Autophagy-Related MicroRNA: Tumor miR-125b and Thyroid Cancers

Background: Autophagy is a stress response mechanism that causes cellular components to degrade. Its defects were associated with multiple pathologies, including cancers. Thyroid cancer is known to be the most prevalent form of malignant neoplasm among endocrine tumors. The aim of the study was to seek and comprehensively explore the role of autophagy related genes and proteins play in thyroid cancers through bioinformatics analysis with their detection in the tissue samples. Methods: Bioinformatics analysis was performed to investigate autophagy related proteins and genes involvement in thyroid cancer progression. The experimental verification was done in cancer samples of one hundred and three patients with thyroid pathology included in the study. The miR-125blevel was detected by PCR in real time. Results and discussion: The bioinformatics analysis verified the miR-125b as a regulatory mechanism in autophagy. Its expression in patients with PTC was reduced by 6.75 times in cancer patients compared to the patients with benign tumors. The BRAFV600E mutations were associated with a decrease in hsa-miR-125b expression by 12.67 times compared to tumors with the wild-type gene. Conclusions: Our findings revealed involvement of the autophagy related proteins in cancer progression. The significant mechanisms of regulation are non-coding RNA sequences implicated in a variety of oncogenic processes. We found that miR-125b is a potential maker in thyroid cancer invasion, BRAV600E mutational status and risk of recurrence.

Automated summary

This study investigated the role of autophagy related genes and proteins in thyroid cancer through bioinformatics analysis and tissue sample detection. The results showed that miR-125b is involved in the regulation of autophagy and its expression is reduced in thyroid cancer patients compared to benign tumor patients. BRAFV600E mutations were associated with decreased hsa-miR-125b expression. The study suggests that autophagy related proteins play a significant role in cancer progression and non-coding RNA sequences are implicated in oncogenic processes. miR-125b may serve as a potential marker for thyroid cancer invasion, BRAV600E mutational status, and risk of recurrence.