miR-195 and miR-549a Are Essential Biomarkers for Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Molecular Biology
• Genomics

Background:

• Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer mortality globally.
• Early-onset CRC (EO-CRC) in individuals under 50 presents with worse prognosis and necessitates novel biomarkers.
• Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are emerging as promising biomarkers in various cancers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) in EO-CRC compared to late-onset CRC (LO-CRC).
• To investigate the potential of identified miRNAs as diagnostic or prognostic biomarkers for EO-CRC.
• To elucidate the molecular pathways regulated by these miRNAs in EO-CRC.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of sequencing data from NCBI Bioproject PRJNA787417.
• Identification of differentially expressed miRNAs using log fold change >1 and adjusted p-value <0.05.
• Prediction of mRNA targets via ENCORI and pathway enrichment analysis using SHINYGO.

Main Results:

• A 25-ncRNA signature specific to EO-CRC was identified.
• Key miRNAs include downregulated hsa-miR-195 and upregulated hsa-miR-549a.
• Enrichment analysis implicated MAPK, PI3K, VEGF, and KRAS pathways, crucial for angiogenesis, migration, and invasion.

Conclusions:

• A 25-gene deregulated signature in EO-CRC highlights potential biomarkers.
• hsa-miR-195 and hsa-miR-549a are clinically relevant biomarkers in EO-CRC.
• Dysregulation of these miRNAs may drive aggressive features and poor outcomes in EO-CRC.