miR-130b is an EMT-related microRNA that targets DICER1 for aggression in endometrial cancer

Angiogenesis and prostate cancer: MicroRNAs comes into view

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is an important stage in the growth of cancer. Extracellular matrix, endothelial cells, and soluble substances must be carefully coordinated during the multistep procedure of angiogenesis. Inducers and inhibitors have been found to control pretty much every phase. In addition to benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and angiogenesis have a critical role in the initiation and progression of prostate cancer. MicroRNA (miRNA) is endogenous, short, non-coding RNA molecules of almost 22 nucleotides play a role in regulating cellular processes and regulating several genes' expression. Through controlling endothelial migration, differentiation, death, and cell proliferation, miRNAs have a significant function in angiogenesis. A number of pathological and physiological processes, particularly prostate cancer's emergence, depend on the regulation of angiogenesis. Investigating the functions played with miRNAs in angiogenesis is crucial because it might result in the creation of novel prostate cancer therapies that entail regulating angiogenesis. The function of several miRNAs and its targeting genes engaged in cancer of the prostate angiogenesis will be reviewed in this review in light of the most recent developments. The potential clinical utility of miRNAs potentially a novel therapeutic targets will also be explored, as well as their capacity to control prostate cancer angiogenesis and the underlying mechanisms.

Overexpression Pattern of miR-301b in Osteosarcoma and Its Relevance with Osteosarcoma Cellular Behaviors via Modulating SNX10

Prior studies have noted the importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) in development and progression of osteosarcoma (OS), but the influence of miR-301b is less investigated. This investigation aimed to explore the biological role of miR-301b/SNX10 in OS. GSE28423 and GSE28424 arrays delivered the corresponding miR-301b and sorting nexin 10 (SNX10) expression levels in OS samples. miR-301b and SNX10 expressions were also measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting in cells. Cell counting kit (CCK)-8 and transwell analysis were applied to measure cell characteristics. Luciferase reporter assay and Pearson correlation analysis were used to detect the relevance between miR-301b and SNX10. miR-301b was extremely increased in OS tissues compared with normal tissues, while SNX10 was decreased. The proliferation, invasion, and migration capabilities were limited following a low expression level of miR-301b whereas miR-301b overexpression promoted cellular malignant behaviors. miR-301b negatively targeted SNX10. The elevated SNX10 expression highlighted the inhibitory function on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in OS cells treated by miR-301b inhibitor. Reduction of miR-301b induced the decrease of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related markers including N-cadherin, Vimentin, and matrix metallo-proteinase 9 (MMP)9. These results are added to the complete expanding field of the potential effects of miR-301b in OS cell malignant behaviors and demonstrate its promising role for further use to treat human OS.

APE1 controls DICER1 expression in NSCLC through miR-33a and miR-130b

Increasing evidence suggests different, not completely understood roles of microRNA biogenesis in the development and progression of lung cancer. The overexpression of the DNA repair protein apurinic/apyrimidinic endodeoxyribonuclease 1 (APE1) is an important cause of poor chemotherapeutic response in lung cancer and its involvement in onco-miRNAs biogenesis has been recently described. Whether APE1 regulates miRNAs acting as prognostic biomarkers of lung cancer has not been investigated, yet. In this study, we analyzed miRNAs differential expression upon APE1 depletion in the A549 lung cancer cell line using high-throughput methods. We defined a signature of 13 miRNAs that strongly correlate with APE1 expression in human lung cancer: miR-1246, miR-4488, miR-24, miR-183, miR-660, miR-130b, miR-543, miR-200c, miR-376c, miR-218, miR-146a, miR-92b and miR-33a. Functional enrichment analysis of this signature revealed its biological relevance in cancer cell proliferation and survival. We validated DICER1 as a direct functional target of the APE1-regulated miRNA-33a-5p and miR-130b-3p. Importantly, IHC analyses of different human tumors confirmed a negative correlation existing between APE1 and Dicer1 protein levels. DICER1 downregulation represents a prognostic marker of cancer development but the mechanisms at the basis of this phenomenon are still completely unknown. Our findings, suggesting that APE1 modulates DICER1 expression via miR-33a and miR-130b, reveal new mechanistic insights on DICER1 regulation, which are of relevance in lung cancer chemoresistance and cancer invasiveness.

The Role of miRNAs in the Regulation of Endometrial Cancer Invasiveness and Metastasis-A Systematic Review

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common genital cancer in women with increasing death rates. MiRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression on the post-transcriptional levels. Multiple studies demonstrated a fundamental role of miRNAs in the regulation of carcinogenesis. This systematic review is a comprehensive overview of the role of miRNAs in the regulation of cancer cell invasiveness and metastasis in EC. The literature was searched for studies investigating the role of miRNAs in the regulation of invasiveness and metastasis in EC. We explored PubMed, Embase, and Scopus using the following keywords: miRNA, metastasis, invasiveness, endometrial cancer. Data were collected from 163 articles that described the expression and role of 106 miRNAs in the regulation of EC invasiveness and metastasis out of which 63 were tumor suppressor miRNAs, and 38 were oncomiRNAs. Five miRNAs had a discordant role in different studies. Moreover, we identified 66 miRNAs whose expression in tumor tissue or concentration in serum correlated with at least one clinical parameter. These findings suggest a crucial role of miRNAs in the regulation of EC invasiveness and metastasis and present them as potential prognostic factors for patients with EC.

Predicting the radiosensitivity of HPV-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma using miR-130b

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-negative oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma shows a higher rate of radiation resistance than HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC). Radioresistant HPV-negative OPSCC is associated with unfavourable outcomes, but validated prognostic biomarkers remain lacking.

AIMS/OBJECTIVES

This study investigated biomarkers for radioresistant HPV-negative OPSCC.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas included miRNA sequence and mRNA sequence data from 528 HNSCC tumours. Of these, we used gene expression data for HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma for which data were available on the effects of radiation, and compared miRNA sequence and mRNA sequence data between radioresistant and radiosensitive groups. We subsequently estimated downstream miRNA from the results. Finally, we validated miRNAs related to the outcomes of radiotherapy in our clinical cases.

RESULTS

Investigation of miRNA sequence revealed expression of miR-130b as the greatest difference between radiosensitive and radioresistant groups. We subsequently evaluated miR-130b expression in our clinical OPSCC cases. Values of miR-130b >5.372 (low expression), determined from receiver operating characteristic curve analyses, were associated with significantly longer progression-free survival and overall survival (p = .006, p = .04, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE

Our results suggest that miR-130b has potential as a biomarker for the radiosensitivity of HPV-negative OPSCC.

Exosomal miR-130b-3p Promotes Progression and Tubular Formation Through Targeting PTEN in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), accounting for two-thirds of head and neck cancer, is characterized by poor prognosis and a high rate of mortality. Exosomes have emerged as potential molecule-shuttle in intercellular communication, thereby regulating the physiological processes of recipient cells. To date, the effect of exosomal microRNAs (miRNAs) on the progression of OSCC has not been fully investigated. In this study, we found that the protein, but not mRNA expression of Phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) was decreased in OSCC. The results revealed that miR-130b-3p was an important negative regulator for PTEN expression. Additionally, overexpression and knockdown of miR-130b-3p enhanced and inhibited angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), respectively. Also, miR-130b-3p was transferred by exosomes to HUVECs and then promoted angiogenesis and inhibit the expression of PTEN. Furthermore, exosomal miR-130b-3p derived from OSCC cells promoted tumor growth and blood vessel formation in the xenograft mice model. Taken together, we demonstrated that exosome-mediated miR-130b-3p promoted progression and tubular formation in OSCC in vitro and in vivo. These results would provide new insight into exploring biomarkers and effective therapeutic strategies for OSCC.

Small Non-Coding-RNA in Gynecological Malignancies

Gynecologic malignancies, which include cancers of the cervix, ovary, uterus, vulva, vagina, and fallopian tube, are among the leading causes of female mortality worldwide, with the most prevalent being endometrial, ovarian, and cervical cancer. Gynecologic malignancies are complex, heterogeneous diseases, and despite extensive research efforts, the molecular mechanisms underlying their development and pathology remain largely unclear. Currently, mechanistic and therapeutic research in cancer is largely focused on protein targets that are encoded by about 1% of the human genome. Our current understanding of 99% of the genome, which includes noncoding RNA, is limited. The discovery of tens of thousands of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), possessing either structural or regulatory functions, has fundamentally altered our understanding of genetics, physiology, pathophysiology, and disease treatment as they relate to gynecologic malignancies. In recent years, it has become clear that ncRNAs are relatively stable, and can serve as biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis, as well as guide therapy choices. Here we discuss the role of small non-coding RNAs, i.e., microRNAs (miRs), P-Element induced wimpy testis interacting (PIWI) RNAs (piRNAs), and tRNA-derived small RNAs in gynecological malignancies, specifically focusing on ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer.

LncRNA TTN‑AS1 promotes endometrial cancer by sponging miR‑376a‑3p

Increasing research has demonstrated that lncRNAs participate in the development of multiple cancer types. However, the role of TTN‑AS1 in endometrial cancer (EC) remains unknown. The present study aimed to explore the function of titin‑antisense RNA1 (TTN‑AS1) in EC progression and the underlying mechanisms. qRT‑PCR was performed to assess the TTN‑AS1 expression patterns in EC tissues and cell lines. Loss of function experiments were carried out to estimate the effects of TTN‑AS1 on EC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. To reveal the underlying mechanisms, informatics tools were used to predict the targets. Rescue experiments were performed to investigate the TTN‑AS1‑regulated miR‑376a‑3p/pumilio homolog 2 (PUM2) axis involved. The results of the present study revealed that TTN‑AS1 was highly expressed in both EC tissues and cell lines, and TTN‑AS1 knockdown inhibited EC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. With respect to the mechanisms, miR‑376a‑3p was revealed to be targeted by TTN‑AS1, and reversed the effects on EC development induced by TTN‑AS1. In addition, PUM2 was positively regulated by TTN‑AS1, and miR‑376a‑3p mediated the regulation between them. Furtherly, in vivo experiments confirmed the results. Collectively, TTN‑AS1 enhanced EC cell proliferation and metastasis by targeting the miR‑376a‑3p/PUM2 axis, which may shed light on EC diagnosis and treatment.

Treatment of dilated cardiomyopathy in a mouse model of Friedreich's ataxia using N-acetylcysteine and identification of alterations in microRNA expression that could be involved in its pathogenesis

Deficient expression of the mitochondrial protein, frataxin, leads to a deadly cardiomyopathy. Our laboratory reported the master regulator of oxidative stress, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), demonstrates marked down-regulation after frataxin deletion in the heart. This was due, in part, to a pronounced increase in Keap1. To assess if this can be therapeutically targeted, cells were incubated with N-acetylcysteine (NAC), or buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), which increases or decreases glutathione (GSH), respectively, or the NRF2-inducer, sulforaphane (SFN). While SFN significantly (p < 0.05) induced NRF2, KEAP1 and BACH1, NAC attenuated SFN-induced NRF2, KEAP1 and BACH1. The down-regulation of KEAP1 by NAC was of interest, as Keap1 is markedly increased in the MCK conditional frataxin knockout (MCK KO) mouse model and this could lead to the decreased Nrf2 levels. Considering this, MCK KO mice were treated with i.p. NAC (500- or 1500-mg/kg, 5 days/week for 5-weeks) and demonstrated slightly less (p > 0.05) body weight loss versus the vehicle-treated KO. However, NAC did not rescue the cardiomyopathy. To additionally examine the dys-regulation of Nrf2 upon frataxin deletion, studies assessed the role of microRNA (miRNA) in this process. In MCK KO mice, miR-144 was up-regulated, which down-regulates Nrf2. Furthermore, miRNA screening in MCK KO mice demonstrated 23 miRNAs from 756 screened were significantly (p < 0.05) altered in KOs versus WT littermates. Of these, miR-21*, miR-34c*, and miR-200c, demonstrated marked alterations, with functional clustering analysis showing they regulate genes linked to cardiac hypertrophy, cardiomyopathy, and oxidative stress, respectively.

Neferine sensitized Taxol-resistant nasopharygeal carcinoma to Taxol by inhibiting EMT via downregulating miR-130b-5p

Taxol resistance led to the poor survival prognosis in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in tumor chemoresistance. Neferine (NEF) is found to sensitize the cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents, but its effects and mechanisms on NPC Taxol resistance is unclear. In this study, we discovered that Taxol-resistant cell lines 5-8F/Taxol and CNE-1/Taxol had the greater ability to metastasis and the higher expression of EMT markers. Then we found that NEF could inhibit the viability and EMT process in the Taxol-resistant cell lines. Furthermore, we confirmed that NEF could augment therapeutic efficacy of Taxol on NPC Taxol-resistant cell lines. Further through Microarray based analysis, we found that miR-130b-5p was stably down-regulated after treating 5-8F/Taxol with NEF. Later we verified that up-regulation of miR-130b-5p could not only promote the EMT-related migration/invasion, but also impair the inhibition effects of NEF on the EMT-associated metastatic ability and the chemotherapy resistance to Taxol. In conclusion, our results firstly suggested that NEF may enhanced Taxol sensitivity in NPC Taxol-resistant cell lines through inhibition of EMT which mediated by miR-130b-5p downregulation in vitro and in vivo. NEF may be used as a Taxol sensitizer in chemotherapy of NPC.

HOXA-AS2 promotes type I endometrial carcinoma via miRNA-302c-3p-mediated regulation of ZFX

Background

HOXA cluster antisense RNA2 (HOXA-AS2), a long-chain non-coding RNA, plays an important role in the behavior of various malignant tumors. The roles of HOXA-AS2 in endometrial cancer remain unclear.

Methods

We test expression levels of HOXA-AS2, miRNA-302c-3p, the transcription factor zinc finger X-chromosomal protein (ZFX), and the chitinase-like protein YKL-40 in endometrial carcinoma by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Luciferase reporter and qRT-PCR assays were conducted to identify potential binding sites of HOXA-AS2 to miRNA-302c-3p. Cell cycle, migration and invasion ability of endometrial cancer cells were investigated using flow-cytometric analysis, CCK-8 and transwell assays, respectively.

Results

HOXA-AS2 levels were significantly increased in endometrial cancer specimens compared to normal endometrial specimens. Upregulated HOXA-AS2 promoted invasion and proliferation of type I endometrial cancer cells. HOXA-AS2 silenced miRNA-302c-3p by binding to it. MiRNA-302c-3p negatively regulates ZFX and YKL-40. Thus HOXA-AS2 promotes the development of type I endometrial cancer via miRNA-302c-3p-mediated regulation of ZFX.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that HOXA-AS2 can act as a new therapeutic target for type I endometrial cancer.

Mutual suppression between BHLHE40/BHLHE41 and the MIR301B-MIR130B cluster is involved in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of endometrial cancer cells

BHLHE40 and BHLHE41 (BHLHE40/41) are basic helix-loop-helix type transcription factors involved in multiple cell activities including epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). However, the expression mechanism of BHLHE40/41 in EMT remains unclear. In the present study, we showed that the expression levels of BHLHE40/41 were negatively correlated with those of the microRNA (MIR) 130 family in endometrial cancer (EC) specimens. Our in vitro assays indicated that the expression of BHLHE40/41 was suppressed directly by the MIR130 family in a 3'-untranslated region-mediated manner. In EC cells, the MIR130 family promoted EMT and tumor cell invasion by suppressing the expression of BHLHE40/41. We identified the critical promoter region of the MIR301B-MIR130B cluster for its basal transcription by the transcription factor, SP1. We also found that BHLHE40/41 suppressed the expression of MIR301B and MIR130B, and we identified a binding site in the promoter region for BHLHE40/41. This study is the first to report that BHLHE40/41 and the MIR301B-MIR130B cluster suppressed each other to regulate EMT and invasion of EC cells. We propose that BHLHE40/41 and the MIR130 family are excellent markers to predict the progression of EC cases, and that molecular therapy targeting the MIR130 family-BHLHE40/41 axis may effectively control EC extension.

Aberrant expression and mechanism of miR-130b-3p/phosphatase and tensin homolog in nephroblastoma in children

Nephroblastoma is the most common renal tumor in children. Abnormal expression of microRNAs (miRs) has been reported to be involved in the progression of various types of cancers. However, the role and underlying mechanism of miR-130b-3p in nephroblastoma remains unknown. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore the role and possible mechanism of miR-130b-3p in nephroblastoma in children. The present study identified that miR-130b-3p was highly expressed in nephroblastoma tissues obtained from children with nephroblastoma. To better understand the functions and the molecular mechanisms of miR-130b-3p in nephroblastoma, TargetScan was used to identify the potential targets of miR-130b-3p. Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), was identified as a target gene of miR-130b-3p, and it was observed to be downregulated in nephroblastoma. Further analysis indicated that miR-130b-3p inhibitor could significantly reduce cell proliferation, induce apoptosis and suppress the Akt/nuclear factor-κB/survivin signaling pathway in nephroblastoma cells. Notably, all these effects of miR-130b-3p on nephroblastoma cells were reversed by PTEN-small interfering RNA. In summary, the present study suggested that the miR-130b-3p/PTEN axis could serve a critical role in the progression and development of nephroblastoma. It also suggests that miR-130b-3p might be a valuable clinical biomarker and therapeutic target for nephroblastoma in children.

MicroRNA-539 functions as a tumour suppressor in prostate cancer via the TGF-β/Smad4 signalling pathway by down-regulating DLX1

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer‐related death in males, primarily due to its metastatic potential. The present study aims to identify the expression of microRNA‐539 (miR‐539) in PCa and further investigate its functional relevance in PCa progression both in vitro and in vivo. Initially, microarray analysis was conducted to obtain the differentially expressed gene candidates and the regulatory miRNAs, after which the possible interaction between the two was determined. Next, ectopic expression and knock‐down of the levels of miR‐539 were performed in PCa cells to identify the functional role of miR‐539 in PCa pathogenesis, followed by the measurement of E‐cadherin, vimentin, Smad4, c‐Myc, Snail1 and SLUG expression, as well as proliferation, migration and invasion of PCa cells. Finally, tumour growth was evaluated in nude mice through in vivo experiments. The results found that miR‐539 was down‐regulated and DLX1 was up‐regulated in PCa tissues and cells. miR‐539 was also found to target and negatively regulate DLX1 expression, which resulted in the inhibition of the TGF‐β/Smad4 signalling pathway. Moreover, the up‐regulation of miR‐539 or DLX1 gene silencing led to the inhibition of PCa cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and tumour growth, accompanied by increased E‐cadherin expression and decreased expression of vimentin, Smad4, c‐Myc, Snail1 and SLUG. In conclusion, the overexpression of miR‐539‐mediated DLX1 inhibition could potentially impede EMT, proliferation, migration and invasion of PCa cells through the blockade of the TGF‐β/Smad4 signalling pathway, highlighting a potential miR‐539/DLX1/TGF‐β/Smad4 regulatory axis in the treatment of PCa.

miR-142 Suppresses Endometrial Cancer Proliferation In Vitro and In Vivo by Targeting Cyclin D1

Endometrial cancer (EC), a prevalent gynecologic tumor, is a great threat to women. We aimed to explore miR-142's effects on EC and the relevant mechanisms. Cell proliferation was evaluated with MTT, cell counting, and colony formation assay. MRNA abundances of miR-142 and cyclin D1 (CCND1) were examined with quantitative real-time PCR. CCND1 protein level in cells was analyzed with Western blot. miR-142's downstream target was identified with targetscan and luciferase reporter assay. Nude mice were injected subcutaneously with Ishikawa (ISK) cells transfected with or without miR-142 mimics. Ki-67 and CCND1 expressions in tumors of xenograft mice were analyzed with immunohistochemical assay. miR-142 was expressed at a lower level in human EC tumor samples than matched normal tissues, and its mRNA level in EC patients without metastasis was higher than that in patients with metastatic EC. Additionally, low-level miR-142 was closely linked with the poor prognosis of EC patients. miR-142 restricted ISK and HEC-1A cell proliferation. Targetscan and luciferase reporter assay proved the target relationship between miR-142 and CCND1. Moreover, high-level CCND1 was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of EC patients. Besides, miR-142 mimics restricted tumor growth in ISK xenografted mice, as well as inhibited the expression of Ki67 and CCND1 in excised tumors. miR-142 restricted EC proliferation by targeting CCND1.

Insights into the roles of miRNAs; miR-193 as one of small molecular silencer in osteosarcoma therapy

Today, cancer is one of the most common causes of death. Osteosarcoma (OS) is a tumor in long bones and its prevalence is high in teenagers and young people. Among the methods that used to treat cancer, one can name chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy. Since these methods have some disadvantages and they are not absolutely successful, the use of microRNAs (miRNAs) is very useful in diagnosis and treatment of OS. MiRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules, containing 18-25 nucleotides, which are involved in the regulation of gene expression via binding to messenger RNA (mRNA). These RNAs are divided into two classes of suppressors and oncogenes. During OS, there is aberrant expression of several miRNAs. Among these miRNAs are downregulation of miR-193 that has been associated with cancer occurrence. The aim of the current manuscript is to have overview on the treatment approaches of OS with special focus on miR-193.

MiR-130b promotes the progression of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting SASH1

MiR‐130b and SAM and SH3 domain containing 1 (SASH1) play an important role in many types of human cancers. The aim of our research was to study their interactions in the process of the proliferation and aggressiveness of oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) cells. Microarray analysis was done to screen the differentially expressed genes in the ESCC tissues. miR‐130b and SASH1 mRNA levels in the ESCC tissues and cells were detected by qRT‐PCR. Dual luciferase reporter system was used to verify the target relationship between miR‐130b and SASH1. The effects of miR‐130b on SASH1 expression were explored by western blot in KYSE30 and TE1 cell lines. CCK‐8 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell, and wound healing assays were conducted to explore the effects of miR‐130b and SASH1 in vitro. In addition, in vivo experiments were conducted to study the roles of miR‐130b and SASH1. miR‐130b was highly expressed, while SASH1 was the opposite in both the ESCC tissues and cells. The expression of SASH1 was inhibited by the direct binding of miR‐130b. The inhibition of miR‐130b reduced the proliferation and aggressiveness of ESCC cells, while it also induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in the ESCC cells by suppressing SASH1. The in vivo assay suggested that the overexpression of miR‐130b promoted the growth of ESCC tumours. MiR‐130b was up‐regulated in the ESCC tumour tissues and cells, acting as a tumour promoter. A stimulating effect was demonstrated on ESCC cell growth and aggressiveness by suppressing SASH1, which is an anti‐oncogene.

MicroRNA-183 induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promotes endometrial cancer cell migration and invasion in by targeting CPEB1

The aim of this study is to evaluate the ability of microRNA-183 (miR-183) to influence epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis in endometrial cancer (EC) by targeting cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein 1(CPEB1). EC tissues with matched nonmalignant tissues were collected from 208 EC patients. Ishikawa and RL95-2 cells were selected for cell experiments in vitro and each kind of cells were grouped into blank, negative control (NC), miR-183 mimic, miR-183 inhibitor, CPEB1 overexpression, and miR-183 mimic + CPEB1 overexpression groups. Expressions of miR-183, CPEB1, E-cadherin, and Vimentin were determined by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting. Cell viability, colony formation ability, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were assessed by MTT assay, clone formation assay, scratch test, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry. In vivo tumorigenesis of Ishikawa cells was evaluated by tumor formation in nude mice. The miR-183 expression was higher, but the CPEB1 expression was lower in EC tissues than in adjacent nonmalignant tissues. CPEB1 was confirmed as the target of miR-183 by dual-luciferase reporter assay. The miR-183 mimic group had increased cell viability, colony formation ability, cell invasion and migration, tumor volume and weight in nude mice, but decreased cell apoptosis when compared with the blank group. The expression of E-cadherin was down-regulate, but expression of Vimentin was up-regulate in the miR-183 mimic group in comparison with the blank group. In terms of a comparison between the blank group and CPEB1 overexpression group, the CPEB1 overexpression group had suppressed cell viability, colony formation ability, cell invasion and migration, tumor volume and weight, but increased cell apoptosis. The expression of E-cadherin was up-regulated, but the expression of Vimentin was down-regulated in the CPEB1 overexpression group in comparison with the blank group. The miR-183 mimic + CPEB1 overexpression group had higher miR-183 expression than the blank group. These findings indicate that miR-183 induces EMT, inhibits apoptosis, and promotes cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and in vivo tumorigenesis in EC by targeting CPEB1.

Gga-miR-130b-3p inhibits MSB1 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and its downregulation in MD tumor is attributed to hypermethylation

Marek's disease is an oncogenic and lymphoproliferative disease of chickens caused by Marek's disease virus. Hypermethylation or hypomethylation of CpG islands in gene promoter region are involved in the initiation and progression of carcinogenesis. In this study, we analyzed differential methylation levels of upstream region of gga-miR-130b-3p gene between Marek's disease virus-infected tumorous and non-infected spleens. Around the upstream 1 kb of gga-miR-130b-3p gene, two amplicons were designed that covered 616 bp. There were forty-eight CpG sites in this region. CpG sites in this region presented higher methylation level in tumorous spleens compared with that in non-infected ones. There were eight CpG sites significantly hypermethylated in tumorous spleens. The expression level of three DNA methyltransferases including DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b increased and the expression level of Tet ten-eleven translocation protein 2 remarkably decreased in tumorous spleens. Hypermethylation in the upstream region of gga-miR-130b-3p gene might be a direct reason for its downregulation in MD tumorous tissues. Moreover, cell proliferation of Marek's disease lymphoblastoid cell line MDCC-MSB1 was remarkably inhibited at 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 h post-gga-miR-130b-3p-agomir transfection. The transwell migration assay indicated cell number of migration was significantly lower in miRNA agomir transfection group. Matrix metalloproteinases MMP2 and MMP9 are involved in tumor invasion, and their protein levels were significantly downregulated at 72 h post-miRNA-agomir transfection. Collectively, these results indicated that hypermethylation in upstream region of gga-miR-130b-3p gene contributed to its downregulation in tumorous tissues. Gga-miR-130b-3p plays an inhibitory role in lymphomatous cell transformation.

miR-130b-5p promotes proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells via targeting RASAL1

The aim of the present study was to investigate the targeted interaction between microRNA (miR)-130b-5p and RAS protein activator like 1 (RASAL1) gene and elucidate the function of miR-130b-5p in cell proliferation, migration and invasion in gastric cancer. Expression of miR-130b-5p and RASAL1 in seven gastric cell lines was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). MGC803 cells were selected for further study since they exhibited a marked increase in expression of miR-130b-5p accompanied by decreased expression of RASAL1. MGC803 cells were transfected with miR-130b-5p mimics and miR-130b-5p inhibitor using Lipofectamine 2000 for over- and underexpression, respectively, with cells transfected with negative control (NC) sequence as the control. In addition, a luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to evaluate the targeted interaction between miR-130b-5p and RASAL1. Then, alterations in RASAL1 expression were detected by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis following transfection with miR-130b-5p mimics and miR-130b-5p inhibitor. Cell proliferation, colony formation, and migration and invasion ability were detected by MTT, colony formation and Transwell assays, respectively. RASAL1 was demonstrated to be a target gene of miR-130b-5p by luciferase reporter gene assay. In addition, the expression of RASAL1 was significantly lower in MGC803 cells that were transfected with miR-130b-5p mimics and significantly higher in cells transfected with miR-130b-5p inhibitor in comparison with cells transfected with NC (P<0.05). Furthermore, the experimental group transfected with miR-130b-5p mimics manifested significantly higher cell proliferation, increased colony formation and increased migratory and invasive capacities (P<0.05). By contrast, cells transfected with miR-130b-5p inhibitor exhibited significantly lower cell proliferation, decreased colony formation and decreased migratory and invasive capacities, compared with cells transfected with NC (P<0.05). In conclusion, RASAL1 was demonstrated to be a target gene of miR-130b-5p. Overexpression of miR-130b-5p results in promoted proliferation, colony formation and migration and invasion abilities through targeted modulation of RASAL1.

miR-130b, an onco-miRNA in bladder cancer, is directly regulated by NF-κB and sustains NF-κB activation by decreasing Cylindromatosis expression

Persistent activation of NF-κB signaling is closely related to chronic inflammation and tumorigenesis. Commonly, NF-κB signaling is tightly controlled by multiple feedback loops and regulators, such as the deubiquitinases (DUBs). However, in cancer cells, NF-κB may override these feedbacks through special pathways and lead to the sustained activation. In the present study, we demonstrate that in transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of bladder, miR-130b plays an oncogenesis role, it enhanced proliferation, invasion and migration of TCC cell, and was highly correlated with tumor progression. On the other hand, NF-κB directly regulated the transcription of miR-130b by binding with its promoter region. Importantly, we verify that, through deceasing the expression of Cylindromatosis (CYLD), a K63-specific DUB and endogenous blocker of NF-κB signaling, miR-130b can in return sustain the persistent activation of NF-κB, which may promote the malignant progression of TCC. Thus, the present study uncovers a potential signaling transduction in which NF-κB is continuously activated, and may provide a novel therapeutic approach for the clinical management of TCC.

Optimizing prognosis-related key miRNA-target interactions responsible for cancer metastasis

Increasing evidence suggests that the abnormality of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their downstream targets is frequently implicated in the pathogenesis of human cancers, however, the clinical benefit of causal miRNA-target interactions has been seldom studied. Here, we proposed a computational method to optimize prognosis-related key miRNA-target interactions by combining transcriptome and clinical data from thousands of TCGA tumors across 16 cancer types. We obtained a total of 1,956 prognosis-related key miRNA-target interactions between 112 miRNAs and 1,443 their targets. Interestingly, these key target genes are specifically involved in tumor progression-related functions, such as ‘cell adhesion’ and ‘cell migration’. Furthermore, they are most significantly correlated with ‘tissue invasion and metastasis’, a hallmark of metastasis, in ten distinct types of cancer through the hallmark analysis. These results implicated that the prognosis-related key miRNA-target interactions were highly associated with cancer metastasis. Finally, we observed that the combination of these key miRNA-target interactions allowed to distinguish patients with good prognosis from those with poor prognosis both in most TCGA cancer types and independent validation sets, highlighting their roles in cancer metastasis. We provided a user-friendly database named miRNATarget (freely available at http://biocc.hrbmu.edu.cn/miRNATar/), which provides an overview of the prognosis-related key miRNA-target interactions across 16 cancer types.

MicroRNAs in gynecological cancers: Small molecules with big implications

Gynecological cancers (GCs) are often diagnosed at advanced stages, limiting the efficacy of available therapeutic options. Thus, there remains an urgent and unmet need for innovative research for the efficient clinical management of GC patients. Research over past several years has revealed the enormous promise of miRNAs. These small non-coding RNAs can aid in the diagnosis, prognosis and therapy of all major GCs, viz., ovarian cancers, cervical cancers and endometrial cancers. Mechanistic details of the miRNAs-mediated regulation of multiple biological functions are under constant investigation, and a number of miRNAs are now believed to influence growth, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, chemoresistance and the relapse of different GCs. Modulation of tumor microenvironment by miRNAs can possibly explain some of their reported biological effects. miRNA signatures have been proposed as biomarkers for the early detection of GCs, even the various subtypes of individual GCs. miRNA signatures are also being pursued as predictors of response to therapies. This review catalogs the knowledge gained from collective studies, so as to assess the progress made so far. It is time to ponder over the knowledge gained, so that more meaningful pre-clinical and translational studies can be designed to better realize the potential that miRNAs have to offer.

MTDH promotes glioma invasion through regulating miR-130b-ceRNAs

Cell invasion is crucial for high mortality and recurrence rate in glioma. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important step in cancer invasion. Metadherin (MTDH) contributes to EMT in several cancers, but the role and mechanism of MTDH in EMT-like process of glioma remain unknown. Here we demonstrate that MTDH was overexpressed in glioma tissues and cells and induced EMT-like change and invasion of glioma cells. Interestingly, MTDH could modulate the expression of a group of glioma-related miRNAs. In particular, MTDH upregulated miR-130b transcription via acting as a coactivator of NF-kB. MiR-130b promoted EMT-like change and invasion of glioma cells through targeting multiple EMT-related genes, including PTEN, PPP2CA and SMAD7. In addition, PTEN acted as the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) to affect PPP2CA and SMAD7 expression, and inhibited EMT-like change in glioma cells. Furthermore, miR-130b mediated EMT-like change induced by MTDH, and MTDH inhibited the expression levels of PTEN, PPP2CA and SMAD7. Taken together, we reveal a novel mechanism that MTDH induces EMT-like change and invasion of glioma via the regulation of miR-130b-ceRNAs, providing the first direct link between MTDH and miRNAs in cancer cells.

Identification and expression analysis of <i>miR-144-5p</i> and <i>miR-130b-5p</i> in dairy cattle

Abstract. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can coordinate the main pathways involved in innate and adaptive immune responses by regulating gene expression. To explore the resistance to mastitis in cows, miR-144-5p and miR-130b-5p were identified in bovine mammary gland tissue and 14 potential target genes belonging to the chemokine signaling pathway, the arginine and proline metabolism pathway and the mRNA surveillance pathway were predicted. Subsequently, we estimated the relative expression of miR-144-5p and miR-130b-5p in cow mammary tissues by using stem-loop quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that the relative expression of miR-144-5p and miR-130b-5p in the mastitis-infected mammary tissues (n = 5) was significantly downregulated 0.14-fold (p < 0. 01) and upregulated 3.34-fold (p < 0. 01), respectively, compared to healthy tissues (n = 5). Our findings reveal that miR-144-5p and miR-130b-5p may have important roles in resistance to mastitis in dairy cattle.

Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in the Female Reproductive Tract: From Normal Functioning to Disease Pathology

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a physiological process that is vital throughout the human lifespan. In addition to contributing to the development of various tissues within the growing embryo, EMT is also responsible for wound healing and tissue regeneration later in adulthood. In this review, we highlight the importance of EMT in the development and normal functioning of the female reproductive organs (the ovaries and the uterus) and describe how dysregulation of EMT can lead to pathological conditions, such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and carcinogenesis. We also summarize the current literature relating to EMT in the context of ovarian and endometrial carcinomas, with a particular focus on how molecular mechanisms and the tumor microenvironment can govern cancer cell plasticity, therapy resistance, and metastasis.

miR-130b regulates the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of glioma cells via targeting of CYLD

MicroRNAs are short non-coding RNAs that play important roles in gliomas. However, the role of miR-130b in glioma remains unclear. In the present study, miR-130b expression was upregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that the upregulation of miR-130b expression correlated with poor prognoses in glioma patients. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that this upregulation and a high-grade classification were independent factors that both predicted poor outcomes for glioma patients. Dual-luciferase assays identified that the cylindromatosis (CYLD) gene is a direct target of miR-130b. Functional studies demonstrated that a miR-130b mimic significantly promoted the growth and invasion of glioma cells, while also inhibiting apoptosis via selective targeting of CYLD, which was enhanced by CYLD-targeted siRNA. In contrast, a miR‑130b inhibitor suppressed these biological behaviors, and this inhibition was reversed by CYLD-targeted siRNA. These data revealed that miR-130b could act as a novel potential diagnostic biomarker for glioma, while also demonstrating the importance of miR‑130b in the cell proliferation and progression of glioma, indicating that it may serve as a useful therapeutic target for glioma.

Dicer1 dysfunction promotes stemness and aggression in endometrial carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most common gynecological malignancies, but the molecular events involved in the development and progression of endometrial carcinoma remain unclear. Dicer1 and cancer stem cells play important roles in cell motility and survival. This study investigated the role of the let-7 family and Dicer1 in the stemness of endometrial carcinoma cells. We profiled Dicer1 expression in clinical samples and explored its relationship with stem cell-associated markers and clinical parameters. We showed that Dicer1 dysfunction leads to the enrichment of tumor stemness features and tumor aggression both in vitro and in vivo. We also identified the mechanism related to this potential tumor-predisposing phenotype: loss of Dicer1 induced abnormal expression of the let-7 family, which comprises well-known tumor suppressors, thus regulating stemness in endometrial carcinoma cells.

DICER1 regulates endometrial carcinoma invasion via histone acetylation and methylation

Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is one of the most common gynecologic malignancy, but molecular mechanisms of the development and progression of EC remain unclear. Here we showed that the expression of DICER1 was negatively associated with the level of histone methylation, histone acetylation and PRC2 components SUZ12 and EZH2 in EC cells. In addition, knockdown of DICER1 significantly downregulated miR-200b and let-7i, which may then regulate their targets SUZ12 and EZH2. Furthermore, knockdown of DICER1 remarkably suppressed the expression of epithelial cell marker E-cadherin, induced the expression of mesenchymal cell marker Vimentin, and promoted the invasion of EC cells. In conclusion, our data suggest that DICER1 suppresses SUZ12 and EZH2 via affecting their upstream miRNA synthesis, and inhibits epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) and invasion of EC cells via histone modification.

What Is New in the miRNA World Regarding Osteosarcoma and Chondrosarcoma?

Despite the availability of multimodal and aggressive therapies, currently patients with skeletal sarcomas, including osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma, often have a poor prognosis. In recent decades, advances in sequencing technology have revealed the presence of RNAs without coding potential known as non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which provides evidence that protein-coding genes account for only a small percentage of the entire genome. This has suggested the influence of ncRNAs during development, apoptosis and cell proliferation. The discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) in 1993 underscored the importance of these molecules in pathological diseases such as cancer. Increasing interest in this field has allowed researchers to study the role of miRNAs in cancer progression. Regarding skeletal sarcomas, the research surrounding which miRNAs are involved in the tumourigenesis of osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma has rapidly gained traction, including the identification of which miRNAs act as tumour suppressors and which act as oncogenes. In this review, we will summarize what is new regarding the roles of miRNAs in chondrosarcoma as well as the latest discoveries of identified miRNAs in osteosarcoma.

C-Met/miR-130b axis as novel mechanism and biomarker for castration resistance state acquisition

Although a significant subset of prostate tumors remain indolent during the entire life, the advanced forms are still one of the leading cause of cancer-related death. There are not reliable markers distinguishing indolent from aggressive forms. Here we highlighted a new molecular circuitry involving microRNA and coding genes promoting cancer progression and castration resistance. Our preclinical and clinical data demonstrated that c-Met activation increases miR-130b levels, inhibits androgen receptor expression, promotes cancer spreading and resistance to hormone ablation therapy. The relevance of these findings was confirmed on patients' samples and by in silico analysis on an independent patient cohort from Taylor's platform. Data suggest c-Met/miR-130b axis as a new prognostic marker for patients' risk assessment and as an indicator of therapy resistance. Our results propose new biomarkers for therapy decision-making in all phases of the pathology. Data may help identify high-risk patients to be treated with adjuvant therapy together with alternative cure for castration-resistant forms while facilitating the identification of possible patients candidates for anti-Met therapy. In addition, we demonstrated that it is possible to evaluate Met/miR-130b axis expression in exosomes isolated from peripheral blood of surgery candidates and advanced patients offering a new non-invasive tool for active surveillance and therapy monitoring.

miR-130b-3p inhibits cell invasion and migration by targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 in breast carcinoma

Breast carcinoma is the most common malignancy in women, and the incidence rate has increased dramatically in recent years. Metastasis is responsible for most advanced breast cancer mortality, but the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood despite extensive research. Recently, short non-coding RNA molecules, including miRNAs, which mediate changes in signalling pathways, have emerged as metastatic regulators of the breast carcinoma. Previous reports have suggested that miR-130b-3p has both oncogenic and tumour suppressor functions in a cancer type-dependent manner. However, the roles and underlying molecular mechanisms of miR-130b-3p in the development of metastasis in breast carcinoma remain unclear. Here, we reported for the first time that miR-130b-3p was differentially expressed in early-stage non-invasive MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cells and aggressive late-stage MDA-MB-231 cells. In gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, we demonstrated that miR-130b-3p could inhibit breast carcinoma cell invasion and migration by directly targeting the Notch ligand Delta-like 1 (DLL1). Our data also indicated that MMP-9, MMP-13, and VEGF were regulated by miR-130b-3p and may be involved in the inhibition of cell invasion and migration in breast carcinoma. Collectively, our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism of miR-130b-3p and suggest that miR-130b-3p may be a potential target against human breast cancer metastasis.

Genome-Wide Screen of miRNAs and Targeting mRNAs Reveals the Negatively Regulatory Effect of miR-130b-3p on PTEN by PI3K and Integrin β1 Signaling Pathways in Bladder Carcinoma

miRNAs have emerged as promising markers for tumors. However, the underlying mechanism of specific miRNAs in bladder cancer (BC) remains largely unknown. Here, a comprehensive miRNA/mRNA expression profile was executed by microarray assay for four pairs of bladder carcinoma and para-carcinoma tissues from patients with grade 2 (G2) T2. A total of 99 miRNAs and 4416 mRNAs were discovered to be significantly differentially expressed in BC tissues compared with controls. Five microRNAs and two mRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR in 30 pairs of samples, including G1-G3/T1-T4. Subsequently, we constructed a network with the five miRNAs-target mRNAs; gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were utilized to recognize the functions and associated pathways. Moreover, we further found that miR-130b-3p was significantly up-regulated and negatively correlated with phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) expression in bladder cancer tissues. Next, we demonstrated that miR-130b-3p might target PTEN through bioinformatics and dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, we showed that miR-130b-3p could down-regulate PTEN expression, which promoted proliferation, migration, invasion and rearranged cytoskeleton through the activation of the PI3K and integrin β1 signaling pathway in bladder cancer cells. Inversely, miR-130b-3p inhibitors induced apoptosis. Taken together, this research investigated, for the first time, miR-130b-3p by an incorporated analysis of microRNA/mRNA expressions of a genome-wide screen in BC. Our findings suggest that the miR-130b-3p/PTEN/integrin β1 axis could play a critical role in the progression and development of BC and that miR-130b-3p might be a valuable clinical marker and therapeutical target for BC patients.

Mutant p53 induces EZH2 expression and promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition by disrupting p68-Drosha complex assembly and attenuating miR-26a processing

The tumor suppressor p53 and the transcriptional repressor Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) have both been implicated in the regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumor metastasis via their impacts on microRNA expression. Here, we report that mutant p53 (mutp53) promotes EMT in endometrial carcinoma (EC) by disrupting p68-Drosha complex assembly. Overexpression of mutp53 has the opposite effect of wild-type p53 (WTp53), repressing miR-26a expression by reducing pri-miR-26a-1 processing in p53-null EC cells. Re-expression of miR-26a in mutp53 EC cells decreases cell invasion and promotes mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET). Rescuing miR-26a expression also inhibits EZH2, N-cadherin, Vimentin, and Snail expression and induces E-cadherin expression both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, patients with higher serum miR-26a levels have a better survival rate. These results suggest that p53 gain-of-function mutations accelerate EC tumor progression and metastasis by interfering with Drosha and p68 binding and pri-miR-26a-1 processing, resulting in reduced miR-26a expression and EZH2 overexpression.

The future therapy of endometrial cancer: microRNA's functionality, capability, and putative clinical application

PURPOSE

Endometrial cancer (EC) therapy is characterized by the heterogeneity of EC subtypes resulting in unclear clinical behavior as well as in unsatisfactory treatment options. The available biomarkers, such as cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate 3-phosphatase and dual-specificity protein phosphatase (PTEN), and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA) genes alone might not be sufficient, and thus, new predictive and prognostic biomarkers are urgently required. The biomolecule class of microRNA represents a group of endogenously expressed regulatory factors primarily involved in control of pivotal cancer-related mechanisms including cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. Here, we review the current state of science regarding microRNA functionality in EC progression.

MicroRNA-130b promotes lung cancer progression via PPARγ/VEGF-A/BCL-2-mediated suppression of apoptosis

Background

The prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is poor yet mechanistic understanding and therapeutic options remain limited. We investigated the biological and clinical significance of microRNA-130b and its relationship with apoptosis in NSCLC.

Methods

The level of microRNA-130b in relationship with the expression of PPARγ, VEGF-A, BCL-2 and apoptosis were analyzed in 91 lung cancer patient samples using immunohistochemistry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay on tissue microarrays. Gain and loss-of-function studies were performed to investigate the effects of microRNA-130b, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) or vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) on biological functions of lung cancer cells using in vitro and in vivo approaches.

Results

MicroRNA-130b up-regulation conferred unfavorable prognosis of lung cancer patients. Notably, microRNA-130b targeted PPARγ and inhibiting microRNA-130b markedly repressed proliferation, invasion and metastasis of lung cancer cells, leading to increased apoptosis. MicroRNA-130b-dependent biologic effects were due to suppression of PPARγ that in turn activated BCL-2, the key mediator of anti-apoptosis. Administration of microRNA-130b mimic to mouse xenografts promoted tumor growth. In vitro and in vivo, miR-130b enrichment associated with down-regulation of PPARγ, up-regulation of VEGF-A and BCL-2, and decreased apoptosis.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that microRNA-130b promotes lung cancer progression via PPARγ/VEGF-A/BCL-2-mediated suppression of apoptosis. Targeting microRNA-130b might have remarkable therapeutic potential for lung cancer therapy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0382-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

miR-130b targets NKD2 and regulates the Wnt signaling to promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells

miR-130b was significantly up-regulated in osteosarcoma (OS) cells. Naked cuticle homolog 2 (NKD2) inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in OS by suppressing Wnt signaling. We used three miRNA target analysis tools to identify potential targets of miR-130b, and found that NKD2 is a potential target of miR-130b. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that miR-130b might target NKD2 and regulate the Wnt signaling to promote OS growth. We detected the expression of miR-130b and NKD2 mRNA and protein by quantitative Real-Time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot assays, respectively, and found up-regulation of miR-130b and down-regulation of NKD2 mRNA and protein exist in OS cell lines. MTT and flow cytometry assays showed that miR-130b inhibitors inhibit proliferation and promote apoptosis in OS cells. Furthermore, we showed that NKD2 is a direct target of miR-130b, and miR-130b regulated proliferation and apoptosis of OS cells by targeting NKD2. We further investigated whether miR-130b and NKD2 regulate OS cell proliferation and apoptosis by inhibiting Wnt signaling, and the results confirmed our speculation that miR-130b targets NKD2 and regulates the Wnt signaling to promote proliferation and inhibit apoptosis of OS cells. These findings will offer new clues for OS development and progression, and novel potential therapeutic targets for OS.

MicroRNA-130b promotes proliferation and EMT-induced metastasis via PTEN/p-AKT/HIF-1α signaling

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths owing to its high rate of postoperative recurrence and metastasis. New research is continuously identifying novel metastasis-associated oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. miRNAs are noncoding RNAs that regulate protein synthesis post-translationally. miR-130b is one of several miRNAs involved in tumor metastasis. However, the role of miR-130b in HCC remains controversial. Here, we demonstrate that miR-130b is highly expressed in HCC and that it correlates with tumor number, vascular invasion, and TNM stage-important predictors of postoperative recurrence and metastases. Moreover, high levels of miR-130b predicted poor overall and disease-free survival of HCC patients, and in vitro and in vivo research revealed that knockdown or overexpression of miR-130b inhibited and promoted proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells, respectively. We identified PTEN as a direct functional target of miR-130b using miRNA databases and a dual luciferase report assay. Next, using a gain and loss assay and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) relative assays, we show that miR-130b may promote proliferation and EMT-induced metastasis via PTEN/p-AKT/HIF-1α signaling. Collectively, our data suggests that miR-130b may have prognostic value in HCC. Additionally, the miR-130b/PTEN/p-AKT/HIF-1α axis identified in this study provides novel insight into the mechanisms of HCC metastasis, which may facilitate the development of new therapeutics against HCC.

Identification of miR‑130b as an oncogene in renal cell carcinoma

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of renal tumor, which has a poor prognosis. Improvements in understanding the underlying molecular biology of RCC has led to systemic treatments, which have markedly improved patient outcomes. Therefore, it is necessary and worthwhile to identify novel biomarkers for RCC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be important in a wide range of biological and pathological processes, including cell differentiation, migration, growth, proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. Aberrant expression of miRNA‑130b has previously been reported in tumors, however, its role in RCC remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the upregulation of miR‑130b was observed in RCC tissues and cell lines using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis, which was consistent with previous microRNA profiling in RCC. Furthermore, the effects of miR‑130b on cell migration, proliferation and apoptosis were examined using a wound scratch assay, an MTT assay and flow cytometric analysis, respectively. The results demonstrated that the downregulation of miR‑130b by a synthesized inhibitor inhibited cell migration, suppressed cell proliferation and induced RCC cell apoptosis. The present study was the first, to the best of our knowledge, to suggest that miR‑130b may be a promising biomarker for diagnosis and a therapeutic target for the treatment of RCC. Further investigations are required to examine the roles and target genes of miR‑130b in RCC.

miRNAs regulated by estrogens, tamoxifen, and endocrine disruptors and their downstream gene targets

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short (22 nucleotides), single-stranded, non-coding RNAs that form complimentary base-pairs with the 3' untranslated region of target mRNAs within the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and block translation and/or stimulate mRNA transcript degradation. The non-coding miRBase (release 21, June 2014) reports that human genome contains ∼ 2588 mature miRNAs which regulate ∼ 60% of human protein-coding mRNAs. Dysregulation of miRNA expression has been implicated in estrogen-related diseases including breast cancer and endometrial cancer. The mechanism for estrogen regulation of miRNA expression and the role of estrogen-regulated miRNAs in normal homeostasis, reproduction, lactation, and in cancer is an area of great research and clinical interest. Estrogens regulate miRNA transcription through estrogen receptors α and β in a tissue-specific and cell-dependent manner. This review focuses primarily on the regulation of miRNA expression by ligand-activated ERs and their bona fide gene targets and includes miRNA regulation by tamoxifen and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in breast cancer and cell lines.

Up-regulation of miR-130b expression level and down-regulation of miR-218 serve as potential biomarker in the early detection of human osteosarcoma

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) is a primary malignant bone tumor with high morbidity that principally emerges in children and adolescents. MiRNAs regulate a variety of normal physiologic processes and are involved in tumorigenesis and development of multiple malignancies, including OS. This study was aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of miR-130b and miR-218 in osteosarcoma patient.

Methods

We utilized quantitative real-time PCR to evaluate the level of miR-130b and miR-218 expressions in OS patients and normal tissues and their relationship with clinicopathological features and survival in OS patients.

Results

QRT-PCR indicated that miR-130b expression in tumor tissues was strongly elevated than adjacent non-tumor tissues (P < 0.001), while the level of miR-218 expression in osteosarcoma tissues was down-regulated than adjacent non-tumor tissues (P < 0.001). We evaluated the clinical significance of miR-130b and miR-218 in osteosarcoma. Clinical correlation analysis showed that increased expression of miR-130b and decreased expression of miR-218 were significantly associated with advanced tumor stage (x² = 6.285, P < 0.009; x² = 7.172, P < 0.007), distant metastasis (x²  = 5.528; P < 0.001; x² = 4.617, P < 0.001) and size of tumor (x² = 5.01, P = 0.013; x² = 4.271, P = 0.019).

Conclusions

Taken together, our data indicated that high miR-130b level and low level of miR-218 are associated with poor clinicopathological characteristics. Furthermore, miR-130b may play a key role in the progression of osteosarcoma.

The role of miRNAs in endometrial cancer

miRNAs are small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Since their discovery, miRNAs have been associated with every cell function including malignant transformation and metastasis. Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy. However, improvement should be made in interobserver agreement on histological typing and individualized therapeutic approaches. This article summarizes the role of miRNAs in endometrial cancer pathogenesis and treatment.

Clinical significance of microRNA-130b in osteosarcoma and in cell growth and invasion

OBJECTIVE

To investigate clinical significance of microRNA-130b (miR-130b) in osteosarcoma and its role in cell growth and invasion.

METHODS

miR-130b expression was detected in 68 samples of surgically resected osteosarcoma and matched normal tumor-adjacent tissues by qRT-PCR. The expression of miR-130b was altered by corresponding vectors in osteosarcoma cells, and then Western blot was used to detect the expression of PPARγ. BrdU cell proliferation and Transwell assays were performed to determine cell proliferation and invasion.

RESULTS

The expression of miR-130b in osteosarcoma tissues was significantly higher than that in normal tumor-adjacent tissues. Its expression in patients with metastasis was significantly higher than that in those without metastases. miR-130b expression in tumor tissues was significantly associated with tumor size, clinical stage and distant metastasis. And its expression was significantly correlated with overall survival and disease free survival. miR-130b overexpression obviously repressed the expression of PPARγ, and resulted in significant increase of Saos-2 cell proliferation and invasion. On the contrast, repressing miR-130b expression with its inhibitor significantly increased PPARγ expression, and inhibited MG-63 cell proliferation and invasion.

CONCLUSIONS

The high-expression of miR-130b is correlated with the adverse clinicopathological features and poor prognosis in osteosarcoma. miR-130b may regulate proliferation and invasion of osteosarcoma cells by targeting PPARγ, suggesting miR-130b may play a key role in the progression of osteosarcoma.

SUMOylation at K707 of DGCR8 controls direct function of primary microRNA

DGCR8 (DiGeorge syndrome critical region gene 8) is essential for primary microRNA (pri-miRNA) processing in the cell nucleus. It specifically combines with Drosha, a nuclear RNase III enzyme, to form the Microprocessor complex (MC) that cleaves pri-miRNA to precursor miRNA (pre-miRNA), which is further processed to mature miRNA by Dicer, a cytoplasmic RNase III enzyme. Increasing evidences suggest that pri-/pre-miRNAs have direct functions in regulation of gene expression, however the underlying mechanism how it is fine-tuned remains unclear. Here we find that DGCR8 is modified by SUMO1 at the major site K⁷⁰⁷, which can be promoted by its ERK-activated phosphorylation. SUMOylation of DGCR8 enhances the protein stability by preventing the degradation via the ubiquitin proteasome pathway. More importantly, SUMOylation of DGCR8 does not alter its association with Drosha, the MC activity and miRNA biogenesis, but rather influences its affinity with pri-miRNAs. This altered affinity of DGCR8 with pri-miRNAs seems to control the direct functions of pri-miRNAs in recognition and repression of the target mRNAs, which is evidently linked to the DGCR8 function in regulation of tumorigenesis and cell migration. Collectively, our data suggest a novel mechanism that SUMOylation of DGCR8 controls direct functions of pri-miRNAs in gene silencing.

Key nodes of a microRNA network associated with the integrated mesenchymal subtype of high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Metastasis is the main cause of cancer mortality. One of the initiating events of cancer metastasis of epithelial tumors is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), during which cells dedifferentiate from a relatively rigid cell structure/morphology to a flexible and changeable structure/morphology often associated with mesenchymal cells. The presence of EMT in human epithelial tumors is reflected by the increased expression of genes and levels of proteins that are preferentially present in mesenchymal cells. The combined presence of these genes forms the basis of mesenchymal gene signatures, which are the foundation for classifying a mesenchymal subtype of tumors. Indeed, tumor classification schemes that use clustering analysis of large genomic characterizations, like The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), have defined mesenchymal subtype in a number of cancer types, such as high-grade serous ovarian cancer and glioblastoma. However, recent analyses have shown that gene expression-based classifications of mesenchymal subtypes often do not associate with poor survival. This “paradox” can be ameliorated using integrated analysis that combines multiple data types. We recently found that integrating mRNA and microRNA (miRNA) data revealed an integrated mesenchymal subtype that is consistently associated with poor survival in multiple cohorts of patients with serous ovarian cancer. This network consists of 8 major miRNAs and 214 mRNAs. Among the 8 miRNAs, 4 are known to be regulators of EMT. This review provides a summary of these 8 miRNAs, which were associated with the integrated mesenchymal subtype of serous ovarian cancer.

The role of microRNAs in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Epigenetics seem to play a primary role in the current research on the pathogenesis of different types of endometrial cancer. Data so far indicate that microRNAs regulate different pathways that could lead to carcinogenesis when not functioning properly. The aim of this review is to summarize current knowledge on microRNAs that have been associated with endometrial cancer development.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

From July 2014 to August 2014, we conducted a comprehensive research utilizing major online search engines (Pubmed, Crossref, Google Scholar). The main keywords used in our search were endometrial cancer/carcinoma; microRNA; epigenetics; novel biomarkers; pathogenesis.

RESULTS

Overall, we identified 155 studies, although only 77 were eligible for this review. Different miRNAs were identified to contribute either promoting the carcinogenesis in the endometrium or inhibiting different steps of endometrial cancer development. Tumour growth, cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion metastasis have been identified as the main processes where miRNAs seem to be implicated.

CONCLUSIONS

microRNAs are effective regulators of gene expression that has a significant role in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer. Research concerning possible therapeutic implications has been promising, although there is still a significant distance to be covered between research observations and clinical results. Extensive preclinical and translational research is still required to improve the efficacy and minimize unwanted effects of miRNAs-based therapy.

Regulatory network of microRNAs, target genes, transcription factors and host genes in endometrial cancer

Genes and microRNAs (miRNAs) have important roles in human oncology. However, most of the biological factors are reported in disperse form which makes it hard to discover the pathology. In this study, genes and miRNAs involved in human endometrial cancer(EC) were collected and formed into regulatory networks following their interactive relations, including miRNAs targeting genes, transcription factors (TFs) regulating miRNAs and miRNAs included in their host genes. Networks are constructed hierarchically at three levels: differentially expressed, related and global. Among the three, the differentially expressed network is the most important and fundamental network that contains the key genes and miRNAs in EC. The target genes, TFs and miRNAs are differentially expressed in EC so that any mutation in them may impact on EC development. Some key pathways in networks were highlighted to analyze how they interactively influence other factors and carcinogenesis. Upstream and downstream pathways of the differentially expressed genes and miRNAs were compared and analyzed. The purpose of this study was to partially reveal the deep regulatory mechanisms in EC using a new method that combines comprehensive genes and miRNAs together with their relationships. It may contribute to cancer prevention and gene therapy of EC.