MicroRNA Biomarkers in Central Nervous System Tumors

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, endogenously produced non-coding RNA molecules that modulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Their remarkable stability in tissue and biofluids has driven extensive research into their role as biomarkers for central nervous system (CNS) tumours. Aberrant miRNA expression profiles have been linked to tumour initiation, progression and therapeutic resistance across diverse CNS neoplasms, including gliomas, meningiomas and medulloblastomas. Profiling of circulating and cerebrospinal fluid miRNAs offers a minimally invasive window into tumour biology, enabling earlier detection, more accurate classification and real-time monitoring of treatment response. Advances in high-throughput sequencing, quantitative PCR and novel biosensor technologies have facilitated the identification of tumour-specific miRNA signatures. Integration with bioinformatics and machine-learning approaches has further refined diagnostic panels, demonstrating potential to stratify patients by tumour grade and prognosis. Clinically, miRNA biomarkers promise to complement conventional imaging and histopathology, reducing reliance on invasive biopsies, guiding personalised therapy and improving outcomes. Ongoing work aims to standardise protocols, validate signatures in large cohorts and explore combination panels that capture tumour heterogeneity and the dynamic tumour microenvironment.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A seminal study established a six-miRNA serum panel for meningioma diagnosis, combining both upregulated and downregulated miRNAs to achieve robust discrimination from healthy controls. This panel demonstrated an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve of 0.78 and showed dynamic modulation following surgical tumour resection, suggesting utility for postoperative monitoring. Two of the panel members correlated with clinical stage and recurrence risk, indicating potential prognostic value. This work provided a template for blood-based miRNA assays in benign and atypical CNS tumours, highlighting the feasibility of longitudinal assessment and the relevance of miRNA fluctuations to tumour burden and biology.

MicroRNA Biomarkers in Central Nervous System Tumors publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in microrna biomarkers in central nervous system tumors across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

MicroRNA: Short non-coding RNA molecule that regulates gene expression by binding complementary messenger RNA, controlling protein production.

Biomarker: Biological molecule whose presence, absence or altered level indicates a normal or pathological process, or response to therapy.

Liquid biopsy: Minimally invasive sampling of biofluids (blood, CSF) to detect circulating tumour-derived molecules.

Cerebrospinal fluid: Clear fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, serving as a medium for central nervous system molecular diagnostics.

Extracellular vesicle: Membrane-bound particle released by cells, carrying proteins, lipids and nucleic acids, including miRNAs.

References

1. MicroRNAs: circulating biomarkers for the early detection of imperceptible cancers via biosensor and machine-learning advances. Oncogene (2024).
2. MicroRNAs in meningiomas: Potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Non-coding RNA Research (2024).
3. Cell‐free and extracellular vesicle microRNAs with clinical utility for solid tumors. Molecular Oncology (2024).
4. Circulating serum miR-362-3p and miR-6721-5p as potential biomarkers for classification patients with adult-type diffuse glioma. Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences (2024).
5. A serum 6-miRNA panel as a novel non-invasive biomarker for meningioma. Scientific Reports (2016).