MicroRNA-dependent regulation of transcription in non-small cell lung cancer
Squamous cell lung cancer (SCC) and adenocarcinoma are the most common histological subtypes of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and have been traditionally managed in the clinic as a single entity. Increasing evidence, however, illustrates the biological diversity of these two histological subgroups of lung cancer, and supports the need to improve our understanding of the molecular basis beyond the different phenotypes if we aim to develop more specific and individualized targeted therapy. The purpose of this study was to identify microRNA (miRNA)-dependent transcriptional regulation differences between SCC and adenocarcinoma histological lung cancer subtypes. In this work, paired miRNA (667 miRNAs by TaqMan Low Density Arrays (TLDA)) and mRNA profiling (Whole Genome 44 K array G112A, Agilent) was performed in tumor samples of 44 NSCLC patients. Nine miRNAs and 56 mRNAs were found to be differentially expressed in SCC versus adenocarcinoma samples. Eleven of these 56 mRNA were predicted as targets of the miRNAs identified to be differently expressed in these two histological conditions. Of them, 6 miRNAs (miR-149, miR-205, miR-375, miR-378, miR-422a and miR-708) and 9 target genes (CEACAM6, CGN, CLDN3, ABCC3, MLPH, ACSL5, TMEM45B, MUC1) were validated by quantitative PCR in an independent cohort of 41 lung cancer patients. Furthermore, the inverse correlation between mRNAs and microRNAs expression was also validated. These results suggest miRNA-dependent transcriptional regulation differences play an important role in determining key hallmarks of NSCLC, and may provide new biomarkers for personalized treatment strategies ; LPA is funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI081156, PI1102688 and R12/0036/0028), Proyecto de Excelencia de la Consejería de Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía (P08-CVI-04090), and the Roche Fellowship in 75th Anniversary, Spain. SMP is funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (CD1100153), Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Consejería de Salud, Servicio Andaluz de Salud (PI-0224/2009 and PI-0046/2012), and Fundación Mutua Madrileña (2009). MDP is funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (CD0900148). RGC is funded by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI10/02164). GMB is funded by SAF2010-20175 and Madrid Regional Government (S2010/BMD-2303). AC lab was supported by grants to from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity, ISCIII (PI12/00137, RTICC: RD12/0036/0028), Consejeria de Ciencia e Innovacion (CTS-6844) and Consejeria de Salud of the Junta de Andalucia (PI-0135-2010 and PI-0306-2012)