BackgroundAberrant microRNA (miRNA) expression plays an essential role in osteosarcoma (OS) pathogenesis. Recent studies have shown that dysregulation of miRNA expression is associated with increased tumorigenesis and poor prognosis in several types of cancers, including OS. The aim of this study was to investigate the relevant microRNAs involved in the development of OS.MethodsTo explore possible oncogenic factors in OS, we used a microarray-based approach to profile changes in the expression of miRNAs and their target mRNAs in five OS cell lines and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). An miRNA, miR-93, was significantly up-regulated, whereas phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) expression was significantly down-regulated in all tested OS cells, when compared with hMSCs.ResultsWhen anti-miR-93 was transfected into OS cell lines, PTEN expression was greatly increased, suggesting that PTEN might be a target of miR-93 in ES cells. The expression of phosphorylated Akt protein, which is known to be inversely correlated with that of PTEN, was significantly down-regulated in anti-miR-93-transfected cells. Furthermore, transfection of anti-miR-93 inhibited the proliferation and cell cycle progression of ES cells. In addition, the down-regulation of miR-93 in these cells significantly suppressed tumor growth in vivo.ConclusionEctopic expression of miR-93 decreased PTEN protein levels. Furthermore, miR-93 increased proliferation and decreased apoptosis in OS cells, whereas its silencing in these cells inhibited such carcinogenic processes. Taking these observations together, miR-93 can be seen to play a critical role in carcinogenesis through suppression of PTEN, and may serve as a therapeutic target for the treatment of OS.

The effects of dendritic cells (DCs) with low dose doxorubicin on the enhancement of the systemic immune response, including the effects on calreticulin (CRT) expression, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) on the cell surface expression, and the enhancement of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) release from cancer cells, remain unclear. The present study investigated whether the combination of DCs and doxorubicin (ADM) induces immune cell death, and leads to tumor growth inhibition in a murine osteosarcoma model. To evaluate immune response activation , 4 groups of mice were established: i) untreated mice, ii) DC-treated mice, iii) ADM-treated mice, and iv) DC and ADM-treated mice. Immunological cell death and CRT, HSP70, and HMGB1 expression levels were higher in doxorubicin-treated cells than those in untreated or those treated with DCs alone. NF-κB expression was higher in the DCs after ligand activation using CRT, HSP70, or HMGB1. Mice treated with DCs and ADM displayed an increased number of CD8 T-lymphocytes within metastatic tumors and inhibition of metastatic growth. The expression of CRT and the release of HMGB1 from tumor tissues were increased in the ADM-treated groups. Treatment with DCs and ADM resulted in the highest serum interferon-γ levels. Combining ADM, which can induce immunogenic cell death, with DCs enhanced the systemic immune response. The findings of the present study provide further support for the continued development of antitumor agents that induce cell death and the immune response to target osteosarcoma.

Myc oncogenic transcription factor is known to inhibit tumor suppressive microRNAs (miRNAs), resulting in greater expression of their target protein related to cell cycle, invasion or anti-apoptotic factors in human cancer cells. To explore possible oncogenic factors in Ewing’s sarcoma (ES), we conducted microarray-based approach to profile the changes in the expression of miRNAs and its downstream mRNAs in five ES cell lines and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Three miRNAs, let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b were significantly down-regulated, whereas c-Myc and cyclin D2 (CCND2) were significantly up-regulated in all tested ES cells compared with hMSCs. To verify that let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b were the targets of c-Myc in ES cell lines, we transfected siRNA against c-Myc and confirmed the coordinate up-regulation of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b through the repression of c-Myc. The ES cells transfected with c-Myc-siRNA and let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b exhibited the inhibition of the cell cycle progression. The increased expression of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b resulted in the reduction of CCND2 protein expression. We also demonstrated that c-Myc-siRNA treatment of ES cells was associated with the decreased expression of CCND2 as a down-stream of three miRNAs. Furthermore, the introduction of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b in ES cells could inhibit the c-Myc-mediated up-regulation of CCND2 resulted in the prevention of cell cycle progression. In addition, the transfection of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b in ES cells suppressed tumor growth ex vivo treatment. These findings suggests that the up-regulation of c-Myc inhibited the expression of let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b subsequently induced CCND2 expression in ES cells. The present study might identify a novel oncogenic axis that c-Myc regulates the expression of CCND2 via let-7a, miR-16 and miR-29b, leading to the development new therapeutic targets for ES.

BackgroundOsteosarcoma (OS) is the representative primary malignant bone tumor with the highest incidence. It is known that malignant phenotypes of OS, such as proliferation, invasion, and metastasis, are significantly influenced not only by characteristics of the tumor itself, but also by the surrounding microenvironment. In other words, OS is considered to utilize cells in the vicinity of the tumor by changing the characteristics of these cells. Direct intercellular contact is believed to be important for this phenomenon. In the present study, we hypothesized that an interaction mediated by a humoral factor, requiring no cellular contact, might play a significant role in the progression of OS.MethodsWe developed a new co-culture model, using OS cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) without cellular contact, and found that both cell types expressed IL-8 at a high level, and FAK in OS cells was phosphorylated leading to an increase in the metastatic potential of the tumor in the co-culture condition.ResultsIt was revealed that OS cells formed a loop of signal cross-talk in which they released IL-8 as a paracrine factor, stimulating MSCs to express IL-8, and received IL-8 released by MSCs to accelerate IL-8 expression in OS cells. Administration of anti-IL-8 antibody resulted in the inhibition of FAK expression, its downstream signaling, and the invasive potential of the OS cells, resulting in decrease in metastatic lesions.ConclusionThe present study might lead not only to the clarification of a new molecular mechanism of invasion and metastasis of OS, but also to the development of a new therapeutic strategy of blocking IL-8 in OS.

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