MetaCancerDB: a database of site-specific RNA-miRNA correlations in cancer metastasis

Cancer metastasis involves complex molecular mechanisms that cannot be fully explained by individual gene expression profiles. Previous studies have shown that correlations between RNA and miRNA expression can capture metastatic behaviour more effectively than expression of individual genes. However, no publicly available databases provide systematic analysis of RNA-miRNA correlations specific to cancer metastasis. We developed an efficient computational method to identify differential correlations between miRNAs and RNAs that are specific to individual tumour samples. Using data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we computed differential correlations for tumour samples across 9 cancer types and 21 metastatic sites, encompassing ~200 million RNA-miRNA pairs. Statistical analysis identified RNA-miRNA pairs with site-specific correlations using Mann-Whitney U-tests. MetaCancerDB contains RNA-miRNA correlation networks for 9 primary cancer types and 21 metastatic sites. Site-specific correlations showed distinct patterns, with lung metastasis displaying the most conserved correlations across cancer types. Survival analysis revealed that specific RNA-miRNA pairs are prognostic for patient outcomes in a metastatic site-dependent manner. MetaCancerDB provides a comprehensive resource for exploring RNA-miRNA correlations in cancer metastasis. The database enables researchers to identify molecular signatures specific to metastatic sites and can serve as a foundation for developing predictive biomarkers. MetaCancerDB is freely available for academic purposes.