Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance Associated with Differential miRNA Expression of miR-375 and miR-27 among Oral Cancer Cell Lines

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 8;24(2):1244. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021244.

Abstract

Recent advances have suggested that non-coding miRNAs (such as miR-21, miR-27, miR-145, miR-155, miR-365, miR-375 and miR-494) may be involved in multiple aspects of oral cancer chemotherapeutic responsiveness. This study evaluated whether these specific miRNAs are correlated with oral cancer responsiveness to chemotherapies, including Paclitaxel, Cisplatin and Fluorouracil (5FU). Commercially available and well-characterized oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines (SCC4, SCC9, SCC15, SCC25 and CAL27) revealed differing resistance and chemosensitivity to these agents-with SCC9 and SCC25 demonstrating the most resistance to all chemotherapeutic agents. SCC9 and SCC25 were also the only cell lines that expressed miR-375, and were the only cell lines that did not express miR-27. In addition, the expression of miR-375 was associated with the upregulation of Rearranged L-myc fusion (RLF) and the downregulation of Centriolar protein B (POC1), whereas lack of miR-27 expression was associated with Nucleophosmin 1 (NPM1) expression. These data have revealed important regulatory pathways and mechanisms associated with oral cancer proliferation and resistance that must be explored in future studies of potential therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: biomarkers; chemoresistance; molecular biology; oral squamous cell carcinoma.

MeSH terms

  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / drug therapy
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* / metabolism
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cisplatin / therapeutic use
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • MicroRNAs* / metabolism
  • Mouth Neoplasms* / drug therapy
  • Mouth Neoplasms* / genetics
  • Mouth Neoplasms* / metabolism

Substances

  • MicroRNAs
  • Cisplatin
  • MIRN145 microRNA, human
  • MIRN27 microRNA, human
  • MIRN365 microRNA, human
  • MIRN375 microRNA, human

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding. The APC was funded by the Office of Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas—School of Dental Medicine and the Department of Advanced Education—Orthodontic Dental Residency Program.