No abstract

Aberrant microRNA-708 (miR-708) expression is frequently reported in cancer studies; however, its role in glioma has not been examined in detail. We investigated miR-708 function in glioma and revealed that miR-708 expression was significantly down-regulated in glioma tissues and cell lines. Restoration of miR-708 inhibited glioma cell growth and invasion both in vitro and in vivo. The oncogene SPHK2 (sphingosine kinase 2) was identified as a downstream target of miR-708 using luciferase and western blot assays. miR-708 inhibited AKT/β-catenin signaling, which is activated by SPHK2. In addition, we revealed that miR-708 was transcriptionally repressed by EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2)-induced histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation and promoter methylation. In summary, our findings revealed that miR-708 is a glioma tumor suppressor and suggest that miR-708 is a potential therapeutic target for glioma patients.

Carbon nanotubes have shown broad potential in biomedical applications, given their unique mechanical, optical, and chemical properties. Functionalized carbon nanotubes not only can deliver drug into specific organs but also can inherently produce heating by near-infrared laser radiation for cancer therapy. However, the toxicological and pharmacological profile of such carbon nanotube system will have to be determined prior to any clinical study undertaken. For providing a guide to develop safe drug carriers, this review discusses the functionalization, toxicity and pharmacokinetics of carbon nanotubes. Lastly, the drug delivery and thermal ablation on carbon nanotubes are proposed.