MicroRNA expression profile associated with aggressive potential in salivary gland Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma

• Grant number: 22/14253-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: October 01, 2023 - September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Cláudia Malheiros Coutinho Camillo
• Grantee: Cláudia Malheiros Coutinho Camillo
• Host Institution: A C Camargo Cancer Center. Fundação Antonio Prudente (FAP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Diana Noronha Nunes ; Emmanuel Dias-Neto ; Silvia Vanessa Lourenço

Abstract

Salivary gland tumors comprise a heterogeneous group of lesions, with different histological characteristics and diverse clinical behavior. These tumors are classified as benign and malignant and correspond to about 3% of head and neck tumors. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is the most common salivary gland malignant tumor. The histological grade (low, intermediate and high) and the anatomical site are of prognostic and therapeutic importance. Lymph node metastasis occurs in 30 to 70% of cases and distant metastasis occurs in 10 to 20% of cases, being considered an indicator of poor prognosis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) represent a class of small, non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. The determination of miRNA expression profiles can potentially be used in the diagnosis, classification and prognosis of tumors. As miRNAs are small molecules and modulate multiple oncogenic pathways, they also represent potential targets for tumor therapy. However, few studies have evaluated the expression profile of microRNAs in salivary gland tumors. Thus, the objective of this work is to characterize the expression profile of microRNAs in metastatic MEC (lymph node and distant metastasis), non-metastatic MEC, and non-neoplastic salivary gland samples by real-time RT-PCR. Other goals are the investigation of the role of the main miRNAs differentially expressed by transfection of mimetic or anti-miRNAs in MEC cell lines, the determination of the transcriptome of the cells after transfection and the evaluation of the interaction between microRNAs and target transcripts by luciferase reporter assay. The identification of a profile of microRNAs in mucoepidermoid carcinoma could not only provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of these lesions but also a better targeting of the treatment of patients depending on a more or less aggressive profile of the disease. (AU)