Micro-RNA-215 and -375 regulate thymidylate synthase protein expression in pleural mesothelioma and mediate epithelial to mesenchymal transition

The standard front-line treatment for pleural mesothelioma (PM) is pemetrexed-based chemotherapy, whose major target is thymidylate synthase (TS). In several cancer models, miR-215 and miR-375 have been shown to target TS, while information on these miRNAs in PM are still limited although suggest their role in epithelial to mesenchymal transition. Seventy-one consecutive PM tissues (4 biphasic, 7 sarcomatoid, and 60 epithelioid types) and 16 commercial and patient-derived PM cell lines were screened for TS, miR-215, and miR-375 expression. REN and 570B cells were selected for miR-215 and miR-375 transient transfections to test TS modulation. ZEB1 protein expression in tumor samples was also tested. Moreover, genetic profile was investigated by means of BAP1 and p53 immunohistochemistry. Expression of both miR-215 and miR-375 was significantly higher in epithelioid histotype. Furthermore, inverse correlation between TS protein and both miR-215 and miR-375 expression was found. Efficiently transfected REN and 570B cell lines overexpressing miR-215 and miR-375 showed decreased TS protein levels. Epithelioid PM with a mesenchymal component highlighted by reticulin stain showed significantly higher TS and ZEB1 protein and lower miRNA expression. A better survival was recorded for BAP1 lost/TS low cases. Our data indicate that miR-215 and miR-375 are involved in TS regulation as well as in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in PM. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00428-022-03321-8.