MicroRNA-193b regulates proliferation, migration and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

MicroRNA as Key Players in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Insights into Their Role in Metastasis

Liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains the most common cancer in global epidemiology. Both the frequency and fatality of this malignancy have shown an upward trend over recent decades. Liver cancer is a significant concern due to its propensity for both intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis. Liver cancer metastasis is a multifaceted process characterized by cell detachment from the bulk tumor, modulation of cellular motility and invasiveness, enhanced proliferation, avoidance of the immune system, and spread either via lymphatic or blood vessels. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding ribonucleic acids (RNAs) playing a crucial function in the intricate mechanisms of tumor metastasis. A number of miRNAs can either increase or reduce metastasis via several mechanisms, such as control of motility, proliferation, attack by the immune system, cancer stem cell properties, altering the microenvironment, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Besides, two other types of non-coding RNAs, such as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) can competitively bind to endogenous miRNAs. This competition results in the impaired ability of the miRNAs to inhibit the expression of the specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) that are targeted. Increasing evidence has shown that the regulatory axis comprising circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA is correlated with the regulation of HCC metastasis. This review seeks to present a thorough summary of recent research on miRNAs in HCC, and their roles in the cellular processes of EMT, invasion and migration, as well as the metastasis of malignant cells. Finally, we discuss the function of the lncRNA/circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network as a crucial modulator of carcinogenesis and the regulation of signaling pathways or genes that are relevant to the metastasis of HCC. These findings have the potential to offer valuable insight into the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches for management of liver cancer metastasis.

miR-193b-3p suppresses lung cancer cell migration and invasion through PRNP targeting

BACKGROUND

Tumor metastasis is responsible for approximately 90% of mortality in lung cancer. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer metastasis is crucial for developing new treatment strategies. Cellular prion protein (PrPc), encoded by PRNP gene, was previously found to enhance lung cancer invasiveness. However, research on the post-transcriptional regulation of PRNP remains limited.

METHODS

Dual-luciferase reporter assays identified miRNAs targeting the PRNP 3'-UTR, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) confirmed the interaction between miR-193b-3p and PRNP mRNA. Promoter deletions and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays established c-Jun as a transcriptional repressor of miR-193b-3p. Functional validation of the c-Jun-miR-193b-3p-PrPc axis was conducted using transwell assays, LNA-in situ hybridization, RT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. Subcutaneous mouse xenograft models assessed the anti-tumor effects of miR-193b-3p in vivo.

RESULTS

We demonstrated that miR-193b-3p downregulates PrPc expression by directly targeting the 3'-UTR of PRNP. Overexpression of miR-193b-3p significantly suppressed PRNP expression at both mRNA and protein levels, and reduced lung cancer cell migration, invasion and proliferation, which was reversed by PrPc overexpression. Conversely, miR-193b-3p silencing enhanced PRNP expression as well as those oncogenic properties, which were mitigated by PRNP knockdown. Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between miR-193b-3p and PrPc expression in lung cancer tissues (p = 0.017), and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that high PrPc (p = 0.039) or low miR-193b-3p (p = 0.027) expression correlated with poorer overall survival. Intra-tumoral injection of the miR-193b-3p mimic in mouse xenograft models significantly reduced tumor volume. In addition, c-Jun was identified as a transcriptional repressor of miR-193b-3p. Functional studies revealed that c-Jun knockdown inhibited lung cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation, effects that were reversed by either PrPc overexpression or miR-193b-3p inhibitor treatment. A significant association between PrPc and c-Jun expression in lung cancer tissues (p = 0.004) was observed. High expression of PrPc and/or c-Jun was found to be associated with poor overall survival of patients (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to uncover a novel regulatory pathway where c-Jun acts as a transcriptional repressor of miR-193b-3p, leading to PRNP upregulation, which promotes lung cancer migration and invasion. This previously unrecognized c-Jun-miR-193b-3p-PrPc axis also provides valuable insights for the potential development of new therapeutic strategies against lung cancer metastasis through RNA-targeting technology.

Anticancer and therapeutic efficacy of XPO1 inhibition in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma through DNA damage and modulation of miR-193b/KRAS/LAMC2/ERK/AKT signaling cascade

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive and grave malignancies with confined and ineffective therapeutic options. XPO1 is a critical regulator of nuclear export and activation of tumor suppressor proteins. The present study evaluated the therapeutic potential and molecular mechanisms of XPO1 inhibition against PDAC. Firstly, we observed significant overexpression of XPO1 transcript in 179 PDAC patients than 171 normal pancreatic tissues in TCGA transcriptomic dataset. Higher XPO1 transcript levels displayed worse overall and disease-free survival. Further, we confirmed significant upregulation of XPO1 in a panel of PDAC cells. Eltanexor treatment resulted in significant inhibition of cell viability, clonogenic growth, migration, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), along with the induction of cell cycle arrest. Mechanistically, eltanexor modulated the expression of key proteins including p21, p27, p53, cyclin B1, cyclin D1, c-Myc, N-cadherin, vimentin, E-cadherin associated with the cell viability, growth, cell cycle and EMT. Additionally, the eltanexor treatment resulted in marked increase in expression of γH2AX, and cleaved PARP, cleaved caspase-9 leading to induction of DNA damage and apoptosis of PDAC cells, respectively. Moreover, eltanexor treatment regulated the expression of key non-coding RNAs including miR193b, DINO, MALAT-1, H19, and SOX21-AS1 linked with tumorigenesis. Our results revealed a correlation among miR193b/KRAS/LAMC2, XPO1/KRAS, and LAMC2/KRAS. The findings also revealed that eltanexor treatment rescued the expression of miR193b which acts as a sponge for LAMC2 and KRAS resulting in the suppression of AKT/ERK downstream signaling cascade in PDAC. Interestingly, the combination of eltanexor with gemcitabine showed significant anticancer activity in PDAC cells. Altogether, our findings revealed the crucial role of XPO1 in modulating the expression of oncogenic proteins, ncRNAs, and DNA damage during PDAC progression as well as identified novel therapeutic miR-193b/KRAS/LAMC2/ERK/AKT axis.

Analysis of the Effects of Short-Term Pterostilbene Intake on Healthy Participants: A Pilot Study

Pterostilbene, a polyphenolic compound and an analog of resveratrol, exerts various biological activities and has higher bioavailability and metabolic stability than resveratrol. However, the effectiveness of pterostilbene intake in humans, particularly its effect on blood microRNA (miRNA) expression levels, has not been evaluated. Accordingly, this pilot study aimed to investigate the effects of pterostilbene on blood biochemistry and blood miRNA expression levels and the safety of continuous intake at doses of 10 or 100 mg/d over 12 wk. A double-blind, placebo-controlled parallel-arm comparison trial was conducted with 30 healthy men. In the analysis of blood miRNA expression levels, miR-34a and miR-193b showed very high increases at week 4 and after week 4 of intake, respectively, suggesting that the responders might be present among participants in the pterostilbene intake group. No adverse events were reported during the trial in any participant, and no abnormalities were observed upon examination by the responsible physician. Thus, pterostilbene intake would regulate blood miRNA expression levels, and the results can be utilized in human studies investigating miRNA expression levels with functional food ingredients.

The Potential of Circulating miR-193b, miR-146b-3p and miR-483-3p as Noninvasive Biomarkers in Cutaneous Melanoma Patients

Melanoma is a destructive skin disease with few therapeutic options in the developed stage and therefore there is a critical need for reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis. In this context, microRNAs could play an important role as diagnostic biomarkers. Three datasets with accession numbers GSE31568, GSE61741 and GSE20994 were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. MATLAB software was used to analyze differentially expressed miRNAs between cutaneous melanoma plasma samples and normal plasma samples (control). Plasma levels of miR-193b, miR-146b-3p and miR-483-3p were evaluated by the RT-PCR method. Furthermore, linear regression followed by receiver operating characteristic analyses was performed to estimate whether selected plasma miRNAs were able to distinguish between cases and controls. Finally, the data were analyzed by unpaired Mann-Whitney U test using Graph pad prism 8 computer software. Specifically, miR-193b and miR-146b-3p were downregulated in the plasma of melanoma patients compared with control groups which were decreased 5 × 10 6 -fold in miR-193b and 58-fold in miR-146b-3p, while miR-483-3p was upregulated 3.5-fold. After receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, miR-193b with the most area under the curve (AUC: 1.00, 95% confidence interval 1.00-1.00, p < 0.0001) had the best discriminatory power, and miR-146b-3p had the large area under the curve (AUC: 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.96-1.00, p < 0.0001) and consequently the high discriminatory power. Between these three miRNAs, miR-193b and miR-146b-3p had a high capacity to distinguish between melanoma patients and control groups that are appropriate to be applied in melanoma diagnosis as an early and noninvasive method.

A comprehensive review of phytoconstituents in liver cancer prevention and treatment: targeting insights into molecular signaling pathways

Primary liver cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary liver cancer that usually affects adults. Liver cancer is a fatal global condition that affects millions of people worldwide. Despite advances in technology, the mortality rate remains alarming. There is growing interest in researching alternative medicines to prevent or reduce the effects of liver cancer. Recent studies have shown growing interest in herbal products, nutraceuticals, and Chinese medicines as potential treatments for liver cancer. These substances contain unique bioactive compounds with anticancer properties. The causes of liver cancer and potential treatments are discussed in this review. This study reviews natural compounds, such as curcumin, resveratrol, green tea catechins, grape seed extracts, vitamin D, and selenium. Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that these medications reduce the risk of liver cancer through their antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-angiogenic, and antimetastatic properties. This article discusses the therapeutic properties of natural products, nutraceuticals, and Chinese compounds for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Epigenetic Downregulation of Hsa-miR-193b-3p Increases Cyclin D1 Expression Level and Cell Proliferation in Human Meningiomas

Meningiomas are common intracranial tumors in adults. Abnormal microRNA (miRNA) expression plays a role in their pathogenesis. Change in miRNA expression level can be caused by impaired epigenetic regulation of miRNA-encoding genes. We found the genomic region covering the MIR193B gene to be DNA hypermethylated in meningiomas based on analysis of genome-wide methylation (HumanMethylation450K Illumina arrays). Hypermethylation of MIR193B was also confirmed via bisulfite pyrosequencing. Both hsa-miR-193b-3p and hsa-miR-193b-5p are downregulated in meningiomas. Lower expression of hsa-miR-193b-3p and higher MIR193B methylation was observed in World Health Organization (WHO) grade (G) II/III tumors as compared to GI meningiomas. CCND1 mRNA was identified as a target of hsa-miR-193b-3p as further validated using luciferase reporter assay in IOMM-Lee meningioma cells. IOMM-Lee cells transfected with hsa-miR-193b-3p mimic showed a decreased cyclin D1 level and lower cell viability and proliferation, confirming the suppressive nature of this miRNA. Cyclin D1 protein expression (immunoreactivity) was higher in atypical than in benign meningiomas, accordingly to observations of lower hsa-miR-193b-3p levels in GII tumors. The commonly observed hypermethylation of MIR193B in meningiomas apparently contributes to the downregulation of hsa-miR-193b-3p. Since hsa-miR-193b-3p regulates proliferation of meningioma cells through negative regulation of cyclin D1 expression, it seems to be an important tumor suppressor in meningiomas.

Comprehensive analysis of UBE2C expression and its potential roles and mechanisms in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ranks one of the most common and lethal cancers all over the world. Previous studies suggest that ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2C (UBE2C) serves as an oncogene in human cancers. However, its expression, diagnosis, prognosis and potential mechanisms in HCC remain largely unknown. In this study, the expression of UBE2C in HCC was first analyzed by comprehensive bioinformatic analysis. ROC curve analysis and survival analysis were employed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic roles of UBE2C in HCC. UBE2C promoter methylation level and upstream regulatory miRNAs of UBE2C in HCC were explored. The present work demonstrated that UBE2C was significantly upregulated in HCC compared with normal controls. We also found significant diagnostic and prognostic values of UBE2C in HCC. Promoter methylation of UBE2C was obviously decreased in HCC and was negatively correlated with UBE2C mRNA expression. 10 miRNAs were predicted to potentially bind to UBE2C. In vitro assay and bioinformatic correlation analysis together revealed that hsa-miR-193b-3p might be another key upstream regulatory mechanism of UBE2C in HCC. In conclusion, UBE2C is overexpressed in HCC and may serve as a key diagnostic/prognostic biomarker for patients with HCC.

The role of miRNAs in liver diseases: Potential therapeutic and clinical applications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short, non-coding RNAs that function post-transcriptionally to regulate gene expression by binding to particular mRNA targets and causing destruction of the mRNA or translational inhibition of the mRNA. The miRNAs control the range of liver activities, from the healthy to the unhealthy. Considering that miRNA dysregulation is linked to liver damage, fibrosis, and tumorigenesis, miRNAs are a promising therapeutic strategy for the evaluation and treatment of liver illnesses. Recent findings on the regulation and function of miRNAs in liver diseases are discussed, with an emphasis on miRNAs that are highly expressed or enriched in hepatocytes. Alcohol-related liver illness, acute liver toxicity, viral hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and exosomes in chronic liver disease all emphasize the roles and target genes of these miRNAs. We briefly discuss the function of miRNAs in the etiology of liver diseases, namely in the transfer of information between hepatocytes and other cell types via extracellular vesicles. Here we offer some background on the use of miRNAs as biomarkers for the early prognosis, diagnosis, and assessment of liver diseases. The identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver disorders will be made possible by future research into miRNAs in the liver, which will also help us better understand the pathogeneses of liver diseases.

Dendritic cells originating exosomal miR-193b-3p induces regulatory T cells to alleviate liver transplant rejection

BACKGROUND

Exosomes exert considerable influence in mediating regulatory T (Treg) cells differentiation, which attach great importance to attenuating acute cellular rejection after liver transplantation (LT). And, miRNAs are known to play essential roles in cell-cell communication delivered by exosomes. However, the function of exosomal miRNAs in regulating Treg cells after LT remains unknown. Here, we performed an expression profiling analysis of exosome-miRNAs from human plasma after LT and investigated their immunoregulatory effects on Treg cells.

METHODS

Fifty-eight LT patients and nine donors were included in this report. miRNA profiles in plasma exosomes were analyzed using next-generation sequencing. Flow cytometry, HE and multiplex immunofluorescent staining were used to identify Treg cells in the liver and peripheral blood. A lentiviral vector system was used to overexpress miR-193b-3p in dendritic cells (DCs), and exosomes isolated from these transfected cells were co-cultured with spleen lymphocytesin vitro. A quantitative Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to detect the expression of cytokines.

RESULTS

Treg cell infiltration was increased in the liver along with Th17 and CD8+ T cell, and it was down-regulated in peripheral blood in the acute rejection group. High-throughput sequencing revealed that miR-193b-3p was markedly up-regulated in plasma exosomes of non-rejection LT patients. The NLRP3 inflammasome was screened as a target for miR-193b-3p based on target prediction and functional enrichment analyses. Exosomal miR-193b-3p derived from DCs increased Treg cells as demonstrated in vitro. miR-193b-3p overexpression down-regulated NLRP3 as well as the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-17A while increasing levels of the cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β.

CONCLUSION

DC derived exosomal miR-193b-3p promoted Treg cells by inhibiting NLRP3 expression. These findings not only provide a new perspective on the mechanisms, but also hold great promise for the treatment or prevention of liver allograft rejection.

The Novel Action of miR-193b-3p/CDK1 Signaling in HCC Proliferation and Migration: A Study Based on Bioinformatic Analysis and Experimental Investigation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common human malignancy with high mortality and dismal prognosis. A growing number of novel targets underlying HCC pathophysiology have been detected using microarray high throughput screening platforms. This study carried out bioinformatics analysis to explore underlying biomarkers in HCC and assessed the potential action of the miR-193b-3p/CDK1 signaling pathway in HCC progression. A total of 241 common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened from GSE33294, GSE104310, and GSE144269. Functional analysis results implicated that DEGs are significantly associated with "cell cycle," "cell division," and "proliferation." The protein-protein interaction network analysis extracted ten hub genes from common DEGs. Ten hub genes were significantly overexpression in HCC tissues. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that 10 hub genes were linked with a poorer prognosis in HCC patients. Functional assays showed that CDK1 knockdown repressed HCC cell proliferation and migration. Luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-193b-3p could target CDK1 3' untranslated region, and miR-193b-3p negatively modulated CDK1. Enforced CDK1 expression attenuated miR-193b-3p-modulated suppressive actions on HCC cell proliferation and migration. To summarize, we performed a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and identified 10 hub genes linked to the prognosis in HCC patients. Functional analysis revealed that CDK1, negatively regulated by miR-193b-3p, may act as an oncogene to promote HCC cell proliferation and migration and may predict poor prognosis of HCC patients. However, the role of CDK1/miR-193b-3p may still require further investigation.

TRF2 cooperates with CTCF for controlling the oncomiR-193b-3p in colorectal cancer

The Telomeric Repeat binding Factor 2 (TRF2), a key protein involved in telomere integrity, is over-expressed in several human cancers and promotes tumor formation and progression. Recently, TRF2 has been also found outside telomeres where it can affect gene expression. Here we provide evidence that TRF2 is able to modulate the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs altered in human tumors. Among the miRNAs regulated by TRF2, we focused on miR-193b-3p, an oncomiRNA that positively correlates with TRF2 expression in human colorectal cancer patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas dataset. At the mechanistic level, the control of miR-193b-3p expression requires the cooperative activity between TRF2 and the chromatin organization factor CTCF. We found that CTCF physically interacts with TRF2, thus driving the proper positioning of TRF2 on a binding site located upstream the miR-193b-3p host-gene. The binding of TRF2 on the identified region is necessary for promoting the expression of miR-193b3p which, in turn, inhibits the translation of the onco-suppressive methyltransferase SUV39H1 and promotes tumor cell proliferation. The translational relevance of the oncogenic properties of miR-193b-3p was confirmed in patients, in whom the association between TRF2 and miR-193b-3p has a prognostic value.

miR‑200b upregulation promotes migration of BEAS‑2B cells following long‑term exposure to cigarette smoke by targeting ETS1

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of all histological types of lung cancer, and the role that microRNAs (miRNAs) serve in its pathogenesis is being increasingly recognized. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of miR‑200b on migration in cigarette smoke‑induced malignant transformed cells. In the present study, miR‑200b expression was found to be increased in cigarette smoke (CS)‑exposed BEAS‑2B cells, lung cancer cell lines and tumor tissue samples. Using wound healing and Transwell migration assays, the migratory ability was shown to be increased in miR‑200b‑overexpressing cells, whereas miR‑200b knockdown resulted in reduced migration. Additionally, the expression of E‑Cadherin was downregulated, whereas that of N‑Cadherin was upregulated in miR‑200b mimic‑transfected cells, suggesting an increase in epithelial‑mesenchymal transition. Downstream, using four target gene prediction tools, six target genes of miR‑200b were predicted, amongst which, ETS proto‑oncogene 1 transcription factor (ETS1) was shown to be significantly associated with tumor invasion depth and negatively associated with miR‑200b expression. The interaction between miR‑200b and ETS1 was confirmed using a dual‑luciferase reporter assay. Using rescue experiments, the increased migratory ability of the miR‑200b‑overexpressing cells was reversed by ETS1 overexpression. In summary, this study showed that miR‑200b overexpression serves a carcinogenic role and promotes the migration of BEAS‑2B cells following long‑term exposure to CS by targeting ETS1.

Identification of potential key genes and miRNAs involved in Hepatoblastoma pathogenesis and prognosis

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is one of the most common liver malignancies in children, while the molecular basis of the disease is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aims to explore the key genes and molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of HB using a bioinformatics approach. The gene expression dataset GSE131329 was used to find differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional and enrichment analyses of the DEGs were performed by the EnrichR. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the up-regulated genes was constructed and visualized using STRING database and Cytoscape software, respectively. MCODE was used to detect the significant modules of the PPI network, and cytoHubba was utilized to rank the important nodes (genes) of the PPI modules. Overall, six ranking methods were employed and the results were validated by the Oncopression database. Moreover, the upstream regulatory network and the miRNA-target interactions of the up-regulated DEGs were analyzed by the X2K web and the miRTarBase respectively. A total of 594 DEGs, including 221 up- and 373 down-regulated genes, were obtained, which were enriched in different cellular and metabolic processes, human diseases, and cancer. Furthermore, 15 hub genes were screened, out of which, 11 were validated. Top 10 transcription factors, kinases, and miRNAs were also determined. To the best of our knowledge, the association of RACGAP1, MKI67, FOXM1, SIN3A, miR-193b, and miR-760 with HB was reported for the first time. Our findings may be used to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of HB and provide new insights for better prognosis and therapeutic strategies.

The E-Twenty-Six Family in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Moving into the Spotlight

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although therapeutic strategies have recently advanced, tumor metastasis and drug resistance continue to pose challenges in the treatment of HCC. Therefore, new molecular targets are needed to develop novel therapeutic strategies for this cancer. E-twenty-six (ETS) transcription family has been implicated in human malignancies pathogenesis and progression, including leukemia, Ewing sarcoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Recently, increasing studies have expanded its great potential as functional players in other cancers, including HCC. This review focuses primarily on the key functions and molecular mechanisms of ETS factors in HCC. Elucidating these molecular details may provide novel potential therapeutic strategies for cancers.

Non-Coding RNAs as Prognostic Biomarkers: A miRNA Signature Specific for Aggressive Early-Stage Lung Adenocarcinomas

Lung cancer burden can be reduced by adopting primary and secondary prevention strategies such as anti-smoking campaigns and low-dose CT screening for high risk subjects (aged >50 and smokers >30 packs/year). Recent CT screening trials demonstrated a stage-shift towards earlier stage lung cancer and reduction of mortality (~20%). However, a sizable fraction of patients (30–50%) with early stage disease still experience relapse and an adverse prognosis. Thus, the identification of effective prognostic biomarkers in stage I lung cancer is nowadays paramount. Here, we applied a multi-tiered approach relying on coupled RNA-seq and miRNA-seq data analysis of a large cohort of lung cancer patients (TCGA-LUAD, n = 510), which enabled us to identify prognostic miRNA signatures in stage I lung adenocarcinoma. Such signatures showed high accuracy (AUC ranging between 0.79 and 0.85) in scoring aggressive disease. Importantly, using a network-based approach we rewired miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks, identifying a minimal signature of 7 miRNAs, which was validated in a cohort of FFPE lung adenocarcinoma samples (CSS, n = 44) and controls a variety of genes overlapping with cancer relevant pathways. Our results further demonstrate the reliability of miRNA-based biomarkers for lung cancer prognostication and make a step forward to the application of miRNA biomarkers in the clinical routine.

Circulating microRNAs associated with liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C patients

A major challenge in hepatitis C research is the detection of early potential for progressive liver disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs that regulate gene expression and can be biomarkers of pathological processes. In this study, we compared circulating miRNAs identified in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients presenting two extremes of liver disease: mild/moderate fibrosis and cirrhosis. The patients in the cirrhosis group subsequently developed hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We identified 163 mature miRNAs in the mild/moderate fibrosis group and 171 in the cirrhosis group, with 144 in common to both groups. Differential expression analysis revealed 5 upregulated miRNAs and 2 downregulated miRNAs in the cirrhosis group relative to the mild/moderate fibrosis group. Functional analyses of regulatory networks (target gene and miRNA) identified gene categories involved in cell cycle biological processes and metabolic pathways related to cell cycle, cancer, and apoptosis. These results suggest that the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs observed in this work (miR-215-5p, miR-483-5p, miR-193b-3p, miR-34a-5p, miR-885-5p, miR-26b-5p and miR -197-3p) may be candidates for biomarkers in the prognosis of liver disease.

Differential MicroRNA Signatures in the Pathogenesis of Barrett's Esophagus

OBJECTIVES:

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is the precursor lesion and a major risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). Although patients with BE undergo routine endoscopic surveillance, current screening methodologies have proven ineffective at identifying individuals at risk of EAC. Since microRNAs (miRNAs) have potential diagnostic and prognostic value as disease biomarkers, we sought to identify an miRNA signature of BE and EAC.

METHODS:

High-throughput sequencing of miRNAs was performed on serum and tissue biopsies from 31 patients identified either as normal, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), BE, BE with low-grade dysplasia (LGD), or EAC. Logistic regression modeling of miRNA profiles with Lasso regularization was used to identify discriminating miRNA. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to validate changes in miRNA expression using 46 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens obtained from normal, GERD, BE, BE with LGD or HGD, and EAC subjects.

RESULTS:

A 3-class predictive model was able to classify tissue samples into normal, GERD/BE, or LGD/EAC classes with an accuracy of 80%. Sixteen miRNAs were identified that predicted 1 of the 3 classes. Our analysis confirmed previous reports indicating that miR-29c-3p and miR-193b-5p expressions are altered in BE and EAC and identified miR-4485-5p as a novel biomarker of esophageal dysplasia. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction validated 11 of 16 discriminating miRNAs.

DISCUSSION:

Our data provide an miRNA signature of normal, precancerous, and cancerous tissue that may stratify patients at risk of progressing to EAC. We found that serum miRNAs have a limited ability to distinguish between disease states, thus limiting their potential utility in early disease detection.

miR-138 and miR-193 target long non-coding RNA UCA1 to inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer

Background

Long non‐coding RNA‐urothelial carcinoma associated 1 (LncRNA‐UCA1) is a crucial oncogene that is deregulated in many types of cancers. However, the mechanism of UCA1 function, especially for its posttranscriptional regulation in lung cancer, remains unclear.

Methods

miRCode was used to predict potential miRNA candidates that might target UCA1. The targets of miR‐138 and miR‐193 on UCA1 and CDK6 were verified by luciferase reporter analysis. Western blotting was used to detect protein levels. The RNA level was evaluated using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Proliferation, wound healing, and transwell invasion assays were performed to assess cell proliferation and invasion abilities. Correlations between miR‐138 or miR‐193 and UCA1 in lung cancer tissues was assessed using quantitative real‐time PCR.

Results

miR‐138 and miR‐193 specifically targeted and regulated lncRNA‐UCA1. MiR‐138 and miR‐193 both suppressed cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Moreover, miR‐138 and miR‐193 inhibited cell migration and invasion. Overexpression of UCA1 reversed the proliferation, migration, and invasion suppression effects of miR‐138 or miR‐193. Furthermore, miR‐138/193 affected the expression of UCA1 downstream genes. UCA1 regulated the expression of CDK6 as a miR‐138 and miR‐193 common target. In human lung cancer tissues, our study showed a significant negative correlation between miR‐138 or miR‐193 and UCA1 in lung cancer tissues.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrated that miR‐138 and miR‐193 affect cell function by directly targeting and regulating UCA1 in lung cancer.

The Multiple Roles of Hepatitis B Virus X Protein (HBx) Dysregulated MicroRNA in Hepatitis B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) and Immune Pathways

Currently, the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [HBV-HCC] relies on blunt tools that are unable to offer effective therapy for later stage pathogenesis. The potential of miRNA to treat HBV-HCC offer a more targeted approach to managing this lethal carcinoma; however, the complexity of miRNA as an ancillary regulator of the immune system remains poorly understood. This review examines the overlapping roles of HBx-dysregulated miRNA in HBV-HCC and immune pathways and seeks to demonstrate that specific miRNA response in immune cells is not independent of their expression in hepatocytes. This interplay between the two pathways may provide us with the possibility of using candidate miRNA to manipulate this interaction as a potential therapeutic option.

MicroRNA signature in hepatocellular carcinoma patients: identification of potential markers

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in liver pathologies and they are potential biomarkers for diagnosis of liver diseases progression. Changes in miRNA sera expression can be used as non-invasive biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of the study was to identify the miRNome profiling of HCC and its diagnostic value in distinguishing HCC from healthy individuals. Expression profiles of miRNAs in serum samples of 20 HCC patients and 10 healthy controls were detected. Whole miRNome profiling was done using next generation sequencing. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the diagnostic performance of the deregulated miRNAs for discriminating HCC cases from healthy controls. MiRNA 142 was highly expressed in HCC (P value = 0.023) while miRNAs 191, 22, and 126 were higher in the controls (P value = 0.005, 0.034, 0.010 respectively). We have identified 5 novel miRNAs and they were highly expressed in HCC than controls. Analysis of ROC curve demonstrated that these deregulated miRNAs can be used as a reliable biomarker for detection of HCC with high diagnostic accuracy (AUC = 0.93). We have detected a panel of serum miRNAs that can be used as a reliable noninvasive screening biomarker of HCC. The study recommends further research to shed light on a possible role of the newly discovered novel miRNAs in HCC pathogenesis.

A Novel Long Non-Coding RNA-01488 Suppressed Metastasis and Tumorigenesis by Inducing miRNAs That Reduce Vimentin Expression and Ubiquitination of Cyclin E

Long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) play important roles in human cancer development, including cell differentiation, apoptosis, and tumor progression. However, their underlying mechanisms of action are largely unknown at present. In this study, we focused on a novel suppressor lincRNA that has the potential to inhibit progression of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our experiments disclosed long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1488 (LINC01488) as a key negative regulator of HCC. Clinically, patients with high LINC01488 expression displayed greater survival rates and better prognosis. In vitro and in vivo functional assays showed that LINC01488 overexpression leads to significant suppression of cell proliferation and metastasis in HCC. Furthermore, LINC01488 bound to cyclin E to induce its ubiquitination and reduced expression of vimentin mediated by both miR-124-3p/miR-138-5p. Our results collectively indicate that LINC01488 acts as a tumor suppressor that inhibits metastasis and tumorigenesis in HCC via the miR-124-3p/miR-138-5p/vimentin axis. Furthermore, LINC01488 interacts with and degrades cyclin E, which contributes to its anti-tumorigenic activity. In view of these findings, we propose that enhancement of LINC01488 expression could be effective as a potential therapeutic strategy for HCC.

miR‑193b exhibits mutual interaction with MYC, and suppresses growth and metastasis of osteosarcoma

Emerging evidence has indicated that microRNAs (miRs) are involved in the malignant behavior of cancer. The present study explored the role of miR‑193b in the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma. Compared with F4 osteosarcoma cells, which have a relatively low metastatic potential, highly metastatic F5M2 cells exhibited a lower expression of miR‑193b. Furthermore, miR‑193b exerted negative effects on cell proliferation, colony formation, cell cycle progression, migration and invasion, and induced apoptosis. In vivo studies revealed negative influences of miR‑193b on tumorigenesis and metastasis. The tumor‑suppressive role of miR‑193b was achieved by targeting KRAS and stathmin 1 (STMN1). Notably, overexpression of KRAS and STMN1 attenuated the miR‑193b‑induced inhibition of malignant behaviors. There was a double‑negative regulatory loop between MYC and miR‑193b, with MYC inhibiting miR‑193b expression by directly binding to its promoter region and miR‑193b negatively influencing MYC expression indirectly through some unknown mechanism. Collectively, these findings indicated that miR‑193b may serve a tumor suppressive role in osteosarcoma by targeting KRAS and STMN1. The double‑negative regulatory loop between MYC and miR‑193b may contribute to the sustained upregulation of MYC, the downregulation of miR‑193b, and to the subsequently enhanced expression of KRAS and STMN1, which may eventually lead to the development and metastasis of osteosarcoma.

Unique microRNA alterations in hepatocellular carcinomas arising either spontaneously or due to chronic exposure to Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) in B6C3F1/N mice

Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is used in traditional Chinese medicine as a herbal supplement for improving memory. Exposure of B6C3F1/N mice to GBE in a 2-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) bioassay resulted in a dose-dependent increase in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). To identify key microRNAs that modulate GBE-induced hepatocarcinogenesis, we compared the global miRNA expression profiles in GBE-exposed HCC (GBE-HCC) and spontaneous HCC (SPNT-HCC) with age-matched vehicle control normal livers (CNTL) from B6C3F1/N mice. The number of differentially altered miRNAs in GBE-HCC and SPNT-HCC was 74 (52 up and 22 down) and 33 (15 up and 18 down), respectively. Among the uniquely differentially altered miRNAs in GBE-HCC, miR-31 and one of its predicted targets, Cdk1 were selected for functional validation. A potential miRNA response element (MRE) in the 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTR) of Cdk1 mRNA was revealed by in silico analysis and confirmed by luciferase assays. In mouse hepatoma cell line HEPA-1 cells, we demonstrated an inverse correlation between miR-31 and CDK1 protein levels, but no change in Cdk1 mRNA levels, suggesting a post-transcriptional effect. Additionally, a set of miRNAs (miRs-411, 300, 127, 134, 409-3p, and 433-3p) that were altered in the GBE-HCCs were also altered in non-tumor liver samples from the 90-day GBE-exposed group compared to the vehicle control group, suggesting that some of these miRNAs could serve as potential biomarkers for GBE exposure or hepatocellular carcinogenesis. These data increase our understanding of miRNA-mediated epigenetic regulation of GBE-mediated hepatocellular carcinogenesis in B6C3F1/N mice.

MiR-193b-5p inhibits proliferation and enhances radio-sensitivity by downregulating the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in tongue cancer

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to have functions regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis, thereby regulating the occurrence, development and prognosis of tumors. MiR-193b-3p is well-known for its tumorigenic effect, but there are few studies on miR-193b-5p, and its role in tongue cancer has not been reported.

METHODS

In the present research, we investigated the specific role of miR-193b-5p in tongue cancer. MiR-193b-5p mimics were transfected into tongue cancer cell lines CAL27 and TCA-8113 to generate miR-193b-5p overexpression cells. CCK-8, clonogenic assay, wound healing assay, transwell and flow cytometry analysis were performed to detect cell proliferation, migration, invasion and apoptosis.

RESULTS

Our data showed that the exogenous overexpression of miR-193b-5p blocked the proliferation, inhibited the phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR, and downregulated the levels of Cyclin D1 and P70 of CAL27 and TCA-8113 cells. We predicted that miR-193b-5p suppressed the proliferation of cancer cells by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR pathway. MiR-193b-5p mimics also induced the apoptosis of CAL27 and TCA-8113 cells by inhibiting the expression of Bcl2 and promoting the levels of Active-Caspase3 and Bax. Furthermore, a marked decline in the migration and invasiveness of tongue cancer cells transected with miR-193b-5p mimics was observed. According to the results of western blot, miR-193b-5p downregulated the levels of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers, including N-cad, Vimentin, Snail and Slug, while upregulating E-cad expression level in CAL27 and TCA-8113 cells, suggesting that miR-193b-5p inhibited the migration and invasion by reversing the EMT process. In addition, miR-193b-5p mimics inhibited the formation of clonogenic colonies of CAL27 and TCA-8113 cells after irradiation.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, miR-193b-5p mimics block cell proliferation, migration and invasion and induce apoptosis by inhibiting the AKT/mTOR signaling pathway; they also reversed EMT progression and inhibited the radio-resistance of tongue cancer cells. Our results provide a potential target for the clinical treatment of human tongue cancer.

A profile of 8-oxo-dGTPase activities in the NCI-60 human cancer panel: Meta-analytic insight into the regulation and role of MTH1 (NUDT1) gene expression in carcinogenesis

We measured the specific 8-oxo-dGTPase activity profile of the NCI-60 panel of malignant cell lines, and MTH1 protein levels in a subset of 16 lines. Their 8-oxo-dGTPase activity was compared to twelve publicly accessible MTH1 mRNA expression data bases and their cross-consistency was analyzed. 8-oxo-dGTPase and MTH1 protein levels in these cell lines are generally, but not always, mainly determined by MTH1 mRNA expression levels. The aneuploidy number of MTH1 gene copies only slightly affects its mRNA expression levels. By using the data mining platforms Compare and CellMiner, our 8-oxo-dGTPase profile was compared to five global gene expression datasets to identify genes whose expression levels are directly or inversely associated with 8-oxo-dGTPase. We analyzed effects of SNP within MTH1 on MTH1 mRNA level and enzyme activity. Similar association analysis was performed for five microRNA expression datasets. We identified several proteins and microRNA which might be involved in the regulation of MTH1 expression and we discuss potential mechanisms. Comparison of chemical and natural products sensitivities of the NCI-60 panel suggests seven compounds which are directly or inversely associated with 8-oxo-dGTPase. We provide an integrated picture of MTH1 expression combined from eleven consistent MTH1 mRNA and our 8-oxo-dGTPase activity NCI-60 profiles.

Inhibition of Dimethylarginine Dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) Enzymes as an Emerging Therapeutic Strategy to Target Angiogenesis and Vasculogenic Mimicry in Cancer

The small free radical gas nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in various physiological and pathological processes through enhancement of endothelial cell survival and proliferation. In particular, NO has emerged as a molecule of interest in carcinogenesis and tumor progression due to its crucial role in various cancer-related events including cell invasion, metastasis, and angiogenesis. The dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) family of enzymes metabolize the endogenous nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and monomethyl arginine (L-NMMA), and are thus key for maintaining homeostatic control of NO. Dysregulation of the DDAH/ADMA/NO pathway resulting in increased local NO availability often promotes tumor growth, angiogenesis, and vasculogenic mimicry. Recent literature has demonstrated increased DDAH expression in tumors of different origins and has also suggested a potential ADMA-independent role for DDAH enzymes in addition to their well-studied ADMA-mediated influence on NO. Inhibition of DDAH expression and/or activity in cell culture models and in vivo studies has indicated the potential therapeutic benefit of this pathway through inhibition of both angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry, and strategies for manipulating DDAH function in cancer are currently being actively pursued by several research groups. This review will thus provide a timely discussion on the expression, regulation, and function of DDAH enzymes in regard to angiogenesis and vasculogenic mimicry, and will offer insight into the therapeutic potential of DDAH inhibition in cancer based on preclinical studies.

The Regulatory Role of MicroRNA in Hepatitis-B Virus-Associated Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HBV-HCC) Pathogenesis

The incidence and mortality of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC) is an intractable public health problem in developing countries that is compounded by limited early detection and therapeutic options. Despite the early promise of utilizing the regulatory role of miRNA in liver cancer, this field remains largely in the work-in-progress phase. This exploratory review paper adopts a broad focus in order to collate evidence of the regulatory role of miRNA in each stage of the HBV-HCC continuum. This includes the regulatory role of miRNA in early HBV infection, chronic inflammation, fibrosis/cirrhosis, and the onset of HCC. The paper specifically investigates HBV dysregulated miRNA that influence the expression of the host/HBV genome in HBV-HCC pathogenesis and fully acknowledges that this does not cover the full spectrum of dysregulated miRNA. The sheer number of dysregulated miRNA in each phase support a hypothesis that future therapeutic interventions will need to consider incorporating multiple miRNA panels.

The Cervicovaginal Microbiota-Host Interaction Modulates Chlamydia trachomatis Infection

The mechanism(s) by which Lactobacillus-dominated cervicovaginal microbiota provide a barrier to Chlamydia trachomatis infection remain(s) unknown. Here we evaluate the impact of different Lactobacillus spp. identified via culture-independent metataxonomic analysis of C. trachomatis-infected women on C. trachomatis infection in a three-dimensional (3D) cervical epithelium model. Lactobacillus spp. that specifically produce d(-) lactic acid were associated with long-term protection against C. trachomatis infection, consistent with reduced protection associated with Lactobacillus iners, which does not produce this isoform, and with decreased epithelial cell proliferation, consistent with the observed prolonged protective effect. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that epigenetic modifications involving histone deacetylase-controlled pathways are integral to the cross talk between host and microbiota. These results highlight a fundamental mechanism whereby the cervicovaginal microbiota modulates host functions to protect against C. trachomatis infection.IMPORTANCE The vaginal microbiota is believed to protect women against Chlamydia trachomatis, the etiologic agent of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI) in developed countries. The mechanism underlying this protection has remained elusive. Here, we reveal the comprehensive strategy by which the cervicovaginal microbiota modulates host functions to protect against chlamydial infection, thereby providing a novel conceptual mechanistic understanding. Major implications of this work are that (i) the impact of the vaginal microbiota on the epithelium should be considered in future studies of chlamydial infection and other STIs and (ii) a fundamental understanding of the cervicovaginal microbiota's role in protection against STIs may enable the development of novel microbiome-based therapeutic strategies to protect women from infection and improve vaginal and cervical health.

Dual-strand tumor suppressor miR-193b-3p and -5p inhibit malignant phenotypes of lung cancer by suppressing their common targets

Emerging studies suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) play multiple roles in cancer malignancy, including proliferation and acquisition of metastatic potential. Differentially expressed miRNAs responsible for the malignancy of lung cancer were searched by miRNA microarray using a previously established brain metastatic lung cancer model. Twenty-five miRNAs were down-regulated in brain metastatic lung cancer cells. Among those, miR-193b-3p and -5p were chosen for further studies. Their function in metastatic potential and proliferation was examined using Transwell invasion, wound healing, and colony forming assays. The underlying mechanism of tumor-suppressor miR-193b-3p and -5p was explored using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), Western blot, Argonaute 2-RNA immunoprecipitation (Ago2-RIP), and reporter assays. Both strands of miR-193b were down-regulated in brain metastatic lung cancer cells and in tissues from lung cancer patients. Overexpression of miR-193b-3p and -5p inhibited invasive and migratory activities and diminished clonogenic ability. Conversely, inhibition of miR-193b-3p or -5p increased the metastatic potential and colony forming ability. Cyclin D1 (CCND1), Ajuba LIM Protein (AJUBA), and heart development protein with EGF like domains 1 (HEG1) were identified as common target genes of miR-193b-3p and -5p. A reporter assay and an Ago2-RIP experiment showed that both miRNAs directly bind to the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) of the target mRNA. Knockdown of target gene reduced the proliferative and metastatic potential of primary and metastatic lung cancer cells. Our results demonstrate miR-193b is a dual-strand tumor suppressor and a novel therapeutic target for lung cancer.

RETRACTED: Triptolide inhibits viability and migration while promotes apoptosis in nephroblastoma cells by regulation of miR-193b-3p

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the Editor-in-Chief as panels from Figure 1E appear similar to panels from Figures 1G, 3D and 5D. Given the comments of Dr Elisabeth Bik regarding this article “This paper belongs to a set of over 400 papers (as per February 2020) that share very similar Western blots with tadpole-like shaped bands, the same background pattern, and striking similarities in title structures, paper layout, bar graph design, and - in a subset - flow cytometry panels”, the journal requested the authors to provide the raw data. However, the authors were not able to fulfil this request and therefore the Editor-in-Chief decided to retract the article.

MicroRNA-193b acts as a tumor suppressor in colon cancer progression via targeting RAB22A

To explore microRNA (miR)-193b expression and its potential role in colon cancer, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the miR-193b expression levels in 62 colon cancer tissues and normal adjacent tissues. The miR-193b-overexpressed cell line SW620 was used to study the role of miR-193b in colon cancer. Subsequently, a Transwell assay and cell cycle assay were performed to observe the functional cell changes in the in vitro expression levels of miR-193b. Results indicated that miR-193b expression levels were significantly decreased in colon cancer tissues compared with adjacent normal tissue (P<0.001) and the expression of miR-193b was significantly correlated with TNM staging (P=0.03) and lymph node invasion (P=0.007). Furthermore, overexpression of miR-193b significantly decreased colon cancer cell cycle progression and its migration ability. In addition, the present findings suggested that the increased expression of miR-193b by RAB22A, inhibited downstream proteins involved in the Ras signaling pathway, including the Ras and extracellular signal-related kinase which may inhibit cancer proliferation and migration. In conclusion, the aim was to clarify the association of miR-193b expression with colon cancer, and to explore the mechanism of miR-193b in colon cancer proliferation and cell migration. The preliminary findings revealed that miR-193b may have an important role in the process in colon cancer cell cycle and migration by the RAB22A-Ras signaling pathway, thus providing a theoretical basis for miR-193b as a potential molecular target for colon cancer treatment.

miR-193: A new weapon against cancer

microRNAs (miRNAs) are known as a large group of short noncoding RNAs, which structurally consist of 19-22 nucleotides in length and functionally act as one of the main regulators of gene expression in important biological and physiological contexts like cell growth, apoptosis, proliferation, differentiation, movement (cell motility), and angiogenesis as well as disease formation and progression importantly in cancer cell invasion, migration, and metastasis. Among these notable tiny molecules, many studies recently presented the important role of the miR-193 family comprising miR-193a-3p, miR-193a-5p, miR-193b-3p, and miR-193b-5p in health and disease biological processes by interaction with special targeting and signaling, which mainly contribute as a tumor suppressor. Therefore, in the present paper, we review the functional role of this miRNA family in both health and disease conditions focusing on various tumor developments, diagnoses, prognoses, and treatment.

miR-193b represses influenza A virus infection by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin signalling

Due to an increasing emergence of new and drug‐resistant strains of the influenza A virus (IAV), developing novel measures to combat influenza is necessary. We have previously shown that inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin pathway reduces IAV infection. In this study, we aimed to identify antiviral human microRNAs (miRNAs) that target the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway. Using a miRNA expression library, we identified 85 miRNAs that up‐regulated and 20 miRNAs that down‐regulated the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway. Fifteen miRNAs were validated to up‐regulate and five miRNAs to down‐regulate the pathway. Overexpression of four selected miRNAs (miR‐193b, miR‐548f‐1, miR‐1‐1, and miR‐509‐1) that down‐regulated the Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway reduced viral mRNA, protein levels in A/PR/8/34‐infected HEK293 cells, and progeny virus production. Overexpression of miR‐193b in lung epithelial A549 cells also resulted in decreases of A/PR/8/34 infection. Furthermore, miR‐193b inhibited the replication of various strains, including H1N1 (A/PR/8/34, A/WSN/33, A/Oklahoma/3052/09) and H3N2 (A/Oklahoma/309/2006), as determined by a viral reporter luciferase assay. Further studies revealed that β‐catenin was a target of miR‐193b, and β‐catenin rescued miR‐193b‐mediated suppression of IAV infection. miR‐193b induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and delayed vRNP nuclear import. Finally, adenovirus‐mediated gene transfer of miR‐193b to the lung reduced viral load in mice challenged by a sublethal dose of A/PR/8/34. Collectively, our findings suggest that miR‐193b represses IAV infection by inhibiting Wnt/β‐catenin signalling.

microRNAs: Key players in virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is known as one of the major health problems worldwide. Pathological analysis indicated that a variety of risk factors including genetical (i.e., alteration of tumor suppressors and oncogenes) and environmental factors (i.e., viruses) are involved in beginning and development of HCC. The understanding of these risk factors could guide scientists and clinicians to design effective therapeutic options in HCC treatment. Various viruses such as hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) via targeting several cellular and molecular pathways involved in HCC pathogenesis. Among various cellular and molecular targets, microRNAs (miRNAs) have appeared as key players in HCC progression. miRNAs are short noncoding RNAs which could play important roles as oncogenes or tumor suppressors in several malignancies such as HCC. Deregulation of many miRNAs (i.e., miR-222, miR-25, miR-92a, miR-1, let-7f, and miR-21) could be associated with different stages of HCC. Besides miRNAs, exosomes are other particles which are involved in HCC pathogenesis via targeting different cargos, such as DNAs, RNAs, miRNAs, and proteins. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the role of miRNAs and exosomes as important players in HCC pathogenesis. Moreover, we highlighted HCV- and HBV-related miRNAs which led to HCC progression.

Knockdown of linc00152 inhibits the progression of gastric cancer by regulating microRNA-193b-3p/ETS1 axis

BACKGROUND

Gastric cancer (GC) is a serious threat for public health worldwide. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) linc00152 has been well reported to be an oncogene and a potential biomarker in multiple cancers including GC. However, the molecular mechanisms of linc00152 in GC development need to be further investigated.

METHODS

RT-qPCR assay was employed to detect the levels of linc00152, microRNA-193b-3p (miR-193b-3p) and ETS1 mRNA. ETS1 protein level was measured by western blot assay. Cell proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities were assessed by colony formation together with CCK-8 assays, transwell migration and invasion assays, respectively. Bioinformatics analyses and luciferase reporter assay were used to explore whether miR-193b-3p could interact with linc00152 or ETS1 3'UTR. The roles and molecular basis of linc00152 silence on the growth of GC xenograft tumors were tested in vivo.

RESULTS

Linc00152 expression was notably upregulated in GC tissues and cells. The proliferative, migratory and invasive abilities of GC cells were weakened by linc00152 depletion, miR-193b-3p overexpression or ETS1 knockdown. Linc00152 upregulation inhibited miR-193b-3p expression by direct interaction and abolished miR-193b-3p-mediated anti-proliferation, anti-migration and anti-invasion effects in GC cells. ETS1 was a target of miR-193b-3p and linc00152 could promote ETS1 expression by downregulating miR-193b-3p. In vivo experiments further validated that linc00152 knockdown inhibited the growth of GC xenograft tumors by upregulating miR-193b-3p and downregulating ETS1.

CONCLUSION

Knockdown of linc00152 inhibited GC progression by sequestering miR-193b-3p from ETS1 in vitro and in vivo, elucidating a novel molecular mechanism of linc00152 in promoting GC carcinogenesis.

Transient postnatal over nutrition induces long-term alterations in cardiac NLRP3-inflammasome pathway

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. Altered early nutrition, in particular postnatal overfeeding (PNOF), is a risk factor for impaired cardiac function in adulthood. In the understanding of the initiation or progression of heart diseases, NLRP3 inflammasome and non-coding RNAs have been proposed as key players. In this context, the aim of this study was to decipher the role of NLRP3 inflammasome and its post transcriptional control by micro-RNAs in the regulation of cardiac metabolic function induced by PNOF in mice.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Based on a model of mice exposed to PNOF through litter size reduction, we observed increased cardiac protein expression levels of NLRP3 and ETS-1 associated with alterations in insulin signaling. Additionally, miR-193b levels were down-regulated in the adult hearts of overfed animals. In a cardiomyocyte cell line, transfection with miR-193b induced down-regulation of ETS-1 and NLRP3 and improved insulin signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that the miR-193b could be involved in cardiac phenotypic changes observed in adulthood induced by PNOF likely through the regulation of ETS-1 and NLRP3 expression, and through this of insulin signaling.

Developmental origins of health and disease: current knowledge and potential mechanisms

Epidemiologic and clinical research has provided a large body of evidence supporting the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), but there has been a relative dearth of mechanistic studies in humans due to the complexity of working with large, longitudinal cohorts. Nonetheless, animal models of undernutrition have provided substantial evidence for the potential epigenetic, metabolic, and endocrine mechanisms behind DOHaD. Furthermore, recent research has explored the interaction between the environment and the gastrointestinal system by investigating how the gut microbial ecology may impact the capacity for nutrient processing and absorption in a manner that may limit growth. This review presents a summary of current research that supports the concept of DOHaD, as well as potential mechanisms and interactions that explain how nutrition in utero and during early childhood influences lifelong health.

MicroRNA-193b-3p represses neuroblastoma cell growth via downregulation of Cyclin D1, MCL-1 and MYCN

Neuroblastoma is the most common diagnosed tumor in infants and the second most common extracranial tumor of childhood. The survival rate of patients with high-risk neuroblastoma is still very low despite intensive multimodal treatments. Therefore, new treatment strategies are needed. In recent years, miRNA-based anticancer therapy has received growing attention. Advances in this novel treatment strategy strongly depends on the identification of candidate miRNAs with broad-spectrum antitumor activity. Here, we identify miR-193b as a miRNA with tumor suppressive properties. We show that miR-193b is expressed at low levels in neuroblastoma cell lines and primary tumor samples. Introduction of miR-193b mimics into nine neuroblastoma cell lines with distinct genetic characteristics significantly reduces cell growth in vitro independent of risk factors such as p53 functionality or MYCN amplification. Functionally, miR-193b induces a G1 cell cycle arrest and cell death in neuroblastoma cell lines by reducing the expression of MYCN, Cyclin D1 and MCL-1, three important oncogenes in neuroblastoma of which inhibition has shown promising results in preclinical testing. Therefore, we suggest that miR-193b may represent a new candidate for miRNA-based anticancer therapy in neuroblastoma.

miR-23b-3p and miR-125b-5p downregulate apo(a) expression by targeting Ets1 in HepG2 cells

High concentrations of plasma lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] have been inferred to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as coronary artery diseases, restenosis, and stroke. Apolipoprotein(a) [apo(a)] is one of the most important components of Lp(a) and contributes greatly to the increased concentration of plasma Lp(a). As a critical positive transacting factor of apo(a) gene, Ets1 has been proven as a target gene of several miRNAs, such as miR-193b, miR-125b-5p, miR-200b, miR-1, and miR-499. In this study, a series of experiments on miRNAs and relative miRNAs inhibitor delivered HepG2 cells were conducted, and two miRNAs that downregulate the apo(a) by targeting the 3'-UTR of Ets1 were identified. Results showed that apo(a) and Ets1 were differentially expressed in SMMC7721 and HepG2 cell lines. Meanwhile, apo(a) and Ets1 were inversely correlated with several hepatic endogenous miRNAs, such as miR-125b-5p, miR-23b-3p, miR-26a-5p, and miR-423-5p, which were predicted to bind to Ets1. Results show that miR-125b-5p and miR-23b-3p mimics could inhibit the synthesis of apo(a) by directly targeting Ets1 in HepG2, thereby reducing the plasma Lp (a) concentration.

MiR-193b regulates breast cancer cell migration and vasculogenic mimicry by targeting dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1

Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1 (DDAH1) is responsible for metabolism of an endogenous inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), which plays a key role in modulating angiogenesis. In addition to angiogenesis, tumours can establish a vascular network by forming vessel-like structures from tumour cells; a process termed vasculogenic mimicry (VM). Here, we identified over-expression of DDAH1 in aggressive MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-453 and BT549 breast cancer cell lines when compared to normal mammary epithelial cells. DDAH1 expression was inversely correlated with the microRNA miR-193b. In DDAH1⁺ MDA-MB-231 cells, ectopic expression of miR-193b reduced DDAH1 expression and the conversion of ADMA to citrulline. In DDAH1⁻ MCF7 cells, inhibition of miR-193b elevated DDAH1 expression. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated DDAH1 as a direct target of miR-193b. MDA-MB-231 cells organised into tube structures in an in vitro assay of VM, which was significantly inhibited by DDAH1 knockdown or miR-193b expression. Mechanistically, we found miR-193b regulates cell proliferation and migration of MDA-MB-231 cells, whilst DDAH1 knockdown inhibited cell migration. These studies represent the first evidence for DDAH1 expression, regulation and function in breast cancer cells, and highlights that targeting DDAH1 expression and/or enzymatic activity may be a valid option in the treatment of aggressive breast cancers.

Circulating microRNAs panel as a diagnostic tool for discrimination of HCV-associated hepatocellular carcinoma

Early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can significantly improve the overall survival of HCC patients. However, current diagnostic markers are compromised and limited by their low sensitivity and specificity. In this work, circulating microRNAs (miRs) were utilized as a diagnostic tool to test their efficiency to segregate HCC and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients from healthy subjects. Nine HCC-related miRs (miR-21, miR-30c, miR-93, miR-122, miR-125b, miR-126, miR-130a, miR-193b and miR-222) were analyzed by Real-Time PCR in 86 serum samples; 34 HCC and 52 HCV patients in addition to 25 healthy subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of these miRs were assessed. Our results demonstrated that the median serum level of seven miRs was significantly reduced (P ranges from <0.01 to<0.001) in HCC patients whereas nine miRs were reduced (P<0.001) in HCV compared to healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses had shown high diagnostic accuracy (AUC=1.0) when seven and nine combined miRs were considered in HCC and HCV groups, respectively compared to their counterparts. However, a combination of differentially expressed miRs did not improve the discriminatory power (AUC=0.742) when HCC compared to non-HCC groups. miR-122 showed the highest sensitivity and specificity to stratify HCC and HCV versus normal individuals and HCC versus HCV patients. We conclude that differentially expressed miRs in the serum of HCV and HCC patients can be utilized as surrogate and non-invasive biomarker for segregation of HCV and HCC patients from healthy subjects.

Identifying the miRNA signature associated with survival time in patients with lung adenocarcinoma using miRNA expression profiles

Lung adenocarcinoma is a multifactorial disease. MicroRNA (miRNA) expression profiles are extensively used for discovering potential theranostic biomarkers of lung cancer. This work proposes an optimized support vector regression (SVR) method called SVR-LUAD to simultaneously identify a set of miRNAs referred to the miRNA signature for estimating the survival time of lung adenocarcinoma patients using their miRNA expression profiles. SVR-LUAD uses an inheritable bi-objective combinatorial genetic algorithm to identify a small set of informative miRNAs cooperating with SVR by maximizing estimation accuracy. SVR-LUAD identified 18 out of 332 miRNAs using 10-fold cross-validation and achieved a correlation coefficient of 0.88 ± 0.01 and mean absolute error of 0.56 ± 0.03 year between real and estimated survival time. SVR-LUAD performs well compared to some well-recognized regression methods. The miRNA signature consists of the 18 miRNAs which strongly correlates with lung adenocarcinoma: hsa-let-7f-1, hsa-miR-16-1, hsa-miR-152, hsa-miR-217, hsa-miR-18a, hsa-miR-193b, hsa-miR-3136, hsa-let-7g, hsa-miR-155, hsa-miR-3199-1, hsa-miR-219-2, hsa-miR-1254, hsa-miR-1291, hsa-miR-192, hsa-miR-3653, hsa-miR-3934, hsa-miR-342, and hsa-miR-141. Gene ontology annotation and pathway analysis of the miRNA signature revealed its biological significance in cancer and cellular pathways. This miRNA signature could aid in the development of novel therapeutic approaches to the treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Wnt signalling modulates transcribed-ultraconserved regions in hepatobiliary cancers

OBJECTIVE

Transcribed-ultraconserved regions (T-UCR) are long non-coding RNAs which are conserved across species and are involved in carcinogenesis. We studied T-UCRs downstream of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in liver cancer.

DESIGN

Hypomorphic Apc mice (Apcfl/fl) and thiocetamide (TAA)-treated rats developed Wnt/β-catenin dependent hepatocarcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), respectively. T-UCR expression was assessed by microarray, real-time PCR and in situ hybridisation.

RESULTS

Overexpression of the T-UCR uc.158- could differentiate Wnt/β-catenin dependent HCC from normal liver and from β-catenin negative diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced HCC. uc.158- was overexpressed in human HepG2 versus Huh7 cells in line with activation of the Wnt pathway. In vitro modulation of β-catenin altered uc.158- expression in human malignant hepatocytes. uc.158- expression was increased in CTNNB1-mutated human HCCs compared with non-mutated human HCCs, and in human HCC with nuclear localisation of β-catenin. uc.158- was increased in TAA rat CCA and reduced after treatment with Wnt/β-catenin inhibitors. uc.158- expression was negative in human normal liver and biliary epithelia, while it was increased in human CCA in two different cohorts. Locked nucleic acid-mediated inhibition of uc.158- reduced anchorage cell growth, 3D-spheroid formation and spheroid-based cell migration, and increased apoptosis in HepG2 and SW1 cells. miR-193b was predicted to have binding sites within the uc.158- sequence. Modulation of uc.158- changed miR-193b expression in human malignant hepatocytes. Co-transfection of uc.158- inhibitor and anti-miR-193b rescued the effect of uc.158- inhibition on cell viability.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that uc.158- is activated by the Wnt pathway in liver cancers and drives their growth. Thus, it may represent a promising target for the development of novel therapeutics.

A long non-coding RNA lncRNA-PE promotes invasion and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma through the miR-200a/b-ZEB1 pathway

Long non-coding RNAs have been revealed to play important roles in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying their activities are not fully understood. Using microarray technology, a number of long non-coding RNAs were previously identified to be aberrantly expressed in hepatocellular carcinoma. In this study, one of these long non-coding RNAs, designated lncRNA-PE (lncRNA promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition), was further explored to study its expression profile and function. A cohort of human hepatocellular carcinoma tissue samples combined with benign controls and established human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines were examined for the expression of lncRNA-PE. The biological functions of lncRNA-PE were examined by wound-healing and Transwell assays, which revealed that lncRNA-PE promotes cell invasion and migration. By detecting the level of epithelial-mesenchymal transition markers, lncRNA-PE was revealed to promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition in hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Further study suggested that lncRNA-PE downregulated miR-200a/b by repressing the primary transcript expression, enhanced ZEB1 expression, and promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition of hepatocellular carcinoma cells. All these data imply that lncRNA-PE might play an important role in hepatocellular carcinoma development via the miR-200a/b-ZEB1 pathway.