LINC00514 promotes lipogenesis and tumor progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by sponging miR‑378a‑5p to enhance SPHK1 expression

Long non-coding RNAs-sphingolipid metabolism nexus: Potential targets for cancer treatment

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have emerged as pivotal regulators of cancer pathogenesis, influencing various cellular processes and contributing to tumorigenesis. Sphingolipid metabolism has garnered interest as a potential target for cancer therapy owing to its considerable diagnostic and prognostic value. Recent studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs regulate tumor-associated metabolic reprogramming via sphingolipid metabolism. However, the precise nature of the interactions between lncRNAs and sphingolipid metabolism remains unclear. This review summarizes the key roles of lncRNAs and sphingolipid metabolism in tumorigenesis. We emphasize that the interaction between lncRNAs and sphingolipid metabolism influences their impact on both cancer prognosis and drug resistance. These findings suggest that lncRNA-sphingolipid metabolism interaction holds great potential as a newl target for cancer treatment.

Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p mitigates cerebral ischemic neuroinflammation by modulating NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the regulatory role of astrocyte-derived exosomes and their microRNAs (miRNAs) in modulating neuronal pyroptosis during cerebral ischemia.

Methods

Astrocyte-derived exosomes were studied for treating cerebral ischemia in both in vitro and in vivo models. The effects of astrocyte-derived exosomes on neuroinflammation were investigated by analyzing exosome uptake, nerve damage, and pyroptosis protein expression. High throughput sequencing was used to identify astrocyte-derived exosomal miRNAs linked to pyroptosis, followed by validation via qRT‒PCR. The relationship between these miRNAs and NLRP3 was studied using a dual luciferase reporter assay. This study used miR-378a-5p overexpression and knockdown to manipulate OGD injury in nerve cells. The impact of astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p on the regulation of cerebral ischemic neuroinflammation was assessed through analysis of nerve injury and pyroptosis protein expression.

Results

Our findings demonstrated that astrocyte-derived exosomes were internalized by neurons both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, Astrocyte-derived exosomes displayed a neuroprotective effect against OGD-induced neuronal injury and brain injury in the ischemic cortical region of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rats while also reducing pyroptosis. Further investigations revealed the involvement of astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p in regulating pyroptosis by inhibiting NLRP3. The overexpression of miR-378a-5p mitigated neuronal damage, whereas the knockdown of miR-378a-5p increased NLRP3 expression and exacerbated pyroptosis, thus reversing this neuroprotective effect.

Conclusion

Astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p has a neuroprotective effect on cerebral ischemia by suppressing neuroinflammation associated with NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis.Further research is required to comprehensively elucidate the signaling pathways by which astrocyte-derived exosomal miR-378a-5p modulates neuronal pyroptosis.

Roles of long non‑coding RNAs in esophageal cell squamous carcinoma (Review)

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a prevalent and deadly malignancy of the digestive tract. Recent research has identified long non‑coding RNAs (lncRNAs) as crucial regulators in the pathogenesis of ESCC. These lncRNAs, typically exceeding 200 nucleotides, modulate gene expression through various mechanisms, including the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) pathway and RNA‑protein interactions. The current study reviews the multifaceted roles of lncRNAs in ESCC, highlighting their involvement in processes such as proliferation, migration, invasion, epithelial‑mesenchymal transition, cell cycle progression, resistance to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, glycolysis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, autophagy, tumor growth, metastasis and the maintenance of cancer stem cells. Specific lncRNAs like HLA complex P5, LINC00963 and non‑coding repressor of NFAT have been shown to enhance resistance to radio‑ and chemotherapy by modulating pathways such as AKT signaling and microRNA interaction, which promote cell survival and proliferation under therapeutic stress. Furthermore, lncRNAs like family with sequence similarity 83, member A antisense RNA 1, zinc finger NFX1‑type containing 1 antisense RNA 1 and taurine upregulated gene 1 are implicated in enhancing invasive and proliferative capabilities of ESCC cells through the ceRNA mechanism, while interactions with RNA‑binding proteins further influence cancer cell behavior. The comprehensive analysis underscores the potential of lncRNAs as biomarkers for prognosis and therapeutic targets in ESCC, suggesting avenues for future research focused on elucidating the detailed molecular mechanisms and clinical applications of lncRNAs in ESCC management.

miR-378a-5p exerts tumor-suppressive effects on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma after neoadjuvant immunotherapy by downregulating APOC1/CEP55

Genetic assessment of tumors following neoadjuvant immunotherapy helps identifying targets that mediate anti-tumor immunity. In this study, we explored dysregulated RNAs in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma samples after neoadjuvant immunotherapy using deep sequencing and high-throughput screening. We identified 584 differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs), 67 differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs), and 1,047 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) using differential expression analysis. Competing endogenous RNAs closely related to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma were selected via a combined Pearson's correlation test and weighted correlation network analysis. After validation using survival analysis and dry-lab and wet-lab-based studies, we identified the I-miR-378-5p-APOC1/CEP55 as a critical pathway for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression after neoadjuvant immunotherapy. Tumor immune infiltration analysis showed that APOC1 and CEP55 expression is associated with immune regulatory pathways and the function of multiple infiltrating immune cells. We investigated the mechanism of esophageal squamous carcinoma progression after neoadjuvant immunotherapy from the perspective of the mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA network. Furthermore, we identified accurate novel therapeutic targets and prognostic biomarkers, introduced novel perspectives to immunotherapy studies, and laid the foundation for the clinical treatment of patients with esophageal squamous carcinoma.

Advances in regulation and function of stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 in cancer, from bench to bed

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) converts saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids. The expression of SCD1 is increased in many cancers, and the altered expression contributes to the proliferation, invasion, sternness and chemoresistance of cancer cells. Recently, more evidence has been reported to further support the important role of SCD1 in cancer, and the regulation mechanism of SCD1 has also been focused. Multiple factors are involved in the regulation of SCD1, including metabolism, diet, tumor microenvironment, transcription factors, non-coding RNAs, and epigenetics modification. Moreover, SCD1 is found to be involved in regulating ferroptosis resistance. Based on these findings, SCD1 has been considered as a potential target for cancer treatment. However, the resistance of SCD1 inhibition may occur in certain tumors due to tumor heterogeneity and metabolic plasticity. This review summarizes recent advances in the regulation and function of SCD1 in tumors and discusses the potential clinical application of targeting SCD1 for cancer treatment.

Targeting epigenetic deregulations for the management of esophageal carcinoma: recent advances and emerging approaches

Ranking from seventh in incidence to sixth in mortality, esophageal carcinoma is considered a severe malignancy of food pipe. Later-stage diagnosis, drug resistance, and a high mortality rate contribute to its lethality. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and esophageal adenocarcinoma are the two main histological subtypes of esophageal carcinoma, with squamous cell carcinoma alone accounting for more than eighty percent of its cases. While genetic anomalies are well known in esophageal cancer, accountability of epigenetic deregulations is also being explored for the recent two decades. DNA methylation, histone modifications, and functional non-coding RNAs are the crucial epigenetic players involved in the modulation of different malignancies, including esophageal carcinoma. Targeting these epigenetic aberrations will provide new insights into the development of biomarker tools for risk stratification, early diagnosis, and effective therapeutic intervention. This review discusses different epigenetic alterations, emphasizing the most significant developments in esophageal cancer epigenetics and their potential implication for the detection, prognosis, and treatment of esophageal carcinoma. Further, the preclinical and clinical status of various epigenetic drugs has also been reviewed.

Long non‑coding RNAs, lipid metabolism and cancer (Review)

Cancer has emerged as the most common cause of death in China. The change in lipid metabolism has been confirmed to have a role in several tumor types, such as esophageal, gastric, colorectal and liver cancer. Cancer cells use lipid metabolism for energy and then rapidly proliferate, invade and migrate. The main pathway by which cancer cell lipid metabolism influences cancer progression is increased fatty acid synthesis. Long non-coding (lnc)RNAs are important ncRNAs that were indicated to have significant roles in the development of human tumors. They are considered potential tumor biomarkers. Increased lipid synthesis or uptake due to deregulation of lncRNAs contributes to rapid tumor growth. In the present review, current studies on the relationship between lncRNAs, lipid metabolism and the occurrence and development of tumors were collated and summarized, and their mechanism of action was discussed. The review is expected to provide a theoretical basis for tumor treatment and prognosis evaluation based on the effective regulation of lncRNAs and lipid metabolism.

Unveiling the connection: Long-chain non-coding RNAs and critical signaling pathways in breast cancer

Breast cancer is a complex and diverse condition that disrupts multiple signaling pathways essential for cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. Recently, the significant involvement of long-chain non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in controlling key signaling pathways associated with breast cancer development has been discovered. This review aims to explore the interaction between lncRNAs and various pathways, including the AKT/PI3K/mTOR, Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, DNA damage response, TGF-β, Hedgehog, and NF-κB signaling pathways, to gain a comprehensive understanding of their roles in breast cancer. The AKT/PI3K/mTOR pathway regulates cell growth, survival, and metabolic function. Recent data suggests that specific lncRNAs can influence the functioning of this pathway, acting as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors. Dysregulation of this pathway is commonly observed in breast cancer cases. Moreover, breast cancer development has been associated with other pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, TGF-β, Hedgehog, and NF-κB. Emerging studies have identified lncRNAs that modulate breast cancer's growth, progression, and metastasis by interacting with these pathways. To advance the development of innovative diagnostic tools and targeted treatment options, it is crucial to comprehend the intricate relationship between lncRNAs and vital signaling pathways in breast cancer. By fully harnessing the therapeutic potential of lncRNAs, there is a possibility of developing more effective and personalized therapy choices for breast cancer patients. Further investigation is necessary to comprehensively understand the role of lncRNAs within breast cancer signaling pathways and fully exploit their therapeutic potential.

Roles of long non-coding RNAs in digestive tract cancer and their clinical application

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are strongly related to the occurrence and development of digestive tract cancer in human. Firstly, lncRNAs target and regulate the expression of downstream cancer genes to affect the growth, metastasis, apoptosis, metabolism and immune escape of cancer cells. Secondly, lncRNAs are considered to be important regulating factors for lipid metabolism in cancer, which is related to signaling pathways of adipogenesis and involved in the occurrence and development of digestive tract cancer. Finally, lncRNAs have application value in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive tract cancer. For example, lncRNAMALAT1 has been reported as a target for diagnosis and treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. This article reviews current progress on the regulatory role of lncRNAs in digestive tract cancer, to provide references for the research and clinical application in the prevention and treatment of digestive tract cancer.

The role of noncoding RNAs in cancer lipid metabolism

Research on noncoding ribonucleic acids (ncRNAs) is mostly and broadly focused on microRNAs (miRNAs), cyclic RNAs (circRNAs), and long ncRNAs (lncRNAs), which have been confirmed to play important roles in tumor cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Specifically, recent studies have shown that ncRNAs contribute to tumorigenesis and tumor development by mediating changes in enzymes related to lipid metabolism. The purpose of this review is to discuss the characterized ncRNAs involved in the lipid metabolism of tumors to highlight ncRNA-mediated lipid metabolism-related enzyme expression in malignant tumors and its importance to tumor development. In this review, we describe the types of ncRNA and the mechanism of tumor lipid metabolism and analyze the important role of ncRNA in tumor lipid metabolism and its future prospects from the perspectives of ncRNA biological function and lipid metabolic enzyme classification. However, several critical issues still need to be resolved. Because ncRNAs can affect tumor processes by regulating lipid metabolism enzymes, in the future, we can study the unique role of ncRNAs from four aspects: disease prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Therefore, in the future, the development of ncRNA-targeted therapy will become a hot direction and shoulder a major task in the medical field.

Depicting the Implication of miR-378a in Cancers

MicroRNA-378a (miR-378a), including miR-378a-3p and miR-378a-5p, are encoded in PPARGC1B gene. miR-378a is essential for tumorigenesis and is an independent prognostic biomarker for various malignant tumors. Aberrant expression of miR-378a affects several physiological and pathological processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, tumorigenesis, cancer invasion, metastasis, and therapeutic resistance. Interestingly, miR-378a has a dual functional role in either promoting or inhibiting tumorigenesis, independent of the cancer type. In this review, we comprehensively summarized the role and regulatory mechanisms of miR-378a in cancer development, hoping to provide a direction for its potential use in cancer therapy.

Metabolomic transition trajectory and potential mechanisms of N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine induced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in rats

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an environment-relevant malignancy with a high mortality. Nitrosamines, a class of nitrogen-containing environmental carcinogens, are widely suggested as a risk factor for ESCC. However, how nitrosamines affect metabolic regulation to promote ESCC tumorigenesis is largely unknown. In this study, the transition trajectory of serum metabolism in the course of ESCC induced by N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA) in rats was depicted by an untargeted metabolomic analysis, and the potential molecular mechanisms were revealed. The results showed that the metabolic alteration in rats was slight at the basal cell hyperplasia (BCH) stage, while it became apparent when the esophageal lesion developed into dysplasia (DYS) or more serious conditions. Moreover, serum metabolism of severe dysplasia (S-DYS) showed more similar characteristics to that of carcinoma in situ (CIS) and invasive cancer (IC). Aberrant nicotinate (NA) and nicotinamide (NAM) metabolism, tryptophan (TRP) metabolism, and sphingolipid metabolism could be the key players favoring the malignant transformation of esophageal epithelium induced by NMBA. More particularly, NA and NAM metabolism in the precancerous stages and TRP metabolism in the cancerous stages were demonstrated to replenish NAD⁺ in different patterns. Furthermore, both the IDO1-KYN-AHR axis mediated by TRP metabolism and the SPHK1-S1P-S1PR1 axis by sphingolipid metabolism provided an impetus to create the pro-inflammatory yet immune-suppressive microenvironment to facilitate the esophageal tumorigenesis and progression. Together, these suggested that NMBA exerted its carcinogenicity via more than one pathway, which may act together to produce combination effects. Targeting these pathways may open up the possibility to attenuate NMBA-induced esophageal carcinogenesis. However, the interconnection between different metabolic pathways needs to be specified further. And the integrative and multi-level systematic research will be conducive to fully understanding the mechanisms of NMBA-induced ESCC.

LINC00514 facilitates cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition in non-small cell lung cancer by acting on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) LINC00514 was identified to play an essential oncogenic function in different human cancers, but its effects in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are yet to be elucidated. In this study, we evaluated the function of LINC00514 in NSCLC. LINC00514 expression and prognosis in NSCLC were analyzed using qRT-PCR and online bioinformatic tools. The bioeffects of LINC0514 in NSCLC cells were examined using cell counting kit-8, colony formation, and transwell assays. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of the target proteins. The LINC00514 regulation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was assessed using a specific agonist (LiCl) and luciferase reporter assay. We found that LINC00514 expression was elevated in NSCLC cells and clinical samples and that increased LINC00514 expression predicted poorer patient prognosis. Silencing LINC00514 suppresses proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Downregulation of LINC00514 inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Moreover, suppression of the biological phenotypes of NSCLC cells induced by LINC00514 gene silencing was restored after LiCl treatment. Finally, we found that silencing LINC00514 attenuated the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. Altogether, this study provides the latest convincing evidence that LINC00514 facilitates the malignant biological behavior of NSCLC cells through activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which might offer a beneficial approach for the treatment of NSCLC.

LncRNA FOXP4-AS1 Promotes the Progression of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Interacting With MLL2/H3K4me3 to Upregulate FOXP4

Malignant tumors are a grave threat to human health. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common gastrointestinal malignant tumor. China has a high incidence of ESCC, and its morbidity and mortality are higher than the global average. Increasingly, studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a vital function in the occurrence and development of tumors. Although the biological function of FOXP4-AS1 has been demonstrated in various tumors, the potential molecular mechanism of FOXP4-AS1 in ESCC is still poorly understood. The expression of FOXP4 and FOXP4-AS1 was detected in ESCC by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT–PCR) or SP immunohistochemistry (IHC). shRNA was used to silence gene expression. Apoptosis, cell cycle, MTS, colony formation, invasion and migration assays were employed to explore the biological functions of FOXP4 and FOXP4-AS1. The potential molecular mechanism of FOXP4-AS1 in ESCC was determined by dual-luciferase reporter, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Here, we demonstrated that FOXP4-AS1 was significantly increased in ESCC tissues and cell lines, associated with lymph node metastasis and TNM staging. Cell function experiments showed that FOXP4-AS1 promoted the proliferation, invasion and migration ability of ESCC cells. The expression of FOXP4-AS1 and FOXP4 in ESCC tissues was positively correlated. Further research found that FOXP4-AS1, upregulated in ESCC, promotes FOXP4 expression by enriching MLL2 and H3K4me3 in the FOXP4 promoter through a “molecular scaffold”. Moreover, FOXP4, a transcription factor of β-catenin, promotes the transcription of β-catenin and ultimately leads to the malignant progression of ESCC. Finally, FOXP4-AS1 may be a new therapeutic target for ESCC.