MicroRNA-2355-5p Promotes the Proliferation of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma via Suppressing NISCH Expression

Abstract

Background. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as crucial regulators in various cancers. However, the potential role of miR-2355-5p in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) remains unclear. Methods. Bioinformatics methods were implemented to find the candidate target gene of miR-2355-5p. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to detect RNA expression levels of miR-2355-5p and NISCH, while western blot was carried out for the detection of protein levels of NISCH and cell cycle-related biomarkers. CCK-8, EdU staining, and flow cytometry were employed to measure cell proliferation and cell cycle progression. Dual-luciferase assay and RNA pulldown were conducted to verify the binding relationship between miR-2355-5p and NISCH. Results. The expression levels of miR-2355-5p and NISCH were, respectively, higher and lower in HNSC tissues than those in normal adjacent tissues. The transfection of the miR-2355-5p inhibitor suppressed cell proliferation by arresting the cells at the G1/S transition. The results of luciferase activity and RNA pulldown assays indicated that miR-2355-5p directly targeted the NISCH 3′-untranslated region. Furthermore, the effects of miR-2355-5p inhibition on cell proliferation were reversed after treatment with siRNA against NISCH. Conclusion. In summary, our findings indicate that miR-2355-5p promotes cell cycle progression in HNSC by targeting NISCH. Hence, targeting miR-2355-5p could be a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HNSC

Analysis of the nischarin expression across human tumor types reveals its context-dependent role and a potential as a target for drug repurposing in oncology

“…It is worth mentioning that expression of NISCH may also be regulated by microRNAs. In HNSC, it was reported that miR-2355-5p decreased NISCH expression, leading to higher tumor cell proliferation [ 77 ], and knockdown of miR-23b and miR-27b was reported to upregulate nischarin and repress breast cancer growth [ 78 ]. However, OncomiR (an online resource that explores the miRNomes across TCGA cancers) [ 79 ] did not show significant correlations of NISCH mRNA with miRNAs in any of the cancers we examined (not shown).…”