Drug resistance-related miRNAs in hepatocellular cancer

Abstract

Hepatocellular cancer is a hypervascular cancer characterized by rapid progression as well as resistance to chemotherapy. Drug resistance arises from the alteration of many molecules, including oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and miRNAs. This review evaluates the advances of drug resistance-related miRNAs in hepatocellular cancer, and analyzes the value of them as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets. This review also discusses the limitations of miRNA-based therapy, and envisages future developments toward the clinical applications of drug resistance-related miRNAs.

Keywords::

• apoptosis
• biomarker
• drug resistance
• growth
• hepatocellular cancer
• miRNA
• mutation
• prognosis
• target
• therapy

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported in part by grants from the National Natural Scientific Foundation of China (81100714, 81171923), the Foundation of Shaanxi Province Science and Technology research (2012KJXX-20) and the Top PhD Foundation of China (201075). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Key issues

• Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading cause of death worldwide, and chemotherapy is one optional treatment.

• Multiple drug resistance (MDR) is one of the critical obstacles to the successful chemotherapy of HCC.

• Drug resistance-related miRNAs may be used as biomarkers that help to predict response of HCC patients to chemotherapy.

• Drug resistance-related miRNAs and their targets are potential targets for reversing MDR of HCC.

• The mechanisms of miRNA-mediated MDR remain largely unknown.

• More clinical trials should be performed to promote the use of drug resistance-related miRNAs in clinic.

Notes