Circular RNA circRNA_0067934 promotes glioma development by modulating the microRNA miR-7/ Wnt/β-catenin axis

The regulatory role and clinical application prospects of circRNA in the occurrence and development of CNS tumors

BACKGROUND

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors originate from the spinal cord or brain. The study showed that even with aggressive treatment, malignant CNS tumors have high mortality rates. However, CNS tumor risk factors and molecular mechanisms have not been verified. Due to the reasons mentioned above, diagnosis and treatment of CNS tumors in clinical practice are currently fraught with difficulties. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), single-stranded ncRNAs with covalently closed continuous structures, are essential to CNS tumor development. Growing evidence has proved the numeral critical biological functions of circRNAs for disease progression: sponging to miRNAs, regulating gene transcription and splicing, interacting with proteins, encoding proteins/peptides, and expressing in exosomes.

AIMS

This review aims to summarize current progress regarding the molecular mechanism of circRNA in CNS tumors and to explore the possibilities of clinical application based on circRNA in CNS tumors.

METHODS

We have summarized studies of circRNA in CNS tumors in Pubmed.

RESULTS

This review summarized their connection with CNS tumors and their functions, biogenesis, and biological properties. Furthermore, we introduced current advances in clinical RNA-related technologies. Then we discussed the diagnostic and therapeutic potential (especially for immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy) of circRNA in CNS tumors in the context of the recent advanced research and application of RNA in clinics.

CONCLUSIONS

CircRNA are increasingly proven to participate in decveloping CNS tumors. An in-depth study of the causal mechanisms of circRNAs in CNS tomor progression will ultimately advance their implementation in the clinic and developing new strategies for preventing and treating CNS tumors.

TGF-β-activated circRYK drives glioblastoma progression by increasing VLDLR mRNA expression and stability in a ceRNA- and RBP-dependent manner

BACKGROUND

The TGF-β signalling pathway is intricately associated with the progression of glioblastoma (GBM). The objective of this study was to examine the role of circRNAs in the TGF-β signalling pathway.

METHODS

In our research, we used transcriptome analysis to search for circRNAs that were activated by TGF-β. After confirming the expression pattern of the selected circRYK, we carried out in vitro and in vivo cell function assays. The underlying mechanisms were analysed via RNA pull-down, luciferase reporter, and RNA immunoprecipitation assays.

RESULTS

CircRYK expression was markedly elevated in GBM, and this phenotype was strongly associated with a poor prognosis. Functionally, circRYK promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and GSC maintenance in GBM. Mechanistically, circRYK sponges miR-330-5p and promotes the expression of the oncogene VLDLR. In addition, circRYK could enhance the stability of VLDLR mRNA via the RNA-binding protein HuR.

CONCLUSION

Our findings show that TGF-β promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition and GSC maintenance in GBM through the circRYK-VLDLR axis, which may provide a new therapeutic target for the treatment of GBM.

Physiological and pathological functions of circular RNAs in the nervous system

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of covalently closed single-stranded RNAs that are expressed during the development of specific cells and tissues. CircRNAs play crucial roles in physiological and pathological processes by sponging microRNAs, modulating gene transcription, controlling the activity of certain RNA-binding proteins, and producing functional peptides. A key focus of research at present is the functionality of circRNAs in the nervous system and several advances have emerged over the last 2 years. However, the precise role of circRNAs in the nervous system has yet to be comprehensively reviewed. In this review, we first summarize the recently described roles of circRNAs in brain development, maturity, and aging. Then, we focus on the involvement of circRNAs in various diseases of the central nervous system, such as brain cancer, chronic neurodegenerative diseases, acute injuries of the nervous system, and neuropathic pain. A better understanding of the functionality of circRNAs will help us to develop potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies to treat diseases of the nervous system.

Utilizing exosomes as sparking clinical biomarkers and therapeutic response in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant clonal tumor originating from immature myeloid hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow with rapid progression and poor prognosis. Therefore, an in-depth exploration of the pathogenesis of AML can provide new ideas for the treatment of AML. In recent years, it has been found that exosomes play an important role in the pathogenesis of AML. Exosomes are membrane-bound extracellular vesicles (EVs) that transfer signaling molecules and have attracted a large amount of attention, which are key mediators of intercellular communication. Extracellular vesicles not only affect AML cells and normal hematopoietic cells but also have an impact on the bone marrow microenvironment and immune escape, thereby promoting the progression of AML and leading to refractory relapse. It is worth noting that exosomes and the various molecules they contain are expected to become the new markers for disease monitoring and prognosis of AML, and may also function as drug carriers and vaccines to enhance the treatment of leukemia. In this review, we mainly summarize to reveal the role of exosomes in AML pathogenesis, which helps us elucidate the application of exosomes in AML diagnosis and treatment.

Circ_0067934: a circular RNA with roles in human cancer

A circular RNA (circRNA) is a non-coding RNA (ncRNA) derived from reverse splicing from pre-mRNA and is characterized by the absence of a cap structure at the 5' end and a poly-adenylated tail at the 3' end. Owing to the development of RNA sequencing and bioinformatics approaches in recent years, the important clinical value of circRNAs has been increasingly revealed. Circ_0067934 is an RNA molecule of 170 nucleotides located on chromosome 3q26.2. Circ_0067934 is formed via the reverse splicing of exons 15 and 16 in PRKCI (protein kinase C Iota). Recent studies revealed the upregulation or downregulation of circ_0067934 in various tumors. The expression of circ_0067934 was found to be correlated with tumor size, TNM stage, and poor prognosis. Based on experiments with cancer cells, circ_0067934 promotes cancer cell proliferation, migratory activity, and invasion when overexpressed or downregulated. The potential mechanism involves the binding of circ_0067934 to microRNAs (miRNAs; miR-545, miR-1304, miR-1301-3p, miR-1182, miR-7, and miR-1324) to regulate the post-transcriptional expression of genes. Other mechanisms include inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. Here, we summarized the biological functions and possible mechanisms of circ_0067934 in different tumors to enable further exploration of its translational applications in clinical diagnosis, therapy, and prognostic assessments.

The Glioblastoma CircularRNAome

Glioblastoma remains one of the most aggressive cancers of the brain, warranting new methods for early diagnosis and more efficient treatment options. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are rather new entities with increased stability compared to their linear counterparts that interact with proteins and act as microRNA sponges, among other functions. Herein, we provide a critical overview of the recently described glioblastoma-related circRNAs in the literature, focusing on their roles on glioblastoma cancer cell proliferation, survival, migration, invasion and metastasis, metabolic reprogramming, and therapeutic resistance. The main roles of circRNAs in regulating cancer processes are due to their regulatory roles in essential oncogenic pathways, including MAPK, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and Wnt, which are influenced by various circRNAs. The present work pictures the wide implication of circRNAs in glioblastoma, thus highlighting their potential as future biomarkers and therapeutic targets/agents.

Circular RNA circTIE1 drives proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells through regulating miR-1286/TEAD1 axis

Recent studies have verified that circRNAs (circular RNAs) play a critical role in glioma occurrence and malignant progression. However, numerous circRNAs with unknown functions remain to be explored with further research. qPCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) was employed to detect circTIE1 expression in glioma tissues, NHAs (normal human astrocytes), and glioma cellular lines (U87, U118, U251, T98G, LN229). Cell viability was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. Cellular proliferation was evaluated by a 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) proliferation assay. Cell migration and aggression were both evaluated by transwell and migration assays. The direct binding and regulation among circTIE1, miR-1286 and TEAD1 was identified by western blotting, qPCR, luciferase reporter assay, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assay. Xenografts were generated by injecting glioma cells orthotopically into the brains of nude mice. Immunohistochemistry staining was implemented to evaluate the expression of the proliferation markers ki67 and TEAD1. We found that circTIE1 (circBase ID: hsa_circ_0012012) was upregulated in glioma tissues and glioma cellular lines in contrast to NBT (normal brain tissues) and NHA. CircTIE1 knockdown inhibited glioma cell viability, proliferation, migration and aggression both in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, circTIE1 could upregulate TEAD1 expression via miR-1286 sponging, and TEAD1 is a well-known functional gene that could promote malignant advancement in glioma. This research found a novel circRNA, circTIE1, which is an essential marker of glioma progression and diagnosis and may be anticipated to become a crucial target for molecular targeted therapy of glioma.

The Role of Vti1a in Biological Functions and Its Possible Role in Nervous System Disorders

Vesicle transport through interaction with t-SNAREs 1A (Vti1a), a member of the N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor protein family, is involved in cell signaling as a vesicular protein and mediates vesicle trafficking. Vti1a appears to have specific roles in neurons, primarily by regulating upstream neurosecretory events that mediate exocytotic proteins and the availability of secretory organelles, as well as regulating spontaneous synaptic transmission and postsynaptic efficacy to control neurosecretion. Vti1a also has essential roles in neural development, autophagy, and unconventional extracellular transport of neurons. Studies have shown that Vti1a dysfunction plays critical roles in pathological mechanisms of Hepatic encephalopathy by influencing spontaneous neurotransmission. It also may have an unknown role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. A VTI1A variant is associated with the risk of glioma, and the fusion product of the VTI1A gene and the adjacent TCF7L2 gene is involved in glioma development. This review summarizes Vti1a functions in neurons and highlights the role of Vti1a in the several nervous system disorders.

Curcumol enhances cisplatin sensitivity of gastric cancer: involvement of microRNA-7 and the nuclear factor-kappa B/snail family transcriptional repressor 1 axis

Cisplatin is a primary chemotherapeutic drug for gastric cancer (GC) patients, but the drug resistance remains the leading cause of treatment failure and high mortality. Curcumol is a bioactive sesquiterpenoid that has reportedly been linked to cisplatin sensitivity in GC. This study focuses on the exact functions of curcumol in the cisplatin sensitivity of GC cells and the molecules of action. The curcumol treatment reduced the viability and migration and enhanced cisplatin sensitivity of GC cells in a dose-dependent manner. Microarray analysis suggested that microRNA-7 (miR-7) was the most upregulated miRNA in GC cells after curcumol treatment. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the curcumol-affected genes, including the target genes of miR-7, were enriched in the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) pathway, whose activity was suppressed after curcumol treatment. miR-7 was found to target and suppress RELA proto-oncogene (RELA, also known as p65), a NF-κB subunit. Downregulation of miR-7 blocked the sensitizing effects of curcumol on cells to cisplatin and led to increased expression of NF-κB p65 and snail family transcriptional repressor 1 (SNAIL). Further downregulation of RELA enhanced, whereas upregulation of SNAIL suppressed the sensitivity again. In summary, this study suggests that curcumol sensitizes GC cells to cisplatin via miR-7 and the suppression of the NF-κB/SNAIL axis. The findings may offer new thoughts that curcumol in combination with cisplatin might be a useful strategy for GC management.

Hsa_circ_0000081 promotes the function of gastric cancer through sponging hsa-miR-423-5p to influence 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 expression

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, and effective therapeutic targets need to be identified for this type of cancer. In this study, circular RNA (circRNA) microarray analysis was utilized to screen differentially expressed circRNA in GC. Using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), hsa_circ_0000081 (circRNA-0000081) expression was found to be up-regulated in tissues and cells and was negative correlated with patients' survival time. RNase R and Actinomycin D assays indicated that circRNA-0000081 was significantly more resistant to R enzyme and had a longer half-life than linear RNA. Moreover, the knockdown or overexpression of circRNA-000081 could influence the proliferation, migration, and invasion potential of GC. Finally, dual luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation, qRT-PCR, and western blotting assays were used to verify the targeting relationship between circRNA-000081 and miRNA-423-5p or miRNA-423-5p and 3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDPK1). In conclusion, circRNA-0000081 promotes the function of GC through sponging hsa-miR-423-5p to influence PDPK1 expression, which has a promising therapeutic potential for treating patients with GC.