title: Oncogenic microRNAs as biomarkers of oral tumorigenesis and minimal residual disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Classical diagnostic methods are not sensitive enough in detecting oral lesions that may progress to cancer and in assessing minimal residual disease (MRD) in oral surgical margins. Altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to human cancer, including oral cancer. Although there are many studies on microRNAs in oral cancer, there is no reported study comparing the expression of microRNAs during oral tumor progression and in oral surgical margins.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study analyzed the expression of 72 miRNAs that were reported (till June 2011) to be differentially expressed in oral cancer, during phases of oral cancer progression and in oral surgical margins.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 72 miRNAs analyzed, four (hsa-miR-125a, hsa-miR-184, hsa-miR16 and hsa-miR-96) showed a common pattern of expression in both sets of tissues. We further analyzed the downstream target genes of hsa-miR-16 BCL2 and CCND1. The in silico network analysis of these four microRNAs and their target genes revealed presence of genes involved in tumor progression and transcription factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that the combinatorial regulation by these miRNAs and their target transcription factors might play a substantial role in oral tumorigenesis. Here we report for the first time that a decreased expression of hsa-miR-125a, hsa-miR-184 and hsa-miR-16 and an increased expression of hsa-miR-96 could be useful in predicting oral tumorigenesis and importantly in the detection of MRD and decision-making process for postoperative treatment modalities.
authors: Cancer Research Program, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram 695 014, Kerala, India. santhiws@gmail.com
authors: W S
authors: WS
authors: Santhi
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Prathibha
authors: Sona
authors: S
authors: Charles
authors: K G
authors: KG
authors: Anurup
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Reshmi
authors: Surya
authors: S
authors: Ramachandran
authors: V T
authors: VT
authors: Jissa
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Sebastian
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Radhakrishna Pillai
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D063646:Carcinogenesis; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018365:Neoplasm, Residual; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C530104:CCND1 protein, human; D035683:MicroRNAs; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019938:Cyclin D1