miRNA profiles as a predictor of chemoresponsiveness in Wilms' tumor blastema

PLoS One. 2013;8(1):e53417. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053417. Epub 2013 Jan 7.

Abstract

The current SIOP treatment protocol for Wilms' tumor involves pre-operative chemotherapy followed by nephrectomy. Not all patients benefit equally from such chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to generate a miRNA profile of chemo resistant blastemal cells in high risk Wilms' tumors which might serve as predictive markers of therapeutic response at the pre-treatment biopsy stage. We have shown here that unsupervised hierarchical clustering of genome-wide miRNA expression profiles can clearly separate intermediate risk tumors from high risk tumors. A total of 29 miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed between post-treatment intermediate risk and high risk groups, including miRNAs that have been previously linked to chemo resistance in other cancer types. Furthermore, 7 of these 29 miRNAs were already at the pre-treatment biopsy stage differentially expressed between cases ultimately deemed intermediate risk compared to high risk. These miRNA alterations include down-regulation in high risk cases of miR-193a.5p, miR-27a and the up-regulation of miR-483.5p, miR-628.5p, miR-590.5p, miR-302a and miR-367. The demonstration of such miRNA markers at the pre-treatment biopsy stage could permit stratification of patients to more tailored treatment regimens.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Biomarkers, Pharmacological
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / genetics*
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / metabolism
  • Biopsy
  • Child, Preschool
  • Down-Regulation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Kidney Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Kidney Neoplasms / drug therapy
  • Kidney Neoplasms / genetics
  • Kidney Neoplasms / pathology
  • MicroRNAs / classification
  • MicroRNAs / genetics*
  • MicroRNAs / metabolism
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Precision Medicine
  • Prognosis
  • Risk
  • Up-Regulation
  • Wilms Tumor / diagnosis*
  • Wilms Tumor / drug therapy
  • Wilms Tumor / genetics
  • Wilms Tumor / pathology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Biomarkers, Pharmacological
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • MicroRNAs

Grants and funding

This project was funded by the Health Research Board (HRB) of Ireland, grant number: HRB MRCG 2008/1; website: http://www.hrb.ie/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.