Rahbar, M. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2025

namiRa: A Comprehensive, Manually Curated Database for MicroRNA Expression, Function, and Deregulation in Cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have the potential to serve as oncogenes or tumor suppressors, playing important roles in the pathogenesis of human cancers. Despite the growing recognition of miRNA significance, the contributed information remains scattered in the publications. This fragmentation underscores the need for a centralized and comprehensive database that consolidates miRNA expression patterns, functional roles, and regulatory interactions across diverse cancer types. So far, several miRNA databases have been developed, but neither of them enables in-depth functional analysis or comparative visualization of miRNA data. Here, we present namiRa, a manually curated database, to offer a comprehensive resource for miRNA expression and functional significance in various types of cancer, describing miRNA-cancer associations based on a thorough review of the literature. namiRa provides an extensive collection of miRNA expression profiles, detection methods, functional analyses for miRNAs in vitro and in vivo, and visualized regulatory networks across different cancer types. The current version of namiRa documents curated relationships between 1,077 human miRNAs and 33 types of human cancers, based on data from 9,884 published papers. namiRa is accessible at https://www.namira-db.com.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2024

hsa-miR-9-5p highly expressed in syncytiotrophoblast-derived extracellular vesicles from early-onset preeclampsia impairs cerebral microvascular endothelial cell pro-angiogenic capacity

BackgroundCerebrovascular complications are the leading cause of maternal mortality associated with preeclampsia. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) containing microRNAs (miRNAs) and derived from syncytiotrophoblast (STB-EVs) are suspected to play a role in these complications. Previously, we found that STB-EVs from the placentas of women with preeclampsia have a higher content of the angiogenesis regulator hsa-miR-9-5p. We now investigate the effects of hsa-miR-9-5p on the proangiogenic properties of brain endothelial cells and identify potential protein targets involved in these processes. MethodsBrain endothelial cells (hCMEC/D3) were treated with hsa-miR-9-5p (0, 5 and 10 nM) to assess cell viability and proliferation. Additionally, cell migration and proteomic profile in hCMEC/D3 treated with hsa-miR-9-5p (10 nM) were also analyzed. ResultsCompared to control, hsa-miR-9-5p significantly reduced hCMEC/D3 cell proliferation and migration without affecting cell viability. Proteomic analysis identified several vital proteins potentially mediating these effects, including vascular endothelial growth factor type C (VEGFC), placental growth factor (PLGF or PGF), and platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB). Treatment with hsa-miR-9-5p did not impair the capacity of hCMEC/D3 to respond to tumour necrosis factor- (TNF-). Conclusionhsa-miR-9-5p reduces hCMEC/D3 cell proliferation and migration, and modulates the expression of angiogenic regulators such as VEGFC, PLGF, and PDGFB, without affecting TNF- mediated activation of hCMEC/D3. This suggests that STB-EVs cargo hsa-miR-9-5p may selectively inhibit the proangiogenic capacity of brain endothelial cells. These findings enhance our understanding of cerebrovascular alterations in preeclampsia and may guide future studies and therapeutic interventions.

physiology↗