microRNA expression and biogenesis in cellular response to ionizing radiation

Role of Non-coding RNAs on the Radiotherapy Sensitivity and Resistance in Cancer Cells

Radiotherapy (RT) is an integral part of treatment management in cancer patients. However, one of the limitations of this treatment method is the resistance of cancer cells to radiotherapy. These restrictions necessitate the introduction of modalities for the radiosensitization of cancer cells. It has been shown that Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), along with modifiers, can act as radiosensitivity and radioresistant regulators in a variety of cancers by affecting double strand break (DSB), wnt signaling, glycolysis, irradiation induced apoptosis, ferroptosis and cell autophagy. This review will provide an overview of the latest research on the roles and regulatory mechanisms of ncRNA after RT in in vitro and preclinical researches.

Current Insights into Molecular Mechanisms and Potential Biomarkers for Treating Radiation-Induced Liver Damage

Highly conformal delivery of radiation therapy (RT) has revolutionized the treatment landscape for primary and metastatic liver cancers, yet concerns persist regarding radiation-induced liver disease (RILD). Despite advancements, RILD remains a major dose-limiting factor due to the potential damage to normal liver tissues by therapeutic radiation. The toxicity to normal liver tissues is associated with a multitude of physiological and pathological consequences. RILD unfolds as multifaceted processes, intricately linking various responses, such as DNA damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, cellular senescence, fibrosis, and immune reactions, through multiple signaling pathways. The DNA damage caused by ionizing radiation (IR) is a major contributor to the pathogenesis of RILD. Moreover, current treatment options for RILD are limited, with no established biomarker for early detection. RILD diagnosis often occurs at advanced stages, highlighting the critical need for early biomarkers to adjust treatment strategies and prevent liver failure. This review provides an outline of the diverse molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the development of RILD and points out all of the available biomarkers for early detection with the aim of helping clinicians decide on advance treatment strategies from a single literature recourse.

Serum miR-192-5p is a promising biomarker for lethal radiation injury

In the event of a nuclear or radiation accident, rapid identification is required for those who exposed to potentially lethal dose irradiation. However, existing techniques are not adequate for the classification of lethal injury. Several studies have explored the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for ionizing radiation injury, however, there are few miRNAs with specific expression for lethal radiation injury. Therefore, the aim of this study was to screen and validate the possibility of serum miRNAs as biomarkers of lethal radiation injury. We found the specific expression of mmu-miR-374c-5p / mmu-miR-194-5p on first day and mmu-miR-192-5p / mmu-miR-223-3p on third day in the mouse serum only under 10 Gy irradiation by miRNA sequencing and all significantly correlated with lymphocyte counts by Pearson's correlation analysis. In addition, it was found that among the 4 candidate serum miRNAs, only highly-expressed mmu-miR-192-5p in mouse serum irradiated at lethal doses was returned to sham-like expression levels at 3 days post-irradiation with amifostine pretreatment and closely correlated with survival rate. We demonstrated for the first time that mmu-miR-192-5p screened from lethally irradiated mice sera can be used as a potential biomarker for lethal irradiation injury, which will be helpful to improve efficiency of medical treatment to minimize casualties after a large-scale nuclear accident.

Differential Expression of ATM, NF-KB, PINK1 and Foxo3a in Radiation-Induced Basal Cell Carcinoma

Research in normal tissue radiobiology is in continuous progress to assess cellular response following ionizing radiation exposure especially linked to carcinogenesis risk. This was observed among patients with a history of radiotherapy of the scalp for ringworm who developed basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, the involved mechanisms remain largely undefined. We performed a gene expression analysis of tumor biopsies and blood of radiation-induced BCC and sporadic patients using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR. Differences across groups were assessed by statistical analysis. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted using miRNet. We showed a significant overexpression of the FOXO3a, ATM, P65, TNF-α and PINK1 genes among radiation-induced BCCs compared to BCCs in sporadic patients. ATM expression level was correlated with FOXO3a. Based on receiver-operating characteristic curves, the differentially expressed genes could significantly discriminate between the two groups. Nevertheless, TNF-α and PINK1 blood expression showed no statistical differences between BCC groups. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the candidate genes may represent putative targets for microRNAs in the skin. Our findings may yield clues as to the molecular mechanism involved in radiation-induced BCC, suggesting that deregulation of ATM-NF-kB signaling and PINK1 gene expression may contribute to BCC radiation carcinogenesis and that the analyzed genes could represent candidate radiation biomarkers associated with radiation-induced BCC.

Radiation-induced liver disease: beyond DNA damage

Radiation-induced liver disease (RILD), also known as radiation hepatitis, is a serious side effect of radiotherapy (RT) for hepatocellular carcinoma. The therapeutic dose of RT can damage normal liver tissue, and the toxicity that accumulates around the irradiated liver tissue is related to numerous physiological and pathological processes. RILD may restrict treatment use or eventually deteriorate into liver fibrosis. However, the research on the mechanism of radiation-induced liver injury has seen little progress compared with that on radiation injury in other tissues, and no targeted clinical pharmacological treatment for RILD exists. The DNA damage response caused by ionizing radiation plays an important role in the pathogenesis and development of RILD. Therefore, in this review, we systematically summarize the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in RILD. Such an analysis is essential for preventing the occurrence and development of RILD and further exploring the potential treatment of this disease.

Changes in patient peripheral blood cell microRNAs after total body irradiation during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

Background

Ionizing radiation exposure is a great threat to human health. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been shown to play an important role in radiation-induced biological effects. Here, we investigated plasma miRNA expression changes and differentially expressed miRNAs in radiotherapy patients exposed to cobalt-60 (60Co) gamma rays to provide an experimental basis for human plasma miRNAs as an estimation indicator for ionizing radiation injury.

Methods

Six patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) received continuous 5 gray (Gy) total body irradiation (TBI) twice. At 12 hours after irradiation, miRNA microarray was applied to screen for differentially expressed miRNAs, with some miRNAs confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out to identify the relevant target genes and biological function of the differentially expressed miRNAs.

Results

After radiotherapy patients were exposed to 5 Gy gamma radiation, the expression of 9 plasma miRNAs was significantly upregulated, and the expression of 2 miRNAs was downregulated. After irradiation with 10 Gy gamma radiation, the blood plasma of radiotherapy patients contained 18 differentially expressed miRNAs, of which 17 were upregulated and 1 was downregulated (P<0.05). The expression of miR-4532, miR-4634, miR-4655-5p, miR-4763-3p, miR-4785, miR-6087, miR-6850-5p, and miR-6869-5p were significantly upregulated in both the 5-Gy and 10-Gy dose groups, showing a certain dose-response relationship. The RT-PCR results were consistent with the findings of high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the target genes of the differentially expressed miRNAs were mainly involved in RNA transcription and DNA damage. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis revealed that these miRNAs participated in phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT), Ras, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and other signaling pathways.

Conclusions

The expression of differential plasma miRNAs of radiotherapy patients was associated with irradiation injury and showed a certain dose-effect relationship. These differentially coexpressed plasma miRNAs could be used as an early indicator for estimating radiation injury.

Identification of cell cycle as the critical pathway modulated by exosome-derived microRNAs in gallbladder carcinoma

Gallbladder cancer (GBC), the most common malignancy in the biliary tract, is highly lethal malignant due to seldomly specific symptoms in the early stage of GBC. This study aimed to identify exosome-derived miRNAs mediated competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) participant in GBC tumorigenesis. A total of 159 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) was identified as exosome-derived miRNAs, contains 34 upregulated exo-DEMs and 125 downregulated exo-DEMs based on the expression profiles in GBC clinical samples downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database with the R package. Among them, 2 up-regulated exo-DEMs, hsa-miR-125a-3p and hsa-miR-4647, and 5 down-regulated exo-DEMs, including hsa-miR-29c-5p, hsa-miR-145a-5p, hsa-miR-192-5p, hsa-miR-194-5p, and hsa-miR-338-3p, were associated with the survival of GBC patients. Results of the gene set enrichment analysis showed that the cell cycle-related pathways were activated in GBC tumor tissues, mainly including cell cycle, M phase, and cell cycle checkpoints. Furthermore, the dysregulated ceRNA network was constructed based on the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA interactions using miRDB, TargetScan, miRTarBase, miRcode, and starBase v2.0., consisting of 27 lncRNAs, 6 prognostic exo-DEMs, and 176 mRNAs. Together with prognostic exo-DEMs, the STEAP3-AS1/hsa-miR-192-5p/MAD2L1 axis was identified, suggesting lncRNA STEAP3-AS1, might as a sponge of exosome-derived hsa-miR-192-5p, modulates cell cycle progression via affecting MAD2L1 expression in GBC tumorigenesis. In addition, the biological functions of genes in the ceRNA network were also annotated by Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Our study promotes exploration of the molecular mechanisms associated with tumorigenesis and provide potential targets for GBC diagnosis and treatment.

Role of Mitochondria in Radiation Responses: Epigenetic, Metabolic, and Signaling Impacts

Until recently, radiation effects have been considered to be mainly due to nuclear DNA damage and their management by repair mechanisms. However, molecular biology studies reveal that the outcomes of exposures to ionizing radiation (IR) highly depend on activation and regulation through other molecular components of organelles that determine cell survival and proliferation capacities. As typical epigenetic-regulated organelles and central power stations of cells, mitochondria play an important pivotal role in those responses. They direct cellular metabolism, energy supply and homeostasis as well as radiation-induced signaling, cell death, and immunological responses. This review is focused on how energy, dose and quality of IR affect mitochondria-dependent epigenetic and functional control at the cellular and tissue level. Low-dose radiation effects on mitochondria appear to be associated with epigenetic and non-targeted effects involved in genomic instability and adaptive responses, whereas high-dose radiation effects (>1 Gy) concern therapeutic effects of radiation and long-term outcomes involving mitochondria-mediated innate and adaptive immune responses. Both effects depend on radiation quality. For example, the increased efficacy of high linear energy transfer particle radiotherapy, e.g., C-ion radiotherapy, relies on the reduction of anastasis, enhanced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and immunogenic (antitumor) responses.

Radiation-induced liver injury and hepatocyte senescence

Radiation-induced liver injury (RILI) is a major complication of radiotherapy during treatment for liver cancer and other upper abdominal malignant tumors that has poor pharmacological therapeutic options. A series of pathological changes can be induced by radiation. However, the underlying mechanism of RILI remains unclear. Radiation can induce cell damage via direct energy deposition or reactive free radical generation. Cellular senescence can be observed due to the DNA damage response (DDR) caused by radiation. The senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) secreted from senescent cells can cause chronic inflammation and aggravate liver dysfunction for a long time. Oxidative stress further activates the signaling pathway of the inflammatory response and affects cellular metabolism. miRNAs clearly have differential expression after radiation treatment and take part in RILI development. This review aims to systematically profile the overall mechanism of RILI and the effects of radiation on hepatocyte senescence, laying foundations for the development of new therapies.

The Influence of miRNAs on Radiotherapy Treatment in Prostate Cancer - A Systematic Review

In the last years, extensive investigation on miRNomics have shown to have great advantages in cancer personalized medicine regarding diagnosis, treatment and even clinical outcomes. Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common male cancer and about 50% of all PCa patients received radiotherapy (RT), despite some of them develop radioresistance. Here, we aim to provide an overview on the mechanisms of miRNA biogenesis and to discuss the functional impact of miRNAs on PCa under radiation response. As main findings, 23 miRNAs were already identified as being involved in genetic regulation of PCa cell response to RT. The mechanisms of radioresistance are still poorly understood, despite it has been suggested that miRNAs play an important role in cell signaling pathways. Identification of miRNAs panel can be thus considered an upcoming and potentially useful strategy in PCa diagnosis, given that radioresistance biomarkers, in both prognosis and therapy still remains a challenge.

The Emerging Role of miRNAs for the Radiation Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Simple Summary

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease with a high mortality rate. Radiotherapy is one treatment option within a multimodal therapy approach for patients with locally advanced, non-resectable pancreatic tumors. However, radiotherapy is only effective in about one-third of the patients. Therefore, biomarkers that can predict the response to radiotherapy are of utmost importance. Recently, microRNAs, small non-coding RNAs regulating gene expression, have come into focus as there is growing evidence that microRNAs could serve as diagnostic, predictive and prognostic biomarkers in various cancer entities, including pancreatic cancer. Moreover, their high stability in body fluids such as serum and plasma render them attractive candidates for non-invasive biomarkers. This article describes the role of microRNAs as suitable blood biomarkers and outlines an overview of radiation-induced microRNAs changes and the association with radioresistance in pancreatic cancer.

Abstract

Today, pancreatic cancer is the seventh leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide with a five-year overall survival rate of less than 7%. Only 15–20% of patients are eligible for curative intent surgery at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, neoadjuvant treatment regimens have been introduced in order to downsize the tumor by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. To further increase the efficacy of radiotherapy, novel molecular biomarkers are urgently needed to define the subgroup of pancreatic cancer patients who would benefit most from radiotherapy. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could have the potential to serve as novel predictive and prognostic biomarkers in patients with pancreatic cancer. In the present article, the role of miRNAs as blood biomarkers, which are associated with either radioresistance or radiation-induced changes of miRNAs in pancreatic cancer, is discussed. Furthermore, the manuscript provides own data of miRNAs identified in a pancreatic cancer mouse model as well as radiation-induced miRNA changes in the plasma of tumor-bearing mice.

Ionizing Radiation-Induced Epigenetic Modifications and Their Relevance to Radiation Protection

The present system of radiation protection assumes that exposure at low doses and/or low dose-rates leads to health risks linearly related to the dose. They are evaluated by a combination of epidemiological data and radiobiological models. The latter imply that radiation induces deleterious effects via genetic mutation caused by DNA damage with a linear dose-dependence. This picture is challenged by the observation of radiation-induced epigenetic effects (changes in gene expression without altering the DNA sequence) and of non-linear responses, such as non-targeted and adaptive responses, that in turn can be controlled by gene expression networks. Here, we review important aspects of the biological response to ionizing radiation in which epigenetic mechanisms are, or could be, involved, focusing on the possible implications to the low dose issue in radiation protection. We examine in particular radiation-induced cancer, non-cancer diseases and transgenerational (hereditary) effects. We conclude that more realistic models of radiation-induced cancer should include epigenetic contribution, particularly in the initiation and progression phases, while the impact on hereditary risk evaluation is expected to be low. Epigenetic effects are also relevant in the dispute about possible "beneficial" effects at low dose and/or low dose-rate exposures, including those given by the natural background radiation.

Differential regulation of microRNA-15a by radiation affects angiogenesis and tumor growth via modulation of acid sphingomyelinase

Activation of acid sphingomyelinase (SMPD1) and the generation of ceramide is a critical regulator of apoptosis in response to cellular stress including radiation. Endothelial SMPD1 has been shown to regulate tumor responses to radiation therapy. We show here that the SMPD1 gene is regulated by a microRNA (miR), miR-15a, in endothelial cells (ECs). Standard low dose radiation (2 Gy) upregulates miR-15a and decreases SMPD1 levels. In contrast, high dose radiation (10 Gy and above) decreases miR-15a and increases SMPD1. Ectopic expression of miR-15a decreases both mRNA and protein levels of SMPD1. Mimicking the effects of high dose radiation with a miR-15a inhibitor decreases cell proliferation and increases active Caspase-3 & 7. Mechanistically, inhibition of miR-15a increases inflammatory cytokines, activates caspase-1 inflammasome and increases Gasdermin D, an effector of pyroptosis. Importantly, both systemic and vascular-targeted delivery of miR-15a inhibitor decreases angiogenesis and tumor growth in a CT26 murine colorectal carcinoma model. Taken together, our findings highlight a novel role for miR mediated regulation of SMPD1 during radiation responses and establish proof-of-concept that this pathway can be targeted with a miR inhibitor.

Effect of simulated microgravity and ionizing radiation on expression profiles of miRNA, lncRNA, and mRNA in human lymphoblastoid cells

In space, multiple unique environmental factors, particularly microgravity and space radiation, pose a constant threat to astronaut health. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are functional RNAs that play critical roles in regulating multiple cellular processes. To gain insight into the role of non-coding RNAs in response to radiation and microgravity, we analyzed RNA expression profiles in human lymphoblastoid TK6 cells incubated for 24 h under static or rotating conditions to stimulate microgravity in space, after 2-Gy γ-ray irradiation. The expression of 14 lncRNAs and 17 mRNAs (differentially-expressed genes, DEGs) was found to be significantly downregulated under simulated microgravity conditions. In contrast, irradiation upregulated 55 lncRNAs and 56 DEGs, whereas only one lncRNA, but no DEGs, was downregulated. Furthermore, two miRNAs, 70 lncRNAs, and 87 DEGs showed significantly altered expression in response to simulated microgravity after irradiation, and these changes were independently induced by irradiation and simulated microgravity. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the associated target genes showed similar patterns to the noncoding RNAs and were suggested to be involved in the immune/inflammatory response including LPS/TLR, TNF, and NF-κB signaling pathways. However, synergistic effects on RNA expression and cellular responses were also observed with a combination of simulated microgravity and irradiation based on microarray and RT-PCR analysis. Together, our results indicate that simulated microgravity and irradiation additively alter expression patterns but synergistically modulate the expression levels of RNAs and their target genes in human lymphoblastoid cells.

Molecular Signaling in Response to Charged Particle Exposures and its Importance in Particle Therapy

Energetic, charged particles elicit an orchestrated DNA damage response (DDR) during their traversal through healthy tissues and tumors. Complex DNA damage formation, after exposure to high linear energy transfer (LET) charged particles, results in DNA repair foci formation, which begins within seconds. More protein modifications occur after high-LET, compared with low-LET, irradiation. Charged-particle exposure activates several transcription factors that are cytoprotective or cytodestructive, or that upregulate cytokine and chemokine expression, and are involved in bystander signaling. Molecular signaling for a survival or death decision in different tumor types and healthy tissues should be studied as prerequisite for shaping sensitizing and protective strategies. Long-term signaling and gene expression changes were found in various tissues of animals exposed to charged particles, and elucidation of their role in chronic and late effects of charged-particle therapy will help to develop effective preventive measures.

Extracellular vesicles transfer nuclear Abl-dependent and radiation-induced miR-34c into unirradiated cells to cause bystander effects

Ionizing radiation (IR) not only activates DNA damage response (DDR) in irradiated cells but also induces bystander effects (BE) in cells not directly targeted by radiation. How DDR pathways activated in irradiated cells stimulate BE is not well understood. We show here that extracellular vesicles secreted by irradiated cells (EV-IR), but not those from unirradiated controls (EV-C), inhibit colony formation in unirradiated cells by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). We found that µEV-IR from Abl nuclear localization signal-mutated ( Abl-µNLS) cells could not induce ROS, but expression of wild-type Abl restored that activity. Because nuclear Abl stimulates miR-34c biogenesis, we measured miR-34c in EV and found that its levels correlated with the ROS-inducing activity of EV. We then showed that EV from miR-34c minigene-transfected, but unirradiated cells induced ROS; and transfection with miR-34c-mimic, without radiation or EV addition, also induced ROS. Furthermore, EV-IR from miR34-family triple-knockout cells could not induce ROS, whereas EV-IR from wild-type cells could cause miR-34c increase and ROS induction in the miR-34 triple-knockout cells. These results establish a novel role for extracellular vesicles in transferring nuclear Abl-dependent and radiation-induced miR-34c into unirradiated cells to cause bystander oxidative stress.

Radiation-inducible miR-770-5p sensitizes tumors to radiation through direct targeting of PDZ-binding kinase

Radiotherapy represents the most effective non-surgical modality in cancer treatment. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression, and are involved in many biological processes and diseases. To identify miRNAs that influence the radiation response, we performed miRNA array analysis using MCF7 cells at 2, 8, and 24 h post irradiation. We demonstrated that miR-770-5p is a novel radiation-inducible miRNA. When miR-770-5p was overexpressed, relative cell number was reduced due to increased apoptosis in MCF7 and A549 cells. Transcriptomic and bioinformatic analyses revealed that PDZ-binding kinase (PBK) might be a possible target of miR-770-5p for regulation of radiosensitivity. PBK regulation mediated by direct targeting of miR-770-5p was demonstrated using luciferase reporter assays along with wild-type and mutant PBK-3′untranslated region constructs. Radiation sensitivity increased and decreased in miR-770-5p- and anti-miR-770-5p-transfected cells, respectively. Consistent with this result, transfection of short interfering RNA against PBK inhibited cell proliferation, while ectopic expression of PBK restored cell survival from miR-770-5p-induced cell death. In addition, miR-770-5p suppressed tumor growth, and miR-770-5p and PBK levels were inversely correlated in xenograft model mice. Altogether, these data demonstrated that miR-770-5p might be a useful therapeutic target miRNA that sensitizes tumors to radiation via negative regulation of PBK.

Radiogenomics: A systems biology approach to understanding genetic risk factors for radiotherapy toxicity?

Adverse reactions in normal tissue after radiotherapy (RT) limit the dose that can be given to tumour cells. Since 80% of individual variation in clinical response is estimated to be caused by patient-related factors, identifying these factors might allow prediction of patients with increased risk of developing severe reactions. While inactivation of cell renewal is considered a major cause of toxicity in early-reacting normal tissues, complex interactions involving multiple cell types, cytokines, and hypoxia seem important for late reactions. Here, we review 'omics' approaches such as screening of genetic polymorphisms or gene expression analysis, and assess the potential of epigenetic factors, posttranslational modification, signal transduction, and metabolism. Furthermore, functional assays have suggested possible associations with clinical risk of adverse reaction. Pathway analysis incorporating different 'omics' approaches may be more efficient in identifying critical pathways than pathway analysis based on single 'omics' data sets. Integrating these pathways with functional assays may be powerful in identifying multiple subgroups of RT patients characterised by different mechanisms. Thus 'omics' and functional approaches may synergise if they are integrated into radiogenomics 'systems biology' to facilitate the goal of individualised radiotherapy.

Human serum miR-34a as an indicator of exposure to ionizing radiation

Radiation exposure in industrial accidents or nuclear device attacks is a major public health concern. There is an urgent need for markers that rapidly identify people exposed to ionizing radiation (IR). Finding a blood-based marker is advantageous because of the ease of sample collection. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that serum miR-34a could serve as an indicator of exposure to IR. Therefore, 44 women with breast cancer, where radiotherapy was part of their therapeutic protocol, were investigated in this study. After demonstrating the appropriateness of our microRNA (miRNA) extraction efficiency and miRNA assay in human serum, we analyzed the miR-34a level in paired serum samples before and after radiotherapy. Fifty Gy X-ray irradiation in daily dose fractions of 2 Gy, 5 days per week, was used in this study. We demonstrated that IR significantly increased serum level of miR-34a. By measuring miR-34a in serum, we could distinguish irradiated patients with sensitivity of 65 % and specificity of 75 %. According to this study, serum miR-34a has the potential to be used as an indicator of radiation exposure.

A radiosensitivity MiRNA signature validated by the TCGA database for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas

MicroRNA, a class of small non-coding RNAs, play critical roles in the cellular response to DNA damage induced by ionizing irradiation (IR). Growing evidence shows alteration of miRNAs, in response to radiation, controls cellular radiosensitivity in DNA damage response pathways. However, it is less clear about the clinical relevance of miRNA regulation in radiosensitivity. Using an in vitro system, we conducted microarray to identify a miRNA signature to assess radiosensitivity. The data were validated by analyzing available Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma (HNSCC) samples in the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) database. A total of 27 miRNAs showed differential alteration in response to IR in an Ataxia-Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase-dependent manner. We validated the list and identified a five miRNA signature that can predict radiation responsiveness in HNSCC. Furthermore, we found that the expression level of ATM in these patients was correlated with the radiation responsiveness. Together, we demonstrate the feasibility of using a miRNA signature to predict the clinical responsiveness of HNSCC radiotherapy.

The RNA Response to DNA Damage

Multicellular organisms must ensure genome integrity to prevent accumulation of mutations, cell death, and cancer. The DNA damage response (DDR) is a complex network that senses, signals, and executes multiple programs including DNA repair, cell cycle arrest, senescence, and apoptosis. This entails regulation of a variety of cellular processes: DNA replication and transcription, RNA processing, mRNA translation and turnover, and post-translational modification, degradation, and relocalization of proteins. Accumulated evidence over the past decades has shown that RNAs and RNA metabolism are both regulators and regulated actors of the DDR. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on the many interactions between the DNA damage and RNA fields.

Changes in apoptotic microRNA and mRNA expression profiling in Caenorhabditis elegans during the Shenzhou-8 mission

Radiation and microgravity exposure have been proven to induce abnormal apoptosis in microRNA (miRNA) and mRNA expression, but whether space conditions, including radiation and microgravity, activate miRNAs to regulate the apoptosis is undetermined. For that purpose, we investigated miRNome and mRNA expression in the ced-1 Caenorhabditis elegans mutant vs the wild-type, both of which underwent spaceflight, spaceflight 1g-centrifuge control and ground control conditions during the Shenzhou-8 mission. Results showed that no morphological changes in the worms were detected, but differential miRNA expression increased from 43 (ground control condition) to 57 and 91 in spaceflight and spaceflight control conditions, respectively. Microgravity altered miRNA expression profiling by decreasing the number and significance of differentially expressed miRNA compared with 1 g incubation during spaceflight. Alterations in the miRNAs were involved in alterations in apoptosis, neurogenesis larval development, ATP metabolism and GTPase-mediated signal transduction. Among these, 17 altered miRNAs potentially involved in apoptosis were screened and showed obviously different expression signatures between space conditions. By integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA, miR-797 and miR-81 may be involved in apoptosis by targeting the genes ced-10 and both drp-1 and hsp-1, respectively. Compared with ground condition, space conditions regulated apoptosis though a different manner on transcription, by altering expression of seven core apoptotic genes in spaceflight condition, and eight in spaceflight control condition. Results indicate that, miRNA of Caenorhabditis elegans probably regulates apoptotic gene expression in response to space environmental stress, and shows different behavior under microgravity condition compared with 1 g condition in the presence of space radiation.

Radiotherapy induced Lewis lung cancer cell apoptosis via inactivating β-catenin mediated by upregulated HOTAIR

OBJECTIVE

HOTAIR, a long intervening non-coding Hox transcript antisense intergenic RNA, negatively regulates transcription on another chromosome and is reported to reprogram chromatin organization and promote tumor progression. Nevertheless, little is known about its roles in the development of radiation therapy of lung cancer. In this study, we established a xenografed model of Lewis lung carcinoma in C57BL/6 mice and investigated the possible involvement of HOTAIR in this radiotherapy.

METHODS

C57BL/6 mice were subcutaneously transplanted with Lewis lung carcinoma cells and locally irradiated followed by measurement in tumor volume. Levels of HOTAIR and WIF-1 mRNA expression were determined by using Quantitative Real-Time PCR. Levels of WIF-1 and β-catenin were determined by using western blot assay. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Cell apoptosis was examined by using TUNEL assay.

RESULTS

In mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma tumor, local radiotherapy suppressed tumor growth and it also reduced level of HOTAIR but increased WIF-1 expression. When HOTAIR was overexpressed, radio-sensitivity was reduced. In vitro experiments, irradiation inhibited HOTAIR transportation to the nucleus. However, it was reversed by over-expressed HOTAIR. Cells transfected with pcDNA-HOTAIR or siRNA-HOTAIR resulted in decline or increase in radiosensitivity, which was abrogated by co-tansfected with siRNA-β-catenin.

CONCLUSION

Radiotherapy induced Lewis lung cancer cell apoptosis via inactivating β-catenin mediated by upregulated HOTAIR.

The microRNA feedback regulation of p63 in cancer progression

The transcription factor p63 is a member of the p53 gene family that plays a complex role in cancer due to its involvement in epithelial differentiation, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. MicroRNAs are a class of small, non-coding RNAs with an important regulatory role in various cellular processes, as well as in the development and progression of cancer. A number of microRNAs have been shown to function as transcriptional targets of p63. Conversely, microRNAs also can modulate the expression and activity of p63. However, the p63-microRNA regulatory circuit has not been addressed in depth so far. Here, computational genomic analysis was performed using miRtarBase, Targetscan, microRNA.ORG, DIANA-MICROT, RNA22-HSA and miRDB to analyze miRNA binding to the 3'UTR of p63. JASPAR (profile score threshold 80%) and TFSEARCH datasets were used to search transcriptional start sites for p53/p63 response elements. Remarkably, these data revealed 63 microRNAs that targeted p63. Furthermore, there were 39 microRNAs targeting p63 that were predicted to be regulated by p63. These analyses suggest a crosstalk between p63 and microRNAs. Here, we discuss the crosstalk between p63 and the microRNA network, and the role of their interactions in cancer.