In silico analysis of prognostic and diagnostic significance of target genes from prostate cancer cell lines derived exomicroRNAs

BACKGROUND: Cancer-secreted exovesicles are important for cell-to-cell communication by altering cancer-related signalling pathways. Exovesicles-derived miRNAs (exomiRNAs)-target genes can be useful for diagnostic and prognostic purposes. METHODS: ExomiRNA from prostate cancer (PCa) cells (PC-3 and LNCaP) were quantified by qRT-PCR and compared to the healthy cell line RWPE-1 by using miRNome PCR 752 miRNAs Panel. MiRNet database was used to predict exomiRNA-target genes. ExomiRNA-target genes pathway functional enrichment was performed by using Reactome database and Enrichr platform. Protein–protein interaction analysis was carried out by using the STRING database. RNA target-gene sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas Prostate Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-PRAD) database was screened out in 465 PCa patients for candidate gene expression in prostate tumour (PT) tissue and non-pathologic prostate (N-PP) tissue. Signature gene candidates were statistically analysed for diagnosis and prognosis usefulness. RESULTS: A total of 36 exomiRNAs were found downregulated when comparing PCa cells vs a healthy cell line; and when comparing PC-3 vs LNCaP, 14 miRNAs were found downregulated and 52 upregulated. Reactome pathway database revealed altered pathways and genes related to miRNA biosynthesis, miRNA-mediated gene silencing (TNRC6B and AGO1), and cell proliferation (CDK6), among others. Results showed that TNRC6B gene expression was up-regulated in PT tissue compared to N-PP (n = 52 paired samples) and could be useful for diagnostic purposes. Likewise, gene expression levels of CDK6, TNRC6B, and AGO1 were down-regulated in high-risk PT (n = 293) compared to low-risk PCa tissue counterparts (n = 172). When gene expression levels of CDK6, TNRC6B, and AGO1 were tested as a prognostic panel, the results showed that these improve the prognostic power of classical biomarkers. CONCLUSION: ExomiRNAs-targets genes, TNRC6B, CDK6, and AGO1, showed a deregulated expression profile in PCa tissue and could be useful for PCa diagnosis and prognosis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-023-03123-1.