Lin Ji

Sorafenib is the first-line chemotherapeutic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, sorafenib resistance significantly limits its therapeutic efficacy, and the mechanisms underlying resistance have not been fully clarified. Here we report that a circular RNA, circRNA-SORE (a circular RNA upregulated in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells), plays a significant role in sorafenib resistance in HCC. We found that circRNA-SORE is upregulated in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and depletion of circRNA-SORE substantially increases the cell-killing ability of sorafenib. Further studies revealed that circRNA-SORE binds the master oncogenic protein YBX1 in the cytoplasm, which prevents YBX1 nuclear interaction with the E3 ubiquitin ligase PRP19 and thus blocks PRP19-mediated YBX1 degradation. Moreover, our in vitro and in vivo results suggest that circRNA-SORE is transported by exosomes to spread sorafenib resistance among HCC cells. Using different HCC mouse models, we demonstrated that silencing circRNA-SORE by injection of siRNA could substantially overcome sorafenib resistance. Our study provides a proof-of-concept demonstration for a potential strategy to overcome sorafenib resistance in HCC patients by targeting circRNA-SORE or YBX1.

Abstract Background and aims Accumulating evidence suggests that the primary and acquired resistance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to sorafenib is mediated by multiple molecular, cellular, and microenvironmental mechanisms. Understanding these mechanisms will enhance the likelihood of effective sorafenib therapy. Methods In vitro and in vivo experiments were performed and clinical samples and online databases were acquired for clinical investigation. Results In this study, we found that a circular RNA, circRNA-SORE, which is up-regulated in so rafenib-resistant HCC cells, was necessary for the maintenance of sorafenib resistance, and that silencing circRNA-SORE substantially increased the efficacy of sorafenib-induced apoptosis. Mechanistic studies determined that circRNA-SORE sequestered miR-103a-2-5p and miR-660-3p by acting as a microRNA sponge, thereby competitively activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and inducing sorafenib resistance. The increased level of circRNA-SORE in sorafenib-resistant cells resulted from increased RNA stability. This was caused by an increased level of N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) at a specific adenosine in circRNA-SORE. In vivo delivery of circRNA-SORE interfering RNA by local short hairpin RNA lentivirus injection substantially enhanced sorafenib efficacy in animal models. Conclusions This work indicates a novel mechanism for maintaining sorafenib resistance and is a proof-of-concept study for targeting circRNA-SORE in sorafenib-treated HCC patients as a novel pharmaceutical intervention for advanced HCC.

RNA interference (RNAi)--using antisense DNA or RNA oligonucleotides to silence activity of a specific pathogenic gene transcript and reduce expression of the encoded protein--is very useful in dissecting genetic function and holds significant promise as a molecular therapeutic. A major obstacle in achieving gene silencing with RNAi technology is the systemic delivery of therapeutic oligonucleotides. Here we demonstrate an engineered gold nanoshell (NS)-based therapeutic oligonucleotide delivery vehicle, designed to release its cargo on demand upon illumination with a near-infrared (NIR) laser. A poly-L-lysine peptide (PLL) epilayer covalently attached to the NS surface (NS-PLL) is used to capture intact, single-stranded antisense DNA oligonucleotides, or alternatively, double-stranded short-interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules. Controlled release of the captured therapeutic oligonucleotides in each case is accomplished by continuous wave NIR laser irradiation at 800 nm, near the resonance wavelength of the nanoshell. Fluorescently tagged oligonucleotides were used to monitor the time-dependent release process and light-triggered endosomal release. A green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing human lung cancer H1299 cell line was used to determine cellular uptake and gene silencing mediated by the NS-PLL carrying GFP gene-specific single-stranded DNA antisense oligonucleotide (AON-GFP), or a double-stranded siRNA (siRNA-GFP), in vitro. Light-triggered delivery resulted in ~47% and ~49% downregulation of the targeted GFP expression by AON-GFP and siRNA-GFP, respectively. Cytotoxicity induced by both the NS-PLL delivery vector and by laser irradiation is minimal, as demonstrated by a XTT cell proliferation assay.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer death, reflecting the need for better understanding the oncogenesis, and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic targets for the malignancy. Emerging evidence suggests that small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) have malfunctioning roles in tumorigenesis. Our recent study demonstrated that small nucleolar RNA 42 (SNORA42) was overexpressed in lung tumors. Here, we investigate the role of SNORA42 in tumorigenesis of NSCLC. We simultaneously assess genomic dosages and expression levels of SNORA42 and its host gene, KIAA0907, in 10 NSCLC cell lines and a human bronchial epithelial cell line. We then determine in vitro functional significance of SNORA42 in lung cancer cell lines through gain- and loss-of-function analyses. We also inoculate cancer cells with SNORA42-siRNA into mice through either tail vein or subcutaneous injection. We finally evaluate expression level of SNORA42 on frozen surgically resected lung tumor tissues of 64 patients with stage I NSCLC by using quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR assay. Genomic amplification and associated high expression of SNORA42 rather than KIAA0907 are frequently observed in lung cancer cells, suggesting that SNORA42 overexpression is activated by its genomic amplification. SNORA42 knockdown in NSCLC cells inhibits in vitro and in vivo tumorigenicity, whereas enforced SNORA42 expression in bronchial epitheliums increases cell growth and colony formation. Such pleiotropy of SNORA42 suppression could be achieved at least partially through increased apoptosis of NSCLC cells in a p53-dependent manner. SNORA42 expression in lung tumor tissue specimens is inversely correlated with survival of NSCLC patients. Therefore, SNORA42 activation could have an oncogenic role in lung tumorigenesis and provide potential diagnostic and therapeutic targets for the malignancy.

FUS1 is a tumor suppressor gene located on human chromosome 3p21, and expression of Fus1 protein is highly regulated at various levels, leading to lost or greatly diminished tumor suppressor function in many lung cancers. Here we show that selected microRNAs (miRNA) interact with the 3'-untranslated region (3'UTR) of FUS1, leading to down-regulation of protein expression. Using computational methods, we first predicted that FUS1 is a target of three miRNAs, miR-93, miR-98, and miR-197, and then showed that exogenous overexpression of these miRNAs inhibited Fus1 protein expression. We then confirmed that the three miRNAs target the 3'UTR region of the FUS1 transcript and that individual deletion of the three miRNA target sites in the FUS1 3'UTR restores the expression level of Fus1 protein. We further found that miR-93 and miR-98 are expressed at higher levels in small-cell lung cancer cell lines (SCLC) than in non-small-cell lung cancer cell lines (NSCLC) and immortalized human bronchial epithelial cells (HBEC), and that miR-197 is expressed at higher levels in both SCLCs and NSCLCs than in HBECs. Finally, we found that elevated miR-93 and miR-197 expression is correlated with reduced Fus1 expression in NSCLC tumor specimens. These results suggest that the three miRNAs are negative regulators of Fus1 expression in lung cancers.