LncRNA-cCSC1 promotes cell proliferation of colorectal cancer through sponging miR-124-3p and upregulating CD44

Ultrasound-assisted H2O2 degradation enhances the bioactivity of Schizophyllan for wound healing and tissue regeneration

Background

Schizophyllan (SPG), a bioactive polysaccharide from Schizophyllum commune, possesses significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties. The molecular weight of polysaccharides significantly impacts their structural properties and biological functions. However, the functional characteristics of low molecular weight polysaccharides derived from Schizophyllum commune remain inadequately explored.

Methods

This study developed an ultrasound-assisted hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) degradation method to produce low-molecular-weight SPG with enhanced bioactivity. The process was optimized using response surface methodology, focusing on ultrasound duration, ultrasonic power, and H2O2 concentration. This approach effectively reduced the molecular weight of SPG from 4,409,608 Da to 257,500 Da, yielding three distinct variants: SPG-a (257,500 Da), SPG-b (429,300 Da), and SPG-c (364,800 Da). The bioactivity of these variants was assessed through in vitro cell proliferation and migration assays using BJ and HaCaT cells, as well as an in vivo zebrafish larval caudal fin regeneration model.

Results

In vitro, SPG-b significantly promoted cell proliferation, increasing BJ and HaCaT cells growth by 53.69% and 14.59%, respectively, at a concentration of 300 μg/mL (p < 0.05), compared to undegraded SPG. Additionally, scratch assays revealed that SPG-a enhanced BJ cells migration by 24.13% (p < 0.05), while SPG-b exhibited most pronounced effect on HaCaT cells migration (17.12%, p < 0.05), compared to the undegraded SPG. In vivo, SPG-c (3.125 mg/mL) significantly improved fin regeneration rates by 6.97% (p < 0.05) in zebrafish larvae, compared to the undegraded SPG.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that ultrasound-assisted H2O2 degradation effectively reduces SPG molecular weight while enhancing its functional properties. These findings provide a foundation for the further development of SPG in pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications, highlighting its potential for broader utilization.

miR-124-3p inhibits CRC proliferation, migration, and invasion by targeting ITGB1

Colorectal cancer (CRC) was the third most common cause of mortality associated with cancer globally. miR-124-3p has been widely acknowledged for its pivotal role as a tumor suppressor in various malignancies. In this study, we aimed to investigate the specific functions and underlying mechanisms of miR-124-3p in CRC cell proliferation, migration and invasion. A comprehensive set of assays, including CCK-8, colony formation, wound healing assays, flow cytometry, RT-qPCR and Western blotting, were conducted to assess the impact of miR-124-3p expression on CRC cell growth. Our investigations into miR-124-3p and its potential target gene ITGB1 were facilitated through bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assays. To further solidify our findings, rescue experiments were executed to validate the role of miR-124-3p in regulating the proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of CRC cells, genes involving Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were also detected. Our study revealed that the overexpression of miR-124-3p significantly suppressed both the proliferation and migratory capabilities of CRC cells, while its downregulation had the opposite effect. Notably, ITGB1 was identified as a putative target gene of miR-124-3p, exhibiting an inverse correlation with the expression levels of miR-124-3p. Moreover, the overexpression of ITGB1 was able to abrogate the inhibitory effects exerted by miR-124-3p overexpression on CRC cell proliferation, migration, and Wnt1/β-catenin protein levels. Our results reveal that miR-124-3p targets ITGB1 to regulate CRC cell proliferation and migration may be associated with the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. These findings provide that a miR-124-3p/ITGB1 axis may be a potential target for the treatment of CRC.

LncRNA RP11-93B14.5 promotes gastric cancer cell growth through PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Emerging evidence indicates that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) RP11-93B14.5 facilitates tumor progression in variety of malignancies. The present study proposed to study the functional effect of lncRNA RP11-93B14.5 in gastric cancer (GC) as well as the underlying mechanism.

METHODS

Bioinformatics analysis was utilized to analyze lncRNA expression in GC tissues. siRNA was used for knockdown of RP11-93B14.5 in GC cells MKN45 and KATO III. The stable knockdown cell lines were constructed by CRISPR-Cas9. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay and soft agar colony formation assay were used to analyze GC cell viability. Flow cytometry analysis was performed to analyze the cell cycle distribution of MKN45 and KATO III. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was employed to detect differential genes after transfection with siRP11-93B14.5. Quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) was used to examine gene expression in GC cell lines. Western-blot assay was used to measure protein levels. RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) was conducted for lncRNA cellular location and expression.

RESULTS

Based on the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) database, RP11-93B14.5 was upregulated in GC tissue, which was also verified in GC cell lines in comparison to the normal gastric epithelial HFE145 cells. Knockdown of RP11-93B14.5 decreased cell viability and the colony number of MKN45 and KATO III cells, and altered cell cycle distribution in vitro. RNA-seq analysis revealed RP11-93B14.5 may modulate genes expression of S100A2 and TIMP2 in MKN45 and KATO III cells. Mechanistically, RP11-93B14.5 may drive the progression of GC via S100A2 related-PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

CONCLUSIONS

LncRNA RP11-93B14.5 knockdown alleviated the malignant phenotypes of GC cells through regulating PI3K/AKT. Our results provide evidence for the role of lncRNAs in regulating tumor progression.

KLF15 transcriptionally activates LINC00689 to inhibit colorectal cancer development

Colorectal cancer is a grievous health concern, we have proved long non-coding RNA LINC00689 is considered as a potential diagnosis biomarker for colorectal cancer, and it is necessary to further investigate its upstream and downstream mechanisms. Here, we show that KLF15, a transcription factor, exhibits the reduced expression in colorectal cancer. KLF15 suppresses the proliferative and metastatic capacities of colorectal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo by transcriptionally activating LINC00689. Subsequently, LINC00689 recruits PTBP1 protein to enhance the stability of LATS2 mRNA in the cytoplasm. This stabilization causes the suppression of the YAP1/β-catenin pathway and its target downstream genes. Our findings highlight a regulatory network involving KLF15, LINC00689, PTBP1, LATS2, and the YAP1/β-catenin pathway in colorectal cancer, shedding light on potential therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer therapy.

Somatic Copy Number Alterations in Colorectal Cancer Lead to a Differentially Expressed ceRNA Network (ceRNet)

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents the second deadliest malignancy worldwide. Around 75% of CRC patients exhibit high levels of chromosome instability that result in the accumulation of somatic copy number alterations. These alterations are associated with the amplification of oncogenes and deletion of tumor-ppressor genes and contribute to the tumoral phenotype in different malignancies. Even though this relationship is well known, much remains to be investigated regarding the effect of said alterations in long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and, in turn, the impact these alterations have on the tumor phenotype. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of differentially expressed lncRNAs coded in regions with copy number alterations in colorectal cancer patient samples. We downloaded RNA-seq files of the Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Project from the The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) repository (285 sequenced tumor tissues and 41 non-tumor tissues), evaluated differential expression, and mapped them over genome sequencing data with regions presenting copy number alterations. We obtained 78 differentially expressed (LFC > 1|< -1, padj < 0.05) lncRNAs, 410 miRNAs, and 5028 mRNAs and constructed a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network, predicting significant lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions. Said network consisted of 30 lncRNAs, 19 miRNAs, and 77 mRNAs. To understand the role that our ceRNA network played, we performed KEGG and GO analysis and found several oncogenic and anti-oncogenic processes enriched by the molecular players in our network. Finally, to evaluate the clinical relevance of the lncRNA expression, we performed survival analysis and found that C5orf64, HOTAIR, and RRN3P3 correlated with overall patient survival. Our results showed that lncRNAs coded in regions affected by SCNAs form a complex gene regulatory network in CCR.

Regulation of the Key Epithelial Cancer Suppressor miR-124 Function by Competing Endogenous RNAs

A decrease in the miR-124 expression was observed in various epithelial cancers. Like a classical suppressor, miR-124 can inhibit the translation of multiple oncogenic proteins. Epigenetic mechanisms play a significant role in the regulation of miR-124 expression and involve hypermethylation of the MIR-124-1/-2/-3 genes and the effects of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) according to the model of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs). More than 40 interactomes (lncRNA/miR-124/mRNA) based on competition between lncRNAs and mRNAs for miR-124 binding have been identified in various epithelial cancers. LncRNAs MALAT1, NEAT1, HOXA11-AS, and XIST are the most represented in these axes. Fourteen axes (e.g., SND1-IT1/miR-124/COL4A1) are involved in EMT and/or metastasis. Moreover, eight axes (e.g., OIP5-AS1/miR-124-5p/IDH2) are involved in key pathways, such as Wnt/b-catenin, E2F1, TGF-β, SMAD, ERK/MAPK, HIF-1α, Notch, PI3K/Akt signaling, and cancer cell stemness. Additionally, 15 axes impaired patient survival and three axes reduced chemo- or radiosensitivity. To date, 14 cases of miR-124 regulation by circRNAs have been identified. Half of them involve circHIPK3, which belongs to the exonic ecircRNAs and stimulates cell proliferation, EMT, autophagy, angiogenesis, and multidrug resistance. Thus, miR-124 and its interacting partners may be considered promising targets for cancer therapy.

Phenotypic Changes of LncRNA Hotair in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer and Its Clinical Application

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the main causes of death of malignant tumors of the respiratory system. At present, the clinical demand for biomarkers for predicting and diagnosing the disease is increasing. Overexpression of LncRNA Hotair (Homeobox transcriptional antisense intergenic RNA) has been previously reported to be associated with poor prognosis and high mortality in different malignancies. qRT-PCR results showed that the expression of LncRNA Hotair in tumor tissue and serum of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer was significantly upregulated. Clinicopathological correlation analysis showed that the upregulation of LncRNA Hotair expression was closely related to lymph node metastasis and tumor lymph node metastasis (TNM) stage (P < 0.05). The results showed that transfection of pcDNA3.1-Hotair could promote the expression of LncRNA Hotair in NSCLC, while transfection of Si-Hotair could reduce the expression level of LncRNA Hotair, hinder the migration and invasion of cancer cells, and promote cell apoptosis. After transfection of Si-Hotair, molecular markers related to migration, the level of E-cadherin and Bax, increased and the level of vimentin, Bcl-2, MMP-3, VEGF, Ki-67 and PCNA decreased. This shows that the proliferation and migration of A549 cells are promoted and LncRNA Hotair deletion can inhibit the proliferation and migration of lung cancer cells. These results show that the expression level of LncRNA Hotair of NSCLC cell lines can promote the invasion and migration of NSCLC, and its expression has a significant correlation with Lymph node metastasis, tumor size, and TNM stage. Therefore, this target is of great significance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of NSCLC.

Interaction among long non-coding RNA, micro-RNA and mRNA in glioma

With the rapid development and wide application of gene sequencing, biotechnology, and informatics about cancer, it has been found that the main causes of malignant gliomas occurrence not only consist of abnormal mutations of protein-coding genes but also abnormal expressions of non-coding RNA (ncRNA). In this review, we summarize the interaction and mechanism between lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA and gliomas in occurrence, development, aggression, and migration in depth.