MicroRNA-4776-5p acts as a radiosensitizer and predicts the prognosis of patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy

Abstract

Abstract Background Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the most common worldwide. Radiation therapy plays an important role in treating HNC. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been associated with tumor progression and radiosensitivity. However, their mechanisms remain largely unknown, and the evidence remains limited. This study aimed to identify miRNAs associated with the radiosensitivity of head and neck tumor cells, leading to the poor prognosis of patients with HNC receiving radiation therapy. The miRNA expression profiles and clinical information of patients with HNC were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas. The miRNAs were identified through an integrated bioinformatics analysis and validated through in vitro and in vivo studies. Results MiR-4776-5p was identified as a radiosensitizer and predictor of the prognosis of patients with HNC receiving radiotherapy. Eleven of 16 genes targeted by miR-4776-5p were found to regulate mechanisms related to radiosensitivity via functional annotation. Conclusion In this study, we identified a miRNA, miR-4776-5p, related to the clinical outcome of patients with HNSC receiving RT alone, which could be potentially selected as a miRNA-based therapeutic target to block radioresistant characteristics and lead to better treatment outcomes for HNC.