ABSTRACT
Liquid biopsies have great promise for precision medicine as they provide information about primary and metastatic tumors via a minimally invasive method. In gastric cancer patients, a large number of blood-based biomarkers have been reported for their potential role in clinical practice for screening, early diagnosis, prognostic evaluation, recurrence monitoring and therapeutic efficiency follow-up. This current review focuses on blood liquid biopsies' role and their clinical implications in gastric cancer patients, with an emphasis on circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) and circulating non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs). We also provide a brief discussion of the potential and limitations of liquid biopsies use and their future use in the routine clinical care of gastric cancer.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIM: Approximately, 15-50% of families affected by hereditary diffuse gastric cancer (HDGC) exhibit CDH1 germline mutations. CDH1 gene encodes E-cadherin, protein essential to the cell-cell contact of gastric epithelium. Studies have shown that hsa-miR-9 participates in this protein downregulation. Moreover, MYC is responsible for the transcription of hsa-miR-9-3. In the present study, hsa-miR-9 expression and MYC copy number variation were investigated to elucidate the hsa-miR-9 role in HDGC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Tumor samples were obtained from nine individuals with HDGC history belonging to four Brazilian families. Then, relative quantification of hsa-miR-9 expression and MYC gene copy number variation analysis were performed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In all the samples, an overexpression of hsa-miR-9 and an increased MYC copy number (≥3 copies) were observed. CONCLUSION: hsa-miR-9 acts as an oncomiR in HDGC. In addition, we suggest that hsa-miR-9 acts as second event in individuals with HDGC carrying CDH1 gene germinline mutations.
