Circulating microRNAs as Potential Non-invasive Biomarkers for Breast Cancer Detection

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among women and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Mammography is currently the gold standard diagnostic tool however it is not without limitations. Over the past decade, research has largely shifted focus from mRNA biomarkers to microRNAs (miRNAs) as a new potential screening biomarker for breast cancer. MiRNAs are 18–25-nucleotides regulatory non-coding RNA molecules that regulate the expressions of a wide variety of genes have crucial roles in many areas from organogenesis to carcinogenesis. This study was conducted to investigate miR 21, miR 27b, miR 125a, miR 155, miR 200c, miR 335, and miR373 in 20 patients with breast cancer patients. 20 healthy women served as controls. microRNAs were assessed using Real Time PCR method. Three microRNAs (miR 21, miR155 and miR125) were found to be significantly more abundant in the plasma of early-stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients compared to controls. Therefore, these 3 microRNAs could represent a promising circulating biomarker candidate for the ESBC diagnosis if the results will be validated in a wider group of patients. (www.actabiomedica.it)