Title:MicroRNAs in Prostate Cancer Following Radiotherapy: Towards
Predicting Response to Radiation Treatment
Volume: 29
Issue: 9
Author(s): Nina Petrović, Tatjana P. Stanojković and Marina Nikitović*
Affiliation:
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Institute for Oncology and Radiology of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia, Pasterova 14, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr. Subotica 8, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
Keywords:
MicroRNA, Prostate cancer, Radiotherapy, Radiation response, Radioresistance, Radiosensitivity, Radiotoxicity.
Abstract:
Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequently diagnosed male cancer
worldwide. Early diagnosis of PCa, response to therapy, and prognosis still represent a
challenge. Nearly 60% of PCa patients undergo radiation therapy (RT) which might
cause side effects. Despite numerous researches in this field, predictive biomarkers for radiation
toxicity are still not elucidated.
MicroRNAs as posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression are shown to be
changed during and after irradiation. MicroRNA level changes might be utilized to predict
response to RT in the near future, which might help clinicians to make the decision
on treatment regimens if needed.
Individual radiation response results from the interactions among radiation treatment parameters
and the biological background of each patient. In this review, we have listed
and described miRNAs involved in response to RT in PCa and highlighted potential candidates
for future biological tests predicting radiation response to RT, with the special focus
on side effects of RT.
According to described literature, we concluded that let-7, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-146a,
miR-155, and members of miR-17/92 cluster might be promising candidates for biological
tests predicting radiosensitivity of PCa patients undergoing radiation treatment.
Predictive miRNA panels, especially for acute and late side effects of RT, can serve as a
starting point for decisions for individualized RT planning. We believe that this review
might be one step closer to understanding molecular mechanisms underlying individual
radiation response of patients with PCa.
