MicroRNA 363 mediated positive regulation of c-myc translation affect prostate cancer development and progress

Implications of c-Myc in the pathogenesis and treatment efficacy of urological cancers

Urological cancers, including prostate, bladder, and renal cancers, are significant causes of death and negatively impact the quality of life for patients. The development and progression of these cancers are linked to the dysregulation of molecular pathways. c-Myc, recognized as an oncogene, exhibits abnormal levels in various types of tumors, and current evidence supports the therapeutic targeting of c-Myc in cancer treatment. This review aims to elucidate the role of c-Myc in driving the progression of urological cancers. c-Myc functions to enhance tumorigenesis and has been documented to increase growth and metastasis in prostate, bladder, and renal cancers. Furthermore, the dysregulation of c-Myc can result in a diminished response to therapy in these cancers. Non-coding RNAs, β-catenin, and XIAP are among the regulators of c-Myc in urological cancers. Targeting and suppressing c-Myc therapeutically for the treatment of these cancers has been explored. Additionally, the expression level of c-Myc may serve as a prognostic factor in clinical settings.

Multivariate competing endogenous RNA network characterization for cancer MicroRNA biomarker discovery: a novel bioinformatics model with application to prostate cancer metastasis

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators with potential as biomarkers for cancer management. Data-driven competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network modeling is an effective way to decipher the complex interplay between miRNAs and spongers. However, there are currently no general rules for ceRNA network-based biomarker prioritization.

Methods and results

In this study, a novel bioinformatics model was developed by integrating gene expression with multivariate miRNA-target data for ceRNA network-based biomarker discovery. Compared with traditional methods, the structural vulnerability in the human long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)–miRNA–messenger RNAs (mRNA) network was comprehensively analyzed, and the single-line regulatory or competing mode among miRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs was characterized and quantified as statistical evidence for miRNA biomarker identification. The application of this model to prostate cancer (PCa) metastasis identified a total of 12 miRNAs as putative biomarkers from the metastatic PCa-specific lncRNA–miRNA–mRNA network and nine of them have been previously reported as biomarkers for PCa metastasis. The receiver operating characteristic curve and cell line qRT-PCR experiments demonstrated the power of miR-26b-5p, miR-130a-3p, and miR-363-3p as novel candidates for predicting PCa metastasis. Moreover, PCa-associated pathways such as prostate cancer signaling, ERK/MAPK signaling, and TGF-β signaling were significantly enriched by targets of identified miRNAs, indicating the underlying mechanisms of miRNAs in PCa carcinogenesis.

Conclusions

A novel ceRNA-based bioinformatics model was proposed and applied to screen candidate miRNA biomarkers for PCa metastasis. Functional validations using human samples and clinical data will be performed for future translational studies on the identified miRNAs.

Regulation of Neuroendocrine-like Differentiation in Prostate Cancer by Non-Coding RNAs

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) represents a variant of prostate cancer that occurs in response to treatment resistance or, to a much lesser extent, de novo. Unravelling the molecular mechanisms behind transdifferentiation of cancer cells to neuroendocrine-like cancer cells is essential for development of new treatment opportunities. This review focuses on summarizing the role of small molecules, predominantly microRNAs, in this phenomenon. A published literature search was performed to identify microRNAs, which are reported and experimentally validated to modulate neuroendocrine markers and/or regulators and to affect the complex neuroendocrine phenotype. Next, available patients’ expression datasets were surveyed to identify deregulated microRNAs, and their effect on NEPC and prostate cancer progression is summarized. Finally, possibilities of miRNA detection and quantification in body fluids of prostate cancer patients and their possible use as liquid biopsy in prostate cancer monitoring are discussed. All the addressed clinical and experimental contexts point to an association of NEPC with upregulation of miR-375 and downregulation of miR-34a and miR-19b-3p. Together, this review provides an overview of different roles of non-coding RNAs in the emergence of neuroendocrine prostate cancer.

MicroRNA-363-3p Inhibits the Expression of Renal Fibrosis Markers in TGF-β1-Treated HK-2 Cells by Targeting TGF-β2

This study aimed to explore the role of miR-363-3p in renal fibrosis (RF) in vitro. HK-2 cells were treated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 for 72 h to establish an in vitro model of RF. Subsequently, western blot analysis and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression levels of RF markers in TGF-β1-treated HK-2 cells, respectively. The results showed that the protein and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β2, α-smooth muscle actin (SMA), fibronectin, vimentin, collagen II and N-cadherin were increased, while the protein and mRNA expression levels of E-cadherin were decreased in TGF-β1-treated HK-2 cells. The level of miR-363-3p was significantly decreased in TGF-β1-treated HK-2 cells. TargetScan indicated that TGF-β2 was a direct target gene for miR-363-3p, which was further verified using dual luciferase reporter gene assays. Further analyses revealed that the increased protein and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β2, α-SMA, fibronectin, vimentin, collagen II, N-cadherin, increased phosphorylated-Smad3 protein level, and decreased E-cadherin protein and mRNA expression in TGF-β1-treated HK-2 cells were significantly reversed by miR-363-3p mimics. However, all the effects were suppressed by a TGF-β2-plasmid. The results suggested that miR-363-3p plays a protective role in RF by regulating the TGF-β2/Smad3 signaling pathway.

MicroRNA-363-3p downregulation in papillary thyroid cancer inhibits tumor progression by targeting NOB1

MicroRNA-363-3 p (miR-363-3 p) has been reported to play a crucial role in tumor development and progression, and function as a tumor suppressor in many types of cancer. In our previous studies, we found that miRNA-363-3 p inhibited papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) progression by targeting PIK3CA. Meanwhile, we found that NIN1/RPN12 binding protein 1 (NOB1) was significantly upregulated in thyroid carcinoma tissue and downregulation of NOB1 expression significantly inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in PTC. However, the correlation of NOB1 and miR-363-3 p has not been investigated. Here, we performed bioinformatic analysis to explore miRNA targeting NOB1. We found that NOB1 was a target of miR-363-3 p and miR-363-3 p regulated NOB1 expression at the translational and transcriptional levels by targeting its 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR). Further, we showed that miR-363-3 p inhibited tumor progression by targeting NOB1 in vitro and in vivo. We found that overexpression miR-363-3 p or silencing NOB1 significantly increased G0/G1-phase and decreased S-phase in the human papillary thyroid cells, which led to a significant delay in cell proliferation, indicating miR-363-3 p and NOB1 are crucial for human papillary thyroid cancer tumorigenesis. Collectively, our data unveil that miR-363-3 p negatively regulates NOB1 activity by reducing its stability. This study provides a new therapeutic target for regulation of NOB1 stability to modulate human papillary thyroid cancer progression.

miR-363 suppresses the proliferation, migration and invasion of clear cell renal cell carcinoma by downregulating S1PR1

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) serve as important regulators of the tumorigenesis and progression of many human cancers. Therefore, we evaluated the biological function and underlying mechanism of miR-363 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods

The expression of miR-363 in ccRCC tissues compared with adjacent normal renal tissues was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the association between miR-363 levels and prognosis of ccRCC patients was analyzed. The candidate target gene of miR-363 was determined by in silico analysis and luciferase reporter assays. The effects of miR-363 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC cells in vitro were determined by MTS assay, colony formation assay, Transwell assay and wound healing assay. We also investigated the roles of miR-363 in vivo by a xenograft tumour model. The mechanism of miR-363 on the proliferation, migration and invasion of ccRCC was determined by gain- and loss-of-function analyses.

Results

we demonstrated that miR-363 expression was obviously downregulated in ccRCC tissues and that reduced miR-363 expression was correlated with poor disease-free survival (DFS) in ccRCC patients after surgery. S1PR1 expression was inversely correlated with the level of miR-363 in human ccRCC samples. Luciferase reporter assays suggested that S1PR1 was a direct functional target of miR-363. miR-363 downregulated S1PR1 expression and suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasion abilities of ccRCC cells in vitro and suppressed xenograft tumour growth in vivo. Importantly, miR-363 exerted its biological function by inhibiting S1PR1 expression in ccRCC cells, leading to the repression of ERK activation. Moreover, we found that the levels of downstream effectors of ERK, including PDGF-A, PDGF-B, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related genes, were decreased after miR-363 overexpression.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that miR-363 acts as a tumour suppressor by directly targeting S1PR1 in ccRCC and may be a potential new therapeutic target for ccRCC.

Micro RNA-363 inhibits esophageal squamous cell carcinoma progression by directly targeting sperm-associated antigen 5

OBJECTIVE

Micro RNA (miR)-363 has many important biological functions in cancers, but its roles in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remain unclear.

METHODS

We used reverse transcription PCR to quantify the expression of miR-363 in 80 ESCC tissues and analyzed its relationship with clinicopathological factors and overall survival. The effects of miR-363 on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and invasion were detected using the MTT assay, flow cytometry, and Transwell invasion assays, respectively. Further, we investigated the post-transcriptional regulation of sperm-associated antigen 5 (SPAG5) expression by miR-363 using luciferase reporter assays. Finally, the effects of SPAG5 on miR-363 were studied by SPAG5 overexpression.

RESULTS

miR-363 expression was decreased in both ESCC specimens and cell lines, compared with controls, and correlated with lymph node metastasis and tumor differentiation. Low miR-363 expression was identified as an independent prognostic factor for ESCC. miR-363 overexpression decreased ESCC cell proliferation and invasion and increased apoptosis, while the opposite was seen after miR-363 inhibition. Moreover, SPAG5 was identified as a direct target of miR-363, and the reintroduction of SPAG5 restored miR-363-induced effects.

CONCLUSIONS

miR-363 acts as a tumor suppressor by post-transcriptionally regulating SPAG5 expression, suggesting its potential as a diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ESCC.

MiRNA-Based Inspired Approach in Diagnosis of Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is one of the most encountered cancer diseases in men worldwide and in consequence it requires the improvement of therapeutic strategies. For the clinical diagnosis, the standard approach is represented by solid biopsy. From a surgical point of view, this technique represents an invasive procedure that may imply several postoperative complications. To overcome these impediments, many trends are focusing on developing liquid biopsy assays and on implementing them in clinical practice. Liquid samples (blood, urine) are rich in analytes, especially in transcriptomic information provided by genetic markers. Additionally, molecular characterization regarding microRNAs content reveals outstanding prospects in understanding cancer progression mechanisms. Moreover, these analytes have great potential for prostate cancer early detection, more accurate prostate cancer staging and also for decision making respecting therapy schemes. However, there are still questionable topics and more research is needed to standardize liquid biopsy-based techniques.

miR-363-3p inhibits migration, invasion, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition by targeting NEDD9 and SOX4 in non-small-cell lung cancer

miR-363-3p is downregulated in lung adenocarcinoma and can inhibit tumor growth. Here, we aimed to investigate the effect of miR-363-3p on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metastasis. In our study, miR-363-3p overexpression inhibited cell migration and invasion via epithelial-mesenchymal transition inhibition, while miR-363-3p knockdown exhibited the opposite effects. Further studies demonstrated that miR-363-3p bound to 3'-untranslated regions of NEDD9 and SOX4, and negatively regulated their levels. Interestingly, NEDD9 or SOX4 knockdown rescued the metastasis-promoting effects of antagomiR-363-3p. The inhibitory effects of agomiR-363-3p were also blocked by NEDD9 or SOX4 overexpression. Moreover, lentivirus particles carrying pre-miR-363 (LV-pre-miR-363) significantly decreased, while LV-miR-363-3p inhibitor increased metastatic nodule numbers and the levels of NEDD9 and SOX4 in lungs. In conclusion, tumor suppressor miR-363-3p may be a potential target in NSCLC therapy.

miR-363 acts as a tumor suppressor in osteosarcoma cells by inhibiting PDZD2

PDZ domain containing 2 (PDZD2) is a multi-PDZ domain protein that promotes the proliferation of insulinoma cells, and is upregulated during prostate tumorigenesis. However, the function of PDZD2 in other cancers, including osteosarcoma (OS), remains unclear. Dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to tumor initiation, proliferation and metastasis, via the regulation of their target genes. The present study investigated the functions of miR-363 and PDZD2 in MG-63 OS cells. The results revealed that MG-63 cells contained low levels of miR-363, and that overexpression of miR-363 in MG-63 cells significantly inhibited the vitality, proliferation, and colony formation ability of the cells, but promoted their apoptosis and G1/S arrest by regulating proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and caspase-3 expression. Additionally, miR-363 impaired the migration and invasion of MG-63 cells by regulating the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype. Notably, a bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter assay indicated that PDZD2 was a direct target of miR-363. miR-363 overexpression reduced PDZD2 protein levels and knockdown of PDZD2 suppressed the colony formation, migration and invasion of MG-63 cells, but promoted their apoptosis by regulating expression of PCNA, caspase-3, and the EMT phenotype. In vivo studies further confirmed that miR-363 functioned as tumor suppressor, by inhibiting tumor growth, promoting cell apoptosis, and reducing PDZD2 and PCNA levels and the prevalence of the EMT phenotype in tumor tissues. The present data demonstrated that downregulation of the tumor suppressor miR-363 may be involved in the development of osteosarcoma via regulation of PDZD2.

MiR-363 inhibits cisplatin chemoresistance of epithelial ovarian cancer by regulating snail-induced epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Chemoresistance is a major barrier to successful cisplatinbased chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC), and emerging evidences suggest that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the resistance. In this study, it was indicated that miR-363 downregulation was significantly correlated with EOC carcinogenesis and cisplatin resistance. Moreover, miR-363 overexpression could resensitise cisplatin-resistant EOC cells to cisplatin treatment both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, data revealed that EMT inducer Snail was significantly upregulated in cisplatin-resistant EOC cell lines and EOC patients and was a functional target of miR-363 in EOC cells. Furthermore, snail overexpression could significantly attenuate miR-363-suppressed cisplatin resistance of EOC cells, suggesting that miR-363-regulated cisplatin resistance is mediated by snail-induced EMT in EOC cells. Taken together, findings suggest that miR-363 may be a biomarker for predicting responsiveness to cisplatin-based chemotherapy and a potential therapeutic target in EOC. [BMB Reports 2018; 51(9): 456-461].

miR-363 confers taxane resistance in ovarian cancer by targeting the Hippo pathway member, LATS2

Ovarian cancer is the most aggressive female reproductive tract tumours. Taxane (paclitaxel; TX) is widely used for ovarian cancer treatment. However, ovarian cancers often acquire chemoresistance. MicroRNAs (miR) have been reported to mediate many tumours'chemoresistance. We investigated the role of miR-363 in the chemoresistance of the ovarian cancer cell line, KF, and its TX-resistant derivative (KF-TX) cells. QRT-PCR indicated that miR-363 was upregulated in KF-TX cells, and introduction of miR-363 into sensitive ovarian cancer cells confers TX-resistance and significantly inhibited the expression of the Hippo member, LATS2, as indicated by viability, clonogenic assay and expression analysis. Furthermore, we validated the role of LATS2 in TX-response by sh-based silencing, which also confers TX-resistance to the ovarian cancer cells. On the other hand, specific inhibitor against miR-363 restored the response to TX in the resistant cells. In addition, miR-363 was found to bind to the 3'-UTR of LATS2 mRNA, confirming that miR-363 directly targets LATS2 as indicated by dual luciferase assay. RT-PCR-based evaluation of miR-363 in a panel of human ovarian tumours revealed its upregulation in most of the tumour tissues identified as resistant while it was downregulated in most of the tissues identified as sensitive ones. Moreover, higher levels of miR-363 in human ovarian cancer specimens were significantly correlated with TX chemoresistance. Taken together, our study reveals the involvement of miR-363 in chemoresistance by targeting LATS2 in ovarian cancers, raising the possibility that combination therapy with a miR-363 inhibitor and TX may increase TX efficacy and reduce the chance of TX-resistance.

microRNA-363-3p inhibits cell growth and invasion of non‑small cell lung cancer by targeting HMGA2

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. For decades, increasing evidence revealed that microRNAs may contribute to non‑small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carcinogenesis and progression and could provide novel therapeutic targets for treatments of patients with NSCLC. Accumulated studies indicate that microRNA (miR)‑363‑3p serves important roles in tumorigenesis and tumor development; however, the role of miR‑363‑3p in NSCLC is still unclear. The current study reported that miR‑363‑3p exhibited reduced expression in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. Reduced miR‑363‑3p expression was correlated with tumor node metastasis classification and distant metastasis of NSCLC patients. Notably, miR‑363‑3p re‑expression significantly suppressed cell proliferation and invasion of NSCLC. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting indicated that (high mobility group AT-hook 2) HMGA2 was a direct target gene of miR‑363‑3p. HMGA2 was increased in NSCLC tissues and inversely associated with HMGA2 expression. Moreover, HMGA2 underexpression had similar effects to miR‑363‑3p overexpression in NSCLC cells. Thus, the current study suggested that miR‑363‑3p may act as a tumor suppressor in NSCLC and that the miR‑363‑3p could be investigated as a therapeutic target for the patients with this disease.

MicroRNA-363 inhibits ovarian cancer progression by inhibiting NOB1

In this study, we investigated the role of microRNA-363(miR-363) in ovarian cancer (OC) progression. MiR-363expression was downregulated in OC patient tissues and four OC cell lines (SKOV3, A2780, OVCAR and HO-8910). Low miR-363 levels were associated with advanced stage, lymph node metastasis, and poor prognosis in OC. MiR-363 overexpression decreased growth, colony formation, migration and invasiveness of SKOV3 cells. In addition, miR-363 overexpression in SKOV3 cells also decreased xenograft tumor size and weight in nude mice. Bioinformatics and dual luciferase reporter assays revealed that miR-363 suppresses expression of NIN1/RPN12 binding protein 1 homolog (NOB1) by binding to the 3’-UTR of its transcript. NOB1 expression inversely correlated with miR-363 levels in OC tissues. Thus miR-363 appears to play a tumor suppressor role in OC by inhibiting NOB1.

MicroRNA-363-3p is downregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma and inhibits tumorigenesis by directly targeting specificity protein 1

microRNAs exhibit important regulatory roles in tumorigenesis and tumor development, such as in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The present study aimed to investigate the expression and functional roles of microRNA (miR)‑363‑3p in HCC. miR-363-3p expression levels in a number of HCC tissues and cell lines were measured by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT‑qPCR). The effects of miR‑363‑3p expression on HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion were exa-mined by MTT assay, Transwell migration and invasion assay, respectively. The effects of miR‑363‑3p on its downstream target gene, specificity protein 1 (SP1), were examined by bioinformatics analysis, luciferase reporter assay, RT‑qPCR and western blotting. An SP1 overexpression vector was subsequently transfected into HCC cells to assess any selective effects on miR‑363‑3p in modulating HCC. The results revealed that miR‑363‑3p expression levels were downregulated in both HCC tissues and cell lines, and this low expression level was correlated with tumor size, tumor‑node‑metastasis stage and venous infiltration in patients with HCC. Upregulation of miR‑363‑3p inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in HCC cell cultures. In HCC cells transfected with an SP1 expression vector the miR‑363‑3p‑induced tumor suppressive roles on cell proliferation, migration and invasion were reversed. In conclusion, results from the present study indicated that miR‑363‑3p is a tumor suppressor in HCC and functions through a mechanism involving SP1, suggesting that miR‑363‑3p may be a potential new therapeutic target for the treatment of HCC.

Meta-analysis of miRNA expression profiles for prostate cancer recurrence following radical prostatectomy

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading reason of death in men and the most diagnosed malignancies in the western countries at the present time. After radical prostatectomy (RP), nearly 30% of men develop clinical recurrence with high serum prostate-specific antigen levels. An important challenge in PCa research is to identify effective predictors of tumor recurrence. The molecular alterations in microRNAs are associated with PCa initiation and progression. Several miRNA microarray studies have been conducted in recurrence PCa, but the results vary among different studies.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis of 6 available miRNA expression datasets to identify a panel of co-deregulated miRNA genes and overlapping biological processes. The meta-analysis was performed using the 'MetaDE' package, based on combined P-value approaches (adaptive weight and Fisher's methods), in R version 3.3.1.

RESULTS

Meta-analysis of six miRNA datasets revealed miR-125A, miR-199A-3P, miR-28-5P, miR-301B, miR-324-5P, miR-361-5P, miR-363*, miR-449A, miR-484, miR-498, miR-579, miR-637, miR-720, miR-874 and miR-98 are commonly upregulated miRNA genes, while miR-1, miR-133A, miR-133B, miR-137, miR-221, miR-340, miR-370, miR-449B, miR-489, miR-492, miR-496, miR-541, miR-572, miR-583, miR-606, miR-624, miR-636, miR-639, miR-661, miR-760, miR-890, and miR-939 are commonly downregulated miRNA genes in recurrent PCa samples in comparison to non-recurrent PCa samples. The network-based analysis showed that some of these miRNAs have an established prognostic significance in other cancers and can be actively involved in tumor growth. Gene ontology enrichment revealed many target genes of co-deregulated miRNAs are involved in "regulation of epithelial cell proliferation" and "tissue morphogenesis". Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis indicated that these miRNAs regulate cancer pathways. The PPI hub proteins analysis identified CTNNB1 as the most highly ranked hub protein. Besides, common pathway analysis showed that TCF3, MAX, MYC, CYP26A1, and SREBF1 significantly interact with those DE miRNA genes. The identified genes have been known as tumor suppressors and biomarkers which are closely related to several cancer types, such as colorectal cancer, breast cancer, PCa, gastric, and hepatocellular carcinomas. Additionally, it was shown that the combination of DE miRNAs can assist in the more specific detection of the PCa and prediction of biochemical recurrence (BCR).

CONCLUSION

We found that the identified miRNAs through meta-analysis are candidate predictive markers for recurrent PCa after radical prostatectomy.