The study led by Dr. Weiss proposed to look at how to best identify those SCLC patients who would be chemoresistant. By profiling tumors, he and a team of TGen researchers identified at least three tumor microRNAs that appear to predict small cell lung cancer patients who will prove resistant to first-line chemotherapy. In addition to researchers at TGen, Dr. Weiss was assisted by scientists at the Scottsdale Clinical Research Institute and the Van Andel Research Institute.

MicroRNAs are small molecules that regulate gene expression in the process of making proteins as well as directing the structure and function of cells. This regulation usually prevents cancer and other diseases.

Weiss and colleagues evaluated 34 patients at with varying stages of SCLC. The median age of the patients was 69.1 years, and half were men. All 34 received systemic chemotherapy. There were two complete responses and 13 partial responses. Two patients had stable disease and four had progressive disease.

Three microRNAs biomarkers were identified as being closely linked with chemoresistance: miR-92a-2*, miR-147, and miR-574-5p. Although 47 percent of the patients presented with hypertension and 32 percent presented with emphysema or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, neither of these co-morbidities were linked with chemoresistance.

These findings should help clinicians design better drug trials.

Source: The Translational Genomics Research Institute