Low expression of microRNA-204 (miR-204) is associated with poor clinical outcome of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients

Research progress on molecular biomarkers of acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common type of adult acute leukemia. The pathophysiology of the disease has been studied intensively at the cellular and molecular levels. At present, cytogenetic markers are an important basis for the early diagnosis, prognostic stratification and treatment of AML. However, with the emergence of new technologies, the detection of other molecular markers, such as gene mutations and epigenetic changes, began to play important roles in evaluating the occurrence and development of diseases. Recent evidence shows that identifying new AML biomarkers contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanism of the disease and is essential for AML screening, diagnosis, prognosis monitoring, and individualized treatment response. In this review, we summarized the promising AML biomarkers from four aspects, which contributing to a better understanding of the disease. Of course, it must be soberly aware that we have not listed all biomarkers of AML. Anyway, the biomarkers we mentioned are representative. For example, mutations in TP53, FLT3, and ASXL1 suggest poor prognosis, low remission rate, short survival period, and often require allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The CEBPA double mutation, NPM1 and CBF mutation suggest that the prognosis is good, the remission rate is high, the survival period is long, and the effect of chemotherapy or autotherapy is good. As for other mutations mentioned in the article, they usually predict a moderate prognosis. All in all, we hope it could provide a reference for the precise diagnosis and treatment of AML.

Hsa_circ_0044907 promotes acute myeloid leukemia progression through upregulating oncogene KIT via sequestering miR-186-5p

BACKGROUND

It has been reported that circular RNA hsa_circ_0044907 (circ_0044907) expression is overtly elevated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patient-derived BMMCs. However, the effect of circ_0044907 on AML progression remains un-clarified.

METHODS

Expression of circ_0044907 in BM and AML cells were detected with real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Cell viability, proliferation, apoptosis, and cycle progression were determined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide (MTT), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EDU), and flow cytometry assays. The regulatory mechanism of circ_0044907 was predicted by bioinformatics analysis and validated by dual-luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays. In vivo experiments were carried out to verify the function of circ_0044907.

RESULTS

Circ_0044907 was overexpressed in AML patient-derived BM and AML cells. Furthermore, circ_0044907 could distinguish AML patients from healthy controls, and high circ_0044907 expression in BM had a poor prognosis for AML patients, implying that circ_0044907 served as a diagnostic and prognostic indicator for AML. Functionally, circ_0044907 silencing reduced cell viability, restrained cell proliferation, arrested cell cycle progression, and induced cell apoptosis in AML cells in vitro. Furthermore, circ_0044907 knockdown decreased AML cell growth in xenograft mouse models. Mechanically, circ_0044907 sponged miR-186-5p to block the inhibiting effect of miR-186-5p on KIT. Silenced miR-186-5p expression weakened circ_0044907 knockdown mediated suppression on AML cell viability, proliferation, and cycle progression. Also, forced KIT expression weakened miR-186-5p upregulation mediated inhibition on AML cell viability, proliferation, and cycle progression.

CONCLUSION

Circ_0044907 absorbed miR-186-5p to block the inhibiting impact of miR-186-5p on KIT, thus promoting AML progression.

The role of non-coding RNAs in chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancers

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, including colorectal, gastric, hepatic, esophageal, and pancreatic tumors, are responsible for large numbers of deaths around the world. Chemotherapy is the most common approach used to treat advanced GI cancer. However, chemoresistance has emerged as a critical challenge that prevents successful tumor elimination, leading to metastasis and recurrence. Chemoresistance mechanisms are complex, and many factors and pathways are involved. Among these factors, non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are critical regulators of GI tumor development and subsequently can induce resistance to chemotherapy. This occurs because ncRNAs can target multiple signaling pathways, affect downstream genes, and modulate proliferation, apoptosis, tumor cell migration, and autophagy. ncRNAs can also induce cancer stem cell features and affect the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Thus, ncRNAs could possibly act as new targets in chemotherapy combinations to treat GI cancer and to predict treatment response.

MiR-204 suppresses the progression of acute myeloid leukemia through HGF/c-Met pathway

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was confirmed to be associated with hematopoietic insufficiency, as well as abnormal proliferation, differentiation or survival of myeloid progenitors. Multiple studies reported that microRNA-204 (miR-204) and Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) played important roles in types of cancers. However, the potential molecular regulatory mechanism between miR-204 and HGF in AML remains to be further defined. Real-time PCR (RT-PCR) was adopted to detect the expression of miR-204 and HG. Relative protein levels were detected by western blot assay. The viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration, and invasion were analyzed by MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays. Moreover, the target relationship between miR-204 and HGF was predicted by MiRcode website and confirmed by luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and western blot assays. Our data suggested that miR-204 was downregulated in AML serum samples and cells. MiR-204 overexpression repressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and induced cell apoptosis in AML cells. HGF was upregulated in AML samples and cells, and HGF knockdown inhibited the malignancy of AML cells. In addition, HGF was directly targeted by miR-204. HGF overexpression reversed the effects of miR-204 mimic on AML cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion. Besides, miR-204 regulated the c-Met signaling by targeting HGF, thereby regulating the downstream protein levels related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion in AML cells. In conclusion, miR-204 could regulate AML progression through regulating the HGF/c-Met pathway.

Circular RNA circFNDC3AL Upregulates BCL9 Expression to Promote Chicken Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells Proliferation and Differentiation by Binding to miR-204

Skeletal muscle is a heterogeneous tissue that is essential for initiating movement and maintaining homeostasis. The genesis of skeletal muscle is an integrative process that lasts from embryonic development to postnatal stages, which is carried out under the modulation of many factors. Recent studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs), a class of non-coding RNAs, are involved in myogenesis. However, more circRNAs and their mechanisms that may regulate skeletal muscle development remain to be explored. Through in-depth analysis of our previous RNA-Seq data, circFNDC3AL was found to be a potentially functional circRNA highly expressed during embryonic development of chicken skeletal muscle. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the effect of circFNDC3AL on skeletal muscle development in chickens and found that circFNDC3AL promoted chicken skeletal muscle satellite cell (SMSC) proliferation and differentiation. To gain a thorough understanding of the exact modulatory mechanisms of circFNDC3AL in chicken skeletal muscle development, we performed target miRNA analysis of circFNDC3AL and found that circFNDC3AL has a binding site for miR-204. Subsequently, we demonstrated that miR-204 inhibited chicken SMSC proliferation and differentiation, which showed the opposite functions of circFNDC3AL. Furthermore, we identified the miR-204 target gene B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 (BCL9) and validated that miR-204 had an inhibitory effect on BCL9, while the negative effect could be relieved by circFNDC3AL. In addition, we verified that BCL9 performed the same positive functions on chicken SMSC proliferation and differentiation as circFNDC3AL, as opposed to miR-204. In conclusion, our study identified a circRNA circFNDC3AL that upregulates BCL9 expression to promote the proliferation and differentiation of chicken SMSCs by binding to miR-204.

Increased Plasma Levels of lncRNAs LINC01268, GAS5 and MALAT1 Correlate with Negative Prognostic Factors in Myelofibrosis

Simple Summary

Myelofibrosis (MF) displays the worst prognosis among Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms. There is no curative therapy for MF, except for bone marrow transplantation, which however has a consistent percentage of failure. There is thus an urgent need of novel biomarkers to complement current stratification models and to enable better management of patients. To address this issue, we herein measured the plasma levels of several long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Circulating lncRNAs has been already largely described as potential non-invasive biomarkers in cancers. In our study we unveiled that LINC01268, MALAT1 (both p < 0.0001) and GAS5 (p = 0.0003) plasma levels are significantly higher in MF patients if compared with healthy donors, and their increased plasma levels correlate with several detrimental features in MF. Among them, LINC01268 is an independent variable for both OS (p = 0.0297) and LFS (p = 0.0479), thus representing a putative new biomarker suitable for integrate contemporary prognostic models.

Abstract

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been recently described as key mediators in the development of hematological malignancies. In the last years, circulating lncRNAs have been proposed as a new class of non-invasive biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis and to predict treatment response. The present study is aimed to investigate the potential of circulating lncRNAs as non-invasive prognostic biomarkers in myelofibrosis (MF), the most severe among Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms. We detected increased levels of seven circulating lncRNAs in plasma samples of MF patients (n = 143), compared to healthy controls (n = 65). Among these, high levels of LINC01268, MALAT1 or GAS5 correlate with detrimental clinical variables, such as high count of leukocytes and CD34+ cells, severe grade of bone marrow fibrosis and presence of splenomegaly. Strikingly, high plasma levels of LINC01268 (p = 0.0018), GAS5 (p = 0.0008) or MALAT1 (p = 0.0348) are also associated with a poor overall-survival while high levels of LINC01268 correlate with a shorter leukemia-free-survival. Finally, multivariate analysis demonstrated that the plasma level of LINC01268 is an independent prognostic variable, suggesting that, if confirmed in future in an independent patients’ cohort, it could be used for further studies to design an updated classification model for MF patients.

Sufentanil Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells by Upregulating miRNA-204

Sufentanil is a powerful analgesic that acts on μ-receptors, but there are few studies on sufentanil in cancer. The biological function and underlying mechanisms of sufentanil on the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells were explored in the present study. HCC cells were first treated with different concentrations of sufentanil and the most optimum concentration of sufentanil was determined. The expression of miR-204 in HCC cells was changed by transfected with miR-204 inhibitor and the transfection efficiency was assessed by qRT-PCR. CCK-8, wound-healing and Transwell assays were performed to evaluate the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells, respectively. The level of AKT and PI3K phosphorylation (p-AKT and p-PI3K) were assessed by western blot analysis. Our results demonstrated that sufentanil effectively inhibited cell proliferation,migration and invasion in both Huh7 and Hep3B cells, and significantly decreased the expression of p-AKT and p-PI3K. In addition, miR-204 was upregulated in Huh7 and Hep3B cells treated with sufentanil, and low expression of miR-204 attenuated the damage of sufentanil on the viability of Huh7 and Hep3B cells. Taken together, sufentanil suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells via inhibiting AKT/PI3K signaling pathway by targeting miR-204.

Combined In Situ Hybridization and Immunohistochemistry on Archival Tissues Reveals Stromal microRNA-204 as Prognostic Biomarker for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Simple Summary

In addition to the transformation of epithelial cells, dysfunction of stroma is crucial in carcinogenesis; cancer-associated stroma can regulate the phenotype of cancer cells and thereby influence the clinical outcome. Our study aimed to investigate the correlation of stromal miR-204 with progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and assert its clinical utility. We first established a chromogen-based method that combined immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization for exact delimitation of stroma from the tumor islands and concomitant visualization of miRs, and have developed a guide to digital miR quantification using the publicly available tool ImageJ and the licensed software Aperio ImageScope. We have then applied the method for investigating stromal miR-204 as a putative prognostic biomarker on an OSCC cohort and identified expression of miR204 in the stroma at tumor front as an independent prognostic biomarker for this disease.

Abstract

Micro-RNAs (miRs) are emerging as important players in carcinogenesis. Their stromal expression has been less investigated in part due to lack of methods to accurately differentiate between tumor compartments. This study aimed to establish a robust method for dual visualization of miR and protein (pan-cytokeratin) by combining chromogen-based in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), and to apply it to investigate stromal expression of miR204 as a putative prognostic biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Four different combinations of methods were tested and ImageJ and Aperio ImageScope were used to quantify miR expression. All four dual ISH-IHC methods tested were comparable to single ISH in terms of positive pixel area percentage or integrated optical density of miRs staining. Based on technical simplicity, one of the methods was chosen for further investigation of miR204 on a cohort of human papilloma virus (HPV)-negative primary OSCC (n = 169). MiR204 stromal expression at tumor front predicted recurrence-free survival (p = 0.032) and overall survival (p = 0.036). Multivariate Cox regression further confirmed it as an independent prognostic biomarker in OSCC. This study provides a methodological platform for integrative biomarker studies based on simultaneous detection and quantification of miRs and/or protein and reveals stromal miR204 as a prognostic biomarker in OSCC.

Identification of Acute Myeloid Leukemia Bone Marrow Circulating MicroRNAs

BACKGROUND

In addition to their roles in different biological processes, microRNAs in the tumor microenvironment appear to be potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for various malignant diseases, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML). To date, no screening of circulating miRNAs has been carried out in the bone marrow compartment of AML. Accordingly, we investigated the circulating miRNA profile in AML bone marrow at diagnosis (AMLD) and first complete remission post treatment (AMLPT) in comparison to healthy donors (HD).

METHODS

Circulating miRNAs were isolated from AML bone marrow aspirations, and a low-density TaqMan miRNA array was performed to identify deregulated miRNAs followed by quantitative RT-PCR to validate the results. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy of the highly and significantly identified deregulated miRNA(s) as potential candidate biomarker(s).

RESULTS

We found several deregulated miRNAs between the AMLD vs. HD vs. AMLPT groups, which were involved in tumor progression and immune suppression pathways. We also identified significant diagnostic and prognostic signatures with the ability to predict AML patient treatment response.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a possible role of enriched circulating bone marrow miRNAs in the initiation and progression of AML and highlights new markers for prognosis and treatment monitoring.

Regulation of phagolysosomal activity by miR-204 critically influences structure and function of retinal pigment epithelium/retina

MicroRNA-204 (miR-204) is expressed in pulmonary, renal, mammary and eye tissue, and its reduction can result in multiple diseases including cancer. We first generated miR-204-/- mice to study the impact of miR-204 loss on retinal and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) structure and function. The RPE is fundamentally important for maintaining the health and integrity of the retinal photoreceptors. miR-204-/- eyes evidenced areas of hyper-autofluorescence and defective photoreceptor digestion, along with increased microglia migration to the RPE. Migratory Iba1+ microglial cells were localized to the RPE apical surface where they participated in the phagocytosis of photoreceptor outer segments (POSs) and contributed to a persistent build-up of rhodopsin. These structural, molecular and cellular outcomes were accompanied by decreased light-evoked electrical responses from the retina and RPE. In parallel experiments, we suppressed miR-204 expression in primary cultures of human RPE using anti-miR-204. In vitro suppression of miR-204 in human RPE similarly showed abnormal POS clearance and altered expression of autophagy-related proteins and Rab22a, a regulator of endosome maturation. Together, these in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that the normally high levels of miR-204 in RPE can mitigate disease onset by preventing generation of oxidative stress and inflammation originating from intracellular accumulation of undigested photoreactive POS lipids. More generally, these results implicate RPE miR-204-mediated regulation of autophagy and endolysosomal interaction as a critical determinant of normal RPE/retina structure and function.

MicroRNAs: pivotal regulators in acute myeloid leukemia

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that are 19-22 nucleotides in length and regulate a variety of biological processes at the post-transcriptional level. MicroRNA dysregulation disrupts normal biological processes, resulting in tumorigenesis. Acute myeloid leukemia is an invasive hematological malignancy characterized by the abnormal proliferation and differentiation of immature myeloid cells. Due to the low 5-year survival rate, there is an urgent need to discover novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets. In recent years, microRNAs have been shown to play important roles in hematological malignancies by acting as tumor suppressors and oncogenes. MicroRNAs have the potential to be a breakthrough in the diagnosis and treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. In this review, we summarize the biology of microRNAs and discuss the relationships between microRNA dysregulation and acute myeloid leukemia in the following aspects: signaling pathways, the abnormal biological behavior of acute myeloid leukemia cells, the clinical application of microRNAs and competing endogenous RNA regulatory networks.

Silencing of lncRNA UCA1 curbs proliferation and accelerates apoptosis by repressing SIRT1 signals by targeting miR-204 in pediatric AML

The long noncoding RNA urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) has been reported to sustain the proliferation of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells through downregulating cell cycle regulators p27^kip1 . Yet, the foundational mechanism of UCA1 in AML pathologies remains unclear. Herein, we found an escalation of UCA1 expression and suppression of miR-204 expression in pediatric AML patients and cells. UCA1 silencing suppressed cell proliferative abilities, promoted apoptotic rates, decreased Ki67, and increased cleaved caspase-3 in AML cells. Moreover, UCA1 sponged miR-204 and suppressed its expression. UCA1 overexpression inversed the miR-204 suppressed proliferation and promoted apoptosis. UCA1 also boosted the expression of SIRT1, a miR-204 target, via the sponging interaction. Furthermore, miR-204 inhibited inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression, while UCA1 overexpression inversed the inhibitory effects in AML cells. Our findings concluded that UCA1 downregulation repressed cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis through inactivating SIRT1 signals by upregulating miR-204 in pediatric AML.

Low serum miR-223 expression predicts poor outcome in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Background

Identification of biomarkers for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is important for treating this malignancy. Recent studies have reported that microRNAs (miRNAs) are stably detectable in the blood/plasma and can be used as biomarkers for various types of cancer including AML. The aim of this study was to analyze miR‐223 level in serum as a potential indicator for AML diagnosis and prognosis prediction.

Methods

Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) was used to detect the levels of miR‐223 in the serum samples from 131 patients and 70 healthy individuals.

Results

The results revealed that serum miR‐223 was underexpressed in AML patients, particularly those in intermediate and unfavorable cytogenetic risk groups. Further analysis revealed that serum miR‐223 could yield a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) of 0.849 with 83.2% sensitivity and 81.4% specificity. Moreover, a significant increase in serum miR‐223 level was observed in AML subjects after their treatment. Reduced serum miR‐223 level was highly associated with aggressive clinical variables and shorter survival of patients. Furthermore, miR‐223 expression was identified to be an independent prognostic predictor of worse overall survival.

Conclusion

In conclusion, miR‐223 may be a reliable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for AML.

Assessment of Circulating Microribonucleic Acids in Patients With Familial Mediterranean Fever

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate the plasma expression of microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) that may be associated with the pathogenesis of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF).

Patients and methods

Thirty patients with FMF (18 males, 12 females; mean age 9.1±4.7 years; range, 3 to 15.5 years) and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy children (18 males, 12 females; mean age 9.5±4.6 years; range, 4 to 16.5 years) were included in this study. The plasma levels of four candidate miRNAs (miRNA-16, miRNA-155, miRNA-204 and miRNA-451) were measured in all subjects. The plasma levels of miRNAs were analyzed with real- time polymerase chain reaction in attack and remission periods of patients and healthy controls (HCs).

Results

Plasma miRNA-204 levels of FMF patients were decreased 6.5 fold in remission period compared to HCs (p<0.001). This decrease was more prominent in M694V mutation carriers. Plasma miRNA-155 levels of FMF patients were lower in remission period (p=0.03).

Conclusion

Our findings showed significant alterations in the plasma expression of miRNA-155 and miRNA-204 in FMF patients compared to HCs. Our data suggest that miRNA-155 and miRNA-204 may be related to the pathogenesis of FMF. Further comprehensive and functional researches may help to clarify the role of miRNAs in FMF and elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease.

Role of microRNAs, circRNAs and long noncoding RNAs in acute myeloid leukemia

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant tumor of the immature myeloid hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow (BM). It is a highly heterogeneous disease, with rising morbidity and mortality in older patients. Although researches over the past decades have improved our understanding of AML, its pathogenesis has not yet been fully elucidated. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs) are three noncoding RNA (ncRNA) molecules that regulate DNA transcription and translation. With the development of RNA-Seq technology, more and more ncRNAs that are closely related to AML leukemogenesis have been discovered. Numerous studies have found that these ncRNAs play an important role in leukemia cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Some may potentially be used as prognostic biomarkers. In this systematic review, we briefly described the characteristics and molecular functions of three groups of ncRNAs, including lncRNAs, miRNAs, and circRNAs, and discussed their relationships with AML in detail.

An integrated analysis to predict micro-RNAs targeting both stemness and metastasis in breast cancer stem cells

Several evidences support the idea that a small population of tumour cells representing self-renewal potential are involved in initiation, maintenance, metastasis, and outcomes of cancer therapy. Elucidation of microRNAs/genes regulatory networks activated in cancer stem cells (CSCs) is necessary for the identification of new targets for cancer therapy. The aim of the present study was to predict the miRNAs pattern, which can target both metastasis and self-renewal pathways using integration of literature and data mining. For this purpose, mammospheres derived from MCF-7, MDA-MB231, and MDA-MB468 were used as breast CSCs model. They had higher migration, invasion, and colony formation potential, with increasing in stemness- and EMT-related genes expression. Our results determined that miR-204, -200c, -34a, and -10b contemporarily could target both self-renewal and EMT pathways. This core regulatory of miRNAs could increase the survival rate of breast invasive carcinoma via up-regulation of OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, c-MYC, NOTCH1, SNAI1, ZEB1, and CDH2 and down-regulation of CDH1. The majority of those target genes were involved in the regulation of pluripotency, MAPK, WNT, Hedgehog, p53, and transforming growth factor β pathways. Hence, this study provides novel insights for targeting core regulatory of miRNAs in breast CSCs to target both self-renewal and metastasis potential and eradication of breast cancer.

MicroRNA-204 inhibits the proliferation, migration and invasion of human lung cancer cells by targeting PCNA-1 and inhibits tumor growth in vivo

Lung cancer accounts for ~20% of the total cancer‑associated mortalities worldwide. Lung cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages and is therefore difficult to treat. The biomarkers for diagnosis of lung cancer are limited and unreliable. In addition, the lack of availability of efficient chemotherapeutic agents and targets has resulted in limitations in the successful treatment of lung cancer. Previously, microRNAs (miRNA/miR) have been implicated in the onset and development of several types of cancer. The expression of miRNAs is often dysregulated in cancer cells; therefore, they are considered important therapeutic targets and agents. The present study examined the expression of miR‑204 in 4 different lung cancer cell lines and 1 normal cell line. The results revealed that miR‑204 was significantly downregulated (4‑8‑fold) in all the cancer cell lines (P<0.05). Overexpression of miR‑204 in A549 lung cancer cells inhibited the proliferative, migratory and invasive capabilities of the lung cancer cells. Furthermore, miR‑204 overexpression also induced apoptosis in the A549 lung cancer cells. Bioinformatics analysis revealed proliferating cell nuclear antigen 1 (PCNA‑1) to be a potential target of miR‑204. The reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that PCNA‑1 was significantly upregulated (up to 5‑fold) in the lung cancer cells (P<0.05), and the overexpression of miR‑204 caused the downregulation of PCNA‑1 in A549 lung cancer cells. Silencing of PCNA‑1 in A549 cells exerted similar effects to that of miR‑204 overexpression on the proliferative, migratory and invasive capabilities of A549 lung cancer cells. Additionally, the suppression of miR‑204 in A549 cells transfected with Si‑PCNA‑1 did not rescue the effects of PCNA‑1 silencing on cell proliferation, migration or invasion. Conversely, the overexpression of PCNA‑1 in A549 cells transfected with miR‑204 mimics promoted the proliferation, migration and invasion of lung cancer cells. Furthermore, overexpression of miR‑204 in xenograft tumors significantly inhibited their growth. Taken together, these results indicated that miR‑204 regulates the proliferative, migratory and invasive capabilities of lung cancer cells by targeting PCNA‑1.

MiR-204 inhibits hepatocellular cancer drug resistance and metastasis through targeting NUAK1

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally. Tumor response rate of liver cancer patients towards systemic chemotherapy is low and chemoresistance can easily develop. Identifying novel molecules that can repress drug resistance and metastasis of liver cancer will facilitate the development of new therapeutic strategies. The aim of this study is to determine the roles of NUAK1 and miR-204 in the drug resistance and metastasis of liver cancer and to reveal their relationship. We found that NUAK1 was increased in the tumor of primary liver cancer. Knockdown of NUAK1 significantly inhibited cell growth and migration. Moreover, NUAK1 was the direct downstream target of miR-204, and there was clinical relevance between miR-204 down-regulation and NUAK1 up-regulation in liver cancer. Furthermore, we found that miR-204 increased drug sensitivity by down-regulating NUAK1 expression. Based on these results, we identified miR-204 as a tumor suppressor by inhibiting NUAK1 expression in liver cancer, indicating both miR-204 and NUAK1 may act as promising targets for liver cancer therapy.

Selection of three miRNA signatures with prognostic value in non-M3 acute myeloid leukemia

BACKGROUND

MiRNAs that are potential biomarkers for predicting prognosis for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been identified. However, comprehensive analyses investigating the association between miRNA expression profiles and AML survival remain relatively deficient.

METHOD

In the present study, we performed multivariate Cox's analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to identify potential molecular signatures for predicting non-M3 AML prognosis.

RESULT

We found that patients who were still living were significantly younger at diagnosis than those who had died (P = 0.001). In addition, there was a marked difference in living status among different risk category groups (P = 0.022). A multivariate Cox model suggested that three miRNAs were potential biomarkers of non-M3 AML prognosis, including miR-181a-2, miR-25 and miR-362. Subsequently, PCA analyses were conducted to comprehensively represent the expression levels of these three miRNAs in each patient with a PCA value. According to the log-rank test, AML outcome for patients with lower PCA values was significantly different from those with higher PCA values (P < 0.001). Further bioinformatic analysis revealed the biological functions of the selected miRNAs.

CONCLUSION

We conducted a comprehensive analysis of TCGA non-M3 AML data, identifying three miRNAs that are significantly correlated with AML survival. PCA values for the identified miRNAs are valuable for predicting AML prognosis.

Preliminary study on the role of miR‑148a and DNMT1 in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia

MicroRNA (miR)‑148a is differentially expressed in numerous malignant tumors and it was identified to regulate tumor growth, cell proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and drug resistance via the regulation of the expression levels of its target genes. However, the biological function of miR‑148a in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and its molecular mechanisms of action remain unclear. In the present study, the expression levels of miR‑148a and DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) were detected using reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blotting. Methylation‑specific PCR was used to detect the methylation levels in the miR‑148a promoter. The effects of miR‑148a on cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed by Cell Counting kit‑8 or flow cytometry assays, respectively. A dual‑luciferase reporter assay was performed to investigate the association between miR‑148a and DNMT1. Patients with AML exhibited an increased expression level of miR‑148a, whereas the expression level of DNMT1 was identified to be decreased compared with healthy control subjects. In AML cell lines, the methylation state of miR‑148 promoter was significantly increased compared with normal cells. Following knockdown of DNMT1 in U937 cells, the expression level of miR‑148a increased significantly, whereas the methylation level of the miR‑148a promoter decreased. The mRNA and protein expression levels of DNMT1 decreased following transfection with miR‑148a mimics in U937 cells. Conversely, transfection with miR‑148a inhibitor in Kasumi‑1 cells led to an increase in the expression level of DNMT. Dual‑luciferase reporter assays suggested that DNMT1 was one of the direct target genes of miR‑148a. Overexpression of miR‑148a inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Inhibition of DNMT1 led to a decreased methylation level of the 5'‑cytosine‑phosphate‑guanine‑3' islands in the miR‑148a promoter, thus increasing the expression level of miR‑148a. DNMT1 was identified to be a downstream target of miR‑148a, and was negatively regulated by miR‑148a in AML cell lines, suggesting that miR‑148a and DNMT1 form a mutual negative feedback loop.

MicroRNA in leukemia: Tumor suppressors and oncogenes with prognostic potential

Leukemia is known as a progressive malignant disease, which destroys the blood-forming organs and results in adverse effects on the proliferation and development of leukocytes and their precursors in the blood and bone marrow. There are four main classes of leukemia including acute leukemia, chronic leukemia, myelogenous leukemia, and lymphocytic leukemia. Given that a variety of internal and external factors could be associated with the initiation and progression of different types of leukemia. One of the important factors is epigenetic regulators such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (ncRNA). MiRNAs are short ncRNAs which act as tumor suppressor (i.e., miR-15, miR-16, let-7, and miR-127) or oncogene (i.e., miR-155, miR-17-92, miR-21, miR-125b, miR-93, miR-143-p3, miR-196b, and miR-223) in leukemia. It has been shown that deregulation of these molecules are associated with the initiation and progression of leukemia. Hence, miRNAs could be used as potential therapeutic candidates in the treatment of patients with leukemia. Moreover, increasing evidence revealed that miRNAs could be used as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in monitoring patients in early stages of disease or after received chemotherapy regimen. It seems that identification and development of new miRNAs could pave to the way to the development new therapeutic platforms for patients with leukemia. Here, we summarized various miRNAs as tumor suppressor and oncogene which could be introduced as therapeutic targets in treatment of leukemia.

Semaphorin 5A drives melanoma progression: role of Bcl-2, miR-204 and c-Myb

Background

Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, is characterized by high rates of metastasis, drug resistance and mortality. Here we investigated the role of Semaphorin 5A (Sema5A) on the properties associated with melanoma progression and the factors involved in Sema5A regulation.

Methods

Western blotting, qRT-PCR, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay, immunohistochemistry of melanoma patient specimens and xenograft tissues, in vitro Transwell assay for cell migration and invasion evaluation, in vitro capillary-like structure formation analysis.

Results

A significant correlation of Sema5A mRNA expression and melanoma progression was observed by analyzing GEO profile dataset. Endogenous Sema5A protein was detected in 95% of human melanoma cell lines tested, in 70% of metastatic specimens from patients affected by melanoma, and 16% of in situ melanoma specimens showed a focal positivity. We demonstrated that Sema5A regulates in vitro cell migration and invasion and the formation of vasculogenic structures. We also found an increase of Sema5A at both mRNA and protein level after forced expression of Bcl-2. By use of transcriptional and proteasome inhibitors, we showed that Bcl-2 increases the stability of Sema5A mRNA and protein. Moreover, by ChIP we demonstrated that Sema5A expression is under the control of the transcription factor c-Myb and that c-Myb recruitment on Sema5A promoter is increased after Bcl-2 overexpression. Finally, a concomitant decrease in the expression of Sema5A, Bcl-2 and c-Myb proteins was observed in melanoma cells after miR-204 overexpression.

Conclusion

Overall our data provide evidences supporting the role of Sema5A in melanoma progression and the involvement of Bcl-2, miR-204 and c-Myb in regulating its expression.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-018-0933-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Systematic analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA network identifies four-lncRNA signature as a prognostic biomarker for breast cancer

Background

Increasing evidence has underscored the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) in the development and progression of tumors. Nevertheless, lncRNA biomarkers in lncRNA-related ceRNA network that can predict the prognosis of breast cancer (BC) are still lacking. The aim of our study was to identify potential lncRNA signatures capable of predicting overall survival (OS) of BC patients.

Methods

The RNA sequencing data and clinical characteristics of BC patients were obtained from the Cancer Genome Atlas database, and differentially expressed lncRNA (DElncRNAs), DEmRNAs, and DEmiRNAs were then identified between BC and normal breast tissue samples. Subsequently, the lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network of BC was established, and the gene oncology enrichment analyses for the DEmRNAs interacting with lncRNAs in the ceRNA network was implemented. Using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, a four-lncRNA signature was developed and used for predicting the survival in BC patients. We applied receiver operating characteristic analysis to assess the performance of our model.

Results

A total of 1061 DElncRNAs, 2150 DEmRNAs, and 82 DEmiRNAs were identified between BC and normal breast tissue samples. A lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA ceRNA network of BC was established, which comprised of 8 DEmiRNAs, 48 DElncRNAs, and 10 DEmRNAs. Further gene oncology enrichment analyses revealed that the DEmRNAs interacting with lncRNAs in the ceRNA network participated in cell leading edge, protease binding, alpha-catenin binding, gamma-catenin binding, and adenylate cyclase binding. A univariate regression analysis of the DElncRNAs revealed 7 lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS1, AC061992.1, LINC00536, HOTAIR, AL391421.1, TLR8-AS1 and LINC00491) that were associated with OS of BC patients. A multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that 4 of those lncRNAs (ADAMTS9-AS1, LINC00536, AL391421.1 and LINC00491) had significant prognostic value, and their cumulative risk score indicated that this 4-lncRNA signature independently predicted OS in BC patients. Furthermore, the area under the curve of the 4-lncRNA signature associated with 3-year survival was 0.696.

Conclusions

The current study provides novel insights into the lncRNA-related ceRNA network in BC and the 4 lncRNA biomarkers may be independent prognostic signatures in predicting the survival of BC patients.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12967-018-1640-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of plasma microRNA expressions in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common chronic rheumatic disease of childhood, yet its etiology is unknown. It is known that microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) play a role in immunoregulation. We aimed to evaluate the plasma expression of some candidate miRNAs that are associated with the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Thirty-one patients diagnosed with JIA and age-sex-matched 31 healthy children were enrolled for the study. The plasma levels of four candidate miRNAs (miRNA-16, miRNA-155, miRNA-204, and miRNA-451), which are known to be associated with autoimmunity, were examined in all the subjects. The plasma levels of miRNAs were measured with real-time PCR in the patients in active and inactive periods and in the healthy controls. The groups were compared with each other. The plasma miRNA-155 levels were found to increase in the JIA patients compared to the healthy controls, and it was statistically more significant in the inactive period. We found that the JIA patients had the higher levels of miRNA-16 and the lower levels of miRNA-204/miRNA-451 expressions compare with the control group, but there was no statistically significant difference. A statistically significant decrease in the plasma levels of miRNA-204 was found in the patients that were in inactive disease with only methotrexate therapy. The plasma miRNA expressions were compared in the JIA subtypes, and it was observed that miRNA-204 levels were higher in polyarticular JIA and miRNA-451 levels were higher in enthesitis-related arthritis without statistical significance. The significant alterations in the plasma expression of miRNA-155 and miRNA-204 suggest to us that these molecules may be related to the pathogenesis of JIA. More comprehensive and functional researches about the role of these molecules are needed in this regard.

miR-204 enhances p27 mRNA stability by targeting Brd4 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

The present study aimed to explore the function of microRNA (miR)-204 in modulating cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B (p27) mRNA stability in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Briefly, reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis were used to detect miR-204 and Brd4 level. Cell viability, cell cycle and cell apoptosis were used to investigate the effects of miR-204. Additional luciferase reporter and mRNA stability assays were used to explore the mechanisms contributing to miR-204 effects. Here, miR-204 was downregulated in HNSCC tissues compared with the adjacent normal tissues. The expression levels of miR-204 and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (Brd4) were negatively associated in HNSCC tissues. Ectopic expression of miR-204 inhibited HNSCC cell proliferation, promoted cell cycle arrest at the G1/S phase and promoted cell apoptosis compared with control cells. Additionally, upregulation of miR-204 expression levels enhanced p27 mRNA stability. Notably, Brd4 was identified as a target of miR-204, and the co-expression of Brd4 with miR-204 mimics attenuated the inhibitory effects of miR-204 on cell proliferation and enhanced p27 mRNA stability compared with control cells. Thus, it was concluded that miR-204 functions as a tumor suppressor by enhancing p27 mRNA stability through targeting Brd4 in HNSCC.

Genetic variation of the gene coding for microRNA-204 (miR-204) is a risk factor in acute myeloid leukaemia

BACKGROUND

MicroRNAs (miRNAs or miRs) are small molecules known to be involved in post-transcriptional gene expression. Many of them have been shown to influence risk for various diseases. Recent studies suggest that lower expression of miR-204, a gene coding for miRNA-204, is correlated with shorter survival in patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This observation prompted us to analyse the effect of two polymorphisms of the miR-204 gene, one in the upstream flanking region (rs718447 A > G) and the other inside the gene itself (rs112062096 A > G), both also in intron 3 of the TRPM3 gene.

METHODS

The study was conducted on DNA samples isolated from AML patients (n = 95) and healthy individuals (n = 148), who were genotyped using the Light SNiP assays.

RESULTS

The miR-204 rs718447 GG homozygosity was found to constitute a risk factor associated with susceptibility to AML (73/95 vs 92/148, AML patients vs healthy controls, OR = 2.020, p = 0.017). Additionally, this genotype was more frequent in patients with subtypes M0-M1 in the French-American-British (FAB) classification as compared to patients with subtypes M2-M7 (23/25 vs 39/57, p = 0.026). We also found that presence of allele A was linked to longer survival of AML patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that polymorphism in miR-204 flanking region may constitute a risk and prognostic factor in AML.

Clinical response to azacitidine therapy depends on microRNA-29c (miR-29c) expression in older acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease with different clinical course and prognosis. microRNA-29 (miR-29) family of non-coding small RNAs can play an important role in pathogenesis of AML, but also can influence response to therapy.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate miR-29c expression in AML patients in relationship to clinical parameters and response to chemotherapy, including azacitidine.

The protective value of miR-204-5p for prognosis and its potential gene network in various malignancies: a comprehensive exploration based on RNA-seq high-throughput data and bioinformatics

Purpose

The prognostic role of miR-204-5p (previous ID: miR-204) is varied and inconclusive in diverse types of malignant neoplasm. Therefore, the purposes of the study comprehensively explore the overall prognostic role of miR-204-5p based on high-throughput microRNA sequencing data, and to investigate the potential role of miR-204-5p via bioinformatics approaches.

Materials and Methods

The data of microRNA sequencing and survival were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and the prognostic value of miR-204-5p was analyzed by using Kaplan-Meier and univariate cox regressions. Then a meta-analysis was conducted with all TCGA data and relevant studies collected from literature. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. The prospective molecular mechanism of miR-204-5p was also assessed at a functional level with Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and protein-to-protein interactions (PPI) network.

Results

From TCGA data, the prognostic value of miR-204-5p obviously varied among 20 types of cancers. The pooled HR was 0.928 (95% CI: 0.774-1.113, P = 0.386, 6203 cases of malignancies). For the meta-analysis based on 15 studies from literature, the pooled HR was 0.420 (95% CI: 0.306-0.576, P < 0.001, 1783 cases of malignancies) for overall survival (OS). Furthermore, the combined HR from both TCGA and literature was 0.708 (95% CI: 0.600-0.834, P < 0.001, 7986 cases of malignancies). Subgroup analyses revealed that miR-204-5p could act as a prognostic marker in cancers of respiratory system and digestive system. Functional analysis was conducted on genes predicted as targets (n = 2057) after the overlay genes from six out of twelve software were extracted. Two significant KEGG pathways were enriched (hsa04360: Axon guidance and hsa04722: Neurotrophin signaling pathway). PPI network revealed some hub genes/proteins (CDC42, SOS1, PIK3R1, MAPK1, PLCG1, ESR1, MAPK11, and AR).

Conclusions

The current study demonstrates that over-expression of miR-204-5p could be a protective factor for a certain group of cancers. Clinically, the low miR-204-5p level could gain a predictive value for a poor survival in cancers of respiratory system and digestive system. The detailed molecular mechanisms of miR-204-5p remain to be verified.

Expression of the miR-148/152 Family in Acute Myeloid Leukemia and its Clinical Significance

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the development and progression of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The miR-148/152 family has been reported to be express differently in various kinds of tumors. We investigated the expression level of the miR-148/152 family in AML patients and their clinical significance.

Material/Methods

Expression levels of the miR-148/152 family in 80 patients with newly diagnosed AML and 20 healthy participants were analyzed by qRT-PCR. We also evaluated the relationship between the expression levels of the miR-148/152 family and clinicopathological features of AML patients.

Results

Compared with healthy controls, we found a significant lower expression of downregulated miR-148/152 in AML patients (p<0.0001). The expression of miR148/152 family was associated with various AML clinicopathological risk parameters including FAB classifications, cytogenetics, and gene mutations. The number of patients with high expression levels of miR-148a/b was significantly increased in the low-risk group and significantly decreased in the high-risk group. (p=0.025, p=0.000, respectively). Patients with higher expression of miR-148b showed a higher complete remission (CR) rate (p=0.043). Importantly, higher expression of miR-148a/b was correlated with lower relapse rate (p=0.035, p=0.027, respectively) and showed a longer relapse-free survival (RFS) (p=0.0321, p=0.002, respectively). In the subgroup analysis, RFS was significantly affected by the expression of miR-148a/b in patients the high and the intermediate-risk groups (p=0.0499, p=0.0114, respectively).

Conclusions

The expression levels of the miR-148/152 family were lower in patients with AML compared to healthy controls, and were associated with various AML clinicopathological parameters and therapeutic effect. The miR-148/152 family may prove to be a new biomarker for AML.

Identification of miRNA-mRNA Network Associated with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Survival

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematologic malignancy of adults. The pathophysiological mechanism of AML is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the crucial miRNAs and mRNAs associated with AML survival.

Material/Methods

The full clinical dataset of miRNA and mRNA expression profiling of AML patients was downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Univariate Cox regression analysis was performed to obtain those miRNAs and mRNAs associated with AML survival. A miRNA-mRNA interaction network was constructed. The underlying functions of mRNAs were predicted through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEEG) pathway enrichment. The expression levels of miRNAs and mRNAs were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).

Results

Fourteen miRNAs and 830 mRNAs associated with AML survival were identified. Of the 14 miRNAs, hsa-mir-425, hsa-mir-1201, and hsa-mir-1978 were identified as risk factors and the other 11 miRNAs were identified as protective factors of AML survival. For target-genes of miRNAs, GTSF1, RTN4R, and CD44 were the top risk factor target-genes associated with AML survival. An interaction network was constructed that including 607 miRNA-target gene pairs associated with AML survival. Target-genes associated with AML survival were significantly enriched in several pathways including pancreatic secretion, calcium signaling pathway, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, and Alzheimer’s disease. The qRT-PCR results were consistent with our bioinformatics analyses.

Conclusions

The miRNA hsa-mir-425 was identified as the top risk factor miRNA of AML survival and CD44 was identified as one of the top three risk factor target-genes associated with AML survival. Both hsa-mir-425 and CD44 may play key roles in progression and development of AML through calcium signaling pathway and natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity.

Promising significance of the association of miR-204-5p expression with clinicopathological features of hepatocellular carcinoma

Decreased level of miR-204-5p has been documented in various malignancies. However, the expression and clinical significance of miR-204-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma has not been investigated. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between miR-204-5p expression and clinicopathological features in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as well as to predict the relevant signaling pathways. The miR-204-5p expression level was detected in HCC and in matched paraneoplastic liver from 95 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues by the real-time reverse transcription polymerized chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The association of miR-204-5p expression with clinicopathological features as well as the prognosis of HCC was examined. Public data portals including the Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas were used to retrieve the HCC-related data in order to perform a comprehensive meta-analysis. Meanwhile, protein-protein interaction (PPI) and enrichment analyses were performed using predicted target genes. The relative expression of miR-204-5p was remarkably reduced in HCC than that in paraneoplastic hepatic tissues. In HCC, the miR-204-5p expression was downregulated in the metastasis, vasoinvasion, and advanced stage (III and IV) subgroups compared with their counterparts. Furthermore, the meta-analysis based on qRT-PCR data demonstrated that miR-204-5p was markedly downregulated in HCC with a standardized mean difference of -5.19 (P < .001). However, no significant association was observed between miR-204-5p and survival outcomes. The potential target genes of miR-204-5p were significantly enriched in several pathways which might be associated with HCC, such as "cell proliferation" from GO terms and "pathways in cancer" from the KEGG analysis. A PPI network of miR-204-5p potential target genes identified prospective core genes potentially involved in the regulation of HCC oncogenesis and progression. Our findings suggested that miR-204-5p might act as a tumor-suppressive gene in the tumorigenesis and progression of HCC via vital signaling pathways and that miR-204-5p could be regarded as a protective factor in HCC.

Downregulation of miR-204 is associated with poor prognosis and promotes cell proliferation in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC)

MircroRNAs (miRNAs) were identified to be involved in tumor progression and prognosis. However, the clinical significance and biological function of miR-204 in hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (HSCC) are not well appreciated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the role of miR-204 in HSCC. The miR-204 expression was determined in 56 pairs of HSCC tumor and adjacent non-tumor tissues by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptive-PCR (qRT-PCR). Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis and log-rank test were used to analyze the association between miR-204 expression and clinicopathological parameters and the over survival (OS) time in HSCC patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox analysis was applied to investigate the predicted risk factors for OS. Moreover, CCK8 cell proliferation assays, flow cytometry analysis and western-blot analysis were performed to examine the cell growth and cell cycle related protein expression in FaDu cells. In the study, our results reported that miR-204 was down-regulated in HSCC tissues. The patients with lower miR-204 expression had significantly poor OS time. Multivariable Cox analysis demonstrated that lower miR-204 expression was an independent risk factor in HSCC patients. Furthermore, CCK8 cells assays and cell cycle analysis showed that over-expression of miR-204 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, S phase cell number and inhibited the cell cycle related protein expression of CyclinD1, CDK4 and CDK6, but up-regulated the p21 expression in FaDu cells. Thus, our study demonstrated that miR-204 was downregulated in HSCC and upregulation of miR-204 suppressed cell proliferation, which highlighted that miR-204 could have potential therapeutic applications in HSCC.

MicroRNA-192 regulates cell proliferation and cell cycle transition in acute myeloid leukemia via interaction with CCNT2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNAs approximately 18-22 nucleotides in length, which play an important role in malignant transformation. The roles of miR-192 as an oncogene or tumor suppressor in solid tumors have been previously reported. However, little is known about the role of miR-192 in human acute myeloid leukemia. The results of the present study indicate that miR-192 is significantly downregulated in specimens from acute myeloid leukemia patients. Functional assays demonstrated that overexpression of miR-192 in NB4 and HL-60 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation compared with that in control cells, and induced G0/G1 cell cycle arrest, cell differentiation, and apoptosis in vitro. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assays showed that miR-192 significantly suppressed the activity of a reporter gene containing the wild type 3'-UTR of CCNT2, but it did not suppress the activity of a reporter gene containing mutated 3'-UTR of CCNT2. QRT-PCR and Western blot assays showed that miR-192 significantly downregulated the expression of CCNT2 in human leukemia cells. Exogenous expression of CCNT2 attenuated the cell cycle arrest induced by miR-192 in NB4 and HL-60 cells. Collectively, miR-192 inhibits cell proliferation and induces G0/G1 cell cycle arrest in AML by regulating the expression of CCNT2.

MicroRNA-204 suppressed proliferation and motility capacity of human hepatocellular carcinoma via directly targeting zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2

Abnormal expression levels of microRNA-204 (miR-204) have been identified in various types of human cancer. However, the expression and functions of miR-204, and the underlying molecular mechanism involved in the initiation and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), require further investigation. The results of the present study demonstrated that miR-204 is downregulated in HCC tissues and cell lines. Notably, zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2 (ZEB2) was identified as a direct target of miR-204 in HCC. In addition, miR-204 negatively regulates ZEB2 expression level in HCC cells at the post-transcriptional level. In functional studies, the overexpression of miR-204 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. Furthermore, the knockdown of ZEB2 may mimic the functions of miR-204 in HCC cells, suggesting that ZEB2 is a direct functional target of miR-204. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that miR-204 suppresses the tumor growth, migration and invasion of HCC cells by directly targeting ZEB2, and may serve as a novel therapeutic target for HCC.

MicroRNAs as prognostic biomarker and relapse indicator in leukemia

Despite significant progress in the treatment of different types of leukemia, relapse remains a challenging clinical problem that is observed in a number of patients who are often resistant to chemotherapy and exhibit multi-drug resistance. Identification of new functional biomarkers, including microRNAs, is essential to determine prognosis and relapse at the time of diagnosis. The aim of this study was to detect the specific microRNAs involved in predicting relapse or progression in acute and chronic leukemias, as well as their relationship with overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS). The relevant literature was identified through a PubMed and Scholar search (2008-2016) of English-language papers using the terms Leukemia, microRNAs, survival and relapse. Different leukemia types and subtypes show specific microRNA expression profile and different changes, which can be useful in the differentiation between leukemias and evaluation of relapse at the time of diagnosis. Altered microRNA expression profiles can turn these molecules into oncogenes or tumor suppressors, which affect the expression of relapse-related genes. Therefore, monitoring of specific microRNA expression profiles from diagnosis and during follow-up of patients can contribute to the assessment of outcome and determination of relapse and prognosis of leukemic patients.

Expression of microRNA-181 determines response to treatment with azacitidine and predicts survival in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukaemia

MicroRNAs (miRs) are small non-coding RNAs that play important roles in cell differentiation and survival. Abnormal expression of miRs has been demonstrated in numerous types of cancer, including acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). The aim of the present study was to evaluate miR-181 expression at diagnosis and following the completion of chemotherapy in AML patients, with regard to clinical response and outcome, particularly in patients treated with azacitidine. miR-181 expression was analysed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 95 bone marrow specimens from newly diagnosed AML patients and in 20 healthy subjects for comparison. The results revealed upregulated miR-181 expression in the total cohort of AML patients, which was correlated with longer survival. However, in a subset of older AML patients treated with azacitidine, low miR-181 expression at diagnosis was a predictor for complete remission and prolonged survival. The findings indicated that miR-181 has an important role in AML and determines response to azacitidine treatment in older AML patients.

Clinical significance of microRNAs in chronic and acute human leukemia

Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) are epigenetic regulators that target specific cellular mRNA to modulate gene expression patterns and cellular signaling pathways. miRNAs are involved in a wide range of biological processes and are frequently deregulated in human cancers. Numerous miRNAs promote tumorigenesis and cancer progression by enhancing tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion and immune evasion, while others have tumor suppressive effects (Hayes, et al., Trends Mol Med 20(8): 460-9, 2014; Stahlhut and Slack, Genome Med 5 (12): 111, 2013). The expression profile of cancer miRNAs can be used to predict patient prognosis and clinical response to treatment (Bouchie, Nat Biotechnol 31(7): 577, 2013). The majority of miRNAs are intracellular localized, however circulating miRNAs have been detected in various body fluids and represent new biomarkers of solid and hematologic cancers (Fabris and Calin, Mol Oncol 10(3):503-8, 2016; Allegra, et al., Int J Oncol 41(6): 1897-912, 2012). This review describes the clinical relevance of miRNAs, lncRNAs and snoRNAs in the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment response in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute adult T-cell leukemia (ATL).

miR-539 inhibits prostate cancer progression by directly targeting SPAG5

Background

We conducted multiple microarray datasets analyses from clinical and xenograft tumor tissues to search for disease progression-driving oncogenes in prostate cancer (PCa). Sperm-associated antigen 5 (SPAG5) attracted our attention. SPAG5 was recently identified as an oncogene participating in lung cancer and cervical cancer progression. However, the roles of SPAG5 in PCa progression remain unknown.

Methods

SPAG5 expression level in clinical primary PCa, metastatic PCa, castration resistant PCa, neuroendocrine PCa, and normal prostate tissues was investigated. We established multiple in vivo xenografts models using patient-derived tissues and investigated SPAG5 expression trend in these models. We also investigated the functions of SPAG5 in vivo and in vitro studies. Luciferase reporter assays were performed to investigate potential miRNAs that can regulate SPAG5.

Results

We identified that SPAG5 expression was gradually increased in PCa progression and its level was significantly associated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, Gleason score, and biochemical recurrence. Our results indicated that SPAG5 knockdown can drastically inhibit PCa cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and supress tumor growth and metastasis in vivo. We identified that miR-539 can directly target SPAG5. Ectopic overexpression of miR-539 can drastically inhibit SPAG5 expression and the restoration of SPAG5 expression can reverse the inhibitory effects of miR-539 on PCa cell proliferation and metastasis.

Conclusion

Our results collectively showed a progression-driving role of SPAG5 in PCa which can be regulated by miR-539, suggesting that miR-539/SPAG5 can serve as a potential therapeutic target for PCa.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0337-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

miRNA-204 suppresses human non-small cell lung cancer by targeting ATF2

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a critical role in cancer development and progression. Deregulated expression of miR-204 has been reported in several cancers, but the mechanism through which miR-204 modulates human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is largely unknown. In this study, we investigate the expression and functional role of miR-204 in human NSCLC tissues and cell lines. RNA isolation, qRT-PCR, MTT, colony formation assay, cell cycle assay, cell apoptosis assay, cell migration assay, and Western blot were performed. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 18.0 software and statistical significance was accepted at p value <0.05. miR-204 level was significantly reduced in NSCLC tissues as compared to that of non-neoplastic tissues. Transient over-expression of miR-204 by transfecting with miR-204 mimics suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation, migration, and induced apoptosis and G1 arrest, whereas inhibition of miR-204 showed the converse effects. Additionally, activating transcription factor 2 (ATF2), an important transcription factor, was demonstrated as a potential target gene of miR-204. Subsequent investigations found a negative correlation between miR-204 level and ATF2 expression in NSCLC tissue samples. Moreover, we observed that miR-204 expression inversely affected endogenous ATF2 expression at both mRNA and protein levels in vitro. Taken together, miR-204 may act as a tumor suppressor by directly targeting ATF2 in NSCLC.

miR-204 Regulates the Proliferation of Dairy Goat Spermatogonial Stem Cells via Targeting to Sirt1

The regulation of spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) proliferation and self-renewal is a complex process. Several studies on the microRNA regulation of mammalian spermatogenesis have been reported. Here, we predicted miRNA targeting of Sirt1, and a dual luciferase experiment confirmed that miR-204 interacted with the Sirt1 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). The expression of miR-204 and Sirt1 in dairy goat testicles was investigated, and the results showed that the expression pattern of Sirt1 was similar to that of miR-204 in the temporal-spatial distribution. The over-expression of Sirt1 in goat SSCs can promote SSCs' self-renewal gene expression and cell proliferation. Furthermore, miRNA sequencing results showed that Sirt1 had a higher expression level in dairy goat CD49f(+) and CD90(+) SSCs, but the expression level of miR-204 was lower. In an in vitro assay, Sirt1 was significantly down-regulated in dairy goat SSCs when transfected with miR-204 mimics, indicating that Sirt1 was a target of miR-204 in the dairy goat. On the basis of the results of RT-qPCR, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), and western blotting, we found that the over-expression of Sirt1 in goat SSCs can promote cellular proliferation and change self-renewal and pluripotent gene expression. Thus, miR-204 was involved in the regulation of dairy goat SSCs proliferation via Sirt1.

The leukemogenic fusion gene MLL-AF9 alters microRNA expression pattern and inhibits monoblastic differentiation via miR-511 repression

Background

In this study we explored the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) as mediators of leukemogenic effects of the fusion gene MLL-AF9, which results from a frequent chromosomal translocation in infant and monoblastic acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Methods

We performed a specific and efficient knockdown of endogenous MLL-AF9 in the human monoblastic AML cell line THP1.

Results

The knockdown associated miRNA expression profile revealed 21 MLL-AF9 dependently expressed miRNAs. Gene ontology analyses of target genes suggested an impact of these miRNAs on downstream gene regulation via targeting of transcriptional modulators as well as involvement in many functions important for leukemia maintenance as e.g. myeloid differentiation, cell cycle and stem cell maintenance. Furthermore, we identified one of the most intensely repressed miRNAs, miR-511, to raise CCL2 expression (a chemokine ligand important for immunosurveillance), directly target cyclin D1, inhibit cell cycle progression, increase cellular migration and promote monoblastic differentiation. With these effects, miR-511 may have a therapeutic potential as a pro-differentiation agent as well as in leukemia vaccination approaches.

Conclusions

Our study provides new insights into the understanding of miRNAs as functional mediators of the leukemogenic fusion gene MLL-AF9 and opens new opportunities to further investigate specific therapeutic options for AML via the miRNA level.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-016-0283-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Multiple region whole-exome sequencing reveals dramatically evolving intratumor genomic heterogeneity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer is a disease of genome instability and genomic alterations; now, genomic heterogeneity is rapidly emerging as a defining feature of cancer, both within and between tumors. Motivation for our pilot study of tumor heterogeneity in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is that it is not well studied, but the highest incidences of esophageal cancers are found in China and ESCC is the most common type. We profiled the mutations and changes in copy number that were identified by whole-exome sequencing and array-based comparative genomic hybridization in multiple regions within an ESCC from two patients. The average mutational heterogeneity rate was 90% in all regions of the individual tumors in each patient; most somatic point mutations were nonsynonymous substitutions, small Indels occurred in untranslated regions of genes, and copy number alterations varied among multiple regions of a tumor. Independent Sanger sequencing technology confirmed selected gene mutations with more than 88% concordance. Phylogenetic analysis of the somatic mutation frequency demonstrated that multiple, genomically heterogeneous divergent clones evolve and co-exist within a primary ESCC and metastatic subclones result from the dispersal and adaptation of an initially non-metastatic parental clone. Therefore, a single-region sampling will not reflect the evolving architecture of a genomically heterogeneous landscape of mutations in ESCC tumors and the divergent complexity of this genomic heterogeneity among patients will complicate any promise of a simple genetic or epigenetic diagnostic signature in ESCC. We conclude that any potential for informative biomarker discovery in ESCC and targeted personalized therapies will require a deeper understanding of the functional biology of the ontogeny and phylogeny of the tumor heterogeneity.