Mar 30, 2010 - RNA molecules May Help with Mesothelioma Prognosis
Recent research report from New York University Langone Medical Center reports that a single microRNA (miRNA) molecule has the potential to be a prognostic biomarker for malignant pleural mesothelioma. Being able to predict prognosis categories could be extremely helpful in identifying mesothelioma patients who would benefit from an aggressive multimodality treatment.
Mesothelioma is a rare but aggressive form of cancer linked with exposure to asbestos. About 2500 – 3000 cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year in the United States. To date, there is no cure for mesothelioma and treatments have not been shown to be very effective in prolonging survival times.
The study from New York investigated the role of homosapien microRNA’s (has-miR) as a biomarker for prognosis in mesothelioma. MiRNAs are naturally occurring small molecules that modulate gene expression and have diverse biological functions in developmental and physiological processes. MiRNA’s can target about 60% of all genes, are present in all human cells, and are able to repress hundreds of targets, including tumor cells.
The research shows that one particular miRNA, has-miR-29c, could be used as a prognostic factor for predicting time to progression as well as survival times in patients diagnosed with mesothelioma who have undergone cytoreduction surgery. Surgical cytoreduction aims to remove as much of the cancer as possible, and is often referred to as “debulking.”
In the study, increased expression of has-miR-29c was shown to predict a more favorable prognosis and indicated a decrease in proliferation, migration and invasion of mesothelioma cells. MiRNA’s could be used to regulate the expression of target genes and act as tumor suppressors. This discovery has the potential to guide therapeutic interventions and create improved treatments for mesothelioma in the future.
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