Circulating miRNA as Diagnostic, Prognostic, and Predictive Biomarkers in NSCLC

A paper titled “Circulating miRNA panels as a novel non-invasive diagnostic, prognostic, and potential predictive biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)” was recently published in the British Journal of Cancer by Maryam Abdipourbozorgbaghi et al.

Significant insights are provided by this study into the potential use of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers, which could greatly enhance early detection and treatment strategies for NSCLC.

BACKGROUND:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is characterized by its aggressiveness and poor prognosis. The importance of early detection and accurate prediction of therapeutic responses for improving patient outcomes is emphasized. In the present study, the potential of circulating microRNA (miRNA) as non-invasive biomarkers in patients with NSCLC was investigated.

METHODS:

miRNA expression was quantified in plasma samples from 122 participants (78 NSCLC patients; 44 healthy controls). Bioinformatic tools were employed to identify miRNA panels for accurate NSCLC diagnosis. Validation was performed using an independent publicly available dataset consisting of more than 4000 NSCLC patients. Correlations between miRNA expression and clinicopathological information were made to identify independent prognostic miRNAs and those predictive of response to anti-PD-1 treatment.

RESULTS:

miRNA panels for lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) diagnosis were identified. The LUAD panel includes seven circulating miRNAs (miR-9-3p, miR-96-5p, miR-147b-3p, miR-196a-5p, miR-708-3p, miR-708-5p, miR-4652-5p), while the LUSC panel comprises nine miRNAs (miR-130b-3p, miR-269-3p, miR-301a-5p, miR-301b-5p, miR-744-3p, miR-760, miR-767-5p, miR-4652-5p, miR-6499-3p). Additionally, miR-135b-5p, miR-196a-5p, miR-31-5p (LUAD), and miR-205 (LUSC) were identified as independent prognostic markers for survival. Furthermore, two miRNA clusters, miR-183/96/182 and miR-767/105, were found to exhibit predictive potential in LUAD patients treated with anti-PD-1 therapy.

CONCLUSIONS:

Circulating miRNA signatures demonstrate diagnostic and prognostic value for NSCLC and may guide treatment decisions in clinical practice.

Maryam Abdipourbozorgbaghi is a Master’s thesis student at the Oncogenomics Research Laboratory at the University of Bern. She is pursuing an MSc in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology.