Department of Biostatistics and Translational Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, 92-215 Lodz, Poland.
Postgraduate School of Molecular Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Sep 27;20(19):4799. doi: 10.3390/ijms20194799.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) contribute to over 300,000 deaths every year worldwide. Although the survival rates have improved in some groups of patients, mostly due to new treatment options and the increasing percentage of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers, local recurrences and second primary tumors remain a great challenge for the clinicians. Presently, there is no biomarker for patient surveillance that could help identify patients with HNSCC that are more likely to experience a relapse or early progression, potentially requiring closer follow-up or salvage treatment. MicoRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNA molecules that posttranscriptionally modulate gene expression. They are highly stable and their level can be measured in biofluids including serum, plasma, and saliva, enabling quick results and allowing for repeated analysis during and after the completion of therapy. This has cemented the role of miRNAs as biomarkers with a huge potential in oncology. Since altered miRNA expression was described in HNSCC and many miRNAs play a role in radio- and chemotherapy resistance, cancer progression, and metastasis, they can be utilized as biomarkers of these phenomena. This review outlines recent discoveries in the field of extracellular miRNA-based biomarkers of HNSCC progression and metastasis, with a special focus on HPV-related cancers and radioresistance.
头颈部鳞状细胞癌（HNSCC）每年在全球导致超过 30 万人死亡。尽管由于新的治疗选择和 HPV 相关癌症比例的增加，某些患者群体的生存率有所提高，但局部复发和第二原发肿瘤仍然是临床医生面临的巨大挑战。目前，没有用于患者监测的生物标志物，可以帮助识别更有可能复发或早期进展的 HNSCC 患者，这些患者可能需要更密切的随访或挽救治疗。microRNAs（miRNAs）是一类非编码 RNA 分子，可通过转录后调控基因表达。它们具有高度稳定性，其水平可以在包括血清、血浆和唾液在内的生物流体中进行测量，这使得结果快速得出，并允许在治疗期间和完成后进行重复分析。这巩固了 miRNA 作为具有巨大肿瘤学潜力的生物标志物的作用。由于 HNSCC 中存在 miRNA 表达改变，并且许多 miRNA 在放射和化学耐药性、癌症进展和转移中发挥作用，因此它们可以用作这些现象的生物标志物。本文概述了 HNSCC 进展和转移的细胞外 miRNA 生物标志物领域的最新发现，特别关注 HPV 相关癌症和放射抵抗性。
