Progress on potential application of microRNA-107 and B and T lymphocyte attenuator in pancreatic cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is one of the common malignant tumors of digestive tract and is difficult to diagnose because it is characterized by insidious onset and asymptomatic early-stage. The diagnosis of pancreatic cancer mainly relies on imaging and serum tumor markers, and the main treatment method is surgery. However, due to being discovered in the advanced stage of the disease and missing the best opportunity for surgery, the prognosis is extremely poor and short-term survival. Studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs, miR) play a key role in the genesis and development of a variety of tumors, of which miR-107 is expressed in pancreatic cancer tissue and blood, which is related to the occurrence and invasion of pancreatic cancer. In some databases, it has been determined that miRNAs can target and regulate B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA). BTLA with its ligand transmits coinhibitory signals and plays a negative regulatory role in the body's anti-tumor immune response, which is related to the immune escape mechanism of tumors and is likely to become a potential target of tumor biotherapy. This article will elaborate miR-107 and BTLA to predict that they may be therapeutic targets of pancreatic cancer and are expected to become diagnostic and prognostic markers of pancreatic cancer.

Keywords

• pancreatic cancer
• microrna
• mir-107
• b and t lymphocyte attenuator
• immunity