Biomarker-based MicroRNA Therapeutic Strategies for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Recently, microRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key factors involved in a series of biological processes, ranging from embryogenesis to programmed cell death. Its link to aberrant expression profiles has rendered it a potentially attractive tool for the diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of various diseases. Accumulating evidence has indicated that miRNAs act as tumor suppressors in hepatocyte malignant transformation by regulating development, differentiation, proliferation, and tumorigenesis. Here, we summarize recent progress in the development of novel biomarker-based miRNA therapeutic strategies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Keywords: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MicroRNA; Molecular target; Therapy.

Fig. 1. Silencing GPC-3 inhibited the growth of nude mice xenograft tumors.

(A) Formation times of xenograft tumors in nude mice after injection with stable HepG2 cells with miRNA plasmids; (B) Comparative analysis of nude mice xenograft tumor volumes in different groups, data are expressed as mean ±SD (n=6); (C) Dissected hepatoma xenograft tumors in the different groups (unpublished findings, Yao et al.).

Fig. 2. Alterations of histopathology and immunohistochemistry in xenograft tumors.

(A) The size and gross features of xenograft tumors in nude mice from the different treatment groups: control group, PLC/PRF/5 cells transfected without any miR; the neg-miR group, PLC/PRF/5 cells transfected with neg-miR; the miR group, PLC/PRF/5 cells transfected with miR; (B) IGF-IR IGF-IR immunohistochemical analysis of the xenograft tumor tissues (SP, 400 ×) (unpublished data, Yao et al.).