MiRNAs are a group of non-coding RNA molecules that function in mRNA translational inhibition via base-pairing with complementary sequences in target mRNA. In oncology, miRNAs have raised great attention due to their aberrant expression and pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of multiple malignancies including osteosarcoma. MiRNAs can be transported by exosome, the nano-extracellular vesicle with a diameter of 30–150 nm. Recently, a growing number of studies have demonstrated that exosomal miRNAs play a critical role in tumor initiation and progression, by exerting multiple biological functions including metastasis, angiogenesis, drug resistance and immunosuppression. In this review, we aim to depict the biogenesis of exosomal miRNAs and summarize the potential diagnostic and therapeutic functions of exosomal miRNAs in osteosarcoma.
In the realm of cancer research, the tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a crucial role in tumor initiation and progression, shaped by complex interactions between cancer cells and surrounding non-cancerous cells. Cytokines, as essential immunomodulatory agents, are secreted by various cellular constituents within the TME, including immune cells, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and cancer cells themselves. These cytokines facilitate intricate communication networks that significantly influence tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and immune suppression. Pyroptosis contributes to TME remodeling by promoting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and sustaining chronic inflammation, impacting processes such as immune escape and angiogenesis. However, challenges remain due to the complex interplay among cytokines, pyroptosis, and the TME, along with the dual effects of pyroptosis on cancer progression and therapy-related complications like cytokine release syndrome. Unraveling these complexities could facilitate strategies that balance inflammatory responses while minimizing tissue damage during therapy. This review delves into the complex crosstalk between cytokines, pyroptosis, and the TME, elucidating their contribution to tumor progression and metastasis. By synthesizing emerging therapeutic targets and innovative technologies concerning TME, this review aims to provide novel insights that could enhance treatment outcomes for cancer patients.
Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) represent a group of heterogeneous mesenchymal tumors of which are generally classified as per the histopathology. Despite being rare in incidence and prevalence, STSs are usually correlated with unfavorable prognosis and high mortality rate. Early and accurate diagnosis of STSs are critical in clinical management of STSs. Deep learning (DL) refers to a subtype of artificial intelligence that has been adopted to assist healthcare professionals to optimize personalized treatment for a given situation, particularly in image analysis. Recently, emerging studies have demonstrated that application of DL based on medical images could substantially improve the accuracy and efficiency of clinicians to the identification, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis prediction of STSs, and thereby facilitating the clinical decision-making. Herein, we aimed to extensively summarize the recent applications of DL-based artificial intelligence in STSs from the aspects of data acquisition, algorithm, and model establishment. Besides, the reinforcement of the model by transfer learning and generative adversarial network (GAN) for data augmentation has also been elaborated. It is worth noting that high-quality data with accurate annotations, as well as optimized algorithmic performance are pivotal in the clinical application of DL in STSs.
Abstract N6-methyladenosine (m 6 A) is considered as the most common and important internal transcript modification in several diseases like type 2 diabetes, schizophrenia and especially cancer. As a main target of m 6 A methylation, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to regulate cellular processes at various levels, including epigenetic modification, transcriptional, post-transcriptional, translational and post-translational regulation. Recently, accumulating evidence suggests that m 6 A-modified lncRNAs greatly participate in the tumorigenesis of cancers. In this review, we systematically summarized the biogenesis of m 6 A-modified lncRNAs and the identified m 6 A-lncRNAs in a variety of cancers, as well as their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications as biomarkers and therapeutic targets, hoping to shed light on the novel strategies for cancer treatment.
RNA splicing is a fundamental step of gene expression. While constitutive splicing removes introns and joins exons unbiasedly, alternative splicing (AS) selectively determines the assembly of exons and introns to generate RNA variants corresponding to the same transcript. The biogenesis of circular RNAs (circRNAs) is inextricably associated with AS. Back-splicing, the biogenic process of circRNA, is a special form of AS. In cancer, both AS and circRNA deviate from the original track. In the present review, we delve into the intricate interplay between AS and circRNAs in the context of cancer. The relationship between AS and circRNAs is intricate, where AS modulates the biogenesis of circRNAs and circRNAs in return regulate AS events. Beyond that, epigenetic and posttranscriptional modifications concurrently regulate AS and circRNAs. On the basis of this modality, we summarize current knowledge on how splicing factors and other RNA binding proteins regulate circRNA biogenesis, and how circRNAs interact with splicing factors to influence AS events. Specifically, the feedback loop regulation between circRNAs and AS events contributes greatly to oncogenesis and cancer progression. In summary, resolving the crosstalk between AS and circRNA will not only provide better insight into cancer biology but also provoke novel strategies to combat cancer.