MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding small RNAs that target mRNA to reduce protein expression. They play fundamental roles in several diseases, including prostate cancer (PCa). A single miRNA can target hundreds of mRNAs and coordinately regulate them, which implicates them in nearly every biological pathway. Hence, miRNAs modulate proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, adhesion, migration, invasion and metastasis, most of them constituting crucial hallmarks of cancer. Due to these properties, miRNAs emerged as promising tools for diagnostic, prognosis and management of cancer patients. Moreover, they come out as potential targets for cancer treatment, and several efforts are being made to progress in the field of miRNA-based cancer therapy. In this review, we will summarize the recent information about miRNAs in PCa. We will recapitulate all the miRNAs involved in the androgen pathway and the biology of PCa, focusing in PCa initiation and progression. In particular, we will describe the miRNAs associated with cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis in PCa, as well as invasion, adhesion and metastatic miRNAs. We will revise the recent progress made understanding the role of circulating miRNAs identified in PCa that might be useful for PCa patient stratification. Another key aspect to be discussed in this review is miRNAs' role in PCa therapy, including the miRNAs delivery.Reproduction (2017) 154 R81-R97

Metabolic syndrome (MeS) has been identified as a risk factor for breast cancer. C-terminal binding protein 1 (CtBP1) is a co-repressor of tumor suppressor genes that is activated by low NAD+/NADH ratio. High fat diet (HFD) increases intracellular NADH. We investigated the effect of CtBP1 hyperactivation by HFD intake on mouse breast carcinogenesis. We generated a MeS-like disease in female mice by chronically feeding animals with HFD. MeS increased postnatal mammary gland development and generated prominent duct patterns with markedly increased CtBP1 and Cyclin D1 expression. CtBP1 induced breast cancer cells proliferation. Serum from animals with MeS enriched the stem-like/progenitor cell population from breast cancer cells. CtBP1 increased breast tumor growth in MeS mice modulating multiple genes and miRNA expression implicated in cell proliferation, progenitor cells phenotype, epithelial to mesenchymal transition, mammary development and cell communication in the xenografts. These results define a novel function for CtBP1 in breast carcinogenesis.

Bordetella pertussis is the causative agent of pertussis, aka whooping cough. Although generally considered an extracellular pathogen, this bacterium has been found inside respiratory epithelial cells, which might represent a survival strategy inside the host. Relatively little is known, however, about the mechanism of internalization and the fate of B. pertussis inside the epithelia. We show here that B. pertussis is able to enter those cells by a mechanism dependent on microtubule assembly, lipid raft integrity, and the activation of a tyrosine-kinase-mediated signaling. Once inside the cell, a significant proportion of the intracellular bacteria evade phagolysosomal fusion and remain viable in nonacidic lysosome-associated membrane-protein-1-negative compartments. In addition, intracellular B. pertussis was found able to repopulate the extracellular environment after complete elimination of the extracellular bacteria with polymyxin B. Taken together, these data suggest that B. pertussis is able to survive within respiratory epithelial cells and by this means potentially contribute to host immune system evasion.