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Neuroblastoma is one of the most challenging malignancies of childhood, being associated with the highest death rate in paediatric oncology, underlining the need for novel therapeutic approaches. Typically, patients with high risk disease undergo an initial remission in response to treatment, followed by disease recurrence that has become refractory to further treatment. Here, we demonstrate the first silica nanoparticle-based targeted delivery of a tumor suppressive, pro-apoptotic microRNA, miR-34a, to neuroblastoma tumors in a murine orthotopic xenograft model. These tumors express high levels of the cell surface antigen disialoganglioside GD2 (GD(2)), providing a target for tumor-specific delivery. Nanoparticles encapsulating miR-34a and conjugated to a GD(2) antibody facilitated tumor-specific delivery following systemic administration into tumor bearing mice, resulted in significantly decreased tumor growth, increased apoptosis and a reduction in vascularisation. We further demonstrate a novel, multi-step molecular mechanism by which miR-34a leads to increased levels of the tissue inhibitor metallopeptidase 2 precursor (TIMP2) protein, accounting for the highly reduced vascularisation noted in miR-34a-treated tumors. These novel findings highlight the potential of anti-GD(2)-nanoparticle-mediated targeted delivery of miR-34a for both the treatment of GD(2)-expressing tumors, and as a basic discovery tool for elucidating biological effects of novel miRNAs on tumor growth.

ABSTRACT Background Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer which originates from precursor cells of the sympathetic nervous system and accounts for 15% of childhood cancer mortalities. With regards to the role of miRNAs in neuroblastoma, miR-34a, mapping to a chromosome 1p36 region that is commonly deleted, has been found to act as a tumor suppressor through targeting of numerous genes associated with cell proliferation and apoptosis. Methods A synthetic miR-34a (or negative control) precursor molecule was transfected into NB1691 luc and SK-N-AS luc neuroblastoma cells. Quantitative PCR was used to verify increased miR-34a levels in NB1691 luc and SK-N-AS luc cell lines prior to in vitro and in vivo analysis. In vitro analysis of the effects of miR-34a over expression on cell growth, cell cycle and phosphoprotein activation in signal transduction pathways was performed. Neuroblastoma cells over expressing miR-34a were injected retroperitoneally into immunocompromised CB17-SCID mice and tumor burden was assessed over a 21 day period by measuring bioluminescence (photons/sec/cm 2 ). Results Over expression of miR-34a in both NB1691 luc and SK-N-AS luc neuroblastoma cell lines led to a significant decrease in cell number relative to premiR-negative control treated cells over a 72 hour period. Flow cytometry results indicated that miR-34a induced cell cycle arrest and subsequent apoptosis activation. Phosphoprotein analysis highlighted key elements involved in signal transduction, whose activation was dysregulated as a result of miR-34a introduction into cells. As a potential mechanism of miR-34a action on phosphoprotein levels, we demonstrate that miR-34a over-expression results in a significant reduction of MAP3K9 mRNA and protein levels. Although MAP3K9 is a predicted target of miR-34a, direct targeting could not be validated with luciferase reporter assays. Despite this fact, any functional effects of reduced MAP3K9 expression as a result of miR-34a would be expected to be similar regardless of the mechanism involved. Most notably, in vivo studies showed that tumor growth was significantly repressed after exogenous miR-34a administration in retroperitoneal neuroblastoma tumors. Conclusion We demonstrate for the first time that miR-34a significantly reduces tumor growth in an in vivo orthotopic murine model of neuroblastoma and identified novel effects that miR-34a has on phospho-activation of key proteins involved with apoptosis.

Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) is a common pathological finding in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and is associated with altered expression of genes controlling neuronal excitability, glial function, neuroinflammation and cell death. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNAs, function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and are critical for normal brain development and function. Production of mature miRNAs requires Dicer, an RNAase III, loss of which has been shown to cause neuronal and glial dysfunction, seizures, and neurodegeneration. Here we investigated miRNA biogenesis in hippocampal and neocortical resection specimens from pharmacoresistant TLE patients and autopsy controls. Western blot analysis revealed protein levels of Dicer were significantly lower in certain TLE patients with HS. Dicer levels were also reduced in the hippocampus of mice subject to experimentally-induced epilepsy. To determine if Dicer loss was associated with altered miRNA processing, we profiled levels of 380 mature miRNAs in control and TLE-HS samples. Expression of nearly 200 miRNAs was detected in control human hippocampus. In TLE-HS samples there was a large-scale reduction of miRNA expression, with 51% expressed at lower levels and a further 24% not detectable. Primary transcript (pri-miRNAs) expression levels for several tested miRNAs were not different between control and TLE-HS samples. These findings suggest loss of Dicer and failure of mature miRNA expression may be a feature of the pathophysiology of HS in patients with TLE.

Background Neuroblastoma is a paediatric cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. The single most important genetic indicator of poor clinical outcome is amplification of the MYCN transcription factor. One of many down-stream MYCN targets is miR-184, which is either directly or indirectly repressed by this transcription factor, possibly due to its pro-apoptotic effects when ectopically over-expressed in neuroblastoma cells. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism by which miR-184 conveys pro-apoptotic effects. Results We demonstrate that the knock-down of endogenous miR-184 has the opposite effect of ectopic up-regulation, leading to enhanced neuroblastoma cell numbers. As a mechanism of how miR-184 causes apoptosis when over-expressed, and increased cell numbers when inhibited, we demonstrate direct targeting and degradation of AKT2 , a major downstream effector of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, one of the most potent pro-survival pathways in cancer. The pro-apoptotic effects of miR-184 ectopic over-expression in neuroblastoma cell lines is reproduced by siRNA inhibition of AKT2 , while a positive effect on cell numbers similar to that obtained by the knock-down of endogenous miR-184 can be achieved by ectopic up-regulation of AKT2 . Moreover, co-transfection of miR-184 with an AKT2 expression vector lacking the miR-184 target site in the 3'UTR rescues cells from the pro-apoptotic effects of miR-184. Conclusions MYCN contributes to tumorigenesis, in part, by repressing miR-184, leading to increased levels of AKT2 , a direct target of miR-184. Thus, two important genes with positive effects on cell growth and survival, MYCN and AKT2 , can be linked into a common genetic pathway through the actions of miR-184. As an inhibitor of AKT2 , miR-184 could be of potential benefit in miRNA mediated therapeutics of MYCN amplified neuroblastoma and other forms of cancer.

Background Neuroblastoma is responsible for 15% of all childhood cancer deaths. Despite advances in treatment and disease management, the overall 5-year survival rates remain poor in high-risk disease (25-40%). MiR-497 was previously identified by our laboratory as a member of a miRNA expression signature, predictive of neuroblastoma patient survival and has been reported as a tumor suppressor in a variety of other cancers. WEE1 , a tyrosine kinase regulator of the cell cycle and predicted target of miR-497, has emerged as an oncogene in several cancer types and therefore represents an attractive potential target for novel therapy approaches in high-risk neuroblastoma. Our aim was to investigate the potential tumor suppressive role of miR-497 in high-risk neuroblastoma. Methods Expression levels of miR-497 and WEE1 in tissues and cells were determined using RT-PCR. The effect of miR-497 and siWEE1 on cell viability was evaluated using MTS assays, apoptosis levels were determined using FACS analysis of Annexin V/PI stained cells, and target protein expression was determined using western blot. Luciferase reporter plasmids were constructed to confirm direct targeting. Results were reported as mean±S.E.M and differences were tested for significance using 2-tailed Students t-test. Results We determined that miR-497 expression was significantly lower in high-risk MYCN amplified (MNA) tumors and that low miR-497 expression was associated with worse EFS and OS in our cohort. Over-expression of miR-497 reduced cell viability and increased apoptosis in MNA cells. We identified WEE1 as a novel target for miR-497 in neuroblastoma. Furthermore, our analysis showed that high WEE1 levels are significantly associated with poor EFS and OS in neuroblastoma and that siRNA knockdown of WEE1 in MNA cell lines results in significant levels of apoptosis, supporting an oncogenic role of WEE1 in neuroblastoma. Cisplatin (CDDP) treatment of both miR-497 over-expressing cells and WEE1 inhibited cells, resulted in a significant increase in apoptosis in MNA cells, describing a synergistic effect and therefore a potential therapeutic for high-risk neuroblastoma. Conclusion Our study’s results are consistent with miR-497 being a candidate tumor suppressor in neuroblastoma, through the direct targeting of WEE1 . These findings re-enforce the proposal of WEE1 as a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma.

MiRNAs regulate gene expression at a post-transcriptional level and their dysregulation can play major roles in the pathogenesis of many different forms of cancer, including neuroblastoma, an often fatal paediatric cancer originating from precursor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. We have analyzed a set of neuroblastoma (n = 145) that is broadly representative of the genetic subtypes of this disease for miRNA expression (430 loci by stem-loop RT qPCR) and for DNA copy number alterations (array CGH) to assess miRNA involvement in disease pathogenesis. The tumors were stratified and then randomly split into a training set (n = 96) and a validation set (n = 49) for data analysis. Thirty-seven miRNAs were significantly over- or under-expressed in MYCN amplified tumors relative to MYCN single copy tumors, indicating a potential role for the MYCN transcription factor in either the direct or indirect dysregulation of these loci. In addition, we also determined that there was a highly significant correlation between miRNA expression levels and DNA copy number, indicating a role for large-scale genomic imbalances in the dysregulation of miRNA expression. In order to directly assess whether miRNA expression was predictive of clinical outcome, we used the Random Forest classifier to identify miRNAs that were most significantly associated with poor overall patient survival and developed a 15 miRNA signature that was predictive of overall survival with 72.7% sensitivity and 86.5% specificity in the validation set of tumors. We conclude that there is widespread dysregulation of miRNA expression in neuroblastoma tumors caused by both over-expression of the MYCN transcription factor and by large-scale chromosomal imbalances. MiRNA expression patterns are also predicative of clinical outcome, highlighting the potential for miRNA mediated diagnostics and therapeutics.

Neuroblastoma is a highly heterogeneous tumor accounting for 15 % of all pediatric cancer deaths. Clinical behavior ranges from the spontaneous regression of localized, asymptomatic tumors, as well as metastasized tumors in infants, to rapid progression and resistance to therapy. Genomic amplification of the MYCN oncogene has been used to predict outcome in neuroblastoma for over 30 years, however, recent methodological advances including miRNA and mRNA profiling, comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH), and whole-genome sequencing have enabled the detailed analysis of the neuroblastoma genome, leading to the identification of new prognostic markers and better patient stratification. In this review, we will describe the main genetic factors responsible for these diverse clinical phenotypes in neuroblastoma, the chronology of their discovery, and the impact on patient prognosis.

MiRNAs can have pleiotropic effects by targeting multiple genes belonging to diverse signalling networks. Alternatively, miRNAs can enhance the potency of their cellular effects by targeting multiple genes within the same genetic pathway. Previously, we and others have demonstrated that miR-335 is a potent suppressor of tumour cell migration, invasion and metastasis, in part by targeting several genes involved in these cellular processes, including ROCK1, MAPK1, LRG1, SP1 and SOX4. Here, we demonstrate that direct targeting of multiple members of the formin family of actin nucleators contributes to the inhibitory effects of miR-335 in neuroblastoma cells. We demonstrate that miR-335 regulates the expression of at least five formin family members and validate three family members, FMNL3, FMN2 and DAAM2, as direct targets of miR-335. The contribution of the formin family genes to cancer progression and metastasis has recently begun to emerge and here we demonstrate for the first time the ability of FMN2 and DAAM2 to regulate tumour cell migration and invasion, using siRNA-mediated inhibition of each of these formin genes. Finally, we demonstrate that the formin genes, in particular FMNL3, are responsible for the protrusion of actin-rich filopodia structures that contribute to the enhanced migratory and invasive potential associated with reduced expression of miR-335. Thus, direct targeting of the formin family contributes to the metastasis suppressing abilities of miR-335 by providing a direct regulatory link to the actin assembly machinery of the cell. We conclude that miR-335 is a master regulator of tumour cell migration and invasion by directly targeting a plethora of genes that effectively control cell migratory processes.

MicroRNAs are small molecules which regulate gene expression post-transcriptionally and aberrant expression of several miRNAs is associated with neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer arising from precursor cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Amplification of the MYCN transcription factor characterizes the most clinically aggressive subtype of this disease, and although alteration of p53 signaling is not commonly found in primary tumors, deregulation of proteins involved in this pathway frequently arise in recurrent disease after pharmacological treatment. TH-MYCN is a well-characterized transgenic model of MYCN-driven neuroblastoma which recapitulates many clinicopathologic features of the human disease. Here, we evaluate the dysregulation of miRNAs in tumors from TH-MYCN mice that are either wild-type (TH-MYCN) or deficient (TH-MYCN/p53ER(TAM)) for the p53 tumor suppressor gene. We analyzed the expression of 591 miRNAs in control (adrenal) and neuroblastoma tumor tissues derived from either TH-MYCN or TH-MYCN/p53ER(TAM) mice, respectively wild-type or deficient in p53. Comparing miRNA expression in tumor and control samples, we identified 159 differentially expressed miRNAs. Using data previously obtained from human neuroblastoma samples, we performed a comparison of miRNA expression between murine and human tumors to assess the concordance between murine and human expression data. Notably, the miR-17-5p-92 oncogenic polycistronic cluster, which is over-expressed in human MYCN amplified tumors, was over-expressed in mouse tumors. Moreover, analyzing miRNAs expression in a mouse model (TH-MYCN/p53ER(TAM)) possessing a transgenic p53 allele that drives the expression of an inactive protein, we identified miR-125b-3p and miR-676 as directly or indirectly regulated by the level of functional p53. Our study represents the first miRNA profiling of an important mouse model of neuroblastoma. Similarities and differences in miRNAs expression between human and murine neuroblastoma were identified, providing important insight into the efficacy of this mouse model for assessing miRNA involvement in neuroblastoma and their potential effectiveness as therapeutic targets.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a neural crest-derived tumor, which develops before birth or in early childhood, with metastatic dissemination typically preceding diagnosis. Tumors are characterized by a highly heterogeneous combination of cellular phenotypes demonstrating varying degrees of differentiation along different lineage pathways, and possessing distinct super-enhancers and core regulatory circuits, thereby leading to highly varied malignant potential and divergent clinical outcomes. Cytoskeletal reorganization is fundamental to cellular transformations, including the processes of cellular differentiation and epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), previously reported by our lab and others to coincide with chemotherapy resistance and enhanced metastatic ability of tumor cells. This study set out to investigate the ability of the neuronal miR-124-3p to reverse the cellular transformation associated with drug resistance development and assess the anti-oncogenic role of this miRNA in in vitro models of drug-resistant adrenergic (ADRN) and mesenchymal (MES) neuroblastoma cell lines. Low expression of miR-124-3p in a cohort of neuroblastomas was significantly associated with poor overall and progression-free patient survival. Over-expression of miR-124-3p in vitro inhibited cell viability through the promotion of cell cycle arrest and induction of apoptosis in addition to sensitizing drug-resistant cells to chemotherapeutics in a panel of morphologically distinct neuroblastoma cell lines. Finally, we describe miR-124-3p direct targeting and repression of key up-regulated cytoskeletal genes including MYH9 , ACTN4 and PLEC and the reversal of the resistance-associated EMT and enhanced invasive capacity previously reported in our in vitro model (SK-N-ASCis24).