Comparative expression analysis of tRF-3001a and tRF-1003 with corresponding miRNAs (miR-1260a and miR-4521) and their network analysis with breast cancer biomarkers

Biological functions and clinical significance of tRNA-derived small fragment (tsRNA) in tumors: Current state and future perspectives

A new class of noncoding RNAs, tsRNAs are not only abundant in humans but also have high tissue specificity. Recently, an increasing number of studies have explored the correlations between tsRNAs and tumors, showing that tsRNAs can affect biological behaviors of tumor cells, such as proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis, by modulating protein translation, RNA transcription or posttranscriptional regulation. In addition, tsRNAs are widely distributed and stably expressed, which endows them with broad application prospects in diagnosing and predicting the prognosis of tumors, and they are expected to become new biomarkers. However, notably, the current research on tsRNAs still faces problems that need to be solved. In this review, we describe the characteristics of tsRNAs as well as their unique features and functions in tumors. Moreover, we also discuss the potential opportunities and challenges in clinical applications and research of tsRNAs.

The relationship between microRNAs and bladder cancer: are microRNAs useful to predict bladder cancer in suspicious patients?

PURPOSE

Recent studies indicate that circulating micro RNAs (miRNAs) are novel class of non-invasive biomarkers with diagnostic and prognostic information. We evaluated the miRNA expressions in bladder cancer (BC) and their associations with disease diagnosis.

METHODS

We profiled the expressions of 379 miRNAs in the plasma samples from patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) (n = 34) and non-malignant urological diseases as a control group (n = 32). Patients were evaluated regarding with age, miRNA expressions, by using descriptive statistics. miRNA expression in extracted RNA was quantified using the NanoString nCounter Digital Analyzer.

RESULTS

The analysis of plasma miRNA levels in the marker identification cohort indicated that plasma (miR-1260a, let-7a-3p miR-196b-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-99a-5p, miR-615-5p, miR-4301, miR-28-3p, miR-4538, miR-1233-3p, miR-4732-5p, miR-1913, miR-1280) levels were increased in NMIBC patients compared to control subjects. There were no significant differences other parameters studied between groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The analysis of serum plasma miRNA (miR-1260a, let-7a-3p miR-196b-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-99a-5p, miR-615-5p, miR-4301, miR-28-3p, miR-4538, miR-1233-3p, miR-4732-5p, miR-1913, miR-1280) levels could be useful plasma biomarkers for BC.

Emerging roles of tRNA-derived fragments in cancer

tRNA-derived fragments (tRFs) are an emerging category of small non-coding RNAs that are generated from cleavage of mature tRNAs or tRNA precursors. The advance in high-throughput sequencing has contributed to the identification of increasing number of tRFs with critical functions in distinct physiological and pathophysiological processes. tRFs can regulate cell viability, differentiation, and homeostasis through multiple mechanisms and are thus considered as critical regulators of human diseases including cancer. In addition, increasing evidence suggest the extracellular tRFs may be utilized as promising diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for cancer liquid biopsy. In this review, we focus on the biogenesis, classification and modification of tRFs, and summarize the multifaceted functions of tRFs with an emphasis on the current research status and perspectives of tRFs in cancer.

miR-199a: A Tumor Suppressor with Noncoding RNA Network and Therapeutic Candidate in Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death worldwide. miR-199a, which has two mature molecules: miR-199a-3p and miR-199a-5p, plays an important biological role in the genesis and development of tumors. We collected recent research results on lung cancer and miR-199a from Google Scholar and PubMed databases. The biological functions of miR-199a in lung cancer are reviewed in detail, and its potential roles in lung cancer diagnosis and treatment are discussed. With miR-199a as the core point and a divergence outward, the interplay between miR-199a and other ncRNAs is reviewed, and a regulatory network covering various cancers is depicted, which can help us to better understand the mechanism of cancer occurrence and provide a means for developing novel therapeutic strategies. In addition, the current methods of diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer are reviewed. Finally, a conclusion was drawn: miR-199a inhibits the development of lung cancer, especially by inhibiting the proliferation, infiltration, and migration of lung cancer cells, inhibiting tumor angiogenesis, increasing the apoptosis of lung cancer cells, and affecting the drug resistance of lung cancer cells. This review aims to provide new insights into lung cancer therapy and prevention.