Biomarker Potential of Plasma MicroRNA-150-5p in Prostate Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer mortality in men.
• MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are increasingly recognized as key players in PCa development and progression.
• miRNAs hold promise as novel, non-invasive biomarkers for cancer detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile miRNA expression in plasma and tissues of PCa patients.
• To identify and validate candidate miRNAs as potential biomarkers for PCa.
• To investigate the correlation between plasma and tissue miRNA expression in PCa.

Main Methods:

• miRNA profiling was conducted on plasma and tissue samples from PCa patients.
• Candidate miRNAs showing dysregulation in both sample types were selected for validation.
• Quantitative real-time PCR and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis were used for validation and assessment of diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• Five miRNAs (miR-130a-3p, miR-145-5p, miR-148a-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-365a-3p) were commonly dysregulated.
• miR-150-5p was significantly downregulated in both plasma (fold change -2.697, p < 0.001) and tissue (fold change -1.693, p = 0.035) samples.
• Plasma and tissue ROC analyses yielded AUCs of 0.817 and 0.809, respectively, indicating good diagnostic potential.

Conclusions:

• Plasma miR-150-5p levels correlate with prostate cancer tissue expression, suggesting its potential as a non-invasive biomarker.
• The findings support miR-150-5p as a promising candidate for PCa detection and monitoring.
• Further large-scale studies are warranted to confirm the diagnostic utility and biological role of miR-150-5p in PCa.