miR126功能的多效性与先天性免疫

MicroRNAs (miRNAs)是一种重要的转录后水平进行调控的非编码小分子RNA。目前已发现许多miRNAs参与细胞增殖、分化、发育及凋亡等复杂的生物进程, 其中miR126是一种来源于Egfl7第7个内含子的保守型内含子miRNA, 主要在哺乳动物的内皮细胞(Endothelial cells, ECs)及浆细胞样树突状细胞(Plasmacytoid dendritic cells, pDCs)内表达, 参与血管的新生及癌细胞的增殖与迁移。最新的研究表明, miR126是迄今唯一参与先天性免疫平稳期病毒应答反应的miRNA, 预示着miR126有可能成为治疗癌症及免疫缺陷病的靶标分子。文章综述了miR126在血管新生和癌症中的功能, 并着重介绍了miR126与先天性免疫的关系。     

循环miRNAs与心脑血管疾病的研究进展

微小核糖核酸(microRNAs,miRNAs)是一类大小约为22个核苷酸的内源性非编码小分子RNA,通过与信使RNA(mRNA)特异性结合来调节基因表达。在血浆、血清中检测到的稳定的miRNAs,称为循环miRNAs(circulating miRNAs)。近年来,一些基础研究表明循环miRNAs可以作为心脑血管疾病的潜在生物标志物。因此,深入了解循环miRNAs与心脑血管疾病的发生发展关系,将有助于心脑血管疾病的预防及治疗。     

microRNA层面上癌症的公共机制

microRNAs(miRNA)是一类内源性的非编码小RNA。已有研究表明miRNAs的靶基因中有不少癌症的相关基因。为了全面研究miRNA与癌症的关系,作者将19种癌症的相关基因集合分别富集到494个miRNAs靶基因集合上,得到各类癌症所富集的miRNAs。结果发现19种癌症仅集中地富集在144个miRNAs上,由此验证了癌症在miRNAs上的公共机制。在此基础上,作者对癌症富集较多的8个miRNAs做了进一步研究,结果发现这8个miRNAs均为高度保守的miRNAs,且它们的靶基因集合一致富集在基因本体论(gene ontology,GO)的基本生物学过程上,并与转录因子活性以及蛋白激酶活性相关。另一方面,在基于miRNA构建的癌症网络中,前列腺癌与乳腺癌,结肠癌与乳腺癌之间共享较多的miRNAs,表明了这些癌症在miRNA层面上存在密切的关系。     

miRNAs生物合成过程的调控

miRNAs是一类短的(20-23nt)非编码的单链RNA分子,在转录后水平上通过抑制靶基因的表达而影响生物体的生长、发育以及癌症发生。miRNAs的成熟需要一系列大型蛋白复合体参与的协同加工,目前对miRNAs生物合成过程调控的研究还处于初始阶段。本文主要综述了影响miRNAs的生物合成过程及活性的因素以及相关调控机制。癌症的发生通常伴随着异常的miRNAs表达谱,miRNAs生物合成调控机制的深入研究必将为癌症的基因治疗技术以及新型疗法的开发提供重要的理论基础和指导意义。     

EBV编码miRNAs在病毒感染和肿瘤发生中的功能和意义

EB病毒(Epstein-Barr virus,EBV)是一种172 kb大小的线性双链DNA病毒,与鼻咽癌、淋巴瘤、胃癌等恶性肿瘤的发生密切相关. EBV编码的微小RNAs (miRNAs)可以调节病毒和宿主细胞基因的表达,并且在癌症发生发展中起着多种作用.本文综述了EBV编码的miRNAs (EBV-encoded miRNA,EBV miRNAs)在病毒感染和肿瘤发生、侵袭转移、抗凋亡、信号通路等方面的生物学功能,以及对于EBV相关肿瘤诊断标志物的潜在意义. EB病毒编码的miRNAs也可能成为进一步研究EBV相关肿瘤治疗的一个候选靶点.     

microRNAs参与动脉粥样硬化疾病的发生

microRNAs (miRNAs)是一类非编码的小分子RNA（～22 nt）,可在转录后水平调控基因表达.miRNAs参与调控机体的多种生理和病理过程.近来研究表明,miRNAs可能与动脉粥样硬化疾病的发生和发展密切相关,在血管新生、炎症和脂蛋白代谢等方面发挥了关键作用.本文就miRNAs与动脉粥样硬化疾病相关的研究进展进行综述,为研究miRNAs在动脉粥样硬化的发病机制中的作用,以及为miRNAs能够作为诊断动脉粥样硬化疾病的生物标志物提供思路.     

MicroRNAs与脂类代谢

本文综述了miRNAs在脂类代谢调控以及脂肪酸对miRNAs影响的研究进展.miRNA能够在转录后水平参与脂类代谢的多个层面,其中miR-122、miR-370、miR33等能够通过与靶基因(Cpt1α、ABCA1等)结合,直接或间接调节细胞内脂肪酸生成、脂肪酸氧化、甘油三酯合成、胆固醇流动及脂蛋白合成等多个路径.而饮食中的脂类,尤其是必需脂肪酸,能够通过对miRNAs表达的调节参与到包括癌症抵抗、炎症缓解等多个生物学进程中.     

microRNA对肺癌化疗耐药性影响的研究进展

化疗耐药性是肺癌治疗的主要挑战之一,导致许多患者的化疗方案无效,并延误了接受合适治疗的时机。因此,研究肺癌化疗耐药性的机制是至关重要的。microRNA (miRNA)作为小分子片段RNA,参与了许多生命过程的调节,并在细胞耐药性产生过程中发挥重要的作用。研究表明,在化疗过程中,miRNAs可以通过降低多种药物耐药性相关基因的表达或促进细胞逃逸凋亡,参与耐药性的调节。然而,对于miRNAs介导的化疗耐药性产生机制的研究还不完善。现有研究表明,特定miRNAs的改变可能与多种癌症的获得性耐药相关,并调节肺癌细胞对化疗药物的敏感性。对miRNAs在肺癌耐药性中的作用及研究进展进行系统阐述。     

microRNA在精子发生中的作用

微RNA(microRNAs, miRNAs)是一类广泛存在于真核细胞内起调控作用的小非编码RNA,物种间保守性强。miRNAs通过靶向mRNA,介导mRNA降解或翻译抑制,在各种细胞中广泛参与包括蛋白质翻译调控在内的基因表达的转录后调控。精子发生是精原干细胞(SSCs)增殖分化为成熟精子的复杂过程,包括SSCs有丝分裂、精母细胞减数分裂和精子细胞变形分化三个主要阶段。精子生成很大程度上取决于转录后调控,miRNAs是这个事件的重要调控因子。目前已发现大量miRNAs在生精细胞中表达,其中许多还高度表达、特异性表达或优先表达,并对生精细胞的增殖、分化和发育发挥至关重要的作用。本文主要就miRNAs的发现和功能、精子发生过程、miRNAs调节精子发生的重要性以及精子发生三个不同发育阶段中miRNAs的具体调控作用进行简要综述,以期为探索雄性不育等疾病的预防和精准化治疗提供理论依据,并在此基础上展望了未来本领域可能的研究方向。     

microRNAs与糖尿病肾病

microRNAs(miRNAs)是一类内源性非编码调控单链小RNA,通过与靶mRNA的3'端非翻译区(3'UTRs)序列相互识别而引起靶mRNA降解或蛋白翻译抑制,从而参与机体器官发育分化、细胞增殖凋亡、肿瘤发生等多种生理病理过程。目前研究表明,miRNAs在糖尿病肾病(DN)的发病进展中发挥重要作用,一些miRNAs的表达异常(如miR-192、miR-21、miR-29、miR-377、miR-93、miR-200家族、miR-451和miR-251等的上调或下调)与DN的发生、发展密切相关。近期发现miRNAs在血清、血浆和尿液等多种体液中稳定存在,并且在DN发病状态下,一些miRNAs会发生特异性改变,提示miRNAs可作为DN诊断性标志物。而且,随着对miRNAs调控机制的深入研究,特定的miRNAs有可能成为DN的治疗靶点,为疾病的预防和进展提供新的治疗策略。     

The effects of MicroRNA transfections on global patterns of gene expression in ovarian cancer cells are functionally coordinated

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small RNAs that have been linked to a number of diseases including cancer. The potential application of miRNAs in the diagnostics and therapeutics of ovarian and other cancers is an area of intense interest. A current challenge is the inability to accurately predict the functional consequences of exogenous modulations in the levels of potentially therapeutic miRNAs. In an initial effort to systematically address this issue, we conducted miRNA transfection experiments using two miRNAs (miR-7, miR-128) and characterized global changes in levels of gene expression. RESULTS: While ~20% of the changes in expression patterns of hundreds to thousands of genes could be attributed to direct miRNA-mRNA interactions, the majority of the changes are indirect, involving the downstream consequences of miRNA-mediated changes in regulatory gene expression. We find that the changes in gene expression induced by individual miRNAs are functionally coordinated but distinct between the two miRNAs. MiR-7 transfection into ovarian cancer cells induces changes in cell adhesion and other developmental networks previously associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) and other processes linked with metastasis. In contrast, miR-128 transfection induces changes in cell cycle control and other processes commonly linked with cellular replication. CONCLUSION: The functionally coordinated patterns of gene expression displayed by different families of miRNAs have the potential to provide clinicians with a strategy to treat cancers from a systems rather than a single gene perspective.     

TDP-43 regulates cancer-associated microRNAs

Aberrant regulation of miRNA genes contributes to pathogenesis of a wide range of human diseases, including cancer. The TAR DNA binding protein 43 (TDP-43), a RNA/DNA binding protein associated with neurodegeneration, is involved in miRNA biogenesis. Here, we systematically examined miRNAs regulated by TDP-43 using RNA-Seq coupled with an siRNA-mediated knockdown approach. TDP-43 knockdown affected the expression of a number of miRNAs. In addition, TDP-43 down-regulation led to alterations in the patterns of different isoforms of miRNAs (isomiRs) and miRNA arm selection, suggesting a previously unknown role of TDP-43 in miRNA processing. A number of TDP-43 associated miRNAs, and their candidate target genes, are associated with human cancers. Our data reveal highly complex roles of TDP-43 in regulating different miRNAs and their target genes. Our results suggest that TDP-43 may promote migration of lung cancer cells by regulating miR-423-3p. In contrast, TDP-43 increases miR-500a-3p expression and binds to the mature miR-500a-3p sequence. Reduced expression of miR-500a-3p is associated with poor survival of lung cancer patients, suggesting that TDP-43 may have a suppressive role in cancer by regulating miR-500a-3p. Cancer-associated genes LIF and PAPPA are possible targets of miR-500a-3p. Our work suggests that TDP-43-regulated miRNAs may play multifaceted roles in the pathogenesis of cancer.     

Diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target applications of miR-326 in cancers: A systematic review

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous mediators of RNA interference and have key roles in the modulation of gene expression under healthy, inflamed, stimulated, carcinogenic, or other cells, and tissues of a pathological state. Many studies have proved the association between miRNAs and cancer. The role of miR-326 as a tumor suppressor miRNA in much human cancer confirmed. We will explain the history and the role of miRNAs changes, especially miR-326 in cancers and other pathological conditions. Attuned with these facts, this review highlights recent preclinical and clinical research performed on miRNAs as novel promising diagnostic biomarkers of patients at early stages, prediction of prognosis, and monitoring of the patients in response to treatment. All related publications retrieved from the PubMed database, with keywords such as epigenetic, miRNA, microRNA, miR-326, cancer, diagnostic biomarker, and therapeutic target similar terms from 1899 to 2018 with limitations in the English language. Recently, researchers have focused on the impacts of miRNAs and their association in inflammatory, autoinflammatory, and cancerous conditions. Recent studies have suggested a major pathogenic role in cancers and autoinflammatory diseases. Investigations have explained the role of miRNAs in cancers, autoimmunity, and autoinflammatory diseases, and so on. The miRNA-326 expression has an important role in cancer conditions and other diseases.     

High-throughput luciferase reporter assay for small-molecule inhibitors of microRNA function

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, single-stranded, noncoding RNAs of 21 to 23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression, typically by binding the 3' untranslated regions of target messenger RNAs. It is estimated that miRNAs are involved in the regulation of 30% of all genes and almost every genetic pathway. Recently, the misregulation of miRNAs has been linked to various human diseases including cancer and viral infections, identifying miRNAs as potential targets for drug discovery. Thus, small-molecule modifiers of miRNAs could serve as lead structures for the development of new therapeutic agents and be useful tools in the elucidation of detailed mechanisms of miRNA function. As a result, we have developed a high-throughput screen for potential small-molecule regulators of the liver-specific microRNA miR-122, which is involved in hepatocellular carcinoma development and hepatitis C virus infection. Our small-molecule screen employs a Huh7 human hepatoma cell line stably transfected with a Renilla luciferase sensor for endogenous miR-122. The assay was optimized and validated using an miR-122 antisense agent and a previously identified small-molecule miR-122 inhibitor. The described reporter assay will enable the high-throughput screening of small-molecule miR-122 inhibitors and can be readily extended to other miRNAs.     

Combinatorial Action of MicroRNAs let-7 and miR-34 Effectively Synergizes with Erlotinib to Suppress Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation

Lung cancer represents the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men and women worldwide. Targeted therapeutics, including the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor erlotinib, have recently emerged as clinical alternatives for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the development of therapeutic resistance is a major challenge, resulting in low 5-year survival rates. Due to their ability to act as tumor suppressors, microRNAs (miRNAs) are attractive candidates as adjuvant therapeutics for the treatment of NSCLC. In this study, we examine the ability of 2 tumor suppressor miRNAs, let-7b and miR-34a to sensitize KRAS;TP53 mutant non-small cell lung cancer cells to the action of erlotinib. Treatment with these miRNAs, individually or in combination, resulted in synergistic potentiation of the anti-proliferative effects of erlotinib. This effect was observed over a wide range of miRNA and erlotinib interactions, suggesting that let-7b and miR-34a target oncogenic pathways beyond those inhibited by EGFR. Combinatorial treatment with let-7b and miR-34a resulted in the strongest synergy with erlotinib, indicating that these miRNAs can effectively target multiple cellular pathways involved in cancer cell proliferation and resistance to erlotinib. Together, our findings indicate that NSCLC cells can be effectively sensitized to erlotinib by supplementation with tumor suppressor miRNAs, and suggest that the use of combinations of miRNAs as adjuvant therapeutics for the treatment of lung cancer is a viable clinical strategy.