Screening key miRNAs and genes in prostate cancer by microarray analysis.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) is a leading cause of cancer death in men, with underlying mechanisms not fully understood.
• Identifying molecular differences between PCa and normal tissues is crucial for understanding disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differentially expressed messenger RNAs (DEmRNAs) and microRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in prostate cancer.
• To explore the functional roles and interactions of these key molecules.
• To validate potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PCa.

Main Methods:

• Microarray analysis to identify DEmRNAs and DEmiRNAs between PCa and non-tumor samples.
• Functional annotation, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction, and pathway analysis.
• Validation using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data and survival analysis.

Main Results:

• Identified 91 DEmRNAs and 62 DEmiRNAs.
• Highlighted Thrombospondin-4 precursor (THBS4) as a significantly up-regulated DEmRNA and its interaction with COL1A1.
• Confirmed prognostic value of ABCC4 and EDNRB, and identified THSD4 as a down-regulated DEmRNA regulated by specific miRNAs.
• Observed consistency between microarray findings and TCGA data.

Conclusions:

• Key DEmRNAs and DEmiRNAs in PCa were identified.
• These findings provide insights into PCa molecular mechanisms.
• The identified molecules represent potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for prostate cancer.