Circulating miR-223 in Oral Cancer: Its Potential as a Novel Diagnostic Biomarker and Therapeutic Target

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) have been detected in various types of cancer and have been proposed as novel biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment. Until recently, however, no studies had comprehensively examined circulating miRNAs in oral cancer. The current study used an ultra-sensitive genome-wide miRNA array to investigate changes in circulating miRNAs in plasma from five patients with oral cancer and ten healthy individuals. Results indicated that there were only a few circulating miRNAs, including miR-223, miR-26a, miR-126, and miR-21, that were up-regulated in patients with oral cancer. A subsequent validation test indicated that circulating miR-223 levels were significantly higher (~2-fold, P