Table 3 Representative miRNAs from patient tumor specimens as predictive markers for treatment outcome in cancer therapy

Metastatic breast cancer

miR-26a ↑

- Multivariate analysis revealed that miR-26a and CDC2 (cell cycle regulator) are an optimal set of markers associated with favorable outcome on tamoxifen therapy, independently of traditional predictive factors (menopausal status, ER & PgR mRNA expression)

[75]

- Mechanistic analysis showed that miR-26a repressed EZH2 to upregulate ER, thereby enhancing sensitivity to anti-estrogen therapy

CRC

miR-181b↓ & let-7 g↓

Associated with responsiveness to 4^th generation fluoropyrimidine-based adjuvant therapy

[76]

CRC

miR-215↑

- miR-215 level generally downregulated in clinical CRC specimen

[77]

- ↑miR-215 caused chemoresistance of HCT116 to methotrexate and tomudex

- No impact on treatment outcome from cisplatin and doxorubicin

- High level of miR-215 was found in CRC stem cells

Metastatic CRC

miR-146b-3p↑ & miR-486-5p↑

- miRNAs level found to be more abundant in patients with mutant KRAS

[78]

- Predictive of resistance to cetuximab (EGFR targeting monoclonal antibody)

Metastatic CRC

miR-200b ↑

- In KRAS mutated tumors, ↑ miR-200b and ↓ miR-143 were associated with a good PFS in patients on cetuximab

[79]

miR-143 ↓

- In wild-type KRAS patients, miRNA expression did not correlate with PFS in a multivariate model

GBM

5-miRNAs signature (miR-181d, miR-518b, miR-524-5p, miR-566, miR-1227)

- Patients who had low risk scores from the 5-miRNA signature and received temozolomide treatment had better survival

[80]

- Useful for identifying patients for more aggressive therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma

miR-26↓

Lower miR-26 is associated with shorter overall survival but a better response to interferon therapy

[81]

NSCLC

miR-21 ↑

Increased miR-21 in patients not responding to platinum-based chemotherapy

[82]

Lung cancer

miR-128b LOH

Predictive of clinical response and prolonged survival following gefitinib treatment

[83]

Ovarian cancer

let-7i↓

Predictive of resistance to cisplatin

[84]

Pancreatic cancer

miR-21↑

- Predictive of resistance to gemcitabine, docetaxel, temozolomide and 5-fluorouracil

[85, 86]

- Associated with shorter overall survival in the metastatic and adjuvant setting

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

miR-10b ↓

Lower levels of miR-10b is associated with improved response to multimodality neoadjuvant therapy. Likelihood of surgical resection, delayed time to metastasis and increased survival

[87]