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GBM (glioblastoma multiforme) is the most malignant form of glioma and is the most commonly occurring primary malignant brain tumour. GBM is difficult to completely excise, resulting in an extremely high recurrence rate. The occurrence of an aggressive glioma phenotype depends on EMT (epithelial-mesenchymal transformation), in which epithelial cells transform into mesenchymal cells by losing their cell-cell adhesion and polarity. NcRNAs (non-coding RNAs) play a significant role in the cellular progression from a normal phenotype to a cancerous phenotype. Recently, many studies have shown that there are two essential regulatory ncRNAs, miRNAs (microRNAs) and lncRNAs, which are closely related to EMT. In this review, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the dysregulated lncRNAs and miRNAs in gliomas with particular attention to the function and regulatory mechanisms of several important lncRNAs and miRNAs, and we discussed their roles as glioma diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and their potential clinical applications as therapeutic targets., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Background: Homeobox C6 (HOXC6) is one of several HOXC genes and is frequently overexpressed in multiple cancers. However, the function and mechanism of HOXC6 in glioma remain unclear., Methods: The expression level of HOXC6 and its relationship with prognosis in glioma were determined through the TCGA database. The expressions of HOXC6 mRNA in glioblastoma tissues and normal brain tissues were detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. To explore the role of HOXC6 in glioma, a lentiviral vector that expressed HOXC6-shRNA was constructed and transfected into glioma U87 cells. The expression levels of HOXC6 and WNT inhibitory factor 1 (WIF-1) in the glioma U87 cells after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA were measured by real-time PCR and Western blot． CCK-8, colony formation and EdU assays were used to measure the effects of HOXC6 on U87 cell proliferation, and flow cytometry was used to monitor the changes in the cell cycle and cell apoptosis after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA. Xenograft tumors were examined in vivo for the carcinogenic effects and prognostic value of HOXC6 in glioma tissues., Results: In this study, HOXC6 was highly expressed in human glioma tissues, and a high expression of HOXC6 was associated with poor prognosis in GBM patients. We demonstrated that HOXC6 was highly expressed in human GBM tissues and three glioma cell lines. The knockdown of HOXC6 expression significantly inhibited the proliferation and colony formation ability of U87 cells by blocking cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase and induced apoptosis. In addition, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of WIF-1 were substantially increased after transfection with HOXC6-shRNA compared with Ctrl-shRNA in vitro. Consistent with the results of the in vitro assays, the xenograft assay and immunohistochemistry also demonstrated that in response to HOXC6 inhibition, the tumor growth and Ki-67 expression level were inhibited and the WIF-1 expression was increased in vivo., Conclusions: In conclusion, the results of the current study indicate that HOXC6 promotes glioma U87 cell growth through the WIF-1/Wnt signaling pathway and HOXC6 might be a novel target in clinical treatment for gliomas., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

BRAF activated non-coding RNA (BANCR) is often dysregulated in cancer. We performed a meta-analysis to clarify its functions as a prognostic indicator in malignant tumors. We searched the PubMed, Medline, OVID, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to identify BANCR-related studies. Nine original studies and 898 total patients were included in the meta-analysis. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were extracted from the included studies to determine the relationship between BANCR expression and patient overall survival (OS). Odds ratios (OR) were calculated using RevMan 5.3 software to assess associations between BANCR expression and pathological parameters. High BANCR expression correlated with lymph node metastasis (LNM) (OR = 3.41, 95% CI: 1.82-6.37, P = 0.0001), distant metastasis (DM) (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.76-5.07, P < 0.0001), tumor stage (OR = 3.11, 95% CI: 1.89-5.12, Z = 3.25, P < 0.0001), and poor OS (pooled HR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.20-3.27, P = 0.008) in gastrointestinal (GI) cancer patients, but not in non-GI cancer patients. Our results support the notion that BANCR as a promising prognostic biomarker in Chinese patients with GI cancer.