EMT-associated microRNAs and their roles in cancer stemness and drug resistance

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition(EMT)is implicated in a wide array of malignant behaviors of cancers,including proliferation,invasion,and metastasis.Most notably,previou studies have indicated that both cancer stem-like properties and drug resistance were associated with EMT.Furthermore,microRNAs(miRNAs)play a pivotal role in the regulation of EMT phenotype,as a result,some miRNAs impact cancer stemness and drug resistance.Therefore,understanding the relationship between EMT-associated miRNAs and cancer stemness/drug resistance is beneficial to both basic research and clinical treatment.In this review,we preliminarily looked into the various roles that the EMT-associated miRNAs play in the stem-like nature of malignant cells.Then,we reviewed the interaction between EMT-associated miRNAs and the drugresistant complex signaling pathways of multiple cancers including lung cancer,gastric cancer,gynecologic cancer,breast cancer,liver cancer,colorectal cancer,pancreatic cancer,esophageal cancer,and nasopharyngeal cancer.We finally discussed the relationship between EMT,cancer stemness,and drug resistance,as well as looked forward to the potential applications of miRNA therapy for malignant tumors.

Aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer is repressed by naringin via the HIF1Α pathway

Metabolic reprogramming is a common phenomenon in cancer,with aerobic glycolysis being one of its important characteristics.Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α(HIF1Α)is thought to play an important role in aerobic glycolysis.Meanwhile,naringin is a natural flavanone glycoside derived from grapefruits and many other citrus fruits.In this work,we identified glycolytic genes related to HIF1Αby analyzing the colon cancer database.The analysis of extracellular acidification rate and cell function verified the regulatory effects of HIF1Αoverexpression on glycolysis,and the proliferation and migration of colon cancer cells.Moreover,naringin was used as an inhibitor of colon cancer cells to illustrate its effect on HIF1Αfunction.The results showed that the HIF1Αand enolase 2(ENO2)levels in colon cancer tissues were highly correlated,and their high expression indicated a poor prognosis for colon cancer patients.Mechanistically,HIF1Αdirectly binds to the DNA promoter region and upregulates the transcription of ENO2;ectopic expression of ENO2 increased aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer cells.Most importantly,we found that the appropriate concentration of naringin inhibited the transcriptional activity of HIF1Α,which in turn decreased aerobic glycolysis in colon cancer cells.Generally,naringin reduces glycolysis in colon cancer cells by reducing the transcriptional activity of HIF1Αand the proliferation and invasion of colon cancer cells.This study helps to elucidate the relationship between colon cancer progression and glucose metabolism,and demonstrates the efficacy of naringin in the treatment of colon cancer.