Can alterations in miR-21, miR-1, and miR-224 expression predict personalized medicine chemotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer?

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, necessitating continued efforts to identify reliable biomarkers for improved detection and treatment strategies. Cisplatin has been approved for the treatment of lung cancer; however, its therapeutic efficacy is limited by drug resistance. Accordingly, previous studies have investigated microRNAs as potential predictors of drug resistance.

In this study, we aimed to investigate the roles of microRNAs (miR-21, miR-1, and miR-224) in cisplatin resistance while minimizing potential confounding factors by focusing on EGFR- and PD-1/PD-L1–negative patients. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples were obtained from 30 patients with metastatic NSCLC. Only negative samples for EGFR mutations and PD-1/PD-L1 expression were included to reduce effects. Patients were divided into resistant and sensitive groups based on their response to cisplatin treatment. MicroRNAs were extracted, and their expression levels were quantified by qRT-PCR and normalized to U6 small RNA levels. The expression levels of miR-21 (P = 0.048, r = 0.38) and miR-224 (P = 0.017, r = 0.46) were higher in chemoresistant patients (P < 0.05), whereas the expression level of miR-1 (P = 0.035, r = 0.41) was higher in chemosensitive patients (P < 0.05).

This study was conducted within the framework of personalized medicine. Our findings suggest that miR-21, miR-1, and miR-224 may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting cisplatin resistance in NSCLC patients.