Metastatic melanoma, the primary cause of skin cancer-related death, warrants new therapeutic approaches that target the regulatory machinery at molecular level. While long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated in a number of cancer types, limited data are available on the expression and function of lncRNAs in melanoma metastasis. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the role of 6 metastasis-related lncRNAs in pairs of primary melanoma and matched lymph node metastatic tissues. Among the tested lncRNAs, HOTAIR was the most highly expressed in lymph node metastasis. The role of HOTAIR in melanoma cell motility and invasion was further evaluated by knocking down HOTAIR with siRNAs. Knockdown of HOTAIR resulted in the reduction of motility and invasion of human melanoma cell line A375, as assessed by wound healing assay and Matrigel-based invasion assay. siHOTAIR also suppressed the degradation of gelatin matrix, suggesting that HOTAIR promotes gelatinase activity. Together, our study shows that HOTAIR is overexpressed in metastatic tissue, which is associated with the ability of HOTAIR to promote melanoma cell motility and invasion. These data indicate that lncRNAs may be involved in the metastasis of melanoma and provide support for further evaluation of lncRNAs in melanoma.

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the major risk factors to human health and human studies on association between gut microbiota and hypertension or blood pressure have received increased attention. In the present study, we aim to evaluate gut microbiota dysbiosis in human hypertension using a method of systematic review.Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases were searched until March 2021 to identify eligible articles. Additional articles were also identified by searching specific authors in this field. Inclusion criteria were observational studies based on stool samples with hypertension group and control group. Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale (NOS) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42020212219.Results: A total of 17 studies enrolling 9,085 participants were included. Fifteen of the enrolled studies showed good quality and two studies showed fair quality based on NOS. We found alpha diversity in hypertension decreased significantly and microbial structure can be separated compared with control groups. Gut microbiota of hypertension showed depletion of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) producers and over-growth of some Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes members. Up-regulation of lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis, phosphotransferase system, ABC transporters, etc. and down-regulation of some amino acid metabolism, etc. in hypertension were reported. Fecal SCFAs levels increased and plasma SCFAs levels decreased in hypertension. Stronger microbial interactions in hypertension were seen.Conclusion: In conclusion, gut microbiota dysbiosis was observed in hypertension, including decreased diversity, altered microbial structure, compositional change of taxa, alterations of microbial function, nutritional and immunological factors, and microbial interactions. Poor absorption and high excretion of SCFAs may play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension. These findings may provide insights into etiology study and new microbial-based therapies of hypertension.Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO database, identifier CRD42020212219.

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that profoundly impacts the quality of life of patients worldwide. While it is predominantly observed in adolescents, it can affect individuals across all age groups. Acne pathogenesis is believed to be a result of various endogenous and exogenous factors, but the precise mechanisms remain elusive. Recent studies suggest that dysbiosis of the skin microbiota significantly contributes to acne development. Specifically, Cutibacterium acnes, the dominant resident bacterial species implicated in acne, plays a critical role in disease progression. Various treatments, including topical benzoyl peroxide, systemic antibiotics, and photodynamic therapy, have demonstrated beneficial effects on the skin microbiota composition in acne patients. Of particular interest is the therapeutic potential of probiotics in acne, given its direct influence on the skin microbiota. This review summarizes the alterations in skin microbiota associated with acne, provides insight into its pathogenic role in acne, and emphasizes the potential of therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring microbial homeostasis for acne management.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The gastric microbiota plays a critical role in the development of GC. First, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is considered a major risk factor for GC. However, recent studies based on microbiota sequencing technology have found that non-H. pylori microbes also exert effects on gastric carcinogenesis. Following the infection of H. pylori, gastric microbiota dysbiosis could be observed; the stomach is dominated by H. pylori and the abundances of non-H. pylori microbes reduce substantially. Additionally, decreased microbial diversity, alterations in the microbial community structure, negative interactions between H. pylori and other microbes, etc. occur, as well. With the progression of gastric lesions, the number of H. pylori decreases and the number of non-H. pylori microbes increases correspondingly. Notably, H. pylori and non-H. pylori microbes show different roles in different stages of gastric carcinogenesis. In the present mini-review, we provide an overview of the recent findings regarding the role of the gastric microbiota, including the H. pylori and non-H. pylori microbes, in the development of GC.

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection is a major risk factor for gastric cancer and eradication of H. pylori is recommended as an effective gastric cancer prevention strategy. The infected individuals show microbial dysbiosis of gastric microbiota. In recent years, agrowing number of studies have focused on gastric microbiota changes following H. pylori eradication. In the present study, we aim to evaluate the influence of successful H. pylori eradication on the short-term and long-term alterations of human gastric microbiota using a method of systematic review and meta-analysis.Methods: We did a systematic search based on three databases (PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science) in November 2021. Additional articles were also identified by reviewing references cited in the included papers. Human studies that reported changes in gastric microbiota following successful H. pylori eradication were enrolled. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021293796.Results: In total, nine studies enrolling 546 participants were included. Regarding quadruple therapy, alpha diversity indexes increased within 1 month after eradication; significant differences in gastric microbial community structure between before and after eradication were also seen within 1 month. The trends of the above-mentioned diversity changes persisted with a follow-up of 6 months. The microbial composition altered significantly after eradication and the relative abundance of H. pylori-related taxa decreased. Accordingly, gastric commonly dominant commensals were enriched. Bioinformatic analyses of microbiota functions showed that bacteria reproduction-related pathways were down-regulated and pathways of gastric acid secretion, etc. were up-regulated. For triple therapy, similar trends of alpha diversity and beta diversity changes were observed in the short-term and long-term follow-up. Also, after eradication, H. pylori was not the gastric dominant bacteria and similar changes in gastric microbial composition were found. For gastric microbial interactions, a decrease in microbial interactions was seen after eradication. Additionally, regarding whether successful H. pylori eradication could restore gastric microbiota to uninfected status, the results remain controversial.Conclusion: In conclusion, successful H. pylori eradication could reverse the gastric microbiota dysbiosis and show beneficial effects on gastric microbiota. Our findings may provide new insight for exploring the role of H. pylori and the whole gastric microbiota in gastric carcinogenesis.