miRNA-126 as a Biomarker for Cancer Stem Cells: Role in Chemotherapy Resistance in Iraqi Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized as an aggressive blood cancer with rapid growth of immature leukemic cells. It appears that each subtype of AML displays a distinct miRNA profile. miRNAs play a role in regulating gene expression that is implicated in AML pathogenesis. Objective: This study was designed to assess the level of miRNA-126 gene expression in relation to chemotherapy resistance in various AML groups with the hope of developing a novel marker for targeted therapy and the early diagnosis and prognosis of cancer stem cells in AML patients. Methods: 120 AML cases were studied. Based on the chemotherapy stage, 40 patients were assigned to each group (newly diagnosed, under treatment, or relapsed). Baghdad Teaching Hospital, Iraq, provided the cases and samples from February 2022 to April 2023. This study also included 40 healthy controls. We used the qRT-PCR method to count the genes after setting them to the same level as a housekeeping gene (GAPDH). This method uses the ∆Ct-value and fold change (2-∆∆Ct). Results: In this study, there were significant elevated levels of miRNA-126 in AML patients compared to controls, with a higher fold change detected in the newly diagnosed group. Conclusions: The miRNA-126 upregulation is suggested to be linked to AML development and relapse, with a contribution to leukemic stem cell proliferation and treatment failure. We hypothesized that miR-126 could be an effective target for eradicating the LSC in AML.