miR-944 acts as a prognostic marker and promotes the tumor progression in endometrial cancer

ExplORRNet: An interactive web tool to explore stage-wise miRNA expression profiles and their interactions with mRNA and lncRNA in human breast and gynecological cancers

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression that have been implicated in gynecological and breast cancers. Understanding the cancer stage-wise expression patterns of miRNAs and their interactions with other RNA molecules in cancer is crucial to improve cancer diagnosis and treatment planning. Comprehensive web tools that integrate data on the transcriptome, circulating miRNAs, and their validated targets to derive beneficial conclusions in cancer research are lacking.

Methods

Using the Shiny R package, we developed a web tool called ExplORRNet that integrates transcriptomic profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas and miRNA expression data derived from various sources, including tissues, cell lines, exosomes, serum, and plasma, available in the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Differential expression analyses between normal and tumor tissue samples as well as different stages of cancer, accompanied by gene enrichment and survival analyses, can be performed using specialized R packages. Additionally, a miRNA-messenger RNA (mRNA)-long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) networks are constructed to identify regulatory modules.

Results

Our tool identifies cancer stage-wise differentially regulated miRNAs, mRNAs, and lncRNAs in gynecological and breast cancers. Survival analysis identifies miRNAs associated with patient survival, and functional enrichment analysis provides insights into dysregulated miRNA-related biological processes and pathways. The miRNA-mRNA-lncRNA networks highlight interconnected regulatory molecular modules driving cancer progression. Case studies demonstrate the utility of the ExplORRNet for studying gynecological and breast cancers.

Conclusion

ExplORRNet is an intuitive and user-friendly web tool that provides a deeper understanding of dysregulated miRNAs and their functional implications in gynecological and breast cancers. We hope our ExplORRNet tool has potential utility among the clinical and basic researchers and will be beneficial to the entire cancer genomics community to encourage and facilitate mining the rapidly growing public databases to progress the field of precision oncology. The ExplORRNet is available at https://mirna.cs.ut.ee.

Circular SERPINA3 and its target microRNA-944 as potential biomarkers in hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian population

Background

The most prevalent cancer in Egypt is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) mainly due to the infection with the hepatitis C virus. So it is critical to find sensitive biomarkers for early diagnosis of HCC and avoid post-operation tumor recurrence. Therefore, this research was designed to demonstrate the circSERPINA3 role in the regulation of microRNA-944 gene expression in HCV-related HCC cases and compare these results with circSERPINA3 and microRNA-944 gene expression levels in HCV-infected patients.

Methodology

Study participants were divided into three groups: healthy controls, HCV- infected, and HCV-induced HCC patients. The gene expression levels of circSERPINA3 and microRNA-944 were evaluated using Real-Time qPCR. Then the immunoblotting procedure was applied to measure the serum levels of MDM2 and E-cadherin besides, the serum concentration levels of glypican-3 and alpha-fetoprotein were measured by sandwich ELISA.

Results

The gene expression level of circSERPINA3 was significantly upregulated in both HCV-infected and HCC patients causing suppression of the antitumor effect of miR-944 and showing a lower 1-year survival rate than the participants who had low circSERPINA3 gene expression levels. Subsequently, the miR-944 downstream protein, MDM2 was remarkably upregulated, exaggerating the metastasis and oxidative stress in HCC cases. Additionally, the results confirmed the downregulation of microRNA-944 improved the progression of viral hepatitis C cases to hepatocarcinogenesis through the significantly increased serum level of the metastatic marker, E-cadherin. Although alpha-fetoprotein is a common diagnostic marker used in the diagnosis of HCC, our results showed that glypican-3 had greater sensitivity and specificity and positively correlated to the IGF-1 signaling pathway of HCC cases. Moreover, the gene expression levels of circSERPINA3 and E-cadherin in both the HCV and HCV-induced HCC were significantly positively correlated.

Conclusion

circSERPINA3 and miR-944 were sensitive molecular markers for early diagnosis of HCC and could be prospective treatment targets for HCV-infected patients to avoid tumor recurrence in HCC cases.

Long noncoding RNA WT1-AS regulates trophoblast proliferation, migration, and invasion via the microRNA-186-5p/CADM2 axis

This study aimed to determine the role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) WT1 antisense RNA (WT1-AS) in the occurrence and progression of preeclampsia (PE) and to determine the underlying molecular mechanisms. The associations between WT1-AS and microRNA (miR)-186-5p, and miR-186-5p and cell adhesion molecule 2 (CADM2) were predicted using StarBase software and verified via dual-luciferase assays. To explore the role of the human chorionic trophoblast line HTR-8/SVneo, gene (WT1-AS/miR-186-5p) gain/loss of function experiments were performed. Qualitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis was used to evaluate transfection efficiency. Cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell migration, and invasion were assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), flow cytometry, and transwell analysis, respectively. Moreover, CADM2 protein expression was measured by western blotting. The results indicated that overexpression of WT1-AS inhibited cell viability, migration, and invasion, and induced apoptosis in HTR-8/SVneo cells. We observed that miR-186a-5p directly targeted WT1-AS, and miR-186a-5p knockdown reversed the effects of WT1-AS knockdown in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Binding sites were found between miR-186-5p and CADM2, and CADM2-overexpression reversed the influence of miR-186-5p mimic on HTR-8/SVneo cells. In summary, our findings demonstrated that lncRNA WT1-AS participates in PE by regulating the proliferation and invasion of placental trophoblasts, through the miR-186-5p/CADM2 axis.

Circulating microRNA-944 and its target gene EPHA7 as a potential biomarker for colorectal cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have critical roles in colorectal cancer (CRC) tumorigenesis and development. It has been reported that Eph receptor A7 (EphA7) was a potential target of miR-944 which is transcriptionally activated in cancer. The aim of this study was to explore the expression profile of miR-944 and its target gene EPHA7 in the serum of Egyptian CRC patients. 150 CRC patients, 50 adenomatous polyps (AP) patients, and 100 healthy controls were included. Serum miR-944 was downregulated (0.304 ± 0.0512) while serum EPHA7 was upregulated (3.163 ± 0.610) in CRC and AP patients versus controls and discriminated aganst these groups by Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis. miR-944 presented the highest diagnostic accuracy for CRC patients from control (AUC = 0.90). Moreover obvious prognostic power in distinguishing AP from CRC (AUC = 0.87). In conclusion, miR-944 and EPHA7 are potential genetic markers of CRC predisposition and novel potential non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for CRC.

Novel Insights into miR-944 in Cancer

Simple Summary

miR-944 is localized in intron 4 of TP63. ΔNp63 in intron 3 of TP63 recruits the transcription factor AP-2 to promote miR-944 gene expression, which mediates epidermal differentiation induction by ΔNp63. miR-944 is dysregulated in various cancers. In squamous cell carcinoma. miR-944 can target and inhibit 27 protein-coding genes, thereby regulating cell cycle, proliferation, apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition, cancer cell invasion and migration, and other cell behaviors. The genes targeted by miR-944 are involved in three signaling pathways, including the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, Jak/STAT3 pathway, and PI3K/AKT pathway. miR-944 was regulated by a total of 11 competing endogenous RNAs, including 6 circular RNAs and 5 long non-coding RNAs. Abnormally expressed miR-944 can act as an independent prognostic factor and is closely related to tumor invasion, lymph node metastasis, TNM staging, and drug resistance. miR-944 is expected to become a critical biomarker with great clinical application value in cancer.

Abstract

miRNA is a class of endogenous short-chain non-coding RNAs consisting of about 22 nucleotides. miR-944 is located in the fourth intron of the TP63 gene in the 3q28 region. miR-944 is abnormally expressed in cancers in multiple systems including neural, endocrine, respiratory, reproductive, and digestive systems. miR-944 can target at least 27 protein-coding genes. miR-944 can regulate a series of cell behaviors, such as cell cycle, proliferation, invasion and migration, EMT, apoptosis, etc. miR-944 participates in the networks of 11 ceRNAs, including six circRNAs and five lncRNAs. miR-944 is involved in three signaling pathways. The abnormal expression of miR-944 is closely related to the clinicopathological conditions of various cancer patients. Deregulated expression of miR-944 is significantly associated with clinicopathology and prognosis in cancer patients. In addition, miR-944 is also associated with the development of DDP, RAPA, DOX, and PTX resistance in cancer cells. miR-944 is involved in the anticancer molecular mechanisms of matrine and Rhenium-liposome drugs. In conclusion, this work systematically summarizes the related findings of miR-944, which will provide potential hints for follow-up research on miR-944.

Biomarkers in Gynecologic Tumors

Gynecologic malignancies are one of the most frequent cancers amongst women. Biomarkers are crucial for the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses; however, their potential for diagnosis is limited. In the era of difficulty in ovarian cancer screening, novel biomarkers are defined, but CA125 still remains the most valuable one. Circulating tumor DNAs, DNA hypermethylation, metabolites, microRNAs, and kallikreins have recently turned out as ovarian cancer biomarkers and are being applied to clinical practice. For uterine cancer, genomic classification has now been described, it will be used as a prognostic tool. In this chapter, we describe ovarian, endometrial, and cervical cancer biomarkers in detail.

Potential of blood-based biomarker approaches in endometrium and breast cancer: a case-control comparison study

Purpose

Endometrial carcinoma is the second most common gynecological malignancy. Until today lacking a screening tool. A blood-based biomarker could help address this need.

Methods

The expression levels of 30 acylcarnitines, 18 amino acids, 6 miRNAs, and 7 DNA methylation sites were measured in blood samples from 331 women (20 EC, 14 benign uterine lesions (benign), 140 breast cancers (BC), 157 controls). Areas under the ROC curves (AUC), sensitivity (sens.) and specificity (spec.) were computed to identify the variables best distinguishing.

Results

The best top ten markers for the four comparisons (cancer vs. cancer-free; EC vs. BC, EC vs. controls; EC vs. benign), were identified via AUC. Malonylcarnitine distinguished best patients with EC from controls (AUC: 0.827, sens. 80%, spec. 73.1%) or BC (AUC: 0.819, sens. 84.3%, spec. 80%) being most notable. Tryptophan best differentiated benign from EC (AUC: 0.846, sens. 70%, spec. 92.9%).

Conclusions

The levels of the analyzed blood markers yielded promising results in the detection of EC and warrant further evaluation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00404-022-06482-8.

Glioma stem cell-derived exosomal miR-944 reduces glioma growth and angiogenesis by inhibiting AKT/ERK signaling

In this study, we investigated the regulatory role of exosomal microRNA-944 (miR-944) derived from glioma stem cells (GSCs) in glioma progression and angiogenesis. Bioinformatics analysis showed that miR-944 levels were significantly lower in high-grade gliomas (HGGs) than low-grade gliomas in the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas and The Cancer Genome Atlas datasets. The overall survival rates were significantly shorter for glioma patients expressing low miR-944 levels than high miR-944 levels. GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 significantly decreased in vitro proliferation, migration, and tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Targetscan and dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that miR-944 directly targets the 3’UTR of VEGFC. In vivo mouse studies demonstrated that injection of agomiR-944 directly into tumors 3 weeks after xenografting glioma cells significantly reduced tumor growth and angiogenesis. GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 significantly reduced VEGFC levels and suppressed activation of AKT/ERK signaling pathways in HUVECs and xenograft glioma cell tumors. These findings demonstrate that GSC-derived exosomal miR-944 inhibits glioma growth, progression, and angiogenesis by suppressing VEGFC expression and inhibiting the AKT/ERK signaling pathway.

Non-Coding RNAs as Prognostic Markers for Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer (EC) has been classified over the years, for prognostic and therapeutic purposes. In recent years, classification systems have been emerging not only based on EC clinical and pathological characteristics but also on its genetic and epigenetic features. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as promising markers in several cancer types, including EC, for which their prognostic value is currently under investigation and will likely integrate the present prognostic tools based on protein coding genes. This review aims to underline the importance of the genetic and epigenetic events in the EC tumorigenesis, by expounding upon the prognostic role of ncRNAs.

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.

A Novel Prognostic Model of Endometrial Carcinoma Based on Clinical Variables and Oncogenomic Gene Signature

Due to the difficulty in predicting the prognosis of endometrial carcinoma (EC) patients by clinical variables alone, this study aims to build a new EC prognosis model integrating clinical and molecular information, so as to improve the accuracy of predicting the prognosis of EC. The clinical and gene expression data of 496 EC patients in the TCGA database were used to establish and validate this model. General Cox regression was applied to analyze clinical variables and RNAs. Elastic net-penalized Cox proportional hazard regression was employed to select the best EC prognosis-related RNAs, and ridge regression was used to construct the EC prognostic model. The predictive ability of the prognostic model was evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier curve and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC). A clinical-RNA prognostic model integrating two clinical variables and 28 RNAs was established. The 5-year AUC of the clinical-RNA prognostic model was 0.932, which is higher than that of the clinical-alone (0.897) or RNA-alone prognostic model (0.836). This clinical-RNA prognostic model can better classify the prognosis risk of EC patients. In the training group (396 patients), the overall survival of EC patients was lower in the high-risk group than in the low-risk group [HR = 32.263, (95% CI, 7.707-135.058), P = 8e-14]. The same comparison result was also observed for the validation group. A novel EC prognosis model integrating clinical variables and RNAs was established, which can better predict the prognosis and help to improve the clinical management of EC patients.

Joint analysis of lncRNA m6A methylome and lncRNA/mRNA expression profiles in gastric cancer

Background

N ⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) modification might be closely associated with the genesis and development of gastric cancer (GC). Currently, the evidence established by high-throughput assay for GC-related m⁶A patterns based on long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains limited. Here, a joint analysis of lncRNA m⁶A methylome and lncRNA/mRNA expression profiles in GC was performed to explore the regulatory roles of m⁶A modification in lncRNAs.

Methods

Three subjects with primary GC were enrolled in our study and paired sample was randomly selected from GC tissue and adjacent normal tissue for each case. Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation NextGeneration Sequencing (MeRIP-Seq) and Microarray Gene Expression Profiling was subsequently performed. Then co-expression analysis and gene enrichment analysis were successively conducted.

Results

After data analysis, we identified 191 differentially m⁶A-methylated lncRNAs, 240 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 229 differentially expressed mRNAs in GC. Furthermore, four differentially m⁶A-methylated and expressed lncRNAs (dme-lncRNAs) were discovered including RASAL2-AS1, LINC00910, SNHG7 and LINC01105. Their potential target genes were explored by co-expression analysis. And gene enrichment analysis suggested that they might influence the cellular processes and biological behaviors involved in mitosis and cell cycle. The potential impacts of these targets on GC cells were further validated by CCLE database and literature review.

Conclusions

Four novel dme-lncRNAs were identified in GC, which might exert regulatory roles on GC cell proliferation. The present study would provide clues for the lncRNA m⁶A methylation-based research on GC epigenetic etiology and pathogenesis.

LncRNA SNHG6 Induces Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Pituitary Adenoma Via Suppressing MiR-944

Background:

Pituitary adenoma (PA) is a common primary brain tumor with invasive properties. Despite that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) small nucleolar RNA host gene 6 (SNHG6) exerts oncogenic function in cancer cells and that miR-944 inhibits epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of cancer cells are well documented, few studies have explored the function and mechanism of SNHG6 and miR-944 in invasive pituitary adenoma (IPA).

Materials and Methods:

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expressions of SNHG6 and miR-944 in PA samples. Human PA cell line HP75 was used as a cell model. The biological effects of SNHG6 and miR-944 on HP75 cells were investigated with cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, Transwell assay, and scratch healing assay in vitro, respectively. Markers of EMT, including E-cadherin and vimentin, were detected by Western blot. Interactions between SNHG6 and miR-944, miR-944 and RAB11A were determined by bioinformatics analysis, qRT-PCR, and dual luciferase reporter assay.

Results:

SNHG6 was significantly upregulated in IPA samples, whereas miR-944 was downregulated. SNHG6 markedly promoted viability, migration, invasion, and EMT of PA cells, whereas miR-944 transfection had the opposite effects. SNHG6 could downregulate miR-944, and there was a negative correlation between SNHG6 expression and miR-944 expression in IPA samples. Besides, it was confirmed that miR-944 could pair with the 3′-untranslated region of RAB11A and repress its expression.

Conclusions:

This study authenticates that the SNHG6/miR-994/RAB11A axis plays a crucial role in regulating proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT of IPA cells. SNHG6 and miR-994 can serve as novel valuable therapeutic targets for IPA.

Synergetic Effects of Intronic Mature miR-944 and ΔNp63 Isoforms on Tumorigenesis in a Cervical Cancer Cell Line

miR-944 is located in an intron of the tumor protein p63 gene (TP63). miR-944 expression levels in cervical cancer tissues are significantly higher than in normal tissues and are associated with tumor size, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, lymph node metastasis, and survival. However, associations of miR-944 with its host gene, TP63, which encodes TAp63 and ΔNp63, in cervical cancer have not been fully investigated. A positive correlation between miR-944 and ΔNp63 mRNA expression was identified in cervical cancer tissues. Furthermore, when the expression of miR-944 and ΔNp63 was simultaneously inhibited, cell proliferation-, differentiation- epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-, transcription-, and virus-associated gene clusters were shown to be significantly more active according to functional annotation analysis. Cell viability and migration were more reduced upon simultaneous inhibition with anti-miR-944 or ΔNp63 siRNA than with inhibition with anti-miR-944 or ΔNp63 siRNA alone, or scramble. In addition, Western blot analysis showed that the simultaneous inhibition of miR-944 and ΔNp63 reduced EMT by increasing the expression of epithelial markers such as claudin and by decreasing mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin and vimentin. Slug, an EMT transcription factor, was also decreased by the simultaneous inhibition of miR-944 and ΔNp63. Thus, associations between miR-944 and ΔNp63 in cervical cancer could help to elucidate the function of this intronic microRNA and its role in carcinogenesis.

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.

Diagnostic value of microRNA panel in endometrial cancer: A systematic review

PURPOSE

We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the overall diagnostic accuracy of miRNAs in detecting endometrial cancer.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Cinahl and the Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials was performed to identify studies reporting on the diagnostic value of miRNA in EC patients. Included were diagnostic studies looking at miRNA expression in women diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Two reviewers independently selected studies and assessed quality of studies using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 (QUADAS-2) score system. Data extraction was completed and the vote-counting strategy was used to rank miRNAs.

RESULTS

26 studies were included with a total number of 1,400 EC patients reporting on 106 differentially expressed miRNAs. The most frequently found up-regulated miRNA was miR-205 followed by miR-200c, -223, -182, -183 and -200a. In addition, miR-135b, miR-429, miR-141 and miR-200b were also frequently up-regulated. There was less consensus on down-regulated miRNAs.

CONCLUSIONS

miRNAs yield a promising diagnostic biomarker potential in endometrial cancer, especially miR-205, the miR-200 family and miR-135b, -182, -183 and -223. However, no sufficient high quality data are available to draw hard conclusions. More research is needed to validate the diagnostic potential of these miRNAs in larger studies. In addition, the potential of urine as a non-invasive biofluid should be investigated in more detail.

Long non‑coding RNA PRNCR1 exerts oncogenic effects in tongue squamous cell carcinoma in vitro and in vivo by sponging microRNA‑944 and thereby increasing HOXB5 expression

A long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) called prostate cancer-associated non-coding RNA 1 (PRNCR1) serves crucial roles in the aggressive phenotypes of colorectal cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. However, there is little research on the expression profile, clinical value and detailed functions of PRNCR1 in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC). The aim of the present study was to determine PRNCR1 expression in TSCC and to examine the involvement of PRNCR1 in TSCC progression. The molecular mechanisms behind the oncogenic effects of PRNCR1 in TSCC cells were also investigated. PRNCR1 was revealed to be upregulated in TSCC tumors and cell lines. The high PRNCR1 expression showed a significant correlation with tumor size, clinical stage, lymph node metastasis, and shorter overall survival times among patients with TSCC. A PRNCR1-knockdown reduced TSCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and increased apoptosis in vitro. Additionally, the PRNCR1-knockdown slowed down in vivo tumor growth of TSCC cells. With regards to the mechanism, PRNCR1 acted as a competing endogenous RNA on microRNA-944 (miR-944) in TSCC cells, and the effects of the PRNCR1-knockdown were reversed by an miR-944-knockdown. HOXB5 was validated as a direct target gene of miR-944 in TSCC cells, and HOXB5 expression was found to be positively regulated by PRNCR1. Furthermore, resumption of HOXB5 expression reversed the tumor-suppressive actions of miR-944 in TSCC cells. In conclusion, PRNCR1 acts as an oncogenic lncRNA in TSCC through the upregulation of HOXB5 by sponging miR-944, thereby indicating a potential therapeutic target in TSCC.

Cell adhesion molecule 2 (CADM2) promotes brain metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human non-small cell lung cancer

Background

To investigate the effect of CADM2 on brain metastasis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods

Human transcriptome-wide microarray analysis was used to identify gene expression in lung tissue of NSCLC patients with or without brain metastasis, which indicated that CADM2 was significantly up-regulated. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to confirm the CADM2 up-regulation further. SiRNA was used to knock down the expression of CADM2 in NSCLC cell lines and a Transwell assay was performed to determine the effects of CADM2 knockdown on cell migration and invasion. The expressions of Vimentin and E-cadherin were detected by western blot assay.

Results

The result of microarray analysis and qRT-PCR showed that CADM2 was significantly up-regulated in NSCLC patients with brain metastasis than in those without brain metastasis. The result of the Transwell assay showed that the migration and invasion abilities of NSCLC cells were inhibited after CADM2 knockdown. Also, the expression of Vimentin was reduced while E-cadherin was increased, followed by CADM2 knockdown.

Conclusions

The results showed that CADM2 might promote brain metastasis by inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in human NSCLC. We propose that CADM2 can be used as a novel molecular target for the prevention and treatment in NSCLC with brain metastasis patients.

miRNAs as Biomarkers in Disease: Latest Findings Regarding Their Role in Diagnosis and Prognosis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small, non-coding RNAs with the main roles of regulating mRNA through its degradation and adjusting protein levels. In recent years, extraordinary progress has been made in terms of identifying the origin and exact functions of miRNA, focusing on their potential use in both the research and the clinical field. This review aims at improving the current understanding of these molecules and their applicability in the medical field. A thorough analysis of the literature consulting resources available in online databases such as NCBI, PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, and UpToDate was performed. There is promising evidence that in spite of the lack of standardized protocols regarding the use of miRNAs in current clinical practice, they constitute a reliable tool for future use. These molecules meet most of the required criteria for being an ideal biomarker, such as accessibility, high specificity, and sensitivity. Despite present limitations, miRNAs as biomarkers for various conditions remain an impressive research field. As current techniques evolve, we anticipate that miRNAs will become a routine approach in the development of personalized patient profiles, thus permitting more specific therapeutic interventions.

Automatic discovery of 100-miRNA signature for cancer classification using ensemble feature selection

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNA molecules heavily involved in human tumors, in which few of them circulating the human body. Finding a tumor-associated signature of miRNA, that is, the minimum miRNA entities to be measured for discriminating both different types of cancer and normal tissues, is of utmost importance. Feature selection techniques applied in machine learning can help however they often provide naive or biased results.

Results

An ensemble feature selection strategy for miRNA signatures is proposed. miRNAs are chosen based on consensus on feature relevance from high-accuracy classifiers of different typologies. This methodology aims to identify signatures that are considerably more robust and reliable when used in clinically relevant prediction tasks. Using the proposed method, a 100-miRNA signature is identified in a dataset of 8023 samples, extracted from TCGA. When running eight-state-of-the-art classifiers along with the 100-miRNA signature against the original 1046 features, it could be detected that global accuracy differs only by 1.4%. Importantly, this 100-miRNA signature is sufficient to distinguish between tumor and normal tissues. The approach is then compared against other feature selection methods, such as UFS, RFE, EN, LASSO, Genetic Algorithms, and EFS-CLA. The proposed approach provides better accuracy when tested on a 10-fold cross-validation with different classifiers and it is applied to several GEO datasets across different platforms with some classifiers showing more than 90% classification accuracy, which proves its cross-platform applicability.

Conclusions

The 100-miRNA signature is sufficiently stable to provide almost the same classification accuracy as the complete TCGA dataset, and it is further validated on several GEO datasets, across different types of cancer and platforms. Furthermore, a bibliographic analysis confirms that 77 out of the 100 miRNAs in the signature appear in lists of circulating miRNAs used in cancer studies, in stem-loop or mature-sequence form. The remaining 23 miRNAs offer potentially promising avenues for future research.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-019-3050-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The Use of microRNAs in the Management of Endometrial Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most important gynecological cancer in terms of incidence. microRNAs (miRs), which are post-transcriptional regulators implicated in a variety of cellular functions including carcinogenesis, are particularly attractive candidates as biomarkers. Indeed, several studies have shown that the miR expression pattern appears to be associated with prognostic factors in EC. Our objective is to review the current knowledge of the role of miRs in carcinogenesis and tumor progression and their association with the prognosis of endometrial cancer. Materials and Method: We performed a literature search for miR expression in EC using MEDLINE, PubMed (the Internet portal of the National Library of Medicine) and The Cochrane Library, Cochrane databases “Cochrane Reviews” and “Clinical Trials” using the following keywords: microRNA, endometrial cancer, prognosis, diagnosis, lymph node, survival, plasma, FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded). The miRs were classified and presented according to their expression levels in cancer tissue in relation to different prognostic factors. Results: Data were collected from 74 original articles and 8 literature reviews which described the expression levels of 261 miRs in ECs, including 133 onco-miRs, 110 miR onco-suppressors, and 18 miRs with discordant functions. The review identified 30 articles studying the expression pattern of miR in neoplastic endometrial tissue compared to benign and/or hyperplastic tissues, 12 articles detailing the expression profile of miRs as a function of lymph node status, and 14 articles that detailed the expression pattern of miRs in endometrial tumor tissue according to overall survival or in the absence of recurrence. Conclusions: The findings presented here suggest that miR analysis merits a role as a prognostic factor in the management of patients with endometrial cancer.

Genetic variation in CADM2 as a link between psychological traits and obesity

CADM2 has been associated with a range of behavioural and metabolic traits, including physical activity, risk-taking, educational attainment, alcohol and cannabis use and obesity. Here, we set out to determine whether CADM2 contributes to mechanisms shared between mental and physical health disorders. We assessed genetic variants in the CADM2 locus for association with phenotypes in the UK Biobank, IMPROVE, PROCARDIS and SCARFSHEEP studies, before performing meta-analyses. A wide range of metabolic phenotypes were meta-analysed. Psychological phenotypes analysed in UK Biobank only were major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, neuroticism, mood instability and risk-taking behaviour. In UK Biobank, four, 88 and 172 genetic variants were significantly (p < 1 × 10⁻⁵) associated with neuroticism, mood instability and risk-taking respectively. In meta-analyses of 4 cohorts, we identified 362, 63 and 11 genetic variants significantly (p < 1 × 10⁻⁵) associated with BMI, SBP and CRP respectively. Genetic effects on BMI, CRP and risk-taking were all positively correlated, and were consistently inversely correlated with genetic effects on SBP, mood instability and neuroticism. Conditional analyses suggested an overlap in the signals for physical and psychological traits. Many significant variants had genotype-specific effects on CADM2 expression levels in adult brain and adipose tissues. CADM2 variants influence a wide range of both psychological and metabolic traits, suggesting common biological mechanisms across phenotypes via regulation of CADM2 expression levels in adipose tissue. Functional studies of CADM2 are required to fully understand mechanisms connecting mental and physical health conditions.

microRNA-944 overexpression is a biomarker for poor prognosis of advanced cervical cancer

Background

One-third of cervical cancer patients are still diagnosed at advanced stages. The five-year survival rate is decreased in about 50% of advanced stage cervical cancer patients worldwide, and the clinical outcomes are remarkably varied and difficult to predict. One of the miRNAs known to be associated with cancer tumorigenesis is miR-944. However, the prognostic value of miR-944 in cervical cancer has not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to analyze clinical significance and prognostic value of miR-944 in cervical cancer.

Methods

The expression levels of miR-944 were detected using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in five types of cervical cancer cell lines and 116 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) cervical tissues. The association between the expression levels of miR-944 and prognostic value was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

The expression levels of miR-944 in cervical cancer tissues were significantly higher compared with those in normal tissues (P < 0.0001). Moreover, the expression levels of miR-944 in cervical cancer cell lines and FFPE tissues with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection were significantly higher compared to those without HPV infection (P < 0.01 and P = 0.02). High miR-944 expression was also markedly associated with bulky tumor size (P = 0.026), advanced International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage (P = 0.042), and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.030). In particular, high miR-944 expression group showed shorter overall survival than the low miR-944 expression group in the advanced FIGO stage (84.4% vs. 44.4%, HR = 4.0, and P = 0.01).

Conclusions

These results suggest that miR-944 may be used as a novel biomarker for improving prognosis and as a potential therapeutic target.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12885-019-5620-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Ectopic expression of miR-944 impairs colorectal cancer cell proliferation and invasion by targeting GATA binding protein 6

miR-944 is a microRNA that has been reported to play different important roles in the progression of cancer. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common cancer worldwide. A recent study has confirmed that miR-944 plays a tumour suppressive role in CRC. However, biological functions and the mechanism of miR-944 in CRC are poorly understood. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction of 100 CRC tissues showed that miR-944 expression is frequently downregulated and is negatively associated with the T is the primary tumor, N is the lymph node, and M is the distant metastasis (TNM) stage (P = 0.009), depth of invasion (P = 0.001), and lymph node status (P = 0.002). Overexpression of mir-944 significantly impaired the functions of proliferation, migration and invasion in CRC cells, while these functions increased in knockdown experiments. GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) knockdown can reverse the CRC cells functions induced by miR-944 inhibitor. Mechanistically, a Dual-Luciferase Reporter Assay showed that miR-944 is structurally combined with GATA6 and interacts with downstream proteins (CRT and p-AKT) in CRC cells. In conclusion, these findings indicated that miR-944 may be a tumour suppressor and could likely be used as a prognostic predictor and novel therapeutic target for CRC.

microRNA-944 inhibits the malignancy of hepatocellular carcinoma by directly targeting IGF-1R and deactivating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway

Purpose: Recent studies have identified microRNA-944 (miR-944) as a cancer-related miRNA, but its expression and precise functions in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unknown.

Patients and methods: miR-944 expression in HCC tissues and cell lines were detected by RT-qPCR. A series of functional assays were utilized to examine the influence of miR-944 on the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, the associated mechanisms underlying the activity of miR-944 in HCC cells were investigated using bioinformatics, luciferase reporter assays, RT-qPCR, and western blot analysis.

Results: In this study, we report for the first time, a significant downregulation of miR-944 in HCC tissues and cell lines and the correlation between its downregulation and malignant clinical parameters, including Edmondson-Steiner grade, TNM stage, and venous infiltration. Low miR-944 expression predicted poorer overall survival rate and disease-free survival rate in patients with HCC. Functionally, exogenous miR-944 expression attenuated cell proliferation, clone formation, metastasis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition and increased apoptosis in HCC, whereas miR-944 knockdown produced the opposite results. In addition, ectopic miR-944 expression hindered HCC tumor growth in vivo. Mechanistically, insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) was demonstrated to be the direct target gene of miR-944 in HCC cells. Furthermore, the expression level of miR-944 was inversely correlated with IGF-1R expression in HCC tissues. Rescue experiments showed that IGF-1R was at least partially responsible for the effects of miR-944 on the malignant phenotypes of HCC cells. In addition, the PI3K/Akt pathway was notably deactivated, both in vitro and in vivo, upon miR-944 upregulation.

Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence that miR-944 directly targets IGF-1R and inhibits the aggressiveness of HCC, in vitro and in vivo, by decreasing PI3K/Akt signaling. Hence, targeting miR-944 may open a new avenue for the treatment of patients with HCC.

The role of biomarkers in endometrial cancer and hyperplasia: a literature review

INTRODUCTION

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynaecological cancer and its incidence is rising due to increasing obesity rates. We are also seeing an increasing trend of young women diagnosed with either endometrial cancer or its precancerous state, endometrial hyperplasia. Diagnosis is dependent on invasive testing and there is no screening tool available for either general or high-risk population groups. Whilst vast amounts of research have been undertaken in higher-profile cancers such as ovarian and cervical, endometrial cancer is comparatively less investigated.

AIM

In this literature review, we summarise the existing literature in understanding the role of tumour biomarkers for endometrial cancer and its preceding condition of endometrial hyperplasia.

METHOD

NICE Healthcare Databases Search tool was used to search Embase, Medline and PubMed databases for relevant articles.

CONCLUSION

There is currently no routinely used biomarker in endometrial cancer for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Given the establishment of new genomic classifications of endometrial cancers, the use of biomarkers to drive therapeutic approaches will be the cornerstone for individualised cancer care in the coming decades.

miR-944 inhibits lung adenocarcinoma tumorigenesis by targeting STAT1 interaction

Lung adenocarcinoma (LAC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortalities, particularly in developed countries. The aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been proven to regulate numerous diseases in the past two decades. miRNAs have been identified in almost all human cancer types. In the present study, the role of miR-944 in LAC proliferation was examined. It was identified that miR-944 was downregulated in LAC tissues and cells, and miR-944 overexpression inhibited A549 and H1299 cell proliferation, as determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 and colony formation assay. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) was upregulated in LAC tissues and cells. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that the 5-year overall survival in patients with high STAT1 levels was significantly reduced, compared with patients with negative and low STAT1 expression. STAT1 was the direct target of miR-944. Additionally, a miR-944 mimic inhibited A549 cell growth in vitro. Collectively, these data demonstrate that miR-944 serves a pivotal role in LAC tumor growth by targeting STAT1. The data obtained indicated that miR-944 may be a novel biomarker and could result in potential therapies for LAC.

Non-Coding RNAs in Endometrial Physiopathology

The Human Genome Project led to the discovery that about 80% of our DNA is transcribed in RNA molecules. Only 2% of the human genome is translated into proteins, the rest mostly produces molecules called non-coding RNAs, which are a heterogeneous class of RNAs involved in different steps of gene regulation. They have been classified, according to their length, into small non-coding RNAs and long non-coding RNAs, or to their function, into housekeeping non-coding RNAs and regulatory non-coding RNAs. Their involvement has been widely demonstrated in all cellular processes, as well as their dysregulation in human pathologies. In this review, we discuss the function of non-coding RNAs in endometrial physiology, analysing their involvement in embryo implantation. Moreover, we explore their role in endometrial pathologies such as endometrial cancer, endometriosis and chronic endometritis.

Correlation between miR-222 and uterine cancer and its prognostic value

Relationship between the expression of miR-222 and uterine cancer was investigated to explore its prognostic value. A total of 66 patients with uterine cancer diagnosed by pathological examination in Dongying People's Hospital were enrolled from March 2014 to October 2016. Uterine cancer and adjacent tissues were collected, and the expression of miR-222 in the tissues was detected by stem-loop RT-PCR. The relationship between miR-222 expression and various clinicopathological features of uterine cancer was analyzed. All the patients were followed up to record the survival conditions. The results revealed that stem-loop RT-PCR method could specifically amplify miR-222. The expression of miR-222 in uterine cancer tissues was significantly upregulated compared with that in adjacent tissues (p<0.05). The expression level of miR-222 was significantly increased with the increase of degree of tumor differentiation (p<0.05). The expression of miR-222 in uterine cancer tissue was not significantly correlated with patients age, tumor size, gross tumor type, pathological type and FIGO stage (p>0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between the expression of miR-222 and the survival of patients with uterine cancer. In conclusion, the expression of miR-222 in uterine cancer tissues was significantly upregulated in uterine cancer and negatively correlated with prognosis. miR-222 may play a pivotal role in the development and progression of uterine cancer. It is expected that miR-222 will be an indicator and target for the treatment and prognosis of uterine cancer.

Non-Coding RNAs and Endometrial Cancer

Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are involved in the regulation of cell metabolism and neoplastic transformation. Recent studies have tried to clarify the significance of these information carriers in the genesis and progression of various cancers and their use as biomarkers for the disease; possible targets for the inhibition of growth and invasion by the neoplastic cells have been suggested. The significance of ncRNAs in lung cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, and melanoma has been amply investigated with important results. Recently, the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) has also been included in cancer studies. Studies on the relation between endometrial cancer (EC) and ncRNAs, such as small ncRNAs or micro RNAs (miRNAs), transfer RNAs (tRNAs), ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), antisense RNAs (asRNAs), small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), Piwi-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs), competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), lncRNAs, and long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs) have been published. The recent literature produced in the last three years was extracted from PubMed by two independent readers, which was then selected for the possible relation between ncRNAs, oncogenesis in general, and EC in particular.

MicroRNA-30c functions as a tumor suppressor via targeting SNAI1 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Aberrant expression of miRNAs was involved in tumor initiation, progression and metastasis in multiple cancers. Many kinds of microRNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) have been researched, whereas miR-30c has not been included.

METHODS

Firstly, we explored the expression of miR-30c in ESCC tissue and serum samples and its relations to the survival. To further investigate its effects on ESCC cells, we completed a series of experiments. We detected the effects of ectopic miR-30c expression on the proliferation, migration and invasion of ESCC cells in vitro. We identified the target role of SNAI1 in ESCC using Dual-luciferase reporter assay and western blot assay.

RESULTS

The results showed miR-30c was significant down-regulated in ESCC tissues and cell lines. Clinically, we found lower miR-30c expression was significantly correlated with worse ESCC progression and survival. Also we clarified that miR-30c suppressed cell proliferation, invasion and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of ESCC cell lines. What's more, we figured out that miR-30c inhibits ESCC biological behaviors and EMT progress by directly binding to the 3'-UTR of SNAI1.

CONCLUSION

This study provides new insight into the mechanism responsible for the development of human ESCC. Therefore, miR-30c could be a promising biomarker and a therapeutic target for ESCC in the future.

Prognostic value of microRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma: a meta-analysis

Background

Numerous articles reported that dysregulated expression levels of miRNAs correlated with survival time of HCC patients. However, there has not been a comprehensive meta-analysis to evaluate the accurate prognostic value of miRNAs in HCC.

Design

Meta-analysis.

Materials and Methods

Studies, published in English, estimating expression levels of miRNAs with any survival curves in HCC were identified up until 15 April, 2017 by performing online searches in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews by two independent authors. The pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the correlation between miRNA expression and overall survival (OS).

Results

54 relevant articles about 16 miRNAs, with 6464 patients, were ultimately included. HCC patients with high expression of tissue miR-9 (HR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.46–3.76), miR-21 (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.29–2.41), miR-34c (HR = 1.64, 95% CI = 1.05–2.57), miR-155 (HR = 2.84, 95% CI = 1.46–5.51), miR-221 (HR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.02–3.04) or low expression of tissue miR-22 (HR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.63–3.21), miR-29c (HR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.10–1.65), miR-34a (HR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.30–2.59), miR-199a (HR = 2.78, 95% CI = 1.89–4.08), miR-200a (HR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.86–3.77), miR-203 (HR = 2.20, 95% CI = 1.61–3.00) have significantly poor OS (P < 0.05). Likewise, HCC patients with high expression of blood miR-21 (HR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.07–2.80), miR-192 (HR = 2.42, 95% CI = 1.15–5.10), miR-224 (HR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.14–2.12) or low expression of blood miR-148a (HR = 2.26, 95% CI = 1.11–4.59) have significantly short OS (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

In conclusion, tissue miR-9, miR-21, miR-22, miR-29c, miR-34a, miR-34c, miR-155, miR-199a, miR-200a, miR-203, miR-221 and blood miR-21, miR-148a, miR-192, miR-224 demonstrate significantly prognostic value. Among them, tissue miR-9, miR-22, miR-155, miR-199a, miR-200a, miR-203 and blood miR-148a, miR-192 are potential prognostic candidates for predicting OS in HCC.

MicroRNA-374c-5p regulates the invasion and migration of cervical cancer by acting on the Foxc1/snail pathway

Some microRNAs (miRNAs) have been implicated in cervical cancer development and progression. However, the roles and mechanisms of several miRNAs in epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cervical cancer remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted a microarray analysis and found that miR-374c-5p was most down-regulated miRNA in TGFβ1-treated cervical cancer cells compared to the expression in parental cell lines. Ectopic overexpression of miR-374c-5p inhibited cervical cancerl invasion and migration in TGFβ1- treated cervical cancer cells. Conversely, miR-374c-5p knockdown increased the migration and invasion abilities of parental cell lines. Moreover, miR-374c-5p exerted its function by directly targeting the FOXC1 3^/-UTR and repressing FOXC1 expression, thus leading to suppression of snail. In clinical cervical cancer samples, lower miR-374c-5p expression predicted poor patient survival and highe lymph node metastasis in cervical cancers. miR-374c-5p was negatively correlated with FOXC1, which was upregulated in cervical cancers with lymph node metastasis. Taken together, our findings highlight the important role of miR-374c-5p in regulating cervical cancers metastasis by targeting FOXC1, suggesting that miR-374c-5p may represent a novel potential therapeutic target and prognostic marker in cervical cancers.

Upregulation of MicroRNA-4262 Targets Kaiso (ZBTB33) to Inhibit the Proliferation and EMT of Cervical Cancer Cells

More and more studies have reported that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) leads to the proliferation and EMT of multiple cancers. Recently, several reports have demonstrated that dysregulation of miR-4262 occurs in numerous cancers. However, its role and precise mechanism in human cervical cancer (CC) have not been well clarified. Hence, this study aimed to explore the biological roles and precise mechanisms of miR-4262 in CC cell lines. The level of miR-4262 was found to be significantly decreased in CC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, decreased expression of miR-4262 was closely related to increased expression of Kaiso (ZBTB33), which belongs to the BTB/POZ family, in CC tissues and cell lines. The proliferation and EMT of CC cells were inhibited by a miR-4262 mimic. However, downregulation of miR-4262 enhanced the proliferation and EMT of CC cells. Next, bioinformatics analysis predicted that miR-4262 might directly target the Kaiso gene. Besides, luciferase reporter assay had confirmed this result. Moreover, introduction of Kaiso in CC cells partially blocked the effects of miR-4262 mimic. In conclusion, miR-4262 suppressed the proliferation and EMT of CC cells by directly downregulating Kaiso.

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.