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Perturbations of Circulating miRNAs in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Detected Using a Multiplexed High-throughput Gene Expression Platform
Published on: November 30, 2016
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Small non-coding RNA profiling in patients with gastrointestinal cancer
Alessio Molfino1, Marc Beltrà2,3, Maria Ida Amabile4
1Department of Translational and Precision Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
|September 24, 2023
Summary
Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) are dysregulated in gastrointestinal cancer patients, impacting muscle wasting. Circulating microRNAs correlate with muscularity, not weight loss, in cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Oncology
Background:
- Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), including microRNAs and PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs), regulate gene expression.
- Muscle-specific microRNAs (myomiRs) are implicated in cancer-induced muscle wasting.
- Gastrointestinal cancer patients exhibit altered gene expression patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To profile sncRNAs in skeletal muscle and plasma of gastrointestinal cancer patients.
- To investigate the association between differentially expressed sncRNAs and muscularity levels.
- To understand the role of sncRNAs in cancer-related muscle wasting.
Main Methods:
- Recruited surgical patients with gastrointestinal cancer or benign disease.
- Collected blood samples and rectus abdominis muscle biopsies.
- Assessed sncRNAs using RNAseq (muscle) and qPCR (plasma).
- Determined muscularity via CT-scan based skeletal muscle index (SMI).
Main Results:
- Cancer patients showed differential expression of circulating microRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-133a-3p, miR-15b-5p) compared to controls.
- Muscle sncRNA profiling revealed significant dysregulation of microRNAs and piRNAs in cancer patients.
- Increased miR-133a-3p and miR-206 were observed in moderate-high muscularity males.
- Down-regulated microRNAs (miR-15b-5p, miR-106a-5p, miR-106b-5p) targeted genes involved in ubiquitin ligase/transferase activities.
Conclusions:
- Muscle microRNAs and piRNAs are dysregulated in cancer patients, with a sex-specific pattern in microRNAs.
- Changes in circulating microRNAs are linked to the degree of muscularity, not body weight loss.
- These findings highlight the role of sncRNAs in cancer-related muscle pathophysiology.
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