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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
MicroRNA Based Liquid Biopsy: The Experience of the Plasma miRNA Signature Classifier (MSC) for Lung Cancer Screening
Published on: October 26, 2017
Whole blood miRNA expression signatures as predictors of neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in triple-negative breast
Monika Drobniene1,2, Domas Stitilis3, Linas Kunigenas4
1Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Background:
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive malignancy distinguished by resistance to standard breast cancer therapies. The absence of reliable prognostic tools hinders the ability to predict therapeutic response, resulting in some patients receiving treatment that is ineffective yet physically exhausting. miRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression, and their dysregulated profiles in liquid biopsies hold immense potential as minimally invasive biomarkers for monitoring treatment response.
Results:
In this study, we seek to identify miRNAs that may serve as predictive biomarkers for therapeutic responses in patients diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. To achieve this, an in silico analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset is conducted to narrow the list of candidate miRNAs. miRNAs with potential involvement in TNBC were selected for clinical validation in whole-blood samples of TNBC patients before and after therapy. The RT-qPCR-based expression analysis revealed significant predictive potential of miR-340-5p, miR-1307-3p, miR-185-5p, and miR-30a-3p.
Conclusions:
Our study identified that dysregulated miRNA signatures can serve as independent indicators for therapeutic monitoring. Notably, the combined multi-miRNA expression panel offers a robust, superior predictive value for stratifying treatment response and tracking disease progression in TNBC patients.
Insights
Researchers identified specific microRNAs (miRNAs) that can predict treatment effectiveness in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This discovery offers hope for personalized therapies and better patient outcomes in TNBC management.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Molecular Biology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) presents significant therapeutic challenges due to its aggressive nature and resistance to conventional treatments.
- Lack of effective prognostic tools leads to suboptimal patient care, with some receiving ineffective and burdensome therapies.
- MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are emerging as promising minimally invasive biomarkers in liquid biopsies for monitoring treatment response.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that can serve as predictive biomarkers for therapeutic response in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients.
- To validate candidate miRNAs through clinical analysis of patient blood samples.
Main Methods:
- In silico analysis of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset to identify potential TNBC-associated miRNAs.
- Clinical validation using RT-qPCR expression analysis on whole-blood samples from TNBC patients before and after therapy.
Main Results:
- Four miRNAs—miR-340-5p, miR-1307-3p, miR-185-5p, and miR-30a-3p—demonstrated significant predictive potential.
- Dysregulated miRNA signatures were identified as independent indicators for therapeutic monitoring in TNBC.
Conclusions:
- A combined multi-miRNA expression panel provides a robust and superior predictive value for stratifying treatment response in TNBC.
- These miRNA signatures can aid in tracking disease progression and optimizing therapeutic strategies for TNBC patients.
