNA), as indicated by the increased number of apoptotic cells and enhanced caspase-3 activity. In addition, it was demonstrated that PTEN expression was modulated by SHCBP1 knockdown; silencing of SHCBP1 expression led to a significant increase in PTEN expression. Furthermore, inhibition of PTEN by siRNA reversed the increase in apoptosis induced by SHCBP1 siRNA. These results suggested that SHCBP1 may be upregulated in lung cancer and it may serve a key role in the apoptosis of lung cancer cells; this effect was associated with the expression of PTEN.

The mechanism of anticancer action and potential clinical use of kaempferol in the treatment of breast cancer

In the last century, natural compounds have achieved remarkable achievements in the treatment of tumors through chemotherapy. This inspired scientists to continuously explore anticancer agents from natural compounds. Kaempferol is an ordinary natural compound, the most common flavonoid, which is widely existed in vegetables and fruits. It has been reported to have various anticancer activities, including breast cancer, prostate cancer, bladder cancer, cervical cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, leukemia, etc. Meanwhile, we found that there were more reports on breast cancer among these cancers although there are limited clinical studies that have addressed the benefits of kaempferol as an anti-cancer agent for breast cancer treatment. Then we realize that although kaempferol has been reported to have anti-breast cancer effect many times, it is still far from becoming a real anti-breast cancer agent. Therefore, in this review, we talk about the options for improving the anti-breast cancer effect of kaempferol, including various techniques and methods to improve the bioavailability of kaempferol, the idea of combining other compounds to produce synergistic effects, and the possibility of developing kaempferol into a targeted drug delivery system.

Overexpression of microRNA-519d-3p suppressed the growth of pancreatic cancer cells by inhibiting ribosomal protein S15A-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling

Ribosomal protein S15A (RPS15A) has emerged as a novel oncogene of various human cancers. However, whether RPS15A is involved in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential relevance of RPS15A in pancreatic cancer and elucidate the underlying regulatory mechanism. We found that RPS15A expression was significantly up-regulated in pancreatic cancer cell lines. RPS15A knockdown resulted in a decrease of cell proliferation and colony formation, and induced cell cycle arrest in G0/G1 phases of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro. In addition, RPS15A knockdown down-regulated β-catenin expression and blocked the activation of Wnt signaling. Notably, RPS15A was identified as a target gene of microRNA-519d-3p (miR-519d-3p), a tumor suppressive miRNA. Further data showed that miR-519d-3p negatively regulated RPS15A expression in pancreatic cancer cells. Moreover, miR-591d-3p expression was significantly decreased in pancreatic cancer cell lines and tissues and was inversely correlated with RPS15A expression. The overexpression of miR-519d-3p significantly inhibited the proliferation and Wnt/β-catenin signaling in pancreatic cancer cells, mimicking the similar effect of RPS15A knockdown. However, restoration of RPS15A expression partially reversed the antitumor effect of miR-519d-3p. Taken together, our results demonstrate that RPS15A knockdown or RPS15A inhibition by miR-519d-3p suppresses the growth of pancreatic cancer cells associated with the inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Our study suggests that the miR-519d-3p/RPS15A/Wnt/β-catenin regulation axis plays an important role in the progression of pancreatic cancer and may serve as potential targets for treatment of pancreatic cancer.

RBM3 upregulates ARPC2 by binding the 3'UTR and contributes to breast cancer progression

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers which results in a high mortality rate for patients worldwide. In this study, we performed systematical experiments including tissue analysis (immunohistochemistry etc.) and cell functional experiments (cell counting assay, MTT assay, cell colony formation, cell migration assay, cell invasion assay etc.). We demonstrated that the expression level of RNA binding motif protein 3 (RBM3) was higher in human breast cancer tissues compared with adjacent non‑tumor tissues. A high level of RBM3 was associated with worse post‑operative relapse‑free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) rates in patients with breast cancer. Among the patients with breast cancer, the expression of RBM3 was associated with patient lymph node metastasis and a high tumor grade. The knockdown of RBM3 markedly decreased the proliferation and metastasis of human breast cancer cells. In downstream pathway analysis, actin related protein 2/3 complex subunit 2 (ARPC2) was determined to be positively regulated by RBM3 through a post‑transcriptional 3'UTR‑binding manner. ARPC2 also played an oncogenic role and mediated the promoting role of RBM3 in the proliferation and metastasis of human breast cancer cells. Thus, on the whole, the findings of this study demonstrate that RBM3 acts as an oncogene in human breast cancer cells and that the functional depletion of RBM3 may be considered as a potential method for breast cancer therapy.

Berberine Attenuated Proliferation, Invasion and Migration by Targeting the AMPK/HNF4α/WNT5A Pathway in Gastric Carcinoma

Background: Recent epidemiologic studies have found that patients with diabetes have a higher risk of gastric cancer (GC), and the long-term use of metformin is associated with a lower risk of gastric cancer. It is believed that blocking tumor energy metabolic alterations is now emerging as a new therapeutic approach of cancer. Berberine, a natural isoquinoline alkaloid, could modulate lipid metabolism and glucose homeostasis by regulating the expression of HNF4α in many metabolic diseases. Here, we investigated the effect of Berberine on GC and its possible molecular mechanism through targeting HNF4α.

Methods and Results: (1) AGS and SGC7901 gastric cancer cells were treated with Berberine (BBR). We found that in AGS and SGC7901 cell, BBR inhibited cell proliferation in a time- and dose-dependent manner through downregulating C-myc. BBR also induced G₀-G₁ phase arrest with the decreased expression of cyclin D1. Moreover, BBR attenuated the migration and invasion by downregulating MMP-3. (2) The lentivirus infection was used to silence the expression of HNF4α in SGC7901 cell. The results demonstrated that the knockdown of HNF4α in SGC7901 slowed cells proliferation, induced S phase arrest and dramatically attenuated gastric cancer cells’ metastasis and invasion. (3) We performed GC cells perturbation experiments through BI6015 (an HNF4α antagonist), AICAR (an AMPK activator), Compound C (AMPK-kinase inhibitor), metformin and BBR. Our findings indicated that BBR downregulated HNF4α while upregulating p-AMPK. Moreover, the inhibition of HNF4α by BBR was AMPK dependent. (4) Then the LV-HNF4α-RNAi SGC7901 cell model was used to detect the downstream of HNF4α in vitro. The results showed that the knockdown of HNF4α significantly decreased WNT5A and cytoplasmic β-catenin, but increased E-cadherin in vitro. Berberine also downregulated WNT5A and cytoplasmic β-catenin, the same as LV-HNF4α-RNAi and BI6015 in GC cells. (5) Finally, the SGC7901 and LV-HNF4α-RNAi SGC7901 mouse-xenograft model to evaluate the effect of BBR and HNF4α gene on GC tumor growth. The result illustrated that BBR and knockdown of HNF4α suppressed tumor growth in vivo, and BBR decreased HNF4α, WNT5A and cytoplasmic β-catenin levels, the same effect as HNF4α knockout in vivo.

Conclusion: BBR not only had proliferation inhibition effect, attenuated the invasion and migration on GC cell lines, but also suppressed the GC tumor growth in vivo. The anti-gastric cancer mechanism of BBR might be involved in AMPK-HNF4α-WNT5A signaling pathway. HNF4α antagonists, such as BBR, could be a promising anti-gastric cancer treatment supplement.

[Over-expression of miR-519d alters gene expression profiles of cervical cancer SiHa cells]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the alterations in gene expression profiles of cervical cancer cell line SiHa over-expressing miR-519d.

METHODS

SiHa cells were transfected with a miR-519d mimic or a negative control (NC) and the changes in gene expression profiles were examined using NimbleGen human gene expression microarray. Bioinformatics approaches based on the microarray data were used to identify the targeted genes of miR-519d. Real-time quantitative PCR was employed to confirm the expression of the potential target genes.

RESULTS

A total of 5172 genes were found to be differentially expressed in SiHa cells over-expressing miR-519d, including 2476 up-regulated and 2796 down-regulated genes. We identified 164 potential target genes of miR-519d, and their functions were predicted using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) biological pathway analysis, and STRING database and pSTIING were used to search the key nodes in the protein-protein interactions and transcriptional regulatory networks in cancer. Real-time quantitative PCR confirmed the differential expressions of several candidate target genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Over-expression of miR-519d alters gene expression profiles in SiHa cells. The 164 target genes of miR-519d we identified may provide insights into the role of miR-519d in cervical tumorigenesis.