The emerging roles and functions of circular RNAs and their generation

Wnt Signaling and Biological Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis and Spondyloarthritis

The Wnt signaling pathway plays a key role in several biological processes, such as cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration, and its dysregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. Several evidences support its role especially in bone complications of rheumatic diseases. In Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), the Wnt signaling is implicated in systemic and localized bone loss, while available data of its role in Spondyloarthritis (SpA) are conflicting. In the last few decades, the quality of life of rheumatic patients has been dramatically improved by biological therapy, targeting cytokines involved in the pathogenesis of these diseases like tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-17. In this review, we reviewed the role of Wnt signaling in RA and SpA, focusing on the effect of biological therapy on this pathway and its possible clinical implications.

MicroRNAs in central nervous system diseases: A prospective role in regulating blood-brain barrier integrity

Given the essential role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in the central nervous system (CNS), cumulative investigations have been performed to elucidate how modulation of BBB structural and functional integrity affects the pathogenesis of CNS diseases such as stroke, traumatic brain injuries, dementia, and cerebral infection. Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to the maintenance of the BBB and thereby mediate CNS homeostasis. This review summarizes emerging studies that demonstrate cerebral miRNAs regulate BBB function in CNS disorders, emphasizing the direct role of miRNAs in BBB molecular composition. Evidence presented in this review will encourage a deeper understanding of the mechanisms by which miRNAs regulate BBB function, and facilitate the development of new miRNAs-based therapies in patients with CNS diseases.

Circular RNAs in nucleus pulposus cell function and intervertebral disc degeneration

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common cause of low back pain, which inflicts more global disability than any other condition. Although IDD was deemed to be a natural process that comes with ageing, a growing body of evidence suggested that both genetic and environmental factors could modify the development of IDD. In this connection, aberrant function of nucleus pulposus cells has been implicated in IDD pathogenesis. Circular RNAs are a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs that play crucial regulatory roles in diverse cellular processes. Recently, deregulation of circRNAs in nucleus pulposus cells was found to functionally participate in IDD development. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the deregulation of circRNAs in IDD in relation to their actions on nucleus pulposus cell functions, including cell proliferation, apoptosis and extracellular matrix synthesis/degradation. The potential clinical utilities of circRNAs as therapeutic targets for the management of IDD are also discussed.

LncRNA CRNDE regulates trophoblast cell proliferation, invasion, and migration via modulating miR-1277

Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy-specific syndrome and contributes to maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, but the underlying mechanisms of PE remain indistinct. This study aims to investigate the functional role of LncRNA CRNDE in PE pathogenesis and its effects on trophoblasts. mRNA levels of CRNDE and miR-1277 in placenta tissues and HTR-8/SVneo cells were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Western blot was carried out to evaluate protein level of E-cadherin, β-Catenin, Vimentin, MMP2 and MMP9. Cell proliferation was assessed by using CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay, whereas cell migration and invasion were evaluated by wound healing assay and transwell assay, respectively. Moreover, the interrelation between CRNDE and miR-1277 was verified by dual luciferase reporter assay. The results showed that CRNDE expression was significantly downregulated, whereas miR-1277 expression was significantly upregulated in PE placental tissues. Overexpression of CRNDE facilitated HTR-8/SVneo cell proliferation, migration and invasion, promoted the EMT formation, and increased the protein expression of MMP2 and MMP9, while knockdown of CRNDE had the opposite results. In addition, we also found that miR-1277 was negatively regulated by CRNDE and was a direct target of CRNDE. Furthermore, knockdown of miR-217 promoted HTR-8/SVneo cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, while knockdown of CRNDE reversed the accelerating effects of miR-1277 on HTR-8/SVneo cells. LncRNA CRNDE may suppress trophoblast cell proliferation, migration and invasion at least partly through regulating miR-1277 in trophoblast cells. CRNDE is promising to function as a new target for intervention of PE.