Identification and coregulation pattern analysis of long noncoding RNAs following subacute spinal cord injury

miR-135b: A Potential Biomarker for Pathological Diagnosis and Biological Therapy

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of endogenous non-coding RNAs found in eukaryotes with post-transcriptional regulatory functions. A variety of miRNAs is differentially expressed in cancer tissues and thus can be used as biomarkers. microRNA-135b-5p (miR-135b) has been shown to be involved in the pathological processes of a variety of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. Under different conditions, miR-135b has different tumor suppressive and carcinogenic effects. miR-135b regulates the development of cancer, including metabolism, proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, fibrosis, angiogenesis, immunomodulation, and drug resistance. miR-135b can be used as a new biomarker for tumor diagnosis and prognosis, which has the potential for clinical guidance. This article reviews the relevant research on miR-135B in the field of tumors, including the biogenesis background of miR-135b, the expression of miR-135b in tumors, and the related targets and signaling pathways of miR-135b mediating tumor progression in order to sort out and explore the clinical transformation value of miR-135b.

Lentivirus-mediated overexpression of netrin-1/DCC co-expression promotes axonal regeneration and functional recovery in spinal cord injury via the inhibition of the NgR1-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway

Spinal cord injury (SCI) seriously affects the health of humans and quality of life, causing disabilities. Due to the ever-increasing traffic and cases of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, the incidence of SCI increases every year, thus causing a huge economic burden to society and patients. The lack of neurotrophic factors in the area affected by SCI and the presence of inhibitory factors for axonal regeneration are important reasons that make spinal cord regeneration and repair extremely difficult. Additionally, the correct projection of axons also plays an important role. As Netrin-1 is a signaling factor that guides axon growth, in this study, to determine whether Netrin-1 can promote axonal regeneration after binding to the receptor DCC following SCI, a Netrin-1/DCC co-expression recombinant lentiviral vector was constructed. This vector was used to assess the effect of Netrin-1 on the NgR1-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway in an SCI model constructed in this study. Our results suggested that Netrin-1 exerts neuroprotective effects by inhibiting the NgR1-RhoA-ROCK signaling pathway after binding to its receptor DCC.

CircRNA CDR1as affects functional repair after spinal cord injury and regulates fibrosis through the SMAD pathway

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex problem in modern medicine. Fibroblast activation and fibroscarring after SCI impede nerve recovery. Non-coding RNA plays an important role in the progression of many diseases, but the study of its role in the progression of spinal fibrosis is still emerging. Here, we investigated the function of circular RNAs, specifically antisense to the cerebellar degeneration-related protein 1 (CDR1as), in spinal fibrosis and characterized its molecular mechanism and pathophysiology. The presence of CDR1as in the spinal cord was verified by sequencing and RNA expression assays. The effects of inhibition of CDR1as on scar formation, inflammation and nerve regeneration after spinal cord injury were investigated in vivo and in vitro. Further, gene expression of miR-7a-5p and protein expression of transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor II (TGF-βR2) were measured to evaluate their predicted interactions with CDR1as. The regulatory effects and activation pathways were subsequently verified by miR-7a-5p inhibitor and siCDR1as. These results indicate that CDR1as/miR-7a-5p/TGF-βR2 interactions may exert scars and nerves functions and suggest potential therapeutic targets for treating spinal fibrotic diseases.

Identification and coregulation pattern analysis of long noncoding RNAs in the mouse brain after Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection

BACKGROUND

Angiostrongyliasis is a highly dangerous infectious disease. Angiostrongylus cantonensis larvae migrate to the mouse brain and cause symptoms, such as brain swelling and bleeding. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are novel targets for the control of parasitic infections. However, the role of these molecules in A. cantonensis infection has not been fully clarified.

METHODS

In total, 32 BALB/c mice were randomly divided into four groups, and the infection groups were inoculated with 40 A. cantonensis larvae by gavage. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and RNA library construction were performed on brain tissues from infected mice. Differential expression of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and mRNAs in brain tissues was identified by high-throughput sequencing. The pathways and functions of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were determined by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) analyses. The functions of the differentially expressed lncRNAs were further characterized by lncRNA‒microRNA (miRNA) target interactions. The potential host lncRNAs involved in larval infection of the brain were validated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‒PCR).

RESULTS

The pathological results showed that the degree of brain tissue damage increased with the duration of infection. The transcriptome results showed that 859 lncRNAs and 1895 mRNAs were differentially expressed compared with those in the control group, and several lncRNAs were highly expressed in the middle-late stages of mouse infection. GO and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the differentially expressed target genes were enriched mainly in immune system processes and inflammatory response, among others, and several potential regulatory networks were constructed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study revealed the expression profiles of lncRNAs in the brains of mice after infection with A. cantonensis. The lncRNAs H19, F630028O10Rik, Lockd, AI662270, AU020206, and Mexis were shown to play important roles in the infection of mice with A. cantonensis infection.

Research Progress of Long Non-coding RNAs in Spinal Cord Injury

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can result in a partial or complete loss of motor and sensory function below the injured segment, which has a significant impact on patients' quality of life and places a significant social burden on them. Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) is a 200-1000 bp non-coding RNA that has been shown to have a key regulatory role in the progression of a variety of neurological illnesses. Many studies have demonstrated that differentially expressed LncRNAs following spinal cord injury can participate in inflammatory damage, apoptosis, and nerve healing by functioning as competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA); at the same time, it has a significant regulatory effect on sequelae such neuropathic pain. As a result, we believe that LncRNAs could be useful as a molecular regulatory target in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of spinal cord injury.