MicroRNA-130b Is a Unique Autophagy-Related Epigenetic Predictor of FLOT-Chemotherapy in Gastric Cancers.

Introduction: Liquid biopsies have great potential for precision medicine as they provide information about primary and metastatic tumors using minimally invasive techniques. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for detecting gastric cancer (GC). The aim of the study was to identify miR molecules associated with autophagy in gastric cancer (GC) cells, determine their expression levels in GC and FLOT-treated patients, and assess the efficacy of FLOT therapy in GC patients.

Methods: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO) pathways were used to analyze cellular pathways. MicroRNAs were isolated from the tissues.

Results: The study found a connection between the expression of the let-7a-5p gene and the size of primary tumors. Bioinformatics analysis identified multiple targets and signaling pathways associated with this phenomenon. We observed an increase in the levels of miR-21-3p and hsa-miR-130b-3p with lymph node involvement. miR-21-3p is associated with the activation of molecular pathways induced by H. pylori in cases of coinfection. Patients with complete regression had higher levels of expression of hsamir- 130b-3p.

Conclusion: The bioinformatics analysis allowed us to identify the most significant targets among microRNAs. Based on the presented data, it becomes clear that GC is heterogeneous and that the process of autophagy is complex. The association between hsa-miR-130b-3p and tumor response to therapy is particularly interesting.