@Article{or.2025.073051,
AUTHOR = {Amal F. Gharib, Ohud Alsalmi, Hayaa M. Alhuthali, Afaf Alharthi, Saud Ayed Alharthi, Shaimaa A. Alharthi, Rasha L. Etewa, Wael H. Elsawy},
TITLE = {<i>miR-449a</i>: A Novel Biomarker for Diagnosis, Prognosis, and Treatment Response in Locally Advanced Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma},
JOURNAL = {Oncology Research},
VOLUME = {34},
YEAR = {2026},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {--},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/or/v34n3/66280},
ISSN = {1555-3906},
ABSTRACT = { <b>Background:</b> Locally advanced laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LA-LSCC) presents clinical challenges due to the lack of reliable non-invasive biomarkers. This study aimed to evaluate <i>miR-449a</i> as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in LA-LSCC. Methods: <i>miR-449a</i> expression was analyzed in tumor tissues, adjacent normal tissues, and serum from 81 LA-LSCC patients and 50 controls using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). We assessed the diagnostic accuracy by Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (ROC curves), clinicopathological associations, survival outcomes (Kaplan-Meier), and treatment response dynamics. <b>Results:</b> <i>miR-449a</i> was significantly downregulated in LA-LSCC tissues (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001) and serum (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001), with a strong tissue-serum correlation (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.988). Tissue <i>miR-449a</i> demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy (Area Under the Curve, AUC = 0.857), while serum showed moderate accuracy (AUC = 0.734). High <i>miR-449a</i> expression correlated with favorable clinicopathological features and improved survival (median overall survival: 67.82 vs. 23.74 months; <i>p</i> = 0.0012). Multivariate analysis confirmed <i>miR-449a</i> as an independent prognostic factor (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). <i>miR-449a</i> levels increased post-treatment, particularly in responders to chemotherapy/radiation (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.0001). <b>Conclusion:</b> <i>miR-449a</i> serves as a non-invasive biomarker for LA-LSCC diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment monitoring. Its dynamic expression highlights potential for risk stratification and therapy response prediction, warranting further validation in larger cohorts.},
DOI = {10.32604/or.2025.073051}
}