MicroRNA Modulation of Drug Resistance in Gastric and Ovarian Cancer Systems

Resistance to chemotherapy remains a major obstacle in the treatment of both gastric and ovarian cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs that finely tune gene expression, have emerged as pivotal regulators of drug sensitivity and resistance. In gastric cancer, dysregulated miRNAs influence mechanisms such as drug efflux through ATP-binding cassette transporters, autophagy balance, apoptotic signalling and epithelial–mesenchymal transition. Similarly, in ovarian malignancies, specific miRNAs modulate pathways governing cell cycle progression, apoptosis and survival signals, notably the Ras–MAPK cascade. By targeting multiple mRNAs simultaneously, individual miRNAs can reverse multidrug resistance phenotypes, restore chemosensitivity and serve as both predictive biomarkers and therapeutic agents. Understanding the combined impact of miRNA networks on key molecular nodes offers a route to overcome refractory disease and personalise treatment in these challenging tumour types.

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MicroRNA Modulation of Drug Resistance in Gastric and Ovarian Cancer Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in microrna modulation of drug resistance in gastric and ovarian cancer systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

microRNA (miRNA): Small non-coding RNA molecule that post-transcriptionally regulates gene expression by binding target mRNAs.

Multidrug resistance (MDR): Phenomenon whereby cancer cells become resistant to a range of chemotherapeutic agents, often via efflux pumps or survival pathways.

Autophagy: Intracellular degradation process that recycles cytoplasmic components and can confer drug resistance when overactivated.

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters: Membrane proteins that expel chemotherapeutic agents from cancer cells, reducing intracellular drug accumulation.

Epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT): Biological programme in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal traits, enhancing invasiveness and often drug tolerance.

References

1. Diagnostic Potential of miR-143-5p, miR-143-3p, miR-551b-5p, and miR-574-3p in Chemoresistance of Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer: A Preliminary Study. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
2. MicroRNA-495-3p inhibits multidrug resistance by modulating autophagy through GRP78/mTOR axis in gastric cancer. Cell Death & Disease (2018).
3. miR-634 restores drug sensitivity in resistant ovarian cancer cells by targeting the Ras-MAPK pathway. Molecular Cancer (2015).