miRNA Profiling of Hungarian Regressive Wilms' Tumor Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) Samples by Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)

Ultrasensitive upconverting nanoprobes for in situ imaging of drug-induced liver injury using miR-122 as the biomarker

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a frequent adverse drug reaction. The current clinical diagnostic methods are inadequate for accurate and early detection of DILI due to the lack of effective diagnostic biomarkers. Hepatocyte-specific miR-122 is released from injured hepatocytes promptly and its efflux is significantly correlated with the progression of DILI. Therefore, achieving precise in situ detection of miR-122 with high sensitivity is vital for early visualization of DILI. Herein, a new nanoprobe, consisting of miR-122 aptamer, upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) and Prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) was introduced for the early and sensitive detection of DILI in situ. As the nanoprobes reached in the liver, miR-122 aptamer-based entropy-driven strand displacement (ESDR) signal amplification reaction was triggered and luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) between UCNPs and PBNPs was responded to achieve the high-fidelity detection of DILI. A negative correlation was observed between the intensity of upconversion luminescence (UCL) and the concentration of miR-122. UCL imaging conducted both in vivo and ex vivo indicated that a reduction in miR-122 concentration led to an increase in UCL intensity, revealing a precise state of DILI. The detection technique demonstrated a positive correlation between signal intensity and severity, offering a more straightforward and intuitive method of visualizing DILI.

miR-203a-A multifaceted regulator modulating cancer hallmarks and therapy response

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding RNAs of about 19-25 nucleotides, which serve as critical modulators of various cellular and biological processes by target gene regulation. Dysregulated expression of miRNAs modulates the pathophysiology of various human diseases, including cancer. Among miRNAs, miR-203a is one of the most extensively researched dysregulated miRNAs in different cancers. Our review investigated the roles of miR-203a in the hallmarks of cancer modulating different pathways through target gene regulations, chemoresistance, its crosstalk with other ncRNAs or genes in terms of ceRNAs impacting oncogenesis, and its potential applications in the diagnosis, prognosis, and chemotherapeutic responses in different cancer types. miR-203a impacts cancer cell behavior by regulating these exclusive hallmarks- sustaining proliferation, cell growth, invasion and metastasis, cell death, and angiogenesis. Besides, miR-203a is found in human circulating biofluids like plasma or serum of colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma, hinting at its potential as a biomarker. Further, miR-203a is involved in enhancing the chemosensitivity of cisplatin, docetaxel, paclitaxel, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil in a variety of malignancies through their cognate target genes. These results suggest that miR-203a is a crucial multifaceted miRNA that controls cancer cell proliferation, metastasis, and chemotherapy response, shedding new light on its possible application.

hsa-mir-(4328, 4422, 548z and -628-5p) in diabetic retinopathy: diagnosis, prediction and linking a new therapeutic target

AIMS

Growing evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are crucial in controlling how diabetic retinopathy (DR) develops. We intend to mine miRNAs with diagnostic and predictive value for DR and to investigate new drug therapeutic targets.

METHODS

After performing a differential analysis on the miRNA and mRNA datasets for DR and neovascularization (NEO), miRNA-mRNA networks were created. Combine the results of enrichment analysis, Protein-Protein Interaction Networks (PPI), and Cytoscape to identify key miRNAs. DrugBank was used to find drugs that interacted with transcription factors (TF) predicted by TransmiR. Finally, whole blood and clinical data were collected from 58 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and RT-qPCR, logistic analysis, and ROC were used to verify the value of key miRNAs.

RESULTS

Differential analysis indicated the presence of genes and miRNAs that co-regulate DR and NEO. Enrichment analysis showed that key genes are inextricably linked to neovascularization. Combining the results of PPI and Cytoscape identified four key miRNAs, namely hsa-mir-(4328, 4422, 548z and -628-5p). RT-qPCR, logistic, and ROC results showed that decreased expression levels of hsa-mir-(4328, 4422, 548z and -628-5p) signal the risk of evolution to DR in T2DM patients. Finally, we constructed a TF-miRNA network to find the 15 TFs and the 35 drugs that interact with these TFs.

CONCLUSION

hsa-mir-(4328, 4422, 548z and -628-5p) in whole blood are protective factors for DR as novel biomarkers for diagnosis and prediction. In addition, our research provides new drug directions for the treatment of DR, such as Diosmin, Atorvastatin, and so on.

Advances in the Biology, Detection Techniques, and Clinical Applications of Circulating Tumor Cells

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in tumor recurrence and metastasis, and their early detection has shown remarkable benefits in clinical theranostics. However, CTCs are extremely rare, thus detecting them in the blood is very challenging. New CTC detection techniques are continuously being developed, enabling deeper analysis of CTC biology and potential clinical application. This article reviews current CTC detection techniques and their clinical application. CTCs have provided, and will continue to provide, important insights into the process of metastasis, which could lead to development of new therapies for different cancers.