Identification of miR's regulating oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in acute myeloid leukemia: A bioinformatic approach.

BACKGROUND

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is one of the most aggressive hematological malignancies, characterized by mutations in progenitor cells that disrupt normal apoptosis and cellular differentiation, leading to the uncontrolled proliferation of immature myeloid blasts. Mutations in oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes play a crucial role in this process by promoting unchecked cell division and compromising regulatory control over the cell cycle. This study aimed to identify microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate these oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in AML.

METHOD

We analyzed RNA-seq data from the TCGA-LAML (The Cancer Genome Atlas - Acute Myeloid Leukemia) project accessed through the GDC (Genomic Data Commons) portal. Using the DESeq2 package in R, we identified significantly dysregulated genes. To characterize biological functions, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. For clinical correlation, we assessed prognostic significance through Kaplan-Meier survival analysis using survival and survminer R packages. Finally, we predicted miRNAs targeting the identified oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes by integrating data from both experimentally validated and computational prediction databases.

RESULTS

DESeq2 analysis revealed thirteen oncogenes and twelve tumor suppressor genes with significant differential expression. Survival analysis indicated that the majority of these genes were associated with poor prognosis, with hazard ratios exceeding 1, reflecting their potential role as high-risk markers. A total of 14 miRNAs were identified as regulators of these genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Among the 14 miRNAs, six (hsa-miR-15a, hsa-miR-1236, hsa-miR-124, hsa-miR-4755, hsa-miR-5006, and hsa-miR-195) were found to regulate both oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. These miRNAs may serve as promising candidates for targeted therapies, potentially enhancing survival outcomes in AML patients.