LncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 Serves as a Prognosis Biomarker for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer and Promotes Cellular Function by Targeting miR-490-3p

CCDC144NL-AS1/hsa-miR-143-3p/HMGA2 interaction: In-silico and clinically implicated in CRC progression, correlated to tumor stage and size in case-controlled study; step toward ncRNA precision

Unravel the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 in CRC hsa-miR-143-3p, downstream protein HMGA2 interaction arm, association with clinicopathological characteristics. Using peripheral blood as liquid biopsy from 60 CRC patients and 30 controls. The expression levels of CCDC144NL-AS1 and hsa-miR-143-3p detected by qRT-PCR. CCDC144NL-AS1 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC patients' sera, associated with worse CRC clinicopathological features regarding the depth of tumor invasion and highly significant difference between tumor stages 3 and 4 and tumor stages 2 and 4. While, hsa-miR-143-3p expression was downregulated in CRC patients by 4.5-fold change when compared to the control subjects (p < 0.0001) and HMGA2 increased in CRC patients than controls 19.59 ng/μL and 5.377 ng/μL, respectively (p < 0.0001) with significant difference between tumor stages 3 and 4 as well as tumor stages 2 and 4. CRC patients with large tumor size showed upregulation in CCDC144NL-AS1 expression and HMGA2 levels compared to those with small tumor size (p-value = 0.0365 and 0.013, respectively). CCDC144NL-AS1 and HMGA2 were positively correlated, whereas lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 and hsa-miR-143-3p were negatively correlated. Conclusion: As an interaction arm CCDC144NL-AS1/hsa-miR-143-3p/HMGA2 were correlated to CRC stages 2-4. Therefore, this interaction arm expression clinically and in silico approved, would direct treatment precision in the near future.

LncRNAs in non-small cell lung cancer: novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main causes of cancer-related death worldwide, with a serious impact on human health and life. The identification of NSCLC at an early stage is a formidable task that frequently culminates in a belated diagnosis. LncRNA is a kind of noncoding RNA with limited protein-coding capacity, and its expression is out of balance in many cancers, especially NSCLC. A large number of studies have reported that lncRNA acts a vital role in regulating angiogenesis, invasion, metastasis, and the proliferation and apoptosis of tumor cells, affecting the occurrence and development of NSCLC. Abundant evidence demonstrates that lncRNAs may serve as potential biomarkers for NSCLC diagnosis and prognosis. In this review, we summarize the latest progress in characterizing the functional mechanism of lncRNAs involved in the development of NSCLC and further discuss the role of lncRNAs in NSCLC therapy and chemotherapy resistance. We also discuss the advantages, limitations, and challenges of using lncRNAs as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers in the management of NSCLC.

Study on the Regulation of Trophoblast Activity by Abnormally Expressed lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 in Patients with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common complication in pregnant women. The growth and differentiation of trophoblast cells determine the function of the placenta, and therefore further affect the transport of nutrients to the fetus. lncRNA Coiled-Coil Domain Containing 144 N-Terminal-Like antisense1 (CCDC144NL-AS1) was reported to be abnormally expressed in GDM, but its function and mechanism remain undefined. This study aimed to reveal the expression of CCDC144NL-AS1 in GDM and evaluate its significance in disease development. The expression of CCDC144NL-AS1 in serum and placenta tissues of GDM patients and healthy pregnant women was evaluated using PCR. The effect of CCDC144NL-AS1 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells was evaluated with CCK8 and Transwell assay. The mechanism of the interaction between CCDC144NL-AS1 and miR-143-3p was assessed by luciferase reporter assay and cell transfection. CCDC144NL-AS1 was upregulated in GDM patients, which discriminated GDM patients from healthy pregnant women with high sensitivity and specificity and was positively correlated with the insulin resistance indexes. In trophoblast cells, high glucose exposure induced increased CCDC144NL-AS1 and suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Silencing CCDC144NL-AS1 could alleviate the inhibitory effect of high glucose, while the knockdown of miR-143-3p reversed the effect of CCDC144NL-AS1. In conclusion, upregulated CCDC144NL-AS1 served as a diagnostic biomarker of GDM and regulated the development of trophoblast cells via negatively modulating miR-143-3p.

LncRNA FAM138B inhibits the progression of non-small cell lung cancer through miR-105-5p

As a type of lung cancer, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has the characteristics of high mortality and high recurrence rate, which poses a great threat to human life and health. Due to the high risk of surgical treatment and the slow recovery of wounds, non-coding RNAs, especially lncRNAs are used as new potential clinical prognostic markers to prevent and treat cancer in advance. This study aims to explore the role of FAM138B in NSCLC and its possibility as a prognostic biomarker. Real-timequantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to detect the expression and overexpression level of lncRNA FAM138B (FAM138B) in cells and tissues. The CCK-8, Transwell migration and invasion methods were performed to observe the cell transfection.The interaction between FAM138B and miR-105-5p was predicted by the bioinformatics tool starBase v2.0, and verified by the luciferase reporter gene experiment. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the prognostic significance of FAM138B in NSCLC. The expression of FAM138B is down-regulated in NSCLC cells and tissues. Overexpression of FAM138B can inhibit the expression level of miR-105-5p in NSCLC cells, and the ability of NSCLC cells to proliferate, migrate and invade is downregulated. FAM138B targets miR-105-5p, and there is a negative correlation between FAM138B and miR-105-5p. It is confirmed that FAM138B inhibits the progression of NSCLC by targeting miR-105-5p and can be a potential prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.

Epigenetic and integrative cross-omics analyses of cerebral white matter hyperintensities on MRI

Cerebral white matter hyperintensities on MRI are markers of cerebral small vessel disease, a major risk factor for dementia and stroke. Despite the successful identification of multiple genetic variants associated with this highly heritable condition, its genetic architecture remains incompletely understood. More specifically, the role of DNA methylation has received little attention. We investigated the association between white matter hyperintensity burden and DNA methylation in blood at ∼450 000 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in 9732 middle-aged to older adults from 14 community-based studies. Single CpG and region-based association analyses were carried out. Functional annotation and integrative cross-omics analyses were performed to identify novel genes underlying the relationship between DNA methylation and white matter hyperintensities. We identified 12 single CpG and 46 region-based DNA methylation associations with white matter hyperintensity burden. Our top discovery single CpG, cg24202936 (P = 7.6 × 10-8), was associated with F2 expression in blood (P = 6.4 × 10-5) and co-localized with FOLH1 expression in brain (posterior probability = 0.75). Our top differentially methylated regions were in PRMT1 and in CCDC144NL-AS1, which were also represented in single CpG associations (cg17417856 and cg06809326, respectively). Through Mendelian randomization analyses cg06809326 was putatively associated with white matter hyperintensity burden (P = 0.03) and expression of CCDC144NL-AS1 possibly mediated this association. Differentially methylated region analysis, joint epigenetic association analysis and multi-omics co-localization analysis consistently identified a role of DNA methylation near SH3PXD2A, a locus previously identified in genome-wide association studies of white matter hyperintensities. Gene set enrichment analyses revealed functions of the identified DNA methylation loci in the blood-brain barrier and in the immune response. Integrative cross-omics analysis identified 19 key regulatory genes in two networks related to extracellular matrix organization, and lipid and lipoprotein metabolism. A drug-repositioning analysis indicated antihyperlipidaemic agents, more specifically peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha, as possible target drugs for white matter hyperintensities. Our epigenome-wide association study and integrative cross-omics analyses implicate novel genes influencing white matter hyperintensity burden, which converged on pathways related to the immune response and to a compromised blood-brain barrier possibly due to disrupted cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. The results also suggest that antihyperlipidaemic therapy may contribute to lowering risk for white matter hyperintensities possibly through protection against blood-brain barrier disruption.

Decreased Expression of a Novel lncRNA FAM181A-AS1 is Associated with Poor Prognosis and Immune Infiltration in Lung Adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

There is no clear information regarding the role of FAM181A antisense RNA 1 (FAM181A-AS1) in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). We explored the relationship between FAM181A-AS1 and LUAD using bioinformatics analysis and experimental validation in this study.

METHODS

Statistics and databases were used to evaluate the relationship between clinical features in LUAD patients and FAM181A-AS1 expression, prognostic factors, regulation network, and immune infiltration of FAM181A-AS1 in function. LUAD cell lines were tested for FAM181A-AS1 expression using qRT-PCR.

RESULTS

FAM181A-AS1 showed significantly low expression in LUAD patients. Low FAM181A-AS1 expression predicted a poorer overall survival (OS) (HR: 0.66; 95% CI: 0.49-0.88; P=0.005) and disease specific survival (DSS) (HR: 0.64; 95% CI: 0.44-0.92; P=0.017) of LUAD patients. There was also an independent correlation between low FAM181A-AS1 expression (HR: 0.547; 95% CI: 0.350-0.857; P=0.008) and OS in LUAD patients. The FAM181A-AS1 high-expression phenotype was differentially enriched for M phase, cellular senescence, cell cycle checkpoints, chromatin modifying enzymes, ESR-mediated signaling, DNA repair, G2/M checkpoints, HCMV infection, and DNA double-strand break repair. A correlation was found between the expression of FAM181A-AS1 and immune infiltrating cells. A significant decrease in FAM181A-AS1 expression was observed in LUAD cell lines compared to Beas-2B.

CONCLUSION

There was a significant association between low FAM181A-AS1 expression in LUAD patients and poor survival and immune infiltration. The FAM181A-AS1 gene may provide a useful biomarker for LUAD prognosis and immunotherapy response.

The mechanism of lncRNAs in the crosstalk between epithelial-mesenchymal transition and tumor microenvironment for early colon adenocarcinoma based on molecular subtyping

A large number of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients are already advanced when diagnosed. In this study, we aimed to further understand the mechanism of tumor development in early COAD by focusing on epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Expression profiles of early COAD patients were obtained from public databases. EMT-related lncRNAs were used as a basis for constructing molecular subtypes through unsupervised consensus clustering. Genomic features, pathways and tumor microenvironment (TME) were compared between two subtypes. LncATLAS database was applied to analyze the relation between lncRNAs and transcription factors (TFs). First order partial correlation analysis was conducted to identify key EMT-related lncRNAs.C1 and C2 subtypes with distinct prognosis were constructed. Oncogenic pathways such as EMT, KRAS signaling, JAK-STAT signaling, and TGF-β signaling were significantly enriched in C2 subtype. Higher immune infiltration and expression of immune checkpoints were also observed in C2 subtype, suggesting the key EMT-related lncRNAs may play a critical role in the modulation of TME. In addition, JAK-STAT signaling pathway was obviously enriched in upregulated TFs in C2 subtype, which indicated a link between key lncRNAs and JAK-STAT signaling that may regulate TME. The study further expanded the research on the role of EMT-related lncRNAs in the early COAD. The six identified EMT-related lncRNAs could serve as biomarkers for early screening COAD.

LncRNA-miRNA axis in tumor progression and therapy response: An emphasis on molecular interactions and therapeutic interventions

Epigenetic factors are critical regulators of biological and pathological mechanisms and they could interact with different molecular pathways. Targeting epigenetic factors has been an idea approach in disease therapy, especially cancer. Accumulating evidence has highlighted function of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as epigenetic factors in cancer initiation and development and has focused on their association with downstream targets. microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most well-known targets of lncRNAs and present review focuses on lncRNA-miRNA axis in malignancy and therapy resistance of tumors. LncRNA-miRNA regulates cell death mechanisms such as apoptosis and autophagy in cancers. This axis affects tumor metastasis via regulating EMT and MMPs. Besides, lncRNA-miRNA axis determines sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy. Based on the studies, lncRNAs can be affected by drugs and genetic tools in cancer therapy and this may affect expression level of miRNAs as their downstream targets, leading to cancer suppression/progression. LncRNAs have both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressor functions in cancer and this unique function of lncRNAs has complicated their implication in tumor therapy. LncRNA-miRNA axis can also affect other signaling networks in cancer such as PI3K/Akt, STAT3, Wnt/β-catenin and EZH2 among others. Notably, lncRNA/miRNA axis can be considered as a signature for diagnosis and prognosis in cancers.

Interactome battling of lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1: Its role in the emergence and ferocity of cancer and beyond

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) were, once, viewed as "noise" for transcription. Recently, many lncRNAs are functionally linked to several human disorders, including cancer. Coiled-Coil Domain Containing 144 N-Terminal-Like antisense1 (CCDC144NL-AS1) is a newly discovered cytosolic lncRNA. Aberrant CCDC144NL-AS1 expression was discovered in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), ovarian cancer (OC), gastric cancer (GC), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and osteosarcoma. CCDC144NL-AS1 could be a promising prognostic biological marker and therapeutic target for cancer. In this review, we will collect and highlight the available information about CCDC144NL-AS1 role in various cancers. Moreover, we will discuss the diagnostic and prognostic utility of CCDC144NL-AS1 as a new molecular biomarker for several human malignancies, besides its potential therapeutic importance.

Thymic epithelial tumors: examining the GTF2I mutation and developing a novel prognostic signature with LncRNA pairs to predict tumor recurrence

Background

General transcription factor IIi (GTF2I) mutations are very common in thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) and are related to a more favorable prognosis in TET patients. However, limited research has been conducted on the role of GTF2I in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME). Further, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been associated with the survival of patients with TETs. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the relationship between GTF2I mutations and TIME and build a new potential signature for predicting tumor recurrence in the TETs. Research data was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and the CIBERSORT algorithm was used to evaluate TIME differences between GTF2I mutant and wild-type TETs. Relevant differentially expressed lncRNAs based on differentially expressed immune-related genes were identified to establish lncRNA pairs. We constructed a signature using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses.

Results

GTF2I is the most commonly mutated gene in TETs, and is associated with an increased number of early-stage pathological types, as well as no history of myasthenia gravis or radiotherapy treatment. In the GTF2I wild-type group, immune score and immune cell infiltrations with M2 macrophages, activated mast cells, neutrophils, plasma, T helper follicular cells, and activated memory CD4 T cells were higher than the GTF2I mutant group. A risk model was built using five lncRNA pairs, and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year area under the curves were 0.782, 0.873, and 0.895, respectively. A higher risk score was related to more advanced histologic type.

Conclusion

We can define the GTF2I mutant-type TET as an immune stable type and the GTF2I wild-type as an immune stressed type. A signature based on lncRNA pairs was also constructed to effectively predict tumor recurrence.

Silencing of circCYP51A1 represses cell progression and glycolysis by regulating miR-490-3p/KLF12 axis in osteosarcoma under hypoxia

•

CircCYP51A1 was up-regulated in osteosarcoma cells under hypoxia.

•

CircCYP51A1 mediated KLF12 expression through sponging miR-490-3p.

•

Under hypoxia condition, circCYP51A1 knockdown inhibited cell progression and glycolysis by regulating miR-490-3p/ KLF12 axis.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Current treatments for non-small cell lung cancer

Despite improved methods of diagnosis and the development of different treatments, mortality from lung cancer remains surprisingly high. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the large majority of lung cancer cases. Therefore, it is important to review current methods of diagnosis and treatments of NSCLC in the clinic and preclinic. In this review, we describe, as a guide for clinicians, current diagnostic methods and therapies (such as chemotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, targeted therapy, antiangiogenic therapy, immunotherapy, and combination therapy) for NSCLC.

Long non-coding RNAs and exosomal lncRNAs: Potential functions in lung cancer progression, drug resistance and tumor microenvironment remodeling

Among the different kinds of tumors threatening human life, lung cancer is one that is commonly observed in both males and females. The aggressive behavior of lung cancer and interactions occurring in tumor microenvironment enhances the malignancy of this tumor. The lung tumor cells have demonstrated capacity in developing chemo- and radio-resistance. LncRNAs are a category of non-coding RNAs that do not encode proteins, but their aberrant expression is responsible for tumor development, especially lung cancer. In the present review, we focus on both lncRNAs and exosomal lncRNAs in lung cancer, and their ability in regulating proliferation and metastasis. Cell cycle progression and molecular mechanisms related to lung cancer metastasis such as EMT and MMPs are regulated by lncRNAs. LncRNAs interact with miRNAs, STAT, Wnt, EZH2, PTEN and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways to affect progression of lung cancer cells. LncRNAs demonstrate both tumor-suppressor and tumor-promoting functions in lung cancer. They can be considered as biomarkers in lung cancer and especially exosomal lncRNAs present in body fluids are potential tools for minimally invasive diagnosis. Furthermore, we discuss regulation of lncRNAs by anti-cancer drugs and genetic tools as well as the role of these factors in therapy response of lung cancer cells.

A New Strategy to Identify ceRNA-Based CCDC144NL-AS1/SERPINE1 Regulatory Axis as a Novel Prognostic Biomarker for Stomach Adenocarcinoma via High Throughput Transcriptome Data Mining and Computational Verification

Stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the most malignant cancers that endanger human health. There is growing evidence that competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory networks play an important role in various human tumors. However, the complexity and behavioral characteristics of the ceRNA network in STAD are still unclear. In this study, we constructed a ceRNA regulatory network to identify the potential prognostic biomarkers associated with STAD. The expression profile of lncRNA, miRNA, and mRNA was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). After performing bioinformatics analysis, the CCDC144NL-AS1/hsa-miR-145-5p/SERPINE1 ceRNA network associated to STAD prognosis of STAD was obtained. The CCDC144NL-AS1/SERPINE1 axis in the ceRNA network was identified by correlation analysis and considered as a clinical prognosis model by Cox regression analysis. In addition, methylation analysis indicated that the abnormal upregulation of CCDC144NL-AS1/SERPINE1 axis might be related to the aberrant methylation of some sites, and immune infiltration analysis suggested that CCDC144NL-AS1/SERPINE1 axis probably influences the alteration of tumor immune microenvironment and the occurrence and development of STAD. In particular, the CCDC144NL-AS1/SERPINE1 axis based on the ceRNA network constructed in the present study might be an important novel factor correlating with the diagnosis and prognosis of STAD.

Long noncoding RNASEH1-AS1 exacerbates the progression of non-small cell lung cancer by acting as a ceRNA to regulate microRNA-516a-5p/FOXK1 and thereby activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Till now, no study has focused on the functions of RNASEH1 antisense RNA 1 (RNASEH1-AS1) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Accordingly, we measured the expression of RNASEH1-AS1 in NSCLC and characterized its functions in detail. Finally, our research elucidated the mechanisms that occurred downstream of RNASEH1-AS1.

METHODS

RNASEH1-AS1 expression was examined utilizing TCGA database and qRT-PCR. Functional experiments were conducted to study the tumor-associated functions of RNASEH1-AS1. The targeting relationship among RNASEH1-AS1, microRNA-516a-5p (miR-516a-5p), and forkhead box K1 (FOXK1) was revealed utilizing RNA immunoprecipitation and luciferase reporter assays.

RESULTS

Utilizing TCGA database and our own cohort, we found a significantly increased level of RNASEH1-AS1 in NSCLC. The high level of RNASEH1-AS1 was markedly related with poor clinical outcomes. Knockdown of RNASEH1-AS1 expression inhibited NSCLC cell growth, metastatic capacities, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and promoted the apoptosis in vitro, whereas RNASEH1-AS1 overexpression exerted the opposite effects. Additionally, knocking down RNASEH1-AS1 expression suppressed tumor growth in vivo. RNASEH1-AS1 was confirmed to act as a miR-516a-5p sponge, consequently upregulating FOXK1 expression in NSCLC cells. As revealed by the subsequent rescue experiments, the miR-516a-5p/FOXK1 axis served as a downstream effector of RNASEH1-AS1. In addition, by controlling the miR-516a-5p/FOXK1 axis, RNASEH1-AS1 was capable of activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.

CONCLUSION

RNASEH1-AS1 exacerbated the oncogenicity of NSCLC by affecting the miR-516a-5p/FOXK1 axis and consequently promoting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Our newly identified RNASEH1-AS1/miR-516a-5p/FOXK1/Wnt/β-catenin network may offer an interesting foundation for NSCLC treatment in the clinic.

Long non‑coding RNA LINC01748 exerts carcinogenic effects in non‑small cell lung cancer cell lines by regulating the microRNA‑520a‑5p/HMGA1 axis

The important functions of long non‑coding RNAs in the malignancy of non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been increasingly highlighted. However, whether LINC01748 functions in a crucial regulatory role still requires further research. The aim of the present study was to investigate the biological roles of LINC01748 in NSCLC. Furthermore, different experiments were utilized to investigate the mechanism of action of LINC01748 in 2 NSCLC cell lines. Reverse transcription‑quantitative PCR was used to measure mRNA expression levels. Cell Counting Kit‑8 assay, flow cytometry analysis and Transwell and Matrigel assays were also used to analyze, cell viability, apoptosis, and migration and invasion, respectively. A tumor xenograft model was used for in vivo experiments. RNA immunoprecipitation experiments, luciferase reporter assays and rescue experiments were used to investigate the mechanisms involved. Data from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset and patients recruited into the present study showed that LINC01748 was overexpressed in NSCLC. Patients with high LINC01748 mRNA expression level had shorter overall survival rate compared with that in patients with low LINC01748 mRNA expression level. Then, knockdown of LINC01748 mRNA expression level reduced cell proliferation, migration and invasion, but increased cell apoptosis in vitro. Knockdown of LINC01748 also reduced tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, LINC01748 could act as a competing endogenous (ce)RNA to sponge microRNA(miR)‑520a‑5p, to increase the expression level of the target gene, high mobility group AT‑hook 1 (HMGA1) in the NSCLC cell lines. Furthermore, rescue experiments illustrated that the functions exerted by LINC01748 knockdown were negated by miR‑520a‑5p inhibition or HMGA1 overexpression. In summary, LINC01748 acted as a ceRNA by sponging miR‑520a‑5p, leading to HMGA1 overexpression, thus increasing the aggressiveness of the NSCLC cells. Accordingly, targeting the LINC01748/miR‑520a‑5p/HMGA1 pathway may benefit NSCLC therapy.

Long Noncoding RNA Mediated Regulation in Human Embryogenesis, Pluripotency, and Reproduction

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs with more than 200 bp in length, are produced by pervasive transcription in mammalian genomes and regulate gene expression through various action mechanisms. Accumulating data indicate that lncRNAs mediate essential biological functions in human development, including early embryogenesis, induction of pluripotency, and germ cell development. Comprehensive analysis of sequencing data highlights that lncRNAs are expressed in a stage-specific and human/primate-specific pattern during early human development. They contribute to cell fate determination through interacting with almost all classes of cellular biomolecules, including proteins, DNA, mRNAs, and microRNAs. Furthermore, the expression of a few of lncRNAs is highly associated with the pathogenesis and progression of many reproductive diseases, suggesting that they could serve as candidate biomarkers for diagnosis or novel targets for treatment. Here, we review research on lncRNAs and their roles in embryogenesis, pluripotency, and reproduction. We aim to identify the underlying molecular mechanisms essential for human development and provide novel insight into the causes and treatments of human reproductive diseases.

Clinical Potential of lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 in Breast Cancer and Its Contribution to Cancer Progression

Breast cancer has become the most leading diagnosed tumor worldwide in 2020. In this study, the biomarker potential and influence on the cellular function of lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 was investigated in breast cancer. Expression levels of lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 in breast tissues and cells were detected by RT-qPCR. Association between lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 level and clinical parameters was investigated by Chi-square analysis. The prognostic potential was assessed by Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Knockdown of lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 was subjected to study the effect on cell proliferation, invasion, and migration by CCK-8 and transwell assay. The bind between PPP1R26-AS1 and miR-1226-3p was investigated. LncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 was highly expressed in breast tissues and cell lines. This upregulation was correlated with pTNM, positive ER status, luminal B subtype, positive nodal status, and shorter overall survival in breast cancer patients. Significant decreases in proliferation, migration, and invasion activity were observed upon knockdown of lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1. lncRNA PPP1R26-AS1 could act as ceRNA to bind with miR-1226-3p in breast cancer. LncRNA PPP1R26-AS1, as oncogenic lncRNA, could provide a new perspective on the development of prognostic biomarkers and a new approach in tailoring the treatment personalized in breast cancer.

Long non-coding RNA RP11-342L8.2, derived from RNA sequencing and validated via RT-qPCR, is upregulated and correlates with disease severity in psoriasis patients

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the dysregulated long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) expression profile in psoriatic tissue vs. normal skin tissue via RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), then further sort candidate lncRNAs to be validated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in order to investigate the comprehensive linkage of lncRNA with psoriasis.

METHODS

Twenty-five psoriasis patients were consecutively enrolled, with their psoriatic and surrounding normal skin tissues obtained. Ten pairs of psoriatic and normal tissues were proposed to RNA-seq. Then, top 6 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNA) were sorted as candidate lncRNAs for validation by RT-qPCR in 25 pairs of samples.

RESULTS

Principal component analysis (PCA) exhibited that lncRNA profile clearly distinguished psoriatic tissue from normal tissue, so did heatmap. Volcano plot disclosed 412 upregulated and 625 downregulated DElncRNAs in psoriatic tissue vs. normal tissue. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoko Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses exhibited that these DElncRNAs were mainly enriched in immune, inflammation, or proliferation-related biological processes and pathways such as neutrophil degranulation, regulation of immune response, positive regulation of cell proliferation, and MAPK signaling pathway. By RT-qPCR validation, lncRNAs RP11-22A3.2, RP11-342L8.2, and CTD-2006H14.2 were increased (all P < 0.001), while lncRNAs AP000442.4, CCDC144NL-AS1, and MIR663AHG were decreased (all P < 0.01) in psoriatic tissue vs. normal tissue. Interestingly, psoriatic lncRNA RP11-342L8.2 was also observed to positively correlated with psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) (r = 0.405, P = 0.045).

CONCLUSION

Our present study exhibits some evidence for the landscape of lncRNAs implicated in psoriasis.

Revealing the Role of lncRNA CCDC144NL-AS1 and LINC01614 in Gastric Cancer via Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis and Experimental Validation

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are key regulators in the pathophysiology of gastric cancer, and lncRNAs have been regarded as potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for gastric cancer. The present study performed the WGCNA analysis of the GSE70880 dataset and aimed to identify novel lncRNAs associated with gastric cancer progression. Based on the WGCNA, the lncRNAs and mRNA co-expression network were constructed. A total of four modules were identified and the eigengenes in different modules were involved in various key signaling pathways. Furthermore, the co-expression networks were constructed between the lncRNAs and mRNA; this leads to the identification of 6 modules, which participated in various cellular pathways. The survival analysis showed that high expression of CCDC144NL antisense RNA 1 (CCDC144NL-AS1) and LINC01614 was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of patients with gastric cancer. The in vitro validation results showed that CCDC144NL-AS1 and LINC01614 were both up-regulated in the gastric cancer cells. Silence of CCDC144NL-AS1 and LINC01614 both significantly suppressed the cell proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells, and also promoted the chemosensitivity of gastric cancer cells to 5-fluorouracil. Collectively, our results suggested that the newly identified two lncRNAs (CCDC144NL-AS1 and LINC01614) may act as oncogenes in gastric cancer.

LncRNA MATN1-AS1 for Prediction of Prognosis in Osteosarcoma Patients and Its Cellular Function

Long non-coding RNAs show essential roles in various cancer processes. This study aimed at the expression features, prognosis significance, and biological effect of lnc MATN1-AS1 in osteosarcoma (OS). Five kinds of cell lines and 117 pairs of tissues were analyzed by qRT-PCR for quantification of lnc MATN1-AS1 and miR-1299 level. Clinical data were analyzed using Chi-Square Tests to show the association with lnc MATN1-AS1 level. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to judge the prognostic value. Cell counting kit-8 and Transwell assay were conducted, respectively, to analyze the effect of lnc MATN1-AS1 on cell proliferation and metastasis. The target miRNA was predicted. lnc MATN1-AS1 level was significantly elevated in OS cells and tissues and related to Enneking staging, lung metastasis, and histologic type. Patients with high lnc MATN1-AS1 level showed a shorter overall survival and recurrence-free survival. Lnc MATN1-AS1 knockdown inhibited OS cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by sponging miR-1299. Lnc MATN1-AS1 has oncogenic features and prognostic significance in OS and is a novel therapeutic strategy for OS.