The role of miR-139-5p in radioiodine-resistant thyroid cancer

PURPOSE: Radioiodine I-131 (RAI) is the therapy of choice for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Between 5% and 15% of DTC patients become RAI refractory, due to the loss of expression/function of iodide metabolism components, especially the Na/I symporter (NIS). We searched for a miRNA profile associated with RAI-refractory DTC to identify novel biomarkers that could be potential targets for redifferentiation therapy. METHODS: We analyzed the expression of 754 miRNAs in 26 DTC tissues: 12 responsive (R) and 14 non-responsive (NR) to RAI therapy. We identified 15 dysregulated miRNAs: 14 were upregulated, while only one (miR-139-5p) was downregulated in NR vs. R tumors. We investigated the role of miR-139-5p in iodine uptake metabolism. We overexpressed miR-139-5p in two primary and five immortalized thyroid cancer cell lines, and we analyzed the transcript and protein levels of NIS and its activation through iodine uptake assay and subcellular protein localization. RESULTS: The finding of higher intracellular iodine levels and increased cell membrane protein localization in miR-139-5p overexpressing cells supports the role of this miRNA in the regulation of NIS function. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence of miR-139-5p involvement in iodine uptake metabolism and suggests its possible role as a therapeutic target in restoring iodine uptake in RAI-refractory DTC. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40618-023-02059-7.