MiR-363 suppresses cell migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of osteosarcoma by binding to NOB1

Prognostic value of NOB1 expression levels in various cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: This study evaluates the prognostic significance of NOB1 expression levels in various cancers.Patients & methods: Studies examining NOB1 expression in cancer, encompassing data from 1694 patients across 14 studies, were analyzed for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs, and for clinicopathological parameters using relative risks (RRs).Results: High NOB1 expression correlated with shorter OS (HR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.82-2.48) and PFS (HR: 2.23, 95% CI: 1.62-3.07) and was associated with adverse tumor characteristics such as stage and metastasis.Conclusion: Elevated NOB1 expression in various tumors signifies a poor prognosis, serving as a predictive marker for malignancy outcomes.PROSPERO Register Number: CRD42023394051.

Role of microRNA-363 during tumor progression and invasion

Recent progresses in diagnostic and therapeutic methods have significantly improved prognosis in cancer patients. However, cancer is still considered as one of the main causes of human deaths in the world. Late diagnosis in advanced tumor stages can reduce the effectiveness of treatment methods and increase mortality rate of cancer patients. Therefore, investigating the molecular mechanisms of tumor progression can help to introduce the early diagnostic markers in these patients. MicroRNA (miRNAs) has an important role in regulation of pathophysiological cellular processes. Due to their high stability in body fluids, they are always used as the non-invasive markers in cancer patients. Since, miR-363 deregulation has been reported in a wide range of cancers, we discussed the role of miR-363 during tumor progression and metastasis. It has been reported that miR-363 has mainly a tumor suppressor function through the regulation of transcription factors, apoptosis, cell cycle, and structural proteins. MiR-363 also affected the tumor progression via regulation of various signaling pathways such as WNT, MAPK, TGF-β, NOTCH, and PI3K/AKT. Therefore, miR-363 can be introduced as a probable therapeutic target as well as a non-invasive diagnostic marker in cancer patients.

MiR362-3p Alleviates Osteosarcoma by Regulating the IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Vivo and in Vitro

Objectives: To investigate the effects and the related signaling pathway of miR-362-3p on OS. Methods: The bioinformatics analysis approaches were employed to investigate the target pathway of miR-362-3p. After the 143B and U2OS cells and nu/nu male mice were randomly divided into blank control (BC) group, normal control (NC) group, and overexpression group (OG), the CCK-8, EdU staining, wound healing assay, Transwell assay, and TUNEL staining were adopted to respectively determine the effects of overexpressed miR-362-3p on the cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of 143B and U2OS cells in vitro, tumor area assay and hematoxylin and eosin staining were employed to respectively determine the effects of overexpressed miR-362-3p on the growth and pathological injury of OS tissue in vivo. The qRT-PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining were applied to respectively investigate the effects of overexpressed miR-362-3p on the IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in OS in vivo and in vitro. Results: The bioinformatics analysis approaches combined qRT-PCR indicated that the IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 is one of the target pathways of miR-362-3p. Compared with NC, the cell viability, proliferation, migration, and invasion of 143B and U2OS cells were dramatically (P < 0.01) inhibited but the apoptosis was prominently (P <0 .0001) promoted in OG. Compared with NC, the growth of OS tissue was significantly (P < 0.05) suppressed and the pathological injury of OS tissue was substantially aggravated in OG. The gene expression levels of IL6ST, JAK2, and STAT3 and the protein expression levels of IL6ST, JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3, and p-STAT3 in 143B and U2OS cells were memorably (P < 0.0001) lower in OG than those in NC. In addition, the positively stained areas of proteins of IL6ST, JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3, and p-STAT3 of OS tissue in OG were markedly (P < 0.01) reduced compared with those in NC. Conclusion: The overexpression of miR362-3p alleviates OS by inhibiting the IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 pathway in vivo and in vitro.

Signal Pathways and microRNAs in Osteosarcoma Growth and the Dual Role of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Oncogenesis

The major challenges in Osteosarcoma (OS) therapy are its heterogeneity and drug resistance. The development of new therapeutic approaches to overcome the major growth mechanisms of OS is urgently needed. The search for specific molecular targets and promising innovative approaches in OS therapy, including drug delivery methods, is an urgent problem. Modern regenerative medicine focuses on harnessing the potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because they have low immunogenicity. MSCs are important cells that have received considerable attention in cancer research. Currently, new cell-based methods for using MSCs in medicine are being actively investigated and tested, especially as carriers for chemotherapeutics, nanoparticles, and photosensitizers. However, despite the inexhaustible regenerative potential and known anticancer properties of MSCs, they may trigger the development and progression of bone tumors. A better understanding of the complex cellular and molecular mechanisms of OS pathogenesis is essential to identify novel molecular effectors involved in oncogenesis. The current review focuses on signaling pathways and miRNAs involved in the development of OS and describes the role of MSCs in oncogenesis and their potential for antitumor cell-based therapy.

Regulation of the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition in Osteosarcoma

The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a cellular process that has been linked to the promotion of aggressive cellular features in many cancer types. It is characterized by the loss of the epithelial cell phenotype and a shift to a more mesenchymal phenotype and is accompanied by an associated change in cell markers. EMT is highly complex and regulated via multiple signaling pathways. While the importance of EMT is classically described for carcinomas-cancers of epithelial origin-it has also been clearly demonstrated in non-epithelial cancers, including osteosarcoma (OS), a primary bone cancer predominantly affecting children and young adults. Recent studies examining EMT in OS have highlighted regulatory roles for multiple proteins, non-coding nucleic acids, and components of the tumor micro-environment. This review serves to summarize these experimental findings, identify key families of regulatory molecules, and identify potential therapeutic targets specific to the EMT process in OS.

Regulation of Molecular Targets in Osteosarcoma Treatment

The most prevalent malignant bone tumor, osteosarcoma, affects the growth plates of long bones in adolescents and young adults. Standard chemotherapeutic methods showed poor response rates in patients with recurrent and metastatic phases. Therefore, it is critical to develop novel and efficient targeted therapies to address relapse cases. In this regard, RNA interference technologies are encouraging options in cancer treatment, in which small interfering RNAs regulate the gene expression following RNA interference pathways. The determination of target tissue is as important as the selection of tissue-specific promoters. Moreover, small interfering RNAs should be delivered effectively into the cytoplasm. Lentiviral vectors could encapsulate and deliver the desired gene into the cell and integrate it into the genome, providing long-term regulation of targeted genes. Silencing overexpressed genes promote the tumor cells to lose invasiveness, prevents their proliferation, and triggers their apoptosis. The uniqueness of cancer cells among patients requires novel therapeutic methods that treat patients based on their unique mutations. Several studies showed the effectiveness of different approaches such as microRNA, drug- or chemotherapy-related methods in treating the disease; however, identifying various targets was challenging to understanding disease progression. In this regard, the patient-specific abnormal gene might be targeted using genomics and molecular advancements such as RNA interference approaches. Here, we review potential therapeutic targets for the RNA interference approach, which is applicable as a therapeutic option for osteosarcoma patients, and we point out how the small interfering RNA method becomes a promising approach for the unmet challenge.

Sublethal heat treatment promotes breast cancer metastasis and its molecular mechanism revealed by quantitative proteomic analysis

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a frequently used thermal ablation technique for breast tumors. The study aimed to identify the effect of sublethal heat treatment on biological function of breast cancer cells and reveal its potential molecular mechanism. The expression profile of dysregulated proteins in sublethal heat treated breast cancer cells was analyzed by quantitative proteomic analysis. The differentially expressed proteins in the sublethal heat treated breast cancer were identified. The potential biological functions of these proteins were evaluated. The proliferation and invasion ability of breast cancer cells were enhanced after sublethal heat treatment. The expression profile of proteins in sublethal heat treated breast cancer cells was abundant, and most of which were newly discovered. A total of 206 differentially expressed proteins were identified. Among them, 101 proteins were downregulated while 105 proteins were upregulated. GO and KEGG analysis indicated that various systems were involved in the process of sublethal heat treatment including cancer, immune system, et al. Immunohistochemistry staining showed that the expression of Heat shock protein 1B, NOB1 and CRIP1 was highly expressed while the expression of BCLAF1 was lower in sublethal heat treated group. The proliferation and invasion ability of breast cancer cells were enhanced after sublethal heat treatment. Sublethal heat treatment caused gene alterations in cancer and immune system. Heat shock protein 1B, NOB1 and CRIP1 were upregulated while BCLAF1 was downregulated in breast cancer after sublethal heat treatment.

Long noncoding RNA SNHG4: a novel target in human diseases

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted great attention from researchers. LncRNAs are non-protein-coding RNAs of more than 200 nucleotides in length. Multiple studies have been published on the relationship between lncRNA expression and the progression of human diseases. LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 4 (SNHG4), a member of the lncRNA SNHG family, is abnormally expressed in a variety of human diseases, including gastric cancer, renal cell carcinoma, glioblastoma, neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, osteosarcoma, cervical cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, non-small-cell lung cancer, neonatal pneumonia, diabetic retinopathy, neuropathic pain, acute cerebral infarction, acute myeloid leukaemia, and endometriosis. In this paper, the structure of SNHG4 is first introduced, and then studies in humans, animal models and cells are summarized to highlight the expression and function of SNHG4 in the above diseases. In addition, the specific mechanism of SNHG4 as a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) is discussed. The findings indicate that SNHG4 can be used as a biomarker for disease prognosis evaluation and as a potential target for disease diagnosis and treatment.

Unraveling the roles of miRNAs in regulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is one of the most prevalent primary bone tumors with a high metastatic and recurrence rate with poor prognosis. MiRNAs are short and non-coding RNAs that could regulate various cellular activities and one of them is the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Osteosarcoma cells that have undergone EMT would lose their cellular polarity and acquire invasive and metastatic characteristics. Our literature search showed that many pre-clinical and clinical studies have reported the roles of miRNAs in modulating the EMT process in osteosarcoma and compared to other cancers like breast cancer, there is a lack of review article which effectively summarizes the various roles of EMT-regulating miRNAs in osteosarcoma. This review, therefore, was aimed to discuss and summarize the EMT-promoting and EMT-suppressing roles of different miRNAs in osteosarcoma. The review would begin with the discussion on the concepts and principles of EMT, followed by the exploration of the diverse roles of EMT-regulating miRNAs in osteosarcoma. Subsequently, the potential use of miRNAs as prognostic biomarkers in osteosarcoma to predict the likelihood of metastases and as therapeutic agents would be discussed.

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition and microRNA expression are associated with spindle and apocrine cell morphology in triple-negative breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are a morphologically and genetically heterogeneous group of breast cancers with uncertain prediction of biological behavior and response to therapy. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a dynamic process characterized by loss of typical epithelial phenotype and acquisition of mesenchymal characteristics. Aberrant activation of EMT can aggravate the prognosis of patients with cancer, however, the mechanisms of EMT and role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in EMT activation is still unclear. The aim of our study was to analyze miRNA expression within areas of TNBCs with cellular morphology that may be related to the EMT process and discuss possible associations. Out of all 3953 re-examined breast cancers, 460 breast cancers were diagnosed as TNBC (11.64%). With regard to complete tumor morphology preservation, the tissue samples obtained from core—cut biopsies and influenced by previous neoadjuvant therapy were excluded. We assembled a set of selected 25 cases to determine miRNA expression levels in relation to present focal spindle cell and apocrine cell morphology within individual TNBCs. We used descriptive (histological typing and morphology), morphometric, molecular (microdissection of tumor and non-tumor morphologies, RNA isolation and purification, microchip analysis) and bioinformatic analysis (including pathway analysis). The results were verified by quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) on an extended set of 70 TNBCs. The majority of TNBCs were represented by high—grade invasive carcinomas of no special type (NST) with medullary features characterized by well-circumscribed tumors with central necrosis or fibrosis and frequent tendency to spindle-cell and/or apocrine cell transformation. Apocrine and spindle cell transformation showed a specific miRNA expression profile in comparison to other tumor parts, in situ carcinoma or non-tumor structures, particularly down-regulated expression of hsa-miRNA-143-3p and hsa-miRNA-205-5p and up-regulated expression of hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miRNA-185-5p, and hsa-miR-4443. Apocrine cell tumor morphology further revealed decreased expression of hsa-miR-145-5p and increased expression of additional 14 miRNAs (e.g. hsa-miR-182-5p, hsa-miR-3135b and hsa-miR-4417). Pathway analysis for target genes of these miRNAs revealed several shared biological processes (i.e. Wnt signaling, ErbB signaling, MAPK signaling, endocytosis and axon guidance), which may in part contribute to the EMT and tumor progression. We provide the first miRNA expression profiling of specific tissue morphologies in TNBC. Our results demonstrate a specific miRNA expression profile of apocrine and spindle cell morphology which can exhibit a certain similarity with the EMT process and may also be relevant for prognosis and therapy resistance of TNBC.

LncRNA prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART 1) functions as an oncogene in osteosarcoma via sponging miR-20b-5p to upregulate BAMBI

Background

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive bone cancer that most commonly affects adolescents and children. Emerging studies have shown that long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) performs essential roles in the occurrence and development of many tumors. Prostate androgen-regulated transcript 1 (PART 1) has been reported as a tumor oncogene; despite this, the mechanisms underlying its involvement in OS are unclear.

Methods

OS and paired normal tissue samples were obtained, and gene expressions were detected by real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The functions of PART 1 in OS cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and Transwell assays. Furthermore, the binding sites of PART 1 and miR-20b-5p as well as those between miR-20b-5p and bone morphogenic protein and activin membrane-bound inhibitor homolog (BAMBI) were verified by bioinformatics analysis and dual-luciferase reporter assay.

Results

Our study found obvious overexpression of PART 1 in OS tissues and cells. Furthermore, PART 1 overexpression facilitated OS cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Further mechanistic investigations revealed that PART 1 could sponge to miR-20b-5p, which was expressed at a low level in OS tissues and cells. Importantly, miR-20b-5p overexpression inhibited OS cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Additionally, BAMBI was confirmed as a downstream gene of miR-20b-5p, and its expression was reversely modulated by miR-20b-5p and positively modulated by PART 1. Rescue experiments suggested that BAMBI was involved in PART 1-mediated promotion of OS progression.

Conclusions

PART 1 serves as a competing endogenous RNA to promote OS tumorigenesis via its regulation of the miR-20b-5p/BAMBI axis, which may provide a promising therapeutic biomarkers for OS patients.