Unveiling the potential of emerging microRNA panels as diagnostic biomarkers for prostate cancer: A review

Abstract

Prostate cancer (PCa) is a multifaceted disease that envelops 1.41 million new cases globally. It is the second most common cancer reported in men. Its heterogeneity and indolent growth, coupled with incompetent early screening methods such as serum prostate-specific antigen level estimations and digital rectal examinations, contribute to its delayed detection, potentially leading to misdiagnosis or overtreatment. Despite the advancement in surgical methods, better management of PCa requires definitive diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics. PCa cells express microRNA (miRNA) on their surface as well as release miRNA into the bloodstream, which enables their noninvasive detection in body fluids like serum, plasma, and urine. miRNA acts as sponge for circulating RNA that regulates gene expression of crucial pathways in PCa progression. In recent years, compelling evidence indicates that the use of miRNAs, individually or in combination, in the form of miRNA panels in both tissue and body fluids, together with clinicopathological parameters, might act as a diagnostic biomarker. This will increase the accuracy of risk stratification and early screening of PCa patients under active surveillance. These findings will help differentiate aggressive PCa from indolent and decipher novel therapeutic findings. We have put together a review of studies that have found and confirmed miRNA panels in PCa tissue and PCa liquid biopsies (serum, plasma, and urine exosomes), with a focus on how they might help patients.

Keywords

biomarker / circulating / microRNA / noninvasive / panel of microRNAs / prostate cancer

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The Author(s). UroPrecision published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Higher Education Press.