Experts Show Potential of miR-100 Against MCL Cell Proliferation

Findings from a clinical study suggest that miR-100 may be an anti-mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) gene (Exp Hematol Oncol. 2020;9:25).

“miR-100 is reported to be associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. However, the function of miR-100 in [MCL] is unknown,” wrote Xudong Ma, MD, Department of Hematology, Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, China, and colleagues, who sought to evaluate the abnormal expression of miR-100 and mTOR in MCL alongside their potential biologic function and pathogenesis.

Using and 3 cell lines (Jeko-1, Mino, Granta-519), 18 MCL tissue samples of proliferative lymphadenitis from patients with the disease, and 18 samples of peripheral lymphocyte cells from healthy volunteers, Dr Ma et al conducted this research study.

RT-PCR was used to detect miR-100 and mTOR mRNA expression and alteration, and Western blot was used to explore the expression and alteration of mTOR protein.

Dr Ma and colleagues also used a double luciferase experiment to verify miR-100 targeting at the mTOR-3'-UTR, with the interface between miR-100 and mTOR studied further via recovery experiments.

According to the findings, miR-100 mRNA expression in MCL tissues and cell lines was lower, than that of the mTOR protein. In addition, a negative correlation was observed between miR-100 and mTOR in MCL tissues and cell lines.

The investigators suggested that the promotion of miR-100 and inhibition of mTOR could inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell apoptosis, and block the G1 phase cell cycle. Furthermore, mTOR was one of the target genes of miR-100, according to a double luciferase reporter assay.

Of note, PV-mTOR-up partly set off the effect of LV-miR-100-up on decreasing mTOR expression, inhibiting proliferation, inducing apoptosis, and blocking the cell cycle in G1 phase in Jeko-1 and Mino cells, as per the recovery experiment.

“Abnormal expression of miR-100 and mTOR was found in MCL, which included downregulation of miR-100 and upregulation of mTOR. The expression of mTOR is negatively correlated with miR-100. It may play an important role in MCL pathogenesis,” Dr Ma and co-investigators reported.

“miR-100 up-regulation can inhibit cell proliferation, promote cell apoptosis, and inhibit cell cycle in G1 phase by targeting the mTOR gene. miR-100 may potentially be an anti-mantle cell lymphoma gene,” they concluded.—Hina Porcelli