Antagonizing miR-218-5p attenuates Wnt signaling and reduces metastatic bone disease of triple negative breast cancer cells
ONCOTARGET
Authors: Taipaleenmaeki, Hanna; Farina, Nicholas H.; van Wijnen, Andre J.; Stein, Janet L.; Hesse, Eric; Stein, Gary S.; Lian, Jane B.
Abstract
Wnt signaling is implicated in bone formation and activated in breast cancer cells promoting primary and metastatic tumor growth. A compelling question is whether osteogenic miRNAs that increase Wnt activity for bone formation are aberrantly expressed in breast tumor cells to support metastatic bone disease. Here we report that miR-218-5p is highly expressed in bone metastases from breast cancer patients, but is not detected in normal mammary epithelial cells. Furthermore, inhibition of miR-218-5p impaired the growth of bone metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells in the bone microenvironment in vivo. These findings indicate a positive role for miR-218-5p in bone metastasis. Bioinformatic and biochemical analyses revealed a positive correlation between aberrant miR-218-5p expression and activation of Wnt signaling in breast cancer cells. Mechanistically, miR-218-5p targets the Wnt inhibitors Sclerostin (SOST) and sFRP-2, which highly enhances Wnt signaling. In contrast, delivery of antimiR-218-5p decreased Wnt activity and the expression of metastasisrelated genes, including bone sialoprotein (BSP/IBSP), osteopontin (OPN/SPP1) and CXCR-4, implicating a Wnt/miR-218-5p regulatory network in bone metastatic breast cancer. Furthermore, miR-218-5p also mediates the Wnt-dependent up-regulation of PTHrP, a key cytokine promoting cancer-induced osteolysis. Antagonizing miR-2185p reduced the expression of PTHrP and Rankl, inhibited osteoclast differentiation in vitro and in vivo, and prevented the development of osteolytic lesions in a preclinical metastasis model. We conclude that pathological elevation of miR-218-5p in breast cancer cells activates Wnt signaling to enhance metastatic properties of breast cancer cells and cancer-induced osteolytic disease, suggesting that miR-218-5p could be an attractive therapeutic target for preventing disease progression.
UBE2C Is a Potential Biomarker of Intestinal-Type Gastric Cancer With Chromosomal Instability
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
Authors: Zhang, Jun; Liu, Xinyu; Yu, Guanzhen; Liu, Lei; Wang, Jiejun; Chen, Xiaoyu; Bian, Yuhai; Ji, Yuan; Zhou, Xiaoyan; Chen, Yinan; Ji, Jun; Xiang, Zhen; Guo, Lei; Fang, Jingyuan; Sun, Yihong; Cao, Hui; Zhu, Zhenggang; Yu, Yingyan
Abstract
This study explored potential biomarkers associated with Lauren classification of gastric cancer. We screened microarray datasets on gastric cancer with information of Lauren classification in gene expression omnibus (GEO) database, and compared differentially expressing genes between intestinal-type or diffuse-type gastric cancer. Four sets of microarray data (GSE2669, GSE2680, GDS3438, and GDS4007) were enrolled into analysis. By differential gene analysis, UBE2C, CDH1, CENPF, ERO1L, SCD, SOX9, CKS1B, SPP1, MMP11, and ANLN were identified as the top genes related to intestinal- type gastric cancer, and MGP, FXYD1, FAT4, SIPA1L2, MUC5AC, MMP15, RAB23, FBLN1, ANXA10, and ADH1B were genes related to diffuse- type gastric cancer. We comprehensively validated the biological functions of the intestinal- type gastric cancer related gene UBE2C and evaluated its clinical significance on 1,868 cases of gastric cancer tissues frommultiplemedical centers of Shanghai, China. The gain of copy number on 20q was found in 4 out of 5 intestinal- type cancer cell lines, and no similar copy number variation (CNV) was found in any diffuse- type cancer cell line. Interfering UBE2C expression inhibited cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro, and tumorigenesis in vivo. Knockdown of UBE2C resulted in G2/M blockage in intestinal- type gastric cancer cells. Overexpression of UBE2C activated ERK signal pathway and promoted cancer cell proliferation. U0126, an inhibitor of ERK signaling pathway reversed the oncogenic phenotypes caused by UBE2C. Moreover, overexpression of UBE2C was identified in human intestinal- type gastric cancer. Overexpression of UBE2C protein predicted poor clinical outcome. Taken together, we characterized a group of Lauren classification- associated biomarkers, and clarified biological functions of UBE2C, an intestinal- type gastric cancer associated gene. Overexpression of UBE2C resulted in chromosomal instability that disturbed cell cycle and led to poor prognosis of intestinal- type gastric cancer.