MIcroRNA expression profiling of chemotherapy resistant esophageal adeno- and squamous cell carcinoma cell lines

Chemotherapy resistance adversely impacts the treatment of some individuals with esophageal cancer. Identifying chemotherapy resistance might help tailor clinical treatments. In this study the impact of microRNAs on chemotherapy resistance in esophageal cancer was investigated. We used microarrays to detail the global programme of microRNA expression underlying chemotherapy resistance and identified distinct classes of up-regulated microRNAs in generated chemotherapy resistant cell lines. An in-vitro model of acquired chemotherapy resistance in esophageal adeno- (EAC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cells was used, and microRNA expression profiles for cisplatin or 5-fluorouracil (FU) resistant variants vs. chemotherapy sensitive controls were compared using microarray. These results were further validated using qRT-PCR techniques (not shown in this submission).