Project description:1. Evaluate the diagnostic value of long noncoding RNA (CCAT1) expression by RT-PCR in peripheral blood in colorectal cancer patients versus normal healthy control personal.
2. Evaluate the clinical utility of detecting long noncoding RNA (CCAT1) expression in diagnosis of colorectal cancer patients & its relation to tumor staging.
3. Evaluate the clinical utility of detecting long noncoding RNA (CCAT1) expression in precancerous colorectal diseases.
4. Compare long noncoding RNA (CCAT1) expression with traditional marker; carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA19-9) in diagnosis of colorectal cancer.
Project description:lncRNAs play important roles in various physiological and pathological processes. However, the detailed molecular mechanisms by which lncRNAs act are still incomplete. Here, we functionally characterized the nuclear-enriched lncRNA SNHG1 which is highly expressed in several types of cancer relative to surrounding normal tissues. SNHG1 was regulated by oncogenic factor c-Myc and could promote tumor growth. We found that SNHG1 was involved in the Akt signaling pathway through promoting the neighboring transcription of protein-coding gene SLC3A2 in cis, by binding to the Mediator complex to facilitate enhancer-promoter interaction. Transcriptome analysis further revealed that several stress response genes, as well as signaling pathways, were regulated by SNHG1. Importantly, SNHG1 coordinated the expression of ATF3 through preventing FUBP1 from binding to its upstream regulatory region. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that lncRNA SNHG1 can function both in cis and in trans with distinct mechanisms to promote tumorigenesis and progression. Even, Odd probes targeting SNHG1 sequence, and control probes targeting LacZ. Probes was coupled with biotin, the captured DNA was prepared for library then sequencing.
Project description:Many long noncoding transcripts are involved in cancer progression. Here, we utilized high-throughput microarray to compare the transcriptome alterations between the SNHG1 knockdown or control in HCT116 cell lines. Two independent siRNAs were designed against the SNHG1 cDNA sequence. Thus, we identified 302 genes which were expressionally changed. Moreover, Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analysis revealed that several gene signature were significantly enriched, such as MAPK signaling pathway, growth factor activity and transcriptional corepresssor activity. Further, GSEA analysis suggested NF-kB signaling pathway, PI3K/Akt pathway were markedly associated with SNHG1-reuglated genes. The present study indicated that SNGH1 regulated both the local and distal genes in cancer progression.
Project description:Super-selective intra-ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SSIOAC) is an organ-specific drug-delivery strategy to treat retinoblastoma, the most common primary ocular malignancy in children. Unfortunately, recent clinical reports associate adverse vascular toxicities with SSIOAC using melphalan, the most commonly used chemotherapeutic. To explore the reason for the unexpected vascular toxicities, we have developed in vitro studies with human retinal endothelial cells to test the effects of the chemotherapeutics and a non-human primate model to monitor the SSIOAC treatment in real-time and post-treatment. Melphalan and carboplatin (another chemotherapeutic used to treat retinoblastoma via SSIOAC) triggered migration, proliferation, and apoptosis when used to treat human retinal endothelial cells. Melphalan was associated with increased adhesion of leukocytes to human retinal endothelial cells, and tended to increase with increased cell expression of adhesion proteins (ICAM-1) and soluble chemotactic factors (IL-8). Histopathology post-SSIOAC indicated vessel wall sloughing, leukostasis, and vessel occlusion. We have established an in vitro human cell culture model and a non-human primate model to evaluate strategies designed to obviate vascular side effects, and optimize the efficacy of SSIAOC and the drug preparations used in SSIOAC. 4 non-treated (CNT) vs. 4 carboplatin-treated primary human retinal endothelial cells (RECs).
Project description:Neuroblastoma (NB) is an embryonal tumor with various clinical presentations and behaviors. Several genomic alterations has been well-studied in NB, among which genomic amplification of MYCN oncogene, is a strong prognostic biomarker with worsens outcome. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), constitute major proportion of the cellular transcripts with no coding capacity. One of their function is to guide transcription factors to the target genes and facilitate gene expression. However, relative contribution of lncRNA and MYCN to the advanced NB has remained unclear. Herein, by applying a network-based integrative analysis on MYCN amplified and MYCN nonamplified lncRNA expression profile from both RNA-seq and microarray platform, we identified lncRNA, SNHG1 to be differentially expressed and strongly correlated with MYCN in MYCN-amplified NB. The expression of SNHG1 was validated by RT-qPCR in NB cell lines. Survival analysis revealed that higher expression of SNHG1 significantly associates with poor patient survival. Moreover, knockdown of MYCN in MYCN-amplified NB cell lines inhibited SNHG1 expression. Furthermore, to unravel the role of SNHG1 in NB, we extracted SNHG1-interacting proteins by RNA-protein pull down assay coupled with doi:10.6342/NTU201701980 ! ! VI liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We identified 27 SNHG1-interacting proteins in common from three NB cell lines. However, only three SNHG1-interacting proteins, MATR3, YBX1 and HHRNPL have binding site detected by DeepBind motif analysis. Western blot confirms interaction of MATR3 with SNHG1. Additionally, we further validated the direct interaction between MATR3 and SNHG1 by RNA-immunoprecipation (IP). MATR3 is known to be involved in RNA transport and stabilization. Therefore, we proposed that MATR3 after interacting with SNHG1 might help in SNHG1 transcription and stabilization. In conclusion, our study unveils that SNHG1 could be a prognostic marker for high-risk NB and possibly stabilized by MATR3. Our results might provide future directions for the development of therapeutic strategies against high-risk NB.
Project description:MYCNOS (MYCN opposite strand) is co-amplified with MYCN in pediatric cancers including retinoblastoma. MYCNOS encodes several RNA variants whose functions have not been elucidated in retinoblastoma. Here, we attempted to decipher the role of MYCNOS variant 1 (MYCNOS1) on the activity of MYCN-amplified retinoblastoma. We observed that MYCNOS1 supports progression of retinoblastoma. Inhibition of MYCNOS1 expression may be needed to suppress MYCN activity when treating MYCN-amplified cancers without RB1 mutation.
Project description:Increasing evidence indicates that lncRNAs play important roles in various physiological processes and dysfunction of lncRNAs could be a prevalent cause in human diseases. Here, we functionally characterized the nuclear-enriched lncRNA SNHG1, which is highly expressed in multiple types of cancer. We also provide evidence that SNHG1 promotes cancer cell growth by regulating gene expression both in cis and in trans. SNHG1 was involved in the Akt signaling pathway as it promotes the neighboring transcription of the protein-coding gene SLC3A2 in cis, by binding the Mediator complex to facilitate the establishment of enhancer-promoter interaction. In trans, SNHG1 directly interacted with central domain of FUBP1 and antagonize the binding of FBP-Interacting Repressor FIR to FUBP1, thereby coordinating the expression of the oncogene MYC. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that lncRNA SNHG1 can function both in cis and in trans with distinct mechanisms to regulate transcription, promoting tumorigenesis and cancer progression.
Project description:Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) provide a platform for understanding mechanisms underlying diseases and finding ways to treat them. Trilateral retinoblastoma (TRb) is a condition in which retinoblastoma, the most common congenital intraocular malignancy, is associated with an intracranial neural tumor. This mostly fatal disease is caused by biallelic inactivation of the retinoblastoma-1 (RB1) gene, transcribing pRB. Using CRISPR-Cas9 we generated RB1-null hESCs, an embryonic lethal condition. These cells display distinct gene expression patterns with alterations in pRB targets, and mitochondrial phenotypes similar to those of poorly differentiated retinoblastomas. RB1–/– hESC produce extremely large teratomas, with neural expansions similar to those of TRb tumors. Analysis of these tumors revealed a potentially novel role of pRB in ectoderm differentiation, acting through ZEB1. Lastly, RB1–/– cells are significantly sensitive to carboplatin, a chemotherapy used to treat TRb, suggesting our model can be used to screen novel treatments for the disease.
Project description:Super-selective intra-ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SSIOAC) is an organ-specific drug-delivery strategy to treat retinoblastoma, the most common primary ocular malignancy in children. Unfortunately, recent clinical reports associate adverse vascular toxicities with SSIOAC using melphalan, the most commonly used chemotherapeutic. To explore the reason for the unexpected vascular toxicities, we have developed in vitro studies with human retinal endothelial cells to test the effects of the chemotherapeutics and a non-human primate model to monitor the SSIOAC treatment in real-time and post-treatment. Melphalan and carboplatin (another chemotherapeutic used to treat retinoblastoma via SSIOAC) triggered migration, proliferation, and apoptosis when used to treat human retinal endothelial cells. Melphalan was associated with increased adhesion of leukocytes to human retinal endothelial cells, and tended to increase with increased cell expression of adhesion proteins (ICAM-1) and soluble chemotactic factors (IL-8). Histopathology post-SSIOAC indicated vessel wall sloughing, leukostasis, and vessel occlusion. We have established an in vitro human cell culture model and a non-human primate model to evaluate strategies designed to obviate vascular side effects, and optimize the efficacy of SSIAOC and the drug preparations used in SSIOAC.