Extracellular vesicles (EVs) membranes enclose nanosized vesicles with a size range of 30–150 nm and are plentiful in our body in both physiological and pathological conditions. Exosomes, a type of EV, are important mediators of intracellular communication among tumor cells, immune cells, and stromal cells. They can shuttle bioactive molecules, such as proteins, lipids, RNA, and DNA; however, the precise function of EVs remains largely unknown. In recent years, tumor-associated cargo in exosomes has been a hot topic in research, especially with respect to noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). Herein, we review the role of exosomal ncRNAs, including miRNAs and long noncoding RNAs, in tumor biological processes. Clinically, exosomal ncRNAs may eventually become novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer progression.

The aim of the present study was to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that predict the prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma by integrated bioinformatics analysis. First, the original microarray dataset GSE32960, including 312 nasopharyngeal carcinomas and 18 normal samples, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. In addition, 46 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were screened. Then, four miRNAs, including hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-150, hsa-miR-29b, and hsa-miR-29c, were obtained as prognostic markers by combining univariate Cox regression analysis with weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Subsequently, the risk score of 312 NPC patients from the signature of miRNAs was calculated, and patients were divided into high-risk or low-risk groups. Notably, compared with patients with low-risk scores, high-risk groups had shorter disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis indicated that the risk score was a very effective prognostic factor. Moreover, the Search Tool for the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID), Cytoscape, starBase, and Retrieval of Interacting Genes database (STRING) were used to establish the miRNA-mRNA correlation network and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. In addition, the shared genes superimposing 888 protein-coding genes targeted by four hub miRNAs and 1,601 upregulated differentially expressed mRNAs accounted for 127 and were used for subsequent gene functional enrichment analysis. In particular, biological pathway analysis indicated that these genes mainly participate in some vital pathways related to cancer pathogenesis, such as the focal adhesion, PI3K/Akt, p53, and mTOR signalling pathways. In summary, the identification of NPC patients with a four-miRNA signature may increase the prognostic value and provide reference information for precision medicine.

Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) infection can induce serious organ damage and cause schistosomiasis japonica which is mainly prevalent in Asia and currently one of the most seriously neglected tropical diseases. Treatment of schistosomiasis largely depends on the drug praziquantel (PZQ). However, PZQ exhibits low killing efficacy on juvenile worms and the potential emergence of its drug resistance is a continual concern. Protein kinases (PKs) are enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of proteins and can participate in many signaling pathways in vivo. Recent studies confirmed the essential roles of PKs in the growth and development of S. japonicum, as well as in schistosome-host interactions, and researches have screened drug targets about PKs from S. japonicum (SjPKs), which provide new opportunities of developing new treatments on schistosomiasis. The aim of this review is to present the current progress on SjPKs from classification, different functions and their potential to become drug targets compared with other schistosomes. The efficiency of related protein kinase inhibitors on schistosomes is highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and problems in the study of SjPKs are proposed, which can provide future guidance for developing anti-schistosomiasis drugs and vaccines.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are single-stranded, endogenous, non-coding RNA (ncRNA) molecules formed by the backsplicing of messenger RNA (mRNA) precursors and have covalently closed circular structures without 5′-end caps and 3′-end polyadenylation [poly(A)] tails. CircRNAs are characterized by abundant species, stable structures, conserved sequences, cell- or tissue-specific expression, and widespread and stable presence in many organisms. Therefore, circRNAs can be used as biomarkers for the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of diseases. Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) are caused by defects in immune tolerance or abnormal immune regulation, which leads to damage to host organs. Due to the complexity of the pathophysiological processes of AIDs, clinical therapeutics have been suboptimal. The emergence of circRNAs sheds new light on the treatment of AIDs. In particular, circRNAs mainly participate in the occurrence and development of AIDs by sponging targets. This review systematically explains the formation, function, mechanism, and characteristics of circRNAs in the context of AIDs. With a deeper understanding of the pathophysiological functions of circRNAs in the pathogenesis of AIDs, circRNAs may become reasonable, accurate, and effective biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of AIDs in the future.