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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as a Novel Detection and Quantification Method
Published on: October 7, 2025
Identification and Characterization of MicroRNAs Associated with Borax-mediated Anti-tumor Activity through
Wenbo Zhou1, Fen Sheng1, Jiao Zhou2
1Department of Hepatobiliary, Breast and thyroid Surgery, Experiment Center of Medicine, Sinopharm Dongfeng General Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, 442008, Hubei, P.R. China.
Objective:
The primary aim of this study was to explore the involvement of miRNAs in the anti-tumor effects of borax through high-throughput sequencing analysis.
Methods:
Total RNA was extracted and purified from HepG2 cells treated with 4 mM borax for 2 or 24 hours. The samples were subjected to microarray analysis using a human miRNA array. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified through a volcano plot and heatmap analysis and validated using quantitative PCR. A proteinprotein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, and hub genes were identified using Cytoscape software.
Results:
Exposure to borax significantly altered miRNA expression levels in HepG2 cells. After 2 or 24 hours of borax treatment, 14 miRNAs were upregulated, respectively, while 3 miRNAs were downregulated compared to the control group (≥2- fold change, P<0.05). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the target genes of differentially expressed miRNAs were primarily involved in the MAPK, TGF-β, and NFκB signaling pathways in the 2-hour treatment group. In contrast, the 24-hour treatment group showed involvement in the Ras signaling pathway, the forkhead box O signaling pathway, and cellular senescence. PPI network analysis identified NACC2, CACNB1, and FZD6 as hub genes in the 2-hour treatment group, while CDK6, BCL-2, IGF1R, BTG2, AGO2, and DLGAP3 were identified as hub genes in the 24-hour treatment group.
Discussion:
The findings suggested that the anti-tumor effects of borax may be associated with changes in miRNA expression.
Conclusion:
This study established a potential miRNA-mRNA regulatory network related to tumor biology, providing a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms and offering new therapeutic targets for liver cancer.
