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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 14, 2014; 20(38): 13658-13666
Published online Oct 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i38.13658
MicroRNAs: Promising chemoresistance biomarkers in gastric cancer with diagnostic and therapeutic potential
Christiane Matuszcak, Joerg Haier, Richard Hummel, Kirsten Lindner
Christiane Matuszcak, Richard Hummel, Kirsten Lindner, Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Muenster University Hospital, 48149 Muenster, Germany
Joerg Haier, Comprehensive Cancer Centre, Muenster University Hospital, 48149 Muenster, Germany
Author contributions: Matuszcak C, Lindner K, Haier J and Hummel R developed the idea for this review article and designed the manuscript; Matuszcak C and Lindner K reviewed the literature and collected data; Matuszcak C and Lindner K wrote the manuscript with support of the other authors; all authors approved the final manuscript.
Correspondence to: Dr. Kirsten Lindner, Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Muenster University Hospital, Waldeyerstr. 1, 48149 Muenster, Germany. kirsten.lindner@ukmuenster.de
Telephone: +49-251-8356301 Fax: +49-251-8352400
Received: March 3, 2014
Revised: April 29, 2014
Accepted: May 26, 2014
Published online: October 14, 2014
Abstract

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer worldwide and ranks second in global cancer mortality statistics. Perioperative chemotherapy plays an important role in the management and treatment of advanced stage disease. However, response to chemotherapy varies widely, with some patients presenting no or only minor response to treatment. Hence, chemotherapy resistance is a major clinical problem that impacts on outcome. Unfortunately, to date there are no reliable biomarkers available that predict response to chemotherapy before the start of the treatment, or that allow modification of chemotherapy resistance. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) could provide an answer to this problem. miRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of a variety of cancer types, and there is evidence that miRNAs impact on resistance towards chemotherapeutic drugs as well. This current review aims to provide an overview about the potential clinical applicability of miRNAs as biomarkers for chemoresistance in GC. The authors focus in this context on the potential of miRNAs to predict sensitivity towards different chemotherapeutics, and on the potential of miRNAs to modulate sensitivity and resistance towards chemotherapy in GC.

Keywords: MicroRNAs, Biomarker, Chemoresistance, Gastric cancer, Diagnostic, Therapeutic

Core tip: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a relatively new class of gene expression regulators, being involved in cancer initiation and progression. There is evidence that miRNAs impact on resistance towards various chemotherapeutics and are accessible and detectable in different tissue types, including blood samples, with great stability. Taken together, miRNAs seem to have great potential as new biomarkers for diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. This current review aims to provide an overview about the potential clinical applicability of miRNAs as biomarkers for chemoresistance in gastric cancer (GC), focusing on prediction and modulation of sensitivity and resistance towards chemotherapeutic drugs in GC.