Emerging Roles of MicroRNAs in EGFR-Targeted Therapies for Lung Cancer.
Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide. Several molecular pathways underlying mechanisms of this disease have been partly elucidated, among which the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is one of the well-known signaling cascades that plays a critical role in tumorigenesis. Dysregulation of the EGFR signaling is frequently found in lung cancer. The strategies to effectively inhibit EGFR signaling pathway have been mounted for developing anticancer therapeutic agents. However, most anti-EGFR-targeted agents fail to repress cancer progression because of developing drug-resistance. Therefore, studies of the mechanisms underpinning the resistance toward anti-EGFR agents may provide important findings for lung cancer treatment using anti-EGFR therapies. Recently, increasing numbers of miRNAs are correlated with the drug resistance of lung cancer cells to anti-EGFR agents, indicating that miRNAs may serve as novel targets and/or promising predictive biomarkers for anti-EGFR therapy. In this paper, we summarize the emerging role of miRNAs as regulators to modulate the EGFR signaling and the resistance of lung cancer cells to anti-EGFR therapy. We also highlight the evidence supporting the use of miRNAs as biomarkers for response to anti-EGFR agents and as novel therapeutic targets to circumvent the resistance of lung cancer cells to EGFR inhibitors.
Human Stem Cell Institute of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
Fei
F
Han
Department of Thoracic Surgery of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
Jinxi
J
He
Center of Laboratory Medicine of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
Feng
F
Li
Center of Laboratory Medicine of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
Jiali
J
Yang
Human Stem Cell Institute of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China ; Center of Laboratory Medicine of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China.
Jun
J
Wei
Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
William C
WC
Cho
Human Stem Cell Institute of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China ; Center of Laboratory Medicine of the General Hospital, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750004, China ; Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Conservation and Utilization of Special Biological Resources in Western China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
Xiaoming
X
Liu
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics*; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005819:Genetic Markers; D035683:MicroRNAs; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors