Exploring the microRNA-mRNA regulatory network associated with solasonine in bladder cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Solasonine demonstrates inhibitory effects against bladder cancer (BC).
• The precise molecular mechanisms underlying solasonine's anti-tumor activity in BC are not fully understood.
• Investigating microRNA (miRNA)-mediated regulation is crucial for elucidating these mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the association between miRNA-mediated regulation and the anti-tumor activities of solasonine in bladder cancer.
• To construct a comprehensive solasonine-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network.
• To identify key miRNAs and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) involved in solasonine's anti-BC effects.

Main Methods:

• MicroRNA (miRNA) sequencing was employed to identify differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) in BC cells treated with solasonine.
• Functional enrichment analyses were performed on activated and inhibited DE-miRNAs.
• Bioinformatic approaches, including survival analysis, expression assessment, and protein-protein interaction analysis, were used to identify hub DE-miRNAs and core downstream genes.

Main Results:

• A total of 46 solasonine-mediated DE-miRNAs (27 activated, 19 inhibited) were identified, linked to tumor-related biological functions.
• Nine hub DE-miRNAs with prognostic value and differential expression in BC were identified.
• A solasonine-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network was constructed, involving 30 core downstream genes, with hsa-miR-450b-5p identified as a key regulator.

Conclusions:

• A novel regulatory network involving solasonine, miRNAs, and mRNAs in bladder cancer was successfully constructed.
• This network offers significant insights into the molecular mechanisms driving solasonine's anti-cancer efficacy in BC.
• hsa-miR-450b-5p plays a pivotal role in the anti-bladder cancer effects mediated by solasonine.