microRNA in Early-Stage Breast Cancer in Lebanese Women

Breast cancer is the most prevalent female cancer and has a higher incidence in young Lebanese patients as compared with the West. Interestingly, this particularity of breast cancer in the Lebanese population was not found to be associated with higher BRCA1/2 gene mutations. Hence, our research focuses on investigating molecular mechanisms and associated epigenetic signatures that underlie breast cancer in young patients. We are specifically interested in microRNA (miRNA), small noncoding RNAs that act as master players at all stages of breast cancer development and that are increasingly recognized as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. We have previously shown that differential expression of certain miRNAs in Lebanese breast cancer tissues could be different than what is reported in the West. We recently assessed the miRNA microarray profile expression in Lebanese breast cancer tissues, performed a comparative miRNA profile analysis with matched American samples, and predicted the role of dysregulated miRNA in early breast cancer through mRNA-miRNA integration analysis. Although most of the dysregulated miRNA in Lebanese patients with breast cancer is similar to that in American population, differences in miRNA expression exist and can be attributed either to the patient’s age at diagnosis or to an ethnic variation. We are currently studying circulating miRNA in the blood of Lebanese patients with breast cancer, and a dysregulated signature will be presented. Our data provide a basis for additional investigation that should be performed to comprehend dysregulated miRNA implication in breast cancer, especially in young patients, and the role of circulating miRNAs as potential biomarkers for breast cancer early detection.