Gene Co-Expression and miRNA Regulation: A Path to Early Intervention in Colorectal Cancer

Early diagnosis and intervention are pivotal in reducing colorectal Cancer (CRC) incidence and enhancing patient outcomes. In this study, we focused on three genes, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, which exhibit high co-expression and play crucial roles in suppressing early-stage CRC. Our objective was to identify key miRNAs that can mitigate CRC tumorigenesis and modulate the co-expression network involving these genes. We conducted a comprehensive analysis using large-scale tissue mRNA data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Gene Expression Omnibus to validate the co-expression of AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB, and to assess their diagnostic and prognostic significance in CRC. mRNA-miRNA interactions were examined using MiRNet and the Encyclopedia of RNA Interactomes. Furthermore, using various molecular techniques, we conducted miRNA inhibitor transfection experiments in HCT116 cells to evaluate their effects on cell growth, migration, and gene/protein expression. Our findings revealed that, compared to normal tissues, AQP8, GUCA2B, and SPIB exhibited high co-expression and were downregulated in CRC, particularly during tumorigenesis. OncoMirs, hsa-miR-182-5p, and hsa-miR-27a-3p, were predicted to regulate these genes. MiRNA inhibition experiments in HCT116 cells demonstrated the inhibitory effects of miR-27a-3p and miR-182-5p on GUCA2B mRNA and protein expression. These miRNAs promoted the proliferation of CRC cells, possibly through their involvement in the GUCA2B-GUCY2C axis, which is known to promote tumor growth. While the expressions of AQP8 and SPIB were barely detectable, their regulatory relationship with hsa-miR-182-5p remained inconclusive. Our study confirms that hsa-miR-27a-3p and hsa-miR-182-5p are oncomiRs in CRC. These miRNAs may contribute to GUCY2C dysregulation by downregulating GUCA2B, which encodes uroguanylin. Consequently, hsa-miR-182-5p and hsa-miR-27a-3p show promise as potential targets for early intervention and treatment in the early stages of CRC.