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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer with the second-highest mortality rate worldwide. microRNAs(miRNAs) of cancer-derived exosomes have shown promising diagnosis potential. Recent studies have shown themetastatic potential of a specific group of microRNAs called metastasis. Therefore, down-regulation of miRNAs at thetranscriptional level can reduce metastasis probability. The aim of this bioinformatics research is targeting of miRNAsprecursors using CRISPR-C2c2 (Cas13a) technique. The C2c2 (Cas13a) enzyme structure was downloaded fromthe RCSB database, the sequence miRNAs and their precursors were collected from miRbase. The crRNAs weredesigned and evaluated for their specificity by using CRISPR-RT server. The modeling 3D structure of the designedcrRNA was performed by RNAComposer server. Finally, HDOCK server was used to perform molecular docking toevaluate docked molecules' energy level and position. The crRNAs designed for miR-1280, miR-206, miR-195, miR-371a, miR-34a, miR-27a, miR-224, miR-99b, miR-877, miR-495 and miR-384 that showed high structural similaritywith the situation observed in normal and appropriate orientation was obtained. Despite high specificity, the correctorientation was not established in the case of crRNAs that designed to target miR-145, miR-378a, miR-199a, miR-320a and miR-543. The predicted interactions between crRNAs and Cas13a enzyme showed that crRNAs have astrong potential to inhibit metastasis. Therefore, crRNAs may be considered as an effective anticancer agent for furtherresearch in drug development.

Objective Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disorder involving both inflammatory and neurodegenerative responses. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been had an emerging role as the biomarkers of different disorders, including autoimmune diseases. Previous studies have shown that NR_003531.3 (MEG3a), AC000061.1_201, and AC007182.6 play a role in the pathogenesis of human autoimmune diseases. However, the potential significance of these lncRNAs, as the diagnostic biomarkers of MS, has not been studied yet. We aimed to quantitatively evaluate the expression levels of NR_003531.3, AC000061.1_201, and AC007182.6 in peripheral blood samples of MS patients in comparison with healthy controls. Materials And Methods In this case-control study, the blood samples from 20 MS patients and 10 healthy controls were collected. Total RNA was extracted, and the expression levels of three selected lncRNAs were quantitatively measured using the quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method. Results We detected a significant down-regulation in the expression of NR_003531.3 in MS patients, while no marked changes were observed in the expression of AC000061.1_201 and AC007182.6 in patients compared with controls. Based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, NR_003531.3 could discriminate MS patients from healthy subjects effectively. Regarding the prognosis of MS patients, NR_003531.3 is significantly and inversely correlated with the expanded disability status scale (EDSS). Conclusion The potential role of NR_003531.3 lncRNA as a diagnostic biomarker to distinguish MS patients is proposed. Prognostically, NR_003531.3 correlates with lower disability rates in MS patients.

Objective: Gastric cancer is a multifactorial disease. In addition to environmental factors, many genes are involved in this malignancy. One of the genes associated with gastric cancer is CD44 gene and its polymorphisms. CD44 gene plays role in regulating cell survival, growth and mobility. The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs8193, located in the CD44 gene, has not been studied in gastric cancer patients of the Iranian population. The present study aims to study this polymorphism in 86 gastric cancer patients and 96 healthy individuals. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional case-control study, rs8193 polymorphism was genotyped by allele specific primer polymerase chain reaction (ASP-PCR) technique. The obtained data were statistically analyzed. To find the potential mechanism of action, rs8193 was bioinformatically investigated. Results: rs8193 C allele played a risk factor role for gastric cancer. Patients carrying this allele were more susceptible to have gastric cancer, with lymph node spread. On the other hand, rs8193 T allele, a protective factor, was associated with a higher chance of accumulation in the lower stages of cancer. C allele might impose its effect via destabilizing CD44 and miR-570 interaction. Conclusion: rs8193 is statistically associated with the risk of malignancy, lymph node spread and stage of gastric cancer in Iranian population.