Investigation of Tumor Suppressor miR-383 Expression in HPV-related Malignancies
Abstract
Although genetic changes were investigated in disease development previously, we now know that epigenetic changes also play a critical role in diseases. In addition to DNA methylation and histone modification, changes in non-coding RNA expression also contribute to pathological processes as epigenetic modulators. miRNAs are conserved molecules that bind complementarily to their encoded target mRNAs, thereby performing post-transcriptional regulation. MicroRNA-383 (miR-383) functions as a tumor suppressor in various cancers, but its expression pattern in HPV-associated cervical lesions remains unclear. This exploratory study aimed to investigate whether miR-383 expression is altered in HPV‑positive cervical tissues and to generate hypotheses for future mechanistic studies. In this study, miR-383 expression levels were analyzed using qRT-PCR in paired HPV-positive cervical tissue and adjacent normal tissue samples from 30 patients. Our preliminary findings suggest a potential trend toward miR-383 upregulation, warranting further validation in larger cohorts. The observed upregulation may reflect a compensatory host response against viral oncogenesis, potentially through miR-383‑mediated repression of oncogenic targets such as SFN and PD‑L1, suggesting its role in restraining early cervical carcinogenesis and highlighting its potential as a biomarker in HPV‑related disease progression.
Keywords
Ethical Statement
Thanks
References
- Kombe Kombe, A. J., Li, B., Zahid, A., Mengist, H. M., Bounda, G. A., Zhou, Y., & Jin, T. (2020). Epidemiology and burden of Human Papillomavirus and related diseases, molecular pathogenesis, and vaccine evaluation. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, Article 552028. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.552028
- Bray, F., Ferlay, J., Soerjomataram, I., Siegel, R. L., Torre, L. A., & Jemal, A. (2018). Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries.CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 68(6), 394–424. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21492
- Khoshnazar, M., Hosseini, S. M., Pashangzadeh, S., & Ghorat, F. (2025). Molecular interaction of human papilloma virus (HPV) with microRNAs: Insights into the development of cervical cancer and treatment approaches. Infectious Agents and Cancer, 20, Article 49. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13027-025-00677-9
- Jafarzadeh, M., Soltani, B. M., & Mowla, S. J. (2022). MicroRNA-383: A tumor suppressor miRNA in human cancer. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 10, Article 955486. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.955486
- Bartel, D. P. (2004). MicroRNAs: Genomics, biogenesis, mechanism, and function. Cell, 116(2), 281–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0092-8674(04)00045-5
- Bumrungthai, S., Ekalaksananan, T., Pientong, C., Promthet, S., & Patarapadungkit, N. (2015). Up-regulation of miR-21 is associated with cervicitis and human papillomavirus infection in cervical tissues. PLOS ONE, 10(5), e0127109. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127109
- Asangani, I. A., Rasheed, S. A. K., Nikolova, D. A., Leupold, J. H., Post, S., & Allgayer, H. (2008). MicroRNA-21 (miR-21) post-transcriptionally downregulates tumor suppressor Pdcd4 and stimulates invasion, intravasation and metastasis in colorectal cancer. Oncogene, 27(15), 2128–2136. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.onc.1210856
- Babion, I., Mihelčić, M., Eijk, P. P., Steenbergen, R. D. M., Wilting, S. M., & de Menezes, R. X. (2020). miR-9-5p exerts a dual role in cervical cancer and targets transcription factor TWIST1. Cells, 9(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9010065
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Cancer Biology
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Nilgün Çekin
*
0000-0002-1000-7842
Türkiye
Publication Date
April 29, 2026
Submission Date
February 5, 2026
Acceptance Date
April 14, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 47 Number: 2