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Cinque A, Capasso A, Vago R, Floris M, Lee MW, Minnei R, Trevisani F. MicroRNA Signatures in the Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Scenario: Ready for the Game Changer? Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2602. [PMID: 35269744 PMCID: PMC8910117 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) represents a minor subgroup of malignancies arising in the urothelium of the renal pelvis or ureter. The estimated annual incidence is around 2 cases per 100,000 people, with a mean age at diagnosis of 73 years. UTUC is more frequently diagnosed in an invasive or metastatic stage. However, even though the incidence of UTUC is not high, UTUC tends to be aggressive and rapidly progressing with a poor prognosis in some patients. A significant challenge in UTUC is ensuring accurate and timely diagnosis, which is complicated by the non-specific nature of symptoms seen at the onset of disease. Moreover, there is a lack of biomarkers capable of identifying the early presence of the malignancy and guide-tailored medical treatment. However, the growing understanding of the molecular biology underlying UTUC has led to the discovery of promising new biomarkers. Among these biomarkers, there is a class of small non-coding RNA biomarkers known as microRNAs (miRNAs) that are particularly promising. In this review, we will analyze the main characteristics of UTUC and focus on microRNAs as possible novel tools that could enter clinical practice in order to optimize the current diagnostic and prognostic algorithm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Cinque
- Biorek S.r.l., San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
| | - Anna Capasso
- Department of Medical Oncology Livestrong Cancer Institutes, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA;
| | - Riccardo Vago
- Urological Research Institute, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery,, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Floris
- Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, G. Brotzu Hospital, 09134 Cagliari, Italy; (M.F.); (R.M.)
| | - Michael W. Lee
- Department of Medical Oncology and Medical Education, Dell Medical School, Livestrong Cancer Institutes, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78723, USA;
| | - Roberto Minnei
- Nephrology, Dialysis, and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, G. Brotzu Hospital, 09134 Cagliari, Italy; (M.F.); (R.M.)
| | - Francesco Trevisani
- Biorek S.r.l., San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- Urological Research Institute, Division of Experimental Oncology, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy;
- Unit of Urology, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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