Modulation of pancreatic cancer cell sensitivity to FOLFIRINOX through microRNA-mediated regulation of DNA damage

The function of microRNA related to cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly lethal malignant tumor characterized by a poor prognosis. A prominent feature of PDAC is the rich and dense stroma present in the tumor microenvironment (TME), which significantly hinders drug penetration. Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), activated fibroblasts originating from various cell sources, including pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), play a critical role in PDAC progression and TME formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, single-stranded non-coding RNA molecules that are frequently involved in tumorigenesis and progression, exhibiting either oncolytic or oncogenic activity. Increasing evidence suggests that aberrant expression of miRNAs can mediate interactions between cancer cells and CAFs, thereby providing novel therapeutic targets for PDAC treatment. In this review, we will focus on the potential roles of miRNAs that target CAFs or CAFs-derived exosomes in PDAC progression, highlighting the feasibility of therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring aberrantly expressed miRNAs associated with CAFs, offering new pathways for the clinical management of PDAC.

Determination of the miRNA profile of extracellular vesicles from equine mesenchymal stem cells after different treatments

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common and incurable disease in humans and animals. To gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis and identify potential treatments, miRNAs will be extracted and analysed from extracellular vesicles (EVs) of equine adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (AdMSCs).

METHODS

For this purpose we cultivated and pretreated AdMSCs under different conditions: interleukin 1β, shock wave, chondrogenic differentiation, chondrogenic differentiation under hypoxia, or after senescence. After treatment, EVs were harvested from the cell culture supernatants. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to sequence the miRNAs from the EVs.

RESULTS

A total of 89 miRNAs whose expression was significantly altered compared with that of an untreated negative control were identified. On average, 53 miRNAs were upregulated and 6 miRNAs were downregulated. Among others, the miRNAs eca-miR-101, eca-miR-143, eca-miR-145, eca-miR-146a, eca-miR-27a, eca-miR-29b, eca-miR-93, eca-miR-98, and eca-miR-221 were significantly increased after the stimulations, which, as known anti-inflammatory miRNAs, could be candidates for therapeutic use in the treatment of OA.

CONCLUSION

These results lay the foundation for further research into the significance and efficacy of these miRNAs so that this knowledge can be improved in further experiments and, ideally, translated into therapeutic use.

Oncogenic GALNT5 confers FOLFIRINOX resistance via activating the MYH9/ NOTCH/ DDR axis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Chemotherapy resistance has been a great challenge in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) treatments. Current first-line chemotherapy regimens for PDAC include gemcitabine-based regimens such as AG regimen (albumin paclitaxel and gemcitabine), fluorouracil-based regiments such as FOLFIRINOX regimen ((5-fluorouracil5-FU), oxaliplatin, Irinotecan) and platinum-based regimens for patients with BRCA mutations. large amounts of work have been done on exploring the mechanism underlying resistance of gemcitabine-based and platinum-based regimens, while little research has been achieved on the mechanism of FOLFIRINOX regimens resistance. Hence, we identified Polypeptide N-Acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 5, (GALNT5) as a vital regulator and a potential therapeutic target in FOLFIRINOX regimens resistance. Colony formation assays and flow cytometry assays were performed to explore the roles of GALNT5 in cell proliferation and apoptosis in PDAC treated with FOLFIRINOX. IC50 alterations were calculated in GALNT5 knockdown and overexpressed cell lines. RNA-seq followed by GSEA (gene set enrichment analysis) was displayed to explore the potential mechanism. WB (western blotting), real-time PCR, and IF (immunofluorescence) were performed to validate relative pathways. The mouse orthotopic xenograft PDAC model was established to examine GALNT5 functions in vivo. GALNT5 was highly expressed in PDAC tissues and predicted poor prognosis in PDAC. Upregulation of GALNT5 in PDAC cells conferred FOLFIRINOX resistance on PDAC by inhibiting DNA damage. Moreover, GALNT5 interacted with MYH9, thus participating in the activation of the NOTCH pathways, resulting in hampering FOI-induced DNA damage. Functions of GALNT5 promoting FOLFIRINOX resistance were validated in vivo. In this study, we found that aberrantly overexpressed GALNT5 in PDAC took part in the activation of the NOTCH pathway by interacting with MYH9, thus inhibiting the DDR to achieve FOLFIRINOX resistance and causing poor prognosis. We identified GALNT5 as a potential therapeutic target for PDAC patients resistant to FOLFIRINOX chemotherapy.

DNA damage response-related ncRNAs as regulators of therapy resistance in cancer

The DNA damage repair (DDR) pathway is a complex signaling cascade that can sense DNA damage and trigger cellular responses to DNA damage to maintain genome stability and integrity. A typical hallmark of cancer is genomic instability or nonintegrity, which is closely related to the accumulation of DNA damage within cancer cells. The treatment principles of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cancer are based on their cytotoxic effects on DNA damage, which are accompanied by severe and unnecessary side effects on normal tissues, including dysregulation of the DDR and induced therapeutic tolerance. As a driving factor for oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes, noncoding RNA (ncRNA) have been shown to play an important role in cancer cell resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Recently, it has been found that ncRNA can regulate tumor treatment tolerance by altering the DDR induced by radiotherapy or chemotherapy in cancer cells, indicating that ncRNA are potential regulatory factors targeting the DDR to reverse tumor treatment tolerance. This review provides an overview of the basic information and functions of the DDR and ncRNAs in the tolerance or sensitivity of tumors to chemotherapy and radiation therapy. We focused on the impact of ncRNA (mainly microRNA [miRNA], long noncoding RNA [lncRNA], and circular RNA [circRNA]) on cancer treatment by regulating the DDR and the underlying molecular mechanisms of their effects. These findings provide a theoretical basis and new insights for tumor-targeted therapy and the development of novel drugs targeting the DDR or ncRNAs.

Cell-free and extracellular vesicle microRNAs with clinical utility for solid tumors

As cutting-edge technologies applied for the study of body fluid molecular biomarkers are continuously evolving, clinical applications of these biomarkers improve. Diverse forms of circulating molecular biomarkers have been described, including cell-free DNA (cfDNA), circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and cell-free microRNAs (cfmiRs), although unresolved issues remain in their applicability, specificity, sensitivity, and reproducibility. Translational studies demonstrating the clinical utility and importance of cfmiRs in multiple cancers have significantly increased. This review aims to summarize the last 5 years of translational cancer research in the field of cfmiRs and their potential clinical applications to diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring disease recurrence or treatment responses with a focus on solid tumors. PubMed was utilized for the literature search, following rigorous exclusion criteria for studies based on tumor types, patient sample size, and clinical applications. A total of 136 studies on cfmiRs in different solid tumors were identified and divided based on tumor types, organ sites, number of cfmiRs found, methodology, and types of biofluids analyzed. This comprehensive review emphasizes clinical applications of cfmiRs and summarizes underserved areas where more research and validations are needed.

Identification of gemcitabine resistance-related AHNAK2 gene associated with prognosis and immune infiltration in pancreatic cancer

Purpose

Gemcitabine is a basic chemotherapy drug for pancreatic cancer (PC), but resistance is common and causes tumor recurrence and metastasis. Therefore, it is significant to explore gemcitabine resistance-related molecules for individualized treatment and prognosis assessment of PC.

Methods

In this study, transcriptome sequencing and TCGA database analysis were performed, and a differentiated gene AHNAK2 was screened. MEXPRESS database, tissue microarray analysis, and CIBERSORT and TIMER databases were used to correlate AHNAK2 expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis and immune infiltration of PC. Enrichment analysis was used to investigate the significant biological processes associated with AHNAK2.

Results

AHNAK2 was highly expressed in gemcitabine-resistant cells. High expression of AHNAK2 increased the risk of poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in PC. Clinicopathologic analysis revealed that AHNAK2 correlated with KRAS, TP53 mutations, histologic type, short OS, N stage, and elevated CA199 levels in PC. Knockdown of AHNAK2 inhibited the ability of cell proliferation and colony formation and enhanced the toxic effect of gemcitabine in PC. Meanwhile, the knockdown of AHNAK2 expression enhanced cell-ECM adhesion, inhibited cell-cell adhesion, and downregulated the KRAS/p53 signaling pathway in PC. Furthermore, AHNAK2 was correlated with immune infiltration, especially B cells and macrophages.

Conclusions

Our study unveils for the first time the pivotal role of AHNAK2 in PC, particularly its association with gemcitabine resistance, clinical prognosis, and immune infiltration. AHNAK2 not only drives the proliferation and drug resistance of PC cells by potentially activating the KRAS/p53 pathway but also significantly impacts cell-cell and cell- ECM adhesion. Additionally, AHNAK2 plays a crucial role in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment. These insights underscore AHNAK2's unique potential as a novel therapeutic target for overcoming gemcitabine resistance, offering new perspectives for PC treatment strategies.

OIP5-AS1 enhances the malignant characteristics and resistance to chemotherapy of pancreatic cancer cells by targeting miR-30d-5p/MARCH8

MARCH8, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, plays a crucial role in regulating various cellular processes such as protein degradation and signaling pathways and is implicated in the development and spread of pancreatic cancer. Analysis of pancreatic cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues showed a decrease in miRNA-30d-5p levels and an increase in OIP5-AS1 and MARCH8 levels, as confirmed by qRT-PCR and Western blot analysis. The dual-luciferase reporter assay demonstrated a binding relationship between OIP5-AS1 and miRNA-30d-5p, as well as between miRNA-30d-5p and MARCH8 in PACN-1 cells, derived from a human pancreatic carcinoma specimen. Further investigations utilizing various assays revealed that OIP5-AS1 inhibited apoptosis and promoted cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in PACN-1 cells via the miRNA-30d-5p/MARCH8 axis in vitro. Tumor experiments in nude mice confirmed that OIP5-AS1 enhanced PACN-1 cell growth in vivo through the miRNA-30d-5p/MARCH8 axis. Additionally, OIP5-AS1 was found to activate downstream genes of the JAK-STAT pathway, namely IFNAR2, SOCS3, and JAK1, in PACN-1 cells. Furthermore, OIP5-AS1 increased the IC50 values for doxorubicin, gemcitabine, and cisplatin in PACN-1 cells, as determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay. Overall, OIP5-AS1 was shown to promote aggressive traits and resistance to chemotherapy in PACN-1 cells through the miRNA-30d-5p/MARCH8 axis.

miRNAs in pancreatic cancer progression and metastasis

Small non-coding RNA or microRNA (miRNA) are critical regulators of eukaryotic cells. Dysregulation of miRNA expression and function has been linked to a variety of diseases including cancer. They play a complex role in cancers, having both tumour suppressor and promoter properties. In addition, a single miRNA can be involved in regulating several mRNAs or many miRNAs can regulate a single mRNA, therefore assessing these roles is essential to a better understanding in cancer initiation and development. Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, in part due to the lack of diagnostic tools and limited treatment options. The most common form of pancreatic cancer, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), is characterised by major genetic mutations that drive cancer initiation and progression. The regulation or interaction of miRNAs with these cancer driving mutations suggests a strong link between the two. Understanding this link between miRNA and PDAC progression may give rise to novel treatments or diagnostic tools. This review summarises the role of miRNAs in PDAC, the downstream signalling pathways that they play a role in, how these are being used and studied as therapeutic targets as well as prognostic/diagnostic tools to improve the clinical outcome of PDAC.

A MiR181/Sirtuin1 regulatory circuit modulates drug response in biliary cancers

Despite recent advances, biliary tract cancer (BTC) remains one of the most lethal tumor worldwide due to late diagnosis, limited therapeutic strategies and resistance to conventional therapies. In recent years, high-throughput technologies have enabled extensive genome, and transcriptome sequencing unveiling, among others, the regulatory potential of microRNAs (miRNAs). Compelling evidence shown that miRNA are attractive therapeutic targets and promising candidates as biomarkers for various therapy-resistant tumors. The analysis of miRNA profile successfully identified miR-181c and -181d as significantly downregulated in BTC patients. Low miR-181c and -181d expression levels were correlated with worse prognosis and poor treatment efficacy. In fact, progression-free survival analysis indicated poor survival rates in miR-181c and -181d low expressing patients. The expression profile of miR-181c and -181d in BTC cell lines revealed that both miRNAs were dysregulated. Functional in vitro experiments in BTC cell lines showed that overexpression of miR-181c and -181d affected cell viability and increased sensitivity to chemotherapy compared to controls. In addition, by using bioinformatic tools we showed that the miR-181c/d functional role is determined by binding to their target SIRT1 (Sirtuin 1). Moreover, BTC patients expressing high levels of miR-181 and low SIRT1 shown an improved survival and treatment response. An integrative network analysis demonstrated that, miR-181/SIRT1 circuit had a regulatory effect on several important metabolic tumor-related processes. Our study demonstrated that miR-181c and -181d act as tumor suppressor miRNA in BTC, suggesting the potential use as therapeutic strategy in resistant cancers and as predictive biomarker in the precision medicine of BTC.

MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Biomarker Discovery and Therapeutic Implications

Pancreatic cancer remains a formidable malignancy characterized by high mortality rates, primarily attributable to late-stage diagnosis and a dearth of effective therapeutic interventions. The identification of reliable biomarkers holds paramount importance in enhancing early detection, prognostic evaluation, and targeted treatment modalities. Small non-coding RNAs, particularly microRNAs, have emerged as promising candidates for pancreatic cancer biomarkers in recent years. In this review, we delve into the evolving role of cellular and circulating miRNAs, including exosomal miRNAs, in the diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic targeting of pancreatic cancer. Drawing upon the latest research advancements in omics data-driven biomarker discovery, we also perform a case study using public datasets and address commonly identified research discrepancies, challenges, and limitations. Lastly, we discuss analytical approaches that integrate multimodal analyses incorporating clinical and molecular features, presenting new insights into identifying robust miRNA-centric biomarkers.

A novel risk signature based on liquid-liquid phase separation-related genes reveals prognostic and tumour microenvironmental features in clear cell renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC) is one of the most common malignancies. However, there are still many barriers to its underlying causes, early diagnostic techniques and therapeutic approaches.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)- Kidney renal clear cell (KIRC) cohort differentially analysed liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS)-related genes from the DrLLPS website. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses and LASSO regression analyses were used to construct prognostic models. The E-MTAB-1980 cohort was used for external validation. Then, potential functions, immune infiltration analysis, and mutational landscapes were analysed for the high-risk and low-risk groups. Finally, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) experiments as well as single-cell analyses validated the genes key to the model.

RESULTS

We screened 174 LLPS-related genes in ccRCC and constructed a risk signature consisting of five genes (CLIC5, MXD3, NUF2, PABPC1L, PLK1). The high-risk group was found to be associated with worse prognosis in different subgroups. A nomogram constructed by combining age and tumour stage had a strong predictive power for the prognosis of ccRCC patients. In addition, there were differences in pathway enrichment, immune cell infiltration, and mutational landscapes between the two groups. The results of qRT-PCR in renal cancer cell lines and renal cancer tissues were consistent with the biosignature prediction. Three single-cell data of GSE159115, GSE139555, and GSE121636 were analysed for differences in the presence of these five genes in different cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a risk signature constructed based on the five LLPS-related genes and can have a high ability to predict the prognosis of ccRCC patients, further providing a strong support for clinical decision-making.

Functional and Potential Therapeutic Implication of MicroRNAs in Pancreatic Cancer

The alarmingly low five-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer presents a global health challenge, contributing to about 7% of all cancer-related deaths. Late-stage diagnosis and high heterogeneity are the biggest hurdles in treating pancreatic cancer. Thus, there is a pressing need to discover novel biomarkers that could help in early detection as well as improve therapeutic strategies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of short non-coding RNA, have emerged as promising candidates with regard to both diagnostics and therapeutics. Dysregulated miRNAs play pivotal roles in accelerating tumor growth and metastasis, orchestrating tumor microenvironment, and conferring chemoresistance in pancreatic cancer. The differential expression profiles of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer could be utilized to explore novel therapeutic strategies. In this review, we also covered studies on recent advancements in various miRNA-based therapeutics such as restoring miRNAs with a tumor-suppressive function, suppressing miRNA with an oncogenic function, and combination with chemotherapeutic drugs. Despite several challenges in terms of specificity and targeted delivery, miRNA-based therapies hold the potential to revolutionize the treatment of pancreatic cancer by simultaneously targeting multiple signaling pathways.

Noncoding RNAs: an emerging modulator of drug resistance in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer is the eighth leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Chemotherapy including gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin and cisplatin, immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapy have been demonstrated to significantly improve prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients with advanced diseases. However, most patients developed drug resistance to these therapeutic agents, which leading to shortened patient survival. The detailed molecular mechanisms contributing to pancreatic cancer drug resistance remain largely unclear. The growing evidences have shown that noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), are involved in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and development of drug resistance. In the present review, we systematically summarized the new insight on of various miRNAs, lncRNAs and circRNAs on drug resistance of pancreatic cancer. These results demonstrated that targeting the tumor-specific ncRNA may provide novel options for pancreatic cancer treatments.

Non-coding RNAs and gastrointestinal cancers prognosis: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies

Aim

Provide an overview and a systematic evaluation of the evidence quality on the association between non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) and prognosis value for gastrointestinal cancers (GICs).

Methods

We searched the literature from three electronic databases: Pubmed, Embase, and Web of science, then carefully screened and extracted the primary information and results from the included articles. We use A measurable systematic review and meta-analysis evaluation tool (AMSTAR2) to evaluate the quality of methodology and then use the Grading of Recommendations Assessment 2, Development and Evaluation guideline (GRADE) make sure the reliability of the meta-analysis.

Results

Overall, 182 meta-analyses from 58 studies were included in this study. Most of these studies are of low or very low quality. Using the scoring tool, we found that only two meta-analyses were rated as high reliability, and 17 meta-analyses were rated as medium reliability.

Conclusions

Although ncRNA has good prognostic value in some studies, only a tiny amount of evidence is highly credible at present. More research is needed in the future.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42022382296.

A prospective multicenter phase II study of FOLFIRINOX as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced and recurrent biliary tract cancer

Given the promising activity and tolerability of FOLFIRINOX as a second-line treatment for advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC), it can be an attractive first-line treatment option as well. This is a single-arm, open-label, multicenter phase II study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of FOLFIRINOX as a first-line treatment for patients with advanced BTC. Primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), tumor response and safety. This study defined primary endpoint might be met when the lower limit value of 80% confidence interval [CI] of the median PFS ≥ 6.0 months. Between June 2016 and March 2020, 35 BTC patients (21 intrahepatic, 10 extrahepatic, 2 gallbladder, 2 ampulla) including 26 unresectable and 9 recurrent disease were enrolled. After a median follow-up of 13.9 months, the median PFS and OS were 7.4 (80% CI, 5.5-7.5) and 14.7 (80% CI, 11.8-15.7) months, respectively. Complete response was achieved in 1 (2.9%) and partial response in 10 (28.6%), giving an objective response rate of 31.4% and disease control rate of 74.3%. Major grade 3-4 adverse events included neutropenia (54.3%), leukopenia (34.4%), febrile neutropenia (17.1%), thrombocytopenia (8.6%), cholangitis (8.6%), anemia, nausea, diarrhea, and peripheral sensory neuropathy (2.9% each). FOLFIRINOX was well tolerable in patients with advanced BTC, however, this study did not meet the primary endpoint to conduct a phase III trial. Thus, further explorations are required to find a subset of patients and/or certain clinical scenario which might be beneficial from FOLFIRINOX.

Increased expression of miR-194-5p through the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis promotes proliferation and metastasis in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), as an indispensable type of non-coding RNA (ncRNA), participate in diverse biological processes. However, the specific regulatory mechanism of certain miRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains unclear.

METHODS

The expression of miR-194-5p in PDAC tissue microarray and cell lines were detected by RNA-scope and real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The function of proliferation and migration carried by miR-194-5p in vitro and vivo was observed by several functional experiments. Informatics methods and RNA sequencing data were applied to explore the target of miR-194-5p and the upstream circular RNA (circRNA) of miR-194-5p. RNA-binding protein immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay and dual-luciferase reporter assay confirmed the relationships between miR-194-5p and SOCS2 or miR-194-5p and circPVRL3. The proliferation and migration abilities of SOCS2 and circPVRL3 were accessed by rescue experiments.

RESULTS

In this study, we aimed to clarify the molecular mechanisms of miR-194-5p, which has critical roles during PDAC progression. We found that the expression of miR-194-5p was significantly upregulated in PDAC tissue compared to tumor-adjacent tissue and was highly related to age and nerve invasion according to RNAscope and RT‒qPCR. Overexpression of miR-194-5p accelerated the cell cycle and enhanced the proliferation and migration processes according to several functional experiments in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, circPVRL3, miR-194-5p, and SOCS2 were confirmed to work as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) according to informatics methods, RIP, and dual-luciferase reporter assays. Additionally, the rescue experiments confirmed the relationship among miR-194-5p, circPVRL3, and SOCS2 mRNA. Finally, the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to regulate the proliferation and metastasis of PDAC.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicated that an increase of miR-194-5p caused by circPVRL3 downregulation stimulates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to promote PDAC progression via the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis, which suggests that the circPVRL3/miR-194-5p/SOCS2 axis may be a potential therapeutic target for PDAC patients.

Roll-to-Roll DNA Nanomachine for Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Determination of miRNA

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a family of endogenous noncoding RNAs with the functions of gene regulation, which serve as promising markers for a range of diseases such as diabetic foot ulcers, cancers, etc. In this work, we engineered a roll-to-roll DNA nanomachine for highly sensitive electrochemical detection of miRNA. A dumbbell-structured DNA probe could be transitioned to be wheel-structured conformation upon target recognition, which rolls around track strands on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of nicking endonuclease. The resulting single strands on AuNPs are activated for the second round of rolling at the DNA-modified electrode interface, leading to the variation of electrochemical responses. The roll-to-roll amplification behavior allows a wide detection range with a limit of detection as low as 10 aM. The practicability is also demonstrated by the application in human serum samples with satisfactory results. It is expected that the proposed electrochemical method offers a new paradigm to develop miRNA assays based on DNA nanotechnology.

Glycolysis-Related LINC02432/Hsa-miR-98–5p/HK2 Axis Inhibits Ferroptosis and Predicts Immune Infiltration, Tumor Mutation Burden, and Drug Sensitivity in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PAAD) is a malignant cancer with high incidence and mortality. Glycometabolic rearrangements (aerobic glycolysis) is a hallmark of PAAD and contributes to tumorigenesis and progression through numerous mechanisms. This study aimed to identify a novel glycolysis-related lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA signature in PAAD and explore its potential molecular function. We first calculated the glycolysis score for each PAAD patient by the ssGSEA algorithm and found that patients with higher hallmark glycolysis scores had poorer prognosis. Subsequently, we obtained a novel glycolysis-related LINC02432/hsa-miR-98–5p/HK2 axis from the TCGA and GEO databases using comprehensive bioinformatics analysis and developed a nomogram to predict overall survival. Furthermore, functional characterization analysis revealed that LINC02432/hsa-miR-98–5p/HK2 axis risk score was negatively correlated with ferroptosis. The tumor immune infiltration analysis suggested positive correlations between ceRNA risk score and infiltrated M0 macrophage levels in PAAD. Correlation analysis found that ceRNA risk scores were positively correlated with four chemokines (CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL8 and CCL20) and one immune checkpoint gene (SIGLEC15). Meanwhile, tumor mutation burden (TMB), an indicator for predicting response to immunotherapy, was positively correlated with ceRNA risk score. Finally, the drug sensitivity analysis showed that the high-risk score patients might be more sensitive to EGFR, MEK and ERK inhibitors than low-risk score patients. In conclusion, our study suggested that LINC02432/hsa-miR-98–5p/HK2 axis may serve as a novel diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic target in PAAD treatment.