• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제13권7호
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• pp.3313-3317
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• 2012

Prostate cancer is a highly prevalent disease in older men of the western world. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules that regulate gene expression via posttranscriptional inhibition of protein synthesis. To identify the diagnostic potential of miRNAs in prostate cancer, we downloaded the miRNA expression profile of prostate cancer from the GEO database and analysed the differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) in prostate cancerous tissue compared to non-cancerous tissue. Then, the targets of these DE-miRNAs were extracted from the database and mapped to the STRING and KEGG databases for network construction and pathway enrichment analysis. We identified a total of 16 miRNAs that showed a significant differential expression in cancer samples. A total of 9 target genes corresponding to 3 DE-miRNAs were obtained. After network and pathway enrichment analysis, we finally demonstrated that miR-20 appears to play an important role in the regulation of prostate cancer onset. MiR-20 as single biomarker or in combination could be useful in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. We anticipate our study could provide the groundwork for further experiments.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제53권2호
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• pp.72-76
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• 2013

Objective : Cerebral aneurysm (CA) is an important acquired cerebrovascular disease that can cause catastrophic results. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs, playing essential roles in modulating basic physiologic and pathological processes. Currently, evidences have been established about biologic relationship between miRNAs and abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, biologic roles of miRNAs in CA formation have not been explained yet. We employed microarray analysis to detect and compare miRNA expression profiles in late stage of CA in rat model. Methods : Twenty-six, 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a CA induction procedure. The control animals (n=11) were fed a normal diet, and the experimental animals (n=26) were fed a normal diet with 1% normal saline for 3 months. Then, the rats were sacrificed, their cerebral arteries were dissected, and the five regions of aneurysmal dilation on the left posterior communicating artery were cut for miRNA microarrays analysis. Six miRNAs (miRNA-1, miRNA-223, miRNA-24-1-5p, miRNA-551b, miRNA-433, and miRNA-489) were randomly chosen for validation using real-time quantitative PCR. Results : Among a set of differentially expressed miRNAs, 14 miRNAs were over-expressed more than 200% and 6 miRNAs were down-expressed lower than 50% in the CA tissues. Conclusion : The results show that miRNAs might take part in CA formation probably by affecting multiple target genes and signaling pathways. Further investigations to identify the exact roles of these miRNAs in CA formation are required.

• BMB Reports
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• 제51권2호
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• pp.65-72
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• 2018

The endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a newly recognized, fundamental biological process involved in development and tissue regeneration, as well as pathological processes such as the complications of diabetes, fibrosis and pulmonary arterial hypertension. The EndMT process is tightly controlled by diverse signaling networks, similar to the epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of this network, with the capacity to target multiple messenger RNAs involved in the EndMT process as well as in the regulation of disease progression. Thus, it is highly important to understand the molecular basis of miRNA control of EndMT. This review highlights the current fund of knowledge regarding the known links between miRNAs and the EndMT process, with a focus on the mechanism that regulates associated signaling pathways and discusses the potential for the EndMT as a therapeutic target to treat many diseases.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Research
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.95-99
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• 2013

MicroRNA (miRNA) dysregulations are associated with various types of human cancers, and miRNAs can function as tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Emerging evidence has shown that miRNA pathway is also altered during colorectal tumorigenesis. The detection of cancer-related miRNAs in stool samples may become useful diagnostic marker for colorectal cancer, because miRNAs in stool samples has high stability, and maintains a high portion of its original level. Recent studies reported that stool-based miRNAs can offer more sensitivity and specificity than currently used stool-based screening methods for CRC. In addition, unlike fecal occult blood test, sampling on consecutive dates and special dietary restrictions are not required. In this review, the authors discuss stool-based miRNA for the early diagnosis of CRC and perspectives on future application.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제15권21호
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• pp.9059-9064
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• 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ubiquitously expressed small, non-coding RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at a post transcriptional/translational level. They have emerging as playing crucial roles in cancer at all stages ranging from initiation to metastasis. As a tumor suppressor miRNA, aberrant expression of microRNA-29b (miR-29b) has been detected in various types of cancer, and its disturbance is related with tumor development and progression. In this review, we summarize the latest findings with regard to the tumor suppressor signatureof miR-29b and its regulatory mechanisms. Our review highlights the diverse relationships between miR-29b and its target genes in malignant tumors.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• 제43권4호
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• pp.223-230
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• 2018

Exosomes are Nano-sized lipid vesicles secreted from mammalian cells containing diverse cellular materials such as proteins, lipids, and nucleotides. Multiple lines of evidence indicate that in saliva, exosomes and their contents such as microRNAs (miRNAs) mediate numerous cellular responses upon delivery to recipient cells. The objective of this study was to characterize the different expression profile of exosomal miRNAs in saliva samples, periodically isolated from a single periodontitis patient. Unstimulated saliva was collected from a single patient over time periods for managing periodontitis. MicroRNAs extracted from each phase were investigated for the expression of exosomal miRNAs. Salivary exosomal miRNAs were analyzed using Affymetrix miRNA arrays and prediction of target genes and pathways for its different expression performed using DIANA-mirPath, a web-based, computational tool. Following the delivery of miRNA mimics (hsa-miR-4487, -4532, and -7108-5p) into human gingival fibroblasts, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of the MAPK pathway were evaluated through RT-PCR and western blotting. In each phase, 13 and 43 miRNAs were found to be differently expressed $({\mid}FC{\mid}{\geq}2)$. Among these, hsa-miR-4487 $({\mid}FC{\mid}=9.292005)$ and has-miR-4532 $({\mid}FC{\mid}=18.322697)$ were highly up-regulated in the clinically severe phase, whereas hsa-miR-7108-5p $({\mid}FC{\mid}=12.20601)$ was strongly up-regulated in the clinically mild phase. In addition, the overexpression of miRNA mimics in human gingival fibroblasts resulted in a significant induction of IL-6 mRNA expression and p38 phosphorylation. The findings of this study established alterations in salivary exosomal miRNAs which are dependent on the severity of periodontitis and may act as potential candidates for the treatment of oral inflammatory diseases.

• 생명과학회지
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• 제24권11호
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• pp.1238-1243
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• 2014

중간엽줄기세포(mesenchymal stem cell, MSC)은 세포치료로 각광받아 널리 사용되고 있다. 이들은 줄기세포의 분화성을 이용하여 많은 만성질환에 연관되어 치료제로 사용되고 있다. 줄기세포는 다른 화학적 치료법에 비해 많은 장점을 가지고 있다. 왜냐하면 줄기세포치료는 자기자신, 혹은 동종의 세포를 이용한 치료이기 때문에 화학 치료에 비해 부작용이나 치료의 위험성이 덜하다. 그리고 마이크로RNA또한 최근 기 존재와 기능이 밝혀져서 연구되고 있는데 특히 항암, 세포생장촉진 등의 기능을 이용해 항암, 만성질환 치료에 접목되어 치료제로의 역할이 기대된다. 마이크로RNA는 대부분의 대사과정이나 항상성조절에 관여되어있다. 따라서 마이크로RNA가 저 발현 혹은 과 발현하게 되면 만성질환으로 이어지게 된다. 하지만 줄기세포와 마이크로RNA의 상호간 보조효과는 잘 연구되어 있지 않다. 따라서 이들 간의 상관관계를 확인하기 위하여 태반유래 줄기세포(PDSC)와 골수줄기세포(BM-MSC), 대조군으로 섬유아세포(Fibroblast, WI-38)을 사용하여 이들이 발현하는 마이크로RNA 발현을 확인해 보았다. 각각의 MSC 세포주에 대하여 특정 마이크로RNA의 발현량을 확인해 보았다. 결과 PDSC의 경우엔 마이크로RNA-34a의 발현이 높았고 BM-MSC의 경우에는 마이크로RNA-27a, 33a, 33b, 211의 발현이 높은 것을 확인할 수 있었다. 따라서 우리는 각각의 MSC세포주와 그들이 발현하는 기능성 마이크로RNA을 연관지어 효과적인 세포치료에 활용될 수 있을 것을 기대한다.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권3호
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• pp.309-315
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• 2013

MicroRNAs are a class of endogenous small RNAs that play important roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation by directing degradation of mRNAs or facilitating repression of target gene translation. In this study, three small RNA cDNA libraries from the mammary gland tissues of Laoshan dairy goats (Capra hircus) were constructed and sequenced, individually. Through Solexa high-throughput sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, we obtained 50 presumptive novel miRNAs candidates, and 55,448 putative target genes were predicted. GO annotations and KEGG pathway analyses showed the majority of target genes were involved in various biological processes and metabolic pathways. Our results discovered more information about the regulation network between miRNAs and mRNAs and paved a foundation for the molecular genetics of mammary gland development in goats.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• 제3권2호
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• pp.111-126
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• 2009

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are endogenous, non-coding, small RNA molecules consisting of 21-24 nucleotides (nts) that regulate target genes at the posttranscriptional level in plants and animals. In plants, miRNAs negatively regulate target mRNAs containing a highly complementary sequence by either mRNA cleavage or translational repression. MiRNAs are processed from single-stranded precursors containing stem-loop structures by a Dicer-like enzyme and are loaded into silencing complexes, where they act on target mRNAs. Although plant miRNAs were first reported in Arabidopsis 10 years later than animal miRNAs, numerous miRNAs have since been identified from various land plants ranging from mosses to flowering plants, and their roles in diverse aspects of plant developmental processes have been characterized. Furthermore, most of the annotated plant miRNAs are evolutionarily conserved in various plants. In particular, recent functional studies using Arabidopsis mutants have contributed a great deal of information towards establishing a framework for understanding miRNA biogenesis and functional roles. Extensive appraisal of miRNA-directed regulation during a wide array of plant development and plant responses to environmental conditions has confirmed the versatile roles of miRNAs as a key component of plant molecular biology.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제29권6호
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• pp.782-792
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• 2016

As the most common neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) are two of the main health concerns for the elderly population. Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been used as biomarkers of infectious, genetic, and metabolic diseases in humans but they have not been well studied in domestic animals. Here we describe a computational biology study in which human AD- and PD-associated miRNAs (ADM and PDM) were utilized to predict orthologous miRNAs in the following domestic animal species: dog, cow, pig, horse, and chicken. In this study, a total of 121 and 70 published human ADM and PDM were identified, respectively. Thirty-seven miRNAs were co-regulated in AD and PD. We identified a total of 105 unrepeated human ADM and PDM that had at least one 100% identical animal homolog, among which 81 and 54 showed 100% sequence identity with 241 and 161 domestic animal miRNAs, respectively. Over 20% of the total mature horse miRNAs (92) showed perfect matches to AD/PD-associated miRNAs. Pigs, dogs, and cows have similar numbers of AD/PD-associated miRNAs (63, 62, and 59). Chickens had the least number of perfect matches (34). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses suggested that humans and dogs are relatively similar in the functional pathways of the five selected highly conserved miRNAs. Taken together, our study provides the first evidence for better understanding the miRNA-AD/PD associations in domestic animals, and provides guidance to generate domestic animal models of AD/PD to replace the current rodent models.