Potential clinical applications of microRNAs as biomarkers of renal cell carcinoma

摘要

Introduction Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 3% of adult malignancies and more than 90% ofkidney neoplasms. High rates of undiagnostic percutaneous kidney biopsies and difficulties in reliablepre-operative differentiation between malignant and benign renal tumors using contemporary imagingtechniques result in large numbers of redundant surgeries. Absence of specific biomarkers for earlydetection and monitoring complicates on-time diagnosis of the disease and relapse. For the patientsfollowed up after having a nephrectomy, a noninvasive and sensitive biomarker enabling early detectionof disease relapse would be extremely useful.Material and methods The study is a review of recent knowledge regarding potential clinical applicationsof microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers of RCC.Results MicroRNAs are essential regulators of various processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation,development and death; they have been implicated in diverse biological and pathological processes inRCC. There is a class of miRNAs that promote RCC development (oncomirs) and a class of miRNAs thatnegatively regulate oncogenes, suppress tumor growth and invasion, and thus could be considered treatmentagents (anti-oncomirs). Separate miRNAs and specific miRNAs expression profiles have been identified,enabling early detection of the disease, prediction of response to systemic therapy, or prognosticationof biological behavior of the disease.Conclusions The miRNA network analysis and gene profiling may help to identify the most sensible molecularsignatures of RCC that can be used for diagnostic purposes, as well as poor prognosis signaturesand poor therapeutic response signatures in patients who undergo systemic therapy.