MicroRNAs in soft tissue sarcomas: overview of the accumulating evidence and importance as novel biomarkers

Abstract

Sarcomas are distinctly heterogeneous tumors and a variety of subtypes have been described. Although several diagnostic explorations in the past three decades, such as identification of chromosomal translocation, have greatly improved the diagnosis of soft tissue sarcomas, the unsolved issues, including the limited useful biomarkers, remain. Emerging reports on miRNAs in soft tissue sarcomas have provided clues to solving these problems. Evidence of circulating miRNAs in patients with soft tissue sarcomas and healthy individuals has been accumulated and is accelerating their potential to develop into clinical applications. Moreover, miRNAs that function as novel prognostic factors have been identified, thereby facilitating their use in miRNA-targeted therapy. In this review, we provide an overview of the current knowledge on miRNA deregulation in soft tissue sarcomas, and discuss their potential as novel biomarkers and therapeutics.

Figure 1

Examples of clinical applications of miRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutics for patients with soft tissue sarcoma. As therapeutics: ① combination with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, ② combination with adjuvant chemotherapy, and ③ combination with chemotherapy for metastasis. As biomarkers: ❶ diagnosis, ❷ determination of drug resistance, ❸ monitoring after treatment for primary lesions, ❹ detection for micrometastasis, and ❺ monitoring after treatment for metastasis. ADR: adriamycin; IFO: ifosfamide; GEM: gemcitabine; DOC: docetaxel.