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Updated: Jan 13, 2026
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miRNA Expression Analyses in Prostate Cancer Clinical Tissues
Published on: September 8, 2015
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MicroRNAs in Prostate Cancer Liquid Biopsies: Early Detection, Prognosis, and Treatment Monitoring
Seyyed Mohammad Yaghoubi1,2, Erfan Zare3,4, Sina Jafari Dargahlou5
1Department of Plant, Cell and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran.
Cells
|January 9, 2026
Summary
Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) show promise as non-invasive biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) detection and monitoring. These biomarkers can improve early diagnosis, predict treatment response, and guide personalized oncology strategies.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Prostate cancer (PCa) is a global health concern with rising incidence.
- Current diagnostic methods like PSA testing and biopsy have limitations in specificity and invasiveness.
- Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as stable, non-invasive biomarkers detectable in liquid biopsies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of circulating miRNAs as biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) management.
- To investigate the role of specific miRNAs in PCa diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment response.
- To highlight the utility of miRNA panels for risk stratification and personalized therapy.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of circulating miRNA expression profiles in liquid biopsies (blood, urine, semen).
- Correlation of specific miRNA patterns with PCa aggressiveness, metastatic status, and treatment outcomes.
- Evaluation of dynamic miRNA changes during therapies like androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) and chemotherapy.
Main Results:
- Distinct miRNA expression patterns correlate with PCa aggressiveness and metastatic potential (e.g., miR-141, miR-375, let-7 family, miR-326).
- miRNA levels dynamically change during treatment, indicating therapy response or resistance (e.g., miR-21, miR-125b, miR-23b/-27b, miR-200b/c, miR-20a).
- Multi-miRNA panels demonstrate enhanced accuracy for risk stratification and monitoring compared to single markers.
Conclusions:
- Circulating miRNAs offer a promising avenue for non-invasive PCa early detection and improved diagnostics.
- miRNA profiling can provide valuable prognostic information and real-time therapeutic guidance.
- Further validation and standardization are needed for clinical implementation of miRNA-based assays in precision oncology for PCa.
