Pilot study on microRNAs as biomarkers of response to sunitinib treatment in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma
Abstract
Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 2-3% of all malignant tumours. Metastatic RCC (mRCC) is commonly treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI).
Effective TKIs administration can be achieved only by accurate prediction of therapeutical response. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse papers concerning predictive potential of microRNA (miRNA).
Material and Methods: We chose seven candidate miRNAs and analysed their expression on 44 patients divided into cohort with poor and good response to sunitinib treatment. Patients were divided into two groups according to progression-free survival.
RNA from tissue samples was isolated and expression of selected miRNAs was measured using quantitative PCR with miRNA-specific TaqMan probes. Results: We successfully validated two miRNAs to be differentially expressed in responding and non-responding patients to sunitinib treatment.
Other analysed miRNAs have not shown predictive potential. Conclusion: From miRNAs studied so far, two miRNAs had predictive value according to present study.